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Yeast cells used to screen for potential Lou Gehrig's disease drugs

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are developing a novel approach to screen for drugs to combat neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, using yeast cells.

17 Apr 2008

Austrian scientists identify common mechanism underlying acute respiratory disease syndrome

The Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 killed between 30 and 50 million people. In the infected patients, the ultimate cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This fatal condition is a massive reaction of the body during which the lung becomes severely damaged. ARDS can be induced by various bacterial and viral infections, but also by chemical agents.

17 Apr 2008

Mistletoe therapy in oncology

For many people, mistletoe conjures up images of Christmas holidays, but in parts of Europe, mistletoe extract is widely used as a therapy for cancer patients. However, a new review of studies finds only weak evidence that the treatment provides any benefit.

17 Apr 2008

New molecule could be key to anti-heart attack drug

When too many blood platelets stick together in the bloodstream, they form dangerous clots that can clog blood vessels and cause a heart attack. If a clot doesn't get dissolved or rapidly removed, it can cause permanent damage or even death.

17 Apr 2008

Angiotech receives FDA clearance to market 5-Fluorouracil-coated central venous catheter

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its innovative 5-Fluorouracil-coated (5-FU) Central Venous Catheter (CVC) in the United States.

17 Apr 2008

Plastic surgeons to develop groundbreaking therapies for war injury research

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) will play a pivotal role over the next five years developing groundbreaking therapies to better treat U.S. soldiers critically injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

17 Apr 2008

Study shows factors influencing premature infant survival, disability

Based on observations of more than 4,000 infants, researchers in an NIH newborn research network have identified several factors that influence an extremely low birth weight infant's chances for survival and disability. The findings offer new information to physicians and families considering the most appropriate treatment options for this category of infants.

17 Apr 2008

New type of drug shrinks primary breast cancer tumours significantly in just six weeks

A drug that targets the cell surface receptors that play an important role in many types of cancer can bring about significant tumour regression in breast cancer after only six weeks of use, a scientist told the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) (Thursday 17 April).

17 Apr 2008

Patients are the real losers in the complementary medicine debate

One of the most important questions about complementary medicine - does it generate more harm than good - remains unanswered because two alternative and antagonistic attitudes are influencing the evidence, says an expert today.

17 Apr 2008

2nd Alzheimer's vaccine by AFFiRiS

The Viennese biotech company Affiris is today taking stock of the progress achieved to date in its clinical Alzheimer's vaccination programme. All the Alzheimer's patients treated so far as part of the toxicological trials have tolerated the treatment extremely well. As a result, Affiris is among the leading international centres in the race to develop the first causal immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease.

17 Apr 2008

Mushroom extract could stop breast cancer cell growth

Mushroom extracts could halt the growth of breast cancer cells, suggests research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

17 Apr 2008

New drug for melanoma riluzole shows promise

Rutgers Professor Suzie Chen has found that riluzole, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug used to treat Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), slows the growth of melanoma, the most aggressive form of malignant skin cancer.

16 Apr 2008

Drugs in the pipeline: new therapies that could change treatment strategies

The investigational drug AZD2171 (cediranib) may help shrink tumors and prolong survival of patients with a relatively common, aggressive type of brain cancer, according to results from a clinical trial conducted by Boston researchers.

16 Apr 2008

Cultural identity and mental health status

The first prospective study investigating cultural identity and mental health status among adolescents living in a culturally diverse society has revealed that there is an association between the two, and that effects differ by gender and ethnic group.

16 Apr 2008

Creatinine increase in elderly means increased renal disease, mortality

Even small increases in serum creatinine levels during hospitalization raise the risk of end stage renal disease and mortality of elderly patients over the long term, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

16 Apr 2008

Computer game helps chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients breathe better

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may gain better control over their breathing and breathe more efficiently by using their breath to play a computer game, according to new research.

16 Apr 2008

New vector carries big genes linked to inherited blindness

Some clinicians and researchers hope that individuals with inherited diseases (such as cystic fibrosis and recessive Stargardt disease, which causes progressive loss of sight) might one day be cured by providing them with a corrected version of their disease-causing faulty gene, i.e., by gene therapy.

16 Apr 2008

New guidelines for palliative care for children and adults

Palliative care was once reserved for patients when all curative options had been exhausted and death was imminent, but now it is considered an integral part of the care that should be available to patients with serious respiratory disorders and critical illnesses.

16 Apr 2008

Mushroom extract used in Chinese medicine stops growth of invasive breast cancer cells

Scientists in the U.S. have discovered that a substance derived from mushrooms and used for centuries in Chinese medicine may stop the growth of breast cancer cells.

16 Apr 2008

Surgery successful in removing Indonesian man's disfiguring bark-like warts

An Indonesian man so badly disfigured by warts that he has been dubbed the Tree Man of Java has had surgery to remove the bark like tissue growing from his hands and feet.

16 Apr 2008