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HIV treatment access reaches over 1 million in sub-Saharan Africa

WHO HIV/AIDS Director Dr Kevin De Cock reported that the number of people receiving HIV antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa has surpassed 1 million for the first time, a ten-fold increase in treatment access in the region since December 2003.

16 Aug 2006

Treatment for STI's has a role in HIV prevention

The findings of a WHO/UNAIDS consultation presented at the XVI International AIDS Conference confirm that caring for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at the right stage of an epidemic and targeting them at key population groups can reduce HIV transmission.

16 Aug 2006

Thailand shows how free access to life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs can be affordable

A new report on Thailand's experience of giving free anti-retroviral drugs (ART) to people living with AIDS suggests that even developing countries with few resources may be able to deliver the life-saving drugs on a large scale, according to the World Bank and the Thailand Ministry of Public Health.

16 Aug 2006

Skin test may help detect early Alzheimer's

A simple skin test that would allow detection of Alzheimer's disease appears to be a realistic possibility in the future.

16 Aug 2006

Think twice about that occasional cup of coffee

According to new research, one cup of coffee may trigger a heart attack in some people within a hour of drinking it.

16 Aug 2006

AIDS spiraling out of control in Asia because of men's behaviour

South Asia's HIV and AIDS epidemic will continue to grow rapidly unless the eight countries in the region, especially India, can saturate high-risk groups such as sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, and men having sex with men with better HIV prevention measures.

16 Aug 2006

Lose weight but the cellulite remains

New research has dispelled the myth that by losing weight women can also lose the "orange peel" effect of cellulite.

16 Aug 2006

When a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, what determines whether he will receive early androgen ablation?

While the benefits of androgen ablation therapy have been well documented in patients with locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer, there is a paucity of evidence its role in patients with low-grade, low-stage disease.

16 Aug 2006

Trying to improve on the activity of Interferon-Alpha in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Interferon-alpha (IFN) has been a mainstay in the systemic treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) for decades, with response rates ranging from 3-15%.

16 Aug 2006

Iomai launches study of vaccine patch for travelers' diarrhea

Iomai Corporation has announced that it has begun enrollment of a Phase 2 trial designed to test its vaccine patch for travelers' diarrhea in volunteers traveling to sites in Mexico and Guatemala.

15 Aug 2006

Findings shed new light on BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast-cancer gene mutations in older and African-American women

Clearest picture yet of the prevalence and predictors of mutations in the breast-cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 among women in the general population.

15 Aug 2006

New plan to confront HIV-related health worker shortages

Launch of a coordinated global plan to address a major and often overlooked barrier to preventing and treating HIV/AIDS: the severe shortage of health workers, particularly in developing nations.

15 Aug 2006

Male circumcision, microbicides and other tools set to change HIV prevention landscape

In a new report released this week, fifty top AIDS experts warn that a range of promising new HIV prevention approaches are nearing completion of clinical trials, but the world is unprepared to ensure widespread access for those in need.

15 Aug 2006

Ryogen licenses gene patent to OriGene Technologies

Ryogen and OriGene Technologies have announced today that they have entered into a nonexclusive license agreement whereby OriGene has licensed from Ryogen the patent directed to the clinically important Aminopeptidase P gene.

15 Aug 2006

Truckies with sleep problems a danger on the road

A large study of commercial truck drivers has revealed that those who have chronic sleep deprivation and sleep-related breathing problems may be a hazard on the road.

15 Aug 2006

Some Yellow Jackets cause more severe allergic reactions than others

Allergists at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have concluded that the sting severity is determined not by the calendar but by the species of insect doing the stinging.

15 Aug 2006

Serious gaps in Indian public knowledge about HIV

As India gears up implementation of national plans to fight HIV, infectious diseases experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere are pointing out serious gaps in public knowledge about the disease and identifying early problems in private clinics, where 70 percent of HIV-infected Indians receive their everyday medical care.

15 Aug 2006

Elite suppressors of HIV to change how scientists monitor spread of disease

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have found that 1 percent to 2 percent of those infected with HIV in Baltimore apparently suppress the virus to nearly undetectable levels on their own, confounding public health efforts to accurately monitor the pandemic's spread, now in its 20th year.

15 Aug 2006

Watch and wait the best option for low-risk prostate cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, 234,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and 27,350 will die from it, but researchers say that as many as half of men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer undergo surgery or radiation therapy unnecessarily.

15 Aug 2006

Diets rich in copper and trans fats increase the risk of mental decline

Researchers say that elderly people whose diets are rich in copper and heavy in saturated fats and trans fats increase their risk of a cognitive decline that could be related to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

15 Aug 2006