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National News
Professor says he got rationed treatment because of his job connections
Leaked Department of Health letter shows key targets are being missed
A remarkable drugs project has transformed one of the regions worst affected by heroin addiction, it was revealed last week. Until recently, drug-related crimes made life a nightmare for people in the former pit villages of north Nottingham, with one in three families experiencing a fatal overdose, an addiction or a drug-related burglary.
Hospital staff are failing to wash their hands after touching patients carrying the superbug MRSA, despite government initiatives aimed at curbing the spread of infection, according to a study to be published in the Journal of Hospital Infection. Doctors and nurses believe they are regularly washing their hands but researchers discovered they often forget to do so.
Teenagers desperate for a tan will face new curbs on using sunbeds under plans to be discussed this week. The aim is to protect children from the growing risk of skin cancer.
Lemmy, Motörhead's venerable frontman, needs to go easy on the cake mix, bread and Coke, reckons Dr John Briffa
My daughter had head lice all summer term, despite me regularly combing her hair and using over-thecounter treatments. I am concerned that in the holidays we will see lots of friends out of school and she will pass on the nits. What can I do?
Travelling by plane can be a taxing experience, but there are ways to make your journey more comfortable, says Alex Gazzola
Contaminated Cadbury products were the most likely source of a salmonella bug that made 37 people ill, with three, including a baby, needing hospital treatment, experts investigating the outbreak said last night.
Billions of pounds could be saved if NHS doctors stopped providing outdated treatments and medicines that no longer offer the best patient care, the government's chief medical officer for England said yesterday.
Multiple sclerosis sufferers have been offered hope of a normal life after doctors pioneered a wonder drug treatment.
The contraceptive pill saves the lives of up to 3,000 women a year in the UK and Europe, according to new medical research.
What is on the minds of today's children? We asked youngsters what they really feel about their own lives and the wider world
A HOSPITAL for people with learning disabilities, at the centre of an investigation into patient abuse, will close.
A disgraced hospital doctor who stalked the television personality Abi Titmuss has also admitted assaulting his wife.
Chris Patten tells Vivienne Parry how his daughter’s burns trauma inspired him to help others
Do we really want to live for ever? It’s far too important a question to leave to scientists, says Simon Crompton
One woman went from hating her breasts to basing a career on them, says Lucy Freeman
Being in a confined space with family can test even the best relationship, so how to cope? Simon Crompton and Emma Cook open a car journey survival guide
Few people who visit the doctor think that their health will get worse as a result. Yet the statistics show that is far too often the case. Up to one person in 16 admitted to hospital ends up there not because of an organic disease or injury but because of an adverse reaction to a prescribed drug. Between 5,000 and 10,000 a year die as a result of this under-reported problem.
Talk about adding financial insult to personal injury. You twist your ankle en route to the GP for your well-person check — ha! — so you end up in A&E. You have to fork out for the casualty doc’s prescription for anti- inflammatories, cough up for the hospital parking space and, if a government health select committee has its way, hand over a fine for missing your GP appointment. Your ankle may not be broke, but you sure are.
A beauty company claims to have found the scientific key to youth, says Hannah Betts
A herbal tea and a back massage in a rustic château was the perfect way to round off a French holiday for Paul Shearer
Treatment Try to wash and condition hair, then blow-dry into smooth, shiny, salon-style.
I'm 45 and my scrotum has become extremely droopy. When I make love my testicles bang around way too much. Is there any way to tighten them?
My son is 16 months old. Is it OK to give him nuts in his diet? If so, are all nuts suitable?
The placebo effect is powerful, so why aren’t we testing and using it? Toby Murcott finds the catch
How can I make my summer picnics more eco-friendly?
Muesli-munching may have shaken off its hippy image but with high fat and sugar levels, is it as good for us as we think
Jane Clarke, The Times nutritionist suggests ways to stop them driving you crazy
Jane Clarke's weekly guide to nutritious but delicious earting out
If you find motivation a problem, then joining in with group exercise could be the answer
Surfing the perfect wave is the ultimate high for Mark Harris; yoga keeps him balanced
There is a remarkably simple solution to the problem of drug errors by hospital doctors ("Young doctors' poor drugs training 'is killing patients'" report and leading article, July 19). Consultants should have a pharmacist on at least one of their weekly ward rounds.
In a frenetic blitz of U-turns last week, John Reid finally launched some desperately needed measures to stem the tide of lawlessness engulfing Britain. More prisons, tougher sentencing, effective rehabiliation...sound familiar, asks Melissa Kite
Standing in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court last week, just found guilty on five counts of indecency with a child and two of indecent assault, Robert Wilby could hardly have expected what was to happen next. Judge Sean Duncan informed him that a prison term was "inevitable", then added, with some frustration, that he was having to free Wilby on bail while he awaited sentencing because there was no available prison cell closer than Doncaster. "That is the state of our prison system," added the judge. "It is ridiculous."
Hygiene standards on board a so-called "luxury" cruise ship popular with British tourists are seriously endangering passengers' health.
Tens of thousands of frail pensioners who require nursing treatment in care homes are falling victim to a National Health Service postcode lottery, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
More and more women are having trouble sleeping. But why this insomnia epidemic? Sophie Wilson seeks an explanation and – amid all the magnetic quilts and vibrating wristbands – finds peace
I follow a nutrient plan based on TAO principles (no meat, chicken or milk), and practise yoga and tao exercises every day. My thyroid is not working well and I've been on tablets for a couple of years. Although I eat healthily (lots of rice and vegetables), I'm lethargic in the morning and I tire quickly. I can't lose weight, and when I'm working I get hungry very quickly and find it hard to concentrate. I'm also prone to bladder infections. Is there anything I need to consider?
My husband usually drinks a bottle of wine a night. It doesn't make him aggressive or grumpy. He occasionally snores and sometimes wakes up a bit groggy, but he's doing fine at work, and we get on well. My friends, however, think it's a slippery slope. Should I be concerned?
Government plans to target girls from black and ethnic minorities in an attempt to reduce teenage pregnancy rates need to be pursued "sensitively", the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) said yesterday.
Part seven of self-help guru Nina Grunfeld's eight-step guide to wellbeing Spirituality comes in many shapes and forms. It certainly doesn't have to involve a formal religion, meditation or prayer, although it might. It could be that you get your spiritual wellbeing from feeling connected to music, poetry, art, nature or your loved ones.
Colonic irrigation was regarded in the 1990s as the height of celebrity self-indulgence. Demi Moore, Goldie Hawn and Kim Basinger were among those who reportedly extolled its virtues. Nowadays, however, it is increasingly referred to as colonic hydrotherapy, and has largely shed its elitist image.
A bid for Misys looked increasingly likely as hedge fund Tisbury Capital took a 2.6pc stake in the software group.
Dentists are warning the public over the proposed sale of super-strength tooth whitener linked to cancer.
Championed by Daley Thompson, Lucozade claims to revitalise both the body and brain. But those anxious to avoid nodding off might be just as well to drink glass of water, research shows.
UK doctors have been able to repair heart attack damage without using open-heart surgery, they have revealed.
Researchers say they have created a new training technique which can help hard drinkers ignore alcohol.
Two-thirds of the two million people with diabetes in the UK do not take their medication as prescribed, research suggests.
All newborn babies should be checked for jaundice to prevent unnecessary deaths from a related brain disease, says England's Chief Medical Officer.
A hospital trust which is £28m in debt is to sell off its headquarters to help balance the books.
Lord Warner today confirmed the arrangements for the NHS Summary Care Record Taskforce.
The market for wireless based ehealth monitoring and diagnostics services is currently being driven by the incumbent healthcare provider desire to push key elements of the care process out towards the edge of their healthcare network. According to a report published this week by Cambridge based analysts Wireless Healthcare, health provider's attempts to cut costs by treating the patient remotely, rather than within a bricks and mortar hospital, have provided the basis for a number of ehealth trials and contributes to the revenues of ehealth service providers such as Card Guard and Vitaphone.
Tygacil (tigecycline), a new, expanded broad-spectrum IV antibiotic for the treatment of a wide range of infections including those caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 1 will be available in the UK from today. Availability of this new antibiotic comes at a time when the need for effective new treatments is greater than ever and clinicians are running out of options.2, 3
Partnerships between UK hospitals and developing world hospitals can be mutually beneficial, according to an Public Health article published Online today by The Lancet. In the article, Andy Leather and colleagues from King's College Hospital and the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) in London, UK, describe the benefits of their partnership with hospitals in post-conflict Somaliland.
General Dental Council Calls For Views On Exam For Overseas Dentists, UK - Medical News Today 22/07/06The General Dental Council (GDC) is calling for views on its proposal for a new exam to assess the competence of dentists from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who wish to practise in the UK.
Women who took an osteoporosis drug once a month and received extra telephone support from trained nurses showed 47 per cent greater persistence with their drug treatment than those who took a weekly tablet, according to a study in the August issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
In wealthy countries it is fashionable to prefer intravenous therapy (IVT) over oral rehydration therapy (ORT). A Cochrane Review however, shows that ORT is just as effective as IVT.
This conclusion comes from an updated Cochrane Systematic Review that considered the evidence of 48 trials that met stringent inclusion criteria.
Children with serious skin conditions feel their quality of life is impaired to the same extent as those with chronic illnesses such as epilepsy, renal disease and diabetes, according to research published in the July issue of British Journal of Dermatology.
Inyx, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IYXI), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche drug delivery technologies and products, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Inyx USA Ltd., has been selected by an emerging U.K. specialty pharmaceutical company to manufacture a novel urological product as a topical HFA (hydrofluroalkane) aerosol spray for Phase III trial in the U.S.
A pregnant robot will offer a helping hand to student midwives, as they learn to cope with the most complex of births before ever meeting a real mother.
International News
A controversial new West End play will explore sex tourism in Jamaica, where lonely women flock for flings with young black men. But are these holiday romances sleazy or simply harmless?
Stories behind the news: an asthma link to swimming pools is simply never going to float
FREEDOM of choice may be consumer society’s great promise, but it doesn’t make you any happier, Cornell University investigators say.
Children should be doing at least 90 minutes of physical activity a day to stave off heart disease in later life, say scientists.
Talks aimed at ending more than three weeks of industrial action by doctors in Germany have broken down.
Early dementia could be detected with a simple eye test, similar to those used to test for high blood pressure and diabetes, US scientists believe.
Mayo Clinic investigators have discovered a gene mutation causing chaotic electrical activation of the heart muscle and atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart-rhythm disturbance affecting millions of Americans. Atrial fibrillation can lead to heart failure and stroke.
DNA - the long, thin molecule that carries our hereditary material - is compressed around protein scaffolding in the cell nucleus into tiny spheres called nucleosomes. The bead-like nucleosomes are strung along the entire chromosome, which is itself folded and packaged to fit into the nucleus. What determines how, when and where a nucleosome will be positioned along the DNA sequence? Dr. Eran Segal and research student Yair Field of the Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Department at the Weizmann Institute of Science have succeeded, together with colleagues from Northwestern University in Chicago, in cracking the genetic code that sets the rules for where on the DNA strand the nucleosomes will be situated. Their findings appeared today in Nature.
The most aggressive form of breast cancer may originate from breast stem cells that have undergone genetic mishaps.
With diabetes disease-management programs becoming more commonly used among physician groups, the question arises: Just how effective are they at improving patient care? The answer, according to UCLA researchers, is that they lead to better examination and testing--but not to better control of key factors associated with diabetes complications, such as blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels.
Although the slower driving habits of some seniors often steam impatient younger motorists, researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have found that elders who stay behind the wheel are less likely to enter nursing homes or assisted living centers than those who have never driven or who have given up driving altogether.
The number of women with leadership roles in research studies published in major medical journals has increased significantly over the past three decades, but women remain under-represented among medical science investigators. In the July 20 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), a group from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reports that, among U.S. physician-researchers leading original studies published in some of the country's most prestigious medical journals, the proportion who are women increased almost fivefold from 1970 to 2004.
UCLA researchers have unraveled a mysterious condition that causes congenital diarrhea and intestinal failure in children which may help further stem cell research for type I diabetes and intestinal disorders.
Data from a 15-year period show that the prevalence of a particular type of heart failure -- heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, also known as diastolic heart failure -- is increasing. This type of heart failure now accounts for more than half of heart failure cases, according to Mayo Clinic research published in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. An editorial accompanies this research, as well as another study on the same topic.
Transplanting human embryonic stem cells does not cause harm and can be used as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury, according to a recent study by UC Irvine researchers.
A Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh surgeon and researcher will present study results that show intestinal transplant recipients had significantly improved outcomes due to a new low-dose, anti-rejection protocol.
The presence of specific bacteria and combinations of bacteria in periodontal pockets might be an explanation for the relationship between periodontal disease and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a new study published in the Journal of Periodontology.
The research group OncoTerm, made up by researchers from the Universities of Granada, Malaga and Valladolid, and Virgen de las Nieves de Granada hospital, have designed an Internet-based information system specialised in oncology. The result is a database with hierarchical data consisting of 1896 concepts related to cancer and 4033 words in Spanish, English, and German. According to the project's leading researcher, Pamela-Blanchard Faber Benitez from the Department of Translation and Interpreting of the University of Granada, ‘these terminological entries are very rich in information, apart from general contents, as they include other information like web links, articles, etc'.
The agreement between the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics and the Belgian firm Iba for the marketing, in biomedical field, of the first superconductive cyclotron producing protons and carbon ions as well, has been made official today. The innovative project, that will developed by the Infn Southern National Laboratories and realized with the contribution of the Iba specific twenty-year experience in the field of cyclotrons for medical applications, was conceived for the hospital centres of oncological hadrontherapy.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Alcon, Inc. (NYSE: ACL) today announced that they have signed a long-term agreement to co-promote ruboxistaurin mesylate (proposed brand name, Arxxant (TM), pronounced ark-ZONT) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Arxxant is an investigational oral drug for the treatment of moderate to severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, a diabetic eye disease. The co-promotion agreement is subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Arxxant, which is currently under regulatory review.
CardiacAssist, Inc., announced that it has placed the TandemHeart(R) PTVA(R) System percutaneous left ventricular assist device (LVAD) at three new medical centers. More than 60 hospitals across the U.S. and more than 70 worldwide now use the TandemHeart System for critical ventricular support.
Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: IMM) announced today that The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent related to the manufacturing of Immtech's drug candidate compounds. Immtech has an exclusive, worldwide license under this patent, based on Immtech's license agreement with the Company's consortium of scientists. The patent, entitled "Process for the synthesis of bis-aryl diamidoxime compounds," claims a method for making drug candidate compounds, such as Immtech's pafuramidine maleate (DB289). The patent names scientists from both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Georgia State University as inventors.
The following is a statement of Ritva Butrum, Ph.D., Senior Science Advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR): Spurred by a new scientific review that reveals how the study of diet in cancer survivorship has been woefully overlooked and underfunded, AICR is issuing an urgent call to the nation's cancer researchers and those who fund them.
Genetix Group plc (LSE: GTX) and Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN) announced today an agreement which allows Invitrogen to utilize the Genetix ClonePixFL technology in process development services offered through PD-Direct(TM). The Genetix ClonePixFL is an instrument that automatically images, selects and picks mammalian cell colonies based upon a number of parameters such as size, roundness and proximity to neighbors or far more specific information such as quantitative protein secretion or specific protein production.
Bingle Lot Of Ultravist(R) Injection 370 MgI/mL, 125erlex, Inc. has initiated a nationwide recall of a single lot (No. 41500A) of its intravenous X-ray contrast agent, Ultravist(R) Injection 370 mgI/mL, 125 mL, (iopromide injection) NDC 50419-346-12, EXP 01/2007, due to the presence of particulate matter in conjunction with crystallization. Berlex is undertaking this recall in consideration of the potential for serious safety problems if the product is administered to patients, including thrombosis of blood vessels, thromboembolism, and injury or infarction of end organs such as heart, kidney, and brain.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) announced today that it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SPD465, an investigational amphetamine compound for the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the adult population. The application is subject to a 12-month FDA review period. SPD465 has the same active ingredient as ADDERALL XR(R) (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product), but is designed to provide ADHD symptom control for up to 16 hours. Upon approval, this novel product will be the first and only ADHD stimulant product that controls inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity for up to 16 hours.
Chronic pain affects approximately 48 million people in the U.S. and current medications are either largely ineffective or have serious side effects. But researchers from Columbia University Medical Center have discovered a protein in nerve cells that acts as a switch for chronic pain, and have applied for a patent to develop a new class of drugs that will block chronic pain by turning this switch off. The discovery is published on the website of the journal Neuroscience, and will appear in the publication's August issue.
Until recently, the option to breastfeed after birth was not offered to women with nipple piercings. While there may have been assumed implications to breastfeeding when pierced, limited documentation exists.
The International League Against Epilepsy has set new treatment guidelines for antiepileptic drugs, as published in the journal Epilepsia. The guidelines call for more thorough and specific studies before a treatment is decided upon for a patient with newly diagnosed or untreated epilepsy.
This alert highlights the research published this week in a special issue of Prenatal Diagnosis entitled, Fetal Sexing: Global Perspectives on Practices, Ethics and Policy. The special issue arose out of a workshop organized as part of the SAFE network of excellence.
Critical advances in medicine and environmental protection promise to emerge from a new method for biochemical analysis of fluids developed by an international science team led in part by Arizona State University researchers.
An international study of the first transdermal patch for patients with Alzheimer's - a degenerative brain disease estimated to affect more than 15 million people worldwide - has shown that it may provide a promising new treatment approach1.
Therapeutics targeting a surface-bound enzyme encoded by the influenza virus neuraminidase are highly effective antiviral treatments. Although many bacterial pathogens, including the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, also encode neuraminidases, whether these enzymes are important for bacterial pathogenesis such that they would be appropriate antibacterial targets has not been clear, until now.
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare pediatric syndrome causing physical changes that resemble greatly accelerated aging in sufferers. These symptoms include slow growth, wrinkled skin, hair loss, small face and jaw, pinched nose, osteoporosis, and atherosclerotic vascular disease. Currently, there are less than 50 known cases of HGPS in the world and most progeria patients die at around 13 years of age. HGPS is caused by a mutation in the Lamin A gene (LMNA) that results in the synthesis of a mutant prelamin A (also called progerin). Progerin undergoes farnesylation but cannot be further processed to mature lamin A, a key structural component of the cell nucleus. In HGPS cells, progerin accumulates at the rim of the nucleus, causing misshapen nuclei.
Tackling tumor-associated macrophages beats breast and other cancers in mice Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) can promote the growth and spread of tumor cells. In a study appearing online on July 20 in advance of print publication in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Rong Xiang and colleagues from The Scripps Research Institute have designed a cancer vaccine to specifically target these cells.
According to a new survey of high-risk hurricane areas in eight states--Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas--conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health Project on the Public and Biological Security, one-third (33%) of residents said if government officials said they had to evacuate due to a major hurricane this season, they would not or are unsure if they would leave. Homeowners (39%), whites (41%) and long-term residents (45%) are the groups most likely to ride out a major hurricane. People with children under 18 are less likely to remain in their homes (26%). Mobile home owners are no more likely to evacuate than the general public.
There's been huge progress made in facial rejuvenation techniques since the days of the old stretched-out sort of facelift. We can now have a customized combination of procedures, some done at the same time, some done at different times.
In the same way that blood cholesterol became widely recognised in the 1980s and 1990s as a marker indicating a major risk of vascular disease, so blood levels of creatinine - a normal breakdown product of muscle metabolism - will tell doctors who is developing kidney disease, now also recognised as a risk for heart disease.
Transplanting human embryonic stem cells does not cause harm and can be used as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury, according to a recent study by UC Irvine researchers.
The American Liver Foundation (ALF), a national nonprofit organization that provides education, advocacy and research on behalf of the 30 million Americans affected by liver disease, today issued a warning based on a recent study on the effects of high doses of the popular pain reliever acetaminophen on the liver.
Hypospadias is a congenital abnormality occurring in 1 of 300 live births with the current standard of care to repair the anomaly with a one-stage procedure in the first year of life on an outpatient basis. Long-term success rates approaching 90% in the modern era are commonly reported and are much improved over those from earlier times. Complications of hypospadias repair are well documented with stricture, fistula, diverticulum, retrusive urethral meatus and residual chordee being the most common.
The United Nations World Food Programme warned today that it was fast running out of emergency food aid for millions of people in Kenya affected by drought, and appealed for urgent new contributions to prevent malnutrition rates rising as the long dry season sets in.
We can dye gray hair, lift sagging skin or boost lost hearing, but no visit to the day spa would be able to hide a newly discovered genetic marker for the toll that time takes on our cells. "We've found something that is at the core of aging," said Stuart Kim, PhD, professor of developmental biology and of genetics at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
People who drink alcohol are up to four times more likely than non-drinkers to be hurt from physical injuries such as a fall or punch, new research shows.
Two of Australia's leading obesity experts have rejected as "nonsense" criticism by the AMA and Labor Party of the $3 million obesity study initiative announced yesterday by Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott.
Sorafenib was recently approved by the FDA as a systemic therapy option for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in part due to the data from this phase II placebo-controlled randomized discontinuation trial. In this trial design, all enrolled patients were given a 12 week “run in” course of sorafenib and were then evaluated for evidence of response. Those patients that demonstrated a response to therapy (>25% tumor shrinkage) were continued on therapy. Those patients that demonstrated greater than 25% tumor growth were taken off therapy, considered treatment failures, and moved on to other systemic therapy options. Those patients with stable disease or less than 25% tumor shrinkage were randomized to either continuing sorafenib or placebo, the idea being that if their disease stability was due to sorafenib, disease progression would be seen in the placebo group. This trial design allows for a placebo control while minimizing the exposure of patients to the placebo. Here, the results of this trial are reported by Ratain and colleagues.
One of the first things most little boys in the U.S. experience is something they'll never remember - circumcision - but that doesn't mean it isn't a painful experience. The debate over whether infants feel pain has ended, and the positive conclusion is catching up with obstetrical, pediatric and family physician training programs, 97 percent of which now learn effective pain relief techniques for circumcision. Just 10 years ago, only 71 percent learned how to ease pain during the brief surgical procedure.
DiaGenic ASA today announced that it has achieved important milestones in the development of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease. New scientific data based on gene expression analysis confirms that the development of a simple blood-based test for diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a realistic possibility in the near future, thereby enabling earlier therapeutic intervention. DiaGenic presented its findings at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ICAD) in Madrid. ICAD, which is organized by the Alzheimer's Association, is one of the largest gatherings of Alzheimer's disease researchers in the world.
AstraZeneca today announced the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration for a sustained release (SR) once-daily formulation of SEROQUEL for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia.
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and 454 Life Sciences Corporation, in Branford, Connecticut, have announced an ambitious plan to complete a first draft of the Neandertal genome within the next two years. Prof Svante PAoAobo, Director of the InstituteTMs Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, and Dr. Michael Egholm, Vice-President of Molecular Biology for 454 Life Sciences will jointly direct the project, made possible by financing from the Max Planck Society. 454 Life Sciences-TM newly developed sequencing technology has made it possible to extract and sequence nuclear DNA from Neandertal fossils, a hopeless task using traditional techniques. As a trial, the collaborators have already sequenced approximately one million base pairs of nuclear Neandertal DNA from a 38,000-year-old Croatian fossil.
The humble nematode worm could prove invaluable in screening new compounds for active drugs, new research published today suggests.
Children with a cough that lasts more than 3-4 weeks and is not associated with an identifiable illness are sometimes given anti-histamines. In adults with chronic cough, anti-histamines are recommended as an empirical treatment, but a systematic review of research failed to find evidence that it works for children. Anti-histamines do, however, have well known side-effects.
MEDEA+ partners are involved in the development of the basic fabrication techniques required for integrated circuits (ICs) to meet the demands for ever smaller electronic systems - from domestic multimedia equipment and effective automotive electronics, through improved medical diagnostic devices to digital cameras and mobile phones. This collaboration between chipmakers, equipment suppliers, research institutes and academia is helping to ensure Europe maintains its global position in microelectronics - enabling European companies to develop a wide range of new equipment. Moreover, receiving the EUREKA label has been significant in bringing these projects to market faster.
There is moderate evidence that acupuncture can relieve chronic neck pain. Between 26 - 71 percent of the adult population claims to have had at least one episode of neck pain or stiffness during their life. In many cases, this can last for months and has a large impact on life style, work and health care expenditure.
Patients with recurring problems with the heart slowing or stopping after a neck injury damages their cervical spinal cord may need aggressive therapy to avoid further cardiovascular problems and even death, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.
Bubbles: You've bathed in them, popped them, endured bad song lyrics about them. Now, University of Michigan researchers hope to add a more sophisticated application to the list---gas bubbles used like corks to block oxygen flow to tumors, or to deliver drugs.
People who donate a kidney to help someone else often suffer financially to do so, according to a study done in part by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
A popular, computer-based card game is helping Oregon Health & Science University researchers monitor cognitive changes in the elderly, a new study shows.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University, the Center for Breast Care at the Women's Center at Boca Raton Community Hospital, and MeVis, The Center for Diagnostic Systems and Visualization at the University of Breman, Germany have developed new techniques to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. They have developed and piloted a unique software platform utilizing computational clinical imaging techniques for the analysis and display of serial-time MRI, which is showing great promise in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer.
Specialty pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis Ltd (ASX: PXS; Nasdaq: PXSL) today announced that it has lodged the registration documents for marketing approval of its asthma management product, Aridol, with the Swiss regulatory agency for therapeutic products, Swissmedic. Aridol will be distributed by Trimedal AG, a specialist respiratory and allergy pharmaceutical company based in Zurich.
Abt Associates researchers will present the results of 17 diverse studies at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, August 13-18. The conference, with 20,000 attendees and over 400 sessions, meetings, and workshops is expected to be the largest in the history of the event.
Carrington Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: CARN) announced today that its subsidiary, DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc., formed a joint development initiative with Brookwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The goal of this effort is to carry out an expanded evaluation of GelSite(R), a DelSite patented drug-delivery technology, as a matrix for injectable applications and for selected classes of drugs.
Snapple, makers of The Best Stuff on Earth, today launches Snapple Green Teas, a collection of authentic green teas that contain the natural antioxidant EGCG and helps boost metabolism. Snapple's new Green Tea has the most EGCG, with 55mg per bottle, compared to leading ready-to-drink green teas, and is the second in a line of new products that support a "good for you" platform from which the brand will inform and inspire consumers about the health benefits of tea.
ARUP Laboratories, a leading national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory, believes that community health care systems best provide laboratory services to physician offices. In keeping with that philosophy, ARUP Laboratories has announced it is expanding its outreach program to include a comprehensive suite of services that will enable its clients to have a positive impact on their local health community.
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is reminding users of its FreeStyle(R) and FreeStyle Flash(R) blood glucose meters in the United States to check to make sure their meter is displaying the correct unit of measure (milligrams per deciliter, mg/dL) and strip calibration code each time they test.
YM BioSciences Inc. (AMEX:YMI, TSX:YM, AIM:YMBA), a company engaged in the acquisition, development and commercialization of oncology and acute care products, today reported that India's Drug Controller General has granted marketing approval to nimotuzumab, an anti-EGFr monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of head & neck cancer. Biocon Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, a joint venture between Biocon (NSE:BIOCON) and CIMAB SA (Havana, Cuba), has rights to the drug from CIMAB for the Indian subcontinent. Nimotuzumab is also licensed to YM's majority owned subsidiary CIMYM BioSciences Inc. by CIMAB for the major market countries including Europe, North America, Japan and the Pacific Rim countries excluding China.
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) today announced an agreement with the U.S. Government to provide states with the anti-viral Relenza(R) (zanamivir for inhalation) as they prepare for a potential influenza pandemic.
Y's Therapeutics, Inc. said today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) have granted Orphan Drug Designation and Orphan Medicinal Product Designation, respectively, for its investigational drug YSPSL (rPSGL-Ig) in the prevention of graft dysfunction in kidney transplantation.
Scientists know that children of women who smoke during pregnancy can develop hearing-related cognitive deficits. For the first time, researchers believe they have evidence that not only implicates nicotine as the culprit, but also shows what the substance does to the brain to cause these deficits.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, M.I.N.D. Institute have discovered that the brains of males with autism have fewer neurons in the amygdala, a part of the brain involved in emotion and memory. The study, published in the July 19 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, is the first neuroanatomical study to quantify a key difference in the autistic amygdala.
Differences in the way men and women perform verbal and visuospatial tasks have been well documented in scientific literature, but findings have been inconsistent as to whether men and women actually use different parts of their brains. This inconsistency has been attributed to many factors, including variability in the tasks used in studies and failure to match study participants on performance equivalency. But a new study published in the journal Brain and Language, which accounted for and corrected these methodological factors, confirmed that men and women do indeed use different parts of their brains when processing both language and visuospatial information.
You're on vacation, having fun sailing the seven seas, when your stomach starts rolling worse than the waves. Before you know it, nausea and vomiting have replaced shuffle board and sun-bathing.
An Italian study of men with erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease (CAD) has shown for the first time that the rates of dysfunction differ according to the type and severity of the disease.
Aggressive behavior in children and teenagers is a serious problem, and having violent behavior early in life is strongly associated with injury, later criminal conduct and poorer health as an adult.
This conclusion comes from an updated Cochrane Systematic Review that considered the evidence of 48 trials that met stringent inclusion criteria.
Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NYSE: BAY) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX) announced today that Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of advanced (including locally unresectable and metastatic) melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Nexavar was approved by the FDA in December 2005 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Women age 45 years or older who experience migraines with aura (associated neurologic symptoms such as temporary visual disturbances) are at a higher risk for heart attack, ischemic stroke, angina and death due to ischemic cardiovascular disease compared to women who do not report a migraine history, according to a study in the July 19 issue of JAMA. In contrast, migraine without aura, the most common form of migraine, was not associated with increased risk of any cardiovascular event.
Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted final approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Meloxicam Tablets, 7.5 mg and 15 mg. The Company intends to initiate shipments immediately.
SmartPill Corp., a leading developer of capsule-based medical devices based in Buffalo, N.Y., is proud to announce today that its SmartPill GI Monitoring System has received 510(k) release from the federal Food and Drug Administration, granting the company a "green light" for the sale and use of its SmartPill GI Monitoring System and SmartPill pH.p Capsule in the United States.
One study, a meta-analysis of 59 trials, found little evidence that diet is associated with survival or prognosis. The other study suggests that neither use of garlic nor vitamin supplements delays the progression of precancerous gastric lesions to cancer.
Women who have migraines with visual problems have increased risk for heart disease, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Long Island Newsday reports. For the study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital analyzed the records of 27,800 women older than age 45 who participated in the Women's Health Initiative.
Neuroscientists at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found evidence of which protein in the brain's immune cells triggers a cascade of reactions that produces unregulated free radical production that eventually leads to the neural cell death found in Alzheimer's disease.
Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations at their summit did not act on an opportunity to adopt an advance market commitment plan aimed at funding the development of vaccines for diseases — including HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria — that largely affect developing nations, pharmaceutical companies said on Tuesday, Reuters Health reports (Reuters Health, 7/18).
Researchers have unexpectedly shown that sickle cell-associated kidney injury may be reduced by inhibiting the enzyme activity of a protein that commonly confers protection in other diseased states. The paper by Juncos et al., "Anomalous renal effects of tin protoporphyrin in a murine model of sickle cell disease," appears in the July issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Drugs that block the activity of an enzyme might hold a key to treating chronic and severe disorders such as certain forms of constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, Hirschsprung's disease and other similar gastrointestinal problems.
A new study published in the recent issue of the Journal of Personality finds a correlation between adult pessimism and childhood in a low socioeconomic status (SES) family. By connecting socioeconomic status to pessimism, which in turn has in earlier studies shown to be related to physical and mental health, the current study provides critical information for policy makers and parents concerned with preventing the development of less adaptive coping strategies of children
Malawi on Monday launched a weeklong HIV testing campaign that is expected to reach more than 50,000 people ages 14 to 49, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. Nicholas Chitimba, chair of the National AIDS Commission, said that more than 240 sites and roughly 1,000 counselors have been designated to conduct HIV tests throughout the week. Health Minister Marjorie Ngaunje said the country's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts could be undermined if people do not determine their HIV status. About 15% of the country's 12 million people have been tested for HIV, according to AFP/Yahoo! News. The campaign is part of a larger goal to test one million Malawians by the end of 2007, Chitimba said. By the end of 2005, about 930,000 people in the country were reported to be HIV-positive, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 7/17).
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found that exercise decreases pain and helps breast cancer survivors feel healthier and increase participation in daily activities.
A new study, published today in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has significant implications for the design of disease markers and the development of chemoreceptors used in human biomedical research. The groundbreaking study, entitled, "A Mechanism to Signal Receptor-Substrate Interactions with Luminescent Quantum Dots", demonstrates that quantum dots can one day replace conventional organic dyes in biomedical applications.
Orthopaedic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medial Center are the first in North Texas to use knee implants specifically designed to fit a woman's anatomy.
Digital mammography saves technologists' time, but increases physician time compared to film screen mammography, a new study shows.
A study conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh involving an amnesia-inducing drug has shed light on how we form new memories.
Children with serious skin conditions feel their quality of life is impaired to the same extent as those with chronic illnesses such as epilepsy, renal disease and diabetes, according to research published in the July issue of British Journal of Dermatology.
Revolutionary new results concerning substances that play major roles in the inflammatory response have been published in the American scientific journal PNAS in two articles from Karolinska Institutet. Inflammation is important in, for example, cardiovascular disease. The results open the way for the development of new drugs both for prevention and for treatment.
GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI), the Men's Health Biotech Company, today announced completion of recruitment of its proof of concept Phase II clinical trial of its first- in-class drug candidate, ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). GTx expects to report data from the trial in the fourth quarter.
An independent, third- party audit firm has confirmed that Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has followed through on its commitment to post clinical trial information on its website.
Inyx, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IYXI), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche drug delivery technologies and products, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Inyx USA Ltd., has been selected by an emerging U.K. specialty pharmaceutical company to manufacture a novel urological product as a topical HFA (hydrofluroalkane) aerosol spray for Phase III trial in the U.S.
A study published in the July 2006 edition of Journal of Urology has shown that UroVysion(TM), a DNA-based urine test that detects important genetic changes in bladder cells, has almost twice the sensitivity of conventional urine cytology tests, the current gold standard, as an aid for the initial diagnosis of bladder cancer in patients with hematuria (blood in urine) suspected of having bladder cancer. Sensitivity refers to the likelihood that a patient with bladder cancer will have a positive test result and is a standard indicator of the predictive value of a diagnostic test.
AGA Medical Corporation today announced that it has enrolled the first patients in its PREMIUM clinical trial, a study examining the connections between certain types of migraine headaches and a heart defect found in more than 20 percent of all adults. The first patient was enrolled at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.
Sekisui Chemical, Nitto Boseki, and I-DESIGN have jointly developed Tube 21-S, a plastic vacuum blood drawing tube.
Hitachi's Central Research Laboratory and Schools of Engineering and Medicine, University of Tokyo, have jointly developed a contrast agent technology for ultra-sonic diagnostic equipment.
A pregnant robot will offer a helping hand to student midwives, as they learn to cope with the most complex of births before ever meeting a real mother.
Quigley Pharma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Quigley Corporation (Nasdaq: QGLY), announced today that it has obtained positive results that support Quigley Pharma's continued progress in developing the natural broad spectrum anti-viral QR-441(a) for use in preventing the spread of avian flu in poultry stocks. The results of the healthy chicken medical feed study confirm that food or water dose forms provide an opportunity for potential commercialization if the compound demonstrates efficacy within these dose forms.
The Physical Chemistry of the Atmosphere Laboratory (1) of the University Louis Pasteur will soon publish some very novel results, obtained from asthmatic patients, which question the recommended level of formaldehyde regarding human health in the domestic environment. This air-born gaseous substance is classified as a pollutant at high concentrations.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 16 grants totaling $287 million to create an international network of highly collaborative research consortia focused on accelerating the pace of HIV vaccine development.
The combination of a certain genetic variation, along with inflammatory factors and smoking, significantly increases the risk of the vision disorder age-related macular degeneration, according to a study in the July 19 issue of JAMA.
Gleevec, the pill that transformed cancer treatments by offering an easy way to target a difficult type of leukemia, may cause serious heart damage, researchers cautioned on Sunday.
The small West African state of Togo has almost halved its HIV/AIDS infection rate in the past year, but less than a third of those needing life prolonging treatment are getting it, a cabinet statement said on Saturday.
Nearly a quarter of U.S. physicians used some form of electronic patient record in 2005, a report said on Friday, as officials try to meet a presidential goal of having digital health data for every American by 2014.
Johnson & Johnson said on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has canceled a planned advisory committee review its experimental drug paliperidone ER, a continuous release pill for treatment of schizophrenia.
The growing number of allergy sufferers in Britain are poorly served by the lack of specialists and local doctors need better training to help alleviate the shortage, according to a government review.
Fatal heart attacks may be more likely among people who spend decades living in heavily polluted areas, Swedish researchers report.
An unapproved compound mixed by pharmacists to treat Lyme disease should not be used, U.S. health officials warned on Friday, after one person died and another was hospitalized earlier this year.
A heatwave in France has probably killed more than 20 people, including a 15-month-old baby, officials said on Friday, and the rest of Europe also sweltered with no sign of temperatures dropping.
A heatwave in France has probably killed 21 people, including a 15-month-old baby, officials said on Friday, and the rest of Europe also sweltered with no sign of temperatures dropping.
Cheshire and Merseyside News
ABORTION rates have risen across Merseyside and Cheshire at a rate 13 times the national average, shock new figures have revealed.
DOZENS of staff gathered outside Southport Hospital in protest at plans to axe jobs as part of a £14m package of savings.
A WOMAN who is due to start work at Southport Hospital said she qualified as a nurse thanks to the belief that her late husband was looking down on her - and would be proud.
A CAMPAIGNER has launched a petition to re-instate a casualty unit at Ormskirk Hospital - and it has already been signed by more than 500 supporters.
FREE bus travel will soon be available to Southport Hospital from anypart of West Lancashire for those with concessionary bus pass.
PROPOSALS to redesign adult and older people's mental health services across Cheshire and Wirral are the subject of a new consultation exercise.
ALMOST 30% of patients waiting for hospital tests to diagnose diseases in Cheshire and Merseyside have to wait more than three months, figures reveal.
THE head of one of Halton's biggest heart patient groups fears lives could be at risk following the planned restructuring of hospital services.
Call for rethink over hospital changes - Widnes Weekly News 20/07/06
STRIKING ambulance technicians stepped up their campaign on Tuesday and more action is planned for Sunday following a pay row.
CHESHIRE County Council chairman Neville Price has officially opened the Northgate Locks Mental Health Resource Centre in Chester.
Multiple sclerosis sufferers have been offered hope of a normal life after doctors pioneered a wonder drug treatment.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
OLDER people will have a greater say in how services in the area are run following the launch of the new West Lancashire District Partnership Board for Older People.
Hundreds of new NHS dental places have been filled as part of a campaign spearheaded by Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust (PCT).
A HOSPITAL boss has apologised to a woman who stormed out of casualty after waiting four hours for treatment when she suffered a miscarriage.
BRAVE youngster Russell May dreams of swimming with dolphins and one day even being able to walk again.
THREE women a day could be forced to travel for more than an hour while in labour if plans to scrap Whitehaven’s maternity ward go ahead.
Greater Manchester News
Critically ill babies moved out of town - Bolton Evening News 22/07/06CRITICALLY ill babies from Bolton have had to be moved to hospitals as far away as Leeds and Liverpool because of a chronic shortage of beds in their home town.
A NEW mini accident and emergency unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital treated 16 patients in its first two days.
MOST firms have seen absenteeism increase during the current heatwave, new research showed today.
A CANCER sufferer who tackled two masked burglars later died from brain damage brought on by a heart attack, a post mortem has revealed.
A hospital trust which is £28m in debt is to sell off its headquarters to help balance the books.
need a long cooling soak before I go to bed. The plan this week is apparently to knock some of the impending jet lag on the head by banking extra hours of sleep. So far I'm failing miserably. Stupid thing is by nature I am more at home being awake late at night, by habit I get up early.
