Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pathology for August 2008. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Lancet Supports WHO Report on Health Inequality
FRIDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The final report by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health contains a strong mandate for reducing global inequalities in health care, according to an editorial published in the Aug. 30 issue of The Lancet.
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Deep Brain Stimulation Blunts Addiction Response in Rats
THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Deep brain stimulation blunts the addictive response in an animal model and may be a useful therapeutic approach in severe cocaine addiction, according to an article published in the Aug. 27 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
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Protein Leads to Defects in Bone Formation in Mice
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Mice overproducing connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a protein critical for skeletal development, have impaired bone formation and develop osteopenia, researchers report in the September issue of Endocrinology.
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Genetic Link Found in Familial Neuroblastoma
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Heritable mutations of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene appear to be the main cause of familial neuroblastoma, a finding that may offer a therapeutic target for the disease, according to research published online Aug. 24 in Nature.
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Possible Endometriosis Gene Therapy Vector Identified
MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with endometriosis, the Ad-heparanase-luc adenovirus may be a promising vector for gene therapy because it affects endometriotic cells without significantly affecting hepatic cells, according to research published in the August issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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TNF-Alpha Plays Controversial Role in Fibrotic Diseases
MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Because studies about the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in fibrotic diseases have produced sometimes contradictory results, clinicians should not routinely prescribe TNFα antagonists to patients with fibrosis until placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated their safety and efficacy, researchers report in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Novel Treatment for Platelet Deficiency Approved
MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Nplate (romiplostim) is the first bone marrow stimulator to gain FDA approval for the condition, which leaves patients at risk of life-threatening bleeding and easy bruising.
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Outlook Mixed on US Presidential Candidates' Health Plans
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The health care plans proposed by John McCain and Barack Obama would have uncertain effects on health care coverage in America, but potential problems with each plan are evident, according to a perspective piece in the Aug. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Serum Vitamin D Status Linked to Hip Fracture
TUESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- In postmenopausal women, low serum 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations are associated with a significantly higher risk for hip fracture, researchers report in the Aug. 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Functional Antibodies Found in 1918 Flu Survivors
MONDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Even after 90 years, survivors of the 1918 influenza pandemic still have functional antibodies to the virus that could help researchers devise strategies to fight a future pandemic, according to a report published online Aug. 17 in Nature.
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Physical Frailty Linked to Alzheimer's Brain Pathology
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Physical frailty in the elderly is associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology in the brain independent of dementia and other potential variables, researchers report in the Aug. 12 issue of Neurology.
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Method Reveals Fly Semen More Complex Than Thought
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new method of assessing seminal proteins of flies in recently mated females confirmed many anticipated proteins and found additional novel seminal fluid components, according to research published in the July issue of PLoS Biology.
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Gene Mutation May Explain Eye Disease in Dachshunds
TUESDAY, Aug. 12 (HealthDay News) -- A gene mutation may be responsible for cone-rod dystrophy in the standard wire haired dachshund, according to research published online Aug. 7 in Genome Research.
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Binding Domain Finding Paves Way for Hepcidin Assay
MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Identification of the hepcidin-binding domain on ferroportin allows for a rapid assay to assess variations in serum hepcidin levels, according to research published in the Aug. 6 issue of Cell Metabolism.
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Over 1 Billion U.S. Doctor, Hospital Visits Logged in 2006
THURSDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In 2006, patients made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital emergency and outpatient departments in the United States, which was an average of four visits per person, according to health care statistics released Aug. 6 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Lymphocyte Brain Entry May Help in Encephalitis
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Inhibiting a chemokine receptor at the blood-brain barrier during West Nile virus infection in mice improved T-cell infiltration in the brain and improved survival, according to research published online Aug. 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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International Issue of Torture Complicity Analyzed
FRIDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- More than 100 countries condone the use of torture and have often recruited the medical community as participants without consequence, according to an editorial published online July 31 in BMJ.
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