Blood News and Research

RSS

Sequenom and Lenetix to develop Rhesus D prenatal diagnostic

Sequenom, Inc. and Lenetix Medical Screening Laboratory, Inc., a provider of rapid genetic screening and diagnostic testing for clinicians worldwide, today announced that they have entered into a collaboration and license agreement to develop and commercialize a proprietary non-invasive prenatal Rhesus D (RhD) incompatibility test based on Sequenom patent rights and RT PCR methodology.

29 Jan 2007

FoxOs shown to be potential new targets for cancer drugs

In an elegant, multiple-gene knockout experiment, a team of Boston scientists has discovered that a trio of molecules, called FoxOs, are fundamentally critical in preventing some cancers, maintaining blood vessel stability, and in keeping blood-forming stem cells healthy.

29 Jan 2007

North American Menopause Society releases guidelines saying HRT beneficial for younger women

The North American Menopause Society on Thursday released a revised position statement that said the benefits of short-term hormone replacement therapy for treatment of menopausal women likely outweigh the risks for younger women, the Wall Street Journal reports.

28 Jan 2007

A plasminogen-activating protease specifically controls the development of primary pneumonic plague

The deadly attack of the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague is significantly slowed when it can't make use of a key protein, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Science.

28 Jan 2007

Alternative to artery-clogging trans fats

Alejandro's research group found a way to mix oil, water, monoglycerides and fatty acids to form a gel substance that provides the same structural and functional benefits as trans and saturated fats.

28 Jan 2007

Linemen more than twice as likely as other players to have metabolic syndrome

After retirement, National Football League (NFL) linemen - generally the heaviest players - are more than twice as likely as other players to have a syndrome that puts them at risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases

28 Jan 2007

Small molecule targets weak mRNA

A new strategy for fighting cancer aims to make its genes get lost in translation, according to a report in the January 26, 2007, issue of the journal Cell.

28 Jan 2007

New prognostic instrument improves prediction of stroke risk after TIA

The existing prognostic scores for early-risk stroke prediction after transient ischaemic attack (TIA have been validated and refined to develop a unified score that is more predictive than previous methods, according to an Article published in this week's issue of The Lancet.

28 Jan 2007

50% of Americans have gene that affects how body burns sugar

A recent study by a Saint Louis University researcher confirms findings that about half of the U.S. population has a version of a gene that causes them to metabolize food differently, putting them at greater risk of developing diabetes.

28 Jan 2007

Possible reason for severe side-effects of Northwick Park clinical trial

A possible reason why the Northwick Park clinical trial of the drug TGN1412 caused multiple organ failure in human volunteers is revealed in research presented at a conference near Paris.

25 Jan 2007

Gums produce substances that lead to degeneration of the jawbone

Our gums' own cells produce the substances that lead to the degeneration of the jawbone. This is one of the findings in a dissertation that Py Palmqvist defended at Umea University in Sweden recently.

24 Jan 2007

New drug to combat Gastrointestinal graft-vs.-host disease in stem-cell patients shows significant reduction in deaths

Gastrointestinal graft-vs.-host disease is a common and potentially deadly side effect for patients who undergo an allogeneic stem-cell transplant to treat certain blood cancers.

23 Jan 2007

Multiple behavioral risk factors among adolescent cancer survivors

A significant number of young survivors of childhood cancers smoke, are physically inactive and/or don't use sunscreen, according to researchers at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

23 Jan 2007

FDA urged to review policy that bans MSM from donating blood

The American Red Cross and other organizations that collect donated blood are urging FDA to review a policy in effect since the early 1980s that prohibits men who have sex with men -- regardless of sexual activity, safer-sex practices or HIV status -- from donating blood, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

23 Jan 2007

Inhaled steroids best treatment for children with asthma

Although several medications are available to help children maintain asthma control, clinical trials directly comparing them have not been conducted.

23 Jan 2007

Health inequalities in Britain

Tackling health inequalities in Britain needs closer co-ordination between all major policy areas including health, education, housing, employment and taxation, according to the authors of a new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) publication.

23 Jan 2007