GOOD NEWS

Tennis elbow

A person suffering from tennis elbow (degeneration of the tendon above the elbow that controls the movements of the wrist and hand) may not have to look any further than his or her own body for the most effective treatment, according to a study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Specially-prepared platelets taken from the patient, which are then re-injected into the tendon of the affected elbow, provide more relief than more commonly-used therapies fail to yield results and often result in surgery, say researchers from Stanford University. The results of a pilot study indicate this therapy is as effective as surgery, with sustained and significant improvement over time, no side effects, and high patient acceptance.

Biochip benefit

Purdue University researchers have developed a biochip that measures the concentration of ions — tiny charged particles — as they enter and exit cells without harming the cells. This new chip is capable of obtaining 60 times more data in just one reading than is possible with current technology. In the near future, the biochip could speed scientific research, which could accelerate drug development for muscle and nerve disorders like epilepsy and help create more productive crop varieties. The details about the biochip have been published in the journal Sensors and Actuators.

BAD NEWS

Induced labour

Women who are given drugs to induce labour are nearly twice as likely to suffer an amniotic fluid embolism, a rare but potentially fatal complication of pregnancy, according to a study published the Lancet medical journal. Researchers for the Maternal Health Study Group of the Canadian Prenatal Surveillance System studied more than three million deliveries of babies in Canada over a 12-year period. In 185 cases, women experienced the rare complication in which the amniotic fluid that surrounds a baby in the womb enters the bloodstream and causes a blockage.

Alzheimer’s drug

Antipsychotic drugs have side effects which are greater than their benefits for Alzheimer’s patients, say US researchers. These drugs are prescribed to treat psychosis and aggression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The drugs make the patients gain weight, as well as confused and sleepy, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.