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Great Place to Work Institute honors Genencor with prestigious award

Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, announced today that the company was ranked #7 on the list of The Netherlands Great Places to Work 2011 in the category of "Large & Multinational Companies" by the Great Place to Work Institute.

15 Apr 2011

Driving Safety Initiative launched to help reduce road accident casualties

The independent Commission for Global Road Safety on Tuesday in London announced the launch of the Driving Safety Initiative to "help reduce worldwide crash casualties," the New York Times' "Wheels" blog reports.

15 Apr 2011

Cytonet initiates clinical trial using liver cell infusion to treat urea cycle disorders in children

International biotechnology firm Cytonet recently launched the first ever clinical trial in the United States using an investigational liver cell infusion to treat urea cycle disorders (UCD) in children. The first patient in the Phase II trial, which will seek to enroll 20 patients in 12 medical centers, is a child with citrullinemia, which is a hereditary UCD. He received six liver cell infusions on six consecutive days at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

15 Apr 2011

New treatment improves immune function in 13-year-old with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

In a novel approach that works around the gene defect in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, an inherited immune deficiency disorder, researchers used an alternative cell signaling pathway to significantly improve immune function in a 13-year-old boy with the disease.

15 Apr 2011

WHO group hopes to have virus-sharing draft agreement finalized by Friday

Countries are narrowing in on a "deal to speed up their response to the next flu pandemic by sharing virus samples in return for access to affordable vaccines," co-chairs of a WHO working group told reporters on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

15 Apr 2011

Safer-sex education leads to fewer episodes of unprotected sex

Teaching young women how to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increases condom use and might reduce their number of sexual partners, but little research exists on whether educational programs reduce rates of STIs such as human papillomavirus, according to an updated research review from England.

15 Apr 2011

Varian Medical Systems launches new brachytherapy applicator

Varian Medical Systems is introducing a new brachytherapy applicator for treating endometrial cancer patients after a hysterectomy. The Capri applicator, aimed at increasing patient comfort and allowing clinicians to better sculpt the radiotherapy dose, is being exhibited this week at the annual American Brachytherapy Society meeting in San Diego.

15 Apr 2011

Report highlights dangers aid workers face, suggests strategies to ensure their safety

Over the past decade, humanitarian aid worker casualties have tripled, rising to more than 100 deaths per year, according to a report (.pdf) released Tuesday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), the Associated Press reports (Snow, 4/12).

15 Apr 2011

Investigational Alzheimer's compounds may treat neuropathies

Drugs already in development to treat Alzheimer's disease may eventually be tapped for a different purpose altogether: re-growing the ends of injured nerves to relieve pain and paralysis.

15 Apr 2011

Astrocytes regulate circadian system that controls normal sleep patterns

The circadian system that controls normal sleep patterns is regulated by a group of glial brain cells called astrocytes, according to a study published online on April 14th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Neuroscientists from Tufts University School of Medicine found that disruption of astrocyte function in fruit flies ( Drosophila) led to altered daily rhythms, an indication that these star-shaped glial cells contribute to the control of circadian behavior.

15 Apr 2011

Halozyme announces Aspart-PH20 study results in type 1 diabetes

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced results from a study in type 1 diabetes patients who receive their insulin treatment with a pump demonstrating that Aspart-PH20, a formulation of Halozyme's rHuPH20 with the active ingredient in NovoLog, accelerates insulin absorption and shortened its duration of action.

15 Apr 2011

U.N. report highlights concerns about population-related activities funding

Financial support for population-related activities worldwide has not significantly increased since 2008, according to a report (.pdf) from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the U.N. Commission on Population and Development (CPD), Inter Press Service reports. The CPD is meeting this week.

15 Apr 2011

New JAMA issue focuses on infectious diseases and immunology

Several media outlets report on findings published in this week's issue of JAMA, which focuses on infectious diseases and immunology.

15 Apr 2011

Early recognition of oral cancer symptoms

For decades, the incidence of oral cancer has remained nearly constant, partly because it can be difficult to detect. However, during April, Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Western Dental Services, Inc., is joining the national effort to support early recognition of oral cancer symptoms.

15 Apr 2011

Freedom Innovations announces license agreement for lower extremity prosthesis

Freedom Innovations, a company that specializes in the development of high technology lower extremity prosthetic devices, today announced a worldwide licensing agreement. The agreement grants the company exclusive rights to commercialize the world's first lower extremity prosthesis with actively powered knee and ankle joints that operate synergistically.

From PROTEOR 15 Apr 2011

Mandatory single embryo transfers for IVF may decrease risk and cost

The number of couples struggling with infertility is on the rise, and these couples often use assisted reproductive technologies, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), to get pregnant. Although IVF can be successful, it can also increase the risk of multiple pregnancies, which are often caused by transferring more than one embryo. Twins and triplets are likely to be born prematurely, and, as a result, many have medical complications.

15 Apr 2011

Scientists identify novel small molecules that block human tumor cell growth

Researchers from the Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified three novel small molecules that interrupt a crucial cellular communication pathway that regulates many aspects of development and cancer.

15 Apr 2011

NPR examines history behind recent congressional fight over Planned Parenthood funding

A lot of people were surprised when House Republicans' desire to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood very nearly caused the shutdown of the federal government last week (Rovner, 4/13).

15 Apr 2011

Pharmacy costs for multiple sclerosis patients increase at a faster rate than medical costs

Analysis of direct pharmacy and medical costs for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) showed pharmacy costs are increasing at a slightly faster rate than medical costs, but new MS medications are expected to shift the majority of the direct health cost burden to pharmacy, according to a new study by Prime Therapeutics (Prime). The study will be presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 23rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn.

15 Apr 2011

Study: 30% of patients with TBI more likely to suffer from depression

Vanderbilt researchers conducting an extensive analysis of studies on traumatic brain injury, report today that 30 percent of TBI patients, or approximately 360,000 patients each year, will also suffer from depression after their injury.

15 Apr 2011