First preclinical report of autologous stem cells harvested and administered the day of heart attack

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (Frankfurt: XMP), today presented results demonstrating that adipose stem cells improved cardiac function following a severe heart attack in a porcine study. This is the first preclinical study in which the injected cells were autologous, meaning they came from the animals’ own tissue, were not cultured, so that they did not undergo multiple cell division

A new study suggests that restoring a gene often silenced in lung cancer causes the cells to self-destruct. The findings could lead to a new strategy for treating the disease.

The research focused on a gene known as WWOX, which is lost or silenced in a large majority of lung cancers, and in cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate, bladder, esophagus and pancreas. The work was led by scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hosp

Heredity plays a major role in determining the blood lipid profile and heart rate variability of blacks and whites, two major risk factors for coronary artery disease, researchers say.

“There are some interesting ethnic differences in cardiovascular risk factors, including the fact that blacks tend to have higher HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and lower triglycerides, which is an advantage, and we suspect it is due to genetic influences,” says Dr. Catherine L. Davis, clinical hea

Patients whose cancer has spread to the brain can avoid typical hair loss (alopecia) when treated with newer radiation techniques, thereby improving their quality of life while still controlling their cancer, according to a study presented October 16, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

Most brain cancer patients whose cancer has spread to the brain receive whole brain radiotherapy. This treatment uses two simple rad

Penn State researchers have developed the first powder injection molding process for pure niobium, a biocompatible material similar to platinum and titanium but cheaper.

The researchers, who are based in the University’s Center for Innovative Sintered Products, say the new process could open the door to injection-molded niobium parts ranging from rocket nozzles, to wires, to human bone replacements, to orthodontic braces.

Gaurav Aggarwal, doctoral candidate in engineerin

An international team led by a dermatologist at The University of Manchester has found that treatment with the emerging drug infliximab, marketed as Remicade, can quickly and significantly improve psoriasis symptoms.

A Global Press Briefing & Lunch will be held on Friday, 14 October from 11:30 – 13:00 in London. See details under “Notes for Edotors”.

The European Infliximab for Psoriasis Efficacy and Safety Study (EXPRESS) was a placebo-controlled trial on 378 patients wi

Study confirms century-old theory about cancer causation

Abnormal cell division that yields cells with an extra set of chromosomes can initiate the development of tumors in mice, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown, validating a controversial theory about cancer causation put forth by a scientific visionary nearly 100 years ago.

The so-called “double-value” cells are produced by random errors in cell division that occur with unknown frequency. The ge

Researchers have discovered 10 new molecular structures with pharmaceutical potential in a species of red seaweed that lives in the shallow coral reef along the coastline of Fiji in the south Pacific Ocean.

Some of these natural compounds showed the potential to kill cancer cells, bacteria and the HIV virus, according to research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In fact, two of them exhibit anti-bacterial activity towards antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at con

In what may be a major milestone in Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) research, scientists at Yale School of Medicine and their colleagues have identified a gene called SLITRK1 that appears to contribute to some cases of TS, according to a report in the October 14 issue of Science.

“We now have rare mutations, expression and functional data, all supporting a role for this gene in Tourette’s Syndrome,” said senior author Matthew State, M.D., Harris Assistant Professor in t

In a case of basic science detective work, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have solved the puzzle of the “inconsistent biomarker” and, in the process, may have discovered an agent that can suppress cancer development.

In the Oct. 14 issue of Science, researchers report that the biomarker in question – an enzyme known as EZH2 – leads a duplicitous life. In its “native” state, the enzyme acts as a suppressor for cancer cell growth that works to

Academics who have developed a tool to help vulnerable people to manage their medicines have received an award from the NHS.

Dr Karen Rosenbloom from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Hertfordshire and Ruth Goldstein from the Midlands have won first prize in the regional Health and Social Care Awards awarded by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Their research now goes forward to the national awards final which will take place on 13 December.

Researchers at The University of Manchester funded by the Fungal Research Trust have discovered millions of fungal spores right under our noses – in our pillows.

Aspergillus fumigatus, the species most commonly found in the pillows, is most likely to cause disease; and the resulting condition Aspergillosis has become the leading infectious cause of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. Fungi also exacerbate asthma in adults.

The researchers dissected bo

Ebixa extends its indication to become the only drug for moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) announced late last night its decision to extend Ebixa’s current indication (moderately severe to severe disease) to include moderate stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Upon implementation of this approval by the European Union Commission, Ebixa will become the first Alzheimer’s drug in Europe to cover the moderate to severe

In a retrospective study looking back at a decade of surgeries, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have determined that surgery to remove metastatic disease from the diaphragm, in conjunction with other procedures to remove the primary diseased tissue in ovarian cancer patients, significantly increases survival rates. Study results were published in Gynecologic Oncology online.

“Surgeons have long believed that removing as much diseased tissue as possible is important for sur

“4D ecography may well be a significant advance in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital cardiopathy”, explained Dr. Juan Luis Alcázar, specialist at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the University Hospital (University of Navarre).

One of the most recent novelties in ecographic studies has been the application of a fourth dimension, i.e. movement added to three-dimensional reconstruction. According to Dr. Alcázar, “the development of the STIC system, carrying out the

By comparing these two functional images, physicians may be able to better diagnose and treat patients with brain disorders

Philadelphia, PA) – Clinical researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) are the first to combine fMRI and PET scanning in radiology, creating a way to compare different measurements of the brain’s function concurrently. This analysis could lead to better diagnosis and treatment in patients suffering from brain disorders, like Alzhe