Drawing A Bead On Cancer CellsApril 17, 2009 Chemotherapy, with its side effects, is often the worst part of the cancer treatment process. But what if there were a noninvasive treatment that could target a tumor and leave the healthy tissue alone? Engineers at Rice University in Houston have successfully tested a new cancer therapy based on nanoshells gold-coated quartz spheres roughly 1/500th the width of a human hair. By adjusting the relative size of the two parts of the nanoshell, the core and the shells, they can tune the optical properties of that nanoparticle such that they can control what wavelength of light or color it absorbs. Naomi Halas reported in the journal Cancer Letters in 2004 that the nanoshells' ability to capture light and convert it to heat has, in lab tests on mice, destroyed tumors. She and Rice biomedical engineer Jennifer West coat the nanoshells with a substance that binds them to cancer cells. Once they're in place, infrared light is shined through the skin and down into the tumor site. It's a very simple handheld laser, used only for three minutes. Nanoshells absorb light and convert it to heat extremely efficiently, and three minutes is sufficient to kill the …
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Craniosacral ControversyApril 17, 2009 A controversial manipulative-therapy approach for humans is making headway into the treatment of animals. At the time of its discovery in the early 20th century by William Garner Sutherland, DO, craniosacral manipulation "was generally regarded as the dream of an erratic."1 Over time, the approach made inroads into the osteopathic profession. In 1947, students of Sutherland formed The Cranial Academy www.cranialacademy.org, whose membership comprised physicians and dentists dedicated to the research and promotion of osteopathy in the cranial field. The popularity of craniosacral therapy widened after John E. Upledger, DO, broke from osteopathic tradition and began teaching the technique to non-physicians. According to Upledger Institute Inc. (www.upledger.com) craniosacral therapy treats traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic problems, "motor-coordination impairments," chronic back pain, colic, neurovascular and immune disorders and "post-surgical dysfunction." For several years, the Institute has been offering courses in craniosacral therapy for animals, including workshops on dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes and horses. The fundamental tenets of the technique hold that the bones of the cranium and pelvis exhibit subtle, periodic motions as a result of the rhythmic coiling and uncoiling of the central nervous system and …
Bogus Ad Harasses Puppy LoversApril 17, 2009Internet message boards lit up July 16 after an animal-rights organization issued a press release saying it had placed a "crafty" ad in Dog Fancy magazine, which is published by the parent company of DogChannel.com. Veterinary Practice News is a sister publication of both. Lumina Media, LLC does not accept advertising from this animal-rights organization because of its agenda to halt all dog breeding in the U.S. The classified ad was placed by a private party on behalf of the organization using a fake business name. "Dog Fancy does not knowingly accept advertising from PETA and does not agree with its extremist views," the company said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the organization resorted to guerrilla tactics by placing an ad in Dog Fancy under a pseudonym to deceive readers with a free gift bag offer, opting to use shock tactics to try to get its message heard. "Now in its 37th year, Dog Fancy promotes responsible dog ownership, including the responsible breeding and sale of purebred dogs, and apologizes to anyone who has been offended by this organization's distasteful and misleading stunt." <HOME>
VESPA Lines Up May, June Member ChatsApril 17, 2009The Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Practice Assn. will be holding a session titled "Maintaining Growth in Emergency Practice" at 8 p.m. EDT May 7 in the VetMedTeam chat room. Jon Geller, DVM, of Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., will host the chat. Topics will include growth curves in the emergency practice; maintaining growth; how operating costs affect net profits; and local, regional and national economic trends. VESPA will also be holding "Understanding Your Financial Statements, The Lab Report for Your Practice" at 8 p.m. EDT June 4 in the VetMedTeam chat room. Elise Lacher of Lacher, McDonald & Co. CPA in Seminole, Fla., will host the chat. The CPA and consulting firm specializes in working with veterinarians on financial issues that affect their practices. Topics will include presenting financial statements in a manner that helps manage a practice and how reading and understanding a correctly prepared financial statement can help one allocate resources in the most appropriate places. Previous registration with VetMedTeam is required for participation. Membership is free. Click here for details or email vespa_home@sbcglobal.net. <HOME>
Dog-Wa Signs Jane Leon, DVM As Brand SpokespersonApril 17, 2009 Las Vegas-based Dog-Wa has named Jane Leon, DVM, as its brand spokesperson and monthly columnist. Dr. Leon is a director on the board of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Central Florida. Previously, she provided pet-related advice and information to Omaha Vaccine Co., of Omaha, Neb. She has also hosted “Ask the Veterinarian,” a daily television series on America’s Health Network and Fox’s Health Network. “We are honored that Dr. Jane has recommended Dog-Wa as an effective supplement providing the benefits of whole leafy greens in a dog’s diet,” said Matt Israel, founder and co-owner of Dog-Wa. “Her well-respected guidance in the complex world of veterinary medicine has helped thousands of concerned pet owners make safe and healthy decisions about caring for their animals.” Dog-Wa, a liquid concentrate of fresh peppermint and parsley to be added to water or mixed with food, is designed to aid digestion, soothe the stomach, freshen breath and discourage gas, according to the company. <HOME>
California Spay-Neuter Bill Set For HearingApril 17, 2009 California Senate Bill 250, also known as the Pet Responsibility Act, is set for a hearing April 15 in the Senate Local Government Committee. State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, introduced SB250 in February as a step toward reducing pet overpopulation. SB250 follows a similar bill, AB1634, which failed to exit the Senate in August 2008. Specifically, SB250 requires that dogs 6 months or older be spayed or neutered unless the owner obtains an unaltered-dog license or provides a certificate of sterility, and cats 6 months or older be spayed or neutered if the owner allows the animal to roam outdoors. Animals may be exempt if they are likely to suffer harm from the surgery because of age or illness. The bill also states that if a dog or cat is transferred or sold, the license number must be documented for the new owner. An owner could be penalized only if the animal is cited for another reason, such as no current canine rabies vaccination, a leash law violation or a tethering violation. These owners would be required to have the animal spayed or neutered. In addition, the bill states that …
Merial Makes Milestone Payments For Needle-Free SystemApril 17, 2009 Bioject Medical Technologies reported this morning that it received milestone payments during its fourth quarter from Merial. The payments are part of a collaboration agreement that allows Merial to use a modified version of Bioject’s Vitajet needle-free delivery system for the companion animal market, Bioject reports. One payment was based on regulatory approval of a vaccine developed by Merial and designed to be administered with the needle-free system. Bioject also received a second milestone payment during the quarter following the delivery of 10 prototype devices to Merial. "We are looking forward to the commercial launch of the product for the companion animal market during the first quarter of 2005," said Jim O’Shea, chairman and chief executive officer of Bioject. <HOME>
Virbac, Greer Boost Dermatology Efforts With New PartnershipApril 17, 2009 Virbac Animal Health of Fort Worth, Texas, and Greer Laboratories of Lenoir, N.C., have formed a partnership aimed at providing more veterinarians with a comprehensive combination of dermatology products, services and educational support. Virbac provides dermatology products to relieve the symptoms of allergic dermatitis, infectious dermatitis, keratoseborrheic disorders and otitis externa. Greer is a provider of immunotherapy testing and treatment to veterinary dermatologists and teaching universities. “The joint effort is a great way to bring our different and complementary strengths together to make dermatology casework easier for veterinarians,” said Monique Schwartz, vice president of marketing at Virbac. The primary objectives of the partnership are to provide more dermatology educational resources for general practice veterinarians, raise more awareness of appropriate diagnosing protocols, help general practitioners and pet owners manage allergies earlier and better and offer guidelines on when a referral may be the best option, the companies reported. “The goal of this partnership is to help general practice veterinarians feel more prepared to educate pet owners and to manage allergy cases with more confidence,” said Curtis Andrews, executive vice president of commercial operations at Greer.
NIH Allocates Funding For Cornell’s DNA Research ProgramApril 17, 2009 Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has received a four-year, $900,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support research within its DNA Bank. The bank, established to better understand the genetic basis for canine diseases, contains almost 3,000 DNA samples collected from pedigreed canines visiting the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. The grant will be used to establish a DNA archive of control and diseased purebred dogs; to genotype diseased and control purebred dogs; and to encourage multi-institutional mapping collaborations and share genotypes with the genetics community. “The secret to the success of an excellent DNA archive is collaboration among a wide group of researchers as well as cooperation among the entire staff, " said said Rory Todhunter, professor of surgery at the college. "[That staff] includes licensed veterinary technicians, interns, resident and faculty who look after the dogs admitted to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals and who ascertain the diseases the dogs carry, and collect the blood samples from which the DNA of each animal is isolated with owner permission and cooperation. “In addition, the dog owners are key to the project’s success, as they must provide AKC numbers and pedigree …
Eklin Acquires UltrasourceApril 17, 2009 Eklin Medical Systems of Santa Clara, Calif., has acquired Ultrasource Inc., the U.S. veterinary distributor for Philips Medical Systems’ ultrasound product line. Ultrasource also offers Sonoscape and SIUI ultrasound systems for small animal, equine, exotic and zoo animals. “As ultrasound imaging has grown in popularity throughout veterinary care, we have experienced increasing demand for an Eklin ultrasound solution,” said Gary Cantu, president and chief executive officer of Eklin. “We wanted an ultrasound partner that shared our open workflow standards philosophy in order to provide our clients with ultrasound solutions that best fit their practice. Ultrasource and the Philips product line both embrace the same open DICOM standard protocols while providing outstanding customer service.” <HOME>
