Cytori Completes Enrollment In First Adipose Stem & Regenerative Cell Therapy Trial For Chronic Heart Disease

Cytori (NASDAQ:CYTX) completed enrollment in the first study to investigate adipose derived stem and regenerative cells in chronic heart disease. The trial, which has been named the PRECISE study, was carried out at leading cardiology centers in Europe. It specifically enrolled patients suffering from an advanced form of chronic heart disease, known as chronic myocardial ischemia, for which there is no generally accepted treatment.

The trial enrolled 27 patients and was designed as a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled, dose escalation study. It is unique in that the patients’ own cells were extracted from adipose tissue and processed for delivery at the point of care using Cytori’s Celution System. The cells were then injected back into the patients using the NOGA XP System (Biologics Delivery Systems, Cordis Corp., a Johnson and Johnson company), which identifies and guides cells to damaged regions of the heart.

Risk Factors For LRTIs In Inuit Children Identified In First Of Its Kind Study

Inuit children have the highest rate of hospital admission for Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) globally, but new research shows that lowering risk factors though public health interventions and an enhanced immunization program could improve health for Inuit children and lower health care costs significantly. The first-of-its-kind case control research was conducted by Dr. Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital.

First National Survey Seeking NHS Staff Views On Improvement And Innovation Launches This Week

The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement launches its first National Innovation and Improvement Survey. Created in partnership with strategic health authorities, the survey offers all NHS staff in the UK an opportunity to influence the national innovation agenda.

The survey has been designed to provide insight into the current challenges faced by frontline NHS staff and better understand what they need to improve patient care. It will give staff the opportunity to feedback on what improvement approaches they are already using, and suggest new ideas about how innovation in the NHS should be encouraged. The results will be used by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and SHAs to prioritise innovation programmes for development over the course of 2010.

First Woman APA President Honored For Leadership In Medicine

Carol Nadelson, M.D., past-president of APA, has been awarded the prestigious Alma Dea Morani, M.D., Renaissance Woman Award for 2009 by the Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine.

The award honors an outstanding woman physician or scientist in North America who has furthered the practice and understanding of medicine in our lifetime and made significant contributions outside of medicine; whose determination and spirit have carried her beyond traditional pathways in medicine and science, and who challenges the status quo with a passion for learning.

Cambridge Temperature Concepts Gains Medical Approval For Revolutionary Fertility Monitor DuoFertility And Ships First Units

Cambridge Temperature Concepts (CTC) announced receiving medical approval for their revolutionary non-invasive fertility monitor – DuoFertility. CTC have now begun shipping DuoFertility monitors to one hundred couples across Europe, selected by the Company to trial the device and give feedback on its usability and design before product launch. This news comes just one year after the Company received seed-funding of £375,000 in private investment to aid product development. To view product images of DuoFertility, visit: http://www.duofertility.com/press.

Researchers Report First Successful Transplant Of Complete Ovary To Restore Fertility

Physicians for the first time have successfully transplanted an intact ovary into a previously infertile patient, resulting in a live birth last month, doctors from the Infertility Center of St. Louisreported on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Reuters reports. The researchers said the new technique potentially could be used to preserve fertility for cancer patients who may lose ovarian function or for women who wish to have children later in life, when they are less fertile. Sherman Silber of the infertility center and colleagues transplanted a woman’s entire ovary into her 38-year-old identical twin sister, who had experienced premature menopause at age 15. The ovary restored full fertility in the sister, they reported.

First Cases Of Flu Identified In Bay State, Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that some flu activity has begun to be seen across the state, indicating that flu season has begun. The announcement coincides with National Influenza Vaccination Week, which begins on December 8, and underscores the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu to keep healthy throughout the fall and winter months.

DPH has received a total of 60 reports of positive influenza laboratory tests from across the state so far this flu season. Last year at this time, there were 100 reports of influenza. Seasonal flu is beginning to be seen across the United States as well – a total of 23 states had reported some level of influenza activity as of the week ending November 29.

Nigerian, Ugandan First Ladies Pledge To Work Jointly On HIV/AIDS Issues

Ugandan first lady Janet Museveni and Nigerian first lady Turai Umaru Yar’Adua last week pledged to work together to address HIV/AIDS in their countries, the New Vision/AllAfrica.com reports. The pledge was made in the Nigerian capital of Abuja during Museveni’s four-day official visit to the country. Yar’Adua and Museveni were speaking with members of the Nigerian National Women Coalition on AIDS.

According to Yar’Adua, Nigeria and Uganda share several factors that contribute to the spread of HIV, including the fact that poverty, famine, malnutrition and other diseases are widespread in both countries. She added that addressing such issues jointly would work to the advantage of both nations. Yar’Adua also committed to working with Museveni through the Organisation of First Ladies of Africa Against AIDS.

First 3-D Glimpse Of Bacterial Cell-Wall Architecture

The bacterial cell wall that is the target of potent antibiotics such as penicillin is actually made up of a thin single layer of carbohydrate chains, linked together by peptides, which wrap around the bacterium like a belt around a person, according to research conducted by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This first-ever glimpse of the cell-wall structure in three dimensions was made possible by new high-tech microscopy techniques that enabled the scientists to visualize these biological structures at nanometer scales.

Angelis Launches First UK Insurance Cover For Treatment Carried Out Abroad

Growing numbers of UK patients have been travelling abroad for medical treatment despite a lack of adequate insurance protection, says Angelis Insurance (Angelis), the first company to provide a dedicated and specific insurance cover for dental, cosmetic and medical treatment carried out abroad.

Figures from Treatment Abroad’s Medical Tourism Survey 2007 show over 50,000 UK patients travelled abroad for medical treatment in 2006, and this is set to reach 200,000 by the end of the decade, creating a £886 million market. Even without specific insurance cover, patients continue to visit countries such as India, Thailand and Singapore for treatment. According to Health Tourism India, an enterprise which offers healthcare tourism, 1.5 million patients visited the country for medical treatment in 2007, and this figure is expected to increase by 30% annually.