Blood Weekly articles from February 2003

Blood Weekly archives from February 2003

CD41 expression marks hematopoietic divergence.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Massachusetts have shed new light on the early stages of stem cell development. "Murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) originate from...

Donor immunization may lower pneumococcal infection risk.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Immunization of hematopoietic stem cell donors may help prevent pneumococcal infections in transplant recipients, according to researchers in the United States....

Perfluorooctyl bromide has low membrane solubility, resides in bilayer core.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the University of Virginia have provided new insights into the characteristics of perfluorooctyl bromide. "There is considerable interest in the use of perfluorocarbons as oxygen...

Complement receptor 1 assay effective with stored erythrocytes.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from Scotland, "The mean number of complement receptor 1 (CR1) molecules on erythrocytes differs between normal individuals within the range of 100-1000 molecules per cell....

Bone marrow cells can differentiate into neurons.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bone marrow-derived stem cells can develop into neurons and other brain cells, researchers at the University of Milan in Italy report. S. Corti and colleagues "examined the spinal cord and dorsal...

Stimulation lengthens telomeres in transplanted stem cell-derived T cells.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from the United States, "Telomeres shorten in hematopoietic cells, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), during aging and after transplantation, despite the presence of readily...

Former WebMD executive producer joins NewsRx.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A former WebMD executive producer and medical editor has joined Atlanta-based NewsRx, along with three board-certified editors. Dominique Walton Brooks, MD, with WebMD until 2001, will serve as...

Blood banking systems improving in China, but more progress needed.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- After years spent analyzing blood banking and transfusion practices in China, a Johns Hopkins-led research team says that major improvements are needed to ensure the safety and reliability of the blood...

Significant shortages have left much of U.S. with less than 1-day supply.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The blood banking community has applauded efforts by U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson to promote blood donations and combat dwindling national blood supplies....

PCR-based assays may aid medullary thyroid cancer treatment.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A pair of novel blood tests could improve treatment for medullary thyroid cancer, researchers in Germany say. "Despite an extensive surgical approach only 50% of the patients with medullary thyroid...

New blood treatment could help.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Draw a vial of blood from someone with advanced heart failure. Zap the blood with heat and other stresses, then inject it back in hopes the altered blood cells will trick the patient's immune system...

Record $3.4M in net income earned for second quarter.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immucor, Inc., (BLUD), the global leader in providing automated instrument-reagent systems to the blood transfusion industry, reported financial results for the fiscal second quarter and 6 months ended...

Two-step culture system offers rapid expansion of progenitor cells.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A two-step culture technique unravels the slow process of progenitor cell expansion. "Since dendritic cells (DC) play pivotal roles in both innate and adaptive immunity, DC can be a good target for...

Platelet factor 4 domain-swapping creates strong angiogenesis inhibitor.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists in France have generated a potent angiogenesis inhibitor by reconstructing portions of platelet factor 4. "A few peptide residues in structurally important locations often determine...

DYRK3 modulates erythropoiesis, protects stem cells.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Penn State University have helped characterize a novel signaling molecule which may play an important role in hematopoiesis. "DYRKs are a new family of (d)ual-specificity...

Erythropoietin glycosylation alters receptor binding kinetics.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Erythropoietin (EPO) is a cytokine produced by the kidney whose function is to stimulate red blood cell production in the bone marrow," according to recent research from the United States....

Key genes in T-cell development identified.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in the United States have identified genes that may play a key role in the process of T-cell development. "FTL-1, -3 and -10 are three murine day 14 fetal thymocyte cell lines produced...

NQO2 disruption leads to bone marrow hyperplasia, hepatotoxicity.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Texas have identified an enzyme in humans that protects against bone marrow and liver disorders. "Dilrydronicotinamide riboside (NRH):quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) is a flavoenzyme...

Cell-Dyn 4000 assay can aid detection in non-endemic areas.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to research from the Netherlands, "The sensitivity and specificity of the Cell-Dyn 4000 hematology analyzer in the diagnosis of imported malaria were studied with samples from patients in an...

Makromed dipstick assay fast, accurate.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel rapid malaria assay compares favorably to conventional screens, researchers in Canada say. "Microscopy has been the traditional reference standard for malaria diagnosis. However,...

Pamidronate effective as maintenance therapy.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The bone metabolism regulator pamidronate may be useful as maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma patients, researchers in Japan say. H. Kondo and colleagues at Shimizu Kohsei Hospital...

Thalidomide therapy may lengthen survival.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nearly one-third of patients with advanced multiple myeloma who had failed current standard therapy of chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation responded to thalidomide for a median duration of nearly...

FDA temporarily halts some gene therapy trials.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a precautionary measure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed on "clinical hold" all active gene therapy trials using retroviral vectors to insert genes into blood stem cells. ...

CD34 expression linked to regeneration capacity of myogenic progenitors.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Expression of the hematopoietic stem cell marker CD34 by myogenic progenitors is linked to enhanced survival after transplantation, according to researchers at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. ...

Core-binding factor beta needed for hematopoietic maturation.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Core-binding factor beta (Cbfbeta) plays a key role in hematopoiesis, bone development, and other cellular processes, researchers in the United States report. Cbfbeta is "the common non-DNA-binding...

Fanconi anemia pathway activated by patient-derived FANCA mutants.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Fanconi anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive disorder of hematopoiesis characterized by hypersensitivity to DNA crosslinkers such as mitomycin C (MMC)," according to a recent study from Japan. ...

Flow cytometry with monoclonal antibody effective for bone marrow analysis.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Pfizer Global conducted a study to "evaluate bone marrow from male CD rats following exposure to known hematotoxins using flow cytometry (FC) and a monoclonal antibody to the cell surface...

Hex downregulation needed for T-cell development.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from the United States, "The hematopoietic homeobox gene Hex (also called Prh) is expressed in myeloid cells and B cells but not T cells." "To investigate whether Hex levels...

ICSBP needed for interferon-producing cell development.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recent research in Italy has underscored the importance of interferon consensus sequence-building protein (ICSBP). ICSBP is a transcription factor known to play "a critical role in the regulation...

Surfactant protein A modulates dendritic cell differentiation.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Duke University have shed new light on the process of dendritic cell (DC) differentiation. "Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is an innate immune molecule that regulates pathogen clearance...

Diagnostic advances may aid treatment of hepatic veno-occlusive disease.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from Japan, "Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is one of the severe complications of the liver, which may occur after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)." ...

Minor blood type mismatch can trigger severe immune hemolysis.
February 6, 2003... 2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Minor donor-recipient blood type mismatches can lead to severe consequences for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation, researchers in Japan warn. According to K. Noborio and colleagues at...

Hyaluronic acid plays key role in marrow lodgment.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Australia have identified a molecule that appears to play a key role during stem cell lodgment to bone marrow after transplantation. ...

Granulocyte transfusion effective against post-transplant meningoencephalitis.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Japan have identified a novel and effective strategy for treating bacterial meningoencephalitis after bone marrow transplantation. Y....

Selective apoptosis induced in primary human leukemic stem cells.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is typically a disease of stem/progenitor cell origin," according to a study from the University of Kentucky. "Interestingly, the leukemic stem cell (LSC) shares many...

Circulating highly fluorescent reticulocytes predict leukapheresis yield.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Japan have identified a novel way to predict the amount of hematopoietic stem cells that can be harvested from donors. H. Kurata and coauthors at Niigata University "prospectively...

Myeloid progenitors protect against invasive aspergillosis, Pseudomonas infections.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Myelotoxic treatments for oncologic diseases are often complicated by neutropenia, which renders patients susceptible to potentially lethal infections," according to recent research from California....

Protein A Sepharose treatment restores platelet concentrate efficacy in thrombasthenia.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Type I Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a rare congenital platelet function disorder, characterized by undetectable platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (GPIIb-IIIa)," according to recent research...

Vascular endothelial growth factor predicted to play role in blood cancer.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts say vascular endothelial growth factor can be linked to the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia. "Recent findings implied that the...

Iron supplements help children even if they have colds.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a recent study, giving iron supplements to anemic children when they have a cold or other upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) significantly improved their iron status without increasing stomach...

Plateau selected to manage learning, comply with federal regulations.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Plateau Systems, a provider of enterprise software that manages all of an organization's learning and knowledge, announced that Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, one of the nation's largest community...

Bone marrow generates new neurons in human brains.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study strongly suggests that some cells from bone marrow can enter the human brain and generate new neurons and other types of brain cells. If researchers can find a way to control these cells...

p21-activated kinase (PAK) activation triggers platelet shape changes.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from France, "Platelet activation by thrombin or thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP) results in extensive actin reorganization that leads to filopodia emission and...

Enrollment begins in phase II clinical trial with DN-101 for MDS.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Novacea, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, announced that patient enrollment has begun in a phase II trial of its lead product, DN-101, for the potential treatment of patients with a...

VCAM1 gene mutations may mark complication risk in sickle cell patients.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Single nucleotide polymorphisms on the VCAM1 gene may be predictive for stroke and other complications in patients with sickle cell disease. According to a study from the United States, "stroke is...

CD45 may play key role in erythoid differentiation.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Japan say that CD45 may play a key role in erythroid differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. "CD45 is a membrane-associated tyrosine phosphatase that dephosphorylates Src...

Cytomegalovirus-infected cells express viral genes that may play role in latency.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) resides latently in hematopoietic cells of the bone marrow," according to recent research from the United States. "Although viral genomes can be found in CD14+ monocytes...

Distal elements critical for human CD34 expression in vivo.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The elements regulating gene expression in hematopoietic stem cells are still poorly understood," according to recent research from the United States. "We previously reported that a 141-kilobase...

Exposure to brain endothelial cells increases bone marrow SCID-repopulating capacity.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Adult human bone marrow (ABM) is an important source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation in the treatment of malignant and nonmalignant diseases," according to recent research from the...

Mutant elastase causes cyclic and severe congenital neutropenia.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in the United States have identified a possible cause for chronic neutrophil deficiency. "Severe neutropenia is characterized by maturation arrest of myeloid cells at the promyelocyte...

Novel ABC transporter ABCC13 may play role in hematopoiesis.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene may be involved in hematopoiesis, according to recent research from Japan. "The ABCC13 gene spans similar to70 kb on human chromosome 21q11.2...

Novel transgenic mice useful for mutagenesis in hematopoietic and endothelial cells.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a strain of mice useful for generating mutated hematopoietic stem cells. "Cre transgenic mice can be used to delete gene sequences flanked by loxP...

Defibrotide effective against severe post-transplant veno-occlusive disease.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is the most common regimen-related toxicity accompanying stem cell transplantation (SCT)," according to recent research from the United States. "Severe VOD complicated by...

Gelsolin levels predict idiopathic pneumonia.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) represents a common and often fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)," according to a study from the United States. "Gelsolin...

Home care advantageous during post-transplant pancytopenia.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients are better off receiving home care rather than inpatient treatment, researchers at Sweden's Huddinge University Hospital argue. "After myeloablative...

Liver and spleen APCs induce hepatic graft-versus-host disease by recruiting donor CD8 cells.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in the United States have elucidated the causes of hepatic graft-versus-host reactions after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. "Host APCs are required for initiating T...

Oxidative stress involved in post-transplant idiopathic pneumonia.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome is characterized by noninfectious diffuse lung injury after myeloablative chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant," according to recent research from the United States....

Post-transplant humoral activity impaired even after B-cell recovery.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "In allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, restoration of humoral immunity is delayed and can remain impaired for years," according to recent research from the United States. "In...

T-cell activity key to defense against post-transplant aspergillosis.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Invasive aspergillosis has become a major cause of infection-related mortality in nonneutropenic patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT)," according to a recent study from Germany....

Transplant researchers say rapamycin may help lupus, some cancers.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Rapamycin, a drug approved for use in kidney transplant patients to prevent organ rejection, could also benefit patients with lupus and other autoimmune diseases as well as patients with blood cancers,...

Suppressing immune system reverses otherwise untreatable case of blood disease.
February 13, 2003... 2003 FEB 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Treatment with two medications that suppress the immune system, rituximab and cyclophosphamide, appears to have cured one woman of an otherwise untreatable case of the blood disease known as thrombotic...

Removing portion of spleen effective in treating inherited childhood anemias.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the Medical College of Wisconsin have shown that removing a portion, instead of all, of the spleen can successfully treat children with a variety of...

Sodium selenite reduces hemoglobin-induced venular leakage.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Modified Hbs are being developed as 'blood substitutes,' but intravascular injection of diaspirin cross-linked Hb (DBBF-Hb) can produce venular leakage," according to a recent study from the...

Regular donations are key to preventing future shortages.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Once again, as the thermometer drops, so has the U.S. blood supply. Blood banks throughout the country are currently experiencing critical shortages. Many banks have a 2-day supply or less and...

HIV infection does not affect hemophiliac's complication risk.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Dental extractions and other oral surgical procedures, including local analgesic injections, potentially can cause problems in hemophiliac and HIV infected persons," however, "there are few data on...

Novel scoring system aids assessment of posttransplant immune recovery.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in London have developed a improved method for determining immune recovery after stem cell transplantation. "T-cell receptor (TCR) BV spectratyping provides information concerning...

Improved platelet-rich plasma concentration enhances osteogenic benefits.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Platelets are rich in growth factors that may contribute to an accelerated tissue regeneration process," according to recent research from Germany. "The therapeutic osteogenic effect of local...

Real-time quantitative RT-PCR aids oncogene monitoring after bone marrow transplants.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing can help monitor oncogene transcript levels in bone marrow graft recipients, researchers in South Korea say. ...

Feline immunodeficiency virus integration in B-cell lymphoma reveals tumor suppressor gene.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Infection with immunosuppressive lentiviruses is associated with increased cancer risk, but most studies have implicated indirect mechanisms as the tumor cells generally lack integrated viral...

Feto-maternal microchimerism enables safe, effective mismatched stem cell transplants.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Under the right circumstances, maternal but HLA-disparate stem cell grafts can effectively treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), researchers in Japan say. N. Ochiai and colleagues at Kyoto...

Competitive-nested PCR shows more accurate oncogene levels than real-time PCR.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Real-time RT-PCR has great advantages for estimating transcript levels in a variety of situations. These include relative rapid assay times (hours), reliability and ease of performing replicate...

Stem cell treatments started in Georgia.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HealthySelf has partnered with a privately funded biotech group specializing in cord blood stem cell repletion. Stem Cell repletion is the first truly regenerative technology available to...

Bedside RNA stabilization improves residual disease monitoring.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The sensitivity of assays designed to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) by RT-PCR in leukemia depend on quality and quantity of RNA derived from peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM)...

P. falciparum dynamics vary with blood sample type in pregnant women.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recent research from Germany has provided new insight into Plasmodium falciparum population dynamics in pregnant women. F. Kassberger and colleagues at the University of Tuebingen conducted a...

Dipyridamole prevents erythrocyte infection.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Japan have identified an agent that may enhance treatment against drug-resistant malaria M. Akaki and coauthors at Tokai University evaluated the "antimalarial activity of...

Antiangiogenic therapy may be of use in hematological cancer.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from Japan, "angiogenic factors are major causes of tumor progression in hematological malignancies, particularly multiple myeloma, as well as solid tumors. The...

Sodium phenylbutyrate induces fetal hemoglobin synthesis in sickle cell anemia.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to researchers from the United States, "This study was designed to determine if low doses of oral sodium phenylbutyrate (SPB) induce hemoglobin F (HbF) synthesis in children with hemoglobin...

Lymphocyte commitment may vary in bone marrow and fetal liver.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the Pasteur Institute have shed new light on the process of lymphocyte development. "Multipolent hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) differentiate into mature cells in the fetal liver...

Pax5 promotes B lymphopoiesis and blocks T cell development by repressing Notch1.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The B lineage commitment factor Pax5 (BSAP) is exclusively expressed in B lymphocytes of the blood system," according to a recent study from Austria. A. Souabni and coauthors at the Research...

Allogeneic grafts show anti-autoimmune activity.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Austria have elucidated the impact of stem cell transplantation on patients suffering from autoimmune disorders. "To determine the role of allogeneic, autologous and syngeneic...

Invasive fungal infections common after nonmyeloablative allogeneic transplants.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Nonmyeloablative allogeneic transplantation is an emerging therapy for hematologic and solid malignancies and potentially offers patients reduced transplant-related toxicity," according to a recent...

Less stringent myeloid recovery threshold equally accurate for autograft recipients.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The time to myeloid recovery after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is usually defined as the first of three consecutive days with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of...

Ursodeoxycholic useful for graft-versus-host disease resembling hepatitis.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from Japan, "hepatic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent complication after bone-marrow transplantation (BMT). The disease is often refractory to...

High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation effective.
February 20, 2003... 2003 FEB 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Comprehensive therapy including high-dose chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and radiation therapy can effectively treat patients with nonresectable thymoma, researchers in Japan say. Y....