Category: Uncategorized

November 7, 2005 Searle Family Commits $10M to Recruit Biomedical ResearchersCHICAGO—Northwestern University has received a $5 million grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust to support recruitment of outstanding biomedical faculty at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The Searle family anticipates that this award will be followed by successive grants to[…]

November 21, 2005 Stem Cell Microenvironment Reverses Malignant MelanomaCHICAGO—Northwestern University researchers have demonstrated how the microenvironments of two human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines (federally approved) induced metastatic melanoma cells to revert to a normal, skin cell-like type with the ability to form colonies similar to hESCs. The researchers also showed that these melanoma cells[…]

November 21,2005 Viagra® Improves Urinary Tract SymptomsCHICAGO—Viagra® (sildenafil citrate), known for improving erectile dysfunction (ED), also effectively treats the prostate and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with prostate enlargement that often occur with ED, a Northwestern University study has found. Kevin T. McVary, MD, professor of urology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine,[…]

October 25, 2005 Biodefense Partners Charged with Fighting Disease as Weapon CHICAGO—Northwestern University has been named a collaborating institution for a Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Diseases by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Robert L. Murphy, MD, John Philip Phair Professor of Infectious Diseases and professor of[…]

Blood Drive Brings Impressive Turnout The organizers of a blood drive on October 3 to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina report that the Feinberg School event was a huge success. Forty-three pints of blood were collected from 60 donors, far above the goal of 34 units from 44 donors. “The number of people attempting to[…]

October 4, 2005 Faulty Biological Clocks May Influence AddictionBy Megan Fellman A gene that regulates the body’s circadian rhythms, including sleep and wakefulness, body temperature, hormone levels, blood pressure and heart activity, may also play a central role in drug addiction, according to a study published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of[…]

October 11, 2005 Scientists Uncover Target for Colorectal Cancer CHICAGO—A common, inherited gene that predisposes one in eight people to development of certain forms of cancer is found in 50 percent of metastatic liver tumors from colorectal cancer, a Northwestern University study has found. The majority of liver metastases that carry the gene, TGFBR1*6A, acquire[…]

October 25, 2005 Depression Raises Disability RiskCHICAGO—Depressed middle-aged adults are at four times greater risk for being unable to perform everyday tasks than their non-depressed peers, a Northwestern University study found. “Among pre-retirement adults, limitations in life activities are strong determinants of job loss and the ability to find employment and jeopardize an individual’s ability[…]

Recent Grants The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded $125,743 to Hossein Ardehali, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, to investigate functional characterization of mABC1 protein. The National Institute of Child Health and Disease and National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) awarded $207,500 to Michael Caplan, MD, professor of pediatrics, to[…]

October 4, 2005 Health Literacy Linked to Poor Health CHICAGO—Elderly individuals with poor health literacy have more physical and mental health problems than those with adequate health literacy, according to a study published in the September 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. The study, led by Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH, of Northwestern University’s[…]