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Hormone ghrelin may improve appetite in gastric cancer patients

In gastric cancer patients who have had part or all of their stomach removed, the hormone ghrelin may lessen post-operative weight loss and improve appetite, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute.

1 Apr 2010

Call for European Cystic Fibrosis healthcare gap to be closed

A healthcare gap amounting to a ‘death sentence’ for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) children born in Eastern Europe must be closed say researchers from the EuroCareCF Coordination Action for Cystic Fibrosis.

18 Mar 2010

Soluble fiber in oats, apples and nuts reduces inflammation; strengthens immune system

A new University of Illinois study touts the benefits of soluble fiber-found in oats, apples, and nuts, for starters-saying that it reduces the inflammation associated with obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system.

3 Mar 2010

Widely used biomarkers in early detection of liver cancer are not ideal: Study

Widely used biomarkers are not optimal in early detection of liver cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, according to a new study published in this month's Gastroenterology.

26 Feb 2010

Combining DCP and AFP biomarkers may improve early detection of liver cancer

While biomarkers are needed to complement ultrasound in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; liver cancer), neither des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) nor the most widely used biomarker, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), is optimal, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

26 Feb 2010

Certain patients with IBD at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer: AGA's new guidelines

Certain patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease of the colon, have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to individuals without IBD. A number of factors contribute to the increase in risk, which necessitates an individualized and sensible approach to surveillance in patients, according to a new medical position statement and technical review published by the American Gastroenterological Association in its official journal, Gastroenterology.

17 Feb 2010

Study shows more women die of heart disease each year than men

Cardiovascular disease (commonly referred to as heart disease) is the leading cause of death for women worldwide. Almost every minute, a woman in the U.S. dies from heart disease. Despite the prevalence of heart disease in women, a 2005 American Heart Association study showed that 92% of primary care physicians and 83% of cardiologists were not aware of the fact that more women than men die of heart disease each year.

10 Feb 2010

Seven-day exercise plan for reducing cancer risk

Being active for at least 30 minutes every day reduces your risk of developing some types of cancer. Fitness experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have designed an exclusive exercise plan based on this evidence that will fit into almost anyone's lifestyle.

9 Feb 2010

Elephantiasis and river blindness: MSU researcher receives $2M for reformulating flubendazole

In an effort to eliminate the tropical diseases elephantiasis and river blindness, a Michigan State University researcher has been awarded $2 million to reformulate an existing drug that could stop the debilitating diseases in their tracks.

5 Feb 2010

Universite de Montreal researchers are developing leptin-based pill to control hunger

A Universit- de Montr-al research team is developing a pill composed of leptin, the protein that tells our brain to stop eating. "Mice deprived of leptin will not stop eating. They become so big they have trouble moving around," says Mo-se Bendayan, a pathology professor at the Universit- de Montr-al Faculty of Medicine who has studied the leptin protein extensively.

27 Jan 2010

Microbiologists explain why apples are beneficial for health

Why does an apple a day keep the doctor away? New research published in the open access journal BMC Microbiology contributes to our understanding of why eating apples is good for you.

20 Jan 2010

Peginterferon alpha-2a yields better results in treating patients with chronic hepatitis C

In patients with chronic hepatitis C, treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a (PegIFNα2a) plus ribavirin (RBV) better suppresses the virus to undetectable levels in the blood than treatment with peginterferon alpha-2b (PegIFNα2b) plus RBV, according to two new head-to-head studies in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

5 Jan 2010

CGEN-671, a new drug target for multiple epithelial tumors discovered by Compugen

Compugen Ltd. announced today the discovery and experimental validation of CGEN-671, a new drug target for multiple epithelial tumors.

28 Dec 2009

Researchers discover how protein can be controlled and under what circumstances it can go awry

A team of researchers studying the protein that, when defective or absent, causes cystic fibrosis (CF) has made an important discovery about how that protein is normally controlled and under what circumstances it might go awry.

18 Dec 2009

Given Imaging introduces new PillCam system at GASTRO 2009 Conference

Given Imaging Ltd., the global leader in capsule endoscopy, today announced the launch of its second-generation PillCam® COLON capsule at the Gastro 2009 Conference taking place in London. Like Given Imaging's other capsule endoscopes, PillCam® SB and PillCam® ESO, PillCam COLON could be a more patient-friendly tool for imaging the gastrointestinal tract.

23 Nov 2009

Antioxidant found in vegetables can protect cells from damage caused by infection and injury

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that a dietary antioxidant found in such vegetables as broccoli and cauliflower protects cells from damage caused by chemicals generated during the body's inflammatory response to infection and injury. The finding has implications for such inflammation-based disorders as cystic fibrosis (CF), diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration.

17 Nov 2009

Detailed review findings of EMPOWER study to evaluate the Maestro System released

EnteroMedics Inc., the developer of medical devices using neuroblocking technology to treat obesity and other gastrointestinal disorders, today announced preliminary findings from its ongoing detailed review of its EMPOWER™ study, a randomized, double-blind, controlled pivotal study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Maestro® System in the treatment of obesity.

12 Nov 2009

Lactose intolerance rates may be overestimated by wide margins

Prevalence of lactose intolerance may be far lower than previously estimated, according to a study in the latest issue of Nutrition Today.(1) The study, which uses data from a national sample of three ethnic groups, reveals that the overall prevalence rate of self-reported lactose intolerance is 12 percent - with 7.72 percent of European Americans, 10.05 percent of Hispanic Americans and 19.5 percent of African Americans who consider themselves lactose intolerant.

21 Oct 2009

XenoPort commences Phase 2b arbaclofen placarbil clinical trial for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

XenoPort, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of arbaclofen placarbil (AP), also known as XP19986, in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who remain symptomatic despite treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). The trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of AP as adjunctive therapy to PPIs.

19 Oct 2009

Riley Hospital for Children commences patient enrollment in clinical trial of cystic fibrosis drug

The Riley Hospital for Children Cystic Fibrosis Center is the first site in the nation to enroll patients ages 6-11 for the first part of a 48-week clinical trial of a promising investigational treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF).

9 Oct 2009