Rhabdomyosarcoma is a highly malignant aggressive form of soft tissue cancer in children, the causes of which are currently unknown. Although the fibrous growths can be found all over the body they commonly develop around the head, neck, bladder and testes in young boys. The most common age for onset is between 1-5 years of age. The treatments used are usually chemotherapy using a combination of drugs, radiotherapy and surgery and although quite effective (66% success rate at present), the side affec
Docosahexaenoic acid, or “DHA,” is a nutritional compound (an essential fatty acid, or lipid) that has many effects in the body, including the development of the eyes and brain. Prior to birth, fetuses obtain DHA from their mothers, with DHA primarily accumulating in the brain during the third trimester.
DHA is also found naturally in breast milk and has recently been added to some U.S. commercial infant formulas. Some research indicates this postnatal DHA improves vision and some cognitive
OHSU findings suggest more attention be paid to older patients’ cognitive functioning
Many older patients showing signs of dementia are not being diagnosed for the progressive brain disorder by their primary care physicians, an Oregon Health & Science University study has found.
The study, published in the current issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, confirms previous research that found dementia often goes undiagnosed in primary care. It points to the n
A U.S. clinical study is just getting under way that, if successful, could lead to a non-surgical “cure” for the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia. The study is evaluating a new type of cryogenic catheter co-developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The catheter system, which is being commercialized by CryoCor of San Diego, Calif., is designed to selectively freeze cardiac tissue in order to block the abnormal electrical signals that cause arrhythmia, the
Like a parasite exploiting its host, some tumors protect themselves by recruiting non-tumor cells that normally help keep the immune system in check, say researchers at the Medical College of Georgia.
When the researchers looked into the lymph nodes where tumors drain – typically the first place tumors spread – they found a subset of normal host immune cells were expressing IDO, an immunosuppressive enzyme also expressed by the fetus to help avoid rejection by the mother’s immune syst
Cornell University scientists are launching a full-scale study on the influence of climate on mosquito populations that transmit diseases such as West Nile virus (WNV) to humans. Funded by a $495,000 Global Programs grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the three-year project is a collaborative effort involving medical entomologists, climatologists, social scientists and risk analysts, as well as local and state health department officials.
“We propose to de
Conflicting regulation from local, state and federal authorities can cause inconsistent safety practices in the food retail business, but aggressive education can allow food handlers to better comply with safety measures according to food safety experts at this week’s annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, the international not-for-profit scientific society.
In the retail sector, regulatory inconsistencies can be a problem when stores deliver products to off-site facilities
One of the strongest natural allies that cancer patients can tap to help fight tumor growth and metastasis may well be their own immune systems, and scientists affiliated with the Harvard University Medical School have devised ways of bolstering patients’ immune response against kidney and breast cancer.
In a paper published in the July 15 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the Harvard research team documented tumor regression in two breast cancer patients, and stabilizat
Prostate cancer is much more likely to be aggressive if a key protein called Stat5 is found activated and in abundance in the cancer cells, report researchers from Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. By inhibiting this protein, called Stat5, doctors are exploring how to develop a new treatment strategy for advanced prostate cancer.
The new findings, reported in the July 15th issue of the journal Cancer Research, show that active Stat5 protein is particularly
According to a study published in the July 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, genes expressed in benign tissue adjacent to prostate cancer tissue are much more similar to those expressed in prostate cancer tissue than previously thought. This finding, the first of its kind, may help predict populations both at risk for prostate cancer and for disease progression based on gene expression patterns, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
“It is not clear what molecular eve
Sophisticated technology developed to ensure clean air for astronauts onboard space stations is now used in hospitals to capture and destroy airborne fungi, bacteria, spores and viruses. It can also eliminate microorganisms causing SARS, ebola, smallpox, and tuberculosis as well as anthrax.
Most of the airborne micro-organisms around us do not present grave hazards to healthy people, however they can pose serious threats to those with reduced immune resistance. The space technology ’Pla
Leica’s premium optics Leica M520 OptiChrome™ featuring the new Leica F40 compact stand is the perfect answer from Leica Microsystems to the demands of microsurgery. Best view, perfect balance, easy movability, perfect stability and a balanced cost-effectiveness distinguish the microscope system from Leica.
Neurosurgery or otolaryngology surgery or spine surgery require the highest level of expertise and concentration on part of the surgical team. The successful Leica M520 surgical microsco
In the six months since WHO and UNAIDS launched the “three by five” strategy, significant progress has been made towards the goal of increasing access to AIDS treatment for all those who need it. This is the result of the efforts of many partners including governments, donors, multilateral agencies, nongovernmental organizations, faith based organizations, the private sector, and persons living with HIV/AIDS. But much more remains to be done and urgently if the world is to meet its target of providi
People with vertigo can get relief by doing maneuvers at home, according to a study published in the July 13 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study involved people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, an inner ear problem that causes a feeling of spinning or whirling when you move your head into certain positions. The vertigo usually lasts less than a minute. It can be mild or severe enough to cause nausea. It affects an estimated 64
The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has updated its guidelines for treatment of blood cholesterol, suggesting that people at risk for heart attack and stroke would benefit from more intensive cholesterol-lowering therapies.
Dr. Scott M. Grundy, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, said the new guidelines are based largely on results from five major clinical trials involving cholesterol-lowering medications called statins. These
Catheter-directed embolization is a well-established interventional radiology technique used to treat arterial hemorrhage in a variety of areas in the body. Although embolization has been used for over 20 years to treat trauma victims with massive bleeding and to control hemorrhage after childbirth instead of emergency hysterectomy, the investigation of glue as an embolic agent is new. Embolization is particularly useful because in massive bleeding often there is so much blood coming at the surgeon
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