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Protein complex plays critical role in development of Alzheimer's disease

The Bonn site of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn are leading contributors.

21 Dec 2012

Fewer people expected to go hungry in Africa in 2013, but more children face malnourishment

"Despite good rains across much of the Sahel this year, 1.4 million children are expected to be malnourished -- up from one million in 2012, according to the 2013 Sahel regional strategy," IRIN reports. "The strategy, which calls on donors to provide $1.6 billion of aid for 2013, says fewer people are expected to go hungry in 2013 -- 10.3 million instead of 18.7 million in 2012," the news service writes.

21 Dec 2012

Can crowdfunding be used effectively to advance HIV vaccine research?

"What will the next great leap forward be, and how can we make sure it gets tested ASAP?" Zachary Barnett, founder and executive director of Abzyme Research Foundation/ENDHIV.com, asks about HIV research in the Huffington Post's "Gay Voices" blog.

21 Dec 2012

Measurement of IQ by a singular, standardized test is misleading, finds study

After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, a Western University-led research team has concluded that the notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading.

21 Dec 2012

PEPFAR scale-up linked to strengthening of health systems, study says

Noting "PEPFAR has been criticized for its vertical or 'stove-piping' structure, with resources targeting a specific disease rather than working to strengthen the underlying health system," a study published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes "aimed to evaluate whether PEPFAR activities were associated with system-wide improvements in both proximal and distal indicators of health systems strengthening."

21 Dec 2012

Pakistan reports 9th death in polio worker attacks, resumes vaccination campaign under police escort

"Another victim from attacks on U.N.-backed anti-polio teams in Pakistan died on Thursday, bringing the three-day death toll in the wave of assaults on volunteers vaccinating children across the country to nine, officials said," the Associated Press reports (Khan, 12/20). "Four female health workers were killed in Karachi, shot dead by masked men on motorbikes.

21 Dec 2012

OncoMed commences dosing in OMP-52M51 Phase 1 clinical trial for hematologic cancers

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced that patient dosing has begun in a Phase 1 clinical trial of OMP-52M51 in patients with hematologic cancers.

21 Dec 2012

GAO raises concerns about spending on new Medicare programs

The government may be duplicating efforts under several programs and paying for the same services to test new payment and treatment delivery models, a study finds.

21 Dec 2012

Feds OK health insurance exchange plans for three more states; Other 'Obamacare' implementation news

The Obama administration gave conditional approvals to Delaware, Minnesota and Rhode Island, saying they will be ready to open new insurance markets in 2014, as required under the health care law. Meanwhile, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper indicates he's likely to push for Medicaid expansion.

21 Dec 2012

Cubist seeks FDA sNDA approval for ENTEREG to accelerate GI recovery

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST) today announced that it has submitted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval for the use of ENTEREG® (alvimopan) to accelerate GI recovery following any surgery that includes a bowel resection with primary anastomosis; expanded from the current indication in patients requiring surgery for colorectal disease.

21 Dec 2012

U.N. General Assembly adopts resolution urging countries to ban FGM

"The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday urging countries to ban female genital mutilation, calling it an 'irreparable, irreversible abuse' that threatens about three million girls annually," Reuters reports.

21 Dec 2012

Roche, PSS partner to develop fully automated emulsion PCR instrument for sequencing

Roche and Precision System Science, Co., Ltd (PSS) today announced the signing of an exclusive agreement to develop and manufacture a fully automated emulsion PCR instrument for Roche's portfolio of next-generation sequencing platforms. It is intended to support Roche's GS Junior and GS FLX+ systems as well as the sequencing platforms that Roche is currently developing.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 21 Dec 2012

Reviewing G-FINDER report findings

Nick Chapman, a policy analyst at Policy Cures, writes in a guest post on the Global Health Technologies Coalition's "Breakthroughs" blog about "the results of the latest G-FINDER survey on global funding of [research and development (R&D)] for neglected diseases."

21 Dec 2012

'Doc fix' unlikely without fiscal deal

Lawmakers have assumed that whatever deal is negotiated by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner would include a patch to avoid the 26.5% cut to physicians who treat Medicare patients, which takes effect next month. Without a deal, however, providers face a double whammy, since they would also see 2 percent pay cuts under sequestration.

21 Dec 2012

Novel testing reaction based on magnetic resonance data

In their quest for new agents, pharmaceutical researchers test millions of substances all over the world. They like using color-forming reactions to identify new molecules. However, in intensively colored solutions or in the case of mixtures with multiple substances these tests fail.

21 Dec 2012

Boehner fails to rally GOP, pulls his tax plan back

House speaker was under pressure from conservatives who wanted bigger cuts in entitlement spending.

21 Dec 2012

Towards imaging biological processes in action at the atomic level

If the key to winning battles is knowing both your enemy and yourself, then scientists are now well on their way toward becoming the Sun Tzus of medicine by taking a giant step toward a priceless advantage - the ability to see the soldiers in action on the battlefield.

21 Dec 2012

Molecule imitating a virus may trigger inappropriate immune response

Why would our immune system turn against our own cells? This is the question that the combined Inserm/CNRS/ Pierre and Marie Curie University/Association Institut de Myologie have strived to answer in their "Therapies for diseases of striated muscle", concentrating in particular on the auto-immune disease known as myasthenia gravis.

21 Dec 2012

Findings quantify national rate of surgical 'never events'

After a cautious and rigorous analysis of national malpractice claims, Johns Hopkins patient safety researchers estimate that a surgeon in the United States leaves a foreign object such as a sponge or a towel inside a patient's body after an operation 39 times a week, performs the wrong procedure on a patient 20 times a week and operates on the wrong body site 20 times a week.

21 Dec 2012

Many surgeons refuse to operate without patient's commitment to postoperative treatment

Patients who want to limit the amount of life support they receive after surgery might have a hard time finding a surgeon willing to do the procedure, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

21 Dec 2012