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Potential new treatment for diabetic nerve damage

A potentially ground-breaking treatment for nerve damage caused by diabetes has shown promising results in preclinical and early patient trials.

From The University of Manchester 6 Jun 2006

Indonesia struggling to cope - quake survivors at greater risk of bird flu

Indonesia's devastating earthquake on 27 May, has so far taken the lives of over 6,000 people and injured 30,000 more.

6 Jun 2006

Addition of gemcitabine to standard postoperative treatment increased pancreatic cancer patients' survival by 50 percent

Adding the cancer-fighting drug gemcitabine to standard therapy after surgery significantly improves survival for patients with the most common form of pancreatic cancer, according to a new multicenter study led by a University of Maryland radiation oncologist.

6 Jun 2006

Discovery of protein associated with severe preeclampsia

Researchers have identified a second protein which, in combination with sFlt1, escalates preeclampsia to a severe - and life-threatening - state.

6 Jun 2006

Advanced prostate cancer can be treated successfully with intermittent chemotherapy

Advanced prostate cancer can be treated successfully with intermittent chemotherapy, according to a study conducted by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute scientists.

6 Jun 2006

Cigarette smoking and high cholesterol predict different forms of peripheral artery disease

Cigarette smoking and high cholesterol predict risk for some forms of peripheral artery disease (PAD), while diabetes predicts risk for other forms of the disease, researchers reported in a rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

6 Jun 2006

Study confirms Gleevec's long-term benefits in treating advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors

People with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who take Gleevec (imatinib) for prolonged periods continue to benefit from the drug, according to a five-year study by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers.

6 Jun 2006

Study finds ways to improve detection of blood clots in the lung

Largest study ever conducted to assess the role of contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomographic (CT) angiography for diagnosing pulmonary embolism.

5 Jun 2006

Robins are the vector for West Nile virus not crows

GenoMed has underscored the discovery by Connecticut scientists that robins are the vector for West Nile virus in their state, not crows.

5 Jun 2006

Sunitinib malate shows promise against advanced form of lung cancer

Results of a multi-center clinical study of a drug currently approved for treatment of kidney cancer indicate that it may also be effective for people with recurrent and advanced lung cancer.

5 Jun 2006

Sunitinib malate drug shows significant benefits over standard treatment for advanced kidney cancer

According to a new study, the drug sunitinib malate (Sutent.) is more effective than the current standard cytokine treatment given as an initial therapy for patients with advanced kidney cancer, also known as metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

5 Jun 2006

Helium-based MRI scans may one day allow closer look at smoker lungs

Aided by a powerful imaging technique, scientists have discovered they can detect smoking-related lung damage in healthy smokers who otherwise display none of the telltale signs of tobacco use.

5 Jun 2006

Heel prick test can cause unnecessary parental stress

Virtually all babies in the U.S. have their heels pricked soon after birth to get a blood sample for genetic testing.

5 Jun 2006

New data show Enzastaurin's activity across multiple cancer cell lines

Eli Lilly and Company's enzastaurin, an investigational, multi-targeted therapy that is currently the focus of two global Phase III clinical trials, one for the treatment of glioblastoma and one in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

5 Jun 2006

UK's first 'beating heart' transplant a success

Surgeons in the UK have successfully kept a human heart alive and beating outside the body, before it was transplanted into a patient.

4 Jun 2006

How low should our cholesterol be and just how safe are statins?

Experts in Sweden are warning that the new U.S. recommendations for lowering cholesterol levels would increase the risk of harmful side effects with no overall reduction in deaths.

4 Jun 2006

Indonesian bird flu death toll now up to 37

Confirmation by the World Health Organization that a 15-year-old boy who died in West Java, Indonesia last week, was the latest bird flu victim, takes Indonesia's confirmed deaths from the virus to 37.

4 Jun 2006

Siblings deaths may indicate another bird flu cluster in Indonesia

According to an Indonesian health ministry official, a 7-year-old Indonesian girl who died last week has tested positive for bird flu in local tests; the results have yet to be confirmed by a World Health Organisation-accredited laboratory in Hong Kong.

4 Jun 2006

Pituitary adenoma predisposition caused by germline mutations in the AIP gene

A recent Finnish study identifies a low-penetrance gene defect which predisposes carriers to intracranial tumors called pituitary adenomas. In particular individuals carrying the gene defect are susceptible to such tumors which secrete growth hormone.

1 Jun 2006

Nepalese Rhesus monkeys may provide new alternative for HIV/AIDS research

Rhesus monkeys in Nepal may provide a suitable alternative to alleviate a critical shortage of laboratory animals used in work to develop vaccines against diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

1 Jun 2006