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Study reveals why people develop life-threatening drug allergies

A research team led by the University of Melbourne and Monash University, Australia, has discovered why people can develop life-threatening allergies after receiving treatment for conditions such as epilepsy and AIDS.

25 May 2012

Insmed initiates patient screening for ARIKACE phase 2 NTM lung disease trial

Insmed Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has begun screening patients for its U.S. phase 2 clinical trial, Treatment with ARIKACE to Realize Greater Efficacy Trial (TARGET-NTM), of ARIKACE (liposomal amikacin for inhalation) in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease.

24 May 2012

VCU Center on Health Disparities to research into preterm birth

The Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Health Disparities has been awarded a five-year grant renewal totaling $6.2 million from the National Institute of Health's Institute on Minority Health Disparities for research, research training and community outreach in the area of preterm birth.

23 May 2012

Scientists determine genetic sequences of all 12 vancomycin-resistant staph strains

National Institutes of Health-funded scientists have determined the genetic sequences of all 12 available strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria resistant to vancomycin-an antibiotic of last resort-and have demonstrated that resistance arose independently in each strain after it acquired a specific bit of genetic material called transposon Tn1546

23 May 2012

Tiny filter could fight against tuberculosis

A tiny filter could have a big impact around the world in the fight against tuberculosis. Using the traditional microscope-based diagnosis method as a starting point, a University of Florida lung disease specialist and colleagues in Brazil have devised a way to detect more cases of the bacterial infection.

18 May 2012

Mary Ann Liebert releases BioResearch Open Access journal

The inaugural issue of BioResearch Open Access, a new bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal, was released today by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The Journal provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including but not limited to molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience.

17 May 2012

Gene therapy restores movement in children bedridden with AADC

Using gene transfer techniques pioneered by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease.

17 May 2012

Combination of daclizumab and vaccine improves survival of breast cancer patients

A team from the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania found that the FDA-approved drug daclizumab improved the survival of breast cancer patients taking a cancer vaccine by 30 percent, compared to those patients not taking daclizumab.

17 May 2012

Microbiome of young men depends upon circumcision status, patterns of sexual activity

The first study using cultivation independent sequencing of the microorganisms in the adolescent male urinary tract has revealed that the composition of microbial communities colonizing the penis in young men depends upon their circumcision status and patterns of sexual activity.

15 May 2012

Helix BioMedix first quarter revenue up 90% to $680,000

Helix BioMedix, Inc., a developer of bioactive peptides, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

11 May 2012

MSU researcher wins Grand Challenges Explorations grant for work on TB

For his work on developing new treatments for tuberculosis, a Michigan State University researcher has been named a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

10 May 2012

Probiotics may reduce the risk of antibiotic associated diarrhoea

Probiotics are live microorganisms intended to boost health, such as the bacteria in some yogurts. These are popular among the health conscious. One of probiotics' most popular uses is in preventing and treating digestive problems.

9 May 2012

Reusable grocery bag can play a role in spreading norovirus infection

Oregon investigators recently mapped the trail of an outbreak of a nasty stomach bug among participants in a girls' soccer tournament to a reusable open top grocery bag stored in a hotel bathroom. Their findings, which illustrate the role that inanimate objects can play in spreading norovirus infection, appear in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

9 May 2012

Cascades Tissue Group applauds third annual ‘STOP! Clean Your Hands Day’

North America's fourth largest producer of towel and tissue paper, Cascades Tissue Group, applauds the third annual "STOP! Clean Your Hands Day," today, May 7, for building greater awareness for the importance of hand hygiene. The day also marks a good time to note that paper towels are the most hygienic choice when it comes to drying hands.

8 May 2012

TOKU-E introduces faster dissolving dust-free grade Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

TOKU-E Company has announced availability of their newly developed, innovative, ultra-safe, faster dissolving dust-free grade (DF) Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS).

7 May 2012

Clinical and Translational Science Institute-Children's National awards pilot grant to GW researchers

GW researchers in the School of Medicine, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine and David Diemert, M.D., FRCP(C), Associate Research Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine and Director of Clinical Trials for the Sabin Vaccine Institute's Product Development Partnership (PDP), have been awarded a Pilot Grant from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute-Children's National.

25 Apr 2012

Vitamin D deficiency associated with increase in lung transplant rejection, infections

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase in lung transplant rejection and infections, according to research conducted at Loyola University Health System.

25 Apr 2012

Researchers describe novel mechanism of HIV-1 spread by dendritic cells

A new understanding of the initial interactions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and dendritic cells is described by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers in a study currently featured in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

24 Apr 2012

Study sheds light on why ageing makes us more susceptible to gum disease

New research from Queen Mary, University of London in collaboration with research groups in the USA sheds light on why gum disease can become more common with old age.

18 Apr 2012

SBRT shortens radiation treatment time for gynecologic cancers

About 71,500 women in the United States are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center have developed a more effective way to treat gynecologic cancers, shortening radiation treatment time from five weeks to three days. The method will be published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) on April 17.

18 Apr 2012