Sexual Health
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) announced that it has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its human monoclonal antibody drug ABthrax(TM) (raxibacumab) for the treatment of inhalation anthrax.
Ridge Diagnostics, Inc., a neurodiagnostic company, announced that data from clinical studies for its first-in-class, proprietary blood test for Major Depressive Disorder(MDD), will be presented during a poster session entitled Multianalyte Biomarker Blood Test to Aid in Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Major Depressive Disorder, at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, May 20, 2009.
Patients can expect significant savings and better outcomes from their prescription medications when health care professionals use comparative effectiveness research, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Heatwave Plan has been updated to advise those suffering breathing problems that although ozone levels increase in hot weather, they drop in the evening. People with respiratory problems should stay inside during the hottest part of the day and windows should be kept shaded and closed when the temperature is hotter outside than inside.
Current research suggests that Mycobacterium tuberculosis can evade the immune response. The related report by Rahman et al, "Compartmentalization of immune responses in human tuberculosis: few CD8+ effector T cells but elevated levels of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in the granulomatous lesions," appears in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Hyperkyphosis, or "dowager"s hump" - the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women - may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis, UCLA researchers have found.
Private Healthcare UK - the UK"s leading web portal for information on private treatment and private healthcare services and providers is now available on NetDoctor.co.uk.
Even after withdrawing his nomination as HHS secretary, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has remained involved in the health reform debate, USA Today reports. According to USA Today, his "[m]ost important" action has been participating in private meetings on health reform with members of Congress. Daschle is a co-founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center, which is scheduled to release its own reform plan in June. He also has called "for action in a campaign-like circuit of speeches," wrote an opinion piece supporting a public health plan and was named to the board of General Electric"s new initiative to reduce medical costs by $6 billion, USA Today reports.Daschle works for Alston & Bird, a law firm that lobbies on behalf of more than a dozen health companies, including CVS Caremark, according to Senate lobbying disclosure statements (Fritze, USA Today, 5/21).
Although the number of blacks who are registered as organ donors in Michigan has increased in the last 15 years, many are still reluctant to be organ donors, the Detroit News reports. According to Remonia Chapman, director of Gift of Life Michigan"s minority organ tissue transplant education program, many blacks are hesitant to participate with the organ donor registry because they have inadequate access to health care.Chapman said that increased awareness and education about organ donation and the diseases that lead to the need for donated organs, as well as partnerships with minority donors, black ministers and community groups, have encouraged more blacks to be organ donors. In the last 15 years, the percentage of black Michigan residents who are registered organ donors has increased from 10.8% to 21%, with overall minority registration at 24%. Chapman noted that about 41.3% of people on Michigan"s transplant waiting list and about 46% of people in need of a kidney are minorities.According to the News, minority donors are the best matches for minority organ recipients because the genetic profiles of the donor and recipient will have more similarities. Chapman added that the best matches for kidney recipients are donors from the recipient"s family or from the recipient"s ethnic group if a family donor is not available (Stolarz, Detroit News, 5/19).
"Stem cell research and regenerative medicine are in an extremely exciting phase right now. We are gaining knowledge very fast and many companies are being formed and are starting clinical trials in different areas," says Dr Jonas Frisç©n.
Spiration, Inc., a developer of novel medical devices designed to benefit patients with severe and chronic conditions of the lung, presented results of two analyses of methods used for evaluating U.S. Pilot Study effectiveness of bronchial valve treatment for severe emphysema at the annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) International conference taking place in San Diego May 15 to 22, 2009.
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that bipolar disorder (BPD) is a more costly chronic condition than diabetes, depression, asthma and coronary artery disease (CAD), based on a review of health care claim costs. Specialty care costs (the costs of seeing any specialist and all tests ordered) were especially higher for bipolar patients. Results of this review were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco.
Bovie Medical Corporation (the "Company") (NYSE-AMEX Symbol: BVX), a manufacturer and marketer of electrosurgical products, announced a 510K submission to the FDA seeking pre-market clearance for a laparoscopic SEER device for solid organ resection. The laparoscopic SEER is a line extension of the Saline Enhance Electrosurgical Resection (SEER) device that Bovie launched earlier this year and will address the growing market of minimally invasive liver resection.
Using fenofibrate to lower blood fats in people with type 2 diabetes reduces the risk of a first diabetes-related amputation by 36%. This is among the conclusions of the FIELD study, reported in an Article in this week"s diabetes special issue of The Lancet.
Women who develop gestational diabetes (GD) during pregnancy have a seven-and-a-half times increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes post-birth, which lasts throughout their lifetime. However, there is no agreed policy on the long-term follow up of these women and many do not return for the currently recommended 6-week post-birth diabetes check. An Article in this week"s diabetes special issue of The Lancet says that the strength of the association suggests that both disorders have an overlapping cause-and this should act as an incentive for women to attend the recommended post-birth check. This attendance could be an opportunity to provide advice on diet and exercise, and treatments to delay or prevent onset of diabetes-as well as alerting these women to symptoms of future diabetes, and to alert general practitioners responsible for their long-term care.
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: BCRX) announced long-term data from a Phase 2 study of forodesine, the Company"s lead oncology compound, in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The data will be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) being held in Orlando, Florida from May 29-June 2. Forodesine is a transition-state analog inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), a purine salvage pathway enzyme that is essential for the proliferation of T-cells and B-cells.
The performance of a new diagnostic test platform that rapidly identifies Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, "staph") bacteremia and determines antibiotic resistance or susceptibility in as little as five hours was presented at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in Philadelphia, PA this week.
In just two weeks from the time the first patient virus samples were made available, Singapore scientists report an evolutionary analysis of a critical protein produced by the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus strain.
Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from bacterial vaginosis (BV) - a common vaginal infection that increases a woman"s risk for preterm delivery, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. Available online and published in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition, the study may explain why African-American women, who often lack adequate vitamin D, are three times more likely than white women to develop BV.
Colorectal cancer is thought to result from a combination of environmental factors: diet, lifestyle, chronic inflammation and accumulation of specific genetic alterations. The pathogenesis and development of colorectal cancer involves multi-genes and multi-steps. TSPAN1 (GenBank Accession No. AF065388) is a new member of TM4SF located at chromosome 1 p34.1. It encodes a 241 amino acid protein. TSPAN1 was reported as a tumor-related gene recently.
Although creatinine clearance (Ccr) has been measured clinically by a simple method as a preoperative renal function test, Ccr is not strictly equal to glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Recently, an equation for estimated GFR (eGFR) for Japanese individuals has been postulated, and eGFR has been accepted as equal to measured GFR in chronic kidney disease. However, there have been no previous studies regarding the reliability of eGFR as a preoperative renal function test.
Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CADX) announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its investigational product candidate, Acetavance(TM) (intravenous acetaminophen), for the treatment of acute pain and fever in adults and children. If approved, Acetavance would become the first new intravenous analgesic approved in the United States in more than 20 years and the only approved intravenous agent for the treatment of fever in the United States.
It appears that some superbugs have evolved to develop the ability to manipulate the immune system to everyone"s advantage.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that there is a "global need for more systemic surveillance of influenza viruses
Today sees the European launch of the first topical calcineurin inhibitor to be approved for the maintenance treatment of eczema to prevent flares and prolong flare-free intervals. PROTOPIC ointment (tacrolimus monohydrate) is already licensed to treat moderate and severe eczema (atopic dermatitis), often involving the treatment of flares as and when they occur.* It is now also approved for twice-weekly application to previously affected skin to prevent these exacerbations and prolong flare-free periods in PROTOPIC-responsive patients.ò€ Clinical studies have shown that this new approach brings significant benefits with over 40% of patients with moderate to severe eczema remaining flare-free for at least a year.1 Flares are known to place an enormous burden on patients. The International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema (ISOLATE) found that about 55% of these patients worried about the onset of their next exacerbation and that they spent on average over a third of the year (136 days) with their eczema in flare.2
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have published results showing that a new contraceptive device may also effectively block the transmission of the HIV virus. Findings show that the device prevents infection by the HIV virus in laboratory testing. The promising results are published in the most recent issue of the journal AIDS.
Breast cancer patients who received chemotherapy prior to surgery had heightened levels of cancer-initiating stem cells in their bone marrow, and the level of such cells correlated to a tumor"s lymph node involvement, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
University of Queensland (UQ) researchers will use a $5 million grant from the Queensland State Government to unlock the genetic causes of pancreatic and ovarian cancer.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has cut short its annual health ministers meeting because of influenza A (H1N1) preparations and has postponed discussions about Chagas disease. Much needed progress in diagnosing and treating people for this neglected disease must not be further delayed, warned the international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) today.
Researchers with ConvaTec Wound Therapeutics presented a series of in vitro studies demonstrating the advanced features and fluid handling capacity of the company"s proprietary dressings containing Hydrofiber® Technology this week at the 19th Conference of the European Wound Management Association.
Arthritic knee joints may be repaired either partially or totally - known as partial knee replacement and total knee replacement. A partial knee replacement is also called unicompartmental or "UNI". If the bone disease is restricted to the inner side of the knee (the "medial" side), the surgeon will simply reshape those damaged surfaces. The repaired surfaces on that one side of the knee are then partially covered with a combination of metal and plastic bearings. For this reason, a UNI knee replacement is considered less invasive and can provide much shorter recovery times from the operation.
Following the lead of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act in the U.S., government regulations regarding syringe needle handling and disposal continue to proliferate worldwide, fostering increased demand in the use of safety syringes. Retractable syringes represent the most elegant approach to addressing the caregiver sharps risk issue by lowering the risk of user error and de-emphasizing the need for a separate sharps disposal step.
Medicaid health plans are producing cost savings for states, increasing access to services for individuals covered by Medicaid, improving quality of care, and earning high satisfaction ratings from enrollees, according to a Lewin Group report released today by America"s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Twenty-four existing studies were analyzed by the Lewin Group to determine the savings achieved when states have implemented private Medicaid health plans.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the department will take important steps necessary to prepare for potential commercial-scale production of a candidate vaccine for the novel Influenza A ( H1N1). The Secretary is directing approximately $1 billion in existing funds that will be used for clinical studies that will take place over the summer and for commercial-scale production of two potential vaccine ingredients for the pre-pandemic influenza stockpile.
Responding to President Obama"s directive to upgrade the nation"s food safety system, the White House Food Safety Working Group, led by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, launched a website to provide information about the group"s activities and progress.
QIAGEN announced the launch of a novel product for extraction of free circulating fragments of tumor- and fetal-derived nucleic acids as well as viral nucleic acids in human blood. Scientists consider these DNA and RNA fragments to have great potential for the highly sensitive and non-invasive diagnosis of a wide range of diseases, including congenital disorders, malignancies such as colon and lung cancer, and infections. The new QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit is expected to significantly facilitate the corresponding biomarker research and the introduction of novel molecular tests in prenatal diagnostics which can replace risky, invasive procedures such as amniocentesis.
Researchers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah studied the events leading to colon cancer and found that an unexpected protein serves as the "spark" that triggers formation of colon polyps, the precursors to cancerous tumors.
Amid all the speculation over what course the Swine Flu epidemic will take, Boston-based biotech firm Replikins Ltd. last week analyzed the most recent peptide genomic sequence data available and determined that the infectivity of the H1N1 virus will increase markedly, while its lethality will remain relatively low for the immediate future.
The primary objective of this workshop was to develop a comprehensive R&D roadmap that would fast-track the use of focused ultrasound technology to treat a variety of brain disorders including benign and malignant tumors, Parkinson"s disease and essential tremor, stroke, and epilepsy.
UroToday.com - In the online edition of the British Journal of Cancer, Dr. J. Nilsson and an international team of investigators report on a new biomarker methodology for prostate cancer (CaP). The authors explain that prostatic secretions contain two types of microvesicles; prostasomes (150-500nm) are produced by prostatic ductal epithelial cells that are a normal component of seminal fluid and participate in male fertility and exosomes which are specialized nanovesicles (30-100nm) with cup-shaped morphology and are actively secreted by normal and tumor cells.
UroToday.com - Angiogenesis is the process of new blood vessel formation in tumors, facilitating their growth. Endostatin is a cleavage product of collagen and is a potent inhibitor of endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Endostatin causes apoptosis in endothelial and tumor cells. Prostate cancer expresses angiogenic factors.
With support from a foundation that champions cutting-edge medical research, a biomedical engineer at UC Davis will start work this month on developing a new treatment for infants born with disorders that cause the sutures of their skulls to prematurely fuse together.
Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre demonstrate how bacteria measure temperature and thereby control infection.
UroToday.com - During the last economic boom of 2003-2007, cancer centers in second and third-tier countries across the globe made significant investments in radiotherapy infrastructure, acquiring state-of-the-art technologies such as intensity modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy, proton therapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, to mention a few. This rapid expansion was partly brought on by competition in the burgeoning global medical tourism industry, and partly by the availability of easy credit, the hallmark of the last economic expansion and the current calamitous downturn.
Approximately half of adults surveyed on water safety say they"ve had an experience where they nearly drowned in their lifetime, and one in four know someone who has drowned, according to an American Red Cross survey.
The Pharmaceutical Marketing Society is pleased to announce the launch of an all new Digital Media Awards, to be held in October 2009 in London.
New light has been thrown on how humans choose their partners, a scientist told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics on May 25. Professor Maria da GraÃýa Bicalho, head of the Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility Laboratory at the University of Parana, Brazil, says that her research had shown that people with diverse major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) were more likely to choose each other as mates than those whose MHCs were similar, and that this was likely to be an evolutionary strategy to ensure healthy reproduction.
It is well known that people use head motion during conversation to convey a range of meanings and emotions, and that women use more active head motion when conversing with each other than men use when they talk with each other.
An advance in solving the mysterious machine-workers" disease
Pediatricians now have a new and simple way to diagnose a serious problem facing our nation"s children - thanks to David Kaelber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., MetroHealth System pediatrician, internist, and chief medical informatics officer and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher and faculty member. Nearly 75% of cases of hypertension and 90% of cases of prehypertension in children and adolescents go undiagnosed. These troubling statistics were documented in previously published research by Dr. Kaelber. From this research, Dr. Kaelber and fellow researchers felt that one of the main reasons for the under-diagnosis may be due to the complex chart currently used to help physicians and medical personnel identify high blood pressure in children. So Dr. Kaelber"s team simplified the chart - focusing solely on a child"s age and gender - eliminating the need for a height percentile and reducing the number of values in the blood pressure table from 476 to just 64. The revised chart and accompanying description are published in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Researchers with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center will continue their unique work thanks to a second $1 million grant from the Komen organization.
According to a new position statement from the National Athletic Trainers" Association (NATA), proper management of acute spinal injuries on the athletic playing field is crucial, given that sports participation constitutes the second most common cause of spinal cord injuries for Americans age 30 and younger. Sports medicine providers and others on the sidelines need to be familiar with the appropriate acute-management guidelines for athletes with cervical-spine injuries. Published in this month"s Journal of Athletic Training, NATA"s scientific publication, the position statement provides detailed guidelines for the immediate treatment and transport of athletes who are injured on the playing field.
Nigel Edwards, the director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said, "The surpluses generated by the NHS over the 2007-2008 financial year are a testament to sound financial planning and an awareness on the part of everyone in the service of the need to spend public money carefully.
Researchers in Indiana are reporting an advance toward faster, more sensitive tests for detecting melamine, the substance that killed at least 6 children and sickened 300,000 children in China who drank milk and infant formula adulterated with the substance. The improved tests may ease global concerns about food safety, the researchers say. Their report is scheduled for the May 27 issue of ACS" Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
A multidisciplinary team of technology strategists and scientists from Cambridge Consultants has provided advice to Cambridge Enterprise Ltd., regarding potential applications for microdroplet technology in a high-growth sector of the drug discovery market, currently valued at US$140m.
NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson thanked NHS staff for their hard work improving care for patients this year, including reducing healthcare associated infections and waiting times, and extending GP opening hours.
Small-scale farmers in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sierra Leone are soon to receive a productivity boost, thanks to innovative projects of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) funded with a 39-million euro donation from the European Union (EU).
AltheaDx, a world leader in the development of companion diagnostics and biopharma services, announced that they have successfully passed the State of California survey for CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certification. AltheaDx is offering high-quality patient and biopharma molecular testing services from their state-of-the-art, GMP, GLP, and now CLIA compliant facility located in the Sorrento Valley, San Diego.
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) praises Representative Allyson Schwartz and nearly 100 cosponsors of The Preserving Patient Access to Primary Care Act for their leadership in health care reform. This legislation, which will increase the number of primary care providers and improve patient access to primary care services, is a critical step if we truly are to reform our health care delivery system. Our nation needs leaders like Representative Schwartz to affect real and lasting change in our health care system.
As reported this week in the open-access journal PLoS Biology, an
Two-thirds of American teenagers have sex by the time they"re 18. A new longitudinal study finds that when adolescents engage in risky sexual activity, fathers respond by increasing their efforts to supervise and monitor their children.
Ascenta Therapeutics announced that eleven presentations or publications on pre-clinical and clinical studies of AT-101, an oral, pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor, in several major tumor types will be made during the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 29-June 2, in Orlando, Florida.
Better science, better regulation and better access policies are needed in Europe to support an
Surgical removal of a tissue sample is now the standard for diagnosing cancer. And while biopsies are accurate, they only offer a snapshot of the tumor at a single moment in time.
UQ Science continues to break new ground with the launch of the Hub of Organics Analysis, giving University of Queensland scientists access to a state-of-the-art testing facility that will cut the time taken to conduct research projects.
Physicians can now provide potentially safer and more accurate diagnostic procedures with the first and only high-definition endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) needle technology. Cook Medical, the only full-line supplier of endoscopic medical devices, has designed a complete line of high-definition EUS biopsy needles that are up to three-times brighter than others on the market. With the addition of the 19 and 25 gage EchoTip® Ultra with High Definition Fine Needle Aspiration (HDFNA™) needles, the EchoTip Ultra HDFNA represents the next level of precision in EUS, an essential diagnostic tool that yields more accurate images of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract than traditional ultrasound and provides minimally invasive access to areas that are traditionally difficult to reach.
U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) introduced an effort aimed at updating the U.S. Census" current function questions to better improve our nation"s long-term care services and support systems. By replacing a small portion of the survey with standardized function questions used by medical providers, the Disability Data Modernization Act will provide more accurately collected data used for planning the future health care needs of elderly and disabled Americans.
CircuLite®, Inc. will be participating at the 2009 American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) conference in conjunction with the 5th International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems & Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion (PEDS) held May 28 - 30, 2009 in Dallas, with a booth display featuring it"s Synergy® Pocket Circulatory Assist Device. Synergy is the first micro-pump designed for long-term, partial circulatory support to improve the quality of life for a broad range of chronic heart failure patients.
May is Healthy Vision Month, which in 2009 focuses on the 60 percent of Americans who have refractive vision problems.
The new project is an interdisciplinary research project covering the neurobiological and socio-psychological causes of obesity. It has been awarded EUR 6 million from the EU, corresponding to just over SEK 60 million. The project will gather scientists from seven countries, and will be co-ordinated from the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The mood-enhancing effects of exercise are well documented, but a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle suggests the benefits may last much longer than previously thought.
A national guideline that young athletes suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in practice or games be removed from competition until examined or cleared by a medical professional is at the heart of a multi-organizational call-to-action announced today at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle. ACSM is collaborating with the Brain Injury Association of Washington (BIAWA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to build national momentum on a new Washington state law protecting young athletes from death or disability caused by premature return to play following a concussion.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval for SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) for the treatment of adults in all phases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) (chronic, accelerated, or myeloid or lymphoid blast phase) with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including Gleevec®* (imatinib mesylate).
Researchers at Iowa State University have found that increased expression of a form of cytochrome P-450 (CYP4B1) is a key marker of inhibition of colitis in mice by caffeic acid, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant compound widely distributed in foods. The results, which appear in the June 2009 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, implicate CYP4B1, a form of cytochrome P450 previously found to be associated with resolution of allergic inflammation in another model. The normalization of CYP4B1 by caffeic acid treatment was associated with significant lessening of colitic damage, assessed by examining colon histopathology. In comparison with rutin, an anti-inflammatory flavonoid and hypoxoside extract, a botanical known as African potato previously shown to protect against colitis, all three compounds had anti-inflammatory effects, suppressing myeloperoxidase, IL-17 and iNOS and increasing IL-4, known factors associated with inflammation responses. But only caffeic acid protected against the dextran sulfate sodium induced colitis. Its novel mechanism related to CYP4B1 is being studied further. The research team, Zhong Ye, a graduate student in Toxicology, along with Microbiology graduate students Zhiping Liu and Abigail Henderson, Visiting Scientist Kwangwon Lee, Korea University, Dr. Michael Wannemuehler, Veterinary Microbiology, Dr. Jesse Hostetter, a veterinary pathologist, and Dr. Suzanne Hendrich, Toxicologist and Nutritionist, performed studies in 8 week old mice fed the various dietary components and then exposed to dextran sulfate sodium in a mildly irritating dose to induce colitis. Dr. Hendrich noted that "this study of caffeic acid will help us to advance studies of botanicals and plant foods with respect to their ability and mechanisms of inhibiting colitis, and perhaps colon cancer, because colitis increases risk for this disease".
Roche Diagnostics announced the launch of a new tuberculosis test for South Africa. Worldwide, South Africa is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of tuberculosis. The new kit detects different species of Mycobacterium from human sputum samples using the LightCycler® 2.0 Instrument.
High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) carries a high predictive value for future diagnosis of prostate cancer. Research published in the open access journal BMC Urology has shown that 41.8% of patients whose extended core biopsy led to an initial diagnosis of HGPIN were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Effects of MYC Protein and CIP2A in Gastric Cancer
Thigh-length graduated support stockings (TL-GCS) do not reduce the risk of blood clots in stroke patients. Since guidelines in the UK and many developed nations recommend use of TL-GCS, such guidelines should now be urgently revised. The findings of the CLOTS trial are published in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Professor Martin Dennis, University of Edinburgh, UK, and colleagues. Most of the study"s funding came from the UK Medical Research Council. The findings are to be announced during this week"s European Stroke Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.
Even though a significant improvement is evident in the care of patients with diabetes over the last ten years, they are not considered as a direct result of the quality and outcomes framework, considered as the method that rewards UK general practices to ensure quality care.
PAREXEL International Corporation (Nasdaq: PRXL), a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, announced it has reached a milestone in managing oncology-based clinical trials over the last five years, which have involved over 175,000 patients in hundreds of programs across 80 countries. PAREXEL will be marking this milestone during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, to be held May 29 - June 2, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. PAREXEL"s hematology and oncology experts will be available during the ASCO meeting at Booth #1980 to discuss their capabilities to support the successful development of novel cancer treatments.
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today it has received the new influenza A(H1N1) seed virus, enabling the world"s leading manufacturer of influenza vaccines to begin the production process for an A(H1N1) vaccine.
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from bacterial vaginosis (BV) - a common vaginal infection that increases a woman"s risk for preterm delivery, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. Available online and published in the June issue of The Journal of Nutrition, the study may explain why African-American women, who often lack adequate vitamin D, are three times more likely than white women to develop BV.
Vietnamese officials announced recently that about 678 billion dong, or about $38.7 million, will be allocated for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in the country in 2009, the VNA/VietnamPlus.com reports. The announcement was made during a press briefing earlier this week held by the Department for HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Vietnam Journalists Association to review Vietnam"s HIV/AIDS efforts in 2008. Health officials at the briefing said that more than 27,000 people living with HIV/AIDS received treatment through one of the 207 district-level clinics put in place last year and that about 6,000 peer educators and health workers distributed information about the disease to 53.8% of the country"s districts.The new funding will help provide antiretroviral treatment to an estimated 32,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. It also will be used to provide post-exposure prophylaxis to health workers. In addition, the funding will allow up to 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women to receive antiretroviral treatment and information about preventing mother-to-child transmission. Last year, 20,260 new HIV cases were reported in Vietnam, of which 7,452 had progressed to AIDS, according to the HIV/AIDS department. The city of Ho Chi Minh reported the largest number of HIV cases with more than 34,000, accounting for more than 25% of the total number of cases in Vietnam (VNA/VietnamPlus.com, 5/12).
U.S. antitrust laws could affect health care industry groups" efforts to work together to rein in health care costs, the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 5/27). In a letter sent to President Obama on May 10, a coalition of groups -- the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, America"s Health Insurance Plans and the Service Employees International Union -- pledged to reduce the annual health care spending growth rate by 1.5%. The groups did not elaborate on what specific measures they would use to achieve such reductions, but the Obama administration has requested specific plans from the groups by June 1 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/26). According to the Times, many of the plans being considered by the health care industry would require greater cooperation across health care providers. Robert Leibenluft, a former Federal Trade Commission official, said, "Any agreement among competitors with regard to prices or price increases -- even if they set a maximum -- would raise legal concerns." In addition, while Obama is asking for specific plans from the health care industry, the administration has not offered any relief from antitrust laws, the Times reports. Furthermore, during his campaign Obama pledged to increase enforcement of antitrust laws, according to the Times.Antitrust laws have had a negative effect on previous health reform efforts, the Times reports. In 1993, the drug industry established a voluntary cost control plan that limited each drug company"s annual increase in the average price of prescription drugs to the increase in the Consumer Price Index, but the Department of Justice ruled that the proposal would violate antitrust laws. DOJ officials said that the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that setting price maximums was akin to setting price minimums, which is illegal. In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, AHA wrote that uncertainty regarding the enforcement of antitrust laws "makes it difficult for a hospital and doctors to collaborate to improve care" and reduce costs. AMA has asked Congress to amend antitrust laws to allow physicians to collectively negotiate with insurers over fees and other concerns, but FTC repeatedly has designated the practice illegal price-fixing, according to the Times. FTC officials said that consumers could benefit from cooperation among health care industry groups but that cooperation also could lead to increased bargaining power for physicians and hospitals, making it easier for them to set prices and eliminate competition (New York Times, 5/27). Reform Developments
Providing mass drug administration of praziquantel, at a cost of 32 cents per child, to school-aged children to prevent female genital schistosomiasis could also reduce and possibly interrupt HIV/AIDS transmission throughout many rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new analysis published in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
While Congress recently approved funds to study the cost-effectiveness of certain treatments, some are concerned that such research could lead to rationing of health care or that treatments deemed less effective will not be adequately covered, the AP/Washington Post reports. Those concerned often cite Great Britain"s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which determines which medical treatments will be covered based on cost-effectiveness. One of the criteria used by NICE to determine a treatment"s cost-effectiveness is how much each additional year of life will cost the government, which the agency has capped at about $47,000 per year of life in most cases (Cheng, AP/Washington Post, 5/26).
Nearly 30 years after the emergence of HIV/AIDS, the global health community must develop new strategies to curb the spread of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, some experts said Tuesday ahead of the Global Citizens Summit for Social Mobilization to End AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya, AFP/Google.com reports. The advocates also stressed the need for innovative approaches to health financing as international donors shift their attention toward other issues and as the ongoing economic downturn threatens fundraising prospects. The conference, which opens Wednesday, includes participants from 32 countries, primarily in Africa.According to Wasai Jacob Nanjakululu of Oxfam, about 90% of HIV-positive people are unaware of their status and 70% of people in need of treatment are not accessing medical care. Leonard Okello, an HIV/AIDS specialist with ActionAid International, added that the global health community is "far from winning the struggle against" HIV/AIDS. Okello said the conference will examine the shortcomings of earlier HIV/AIDS policies and explore new methods to address the disease. "There are a lot of res in HIV/AIDS programs but not much of that reaches the community," Okello said, asking, "What is it that we should radically change?" (AFP/Google.com, 5/26). According to IRIN/PlusNews, conference participants also plan to discuss "people-centered" approaches to combating HIV/AIDS at the Nairobi meeting. ActionAid Report Calls For Improvements in Basic Health Care To Address HIV/AIDS
The National Marrow Donor Program, a not-for-profit group that manages a national registry for potential bone marrow donors, is using social networking sites to attract donors from minority communities, the Wall Street Journal reports. The process of finding a genetic match for a bone marrow transplant is often more difficult for minorities or people who identify themselves as multiracial because patients and donors must be genetically compatible. According to the Journal, a white patient has an 88% chance of finding a match, while the odds of most minorities finding a match can be as low as 60%. The odds of some minorities actually receiving a transplant can be as low as 20% because of other factors such as access to care in their communities, the Journal reports. About seven million U.S. residents already have signed up for the national registry -- recently renamed Be the Match -- and the program also has increased outreach to younger potential donors through social networking Web sites, such as Facebook and MySpace (Landro, Wall Street Journal, 5/27).
In Japan reports of violence linked to SSRI antidepressants have raised
Surfing under the influence of drugs or alcohol are two of the prime dangers facing surfing enthusiasts, according to information presented today at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle. Other factors include wave height, board length and interactions among surfers.
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) will receive $18 million to research pancreatic cancer, Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) has announced.
Although professional football players typically experience an injury during their career, their longevity in the league is more affected by position than their history of injuries. According to a study presented today at the 56thAnnual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), punters, kickers and long snappers are more likely to have the longest careers in the NFL.
The recovery of medical students from Hurricane Ike"s destruction just got a little easier. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) Foundation, the philanthropic arm of America"s largest state medical society, raised $68,950 to assist many of the 1,000 medical students from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) facing storm recovery.
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Tuesday heard testimony on the Medical Device Safety Act of 2009 (HR 1346), which would allow consumers to sue medical device manufacturers in state courts, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill responds to last year"s Supreme Court ruling that says medical devices with FDA pre-marketing approval can be pre-empted from lawsuits under state law, in accordance with the Medical Device Amendments of 1976. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.Y.), who introduced the bill, said that the 2008 Supreme Court ruling "ignor[ed] congressional intent" by providing blanket immunity for medical device makers. According to Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), a co-sponsor of the bill, the original 1976 law sought to grant regulatory authority to FDA for medical devices, but it did not aim to eliminate state liability. Committee Chair Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), another co-sponsor, said last year"s ruling already has caused 1,400 injury cases to be thrown out of court, adding that the threat of litigation provides manufacturers with additional safety incentives. David Vladeck -- a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center who testified at the hearing -- added that immunity from lawsuits "removes incentive to manufacturers to fix devices quickly and get defective devices off the market."Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) said the class of device that must obtain pre-marketing approval -- which includes pacemakers and replacement heart valves -- represents only 2% of all approved medical devices each year. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) added that the measure could create an inconsistent system that allows both FDA experts and jurors in various states to make decisions on medical device safety standards. In addition, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) cautioned that the bill might encourage manufacturers to limit distribution of their devices to certain states (Kim, CQ HealthBeat, 5/13). Related Editorial
Z-Cube Srl, the corporate venture arm of Zambon Company SpA, and Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, announced today that they have entered into a license agreement for Z-Cube to develop and commercialize an innovative nanotechnology drug delivery system for the treatment of pain. The technology was invented by Professor Elka Touitou from the Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Medicine, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Effective 1 July 2009, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish nine new Collaborative Research Centres. This decision has just been made by the responsible Grants Committee of the DFG at its spring session in Bonn. The new centres will initially be funded for four years with a total of 73.6 million euros. In addition to this, the DFG will also provide 20 percent overhead funding for each centre for indirect costs incurred by the research projects.
Our brain is wired to identify gender based on facial cues and coloring, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vision. Psychology Professor Frç©dç©ric Gosselin and his Universitç© de Montrç©al team found the luminescence of the eyebrow and mouth region is vital in rapid gender discrimination.
New guidelines designed to standardize and optimize the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC), an uncommon and challenging form of thyroid cancer, have been developed by the American Thyroid Association and published online ahead of print in Thyroid, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The guidelines are available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/thy.
Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology uncover how an important cancer gene, BRCA1, works by increasing the accuracy with which broken DNA is repaired. Women who inherit a faulty version of the BRCA1 gene are at a higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.
A generation of DNA-like compounds, class R inhibitory oligonucleotides (INH-ODNs), have been shown to effectively inhibit cells responsible for the chronic autoimmune condition lupus. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of the INH-ODNs in both in vitro and mouse experiments.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is responsible for an estimated 219,000 to 246,000 babies born each year worldwide according to an international study. The study also finds that the number of ART procedures is growing steadily: in just two years (from 2000 to 2002) ART activity increased by more than 25%.
That"s one conclusion from a new study that looked at how virulence evolves in parasites. The research examined whether parasites evolve to be more or less aggressive depending on whether they are closely connected to their hosts or scattered among more isolated clusters of hosts.
Watching people"s brains in real time as they handle a set of decision-making problems can reveal how different each person"s strategy can be, according to neuroscientists at the Duke University Medical Center.
Researchers have identified the locking mechanism that allows some neurons to form synapses to pass along essential information. Mutations of genes that produce a critical cell-adhesion molecule involved in the work were previously linked to autism.
MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAPP) announced that the efficacy portion of its first Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its novel LEVADEX™ orally inhaled migraine therapy met all four primary endpoints. Additional endpoints showed that LEVADEX provided rapid and sustained pain relief for up to 48 hours after dosing.