Polio News and Research

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Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

RTFCCR grant supports ASCOLT study that evaluates effectiveness of Aspirin in colorectal cancer patients

Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research, an international private foundation based in Switzerland, has awarded a US $800,000 grant to be released over two years for the ASCOLT study conducted by Dr John Chia, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore.

9 Dec 2015

Experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has anti-aging effects

Salk Institute researchers have found that an experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has a host of unexpected anti-aging effects in animals.

13 Nov 2015

Salk scientists uncover enzyme responsible for suppressing deadly lung cancer

Scientists at the Salk Institute have uncovered a molecule whose mutation leads to the aggressive growth of a common and deadly type of lung cancer in humans.

3 Nov 2015

Sinovac Dalian receives approval to start human clinical trials of varicella vaccine candidate

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, today announced that one of its subsidiaries, Sinovac Dalian, has received approval to begin human clinical trials on its varicella vaccine candidate. The clinical trial application for the varicella vaccine was officially accepted by the China Food and Drug Administration in January 2013.

26 Oct 2015

SAGE recommends pilot implementation of malaria vaccine to protect young children

The World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommended pilot projects to understand how to best use a vaccine that protects against malaria in young children.

26 Oct 2015

WHO officials hope to eradicate polio by 2024

Shortly after the successful global Smallpox Eradication Programme (SEP) in the 80's, world leaders and public health officials announced a plan to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) off the face of the Earth; the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (WHO) together championed the cause.

16 Oct 2015

Global Health Film Festival programme published for 30 and 31 October

The full programme has been published for the first Global Health Film Festival to be held on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0AE. A collaboration between the Royal Society Medicine, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the festival aims to use film and media as a catalyst to inspire change in health and development.

15 Oct 2015

Get your flu shot before fall festivities, says Loyola infectious disease specialist

While planning your family's fall festivities this month, add the flu shot to the list. Then follow through with a visit to your doctor to make sure everyone is protected for the flu season. October is the recommended month to receive the vaccine for your best shot at preventing the flu.

13 Oct 2015

Scientists can now use skin samples from older patients to grow brain cells

For the first time, scientists can use skin samples from older patients to create brain cells without rolling back the youthfulness clock in the cells first. The new technique, which yields cells resembling those found in older people's brains, will be a boon to scientists studying age-related diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

9 Oct 2015

Polio no more in Nigeria, WHO says

The World Health Organization announced today that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria. This is the first time that Nigeria has interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus, bringing the country and the African region closer than ever to being certified polio-free.

29 Sep 2015

Polio no more in Nigeria, WHO says

WHO announced today that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria. This is the first time that Nigeria has interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus, bringing the country and the African region closer than ever to being certified polio-free.

26 Sep 2015

NanoPass to supply MicronJet600 device for use with Immune Design's ZVex discovery platform

NanoPass Technologies Ltd., a pioneer in intradermal delivery solutions for immunotherapies, announced today that it has entered into a clinical supply and support agreement for the supply of MicronJet600, its microneedle delivery device, for use with Immune Design's oncology immunotherapy products from its ZVex discovery platform.

8 Sep 2015

Researchers create method to watch activity of motor neurons in real time

When you're taking a walk around the block, your body is mostly on autopilot--you don't have to consciously think about alternating which leg you step with or which muscles it takes to lift a foot and put it back down. That's thanks to a set of cells in your spinal cord that help translate messages between your brain and your motor neurons, which control muscles.

3 Sep 2015

Vaccine exemption levels low, vaccination rates high in U.S.

Vaccine exemption levels for kindergarteners are low for most states and infant vaccination rates are high nationally, according to data from two reports published in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

28 Aug 2015

Discovery could help in development of novel cancer-selective viral therapies

Every organism--from a seedling to a president--must protect its DNA at all costs, but precisely how a cell distinguishes between damage to its own DNA and the foreign DNA of an invading virus has remained a mystery.

27 Aug 2015

Physical inactivity poses important clinical, public health and fiscal challenges for the U.S.

What do a prominent physiologist and two-time survivor of pancreatic cancer and a world-renowned researcher whose landmark discoveries on aspirin, drug therapies of proven benefit and therapeutic lifestyle changes that have saved more than 1.1 million lives have in common? They are both passionate about the importance of regular physical activity in reducing risks of dying from heart attacks and strokes, as well as developing diabetes, hypertension and colon cancer. And more importantly, enhancing mental health and fostering healthy muscles, bones and joints in all Americans from childhood to the elderly.

27 Aug 2015

WHO and health cluster partners cope with health needs of internally displaced persons in South Sudan

The World Health Organization and partners are racing to cope with the health needs of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northeastern South Sudan where fighting continues and the humanitarian situation remains dire.

21 Aug 2015

New combination vaccine may reduce number of injections for young children

A new combination vaccine may reduce the number of injections required to keep infants and toddlers up to date with the United States infant immunization schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a phase III trial reported in the August 2015 issue of Pediatrics, the vaccine was determined to be effective, safe and well-tolerated. Gary S. Marshall, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville, was the principal investigator of the multi-center trial and first author of the report.

13 Aug 2015

Loss of critical receptor in the brain may be responsible for autism, schizophrenia

The loss of a critical receptor in a special class of inhibitory neurons in the brain may be responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and schizophrenia, according to new research by Salk scientists.

12 Aug 2015

Sinovac Biotech releases results of 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Beijing, PRC

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, today announced the results of the Company's 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 in Beijing, PRC.

11 Aug 2015

Polio News and Research

Further Reading

RTFCCR grant supports ASCOLT study that evaluates effectiveness of Aspirin in colorectal cancer patients

Experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has anti-aging effects

Salk scientists uncover enzyme responsible for suppressing deadly lung cancer

Sinovac Dalian receives approval to start human clinical trials of varicella vaccine candidate

SAGE recommends pilot implementation of malaria vaccine to protect young children

WHO officials hope to eradicate polio by 2024

Global Health Film Festival programme published for 30 and 31 October

Get your flu shot before fall festivities, says Loyola infectious disease specialist

Scientists can now use skin samples from older patients to grow brain cells

Polio no more in Nigeria, WHO says

Polio no more in Nigeria, WHO says

NanoPass to supply MicronJet600 device for use with Immune Design's ZVex discovery platform

Researchers create method to watch activity of motor neurons in real time

Vaccine exemption levels low, vaccination rates high in U.S.

Discovery could help in development of novel cancer-selective viral therapies

Physical inactivity poses important clinical, public health and fiscal challenges for the U.S.

WHO and health cluster partners cope with health needs of internally displaced persons in South Sudan

New combination vaccine may reduce number of injections for young children

Loss of critical receptor in the brain may be responsible for autism, schizophrenia

Sinovac Biotech releases results of 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Beijing, PRC

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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