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Researchers identify gut bacteria bile acids linked to effectiveness of statin drugs in lowering cholesterol

Statins can be effective at lowering cholesterol, but they have a perplexing tendency to work for some people and not others. Gut bacteria may be the reason.

14 Oct 2011

Scientists conclude pesticide contamination as a major problem in Europe

Pesticides are a bigger problem than had long been assumed. This is the conclusion of a study in which scientists analysed data on 500 organic substances in the basins of four major European rivers. It was revealed that 38 per cent of these chemicals are present in concentrations which could potentially have an effect on organisms.

14 Oct 2011

BCL11A protein might serve as potential target for sickle cell disease

Flipping a single molecular switch can reverse illness in a model of sickle cell disease, according to a study by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. When turned off, the switch, a protein called BCL11A, allows the body to manufacture red blood cells with an alternate form of hemoglobin unaffected by the mutation that causes the disease.

14 Oct 2011

Hospitals, health groups going green

Hospitals and health systems are organizing the industry's vast purchasing power to push manufacturers of medical products to make them with safer chemicals and to be more environmentally friendly.

14 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 13, 2011

In today's headlines, a report about how Mitt Romney's health law waiver plan would work -- states could skirt some of the measure's biggest requirements, but it's still not a complete repeal.

13 Oct 2011

Researchers design global plan for sustainable agriculture

The problem is stark: One billion people on earth don't have enough food right now. It's estimated that by 2050 there will be more than nine billion people living on the planet. Meanwhile, current agricultural practices are amongst the biggest threats to the global environment. This means that if we don't develop more sustainable practices, the planet will become even less able to feed its growing population than it is today.

13 Oct 2011

Three key steps to prevent asthma attacks in children during winter

For most people, the word "autumn" conjures up images of honey crisp apples, pumpkin patches and Halloween. But for many pediatricians, fall also means more patients with asthma flare-ups.

13 Oct 2011

CSIR and Mayo Clinic sign research collaboration agreement

Mayo Clinic and the top science and technology organization in India have signed an agreement to collaborate on research. Leaders from Mayo and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India today signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on such topics as drug, device and biomarker studies relating to heart disease, chemical biology and applied genomics, and innovations in metabolomics.

13 Oct 2011

Evidence suggests mosquitos in Kenya have developed chemical resistance, KEMRI official says

Speaking at a national malaria forum in Nairobi on Monday, Charles Mbogo of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) presented new evidence showing that malaria-causing mosquitos in Kenya have developed resistance to the most common chemicals derived from pyrethroids and DDT, which "could be a major blow to the country's strategy to eradicate malaria by 2017," Nigeria's the Nation reports.

12 Oct 2011

NovaSterilis awarded patent for sterilization process for pharmaceutical API using supercritical carbon dioxide

NovaSterilis Inc., a developer of supercritical carbon dioxide technology, has been granted US Patent 8,012,414 B2. The patent, dated September 6, 2011 entitled “Sterilization of Drugs Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Sterilant”, covers a new and effective method of sterilizing pharmaceutical product without dangerous chemicals or radiation.

11 Oct 2011

Aspirin desensitization procedure can benefit patients with sinusitis, asthma and AERD

Beth Moore can now keep up with her children. The suburban Philadelphia mother of two had suffered from allergies and chronic sinusitis since her teens. With age her symptoms became more severe, turning into bronchitis and eventually asthma, diminishing her ability to breathe and sapping her of her energy. The only complete relief came from aspirin; and the aspirin desensitization that allowed her to overcome her aspirin allergy and end her decades-long battle with sinusitis.

11 Oct 2011

New siRNA treatment reduces damaging inflammation in animals models of several disorders

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers - along with collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals - have found a way to block, in an animal model, the damaging inflammation that contributes to many disease conditions.

10 Oct 2011

Cannabidiol could prevent onset of pain associated with chemotherapy drugs

A chemical component of the marijuana plant could prevent the onset of pain associated with drugs used in chemo therapy, particularly in breast cancer patients, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Pharmacy.

7 Oct 2011

WSU to help develop alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and chemicals

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday announced that Washington State University (WSU) will receive a five-year, $40 million grant to help develop alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and chemicals.

3 Oct 2011

Tobacco companies deliberately kept findings of cancer-causing radioactive particles from the public

Tobacco companies knew that cigarette smoke contained radioactive alpha particles for more than four decades and developed "deep and intimate" knowledge of these particles' cancer-causing potential, but they deliberately kept their findings from the public, according to a new study by UCLA researchers.

29 Sep 2011

US researchers receive NIH grants to develop innovative neuroscience education programs

Eight investigators across the United States will receive funding over the next five years to develop innovative neuroscience education programs for K-12 students and their teachers. Activities described within some proposals include using touch tablet technology to teach neurobiology, and the creation of a 1,400-square-foot interactive learning center.

28 Sep 2011

U of A researchers discover active environmental catalyst

University of Alberta chemistry researchers have discovered an active catalyst that has the potential to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of manufacturing processes used to make products such as agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

28 Sep 2011

Low vitamin B12 raises risk of dementia in the elderly: Study

According to a latest study the elderly with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood may be more likely to develop problems with their thinking skills and have more brain shrinkage. The study points to a link between low B12 and early cognitive decline, a condition that often leads to dementia. Previous research has found that those people with high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood have lower levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which some studies have linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and stroke.

27 Sep 2011

Researchers modify HIV in a way that makes it no longer able to suppress immune system

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have modified HIV in a way that makes it no longer able to suppress the immune system. Their work, they say in a report published online September 19 in the journal Blood, could remove a major hurdle in HIV vaccine development and lead to new treatments.

27 Sep 2011

Fruits and veggies may prevent bowel cancer but not fruit juices: Study

Scientists claim that a glass of juice contains so much sugar it actually increases the risk of certain cancers, rather than preventing them. In fact, by the time the drink has been processed and packaged, many of the ingredients in fruit that protect against tumors have been lost, they say. The Perth team also said that many things found in fruit which help protect against bowel cancer – including fibre, vitamin C and chemicals known as antioxidants – are lost during the juice’s processing.

26 Sep 2011

Chemicals News and Research

Researchers identify gut bacteria bile acids linked to effectiveness of statin drugs in lowering cholesterol

Scientists conclude pesticide contamination as a major problem in Europe

BCL11A protein might serve as potential target for sickle cell disease

Hospitals, health groups going green

First Edition: October 13, 2011

Researchers design global plan for sustainable agriculture

Three key steps to prevent asthma attacks in children during winter

CSIR and Mayo Clinic sign research collaboration agreement

Evidence suggests mosquitos in Kenya have developed chemical resistance, KEMRI official says

NovaSterilis awarded patent for sterilization process for pharmaceutical API using supercritical carbon dioxide

Aspirin desensitization procedure can benefit patients with sinusitis, asthma and AERD

New siRNA treatment reduces damaging inflammation in animals models of several disorders

Cannabidiol could prevent onset of pain associated with chemotherapy drugs

WSU to help develop alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and chemicals

Tobacco companies deliberately kept findings of cancer-causing radioactive particles from the public

US researchers receive NIH grants to develop innovative neuroscience education programs

U of A researchers discover active environmental catalyst

Low vitamin B12 raises risk of dementia in the elderly: Study

Researchers modify HIV in a way that makes it no longer able to suppress immune system

Fruits and veggies may prevent bowel cancer but not fruit juices: Study

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

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