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Flesh-eating bacteria on Texas beach leaves man fighting for his life

Steve Gilpatrick went swimming while on holiday in early July at Crystal Beach, when the ulcer had apparently almost healed; his leg became infected three days later and he developed a high fever and was taken to hospital.

21 Jul 2007

Non-suicidal self-injury common in high-school students

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury the deliberate, direct destruction of body tissue without conscious suicidal intent is a relatively common occurrence for adolescents in high school, a new study suggests.

20 Jul 2007

Schering-Plough announces licensing of Acadesine

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced the worldwide licensing of acadesine, an investigational, potentially first-in-class adenosine regulating agent (ARA), from PeriCor Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, specialty biopharmaceutical company.

20 Jul 2007

Reducing insulin signaling in the brain can prolong lifespan

One route to a long and healthy life may be establishing the right balance in insulin signaling between the brain and the rest of the body, according to new research from Children's Hospital Boston.

20 Jul 2007

Xenotransplantation from pigs getting closer

Experiments using pigs genetically engineered for compatibility with the human immune system have raised hopes that cross-species transplantation could soon become an option for patients with diabetes and other currently incurable diseases.

20 Jul 2007

Obesity a risk factor for multiple myeloma

An obese person is more likely than a lean person to develop multiple myeloma, according to researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.

20 Jul 2007

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein may also influence how fat cells store fat

Scientists have shown for the first time that a protein involved in the transfer of fat in the blood may also influence how fat cells store fat.

20 Jul 2007

New combo treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia increases survival

The combination treatment of fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) greatly increases progression-free survival and response rates, compared with single treatment with either fludarabine or chlorambucil alone.

20 Jul 2007

Eat a good diet and exercise to live longer

The traditional prescriptions for a healthy life sensible diet, exercise and weight control extend life by reducing signaling through a specific pathway in the brain, according to Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers who discovered the connection while studying long-lived mice.

20 Jul 2007

Aptamers may refine cancer treatment

University of Florida researchers have successfully used molecular probes to detect subtle differences in leukemia cells from patient samples, an achievement that could lead to more effective ways to diagnose and treat cancer.

20 Jul 2007

Long term antiretroviral therapy may restore CD4 cell counts in HIV positive patients

HIV positive patients who take combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to combat HIV infection could see the numbers of CD4 cells in their immune system rise to concentrations found in HIV negative individuals, if they remain on the therapy for long enough and their HIV viral load load is suppressed to below 50 copies per ml.

20 Jul 2007

Three gene variants discovered that help fight HIV

An international team of researchers has identified three gene variants in the DNA of 486 people infected with HIV that appear to have helped some of the patients fight off the virus and delay the onset of full-blown AIDS.

20 Jul 2007

Computers pass dosage test for thrombosis drugs

The largest ever study into the administration of blood thinning drugs like Warfarin has concluded that dosages calculated by computer are at least as safe and reliable as those provided by trained medical professionals.

From The University of Manchester 20 Jul 2007

Obesity a risk factor for multiple myeloma

An obese person is more likely than a lean person to develop multiple myeloma, according to researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.

19 Jul 2007

Web site puts physicians and hospitals under microscope

As health consumers across the country demand better and more detailed information about their physicians and hospitals, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is stepping up to detail its own performance efforts ranging from the percentage of clinicians who clean their hands to the number of times physicians take the proper steps in treating heart attack patients.

19 Jul 2007

Scientists lift lid on genetics of coronary artery disease

Scientists have moved a step closer to understanding how our genetic make-up can lead us to develop heart disease and to predicting who is most at risk.

19 Jul 2007

Neurons help find what your are looking for!

A person searching for a ripe tomato at the grocery store is more likely to notice apples, strawberries and other red fruits as well, according to a new study that measured changes in blood flow in the brain.

19 Jul 2007

Keeping food cravings in check important for weight management

Accepting food cravings and keeping them in check may be an important component of weight management, according to findings from the first six-month phase of a calorie-restriction study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.

19 Jul 2007

New study explains placebo effect

Why do some people experience a “placebo effect” that makes them feel better when they receive a sham treatment they believe to be real — while other people don't respond at all to the same thing, or even feel worse?

19 Jul 2007

Smart devices in health care

What people have come to expect in cell phones and personal communicators may soon become common in health-care devices and products at home and in medical offices, thanks to new technology announced by the University of Florida and IBM.

19 Jul 2007