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Vaginal microbicide gel shows promise as HIV prevention method for women

A clinical trial involving more than 3,000 women in the U.S. and southern Africa demonstrates for the first time the promise of a vaginal microbicide gel for preventing HIV infection in women.

5 Mar 2009

Breakthrough produces Parkinson's patient-specific stem cells free of harmful reprogramming genes

Deploying a method that removes potentially cancer-causing genes, Whitehead Institute researchers have "reprogrammed" human skin cells from Parkinson's disease patients into an embryonic-stem-cell-like state.

5 Mar 2009

Brain tumor treatment may increase number of cancer stem-like cells

A new study suggests that the standard treatment for a common brain tumor increases the aggressiveness of surviving cancer cells, possibly leaving patients more vulnerable to tumor recurrence.

5 Mar 2009

Bottom up assembly of cells into 3-D microtissues

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory can now control how cells connect with one another in vitro and assemble themselves into three-dimensional, multicellular microtissues.

5 Mar 2009

Seven steps to success for overweight children

Overweight children and adolescents, with the active involvement of their parents and families, can successfully lose weight by following the Seven Steps to Success described in the current issue of Obesity Management , a journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

5 Mar 2009

Seattle report ranks local hospitals on access to care for minorities, low-income individuals

Four advocacy groups in Seattle on Tuesday issued a report that highlighted disparities in access to care for minorities at several local hospitals, the Seattle Times reports.

5 Mar 2009

Wilmington News Journal examines bilingual hospital staff serving as interpreters

With a growing population of non-English-speaking patients, many hospitals are training their bilingual staff members to be "effective communicators on health issues," the Wilmington News Journal reports.

5 Mar 2009

Tanzania to introduce ACTs to prevent drug-resistant malaria

Tanzania's government plans to introduce artemisinin-based combination malaria treatments to prevent the development of drug resistance, the Guardian/IPP Media reports.

5 Mar 2009

Botswana to implement pilot HIV/TB program, redesign malaria program

Botswana's Health Minister Lesego Motsumi on Monday presented a pilot program to address HIV/tuberculosis coinfection and support health workers who are treating patients with HIV/TB coinfection, Mmegi reports.

5 Mar 2009

New York paid $28 million in Medicaid payments for 20,000 people receiving benefits in other states, audit finds

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on Tuesday said that from 2004 to 2008 the state Health Department made about $28 million in Medicaid payments to about 20,000 people who also were enrolled in Medicaid programs in other states, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports.

5 Mar 2009

More companies offering 'telehealth' consultations

Various "telehealth" services -- allowing consumers access to health care via telephone, Internet or other telecommunications devices -- have cropped up in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 Mar 2009

Employers plan to reduce contributions to employees' premiums in 2010, survey says

Two out of every three U.S. employers are examining ways to reduce the amount they contribute to employees' health care expenses in 2010, according to a study by Hewitt Associates, the Chicago Tribune reports. In addition, Hewitt said 4% of U.S. employers are planning "to discontinue providing health care benefits altogether."

5 Mar 2009

Many U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during past two years, report finds

One-third of U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years, according to a report released on Wednesday by Families USA, Reuters reports. The report examined data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

5 Mar 2009

Pharmacies offering no-cost antibiotics should promote responsible use, CDC says

CDC last week sent out letters to several chain pharmacies that offer no-cost prescription antibiotics to low-income consumers urging them to promote responsible use of antibiotics, the New York Times reports.

5 Mar 2009

Dorgan, McCain, Snowe introduce bill to allow prescription drug reimportation

Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) on Wednesday introduced a bill (S 525) that would allow the reimportation of lower-cost prescription drugs from other nations, Bloomberg reports.

5 Mar 2009

Supreme Court rules against Wyeth in pre-emption case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled 6-3 that consumers harmed by an FDA-approved pharmaceutical product can sue the drugmaker for liability in state courts, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/5).

5 Mar 2009

Kansas lawmakers to examine increase in payments to group with ties to HHS Secretary-Designee Sebelius

Kansas lawmakers on Wednesday announced that they plan to hold hearings to examine a decision made by the administration of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), whom President Obama has nominated as HHS secretary, to increase state payments to a social services group whose board of directors included members with close ties to the governor, the AP/Kansas City Star reports.

5 Mar 2009

Obama hosts health care summit at White House

A White House health care summit hosted on Thursday by President Obama will enable attendees to discuss reform proposals for the U.S. health care system, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/5).

5 Mar 2009

Texas bill to make HIV screening part of routine care would help efforts to curb virus

"More than two years after" CDC "recommended routine HIV screening, two state lawmakers" in Texas have proposed a bill to align the state with the federal recommendations, a Lubbock Avalanche-Journal editorial says.

5 Mar 2009

Antigua HIV/AIDS program manager announces plans for education campaign

Delcora Williams, Antigua's deputy program manager for the AIDS secretariat, on Tuesday announced that the secretariat is waiting for approval from the Board of Education to begin a new HIV/AIDS education and awareness campaign, the Antigua Sun reports.

5 Mar 2009

Medical News

Vaginal microbicide gel shows promise as HIV prevention method for women

Breakthrough produces Parkinson's patient-specific stem cells free of harmful reprogramming genes

Brain tumor treatment may increase number of cancer stem-like cells

Bottom up assembly of cells into 3-D microtissues

Seven steps to success for overweight children

Seattle report ranks local hospitals on access to care for minorities, low-income individuals

Wilmington News Journal examines bilingual hospital staff serving as interpreters

Tanzania to introduce ACTs to prevent drug-resistant malaria

Botswana to implement pilot HIV/TB program, redesign malaria program

New York paid $28 million in Medicaid payments for 20,000 people receiving benefits in other states, audit finds

More companies offering 'telehealth' consultations

Employers plan to reduce contributions to employees' premiums in 2010, survey says

Many U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during past two years, report finds

Pharmacies offering no-cost antibiotics should promote responsible use, CDC says

Dorgan, McCain, Snowe introduce bill to allow prescription drug reimportation

Supreme Court rules against Wyeth in pre-emption case

Kansas lawmakers to examine increase in payments to group with ties to HHS Secretary-Designee Sebelius

Obama hosts health care summit at White House

Texas bill to make HIV screening part of routine care would help efforts to curb virus

Antigua HIV/AIDS program manager announces plans for education campaign

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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