Zinc News and Research

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Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies.

Study suggests zinc supplementation may reduce pneumonia risk

A high proportion of nursing facility residents were found to have low serum (blood) zinc concentrations during an observational study funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Aging. The scientists found that those with normal blood zinc concentrations were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia than those with low concentrations.

11 Aug 2010

Analysis finds no evidence that inclusion of retinyl palmitate in sunscreens can cause cancer

Despite previous concerns about the cancer-causing potential of sunscreens containing retinyl palmitate (vitamin A), an independent analysis published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology determined that there is no evidence that the inclusion of retinyl palmitate in sunscreens can cause cancer in humans.

10 Aug 2010

Healthy eggs require tremendous amount of zinc to reach maturity for fertilization: Research

Scientists as well as fertility doctors have long tried to figure out what makes a good egg that will produce a healthy embryo. It's a particularly critical question for fertility doctors deciding which eggs isolated from a woman will produce the best embryos and, ultimately, babies.New research reveals healthy eggs need a tremendous amount of zinc to reach maturity and be ready for fertilization,a finding that may ultimately help physicians assess the best eggs for fertility treatment, according to a study from Northwestern University.

10 Aug 2010

Random vaccine distribution prevents spread of disease: Study

The best way to prevent the spread of disease in rural areas may be by targeting select popular hangouts, according to a new study by the Kansas State University EpiCenter research team.The team published "Efficient Mitigation Strategies for Epidemics in Rural Regions" in the July edition of the journal PLoS ONE. The study looks at mitigation strategies based on a contact network model developed using information collected from residents in Clay County, Kan.

30 Jul 2010

Life-saving interventions can save 11 million African women, children over next five years: Countdown report

In the next five years, 11 million African women and children could be saved by creating near-universal availability of key life-saving interventions, according to The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and the Countdown to 2015 Decade Report (2000-2010).

27 Jul 2010

Ivy nanoparticles protect skin from UV radiation better than metal-based sunblocks: Study

When Mingjun Zhang was watching his son play in the yard, he was hit with a burning question: "What makes the ivy in his backyard cling to the fence so tightly?" That simple question has led to a pioneering discovery that the tiny particles secreted from ivy rootlets can be used in many breakthrough applications in items such as military technologies, medical adhesives and drug delivery, and, most recently, sun-block.

20 Jul 2010

The Children's Hospital, UCH to jointly establish new center for advanced maternal fetal medicine

The Children's Hospital and the University of Colorado Hospital have finalized an agreement to jointly establish a center for advanced maternal fetal medicine offering state-of-the-art care for high-risk pregnant women and their babies. The two leading academic medical centers have individually provided such services for more than three decades, and by building on already existing adult and pediatric expertise, they together will be able to provide unparalleled care and treatment for the region's most at-risk moms and babies.

16 Jul 2010

Insights into complex interrelationships between heart and kidneys

Research is yielding new understanding of the interactions between the heart and the kidneys—particularly the cardiorenal syndrome, in which failure of either organ can lead to failure of the other. Recent insights into the complex interrelationships between the heart and kidneys are presented in a special symposium section of the July issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences (AJMS), official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

7 Jul 2010

Carrots can help protect vision, not improve

In a recent survey among eyecare providers, nearly 30 percent hear the following question at least once a week: Will eating carrots really improve my vision?

7 Jul 2010

Preclinical efficacy data of Sangamo's ZFN based human stem cell therapy for HIV published

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced the publication of data demonstrating the preclinical efficacy of a human stem cell therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) based on its proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein nuclease (ZFN) technology.

6 Jul 2010

Adeona completes $1 million equity financing and provides update on Zinthionein ZC clinical study

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that on July 6, 2010, it completed an equity financing of $1 million with a single institutional investor, Seaside 88, L.P. The financing involved the sale of 1,212,121 registered shares of common stock and no warrants. Enclave Capital served as placement agent and will receive a 7% cash commission and 5-year warrants to acquire 60,606 shares of Adeona at $1.32 per share. The use of proceeds is intended for general corporate purposes.

6 Jul 2010

Recent releases in global health

Looking ahead to AIDS 2010 which will be held in Vienna, Austria, July 18-23, a Lancet editorial writes that 2010 marks "the deadline set by global leaders to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Sadly, the world will not meet these ambitious goals." However, the latest issue of the Lancet "offers some new insights to progress," the editorial notes.

3 Jul 2010

ORS, zinc supplements and rotavirus vaccine can reduce diarrheal disease

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health urge wider use of oral rehydration solution (ORS), zinc supplementation and rotavirus vaccine to reduce the deaths from diarrheal disease worldwide.

2 Jul 2010

Healthy diet can reduce age-related eye problems

While 20/20 vision is a symbol of visual acuity, between now and the year 2020, more and more people will experience some extent of vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other sight-robbing diseases.

2 Jul 2010

Zeria reports positive results from Japanese Phase III study of Z-338 for functional dyspepsia

Zeria Pharmaceutical announced today positive results of their Japanese Phase III study of Z-338 (acotiamide hydrochloride hydrate; "acotiamide") for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). FD is a gastrointestinal disease comprised of subjective symptoms including postprandial fullness, early satiation and epigastric pain without any organic abnormality on gastrointestinal tract.

28 Jun 2010

Scientists report potential toxicity of nanoparticles in consumer products

Scientists are reporting that particle size affects the toxicity of zinc oxide, a material widely used in sunscreens. Particles smaller than 100 nanometers are slightly more toxic to colon cells than conventional zinc oxide. Solid zinc oxide was more toxic than equivalent amounts of soluble zinc, and direct particle to cell contact was required to cause cell death.

25 Jun 2010

QR Pharma, Massachusetts General Hospital announce Parkinson's disease research collaboration

QR Pharma, Inc. (QR) and Massachusetts General Hospital announced today a new collaborative research agreement to work on a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD).

17 Jun 2010

Adeona's HartLab expands diagnostic testing services to include full array of microbiology testing

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its wholly-owned CLIA-certified clinical testing subsidiary, HartLab, has expanded its in-house diagnostic testing services to include a full array of microbiology testing. Adeona believes that that this expansion of services will be accretive to HartLab's revenues in the current quarter and beyond and is consistent with Adeona's plans to continue to build the revenues of its HartLab subsidiary.

15 Jun 2010

Pecans may delay progression of age-related motor neuron degeneration: Study

Eating about a handful of pecans each day may play a role in protecting the nervous system, according to a new animal study published in the current issue of Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research. The study, conducted at the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, suggests adding pecans to your diet may delay the progression of age-related motor neuron degeneration. This may include diseases like amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

9 Jun 2010

Adeona completes 50% enrollment in Part 2 CopperProof-2 study of oral zinc cysteine for Alzheimer's Disease

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the completion of 50% enrollment in Part 2 of its clinical study, A Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind Trial of a Novel Oral Zinc Cysteine Preparation in Alzheimer's Disease (CopperProof-2).

7 Jun 2010