Stanford University School of Medicine News

State stem cell agency awards three grants for development of new therapies at medical school

Krista Conger — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Three medical school researchers were awarded a total of $11.9 million from the state stem cell agency to move promising stem cell therapies out of the laboratory and into human clinical testing.

Gene marker predicts smoking behavior in African Americans, researcher says

Sarah Williams — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The largest-ever analysis of African Americans' genetics and smoking behaviors has revealed a gene variant correlated with how many cigarettes a day someone smokes.

Totally RAD: Bioengineers create rewritable digital data storage in DNA

Andrew Myers — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Scientists have created a method for repeatedly encoding, storing and erasing digital data within the DNA of living cells. which might someday enable them to count how many times a cell divides.

To prevent skin cancer: Vigilant watch — plus sunscreen

Sara Wykes — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Kelly Bathgate’s mother was vigilant. She had three daughters, all fair-haired and fair-skinned, and the family spent several years living in Hawaii and the Philippines.

Interpreters connect patients and providers

Joan Semeria — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Thousands of community members benefit from the interpreter services each year at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and Stanford Hospital & Clinic each year.

Pathology professor Heinz Furthmayr dies at 70 on trek in Nepal

Emily Hite — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Heinz Furthmayr, MD, emeritus professor of pathology, died of a heart attack on May 1 while on a trek in the Dolpo region of Nepal two days before his 71st birthday.

Study debunks idea that foreign health aid rife with waste

Adam Gorlick — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Stanford researchers say there are flaws in a 2010 study that concluded about half the money given to international governments for health-care services isn't used as intended.

Medical center recognized for outstanding 'green' practices

Sara Wykes — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Stanford University Medical Center's long list of green initiatives has been awarded a special honor by the health-care industry's leader in environmentally responsible operations.

740,000 lives saved: Study documents benefits of AIDS relief program

Ruthann Richter — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

PEPFAR, the government's far-reaching health-care foreign aid program, has contributed to a significant decline in adult death rates from all causes in Africa, according to a new study.

Study of atrial fibrillation needs participants

Tracie White — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Researchers need participants for a study examining the effectiveness of a device that uses laser light technology to burn tissue in the heart as a treatment for atrial fibrillation.

Sleepwalking more prevalent among U.S. adults than previously suspected, researcher says

Michelle Brandt — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

New research shows that about 3.6 percent of U.S. adults are prone to sleepwalking. It also shows an association between nocturnal wanderings and certain psychiatric disorders.

New type of retinal prosthesis could better restore sight to blind, study says

Jonathan Rabinovitz — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Using tiny solar-panel-like cells surgically placed underneath the retina, scientists have devised a system that may someday restore sight to people with types of degenerative eye diseases.

Not all tumor cells are equal: Study reveals genetic diversity in cells shed by tumors

Sarah Williams — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The cells that slough off from a tumor into the bloodstream are a genetically diverse bunch, underscoring how multiple types of treatment may be needed for a single form of cancer.

Naturally blond hair in Solomon Islanders rooted in native gene, study finds

Rosanne Spector — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The blond hair among the dark-skinned people of the Solomon Islands is due to a homegrown genetic variant distinct from the gene that leads to blond hair in Europeans.

Packard Children's opens public cord blood bank for transplants

Erin Digitale — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

A public cord blood collection program at Packard Children's Hospital is enabling new parents to donate their baby's cord blood to an international stem cell transplant registry.

Clinical Trials Awareness Week features participants' stories

Michael Claeys — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

As an executive in the life-sciences industry, Gayle Kuokka had often repeated the mantra about clinical trials being the source for virtually all improvements in medical care.

Professors propose 'lecture-less' medical school classes

Tracie White — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Dramatic changes are needed in medical student education, including a substantial reduction in the number of traditional lectures, according to an essay by two Stanford professors.

5 Questions: Goodman on recommendations to help FDA detect drug risks earlier

Jonathan Rabinovitz — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A, clinical research expert Steven Goodman explains new recommendations that could help the FDA better identify risks of drugs after they are initially approved.

Anxiety increases cancer severity in mice, study shows

Beth Mole — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Worrywarts may have a real cause for concern: accelerated cancer. A new study shows anxiety-prone mice developed more severe cancer then their calm counterparts.

Study points to potential treatment for stroke

Bruce Goldman — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Neuroscientists have shown that a compound mimicking a key activity of a brain-based protein can increase the generation of new neurons in the brains of mice that have had strokes.