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Study demonstrates dynamic genetic changes in ovarian cancers between diagnosis and recurrence

There is a need to analyze tumor specimens at the time of ovarian cancer recurrence, according to a new study published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

13 Feb 2012

SAMHD1 protein cuts off raw material that HIV needs to create DNA and replicate

A protein that protects some of our immune cells from the most common and virulent form of HIV works by starving the virus of the molecular building blocks that it needs to replicate, according to research published online in Nature Immunology.

13 Feb 2012

Catholics choosing sides in contraception battle as bishops lead fight again Obama administration

When after much internal debate the Obama administration finally announced its decision to require religiously affiliated hospitals and universities to cover birth control in their insurance plans, the nation's Roman Catholic bishops were fully prepared for battle. Seven months earlier, they had started laying the groundwork ... the birth control mandate, issued on Jan. 20, was their Pearl Harbor.

13 Feb 2012

Censorship of public health websites by Russian drug agency an 'assault' on HIV prevention

"Amidst pro-democracy protests, the Russian authorities have taken what is an ongoing assault on HIV prevention to the next level by moving to silence public health advocates whose only infraction has been to spread lifesaving information online and to criticize the government for its own failures," Eka Iakobishvili, a human rights analyst at Harm Reduction International, and Claudia Stoicescu, an analyst on Harm Reduction International's public health research team, write in this Huffington Post opinion piece.

13 Feb 2012

BIO President issues statement on FDA guidance for biosimilars

Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement regarding the newly released U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance for the review and approval of biosimilars.

13 Feb 2012

Benefits of long-term Kineret therapy in people with NOMID

A new study shows that Kineret (anakinra), a medication approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is effective in stopping the progression of organ damage in people with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease.

13 Feb 2012

Discovery sheds light on what happens in cells when DNA is damaged

A research group in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta is hoping its latest discovery could one day be used to develop new therapies that target certain types of cancers.

13 Feb 2012

Research roundup: Predicting the health law's effects on small business, uninsured, disparities

Using a RAND assessment tool, researchers aimed to "predict the effects of self-insurance and grandfathering exemptions on coverage and premiums available" on policies for small businesses sold in the insurance exchanges.

13 Feb 2012

Organ transplant patients can benefit from cochlear implants

Cochlear implants may be a safe, effective option for some organ transplant patients who've lost their hearing as an unfortunate consequence of their transplant-related drug regime, researchers report.

13 Feb 2012

Pioglitazone can prevent long term effects of maternal obesity on offspring

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication Pioglitazone can prevent the long term effects of maternal obesity on offspring.

13 Feb 2012

Molecular secrets behind halofuginone's power

For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, a compound derived from this extract's bioactive ingredient, could be used to treat many autoimmune disorders as well. Now, researchers from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have discovered the molecular secrets behind this herbal extract's power.

13 Feb 2012

Length of residence in the U.S. increases risk of PTB among Hispanic women

The longer a Hispanic woman lives in the United States, the higher her risk of preterm birth (PTB), with nearly half of PTBs among Hispanic women occurring in those who were born in the U.S.

13 Feb 2012

Proposed intellectual property agreement between E.U., India could affect generic drug exports, advocacy groups say

The Independent examines how "the cheap supply of antiretroviral drugs to people with AIDS across the world could be choked by an 'intellectual property' deal ... being negotiated on Friday at the 12th E.U.-India summit in New Delhi between the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh."

13 Feb 2012

Research team studies effect of anabolic steroids on body fat

A research team at Luleå University of Technology and Umea University has, in a unique study involving ten Swedish elite lifters who are actively using anabolic steroids, studied the effect of Anabolic steroids on body fat. Swedish elite lifters who use anabolic steroids have more dangerous fat distribution in the body.

12 Feb 2012

FDA lays guidelines for “biosimilar” biotech drugs

The proposed rules, issued on Thursday, require studies showing that the generic copies are “highly similar” to the originals, but there are several ways that might be proven. Because of their complexity, generic copies of biotech drugs - first introduced in the 1980s - are known as “biosimilars.” The worldwide market for copies of biotech medicines will grow to $3.7 billion by 2015, from just $243 million in 2010, as more than 30 branded biologics with sales of $51 billion lose patent exclusivity, according to market analysis firm Datamonitor.

12 Feb 2012

Researchers call for collective effort to halt increases in drug-resistant gonorrhea

Researchers are continuing to sound the alarm on the growing threat of multi-drug resistant gonorrhea in the United States, according to a Perspective commentary in the Feb. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

10 Feb 2012

Most young Spaniards do not consume alcohol or illegal drugs

Despite the clich-s surrounding the habits of adolescents, the results of a study by the University of Seville show that most young people do not fit the risk profile of taking substances. Some 60% of Spaniards aged 13 to 18 say they do not take drugs and rarely drink alcohol - only in moderation - and at the same time, less than 10% admit to have taken some form of illegal drug.

10 Feb 2012

Injecting MWCNTs can kill tumor initiating breast cancer stem cells

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers have again proven that injecting multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second laser treatment can kill them.

10 Feb 2012

Prescription medications may affect 17-OHPC metabolism in women

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that prescription medications may affect the body's ability to metabolize 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC), the only FDA approved medication for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth.

10 Feb 2012

Study identifies new gene variants linked with risk of T2D

The largest genetics study to date of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has identified new gene variants associated with risk for the common metabolic disease. An international scientific consortium, studying multiethnic populations, uncovered genes that may point to biological targets for developing more effective drugs for T2D.

10 Feb 2012