Toxin News and Research

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Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) levels are rising above safe levels in Central Puget Sound

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) levels are rising above safe levels in Central Puget Sound. The state Department of Health urges recreational shellfish harvesters to check the department’s biotoxin hotline before they harvest.

29 Jul 2004

Federal agencies should assess the safety of genetically altered foods, whether produced by genetic engineering or by other techniques

Federal agencies should assess the safety of genetically altered foods -- whether produced by genetic engineering or by other techniques, such as conventional breeding for desirable traits -- on a case-by-case basis to determine whether unintended changes in their composition could adversely affect human health, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

29 Jul 2004

Botox for the treatment of severe underarm sweating

Botox, or botulinum toxin type A, is commonly known as a wrinkle treatment, but recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also approved it for the treatment of severe underarm sweating, a debilitating condition called primary axillary hyperhidrosis.

29 Jul 2004

Botox approved as treatment for severe underarm sweating

The FDA has approved Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox) to treat severe underarm sweating known as “primary axillary hyperhidrosis” that cannot be managed by topical agents such as prescription antiperspirants. Botox has already been approved for several other purposes.

20 Jul 2004

Botulism case associated with consumption of a salt-cured fish product

A 41 year old New Jersey resident was hospitalized on June 3, 2004 with a confirmed case of botulism.

15 Jul 2004

Effective treatment for soft tissue sarcoma (rhabdomyosarcoma)

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a highly malignant aggressive form of soft tissue cancer in children, the causes of which are currently unknown. Although the fibrous growths can be found all over the body they commonly develop around the head, neck, bladder and testes in young boys.

15 Jul 2004

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

A team of researchers led by The Burnham Institute’s Robert C. Liddington has determined the crystal structure of the binding complex between anthrax toxin and one of its host receptors.

8 Jul 2004

Research points to a possible way to design anthrax toxin molecules that selectively attack tumor cells

Scientists have determined a three-dimensional (3-D) molecular image of how anthrax toxin enters human cells, giving scientists more potential targets for blocking the toxin, the lethal part of anthrax bacteria.

5 Jul 2004

Harmless form of the herpes virus may help create a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists have taken an important step toward creating a vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease, customizing the response of the immune system with unprecedented precision.

30 Jun 2004

Eleven states oppose mercury emissions proposal

Attorneys General and top environmental officials from eleven states joined today in formally opposing a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal that would allow coal-fired power plants to escape Clean Air Act mandates that require them to reduce mercury emissions that threaten public health – particularly the health of children and pregnant women.

29 Jun 2004

Lawsuit against 3 largest U.S. canned tuna companies for failing to warn about exposure to mercury

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer today filed a lawsuit against the nation's three largest canned tuna companies for failing to warn consumers that albacore and light tuna contain mercury, known by the state to cause reproductive harm and cancer.

22 Jun 2004

Xenobiotic gets patent approval for toxin detection

XDS consultant (and former XDS laboratory director) Michael Chu and President George Clark combined their research skills to develop a rapid and relatively inexpensive methodology to quantify TEQs (Toxic Equivalence -- measures of toxicity adopted by the World Health Organization) for individual toxic chemical groups.

17 Jun 2004

Significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis

Dr. Fraser discusses, for the first time, the significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax.

14 Jun 2004

Project aimed at eliminating anthrax as a potential weapon for terrorists

La Trobe University scientists are using their own unique peptide 'library' containing a thousand million molecular sequences in a project aimed at eliminating anthrax as a potential weapon for terrorists.

10 Jun 2004

Australian scientists have developed a tool that acts as a pregnancy test for the detection of anthrax

Once a deadly disease associated with animals, anthrax is now used as a bioterrorist weapon. While infection can be controlled with antibiotics, in a bioterrorism attack people will not know they have been infected until symptoms develop, at which stage drugs are useless.

7 Jun 2004

Over-the-counter cream protects against jellyfish stings

Two dozen volunteers bravely exposed their arms to jellyfish tentacles as part of a new Stanford University School of Medicine study to test a topical, over-the-counter cream designed to protect against stinging nettles. Fortunately for the volunteers, the cream appeared to be relatively effective.

3 Jun 2004

Scientists have identified a compound that halts the activity of a deadly toxin called anthrax

University of Chicago scientists have identified a compound that halts the activity of a deadly toxin called anthrax lethal factor in laboratory tests. Nature Biotechnology will publish the findings online on May 16 and in the June issue of the journal's print edition.

17 May 2004

New device lab-on-a-chip sensor to detect milk contamination

Whitaker investigator David Beebe, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed a process to make on-demand, miniature sensors for a wide variety of poisons, including naturally occurring contaminants and intentionally introduced toxins.

15 May 2004

Botox shows promise as an alternative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Injections of botulinum toxin A (botox) into the prostate are a promising alternative treatment for the millions of men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition commonly referred to as enlarged prostate, according to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

11 May 2004

Scientists closer to a potential vaccine or treatment for botulism

By deciphering the near atomic-level structure of the catalytic domain of botulinum toxin type E — one of seven neurotoxins that cause botulism, a disease that paralyzes victims by blocking nerve cells’ ability to communicate — scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are one step closer to a potential vaccine or treatment.

10 May 2004

Toxin News and Research

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) levels are rising above safe levels in Central Puget Sound

Federal agencies should assess the safety of genetically altered foods, whether produced by genetic engineering or by other techniques

Botox for the treatment of severe underarm sweating

Botox approved as treatment for severe underarm sweating

Botulism case associated with consumption of a salt-cured fish product

Effective treatment for soft tissue sarcoma (rhabdomyosarcoma)

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

Research points to a possible way to design anthrax toxin molecules that selectively attack tumor cells

Harmless form of the herpes virus may help create a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease

Eleven states oppose mercury emissions proposal

Lawsuit against 3 largest U.S. canned tuna companies for failing to warn about exposure to mercury

Xenobiotic gets patent approval for toxin detection

Significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis

Project aimed at eliminating anthrax as a potential weapon for terrorists

Australian scientists have developed a tool that acts as a pregnancy test for the detection of anthrax

Over-the-counter cream protects against jellyfish stings

Scientists have identified a compound that halts the activity of a deadly toxin called anthrax

New device lab-on-a-chip sensor to detect milk contamination

Botox shows promise as an alternative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Scientists closer to a potential vaccine or treatment for botulism

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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

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