Promising results from a trial of a new stem-cell based therapy for a rare and debilitating skin condition have been published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The therapy, involving infusions of stem cells, was found to provide pain relief and to reduce the severity of this skin condition for which no cure currently exists.
Category: HEALTHCARE/MEDICAL
Scientists reverse aging in human cell lines and give theory of aging a new lease of life
Can the process of aging be delayed or even reversed? Research led by specially appointed Professor Jun-Ichi Hayashi from the University of Tsukuba in Japan has shown that, in human cell lines at least, it can. They also found that the regulation of two genes involved with the production of glycine, the smallest and simplest amino acid, is partly responsible for some of the characteristics of aging.
Simple recipe to make sensory hair cells in the ear
Scientists at the Molecular Medicine Institute in Lisbon, Portugal, and at the University College London Ear Institute, United Kingdom, have developed a simple and efficient protocol to generate inner ear hair cells, the cells responsible for our hearing and sense of balance. This study is an important step for the future production of large numbers of these cells for use in cell transplantation therapies or large-scale drug screens. The research has just been published in the scientific journal Development.
Complex signaling between blood and stem cells controls regeneration in fly gut
Buck Institute scientists say impaired interactions between macrophages and stem cells are likely players in human intestinal maladies like IBS, leaky gut and colorectal cancersHaving a healthy…
The Triple Aimers have missed the mark
This is one of those columns that will risk the respect and friendship of some of my closest colleagues in the health care world. In addition to disagreeing with me, they may argue that I am giving aid and ammunition to “the enemy,” where the enemy might be viewed as those forces in the health care world who really don’t want things to change. But as you shall see, I will assert that it is those very colleagues who–by focusing on an overly simplistic ideological approach to health care policy–are inadvertently giving succor to that same group by providing political cover for nefarious behavior.I refer to many of the most prominent advocates of the Triple Aim.As set forth in this article and
How Partitioned Grocery Carts Can Help Shoppers Buy Healthier Foods
Eating healthy is easier said than done. Same with buying healthy food. Research finds that putting in partitions in grocery carts can increase the likelihood shoppers buy healthy fruits and veggies.» E-Mail This
Review: ‘The Digital Doctor’ by Robert Wachter Weighs Medicine’s Technological Transformation
The author is both doubtful and hopeful, old enough to remember the way things used to work, young enough to appreciate technology.
Obamacare’s Big Gamble on Hospital Productivity
An influential theory says productivity growth in health care is inherently low, but a new study offers reason for hope.
Most Australian soldiers do not have mental resilience to deal with combat: study
Most Australian soldiers do not have the high level of mental resilience needed to deal with combat, a survey of Army troops and supervisors finds.
: Providing methods to help children with chronic pain
For many of us, describing physical pain can be as simple as saying “ouch” when we stub our toe. But as a clinician, what happens when your client can’t clearly communicate how much pain they are in? This situation is common for many clinicians at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital who often meet children who have difficulty communicating the kinds of physical pain they feel due to a disability or medical condition. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience multiple sites and sources of ongoing pain due to changes in the body as a result of CP. In many cases, acute and procedural pain is recognizable to a clinician or parent, whereas chronic pain is more likely to be missed. In fact, a Holland Bloorview study showed that 25
Wide Use of Antibiotics Allows C. Diff to Flourish
Hospitals have reported drastic increases in severe cases of C. difficile, but new treatments offer hope.