July 22, 2013 A new study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology represents a major step forward in curing certain types of blindness. Described to the BBC News as a significant breakthrough, the UK-based study outlined a groundbreaking technique developed by doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London that uses stem cell therapy to replace photoreceptors that may have died as a result of Stargardts disease or age-related macular degeneration. While previous efforts have successfully focused on keeping the photoreceptors support cells alive, the new treatment aims to replace the retinas key cells directly. These cells sense light and are connected to other cells that relay the visual information to the brain. The new technique expands on work done by Japanese researchers who used mice stem cells to fashion new retinas. The London team created photoreceptor cells and placed them in the eyes of blind mice. After being injected, the new cells were able to connect with the mices existing framework albeit at a relatively low level of effectiveness. Approximately 1,000 of the 200,000 transplanted cells were able to connect with the rest of the eye. This is a real proof of concept that photoreceptors can be transplanted … Continue reading →

Albany, NY (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 Researchmoz presents this most up-to-date research on Global Ostomy and Incontinence Products Market 2012-2016. The report focuses primarily on quantitative market metrics in order to characterize the growth and evolution of the Ostomy and Incontinence Products Market. Global Ostomy and Incontinence Products market is to grow at a CAGR of 5.51 percent over the period 2012-2016. The increasing elderly population is one of the key factors contributing to this market growth. The Global Ostomy and Incontinence Products market has also been witnessing an increasing demand for pull-up pants. However, advancements in surgical procedures could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. View Full Report With TOC@ http://www.researchmoz.us/global-ostomy-and-incontinence-products-market-2012-2016-report.html Global Ostomy and Incontinence Products Market 2012-2016 has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market in the Americas, and the EMEA and APAC regions. It also covers the Global Ostomy and Incontinence Products market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. The key vendors dominating this space include Coloplast A/S, ConvaTec Inc., Kimberly-Clark Corp., and Hollister Inc. The … Continue reading →

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - Jul 22, 2013) - In a newly released research update, Goldman Small Cap Research, a stock market research firm focused on the small cap and microcap sectors, notes in a recent article on its website that biotech firms such as Nuvilex Inc. (OTCQB: NVLX) are designing more effective drug delivery methods to treat cancer. Earlier this year, nanomedicine-based firms executed successful clinical trials and engaged in large development deals with some of the world's leading drug giants.These firms have demonstrated an ability to encapsulate potent drugs in tiny particles measuring billionths of a meter in diameter is opening up new options for super-accurate drug delivery, increasing precision hits at the site of disease with limited side effects.This is a similar concept to Nuvilex's approach where pro-drugs are encapsulated and targeted directly at the tumor with greater efficacy than traditional methods and with far less toxicity. In July of this year, researchers at Purdue University announced that they have developed a concept to potentially improve delivery of drugs for cancer treatment using nanoparticles that concentrate and expand in the presence of higher acidity found in tumor cells. The concept involves using nanoparticles made of "weak polybases," compounds that … Continue reading →

Blind mice have been able to see once more in a laboratory exploit that marks a further boost for the fast-moving field of retinal therapy, according to a study published on Sunday. Scientists in Britain used stem cells -- early-stage, highly versatile cells -- taken from mice embryos, and cultured them in a lab dish so that they differentiated into immature photoreceptors, the light-catching cells in the retina. Around 200,000 of these cells were then injected into the mice's retinas, some of which integrated smoothly with local cells to restore sight. The rodents were put through their paces in a water maze and examined by optometry to confirm that they responded to light. Embryonic stem cells "could in future provide a potentially unlimited supply of health photoreceptors for retinal transplantations to treat blindness in humans," Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) said in a press release. Photoreceptor loss lies behind degenerative eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, also called AMD. Stem cells have triggered a huge interest and investment on the back of hopes that they can become replacement tissue, grown in a lab dish, for cells damaged by disease or accident. But the exciting field has … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Jen Middleton j.middleton@wellcome.ac.uk 44-207-611-7262 Wellcome Trust People with epilepsy are ten times more likely to die early, before their mid-fifties, compared with the general population, according to a 41 year study in Sweden published today in the Lancet and part-funded by the Wellcome Trust. The findings reveal a striking correlation between premature death and mental illness in these patients and people with epilepsy were four times more likely to have received a psychiatric diagnosis in their lifetime compared with the general population. The figures are considerably higher than previously thought and have important implications for epilepsy management. Researchers at the University of Oxford and Karolinska Institutet studied 69,995 people with epilepsy born in Sweden between 1954 and 2009 and followed up over 41 years, between 1969 and 2009. They compared mortality and cause of death information from these patients with 660,869 age- and sex-matched people from the general population. The study also looked at the unaffected siblings of those with epilepsy, in order to rule out the influence of background factors such as genetic risk factors and upbringing. Throughout the course of the study, almost nine per cent (6,155) … Continue reading →

Dr Fazel commented: "Our results have significant public health implications as around 70 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and emphasise that carefully assessing and treating psychiatric disorders as part as part of standard checks in persons with epilepsy could help reduce the risk of premature death in these patients. "Our study also highlights the importance of suicide and non-vehicle accidents as major preventable causes of death in people with epilepsy." The study, which tracked 69,995 people with epilepsy born in Sweden between 1954 and 2009 for a 41-year period, found suicides and accidents accounted for almost 16 per cent of all deaths in people with epilepsy. Of these, three-quarters also had been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition such as depression. They were the most common cause of death not linked to the underlying disease process. The researchers also found that the risk of premature death in people with epilepsy compared similarly to their unaffected siblings and the general population. This suggests that epilepsy is an independent cause of early deaths, the academics said. Simon Wigglesworth, deputy chief executive of Epilepsy Action, said the study was cause for concern. "The findings of this research are concerning and highlight the need for … Continue reading →

Photo courtesy of Robert Broadhead | Owen Kartchner enjoyed a swing at Fairview City Park days after his diagnosis with autism. The San Juan County toddler is among nearly 300 Utah kids picked in a lottery to receive free applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy. Before Robyn Kartchner got married and started a family, she studied human development in college. So when her firstborn son, Owen, wouldnt nurse or gaze at her, she said, she suspected autism. "When he was an infant we really struggled to bond," she said. "He didnt want to be held or comforted. He didnt seem comfortable in his own skin." But it wasnt until October that Owen, now almost 3, was diagnosed. The impetus: a Utah lottery for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy, paid for by Medicaid. The diagnosis, and the pilot program, are "doing miracles," she said. Not all rural families in the program have faced delays and struggles in finding reliable, qualified providers. The Kartchners live in Monticello, a tiny town in the far southeastern corner of Utah near the Navajo Reservation. Owen won a spot in December and his therapy with Affinity Autism Services started at the end of January. Diagnosed with autism … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Stroke Also Included In: Sports Medicine / Fitness;Cardiovascular / Cardiology Article Date: 21 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for: Breaking a sweat reduces stroke risk 5 (1 votes) If you work out enough to break a sweat, and do it regularly, you are less likely to have a stroke compared to people who are physically inactive, researchers from the University of South Australia and the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, reported in the journal Stroke. Dr Michelle McDonnell and colleagues found that self-reported physically inactive people have a 20% higher risk of stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack) compared to those who exercise enough to break a sweat four or more times a week. Previous studies have suggested that physical inactivity is the second most important risk factor for stroke, after hypertension (high blood pressure). The authors said that their study was the first to "quantify protective effects of physical activity on stroke in a large multiracial group of men and women in the United States." The authors explained that studies have looked extensively into the stroke-protecting benefits of less cigarette smoking, even down to how much people can reduce their risk … Continue reading →