Tag Archives: johns-hopkins

Molecular marker predicts patients most likely to benefit longest from two popular cancer drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, gefitinib (Iressa) and erlotinib (Tarceva), are prescribed for lung and pancreatic cancer patients but only a few who have mutations in the EGFR gene usually benefit with a prolonged reduction of tumor size. The two drugs block the gene’s ramped-up protein production, but patients’ response to the drug varies widely — from no survival benefit to several years. The average is several months. …

Step closer to custom-building new blood vessels

The results appear online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "In demonstrating the ability to rebuild a microvascular bed in a clinically relevant manner, we have made an important step toward the construction of blood vessels for therapeutic use," says Sharon Gerecht, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology. "Our findings could yield more effective treatments for patients afflicted with burns, diabetic complications and other conditions in which vasculature function is compromised." Gerecht’s research group and others had previously grown blood vessels in the laboratory using stem cells, but barriers remain to efficiently producing the vessels and using them to treat patients. For the current study, the group focused on streamlining the new growth process. …

Cancer-linked FAM190A gene found to regulate cell division

In laboratory studies of cells, investigators found that knocking down expression of FAM190A disrupts mitosis. In three pancreatic cancer-cell lines and a standard human-cell line engineered to be deficient in FAM190A, researchers observed that cells often had difficulty separating at the end of mitosis, creating cells with two or more nuclei. The American Journal of Pathology published a description of the work online May 17, which comes nearly a century after German scientist Theodor Boveri linked abnormal mitosis to cancer…

‘Active surveillance’ may miss aggressive prostate cancers in black men

"This study offers the most conclusive evidence to date that broad application of active surveillance recommendations may not be suitable for African-Americans," says urologist Edward M. Schaeffer, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author of the study. "This is critical information because if African-American men do have more aggressive cancers, as statistics would suggest, then simply monitoring even small cancers that are very low risk would not be a good idea because aggressive cancers are less likely to be cured," he says. …

New website keeps loved ones informed during surgery

Just mentioning the word surgery can send chills down a person's spine. Whether it’s a simple appendectomy or a more complicated procedure, going under the knife can be frightening for both patients and families alike. Now, a new website, MDconnectME.com, is helping to settle the nerves of friends, significant others and family members all across the globe. The website, which is free to use, was designed to allow family members to stay informed while their loved one undergoes an operation. Before surgery, patients make a list of people to notify during their procedure, which grants their doctor permission to send previously-typed notes like, “Ann is now heading into the operating room for surgery,” throughout the day. These messages can be sent through text or e-mail. MDconnectME.com is now being used throughout the country at centers such as Mount Sinai Hospital, Johns Hopkins, and UCLA. For more information, go to MDconnectME.comsource : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/new-website-keeps-loved-ones-informed-during-surgery/