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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

Test to detect drug-resistant HIV strains could help provide earlier treatment

A test to detect drug-resistant HIV strains in people with low levels of drug-resistant viral loads could help physicians provide more effective treatment earlier to HIV-positive people, according to a study published on Sunday in the online edition of the journal Nature Methods, BBC News reports.

9 Jan 2007

Brain injury cognitive rehab not covered by many insurers

The Wall Street Journal on Monday examined how many brain injury patients who experience subsequent problems with memory, mental processing or behavior often do not receive cognitive rehabilitation because their health insurers do not cover the treatment.

9 Jan 2007

Viral Genetics identifies two key peptides for potential HIV/AIDS drug

Viral Genetics has identified two key peptides involved in its thymus nuclear protein or "TNP" technology currently under development for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

9 Jan 2007

MedImmune statement on MedImmune vs. Genentech Supreme Court decision

MedImmune issued the following statement regarding today's U.S. Supreme Court decision in MedImmune, Inc. vs. Genentech, Inc. et al.

9 Jan 2007

Advancing medical technology increases health-care costs

Advances in medical technology are a main factor driving the trend of increasing health care costs, and industry stakeholders agree that improved evaluation methods are needed to better measure the benefits and risks of new technologies and procedures in order to avoid misallocation of health care dollars.

9 Jan 2007

Does industry sponsorship undermine nutrition research?

Researchers from the Children's Hospital, Boston, USA and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, D. C., USA, have found that there is a high potential for research findings into non-alcoholic drinks to be affected by bias from companies providing funding.

8 Jan 2007

Stem cells from amniotic fluid no substitute for embryonic cells

The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) applauds the discovery of apparently versatile stem cells in amniotic fluid as a positive development, but cautions that the research does not eliminate the need for embryonic stem cell research.

8 Jan 2007

New carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic puncture needle

Sometimes it begins with a slight pulling sensation in the back, while at other times it can put a person completely out of action from one minute to the next: These are the symptoms of a slipped disk. An operation is not always necessary, as there are effective alternatives to surgery.

8 Jan 2007

BioMed Central launches BMC Systems Biology

BioMed Central has announced the launch of BMC Systems Biology, the first open access journal focussed solely on the entire emerging subject of systems biology.

8 Jan 2007

Young people often serve as caregivers for parents with disabilities and chronic illnesses

According to the Journal, the number of young people caring for parents with debilitating conditions -- such as Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, cancer and heart disease -- is "large and expected to grow" as advances in medicine and technology allow people with such conditions to live longer.

7 Jan 2007

Teen gap in cancer care

McMaster University pediatric cancer specialist Dr. Ronald Barr says the teen gap in cancer care has been overlooked for far too long.

3 Jan 2007

Uric acid holds potential for central nervous system damage

Uric acid is commonly associated with the excruciatingly painful joint disease known as gout, but it can also play a crucial role in the treatment of spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, according to Rutgers' Bonnie Firestein.

3 Jan 2007

Herpes appears to play a role in bringing about Alzheimer's disease

A gene known to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease puts out the welcome mat for the virus that causes cold sores, allowing the virus to be more active in the brain compared to other forms of the gene.

3 Jan 2007

UK medical education is being hit hard by a lack of funding and resources, says the BMA

In a response to the Education and Skills Committee inquiry the BMA highlights concerns about the current situation in medical education and voices opposition to the cap on student fees being lifted.

3 Jan 2007

Renegade ribonucleic acid

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a tiny piece of genetic code apparently goes where no bit of it has gone before, and it gets there under its own internal code.

3 Jan 2007

Effect of vitamin supplementation on neonatal morbidity and mortality

Undernourished women who take a vitamin and mineral supplement while pregnant may be less likely than women taking only iron and folic acid supplements to have babies weighing less than 2,500 grams, and their newborns may be less likely to have morbidity in the first seven days of life.

2 Jan 2007

A central thermogenic-like mechanism in feeding regulation

During periods of fasting, brain cells responsible for stimulating the appetite make sure that you stay hungry.

2 Jan 2007

Common-sense measures to stop ICU infections

Hospitals will quickly slash the rate of common, costly and potentially lethal catheter-related bloodstream infections in their intensive care units (ICUs) by using cheap, low-tech, common-sense measures like hand washing, timely removal of unneeded catheters, and use of sites other than the groin to place lines when possible, according to a report from safety experts at Johns Hopkins in the New England Journal of Medicine.

2 Jan 2007

Boston Scientific publishes results of Dual-Chamber Pacing study

Boston Scientific Corporation has announced that results of the largest implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) study to date, known as INTRINSIC RV, were published in the January issue of the journal Circulation.

2 Jan 2007