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Some smokers quit smoking on first try while others have to quit repeatedly

Some people quit smoking on the first try while others have to quit repeatedly. Using such mobile technology as hand-held computers and smartphones, a team of researchers from Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh is trying to find out why.

5 Apr 2012

Vaccine injections given directly into pancreatic cancer tumors associated with stable disease

Research from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) shows that a series of vaccine injections given directly into a pancreatic cancer tumor is shown to be associated with stable disease in patients who are not candidates for surgery.

5 Apr 2012

Neugrid opens new channels of research into degenerative neurological disorders

Through the Neugrid project, the pan-European grid computing infrastructure has opened up new channels of research into degenerative neurological disorders and other illnesses, while also holding the promise of quicker and more accurate clinical diagnoses of individual patients.

5 Apr 2012

HSP27 protein can indicate lung damage during early stages of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a widespread disease. In Austria alone, there are between 500,000 and 600,000 sufferers; around ninety per cent of cases are the result of smoking. Now, under the leadership of Hendrik Jan Ankersmit, a research team from the University Department of Surgery at MedUni Vienna and the Christian Doppler Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Regeneration of Heart and Thorax Diseases has discovered a protein marker in the blood that can already indicate lung damage during the early stages of COPD, before a decrease in lung volume is detected by a pulmonary function test.

5 Apr 2012

ACR finds list of five medical imaging exams

As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, effective and appropriate use of medical imaging, the American College of Radiology (ACR) identified a list of five imaging exams whose necessity should be discussed before being ordered.

5 Apr 2012

ARI-4175 drug may treat colorectal cancer patients with KRAS mutation

When combined with other treatments, the drug cetuximab-which works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells-has been shown to extend survival in certain types of cancer, including metastatic colorectal cancers. Unfortunately, about 40 percent of colorectal cancer patients-specifically those who carry a mutated form of a gene called KRAS-do not respond to the drug. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, however, have been working on a way to overcome this resistance to cetuximab by unleashing a second cetuximab driven mechanism using a novel drug called ARI-4175.

5 Apr 2012

UH to host 'Science Impacting Health and Society' lecture series

A new lecture series at the University of Houston (UH) will give Houstonians an opportunity to learn how science is making a difference in health and medicine. The first of five lectures will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 25 at the Hilton University of Houston.

5 Apr 2012

Anti-ceramide antibody may prevent radiation gastrointestinal syndrome

A new study offers the first evidence of a drug capable of preventing lethal damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as those occurring during a nuclear incident.

5 Apr 2012

Belagenpumatucel-L improves survival for patients with stage 3B/4 NSCLC

Long-term follow-up of a phase II clinical trial showed encouraging survival in some patients with stage 3B/4 non-small cell lung cancer treated with belagenpumatucel-L, a therapeutic vaccine.

5 Apr 2012

BIND announces data from BIND-014 Phase 1 trials on prostate cancer

Nanomedicine research at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT funded by a $5 million grant from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has delivered the first nanomedicine shown to successfully target prostate cancer cells and deliver docetaxel chemotherapy in high concentrations in Phase I clinical trials.

5 Apr 2012

CCTRN selects MHI as one of seven U.S. centers of excellence

The Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN), a nationwide U.S. network funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has selected the Minneapolis Heart Institute- (MHI) as one of its seven U.S. centers of excellence.

5 Apr 2012

Negative link between obesity and colon cancer screening in white women

A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers shows that obese white women may be less likely than normal-weight counterparts and African-Americans of any weight or gender to seek potentially lifesaving colon cancer screening tests.

5 Apr 2012

VCAM1 nanobodies can effectively visualize atherosclerotic lesions

In collaboration with a Brussels University team under the leadership of Nick Devoogdt and a French team from INSERM, Serge Muyldermans and his team, associated with VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, have succeeded in developing the first patient-friendly, non-invasive method for differentiating dangerous strictures in blood vessels, so-called vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, from less dangerous ones.

5 Apr 2012

ASN participates in ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign

The American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the world's leading kidney organization, joins the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, eight other leading national medical specialty societies, and Consumer Reports in the new Choosing Wisely campaign that helps health care professionals and patients avoid wasteful and sometimes harmful medical interventions.

5 Apr 2012

UV light-activated on-off switch for Morpholinos

University of Oregon scientists collaborating with an Oregon company that synthesizes antisense Morpholinos for genetic research have developed a UV light-activated on-off switch for the vital gene-blocking molecule. Based on initial testing in zebra-fish embryos, the enhanced molecule promises to deliver new insights for developmental biologists and brain researchers.

5 Apr 2012

Poor countries must adapt health systems to meet chronic care needs of aging population, WHO says

"Health systems, particularly in poorer countries, need to adapt to meet the chronic care needs of older people as the shift to aging populations gathers pace in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said" Wednesday in a briefing paper to mark World Health Day, observed on Saturday, the Guardian reports.

5 Apr 2012

Study assesses link between antifolate medications, KRAS mutations and amplification

Testing patients with non-small cell lung cancer for both mutations and amplifications of the KRAS gene prior to therapy may help to predict response to treatment with antifolates, according to the updated results of a preclinical study presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4.

5 Apr 2012

Low glycemic index food may help prevent high blood sugar

Eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar throughout the morning and after the next meal of the day, researchers said at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting.

5 Apr 2012

Cedars-Sinai cancer center wins Outstanding Achievement Award from CoC

Cedars-Sinai's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute is the only cancer center in Los Angeles to receive a Commission on Cancer 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award for providing quality care and services to cancer patients.

5 Apr 2012

Piceatannol blocks preadipocytes’ ability to develop and grow

A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity, according to a Purdue University study.

5 Apr 2012