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Flu medication VIRA 38 inhibits SARS virus

PRB Pharmaceuticals and Lee's Pharmaceuticals have announced that a recent study by Taiwan researchers from the National Health Research Institutes demonstrates TF2b and TF3, two components of v38 AMF-1, inhibit the 3C-like protease encoded by SARS-CoV. v38 AMF-1, a fraction of the flu medication VIRA 38, is best known for its ability to inhibit bird flu virus (H5N1) infections.

4 Aug 2005

Genelabs drug discovery team advances compounds against the hepatitis C virus

Genelabs Technologies today announced that a non-nucleoside compound from its internal Hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug discovery program has advanced into preclinical development.

4 Aug 2005

MDMA/Ectasy could lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Duke University have revealed new clues about Parkinson's disease which might one day lead to new treatments.

4 Aug 2005

Scientists have a plan to prevent bird flu pandemic

According to scientists the H5N1 strain of bird flu circulating in Asia which could mutate into a lethal strain and cause a pandemic, could be contained.

4 Aug 2005

Mixing slow-release painkillers with alcohol - potentially deadly

Health Canada has issued a warning that mixing some slow-release painkillers with alcohol could be potentially deadly.

4 Aug 2005

Containment of a Southeast Asian outbreak of avian influenza in humans may be possible

Though quick to caution about the many things that could go wrong, researchers say that it may be possible to contain a Southeast Asian outbreak of avian influenza in humans, buying precious time for the production of a vaccine.

3 Aug 2005

Scientist have found an unexpected effect of the interaction of PTEN and p53 genes in early stage prostate cancer

Prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death for men in the United States, is caused by changes in several tummor suppressor genes including PTEN and p53. Up to 70 percent of men with prostate cancer have lost one copy of the PTEN gene at the time of diagnosis, and p53 is absent in a high number of patients with advanced prostate cancer.

3 Aug 2005

Pfizer adds warning to Celebrex arthritis drug

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has adapted the label of its Celebrex arthritis drug and added a prominent warning of possible cardiovascular risks, such as increased risk of heart attacks.

3 Aug 2005

Not enough women take part in heart drug trials

Scientists say because women are under-represented in the clinical trials of heart drugs, doctors are left in the dark as to how treatments may work differently in their bodies.

3 Aug 2005

First evidence that complex genetic interactions account for autism risk

Using a novel analysis of the interactions among related genes, Duke University Medical Center researchers have uncovered some of the first evidence that complex genetic interactions account for autism risk. The Duke team found that the brain mechanism that normally stops or slows nerve impulses contributes to the disease.

3 Aug 2005

Breed and placement affect skin drug delivery

Skin creams and patches might be the easiest way to give your pets medicine but their success also depends on the breed and where it’s applied.

2 Aug 2005

Drug use among Indiana youth sees biggest drop in years

A new report on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University Bloomington demonstrates a significant downward trend in youth drug use and includes the agency's first compilation of data concerning methamphetamine use and gambling by sixth- through 12th-grade students.

2 Aug 2005

HAART reduces AIDS rates by 86%

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV-infected individuals has reduced the rate of progression to AIDS or death by 86%, according to new research from Bristol University published in The Lancet.

2 Aug 2005

Medicare at 40: Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges

As Americans commemorate Medicare's 40th Anniversary, AARP's Public Policy Institute (PPI) has released the report, "Medicare at 40," which examines the program's successes as well as the challenges that lie ahead. It found that Medicare has largely accomplished its original goals of ensuring access to care and establishing financial protections for medical costs.

2 Aug 2005

Omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory

A study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has demonstrated that omega-6 fatty acids such as the fat found in corn oil promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory.

2 Aug 2005

Potential new target for cannabis-derived drugs as a treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers investigating anecdotal evidence that cannabis relieves some of the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have discovered a potential new target for cannabis-derived drugs for treatment of the disease.

2 Aug 2005

Drugs with similar chemical attributes as Ecstasy might offer useful alternatives to current therapies for Parkinson's disease

Amphetamines, including the drug popularly known as Ecstasy, can reverse the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice with an acute form of the condition, according to new research at Duke University Medical Center.

2 Aug 2005

Arf gene prevents excessive growth of blood vessels in the developing eye

A gene better known for its role in preventing cancer also plays a key role in the developing embryo, where the gene prevents excessive growth of blood vessels, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

2 Aug 2005

Researchers characterize the proteome of the human cornea

In doing so, they have identified 141 distinct proteins, 99 of which had not been previously recognized in mammalian corneas. The details of their findings appear in the August/September issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology journal.

1 Aug 2005

Researchers have identified a pathway that is specific for cancer

When cancer spreads, people often die. That's why a lot of cancer research and drugs focus on the metabolic pathways that allow cancer to metastasize -- to spread from one part of the body to another.

1 Aug 2005