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Study offers hints to why Parkinson's so selectively harms dopamine-producing cells

New data offer hints to why Parkinson's disease so selectively harms brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine, say researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

13 May 2011

Losartan therapy improves muscle injury regeneration and prevents disuse atrophy

Using geriatric mice, a Johns Hopkins research team has shown that losartan, a commonly used blood pressure drug, not only improves regeneration of injured muscle but also protects against its wasting away from inactivity.

12 May 2011

Injecting botox in 'trigger points' of pericraneal and neck muscles reduces migraine frequency

Scientists at the University of Granada have confirmed that injecting a local anesthetic or botulinum toxin (botox) into certain points named "trigger points" of the pericraneal and neck muscles reduce migraine frequency among migraine sufferers. University of Granada researchers have identified the location of these trigger points -which activation results in migraine- and their relationship with the duration and severity of this condition.

11 May 2011

FDA clears Meridian's new C. difficile immunoassay

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio today announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new Clostridium difficile immunoassay named Premier C. difficile GDH.

11 May 2011

Arsenic exposure and cigarette smoking in combination elevate risk of cardiovascular disease mortality

Arsenic exposure and smoking each elevate the risk of disease. But when combined together, the danger of dying from cardiovascular disease is magnified, a new study finds.

6 May 2011

Quest Diagnostics' Simplexa C. difficile test is now available in Europe

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced the availability in Europe of the Simplexa C. difficile Universal Direct test on the 3M Integrated Cycler.

From Quest Diagnostics 6 May 2011

Researchers present evidence from first ever general population survey of autism in adulthood

Not a single person identified with autism or asperger's syndrome during a community survey in England actually knew they had the condition, research led by the University of Leicester reveals.

5 May 2011

Portuguese researcher to earn Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation award for new HIV therapy

João Gonçalves, from Faculdade de Farmácia e Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal, to win a Grand Challenges Exploration Award

29 Apr 2011

Botox injections: Reading and mimicking emotions hampered

In cosmetics, a Botox injection, consisting of a small dose of botulinum toxin, can be used to prevent formation of wrinkles by paralyzing facial muscles and can therefore make users appear less emotional. Now a new study finds that the cosmetic toxin may also make recipients less able to read the emotions of others.

26 Apr 2011

Some bacteria avoid antibiotic treatments by going 'off the grid' like rogue secret agents

Going "off the grid," like rogue secret agents, some bacteria avoid antibiotic treatments by essentially shutting down and hiding until it's safe to come out again, says Thomas Wood, professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University.

26 Apr 2011

Molecular Templates to present preclinical data of ETB platform technology at 5th RNAi and miRNA World Congress

Molecular Templates, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of a new class of small biologic therapies called Engineered Toxin Bodies (ETB), announced today that it will present preclinical data in a poster presentation at the 5th Annual RNAi and miRNA World Congress in Boston, MA during April 26-27, 2011.

22 Apr 2011

Biomagnetics signs agreement with LANL to develop validated TB biomarker assay

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., (PINK SHEETS: BMGP) a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and related technology for detecting HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria, and other innovative technologies, today announced it has now completed a series of payments to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) pursuant to the cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) executed in 2010 between the two organizations.

21 Apr 2011

Cigarettes leave toxins on surfaces that can endanger prenatal and postnatal infants

Stepping outside to smoke a cigarette may not be enough to protect the lungs and life of a pregnant woman's unborn child, according to a new study in the American Journal of Physiology.

20 Apr 2011

Merz launches 'Make Your Mark' campaign to raise awareness on cervical dystonia

Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC, maker of XEOMIN, a botulinum toxin type A free from accessory proteins, today announced the launch of the "Make Your Mark" campaign.

15 Apr 2011

Longer looks: Cities coping with aging populations; new apps for health

Robert Lustig is a specialist on pediatric hormone disorders and the leading expert in childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. … The viral success of his lecture, though, has little to do with Lustig's impressive credentials and far more with the persuasive case he makes that sugar is a "toxin" or a "poison," terms he uses together 13 times through the course of the lecture, in addition to the five references to sugar as merely "evil."

15 Apr 2011

Strong bitter taste can cause nausea: Research

Swallow the good, spit out the bad. A new study from the Monell Center highlights the vital role taste plays as the body's gatekeeper. The research shows that strong bitter taste in and of itself can cause people to both report the sensation of nausea and display a pattern of stomach activity characteristic of actual nausea.

12 Apr 2011

Cepheid receives FDA clearance for new assay to detect C. difficile infection

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared a test called the Cepheid Xpert C. difficile/Epi assay that is designed to rapidly detect the toxin B gene associated with Clostridium difficile infection, a cause of diarrhea that can lead to colitis, other serious intestinal conditions and death in severe cases.

11 Apr 2011

Toxic substances including arsenic in baby food

The latest reports have revealed that there are small amounts of arsenic and other toxins that are found in soil, creeping into the ingredients used in top-selling baby foods. Manufacturers insist the levels are so low they do not pose a health risk. But scientists and food campaigners are calling for efforts to eliminate the chemicals from mass-produced products eaten by millions of young babies. Leading brands from Organix, Hipp, Nestle and Holle were tested by Swedish researchers.

10 Apr 2011

Study explores physical effect of freeway pollution on brain cells

If mice commuted, their brains might find it progressively harder to navigate the maze of Los Angeles freeways.

7 Apr 2011

South Los Angeles celebrates opening of new Kaiser Permanente medical facility

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined other local community leaders including Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Los Angeles City Councilmembers Bernard C. Parks and Jan Perry to celebrate the opening of the Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles Medical Offices.

2 Apr 2011