Many Cancers Could Be Prevented - New Landmark Report

Many Cancers Could Be Prevented - New Landmark Report
Over 40 per cent of colon and breast cancer cases in some countries are preventable through healthy patterns of diet, physical activity and weight maintenance, according to estimates in a report that has set out recommendations for policies and actions to prevent cancer.

New Heart Attack Service For East London

New Heart Attack Service For East London
A new and unique cardiology service for patients most at risk of having a heart attack is to be launched at Barts and The London Heart Attack Centre in Bethnal Green in April. Doctors will for the first time intervene with advanced cardiology procedures at the 'early warning' stage instead of waiting to treat patients who have suffered a full-blown heart attack.

Hospital Outpatient Department And Office-based Provider Visits For High Cholesterol And Other Conditions Soar In A Decade, USA

Hospital Outpatient Department And Office-based Provider Visits For High Cholesterol And Other Conditions Soar In A Decade, USA
Americans visited a hospital outpatient department or office-based provider for high cholesterol 300 percent more often in 2006 than they did in 1996, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. This translates to 44 million visits for treatment of high cholesterol in 2006. Trauma related disorders and mental disorders prompted the most visits in 2006, just as they did in 1996.

First Group Of Heart Failure Patients Treated With "Off-The-Shelf" Adult Stem Cells Successfully Pass Key Safety Milestone

First Group Of Heart Failure Patients Treated With "Off-The-Shelf" Adult Stem Cells Successfully Pass Key Safety Milestone
Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB)(PINK:MBLTY) today announced successful achievement of the key safety milestone in the first low-dose cohort of patients treated with Revascor(tm), the proprietary allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", universal adult stem cell product for congestive heart failure. Safety data from all 20 congestive heart failure patients enrolled in the multi-centre Phase 2 clinical trial by Mesoblast's United States-based sister company Angioblast Systems Inc.

Recently Reported Childhood Deaths From Influenza Are A Stark Reminder To Vaccinate Now

In recent weeks, a number of childhood deaths across the country have been linked to influenza. These tragic reports underscore the importance of preventing this serious and sometimes deadly disease with an annual flu vaccine. Influenza vaccine is still available and with influenza activity at a relatively high level across the country, now is the time for anyone who hasn't yet gotten the vaccine to do so. More at...

GTx Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial For GTx-758, An Oral Luteinizing Hormone Inhibitor For Advanced Prostate Cancer

GTx Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial For GTx-758, An Oral Luteinizing Hormone Inhibitor For Advanced Prostate Cancer
GTx, Inc. (NASDAQ: GTXI) announced today that it has initiated a Phase I clinical trial for GTx-758, an oral luteinizing hormone (LH) inhibitor to treat men with advanced prostate cancer. The Phase I study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of GTx-758 using a single ascending dose, double blind, placebo controlled design in healthy male volunteers.

Grass-pollen Tablet Launched To Treat Severe Hay Fever In Children

Grazax®, a grass-pollen allergen tablet, has been launched for use in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 by Allergy Company ALK-Abelló. Grazax is the only non-injection immunotherapy licensed to treat children suffering from severe hay fever caused by grass pollen allergy. Grazax has been available for use in adults in the UK since January 2007. It's a once daily, fast-melting tablet which is placed under the tongue. Read more ...

Lab-Made Proteins That Neutralize Multiple Strains Of Seasonal And Pandemic Flu Identified By Scientists

Scientists have identified a small family of lab-made proteins that neutralize a broad range of influenza A viruses, including the H5N1 avian virus, the 1918 pandemic influenza virus and seasonal H1N1 flu viruses. These human monoclonal antibodies, identical infection-fighting proteins derived from the same cell lineage, also were found to protect mice from illness caused by H5N1 and other influenza A viruses. Read more ...

'Take Action, Prevent Reactions' At FAAN's Annual Food Allergy Conferences

'Take Action, Prevent Reactions' At FAAN's Annual Food Allergy Conferences
Registration for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network's (FAAN) 16th annual Food Allergy Conferences is now open. Anyone who has a food allergy or takes care of someone with a food allergy will benefit from learning how to "Take Action, Prevent Reactions." The conferences will be held in Baltimore, Md., on March 28, in Rosemont, Ill., on April 18, and in Tarrytown, N.Y., on May 9.

Bacteria In Urinary Infections Make Burglar's Tools

Bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs) make more tools for stealing from their host than friendly versions of the same bacteria found in the gut, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Washington have found. The tools, compounds called siderophores, allow the bad bacteria to steal iron from their hosts, making it easier for the bacteria to survive and reproduce. More at...

A Drug Could Improve The Memory Of Those With Alzheimer's Disease

A drug used in a type of hereditary metabolic disorder improved the memory of laboratory animals with Alzheimer's disease. The results of the project, developed by researchers of the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra have been published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Complete news at...

Endocyte Begins Phase II Clinical Trial Of Ec145 For Treatment Of Women With Ovarian Cancer

Endocyte Inc. has announced the initiation of a randomized Phase II clinical study of the company's investigational drug EC145 in women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The phase II trial, also called the "PRECEDENT study," will evaluate the efficacy and safety of EC145 when administered in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). PLD is widely used as a standard therapy for women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Read more ...

Nanoscopic Changes To Pancreatic Cells Reveal Cancer

Nanoscopic Changes To Pancreatic Cells Reveal Cancer

A team of researchers in Chicago has developed a way to examine cell biopsies and detect never-before-seen signs of early-stage pancreatic cancer.

A team of researchers in Chicago has developed a way to examine cell biopsies and detect never-before-seen signs of early-stage pancreatic cancer, according to a new paper in the Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Letters. Though the new technique has not yet proven effective in double-blind clinical trials, it may one day help diagnose cancers of the pancreas and, potentially, other organs at their earliest and most treatable stages, before they spread.

Source: 

Optical Society of America

Pollutants, Disease And Biological Weapons Detected By Tiny "Lab-On-A-Chip"

For centuries, animals have been our first line of defense against toxins. A canary in a coalmine served as a living monitor for poisonous gases. Scientists used fish to test for contaminants in our water. Even with modern advances, though, it can take days to detect a fatal chemical or organism. Until now. Working in the miniaturized world of nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University researchers have made an enormous - and humane - leap forward in the detection of pollutants. Read more ...

Pollutants, Disease And Biological Weapons Detected By Tiny "Lab-On-A-Chip"

For centuries, animals have been our first line of defense against toxins. A canary in a coalmine served as a living monitor for poisonous gases. Scientists used fish to test for contaminants in our water. Even with modern advances, though, it can take days to detect a fatal chemical or organism. Until now. Working in the miniaturized world of nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University researchers have made an enormous - and humane - leap forward in the detection of pollutants. Read more ...

Does Gene Show Link Between Migraine And Stroke Or Heart Attacks?

Does Gene Show Link Between Migraine And Stroke Or Heart Attacks?
New research looks at whether a gene variant may affect the link between migraine and stroke or heart attacks. The study is published in the February 17, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 25,000 women who answered a questionnaire about their history of migraines and migraines with aura. Aura is usually described as visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or geometric patterns.

Antimicrobial Resistance In Clinics, Hospitals And At Home

Antibiotic resistance and the rise of illnesses that cannot be treated easily because of drug resistance is a health concern around the world. CMAJ launches a 6-part series on antibiotic resistance to provide practical treatment guidelines for practicing doctors to manage resistant microbes in 3 settings: the hospital, clinic and home. The current issue features 3 articles on the topic. An analysis by Dr. David Patrick from the BC Centre for Disease Control and Dr. Continue reading ...

Medicare Announces Final Coverage Policy For Bariatric Surgery As A Diabetes Treatment For Certain Individuals

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a clarification in its policy for Medicare coverage of bariatric surgery as a treatment for certain beneficiaries with type 2 (or non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. The decision specifies type 2 diabetes as one of the co-morbidities CMS would consider in determining whether bariatric surgery would be covered for a Medicare beneficiary who is morbidly obese, as long as the surgery is furnished at a CMS-approved facility. Complete news at...

Promising Treatment For HIV Infection And Viral Cancers: Radioimmunotherapy

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have piggybacked antibodies onto radioactive payloads to deliver doses of radiation that selectively target and destroy microbial and HIV-infected cells. The experimental treatment - called radioimmunotherapy, or RIT - holds promise for treating various infectious diseases, including HIV and cancers caused by viruses. Read more ...

Heart Attack Patient Deaths Reduced By Emergency Treatment Strategies, Better Communication

Four western New York hospitals using emergency treatment strategies emphasizing evidence-based therapy and better communication among health care providers reduced heart attack patient deaths by 19 percent for up to one year after patient discharge. Complete news at...

NeoPharm Submits Application For A Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase II Study Of LE-DT For Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer

NeoPharm Submits Application For A Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase II Study Of LE-DT For Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer
NeoPharm, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEOL) announced that it has submitted a Phase II protocol to the FDA for the study of liposome entrapped docetaxel (LE-DT), a novel, proprietary liposomal delivery system of docetaxel, the active ingredient of Taxotere®, in hormone refractory metastatic prostate cancer patients. "The preliminary results from our Phase I trial, which has not yet concluded, have been encouraging.

Required Online Course Provides Diabetes Education, Tools To Fight Obesity

There is another tool to manage diabetes and fight obesity the Internet, specifically, an online, university-based program on obesity and physical activity that can apply to diabetes education. The University of Houston department of health and human performance developed Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity (Kinesiology 1304) because of the prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity on campus. Complete news at...

New Study Compares Avian Flu With A Notorious Killer From The Past

New Study Compares Avian Flu With A Notorious Killer From The Past
In the waning months of the First World War, a lethal virus known as the Spanish flu (influenza A, subtype H1N1), swept the United States, Europe and Asia in three convulsive waves. The year was 1918. The ensuing pandemic claimed up to 100 million victims, most of whom succumbed to severe respiratory complications associated with rapidly progressing pneumonia. Many died within days of the first symptoms.

FDA Approves First Ablation Catheters For The Treatment Of Atrial Fibrillation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first ablation catheters for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (uncoordinated contractions of the upper heart chambers), one of the most common types of arrhythmias-or abnormal heart rhythms--affecting more than two million Americans. More at...

Avamys A New Nasal Spray For Allergic Rhinitis To Ease Both Nose And Eye Symptoms In An Award Winning Device

Avamys A New Nasal Spray For Allergic Rhinitis To Ease Both Nose And Eye Symptoms In An Award Winning Device
Avamys (fluticasone furoate), a new intranasal steroid (INS) manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), launches in the UK today. In clinical trials, Avamys has shown significant improvements in both nasal and ocular symptoms in adult and adolescent patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR).1 Avamys has also demonstrated improvement in health-related quality of life domains, including eye and sleep related improvements.

More Europeans Likely To Suffer From Ragweed Allergy

More Europeans Likely To Suffer From Ragweed Allergy
A pan-European study organised by GA²LEN, the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network, tested more than 2000 patients to ragweed allergy in 10 European countries (1). Results published this week on the Allergy journal website (2) show an unexpected extension of allergic sensitisation to ragweed across Europe (3). The study indicates that more and more Europeans are likely to suffer from ragweed allergy or already have an allergy to ragweed.

Applause For National Dementia Strategy From Actress June Brown MBE, UK

Applause For National Dementia Strategy From Actress June Brown MBE, UK
The Lewy Body Society heartily welcomes the publication of the Government's National Dementia Strategy , published last week, for which £150 million has been earmarked for dementia care over the next two years. Measures to be undertaken include the appointment of a senior clinician in every hospital and care home in England, who will be responsible for seeing that the needs of dementia sufferers are met.

PrandiMet(R), First Repaglinide And Metformin HCl Fixed Dose Combination Therapy, Now Available In The United States

PrandiMet(R), First Repaglinide And Metformin HCl Fixed Dose Combination Therapy, Now Available In The United States
Novo Nordisk and Sciele Pharma, Inc., a Shionogi Company, announced the availability of PrandiMet® (repaglinide and metformin HCl) tablets, the first and only fixed-dose combination of the short-acting secretagogue repaglinide (also known as Prandin®) and insulin sensitizer metformin HCl for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the United States.

New Open-Source Software Permits Faster Desktop Computer Simulations Of Molecular Motion

Whether vibrating in place or taking part in protein folding to ensure cells function properly, molecules are never still. Simulating molecular motions provides researchers with information critical to designing vaccines and helps them decipher the bases of certain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, that result from molecular motion gone awry. In the past, researchers needed either supercomputers or large computer clusters to run simulations. Continue reading ...

BioIQ Supports American Heart Month To Raise Awareness About Heart Disease, The #1 Killer Of Women

BioIQ Supports American Heart Month To Raise Awareness About Heart Disease, The #1 Killer Of Women
Yes, the truth sometimes hurts. But when it comes to women's health, it's better to face the facts: one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease. Although significant progress has been made in increasing awareness among women, most people fail to make the connection between risk factors and their personal risk for developing heart disease.

Pharmaceuticals Sold In Sweden Cause Serious Environmental Harm In India

Pharmaceuticals Sold In Sweden Cause Serious Environmental Harm In India
Many of the substances in our most common medicines are manufactured in India and China. Some of these factories release large quantities of antibiotics and other pharmaceutical substances to the environment. There is an obvious risk of these releases leading to resistant bacteria.

CyDex Pharmaceuticals Announces Successful Completion Of Phase II Clinical Trial For Budesonide/Azelastine Combination Solution Nasal Spray

CyDex Pharmaceuticals Announces Successful Completion Of Phase II Clinical Trial For Budesonide/Azelastine Combination Solution Nasal Spray
CyDex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has successfully completed an early proof-of-concept phase II clinical trial of its Captisol-Enabled® budesonide/azelastine nasal spray for seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). CyDex has an international PCT patent application pending for this combination nasal spray product.

Government Announces Landmark Strategy To Transform Dementia Care, UK

Government Announces Landmark Strategy To Transform Dementia Care, UK
Alzheimer's Society has welcomed the publication of the first ever National Dementia Strategy for England. Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson announced £150 million to improve the lives of people living with dementia. He unveiled a plan to invest in a network of memory clinics, improve support for people affected by the condition and launch major public awareness campaigns.

RCN Welcomes Launch Of DH Dementia Strategy

RCN Welcomes Launch Of DH Dementia Strategy
Welcoming the launch of the first National Dementia Strategy for England, Dr. Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "The launch of the Department of Health's National Dementia Strategy has the potential to significantly improve the lives of the millions of patients, families and carers who are affected by this debilitating condition.

Blacks, Asians With Terminal Cancer Use End-Of-Life Services Less Frequently Than Other Patients, Study Finds

Race and ethnicity appear to have an effect on whether a patient with terminal cancer uses hospice care services, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Reuters Health reports. Researchers, led by Alexander Smith of Boston, Mass.-based Complete news at...

Dementia Services To Be Transformed In United Kingdom

Dementia Services To Be Transformed In United Kingdom
The Department of Health has announced a "landmark strategy to transform dementia services". It claims care for patients with dementia will be transformed as dementia advisers are appointed, GPs receive improved training, and memory centres run by specialists to provide early diagnosis and treatment are opened nationwide.

Peptide-Guided Hollow Gold Spheres Gather Inside Tumors, Where Light Heats Them To Kill

Peptide-Guided Hollow Gold Spheres Gather Inside Tumors, Where Light Heats Them To Kill
Hollow gold nanospheres equipped with a targeting peptide find melanoma cells, penetrate them deeply, and then cook the tumor when bathed with near-infrared light, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported in the Feb. 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research. "Active targeting of nanoparticles to tumors is the holy grail of therapeutic nanotechnology for cancer.

The Activation Of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines May Be A Mechanism By Which Short And Long Sleep Durations Affect Health

The Activation Of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines May Be A Mechanism By Which Short And Long Sleep Durations Affect Health
A study in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP shows that sleep duration is associated with changes in the levels of specific cytokines that are important in regulating inflammation. The results suggest that inflammation may be the pathway linking extreme sleep durations to an increased risk for disease.