Thu05172012
Last update09:44:42 PM
April 15th is International BLS Day. Our colleagues in the United Kingdom prepared and published the following article on “Ethics” in celebration of BLS Day.
You can read the article at:
http://www.ibms.org/includes/act_download.php?download=IBMS-ethics-opinion-piece-2012.pdf
In its "World Now" blog, the Los Angeles Times (2/22) reported, "Health officials Tuesday reported a deadly measles outbreak in rural western Afghanistan that they said was compounded by severe winter weather hampering access to the area." Already, "at least 20 children have died of measles and pneumonia in Ghor and Badghis provinces, according to Afghanistan's Health Ministry and the World Health Organization." Indeed,...
The AP (2/23) reports, "Some 85,000 HIV-infected people in Myanmar are not getting treatment due to a lack of funding, despite renewed international engagement with the government amid a wave of political reform," Doctors Without Borders recently warned. What's more, the "situation...could worsen after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria cut funding worldwide because of a shortfall in donations." The monies...
The AP (2/23) reports, "A Pakistani government official says 17 health workers have been fired for allegedly participating in a CIA scheme to confirm the presence of Osama bin Laden in a northwestern town." Sixteen women and one man were "dismissed" after authorities discovered "they were helping Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi with a fake vaccination program meant to obtain the al Qaeda chief's DNA." The...
USA Today (2/23, Manning) reports, "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says about half of cases of food poisoning are caused by norovirus, which has gained infamy as the cause of outbreaks on cruise ships, college campuses, nursing homes and other gathering places." USA Today notes that "an antiviral medicine is in early development, and significant progress is being...
The Chicago Tribune /US News & World Report (2/23, Koebler) reports, "A paper published Tuesday by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control suggests" that "the A(H3N2)v swine flu strain that has infected at least 18 Americans since Sept. 2010 has shown the potential for human-to-human transmission. According to the paper, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the...
HeartWire (2/22, Nainggolan) reported, "By examining both published and unpublished genetic studies, an international group of distinguished researchers has reported what they say is final proof that levels of homocysteine have no meaningful effect on the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD)." Investigators "examined 19 unpublished data sets -- including a total of 48,175 CHD cases and 67,961 controls -- in which...
WebMD (2/23, Doheny) reports that according to a study published in PLoS One, "an experimental blood test for Parkinson's disease [PD] is more than 90% accurate in diagnosing the progressive disorder that affects movement and balance, according to its developers." The test looks for "autoantibodies in the blood specific to the disease. The researchers narrowed down a list of more than 100 of...
HealthDay (2/23, Preidt) reports that a "mutation...in the Abraxas gene, which interacts with the well-known breast cancer gene BRCA1," may be linked to breast cancer, according to research published in Science Translational Medicine. The study "appears to establish Abraxas as a breast cancer-susceptibility gene, according to the researchers." HealthDay explains, "Abraxas organizes a large BRCA1 protein-containing complex that is needed to repair DNA...
HealthDay (2/23) reports, "A high vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling score correlates with good prognosis in patients with early squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology." Investigators found that, in early SCC, the combination of high VEGF, VEGFR1, and VEGFR2 protein expression correlated with significantly reduced risk of...
MedWire (2/23, Robertson) reports that according to a study published online in the journal Diabetic Medicine, "1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) is associated with diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes, especially among those with moderately controlled hyperglycemia." In a study of 567 patients with type 2 diabetes who "were divided into quartiles according...
Medscape (2/23, Mulcahy) reports a study (pdf) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggesting that "a nine-molecule signature differentiates ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from invasive breast cancer." In addition, "Within that signature, three microRNAs (let-7d, miR-210, and -221) showed the most extreme changes in expression levels" and "were...
BBC News (2/23, Gallagher) reports, "How the time of day can increase the risk of dying from an irregular heartbeat has been identified by researchers" in a study on mice published in Nature. Investigators "identified a protein called kruppel-like factor 15 (Klf15), which was controlled by the body clock and whose levels in the body went up and down during the day." This...
Time Magazine Releases List Of "Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs Of 2010."The Time (12/9, Melnick) "Healthland" blog reported that Time magazine has released its "Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2010." Among some of the items featured are "the development of diagnostic blood tests (to predict heart attack and Alzheimer's) and groundbreaking inventions in the lab (synthetic cells and artificial ovaries). The full list can be seen here."
ABC World News (2/16, story 9, 2:55, Sawyer) reported, "And now, we wanted to go in depth tonight on that headline about surprisingly high levels of arsenic hiding in food, including brown rice, organic formula for toddlers. The new study" reported online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives "is causing a lot of confusion. Is this cause for real alarm?" ABC News medical editor Richard Besser, MD, explained, "Dartmouth researchers tested...
BBC News (2/17, Gallagher) reports a study in the journal Immunity suggesting that "the time of the day could be an important factor in the risk of getting an infection," by demonstrating "that the amount of TLR9," a protein involved in the immune system, "produced and the way it functioned was controlled by the body clock and varied through the day." Researchers found that "immunising mice at the peak of...
MedWire (2/17, Lyford) reports, "Maternal influenza immunization during pregnancy is associated with better neonatal outcomes, a post hoc analysis of trial data suggests. In the cohort of pregnant Bangladeshi women," it was found that "the proportion of babies who were small for gestational age was lower in the influenza vaccine group than in the control group (25.9 vs 44.8%), while mean birthweight was...
HealthDay (2/17, Dallas) reports, "Researchers have discovered that some African sex workers are naturally resistant to" HIV, "a finding that could influence prevention efforts." According to researchers, "when some of these women are exposed to HIV, the immune-system cells in their vaginas produced fewer inflammatory molecules than the cells in women infected with the virus," and such molecules activate "lymphocyte T-cells" that are...
Bloomberg News (2/17, Hallam) reports, "Women living with HIV or at high risk of becoming infected can safely continue using hormonal contraceptives, the World Health Organization said." The WHO "confirmed its existing recommendations today after a study published last year found using contraceptive injections doubles the chance women will catch HIV and transmit it to a male partner."
The Washington Post (2/17, Brown) reports, "A new study estimates that the average person goes through life with 20 genes permanently out of commission. With each of us possessing about 20,000 genes, that means 0.1 percent of our endowment is broken from the start -- and we don't even know it." Researchers "sequenced the genes of 185 people from four regions and ethnicities" and...
The Toronto Sun (2/2, Lem) reports the Canadian provincial health ministry "is investigating 17 cases in which people fell seriously ill after the receipt of the H1N1 flu vaccine." A ministry spokesman "said the cases include four vaccine recipients who came down with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) - a rare neurological condition characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis," and 13 cases of the serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis. The ministry "said there are measures in place" to...
According to the Los Angeles Times (1/12, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog, "finding foods and nutritional supplements that can help prevent cancer is one of those one-step-forward, two-steps-back areas of research." Thus, "cancer researchers these days are at pains to hold their enthusiasm in check over new studies that seem to offer new hope in the prevention of lung cancer."Now, a team of scientists in Taiwan says that "drinking green tea may counter the effects of...
Medscape (2/17, Lewis) reports, "A new approach to analyzing metabolite levels in newborn blood samples decreases the likelihood of false-negatives and false-positives" during "newborn screening for metabolic disorders," according to a paper published in Genetics in Medicine. "Researchers in 154 laboratories in 49 countries collaborated to apply multivariate pattern-recognition software for several...
The Chicago Tribune /Premium Health News Service (2/15, Koebler) reported, "Annual flu shots might soon become a thing of the past, and threats such as avian and swine flu might disappear with them as a vaccine touted as the 'holy grail' of flu treatment could be ready for human trials next year," which is earlier than what the "National Institutes of Health estimated in...
HealthDay (2/16, Mann) reports, "Scientists have long believed that urinary tract infections (UTIs) are typically caused by a person's own E. coli bacteria, but a new Canadian study suggests the bacteria may more often than not come from chickens." Investigators "compared the genetic fingerprints of E. coli from these infections to that of E. coli from chicken" and found a match. They also...
Reuters (2/16, Begley, Steenhuysen) reports that this week, the World Health Organization's (WHO) meeting will discuss in more detail how to safely work with extremely dangerous pathogens. Of note, avian flu falls under biosafety level 3 (BSL-3). However, some say that H5N1 should be upgraded to BSL-4, arguing that a released virus would be deadly. Reuters notes that US government funded laboratories must...
Medscape (2/15, Mulcahy) reported, "The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a urine-based molecular assay (Progensa, Gen-Probe) that helps determine the need for repeat prostate biopsies in men who have had a previous negative biopsy." The assay, "which is already approved and marketed in Europe and Canada, detects levels of prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3), which is overexpressed in 'virtually all...
HealthDay (2/16, Goodwin) reports, "Researchers have discovered a defective gene that's responsible for more than one-quarter of cases of inherited dilated cardiomyopathy." After analyzing genetic data on more than 300 individuals with dilated cardiomyopathy, more than 230 people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and nearly 250 individuals with no heart problems, investigators found that approximately "27 percent of the dilated cardiomyopathy patients had mutations on...
Medscape (2/8, Harrison) reports, "More and more drugs for infectious diseases are in short supply, with serious consequences, according to a study published online January 19 in Clinical Infectious Diseases." The investigators "tabulated drug shortages by using a list maintained by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHSP) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)." They found "the largest number of infectious...
The New York Times (2/7, Pollack, Subscription Publication) reports, "A drug that scientists hoped might be a safe new way to prevent breast cancer appears to pose a risk after all: significant bone loss," according to a study published online Monday in the Lancet Oncology. "The finding...could make women more reluctant to use the drug, exemestane, and it deals a setback to the notion that one day...
The AP (2/7) reports, "Chile declared a public health alert Monday over a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people and infected at least 10 others. ... The outbreak began in the El Manzano prison, where two inmates died and 10 others were under observation. Authorities learned on Sunday that two prison workers now have symptoms, and a person camping outside Concepcion died of...
HealthDay (2/7, Preidt) reports, "People's susceptibility to anthrax toxin is determined by their genes and can vary greatly among individuals," according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers "analyzed immune cells from 234 people and found that the cells of three of the people were virtually insensitive to anthrax toxin, while the cells of others were hundreds of times more sensitive than those of...
Medscape (2/7, Newman) reports, "Drinking caffeinated coffee protects against liver fibrosis in patients with" nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), according to a study published in the February issue of Hepatology. "The new finding comes from a validated caffeine questionnaire administered to four patient groups" comprising 306 patients "at the Brooke Army Medical Center Hepatology...
HealthDay (2/7, Gordon) reports that according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "the pancreas has sweet-taste receptors -- like those found on the tongue -- that can 'taste' fructose." Notably, "in lab studies of pancreas cells from both humans and mice, the researchers found that when the pancreas tastes fructose from foods, it...
The Wall Street Journal (2/7, Marcus, Subscription Publication) reports that scientists are looking at dogs' genes to potentially find ways to treat cancer in humans. Research attempting to determine whether an experimental drug will have an impact on a specific type of cancer can be completed much faster in dogs, as the disease progresses to an advanced stage much faster, according to Melissa Paoloni,...
Reuters (2/8, Norton) reports that according to an analysis conducted by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published online Jan. 30 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, tattoos and piercings made by amateurs may increase the risk for hepatitis C. The article quotes medical epidemiologist Rania Tohme, MD,...
Bloomberg News (2/8, Bennett) reports, "Novartis AG said its Bexsero vaccine protected infants against meningococcal B disease when given together with routine childhood inoculations, suggesting the shot could be included in standard vaccination programs." The piece adds, "In a trial involving 1,885 infants in Europe, Bexsero stimulated an immune response against three strains of the meningococcus B bacterium," according to a study published online Feb. 8...
Medscape (2/9, Hitt) reports, "In a study (pdf) conducted in Africa, children aged six to 59 months who had severe pneumonia had reduced mortality when receiving zinc in addition to standard antibiotics." In the study published in BMC Medicine, researchers found that "among HIV-infected children, case fatality was seven of 27 children...
HealthDay (2/9, Mozes) reports, "Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is an increasingly worrisome reality, and steps need to be taken to limit the risk that an untreatable strain of the sexually transmitted disease will spread, US researchers warn" in a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. The paper warned of signs of resistance to "third-generation cephalosporins," which "are the only remaining types of effective antibiotics recommended by...
HeartWire (2/9, O'Riordan) reports, "An analysis of postmenopausal women has identified novel lipid and lipoprotein biomarkers associated with the risk of ischemic stroke." Researchers "report that baseline triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) size, and intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) particle number are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, suggesting new therapeutics targeting these lipid and lipoproteins might confer better risk protection." The research...
HealthDay (2/10Preidt) reports, "A case study of two men who were poisoned and turned blue after ingesting what they thought was a recreational drug that they had bought on the Internet highlights the dangers of such purchases," according to a study in the Feb. 10 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
The UK's Daily Mail (2/10, Bates) reports, "Advances in treatment for hepatitis C mean more than 70 per cent of carriers can be cured if it is diagnosed early," but "most of the half a million people with the condition are unaware they are infected, an expert said today." In fact, "Mark Wright, a consultant hepatologist at Southampton General Hospital, said there was a...
Medscape (2/10, Helwick) reports, "A blood test performed within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms of acute stroke can distinguish between intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke," according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. Christian Foerch, MD, "presented findings from the prospective multicenter Biomarker for Rapid Diagnosis of Hemispheric Stroke (BE FAST) trial." Medscape added, "The...
The New York Times (4/23, B5, Pollack) reports that "a blood test that analyzes genetic activity could let heart transplant patients avoid many of the invasive and uncomfortable biopsies now used to monitor whether their immune systems are rejecting their new organs," according to a study scheduled to be presented at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation meeting and published online by the New England...
MedWire (4/20, Guy) reported, "Novel application of the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and measurement of DNA content can predict which prostate cancer patients under active surveillance (AS) will ultimately need active treatment," Johns Hopkins researchers found. "Their study results reveal that the PHI is higher in men whose annual biopsies show worsening prostate cancer, and that certain abnormal DNA copies in cells from prostate tissue are over-expressed in cancerous areas." ...
Bloomberg News (4/15, Hallam) reports that every year, "about one out of every 200 children is born...with mutations in mitochondrial DNA that cause no symptoms or only mild conditions." But, "one in every 6,500 children is born with a more serious mitochondrial disease, ranging from muscular weakness to fatal heart failure," and "some disorders lead to death in early infancy." Now, researchers in England say they "discovered a way to...
The Los Angeles Times (4/13, Maugh) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "The heel-stick test commonly used for screening newborns for a variety of genetic disorders is not a good way to test for cytomegalovirus infections." At present, the "only accurate way...to identify a CMV infection is to culture a urine or saliva specimen to look for the virus," a process that is "cumbersome, time-consuming, and relatively expensive." Thus, researchers at the University...
NBC Nightly News (4/7, story 7, 2:45, Williams) reported that "there is a new clue" as to why some smokers develop lung cancer and some do not. The AP (4/8, Neergaard) reports that "scientists may have found a way to tell which smokers are at highest risk of developing lung cancer: measuring a telltale genetic change inside their windpipes." Now, "a test based on the research is being developed in hopes of...
HealthDay (4/6, Gardner) reported that, according to a paper in Chest, "an experimental vaccine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)...may reduce flare-ups in those with severe forms of the illness," according to investigators in Australia. "The vaccine studied in the new trial, HI-164OV, is made from inactivated Haemophilus influenzae, the bacteria responsible for meningitis in children," and researchers were "hoping that this inactivated bacteria would trigger a beneficial change in...
The UK's Daily Mail (4/5, Martin) reports, "A simple blood test that can detect early signs of breast cancer in women could save the lives of hundreds of patients a year," according to findings published in the journal Breast Cancer Research. The Diagenic BCtect test, "developed by Norwegian company Diagenic ASA, indicates a tumor is present by looking for raised levels of chemical 'markers' for cancer in blood." Researchers found that...
The Los Angeles Times (3/17, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) "appear to be associated with breast cancer, because they are more common in women who have the disease." Now, researchers have found that "those SNPs alone did just as good a job of predicting a woman's breast cancer risk as the government's Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, which relies on family health history," among other...
The Los Angeles Times (3/16, Khan) reports that "crime-scene drama fans might soon see a new forensic technique debut on their favorite TV series: hand-germ testing." According to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "human beings leave a trail of bacteria on objects they touch, and...the mix of microbes on each person's hand is highly individualized." In fact, through their previous work, researchers at the...
BBC News (3/12) reports, "At-home screening tests for the virus responsible for most cervical cancers could detect many more cases of the disease," according to research appearing in the British Medical Journal. In a study of 28,000 women who received at-home screening kits for human papillomavirus (HPV), researchers found that "more than a quarter...returned a completed test kit." Meanwhile, "16.4% of those receiving a series of letters asking them to...
The Wall Street Journal (3/9, Johannes) reports that the OVA1 ovarian cancer test may help physicians rapidly identify cancerous growths. In a study of 27 hospitals, researchers found that the test correctly identified 92% of cancers when used with radiological imaging and a patient work-up, compared to 72% with traditional testing methods. While the test will not help physicians detect cancers earlier, it might allow women to see specialists sooner once...
The AP (3/8, Schmid) reports that the scientific community has made great advances against active HIV, but "some of the disease remains hidden away to flare up once" antiretroviral treatment stops. Indeed, two "hide-outs" were revealed through previous research: macrophages and memory T-cells. "But those couldn't account for all the HIV virus still circulating." Now, University of Michigan are saying that HIV "can hide in the bone marrow." The "virus can...
HealthDay (3/3, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published online ahead of print March 1 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "early signs of glaucoma can be detected in the brain." Working with laboratory animals, researchers from the Vanderbilt Eye Institute "found that a very early mechanism of glaucoma-related vision loss involves deterioration of communication between the optic nerve and the mid-brain, which handles information...
MedPage Today (3/3, Phend) reported, "Air pollution may raise the risk of asthma through epigenetic changes to a gene involved in immunity and inflammation." Stanford University scientists explained that asthmatics, especially young ones, "who live in an area with heavy air pollution had significantly greater methylation of the Foxp3 gene compared with those living where the air is cleaner." This is noteworthy, because...
HealthDay (3/3, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, "high levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are associated with an increased risk of cancer death in older men." After studying "633 men, aged 50 and older, whose IGF-1 levels were measured between 1988 and 1991," researchers...
HealthDay (3/3, Gordon) reported that "the newer hemoglobin A1C test predicts diabetes as well as the traditional fasting blood sugar test, but it beats that old standard in predicting a patient's future risk of heart disease and stroke," according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Investigators "compared results of both tests in 11,000 adults screened with both tests," WebMD (3/3, DeNoon)...
The Wall Street Journal (3/4, Winslow) reports there is a seemingly unexplainable phenomenon that can happen to people trying to lose weight: They can go on the same exact diet and experience dramatically different results, regardless of the level of adherence. Now, scientists at Stanford University believe they have found a way to end such frustrations -- a DNA test. Apparently, it can help a person determine whether they should follow...
HealthDay (3/3, Gardner) reported that a study presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium showed that "the PCA3 urine test, which measures levels of prostate cancer gene 3, can predict when a biopsy of the prostate gland will come out positive." The gene "is overexpressed in men who have prostate cancer, but not in men with benign disease, raising the possibility that the finding...
MedWire (3/2, Albert) reported that, according to a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, "fasting capillary blood glucose (FCG) testing is more accurate for diagnosing type 2 diabetes than glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)." In a study of "2,332 Chinese individuals," researchers found that "for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, area under the...
The AP (3/3, Neergaard) reports that "scientists trying to break the fat-and-disease link increasingly say inflammation is the key." Currently, "an NIH-funded study is recruiting several hundred type 2 diabetics at 21 medical centers around the country to take" an anti-inflammatory drug called salsalate "or a dummy pill for a year, to track long-term effects." Dr. Steven Shoelson at the Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center...
BBC News (3/1) reports that, according to research published in The Lancet Oncology, "Scientists have developed a gene test which predicts how well chemotherapy will work in cancer patients." In a study of "829 genes in breast cancer cells," researchers "whittled down the possibilities to six genes which had an impact on whether a drug worked." The study "showed that these genes could be used to predict the effectiveness of...
HealthDay (2/23, Edelson) reported, "Tests that try to single out who will have bleeding problems when they get a clot-preventing drug such as Plavix [clopidogrel] before surgery aren't ready for regular use," according to the POPLAR study detailed in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Indeed, "three of the six tests, which measure the function of platelets, the blood cells that clump together to form...
The AP (2/22) reports, "While anti-retroviral therapy has increased in the last five years, it has often been given too late in the course of" HIV infection. In other words, "by the time people start therapy, they have infected most of those that they would have infected anyway, Brian Williams of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis told the annual meeting on the American Association for the Advancement...
The Wall Street Journal (2/19, Winslow) reports that, according to findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers used the DNA of tumors to design a blood test that may help tailor cancer treatment based on whether patients are disease free or require more aggressive care. They used DNA from patients with breast or colon cancer to detect alterations in large segments of the genome of cancer cells. Read more
MedPage Today (2/9, Smith) reported, "In early oral squamous cell carcinoma, a sentinel node biopsy correctly predicted an absence of lymphatic metastasis in all but 4% of patients," according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Researchers found that "for T1 and T2 lesions that were clinically node-negative, the procedure -- combined with additional sectioning and immunohistochemistry -- yielded a...
Medscape (2/9, Larson) reported, "In the United States, the lack of an effective test makes it difficult to distinguish mild preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and hypertension unrelated to pregnancy," Yale researchers explained. "Preeclampsia is distinguished by an elevated excretion of misfolded, or misshapen, proteins that are attracted to an azo dye called Congo red." With that in mind, investigators were able to "create and...
BBC News (2/4) reports, "A small number of extremely overweight people" -- seven in 1,000 -- "may be missing the same chunk of genetic material," researchers in the UK say. The "tiny stretch of DNA" in question contains "around 30 genes," AFP (2/3) noted. "Scientists do not know the functions of the missing genes," the UK's Press Association (2/3) reported. But, "previous...
According to Time (1/14, Harrell), "Last January, a team of scientists at the World Health Organization (WHO) published a study in...The Lancet making the audacious claim that the tools already exist to end the AIDS epidemic." Based on their "mathematical models, the researchers claimed that universal HIV testing followed by the immediate treatment of newly infected patients with antiretroviral drugs could eliminate the disease from even the most heavily infected populations...
The UK's Telegraph (1/4, Smith) reports, "British researchers have developed a" leukemia vaccine "that can be used to stop the disease" from "returning after chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant," according to findings to be published in the Journal of Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. The vaccine works by programming the immune system to target and kill cancer cells. The treatment "then prompts the immune system to...
McClatchy (12/30) reported that scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center say that biomarkers linked to ovarian cancer cannot be counted on to aid clinicians in making timely diagnoses that would lead to "high cure rates" among patients. After zeroing in on six biomarkers, investigators discovered that three, "including one known as CA125, increased in cancer patients up to three years before diagnosis, compared with patients without ovarian cancer." ...
The New York Times (2/7, Pollack, Subscription Publication) reports, "A drug that scientists hoped might be a safe new way to prevent breast cancer appears to pose a risk after all: significant bone loss," according to a study published online Monday in the Lancet Oncology. "The finding...could make women more reluctant to use the drug, exemestane, and it deals a setback to the notion that one day...
8th September, 2008 was celebrated as MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION DAY as a professional celebration of Medical Technologists, working in different disciplines of Health Care, by organizing Blood Donation Camp, on a day that has a particular significance: Conception of Medical Technology Course by Late Prof. B.K.Aikat, Dean, PGIMER, Chandigarh, with the collaboration of W.H.O. in 1967.
Clinicians Closer To Gaining Access To Blood Test To Detect Whole Cancer Cells.The AP (1/3, Marchione) reports, "The only test on the market now to find tumor cells in blood -- CellSearch, made by J&J's Veridex unit -- just gives a cell count" instead of capturing "whole cells that doctors can analyze to choose treatments." Now, however, the inventors of a "blood test so sensitive that it can spot a single cancer cell lurking among...
April 15th is International Biomedical Laboratory Science DayThis year's topic is "The Role of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists in the Global Management of Communicable Diseases"The purpose with the BLS Day is to increase awareness of the role that Biomedical Laboratory Scientists have in providing health care. BLS' play an important role in diagnosis, quality development and assurance, treatment, research, development and public health care.BLS Day is the day for Laboratory personnel to promote awareness of our profession...
Impoverished Nations To Gain Access To Rapid TB Test For Fraction Of Its Original Cost.The AP (12/9, Cheng) reports, "Health officials say a new test to diagnose tuberculosis in less than two hours will be available to poor countries for a fraction of its original price." In fact, the "Foundation for Innovative and New Diagnostics officials said Wednesday the test will be sold to...developing countries at a 75 percent discount -- about $17 (euro12.72), instead...
The Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment, SWEDAC is a Swedish public authority, responsible to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In addition to its statutory duties, it also performs a number of commercially based activities. Its main duty is to be the national accreditation body. Accreditation, which involves determination of the competence of organizations to perform their duties or work, covers laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies concerned with analysis, testing, calibration, certification and...
The Time (11/15, Melnick) "Healthland" blog reported, "Patients over 65 account for most new cases of heart failure in the US, but, based on traditional risk factors, it's hard for doctors to identify who is at highest risk for hospitalization or death. Now," in a study encompassing some 4,000 men and women aged 65 and over, "researchers report that a highly sensitive new blood test for troponin T, a marker of cell death that has...
The theme for 2012 is: Ethics According to WHO cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer accounts for 7.9 million deaths in 2007. Experts have made an estimate that about 30 percent of cancer deaths can be prevented. Worldwide deaths from cancer are projected to continue to rise, and by 2030 there is an estimate of 12 millions deaths.
Novel Prostate Cancer Biomarker Identified.MedWire (8/26, Guy) reported, "UK researchers have identified a novel urinary biomarker for the detection of prostate cancer." According to the paper in the British Journal of Cancer, "measurement of the minichromosome maintenance (Mcm) 5 protein is simple, noninvasive, and accurately discriminates between prostate cancer cases and healthy patients." The study authors argued "that the traditionally used tumor marker, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is not ideal, because PSA levels can also be...
April 15th is International Biomedical Laboratory Science Day This year's topic is "The Role of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists in the Global Management of Communicable Diseases" The purpose with the BLS Day is to increase awareness of the role that Biomedical Laboratory Scientists have in providing health care. BLS' play an important role in diagnosis, quality development and assurance, treatment, research, development and public health care. BLS Day is the day for Laboratory personnel to promote awareness of our profession...
Perdue Researchers Working On New Prostate Cancer TestThe Lafayette (IN) Journal and Courier (8/24, Flores) reports that the "PSA test can often yield false positives or negatives, making it an unreliable test on its own." Researchers at Purdue University "are working on another test to add to the arsenal of prostate cancer screening tools. The test could be a potential marker for the cancer." The research team, "led by Cooks and Timothy Ratliff, the Robert...
Researchers Report Progress On Alzheimer's Blood Test.The Houston Chronicle (7/25, Ackerman) reported, "Texas scientists are on the verge of developing a blood test to identify patients with Alzheimer's disease, a potential breakthrough on the difficult-to-diagnose ailment. The test, details of which were presented at an international conference on Alzheimer's in Hawaii this month, would give nonspecialists who often have trouble diagnosing the disease a tool to catch it earlier and make a referral when its...
Simple Blood Test May Predict When Women Will Reach Menopause.The Los Angeles Times (6/27, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "Predicting when women will reach menopause has never been an accurate science, but a new study suggests it could become considerably more precise." In fact, scientists in Iran have "found that concentrations of a specific hormone can be assessed in a blood test, providing a fairly precise forecast."Although the "test does not predict when women will...
FDA Approves First Diagnostic Test To Detect Both HIV Antigens And Antibodies.The CNN (6/21, Young) "Paging Dr. Gupta" blog reported, "The first diagnostic test to detect both HIV antigens and antibodies was approved Monday by the Food and Drug Administration." The ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay, developed by Abbott Laboratories, "will be used to diagnose both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections in adults, pregnant women and children 2 years and older." MedPage Today (6/21, Smith) reported that...
Relatively New Blood Test May Help Detect Lung Cancer Earlier.Medscape (9/20, Chustecka) reported, "A new blood test to aid in the detection of lung cancer has been available in the United States for a year now, and is expected to be launched in Europe soon." EarlyCDT-Lung (Oncoimmune) "is targeted at high-risk populations, such as heavy smokers," and has the ability to detect "lung cancer at an early stage, when it is still treatable." But, because...
The New York Times (6/18, A9, McNeil, Jr.) reports, "There is too little genetic surveillance of last year's human pandemic flu, which has gone on to infect pigs in China and is readily mixing with other flus there, according to a study released Thursday by researchers in Hong Kong." While "no dangerous new strain has emerged," earlier this year, "the researchers found a new strain with one of the pandemic flu's surface proteins -- the...
Scientists Developing Blood Test To Predict MS Up To Nine Years Before Onset Of Symptoms.The UK's Daily Mail (6/17, Martin) reports that "scientists are developing a simple blood test to predict multiple sclerosis up to nine years before the onset of symptoms."The UK's Telegraph (6/17, Alleyne) reports that, "examining blood samples of 20, 19-year-old Israelis who were inducted into the army as healthy soldiers, and the nine of them who later developed MS, Israeli researchers...
The Louisville Courier-Journal (2/18, Carter) reported that while "doctors still have the option of using the oral glucose tolerance test, known as the OGTT, and fasting plasma glucose, or FPG," the "American Diabetes Association has given a thumbs-up to diagnosing adults with the A1C blood test, which doesn't require fasting." According to the Courier-Journal, "endorsing A1C for diagnosis is aimed at getting more people tested, so they can receive proper treatment and -- under the...
The Wall Street Journal (2/19, Winslow) reports that, according to findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers used the DNA of tumors to design a blood test that may help tailor cancer treatment based on whether patients are disease free or require more aggressive care. They used DNA from patients with breast or colon cancer to detect alterations in large segments of the genome of cancer cells.
HealthDay (2/15, Edelson) reported that, according to two studies published in the journal Pediatrics, "a widely available rapid influenza diagnostic test is good, but not perfect, in determining whether a child has" either the seasonal or H1N1 flu. MedPage Today (2/15, Neale) reported that in the first study, researchers found that "the BinaxNOW test had a sensitivity of just 45% (95% CI 43.3% to 46.3%)," whereas "the same test had a sensitivity of 62% (95% CI...
HealthDay (2/1, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, "a blood test can predict rheumatoid arthritis (RA) long before a person notices symptoms." After analyzing "blood samples taken from 86 people before the onset of RA symptoms, from 69 of the same people after RA symptoms began, and from a group of 256 people who did not have the disease," Swedish investigators "identified several cytokines, cytokine-related...
HealthDay (1/20, Preidt) reported, "The first blood test to reliably detect early-stage colorectal cancer and polyps may help identify patients who would gain most from colonoscopy," according to findings reported at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. In a news release from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, "which helped organize the meeting," lead author Sarah Kraus, of the Tel Aviv Souraski Medical Center, said the test "holds promise for identifying the patients at risk for colorectal...
USA Today (1/21, Szabo) reports, "An experimental blood test" may help detect more pancreatic cancer cases "early, at least in high-risk patients...according to" research presented at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The test works by measuring "a protein made by pancreatic tumors called PAM-4." In a study of "68 patients who had surgery for pancreatic cancer and 19 healthy volunteers," researchers found that the test "detected 62 percent of early tumors and 90 percent of more...
