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Drug to treat leishmaniasis fails in 20% of patients, study shows

"One in five people treated for a serious form of leishmaniasis in Nepal relapse after a year," Nature reports, adding, "The finding, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases last month, is 'an alarming signal' for campaigns to eliminate the neglected disease, say researchers."

12 Mar 2013

Targeting Mer receptors sensitize AML and ALL to chemotherapies

Two University of Colorado Cancer Center studies show that the protein receptor Mer is overexpressed in many leukemias, and that inhibition of this Mer receptor results in the death of leukemia cells - without affecting surrounding, healthy cells.

12 Mar 2013

Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, KU Leuven partner for €9.5M 'PharmaSea' project

KU Leuven scientist Camila Esguerra and the Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery are coordinating a €9.5 million, EU-funded project to collect and study marine microbes extracted from some of the ocean's deepest, most extreme - and as-yet-unexplored -biomes.

12 Mar 2013

Anti-cancer drug conjugates: an interview with Dr Andreas Menrad, CSO Ablynx and Dr Chris Martin, CEO Spirogen

Antibodies and in the case of Ablynx, Nanobodies, can be raised and selected to bind with high affinity selectively to cancer cells in a tumour. Cancer cells are exquisitely sensitive to certain toxins such as the PBDs produced by Spirogen.

12 Mar 2013

Darapladib can significantly reduce leaks in the blood brain barrier

A research team led by Robert Nagele, PhD, of the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Osteopathic Medicine, has demonstrated that the anti-atherosclerosis drug darapladib can significantly reduce leaks in the blood brain barrier.

12 Mar 2013

Buphenyl may protect memory and prevent progression of Alzheimer's

Buphenyl, an FDA-approved medication for hyperammonemia, may protect memory and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Mar 2013

Study identifies why prazosin may cause lightheadedness and fainting

A new study led by a Canadian research team has identified the reason why prazosin, a drug commonly used to reduce high blood pressure, may cause lightheadedness and possible fainting upon standing in patients with normal blood pressure who take the drug for other reasons, such as the treatment of PTSD and anxiety.

12 Mar 2013

Study: No increase in mortality with well-controlled HIV

For HIV-infected patients whose disease is well-controlled by modern treatment, the risk of death is not significantly higher than in the general population, according to a study published in AIDS, official journal of the International AIDS Society. AIDS is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

12 Mar 2013

Antipsychotic drugs associated with increased risk of stroke in the elderly

Antipsychotic administration in the elderly is associated with an increased risk for cerebrovascular accident, more commonly known as stroke; a new study published in Biological Psychiatry provides additional insight into this important relationship.

12 Mar 2013

Link between folic acid supplements and reduced risk of autism

Women who take a vitamin B9 supplement (folic acid) during the beginning weeks of their pregnancy can cut the risk of having a child with autism in half. But the supplement has no effect if it is started more than 8 weeks into the pregnancy.

12 Mar 2013

Combining mitochondrial inhibitors could improve efficacy of BRAF inhibitors in melanoma

A multi-institutional study has revealed that BRAF-positive metastatic malignant melanomas develop resistance to treatment with drugs targeting the BRAF/MEK growth pathway through a major change in metabolism.

11 Mar 2013

Early detection of PML may help improve survival and disability levels

The drug natalizumab is effective for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), but it increases the risk of a rare but potentially fatal brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

11 Mar 2013

Aspirin's anti-inflammatory effects may help protect against melanoma

A new study has found that women who take aspirin have a reduced risk of developing melanoma-and that the longer they take it, the lower the risk. The findings suggest that aspirin's anti-inflammatory effects may help protect against this type of skin cancer. The study is published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

11 Mar 2013

Drugs that combat ageing may be available within five years

Drugs that combat ageing may be available within five years, following landmark work led by an Australian researcher.

11 Mar 2013

Advancement in re-engineering photosynthesis can transform plants into bio-factories

Scientists are reporting an advance in re-engineering photosynthesis to transform plants into bio-factories that manufacture high-value ingredients for medicines, fabrics, fuels and other products. They report on the research in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology.

8 Mar 2013

Failure to use aspirin before angioplasty increases death rate

Despite recommendations from leading medical groups, a surprising number of patients are not given aspirin before artery-clearing coronary angioplasty and stenting, and those patients have a significantly higher in-hospital death rate, according to research from a Michigan network being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

8 Mar 2013

Editorial, opinion pieces react to 'functional cure' of infant born with HIV

Scientists on Sunday announced that an infant born with HIV appears to have been "functionally cured" of the virus after receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) within 30 hours of birth.

8 Mar 2013

Study shows reduction of brain capillaries in mice immunized with amyloid beta

University of British Columbia researchers have successfully normalized the production of blood vessels in the brain of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by immunizing them with amyloid beta, a protein widely associated with the disease.

8 Mar 2013

Novel drug seems to increase effectiveness of usual chemotherapy against IBC

Researchers in the University of Delaware's Department of Biological Sciences are investigating a new drug that has shown positive results in early tests of its ability to fight a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.

8 Mar 2013

TV ads may drive over-diagnosis of high cholesterol and over-treatment with statins

Television advertising may drive over-diagnosis of high cholesterol and over-treatment with statins, according to a new study¹ by Dr. Jeff Niederdeppe from Cornell University in the US and colleagues. It appears that a trip to the doctor enquiring about statins advertised on TV often leads to a prescription.

8 Mar 2013