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Cocktail of blood products boosts odds of surviving trauma

Chances of surviving a car accident or other traumatic injury where large amounts of blood are lost are increasing thanks to research conducted by trauma specialists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

13 Dec 2007

New quicker technique for sequencing DNA

Using computer simulations, researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated a strategy for sequencing DNA by driving the molecule back and forth through a nanopore capacitor in a semiconductor chip.

13 Dec 2007

Novel way to diagnose mantle cell lymphomas

Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive form of blood cancer that most commonly afflicts older men.

13 Dec 2007

Most carriers of Fanconi anemia genes are not at a higher risk of cancer

For almost 50 years, Fanconi anemia has been associated with leukemia. Not just among those who have the genetic disorder but among their family members, whose genes, they were told, made them highly susceptible to a variety of malignancies.

13 Dec 2007

More regulatory DNA than previously thought

Surrounding the small islands of genes within the human genome is a vast sea of mysterious DNA. While most of this non-coding DNA is junk, some of it is used to help genes turn on and off.

13 Dec 2007

Study finds Avandia may increase risk of heart failure

A popular class of drugs for treating type 2 diabetes is under scrutiny again. A new Canadian study released by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) finds that drugs such as Avandia increase the risk of heart failure, heart attacks and death.

13 Dec 2007

Discovery of key mechanism underlying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers may have found a key mechanism underlying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a usually fatal lung disease for which transplantation is the only successful treatment.

13 Dec 2007

Milk and egg allergies persist well into the school years and beyond

Considered “transitional” a generation ago, milk and egg allergies now appear to be more persistent and harder to outgrow, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

13 Dec 2007

Cervical collars superior in immobilization and reduction of pressure

Ossur, an emerging leader in the non-invasive orthopaedics market following several acquisitions and a period of integration, has announced that the Journal of Trauma has published the long-awaited results of a two year cervical collar study performed by the Mayo Clinic.

13 Dec 2007

Shingles virus and vaccination

When a vaccine to prevent shingles was approved for use in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration recommended the vaccine for people age 60 and older who previously had chickenpox.

13 Dec 2007

Losses of long-established genes contribute to human evolution

While it is well understood that the evolution of new genes leads to adaptations that help species survive, gene loss may also afford a selective advantage.

13 Dec 2007

Relationship of female sex hormones to mood states and disorders merits better research

Countless movies and TV shows make light of women's so-called “moodiness”, often jokingly attributing it to their menstrual cycle or, conversely, to menopause.

13 Dec 2007

Short pulses of low-energy laser light create better medical images

Detection and treatment of tumours, diseased blood vessels and other soft-tissue conditions could be significantly improved, thanks to an innovative imaging system being developed that uses both light and sound.

13 Dec 2007

New minimally invasive procedure for torn aorta repair

Tears in the aorta which affect thousands of people each year coast to coast, may soon be treated with a much less invasive technique that could dramatically improve patients' chances of survival.

13 Dec 2007

Researchers advance stem cell gene therapy

Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center researchers have recently made great strides in stem cell gene therapy research by transferring a new gene to cancer patients, via their own stem cells, with the ultimate goal of being able to use stronger chemotherapy treatment with less severe side effects.

13 Dec 2007

Intensive care quality of sleep improved by new drug dexmedetomidine

A new sedative drug has been shown to improve the sleep quality and comfort levels of intensive care patients, compared to the most commonly-used medication, according to research published today in the journal JAMA.

13 Dec 2007

Immune compound blocks virus' ability to hijack antibodies

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a controversial phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection is suppressed by C1q, a blood-borne immune system compound.

13 Dec 2007

GlaxoSmithKline response to JAMA article on ICES retrospective analysis

The following is GlaxoSmithKline's response to the retrospective analysis by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) titled "Thiazolidinediones and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Patients with Diabetes".

13 Dec 2007

'Informed cohort' provides personal stake in genetics research

Patients are often reluctant to give up DNA samples for research, not knowing what the information will be used for and feeling there's no personal benefit to them.

13 Dec 2007

Geriatric care intervention appears to provide some benefits for low-income seniors

A home-based geriatric care program for low-income seniors resulted in higher-quality medical care, improvement in quality of life and fewer emergency department visits, but did not appear to prevent decline in physical functioning, according to a study in the December 12 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Dec 2007