Gastrointestinal Tract News and Research

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Monitoring adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols can help stop outbreaks of C. diff bacteria

Just like intelligence agents watching for the real terrorists threatening to attack, monitoring healthcare worker adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols via hand-washing squads in hospitals can go a long way to stop outbreaks of the opportunistic C. diff bacteria, says Irena Kenneley, an infection prevention and control expert and assistant professor of nursing from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

20 May 2011

Naltrexone improves clinical, inflammatory activity in Crohn's disease patients

Naltrexone reduced inflammation in Crohn's patients in a research study at Penn State College of Medicine.

20 May 2011

Researchers untangle two distinct ways in which tumor-suppressor protein works

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have untangled two distinct ways in which a common, naturally occurring "tumor-suppressor" protein works.

13 May 2011

Noninvasive stool test can detect pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of any of the major cancers, and of the 43,000-plus Americans diagnosed with the disease each year, more than 94 percent die within five years of diagnosis. One reason for this high number of deaths is a lack of effective screening tools for catching the disease early.

12 May 2011

Boston Scientific launches Expect Endoscopic Ultrasound Aspiration Needle

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the U.S. and international launch of its Expect™ Endoscopic Ultrasound Aspiration Needle, used for acquiring tissue samples for diagnosing and staging malignancies in organs adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract. The Expect Needle received FDA clearance and CE Mark approval earlier this year and is being marketed in the U.S., Europe and other international markets.

9 May 2011

Antibiotics may serve as effective treatment for appendicitis than surgery

Antibiotics rather than surgery may be the better treatment for cases of appendicitis in which the appendix hasn't burst, according to a new study.

29 Apr 2011

UIC receives federal contract to develop antibiotics against three bacterial infections

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology have been awarded a federal contract for up to $13.8 million to develop antibiotics to treat anthrax, tularemia and plague.

28 Apr 2011

Research sheds new light on pathogenesis of diabetes

New research identifies a distinctive population of immune cells that may play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

22 Apr 2011

How peppermint helps to relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome

University of Adelaide researchers have shown for the first time how peppermint helps to relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which affects up to 20% of the population.

20 Apr 2011

SafeMinds calls for immediate vaccine safety studies in autistic children

Alison MacNeil issued the following statements today regarding vaccines.

19 Apr 2011

Consumer group calls for ban on weight loss drugs Alli and Xenical

According to the consumer watchdog Public Citizen, the weight loss drugs Alli and Xenical should be removed from the market because of the growing risk of side effects that include liver damage, pancreatitis and kidney stones.

15 Apr 2011

Experts to discuss latest findings in IBD research at Rome meeting

Experts from 11 countries will gather this week in Rome to discuss innovative strategies for studying and treating Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

12 Apr 2011

Fat in pistachios may not be readily absorbed by the body

In a first-of-its-kind study with nuts, randomized controlled-feeding research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that fat in pistachios may not be completely absorbed by the body. The findings indicate that pistachios may actually contain fewer calories per serving than originally thought - further validating pistachios as one of the lowest calorie nuts with 160 calories per 30 gram serving (approximately 1 ounce).

12 Apr 2011

New discovery on IL-23 can lead to novel IBD treatments

A new discovery published in the April 2001 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology raises hope that new treatments for illnesses like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are on the horizon.

1 Apr 2011

20-year data shows bariatric surgery to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetics

In the longest study of its kind, bariatric surgery has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with diabetes. These results and other groundbreaking research were presented at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

31 Mar 2011

Nycomed submits teduglutide MAA to EMA for SBS treatment

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today reported that Nycomed, a global pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Switzerland, has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency for clearance to market teduglutide as a once-daily subcutaneous treatment for short bowel syndrome.

29 Mar 2011

Cancer drug Gleevec may hold promise against scleroderma: Study

A drug approved to treat certain types of cancer has shown promising results in the treatment of patients with scleroderma, according to results from an open-label Phase II trial. While the drug's efficacy must be demonstrated in a Phase III trial, the gold standard for testing a drug, researchers are optimistic that Gleevec- (imatinib) could potentially be a weapon against the chronic connective tissue disease for which a treatment has remained elusive.

28 Mar 2011

German company steps up production of Radiogardase following Japan nuclear crisis

Heyltex Corporation is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Radiogardase® (Prussian Blue insoluble capsules), the only FDA-approved drug to treat people who have been internally contaminated with radioactive cesium (Cs-137), which is manufactured by Heyl chem. pharm. Fabrik Berlin GmbH in Germany.

25 Mar 2011

Smart Medical to customize NaviAid External Channel Device to suit Crospon's EndoFLIP imaging catheter

Medical device developers, Crospon, based in Ireland and Smart Medical Systems based in Ra'anana, Israel today announced that they have signed a collaborative agreement whereby Smart Medical will produce a custom version of their NaviAid™ external channel endoscope accessory for Crospon, to permit deployment and positioning of Crospon's EndoFLIP™ imaging catheter.

25 Mar 2011

NephRx receives new U.S. patent for NX002 to treat IBD

NephRx Corporation today announced issuance of a new U.S. patent for use of its novel growth factor peptide NX002 as a potential treatment for inflammatory bowel disease.

24 Mar 2011