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Anti-itching drug clemizole shows promise against hepatitis C

The fight against the liver disease hepatitis C has been at something of an impasse for years, with more than 150 million people currently infected, and traditional antiviral treatments causing nasty side effects and often falling short of a cure. Using a novel technique, medical and engineering researchers at Stanford University have discovered a vulnerable step in the virus' reproduction process that in lab testing could be effectively targeted with an obsolete antihistamine.

31 Aug 2008

Researchers devise means to create blood by discovering earliest form of human blood stem cells

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered the earliest form of human blood stem cells and deciphered the mechanism by which these embryonic stem cells replicate and grow. They also found a surprising biological marker that pinpoints these stem cells, which serve as the progenitors for red blood cells and lymphocytes.

28 Aug 2008

Why transplanted insulin cells die

New research can enhance survival of islets transplants and improve treatment of type 1 diabetes. Transplantation of insulin-producing cell islets, so-called islets of langerhans is an appealing strategy for treatment of type 1 diabetes. But it turns out that these are short-lived, and the procedure needs to be repeated.

28 Aug 2008

Transformation of ordinary cells into insulin-makers improves symptoms of diabetes

Scientists in the U.S. have successfully transformed ordinary cells into insulin-producing cells in a living mouse and thereby improved the symptoms of diabetes.

28 Aug 2008

Gleevec receives FDA priority review for gastrointestinal stromal tumors after surgery

Novartis has announced that Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets, (known as Glivec (imatinib) outside the US, Canada and Israel), has been granted priority review status by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first therapy to be reviewed for use after surgery in kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

27 Aug 2008

Protherics announces start of Prolarix phase 2 study in liver cancer

Protherics PLC today announced the initiation of a phase 2a proof-of-concept study of Prolarix, a targeted prodrug chemotherapy being developed for the treaent of primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma or "HCC"). This follows promising data from a phase 1 study of Prolarix, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, USA on 2 June 2008.

27 Aug 2008

UT Southwestern scientists discover leptin can also aid type 1 diabetics

Terminally ill rodents with type 1 diabetes have been restored to full health with a single injection of a substance other than insulin by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

25 Aug 2008

Hunt for baby denied HBV shot

Authorities in New South Wales, Australia, continue to search for a couple who have refused to have their newborn baby immunised against hepatitis B.

25 Aug 2008

Infant deaths in clinical drug trials in India raise concern about ethical standards

The revelation that 49 babies died at a top Indian hospital during drug tests has shocked many and raised issues concerning ethical standards at the hospital.

25 Aug 2008

Bone marrow stem cells used to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.

20 Aug 2008

Scientists discover how mutation in the copper-regulating protein ATP7B causes Wilson disease

Using a combination of computer simulations and cutting-edge lab experiments, physical biochemists at Rice University have discovered how a small genetic mutation -- which is known to cause Wilson disease -- subtly changes the structure of a large, complex protein that the body uses to keep copper from building up to toxic levels.

19 Aug 2008

Summit says organ donors should be reimbursed

At an organ donation summit in Perth this week a scheme to reimburse organ donors has been proposed.

18 Aug 2008

Researchers uncover attack mechanism of illness-inducing bacterium found in shellfish

An infectious ocean-dwelling bacterium found in oysters and other shellfish kills its host's cells by causing them to burst, providing the invader with a nutrient-rich meal, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

18 Aug 2008

Top Sydney hospital appoints specialist to treat childhood obesity

As Australian children appear to be getting increasingly overweight one of the country's top hospitals has taken the apparently unprecedented step of appointing a specialist to treat childhood obesity.

18 Aug 2008

Breakthrough drug FT-11 has the potential to end the need for dialysis in kidney disease

Australian scientists say they have developed a drug with the potential to save millions of lives from kidney disease.

18 Aug 2008

FDA approves Gilead's antiretroviral Viread for hepatitis B

Gilead Sciences on Monday announced that it has received FDA approval to market its antiretroviral drug Viread as a hepatitis B treatment, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 8/12).

13 Aug 2008

Isis Pharmaceuticals trials C-reactive protein drug

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today it has initiated a Phase 1 study of ISIS 353512, an antisense drug that inhibits the production of C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP levels are frequently elevated in patients with a variety of diseases including cardiovascular disease, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and end-stage renal disease.

13 Aug 2008

Precisely targeted radiation therapy can control limited cancer spread

Precisely targeted radiation therapy can eradicate all evidence of disease in selected patients with cancer that has spread to only a few sites, suggests the first published report from an ongoing clinical trial.

12 Aug 2008

In-depth review of current research on the health effects of vitamin D

Despite considerable progress in research to understand the health effects of vitamin D, experts convened by the NIH to review the available data found major gaps in the evidence. The data are strongest in the area of bone health among elderly men and post-menopausal women, suggesting that increased vitamin D intake can improve bone health and prevent falls. For other age groups and health issues, though, it is too early to say conclusively whether more vitamin D might be beneficial.

12 Aug 2008

Brits told by the NHS their lives will not be saved if the cost is too much

An announcement by government authorities in the UK that drugs which are too expensive should not be prescribed even if they prolong life, because the money could be better spent elsewhere, has caused an uproar.

11 Aug 2008

Liver News and Research

Anti-itching drug clemizole shows promise against hepatitis C

Researchers devise means to create blood by discovering earliest form of human blood stem cells

Why transplanted insulin cells die

Transformation of ordinary cells into insulin-makers improves symptoms of diabetes

Gleevec receives FDA priority review for gastrointestinal stromal tumors after surgery

Protherics announces start of Prolarix phase 2 study in liver cancer

UT Southwestern scientists discover leptin can also aid type 1 diabetics

Hunt for baby denied HBV shot

Infant deaths in clinical drug trials in India raise concern about ethical standards

Bone marrow stem cells used to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack

Scientists discover how mutation in the copper-regulating protein ATP7B causes Wilson disease

Summit says organ donors should be reimbursed

Researchers uncover attack mechanism of illness-inducing bacterium found in shellfish

Top Sydney hospital appoints specialist to treat childhood obesity

Breakthrough drug FT-11 has the potential to end the need for dialysis in kidney disease

FDA approves Gilead's antiretroviral Viread for hepatitis B

Isis Pharmaceuticals trials C-reactive protein drug

Precisely targeted radiation therapy can control limited cancer spread

In-depth review of current research on the health effects of vitamin D

Brits told by the NHS their lives will not be saved if the cost is too much

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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