PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Type of cell therapy does not improve walking ability for patients with peripheral artery disease

2013-11-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jennifer Johnson McEwen
jrjohn9@emory.edu
404-441-5929
The JAMA Network Journals
Type of cell therapy does not improve walking ability for patients with peripheral artery disease Chicago – Joseph Poole, M.D., Ph.D., of the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, and colleagues studied whether therapy with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), an agent that functions as a white blood cell growth factor, would improve walking performance in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (a form of vascular disease in which there is partial or total blockage of an artery, usually one leading to a leg or arm).

"Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects more than 8 million individuals in the United States. Although exercise, smoking cessation, antiplatelet therapy, cilostazol [a medication for PAD], statins, and revascularization are used to treat PAD, men and women with PAD have significantly greater functional impairment and faster functional decline than those without PAD. Stem and progenitor cell (PC) therapy that promotes neoangiogenesis [formation of blood vessels] is an emerging treatment modality in PAD," according to background information in the article. Progenitor cells are involved in vascular repair and regeneration.

The phase 2, placebo-controlled study included 159 patients with intermittent claudication (pain in leg muscles, aggravated by walking and caused by an insufficient supply of blood). Participants were randomized to received 4 weeks of subcutaneous (under the skin) injections of GM-CSF (leukine), 3 times a week (n = 80), or placebo (n = 79).

The researchers found that therapy with GM-CSF did not improve treadmill walking time, a measure of PAD severity at 3-month follow-up. "The improvement in a subset of secondary outcomes observed with GM-CSF suggests that GM-CSF may warrant further study in patients with claudication. In addition, further investigation is needed to investigate the variability of responsiveness to GM-CSF and its clinical significance." ### (doi:10.l001/jama.2013.282540; Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com)


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Therapy using stem cells, bone marrow cells, appears safe for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

2013-11-18
Therapy using stem cells, bone marrow cells, appears safe for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy Chicago – Alan W. Heldman, M.D., of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted a study to examine the safety of transendocardial ...

Addition of certain drugs to diuretic therapy does not improve kidney function

2013-11-18
Addition of certain drugs to diuretic therapy does not improve kidney function Chicago – Horng H. Chen, M.B.B.Ch., of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and colleagues conducted a randomized trial to determine whether, as compared with placebo, the addition of ...

More than skin deep: New layer to the body's fight against infection

2013-11-18
More than skin deep: New layer to the body's fight against infection The layers of skin that form the first line of defence in the body's fight against infection have revealed a unanticipated secret. The single cell type that was thought to be behind ...

Bacteria use lethal cytotoxins to evade antibiotic treatment

2013-11-18
Bacteria use lethal cytotoxins to evade antibiotic treatment In spite of the fact that the first antibiotics were discovered almost a century ago, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, encephalitis and meningitis are still serious diseases for humans in the ...

Manipulation of protein could help stop spread of cancer cells

2013-11-18
Manipulation of protein could help stop spread of cancer cells DNA regulator stops cancer cells in their tracks Understanding how and why cancer cells move away from their original location is important to find ways to stop the spread of the disease. ...

Vismodegib in basal cell carcinoma: Added benefit not proven

2013-11-18
Vismodegib in basal cell carcinoma: Added benefit not proven Hardly any patient-relevant outcomes were investigated/ studies without control groups The drug vismodegib (trade name: Erivedge) is approved for the treatment of patients ...

Amber provides new insights into the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere

2013-11-18
Amber provides new insights into the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere Scientists encounter big challenges when reconstructing atmospheric compositions in the Earth's geological past because of the lack of useable sample material. One of the few ...

Would an 'anti-ketamine' also treat depression?

2013-11-18
Would an 'anti-ketamine' also treat depression? Yes, says a new study in Biological Psychiatry Philadelphia, PA, November 18, 2013 – Thirteen years ago, an article in this journal first reported that the anesthetic medication, ketamine, showed evidence of producing ...

More than 600 ancient seals and amulets found

2013-11-18
More than 600 ancient seals and amulets found Archaeologists from the Cluster of Excellence make an unusually large find in Turkey -- surprisingly vivid insights into the piety of the time Classical scholars from the Cluster of Excellence "Religion ...

Nature: Single-atom bit forms smallest memory in the world

2013-11-18
Nature: Single-atom bit forms smallest memory in the world This news release is available in German. One atom equals one bit: According to this design principle, we would like to construct magnetic data memories in the future. Presently, a compound of several ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Cercus electric stimulation enables cockroach with trajectory control and spatial cognition training

Day-long conference addresses difficult to diagnose lung disease

First-ever cardiogenic shock academy features simulation lab

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

[Press-News.org] Type of cell therapy does not improve walking ability for patients with peripheral artery disease