Latest News from: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

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29-Jan-2008 8:40 AM EST
PET Superior to Standard Evaluation Tools in Measuring Treatment Response
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was much more sensitive and more accurate than conventional imaging methods in detecting response to treatment in sarcoma patients, according to a UCLA study that is among the first to directly compare PET to CT scanning.

31-Jan-2008 8:45 AM EST
Biomarkers Discovered that Predict Lung Cancer Patient Response to Therapy
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have discovered biomarkers that predict which patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer will respond to a combination treatment of the anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex and the growth factor receptor blocker Tarceva.

25-Jan-2008 3:40 PM EST
Abuse History Affects Pain Regulation in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA and University of North Carolina researchers have found that women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who have experienced sexual and/or physical abuse may have a heightened brain response to pain that makes them more sensitive to abdominal discomfort.

Released: 22-Jan-2008 3:50 PM EST
Study Raises Questions About Diagnosis, Medical Treatment of ADHD
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A new study shows that only about half of children diagnosed with ADHD exhibit the cognitive defects commonly associated with the condition. Also, in populations where medication is rarely prescribed to treat ADHD, the prevalence and symptoms are roughly equivalent to populations in which medication is widely used.

21-Jan-2008 8:40 AM EST
Using Nanomaterials to Localize and Control Drug Delivery
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Using nanotechnology, scientists from UCLA and Northwestern University have developed a localized and controlled drug delivery method that is invisible to the immune system, a discovery that could provide newer and more effective treatments for cancer and other diseases.

15-Jan-2008 12:50 PM EST
Air Pollution May Cause Heart Disease; Nano-Sized Particles Most Damaging
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A new academic study led by UCLA revealed that the smallest particles from vehicle emissions may be the most damaging components of air pollution in triggering plaque build-up in the arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke. The scientists also identified a way in which pollutant particles may promote hardening of the arteries "“ by inactivating the protective qualities of HDL cholesterol, known as the "good cholesterol."

   
Released: 15-Jan-2008 2:20 PM EST
Embrace a Healthy Heart: Tips for Adults and Kids
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's a great time to take a look at the state of your heart.

Released: 13-Jan-2008 5:40 PM EST
Researchers Find Cell Protein That Nips HIV in the Bud
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have found that a key protein in the body's dendritic cells can stop the virus that causes AIDS from "budding" "” part of the virus' life cycle that is crucial to its ability to replicate and infect other cells.

Released: 10-Jan-2008 4:20 PM EST
Neurons in Humans Far More Sensitive to Sound than Most Mammals
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Measuring the response of single cells in humans, UCLA researchers have discovered that auditory neurons in our brains can discern the subtlest of sound frequencies, far superior to what almost all non-human animals, who presumably require such discrimination for survival, can discern.

8-Jan-2008 4:55 PM EST
Scientists Identify New Genetic Link to Autism
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA scientists used language onset "“ the age when a child speaks his first word "“ as a tool for identifying a new gene linked to autism. The team also discovered that the gene is most active in brain regions involved with language and thought. Interestingly, evidence for the genetic link came from the DNA of families with autistic boys, not those with autistic girls.

4-Jan-2008 8:45 AM EST
Brain Response Differences Found in the Way Women with IBS Anticipate and React to Pain
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers found that women with IBS cannot effectively turn-off a pain modulation mechanism in the brain, which causes them to be more sensitive to abdominal pain, compared to women without IBS. The findings may lead to a greater understanding of irritable bowel syndrome and new treatment approaches.

Released: 6-Jan-2008 5:00 PM EST
Study Tracks Sexual Behavior of Newly Homeless Youth
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Newly homeless youth are likelier to engage in risky sexual behavior if they stay in nonfamily settings "” such as friends' homes, abandoned buildings or the streets "”because they lack supervision and social support.

3-Jan-2008 8:45 AM EST
Nervous System Can Reorganize Itself and Use New Pathways to Restore Walking after Spinal Cord Injury
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A UCLA study demonstrates that the nervous system can reorganize itself after spinal cord injury and use new pathways to restore the cellular communication required for walking. Published in the January edition of Nature Medicine, the discovery could lead to new therapies for the estimated 250,000 Americans who suffer from paralysis following traumatic spinal cord injuries.

21-Dec-2007 12:05 PM EST
Why Fish Oil Is Good for You
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers report that omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), found in fish oil, increases the production of LR11, a protein that is found at reduced levels in Alzheimer's patients and which is known to destroy the the "plaques" associated with the disease.

Released: 11-Dec-2007 3:40 PM EST
Study Shows Brain Responds Differently to Belief and Disbelief
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Using fMRI, UCLA researchers reveal clear differences in the areas of the brain involved in belief, disbelief, and uncertainty. Their results suggest that the differences among these cognitive states may one day be distinguished reliably, in real time, by techniques of neuroimaging.

Released: 6-Dec-2007 3:00 PM EST
Kids Eat More Fruits, Vegetables When Schools Offer Salad Bar
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A new UCLA study has found that elementary schools can significantly increase the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income students by providing a lunch salad bar.

Released: 3-Dec-2007 6:40 PM EST
UCLA Confers Mani Bhaumik Award to Arizona Scientist for Insights into Mind-Body Connection
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

The Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA has named University of Arizona's Richard Lane as the recipient of its annual Mani Bhaumik Award. The award was established last year to support scientists who advance the understanding of the brain and the conscious mind in healing.

30-Nov-2007 9:00 AM EST
Distorted Self-Image Due to Visual Brain Glitch
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Though they look normal, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) see themselves as ugly and disfigured. New imaging research reveals that the brains of people with BDD function abnormally when processing visual details. Reported in December's Archives of General Psychiatry, the UCLA findings are the first to demonstrate a biological reason for patients' distorted self-image.

30-Nov-2007 8:55 AM EST
Using Nanotechnology, Cancer Cells "Feel" Much Softer than Normal Cells
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A multidisciplinary team of UCLA scientists were able to differentiate metastatic cancer cells from normal cells in patient samples using leading-edge nanotechnology that measures the softness of the cells.

Released: 30-Nov-2007 5:15 PM EST
Robert and Kelly Day Donate $30 Million to Establish UCLA Surgical Endowment
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Robert and Kelly Day have donated $30 million to endow the UCLA Department of Surgery through The UCLA Foundation. The combined gift, made through two family foundations, establishes the Robert and Kelly Day Surgical Endowment, which will greatly enhance the surgical research, teaching and patient care mission of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Released: 29-Nov-2007 3:10 PM EST
Stroke Study to Add Patients Who Cannot Give Immediate Consent
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A Los Angeles countywide research study examining whether magnesium sulfate can protect stroke victims' brains when administered by paramedics within two hours of stroke onset is now expanding to include patients who cannot give their immediate consent.

Released: 27-Nov-2007 5:30 PM EST
Biotech Company Founded by UCLA Scientists to be Acquired by Astellas Pharma.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

In 1996, a unique collaboration of leading UCLA scientists led by Dr. Arie Belldegrun founded the biotechnology company Agensys Inc. "” and the company now stands to reap $537 million through an acquisition by Astellas Pharma Inc., making it one of the largest Los Angeles-based private biotech firms poised to tackle therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibody oncology research and drug development.

Released: 16-Nov-2007 8:00 AM EST
Pilot Program Helps Boost Seniors’ Activity Levels, Quality of Life
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Older adults often carry a deeply ingrained belief that inactive, sedentary lives are an inevitable part of aging. In a new UCLA study, researchers show that older adults who participated in a pilot test for a program aimed at changing this mindset became more physically active, increasing their walking levels by about 24 percent

Released: 9-Nov-2007 8:00 AM EST
Study Finds Strong Demand for HIV Meds After High-Risk Sex
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

People who do not have HIV but seek antiretroviral medications following high-risk sexual encounters are very likely to complete the full monthlong drug regimen. Moreover, there is a strong demand for publicly available post-exposure prophylaxis among high-risk populations in Los Angeles County.

Released: 6-Nov-2007 6:25 PM EST
Nurse Stitches American Quilt to Honor Burned Soldier
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

When Patti Taylor learned that Marine Cpl. Aaron Mankin, a U.S. soldier badly burned in Iraq, would be coming to UCLA Medical Center for facial reconstructive surgery, the former Army nurse's patriotic instincts kicked in. She insisted on volunteering as his case manager and rallied her quilting group to create a special gift to comfort him: a red-white-and-blue "quilt of valor."

Released: 1-Nov-2007 2:00 PM EDT
Less than Half of Kids in California Are Being Read to Daily
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A new report reveals that California ranks in the bottom half of the nation "” 42nd out of 50 states and the District of Columbia "” in the percentage of children who are read to daily by their parents.

30-Oct-2007 8:00 AM EDT
Mechanism Identified to Predict Survival in Older Women With Lung Cancer
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A novel mechanism to predict survival in older women with early stage lung cancer has been uncovered by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, a discovery that may have significant implications for new treatment approaches.

27-Oct-2007 3:30 PM EDT
Brain Circuits That Control Hunger Identified
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers at UCLA have determined the brain circuits involved in hunger that are influenced by a hormone called leptin. In previous clinical trials, supplementation of leptin, the signaling molecule produced by fat cells, produced moderate weight loss in some obese patients. This new work suggests possible new targets for treating obesity.

Released: 22-Oct-2007 12:40 PM EDT
Doctor Develops New Technique To Treat Varicose Veins
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Early results of a new outpatient procedure for varicose veins, called Light-Assisted Stab Phlebectomy (LASP), are published in the October issue of the journal, American Surgeon. Over 250 patients at UCLA have undergone the procedure, designed to remove branch varicose veins in the thighs, calves, and ankles.

Released: 18-Oct-2007 8:45 AM EDT
Toll of Climate Change on Human Health Addressed during Summit
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A panel discussion hosted by the UCLA School of Public Health on the potential impact changes in climate could have on people's health warned of a rise in water-and food-borne illness and infectious diseases. The panelists discussed what individuals, the public health community, and state and local government can do to prepare.

Released: 17-Oct-2007 8:50 AM EDT
Elderly Medicare, Medicaid Patients Not Receiving Quality Care
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Using quality-of-care measurements developed by the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) project, UCLA researchers found that vulnerable elderly patients received only 65 percent of the tests and other diagnostic evaluations and treatments recommended for a variety of illnesses and conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.

Released: 17-Oct-2007 8:40 AM EDT
Doctors’ Reunion with Patient Inspires Study on Bone Marrow Transplant to Treat Common Disease
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers found that survival with bone marrow transplant was greater than 75 percent, similar to thymic transplantation, to treat complete DiGeorge syndrome.

Released: 16-Oct-2007 1:55 PM EDT
Medical Team Travels to Peru to Help Children Suffering from Heart Ailments
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A pediatric cardiologist from Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA will lead a team of more than 40 volunteers traveling to Peru to help several hundred children suffering from heart conditions from Oct. 20 to Nov. 4.

Released: 11-Oct-2007 3:40 PM EDT
Innovative 3D Imaging Captures Alzheimer's Brain Damage
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Using an advanced three-dimensional mapping technique developed by UCLA researchers, the team analyzed magnetic resonance imaging data from 24 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 25 others with mild Alzheimer's disease. They found that patients with mild Alzheimer's had 10 to 20 percent more atrophy in most cortical areas than did MCI patients.

Released: 4-Oct-2007 3:00 PM EDT
UCLA to Lead Local Study Center in Landmark Government Study of Child Health
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

The UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities has been selected as one of 22 new study centers for the National Children's Study, a nationwide project designed to assess the effects of environmental and genetic factors on children's health in the United States.

Released: 4-Oct-2007 5:00 AM EDT
'Operation Mend' Offers New Hope for Wounded Warriors
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

"Operation Mend," a unique new partnership between UCLA Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, has been established to help treat several U.S. military personnel wounded during service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Released: 26-Sep-2007 8:35 AM EDT
UCLA Medical Center Performs Its First Living Donor Kidney ‘Swap’
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA Medical Center on Sept. 20 performed its first living donor kidney "swap," a procedure in which a loved one of a kidney transplant patient who is not compatible as a donor exchanges organs with another incompatible pair under an innovative new paired donation program.

12-Sep-2007 8:45 AM EDT
Loneliness is a Molecule
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Changes in the immune system may explain why social factors like loneliness are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections and cancer.

Released: 12-Sep-2007 8:50 AM EDT
UCLA/VA Partners With Arizona State to Advance Biosensor Technology for Urinary Tract Infections
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, GeneFluidics Inc. and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have received a five-year, $3.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health to help rapidly diagnose and treat urinary tract infections "” the most common cause of hospital-associated infection in the United States.

Released: 12-Sep-2007 8:35 AM EDT
Personal Chaos in HIV Patients’ Lives Barrier to Care
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers found that when HIV patients lead chaotic lives "” meaning they are disorganized or experience too many unexpected events "” that chaos can act as a barrier to regular medical care. The researchers also developed a new scale to gauge the level of chaos in an adult's life.

   
Released: 10-Sep-2007 2:00 PM EDT
Broad Foundation Donates $20 Million to UCLA Stem Cell Center
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is donating $20 million to fund adult and embryonic stem cell research at UCLA, enhancing a program that brings together biologists, chemists, engineers, geneticists and other scientists to develop new and more effective treatments for cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's, metabolic disorders and other medical conditions.

Released: 7-Sep-2007 2:40 PM EDT
$22.5 Million Grant to Scientists to Discover the Biology That Underlies Mental Disorders
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A $22.5 million grant to UCLA will establish the Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics (CNP), an effort to discern the underlying biology of mental disorders.

Released: 6-Sep-2007 8:50 AM EDT
Many Children of HIV-Positive Parents Are Not in Their Custody
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A new joint UCLA/Rand study shows that more than half of children with an HIV-infected parent are not consistently in that parent's custody.

29-Aug-2007 4:35 PM EDT
1/4 of HIV Patients Believe Their Doctors Stigmatize Them
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

The new study finds that up to one-fourth of patients surveyed in the Los Angeles area reported feeling stigmatized by their health care providers. This perception was also linked to low access to care among these patients, a large proportion of whom are low-income and minorities.

   
Released: 29-Aug-2007 12:50 PM EDT
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Receives $10 Million from the Annenberg Foundation
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A $10-million gift from the Annenberg Foundation has been awarded to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, which will feature the most advanced medical technology in the world. To acknowledge the grant, the hospital's main concourse connecting the Reagan Hospital, the neuropsychiatric hospital and the Mattel Children's Hospital will be named the Wallis Annenberg Concourse.

24-Aug-2007 8:45 AM EDT
“Designer Estrogen” Could Be Next MS Drug
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA scientists discovered that a specific form of estrogen can protect the brain from degeneration yet not increase the risk for hormone-induced cancers of the breast and uterus.

Released: 23-Aug-2007 4:00 PM EDT
Pediatric Pain Expert Wins Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Jennie Ching-I Tsao, associate professor of pediatrics in the Pediatric Pain Program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, has been selected as one of six winners of the 2007"“08 Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship.

Released: 15-Aug-2007 3:30 PM EDT
Model Developed to Predict Spread of a “Super-Bug” in L.A. Jail
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers at UCLA have developed a model that mimics a nasty and ongoing outbreak occurring in the Los Angeles County Jail, among others, of a flesh eating bacteria.

Released: 14-Aug-2007 2:40 PM EDT
Markers Shown to I.D. Diabetes in Still-Healthy People
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

In a large scale, multiethnic study, researchers at UCLA have confirmed the role played by three molecules known as cytokines as a cause of Type 2 diabetes, and further, have identified these molecules as early biological markers that may be used to more accurately predict future incidences of diabetes among apparently healthy individuals.

Released: 10-Aug-2007 5:00 PM EDT
UCLA Program Aims to Revolutionize Kidney Transplants
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

New and innovative programs to obtain donor organs have the potential to revolutionize kidney transplantation. At UCLA, for example, transplant experts are studying a program they call "living donor swap." This program enables the relative or friend of a kidney-transplant patient who is not compatible as a donor to "swap" organs with another potential donor who also may be an incompatible match for his or her relative or friend. This greatly broadens the pool of organs available from living donors.



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