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Blocking specific protein increases vulnerability of tumors to treatment

Blocking a specific protein renders tumors more vulnerable to treatment in mice, suggesting new therapies could eventually achieve the same in humans, according to new research from Fox Chase Cancer Center to be presented at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Friday, December 7, 2012.

7 Dec 2012

IRS releases final rules for health law's medical device tax

The 2.3 percent tax is expected to raise $29 billion over 10 years.

7 Dec 2012

Genomic tests increase accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis

The latest generation of genomic tests for breast cancer can improve physicians' ability to diagnose the disease and more precisely tailor each patient's treatment, according to a study being presented at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). The study examined the first commercially available genomic tests to determine the molecular subtype of a breast cancer tumor.

7 Dec 2012

CBT may help reduce depression in people who have not responded to antidepressants

For the first time in a large-scale randomised trial, scientists have demonstrated that people with depression who have not responded to treatment with antidepressants are three times more likely to get better if they receive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in addition to antidepressants and usual care.

7 Dec 2012

BMI may influence which blood pressure treatments work best

According to new research published Online First in The Lancet, body mass index (BMI) may influence which blood pressure medications work best at reducing the major complications of high blood pressure (strokes, heart attacks, and death).

7 Dec 2012

More work needed to predict, prevent zoonotic pandemics

We are on the brink of being able to predict zoonotic pandemics, say public health researchers in The Lancet. However, more work will be required to turn this goal into a reality.

7 Dec 2012

Modified CKD model aids risk prediction in African Americans

Screening African Americans for microalbuminuria at either 5- or 10-year intervals would be highly cost-effective using a modified version of the CKD Health Policy Model, US researchers report.

7 Dec 2012

Pesticides in tap water may increase food allergy risk

Having a high level of urinary dichlorophenols is associated with the presence of food sensitization and allergies, say researchers.

7 Dec 2012

CRP40 may have pathogenic role in schizophrenia

Gene expression of catecholamine-regulated protein 40 is dysregulated in people with schizophrenia, study findings show.

7 Dec 2012

Cell phone dependence ‘just as real as substance addiction’

Cell phone and instant messaging addictions are similar to compulsive buying or substance addiction and are driven by materialism and impulsiveness, says a Baylor University study in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions.

7 Dec 2012

Bill would give FDA clearer authority over drug compounders

The bill, introduced in Congress, would also direct the Food and Drug Administration to train state regulators -- whose oversights may have contributed to the meningitis outbreak that sickened more than 500 and killed at least 36.

7 Dec 2012

GlobalPost reports on HIV/AIDS in Latin America

In its continuing series titled "The State of AIDS," GlobalPost examines the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, where "[m]ajor gains have been made in the fight against the spread of HIV" over the past decade, particularly in stopping mother-to-child transmission (MTCT).

7 Dec 2012

Ultrasound applied to fingertips can stimulate sensory pathways leading to the brain

A century after the world's first ultrasonic detection device - invented in response to the sinking of the Titanic -Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists have provided the first neurophysiological evidence for something that researchers have long suspected: ultrasound applied to the periphery, such as the fingertips, can stimulate different sensory pathways leading to the brain.

7 Dec 2012

IRIN examines exclusive breastfeeding practices in Kenya

IRIN examines exclusive breastfeeding practices in Kenya, writing, "The country's push for exclusive breastfeeding appears to be working; according to the 2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 32 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed up to the age of six months, up from just 13 percent in 2003." Kenya hopes "a new law banning the promotion of infant formula ... will contribute to the government's push to encourage all mothers to breastfeed exclusively for at least six months," the news service writes.

7 Dec 2012

Stopping TB requires dedication of international community

Noting that the WHO's Global Tuberculosis Report shows "that access to care and treatment for tuberculosis [TB] has expanded substantially in the past two decades," Deborah Derrick, president of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, writes in an AlertNet opinion piece, "Not only is this good news for those countries that are most vulnerable to tuberculosis; it is also good news for the global community," as TB can be passed through the air.

7 Dec 2012

Novel organic metamaterial holds promise for drug delivery

A bit reminiscent of the Terminator T-1000, a new material created by Cornell researchers is so soft that it can flow like a liquid and then, strangely, return to its original shape.

7 Dec 2012

First Edition: December 7, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations includes articles on the talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner on the "fiscal cliff."

7 Dec 2012

NCI-funded study to identify metabolic vulnerabilities of particularly aggressive cancers

Eileen White, PhD, associate director for basic science at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and colleagues from Princeton University have been awarded a new five-year, $2.4 million dollar research grant from the National Cancer Institute.

7 Dec 2012

Medicare changes central as 'fiscal cliff' countdown continues

The Washington Post reports that some Republicans are urging House leaders to back higher tax rates for the wealthy in exchange for a deal to rein in spending on safety-net programs. Other news outlets report that AARP and other groups are warning lawmakers about the hazards of cutting benefits as part of a deficit reduction package.

7 Dec 2012

Blog series examines challenges, solutions in global AIDS response

The Skoll World Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog have co-produced a blog series highlighting key challenges in the global response moving forward and examining how the international community can overcome these challenges.

7 Dec 2012