Latest and Breaking Medical News

Rochester leads international effort to improve muscular dystrophy treatment
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
(University of Rochester Medical Center) A large international study aimed at improving the care of muscular dystrophy patients worldwide is being launched by physicians, physical therapists, and researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, along with counterparts at 41 other institutions around the world. The study will compare treatments for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common form of the disease that affects children.

Satellite data reveal why migrating birds have a small window to spread bird flu
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Wiley-Blackwell) In 2005 an outbreak of the H5N1 "bird flu" virus in South East Asia led to widespread fear with predictions that the intercontinental migration of wild birds could lead to global pandemic. Such fears were never realized, and now research published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology reveals why the global spread of bird flu by direct migration of wildfowl is unlikely, while also providing a new framework for quantifying the risk of avian-borne diseases.

Hair provides proof of the link between chronic stress and heart attack
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
(University of Western Ontario) Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have provided the first direct evidence using a biological marker, to show chronic stress plays an important role in heart attacks. Drs. Gideon Koren and Stan Van Uum developed a method to measure cortisol levels in hair providing an accurate assessment of stress levels in the months prior to an acute event such as a heart attack. The research is published online in the journal Stress.

First clinical trials successfully completed on potent new hepatitis C drug
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Cardiff University) The first clinical trials on a new investigational drug being developed to treat infections caused by hepatitis C virus have been successfully completed.Completion of the initial phase (phase 1a) of trials of INX-189, discovered and first prepared by researchers at Cardiff University's Welsh School of Pharmacy in 2008, means the chances of it becoming an approved medicine have significantly improved.

US neurologists agree on protocols for treatment of infantile spasms
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Wiley-Blackwell) Researchers from across the US, as part of the Infantile Spasms Working Group, established guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms. The goal of the ISWG is to improve patient outcomes by creating protocols that educate pediatricians on early diagnosis and treatment options. Full details of this study appear online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Researchers identify how bone-marrow stem cells hold their 'breath' in low-oxygen environments
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
(UT Southwestern Medical Center) UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified unique metabolic properties that allow a specific type of stem cell in the body to survive and replicate in low-oxygen environments.

Cigarette smoke may contribute to lung inflammation through a new chemical pathway
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(University of Alabama at Birmingham) Cigarette smoke shuts off a key enzyme in airways that regulates the body's response to inflammation, according to findings from the University of Alabama at Birmingham published online today at Science Express. The UAB researchers say smoke inhibits the enzyme, called Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase (LTA4H), causing it to fail in its job of shutting down white blood cells following a successful response to inflammation.

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology reacts to stem-cell ruling
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology expressed its disapproval and disappointment this week in response to the Aug. 23 court ruling that temporarily bars federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

GEN reports on the greening of the life sciences
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) Biopharmaceutical firms and other life science organizations are taking definitive steps toward creating greener working environments and developing more sustainable operations, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. This promising trend was made clear through a series of presentations and panel discussions that took place at GEN's "GreenBioPharma" conference, which was recently held in Philadelphia.

Test-tube calf embryos more likely to survive Texas summers
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
(Texas A&M AgriLife Communications) Texas AgriLife researchers have found that embryo transfer can double dairy cow pregnancy rates during the summer and increase the number of heifers born as compared with conventional artificial insemination commonly used on dairy farms. They believe this method could save dairies in Texas and throughout the country considerable money.