Findings may help tailor treatment decisions for most common form of brain tumor
The most common form of primary brain tumor – glioma, affecting about 25,000 Americans each year – poses a dilemma for doctors and patients trying to make decisions about treatment. Many of these tumors will be particularly vicious, killing patients within months of diagnosis even in the face of the most vigorous therapy. Still others are less aggressive, but these can be difficult to distinguish under th
One of the National Institutes of Health has begun a concerted effort to determine the extent and causes of stillbirth- the death of a fetus at 20 or more weeks of pregnancy. Each year, more than 26,000 American women are reported to experience a stillbirth. To date, it has been difficult to collect information on stillbirths because the criteria for reporting them vary from state to state, and the issuance of fetal death certificates is not required. The National Institute of Child
The first human trial of a vaccine designed to prevent Ebola infection opened today. Scientists from the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), designed the vaccine, which was administered to a volunteer at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda. The vaccine does not contain any infectious material from the Ebola virus.
Just three years ago, VRC Director Gary Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., togeth
Critical innovations and new knowledge are now emerging from the laboratories of universities, medical centers and pharmaceutical companies worldwide, offering the prospect of a new generation of drugs capable of destroying cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy, without damaging adjacent normal cells.
Each year, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), jointly with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), brin
Women with ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive form of breast cancer, are more likely to experience a recurrence after treatment if their DCIS is of a high nuclear grade or is detected by palpation during a breast examination, according to a study in the November 19 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
DCIS accounts for about 20% of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in the United States and is initially treated surgically, either by mastectomy (removal of the
Children’s Memorial Hospital is the only Chicago site for a study to determine whether early treatment of eczema using one of a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs will prevent subsequent development of asthma and other allergic diseases. Prevalence of eczema, or atopic dermatitis, has tripled in the last few decades, in parallel with asthma. Investigators at Children’s Memorial are part of a national clinical trial involving 1,100 children, from 3 to 18 months old, to test pimecrolimus (E
Research could lead to new diagnostic tests; safer treatments for blood clots in deep leg veins
For a medical disorder affecting more than 250,000 Americans each year, researchers don’t know much more today about what causes blood clots in veins than they did over 100 years ago. But deep vein thromboses or DVTs are a serious health problem, especially in the elderly. When blood clots form in deep leg veins, they can permanently damage the venous system or even be fatal, if a bloo
People with a genetic mutation that makes them more resistant to the AIDS virus probably have smallpox to thank, according to two population geneticists at the University of California, Berkeley.
About 10 percent of Europeans have a mutation that disables a protein the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) uses to slip into immune system cells. HIV-1 has a harder time infecting people who have a mutation in one of the two genes that code for this receptor protein, and if these people become
Key AstraZeneca data presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC meeting
New research presented today at an official AACR-NCI-EORTC* press conference highlights the potential of a new approach to fighting cancer — inhibition of Aurora kinases. The study, carried out by AstraZeneca, represents part of a body of innovative research and discovery work undertaken by the company as part of a broad based development program of novel cancer therapies. Key research presented this week also includes resu
Ground-breaking techniques which will be used to find tiny planets orbiting stars outside our Solar System are already being developed to help scientists detect cells in the early stages of cancer.
The enormous amount of light emitted by a star makes it extremely difficult to spot a planet in orbit around it. By using a technique that combines signals from two or more telescopes, ESA astronomers are able to create an artificial solar eclipse, ‘neutralising’ the effects of the bright starli
A multi-centre research team from the UK and the USA has discovered the first method to deliver medication directly into the encysted stage of the infectious parasites that cause toxoplasmosis and a novel target for medicines in the parasite. It has major implications for the way that we treat this devastating disease as it could lead to new medications and approaches to better tackle it. The study will be published online on November 17 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
UCLA study looks at quality of life of younger women after breast cancer
Very young women diagnosed with breast cancer may be more likely to have persisting physical and psychological problems years after cancer, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center.
In a survey of nearly 600 women who were all age 50 or younger when they first were diagnosed with breast cancer, researchers found that the majority of women report they have a good quali
STICH trial enrolling patients at 90 leading centers around the world
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) is the only Chicago-area hospital participating in a National Institutes of Health sponsored research study to find a definitive answer to whether medical therapy or surgery is the better option for treating congestive heart failure. In addition, the study will compare coronary artery bypass surgery alone to bypass surgery plus a new procedure called surgical ventricular restorat
Three mutations in genes associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) are described by researchers in the November issue of The Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder often affecting the elderly and characterized by gradual loss of memory and cognitive decline, according to the article. AD is often accompanied by a buildup of certain proteins or plaques in the brain. Since 1991, the results of genetic studies
A thin, plastic “sling” surgically placed under the skin beneath the skin and jaws helps reduce the saggy appearance of the neck that results from aging, according to an article in the November/December issue of The Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to the article, aging is often accompanied by changes in the face and neck, including loss of elasticity in the skin and an increase in the amount of fat in the neck, causing it to sag. Part of the
There is a new reason to enjoy hot cocoa on a cold winter’s night in front of a cozy fire. Consider it a health drink.
Beyond the froth, cocoa teems with antioxidants that prevent cancer, Cornell University food scientists say. Comparing the chemical anti-cancer activity in beverages known to contain antioxidants, they have found that cocoa has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea.
Their finding will be published Dec.
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