Researchers develop artificial bone marrow

Artificial bone marrow may be used to reproduce hematopoietic stem cells. A prototype has now been developed by scientists of KIT, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, and Tübingen University (Germany). The porous structure possesses essential properties of natural bone marrow and can be used for the reproduction of stem cells at the laboratory. This might facilitate the treatment of leukemia in a few years.

Infant probiotic use 'reduces risk of gastrointestinal disorders'

Probiotics are microorganisms that are believed to play an important role in regulating intestinal function and digestion by balancing the microflora of the gut.

Driving a change of colonization during the first weeks of life through giving lactobacilli may promote an improvement in intestinal permeability; visceral sensitivity and mast cell density and probiotic administration may represent a new strategy for preventing these conditions, at least in predisposed children.

Infants who received a probiotic supplement each day in the first 3 months of life appeared to have a reduced risk for gastrointestinal disorders.

Successful phase 3 trial for ST10 shows promise for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Iron deficiency anaemia is a real problem for many of my patients. Unfortunately patients often struggle with GI side effects caused by conventional ferrous iron salts. Currently we offer such patients intravenous iron in hospital. This is costly to administer, inconvenient for patients and associated with a small but significant risk of anaphylaxis. The exciting AEGIS Phase 3 data suggests that ST10 will provide an effective, safe and more convenient alternative to intravenous iron for this group of patients as demonstrated by ST10 keeping our patients out of the infusion room by correcting and maintaining their haemoglobin in the normal range.

FDA approves new drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes

The US Food and Drug and Administration has announced the approval of a drug called Farxiga (dapaglifozin) to help treat adults with type 2 diabetes. The tablets, in combination with diet and exercise, are said to improve control of blood sugar levels.

Farxiga, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2), works by preventing the kidney from reabsorbing glucose. This increases the excretion of glucose and reduces blood sugar levels.

Protein destroys migrating cancer cells on contact

Metastasis is where cancer cells from a first tumor detach and spread to other parts of the body.

Surgery and radiation are usually quite effective for treating primary tumors, but once cancer cells start migrating the chances of successful treatment worsen considerably, partly because they are difficult to track down. The vast majority of deaths from cancer are due to metastasis.

Now, a new study suggests it is possible not only to locate these migrating cancer cells, but to annihilate them before they have a chance to set up secondary tumors.

Cancer cells 'kill themselves' when in contact with TRAIL-coated white blood cells. Together the two proteins formed a sticky coating around leukocytes - white blood cells found everywhere in the bloodstream. They found that once cancer cells came into contact with the sticky white blood cells, they imploded.

One surprising factor was that the chaotic environment of a flowing medium, the bloodstream, actually improved the chances this would happen. When they tested the approach in a still medium, it was not as effective. And targeting the cancer cells directly with proteins, was not as effective either. It seems the best way was to turn the white blood cells into sticky carriers of the killer TRAIL protein. 

For instance, when they targeted the cancer cells in saline directly with the proteins, the success rate was 60%. But when they tried again with a model of flowing blood that has forces, mixing and other conditions similar to the human body, the kill rate shot up to 100%.They discovered that by knocking out a protein in a class of cells that leads the migration, they could render them incapable of carrying out the first crucial step of metastasis.

US FDA Provides 510(k) Communication Timeline

  

The US Food and Drug Administration recently added a new timeline to its 510(k) premarket notification webpage that summarizes typical communications between agency reviewers and medical device applicants between submission and final clearance.

The FDA published its new chart to meet 510(k) performance goals set up by the Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2012 (MDUFA III). The chart indicates a 90-day timeframe for most 510(k) clearance decisions, and spells out what manufacturers can expect in terms of possible communications with FDA reviewers during their US medical device registration process.

Coffee Consumption and Chronic Liver Disease: The New Best Prescription?

Coffee consumption is a part of daily life in most areas of the world. As such, a number of studies have evaluated the chemical composition and related effects that this enjoyable beverage may have on health and disease.

For many years, healthcare providers have advised patients to avoid excessive consumption because of a concern about caffeine dependence. Several recent studies, however, suggest that regular coffee consumption may modulate the risk for fibrosis in chronic liver disease.