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Tests of a promising new gene therapy to treat Alzheimer’s disease are moving to the phase II level, bringing the reversal of dementia damage one step closer to becoming a real medical possibility. Developed by scientists in The Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University, CERE-110 is a virus engineered with the gene encoding nerve growth factor. The virus is injected directly into the affected parts of the brain through holes surgically drilled into the patient’s skull.

Originally posted 2009-09-25 23:26:47.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed technology that could help fight blindness. It’s aimed at the millions of people impacted by two of the major causes of blindness: age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The MIT project is one of several that use a physical prosthesis — a chip implanted directly into or onto the eyeball, coupled with a pair of electronic glasses that provide assistance. Here’s a rough description of how our eyes normally work: Light enters the eyeball and stimulates an array of microscopic rod and cone formations.

Originally posted 2009-11-02 21:00:00.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined who will get the vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus in the event of a shortage, but the priority groups don’t line up well with the groups most likely to die from the disease. The H1N1 vaccine priority groups, in order, are pregnant women; people who live with or care for children younger than six months of age; healthcare and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact; children 6 months through 4 years of age; and children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.

Originally posted 2009-09-18 04:11:39.

Could heavy cellphone users be more likely to suffer brain cancer? Scientists and researchers aren’t sure, but they’re locked in debate. Results of a study published by Scandinavian researchers in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Thursday indicated there doesn’t seem to be any such link between cellphones and the incidence of brain tumors. However, the World Health Organization insists there may in fact be such a link. The Scandinavian study looked at the incidence of glioma and meningioma.

Originally posted 2009-12-05 03:27:44.

Winning the fight against cancer may end up being more of a nano-war than a surgical strike. A team led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology has just successfully combined an antibody with single-walled nanotubes to create a precision search-and-destroy weapon that targets aggressive forms of breast cancer. These tiny dual-mode weapons strike at the molecular level, delivering the kill in two ways: The antibody attacks the HER2 protein; and the nanotubes detect and blow up invading tumor cells.

Consumer Reports has unleashed its findings on toxic levels of Bisphenol A in food packaging on a largely unsuspecting public. Before the report, many felt the BPA danger had passed with the introduction of BPA-free baby bottles and so-called microwave-safe plastics. Not so, says the report: Certain canned foods contain high levels of BPA — but it may also be present in alternative packaging. Almost all of the 19 name-brand foods tested contained measurable levels of BPA. Most disturbing: BPA was found in some foods packaged in “BPA-free” cans.

Although not quite the equivalent of Star Trek’s tricorder, GE’s Vscan represents a long step forward in mobile medical technology. The handheld device does on-the-go ultrasound readings only, but those readings can give doctors faster, more in-depth info than the best of preliminary doctor exam routines. Indeed, the BlackBerry-sized unit will likely “become as prevalent as the stethoscope,” said GE CEO Jeff Immelt, as he unveiled the Vscan at the Web 2.0 Summit this week.

It seems that no vaccine in recent history has met with as much public suspicion and fear as the new H1N1 vaccine. Commonly referred to as the “swine flu,” H1N1 causes a wide range of symptoms, from mild to lethal. The body count is already high for this time of year, and it is expected to soar much higher, according to the CDC. So why are so many people refusing the vaccination? The heart of the resistance seems less the clamor of an “uninformed” public than the vociferous objections of more than a few healthcare professionals.

Dr. James E. Sanders is a big believer of switching patient records from old paper files to sophisticated computer databases. The electronic medical records system at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Kansas City Medical Center gives Sanders and his staff almost immediate access to medical histories, allowing them to seamlessly treat veterans from other states. However, when patients aren’t in the VA’s system, it could mean hours or days before doctors have crucial information to properly care for patients.