The day when a surgeon can pull a new human vein “off the shelf” for use in life-saving vascular surgeries is now one step closer to reality. New research published in the current issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine demonstrates the efficacy of tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) that are immediately available at the time of surgery and have decreased potential for infection, obstruction or clotting. The bioengineering method of producing veins reported in the newly-published research shows promise in both large and small diameter applications, such as for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery and for vascular access in hemodialysis.
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Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTR) announced The New England Journal of Medicine has published results from the North American Phase 3 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Company’s novel antibiotic fidaxomicin as a treatment for patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The Phase 3 trial showed that fidaxomicin significantly reduced recurrence rates and increased global cure rates when compared to vancomycin, the only treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for CDI. The article titled,
No conversation is more top-of-mind for today’s business and marketing leaders than the impact of social media on the changing face of business in this tough economy.
Simon Mainwaring, author of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestseller “We First: How Brands and Consumers use Social Media to Build a Better World”, is at the forefront of this discussion, as he proposes a vision for the re-purposing of the private sector that he characterizes as a shift from “Me-First” to “We-First” capitalism. So timely is his proposal that Amazon named it a Top 10 Business Book for 2011, and strategy+business named it their best Marketing Book of 2011, stating, “We First is that rare marketing book that is truly visionary.”
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Symptoms improved significantly in adults with the bleeding disorder hemophilia B following a single treatment with gene therapy developed by researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and demonstrated to be safe in a clinical trial conducted at the University College London (UCL) in the U.K.
The findings of the six-person study mark the first proof that gene therapy can reduce disabling, painful bleeding episodes in patients with the inherited blood disorder. Results of the Phase I study appear in the December 10 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The research is also scheduled to be presented December 11 at the 53rd annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego.
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Researchers have discovered that a subtype of leukemia characterized by a poor prognosis is fueled by mutations in pathways distinctly different from a seemingly similar leukemia associated with a much better outcome. The findings from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) highlight a possible new strategy for treating patients with this more aggressive cancer.
The work provides the first details of the genetic alterations fueling a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) known as early T-cell precursor ALL (ETP-ALL). The results suggest ETP-ALL has more in common with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) than with other subtypes of ALL. The study appears in the January 12 edition of the journal Nature.
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New findings from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) have helped identify the mechanism that makes the childhood eye tumor retinoblastoma so aggressive. The discovery explains why the tumor develops so rapidly while other cancers can take years or even decades to form.
The finding also led investigators to a new treatment target and possible therapy for the rare childhood tumor of the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye. The study appears in the January 11 advance online edition of the scientific journal Nature.
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Computerized tomographic (CT) colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, is comparable to standard colonoscopy in its ability to accurately detect cancer and precancerous polyps in people ages 65 and older, according to a paper published online today in Radiology. This is consistent with results of the ACRIN National CT Colonography Trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008, which demonstrated that CT colonography can serve as a primary colorectal cancer screening option for adults ages 50 and older, but did not specifically break out data for participants ages 65 and older included in the overall analysis. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have deferred coverage for CT colonography, primarily citing a lack of data on the exam’s performance in Medicare-eligible recipients ages 65 and older.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54777-acrin-national-ct-colonography-study-radiology-cancer-screening-seniors
Justin Bieber was discovered and has been mentored by R&B star Usher Raymond, and in an exclusive WSJ interview, Usher reveals what he originally saw in the young singer and why he decided to sign him. Watch Mario Lopez talk Ryan Seacrest HERE: http://bit.ly/KYZknO Watch Manny Pacquiao\'s exclusive WSJ interview HERE: http://bit.ly/KZyiNj Lee Hawkins interviews Soulja Boy, John Elway, Cee Lo Green and more HERE: http://bit.ly/LWstNg Subscribe to WSJ Live HERE: http://bit.ly/Kpz7Ab WSJ Live brings you original programming from The Wall Street Journal. Get news directly from The Wall Street Journal\'s 2,000 reporters across the globe. With exclusive video and daily live programming, you can stay on top of the latest in news, elections, markets, tech, opinion and lifestyle.
A study conducted by researchers from the University of L’Aquila in Italy and Mars, Incorporated provides compelling new evidence that the regular consumption of dietary cocoa flavanols may improve cognitive function in elderly subjects with early memory decline. Just published online in the journal Hypertension, this current study significantly advances understanding of the benefits of flavanols by specifically exploring the impact of regular cocoa flavanol consumption on cognitive function in a population with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Previous research has suggested that the benefits of cocoa flavanols could extend to the brain. However, these studies were either only short-term or did not demonstrate a consistent cognitive benefit. This unique study addresses this gap and provides important insights into the possibility of slowing or even reversing cognitive declines associated with aging through consumption of these natural compounds.
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For the millions who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) provides clinical evidence of safety and effectiveness for a new, FDA-approved medical device. Torax Medical’s LINX® Reflux Management System was studied in a controlled, prospective, multicenter trial involving 14 U.S. and European medical centers as part of the FDA pre-market approval process. The patients were evaluated before and after treatment to determine the effect of the LINX System on their GERD using pre-defined success criteria, which included reduction of esophageal acid, improvement in quality of life and elimination of reflux medications.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60077-torax-medical-linx-reflux-management-system-clinical-study-published
Crosstex International, a subsidiary of Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE:CMN), and Prestige Ameritech, the only two major U.S.-based medical mask manufacturers have joined forces to bring attention to a glaring void in public health research and policy – that, if addressed, has the potential to more quickly provide a simple, effective tool to mitigate the spread of influenza and other respiratory borne viruses. The awareness campaign comes in response to a new study, “ Exposure to Influenza Virus Aerosols During Routine Patient Care,” published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, showing that influenza viruses may spread as far as six feet from a person coughing or sneezing, and that some people, referred to as “super spreaders,” may be more likely to spread the virus. The study, supported by the Department of Health and Human Services with a $600,000 research grant, pointed specifically to concerns for healthcare workers being exposed to coughs from sick patients. Yet government research and policy continues to overlook face masks as a feasible protection measure for both the healthcare industry and the general public.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60417-cantel-medical-fitted-mask-infectious-disease-control-public-health-policy
