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RNA interference can be used to silence genes selectively - potential for Huntington's disease therapy

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have designed tiny RNA molecules that shut off the gene that causes Huntington's disease without damaging that gene's healthy counterpart, which maintains the health and vitality of neurons.

12 Apr 2009

New therapy for metastatic prostate cancer shows promise

A new therapy for metastatic prostate cancer has shown considerable promise in early clinical trials involving patients whose disease has become resistant to current drugs.

12 Apr 2009

More women with early-stage breast cancer opting for double mastectomies

A University of Minnesota cancer surgeon and researcher has found a dramatic increase in the number of women diagnosed with the earliest stage of breast cancer choosing to have both breasts surgically removed.

12 Apr 2009

FDA acts to avoid shortage of medically necessary opioid

The U.S Food and Drug Administration today amended its March 30, 2009, action warning manufacturers to stop the production and distribution of certain unapproved prescription opioids, to allow the continued marketing and distribution of one particular type of opioid -- a high concentrate morphine sulfate oral solution -- on an interim basis.

12 Apr 2009

Early administration of HIV antiretroviral therapy improves survival

The first antiretroviral treatments appeared in 1996. Since then, new and better drugs have been discovered that have almost turned AIDS into a chronic disease.

12 Apr 2009

Research points to a new approach to treating type 1 diabetes

Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) School of Medicine have demonstrated in mice that transplanted pancreatic precursor cells are protected from the immune system when encapsulated in polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE).

12 Apr 2009

Researchers reveal how immune cells can be harnessed to target melanoma

Researchers at the Babraham Institute and the University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Italy, co-ordinating an international network of scientists and clinicians from Europe, the USA and Japan, have identified new mechanisms through which the immune system recognises and responds to tumours like melanomas.

12 Apr 2009

Treatment for acid reflux does not improve asthma symptoms

A commonly used treatment for acid reflux does not improve asthma symptoms or control in patients who do not have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), according to a new study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health and by the American Lung Association (ALA).

12 Apr 2009

Soybean chemicals may reduce menopause symptoms

Soy aglycons of isoflavone (SAI), a group of soybean constituent chemicals, have been shown to promote health in a rat model of the menopause.

9 Apr 2009

Clinical trials for two compounds show promise in advanced prostate cancer

In a paper published online this week in Science Express (the online version of Science magazine), researchers report that early clinical trials for two compounds, MDV3100 and RD162, show initial promise for patients suffering from an advanced metastatic form of the disease known as castration-resistant prostate cancer.

9 Apr 2009

Merck & Co and Cardiome sign agreement for Vernakalant

Merck & Co., Inc. and Cardiome Pharma Corp. has announced a collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of vernakalant, an investigational candidate for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

9 Apr 2009

Research finds active brown fat in adult humans

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have demonstrated that adult humans still have a type of "good" fat previously believed to be present only in babies and children.

9 Apr 2009

Seroquel XR supplemental NDA recommended for approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) conducted a review of the safety and efficacy of supplemental new drug applications (sNDA) for Seroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets proposed for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

9 Apr 2009

Enzyme therapy with agalsidase alfa may slow the progression of kidney disease

For men with Fabry disease, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with agalsidase alfa slows deterioration of kidney function, reports a study in the online edition of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

9 Apr 2009

Experimental drug lowers PSA levels

A new multi-center study shows that an experimental drug lowers prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels – a marker for tumor growth – in men with advanced prostate cancer for whom traditional treatment options have failed.

9 Apr 2009

Coartem tablets approved in U.S. to treat malaria

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Coartem tablets (artemether and lumefantrine) for the treatment of acute, uncomplicated malaria infections in adults and children weighing at least five kilograms (approximately 11 pounds).

8 Apr 2009

Aerobic exercise may help patients with heart failure

Aerobic exercise training appears safe for patients with heart failure and was associated with a modest reduction in the risk of death and hospitalization, with some improvement in quality of life, according to two articles in the April 8 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Apr 2009

Patient preferences play role in racial disparities in rheumatoid arthritis treatment

Racial disparities in the delivery of healthcare occur even among insured populations with access to care.

8 Apr 2009

New therapy for metastatic prostate cancer shows promise

A new therapy for metastatic prostate cancer has shown considerable promise in early clinical trials involving patients whose disease has become resistant to current drugs.

8 Apr 2009

More intensive treatment not associated with better outcomes in early bladder cancer

Patients with early bladder cancer who receive more intensive treatment within the first two years of diagnosis do not appear to have better survival than patients who receive less intensive treatment, according to a retrospective analysis published in the April 7 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

8 Apr 2009