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New link between beta-arrestin and short-term memory

Biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside have identified a new link between a protein called beta-arrestin and short-term memory that could open new doors for the therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease.

10 Feb 2012

UC Riverside uncovers new insight into colon cancer

An international research team led by cell biologists at the University of California, Riverside has uncovered a new insight into colon cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The research provides potential new avenues for diagnosing and treating the disease.

10 Feb 2012

SSRIs may minimize risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

A groundbreaking study published in Elsevier's Epilepsy & Behavior provides evidence in mouse model that drugs known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs; one category of antidepressants) may reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

9 Feb 2012

FDA panel votes against Amgen’s Xgeva in prostate cancer

An FDA panel of oncologists has voted against a new use for Amgen's Xgeva in prostate cancer on Wednesday, saying the drug's ability to slow the spread of the disease did not translate into meaningful benefits for patients. Xgeva is already approved to prevent fractures in cancerous bones, and for osteoporosis, in a different formulation called Prolia.

9 Feb 2012

Parkinson’s disease gene - parkin explored: Study

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause Parkinson's disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure. The results are published in the current issue of Nature Communications.

9 Feb 2012

Acid reducing drugs could raise risk of C. diff diarrhea

U.S. health regulators, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), have announced that ulcer drugs such as AstraZeneca Plc's blockbuster Nexium could increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD).

9 Feb 2012

More collaborative, flexible approach needed to combat NTDs

"To tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), we need a far more collaborative and flexible approach," Mark Booth, acting deputy director of Durham University's Wolfson Research Institute and head of the N8 Parasitology Group, writes in this New Statesman opinion piece.

9 Feb 2012

Combination of anti-obesity drugs and lifestyle advice effective in reducing weight, BMI

A study led by the University of Leicester has found that anti-obesity drugs coupled with lifestyle advice are effective in reducing weight and BMI.

9 Feb 2012

Obama aides seek to calm storm over contraceptive rule

Administration suggests there may be ways to meet religious groups' concerns but insists that the president is committed to the policy. Sen. Mitch McConnell suggests Congress may change the rule if the administration doesn't.

9 Feb 2012

NewsOne examines HIV in Caribbean

NewsOne examines HIV in the Caribbean, where one percent of the population is infected with the virus, "small in comparison to numbers found in the global scheme but significant enough to distinguish it as the second-highest region with HIV/AIDS outside of sub-Saharan Africa."

9 Feb 2012

Obama administration pledges $156 million for Alzheimer's research and care

Research to investigate the genetic underpinnings of the disease and to test drugs that may arrest its development will get an immediate $50 million boost.

9 Feb 2012

After-school program can help young adolescents avoid alcohol

A voluntary substance prevention program held after school and presented by trained facilitators can help reduce alcohol use among young adolescents, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

9 Feb 2012

Washington state's Medicaid program will no longer pay for unnecessary ER visits

Washington state's Medicaid program will no longer pay for ER visits deemed medically unnecessary. Elsewhere, Illinois' governor will propose $2 billion in Medicaid cuts, and fallout continues over controversial proposals to reform California's Medicaid Medi-Cal program.

9 Feb 2012

Fasting and chemotherapy drugs more effectively treat cancers

Man may not live by bread alone, but cancer in animals appears less resilient, according to a study that found chemotherapy drugs work better when combined with cycles of short, severe fasting.

9 Feb 2012

$Bisphosphonates may raise risk of atypical femur fracture$

Bisphosphonates may raise risk of atypical femur fracture

There is growing evidence that supports an association between atypical fractures of the femur- a rare break of the thigh bone, typically without trauma - and the use of bisphosphonates, drugs proven to enhance bone density and reduce fracture incidence caused by osteoporosis.

9 Feb 2012

Ethical framework to guide coverage and reimbursement decisions for expensive orphan drugs

How can insurers justify spending hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient per year on "orphan drugs" - extremely expensive medications for rare conditions that are mostly chronic and life-threatening -- when this money could provide greater overall health benefit if spread out among many other patients?

8 Feb 2012

A critical step forward in understanding how insulin secretion is regulated in the body

In a study published last week in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, a team led by Dr. Vincent Poitout of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) has made an important step forward in understanding how insulin secretion is regulated in the body.

8 Feb 2012

Exemestane has negative effect on postmenopausal women's bone health

Exemestane, a drug used in the prevention of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, has a negative effect on bone density and structure in these women, despite calcium and vitamin D supplements.

8 Feb 2012

Obama administration rejects Calif. Medicaid co-pay proposal

The Obama administration said "no" Monday to a California proposal designed to help close a budget gap. Elsewhere, Texas is planning a change to how it pays for charity care in its Medicaid program.

8 Feb 2012

Center for LAM Research and Clinical Care at BWH to conduct phase I combination drug trial

The Center for LAM Research and Clinical Care at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has been awarded a $1 million plus, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to fund their work on lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

8 Feb 2012