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Researcher develops new method that causes cancer cells to self-destruct

Tulane University researcher W T. Godbey has developed a treatment for cancer using a method that causes cancer cells to self-destruct while sparing surrounding healthy cells.

23 Nov 2010

Breakthrough with mutant gene that causes familial ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that eventually destroys most motor neurons, causing muscle weakness and atrophy throughout the body. There is no cure and the current treatment has only a moderate effect on the march of the disease, which typically kills within three to five years. This week in PNAS, a team of Brandeis scientists reports an innovative approach to treating the most common form of familial ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

23 Nov 2010

Compugen announces development of Protein Family Members Discovery Platform

Compugen Ltd. announced today the development of its Protein Family Members Discovery Platform, designed for the discovery of novel protein members belonging to various known and clinically important protein families.

23 Nov 2010

HIV drugs lead to insulin resistance

The same powerful drugs that have extended the lives of countless people with HIV come with a price - insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

23 Nov 2010

Rate, direction of axon growth in spinal cord can be controlled, study shows

Both the rate and direction of axon growth in the spinal cord can be controlled, according to new research by USC College's Samantha Butler and her collaborators.

23 Nov 2010

Dangers of excess fructose

More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be.

23 Nov 2010

Mimetogen initiates MIM-D3 Phase II clinical trial for dry eye disease

Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel small molecule compounds that mimic the effects of neurotrophins, today announced that it has initiated the first human clinical trial evaluating MIM-D3, a mimetic of nerve growth factor (NGF), in a Phase II clinical trial in patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease. MIM-D3 is a small cyclic peptidomimetic of NGF, a naturally occurring protein in the eye that is responsible for the maintenance of corneal nerves and epithelium, mucin and tear production.

22 Nov 2010

DaVita announces meal planning tool for dialysis patients

DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), offers patients with very restricted diets an easy to use meal planning tool and recipes for their favorite Thanksgiving dinners at DaVita.com.

22 Nov 2010

Interim results from H.P. Acthar Gel study in patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy

On November 20 at the American Society of Nephrology 43rd Annual Meeting, interim results presented from an ongoing, randomized prospective study conducted independently by James A. Tumlin, MD, at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga indicated that 9 of 15 patients (60%) with advanced diabetic nephropathy who are currently enrolled in the study and have completed or are still undergoing a six month course of treatment with H.P. Acthar ® Gel have exhibited a clinically significant decrease in proteinuria and achieved stabilized renal function.

22 Nov 2010

Acthar Gel may be a viable treatment option for resistant nephrotic syndrome

On November 20 at the American Society of Nephrology 43rd Annual Meeting, Columbia University Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine Andrew Bomback, MD, presented results from a patient case series assessing the potential therapeutic value of H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) as a treatment for patients with nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disorder characterized by excessive loss of urinary protein.

22 Nov 2010

f-star and Boehringer Ingelheim enter joint discovery agreement for new antibody-derived therapeutic products

f-star Biotechnologische Forschungs-und Entwicklungsges.m.b.H today announced the signing of a collaboration and license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim for joint discovery of new antibody-derived therapeutic products based on f-star's Modular Antibody Technology.

22 Nov 2010

Alexion's Soliris Phase 2 clinical study for aHUS meets primary, secondary endpoints

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that a Phase 2 clinical study investigating Soliris (eculizumab) as a treatment for patients with atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) who are resistant to plasma therapy met primary and key secondary endpoints with high levels of statistical and clinical significance, according to results presented today at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) annual meeting in Denver.

21 Nov 2010

Presence of albumin in urine predicts cognitive decline: Study

A new study has found that low amounts of albumin in the urine, at levels not traditionally considered clinically significant, strongly predict faster cognitive decline in older women.

21 Nov 2010

New editorial dispel doubts about Lou Gehrig's ALS diagnosis

A recent study suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be attributed to repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports lacks scientific epidemiological evidence to support this claim.

20 Nov 2010

Vical to present results of Vaxfectin adjuvant at Conference in Hungary

Vical Incorporated today announced that the company is presenting an overview of results for its patented Vaxfectin adjuvant at the Modern Veterinary Vaccines & Adjuvants conference.

20 Nov 2010

Potassium citrate effective for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis: Study

The Western diet creates an acidic environment in the body that removes calcium from bones and may contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Healthy adults who consume the standard US diet sustain a chronic, low-grade state of acidosis that worsens with age as kidney function declines, limiting urinary acid excretion. Reto Krapf, MD (University of Basel, in Bruderholz/Basel, Switzerland) and colleagues designed a study to see if daily alkali as potassium citrate supplement tablets might neutralize these effects.

20 Nov 2010

K.U.Leuven researchers receive ERC Advanced Grants

K.U.Leuven researchers Peter Carmeliet and Bart De Strooper have both been awarded Advanced Grants from the European Research Council. ERC Advanced Grants are the most prestigious European research grants, spanning a period of 5 years. Peter Carmeliet of the VIB Vesalius Research Centre, K.U.Leuven, will receive approximately 2.5 million euro for research focused on stopping the energy supply into blood vessels.

20 Nov 2010

Harvard researcher to receive 2010 Naomi Berrie Award from Columbia University Medical Center

Columbia University Medical Center will present the 2010 Naomi Berrie Award to a Harvard researcher who has made important advances in understanding the molecular basis for links between obesity, diabetes and heart disease. A promising young investigator at Columbia will also be recognized for her novel investigations regarding the basis for disordered lipid metabolism in diabetes.

20 Nov 2010

Study sheds light on poorly understood aspect of interaction of HIV with natural killer cells

Natural killer cells are major weapons in the body's immune system. They keep the body healthy by knocking off tumors and cells infected with viruses, bombarding them with tiny lethal pellets. But natural killer cells are powerless against HIV, a fact that has bedeviled science for over 20 years.

20 Nov 2010

Study refocuses on rare group of neutralizing antibodies against HIV

Although people infected with HIV produce many antibodies against the protein encapsulating the virus, most of these antibodies are strangely ineffective at fighting the disease. A new study suggests why some of the most common of these antibodies don't work: they target the protein in a form it takes after the virus has already invaded the cell, when it's too late, report researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and their colleagues.

20 Nov 2010