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Clinical and preclinical malaria vaccine data presented at Keystone Symposium

GenVec, Inc. announced that encouraging clinical and preclinical malaria vaccine data were presented at the Keystone Symposium -- Malaria: New Approaches to Understanding Host-Parasite Interactions taking place April 11-16, 2010 in Copper Mountain, Colorado.

12 Apr 2010

Liver biopsy with hepatic copper quantification every 3 years needs to be considered for WD patients

As a result of the rarity of Wilson disease (WD) and the fact that liver biopsy is not performed routinely during follow-up, unless clinically indicated, the progression and timing of the liver pathology and its correlation with different anti-copper treatments or aminotransferase levels are poorly characterized. Previous studies have demonstrated the possibility of improvement of steatosis and inflammation grade, and of fibrosis stage during long-term follow-up.

12 Apr 2010

Inbuilt sensor in cell phones for detecting deadly chemicals

Do you carry a cell phone? Today, chances are it's called a "smartphone" and it came with a three-to-five megapixel lens built-in-not to mention an MP3 player, GPS or even a bar code scanner. This 'Swiss-Army-knife' trend represents the natural progression of technology-as chips become smaller/more advanced, cell phones absorb new functions.

12 Apr 2010

Phase I study of Affinium Pharmaceuticals' AFN-1252 for MRSA initiated

Affinium Pharmaceuticals announced today the commencement of a Phase I study in the United States for its novel molecular entity, AFN-1252, a first in class antibiotic candidate focused on the oral and IV treatment of susceptible and highly resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

12 Apr 2010

Persisting red, itchy, watery eyes in children may be signs of serious conditions

When a child develops red, watery eyes, it could be just allergies - or it may be the sign of a more serious eye condition, according to a leading pediatric ophthalmologist.

12 Apr 2010

Asthma-like symptoms in infants and toddlers is often RAD

Your child is wheezing. Your child must have asthma, right? Not always, says Julie Koehler, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice in Butler University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and clinical pharmacy specialist in family medicine at Clarian Health.

12 Apr 2010

Scientists identify specific mechanism that triggers resistance to vancomycin

A new study led by the scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research has uncovered for the first time how bacteria recognize and develop resistance to a powerful antibiotic used to treat superbug infections.

12 Apr 2010

Optimer Pharmaceuticals announces results from second Phase 3 clinical study of fidaxomicin

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the top-line results from its second fidaxomicin Phase 3 clinical study in patients with Clostridium difficile infection were presented today at the 20th Annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Vienna, Austria.

12 Apr 2010

Replikin Counts of H5N1 and H1N1 strains on the rise

The most recent BioRadar analysis of the virus genomes of both H5N1, known for high lethality, and H1N1, known for high infectivity, indicates that the Replikin Counts of both strains are rising. Such Count increases in a specific strain have been invariably associated with clinical outbreaks of that strain.

12 Apr 2010

A*STAR announces fifth major collaboration with Italian research centres and universities

Two research units under Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) and Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), are collaborating with Italy's Siena Biotech S.p.A. to develop new drugs and targeted antibodies respectively, which will potentially help millions of cancer and bone loss patients across the world. This is the fifth major collaboration A*STAR has with research centres and universities in Italy .

9 Apr 2010

Effective compound against antibiotic-resistant biofilms

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a chemical compound that, when used in conjunction with conventional antibiotics, is effective in destroying biofilms produced by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as the Staphylococcus strain MRSA and Acinetobacter. The compound also re-sentsitizes those bacteria to antibiotics.

9 Apr 2010

Inovio Biomedical receives $2.8M grant to develop DNA vaccine for HCV

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that the company and its collaborators from Drexel University, Cheyney University, and the University of Pennsylvania have received a $2.8 million grant to develop a DNA vaccine to treat hepatitis C virus.

9 Apr 2010

IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C must be individualized and optimized for efficacy

The efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy depends on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype, pretreatment viral load and early viral kinetics. Thus, IFN therapy must be individualized and optimized according to the virological and clinical status of each patient.

9 Apr 2010

FDA updates website with information about triclosan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today updated its website www.fda.gov with information about triclosan, a common ingredient added to many consumer products to reduce or prevent bacterial contamination. It may be found in antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes and some cosmetics—products regulated by the FDA.

9 Apr 2010

ChemoCentryx identifies novel drug candidate targeting ChemR23 chemoattractant receptor

ChemoCentryx, Inc., today announced that it has identified a novel drug candidate targeting the chemoattractant receptor known as ChemR23. This investigational new drug, designated CCX832, is an orally-administered small molecule antagonist of ChemR23, an important player in inflammatory disease.

9 Apr 2010

Immune system mouse models help study biology of T cells and their role in toxoplasmosis

Using T cells primed for the infectious disease toxoplasmosis, Whitehead Institute researchers have created novel mouse models of the immune system that more accurately reflect how immune cells actually respond to pathogens in their presence.

9 Apr 2010

Combination telaprevir treatment beneficial for retreatment of hepatitis C

A study co-authored by a Saint Louis University researcher found telaprevir, a protease inhibitor, combined with standard hepatitis C treatment, cures a significantly higher number of difficult-to-treat patients than standard treatment alone. The findings were published in the April issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

9 Apr 2010

Opinions: Preparing for next flu outbreak; Elections in Zimbabwe; U.S. response to Haiti

Now that concerns about swine flu have eased, "[o]ur fear is that the public and officials will get blase about the next flu outbreak," according to a New York Times editorial. "Efforts to rush vaccine into production did not go well. This dry run should lead health officials to push the vaccine makers even harder to adopt new technologies that can turn out vaccine more quickly.

9 Apr 2010

Pfizer to expand clinical trials in Asia, work on development of antibiotics for drug-resistant TB

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer said on Wednesday that it plans to increase the number of clinical trials it's conducting in Singapore by 10 percent as part of an effort "to design drugs for diseases prevalent in the region," Reuters reports.

9 Apr 2010

12 infected with Hepatitis C by a doctor at clinic in Victoria

Hepatitis C is a vial infection that is spread much like HIV with shared needles, blood or body fluids. The Victorian Police has been brought in to investigate a cluster of 12 hepatitis C positive cases who attended a late-term abortion clinic in Melbourne.

9 Apr 2010

Disease/Infection News

Clinical and preclinical malaria vaccine data presented at Keystone Symposium

Liver biopsy with hepatic copper quantification every 3 years needs to be considered for WD patients

Inbuilt sensor in cell phones for detecting deadly chemicals

Phase I study of Affinium Pharmaceuticals' AFN-1252 for MRSA initiated

Persisting red, itchy, watery eyes in children may be signs of serious conditions

Asthma-like symptoms in infants and toddlers is often RAD

Scientists identify specific mechanism that triggers resistance to vancomycin

Optimer Pharmaceuticals announces results from second Phase 3 clinical study of fidaxomicin

Replikin Counts of H5N1 and H1N1 strains on the rise

A*STAR announces fifth major collaboration with Italian research centres and universities

Effective compound against antibiotic-resistant biofilms

Inovio Biomedical receives $2.8M grant to develop DNA vaccine for HCV

IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C must be individualized and optimized for efficacy

FDA updates website with information about triclosan

ChemoCentryx identifies novel drug candidate targeting ChemR23 chemoattractant receptor

Immune system mouse models help study biology of T cells and their role in toxoplasmosis

Combination telaprevir treatment beneficial for retreatment of hepatitis C

Opinions: Preparing for next flu outbreak; Elections in Zimbabwe; U.S. response to Haiti

Pfizer to expand clinical trials in Asia, work on development of antibiotics for drug-resistant TB

12 infected with Hepatitis C by a doctor at clinic in Victoria

How innovation in dried blood spot testing is transforming neurological disease monitoring

Unlocking live single-cell functional insights

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

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