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Potential new drug therapies for treatment of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) has been present in humans since ancient times. The origins of the disease date back to the first domestication of cattle, and skeletal remains show prehistoric humans (4,000 B.C.) had TB. Although relatively rare in the United States, it is the single leading bacterial cause of death worldwide. Approximately 8 million people are infected each year and 2 million people die from TB.

11 May 2010

One-quarter of young adults use waterpipes

As fewer people puff on cigarettes, a new smoking trend may be gaining popularity among North American youth. A study published in the journal Pediatrics has found that almost one-quarter of young adults in Montreal had used waterpipes (also known as shishas or hookahs) in the past year.

11 May 2010

Gene variations may increase risk of developing schizophrenia: Study

By analyzing the genomes of patients with schizophrenia, genetics researchers have discovered numerous copy number variations—deletions or duplications of DNA sequences—that increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Significantly, many of these variations occur in genes that affect signaling among brain cells.

11 May 2010

Increased cholesterol levels can affect microenvironment of bone marrow

Increased cholesterol levels are being increasingly recognised as risk factors for the onset and progression of several cancers. Now researchers in Portugal show that high levels of cholesterol can affect the microenvironment of the bone marrow, so that more cells move from the bone marrow to peripheral, circulating blood.

11 May 2010

New bacterial species in tsete fly may help control African sleeping sickness

A new bacterial species, found in the gut of the fly that transmits African sleeping sickness, could be engineered to kill the parasite that causes the disease. The study, published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, could lead to new approaches to control this fatal infection that is becoming resistant to drug therapy.

11 May 2010

New combination therapy may help treat anti-estrogen resistant ER+ breast cancer

A study by researchers from the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) identifies a potential new combination therapy to "rescue" treatment sensitivity to fulvestrant in estrogen receptor positive breast cancers.

11 May 2010

$Proton pump inhibitor use associated with fracture risk in postmenopausal women$

Proton pump inhibitor use associated with fracture risk in postmenopausal women

Proton pump inhibitors, medications that suppress acid in the stomach, appear to be associated with fractures in postmenopausal women and bacterial infections in many patients, and higher doses do not appear any more beneficial for treating bleeding ulcers, according to a series of reports in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 May 2010

SNP biomarker could reduce guesswork associated with prescribing drugs

A tiny gene mutation in human liver cells could one day influence how high or low a dose patients need of about half of the clinically used drugs on the market, new research suggests.

11 May 2010

UCF receives $1.9M NIH grant for exploring new ways of reversing damage caused by MS

A National Institutes of Health grant will help University of Central Florida researchers explore new ways to potentially reverse the damage caused by multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

11 May 2010

Global efforts to combat HIV and AIDS confront changes as funding priorities shift

The New York Times detailed the current funding challenges facing the global effort to combat HIV and AIDS, using the country of Uganda as an example. "Uganda is the first and most obvious example of how the war on global AIDS is falling apart." Although this nation has made significant advances in what "some doctors call a 'golden window' for treatment," clinics are now routinely turning people away.

11 May 2010

Research may aid in developing new cancer therapies

Immortality and uncontrolled cell division are the fundamental differences between cancer cells and normal cells.

11 May 2010

Experts try to fix problem of millions who don't adhere to prescriptions

The Boston Globe: "It is a common conundrum in doctor's offices, clinics, and hospitals across the nation: patients who do not take their medication as directed. It's true for people with high cholesterol, low calcium, diabetes, and asthma. It's even true for patients with the AIDS virus and those who have received life-saving replacement organs."

11 May 2010

Researchers develop new type of drug to kill non-Hodgkin lymphoma tumor cells

Three researchers who are recipients of a collaborative grant from the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation have developed a new type of drug designed to kill non-Hodgkin lymphoma tumor cells. The breakthrough could lead to potential non-toxic therapies for cancer patients. The Foundation-funded investigators include Ari Melnick, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medical College, Alexander MacKerell, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland and Gilbert Priv-, Ph.D., of the University of Toronto.

11 May 2010

Iris Biotechnologies receives two new Canadian patents

Iris BioTechnologies Inc., a life sciences company focused on providing patients, doctors, and clinicians with improved methods of identifying effective treatment solutions, and recipient of the Frost and Sullivan 2008 Technology Innovation Award in Pharmacogenomics, today announced two new Canadian patents.

11 May 2010

Consumers, officials work to sort out new health law

For at least one state, implementing health reform is starting to appear easier said than done. The Daily Record, a Baltimore legal newspaper, reports, "Maryland's new Health Care Reform Coordinating Council held its first meeting last week, resolving to find the best way to implement provisions of the landmark federal health care overhaul.

11 May 2010

Intellectually disabled in Victorian government run facilities treated in a “Victorian” manner

A disturbing new report has revealed that nearly 150 patients with intellectual disabilities in Victoria’s Grampians and Loddon Mallee regions in the last financial year were restrained using chemical or mechanical means and often secluded.

10 May 2010

Takeda appoints BNY Mellon as depositary bank for sponsored ADR program

BNY Mellon, the global leader in asset management and securities servicing, has been appointed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) as the depositary bank for its sponsored American depositary receipt (ADR) program. Each Takeda ADR represents one-half of a common share and trades on the over-the-counter (OTC) market under the symbol TKPYY. Takeda's common shares trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as well as four other exchanges in Japan under the code "4502." Previously, Takeda traded as an unsponsored ADR program serviced by multiple depositaries.

10 May 2010

Mice express pain through facial expressions, says study

A new study by researchers from McGill University and the University of British Columbia shows that mice, like humans, express pain through facial expressions.

10 May 2010

Achillion reports lower net loss of $5.6M for first-quarter 2010

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs to combat the most challenging infectious diseases, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2010. For the first quarter of 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $5.6 million or $0.16 per share, compared with a net loss of $6.7 million or $0.25 per share for the first quarter of 2009. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2010 were $25.0 million, up $15.3 million compared with December 31, 2009.

10 May 2010

MicroStockProfit.com features investment report on ARIAD Pharmaceuticals

MicroStockProfit.com announces an investment report featuring ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc.. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

10 May 2010