A newly discovered type of stem cell may be one of the major driving forces behind heart attacks and other killer vascular diseases, according to a new study. The finding may provide a brand new target for future heart disease treatments, the researchers said. While doctors have long thought that it was the smooth muscle cells within the blood vessel walls that combined with cholesterol and fat to clog the arteries--and developed treatments accordingly--the new research indicates the guilty party may actually be a previously unknown type of stem cell, called a multipotent vascular stem cell. In a study conducted in mice, researchers found it was these stem cells, rather than muscle cells, that formed the scar tissue that blocks the flow of blood in the arteries and causes them to harden. According to the researchers, because multipotent stem cells are capable of becoming multiple types of cells, including smooth muscle, nerve, cartilage, bone and fat cells, the ability of the stem cells to form bone or cartilage could explain how a soft artery calcifies and hardens. We are very confident that vascular stem cells play a much more important role than what was thought previously, principal investigator Dr. Song … Continue reading →

Public release date: 7-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Candice Debleu eularpressoffice@cohnwolfe.com 44-789-438-6425 European League Against Rheumatism Berlin, Germany, June 7 2012: Initial results from an international, investigator-initiated, open label phase III trial were presented at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism. Data indicate that haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) results in better long term survival than conventional treatment for patients with poor prognosis early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. The ASTIS (Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation International Scleroderma) trial enrolled more than 150 patients between 2001 and 2009, and randomised patients to the HSCT arm or to intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide treatment. As of May 1, 2012, significantly more deaths have occurred in the conventional treatment group. Half of the deaths in the HSCT group occurred early and were deemed treatment-related according to an independent data monitoring committee. In the conventional treatment group in contrast, none of the deaths were deemed to be treatment-related; but more deaths occurred later and most were related to progressive disease. "Systemic sclerosis is a debilitating disease that can lead to heart, lung or kidney failure and premature death, especially in patients who have the diffuse cutaneous form of the … Continue reading →

Just traces of drugs appear to bring on disorder Scientists test fish swimming in water contaminated with low levels of medication Disorder appears to be combination of environmental and genetic factors By Emma Reynolds PUBLISHED: 04:19 EST, 7 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:28 EST, 7 June 2012 Autism in genetically vulnerable people could be triggered by very low levels of chemicals found in the water supply, researchers have discovered. Experts from the University of Idaho in the US were 'astonished' to find that just traces of common medication such as anti-depressants can bring on the disorder. They made the discovery by observing the changes in the genetic pathways of fish swimming in water contaminated with psychoactive drugs. Flushed away: Traces of psychoactive drugs found in our water supply could trigger developmental disorders, scientists believe Lead scientist Dr Michael Thomas said: 'While others have envisioned a causal role for psychotropic drugs in idiopathic autism, we were astonished to find evidence that this might occur at very low dosages, such as those found in aquatic systems.' The fish were exposed to two kinds of anti-depressants - Prozac and venlafaxine - and a drug used to control seizures, called carbamazepine. Read this article: … Continue reading →

Leading global health care products company, Covidien plc (COV), has offered its support to a non-governmental organization called the Brazilian Stroke Network (BSN) for spreading awareness about stroke prevention and cure in Brazil. Since ischemic stroke is the most common cause of death in the Latin American nation, Covidien promised to provide unlimited educational grant to the organization. Covidien is expanding its footprint in emerging markets and boosting market share in core segments through investments in sales and marketing infrastructure. Management at the companys Vascular Therapies business believes that this novel educational program by the BSN in collaboration with other Brazilian medical societies and the Ministry of Health can be used as a model for other nations as well. BSN will offer a new course, Stroke Prevention and Treatment in Brazil Pre-hospital, Hospital Care and Basic Health Care, to primary care professionals, stroke centers and emergency medical services in Brazil with the help of the grant provided by Covidien. The course is designed to train neurologists across the country in the best stroke treatments available. The course thus aims to increase the number of patients benefiting from the advanced treatment. BSN strongly believes that Covidiens contribution to their organization will … Continue reading →

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -06/07/12)- A simple eye test may someday offer an effective way to identify patients who are at high risk for stroke, say researchers at the University of Zurich. They showed that a test called ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) can reliably detect carotid artery stenosis (CAS), a condition that clogs or blocks the arteries that feed the front part of the brain. It's a known risk factor for stroke. The OPA test could be performed by ophthalmologists -- physicians who treat eye diseases -- during routine exams. The study, which is published in the June issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology confirmed that patients who had the lowest OPA scores also had the most seriously blocked arteries. Each year, approximately 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke, and more than 137,000 of these people die as a result.(1) People with severe CAS are much more likely to suffer stroke. Physicians would like to catch and treat CAS before that can happen, but because CAS has no symptoms and an efficient test is not currently available, the disease often goes undetected. The Swiss research team used a device called the dynamic contour tonometer … Continue reading →