Blood Weekly articles from May 2001

Blood Weekly archives from May 2001

Extensively Treated Preterm Newborns At Risk For Fungal Infections.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Premature newborns who require extensive antibiotic treatment are more likely to acquire fungal bloodstream infections, researchers writing in the journal...

Scientists Explore Adult Stem Cell Potential.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The political battle over medical use of embryonic tissue continues to rage, but out of the glare of the spotlight, scientists have been learning that some adult cells also hold vast treatment...

Cow Hemoglobin Product Cleared For Use In South Africa.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A product that can emulate the work of red blood cells, transporting oxygen throughout the body, has been approved for use in South Africa, the products' developers announced April 10, 2001. ...

Genetic Probes Can Determine Precursor Cell Class.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a DNA test that accurately determines the development level of hematopoietic stem cells. ...

Demonstration of Cross-Reactive Epitopes Should Enhance Vaccine Development.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - By identifying cross-reactive epitopes on the surface of erythrocytes parasitized by Plasmodium falciparum, researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of...

Antifibrinolytics Not Recommended To Reduce Blood Loss After Total Knee Arthroplasty.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Researchers in Germany argue that antifibrinolytic drugs are not the best method for preventing excessive blood loss after knee replacement surgery. ...

Mixed Chimerism Linked To Lower Graft-Versus-Host Risk.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Patients who display mixed T-cell chimerism after allogeneic stem cell transplantation have a lower risk of developing a devastating post-transplant...

New Blood Purifying Device Reduces HIV Significantly In Preclinical Trials.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aethlon Medical, Inc. (AEMD) is developing a promising new technology for treating HIV. The HIV-HemopurifierT is a modified dialysis cartridge that has demonstrated the ability to rapidly...

Researchers Identify Blood Markers Associated With Autism And Mental Retardation.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study shows that elevated concentrations of proteins present at birth in the blood may be associated with the development of autism and mental retardation later in childhood. The...

Medication That Normally Treats Low Blood Pressure Can Help Avoid Serious Complications.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Midodrine hydrochloride, a medication normally used to treat low blood pressure, may also help kidney disease patients avoid some of the serious side effects of dialysis. Study results "show...

Microchip Module Can Simplify Blood Screening.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Researchers in Pennsylvania have developed a microchip module which they say makes nucleic acid blood analysis quicker and more convenient. L.J. Kricka...

Researchers Seeking Molecular Treatment Targets In Mouse Model Of Iron Overload.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- One in every 300 people in the U.S. and U.K. has the potential to develop hemochromatosis, a disorder that overloads the body with iron. So why do only some of them go on to develop the disease?...

Marketing Agreement Will Broaden Availability Of Factor VIII Therapy.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alpha Therapeutic Corporation and the American Red Cross have signed a co-marketing agreement which will broaden the availability and distribution of Monarc-M, a life-saving plasma therapy (factor...

NewsRx.net Is Preferred Site for Cancer, Malaria, AIDS, Other Health Searches, Audience Measurement Shows.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, announced on April 17, 2001, the results of audience measurements based on its...

New rAAV Vector May Improve Pancreatic Graft Survival.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, staff medical writer - Researchers at the University of Florida transduced pancreatic islet cells with recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors of serotype 2 and...

HBV Thrives In Human Heptatic Cells Transplanted Into Immunocompetent Rats.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) will infect human liver cells transplanted into immunocompetent rats, according to a new study. Whereas immunodeficient animals...

New Approach Needed To Prevent Hepatitis B In Patients.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Italy report that a triple course of hepatitis B vaccination is not effective in preventing infection in patients who have undergone liver transplantation for hepatitis-B-related...

Acetonitrile Has Little Effect On Murine Blood And Bone Marrow.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - The solvent acetonitrile has no significant mutagenic effects on mouse blood and bone marrow cells, according to researchers in England. E. Jones and...

Stem-Cell Therapy To Restore Cardiac Function On The Horizon.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stem cells from mouse bone marrow can help repair muscle killed in heart attacks, researchers at New York Medical College have demonstrated. Piero Anversa and colleagues reported their study...

U.S. Government Plans Organ Donor Card.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a major effort to increase organ donation, U.S. federal officials are devising a national organ donor card that they hope will make clear potential donors' wishes. The idea is to give...

U.S. Waiting List Tops 75,000.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The number of people waiting to receive a lifesaving organ transplant in the United States has surpassed the unprecedented 75,000 mark. There are now 75,069 men, women, and children on the...

Canada Develops National Plan And Establishes Administrative Headquarters.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Canada's health minister Allan Rock announced on April 11, 2001, that the Government of Canada will contribute more than $20 million over the next five years for a plan to help increase and...

High Blood Cell Cytokine Output Indicates Successful Treatment.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Enhanced interleukin (IL)-10 production from peripheral blood cells is a strong indicator of successful methotrexate (MTX) treatment for rheumatoid...

Vaccine Protects Immunocompromised Rats From Klebsiella, Pseudomonas Infection.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A detoxified J5 lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/group B meningococcal outer membrane protein complex vaccine induces significantly higher rates of survival in...

Flexible Stem Cells Offer Hope For Treatment.
May 10, 2001... 2001 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, England, and ReNeuron Ltd. have discovered that transplanted stem cells are capable of assisting the recovery process following a stroke by...

Collection Method Can Affect Cytokine Expression.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Cytokine levels in whole blood samples are significantly affected by collection and preparation techniques, researchers in Germany warn. "The interest...

Zinc May Improve Blood Cell Proliferation.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Israel have shown that zinc can enhance proliferation of blood cells from chronic hemodialysis patients. J. Weissgarten and colleagues...

High-Risk Patients Can Benefit From Unmatched Bone Marrow Grafts.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with high-risk genetic factors have a low relapse risk after receiving bone marrow grafts from unmatched donors...

Oxycyte Study In Rats Completed.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Synthetic Blood International Inc. (SYBD) announced on May 4, 2001, the successful completion of a blood replacement study with Oxycyte(TM) in rats. "The positive outcome in this type of study...

Researchers Test "Mini" Bone Marrow Transplant Treatment In Mice.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Treatments for sickle cell anemia, such as blood transfusions and total marrow transplants, sometimes have toxic side effects. In developing a safer, lasting treatment, Johns Hopkins Children's...

Modified Chemokine Improves Stem Cell Mobilization.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Pennsylvania have shown that an altered human chemokine acts as a potent stem cell mobilizer, several times more powerful than drugs...

Antiretroviral Therapy Improves Anemia.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) improves anemia in HIV patients, although the exact mechanisms of this benefit are not clear, Johns Hopkins...

DNA Repair Blocker Can Enhance Cytarabine Potency.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Aphidicolin, a drug that blocks the process of DNA repair, can safely increase the effectiveness of cytarabine in fighting acute myeloid leukemia (AML)...

Long-Acting Form Of Erythropoietin Boosts Blood Hemoglobin.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New data show that the investigational drug ARANESP(TM) (darbepoietin alfa) increases hemoglobin levels in cancer patients with anemia due to chemotherapy, reducing the need for blood transfusions...

Long-Term Home Care Safe And Effective.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Home care for recurrent venous thromboembolism is as effective as inpatient hospital care, even after extensive treatment, hematologists in Spain argue....

Blood Transfusions Do Not Pose Viral Activation Risk.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Contrary to conventional wisdom, blood transfusions do not seem to have a negative effect on HIV patients, according to researchers at the University of...

Blood Assay Can Be Modified To Test Saliva.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have successfully modified an HIV blood test for use with saliva, increasing its feasibility for use in developing...

Chemokine Expression Heightened During Onset.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Lymph node cells display a pronounced increase in chemokine and chemokine receptor expression during the early stages of Hodgkin's disease (HD),...

Commission Warns Of Rise In Cases In Newborns.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A devastating, yet almost always preventable condition can threaten otherwise healthy newborns, according to a special alert issued May 2, 2001, by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of...

Platelet Anti-D Response Can Predict Splenectomy Outcome.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in New York have shown that the platelet response to anti-D can predict the outcome of spleen removal for immune thrombocytopenic purpura...

Bile Duct Syndrome Observed In Transplant Recipients With Hepatitis.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in kidney transplant patients increase the risk for a disorder called vanishing bile duct syndrome, according to a...

Metalloproteinase Blockers Mediate Negative Cytokine Effects.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Maryland have shown that tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) mediate the tumor-protecting effects of interleukin (IL)-10 in...

Interferon Therapy Not Well Tolerated By Hemodialysis Patients.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Interferon alpha therapy, used alone or in combination with other drugs, is a core treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. However, a study from...

Race And Gender Affect Homocysteine Levels.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Homocysteine levels vary significantly between black and white and between male and female patients, possibly affecting the risk of developing blood...

Tissue-Engineered Product Introduced At Symposium.
May 17, 2001... 2001 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ortec International, Inc. (ORTC), announced that its lead product, Composite Cultured Skin (CCS), was introduced to the wound healing community at The 14th Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care...

Researchers Discover The Ultimate Adult Stem Cell.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The ultimate adult stem cell appears to have been discovered - a cell in the bone marrow that can transform itself into almost any organ in the body. The finding was announced in a new study...

Blood From Multiparous Donors Linked To Lung Injury.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Blood donated by women with multiple children can cause or exacerbate lung injury in intensive care patients, researchers in Sweden warn. ...

Infants With Iron-Deficiency May Suffer Long-Term Central Nervous System Effects.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Infants with iron-deficiency anemia may suffer long-lasting central nervous system effects even with early treatment, say researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Chile. ...

Hematopoietic Stem Cells Move Via Pseudopodia.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Blood progenitor cells apparently are capable of very rapid movement, thanks in part to previously unseen amoeba-like features. "Hematopoietic stem...

Researchers Use Cloning Technology To Produce Embryonic Stem Cell Lines From Adult Mice.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Embryonic stem cells can be derived from benign biopsies of adult mice and can become neurons and germ cells, reported researchers from The Rockefeller University and Sloan-Kettering Institute in...

Family History Is A Poor Predictor Of Blood Clotting In Women Before Going On The Pill.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Family history of venous thromboembolism (blood clotting) is an unsatisfactory predictor for identifying common thrombophilic defects in women without thrombosis before taking oral contraceptives,...

Cytogenetics Affects Prognostic Value Of Bcl Expression.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Bcl gene expression can provide valuable information for optimizing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, but this prognostic value often depends on...

Researchers Look Into Using Stem Cells From Connective Tissue To Build Up Fat At Breast.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Using stem cells taken from connective tissue in the body, researchers hope to build up a volume of fat at the breast as part of reconstructive surgery. "The method we are studying would make...

Endovasc Announces Plans To Jump To Phase III Liprostin Clinical Trials.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Endovasc Ltd. Inc. (ENDV) has announced plans to move directly into Phase III human trials with critical limb ischemic patients. Having demonstrated very successful results from the recently...

Alcohol Use Can Damage Bone Marrow.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Alcohol consumption by HIV infected patients can degrade the blood cell-producing ability of their bone marrow, especially when combined with...

NewsRx Network Chosen As Source For 'Information Therapy'.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, now is a major source for "information therapy." NewsRx databases are derived...

Tube Type Affects Storage Stability Of HCV In Blood Samples.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Nucleic acid stabilization tubes (NASTs) may be the best type of tubes to use for collecting and transporting whole blood samples containing hepatitis C...

Treatments Have Long-Term Effects On Immune System.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Pediatric leukemia treatments can cause long-term immune system impairment, researchers in Iceland warn, adding, however, that the impact of this...

Cell Receptors Associate With Decreased Survival.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Cellular receptors linked to angiogenesis are identified more frequently in the cells of lymphocytic leukemia patients with advanced disease, according to...

All-Trans Retinoic Acid Can Aid Stem Cell Purging.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Australia say that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), used to treat some forms of leukemia, may also be able to neutralize malignant cells in...

Bone Marrow Cells Can Regenerate Heart Tissue.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Bone marrow cells can generate new myocardial tissue in mice to help repair damage from heart attacks, researchers report. "The remaining myocytes...

B-Cell Screener Enters Phase III Clinical Trials.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioTransplant, Inc. (BTRN) reports that Eligix, Inc. has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to initiate a pivotal Phase III clinical trial of its BCell-HDM Cell...

Bendamustine Not Effective In Some Combinations.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Although bendamustine can be effective as monotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), it does not combine well with several other commonly used anticancer...

Leukemia Survivors Are At Increased Risk For Loss Of Bone Mass.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at a greater risk for developing osteoporosis, or reduced bone density, according research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,...

Blood Transfusion Does Not Appear To Be Transmission Route In Thalassemia Patients.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gastroenterologists in Turkey report that TT virus infection in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients is not transmitted via blood transfusion U.S. Akarca, at the Ege University Medical...

Immunoplatelet Testing Accurate For Low Counts.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Biochemists in Germany say that immunoplatelet testing provides accurate platelet counts even at extremely low levels, information necessary to provide...

Anti-Thrombin Protein Enters Preclinical Testing.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) reports that it has begun preclinical testing of its proprietary protein drug MPC-1203 for the treatment of acute thrombotic events such as those due to inflammation...

Hypotensive Epidural Anesthesia Reduces Blood Loss.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Hypotensive epidural anesthesia (HEA) can safely reduce blood loss for patients undergoing total knee replacement, researchers in Denmark report. ...

Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution Effective During Prostate Removal.
May 24, 2001... 2001 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) can safely replace autologous blood transfusion during radical prostatectomy, say urologists in Japan. "Although...