Attacking novel S1P target eliminates cancerous tumors in some cases
An antibody developed by San Diego-based Lpath Therapeutics, Inc. could someday treat many of the deadliest solid and liquid tumors. This unique monoclonal antibody, called SphingomabTM, was tested in several animal models of human cancer and was shown to significantly retard cancer growth on a consistent basis; in some cases, it eliminated the tumor altogether.
According to Roger Sabbadini, Founder an
In an editorial published in the April 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine gastroenterologist Thomas Imperiale, M.D., says virtual colonoscopy may become one of the most valuable assessment tools available for colorectal cancer screening.
“I expect a lot from a screening test — zero risk, high sensitivity, high specificity, reasonable ease and convenience, and cost effectiveness,” said Dr. Imperiale, who is professor of medicine and Re
AZTI has drawn up some 40 tables for freshness specific for the most important commercial species in southern Europe, including fish and shellfish. The sensorial method, known as QIM (Quality Index Method) and introduced into Europe some years ago, is being applied to a greater number of species, including some in the frozen state. Concretely, for species of interest in our waters, AZTI has specific schemes for each species of commercial importance that the inspectors use.
Evaluat
Potentially deadly blood clots are being missed in children, and more research and awareness is needed in the medical community, according to a study done in part at the University of Alberta.
“We don’t think of blood clots occurring in children, but they do,” said Dr. Patricia Massicotte, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta, and one of the study’s authors.
A review of treatments for pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in children, conducted by
Researchers Conduct First Large Study Defining Premature Ejaculation by Stopwatch & Patient Reported Outcomes
In a four-week study of 1,587 men, researchers report that men who suffer from premature ejaculation (PE) had an average intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of 1.8 minutes, compared to 7.3 minutes in men who did not. Men with PE and their female partners also had higher ratings for personal distress, interpersonal difficulty with their partner, lack of ejaculation
A research team consisting of nurses, pharmacists and biomedical engineers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital recently published a study showing that while “smart pumps” are a necessary component to a safe medication system, they won’t generate meaningful improvements in patient safety until they are interfaced with other systems, such as the electronic health record, computerized provider order entry (CPOE), bar coded medication administration systems and pharmacy information systems. Smart pu
Detailed analysis of tissue chemistry could identify most appropriate treatment; more study needed
A new way of evaluating prostate tumors may help physicians determine the best treatment strategy. Using magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, which provides detailed information on the chemical composition of tissue samples, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have shown that chemical profiles of prostate tissue can determine a tumor’s prognosis better than sta
The success of personalised healthcare hinges on a better understanding of how microbes in the gut interact with different medicines report scientists from Imperial College London and Astra Zeneca.
Personalised medicine aims to provide medical treatment tailored more precisely to the individual, maximising efficacy while reducing the risk of an adverse reaction.
According to an article published this month in Nature Reviews Microbiology, the researchers believe that gut m
What causes an outbreak of tularaemia (rabbit fever) has until now been a mystery, and where the bacteria go between outbreaks is still unknown. Climatic factors have now been shown to be a possible trigger for outbreaks of the disease in a study carried out by Thomas Palo, Mid Sweden University, and Clas Ahlm and Arne Tärnvik, Umeå University.
The investigation, which is being published in the journal Ecology and Society, demonstrates that the incidence of the disease in humans corr
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that surgical removal of both ovaries doubles a woman’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism many years later in life. They also discovered that the younger a woman is at the time of the surgery, the higher her risk.
“The risk is higher for women with both ovaries removed; however, it may also be somewhat increased when only one ovary is removed,” says Walter Rocca, M.D., Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and lead study inv
Timing often matters when it comes to epileptic seizures that can occur after surgery designed to stop them. A multicenter study led by researchers at Jefferson Medical College has found that patients who had an initial seizure within the first four months of surgery were less likely to do as well in the long term as those individuals who did not.
“A patient has surgery to remove some brain tissue, hoping to cure his epilepsy, and has a seizure a week or a month or a year
As more of the population begin to recognise the benefits of sporting activity, there is a need for improved sports pitches which not only deliver increased access to sport, but also reduce the risk of injury.
With this in mind, Cranfield University’s Centre for Sports Surfaces, together with the University of Exeter’s Sports Science Department, is investigating how to improve the engineering of sports surfaces, such as those used for football and cricket, to minimise this inju
A research team headed by Professor Helena Edlund at Umeå University in Sweden has achieved a breakthrough in our understanding of how obesity causes increased levels of insulin, sugar, and blood fats leading to diseases like type-2 diabetes and liver degeneration. The findings also indicate a direct way to prevent these diseases.
Today obesity is epidemic in the industrialized world, causing disturbances in blood levels of insulin, sugar, and blood fats that lead to high blo
Scientists carrying out a major epidemiological study at Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University have discovered that there is no clear correlation between routine ultrasonic scans and intellectual impairment.
“Fears have been expressed that sonography can lead to diminished intellectual capacity,” explains Helle Kieler, research scientist at Karolinska Institutet.
Previous epidemiological studies have shown that young men who had been exposed to in utero ultr
The deaths or clinical complications in heart attack patients given potent drugs to re-open clogged arteries is more likely to be due to individual patient characteristics than to modest misdosing of the drugs, researchers from the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) have determined. Thus, they said, physicians should not be overly worried about the possibility of minor errors in dosing — a concern that the Duke physicians said likely contributes to insufficient prescribing of the drugs t
On March 31, Joel Dyels celebrated his 72nd birthday by having coronary bypass surgery at Stanford Hospital. He also became the third patient at Stanford – and in the United States – to benefit from a new imaging system that lets doctors see the blood pathways they have created while the patient’s chest is still open.
Until now, doctors were almost never able to confirm whether bypass surgery had been successful while the patient was still on the operating table. In most cas
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