Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are working on developing a spectral imaging system that could reduce the operating times for infants undergoing surgery for Hirschsprung’s disease, according to a mouse study published in the Journal of Biophotonics. Apart from the diagnostic capabilities, the system could provide an “optical biopsy,” enabling surgeons to determine the exact location of a needed intervention.

Photo by Mat Culpepper

The FDA has approved UCB Corp’s Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease (CD). The company aims to make the drug, which is a new, promising option for patients suffering from moderate to severe Crohn’s Disease, available in the U.S. in the next few days. Cimzia is the first and only pegylated anti-TNF? (anti-tumor necrosis factor-?). The excessive production of TNF? has been associated with a wide variety of diseases.