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Mandi Schwartz Update: Tests Indicate Birth of New Immune System

By Guest PostOctober 18, 20101 commentHealth, Sportsbone marrow donors, engraftment, mandi schwartz, new immune system, stem cell transplant, yale hockey player

Mandi Schwartz. Image credit: Yale University

After spending six days in intensive care fighting her way through another life-threatening condition, Yale hockey player Mandi Schwartz got some much-needed positive news in her battle with cancer on Friday.

Tests have confirmed that, 23 days after her stem cell transplant, engraftment — i.e., the birth of her new immune system — has taken place. This marks a major positive step, but challenges still remain for the Yale women’s ice hockey center.

“The weeks since the transplant have been physically tough on Schwartz, and there have been several scary moments, but she continues to fight,” says her mother, Carol. “She remains focused on her goal of overcoming every challenge and getting her health back. We are all inspired by the support we have received from so many different people throughout this process.” (more…)

Osteoporosis Drug Builds Bone in Patients with Gum Disease

By Guest PostOctober 18, 2010Healthbone loss, bone wound healing, gum disease, osteoporosis drug

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— A drug marketed to grow bone in osteoporosis patients also works to heal bone wounds in gum disease patients, a University of Michigan study suggests. (more…)

For Those Who Don’t Exercise or Watch Their Diets, CU ‘Nutraceutical’ Research Could Help

By Guest PostOctober 16, 2010Health, Scienceaging process, anti-inflammatory, ashley walker, bad cholesterol, behavioral changes, brad fleenor, cardiovascular disease, curcumin, douglas r seals, exercise, good nutrition, integrative physiology of aging laboratory, kevin strickfaden, ldl, molly russell, noah larsen, nutraceuticals, salt restriction, united states' no 1 killer, university of colorado at boulder, vitamin D, vitamin supplements, weight loss

University of Colorado at Boulder Professor Douglas R. Seals has amassed scientific evidence indicating that exercise, weight loss, good nutrition and salt restriction can cut your chances of getting cardiovascular disease, the United States’ No. 1 killer.

But Seals knows that exhorting people to exercise and lose weight, no matter how well the case is buttressed with data, will only go so far. So Seals’ laboratory has begun researching “nutraceuticals,” food extracts or vitamin supplements that could mimic the effects of a healthful lifestyle. (more…)

Research Shows a Promising New Method to Reduce Graft-Versus-Host-Disease After Bone Marrow Transplantation

By Guest PostOctober 13, 2010Health, Sciencedamon runyon cancer research foundation, global immunosuppression, graft-versus-host disease, immune attack, immune system, ivan maillard, leukemia

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—University of Michigan researchers have discovered a new method to prevent the immune-system attacks that often occur following bone marrow transplants.

Bone marrow transplantation can cure patients with leukemia and other cancers even when the disease is resistant to other treatments. The success of this procedure relies on killing cancer cells by using immune cells from a bone marrow donor while avoiding an immune attack against the patient’s organs, which causes a dangerous complication called graft-versus-host disease. (more…)

Nicotine May Play Key Role in Promising Alzheimer’s Therapy

By Guest PostOctober 13, 2010Health, Sciencea-beta, alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, alpha7 receptor, alzheimer, angela lee, bace-1 knockouts, bace1, brain nicotine receptors, calcium uptake, disease, enzyme, fiona laird, hey kyoung lee, hui wang, lihua song, neurological disorder, neurons, neuroscientists, neurotransmitters, nicotine, normal brain function, peptide, philip c wong, schizophrenia, sixth-leading cause of death, united states, university of maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A team of neuroscientists has discovered important new information in the search for an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, the debilitating neurological disorder that afflicts more than 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Hey-Kyoung Lee , associate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Biology, and her research team have shown that they may be able to eliminate debilitating side effects caused by a promising Alzheimer’s drug by stimulating the brain’s nicotine receptors. (more…)

One Step Closer to a Drug Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis, MU Professor Says

By Guest PostOctober 13, 20101 commentHealth, Scienceatp, cell, cftr, chloride channels, cystic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, drug, fatal genetic diseases, genetic mutations, paper of the week, protein, tzyh chang hwang, university of missouri

*Study recognized for significance and importance in the world’s most common genetic disease*

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A University of Missouri researcher believes his latest work moves scientists closer to a cure for cystic fibrosis, one of the world’s most common fatal genetic diseases. (more…)

Tuberculosis Protects Itself Against Toxic Agents Sent to Destroy It

By Guest PostOctober 12, 2010Health, Sciencebacterium, cleavage function, harsh conditions, immunology, latent tuberculosis, mycobacterium tuberculosis, tapan biswas, tuberculosis, university of michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Tuberculosis fights off the toxic agents, acidity and oxidants, that our immune system sends to destroy it, which is why the maddeningly drug-resistant bacterium can survive in harsh conditions in our bodies for essentially as long as its human host lives, new research shows. (more…)

Greater Priority Should be Given to Stroke Prevention in Developing Countries

By Guest PostOctober 10, 20102 commentsHealth, Sciencebill & melinda gates foundation, chronic disease, epidemiology, global poverty reduction, peter lloyd-sherlock, prioritise preventative, stroke prevention, university of east anglia

Increased global attention and research needs to be given to stroke prevention and the social and economic effects of the condition in developing countries, according to an academic at the University of East Anglia (UEA). (more…)

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