X linked News and Research

RSS

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, Diosynth sign long-term commercial manufacturing agreement

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals announced today that it has entered into a long-term commercial manufacturing agreement with Diosynth RTP, Inc. for the manufacture of Drug Substance integral to the production of NicVAX, Nabi's innovative and proprietary investigational vaccine for the treatment of nicotine addiction and prevention of smoking relapse.

2 Sep 2010

Research on fruit flies suggest starvation allows sleep deprivation

As anyone who has ever struggled to keep his or her eyes open after a big meal knows, eating can induce sleepiness. New research in fruit flies suggests that, conversely, being hungry may provide a way to stay awake without feeling groggy or mentally challenged.

2 Sep 2010

Abbott RealTime HBV assay receives marketing approval from FDA

Abbott announced today it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the Abbott RealTime HBV assay for measuring viral load or the amount of hepatitis B virus in a patient's blood. It is the first and only approved test capable of automating HBV viral load testing from sample extraction to final results.

2 Sep 2010

Research finds link between chronic heart failure, iron deficiency

Iron plays a key role in human homeostasis. It is essential for growth and survival, and is a vital ingredient in numerous processes including erythropoiesis, oxygen transport and storage, oxidative metabolism in the skeletal and heart muscle, synthesis and degradation of lipids, carbohydrates, DNA and RNA. Important though it is, iron metabolism must be precisely controlled because iron is insoluble and excess levels can be toxic.

2 Sep 2010

'Sprouty' protein linked to regulation of bone mass and body fat

Here's good news for anyone trying to lose weight or has osteoporosis: Scientists from Maine are on the trail of a weight loss drug that may revolutionize how we treat these two conditions. In a new research report published in the September 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the researchers describe a newly discovered protein, called "Sprouty," responsible for regulating body fat and bone mass. Then they manipulated how much of this protein was expressed in different groups of mice specially bred to have some human genes.

2 Sep 2010

UTHealth professor to receive NIH Director's Pioneer Award

Valentin Dragoi, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurobiology and anatomy at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), is one of 17 researchers to win a 2010 National Institutes of Health Director's Pioneer Award. The award supports scientists who propose revolutionary, high-impact approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research.

2 Sep 2010

High levels of OPG hormone associated with adverse outcome after myocardial infarction

Patients suffering with heart failure are more likely to die if they have high levels of a bone hormone called osteoprotegerin (OPG).

2 Sep 2010

DASH eating plan reduces heart disease risk in African Americans: Study

A new study suggests yet another reason for Americans to abandon their current fatty diets in favor of one rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat. Choosing these healthier options appears to significantly reduce the long-term risk of heart disease in patients with mildly elevated blood pressure, particularly African Americans.

2 Sep 2010

Amedica Corporation receives patent for knee implant prosthesis with monoblock ceramic tibial component

Amedica Corporation, a spinal and orthopaedic implant and instrument company focused on unique silicon nitride (SiN) ceramic technologies, announced today that it has been granted United States Patent No. 7,776,085 B2, covering an improved knee implant prosthesis that features a monoblock ceramic tibial component for articulation with natural or prosthetic (resurfaced) femoral surfaces.

2 Sep 2010

Parkinson’s disease discoveries

Genes that affect the immune system and link it to Parkinson’s disease have been uncovered. This paves the way for new drug development in Parkinson’s disease – a serious, degenerative disease of the nerves that leads to tremors and muscle stiffness and eventually complete loss of movements. There is currently no cure for PD.

31 Aug 2010

New book explores history, benefits of tomato

A new history of the tomato in Italy by a University of Leicester historian throws some surprising insights on an item of food that we have been accustomed to think of as intrinsically Italian.

31 Aug 2010

Brain lesion scan appearance shows increased multiple sclerosis activity during spring and summer

New research shows that multiple sclerosis (MS) activity can increase during spring and summer months. The research is published in the August 31, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

31 Aug 2010

VA's liabilities grow as agency expands list of diseases linked to Agent Orange

Politico looks at a new fight brewing over Agent Orange and how it affects programs for Vietnam Veterans. "It's a world turned upside-down from decades ago when returning soldiers had to fight to get attention for deadly lymphomas linked to the herbicide. Now the frailties of men in their 60s — prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease — lead the list of qualified Agent Orange disabilities, and the result has been an explosion in claims — and the government's liability.

31 Aug 2010

Cargill recalls four tons of ground beef products due to E. coli O26 recent outbreak

The recent outbreak of E. coli O26 linked to three illnesses and the recall of four tons of ground beef products produced by Cargill Meat Solutions is the precise reason these pathogens need to be monitored, says Seattle food safety attorney Bill Marler.

30 Aug 2010

Protalix common stock receives approval for Tel Aviv Stock Exchange listing

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.,a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell based expression system, today announced that the Company's common stock has been approved for listing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in addition to its current listing on the NYSE Amex.

30 Aug 2010

Toshiba announces 1,000th worldwide MR installation

Diagnostic imaging leader Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has installed its 1,000th MR system worldwide. Kosair Children's Medical Center - Brownsboro, the only pediatric outpatient facility of its type in Kentucky, is the site of Toshiba's milestone installation. The new facility, dedicated to the care of children, is located in the eastern suburbs of Louisville, Ky., and is the newest addition to Kosair Children's Hospital and the Norton Healthcare Network.

30 Aug 2010

Researchers find infectious disease proliferation in complex networks

A team of researchers led by Dr. Hern-n Makse, professor of physics at The City College of New York (CCNY), has shed new light on the way that information and infectious diseases proliferate across complex networks.

30 Aug 2010

Weekend Update: Use of high deductible insurance plans rises; Rubio assails health law; Medicaid vs. schools

The New York Times takes a look at the use of high deductible health insurance plans linked to tax exempt savings accounts and points out that although the plans have been growing in use, the new federal health law may make them "less attractive, if new rules, yet to be announced, require lower deductibles and impose other restrictions."

30 Aug 2010

GWAS finds new genetic link between Parkinson's disease and inflammation

A hunt throughout the human genome for variants associated with common, late-onset Parkinson's disease has revealed a new genetic link that implicates the immune system and offers new targets for drug development.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds common risk factors linked with painkiller addiction

A new Geisinger study begins to unlock the puzzle of painkiller (opioid) addiction - why some people are more likely to become addicted than others. Geisinger investigators have found that patients with four common risk factors have a significantly higher risk of addiction. In addition, a history of severe drug dependence and drug abuse compounds the risk.

30 Aug 2010