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UPC develops new system for electroporation of cell cultures

Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have developed a technique that improves and cuts the cost of a technique called electroporation, which involves opening pores in cell membranes using an electric field to introduce substances like drugs and DNA. Current methods are aggressive and expensive whereas the new system manages to apply low voltage electroporation with a small printed circuit board, which costs less than a Euro per unit and does not damage cells.

11 Feb 2013

FDA hears concerns on new narcotic pain pill rules

Survivors of those who died from opioid overdoses urge changes in the drugs' labels, but some patients express concerns that they might have trouble getting the drugs.

11 Feb 2013

Nine suggestions to prevent sexual abuse among children

Pediatricians know that when they discuss seat belt, bicycle and water safety during annual wellness visits they are helping to reduce a child's risk of harm. Those same visits should include messages about personal space and privacy, says Dr. Martin A. Finkel, an internationally known expert in the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse, and he is urging pediatricians to begin a dialogue that will help children avoid the physical and mental health consequences of sexual abuse.

11 Feb 2013

Majority of Americans not aware of detrimental effects of obesity

A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that few Americans realize the many ways obesity can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea and other less common conditions.

11 Feb 2013

Review describes long-term side-effects of molecularly targeted therapies in children with cancer

A University of Colorado Cancer Center review published this week in the journal Lancet Oncology describes possible long-term side-effects of new, targeted therapies in pediatric cancer patients: what we don't know may hurt us.

11 Feb 2013

Wichita State associate professor writes two books about flu

The flu: It's a popular topic of conversation lately, as most people probably know someone who has gotten sick this winter. But for Wichita State associate professor George Dehner, the flu is a year-round focus. Dehner, who teaches world and environmental history, recently wrote two books about the flu.

11 Feb 2013

Exercise may reduce risk of prostate cancer in Caucasian men

A new study suggests that exercise may reduce Caucasian men's risk of developing prostate cancer. And among Caucasian men who do have prostate cancer, exercise may reduce their risk of having more serious forms of the disease. Unfortunately, the benefits do not seem to apply to African- American men. The study is published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

11 Feb 2013

Sophisticated IT leads to more robust and integrated communication strategies in clinical staff

The federal government invested more than $25 billion in health information technology (IT) as a result of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act; yet, little is known about how IT applications improve patient safety and protect their privacy. Now, a University of Missouri nursing informatics expert suggests that sophisticated IT leads to more robust and integrated communication strategies among clinical staff, which allows staff to more efficiently coordinate care and better protect patient privacy.

11 Feb 2013

Epithelium able to sense bladder fullness through activity of integrins

If you have an overactive bladder or incontinence, help could be on the way. A new research report published online in the FASEB Journal, shows that the epithelium, a thin layer of cells which line the surface of the bladder, is able to sense how full the bladder is through the action of a family of proteins called integrins.

11 Feb 2013

Long-acting reversible contraception with progestin may increase risk of type 2 diabetes in women

A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) indicates that healthy, obese, reproductive-age women who use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) containing the hormone progestin have a slightly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes when compared to those who use non-hormonal contraception.

11 Feb 2013

Researchers utilize molecular genetic engineering to tackle diastolic heart failure

Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and the Lillehei Heart Institute have utilized molecular genetic engineering to optimize heart performance in models of diastolic heart failure by creating an optimized protein that can aid in high-speed relaxation similar to fast twitching muscles.

11 Feb 2013

Study identifies 12 important postoperative complication signs in colorectal surgical patients

Colorectal surgical patients are often discharged from the hospital with vague guidance on how to recognize complications, but researchers at the Michael DeBakey Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, aim to change that scenario.

11 Feb 2013

Study questions high rate of cesarean deliveries in women with aneurysms

For women with aneurysms involving the brain blood vessels, pregnancy and delivery don't appear to increase the risk of aneurysm rupture, reports a paper in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

11 Feb 2013

Dkk1 molecule accumulates with age and inhibits formation of new neurons

As the elderly age, their ability to concentrate, reason, and recall facts tends to decline in part because their brains generate fewer new neurons than they did when they were younger. Now, researchers reporting in the February 7th issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Stem Cell have discovered a molecule that accumulates with age and inhibits the formation of new neurons.

11 Feb 2013

NIH researchers review research on dog cranium development

Man's best friend may touch our hearts with their empathy, companionship, playfulness and loyalty, and they may also lead us to a deeper understanding of our heads.

11 Feb 2013

Shanshi, Tensys Medical enter commercial agreement to distribute T-Line technology

Tensys Medical, Inc., a leader in the development and commercialization of continuous, non-invasive hemodynamic patient monitoring systems, has entered into a commercial agreement with Zhejiang Shanshi Medical Device CO., LTD (Shanshi) for distribution of the company's T-Line technology.

11 Feb 2013

DW Healthcare Partners completes fundraising for third fund

DW Healthcare Partners, a healthcare-focused private equity firm, announced today that it has completed fundraising for its third fund, which has closed with $265 million of committed capital, exceeding its original target of $250 million.

11 Feb 2013

FDA issues draft guidance on developing new treatments for Alzheimer's

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal designed to assist companies developing new treatments for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, before the onset of noticeable (overt) dementia.

11 Feb 2013

Intra-arterial therapy no more effective than IV t-PA in treating acute ischemic stroke

A stroke survivor's chances of living independently after 90 days are not improved by the use of devices inserted into the artery to dissolve or remove a stroke-causing clot shortly after the onset of symptoms, according to a randomized controlled trial involving 656 patients.

11 Feb 2013

Amlexanox also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice

Researchers at the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute have found that amlexanox, an off-patent drug currently prescribed for the treatment of asthma and other uses, also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice.

11 Feb 2013