Blood Weekly articles from December 2003

Blood Weekly archives from December 2003

Allogeneic RIST could be outpatient procedure.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Reduced intensity stem cell allotransplantation can be feasibly performed as an outpatient procedure. "Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) after a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC)...

Granulocyte transfusions effective against drug-resistant infection in neutropenic patient.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Granulocyte transfusions may be an effective means of treating drug-resistant infections in neutropenic patients. "The emergence of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) has become a...

Involved field radiation therapy raises TRM risk in stem-cell transplant recipients.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Localized radiation treatment increases the risk of treatment-related mortality in lymphoma patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. Researchers in the United States conducted a study "to...

Key components of hematopoietic stem cell niche identified.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Several components and regulators of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche have been identified. HSCs "are a subset of bone marrow cells that are capable of self-renewal and of forming all types...

CXCR4 antagonist mobilizes CD34+ cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A CXCR4 antagonist safely and effectively mobilizes CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors. According to published research from the United States, "Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1/CXCL12 ) and its...

Natural killer cell chimerism may mark children with high graft rejection risk.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Natural killer (NK) cell chimerism may be a useful prognostic marker in pediatric stem cell transplant recipients. In a recent study from Austria, "Chimerism of FACS-sorted leucocyte subsets...

China can use lessons from anti-SARS battle to take on AIDS, U.N. expert says.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The lessons China learned in beating back SARS earlier this year can help it fight its AIDS epidemic - as long as the central government keeps providing quick and honest information, the head of the...

Acquired factor VIII inhibitor-related can occur with myelodysplastic disorder.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acquired factor VIII inhibitor can occur with myelodysplastic disorder, hemorrhage; therapy was able to resolve it. According to published research from England, "we report a 71 yr old man who...

Newer formulation of heparin improves outcomes for suspected MI patients.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A newer, more convenient formulation of the blood thinner heparin appears to improve outcomes with fewer complications - when combined with a platelet receptor blocking drug and invasive management -...

Methadone users need access to orthotopic liver transplantations.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Methadone users need access to orthotopic liver transplantations. According to a study from the United States, "cirrhosis resulting from hepatitis C virus is presently the most common indication...

Growth hormone therapy may kill; monocytes produce IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNFalpha.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Septic shock, uncontrolled infection, and death of adults given growth hormone while ill may be due to its effect on LPS-activated PBMC: It makes them produce increased IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNFalpha. ...

Eprex induces reversible antierythropoietin antibodies and red cell aplasia.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Eprex induces reversible antierythropoietin antibodies and red cell aplasia. "We describe a patient with end-stage renal failure (ESRF) who developed anti-erythropoietin (anti-EPO) antibodies and...

Improved diagnosis of fungal infections no longer requires preventive therapy.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Improved diagnosis of fungal infections no longer requires preventive therapy. According to recent research published in the journal Annals of Hematology, "invasive fungal infections are a primary...

Myxoma of the right atrium could be due to fusion of giant cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Myxoma of the right atrium could be due to fusion of giant cells. "Myxoma is the commonest primary tumor of the heart, arising more frequently in the left than the right atrium," researchers in...

Transgenic work shows lack of lambda5 doesn't fully impair pro-B cell maturation.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Transgenic mouse work shows absence of lambda5 does not fully impair pro-B cell maturation, thus altering previous views on molecular interactions required for maturation to pre-B cells. "Pre-B...

Delta BAFF is an alternate splice isoform of BAFF that regulates B cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Follicular B cell survival and autoimmunity are both tied to BAFF; BAFF appears to be regulated by its alternative splice form, deltaBAFF. According to a study from the United States, "the tumor...

Unresponsive thrombocytopenia patients may have GPIX mutation, Bernard-Soulier.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Unresponsive thrombocytopenia patients may have GPIX mutation, Bernard-Soulier. "Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare inherited disorder with giant platelets, thrombocytopenia, and a prolonged...

New Jersey blood bank shipping plasma to Scotland amid mad cow worries.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scottish health officials stepping up efforts to prevent spread of the human version of mad cow disease are turning to a New Jersey blood bank for all blood plasma for young children, apparently the...

Perfluorocarbon-based blood substitute undergoes phase I clinical trial.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Synthetic Blood International Inc. (SYBD) announced that a phase I clinical trial of Oxycyte, its perfluorocarbon-based blood substitute, started on October 30, 2003, and believes that Oxycyte may be...

Ruta 6 induces selective apoptosis in glioma cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The novel agent Ruta 6 induces selective apoptosis in glioma cells. "Although conventional chemotherapies are used to treat patients with malignancies, damage to normal cells is problematic....

Risk of second malignancy high after HDT and stem-cell autotransplantation.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer patients who undergo intensive therapy with stem cell autografts have a high risk of second malignancies. Physicians in Canda conducted a study "to establish incidence and risk factors for...

World's first integrated system to increase safety of cell therapy.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Thermogenesis Corp. (KOOL) and Mediware Information Systems, Inc., (MEDW) said they will jointly develop and market the industry's first fully integrated system to make personalized cell therapy safer...

Tissue regeneration may drive HCV recurrence after liver transplantation.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Tissue regeneration may drive HCV recurrence after liver transplantation. "Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is an option for patients with end-stage liver disease or hepatoma caused by...

Company launches trial of gene-modulated tissue production of protein.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medgenics, Inc., an early stage U.S./Israel biotechnology company, announced that it has launched its phase I clinical trial of its Biopump technology for delivery of Erythropoietin (EPO) in chronic...

Haemonetics announces intent to sign distribution agreement with French firm.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Haemonetics Corp. (HAE) and Hemosystem, S.A., announced that the companies have signed an agreement confirming each party's intent to enter an agreement for Haemonetics' exclusive marketing and...

High expression of CD55 by colorectal cancers is predictive of low survival.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- High expression of CD55 by colorectal cancers is predictive of low survival and recurrence. According to research published in the journal Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, "this study prospectively...

Successful intracoronary bone marrow cell transplant leads late-breaking clinical trials.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Richard Hyer, NewsRx correspondent - Intracoronary autologous bone marrow cell transplant, a monoclonal antibody to block complement activation, and an angiotensin II receptor blocker were among the...

Pressures' variations comparable as blood loss indicators in mechanically ventilated patients.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Respiratory-related arterial pressure variability and percentile systolic pressure variation have similar utility as blood loss indicators in mechanically ventilated patients, and both rely on autonomic...

CD11b+ DC from Peyer patch induce the highest B cell IgA secretion via IL-6.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CD11b+ DC from Peyer patch induce the highest B cell IgA secretion via IL-6 production; spleen cell DCs can be induced by IL-6 to also induce some B cell IgA. "Peyer patch (PP) dendritic cells (DCs)...

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells express different genes in kidney cancer.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells have predictor genes and express certain proteins differently in renal cell carcinoma patients. "Expression profiling has demonstrated that transcriptomes of...

Chromotest updates presented at American Society of Human Genetics meeting.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ikonisys, Inc., a company focused on cell-based diagnostic products for the obstetrical and oncology markets, announced a major achievement in its development of Chromotest, a test to detect Down...

Severe pneumonitis, cerebral hemorrhage is a risk with Epstein-Barr virus.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Severe pneumonitis, cerebral hemorrhage is a risk with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), even in apparently healthy individuals. According to a study from Switzerland, "EBV is a ubiquitous human...

Outcomes with hepatitis C- and B-core antibody-positive grafts are good.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Outcomes with hepatitis C- and B-core antibody-positive grafts are good. According to a study from the United States, "the use of hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)- and hepatitis C virus antibody...

TCR gene rearrangement can occur outside thymus, in the human small intestine.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- TCR gene rearrangement can occur outside thymus, in the human small intestine. "Two new 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR) exons were identified in the human gene for the lymphocyte-specific...

Genetics company presents new data relating to prenatal and genetic testing.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genzyme Genetics, a business unit of Genzyme Corp. (GENZ), presented data from a series of large prenatal and genetic screening studies at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting in...

Investigational device exemption application submitted for HIV-1 test.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Calypte Biomedical Corporation (CYPT), the developer and marketer of the only two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved HIV-1 antibody tests for use with urine samples, announced that it is...

IL-7 safely stimulates T-cell renewal in SIV-infected macaques.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interleukin (IL)-7 safely stimulates T-cell renewal in macaques infected with the simian version of HIV (SIV). "The main failure of antiretroviral therapy is the lack of restoration of HIV-specific...

LC/MS/MS assay suitable for measuring atazanavir levels in peripheral blood.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric assay provides accurate and highly sensitive measurements of atazanavir levels in peripheral blood. According to published research from the...

Endothelial progenitor cells respond to shear stress with accelerated activity.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Endothelial progenitor cells respond to shear stress with accelarated activity. According to a study from Japan, "endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) circulating in peripheral blood migrate toward...

Silver(I) ion exerts unusual aggregation effects on hemoglobin.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Silver(I) ion exerts unusual aggregation effects on hemoglobin. According to a study from Russia, "Silver(I) ion has been shown to produce an aggregation effect on bovine oxyhemoglobin...

Keeping DC immaturity may induce tolerance for transplant of hematopoietic cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Continuing dendritic cell immaturity stage may be enough to induce a tolerogenic state for transplant of hematopoietic cells. "Recent evidence suggests that recipient as well as donor dendritic...

Cytokines are recognized by gp130 by thermodynamics, independent of structure.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A thermodynamically plastic, nonstructurally dependent binding site characterizes Gp130, a joint receptor for structurally differing cytokines. "Gp130 is a shared cell-surface signaling receptor for...

Unfolding of Vibrio cholerae hemolysin induces toxin monomer oligomerization.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Unfolding of Vibrio cholerae hemolysin induces oligomerization of the toxin monomer. "Vibrio cholerae hemolysin (HlyA) is a pore-forming toxin that exists in two stable forms: a hemolytically active...

Supplement filed for approval of needless device used with Kogenate FS.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer Biological Products (BP) announced the filing of a pre-approval supplement for Bio-Set, a new needleless device for the reconstitution and use of Kogenate FS (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant],...

Non-hemophiliacs can have acquired, temporary hemorrhagic factor VIII syndrome.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Non-hemophiliacs can have acquired, temporary hemorrhagic factor VIII syndrome. According to a study from Poland, "we describe the case of a previously healthy 8 yr old non-hemophilic boy who...

Glycoproteins B, H of human herpesvirus 7 appear to have few polymorphisms.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Glycoproteins B, H of human herpesvirus 7 appear to be highly conserved; there are only small variations between individuals in Hong Kong. According to published research from Peoples R China,...

I.V. anti-D safe for pregnant moms with thrombocytopenia purpura; fetus okay.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- I.V. anti-D safe for pregnant moms with thrombocytopenia purpura; fetus okay. "This pilot study assessed the safety and efficacy of intravenous anti-D in 8 RhD + women with immune thrombocytopenic...

Stat3 molecule can regulate switch from T cell activation to immune tolerance.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stat3 molecule can regulate switch from T cell activation to immune tolerance. According to recent research from the United States, "antigen-presenting cells (APCs) can induce T cell activation as...

New IGIV, Gamunex, now available.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer HealthCare, LLC, biological products division's (Bayer BP) new and advanced immunoglobulin intravenous (IGIV), Gamunex, Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human), 10% Caprylate/Chromatography Purified,...

Antisense blockade of Stat5a/b promotes the apoptosis of lymphoid cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antisense blockade of Stat5a/b promotes the apoptosis of lymphoid cells. "Stat5a and Stat5b exhibit 96% homology and are required for normal immune function. The present studies examined Stat5a/b...

Transparent fish provide window on blood formation and marrow transplantation.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed powerful new techniques to see in unprecedented detail how blood-forming cells develop in zebrafish. The scientists have used this system to transplant blood cells with...

Immunosuppressants influence dendritic cells; can affect tolerance induction.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immunosuppressive drugs influence dendritic and other immune cells; can affect tolerance induction. "Immunosuppressive drugs used to control allograft rejection and in efforts to promote transplant...

Prototype leukocyte reduction filter reduces infectious prions in study.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Infectious prions can now be removed from blood prior to a transfusion according to a new study presented at the American Association of Blood Banks annual meeting. Infectious prions are the cause...

Celiac disease should be treatable by gluten-free diet and better immunotherapy.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Now that more is known about it, celiac disease should be treatable by gluten-free diet, more specific immunotherapy. According to published research from Israel, "celiac disease (CD) is a...

Phase I/II study initiated treating diabetes with encapsulated replacement islets.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AmCyte, Inc., announced the initiation of a phase I/II clinical safety trial treating diabetic patients with transplanted replacement islets without long-term immune suppression. Patient enrollment...

Reduced-intensity stem-cell transplantation may slow RCC progression.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Reduced-intensity stem-cell transplantation (RIST) may slow the spread of renal cell cancer. "Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation can induce curative graft-versus-leukemia reactions...

Researchers receive $1.68M grant for research on Lassa fever treatment.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (PPHM) announced that researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have received a $1.68 million grant from The National Institute of...

DNA microarray stem cell analysis can differentiate de novo and MDS-related AML.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- DNA microarray analysis of stem cells can differentiate de novo and MDS-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML "may develop de novo or secondarily to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)," scientists...

Cyclosporine and IFN-gamma treatment after auto-SCT improves outcome.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cyclosporine and IFN-gamma treatment improves the outcome of stem cell autotransplantation for leukemia patients. In a recent study, scientists in South Korea sought to determine "whether the...

Cytoreduction may be needed for curative SCT in CML patients.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cytoreduction may be needed for stem-cell transplantation to have a curative effect in CML patients. In a recent study, hematologists in the United States "treated 12 patients with chronic...

Imatinib treatment can improve SCT outcome in Ph+ ALL patients.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Imanitib treatment can improve the outcome of allo-SCT in Ph+ ALL patients. In a recent study from South Korea, "Fourteen adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia...

Persistent iron overload common in long-term AML survivors after stem-cell autografting.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Persistent iron overload is a common long-term complication of stem cell autotransplantation in AML patients. In a recent study, hematologists in England examined "the iron status of 32 evaluable...

Some integrin antagonists bind the beta[subscript]2 subunit I domain, directing signals.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Some integrin antagonists bind the beta[subscript]2 subunit I domain, directing signals one direction and blocking the other. "Leukocyte integrins contain an inserted (I) domain in their alpha...

Chaperonin TRiC is essential for antigen presentation, protecting MHC-I antigen.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The chaperonin TRiC is essential for antigen presentation, protecting MHC-I intermediates from degradation. "MHC class I molecules present precisely cleaved peptides of intracellular proteins on...

Human mast cells have Toll-like receptor 4, innate and adaptive immune responses.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human mast cells have a TLR-4, innate and adaptive immune responses, and induce Th2 reactions. According to a study from Japan, "rodent mast cells (MCs) are reported to play a pivotal role in both...

Blood cells could build muscle in neuromuscular diseases.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Damaged muscle can be regenerated by a single stem cell, according to two reports. Stem cells in the bone marrow continuously repopulate the body with blood and immune cells. Recent studies have...

Aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts are higher in leukocytes of rickshaw drivers.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Open rickshaw drivers from Dhaka City, Bangladesh were found to be at increased risk to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens than control drivers. According to recent research from the United...

Healthcare workers experience a decline in blood and body fluid exposures.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Healthcare workers experience a decline in blood and body fluid exposures. "The risk of accidental blood and body fluid (131317) exposure is a daily concern for health care workers throughout the...

Free-living amoebic pathogen P. acanthamoeba replicates in macrophages.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Free-living amoebic pathogen P. acanthamoeba replicates in macrophages, induces apoptosis. "Parachlamydia acanthamoeba is an obligately intracellular bacterium that naturally infects free-living...

Court upholds stem-cell patents.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In what the company is calling "an important victory" for the field of therapeutic use of umbilical cord stem cells, PharmaStem Therapeutics, Inc., and Perkins Coie, LLP, announced they had won a major...

Stem cell expansion technology receives patent in Australia.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pluristem Life Sciences, Inc., (PLRS) announced that the company obtained patent approval for its stem cell expansion technology, specifically its proprietary PluriX Plug Flow Bioreactor, in Australia....

Blood products company adds Dr. Steven Gerber and Robert Chilton to team.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HemaCare Corp. (HEMA) announced that Dr. Steven Gerber has been named to the board of directors. Gerber, a cardiologist, has extensive expertise in the securities industry serving most recently as...

Clinical use of embryonic stem cells jeopardized by Bush's funding.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The human embryonic stem cell lines currently eligible for research with U.S. government funds are not suitable for use in future clinical trials, nor would they ensure fair access to new stem...

Bifidobacterium DNA induces PBMC IL-10; reduces gut IL-1, increases IL-10.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Probiotic bacterial DNA induces IL-10 in PBMC; probiotic therapy alters gut by reducing IL-1beta, increasing IL-10. "A new therapeutic approach for inflammatory bowel diseases is based on the...

Blood center warns that increasing donor deferrals threatens blood supply.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Due to changing blood donor criteria, donor deferral rates have been increasing since 1999 with trend lines predicting additional deferral increases. This predicament has created a critical demand...

Pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension may be due to anti-endothelial antibodies.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Reactivity of sera from scleroderma patients to endothelial cells is linked to pulmonary fibrosis and hypertension. "We recently reported on the use of an indirect immunofluorescent method...

Delayed neutrophil apoptosis occurs with female sex hormones, also increased ROI.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Delayed neutrophil apoptosis occurs due to female sex hormones, also increased ROI. "Women are conferred with greater immunologic and survival benefits compared to men. Female sex steroids...

Company receives U.S. patent for stem-cell culture medium.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Geron Corp. (GERN) announced that it has been granted U.S. patent no. 6,642,048, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. The patent includes claims that cover methods and compositions for growing...

Bone marrow-derived cells offer little hope for repairing damaged livers.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bone marrow-derived cells offer little hope for repairing damaged livers. "We have tested the ability of bone marrow (BM) cells (BMCs) to form hepatocytes in liver injury models. We used three...

First analysis of hematopoietic stem cell proteome completed.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A preliminary analysis of the human hematopoietic stem-cell proteome has been completed. According to a recent study from Austria, "Stem cells represent a promising tool for the treatment of...

Lysophospholipids synergistically promote primitive hematopoietic cell chemotaxis.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lysophospholipids synergistically promote primitive hematopoietic cell chemotaxis. "Hematopoiesis is sustained by the proliferation and development of an extremely low number of hematopoietic stem...

Osteoblastic cells regulate hematopoietic stem cell niche.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Osteoblastic cells play a key role in regulating the hematopoietic stem cell niche. According to recent research from the United States, "Stem cell fate is influenced by specialized...

Stat5 involved in hematopoietic commitment of embryonic stem cells.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stat5 is involved in the hematopoietic commitment of embryonic stem cells. According to published research from Massachusetts, "The signal transducer Stat5 plays a key role in the regulation of...

The power of adult stem cells can be harnessed for tissue repair.
December 4, 2003... 2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The power of adult stem cells can be harnessed for tissue repair. According to published research from the United States, "most recent evidence suggests that the process of tissue repair is driven...