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Genome-wide study identifies key genetic variant associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who carry an allele of the PNPLA3 gene have an increased risk of developing advanced disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. A second study supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) validates these findings and further concludes that in pediatric patients, the same allele is associated with earlier disease presentation.

18 Aug 2010

Advanced Cell Technology to obtain patent for cellular reprogramming, generation of iPS cells

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. announced today that it is positioned to obtain significant patents relating to cellular reprogramming and the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. iPS cells are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells, except they are generated from adult cells such as skin using certain reprogramming factors, without the controversial use of embryos. Although human iPS cells were first produced in 2007, ACT has been working on inducing pluripotency, with positive results, for more than a decade. The Company's efforts go back to the 1990s, providing (through existing patent filings and continuations) some of the earliest priority dates in the field.

18 Aug 2010

Varian to showcase new Gated RapidArc technology at 2010 CHINA-HOSPEQ exhibition

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. will showcase the company's new Gated RapidArc technology on its Trilogy® machine with advanced motion management capabilities at the 2010 CHINA-HOSPEQ exhibition being held in Beijing August 19-21 by China's Ministry of Health. Varian, the world's leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer and a premier supplier of X-ray imaging technology, will also exhibit its software for planning and for managing radiation therapy treatments.

18 Aug 2010

SAGE to launch European Edition of 'Foot & Ankle Specialist'

SAGE is to launch Foot & Ankle Specialist - European Edition from February 2011. The journal will be an international edition of Foot & Ankle Specialist (FAS), a bimonthly controlled circulation journal launched in 2008 publishing peer-reviewed clinical information for foot and ankle caregivers.

18 Aug 2010

Mature stem cell research development hinges on quality of science peer review

Are there too many stem cell research journals? This question has been posed by Drs. Paul Sanberg and Cesar Borlongan of the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida. Their article appears in the current issue of Stem Cell Reviews and Reports.Both Sanberg and Borlongan are concerned about the quality of the science being published in the proliferating stem cell journals.

18 Aug 2010

Evaluation of medical reasons behind end to pregnancy due to abnormalities of fetus important

When a pregnancy ends tragically due to fatal abnormalities of the fetus, it is important to understand the medical reasons behind the event. This evaluation can help predict the risk of reoccurrence in future pregnancies. In the case of fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS), the fetus may have been affected by a disrupting injury or unavoidable maldevelopment.

18 Aug 2010

Trauma center care cost-effective for all patients: Report

Trauma center care not only saves lives, it is a cost-effective way of treating major trauma, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy. Although treatment at a trauma center is more expensive, the benefits of this approach in terms of lives saved and quality of life-years gained outweigh the costs. The study finds that the added cost of treatment at a trauma center versus nontrauma center is only $36,319 for every life-year gained or $790,931 per life saved.

18 Aug 2010

FACES receives grant to expand care for HIV/AIDS people in Kenya

A joint project of UCSF and the Kenya Medical Research Institute has received $7 million-the first award of a five year grant that will total about $35 million to expand its care and support of people affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya.The project is named Family AIDS Care and Education Services, known as FACES, and it provides a comprehensive program of HIV treatment, care, prevention and support. The grant is awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from funding provided through the President's Emergency Plan for HIV and AIDS Relief.

18 Aug 2010

Researcher unveils unique stem cell partnership that can lead to advances in regenerative medicine

A study led by a researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has revealed a unique "partnership" between two types of bone marrow stem cells, which could lead to advances in regenerative medicine. The aim of regenerative medicine is to enable the body to repair, replace, restore or regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.

18 Aug 2010

UK scientists receive Royal Society awards for cancer research

Two Cancer Research UK scientists were recently awarded prestigious Royal Society Awards, while a number of Cancer Research UK scientists were elected fellows of the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.Dr Tomas Lindahl is the recipient of the Royal Society Copley Medal, the world's oldest prize for scientific achievement, and Professor Stephen West is awarded this year's GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture.

18 Aug 2010

AMT's MAA for LPLD gene therapy product Glybera on schedule

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today announced that the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Glybera(R) remains on schedule following meetings with the European Medicine Agency (EMA) concerning the Day 120 List of Questions. The company is confident that Glybera(R), a gene therapy product for lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD), remains on track for a regulatory decision by mid-2011.

18 Aug 2010

Review on energy drinks that claim athletic performance enhancement

Popular energy drinks promise better athletic performance and weight loss, but do the claims hold up? Not always, say researchers at Nova Southeastern University in Florida."Energy drinks typically feature caffeine and a combination of other ingredients, including taurine, sucrose, guarana, ginseng, niacin, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin," says Stephanie Ballard, PharmD., assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University's West Palm Beach campus.

18 Aug 2010

Florida doctors struggle to meet new standards for electronic records; Arizona faces sharp cuts in residency-training programs

"New federal standards unveiled last month require doctors to start using electronic medical records routinely, including logging patients' diagnoses and visits, ordering prescriptions, monitoring for drug interactions and making records accessible to other medical providers. ... Only about 20 percent of South Florida medical providers use electronic records now, experts said, and while many doctors are already making the change, some fear that older family physicians may one day close their practices rather than spend the money and time to go digital"

18 Aug 2010

Lilly to halt development of potential Alzheimer's disease drug semagacestat

Eli Lilly and Company will halt development of semagacestat, a gamma secretase inhibitor being studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, because preliminary results from two ongoing long-term Phase III studies showed it did not slow disease progression and was associated with worsening of clinical measures of cognition and the ability to perform activities of daily living.

18 Aug 2010

Researchers develop genetically mutated stem cells for myelin research

Vanishing White Matter (VWM) disease is a devastating condition that involves the destruction of brain myelin due to a mutation in a central factor. To understand the disease and test potential treatments that could apply to other disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Prof. Orna Elroy-Stein of Tel Aviv University's Department of Cell Research and Immunology is leading a scientific breakthrough by developing laboratory mice which carry the VWM mutation an important new tool.

18 Aug 2010

Smoking rates among teenagers drop after illegalizing cigarette sales to under 18s

The number of 16 and 17 year old smokers has dropped since it became illegal to sell cigarettes to under 18s according to new research published in Addiction today (Wednesday).

18 Aug 2010

Physician recommends vaccination for Meningitis before children start school

Freshmen all across the nation have begun packing in preparation for college. Along with their laptops, notebooks, pens and binders, there is one more essential item they need - a meningitis vaccination. "If a student hasn't gotten a meningitis vaccination, they absolutely should get one before they start school," said Dr. Michael Koller, associate professor of medicine, division of general internal medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood. "Meningitis is not a common disease but it can be tragic."

18 Aug 2010

Activists sue for documents detailing downfall of St. Vincent's Hospital

Community activists and former staffers of the now-shuttered St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City filed a lawsuit Monday saying the facility was brought down by mismanagement including things like golf outings that drew bills in excess of $250,000, The Associated Press reports. "The city's last Catholic-affiliated hospital filed for bankruptcy before closing in April, citing a debt topping $1 billion.

18 Aug 2010

Life Technologies, CEVEC Pharmaceuticals sign licensing agreement to supply CAP-T expression kits

CEVEC Pharmaceuticals, the developer of a novel human protein expression system derived from amniocytes, announced today the signing of a co-exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Life Technologies Corporation, a leading provider of innovative life science solutions based in Carlsbad, California. Under the terms of the agreement, Life Technologies and CEVEC will co-operate to offer optimized expression kits based on CEVEC's proprietary CAP-T cells to the global life science research community.

18 Aug 2010

Moderate wine consumption associated with better cognitive performance

A large prospective study of 5033 men and women in the Troms- Study in northern Norway has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests. The subjects (average age 58 and free of stroke) were followed over 7 years during which they were tested with a range of cognitive function tests.

18 Aug 2010

Medical News

Genome-wide study identifies key genetic variant associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Advanced Cell Technology to obtain patent for cellular reprogramming, generation of iPS cells

Varian to showcase new Gated RapidArc technology at 2010 CHINA-HOSPEQ exhibition

SAGE to launch European Edition of 'Foot & Ankle Specialist'

Mature stem cell research development hinges on quality of science peer review

Evaluation of medical reasons behind end to pregnancy due to abnormalities of fetus important

Trauma center care cost-effective for all patients: Report

FACES receives grant to expand care for HIV/AIDS people in Kenya

Researcher unveils unique stem cell partnership that can lead to advances in regenerative medicine

UK scientists receive Royal Society awards for cancer research

AMT's MAA for LPLD gene therapy product Glybera on schedule

Review on energy drinks that claim athletic performance enhancement

Florida doctors struggle to meet new standards for electronic records; Arizona faces sharp cuts in residency-training programs

Lilly to halt development of potential Alzheimer's disease drug semagacestat

Researchers develop genetically mutated stem cells for myelin research

Smoking rates among teenagers drop after illegalizing cigarette sales to under 18s

Physician recommends vaccination for Meningitis before children start school

Activists sue for documents detailing downfall of St. Vincent's Hospital

Life Technologies, CEVEC Pharmaceuticals sign licensing agreement to supply CAP-T expression kits

Moderate wine consumption associated with better cognitive performance

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

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