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Trial involving medical workers accused of infecting Libyan children with HIV involves 'profound political issues'

The "scientific community, AIDS activists and Libyan government would do well to recognize ... the political and diplomatic import of the case" involving five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor accused of infecting Libyan children with HIV, Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes in a PLoS Medicine opinion piece (Garrett, PLoS Medicine, 10/26).

30 Oct 2006

New method for targeting malignant brain tumors

A new method for targeting malignant brain tumors through inducing the cancerous cells to "commit suicide" has been developed by a team of researchers headed by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor of biochemistry.

24 Oct 2006

Report on childhood obesity calls for more investment, leadership and commitment

A report by the the National Academies' Institute of Medicine (IOM) released this week on childhood obesity, says that despite the public and media focus on obesity, not a great deal of progress appears to have been made.

18 Sep 2006

Vitamin D cuts the risk of pancreatic cancer

Consumption of Vitamin D tablets was found to cut the risk of pancreatic cancer nearly in half, according to a study led by researchers at Northwestern and Harvard universities.

12 Sep 2006

SemBioSys Genetics granted immunoglobulin related patent

SemBioSys Genetics has announced it has been granted U.S. patent 7,098,383 entitled "Methods for the production of multimeric immunoglobulins, and related compositions".

11 Sep 2006

The heart can heal itself

World Congress of Cardiology Report - Despite the dramatic advances in the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases that have occurred in the second half of the 20th century, heart failure (HF) is the most common cause of death in developed nations.

5 Sep 2006

Bone protection by estrens occurs through non-tissue-selective activation of the androgen receptor

A new study appearing in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation indicates that caution might be needed if a new group of drugs known as estrens are to be developed for the treatment of osteoporosis.

4 Sep 2006

Scientists identifiy key compounds that stimulate stem cell growth in the brain

Scientists at Harvard University have identified key compounds that stimulate stem cell growth in the brain, which may one day lead to restored function for people affected by Parkinson's disease, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and a wide range of neurological disorders.

4 Sep 2006

Brits denied new targeted bowel cancer drugs

Despite the fact that bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease in Britain and kills 16,000 people every year, the government watchdog on drugs the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has sparked a bitter controversy by refusing to provide two bowel cancer drugs on the National Health Service (NHS) to cancer patients.

21 Aug 2006

Pomegranate juice may decrease PSA progression in patients with cancer recurrence after treatment

Because of their high content of antioxidants, pomegranate juice is frequently recommended for cancer prevention and overall wellness. While small studies have suggested a role against prostate carcinogenesis, no organized trials have been published until now.

17 Aug 2006

Genotoxic bacteria in the digestive tract

Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium, which lives peacefully in our digestive tract. However, certain strains are pathogenic and are frequently incriminated in a broad spectrum of infections, affecting both farmed animals and humans (diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, food poisoning, septicaemia, neonatal meningitis, etc.).

16 Aug 2006

Gene family expansion can begin even before a gene is duplicated

Theoretical biologist Stephen Proulx studies gene families to explore how genomes become diverse and evolve.

6 Aug 2006

Cell walls - an essential building block

Cancer cells, like houses, need building materials for their walls. And as with a house, the cell wall needs to be built at just the right moment to protect and allow the construction of internal components.

2 Aug 2006

Hospitals and physicians organize and market services targeted at specific diseases, organ systems and populations, raising cost and quality concerns

The proliferation of heart institutes, cancer centers, orthopedic hospitals and other niche specialty centers signals an escalation in a new medical arms race as hospitals and physicians develop and market profitable specialty-service lines.

26 Jul 2006

Nicotine promotes growth of established tumors

While it is established that nicotine by itself is not carcinogenic, researchers have now shown that nicotine promotes cell proliferation and the progression of tumors already initiated by tobacco carcinogens.

24 Jul 2006

Gleevec may cause heart problems

Gleevec, the wildly successful poster-child of a new generation of cancer drugs aimed at specific targets in the cancer cell, can be dangerous to the heart.

24 Jul 2006

Nexavar approved in Europe for treatment of advanced kidney cancer

Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc have announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

24 Jul 2006

Researchers identify potential ovarian cancer stem cells

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified potential ovarian cancer stem cells, which may be behind the difficulty of treating these tumors with standard chemotherapy.

21 Jul 2006

FoxM1 regulates the expression of oestrogen receptors in breast cancer

Research just published online in the "Journal of Biological Chemistry" identifies a new molecule involved in the regulation of oestrogen receptors (ER) expression in breast cancer.

12 Jul 2006

Functionalized carbon nanotubes are non-cytotoxic and preserve the functionality of primary immune cells

Various types of carbon-based nanomaterials, such as buckyballs and nanotubes, have shown promise as drug delivery tools and imaging agents, but reports of toxicity associated with some of these materials have raised questions about their ultimate utility in clinical oncology.

10 Jul 2006