Blood News and Research

RSS

Racial differences in hepatitis C viral responses

African American patients with hepatitis C (HCV) infections experience a lower response rate to the peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin combination treatment than Caucasian Americans, according to a study published in the August issue of Gastroenterology.

16 Aug 2006

Chemotherapy and breast cancer - side effects underestimated

Researchers believe that the side effects of chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer are probably higher than thought.

16 Aug 2006

Natural HIV immunity

An international, multi-institutional research consortium is seeking to discover how a few HIV-infected individuals are naturally able to suppress replication of the virus.

16 Aug 2006

Breast cancer sufferers experience more side effects from chemo than previously thought

Women with breast cancer ages 64 and younger experience three to four times more serious side effects from chemotherapy than previously hypothesized, according to a study published in the Aug. 16 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

16 Aug 2006

AIDS vaccine still long way off

Researchers are optimistic about a potential HIV/AIDS vaccine, even though none of the vaccines in development is likely to completely protect people from HIV transmission, participants at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto said at a news conference Tuesday, Reuters reports.

16 Aug 2006

Skin test may help detect early Alzheimer's

A simple skin test that would allow detection of Alzheimer's disease appears to be a realistic possibility in the future.

16 Aug 2006

Think twice about that occasional cup of coffee

According to new research, one cup of coffee may trigger a heart attack in some people within a hour of drinking it.

16 Aug 2006

New plan to confront HIV-related health worker shortages

Launch of a coordinated global plan to address a major and often overlooked barrier to preventing and treating HIV/AIDS: the severe shortage of health workers, particularly in developing nations.

15 Aug 2006

Serious gaps in Indian public knowledge about HIV

As India gears up implementation of national plans to fight HIV, infectious diseases experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere are pointing out serious gaps in public knowledge about the disease and identifying early problems in private clinics, where 70 percent of HIV-infected Indians receive their everyday medical care.

15 Aug 2006

Elite suppressors of HIV to change how scientists monitor spread of disease

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have found that 1 percent to 2 percent of those infected with HIV in Baltimore apparently suppress the virus to nearly undetectable levels on their own, confounding public health efforts to accurately monitor the pandemic's spread, now in its 20th year.

15 Aug 2006

Drug trial fiasco induced immune system overload in patients

The doctors who treated six British men in a trial of a drug in March which went horribly wrong, say they believe the men suffered an immune system overreaction known as a cytokine storm.

15 Aug 2006

Breast cancer 'wonder drug' Herceptin carries a risk for heart problems

According to the latest research breast cancer wonder drug Herceptin puts some women at risk of heart problems.

15 Aug 2006

Veggies good for eyesight as you age

Scientists say a diet rich in the compounds lutein and zeaxanthin which are found in carrots and yellow and green vegetables such as sweetcorn, broccoli, peas and squash, offer protection against damage to eyesight in later life.

15 Aug 2006

Cancer stem cells spur glioma angiogenesis, could hold key to brain tumor therapy

Stem cell-like glioma cancer cells that share many characteristics with normal stem cells propel the lethal growth of brain cancers by promoting tumor blood vessel formation, and may hold the key to treating these deadly cancers.

15 Aug 2006

Argatroban may promote opening of arteries following stroke

A medication known as argatroban, when combined with another drug already used in the treatment of stroke patients, may help restore the flow of blood through blocked arteries.

14 Aug 2006

New findings support Rapamycin's role as cancer treatment

Scientists have long known that the blood vessels of tumors differ markedly from normal blood vessels.

14 Aug 2006

New treatment for septic shock

A potential new treatment for septic shock and other inflammatory diseases has been discovered by Monash Institute researchers.

14 Aug 2006

Lipitor reduces the risk of a second stroke

Researchers have found that the drug Lipitor which is normally used to lower cholesterol, can cut the risk of a second stroke when used in double doses.

14 Aug 2006

In this day and age, even babies are fatter!

Researchers in the U.S. say it is not just the adult population that is getting fatter and fatter, babies today are far more likely to be overweight than they were twenty years ago.

14 Aug 2006

Antioxidants may protect against Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-borne illness

For hikers, campers and others who enjoy the outdoors, summer can bring concerns about tick bites and related illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

9 Aug 2006