Harvard Stem Cell Institute publishes initial clinical trial results
Starting with a discovery within zebrafish in 2007, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers have published initial results of a Stage Ib human clinical trial of a therapeutic that has the potential to improve the achievements of blood stem cell transplantation. This marks the first time, just nine brief years after Harvard’s major dedication to stem cell biology, that will investigators have carried a breakthrough from the lab bench to the clinic—fulfilling the promise on which HSCI was founded.
The particular Phase 1b safety study, published in the journal Bloodstream , included 12 adult individua...
Source: My Irritable Bowel Syndrome Story - October 8, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Ken Tags: IBS News Source Type: blogs
“Terminator” Self Healing Polymer Created in Spain (VIDEO)
Scientists from CIDETEC Centre for Electrochemical Technologies in San Sebastian, Spain have created the world’s first self-healing polymer that can repair itself without any intervention. The scientists named the polymer material ‘Terminator’ in a tribute to the molten T-1000 robot developed by Skynet to be nearly indestructible. The material is composed of a poly (urea-urethane) elastomeric matrix, a network of complex molecular interactions that will spontaneously cross-link to “heal” any break. Here, the word “spontaneous” means that the material needs no outside intervention or catalyst to ...
Source: Medgadget - September 23, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Gaurav Krishnamurthy Tags: in the news... Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, September 13, 2013
From MedPage Today:
Hospitalists No Panacea for HF. Greater use of hospitalists for managing patients with heart failure did not improve outcomes through 30 days.
Third-Hand Smoke Impacts Kids’ Breathing. Third-hand smoke — residue that remains on the skin, clothes, and furniture of smokers, even if they do their smoking out of the house — still impacts children’s breathing.
Low Dose Vancomycin Works for C. Diff. A low dose of oral vancomycin yields similar outcomes to a high dose for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.
Sudden Death, Pump Failure Cut With CABG. For patients with isch...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 13, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: News Heart Hospitalist Infectious disease Pulmonology Source Type: blogs
A Selection of Recent Stem Cell News
Stem cell research forges ahead these days on too many fronts to keep up with more than the high points. It's still enormously, unnecessarily expensive and time consuming to bring perfectly serviceable cell therapies into clinical practice in the US, so the medical tourism market continues to grow. The bulk of practical experience in the use of early stage stem cell therapies is at this point distributed to less regulated parts of the world, I believe. Work in the laboratory continues to advance in leaps and bounds, meanwhile, ever further ahead of what government regulators are willing to let pass their increasingly ridic...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 21, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Prophylactic Mastectomy - is it right for you?
Having prophylactic mastectomy is a very personal choice. There is no "right answer", only what you consider is best for you.
Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer have the option of prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy as a way of decreasing their risk.
Factors that increase a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer include:
a genetic predisposition to breast cancer e.g. BRCA+, Cowden's Syndrome, Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
a strong family history of breast cancer
a breast cancer diagnosis at a young age
abnormal breast cells on biopsy that increase the risk of breast cancer, e.g. LCIS
a history of previo...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - July 11, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: chemoprophylaxis preventive mastectomy tamoxifen breast reconstruction cowden's syndrome li-fraumeni syndrome nipple-sparing mastectomy prophylactic mastectomy BRCA Source Type: blogs
Prophylactic Mastectomy - is it right for you?
Having prophylactic mastectomy is a very personal choice. There is no "right answer", only what you consider is best for you.Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer have the option of prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy as a way of decreasing their risk. Factors that increase a woman ’s chance of developing breast cancer include:a genetic predisposition to breast cancer e.g. BRCA+, Cowden's Syndrome, Li-Fraumeni Syndromea strong family history of breast cancera breast cancer diagnosis at a young ageabnormal breast cells on biopsy that increase the risk of breast cancer, e.g. LCISa history of previous ches...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - July 11, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: BRCA breast reconstruction chemoprophylaxis cowden's syndrome li-fraumeni syndrome nipple-sparing mastectomy preventive mastectomy prophylactic mastectomy tamoxifen Source Type: blogs
Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Breast Reconstruction Surgery After Mastectomy
By Fonthip Maspithak
Breast cancer is no longer the death sentence it was decades ago. Improved medical interventions result in more survivors – even with the most aggressive forms of cancer. While women are concerned for their health, they may also be concerned about restoring the appearance of their breasts, leading them to consider breast reconstruction – a procedure performed after a mastectomy to restore the breast to its original size and shape. While it has risks, new methods provide women with greater and safer options to regain their previous shape.
Breast reconstruction is a major personal decision. ...
Source: Sciences Blog - June 19, 2013 Category: Science Authors: srinivas_s at omicsgroup.co.in (OMICS Publishing Group) Tags: General Source Type: blogs
Nipple Delay Surgery
Angelina Jolie recently shared her BRCA+ diagnosis and brave decision to undergo prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction. As part of her surgery, she underwent a nipple delay procedure.So what is a "nipple delay"?Most patients do not need a delay procedure. It's actually performed quite rarely. It can however be a good option for patients who want nipple-sparing mastectomy but are at high risk for nipple necrosis. High risk patients include smokers, patients with moderate to significant breast ptosis (sagging), and patients with a history of previous breast surgery (eg breast reducti...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - May 15, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Angelina Jolie BRCA breast cancer breast reconstruction nipple delay nipple necrosis nipple sparing mastectomy nipple-areolar complex nipple-sparing mastectomy prophylactic mastectomy Source Type: blogs
Nipple Delay Surgery
Angelina Jolie recently shared her BRCA+ diagnosis and brave decision to undergo prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction. As part of her surgery, she underwent a nipple delay procedure.
So what is a "nipple delay"?
Most patients do not need a delay procedure. It's actually performed quite rarely. It can however be a good option for patients who want nipple-sparing mastectomy but are at high risk for nipple necrosis. High risk patients include smokers, patients with moderate to significant breast ptosis (sagging), and patients with a history of previous breast surgery (eg breast red...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - May 15, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: nipple sparing mastectomy nipple necrosis breast reconstruction breast cancer nipple delay Angelina Jolie nipple-sparing mastectomy prophylactic mastectomy BRCA nipple-areolar complex Source Type: blogs
RECOTHROM Becomes the First and Only Topical Thrombin Indicated for Use in Children Greater Than or Equal to One Month of Age
This study was conducted in 30 pediatric patients greater than one month of age undergoing synchronous burn wound excision and skin grafting. The safety of RECOTHROM in pediatric patients greater than or equal to one month of age is supported by these data and by extrapolation of efficacy from adequate and well-controlled studies of RECOTHROM in adults. Safety and efficacy has not been established in neonates."Our purpose is to save lives, alleviate suffering and improve the economic efficiency of the approximately 2,500 leading hospitals in the world," said Brent Furse, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Office...
Source: Medical Hemostat - May 12, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: hemostatguy at gmail.com (hemostat guy) Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, May 13th 2013
In this study we used the hMTH1-Tg mouse model to investigate how oxidative damage to nucleic acids affects aging. hMTH1-Tg mice express high levels of the hMTH1 hydrolase that degrades 8-oxodGTP and 8-oxoGTP and excludes 8-oxoguanine from both DNA and RNA. Compared to wild-type animals, hMTH1-overexpressing mice have significantly lower steady-state levels of 8-oxoguanine in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of several organs, including the brain. hMTH1 overexpression prevents the age-dependent accumulation of DNA 8-oxoguanine that occurs in wild-type mice.
These lower levels of oxidized guanines are associated with in...
Source: Fight Aging! - May 12, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
Nipple-sparing mastectomy in conjunction with immediate breast reconstruction is becoming more and more popular so I thought a blog post about it was in order...What is a nipple-sparing mastectomy?A nipple-sparing mastectomy preserves the nipple, areola and all the surrounding breast skin which is then used for the breast reconstruction. Unlike the traditional "modified radical mastectomy", nipple-sparing mastectomy only removes the breast tissue ("parenchyma") under the skin.What are the benefits?Studies show that nipple-sparing mastectomy provides the same level of surgical treatment as a modified radical mastectom...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - April 24, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: BRCA breast reconstruction cowden's syndrome mastectomy modified radical mastectomy nipple areola nipple sparing mastectomy nipple-sparing prophylactic mastectomy strong family history Source Type: blogs
Can Breast Cancer return in a Reconstructed Breast?
Some women are scared to consider breast reconstruction after a mastectomy because they think it will increase the risk of the breast cancer coming back. This is a common misconception. Thankfully, it's not the case.
Breast cancer can come back even after a mastectomy. However, the risk of recurrence after a mastectomy is very low and is the same whether you have breast reconstruction or not.
When the patient's own tissue is used for the reconstruction (as in a "flap" procedure), only skin, fat, and/or muscle are used. This tissue is used to replace breast tissue and feels like a breast, but it never turns into rea...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - April 24, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: breast reconstruction breast cancer reconstructed breast breast cancer recurrence Source Type: blogs
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
Nipple-sparing mastectomy in conjunction with immediate breast reconstruction is becoming more and more popular so I thought a blog post about it was in order...
What is a nipple-sparing mastectomy?
A nipple-sparing mastectomy preserves the nipple, areola and all the surrounding breast skin which is then used for the breast reconstruction. Unlike the traditional "modified radical mastectomy", nipple-sparing mastectomy only removes the breast tissue ("parenchyma") under the skin.
What are the benefits?
Studies show that nipple-sparing mastectomy provides the same level of surgical treatment as a modified radical ...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - March 6, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: nipple sparing mastectomy strong family history breast reconstruction cowden's syndrome modified radical mastectomy nipple-sparing nipple areola prophylactic mastectomy BRCA Source Type: blogs
