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Cleaning products do not increase risk of breast cancer: Research

Results of a new US study published today have looked at whether cleaning products are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. They appear to show that women who say they used such products in the past are more likely to have breast cancer. But Cancer Research UK said that the results do not prove a link between cleaning products and breast cancer, and that the findings may have been distorted as a result of patients' existing beliefs about the health risks of chemicals.

9 Sep 2010

Researchers find minocycline antibiotics effective for fragile X syndrome

One of the antibiotics most commonly prescribed to treat adolescent acne can increase attention spans and communication and decrease anxiety in patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment, according to a new survey study that is the first published on parents' reports of their children's responses to treatment with the medication.

9 Sep 2010

New gene required for memory formation identified

A team led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist has for the first time identified a new gene that is required for memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. The gene may have similar functions in humans, shedding light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or human learning disabilities.

9 Sep 2010

BioMimetic completes 100 day PMA meeting with FDA for Augment Bone Graft

BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. today announced it completed its 100 day Premarket Approval Application (PMA) meeting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the review of Augment™ Bone Graft for the treatment of foot and ankle fusions in the U.S. The FDA generally meets with the PMA sponsor approximately 100 days after the filing of the PMA with the purpose of discussing the status of the application.

9 Sep 2010

BC gynecologists initiate campaign to reduce ovarian cancer mortality

Gynecologic oncologists with the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and the BC Cancer Agency have begun an important campaign that will reduce deaths from ovarian cancer.

9 Sep 2010

World Water Week: Urbanization, irrigation, global food security

"Global efforts to improve access to drinking water have been hampered by rapid urbanisation, with the proportion of people in urban areas with access actually declining, according to U.N. figures presented" at the World Water Week conference in Stockholm, Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Sep 2010

Cachexia reduces function and changes muscle structure of heart in mice with colon cancer

The wasting disease associated with some cancers that is typically seen affecting skeletal muscles can also cause significant damage to the heart, new research in mice suggests.

9 Sep 2010

UK researchers’ new model to describe burden of postmenopausal osteoporosis

An article just published in the scientific journal 'Osteoporosis International' introduces a validated new model that can be used to describe the current and future burden of postmenopausal osteoporosis in different national settings.

9 Sep 2010

UCLA plans nanotechnology collaboration with Hamamatsu Photonics

The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA has announced plans to collaborate with Hamamatsu Photonics Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of photon detectors and camera systems, to apply nanoscience and nanotechnology to projects having global importance in health, medicine, energy and the environment.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists identify molecular marker to analyze chemotherapy response in breast cancer patients

A new predictive marker which could help doctors to decide whether breast cancer patients would benefit from chemotherapy has been identified by a team of scientists. The study, part-funded by Cancer Research UK and published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday), shows for the first time how this molecular marker has been singled out as an independent factor in examining a breast cancer patient's tumour.

9 Sep 2010

Illegal drug usage in older people reduces quality of life: Research

Health and social services are facing a new challenge, as many illicit drug users get older and face chronic health problems and a reduced quality of life. That is one of the key findings of research published in the September issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

9 Sep 2010

Lactic acid fermentation reduces acrylamide formation during production of potatoes and coffee

A small research-based Norwegian company has developed a method to reduce the formation of the carcinogenic compound acrylamide during industrial production of potatoes and coffee. International food giants are paying attention.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists to develop test for Mad Cow Disease detection

The eyes may or may not be windows to the soul, as the old adage goes, but scientists are reporting evidence that a peek into the eyes of cattle may become the basis for a long sought test to detect infection with the agent that causes Mad Cow Disease. That test could help prevent the disease from spreading in the food supply. A study on using the tell-tale glow given off by eyes infected with the Mad Cow agent appears in ACS' semi-monthly journal Analytical Chemistry.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists discover over-expression of C35 gene in HER2 positive tumours

UK scientists have discovered that a gene called C35 can work together with other cancer-promoting genes to drive the growth and invasion of breast cancer cells in the lab.

9 Sep 2010

Federal appeals court declines to reconsider 'pay-for-delay' on generic drugs

A federal appeals court on Tuesday said it will not revisit its decision to uphold settlements that allow pharmaceutical companies to pay competitors to keep generic versions of their drugs off the market, The Wall Street Journal reports. "In April, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals [in New York] affirmed the legality of a settlement in which Bayer AG, in essence, paid Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., a potential generic competitor, to drop its patent challenge to Cipro, a Bayer antibiotic."

9 Sep 2010

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

Elimination of a molecular gatekeeper leads to the development of arthritis in mice, scientists report in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The newly discovered gatekeeper is a protein that determines the fate survival or death of damaging cells that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues and lead to autoimmune disorders such as arthritis.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists suggest aggressive forms of breast cancer develops from intermediary cells

A UK research team has taken an important step forward in improving our understanding of the origins of breast cancer. Scientists at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London have found evidence suggesting that aggressive forms of breast cancer are likely to develop from intermediary slightly more developed cells, rather than from stem cells.

9 Sep 2010

Low carbohydrate diet rich in plant-based fats and proteins associated with lower risk of mortality

Those who adhered to a diet low in carbohydrates but rich in animal-based fats and proteins increased their risk of death – especially by cancer, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, led by Simmons College nutrition professor Teresa Fung, Sc. D.

9 Sep 2010

International Isotopes completes NRC licensing assistance agreement with URENCO USA

International Isotopes Inc. announces completion of an agreement with URENCO USA to provide assistance to International Isotopes on its Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing and State of New Mexico permitting processes.

9 Sep 2010

Concerted action on antibiotic resistance discussed at Uppsala meeting

For 70 years the world has mismanaged the common good of antibiotics. The result is a growing global burden of antibiotic resistance, threatening to take health care back to an era where ordinary infections might once again become fatal.

9 Sep 2010