Allergies News and Research

Latest Allergies News and Research

Vacuum cleaner with UV technology effective at reducing carpet's surface microbes

New research suggests that the addition of ultraviolet light to the brushing and suction of a vacuum cleaner can almost double the removal of potentially infectious microorganisms from a carpet's surface when compared to vacuuming alone.

2 Nov 2010

National Jewish Health's chronic urticaria diagnostic assay receives US patent

National Jewish Health has received a US patent for a method of detecting autoimmune chronic urticaria, which will help assure many patients that dramatic changes in lifestyle are not needed to treat the condition.

2 Nov 2010

Allergan third quarter diluted loss per share increases to $2.21

Allergan, Inc. today announced operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. Allergan also announced that its Board of Directors has declared a third quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, payable on December 1, 2010 to stockholders of record on November 10, 2010.

1 Nov 2010

Consumption of peanut during pregnancy may increase risk of allergy in infants: Study

Researchers have found that allergic infants may be at increased risk of peanut allergy if their mothers ingested peanuts during pregnancy. The data are reported in the November 1, 2010 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

1 Nov 2010

Study classifies best-selling scented household products as carcinogens

A new study led by the University of Washington has revealed that in a test of best-selling scented household products including detergents, dryer sheets, soaps, hand sanitizers, lotions, deodorants, and shampoos, almost a quarter of the chemicals detected were classified as toxic or hazardous under federal law, and some were even classified as possible carcinogens.

30 Oct 2010

Practice Fusion receives ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification for EHR system

Practice Fusion, the fastest growing Electronic Health Record (EHR) community in the country, announced today that it is ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 compliant and is certified as an EHR Module in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

29 Oct 2010

North American children may be 'too clean'

Rising levels of allergic asthma and eczema in North American children have Canadian scientists wondering if there is such a thing as being "too clean." "We see auto-immune diseases like asthma and eczema increasing rapidly in North American children, but we don't see the same effect in children in the developing world," says Dr. B. Brett Finlay, a Professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia.

29 Oct 2010

Merck reports $342 million net income for 2010 third quarter

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the third quarter of $0.85, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, restructuring costs, merger-related expenses and a $950 million legal reserve.

29 Oct 2010

More details of the health law revealed as implementation unfolds

The law imposes stringent restrictions on physician-owned hospitals, which critics say cherry pick the lucrative specialty patients community hospitals depend on to stay afloat, Kaiser Health News/USA Today report.

29 Oct 2010

New nationwide initiative to conduct research on human immune system

A new nationwide research initiative has been launched to define changes in the human immune system's response to infection and vaccination using human rather than animal models, which could lead to better vaccines and other treatments. Baylor Research Institute (BRI), along with five other U.S.-based Human Immune Phenotyping Centers, will receive a total of $100 million over five years to conduct the research.

28 Oct 2010

YorkTest Laboratories offers testing kit to identify food intolerance

It is estimated that up to 12 million people are living with food intolerance and spending on average up to 350 pounds Sterling on wasted remedies and pills trying to relieve the symptoms before they discover the cause.

28 Oct 2010

Consumer groups still concerned as insurance rules are considered by HHS

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog: Consumer groups are already concerned that insurers might lobby HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to weaken the medical-loss ratio rules suggested by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners last week. "Today, consumer representatives sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to urge her not to tinker too much with what the NAIC came up with." The medical-loss ratio rules will determine "how much insurers pay out in health care compared with the total premiums they collect.

28 Oct 2010

New findings suggest way to treat lung diseases

A new study of an exotic, infectious virus that has caused three recent outbreaks in the United States reveals clues to how the virus might damage lungs during infection. The findings also suggest possible new ways to treat lung diseases in humans.

28 Oct 2010

Vical to present preclinical results of HSV-2 vaccine program at Keystone Symposium

Vical Incorporated today announced that the company's Vice President of Clinical Development, Richard T. Kenney, M.D., is presenting preclinical results from the company's herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) vaccine program in a poster session Friday morning at the Keystone Symposium on Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination (Seattle, October 27 – November 1).

27 Oct 2010

Study: lncRNA are involved in host response to viral infection

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that a certain class of RNA (known as long non-protein-coding RNA [lncRNA]) are involved in the host response to viral infection. These findings, published today in the online journal mBio-, could greatly change the way scientists look at the body's response to viral infection.

27 Oct 2010

Stress can literally show up on the face

According to an Australian stylist stress affects the health as well as appearance. Gregory Landsman, the author of Face and Fitness said that high stress level is immediately visible on a person’s face.

26 Oct 2010

Innovative program for new graduate doctors to ensure safety prescription

A new software based program has recently been created for new graduate doctors to ensure they prescribe safely from day one on the wards.

26 Oct 2010

La Jolla Institute scientist wins Malpighi Medal for pioneering work in heart disease

Klaus Ley, M.D, a scientist at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, was recently awarded the prestigious Malpighi Medal at the World Congress for Microcirculation in Paris, France. A lifetime achievement award presented by the European Society for Microcirculation, Dr. Ley received the honor in recognition of his pioneering endeavors in vascular immunology, a scientific discipline that he helped to pioneer, which looks at novel immune-based approaches to combating heart disease. He is only the 17th recipient of the biennial award worldwide.

26 Oct 2010

Childhood allergies and asthma linked to development in the womb

A child's chances of developing allergies or wheezing is related to how he or she grew at vital stages in the womb, according to scientists from the University of Southampton.

25 Oct 2010

UCLA researchers receive grant to develop medical products against radiation exposure

Researchers in the Radiation Oncology Department at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have received a $14 million grant to develop countermeasures that will help treat damage caused by radiological or nuclear threats such as a dirty bomb attack.

25 Oct 2010