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UH scientists recommend new drug strategies for chronic diseases

Researchers at the University of Houston (UH) are recommending a new strategy for developing drugs to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases.

21 Oct 2011

Population growth calls for new technologies, reduction in fertility rates

The world's population is expected to reach seven billion this month, which is "cause for profound global concern" and begs the question of "can we enjoy 'sustainable development' on a very crowded planet?" Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, writes in a CNN opinion piece.

19 Oct 2011

Aspen Institute panel speakers call for increased aid for women to help plan families

A panel hosted by the Aspen Institute's Global Leaders Council on Monday called for "a boost of aid for women in developing countries such as Somalia to help them control their fertility," Agence France-Presse reports. "Somalia has the eighth highest birth rate in the world, and the average family has seven children," and "one percent of married women in Somalia have access to modern contraception, ... according to data compiled by the Population Reference Bureau," the news agency notes.

19 Oct 2011

Scientists discover enzyme that acts as a 'fertility switch'

Scientists have discovered an enzyme that acts as a 'fertility switch', in a study published in Nature Medicine today. High levels of the protein are associated with infertility, while low levels make a woman more likely to have a miscarriage, the research has shown.

18 Oct 2011

Emory researcher provides overview on 'CVD and PCOS' in APS conference

Sarah Berga, MD, former Chair of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Emory University School of Medicine, is a researcher whose work focuses on understanding the impact of metabolic and psychological stresses on the reproductive system and as a cause of infertility, as well as on PCOS. She will provide an overview of her team's work in a presentation entitled, "CVD and PCOS." Her remarks are part of the Physiology of Cardiovascular Disease: Gender Disparities conference, October 12 at the University of Mississippi in Jackson.

15 Oct 2011

Scientists conclude pesticide contamination as a major problem in Europe

Pesticides are a bigger problem than had long been assumed. This is the conclusion of a study in which scientists analysed data on 500 organic substances in the basins of four major European rivers. It was revealed that 38 per cent of these chemicals are present in concentrations which could potentially have an effect on organisms.

14 Oct 2011

Simmons Center to evaluate CGEN-25009 for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Compugen Ltd. and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation announced today that the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation will provide a grant to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Dorothy P. and Richard P.

13 Oct 2011

PROLOR receives U.S. patent allowance for CTP-modified interferons

PROLOR Biotech, Inc. today announced that it received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for a patent application covering PROLOR's CTP-modified interferons.

12 Oct 2011

Novel link between cell surface sugars, Darwinian sexual selection, and immune function

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say that losing the ability to make a particular kind of sugar molecule boosted disease protection in early hominids, and may have directed the evolutionary emergence of our ancestors, the genus Homo.

11 Oct 2011

Pregnant mums taking miscarriage prevention drug decades ago may have put their girls at risk of infertility and cancers

A new study reveals that a drug that was taken by millions of pregnant women decades ago to prevent miscarriage and complications has put their daughters at higher risk for breast cancer and other health problems. The study shows that many of these daughters are now over 40 and may not even know of their risk if their mothers never realized or told them they had used the drug, a synthetic estrogen called DES or Diethyl stilbesterol.

6 Oct 2011

Express Scripts launches suite of services through HealthBridge Pharma & Biotech

Express Scripts has launched a suite of services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies through HealthBridge Pharma & Biotech, providing a single-solution approach to patient care.

1 Oct 2011

Two Smithsonian scientists win PECASE award for innovative research, scientific leadership

Two scientists at the Smithsonian Institution have been honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for their innovative research and scientific leadership. It is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

28 Sep 2011

A Daddy’s heart is healthier: Study

A new study shows that fathers are less likely to die of heart disease than men who’ve never had kids. This raises questions about a possible biological link between male infertility and overall health. Other recent studies have found a connection between testicular and prostate cancer and infertility.

27 Sep 2011

No link between chemotherapy during pregnancy and children's cognitive development

Children born after their mothers were treated with chemotherapy during pregnancy appear to be unaffected by the experience in terms of the development of their mental processes and the normal functioning of their hearts, according to new research presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.

27 Sep 2011

Researchers analyse effects of BPA in an in-vitro culture of ovaries

Researchers at Universitat Aut-noma de Barcelona, in collaboration with the Vall d'Hebron Hospital Fetal Tissue Bank, the Department of Gynaecology and the Research Unit of Paediatric Endocrinology, analysed the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), a polymer widely used to manufacture plastics, in an in vitro culture of ovaries.

22 Sep 2011

Study examines long-term use of Standard Days Method among women

A simple-to-use, fertility-awareness based method of family planning developed by researchers from the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University Medical Center so effectively meets the needs of users that they continue to rely on it for years.

21 Sep 2011

Sperm bank spurns potential redhead donors

Cryos International, one of the world's largest sperm banks is refusing potential donors who have red hair. The bank's director told the Danish newspaper Ekstrabladet that there simply wasn't much demand for sperm from red-headed men.

20 Sep 2011

Vitrolife obtains Chinese SFDA approval for aspiration needles and micropipettes

Vitrolife has obtained regulatory approval from the Chinese SFDA (State Food and Drug Administration) for aspiration needles and micropipettes used for infertility treatment.

20 Sep 2011

Positive thoughts improve mental health in men with testicular cancer

Men who channeled positive thoughts into a five-week writing assignment about their testicular cancer showed signs of improved mental health afterward, in contrast to men who wrote negatively or neutrally about their condition, according to results of a Baylor University pilot study.

16 Sep 2011

Cook Medical introduces Otrieva Tapered Ovum Aspiration Needle

A new needle for ovum collection is now available to reproductive endocrinologists and embryologists: the Otrieva Tapered Ovum Aspiration Needle, which Cook Medical launches today. The Otrieva needle features a tapering process that results in a consistent bevel designed to allow precise ovum collection and less pain and bleeding during aspiration, as clinical studies of similar devices have demonstrated.

12 Sep 2011