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Scientists work together to wipe out some of the most lethal diseases

Scientists at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have reached a major milestone in the effort to wipe out some of the most lethal diseases on the planet. As leaders of two large structural genomics centers, they've experimentally determined 500 three-dimensional protein structures from a number of bacterial and protozoan pathogens, which could potentially lead to new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics to combat deadly infectious diseases.

8 Dec 2010

Bright-colored toys can pose a dangerous health risk to children

The right toy can make the Christmas season the most wonderful time of the year for children and their parents.But the wrong toy can make this season a time of pain, grief and regret for families with children who suffer severe injuries or death from toys they never should have been given in the first place, according to medical experts at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill.

7 Dec 2010

Increase in suicide rates underestimated

Ian Rockett, Ph.D, M.P.H., professor of epidemiology and associate chair of the West Virginia University Department of Community Medicine, isn't buying the story the suicide numbers are telling.

4 Dec 2010

Toxic lead beyond safe limits found in used consumer products

The problem of toxic lead in used consumer products is extremely widespread and present at levels that are far beyond safe limits, researchers conclude in a new study.

2 Dec 2010

Arsenic contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh leads to slow-developing diseases

The well-reported arsenic contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh called the "largest mass poisoning of a population in history" by the World Health Organization and known to be responsible for a host of slow-developing diseases has now been shown to have an immediate and toxic effect on the struggling nation's economy.

1 Dec 2010

New study may lead to non-medicinal methods of eradicating Hamburger disease

Hamburger disease, a debilitating form of food poisoning, may be a thing of the past. New findings from an international research collaboration conducted by the French National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA), involving the Universit- de Montr-al are the first to show how the contaminating E.coli bacterium is able to survive in the competitive environment of a cow's intestine by scavenging specific food sources.

30 Nov 2010

Superantigens can disrupt immune system, can cause more illnesses

Superantigens, the toxins produced by staphylococcus bacteria, are more complex than previously believed, reveals a team of researchers from the University of Gothenburg in an article published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Their discovery shows that the body's immune system can cause more illnesses than realised.

29 Nov 2010

Plant-derived bioscavenger protects against pesticide and nerve agent organophosphate poisoning

The brain is forever chattering to itself, via electrical impulses sent along its hard-wired neuronal "Ethernet." These e-messages are translated into chemical transmissions, allowing communication across the narrow cleft separating one neuron from another or between neurons and their target cells. Of the many kinds of molecules involved in this lively chemical symposium, acetylcholine is among the most critical, performing a host of functions in the central and peripheral nervous system.

24 Nov 2010

U.S. federal court sanction lawyers at Gibson Dunn for abusive questioning in Ecuador environmental contamination

A U.S. federal court has sanctioned Chevron and its lawyers at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher for abusive questioning during a deposition related to the oil giant's multi-billion dollar liability in Ecuador for environmental contamination, according to court papers made available today.

20 Nov 2010

NCL applauds FDA's decision on reformulation of alcoholic beverages

The National Consumers League, the nation's oldest consumer advocacy organization, praised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcement yesterday that it would crack down on seven alcoholic energy drinks under recent scrutiny for combining large amounts of alcohol and caffeine.

20 Nov 2010

Study finds adverse long term health effects of E coli infection

People who contract gastroenteritis from drinking water contaminated with E coli are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney problems and heart disease in later life, finds a study published online in the British Medical Journal.

19 Nov 2010

Multiple sclerosis drug shows promise to counteract effects of botulinum neurotoxin

Scientists are reporting that variants of a drug already approved for treating multiple sclerosis show promise as a long sought treatment for victims of bioterrorist attack with botulinum neurotoxin which is 10,000 times deadlier than cyanide and the most poisonous substance known to man.

18 Nov 2010

Research on P450 compound I may help eliminate toxins

Chemical reactions are happening all over the place all the time on the sun, on the Earth and in our bodies. In many cases, enzymes help make these reactions occur. One family of enzymes, called cytochrome P450s (P450), is important because they help us eliminate toxins.

15 Nov 2010

Young father receives life-saving intervention prior heart transplant surgery

James "Jimmy" Armstrong hadn't missed a "Mac" in 28 years. At 44, he's one of the youngest "goats" in the Chicago Yacht Club. Sailors receive the designation of "goat" once they've completed 20 or more "Macs", the 333-mile boat race from Chicago to Mackinac, Mich. Armstrong has sailed the race every year since he was 16. But, he wasn't among the sailors this past July. Instead, he was in intensive care awaiting heart transplant following a harrowing experience spurred by severe case of myocarditis-a little-known condition causing inflammation of the heart muscle.

15 Nov 2010

AHRQ: Hospital admissions for adverse drug reactions have doubled

News outlets report on the hospital industry, including admission rates, mergers and quality improvement programs.

1 Nov 2010

Physicians suggest patients who receive MoM hip replacement to pay attention on post-operative pain

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful surgeries of the past several decades. This procedure has relieved pain and restored movement to hundreds of thousands of people. The decision to have hip replacement surgery should be only made after discussion between the patient and his or her orthopaedic surgeon.

30 Oct 2010

Tips to prevent lead poisoning in children

California Poison Control System is observing National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and warns consumers that lead can be found in a variety of products available to children.

27 Oct 2010

WHO regulation on human toxicity helps in reducing acute pesticide poisoning

Current WHO pesticide classifications are based on toxicity in rats but basing regulation on human toxicity will make pesticide poisoning less hazardous and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths globally without compromising agricultural needs. These are the key findings from a study by Andrew Dawson (South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka) and colleagues published in this week's PLoS Medicine.

27 Oct 2010

Dangerous combination of alcohol and caffeine in energy drink

Nicknamed "blackout in a can" or "liquid cocaine," alcoholic energy drink Four Loko seems like the perfect cocktail because the combination of alcohol and caffeine can heighten the buzz for those drinking it. The mix can be especially tempting for college students, even more so if they have or are predisposed to alcoholism. Dr. Kimberly Dennis, Medical Director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, warns the effects can be seriously damaging to one's health, and even deadly.

27 Oct 2010

Mundus studies potential for VTOL UAV against Malaria

Mundus Group Inc., studies potential for VTOL UAV to provide increased capabilities in fight against Malaria and disease spread through mosquitoes with precision aerial laser eradication treatments.

26 Oct 2010