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Professor develops optical technology that can detect, examine skin lesions

University of Rochester optics professor Jannick Rolland has developed an optical technology that provides unprecedented images under the skin's surface.

20 Feb 2011

Slime of starfish may hold a clue for treating inflammatory diseases

Starfish have arms, spines and a mouth on the underside of its body. But what scientists are finding really interesting is the sticky goo which is secreted when the Starfish feels threatened. The slime contains properties which may prove invaluable in treating certain kinds of inflammatory illnesses.

20 Feb 2011

HHS overturns Bush 'conscience' rule for workers opposing abortion

The Obama administration on Friday rescinded most of a 2008 rule that granted sweeping protections to health care providers who opposed abortion, sterilization and other medical procedures on religious or moral grounds.

20 Feb 2011

New study shows low doses of aspirin can significantly reduce risk of cancers

A new study by scientists from Oxford, Edinburgh, London and Japan shows that at low doses, aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of a range of cancers.

20 Feb 2011

Oral sex linked to cancer

Researchers from the United States have said that there is strong evidence linking oral sex to cancer. They have urged more study of how human papillomaviruses may be to blame for a rise in oral cancer among white men.

20 Feb 2011

Gene that causes rare breast cancer identified

Researchers have found that a rare but hard-to-treat form of breast cancer is driven by a newly discovered gene. The gene ZNF703 is the first oncogene to be discovered in five years, and it could lead to more effective treatments down the road, Cancer Research UK said.

20 Feb 2011

New York smoking ban gone too far? Health experts disagree

Now there is a faction that believes the soon-to-pass smoking ban on most parks and many beaches throughout New York City to be “going too far” and is questioning the bill.

20 Feb 2011

Language skills promote cognitive function and delay Alzheimer’s: Study

A new study suggests that bilingual speakers hold Alzheimer’s disease at bay for an extra four years on average compared with people who spoke only one language. Knowing more languages can improve cognitive skills and delay the onset of dementia, according to researchers.

20 Feb 2011

Chronic fatigue syndrome – eased by psychotherapy: Study

New British research suggests that people with chronic fatigue syndrome may be helped the most when standard treatment is coupled with cognitive behaviour therapy or exercise therapy.

20 Feb 2011

Artificial blood vessel could be available ‘off the shelf’ soon

Soon artificial blood vessels could be available ‘off the shelf’. This would mean that heart bypass patients would not have to be subjected to a minor operation to graft veins from other parts of their body. This would also make life easier for surgeons as well.

20 Feb 2011

Knee replacement surgery keeps one active even after 20 years: Study

A latest study has shown that patients with artificial knees were still functional after 20 years, even jogging or playing tennis. The researchers looked at people who had knee replacements between 1975 and 1989 in the state of Indiana and noted that they lived for another 20 years maintained an active lifestyle. All reported at least “moderate” activity.

20 Feb 2011

A special type of Dwarfism protects against cancer & diabetes: Study

Researchers have found that some individuals living in remote villages in Ecuador have a mutation that could throw light on human longevity and ways to increase it. These villagers, all dwarfs with heights less than three and a half feet, have a rare condition called Laron syndrome or Laron dwarfism.

20 Feb 2011

CDC maps least and most active Americans

A new government commissioned study has found that Colorado has one of the most active populations in the country and Kentucky has one of the least active. This study is the third in a series of county-focused reports by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first two looked at diabetes and obesity rates, says Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation.

20 Feb 2011

Largest Medicare fraud case nets 114 offenders

In one of the largest healthcare fraud cases, the U.S. government last Thursday charged 114 doctors, nurses and other defendants with Medicare crime schemes that exceeded $225 million in false billings.

20 Feb 2011

Bangladesh cholera vaccine trial

Bangladesh will conduct the world’s largest clinical trial of an affordable cholera vaccine which could save tens of thousands of lives. The study began Thursday and involves nearly 250,000 people near the capital, Dhaka.

20 Feb 2011

Breast cancer cases on the rise in Japan

The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer per year in the seven major markets is forecast to increase by 13% over the next decade, finds independent healthcare analyst, Datamonitor.* However, in Japan, breast cancer incidence rates will rise by approximately 24% to 2019 to reach 56,400 cases, compared to 45,600 cases in 2010.

20 Feb 2011

In the Gulf states rates of heart disease are rising with the economy

Rapid improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the Gulf states has been followed by lifestyle changes now contributing to high rates of cardiovascular disease. Professor Hani Najm, President of the Saudi Heart Association whose annual conference begins 21 February 2011, describes risk factor prevalence rates as "extremely high", particularly in the cities of Saudi Arabia.

20 Feb 2011

Treating depression: A vital step in cancer recovery

With all of the stresses of today’s modern world, depression is unfortunately becoming a common household word for many people in this country and abroad. During the cold winter months, many also struggle with seasonal depression or “winter blues,” known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Depression can be caused by any number of factors, such as chronic stress, inactivity, hormone or neurotransmitter imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, medication side effects, chronic inflammation, or lack of adequate sunshine exposure, among others.

20 Feb 2011

QRxPharma granted FDA pre-NDA meeting, further phase II data released

QRxPharma Limited (ASX: QRX and OTCQX: QRXPY) announced today the granting of a pre-New Drug Application (NDA) meeting with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and successful completion of its third pivotal Phase 3 registration trial (study 009) for immediate-release MoxDuo.

20 Feb 2011

CompanDX, CRL enter multi-year agreement to develop biomarker panels

CompanDX Ltd., bioinformatics partner for the life sciences industry, and Clinical Reference Laboratory, Inc. (CRL), provider of laboratory testing services in molecular diagnostics and clinical trials, today announced they entered into a multi-year agreement to collaborate in the development and support of biomarker panels and companion diagnostic development for pharmaceutical, biotech and academic clients worldwide.

19 Feb 2011