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 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170199.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170199.php Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This discovery this could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk long before there are any signs of the illness. Alzheimer's / Dementia Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170156.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170156.php ERYtech Pharma announces the start of its pivotal clinical trial for GRASPA®, its lead product in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. This phase III trial has begun in France and will be enlarged to a European scale. Up to 80 patients with relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, aged from 1 to 55 years old will be enrolled. The endpoint combines safety and efficacy with regard to the asparagine depletion level. Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170146.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170146.php Gloucester Pharmaceuticals announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ISTODAX® (romidepsin) for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. The approval of ISTODAX was based on objective disease response defined as the proportion of patients with confirmed complete response or partial response. Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170147.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170147.php When paramedics rush to the scene of a multi-car pileup or a terror attack, their first task is to assess who needs immediate care. But blood hemorrhaging can obscure damage, and the gruesome mess means paramedics can't always determine who should be treated first. Tel Aviv University's new LifeFlow device, currently in development, could become the paramedic's new best friend - and save many lives in the process. Medical Devices / Diagnostics Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170042.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170042.php Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI), the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) and Measure-Through Motion and Low-Perfusion pulse oximetry, announced that a new peer-reviewed clinical study published in this month's Inhalation Toxicology demonstrates that Masimo Rainbow SET® Pulse CO-Oximetry (SpCO) provides reliable measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) in the blood that facilitate fast, accurate diagnosis of CO poisoning in pre-hospital emergency and rescue environments. Blood / Hematology Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169994.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169994.php Dr. Jennifer Brodbelt, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, has received a $734,068 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a new method for rapidly screening blood samples for biomarkers. Biomarkers are small molecules that indicate the presence of a particular physiological condition, typically a disease. Medical Devices / Diagnostics Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169976.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169976.php Affymax, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFFY) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Global Research & Development Center, Inc., announced data from a Phase 2 clinical trial of Hematide™ showing that Hematide increased hemoglobin and reduced or eliminated the need for blood transfusion in most patients with erythropoietin-induced pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). The data were published in the 5th November 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Blood / Hematology Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169943.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169943.php Extended Therapy for Blood Clot Prevention Yields Greater Benefits in Hip/Knee Surgery (#8587) Patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR) or total hip replacement (THR) surgeries may experience better outcomes if they receive extended therapy for the prevention of thrombosis (blood clots). Vascular Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169935.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169935.php Searching for a needle in a haystack may seem futile, but it's worth it if the needle is a hard-to-detect protein that may identify a person at high risk of a heart attack circulating within a haystack of human serum (liquid component of blood). C-reactive protein (CRP), a molecule produced by the liver in response to inflammation, normally accounts for less than 1/60,000 of a person's total serum protein, or about 1 milligram per liter (mg/L) of serum. Heart Disease Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169843.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169843.php Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have made an important discovery about why potassium builds up to dangerous levels in the bloodstream, a relatively common medical problem that affects about eight percent of hospitalized patients. They have identified a new molecular pathway and a new class of molecules responsible for preventing potassium from being excreted normally through the kidney. Their study was just published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Urology / Nephrology Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169823.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169823.php Have hematologists failed to adequately recognize and promote blood disorders as a public health issue? This is a question to ponder as we witness a recent convergence of professional and lay organizations and government agencies collectively focusing their attention on the problem of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This topic was thrust into the limelight by the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in September 2008. Blood / Hematology Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169825.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169825.php The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is honoring two prominent hematologists with ASH Mentor Awards in recognition of the important role they play in the training and career development of hematologists early in their careers. Stuart H. Orkin, MD, and Arthur W. Nienhuis, MD, will receive their awards during the 51st ASH Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Dr. Orkin, who will be receiving the Mentor Award for Basic Science, is the David G. Blood / Hematology Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169647.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169647.php The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance recommending the use of prasugrel in combination with aspirin as an option for preventing blood clots in the arteries of people with acute coronary syndromes. Acute coronary syndromes refers to a group of heart problems which occur due to narrowed coronary arteries. These heart problems cause chest pain, and specific types of heart attack. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169559.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169559.php At a symposium today in Herzliya entitled Umbilical Cord Blood: An Alternative for Bone Marrow Transplantation in Adults, bone marrow transplantation experts Professor Patrick Stiff and Professor Guillermo Sanz addressed participants on the current challenges presented by bone marrow transplantation and the importance of investigating cord blood as an alternative source for treating patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Stem Cell Research Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169523.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169523.php Patients who undergo point-of-care testing at a general practice are as, or more, likely to comply with their medication regimes as patients who undergo testing at a pathology laboratory, according to the results of a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Blood / Hematology Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169504.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169504.php Affymax, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFFY) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Global Research & Development Center, Inc., announced data from multiple clinical and preclinical studies evaluating Hematide, including preliminary results of a Phase 2 trial which demonstrated that Hematide increased hemoglobin levels in a group of anemic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Urology / Nephrology Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169470.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169470.php A strain of MRSA that causes bloodstream infections is five times more lethal than other strains and has shown to have some resistance to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin used to treat MRSA, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study. The study found that 50 percent of the patients infected with the strain died within 30 days compared to 11 percent of patients infected with other MRSA strains. MRSA / Drug Resistance Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169208.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169208.php Vicki Vinson used to be a regular blood donor, until a surgery and some international travel left her ineligible. But she never lost the desire to donate, and for a very good reason. Two very good reasons, in fact. "Both of my parents have had serious medical issues in recent years," said Vinson, who works in Health System Information Services at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). "Both spent weeks in intensive care at UAB, and both needed many units of blood. Blood / Hematology Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169141.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169141.php Many of nature's most fascinating phenomena involve forms of fluid flow - the motions of liquids and gases - from the flight of golf and tennis balls to the slip of a red blood cell, the flap of an elephant ear, the line of a wildfire, the spin of a storm, or the formation of a crater on the Moon. The 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics takes place from November 22-24 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Biology / Biochemistry Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169051.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169051.php PolyMedix, Inc. (OTC BB: PYMX), an emerging biotechnology company developing new therapeutic drug products to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has completed a second successful clinical study of its anticoagulant reversing agent, PMX-60056. The Phase 1B clinical study was a pilot proof-of-concept study conducted in the U.S. under an Investigational New Drug application (IND) filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Blood / Hematology Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169053.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169053.php Hyperion Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been enrolled in its pivotal phase III clinical trial of investigational compound HPN-100 (glycerol phenylbutyrate). The 4-week, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study is designed to evaluate the non-inferiority of glycerol phenylbutyrate to BUPHENYL® (sodium phenylbutyrate) Tablets and Powder in adults with urea cycle disorders. Pediatrics / Children's Health Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169005.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169005.php William Kuo, MD, was the on-call interventional radiologist one Friday night three years ago when he received a call from the intensive care unit at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. He was asked to attend to a 62-year-old woman who had collapsed at home and was rushed to the emergency room with massive blood clots in her lungs. "I get very emotional when I think about what happened," said Kuo, assistant professor of radiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Vascular Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168926.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168926.php AdvanDx announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for a fast, 90 minutes protocol for its E. faecalis/OE PNA FISH(®) test. The faster protocol reduces the PNA FISH turn-around time from the original 2.5 hours to 90 minutes by reducing PNA probe hybridization from 90 minutes to 30 minutes. Blood / Hematology Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168887.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168887.php A recently discovered form of the protein that triggers blood clotting may play a key role in the molecular mechanisms leading to the growth of certain metastatic cancers, according to new research reported by an international team of scientists. The protein, called "Tissue Factor," is present in various tissues, but is most prominent in vascular structures such as blood vessels. Cancer / Oncology Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168873.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168873.php Red blood cells, which make up 45 percent of blood, normally take the shape of circular cushions with a dimple on either side. But they can sometimes deform into an asymmetrical slipper shape. A team of physicists have used simulations to explore how fluid flow might be responsible for this deformation, as well as how the deformation in turn affects blood flow. The insights could help understand the mechanisms involved in arterial disease and other blood flow-related ailments. Vascular