UCLA Health has received certification to provide a therapy that genetically modifies patients’ own cells to attack cancer, the university announced Friday. The Food and Drug Administration approved the treatment, marketed as Yescarta, in October for patients with a type of blood cancer called large B cell lymphoma. UCLA is one of about two-dozen medical […]
Author Archives: Stephen Liu
New methods for artwork analysis uncover ancient Egyptian practices
A new blend of imaging technologies has helped archaeologists identify the chemical makeup of an excavated painting, revealing elements of everyday life in second century Egypt. Researchers from UCLA and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., published a study earlier this month that examined a more-than-1,800-year-old portrait of a woman. Archaeologists believe the […]
Campus Queries: How much turkey is contained in premium cat, dog foods?
Campus Queries is a series in which Daily Bruin readers and staff present science-related questions for UCLA professors and experts to answer. Q: How much turkey do dogs and cats eat in a year? A: About 20 percent of premium dog and cat foods in the U.S. contain turkey as one of the main ingredients, […]
UCLA researchers find potential problems in federal hospital program
A national program to reduce rehospitalizations may have increased death rates for heart failure patients, researchers reported Nov. 12. A study published in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology found heart failure mortality rates increased during the federal Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which incentivizes hospitals to avoid excessively hospitalizing patients within 30 days of their previous […]
Staff react to EPA announcement, say new rules favor energy industry
UCLA environmental health researchers said they think the rules the Environmental Protection Agency announced last week will favor the interests of the energy industry. EPA administrator Scott Pruitt said scientists who receive grants from the agency will no longer be allowed to serve on its federal scientific advisory committees. He said he believes scientists who […]
Organization gives medical center ‘A’ grade for patient safety
The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center achieved its highest patient safety grade in recent years, according to a nationwide report on hospitals released last week. The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for hospital performance transparency, gave the medical center an “A” safety grade for fall 2017 after reviewing its data on medical errors, […]
Scientists create molecule to activate, kill latent HIV-infected cells
UCLA researchers have found that the way to cure HIV-positive patients may be to activate the virus. Researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute and Stanford University developed a synthetic molecule that reactivated dormant HIV in cells. The molecule killed one-quarter of infected cells within a day. The researchers demonstrated the molecule’s effectiveness in mice and […]