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New way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure--a technique that could also be used to monitor a fetus's response to therapeutic drugs--using sophisticated, noninvasive medical imaging tools.

7 Feb 2005

Low level exposure to Benzene causes lower blood cell counts

A new study found that white blood cell counts were lowered in workers exposed to less than 1 ppm of the chemical benzene (part benzene per million parts air).

3 Dec 2004

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder

Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder, a serious brain illness characterized by an alternating pattern of extreme emotional highs and lows, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

30 Nov 2004

Study highlights importance of pesticide worker dermal exposure

Agricultural pesticide workers are not only exposed to pesticides from inhalation, but also through their skin. The dermal route of exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common agricultural pesticide, is known to contribute substantially to workers’ total exposure

24 Nov 2004

Celebrex may one day be used to prevent and even treat breast tumors

The anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex, or celecoxib, reduces tumor mass by encouraging cell death and discouraging both cell proliferation and the sprouting of new blood vessels that feed growing tumors, according to a study reported in the November issue of Molecular Cancer Research.

5 Nov 2004

Flame retardants may cause brain damage

Reduced adaptability, hyperactivity, and disturbances in memory and learning functions. These are deficiencies mice and rats evince when exposed to bromide flame retardants, such as those found in computers, textiles, and other materials in our surroundings, during the period when the brain develops most rapidly.

1 Nov 2004

Study will evaluate arsenic exposure from the environment and its potential carcinogenic effects

The National Cancer Institute has awarded the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center a three-year grant to evaluate associations between elevated arsenic exposure and cancer incidence in Arizona and Mexico.

19 Oct 2004

First sliver-sized sensor to monitor glucose level for diabetics and other bodily fluid levels

It's a good thing that the now eight-year-old son of Miklos Gratzl, a Case Western Reserve University biomedical engineer, got a splinter in his finger one day – at least for the sake of science. With apologies to his son – instead of an "Ouch!" moment, for Gratzl it was more of an "A-ha!" moment.

18 Oct 2004

New technique offers efficient blood cleansing

Blood poisoning is fatal in almost half of all cases. Patients could be helped by efficient blood cleansing. Scientists are working on a new technique that will quickly and effectively retrieve toxic substances from the vital fluid without altering the blood count.

4 Oct 2004

Chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system pave way for future pharmaceutical treatments for depression

From mollusks to mammals, newly discovered chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system are paving a path toward future pharmaceutical treatments for depression and other disorders.

10 Sep 2004

New service-oriented laboratory focused on bioanalysis and pharmacokinetics

Oregon Health & Science University researchers will more quickly move benchtop discoveries toward drug discoveries with the help of a new, service-oriented laboratory focused on bioanalysis and pharmacokinetics.

11 Aug 2004

Organic tomatoes have higher levels of vitamin C

In her study of organic and conventionally grown tomatoes, Alyson Mitchell, a food chemist at University of California at Davis, found organic tomatoes had higher levels of secondary plant metabolites and higher levels of vitamin C.

26 Jul 2004

The Phthalate Esters Panel responds to claims about the health effects of phthalates

A new report by Environment California Research & Policy Center makes several claims about the health effects of phthalates contained in consumer products that are unsupported by the science.

25 Jun 2004

Only half of gemcitabine dose may be activated in cancer patients

The study, presented in a poster discussion session by Jason Fisher, a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, analyzed data from 31 cancer patients given 30-minute infusions of gemcitabine to determine what percentage of the drug dose was associated with concentrations that exceeded the body's ability to activate the drug.

9 Jun 2004

Research laboratory at the forefront of the science of metabolomics

A new $1.8 million research laboratory will catapult Iowa State University to the forefront of the science of metabolomics.

2 Jun 2004

Morphine does not alleviate acute pain in preterm neonates

Preterm neonates undergo many painful procedures as part of their standard care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Preterm babies are able to experience pain and indeed are highly sensitive to it.

2 May 2004

Researchers examine community-based drinkers rather than abstinent alcoholics

Almost all knowledge about brain damage due to chronic alcohol consumption has been gathered from alcoholics, who have generally been studied toward the end of their institutionalized treatment program (several weeks after their last drink) or many months into abstinence.

13 Apr 2004

Data on pre-clinical activity of satraplatin in prostate cancer to be released

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc has announced that new data on pre-clinical activity of satraplatin in prostate cancer cell lines are being presented at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Orlando, Florida.

29 Mar 2004

New Theory About Alzheimer's Disease

A group of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has proposed a new theory about the cause of Alzheimer's disease, the progressive neurodegenerative disorder that currently afflicts some 4.5 million Americans. According to the hypothesis, the disease arises as a consequence of inflammation, which creates abnormal metabolites out of normal brain molecules.

22 Mar 2004