Toxin News and Research

RSS

Prevalence of algatoxin in the marine environment appears to be increasing

If ingested, for example in seafood, these toxins can lead to discomfort or even illness. The algatoxin yessotoxin (YTX), which is found in both mussels and scallops in Norway, may be a potential disease risk factor in the consumption of seafood. "We don't know the long-term effects of YTX on people", says Monica Suarez Korsnes of the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH).

30 Aug 2007

New understanding of what makes a major global bacterial infection deadly

Researchers believe they have discovered why a bacterial lung infection is so lethal in the early stages, and it's not what medical authorities had thought, according to research published in the journal Immunity.

28 Aug 2007

Bacterial toxins and perforins have a common ancestor

Human immune proteins crucial for fighting cancer, viruses and bacterial infections belong to an ancient and lethal toxin family previously only found in bacteria, Australian researchers have found.

24 Aug 2007

EPA awards grants for ultraviolet technologies to treat water contaminated by blue-green algae

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants for research projects totaling almost $1 million to the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University and the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio.

21 Aug 2007

Toy recall fuels concern over lead poisoning in children

The recall by toy manufacturer Mattel of millions of Chinese-made toys containing lead paint and small, powerful magnets has turned the spotlight back onto lead poisoning in children.

15 Aug 2007

Latest food scare in the U.S. - canned green beans

The latest food scare to hit North America again involves canned food; this time the culprit is green beans.

6 Aug 2007

Scientists find why red beans and rice can be nauseating

Scientists have discovered how lectins, a family of proteins believed to be a natural insecticide that is abundant in undercooked legumes and grains, can make you feel temporarily miserable.

3 Aug 2007

Folic acid protects againts exposure to bisphenol A in the womb

Experiments in animals have provided additional and tantalizing evidence that what a pregnant mother eats can make her offspring more susceptible to disease later in life.

1 Aug 2007

New FDA food inspection standards - will they make food safer?

In the midst of the continuing botulism scare, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. have released guidelines outlining how food safety experts should inspect U.S. businesses that make, process and package food.

31 Jul 2007

Scientits devise dimmer swith to regulate gene expression in mammal cells

Three Boston University biomedical engineers have created a genetic dimmer switch that can be used to turn on, shut off, or partially activate a gene's function. Professor James Collins, Professor Charles Cantor and doctoral candidate Tara Deans invented the switch, which can be tuned to produce large or small quantities of protein, or none at all.

27 Jul 2007

Allergen-free peanuts

An agricultural researcher at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has developed a simple process to make allergen-free peanuts.

24 Jul 2007

More products recalled in botulism scare

Concerns in the U.S. over cans of chilli contaminated by a bacteria which causes botulism, which prompted a recall of the products, has now been extended to include chilli, beef stew and other canned meat products, as well as four pet food products.

23 Jul 2007

Botulism in chili sauce latest food scare in U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has warned the public about canned products which may be contaminated with the bacteria that causes botulism.

21 Jul 2007

Preconditioning protects brain from stroke

Challenging brain tissue with a small noxious stimulus beforehand gives it a resilience that can lessen damage to blood vessels during a stroke, report researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

18 Jul 2007

New genomics-based technology

Bruce S. Gillis, M.D., M.P.H., a medical toxicologist and CEO of the research group, The Cytokine Institute, will present a tutorial on a new genomics-based technology, msds1(TM).

16 Jul 2007

Chemically-modified mitochondrial toxin could lead to a new molecularly-targeted chemo drug

A chemically-modified version of a mitochondrial toxin long used to control species of invasive fish in lakes has been found to selectively inhibit two "survival proteins" in cancer cells.

12 Jul 2007

New use for a cell toxin found to inhibit survival proteins in cancer cells

A chemically-modified version of a mitochondrial toxin long used to control species of invasive fish in lakes has been found to selectively inhibit two "survival proteins" in cancer cells.

11 Jul 2007

Potential new treatment pathway for Parkinson's

In the vast majority of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, the disorder arises not because of a genetic defect, but because some external insult triggers the death of dopamine-producing neurons.

9 Jul 2007

More alerts over Chinese made products

Canadian and U.S. authorities have issued warnings to consumers regarding Chinese-made counterfeit toothpaste after more tainted products have been discovered in stores.

8 Jul 2007

Role of environmental factors in the development of Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research have shown that combining two environmental toxic substances accelerated age-related degeneration in neurons associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in mice.

27 Jun 2007