Author Archives: monicascicom

How a memory is made

Scientists claim to have visualized for the first time the cellular process of memory formation in rats. Gary Lynch and colleagues at the University of California (Irvine) and Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) used microscopic technology and a special marker to observe memory-related changes in the synapses of rat brains. Lab Anim. (NY) 36, 8ContinueContinue reading “How a memory is made”

Flatworms guide stem cell research

Flatworms may seem an unlikely star in the world of stem cells, but planarian research is yielding exciting insight into cell differentiation and regeneration. Néstor J. Oviedo and Michael Levin of the Forsyth Institute (Boston, MA) identified a protein in Schmidtea mediterranea flatworms that is expressed in the gap junctions between the worms’ adult stemContinueContinue reading “Flatworms guide stem cell research”

Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics industry round-up August 2007

FDA happenings: First “upstream” embolic protection system gains clearance; Cryoablation system deemed approvable with conditions; Shelhigh stops distribution; and more Reimbursement issues: Medicare members indecisive on paying for renal artery stenting Around the industry: Kensey Nash terminates its embolic protection line; DES sales continue to decline; Endeavor meets primary endpoint in pivotal trial; and moreContinueContinue reading “Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics industry round-up August 2007”

Researchers discuss advances in retrograde approach to crossing CTOs

Presenters at the Fourth International Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) Summit held in February reported the latest advances in using the retrograde approach to cross CTOs. This technique has been largely developed and honed by Japanese researchers as an alternative to the standard antegrade approach. Proceedings of TCT 4, 10-13 (2007). view PDF

Cell therapy for congestive heart failure moves to clinical trials

Presenters at the Third International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases reported the most recent clinical trial results of cell-based treatments for congestive heart failure involving both bone marrow- and muscle-derived progenitor cells. Proceedings of TCT 4, 14-16 (2007). view PDF

Putting jet lag to rest

Sildenafil, the active component of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, can attenuate the effects of circadian phase advances in hamsters. The new research from Diego A. Golombek and colleagues of the National University of Quilmes (Buenos Aires, Argentina) suggests that sildenafil may have potential as a treatment for jet lag and other circadian adaptation problemsContinueContinue reading “Putting jet lag to rest”

Sight for blind mice

Collaborators at two major research institutions in the US have shown that gene therapy can target cone cells and rescue electrical response and visual acuity in a mouse model of achromatopsia, a disorder causing hereditary blindness in roughly 1 of every 30,000 humans. Lab Anim. (NY) 36, 8 (2007). view full text (login required) [NOTE:ContinueContinue reading “Sight for blind mice”

Antibodies against avian flu

With the threat of an avian flu pandemic lingering, the search for agents with prophylactic or therapeutic potential continues. Now, Antonio Lanzavecchia (Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland), Kanta Subbarao (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD), and colleagues report that neutralizing antibodies from humans who had recovered from avian flu (H5N1) protected mice against H5N1ContinueContinue reading “Antibodies against avian flu”

Global frontiers in cell-based therapies explored

Investigators at the Third International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases discussed the latest advances in 2 areas at the forefront of cardiovascular cell treatments: angiogenesis/tissue repair, and engineered cardiac tissue. Proceedings of TCT 4, 15-17 (2007). view PDF