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Study shows 50% reduction in blindness and severe visual loss in Denmark

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most frequent cause of blindness in the Western World. A report from the University of Copenhagen and Glostrup Hospital in Denmark published today shows the number of new cases of blindness and severe visual loss in Denmark has been halved during the last ten years.

20 Jan 2012

TB associated with EGFR mutations in patients with lung adenocarcinoma

Tuberculosis (TB) has been suspected to increase a person's risk of lung cancer because the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis can induce genetic damage. However, direct evidence of specific genetic changes and the disease have not been extensively reported.

19 Jan 2012

Combination of lapatinib and trastuzumab more effective in treating HER2-positive breast cancer

Using two drugs that inhibit the growth factor HER2 for preoperative treatment of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer appears to have better results than treatment with a single agent. In a report in the January 17 issue of The Lancet, an international research team reports that a protocol adding lapatinib (Tykerb) to trastuzumab (Herceptin) was more effective than single-drug treatment with either drug in eliminating microscopic signs of cancer at the time the tumors were surgically removed.

17 Jan 2012

Older adults with dementia can benefit from exergames

Virtual reality-enhanced exercise, or "exergames," combining physical exercise with computer-simulated environments and interactive videogame features, can yield a greater cognitive benefit for older adults than traditional exercise alone, according to a new study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

17 Jan 2012

Survey reveals high interest in Xalkori among medical oncologists

According to survey results gathered from 80 Medical Oncologists in the United States there is an extreme interest in Xalkori, with 75% of respondents stating a high interest in prescribing the product, virtually no physicians stating they have low interest in prescribing the therapy.

13 Jan 2012

$Merrimack commences MM-151 Phase 1 trial in refractory advanced solid tumors$

Merrimack commences MM-151 Phase 1 trial in refractory advanced solid tumors

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of MM-151, an oligoclonal therapeutic consisting of a mixture of three fully human monoclonal antibodies designed to bind to non-overlapping epitopes of the epidermal growth factor receptor.

11 Jan 2012

New possibilities for effective treatment of psoriasis

Researchers at Link-ping University in Sweden are now launching a plan to effectively treat psoriasis.

11 Jan 2012

QIAGEN's therascreen EGFR Mutation Detection Kit receives Japanese regulatory approval

QIAGEN today announced the regulatory approval of its therascreen EGFR Mutation Detection Kit RGQ in Japan. EGFR, the epidermal growth factor receptor, has been shown to play an important role in certain cancers and is the target of many new anticancer drugs.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 10 Jan 2012

Progress report on commercialization of BENLYSTA to be announced at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. will today announce its priority goals for 2012 and report on progress with the commercialization of BENLYSTA (belimumab), the first approved drug for systemic lupus in 56 years, during a presentation this afternoon by H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, to financial analysts and investors at the 30th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.

9 Jan 2012

Pfizer, SFJ to conduct axitinib Phase 3 trial in renal cell carcinoma

SFJ Pharma Ltd. II announced today that it has entered into a collaborative development agreement with Pfizer Inc. to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial in Asia of Pfizer's investigational agent axitinib for the adjuvant treatment of patients at high risk of recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following nephrectomy.

9 Jan 2012

Celldex begins rindopepimut and Avastin Phase 2 combination trial in EGFRvIII-positive GB

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that patient screening has initiated in a Phase 2 trial of rindopepimut in combination with Avastin in patients with recurrent epidermal growth factor variant III (EGFRvIII)-positive glioblastoma, called the "ReACT Study."

5 Jan 2012

Amyloid precursor protein fragment may be a biomarker for autism

Immune system abnormalities that mimic those seen with autism spectrum disorders have been linked to the amyloid precursor protein (APP), reports a research team from the University of South Florida's Department of Psychiatry and the Silver Child Development Center.

4 Jan 2012

Losartan may help prevent smoking-related COPD

Working with mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins have successfully used a commonly prescribed blood pressure medicine, losartan (Cozaar), to prevent almost all of the lung damage caused from two months of exposure to cigarette smoke. The treatment specifically targeted lung tissue breakdown, airway wall thickening, inflammation and lung over-expansion.

4 Jan 2012

Van Andel studies distinguish cancer subtypes and provide promising new drug targets

Two recent studies by Van Andel Research Institute scientists are providing a foundation for a more complete understanding of distinct kidney cancer subtypes, which could pave the way for better treatments.

30 Dec 2011

GOG targeted therapy phase 3 clinical trial delays progression of advanced ovarian cancer

Targeted drugs, which block or disrupt particular molecules involved in the growth of tumors, have been shown to be effective treatments against many types of cancer.

29 Dec 2011

Optical imaging can visualize cultured cancer cells' response to particular drug

Many cancer therapies target specific proteins that proliferate on the outside of some cancer cells, but the therapies are imperfect and the cancer does not always respond. Since it is beneficial for doctors to know as soon as possible how a cancer is affected by treatment, researchers from Vanderbilt University are striving to design tests that assess treatment response rapidly, accurately, and cost-effectively.

21 Dec 2011

Blocking EETs may represent novel strategy for cancer therapy

Recent findings in mice suggest that blocking the production of small molecules produced in the body, known as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), may represent a novel strategy for treating cancer by eliminating the blood vessels that feed cancer tumors.

20 Dec 2011

Combination of bevacizumab and chemoradiation safe, effective for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The trial conducted by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) shows the feasibility to deliver bevacizumab to the current chemoradiation standard without any apparent increased adverse side effects.

17 Dec 2011

Many maternal deaths from pre-eclampsia in the UK linked with substandard care

An editorial published this week in the Lancet online highlights the shocking fact that many maternal deaths in the UK are associated with substandard care and are potentially preventable.

17 Dec 2011

Researchers discover miR-520 blocks cancer-promoting signaling pathway

MicroRNAs or miRNAs are tiny RNA molecules that have only about 20 nucleotides and do not code for proteins. They regulate many important processes in cells by binding to target messenger RNAs - the instructions for protein production -, thus blocking production of the respective protein. In cancer, the production of some miRNAs is often reduced or amplified. This particularly affects miRNAs that regulate the activity of cancer-promoting genes.

17 Dec 2011

Growth Factor News and Research

Study shows 50% reduction in blindness and severe visual loss in Denmark

TB associated with EGFR mutations in patients with lung adenocarcinoma

Combination of lapatinib and trastuzumab more effective in treating HER2-positive breast cancer

Older adults with dementia can benefit from exergames

Survey reveals high interest in Xalkori among medical oncologists

Merrimack commences MM-151 Phase 1 trial in refractory advanced solid tumors

New possibilities for effective treatment of psoriasis

QIAGEN's therascreen EGFR Mutation Detection Kit receives Japanese regulatory approval

Progress report on commercialization of BENLYSTA to be announced at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference

Pfizer, SFJ to conduct axitinib Phase 3 trial in renal cell carcinoma

Celldex begins rindopepimut and Avastin Phase 2 combination trial in EGFRvIII-positive GB

Amyloid precursor protein fragment may be a biomarker for autism

Losartan may help prevent smoking-related COPD

Van Andel studies distinguish cancer subtypes and provide promising new drug targets

GOG targeted therapy phase 3 clinical trial delays progression of advanced ovarian cancer

Optical imaging can visualize cultured cancer cells' response to particular drug

Blocking EETs may represent novel strategy for cancer therapy

Combination of bevacizumab and chemoradiation safe, effective for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Many maternal deaths from pre-eclampsia in the UK linked with substandard care

Researchers discover miR-520 blocks cancer-promoting signaling pathway

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

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