Atherosclerosis, resulting in a narrowing of the arteries and the development of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. Until now, no treatment could target diseased areas exclusively, in order to increase drug efficacy and reduce side effects. To help bridge this gap, a group of Swiss researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of Basel have developed a veritable 'time bomb,' a treatment that can recognize the diseased areas and treat only them. In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects. Intravenous injection of a vasodilator (a substance that dilates blood vessels), such as nitroglycerin, dilates both the diseased vessels and the rest of our arteries. Blood pressure can thus drop, which would limit the desired increased blood flow generated by vasodilatation of diseased vessels and needed for example during a heart attack. In order to increase the effectiveness of treatments against atherosclerosis and to reduce side effects, a team of researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of … Continue reading →

Public release date: 10-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Andreas Zumbuehl andreas.zumbuehl@unige.ch 41-223-796-719 Universit de Genve In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects. Intravenous injection of a vasodilator (a substance that dilates blood vessels), such as nitroglycerin, dilates both the diseased vessels and the rest of our arteries. Blood pressure can thus drop, which would limit the desired increased blood flow generated by vasodilatation of diseased vessels and needed for example during a heart attack. In order to increase the effectiveness of treatments against atherosclerosis and to reduce side effects, a team of researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of Basel have developed nanocontainers having the ability to release their vasodilator content exclusively to diseased areas. Nanotechnology in medicine Though no biomarker specific to atherosclerosis has been identified, there is a physical phenomenon inherent to stenosis (the narrowing of blood vessels) known as shear stress. This force results from fluctuations in blood flow induced by the narrowing of … Continue reading →

Kathi Pierce noticed almost from birth that her son Wesley was having some problems when he had trouble breast-feeding. It took years of trying various medical exams before Wesley was diagnosed with low-functioning autism. Now Pierce worries about changes being considered to the definitions and diagnostic criteria of autism and other spectrum disorders. Those proposed changes could have large ramifications for local families, said Joshua Diehl, the University of Notre Dame psychology professor who eventually told Pierce with certainty that Wesley had autism. "We've seen it coming since a couple of years back," Diehl said of the changes. "We began to see it as more research came out about the autism spectrum." The proposed changes from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) are to the various disorders lumped under the "autism" umbrella, most well-known being Asperger's disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The changes would eliminate separate terms and lump all diagnoses under the term "autism spectrum disorder." The proposed changes would also create a new category, "social communication disorder," which would cover those who don't exactly fit symptoms of autism, but still have trouble communicating and interacting with others. Some experts believe up to 40 percent … Continue reading →