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UC San Diego proferssor awarded 2010 Harvey Prize in human health by Technion

Michael Karin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has been awarded the 2010 Harvey Prize in human health by the Technion, Israel's premier institute of technology.

9 Sep 2010

Health reforms alone not sufficient to reduce healthcare inequality gap

A new study looking at the effects of the 2006 Massachusetts Health Reform on access to care, health status and ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare, shows that the legislation has led to improvements in insurance coverage as well as a decline in financial barriers to care. However, to date, it has not increased people's access to a personal physician or improved their self-rated health. Neither has it reduced healthcare inequalities between ethnic or income groups.

9 Sep 2010

Multi-disciplinary team awarded grant to develop interdisciplinary oncology palliative care education program

A multi-disciplinary team representing the schools of Medicine, Nursing and Social Work at the University of Louisville, as well as clinical pastoral education programs in three Louisville hospitals, has been awarded a grant of $1,518,092 from the National Institutes of Health that will fund the development, implementation and evaluation of an interdisciplinary oncology palliative care education program. Work related to the project will begin immediately.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists discover sensor in dendritic cells that recognizes HIV

Dendritic cells are the grand sentinels of the immune system, standing guard 24/7 to detect foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, and bring news of the invasion to other immune cells to marshal an attack. These sentinels, however, nearly always fail to respond adequately to HIV, the virus causing AIDS. Now a team of scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center has discovered a sensor in dendritic cells that recognizes HIV, spurring a more potent immune response by the sentinels to the virus.

9 Sep 2010

NIH awards $6.5M for pharmacogenomics study of key mood-stabilizing drug for bipolar disorder

An international team, led by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers, has been awarded a $6.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the pharmacogenomics of a key mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder.

9 Sep 2010

Synthetic biology survey reveals need for attention towards addressing biosafety, biosecurity risks

Synthetic biology defined as the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems or re-design of existing natural biological systems for useful purposes holds enormous potential to improve everything from energy production to medicine, with the global market projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2015.

9 Sep 2010

EMRs aid study of genetic variants influencing human susceptibility to peripheral arterial disease

Scientific research published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) reports on a study of genetic variants that influence human susceptibility to peripheral arterial disease (PAD), made possible by leveraging electronic medical records (EMRs; also called EHRs or electronic health records).

9 Sep 2010

Experts examine impact of two cardiac rescue strategies: chest compressions first vs. defibrillation first

Chest compressions before defibrillation in patients with sudden cardiac arrest is equally successful as immediate treatment with an electrical defibrillator, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System.

9 Sep 2010

Johns Hopkins Children's Center urges new screening program to improve sickle cell trait

The Johns Hopkins Children's Center top pediatrician is urging a "rethink" of a new sickle cell screening program, calling it an enlightened but somewhat rushed step toward improving the health of young people who carry the sickle cell mutation.

9 Sep 2010

Defensive medicine costs much less than 'imagined' by malpractice reformists

The combined cost of malpractice -- and doctors' efforts to avoid it by practicing so-called defensive medicine -- costs about $55.6 billion a year, or 2.4 percent of total health spending, according to a new analysis by "Harvard University's Atul Gawande and co-authors, Bloomberg reports. "The yearly price of so-called defensive medicine -- tests, visits and procedures performed to reduce litigation risk -- is about $45.6 billion, the authors said today in the journal Health Affairs, in a report using 2008 dollars."

9 Sep 2010

SMA researchers receive grant for Spinal Muscular Atrophy research

Brian Kaspar, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, along with a team of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) researchers and clinicians, recently received a $250,000 grant for SMA research and clinic development from Sophia's Cure Foundation via the Pepsi Refresh Project.

9 Sep 2010

Zebrafish DCs discovery provide researchers to investigate mammalian immune system

Scientists from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified dendritic antigen presenting cells in zebrafish, opening the possibility that the tiny fish could become a new model for studying the complexities of the human immune system.

9 Sep 2010

Professional painters face higher risk of developing bladder cancer

A new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has provided further evidence that professional painters may face a higher risk of developing bladder cancer than the general population.

9 Sep 2010

New gene required for memory formation identified

A team led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist has for the first time identified a new gene that is required for memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. The gene may have similar functions in humans, shedding light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or human learning disabilities.

9 Sep 2010

BioMimetic completes 100 day PMA meeting with FDA for Augment Bone Graft

BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. today announced it completed its 100 day Premarket Approval Application (PMA) meeting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the review of Augment™ Bone Graft for the treatment of foot and ankle fusions in the U.S. The FDA generally meets with the PMA sponsor approximately 100 days after the filing of the PMA with the purpose of discussing the status of the application.

9 Sep 2010

BC gynecologists initiate campaign to reduce ovarian cancer mortality

Gynecologic oncologists with the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and the BC Cancer Agency have begun an important campaign that will reduce deaths from ovarian cancer.

9 Sep 2010

UCLA plans nanotechnology collaboration with Hamamatsu Photonics

The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA has announced plans to collaborate with Hamamatsu Photonics Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of photon detectors and camera systems, to apply nanoscience and nanotechnology to projects having global importance in health, medicine, energy and the environment.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

Elimination of a molecular gatekeeper leads to the development of arthritis in mice, scientists report in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The newly discovered gatekeeper is a protein that determines the fate survival or death of damaging cells that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues and lead to autoimmune disorders such as arthritis.

9 Sep 2010

Low carbohydrate diet rich in plant-based fats and proteins associated with lower risk of mortality

Those who adhered to a diet low in carbohydrates but rich in animal-based fats and proteins increased their risk of death – especially by cancer, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, led by Simmons College nutrition professor Teresa Fung, Sc. D.

9 Sep 2010

C.A.R.E.S. Alliance launches online tools for addressing misuse and abuse of pain medications

The C.A.R.E.S. Alliance, a new patient safety organization, today launched a range of online tools designed to help solve the growing problem of misuse and abuse of opioids by identifying the risks associated with these powerful pain medications. The free resources offered through the C.A.R.E.S. (Collaborating & Acting Responsibly to Ensure Safety) Alliance promote safety in prescribing, dispensing, using, storing and disposing of these commonly abused pain medications.

9 Sep 2010

Medicine News and Research

UC San Diego proferssor awarded 2010 Harvey Prize in human health by Technion

Health reforms alone not sufficient to reduce healthcare inequality gap

Multi-disciplinary team awarded grant to develop interdisciplinary oncology palliative care education program

Scientists discover sensor in dendritic cells that recognizes HIV

NIH awards $6.5M for pharmacogenomics study of key mood-stabilizing drug for bipolar disorder

Synthetic biology survey reveals need for attention towards addressing biosafety, biosecurity risks

EMRs aid study of genetic variants influencing human susceptibility to peripheral arterial disease

Experts examine impact of two cardiac rescue strategies: chest compressions first vs. defibrillation first

Johns Hopkins Children's Center urges new screening program to improve sickle cell trait

Defensive medicine costs much less than 'imagined' by malpractice reformists

SMA researchers receive grant for Spinal Muscular Atrophy research

Zebrafish DCs discovery provide researchers to investigate mammalian immune system

Professional painters face higher risk of developing bladder cancer

New gene required for memory formation identified

BioMimetic completes 100 day PMA meeting with FDA for Augment Bone Graft

BC gynecologists initiate campaign to reduce ovarian cancer mortality

UCLA plans nanotechnology collaboration with Hamamatsu Photonics

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

Low carbohydrate diet rich in plant-based fats and proteins associated with lower risk of mortality

C.A.R.E.S. Alliance launches online tools for addressing misuse and abuse of pain medications

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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