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Speedy drug metabolism more likely to cause multidrug-resistant TB

A UT Southwestern Medical Center study using a sophisticated "glass mouse" research model has found that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is more likely caused in patients by speedy drug metabolism rather than inconsistent doses, as is widely believed.

29 Dec 2011

Increase in human activity threatens natural aquatic ecosystems in Tanzania

An increase in human activity is posing a threat to natural aquatic ecosystems in Tanzania and contributing to environmental damage and ecological changes. Doctoral research carried out by Hezron Emmanuel Nonga shows that agriculture and livestock farming leads to eutrophication in lakes and the proliferation of cyanobacteria which produce microcystins.

29 Dec 2011

Powerful painkiller on its way to the market: Experts worry about addiction woes

Drug makers are on their way to a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new wave of abuse. The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin.

28 Dec 2011

Researchers warn food allergy blood tests should never be used as standalone diagnostics

An advisory from two leading allergists, Robert Wood of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Scott Sicherer of Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, urges clinicians to use caution when ordering allergy tests and to avoid making a diagnosis based solely on test results.

26 Dec 2011

Glycol chitosan-coated MRI agent safer, more effective in detecting breast cancer

Many imaging technologies and their contrast agents - chemicals used during scans to help detect tumors and other problems - involve exposure to radiation or heavy metals, which present potential health risks to patients and limit the ways they can be applied.

26 Dec 2011

Fluoride has dramatic effects on bacteria inside the mouth

Regular use of fluoride-containing toothpaste and mouthwash has long been known to strengthen the enamel on teeth. But new research by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists finds that fluoride also has dramatic effects on bacteria inside the mouth -- including those that form plaque and can cause cavities.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers develop CAD-type tools to engineer RNA control systems

The computer assisted design (CAD) tools that made it possible to fabricate integrated circuits with millions of transistors may soon be coming to the biological sciences. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed CAD-type models and simulations for RNA molecules that make it possible to engineer biological components or "RNA devices" for controlling genetic expression in microbes.

23 Dec 2011

Hand washing tips to prevent illness and spreading germs

With holiday gatherings, New Year celebrations, and constant travelling, hand washing is one of the most important ways to prevent getting sick and spreading germs. Many illnesses, including the common cold, are spread by not washing hands properly with soap and water. According to statistics from the National Library of Medicine, the common cold accounts for approximately 22 million missed days of school and 20 million absences from work.

22 Dec 2011

New model to analyze health hazards linked with pesticides and toxic chemicals

Approximately 80,000 industrial chemicals are in use and about 700 new chemicals are introduced to commerce each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. To assess human health risks from exposure to harmful substances, James Englehardt, professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Miami, is proposing a new technique that is more efficient than current methods.

22 Dec 2011

Vanderbilt to develop low-cost extraction device for people in resource-poor settings

They call it "The Extractionator." The prototype looks like nothing more than a length of clear plastic tubing until you inspect it closely. But it could be the basis of an easy-to-use and low-cost sample collection and preparation system that will help bring the benefits of medical diagnostic testing to the people who live in the poorest areas of the world.

17 Dec 2011

Study: Many prescription drugs use phthalates as inactive ingredients

Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC), in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health, have found numerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs and supplements use certain chemicals called phthalates as inactive ingredients in their products.

15 Dec 2011

MPC project to study how plant genes contribute to producing medicinal compounds

Scientists are about to make publicly available all the data they have so far on the genetic blueprint of medicinal plants and what beneficial properties are encoded by the genes identified.

15 Dec 2011

Microneedle-based sensors can detect real-time chemical changes in the body

Researchers from North Carolina State University, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of California, San Diego have developed new technology that uses microneedles to allow doctors to detect real-time chemical changes in the body - and to continuously do so for an extended period of time.

14 Dec 2011

Unexplained kidney disease affecting rural workers across Central America, PRI's 'The World' reports

PRI's "The World" reports on an epidemic of an unexplained kidney disease that is affecting rural workers across Central America, writing, "[I]t's the second biggest cause of death among men in El Salvador, and in Nicaragua it's a bigger killer of men than HIV and diabetes combined," and "the latest theory is that the victims are literally working themselves to death."

14 Dec 2011

Plant world has great potential as a source of new medicines, says NYBG scientist

There are probably at least 500 medically useful chemicals awaiting discovery in plant species whose chemical constituents have not yet been evaluated for their potential to cure or treat disease, according to a new analysis by a New York Botanical Garden scientist who has more than 15 years of experience in collecting plants for natural-products discovery programs.

13 Dec 2011

PET scans can provide insight into process that causes aortic stenosis

Patients with life-threatening heart valve disease could be helped with alternative scanning techniques that provide greater insight into the condition.

13 Dec 2011

Detox diets useless – eat less and exercise more for good health

Detox diets may promise to help lose weight and purge the body of poisoning chemicals but the only thing that detox products will help lose is money, a British researcher says.

12 Dec 2011

WTC disaster results in increased risk of physical and mental health conditions after 9/11

The World Trade Center disaster exposed nearly half a million people to hazardous chemicals, environmental toxins, and traumatic events. According to research published in the December 2011 issue of Elsevier-published journal Preventive Medicine, this has resulted in increased risk of developing physical and mental health conditions after 9/11.

12 Dec 2011

Rainbow Biosciences signs letter of intent to form new joint venture with n3D

Rainbow Biosciences, a division of Rainbow Coral Corp. announced today that it signed a letter of intent to acquire or form a new joint venture with cutting-edge biotech firm n3D Biosciences, Inc.

12 Dec 2011

Pig iPSCs can safely incorporate into tissues without tumor formation

Pig stem cell research conducted by two animal scientists at the University of Georgia reveals a better way to determine the safety of future stem cell therapies than rodent-based models.

12 Dec 2011

Chemicals News and Research

Speedy drug metabolism more likely to cause multidrug-resistant TB

Increase in human activity threatens natural aquatic ecosystems in Tanzania

Powerful painkiller on its way to the market: Experts worry about addiction woes

Researchers warn food allergy blood tests should never be used as standalone diagnostics

Glycol chitosan-coated MRI agent safer, more effective in detecting breast cancer

Fluoride has dramatic effects on bacteria inside the mouth

Researchers develop CAD-type tools to engineer RNA control systems

Hand washing tips to prevent illness and spreading germs

New model to analyze health hazards linked with pesticides and toxic chemicals

Vanderbilt to develop low-cost extraction device for people in resource-poor settings

Study: Many prescription drugs use phthalates as inactive ingredients

MPC project to study how plant genes contribute to producing medicinal compounds

Microneedle-based sensors can detect real-time chemical changes in the body

Unexplained kidney disease affecting rural workers across Central America, PRI's 'The World' reports

Plant world has great potential as a source of new medicines, says NYBG scientist

PET scans can provide insight into process that causes aortic stenosis

Detox diets useless – eat less and exercise more for good health

WTC disaster results in increased risk of physical and mental health conditions after 9/11

Rainbow Biosciences signs letter of intent to form new joint venture with n3D

Pig iPSCs can safely incorporate into tissues without tumor formation

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