Blood Weekly articles from April 2002

Blood Weekly archives from April 2002

Taurolidine effective for graft purging.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The anticancer agent taurolidine shows great promise for autologous bone marrow (BM) graft purging, researchers in the United States report. "Taurolidine...

Pipobroman effective for essential thrombocythemia patients.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The anticancer drug pipobroman can reduce the thrombosis risk for patients suffering from essential thrombocythemia, researchers in Italy say. "Essential...

Transcription-mediated activation assay suitable for blood screening.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in California say that a novel assay for detecting and distinguishing between HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is suitable for use in blood...

Lamivudine effective for post-transplant hepatitis B reactivation.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The antiretroviral drug lamivudine can quickly resolve hepatitis B reinfection after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), researchers in Japan report. ...

Partially mismatched, related bone marrow suitable for transplant.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Bone marrow transplants using marrow from partially mismatched donors is often the best option for patients suffering from refractory acute leukemia,...

Pivotal study leading to Gleevec's rapid approval for CML published.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have published the pivotal study that demonstrates the success of Gleevec (formerly STI-571) in treating chronic myelogenous leukemia...

Mechanisms of postinfection macrophage impairment identified.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Australia have identified specific steps in macrophage signaling adversely affected by HIV infection. "HIV-1 infection impairs a number of...

UT Southwestern researchers identify mechanisms by which cocaine elevates blood pressure.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified the underlying mechanism by which cocaine triggers hypertensive crisis, the most severe form of high blood...

Scientists seek blood test for diagnosis.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists are testing blood from more than 1000 women in an effort to find a protein that might signal breast cancer and ultimately create a blood test comparable to one men have for prostate disease....

Acute myeloid leukemia model may be important research tool for many cancer treatments.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A method that enables scientists to study the development of an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in mice should open new research paths for scientists studying cancer in humans. The findings were...

Study suggests stem cells exhibit versatility.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have discovered evidence that stem cells circulating in the bloodstream can grow new tissue in the liver, gut and skin. The study is the latest to suggest the versatility of adult stem...

Study describes potential for significant cost savings in Epoetin administration.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- End-stage renal disease patients routinely receive recombinant human erythropoietin (Epoetin) as part of their treatment. Among its benefits are increased hematocrit levels and improved cardiovascular...

Rockwell Medical reports fourth quarter results; 2001 revenue up 20.9% over 2000.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc., (RMTI), a hemodialysis concentrate manufacturer, reported today that its fourth quarter 2001 revenue was $2,334,000 and 8.7% higher than the fourth quarter of 2000....

Actor joins Anemia LifeLine to help millions who suffer anemia associated with serious diseases.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Actor Danny Glover kicked off Anemia LifeLine, a new educational initiative created to help improve the lives of millions of Americans who suffer from anemia associated with many common, serious...

Gene therapy may help to improve blood clotting for bleeding disorder.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers are advancing on the goal of successfully using gene therapy to treat the crippling bleeding disorder hemophilia, according to Katherine A. High, MD, a hematologist at the Children's...

Simian virus found in human lymphoma samples.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Evidence of simian virus 40 (SV40) infection found in 42% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma samples could shed new light on the genesis of these blood cancers that have become more common over the past 30 years,...

'Microbleeds' may be risk for serious complications.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Clot-busting therapy is an effective treatment for ischemic stroke, but complications such as bleeding in the brain may occur. But a marker may identify individuals who are more likely to have...

Homocysteine gene implicated in spontaneous cervical artery tears.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Italian researchers have found strong genetic evidence linking homocysteine to the type of strokes caused by tears in the artery wall, according to a report in the March 2002 issue of Stroke: Journal of...

Clot-busting drugs linked to increased mortality in elderly.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- More and more heart attack patients are getting thrombolytic therapy as a result of studies showing the clot-busting drugs can reduce the risk of dying. But a new study led by Harvard Medical School...

Hormone replacement therapy exacerbates genetic risk factors.
April 4, 2002... 2002 APR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Women with genetic predilictions for thrombosis should not be treated with hormone therapy, researchers in Europe warn. "Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)...

Tumors release growth-inducing hormones.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) tumors can aid their own growth through the secretion of hormones, researchers in Germany report. "Alterations in the...

Patients at high risk of catheter-related morbidity.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Patients suffering from sickle cell disease (SCD) have a high risk of catheter-related complications, researchers in the United States warn. Dr. Michael...

Novel test detects early post-transplant cytomegalovirus infection.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in England say that a novel molecuar assay can quickly and easily detect cytomegalovirus infection after bone marrow transplantation. "Bone...

Soluble growth factors implicated in chronic and malignant blood disorders.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Diseases and malignancies of the blood may be linked to the presence of high levels of angiogenic growth factors, scientists in Italy say. Although the...

Cancer killing gene found by Dartmouth researchers.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dartmouth Medical School cancer researchers have identified a gene that triggers the death of leukemia cells, opening a novel target for anticancer drugs. This new genetic switch, reported in the...

Nurse trainees in Taiwan face major risk for job-related transmissions.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Faculty members at National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan report more than 60% of student nurses have experienced needlestick injuries (NSI). In a new...

Researchers find age is related to platelet activity.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Maryland, have discovered elderly patients have fewer active platelets, which could directly affect the way doctors treat them if they are suffering from...

Coronary artery stent design plays key role in preventing blood clots.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sinai Hospital of Baltimore researchers have found that the type of coronary artery stent placed in a patient may make a difference in the prevention of blood clots. Results of the study were...

Extended cell phone signal exposure can damage blood cell chromosomes.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Extended exposure to the type of signals given off by cell phones can cause genetic damage to blood cells, researchers in the United States warn. Raymond...

Freeze drying platelets extend their lives.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Platelets, the clot-forming cells that stop you from bleeding to death from a shaving cut, are always in high demand from blood banks but have a short shelf life. Using a new process discovered at the...

Blood test diagnoses heart failure in 15 minutes.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A 15-minute blood test allows emergency room doctors to accurately judge whether patients with severe shortness of breath are suffering from congestive heart failure. The test "is the most...

Nuvion phase II trials ready to begin.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Protein Design Labs, Inc., (PDL) announced that it has initiated a phase II clinical study to evaluate its humanized antibody Nuvion (visilizumab) in patients with steroid-resistant, acute...

Priority Healthcare Corp. acquires HOSS.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Priority Healthcare Corp. has acquired the assets of Hemophilia of the Sunshine State (HOSS), a leading provider of hemophilia products and services in Florida. HOSS is located in metropolitan Tampa,...

Regulatory approval sought for thalidomide for hematological, solid tumor cancers.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Celgene Corp. (CELG) announced that, based on continuing discussions with the FDA, the company now intends to seek marketing approval for Thalomid (thalidomide) in early stage multiple myeloma...

Aggressive ovarian cancer may be linked to blood disorder.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aggressive ovarian cancer may be linked to the presence of thrombocytosis, a blood disorder characterized by high platelet cell counts, report investigators at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The...

Rising rates of bleeding from ulcers in last decade despite changes in treatment.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hospital admissions for bleeding ulcers rose throughout the 1990s despite changes in drug treatment, reveals a study in Gut. The researchers looked at the numbers of hospital admissions and deaths...

Adrenaline metabolites provide best diagnostic test.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Testing blood samples for a metabolite of the hormone adrenaline is the best diagnostic test for an uncommon but potentially fatal tumor typically found in the adrenal glands, according to an article...

Epstein-Barr viral load flawed but useful tool for post-transplant infection monitoring.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Epstein-Barr virus levels after stem cell transplantation (SCT) can help determine which patients will develop lymphoproliferative disorders, researchers in...

Hepatitis reactivation likely with autologous blood cell transplant.
April 11, 2002... 2002 APR 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Members of a research consortium in China say hepatitis B virus reactivation can be expected in many patients who receive autologous hematopoietic cell...

Thalassemia treatment through globin gene transfer shows promise.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Gene therapy may provide a cure for (beta)-thalassemia, according to researchers in the United States. "The (beta)-thalassemias are caused by more than 200...

Antithrombin reduces inflammatory cytokine output.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Japan have shed new light on the mechanisms by which antithrombin ameliorates the effects of blood poisoning. "Antithrombin (AT) prevents...

Short tandem repeats suitable for genetic engraftment tests.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Short tandem repeats (STR) may be useful as genetic markers to measure hematopoietic stem cell engraftment after bone marrow transplantation, researchers in...

Megakaryocyte progenitor expansion feasible.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Platelet deficiency after stem cell transplantation might be ameliorated with megakaryocyte precursor cells expanded from the stem cell graft, researchers in...

No long-term risk of telomere shortening seen.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the Netherlands say that premature aging is not a risk associated with bone marrow-derived stem cell grafts. "Accelerated telomere...

High turnover rate may undermine HIV/hemophilia care.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The high turnover rate of health workers taking care of patients who have both HIV and hemophilia is due more to stress from coworkers than to the high emotional demands of such work, according to a...

Cyclosporin A use critical after stem cell grafts.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The use of cyclosporin A (CsA) has been the single most influential factor in raising survival rates after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for severe...

Companies collaborate for separation and purification of recombinant proteins.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gradipore, Ltd., (GDP) has entered into an agreement with Biomira Inc., for the separation and purification of recombinant proteins based upon Gradipore's platform separations technology, Gradiflow....

Diametrics receives FDA 510(k) clearance for lactate test.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Diametrics Medical, Inc., (DMED) announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a lactate test for the company's IRMA'S Blood Analysis System. ...

Gradiflow's manufacturer opens New York facility.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gradipore, Inc., (GDP) announced the opening of a new office and laboratory facility in Hawthorne, New York. The new building, which is an extension of New York Medical College, houses both...

Vitex reports fourth quarter and year-end 2001 losses.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- V.I. Technologies, Inc., (VITX) announced losses in the fourth quarter and year-ended December 29, 2001. For the fourth quarter, V.I. Technologies Inc. (Vitex) reported a net loss of $1.9 million,...

Stress causes heart-damaging fats to stay in blood longer.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study has found the first evidence that short periods of psychological stress can cause the body to take longer to clear heart-damaging fats from the bloodstream. Researchers at Ohio State...

German drug maker Bayer to combine blood plasma unit with Aventis.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer AG moved to bolster its ailing health care business, announcing plans Wednesday to merge its U.S.-based unit that makes blood-plasma products with a rival owned by Aventis of France. Bayer,...

Low-intensity conditioning may hasten cytomegalovirus infections.
April 18, 2002... 2002 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Less-intensive conditioning regimens for allogeneic stem cell transplants may hasten the onset of posttransplant cytomegalovirus infections (CMV), researchers...