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EMBO, EMBC and Singapore sign cooperation agreement

Scientists in Singapore and Europe will have new avenues for scientific interaction, following a cooperation agreement between EMBO, its intergovernmental funding body, EMBC, and the government of Singapore.

14 Oct 2011

New insight into how emphysema and COPD develop

By studying mice exposed to tobacco smoke for a period of months, researchers have new insight into how emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) develop.

14 Oct 2011

NICHQ receives CDC grant to accelerate number of U.S. Baby-Friendly hospitals

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded nearly $6 million over three years to the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality to help hospitals nationwide make quality improvements to maternity care to better support mothers and babies to be able to breastfeed. The goal of the project is to accelerate the number of U.S. Baby-Friendly hospitals.

14 Oct 2011

Growing global trade puts world at greater risk for foodborne disease outbreaks, WHO officials say

"The world has become more vulnerable to outbreaks of disease caused by contaminated food because of growing global trade, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday," Agence France-Presse reports.

14 Oct 2011

Positive data from Anadys' setrobuvir Phase IIb combination study on genotype 1 HCV

Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today released interim antiviral response and safety data from an ongoing Phase IIb study of setrobuvir in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (P/R) in genotype 1 hepatitis C patients.

14 Oct 2011

Cord blood stem cells can repair cardiac muscle after heart attack

At least 20 million people survive heart attacks and strokes every year, according to World Health Organisation estimates, but many have poor life expectancy and require continual costly clinical care. The use of patient's own stem cells may repair heart attacks, although their benefit may be limited due to scarce availability and ageing. The researchers have found heart muscle-like cells grown using stem cells from human umbilical cord blood could help repair heart muscle cells damaged by a heart attack.

14 Oct 2011

Mathematical optimization models to improve radiation therapy for cancer

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed mathematical optimization models that will make radiation treatment plans safer and more efficient than conventional plans.

From Elekta 14 Oct 2011

JCO publishes Keryx's KRX-0401 Phase 1 / 2 combination study on advanced MM

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that a manuscript entitled "Perifosine Plus Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma Patients Previously Treated with Bortezomib: Results of a Multicenter Phase l/2 Trial" reporting Phase 1 / 2 combination activity of KRX-0401 (perifosine) in the treatment of advanced multiple myeloma (MM) patients, was selected for publication in the October 11, 2011 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

14 Oct 2011

Clinton opposes GOP bill to cut U.S. funding to U.N., poll finds majority of Americans also against legislation

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in a letter to lawmakers on Wednesday "warned House Republicans about pushing ahead with a bill to cut funds for the United Nations, saying she would recommend that President Barack Obama veto the legislation" that is expected to be considered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.

14 Oct 2011

Insight into how powerful anti-HIV antibody grabs hold of the virus

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered the surprising details of how a powerful anti-HIV antibody grabs hold of the virus. The findings, published in Science Express on October 13, 2011, highlight a major vulnerability of HIV and suggest a new target for vaccine development.

14 Oct 2011

Entirely new platform to assist in developing antimalarial drugs

Malaria has been one of the world's biggest killers for as long as records have been kept. With resistance to existing antimalarial drugs on the rise, there is a renewed push to find different ways to fight it. Two University of Houston (UH) engineers have stepped up to the plate to answer the call.

14 Oct 2011

BHI warns consumers about inherent risks linked with hearing devices

The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is warning consumers of the inherent risks associated with purchasing over-the-counter, one-size-fits-all hearing aids instead of consulting a hearing healthcare professional.

14 Oct 2011

NIH awards Salk Institute $4.5M to establish new Neuroscience Core Center

The National Institutes of Health has announced that the Salk Institute will receive $4.5 million to establish a Neuroscience Core Center, a new research center intended to accelerate brain research that lays the foundation for developing new ways to treat congenital brain defects and neurological diseases.

14 Oct 2011

Pulse oximetry can detect critical congenital heart disease in infants

Pulse oximetry, a non-invasive procedure that measures the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, can be used as a screening tool to detect critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in infants, and is more readily available than echocardiography, the current gold standard for CCHD diagnosis, according to a new research abstract presented Friday, Oct. 14, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition (NCE) in Boston.

14 Oct 2011

State roundup: Anti-abortion legislation campaign; services for disabled under scrutiny; what is a 'medical home'

A nationwide coalition of anti-abortion groups said Wednesday it is preparing to push legislation in all 50 states requiring that pregnant women see and hear the fetal heartbeat before having an abortion. The effort follows the introduction of similar legislation at the federal level by Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

14 Oct 2011

Study finds high prevalence of psychiatric visits among pediatric patients

Pediatric patients, primarily those who are underinsured (either without insurance or receiving Medicaid), are increasingly receiving psychiatric care in hospital emergency departments (EDs), according to an abstract presented Friday, Oct. 14, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Boston.

14 Oct 2011

Potential new protein target for sickle cell disease

National Institutes of Health-funded scientists have corrected sickle cell disease in adult laboratory mice by activating production of a special blood component normally produced before, but not after, birth.

14 Oct 2011

GFAP protein levels can help identify HIE in newborns

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that increased blood levels of a protein specific to central nervous system cells that are vital to the brain's structure can help physicians identify newborns with brain injuries due to lack of oxygen.

14 Oct 2011

Researchers control itch without dulling morphine's pain-killing effects

Itching is one of the most prevalent side effects of powerful, pain-killing drugs like morphine, oxycodone and other opioids. The opiate-associated itch is so common that even women who get epidurals for labor pain often complain of itching. For many years, scientists have scratched their own heads about why drugs that so effectively suppress pain also induce itch.

14 Oct 2011

Hospitals, health groups going green

Hospitals and health systems are organizing the industry's vast purchasing power to push manufacturers of medical products to make them with safer chemicals and to be more environmentally friendly.

14 Oct 2011