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Medicaid expansion plans in Pa., Wis. under scrutiny

Pennsylvania advocates challenge the penalties and premium costs in Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed Medicaid expansion plan. Meanwhile, more than 70,000 low-income Wisconsin adults would keep their state BadgerCare Plus coverage for three months and a larger and poorer group would wait the same 90 days to enter the program, under a GOP plan expected to become law in Wisconsin.

22 Dec 2013

Small molecule nonsense suppression strategy for aniridia-associated defects

Congenital aniridia is a progressive disease that is associated with improper development of eye structures as well as abnormalities in the brain and pancreas. A variety of nonsense mutations in the PAX6 gene are linked with aniridia; however, despite understanding the genetic basis of the disease, few treatment and prevention strategies are available.

22 Dec 2013

Study: High levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation

Researchers from Boston University's School of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences found that among HIV-infected Russian drinkers, depressive symptom severity alone was not significantly associated with lower rates of antiretroviral therapy initiation. However, when examining cognitive symptoms of depression, results showed that high levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation.

22 Dec 2013

Study supports use of two drugs for treating children with aggression and disruptive behavior

Prescribing both a stimulant and an antipsychotic drug to children with physical aggression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, along with teaching parents to use behavior management techniques, reduces aggressive and serious behavioral problems in the children, according to a study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

22 Dec 2013

Scientists develop new potential cure for rare eye disease

University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health scientists have developed a potential cure for a rare eye disease, showing for the first time that a drug can repair a birth defect.

22 Dec 2013

Research finding could lead to development of vaccine and therapies for mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a deadly infection that strikes people with weakened immune systems when certain types of fungi, called Mucorales, invade the patients' cells. A novel protein on the surface of the Mucorales cells, called CotH, makes this invasion possible.

22 Dec 2013

States report surges in health plan sign-ups; California at the front of the pack

The increase has ranged from 30 percent to 40 percent, reports ABC News. In California, an estimated 50,000 people picked a health plan in the first week of December. News outlets also reported on the latest developments in Maryland, Oregon and Minnesota.

22 Dec 2013

Researchers evaluate mangafodipir for relief of oxaliplatin-associated neuropathies

An unfortunate side effect of the platinum-chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin is the development of neurotoxicity, which can adversely affect a patient's quality of life; therefore, the benefit of oxaliplatin-based therapy must be balanced with prevention of neuropathies. Currently, there are no therapeutic interventions available to relieve oxaliplatin-associated neurological symptoms, which are thought to be a result of reactive oxygen species-associated damage.

22 Dec 2013

Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome at increased risk for aortic aneurysm

Patients with the connective tissue disorder Loeys-Dietz syndrome are at high risk for aortic aneurysm. LDS results in the presence of missense mutations within either of the genes encoding receptors for TGF-β. LDS-associated mutations are predicted to reduce TGF-β signaling; however, aortic tissue samples from LDS patients indicate that TGF-β signaling may be enhanced.

22 Dec 2013

Studies yield new insights into molecular mechanisms that underlie learning process

Learning requires constant reconfiguration of the connections between nerve cells. Two new studies now yield new insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie the learning process.

22 Dec 2013

Manipulating epigenetic mechanism may promote cell death in pediatric brain cancer

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the university hospital (Hospital de Cl-nicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA) and the Children's Cancer Institute (Instituto do C-ncer Infantil do Rio Grande do Sul, ICI-RS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, have shown that manipulating an epigenetic mechanism, which regulates gene expression, may promote cell death and favor maturation towards less malignant-prone phenotypes in pediatric brain cancer cell lines.

22 Dec 2013

Engineered immune cells show antitumor activity in two patients with advanced cancers

Engineered immune cells, called CARTmeso cells, designed to direct antitumor immune responses toward tumors that carry a protein called mesothelin, showed antitumor activity in two patients with advanced cancers that had not responded to prior treatments, according to a study published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

22 Dec 2013

People with canceled plans exempted from insurance mandate

In addition, the administration said Thursday that those with canceled plans will be able to buy bare-bones catastrophic plans, regardless of their age, under a hardship exemption.

22 Dec 2013

New optical device puts the power to detect retinal disease in the palm of a hand

A new optical device puts the power to detect eye disease in the palm of a hand. The tool-about the size of a hand-held video camera-scans a patient's entire retina in seconds and could aid primary care physicians in the early detection of a host of retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

22 Dec 2013

Monthly pharmacist appointments help patients solve medication-related problems

Patients are more likely to take chronic medications when they meet monthly with pharmacists to coordinate medication schedules and treatments, according to a Virginia Commonwealth University study.

22 Dec 2013

Six common diseases arise from DNA changes, finds new research

Many rare disorders are caused by gene mutation, like sickle cell anemia. Yet until now the underlying genetic cause of more common conditions - for example, rheumatoid arthritis - has evaded scientists for years.

22 Dec 2013

SLU nursing faculty, students receive special training to operate Closed Point of Dispensing

In the case of a bioterror attack, Saint Louis University will operate a medication dispensing station for students, faculty, staff and their families, offering quick access to medicines and easing the burden on local health departments so they can serve residents who lack similar access to lifesaving drugs.

22 Dec 2013

International researchers study glycans that could help clinicians diagnose gastric cancer early

Gastric cancer kills more than 700,000 people each year, mostly in Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe. Though the disease is quite treatable when caught early, symptoms are indistinct and late detection leads to high mortality. The five-year survival rate in the United States is 26.9 percent.

22 Dec 2013

Scientists discover new way to stop malaria parasites from multiplying

Scientists have taken an important step towards new malaria treatments by identifying a way to stop malaria parasites from multiplying.

22 Dec 2013

CUMC researchers clarify three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's disease

Using high-resolution functional MRI imaging in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in mouse models of the disease, Columbia University Medical Center researchers have clarified three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's: where it starts, why it starts there, and how it spreads. In addition to advancing understanding of Alzheimer's, the findings could improve early detection of the disease, when drugs may be most effective.

22 Dec 2013

Medical News

Medicaid expansion plans in Pa., Wis. under scrutiny

Small molecule nonsense suppression strategy for aniridia-associated defects

Study: High levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation

Study supports use of two drugs for treating children with aggression and disruptive behavior

Scientists develop new potential cure for rare eye disease

Research finding could lead to development of vaccine and therapies for mucormycosis

States report surges in health plan sign-ups; California at the front of the pack

Researchers evaluate mangafodipir for relief of oxaliplatin-associated neuropathies

Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome at increased risk for aortic aneurysm

Studies yield new insights into molecular mechanisms that underlie learning process

Manipulating epigenetic mechanism may promote cell death in pediatric brain cancer

Engineered immune cells show antitumor activity in two patients with advanced cancers

People with canceled plans exempted from insurance mandate

New optical device puts the power to detect retinal disease in the palm of a hand

Monthly pharmacist appointments help patients solve medication-related problems

Six common diseases arise from DNA changes, finds new research

SLU nursing faculty, students receive special training to operate Closed Point of Dispensing

International researchers study glycans that could help clinicians diagnose gastric cancer early

Scientists discover new way to stop malaria parasites from multiplying

CUMC researchers clarify three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's disease

Directed enzyme evolution and the Nobel Prize: Making enzymes evolve in the lab

Advancing Motor Neuron Disease Diagnosis with Non-Invasive Ultrasound and AI

How agentic AI is reshaping laboratory workflows

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