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Scientists discover how external signals regulate vascular remodelling at cell level

Blood vessels are extremely dynamic: depending on the external conditions, they can adapt their permeability for nutrients, their contractility, and even their shape. Unlike cardiac muscle cells, for example, the smooth muscle cells in blood vessels demonstrate a high degree of plasticity, so they can specialise or multiply as required, even repairing damage to the vessel wall.

13 Nov 2012

Ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration complication rate ‘reassuring’

Multisite findings support the use of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal lymph node sampling.

12 Nov 2012

Radiotherapy protocol deviations: an interview with Dr Nitin Ohri

Radiotherapy is a key component of cancer therapy. A majority of cancer patients get radiotherapy in some form at some point in their disease course. It can be used in a curative setting or in a palliative setting.

12 Nov 2012

Semprus BioSciences to develop surface-modified endotracheal tube

Teleflex Incorporated, a leading global provider of medical devices for critical care and surgery, has announced that Semprus BioSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated, has been awarded the initial phase of a $2.3 million research grant from the U.S. Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), located at Fort Detrick, MD.

9 Nov 2012

Elevated ST2 biomarker levels strongly indicate heart failure and mortality in HIV patients

Critical Diagnostics, makers of the Presage ST2 Assay, announced today that during a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Los Angeles, the results of a study demonstrated that elevated levels of the biomarker ST2 in HIV patients was strongly indicative of the development of heart failure and mortality.

9 Nov 2012

SCCA to raise awareness about importance of lung cancer screening

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths in the United States, despite the fact it is largely preventable. For people at high risk of developing lung cancer, such as current or former longtime smokers, screening for the disease with low-dose CT scans is now a viable option that has been shown to significantly reduce mortality rates. In conjunction with National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) wants to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and early detection for at-risk populations.

9 Nov 2012

Many patients over-optimistic about palliative chemotherapy

A majority of advanced colorectal and lung cancer patients in the USA may not understand that chemotherapy is unlikely to cure them, according to the results of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

8 Nov 2012

FREEDOM results announced

Results from the FREEDOM trial show that coronary artery bypass graft surgery significantly reduces the risk for adverse outcomes compared with percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease.

8 Nov 2012

Autologous stem cells do not improve heart function when given three weeks after heart attack

Administering stem cells derived from patients' own bone marrow either three or seven days after a heart attack is safe but does not improve heart function six months later, according to a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

8 Nov 2012

PBS documentary explores stories and science behind organ donation and transplantation

Transplant: A Gift for Life -- a one-hour, Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary that includes Mayo Clinic transplant patients, their families, and doctors -- will be distributed to public television stations nationwide this month. On Nov. 8, more than 60 PBS stations will air the program simultaneously through the PBS World channel, and many other PBS stations will air the program at various times (check local listings) over the next three years.

8 Nov 2012

Simple biomarker model to predict heart failure risk

The most widely used models for predicting heart failure rely on a complex combination of lifestyle, demographic, and cardiovascular risk factor information.

8 Nov 2012

New UTSW model can predict progression of skin cancer in patients

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists led by Dr. Sean Morrison, director of the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, have developed an innovative model for predicting the progression of skin cancer in patients.

8 Nov 2012

BMI may not be best measure for estimation of cancer risk

A study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that body mass index (BMI)-the most commonly used weight-for-height formula for estimating fatness-may not be the best measure for estimating disease risk, and particularly the risk of certain types of cancer. The study was published today in the online edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

8 Nov 2012

Researchers discover cellular pathway that causes lung-damaging inflammation in CF

Vancouver researchers have discovered the cellular pathway that causes lung-damaging inflammation in cystic fibrosis (CF), and that reducing the pathway's activity also decreases inflammation.

8 Nov 2012

Aspirin viable alternative to warfarin in preventing clots after joint replacement surgery

If you've had joint replacement surgery, it's likely you've been given warfarin, a common blood thinner and clot-preventer, prior to surgery. While effective, research from the Rothman Institute at Jefferson has shown aspirin to be just as effective in preventing clots, specifically pulmonary emboli, life-threatening blood clots that can develop in the arteries of the lungs following joint replacement surgery.

8 Nov 2012

WU researchers to study blood-clotting disorders

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $9 million grant to investigate blood-clotting disorders. From heart attacks and strokes to uncontrolled bleeding, clotting disorders cause more deaths each year in the United States than all types of cancer combined.

7 Nov 2012

Synta announces interim results from docetaxel Phase 2b/3 trial on NSCLC

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. announced today that interim results from the Phase 2b/3 GALAXY trial will be presented at the Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium in New York City on Friday, November 9 during the 11:45 a.m. session on new agents for lung cancer. Presenting this data at the conference will be Dr. Suresh Ramalingham, Professor, Hematology & Medical Oncology, and Director, Translational Thoracic Malignancies Program, of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

7 Nov 2012

Researchers sequence the DNA of 6,700 exomes of cystic fibrosis patients

A multi-institutional team of researchers has sequenced the DNA of 6,700 exomes, the portion of the genome that contains protein-coding genes, as part of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-funded Exome Sequencing Project, one of the largest medical sequencing studies ever undertaken.

7 Nov 2012

Ion AmpliSeq Community Panels from Life Technologies

Life Technologies Corporation today announced Ion AmpliSeq Community Panels, a community-driven solution to gene panel sequencing that leverages the expertise of scientific thought leaders and the Ion Community to create gene panels for conditions ranging from cancer to inherited diseases.

7 Nov 2012

Heart disease risk factors widespread among Hispanic/Latino adults in the U.S.

Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS-SOL) - which will be presented at the American Heart Association Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on Nov. 5 and published in the Nov. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) - finds heart disease risk factors are widespread among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States.

7 Nov 2012