Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Blood / Hematology News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/blood/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156476.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156476.php The newest revolution in microbiology testing walks on four legs and says "baa." It's the hair sheep, a less-hirsute version of the familiar woolly barnyard resident. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, which is to be published July 3 in PLoS ONE, finds that not only are these ruminants low-maintenance and parasite-resistant, they're also perfect blood donors for the microbiology tests necessary to diagnose infectious disease in the developing world. Blood / Hematology Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156353.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156353.php Keri Smith, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, has received a Career Development Award from the National Hemophilia Foundation. The award will support Smith's research into the development of a therapy for people with Hemophilia A, a bleeding disorder, whose immune systems are resistant to treatment. Hemophilia A affects about one in every 5,000 males born in the United States. Blood / Hematology Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156180.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156180.php Responding to scientists' need to measure organic contaminants in human body fluids, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recently made four new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) available for purchase. Developed in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the human milk and serum SRMs have certified levels of contaminants, including flame retardants and pesticides, commonly found in the U.S. population. Water - Air Quality / Agriculture Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156089.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156089.php Despite rapid advances using a child's own cord blood stem cells in regenerative therapies to repair damaged tissue due to injury or disease, most pregnant women today don't learn about the ability to save their newborn's cord blood. According to research published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 3 out of every 4 pregnant women consider themselves only "minimally informed. Stem Cell Research Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156103.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156103.php For the first time, researchers have been able to identify genetic predictors of the potential success or failure of IVF treatment in blood. Dr. Cathy Allen, from the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday 1 July) that her research would help understand why IVF works for some patients but not for others. Pregnancy / Obstetrics Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156105.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156105.php Today, during a Westminster Hall debate on the Archer Inquiry into the infection of nearly 5,000 haemophiliacs with HIV and Hepatitis C through NHS blood products, Jenny Willott, Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, revealed evidence to show that the department's reasons for offering fair compensation to those infected is inaccurate and unjustified. Blood / Hematology Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155873.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155873.php Research at the University of Leicester will be breaking new ground in the search for a simple blood test that could tell whether a patient with melanoma has the condition in an aggressive form. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Staging, which involves determining the size of the tumour and its extent of spread, is the best predictor of whether a patient will succumb to disease or survive. Melanoma / Skin Cancer Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155880.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155880.php The first microsatellite-based genetic linkage map has been published for Schistosoma mansoni, a blood fluke that is known to infect over 90 million people in Africa, the Middle East and the New World. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology hope the map will stimulate research and open doors to new advances in combating this neglected human pathogen. S. Blood / Hematology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155782.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155782.php New data show that at 24 months, patients in the chronic phase of Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) who are intolerant or resistant to current first-line therapy (Glivec) experienced a rapid response and significant reduction in leukaemia burden when treated with 400mg Tasigna twice-daily1. Lymphoma / Leukemia Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155621.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155621.php Kenya's Medical Services Permanent Secretary James Ole Kiyiapi announced Thursday that the government is in negotiations with PEPFAR for support in building additional blood transfusion centers in the country, Capital News reports. Blood / Hematology Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155518.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155518.php It is now possible to engineer tiny containers the size of a virus to deliver drugs and other materials with almost 100 percent efficiency to targeted cells in the bloodstream. According to a new Cornell study, the technique could one day be used to deliver vaccines, drugs or genetic material to treat cancer and blood and immunological disorders. The research was published recently (June 25, 2009) online at the Web site of the journal Gene Therapy. Immune System / Vaccines Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155445.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155445.php The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson and the All Party Parliamentary Thrombosis Group are today holding a leadership summit on venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the NHS. Health Minister, Ann Keen, the All Party Chair, John Smith MP, and NHS Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh are among the speakers at event to raise awareness of the Department of Health's prevention strategy for VTE. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155386.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155386.php Researchers led by Drs. James F. George and Anupam Agarwal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found that carbon monoxide (CO) can protect against arterial clotting. They report their data in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology. Carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely toxic; exposure prevents oxygen delivery to body tissues and is often fatal. Blood / Hematology Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155387.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155387.php Dr. Jennifer C Palmer and colleagues at the University of Bristol have discovered that endothelin converting enzyme-2 (ECE-2) may cause the decrease in cerebral blood flow seen in Alzheimer's disease. These results are presented in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer's / Dementia Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155282.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155282.php Spectranetics Corporation (Nasdaq:SPNC) reported that it has received the CE mark approval for its next-generation ThromCat® XT Thrombus Removal System, a single-use, disposable device indicated for mechanical removal of thrombus from native coronary arteries and infra-inguinal arteries. The launch of the product will commence immediately within the European Union. The approval triggers a milestone payment of $1. Blood / Hematology Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155202.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155202.php Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is commonly seen in women aged under 50 years. The diagnostic workflow in young women affected by IDA is not clearly established. The British Society of Gastroenterology recommends gastroscopy only in IDA women younger than 45 years presenting with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. However, symptoms are often mild and aspecific in IDA women and the gastroscopy is an invasive procedure associated with a high number of refusals. Blood / Hematology Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155121.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155121.php Australian regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited has announced successful results from the first five patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation with haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells expanded by the patented allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs). The Phase I/II trial in up to 30 patients is being conducted by Mesoblast's US-based associated company Angioblast Systems Inc. at the University of Texas M. D. Lymphoma / Leukemia Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155124.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155124.php GE Healthcare's Trends in Sepsis Management online program - based on the six-year Surviving Sepsis Campaign - is designed to engage clinicians in real-life situations involving the identification and treatment of sepsis. Medical Students / Training Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154908.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154908.php A groundbreaking study conducted by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the first to reveal a new avenue for harvesting stem cells from a woman's placenta, or more specifically the discarded placentas of healthy newborns. The study also finds there are far more stem cells in placentas than in umbilical cord blood, and they can be safely extracted for transplantation. Stem Cell Research Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154915.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154915.php Professor Ferro sees better chances for stroke victims in the newest scientific findings on thrombolytic treatment. This intravenously applied medication to break up blood clots has significantly improved survival chances for stroke victims. Guidelines and regulatory approvals have hitherto recommended a time window of three hours between the onset of stroke and the beginning of therapy. The recently published ECASS III study showed that treatment between 3 and 4. Stroke Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154897.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154897.php Exosome Diagnostics, Inc. ("ExosomeDX") and DxS Ltd. ("DxS") announced that they will collaborate on the development of blood-based companion diagnostics for key cancer gene mutations, such as KRAS, BRAF and EGFR. The collaboration will use DxS' industry leading Scorpions(R) real-time PCR Mutation Test Kits in conjunction with ExosomeDX's xOS(TM) technology which harvests high-quality nucleic acids from blood exosomes. Cancer / Oncology Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154880.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154880.php Hemophilia (from the Greek haima meaning blood and philia meaning friend) is an inherited medical condition where the blood does not clot properly. Essentially, hemophiliacs - people with hemophilia - lack a protein called a clotting factor that works with platelets to stop bleeding at the site of an injury. People with hemophilia tend to bleed for longer periods of time after an injury and they are more susceptible to internal bleeding. Blood / Hematology Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154683.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154683.php Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and their colleagues from the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague have developed a new method to quickly and reliably detect metabolites, such as sugars, fatty acids, amino acids and other organic substances from plant or animal tissue samples. One drop of blood -- less than one micro liter -- is sufficient to identify certain blood related metabolites. Medical Devices / Diagnostics Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154708.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154708.php Teamsters General President Hoffa called on the American Red Cross to support its frontline blood drive workers whose efforts help safeguard America's blood supply. The Red Cross is currently pursuing a campaign against its frontline workers that would worsen working conditions, push down living standards, undermine workers' rights to representation, threaten safety standards and create a disposable work force. Blood / Hematology Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154573.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154573.php George Dahlman, senior vice president of public policy for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), testified today before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations, calling for funding for a dedicated, stand-alone blood cancer research program at the Department of Defense (DoD). Lymphoma / Leukemia