http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Researchers using patients' own immune cells in an immunotherapy approach called "anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy," achieved responses in children whose acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) had returned after a bone marrow transplant, according to preliminary results presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-immunotherapy-antileukemia-pediatric-patients.html Cancer Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:14:23 EST news284573651 Patients with type 2 diabetes who consume a diet identical to the strict regimen followed after bariatric surgery are just as likely to see a reduction in blood glucose levels as those who undergo surgery, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-diet-shown-critical-factor-diabetes.html Diabetes Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:43:26 EST news284096579 Women who are pregnant or using synthetic progesterone birth control injections have a conspicuous vulnerability to certain infections including malaria, Listeria, HIV, and herpes simplex virus. A new research report appearing in the March 2013 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology offers strong evidence for a possible explanation: the progesterone receptor, a pregnancy hormone sensor, targets a part of the immune system responsible for protection against these and other invaders. In addition to helping explain why some women are more vulnerable to certain infections, it also sheds light on why some autoimmune diseases, notably rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, often go into remission during pregnancy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-progesterone-pregnant-women-vulnerable-infections.html Medical research Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:11:23 EST news281272260 Using two successive pairs of specialized CT scans, a team of Johns Hopkins and Dutch radiologists has produced real-time images of liver tumors dying from direct injection of anticancer drugs into the tumors and their surrounding blood vessels. Within a minute, the images showed whether the targeted chemotherapy did or did not choke off the tumors' blood supply and saved patients a month of worry about whether the treatment, known as chemoembolization, was working or not, and whether repeat or more powerful treatments were needed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-paired-ct-scans-chemo-killing-liver.html Cancer Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:46:34 EST news276248547 Among overweight adults, participation in an intensive lifestyle intervention (that included counseling sessions and targets to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity) was associated with a greater likelihood of partial remission of type 2 diabetes, however the absolute remission rates were modest, according to a study in the December 19 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-intensive-weight-loss-intervention-linked-chance.html Diabetes Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:00:03 EST news275068102 (Medical Xpress)—Over the past few years, weight loss surgery has become an increasingly popular option to treat Type 2 diabetes, but Dr. Vivian Fonseca, professor of medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine, says it is not a cure-all.  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-surgery-easy-diabetes.html Diabetes Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:00:01 EST news275042665 After gastric bypass surgery, diabetes goes away for some people—often even before they lose much weight. So does that mean gastric surgery "cures" diabetes? Not necessarily, according to the largest community-based study of long-term diabetes outcomes after bariatric surgery. For most people in the study, e-published in advance of print in Obesity Surgery, diabetes either never remitted after gastric surgery or relapsed within five years. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-gastric-bypass-surgery-diabetes-doesnt.html Overweight and Obesity Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:21:38 EST news273165685 Rhode Island Hospital researcher Mark Zimmerman, M.D., director of outpatient psychiatry, has found that patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) define remission from depression differently than clinicians. While many psychiatrists and clinicians view remission from a symptom-based standpoint, the study found that patients put much more emphasis on life satisfaction and sense of well-being than on actual symptoms. The paper is published online in advance of print in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-clinicians-patients-definition-remission-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:39:03 EST news270923935 (HealthDay)—Patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose peripheral blood blasts clear in six days or less after chemotherapy have significantly better survival than patients whose peripheral blasts clear later, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of Cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-prognosis-early-blast-clearance-leukemia.html Cancer Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:20:04 EST news270313432 (HealthDay)—The glycemic response to gastric bypass surgery can be predicted in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes by three preoperative factors, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in Diabetes Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-pre-op-factors-post-gastric-op-glycemic.html Diabetes Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:56:43 EST news268930594 At least one in three patients with depression won't respond well to a series of treatments and experts in the field have joined together to outline practical treatments to tackle the issue, in the Medical Journal of Australia Open. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-stubborn-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:26:44 EST news268467989 (Medical Xpress)—Bans on smoking in bars and restaurants not only reduce tobacco-related illnesses but may also reduce alcohol abuse, a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers shows. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-bars-drinkers.html Health Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:55:36 EST news267872129 (Medical Xpress)—ImmuNext, founded by scientists at King's College London, has announced a  research and drug development agreement with Janssen Biotech Inc to develop a new cancer drug to trigger the body's own immune system to fight the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-drug-potential-broader-range-cancers.html Cancer Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:58:25 EST news266482580 For patients with a common kidney disease who have normal kidney function and only minor urinary abnormalities at the time of diagnosis, the long-term prognosis is excellent and no special treatments are needed, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings contrast with earlier, smaller studies and suggest that patients can avoid taking potentially toxic immunosuppressive medications often used to treat the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-patients-common-kidney-disease-standard.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:00:09 EST news266165728 The impact of bipolar disorder during pregnancy has been hotly contended among the research community. Now, a new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University is sorting out the debate and calling for more targeted, prospective research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-lawson-baby-blues.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:28:44 EST news264850105 (Medical Xpress) -- A University of Rochester Medical Center study challenges treatment guidelines for early stage follicular lymphoma, concluding that six different therapies can bring a remission, particularly if the patient is carefully examined and staged at diagnosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-options-good-outcomes-early-stage-follicular.html Cancer Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:08:34 EST news264780498 An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine. The study will appear in the August 16, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-potential-class-drug-ulcerative-colitis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:00:16 EST news264262927 Pay for performance appears to be associated with improved implementation of an adolescent substance use treatment program, although no significant differences were found in remission status between the pay-for-performance and implementation-as-usual groups, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-treatment-adolescent-substance-disorders.html Pediatrics Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:00:06 EST news264092015 (Medical Xpress) -- Chemotherapy kills tumor cells, but it also wreaks havoc on the rest of the body. A team of researchers led by Igor Roninson of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy just reported the discovery of a new class of drugs that reduces the adverse effects of cellular damage from chemotherapy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-approach-cancer-chemotherapy.html Cancer Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:43:59 EST news263540594 Adalimumab (an anti-tumor necrosis factor [TNF] antibody) is effective in maintaining remission in certain pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-adalimumab-therapy-children-crohn-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:40:14 EST news263475592 Cancers are notorious for secreting chemicals that confuse the immune system and thwarting biological defenses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-technique-multiple-cancer-treatments-hurdle.html Cancer Sun, 15 Jul 2012 13:00:01 EST news261572869 (HealthDay) -- Repeated and prolonged use of rituximab for B-cell depletion to treat relapses or maintain remission is safe and effective in patients with refractory granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA; Wegener's), a primary systemic small vessel vasculitis, according to a study published online June 21 in Arthritis & Rheumatism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-long-term-rituximab-safe-patients-wegener.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:53:32 EST news260452404 According to a study presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are prescribed biologic treatments have a significantly lower mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61) than those just treated with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).The study also found the mortality was similar irrespective of the method of action of biologics (anti-tumour necrosis factor drugs [anti-TNFs] or rituximab). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-disease-biologic-treatment-life-ra.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:10:01 EST news258273747 A 25-year follow-up study reveals that 68% of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) became seizure-free, with nearly 30% no longer needing antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. Findings published today in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), report that the occurrence of generalized tonic-clonic seizures preceded by bilateral myoclonic seizures, and AED polytherapy significantly predicted poor long-term seizure outcome. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-seizure-freedom-percent-juvenile-myoclonic-epilepsy.html Neuroscience Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:01 EST news258114976 The fight against cancer is not won in a single battle: Long after a cancer has been beaten into remission, it can return. The reason for this is under debate, and much is unclear. New research led by Weizmann Institute scientists shows that, at least for one type of blood cancer, the source of cancer recurrence is in a set of cells that do not proliferate as quickly as regular cancer cells, and thus able to survive chemotherapy. The findings, which appeared today in the journal Blood, have some important implications for the future of the war on cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-chemotherapy-scientists-leukemia.html Cancer Tue, 29 May 2012 10:10:07 EST news257504996 (HealthDay) -- More than half of patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) treated with the CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin achieve a complete remission, according to the results of a phase II study published online May 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-brentuximab-vedotin-effective-large-cell-lymphoma.html Cancer Thu, 24 May 2012 18:00:01 EST news257100621 Researchers reporting in the April Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, have found a way to stop leukemia stem cells in their tracks. The advance in mice suggests that a combination approach to therapy might stamp out chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) for good. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-leukemia-dreaded-stem-cells.html Cancer Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:00:10 EST news252844867 Using fractionated doses of the targeted anticancer drug gemtuzumab ozogamicin allows for safer delivery of the drug into patients aged 50-70 years with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and substantially improves their outcomes. These are the conclusions of an Article published Online First by The Lancet, written by Professor Sylvie Castaigne, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, France, and colleagues. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-fractionated-dosing-regimen-anticancer-drug.html Cancer Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:30:01 EST news252768318 (HealthDay) -- A majority of children have one or more allergy-related diseases, including eczema, asthma, and rhinitis, according to research published in the April issue of Allergy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-majority-children-affected-allergy-related-diseases.html Inflammatory disorders Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:20:01 EST news252159083 In the first published study of its kind, researchers from the Catholic University/Policlinico Gemelli in Rome, Italy, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center found that bariatric surgery dramatically outperforms standard medical treatment of severe type 2 diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-bariatric-surgery-outperforms-standard-treatment.html Diabetes Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:38:30 EST news251984190