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Study on link between SNP and concentrations of serum creatinine

Scientists at deCODE genetics and colleagues at Radboud University in the Netherlands today describe how the impact of a single letter variation in the sequence of the human genome conferring risk of kidney disease varies with age and with the onset of other diseases. The study provides independent confirmation of the association made in an earlier study between a version of the the SNP, located on chromosome 16p12, and risk of chronic kidney disease. It also confirmed the link between the SNP and concentrations of serum creatinine, a key indicator of kidney function.

30 Jul 2010

AdvanDx's 90 minutes protocol for Yeast Traffic Light PNA FISH test receives FDA 510(k) clearance

AdvanDx today announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for a fast, 90 minutes protocol for its Yeast Traffic Light® PNA FISH® test. The faster protocol reduces the PNA FISH turn-around time from the original 2.5 hours to 90 minutes by reducing PNA probe hybridization from 90 minutes to 30 minutes.

30 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 follow-up coverage: Global HIV/AIDS funding; HIV/AIDS studies, releases

Media outlets continued to reflect on news from the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, which attracted over 19,000 participants from 197 countries to Vienna last week, according to the conference blog.

30 Jul 2010

Medtronic launches Defeat-HF clinical trial to evaluate SCS for heart failure

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the global launch of the Defeat-HF (Determining the Feasibility of Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure) clinical trial. It is the industry's first prospective, randomized study evaluating the clinical feasibility of spinal cord stimulation, or neurostimulation, to improve clinical signs and symptoms of heart failure.

30 Jul 2010

New findings on snake venom toxin hold promise for developing heart disease, cancer therapies

Researchers seeking to learn more about stroke by studying how the body responds to toxins in snake venom are this week releasing new findings that they hope will aid in the development of therapies for heart disease and, surprisingly, cancer. The Japanese team is reporting in a Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week" that they are optimistic that inhibiting a protein found on the surface of blood cells known as platelets may combat both irregular blood clotting and the spread of certain cancers throughout the body.

30 Jul 2010

Fecal occult blood tests make cost effective alternatives in colorectal cancer screening

While colonoscopies are the most accurate method for the early detection of colorectal cancers, screening with fecal occult blood tests results in more efficient use of limited budgets, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International.

30 Jul 2010

Orexigen's Contrave COR-I trial results published online in journal Lancet

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. announced that results from its COR-I trial of Contrave® were published online today in the journal Lancet. COR-I was the largest of the four, 56-week, Phase 3 trials supporting the New Drug Application for Contrave, currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Results show that patients taking Contrave were two to three times more likely to lose at least 5% or 10% of their body weight compared to those taking placebo, on both an intent-to-treat (ITT) and completers basis.

30 Jul 2010

SeraCare Life Sciences launches new product to diagnose HIV

SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. today announced that the Company has launched a set of new products in its diagnostic controls and panels portfolio—the SeraCare HIV-1 Seroconversion Panels. Each of the six panels consists of a set of undiluted plasma samples from a single plasma donor collected over a period of time during the development of detectable specific antibodies to HIV in the blood, or seroconversion, and is highly characterized with enhanced product information.

30 Jul 2010

White button mushrooms can keep the immune system healthy: Study

Mushrooms are among the many foods thought to play an important role in keeping the immune system healthy. Now, Agricultural Research Service funded scientists have conducted an animal-model and cell-culture study showing that white button mushrooms enhanced the activity of critical cells in the body's immune system.

30 Jul 2010

BioCurex’s RECAF blood test potential to monitor cancer recurrence, treatment

BioCurex Inc. today announced that the International Society of Oncology and Biomarkers Congress Scientific Committee has accepted BioCurex's presentation on the RECAF blood test potential to monitor cancer recurrence and treatment. The meeting will be held Sept. 3-8, 2010 in Munich, Germany and is broadly attended by scientists, physicians and biotechnology companies involved in cancer diagnostics.

30 Jul 2010

Prostate basal cell can spawn tumors in prostate gland: Research

A type of prostate cell that has been largely ignored by cancer researchers can, in fact, trigger malignant prostate cancer, according to new studies by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists and their colleagues.

30 Jul 2010

New paradigm in TB research may lead to improved vaccination, treatment

Often causing no symptoms in carriers of the disease, worldwide tuberculosis (TB) infects eight to ten million people every year, kills two million, and it is highly contagious as it is spread through coughing and sneezing. "It's a global health disaster waiting to happen, even here in Canada, but this new paradigm in TB research may offer an immediate opportunity to improve vaccination and treatment initiatives," explains Dr. Maziar Divangahi of McGill University and of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

30 Jul 2010

Abaxis first-quarter revenues increase 18% to $35.0 million

ABAXIS, Inc., a medical products company manufacturing point-of-care blood analysis systems, today reported financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2010.

30 Jul 2010

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings second-quarter 2010 net revenue increases 7.3% to $402.8 million

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp. today announced its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010 and filed its 2010 Form 10-Q with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

29 Jul 2010

Natus Medical second-quarter revenue increases to $52.7 million

Natus Medical Incorporated today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

29 Jul 2010

Cord Blood America announces highlights for 6-month period ended June 30, 2010

Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy, to families nationwide and internationally, today announced highlights for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010. The Company believes the period was the most significant and eventful in its history.

29 Jul 2010

American Red Cross encourages public to be trained in full CPR and use of AEDs

"Articles published today in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) cite a pair of studies on Compression-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), sometimes called continuous chest compressions, Hands-Only CPR, or cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR).

29 Jul 2010

Researchers find how angiotensin influences immune system

Researchers in Heidelberg and Stanford have discovered a new signalling pathway of brain cells that explains how widely used antihypertensive drugs could keep inflammation in multiple sclerosis in check. The peptide angiotensin not only raises blood pressure but also activates the immunological messenger substance TGF beta on a previously unknown communication pathway in the brain.

29 Jul 2010

The Children's Hospital constructs new LEED-certified patient tower

The Children's Hospital has begun the construction of a 10-story, 350,000-square-foot addition. The $230 million expansion of a new patient tower initially will have 124 beds, with two floors of shelled space for additional future beds, bringing the total number of patient beds at Children's to around 500 upon full completion. The expansion also is expected to bring approximately 500 new jobs to the hospital's workforce. Children's anticipates admitting patients in the LEED-certified tower beginning in late 2012.

29 Jul 2010

Nymox provides update on NX-1207 Phase 3 program for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation provided an update today on the Company's Phase 3 program for NX-1207, Nymox's investigational drug for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The Safety Monitoring Committee meeting of July 22, 2010 for the Phase 3 U.S. pivotal trials of NX-1207 was favorable and indicated no significant safety concerns for the trials to date. Patient recruitment and trial activities for pivotal U.S. studies NX02-0017 and NX02-0018 are proceeding at over 70 well-known urology investigative sites throughout the U.S.

29 Jul 2010