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Innovative miniscule gene transport system can cause breast cancer cells to self-destruct

Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have shown that they can deliver a gene directly into breast cancer cells causing them to self-destruct, using an innovative, miniscule gene transport system, according to research published today in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.

28 Feb 2011

New study identifies recurrent wound botulism among injection drug users

Botulism is a rare disease and recurrent botulism even more rare. However, in California, recurrent wound botulism among injection drug users has been on the rise and makes up three-quarters of reported cases in the United States.

28 Feb 2011

Study: Storytelling program improves communication skills, positive affect in persons with dementia

Nearly 16 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Symptoms include mood and behavior changes, disorientation, memory loss and difficulty walking and speaking.

28 Feb 2011

Norwegian study shows young children are able to learn and perform basic first aid

One of the reasons often given by people for not attempting first aid in emergency situations is a lack of confidence and a fear of doing more harm than good. Yet a Norwegian study on four and five year olds published in BioMed Central's open access journal Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine shows that even young children are able to learn and perform basic first aid.

28 Feb 2011

Medical malpractice system heading for a change

Medical malpractice laws and the system are perceived to be severely flawed. Many patients with legitimate claims never see a dollar of what they are owed, and many doctors who've done nothing wrong are sometimes found liable for enormous settlements. now efforts are being made to correct the situation both for patients and doctors.

28 Feb 2011

STD testing for elderly may be covered by Medicare

According to a new report testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may soon be covered by Medicare plans for the elderly. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that they are considering adding these tests as part of standard Medicare health insurance plans. At present the national health insurance program already pays for HIV tests. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials are expected to announce a draft decision by August 24.

28 Feb 2011

Stress & infertility treatment success unrelated: Study

British researchers from Cardiff University looked at 14 studies that included a total of 3,583 women who had undergone fertility treatment and been assessed for anxiety and stress before they began their therapy. They compared women who became pregnant and those who did not and noted that there was no association between emotional distress and the likelihood of becoming pregnant. The results were published in the online edition of British Medical Journal on Feb. 24.

28 Feb 2011

Menthol cigarette makers & FDA in a legal debate over ban

Tobacco companies have decided to sue the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over a decision that has been made in regards to cigarettes. The companies include the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as well as Lorillard, Inc., have sued the FDA over a decision that would potentially ban all cigarettes that contain a chemical known as menthol.

28 Feb 2011

Authorities work to contain measles scare

Health authorities are trying to prevent an outbreak of measles after a woman carrying the transmissible infection travelled widely throughout the United States. The lady in question, 27, allegedly contracted the airborne virus in the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States last week, passing through three U.S. airports on her way to New Mexico, where she is believed to reside. She arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday, February 22, from London.

28 Feb 2011

AHRQ: $52.2 billion spent on prescription drugs for treatment of metabolic conditions during 2008

Insurers and consumers spent $52.2 billion on prescription drugs in 2008 for outpatient treatment of metabolic conditions such as diabetes and elevated cholesterol, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

28 Feb 2011

Kiwis can go online to support St John for Christchurch ambulance service infrastructure work

Kiwis worldwide can go online to support St John, the ambulance service provider helping residents and communities in Christchurch after the recent earthquake which devastated much of the city.

28 Feb 2011

Scripps Health offers genetic testing to patients with Hepatitis C

Scripps Health is one of the first health systems in the United States to offer genetic testing as part of its care for hepatitis C patients planning to undergo drug treatment.

28 Feb 2011

Acute viral infection does not appear to cause exacerbation of IPF

Acute viral infection does not appear to be a primary cause of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive, deadly disease resulting in thickening and scarring of the lungs, according to a study conducted by researchers from the U.S., Korea and Japan.

28 Feb 2011

Researchers identify gene behind self-healing skin cancer

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered the gene behind a rare skin cancer which grows rapidly for a few weeks before healing spontaneously, according to research published in Nature Genetics.

28 Feb 2011

FDA approves GSK's PROMACTA to treat rare blood disorder

GlaxoSmithKline today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration granted full approval for PROMACTA, an oral tablet that can raise platelet counts in patients with the rare blood disorder chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins or splenectomy.

27 Feb 2011

Johns Hopkins students to provide hands-on help to communities in need on spring break trip

In the coming months, college students across the U.S. will make their annual southern pilgrimage for fun in the sun. At the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, however, 16 students have a different agenda for a southern spring break: providing hands-on help to communities in need.

27 Feb 2011

Experts offer myth-busting advice to fight against spring allergies

Millions of Americans sneeze and wheeze March through June when they use misinformation to manage their spring allergies.

27 Feb 2011

Scientists discover killer protein that protects against development of cancer

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made an important discovery concerning how fledgling cancer cells self-destruct, which has the potential of impacting on future cancer therapies.

27 Feb 2011

Study may help explain link between education and lower risk of heart disease

Freshmen on the eve of finals and graduate students staring down a thesis committee may not feel this way, but the privilege of obtaining an advanced education correlates with decades of lower blood pressure, according to a study led by a public health researcher at Brown University. The benefit appears to be greater for women than for men.

27 Feb 2011

New findings disclose mechanisms that control Rb2/p130 gene expression in lung cancer cells

Despite innumerable studies on lung cancer, many aspects of the disease have yet to be understood, including the role played by the retinoblastoma-related protein Rb2/p130 in the evolution of the disease.

27 Feb 2011