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New measurement technique can lead to better treatment strategies for malaria and sickle-cell disease

Thanks to an interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists now have a more complete understanding of one of the human body's most vital structures: the red blood cell.

7 May 2010

Methane in breath linked to obesity

New Cedars-Sinai research shows obese patients who test positive for methane on their breath have a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than their peers.

7 May 2010

THI at St. Luke's reveals new insights on how adult stem cells repair damaged hearts following heart attack

Physician scientists at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (THI at St. Luke's) are publishing research this week that reveals new insights into how a particular set of human adult stem cells helps repair damaged hearts following a heart attack in laboratory mice.

7 May 2010

New study may help design better vaccines for dengue fever

Some of the human immune system's defences against the virus that causes dengue fever actually help the virus to infect more cells, according to new research published today in the journal Science.

7 May 2010

NHLBI grants MU $8.47 million for research on cardiovascular diseases

One of the largest medical research grants ever awarded to the University of Missouri was announced today by MU scientists and administrators. The National Institutes of Health grant will help answer important questions about such prevalent health problems as high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. The conditions are closely associated with cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in Missouri and the nation.

7 May 2010

Telik first-quarter net loss decreases to $5.3 million

Telik, Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010. The net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2010 was $5.3 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a net loss of $7.7 million, or $0.14 per share, for the same period in 2009.

7 May 2010

Researchers study effects of dark chocolates in reducing heart disease

Volunteers are to have chocolate delivered to their homes and be encouraged to eat 50g of it every day for eight weeks as part of a new research study.

7 May 2010

A checklist to stay healthy at every age

Shantanu Nundy, MD, a second-year resident in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center may soon find out. Driven by his mother's health questions and the difficulty of providing simple, reliable answers, Nundy collected all of the "generally accepted truths" about preventing disease, organized them into checklists based on age, and persuaded the Johns Hopkins University Press to publish them as Stay Healthy at Every Age: What Your Doctor Wants you to Know.

7 May 2010

Swedish researchers present a new principle for inhibiting atherosclerosis

A new study by researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the immune defence's T cells can attack the "bad" LDL cholesterol and thereby cause an inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis.

7 May 2010

Imprinted genes may be the root cause of gender specific diseases, says study

Pregnancy places competing demands on a mother's physiology: Her body wants to produce a strong healthy baby but not at the expense of her own health. Some of the genes that she passes on to her child therefore try to protect her own body from excessive demands from her child.

7 May 2010

Mouse study may lead to new therapies for Parkinson's disease

Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease.

7 May 2010

Bioengineers define relationship between key regulatory proteins

With thousands of scientists across the globe searching for ways to use adult stem cells to fight disease, there's a growing emphasis on finding the "master regulators" that guide the differentiation of stem cells. New research from Rice University and the University of Cambridge suggests that a closely connected trio of regulatory proteins fulfills that role in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the self-renewing cells the body uses to make new blood cells.

7 May 2010

Oramed reports Phase 2b non-FDA clinical trial results of ORMD-0801 oral insulin capsule

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a developer of alternative drug delivery systems, reported today results for the recently completed Phase 2b non-FDA clinical trial of its flagship oral insulin capsule, ORMD-0801.

7 May 2010

Cytochroma reports positive results from Phase I trial for CTAP201 Injection in hemodialysis patients

Cytochroma today announced positive Phase I results for CTAP201 Injection, a product being developed to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients. The study demonstrated that single intravenous doses of 1 and 3 mcg of CTAP201 were safe and well tolerated. It also identified a starting dose of 2 mcg for subsequent pivotal trials intended to establish the product's safety and efficacy in the targeted population.

6 May 2010

Investigators demonstrate safety and efficacy of targeted medication to shrink advanced kidney cancers

A multicenter team of investigators led by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has demonstrated, for the first time, the safety and efficacy of a targeted medication to shrink advanced kidney cancers prior to partial kidney removal and reconstruction. Their findings were published in the April 2010 online edition of BJU International.

6 May 2010

CombinatoRx reports $41.3M total revenue for first-quarter 2010

CombinatoRx, Incorporated today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

6 May 2010

Vical reports net loss of $8.5 million for first-quarter 2010

Vical Incorporated today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. Revenues were $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2010 compared with $2.3 million for the first quarter of 2009, reflecting lower revenues under the company's license agreement with AnGes MG, Inc. Operating expenses were $10.1 million for the first quarter of 2010 compared with $10.6 million for the first quarter of 2009.

6 May 2010

New research to improve effectiveness of nicotine vaccination for cigarette smokers

If Pradeep K. Garg, Ph.D., of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center figures out why some smokers are more addicted to nicotine than others, it could lead to more successful smoking cessation treatments.

6 May 2010

Whole grain barley products with low glycemic response provide favourable metabolic benefits

Evidence from observational studies indicates that diets rich in whole grain reduce risk of obesity and other diseases related to the metabolic syndrome e.g. type 2 diabetes and cardio-vascular disease. The mechanisms involved are only partially elucidated. Work within HEALTHGRAIN has revealed novel insights regarding some potential mechanisms.

6 May 2010

Measurement of finger temperature to assess individual's risk for CVD

Two University of Houston professors are working to help keep your heart beating stronger and longer simply by monitoring the temperature of your fingertip.

6 May 2010