Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Gene discovered to play a part in one per cent of all cancers

Researchers have identified a gene that drives the development of tumours in over one per cent of all cancer patients. This is the first time that the gene CUX1 has been broadly linked to cancer development.

9 Dec 2013

Scientists identify gene encoding hormone to treat heart diseases

Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMCB) have identified a gene encoding a hormone that could potentially be used as a therapeutic molecule to treat heart diseases.

9 Dec 2013

ATS Labs offers testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against H7N9 virus

ATS Labs announced today that they are pleased to offer testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus, called H7N9 for short, has infected humans in China causing severe respiratory illness.

6 Dec 2013

New research finds that H7N9 still mainly adapted for infecting birds, not humans

Avian influenza virus H7N9, which killed several dozen people in China earlier this year, has not yet acquired the changes needed to infect humans easily, according to a new study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute. In contrast to some initial studies that had suggested that H7N9 poses an imminent risk of a global pandemic, the new research found, based on analyses of virus samples from the Chinese outbreak, that H7N9 is still mainly adapted for infecting birds, not humans.

6 Dec 2013

Nurse-led initiatives in Indiana improve patient outcomes

Nurse-led initiatives in Indiana measurably improved patient outcomes while demonstrating anticipated financial savings of more than $5.2 million to their organizations, according to initial results from a hospital-based nurse leadership and innovation training program launched last year by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

6 Dec 2013

Autumn-born children prone to asthma

Month of birth closely correlates with the prevalence of bronchial asthma, a major study of Taiwanese children has found.

5 Dec 2013

Genocea commences GEN-004 Phase 1 study to prevent pneumococcus infections

Genocea Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage company pioneering novel T cell vaccines, announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 study of GEN-004, an investigational vaccine candidate for pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae), a major cause of infectious disease-related death globally. GEN-004 is the first vaccine candidate designed to prevent infections caused by all strains of pneumococcus through a novel T cell-mediated mechanism of action.

5 Dec 2013

CEL-SCI gets approval to start enrollment for Multikine Phase III study for head and neck cancer

Further advancing one of the largest Phase III trials for head and neck cancer in the world, CEL-SCI Corporation announced today that it has received approval from the Agency for Medicaments and Medical Devices of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to begin enrollment of subjects into the Phase III Head and Neck Cancer clinical trial of its investigational cancer immunotherapy treatment Multikine (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection).

5 Dec 2013

Biologists discover how nerve cells recycle tiny vesicles

University of Utah and German biologists discovered how nerve cells recycle tiny bubbles or "vesicles" that send chemical nerve signals from one cell to the next. The process is much faster and different than two previously proposed mechanisms for recycling the bubbles.

5 Dec 2013

IDSA released new guideline for vaccination of immunocompromised hosts

A new guideline released Thursday by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) notes that most people with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to illness and should receive the flu shot and other vaccinations.

5 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Why can't health website be like Amazon?; debunking GOP's resistance to Medicaid

For an "Amazon-like" experience, it isn't enough to have a website that functions on the front end, the back end and in between. ... You also need an Amazon-like culture, which is the product of other Amazon-like realities.

5 Dec 2013

French National Expert Committee on Maternal Mortality formulates twenty recommendations

Twenty recommendations have been formulated by the French National Expert Committee on Maternal Mortality with the aim of raising awareness among health professionals and prospective parents, in consultation with the French National College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the French Society of Anaesthetists/Obstetric Anaesthesia Club.

4 Dec 2013

1950s H2N2 avian influenza A virus still pose threat to human health

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have evidence that descendants of the H2N2 avian influenza A virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s still pose a threat to human health, particularly to those under 50. The research has been published in an advance online edition of the Journal of Virology.

4 Dec 2013

Novartis to present updates on broad cancer portfolio at ASH and SABCS symposiums

Novartis will present updates on its broad cancer portfolio with more than 240 abstracts at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting and CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

4 Dec 2013

Researchers predict seasonal influenza outbreaks in 108 cities across the U.S.

Scientists were able to reliably predict the timing of the 2012-2013 influenza season up to nine weeks in advance of its peak. The first large-scale demonstration of the flu forecasting system by scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health was carried out in 108 cities across the United States.

4 Dec 2013

Nanologix collaborates with Saudi company to distribute Nanologix products in Arabian Gulf region

NanoLogix, Inc. an innovator in the rapid detection, identification of live bacteria, and determination of their antibiotic resistance and sensitivity, announces that they are working with Nasaem-Aljazira, a Saudi Arabian company headquartered in Riyadh, to establish exclusive distribution and/or manufacturing of NanoLogix products in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf region, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area.

4 Dec 2013

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The research appeared in a recent edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications.

3 Dec 2013

Experts explain how to prevent heartburn during holidays

Attracted by the decadent treats, fried meats, and festive cocktails of the Thanksgiving-to-New-Year feast, heartburn can be an unwelcome guest during the holidays. According to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, acid reflux affects about 30 million Americans.

3 Dec 2013

Tips to protect yourself from getting sick during cold and flu season

As you travel to visit friends and family this holiday season, don't leave home without the hand sanitizer. During cold and flu season, that's one of three things you can do to protect yourself from getting sick you're on the go.

3 Dec 2013

Leapfrog announces list of 2013 Top Hospitals

The Leapfrog Group announced its list of Top Hospitals at its Annual Meeting today, highlighting the diversity of hospitals represented nationwide. Widely cited as the nation's most competitive hospital quality award, the Top Hospitals designation recognizes hospitals that deliver the highest quality care by preventing medical errors, reducing mortality for high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reducing readmissions for patients being treated for conditions like pneumonia and heart attack.

3 Dec 2013