A Bandage That Spurs, Guides Blood Vessel Growth
Researchers have developed a bandage that stimulates and directs blood vessel growth on the surface of a wound. The bandage, called a "microvascular stamp, " contains living cells that deliver growth factors to damaged tissues in a defined pattern. After a week, the pattern of the stamp "is written in blood vessels, " the researchers report. A paper describing the new approach will appear as the January 2012 cover article of the journal Advanced Materials. "Any kind of tissue you want to rebuild, including bone, muscle or skin, is highly vascularized, " said University of Illinois chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Hyunjoon Kong, a co-principal investigator on the study with electrical and computer engineering professor Rashid Bashir.
Breast Cancer Patients More Satisfied When Specialists Share Care Management
Patients with breast cancer report greater satisfaction with care when their cancer doctor co-manages their care with other specialists. However, some specialists are more likely than others to share decision-making with other physicians, finds a new study in Health Services Research. "Breast cancer is typically a condition that is managed by multiple specialists. Often a surgeon is involved as well as a medical oncologist, radiologist and primary care physician, " said Katherine Kahn, M.D., of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and senior author of the study.
Dialysis Patients With High Levels Of Inflammation Tend To Live Longer
In the general population, African Americans die at earlier ages than whites, but among patients on dialysis, African Americans live longer than whites. A new study helps explain this paradox and could help prolong the lives of all patients on dialysis. The study appears in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN), a publication of the American Society of Nephrology. High levels of inflammation - which may be due to conditions such as infections, inflammatory illnesses, periodontal disease, chronic lung disease, and obesity - increase dialysis patients' risk of dying prematurely.