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Discrimination against LGBT population undermining HIV prevention efforts in Guatemala, IPS reports

Inter Press Service examines discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Guatemala, where advocates and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say such discrimination is undermining HIV prevention and treatment. Carolos Valdez of the NGO Proyecto Unidos "said the country has taken 'few steps' for preventing the spread of HIV among vulnerable groups," including "opening five clinics catering to members of sexual minorities," IPS writes.

15 Dec 2011

Simple online calculator can tackle pancreatic and bowel cancer

A simple online calculator could offer family GPs a powerful new tool in tackling two of the most deadly forms of cancer, say researchers.

15 Dec 2011

JHN to initiate new Phase I immunotherapy trial in glioblastoma

Physicians at the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (JHN), the region's only dedicated hospital for neuroscience, are tackling a particularly aggressive brain cancer that even surgery, chemotherapy and radiation often fail to treat with a promising new immunotherapy to attack a patient's tumor with their own cancer cells.

15 Dec 2011

New knee replacement model increases likelihood of early revision surgery

Orthopaedic surgeons face a steep learning curve to get used to new prostheses, and the instruments and methods that go with them, before new total knee replacement procedures are as safe and effective as conventional methods. Patients who undergo the first 15 operations using a new device in a hospital are 48 percent more likely to need early revision surgery, than patients undergoing an operation to fit a prosthesis previously used in the hospital.

15 Dec 2011

First mobile safety lab for South African patients with AIDS and TB

The first mobile safety laboratory to operate under Biosafety Level 3 has been in use in South Africa since May 2011. As development of the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering in St. Ingbert, this special truck is used for testing and advising patients with AIDS and tuberculosis. The mobile laboratory can save patients' lives in remote areas because it cuts the waiting time between diagnosis and the start of treatment to just one day.

15 Dec 2011

M. pneumoniae CARDS toxin plays a critical role in asthma

Five years ago, microbiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio discovered the toxin produced by a common respiratory bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Joel Baseman, Ph.D., who led the discovery, said at the time that the toxin's presence in humans could be causing as many as 40 percent of all asthma cases.

15 Dec 2011

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute introduces Insight blog

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute today launched Insight, a blog providing expert commentary on the latest news in cancer research and care and insight on issues and topics relevant to cancer patients and their families.

15 Dec 2011

Gynaecological cancer survival rates have improved in Eastern England

Gynaecological cancer survival rates have improved in Eastern England following the reorganisation of services and multidisciplinary team working finds a new study published in the gynaecological oncology themed issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

15 Dec 2011

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy may eradicate cancer

An innovative treatment technology could give cancer patients new hope for survival. In an international study based at Lawson Health Research Institute and London Health Sciences Centre's London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP), scientists are testing a therapy with the potential to eradicate cancers previously thought to be incurable.

15 Dec 2011

Multiple CT scans can increase risk of cancer

From the doctor's office to the airport, Americans have more opportunity for radiation exposure than ever before. While low levels of radiation are used in medical imaging and airport body scanners, there is much debate about exposure levels and potential cancer risks. New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has found that there could be an increased risk of cancer for certain individuals who are exposed to multiple CT scans.

15 Dec 2011

Half of all stillbirths result from pregnancy disorders, placental conditions

Half of all stillbirths result from pregnancy disorders and conditions affecting the placenta, according to results reported by a National Institutes of Health research network established to find the causes of stillbirth as well as ways to prevent or reduce its occurrence.

15 Dec 2011

MDC professor to receive Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize

Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin is to receive Germany's most prestigious research award, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize.

15 Dec 2011

Nitroglycerin can boost body's natural immune response to cancer

Researchers at Queen's University have identified a new mechanism that could potentially explain why the body's immune system sometimes fails to eliminate cancer. The new findings shed light on the possible cause of immune resistance in cancer cells, and indicate that nitroglycerin, a relatively safe and low-cost drug used for more than a century to treat angina, may be effective for managing certain cancers.

15 Dec 2011

HDE and DEP exposure can lead to development of asthma

A study conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has found that diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) and house dust extract (HDE) causes pulmonary inflammation that aggravates asthma.

15 Dec 2011

Ron Paul takes strong stand on government's role in health care; Obama asks supporters to 'stick with him'

While GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul told his supporters that Medicare and Medicaid have no basis in the Constitution, President Barack Obama asked his backers to stay with him in the upcoming election.

15 Dec 2011

Researchers discover novel viral oncogenesis mechanism

Human tumor viruses contribute to 15-20% of human cancers worldwide. Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is an etiological agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and two other rare lymphoproliferative malignancies. KS is the most common cancer in HIV-infected untreated individuals and remains a primary cause of cancer deaths in many subequatorial African countries as a result of the AIDS pandemic.

15 Dec 2011

Fast Forward, Lineagen to fund clinical development and validation of blood-based assay for MS

Lineagen, Inc., an innovative molecular diagnostics company focused on complex, genetically linked disorders, and Fast Forward, LLC, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, today announced an alliance to fund the clinical development and validation of a blood-based assay for multiple sclerosis.

15 Dec 2011

Liver transplantations for NASH-Cirrhosis increase dramatically

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs when fat builds up in the liver. This accumulation of fat damages the liver and leads to cirrhosis. NASH is rapidly increasing in the U.S. mainly related to the epidemics of obesity and diabetes.

15 Dec 2011

DCC gene protects mice from onset of colon cancer

The research team at Lyon has developed an animal model carrying a mutation of the DCC gene. Mice carrying the mutation develop tumours, because this gene can no longer induce the death of the cancer cells. This discovery could lead to the development of a new targeted cancer treatment that aims to reactivate the dying of cancer cells.

15 Dec 2011

Combination of carbohydrate and caffeine increases athletic skill and performance

Caffeine combined with carbohydrate could be used to help athletes perform better on the field, according to new research by a sport nutrition expert.

From Sheffield Hallam University 15 Dec 2011