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ITG researchers uncover unexpected sex between two different parasites

What we anxiously fear in the influenza virus - a cross between two strains, resulting in a new variant we have no resistance against - has occurred in another pathogen, the Leishmania parasite. This was uncovered by researchers of the Institute of Tropical Medicine.

24 Jun 2011

GUMC neuroscientists: Speech perception must have evolved from animals

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have defined, for the first time, three different processing stages that a human brain needs to identify sounds such as speech - and discovered that they are the same as ones identified in non-human primates.

23 Jun 2011

NEOLUX, CEA-Leti collaborate to develop, manufacture smart LED systems

CEA-Leti and NEOLUX announced a new partnership aimed at developing and manufacturing innovative LED modules and products for lighting.

23 Jun 2011

MedShape develops larger sizes of ExoShape CL interference fixation device

MedShape Solutions, Inc., the industry leader in innovative shape memory orthopedic devices, today announced it has developed new, larger sizes of its ExoShape CL, a two-part PEEK Altera™ interference fixation device that simplifies and improves soft tissue graft fixation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery.

20 Jun 2011

Endo acquires American Medical Systems for $2.9 billion in cash

Endo Pharmaceuticals announced today the completion of its acquisition of American Medical Systems, Inc. (AMS). Endo announced on April 11, 2011, that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AMS, a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for male and female pelvic health, for approximately $2.9 billion in cash.

20 Jun 2011

BGI releases first complete map of Germany E. coli O104:H4 genome

Building upon previous efforts producing a high-quality de novo genome assemblies of deadly 2011 E. coli O104:H4 outbreak strain, the BGI and their collaborators at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf have now released the first complete map of the genome and plasmids without any assembly gaps.

17 Jun 2011

ISSCR honors UCSF cancer scientist with 2011 Outstanding Young Investigator Award

UCSF's Robert Blelloch, MD, PhD, has received the 2011 Outstanding Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Stem Cell Research, for his pioneering research on the role of molecular tools known as microRNAs in embryonic stem cells and cancer.

16 Jun 2011

ViroPharma receives European Centralized Marketing Authorization for Cinryze for treatment of HAE

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that the European Commission has granted ViroPharma Centralized Marketing Authorization for Cinryze (C1 inhibitor [human]) in adults and adolescents with hereditary angioedema (HAE) for routine prevention, pre-procedure prevention and acute treatment of angioedema attacks.

16 Jun 2011

Proposed NHS reforms face criticism

The former Labour Health Secretary Alan Milburn has said that the changes to NHS announced this week in the wake of demands from the Liberal Democrats and opposition from the health establishment represent a “disaster.” He warned that it means any chance of reforming the NHS meaningfully has been lost for a generation. George Osborne, the Chancellor, will now have to bail out the NHS with “a very large cheque” as the £20 billion of savings required will be impossible to find, he says.

16 Jun 2011

AARP releases report about Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment

An Oregon-pioneered program aimed at improving health care for those with advanced illness is now receiving national attention. AARP recently released a report about the Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST, program.

15 Jun 2011

Each one of us receives 60 new mutations in our genome from parents

Each one of us receives approximately 60 new mutations in our genome from our parents. This striking value is reported in the first-ever direct measure of new mutations coming from mother and father in whole human genomes published today.

13 Jun 2011

Free access to enteric pathogen's genetic regulation data

Just a few genes make enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) extremely dangerous to humans. If it were not for these genes, EHEC would hardly differ from harmless enteric bacteria. Bioinformatics scientists from the Saarbr-cken Cluster of Excellence want to exploit this similarity to find starting points for effective drugs against the EHEC pathogen.

10 Jun 2011

Research provides better understanding of interplay between genomes of malaria parasites, humans

For tens of thousands of years, the genomes of malaria parasites and humans have been at war with one another. Now, University of Pennsylvania geneticists, in collaboration with an international team of scientists, have developed a new picture of one way that the human genome has fought back.

10 Jun 2011

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated liver disease after liver transplantation

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated liver disease continues to be the most common indication for liver transplantation (LT) in the United States accounting for nearly 50% of all liver transplants. Recurrence is universal in patients viremic at the time of transplantation with histological hepatitis developing in the majority of patients. Although the natural history of recurrent HCV is difficult to predict, it is widely accepted that cirrhosis from recurrent HCV occurs in up to 30% of patients within five years of transplantation.

8 Jun 2011

UC Davis and BGI partner to conduct large-scale genome sequencing and functional genomics programs

The University of California, Davis, and BGI, the world's largest genome sequencing institute, agreed today (June 8) to form a partnership to conduct large-scale genome sequencing and functional genomics programs, focusing initially on the areas of food security; human and animal health and wellness; and biodiversity and environmental health.

8 Jun 2011

New book explores food and eating habits among prehistoric people

From the paleolithic diet to the raw food diet, many health-conscious Americans now want to eat the way they believe our ancient ancestors ate.

8 Jun 2011

Mimicry allows bacteria to evade host's defense responses

Deadly bacteria may be evolving antibiotic resistance by mimicking human proteins, according to a new study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

3 Jun 2011

Study provides insights into evolution and origins of MRSA

A distinctly new type of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that is not detected by traditional genetic screening methods has been discovered in patients in Irish hospitals according to research to be published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

3 Jun 2011

Geophagy protects stomach against toxins, parasites and pathogens

Most of us never considered eating the mud pies we made as kids, but for many people all over the world, dining on dirt is nothing out of the ordinary. Now an extensive meta-analysis forthcoming in the June issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology helps explain why.

3 Jun 2011

VisiInc and MMRGlobal announce agreement to launch MyMedicalRecords in Australia

MMRGlobal, Inc. and VisiInc PLC (VZJ) have entered into an agreement to launch MMRGlobal’s patented consumer and professional health IT products and services, including MMRPro for healthcare professionals (www.mmrprovideos.com) and the MyMedicalRecords Personal Health Record (PHR) (www.mmrvideos.com), on the Visi™ platform utilizing the Vistime product. Initially, the two companies will collaborate on offering products and services jointly to the health technology market in Australia, which is currently projected to be as much as $2.4 billion this year.

2 Jun 2011