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GICD, Stanford University collaborate to develop stem cell and regenerative medicine therapies

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) and Stanford University School of Medicine will collaborate in a new consortium funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to develop stem cell and regenerative medicine therapies. GICD investigators, led by GICD Director Deepak Srivastava, MD, will collaborate with a Stanford team led by Robert Robbins, MD, professor and chair of cardiothoracic surgery, to investigate how to use induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, to repair damaged heart muscle.

3 Nov 2009

"Wings of Hope" fundraising gala for melanoma research

One man's dream of making a difference in the fight against melanoma is coming to life through the launch of a fundraising gala that will raise funds for melanoma research. Chad MacDonald lost his wife in 2005 to melanoma, and has since worked to raise funds for a cure through various events and fundraisers.

3 Nov 2009

Extra dose of proton radiation therapy reduces prostate cancer recurrences

Men who receive a "boost" of proton therapy after receiving a standard course of X-ray radiation therapy have fewer recurrences of their prostate cancer compared to men who did not receive the extra dose of proton radiation, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented November 2, 2009, at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 51st Annual Meeting in Chicago.

3 Nov 2009

Senate, House split over taxes to pay for health overhaul

A health care overhaul that would expand health insurance coverage to millions isn't free, and in addition to proposed cuts, bills would raise revenue with taxes and fees. "The typical family would be spared higher taxes from the House Democratic plan to overhaul health care, and their low-income neighbors could come out ahead," the Associated Press/Boston Globe reports.

3 Nov 2009

Cancer Cell publishes a paper on ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' Pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the scientific journal, Cancer Cell, has published a comprehensive paper describing the design and preclinical characterization of AP24534, ARIAD’s investigational, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor.

3 Nov 2009

American College of Physicians sends letter to House leaders voicing support for H.R. 3962 health bill

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today sent a letter to House leaders voicing the College's support for key policies in the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

3 Nov 2009

New imaging technique for treatment of breast cancer

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The study is examining the utility of three-dimensional thermal tomography in radiation oncology.

3 Nov 2009

Washington Post examines how Altman 'revitalized' the Kaiser Family Foundation mission

Drew Altman landed at the Kaiser Family Foundation in 1990 with a huge mandate: Rebuild the sleepy grant-making organization, shake up its staff, and revitalize its mission. Two decades later, the chief executive and president has positioned the nonpartisan operation as a leading voice and vast repository for facts and figures on health-care issues and the reform debate.

3 Nov 2009

Cardium Therapeutics to seek FDA marketing clearance for ExcellagenXL

Cardium Therapeutics today announced plans to submit a 510(k) premarket notification with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking marketing clearance of its ExcellagenXL(TM) product candidate.

3 Nov 2009

Opinions: Obstetric fistula; malaria and climate change

In a New York Times opinion piece, columnist Nicholas Kristof examines a new plan to tackle obstetric fistula, "a childbirth injury, often suffered by a teenager in Africa or Asia whose pelvis is not fully grown." According to Kristof, "Just about the happiest thing that can happen to such a woman is an encounter with Dr. Lewis Wall, an ob-gyn at Washington University in St. Louis.

3 Nov 2009

Cambridge Research & Instrumentation launches inForm image analysis software

Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi), a leader in biomedical imaging, today announced the launch of inForm™, advanced image analysis software based on the company’s proprietary Machine Learning System (MLS). inForm solves biologists’ and cancer researchers’ challenging image analysis problems by combining fast and easy-to-use automated image processing with advanced learning features that enable the user to train the software to process images automatically.

3 Nov 2009

Swine flu vaccine supply expected to increase 'in short order'

A senior adviser to President Barack Obama says the government "overpromised" with the swine flu vaccine but that the vaccine supply would catch up with the demand within a week. Meanwhile, a health group established to monitor the vaccine's safety will begin work this week.

3 Nov 2009

NIA funds national Testosterone Trial, Penn Medicine to lead

Penn Medicine will lead a new national $45 million clinical trial to test whether testosterone therapy can favorably affect certain conditions affecting older men. Low serum testosterone may contribute to a number of problems affecting older men, including decreased ability to walk, loss of muscle mass and strength, decreased vitality, decreased sexual function, impaired cognition, cardiovascular disease and anemia. While testosterone normally decreases with age, in some men, low levels of testosterone may contribute to these debilitating conditions.

2 Nov 2009

Malaria conference begins in Nairobi, will highlight outlook for RTS,S experimental malaria vaccine

The 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference "kicked off in Nairobi late Sunday with a call for substantial and sustained support for research to guide evidence-based policies and the development of new malaria tools, which together could save countless lives," Xinhua reports (11/2).

2 Nov 2009

Aetna inks three-year agreement with HHC

Aetna announced today that it has reached an agreement with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to offer Aetna members in New York City in-network access to in-patient and out-patient services from HHC’s 11 acute care hospitals, six Diagnostic and Treatment Centers and four nursing homes.

2 Nov 2009

U.S. officially ends HIV travel ban

The White House on Friday announced an end to a 22-year-old travel ban on HIV-positive foreigners visiting the U.S. or seeking residency, the New York Times reports. The newspaper writes that President Barack "Obama announced that a rule canceling the ban would be published on Monday and would take effect after a routine 60-day waiting period" (Preston, 10/30).

2 Nov 2009

ART Advanced Research Technologies to secure $1.2M interim financing

ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc., a Canadian medical device company and a leader in optical molecular imaging products for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, announced that earlier today it filed a notice of intention to make a proposal to its creditors under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act with KPMG Inc. in order to provide the company with the liquidity it requires to pursue its solicitation process.

2 Nov 2009