NIH awards will advance development of vaccines for sexually transmitted infections

IMAGE: Colorized scanning electron micrograph of bacteria that cause gonorrhea. view more  Credit: NIAID The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced awards to establish four Cooperative Research Centers (CRCs) focused on developing vaccines to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The grants, totaling $41.6 million over…

Nurse care coordinators are key to success of patient-centered medical home programs

IMAGE: This is Dr. Gilbert Gimm. view more  Credit: George Mason University Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) programs include a team of primary care providers that manage patient care and oversee individual care plans. Their goals are to improve health outcomes, enhance quality, and reduce costs. Medicare and private payers have adopted these programs to improve primary…

Study shows one third of statin patients don’t reach healthy levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol

IMAGE: Utilizing the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), developed by the Regenstrief Institute, researchers have analyzed records of patients from an entire state finding that one third of statin patients… view more  Credit: Regenstrief Institute A new study shows more aggressive treatment may be needed for a large number of patients taking statin medications, and…

Researchers create standardized measurement for pediatric facial palsy

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An international team of researchers, including a psychologist at Oregon State University, has developed a standardized measurement for pediatric facial palsy that will improve the care for current and future patients with the condition. The team, which includes researchers from nine countries, published its findings Thursday in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. Each…

NIH trial tests long-acting HIV medication for people unable to stick to daily regimens

IMAGE: This is a daily medication organizer containing a white tablet. view more  Credit: NIAID A clinical trial to evaluate long-acting antiretroviral therapy (ART) for maintaining HIV suppression in people for whom adhering to conventional daily oral ART has been a challenge has begun at research sites across the United States. The study, called Long-Acting Therapy…

Fooling nerve cells into acting normal

IMAGE: Scientists at the University of Missouri used this microscope to discover that a neuron’s own electrical signal, or voltage, can indicate whether the neuron is functioning normally. If that voltage… view more  Credit: University of Missouri Nerve cells, or neurons — specifically the “workhorse cells” involved in walking, breathing and chewing — can adjust to…