Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Latest Updates From The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)
Alzheimer imaging aficionados thronged to back-to-back meetings held recently in Seattle for a preview of the latest data from the Alzheimer"s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Launched in the fall of 2004 and set to conclude next year, the $64-million ADNI is comparing imaging methods and fluid biomarkers in the same set of people to determine which measures can best predict and track Alzheimer-disease clinical changes over time. The project is approaching the homestretch of data collection. By the fall of 2010, ADNI scientists will have collected three years of longitudinal data from more than 800 participants (about 200 normal, 400 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 200 with Alzheimer disease) at 59 U.S. and Canadian sites. The Seattle meetings featured preliminary analysis of the one-year data.

Concerns As Start Of Medical Student Tsunami Reaches Intern Allocation, Australia
The national intern allocation period commenced yesterday, amidst concerns that some states may not be able to accommodate the increased number of medical graduates, despite a national workforce shortage.
News of the day
Clinics Report Rise In Egg, Sperm Donations During Recession
More men and women are seeking to donate sperm and eggs as a way to make money during the continuing recession, according to sperm banks and egg donation agencies, USA Today reports. Compensation for donations varies by region, state and donor agency, according to USA Today. David Battaglia, lab director for Oregon Health and Science University Fertility Consultants, said that sperm donors receive $100 per collection and can donate twice per week, while egg donors -- who undergo an outpatient extraction process -- can receive $5,000 for a donation. Battaglia said his lab has seen "easily a 25%-30% increase in calls in the last nine months." Kim Springfield, vice president of sales for donor referral service Health News, said that the company"s donations have seen "a definite spike" of about 40% since February. Robin van Halle, president of Alternative Reproductive Res, which works with egg donors, said, "Our calls have just about doubled." However, she noted, "It"s not a quick buck."Springfield said that many prospective donors choose not to begin the process once they learn that medical and psychological screening can take weeks or months and rules out most interested people. Egg donors must be screened for mental and physical health, then chosen by prospective parents. Battaglia said that OHSU Fertility Consultants require that egg donors are between ages 21 to 32 and that sperm donors are between ages 20 to 39 to improve fertility odds. Von Halle noted that the rise in donors is giving infertility patients more choices. However, because in vitro fertilization can cost thousands of dollars, economic concerns are forcing many to postpone their plans, she said (Keen, USA Today, 7/7).
Sexual Health

Zebrafish Provide A Model For Cancerous Melanoma In Humans

In a new study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, scientists use the zebrafish to gain insight into the influence of known cancer genes on the development and progression of melanoma, an aggressive form of human skin cancer with limited treatment options. Inside the cell, signals are delivered that direct the cell on whether to divide, migrate or even die. Cancer often results when the molecules that relay these signals become mutated so that they do not function normally. In cancer, cells divide, grow and migrate when they should not, therefore resulting in an aggressive disease that can spread throughout the body. A key molecule in this signaling pathway is RAS, and mutations in it are known to lead to cancer. In some cases, the type of RAS mutation is a predictor of a patient"s response to treatment and their overall prognosis. Therefore, scientists at the University of Manchester in England and the University Hospital ZÃørich in Switzerland generated several zebrafish with changes in RAS or other RAS-regulated proteins to create a useful model that can be used to study and understand human melanoma. Zebrafish are a useful tool to understand human disease because they are small, transparent, and easy to propagate and maintain. Tumors created from the pigmented cells of zebrafish, known as melanocytes, are easy to see against their thin, light colored bodies. The research team notes that these fish may be a useful experimental tool for human disease. Many of the changes they made caused melanoma in the zebrafish, indicating that zebrafish respond similarly to changes in these signals as do humans. Zebrafish that were born from the original mutant fish displayed abnormal growth of their melanocytes, reminiscent of familial atypical mole and melanoma syndrome (FAMM) seen in humans. By producing other signaling molecules in the mutant fish, the researchers were able to identify a pathway that reduced the effects of RAS mutations on melanoma progression in zebrafish. The report titled "Dissecting the roles of Raf- and PI3K-signalling pathways in melanoma formation and progression in a zebrafish model" was written by Christina Michailidou, Mary Jones, Paul Walker, Amanda Kelly, and Adam Hurlstone at the University of Manchester and Jivko Kamarashev at University Hospital ZÃørich. The study is published in the July/August issue of the new research journal, Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), published by The Company of Biologists, a non-profit based in Cambridge, UK. Sarah Sharpe The Company of Biologists


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009