Patients who suffer a loss of cognitive and motor function as a result of stem cell transplantation for severe blood disorders are likely to see those functions return to previous levels after one year, according to a new study in the November 15, 2004, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington School of Medicine studied 142 patients who had blood disorders, such as
Fibrin gel matrix-based vessel ready for test transplantation after only two weeks in culture
The search for a stable, renewable source of blood vessels, especially for potential use in heart bypass surgery, has reached a milestone at the State University of New York at Buffalo. A multi-disciplinary team at SUNY Buffalo designed tissue engineered blood vessels (TEVs) using a matrix of vascular smooth muscle embedded in fibrin gels. After only two weeks in culture, the TEVs show
Many heart disease patients who are already receiving state-of-the-art therapy do not benefit from additional treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, according to results of a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study provides the most definitive evidence to date of the effect of the drug in stable heart disease patients whose heart function was shown to be at normal or near-normal levels
The first medical research paper submitted from the International Space Station (ISS) was published online today by the journal Radiology. The report documents the first ultrasound examination of the shoulder performed under the microgravity conditions of space flight.
Members of Expedition 9 crew aboard the ISS completed the study as part of the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) experiment. “It is with great pleasure that we offer to the journal Radiology the
Protease inhibitors used to treat HIV-1 infection may also be effective for treatment or prevention of malaria, according to a study published in the December 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. The study found protease inhibitors inhibited the growth of P. falciparum, the malaria parasite that causes most disease. These findings may also expose a previously unexplored vulnerability in the parasite that could lead to a new class of anti-malarial drug. While the eff
Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI allows physicians to differentiate between cerebral abscesses—inflamed areas in the brain caused by infection—and malignant brain tumors without surgery, says a new preliminary study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.
For the study, the researchers analyzed eight patients who underwent DSC MRI—four with cerebral abscesses and four with malignant brain tumors. DSC MRI is used to measure blood volume in brain
Doctors must choose and manage ICD patients carefully
Implanted devices that can shock a failing heart back into regular rhythm do an excellent job of keeping patients alive, two new University of Michigan studies find. The research also suggests that doctors may be able to categorize their patients according to their individual risk factors, to determine who might get the largest benefit from the expensive devices, called implanted cardiac defibrillators, or ICDs. The studie
Although particulate air pollution has been blamed for a wide variety of negative health effects, a three-year study of asthmatic children in Denver, published in the November Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, indicates that it does not lead to significant worsening of asthma during the pollution-heavy winter months. Upper respiratory infections, however, were associated with a significant decline in lung function, asthma symptoms and asthma exacerbations.
“In our study
Monthly ingestion appears to boost peanut tolerance
Children who outgrow peanut allergy have a slight chance of recurrence, but researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center report that the risk is much lower in children who frequently eat peanuts or peanut products.
In a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Hopkins team recommends that children who outgrow peanut allergy eat concentrated forms of peanut
Delays in emergency angioplasty linked to higher death risk
In a heart attack, the saying goes, “Time is muscle.” The faster a person gets treated, the better his or her chances of survival and recovery. But a new study finds that women who have heart attacks wait longer than men to receive an emergency procedure that can re-open clogged blood vessels and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. The study also finds that the longer any patient waits for this treatment, the higher h
The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), a device that measures pressures and flows in the heart, is frequently used to diagnose, monitor, and guide treatment of congestive heart failure and other conditions. However, use of the PAC has been controversial with varying opinions as to its risk and benefits. New findings from a multi-center study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health show that the PAC did not significantly increase or
New research presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions reveals that plant sterols from soy added to a cocoa-based snack bar can significantly reduce cholesterol levels. This study demonstrates how certain plant nutrients can promote heart health when included in snack foods. Based on this research and decades of research on cocoa, Mars Incorporated has developed a new cocoa-based, sterol-containing snack bar, CocoaVia(tm).
This clinical research demon
The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) is recommending that people of all ages add chiropractic to their strategy for warding off and fighting the flu and its effects this season.
Spinal adjustments can have a positive effect on immune function, the WCA asserts, citing a growing number of researchers who are exploring the common denominators in disease processes, and the role of the nervous, immune, and hormonal systems in development of immune related illnesses,
Chirop
Caspase levels are associated with liver injury
Caspase activity in the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) may be a more sensitive measure of liver injury than conventional surrogate markers like aminotransferases, according to a new study published in the November 2004 issue of Hepatology. Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is available online via Wiley
One-year mortality rates are comparable to those from liver transplantation alone
Improvements in surgical techniques have made orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) a viable option for older patients who may also have cardiovascular disease, but poor cardiovascular health may keep transplant candidates from receiving a new organ.
Some such patients can safely undergo angioplasty to correct their heart conditions first, however, those requiring coronary artery bypass graft
A tuberculosis drug called D-cycloserine (DCS), used in concert with psychotherapy, is an effective treatment for some anxiety-related disorders, according to research by scientists at Emory University School of Medicine and the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN). The study was led by Michael Davis, PhD, Kerry Ressler, MD, PhD, and Barbara Rothbaum, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and is reported in the November issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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