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Combination drug treatment helps beat mesothelioma

People with mesothelioma - a form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure - have a higher survival rate when treated with a combination of two cancer drugs, a large multicenter study finds.

12 Feb 2007

End of an era for DNA patenting

Human DNA patents are unlikely to be the barrier to medical and scientific innovation that they were first feared to be, according to new findings published this week.

8 Feb 2007

Research helps explain origin of self-reactive B cells

Doctors have long wondered why, in some people, the immune system turns against parts of the body it is designed to protect, leading to autoimmune disease.

7 Feb 2007

Surrogate motherhood in India

Reuters on Monday examined the practice of surrogate motherhood in India, where surrogacy services are "far cheaper than in the West."

7 Feb 2007

New understanding of blood pressure gene could lead to new treatments

Research by scientists at UCL (University College London) has clearly demonstrated for the first time the structure and function of a gene crucial to the regulation of blood pressure. The discovery could be important in the search for new treatments for illnesses such as heart disease, the UK's biggest killer.

5 Feb 2007

Lack of help for eating disorders puts sufferers in a "twilight zone"

Campaigners in the UK say sufferers of eating disorders are relegated to a "twilight zone" when it comes to accessing help for their disorder.

5 Feb 2007

Health effects of passive somking studied in first-of-a-kind clinical study

Until bans on in-flight smoking took effect, beginning in 1988, flight attendants were regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.

1 Feb 2007

UK scientists reverse symptoms of mad cow disease

The researchers at University College, London, believe they have found a way to treat the disease in humans as long as it is detected before it has done harm to a large number of brain cells.

1 Feb 2007

Important to recognize difference between tiredness and fatigue

Instead of dismissing grumblings about being tired or exhausted, people should take these complaints seriously before they lead to a worsened health state or even death, says a University of Alberta researcher investigating fatigue.

31 Jan 2007

Rift Valley Fever - 411 suspected cases

As of 30 January 2007, 411 suspected cases, including 121 deaths (case-fatality rate, 29%) have been reported in North Eastern Province, Coast Province, Eastern Province and Central Province. One hundred and thirty-one cases have been laboratory confirmed.

31 Jan 2007

Home safety education could improve public health

Home safety education, especially with free or low-cost equipment such as smoke detectors thrown in, can make a family's home significantly safer, according to a new review of recent studies.

30 Jan 2007

Creatine could help people with muscular dystrophies

Creatine, a popular nutritional supplement used by weightlifters and sprinters to improve athletic performance, could lend muscle strength to people with muscular dystrophies.

30 Jan 2007

Aromatase inhibitors for treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women

Aromatase inhibitors, a type of hormone therapy used to treat advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women, result in a small but significant increase in overall survival when compared to other hormone treatments, according to a new systematic review of studies.

30 Jan 2007

Risperidone may help people with autism

Risperidone, a drug used to control schizophrenia symptoms, may also help treat behaviors found in autism spectrum disorder, according to a new review of studies.

30 Jan 2007

$After low-trauma fracture, older men and women have similar and substantial risk of subsequent fracture$

After low-trauma fracture, older men and women have similar and substantial risk of subsequent fracture

Despite substantial evidence that a prior fracture results in an increased risk of subsequent fracture, less than 30 percent of postmenopausal women and less than 10 percent of men with prior fracture are treated to help lower this risk.

23 Jan 2007

Scientists find surprising way of switching off a gene involved in cell division

Scientists at the University of Oxford have identified a surprising way of switching off a gene involved in cell division.

22 Jan 2007

Biomimetic amplification of nanoparticle homing to tumors

A collaborative, multidisciplinary team of researchers has created nanoparticles that act much like a developing clot to target tumors.

16 Jan 2007

House to vote on expansion of funding for human embryonic stem cell research

The House later this week plans to vote on a measure (HR 3, S 5) -- called the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 -- that would expand federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, CQ HealthBeat reports.

9 Jan 2007

Traditionally low status of girls fueling child sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa

The problem of child sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa remains "stubbornly resistant to change" in part because of the traditionally low status of girls, a "lingering view" that sexual abuse should be dealt with privately and justice systems that "constitute obstacle courses" for women, some child advocates have said, the New York Times reports.

2 Dec 2006

NIH is solicits suggestions for new initiatives under the aegis of the NIH Roadmap

The NIH is actively soliciting suggestions for new initiatives to be implemented under the aegis of the NIH Roadmap. The NIH intends to spend $30-50 million/year from within the currently projected Roadmap budget for approximately 5-8 new initiatives, beginning in FY2008.

6 Nov 2006