Medical Opinion

Molecular Pathway May Be Important To Growth Of Blood Vessels

2007-10-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

UCSF researchers have discovered a molecular pathway with a primary role in the growth of blood vessels. This may potentially lead to new advancements in vascular studies, and suggests a "potential target" for inhibiting the blood vessels responsible for several cancers, diabetic eye complications and atherosclerosis.

In the current study, the UCSF team determined that two well known signaling molecules, birc2 and TNF, are crucial to the survival of endothelial cells -- which line the blood vessels and maintain the integrity of the blood vessel wall during vascular development -- in zebrafish embryos.

"The pathway these molecules make up during vascular development has not been looked at before,” says Stainier. “It offers a new target for therapeutic strategies."

NAC Antioxidant Not As Safe As Originally Believed

2007-09-07T22:21:00.000-04:00

The University of Virginia Health System has conducted research on N-acetylcysteine (NAC), concluding there may may be previously unknown risks involved with the antioxidant.

NAC is commonly taken for bodybuilding purposes and to prevent disease, but this recent study had discovered it may cause blood cells to mistakenly believe they aren't receiving enough oxygen. Such a problem may lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension. The study also suggests that the body responds to nitrosothiols, (made when a decreased amount of oxygen is carried by red blood cells), rather than responding to the amount of oxygen dissolved in blood as previously thought. This discovery may lead to a better understanding of pathways in the pulmonary system.

First Patient Enrolled In Female Drug Eluting Stent Clinical Trial

2007-07-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

Abbott Vascular has enrolled the first patient in their XIENCE V SPIRIT WOMEN clinical trial, which will study the effectiveness of drug eluting (dissolving) stent treatment in women with cardiovascular disease (or CVD). The trial is designed to study how cardiovascular disease differs in women from men.

According to the National Center on Health Statistics, women with CVD are more likely to have fatal results than men, yet "only 33 percent of angioplasties, stents and bypass surgeries; 28 percent of implantable defibrillators; and 36 percent of open-heart surgeries". Because women exhibit different symptoms of CVD that are sometimes more difficult to diagnose, they only comprise a quarter of the demographic of clinical trial patients.

The president of Abbott Vascular is optimistic, believing this eventual cross-section of women with CVD will encourage other women with similar symptoms to seek medical treatment.

New Heart Failure Device Study

2007-07-15T15:51:00.000-04:00

Illinois' largest center for heart care, Advocate Christ Medical Center, is testing a new device that's supposed to increase the blood flow of the aorta and ease symptoms of heart failure.

Created by Orqis Medical Corporation, the device is called the Cancion CRS (Cardiac Recovery System) pump. Advocate Christ is performing the "MOMENTUM Clinical Trial" to study its effectiveness in heart patients with severe cases. If it works, we may soon be seeing the device's inclusion in hospitals across the country.

Myeloperoxidase increases heart attack risk

2007-07-09T19:31:00.000-04:00

A study performed by a research team in the Netherlands, led by a resident of cardiology at the Academic Medical Center, found that protein called myeloperoxidase is a major factor behind an increased heart attack risk in otherwise healthy people.

This MPO protein (secreted by white blood cells) is supposed to attack and kill off harmful bacteria in the blood system, may actually damage the very system it tries to protect. Earlier studies had already concluded that elevated levels of MPO in a person's bloodstream identify a higher risk, but there had never been a study on such a large scale before to measure the connection between them.

Adult Stem Cell Progress

2007-07-08T17:17:00.000-04:00

Beike Biotechnology recently performed a study on sufferers of peripheral artery disease, transplanting peripheral blood stem cells into the lower extremities of the patient. After 12 weeks of the study, an overwhelming majority of PAOD reported improvement in pain and coldness, including the healing of ulcers and an improvement in limb gangrene.

At the same time, a research team in Chicago has found a way to reduce angina symptoms in "non-option" patients (those unable to undergo surgical angioplasty) by implanting adult stem cells directly into the heart.

Are we seeing a shift away from the more controversial method of embryonic stem cells and towards the promising--and more scientifically sound--future of umbilical/adult stem cells?

Nanoparticles May Be Key To Better Drug Delivery

2007-07-03T07:49:00.000-04:00

Researchers at UCSB attached polymeric nanoparticles to red blood cells and found that it increased the lifespan of the nanoparticles. This could potentially lead to a better method of delivering drugs via the body's own circulatory system.

Quoting the research team's leader, Samir Mitragotri: "Using red blood cells to extend the circulation time of the particles avoids the need to modify the surface chemistry of the entire particle, which offers the potential to attach chemicals to the exposed surface for targeting applications."