When rejection comes from within
A new cellular structure responsible for previously unexplained rejection of organ transplants has been identified by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM.)
Lung
What is the cost of lung cancer in Germany?
With more than 50,000 newly diagnosed cases each year, lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in Germany. As yet, however, very few statistics are available on the care situation of lung cancer sufferers and the associated costs. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have now analyzed comprehensive health insurance data in order to discover the cost of the disease and which…
News • Study
Spheroid stem cell production sows hope for IPF treatment
In a small pilot study, researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated a rapid, simple way to generate large numbers of lung stem cells for use in disease treatment. This method of harvesting and growing a patient’s own lung stem cells shows promise in mice for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and could one day provide human IPF sufferers with an effective, less…
Research breakthrough in fight against muscle wasting diseases
It is estimated that half of all cancer patients suffer from a muscle wasting syndrome called cachexia. Cancer cachexia impairs quality of life and response to therapy, which increases morbidity and mortality of cancer patients. Currently, there is no approved treatment for muscle wasting but a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and University…
News • bacterial communities
What’s lurking in your lungs?
With every breath you take, microbes have a chance of making it into your lungs. But what happens when they get there? And why do dangerous lung infections like pneumonia happen in some people, but not others? Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School have started to answer these questions by studying the microbiome of the lungs – the community of microscopic organisms that are…
News • Study
British lung transplant patients fare better than Americans
Publicly insured Americans who undergo lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis fare markedly worse in the long run than both publicly insured patients in the United Kingdom and privately insured Americans, according to the results of a study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and U.K. colleagues working in that nation’s government-funded National Health Service.
News • Medical nanoparticles
Local treatment of lung cancer
Nanoparticles are extremely small particles that can be modified for a variety of uses in the medical field. For example, nanoparticles can be engineered to be able to transport medicines specifically to the disease site while not interfering with healthy body parts.
Air trapping and variations in ventilation
Imaging procedures are rarely used to diagnose and treat asthma – but this may well change in the future.
Fighting tuberculosis in Russia remains a challenge
Approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide carry Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), i.e. about one-third of the population. The rate of new infections is highest in Africa, followed by certain Asian regions, including areas in Russia.
Digital tomosynthesis for lung cancer screening
Screening for lung cancer saves lives. This fact has been documented by outcomes of the U.S. National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) which showed a 20% reduction in lung cancer-specific deaths in patients who had a chest CT screening. What is controversial is how to establish the radiology resources needed to perform exams for all the people who need it and then how to pay for the exams.
Seeing is believing
Virtual observation of patients taking prescribed TB medication could prove an effective technique to ensure they effectively complete their treatment course, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress held in Barcelona.
Staff who smoke cost companies thousands of pounds more
Employers have to pay around £4,000 more a year to employ a member of staff who smokes compared to a non-smoking employee, finds research published online in the Tobacco Control journal.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
There is little evidence on respiratory support with extracorporeal systems – enough of an argument for most of those doubting the procedure not to use it, or even make it available.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia
The use of endotracheal tubes with a dorsal lumen to allow drainage of respiratory secretions is currently not common in Germany, although two meta-analyses from the USA and Canada have already demonstrated that this special technique can reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) by 45-50%.
Researchers pioneer treatment for viral infection
Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered a new way in which a very common childhood disease could be treated.
Surgical-site infections increase risk of blood clots
Despite receiving blood thinners and other clot prevention treatment, some patients still develop potentially lethal blood clots in the first month after their operations anyway, especially if they developed a surgical-site infection while in the hospital, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins.
Tangible Return on EU Investment in Global Health R&D
At the launch of the Policy Cures study ‘Saving Lives and Creating Impact: EU Investment in Poverty-Related and Neglected Diseases’ in Brussels today, DSW (Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung) confirmed that EU funding for Global Health Research and Development (R&D) has a direct benefit on both developing countries and the European Union.
Article • The future of radiology
Viewing the lung in 2022
To avoid any misunderstanding, ten years from today CT and MRI will still be the pillars of lung imaging. However, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, Professor of Radiology and Medical Director of the radiology clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital, is convinced the emphasis will have changed.
Against all odds: MRI does well in lung imaging
At first sight magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not seem to be particularly well suited for lung diagnostics: too much air, too much movement and too little water make image acquisition a real challenge. Nevertheless, MRI is useful and in certain cases even superior to CT say the members of HTIP (Heidelberg Thorax Imaging Plattform), an association of the radiology departments of the…
Looking beyond the lungs: don’t forget the cardiac structures!
So close yet so far away! A fitting description of many diagnostic examinations of heart and lungs. Modern imaging modalities allow these two neighbouring organs to be evaluated together, nevertheless it is rarely done.
Shared standards critical in lung cancer screening
Findings from the landmark National Lung screening Trial (NLST) continue to make waves in the United States, and increasingly around the world. The principal investigator for the component of the NLST sponsored by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), Denise Aberle, MD, said the NLST can provide a road map for public policy regarding lung cancer screening, though she cautions…
Neonatologists recommend volume-targeted ventilation for premature babies
Volume-targeted ventilated premature babies have a higher survival rate and suffer less ventilation-related lung damage – this is the result of a survey amongst international neonatologists.
Breathing space
If the hopes of inventors are to be believed, in around 20 years’ time there will be ‘real artificial lungs -- for now the endpoint of a history that began 84 years ago with the invention of the iron lung. Until then, non-invasive and invasive mechanical respiration will continue to dominate the hospital, complemented by extracorporeal procedures for blood oxygenation and decarbonisation,…
Success in preserving organs for transplant
A Birmingham hospital is pioneering a new procedure which aims to maintain and improve the quality of organs for transplantation in recipients on the waiting list.
Reducing breath size and pressure from ICU ventilator increases long-term survival in people with acute lung injury
Carefully adjusting mechanical ventilator settings in the intensive care unit to pump smaller breaths into very sick lungs can reduce the chances of dying by as much as 8 percent, according to a study by critical care experts at Johns Hopkins. Study participants were evaluated for two years after their acute lung injury.