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Daily use of probiotics reduces VAP in critically ill patients: New research

Daily use of probiotics reduced ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients by almost half, according to new research from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska.

17 Jun 2010

Experimental vaccine for Marburg hemorrhagic fever prevention shows promise for accidental exposures

An experimental vaccine developed to prevent outbreaks of Marburg hemorrhagic fever continues to show promise in monkeys as an emergency treatment for accidental exposures to the virus that causes the disease. There is no licensed treatment for Marburg infection, which has a high fatality rate.

17 Jun 2010

Researchers sequence genome of Amerindian strain of the gastric bug H. pylori

An international team of researchers led by scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have sequenced the genome of an Amerindian strain of the gastric bug Helicobacter pylori, confirming the out-of-Africa migration of this bacterial stowaway to the New World. Experiments in animals have highlighted how specific genes in the bacterial strain may be crucial to the onset of inflammation and disease.

17 Jun 2010

Stony Brook team creates live attenuated influenza virus vaccine by computer-aided rational design

A team of molecular biologists and computer scientists at Stony Brook University have used a novel method to weaken (attenuate) influenza virus by way of designing hundreds of mutations to its genetic code to create an effective vaccine. Reported online and in the July issue of Nature Biotechnology, the method may be a major step in developing more effective and safe vaccines against influenza, which claims 250,000 to 500,000 lives annually worldwide, partly because existing vaccines are not fully effective.

17 Jun 2010

Two-day conference examines effectiveness of U.N. pilot program to coordinate development assistance

A two-day conference examining the effectiveness of a pilot program aimed at improving the coherence and effectiveness of U.N. assistance is taking place this week in Ha Noi, Vietnam, South Asian News Agency reports.

17 Jun 2010

Researchers identify first genetic risk factors for development of CM in Angolan children

Malaria, caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, remains one of the main causes of death worldwide. An international team of researchers lead by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, IGC, scientist Carlos Penha-Gonçalves, has identified the first genetic risk factors for the development of cerebral malaria in Angolan children, a severe manifestation of malaria infection.

17 Jun 2010

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Following a recent trip to the largest HIV/AIDS clinic in Uganda, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reflects on the recent progress made in the fight against the disease in a McClatchy opinion piece. Though "Uganda was the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic. …Uganda is also a success story," Ban writes. "A decade ago, fewer than 10,000 people were on the new generation of antiretroviral drugs that suppress the disease and offer the promise of a normal life.

17 Jun 2010

Officials discuss ways to improve quality measures in health care

Officials from Highmark Inc., Pinnacle Health System and Penn State Hershey Medical Center today discussed ways to improve quality measures in health care that will ultimately result in better patient care, improved health outcomes and ways to save valuable health care dollars.

17 Jun 2010

Financial Times examines how GAVI's $2.6B shortfall might affect new vaccine programs in developing countries

GAVI Alliance's plan to introduce new vaccine projects in the developing world "is under threat amid the international economic downturn," the Financial Times reports. "Subsidies to extend the use of vaccines against rubella, HPV to tackle cervical cancer, cholera and Japanese encephalitis in the developing world are among those likely to be cancelled or delayed," according to GAVI's CEO Julian Lob-Levyt, the newspaper writes.

17 Jun 2010

AHF's Magic Johnson Testing America Tour arrives in Boston, Massachusetts

AHF's Magic Johnson 'Testing America' Tour, a six-month, 48-state national cross-country HIV testing tour, arrives in Boston, Massachusetts, tomorrow and will offer free HIV testing, along with local partner Casa Esperanza from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM in front of Franklin Park in Boston's South End on Washington Street between East Newton and East Brookline Street.

17 Jun 2010

UC researchers receive $2.3M grant to develop user-friendly diagnostics for influenza virus

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have received a five-year grant to develop rapid, robust, user-friendly diagnostics for influenza virus. An interdisciplinary team of scientists has received a $2.3 million dollar grant from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the National Institutes of Health. The name of the grant is "Glycan Receptor Mimics for Rapid Detection, Typing, and Susceptibility Testing of Influenza."

17 Jun 2010

BioNeutral announces distribution collaboration for sporicidal formulations with Steri-7

BioNeutral Group, Inc., a specialty chemical technology-based life science company, announced today that in collaboration with Steri-7™, a UK-based specialty chemical health care company, it will be expanding availability of its sporicidal formulations in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Steri-7™ recently obtained approval from the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to market its formulations as a sporicidal cleaner/wipe.

17 Jun 2010

Meningococcal disease in infants: A potentially difficult and serious diagnosis

An article published in the May 2010 edition of Postgraduate Medicine documents a case study where a previously healthy, 15-week-old male infant was misdiagnosed and died of meningococcal disease. Initially the patient showed signs of the common cold and was treated as such, but symptoms worsened and he was admitted to the hospital emergency department.

16 Jun 2010

Trius Therapeutics reaches agreement with FDA under SPA for Phase 3 study of torezolid phosphate for ABSSSI

Trius Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process, on the design of its planned Phase 3 study for the oral dosage form of torezolid phosphate for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI).

16 Jun 2010

Relypsa commences enrollment for RLY5016 Phase 2 study in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease

Relypsa, Inc., today announced the initiation of patient enrollment in a Phase 2, open-label titration clinical study of the company's lead drug candidate, RLY5016, in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease. RLY5016 is a novel non-absorbed oral potassium binder intended to prevent and treat hyperkalemia, a serious condition characterized by elevated serum potassium levels.

16 Jun 2010

Microneedle skin patches as effective as hypodermic needles for flu vaccination

Flu vaccine delivered through skin patches containing microneedles has proven at least as effective at preventing influenza in mice as intramuscular, hypodermic flu immunization.

16 Jun 2010

Vaccination against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may also protect against 1918 Spanish influenza virus

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have determined people who were vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may also be protected against the lethal 1918 Spanish influenza virus, which killed more than 50 million people worldwide. The new findings are published in the current issue of Nature Communications.

16 Jun 2010

NexMed's NexACT-based topical psoriasis treatment bioequivalent to Talconex

NexMed, Inc., a specialty CRO with a pipeline of products based on the NexACT® technology, today announced results from a pre-clinical study showing that calcipotriene 0.005% and betamethasone dipropionate 0.064%, when formulated with NexACT®, results in a topical treatment which shows bioequivalecy in efficacy to Talconex®, one of the leading topical treatments marketed for patients with mild to moderate psoriasis.

16 Jun 2010

University of Montreal scientists discover free radical mechanism to viral invasion

Canadian researchers have discovered a new way the body combats respiratory viral infections. In the prestigious journal PLoS Pathogens, scientists from the University of Montreal and the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center explain how the NOX2 molecule, an enzyme that generates a burst of highly reactive oxygen derivatives (or free radicals), activates defense genes and molecules when viruses invade lung cells.

16 Jun 2010

Study examines survival rates of CF patients with MRSA

A team of researchers led by Elliott Dasenbrook, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Associate Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital today published the findings from a major study about cystic fibrosis survival rates in the June 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Jun 2010

Disease/Infection News

Daily use of probiotics reduces VAP in critically ill patients: New research

Experimental vaccine for Marburg hemorrhagic fever prevention shows promise for accidental exposures

Researchers sequence genome of Amerindian strain of the gastric bug H. pylori

Stony Brook team creates live attenuated influenza virus vaccine by computer-aided rational design

Two-day conference examines effectiveness of U.N. pilot program to coordinate development assistance

Researchers identify first genetic risk factors for development of CM in Angolan children

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Officials discuss ways to improve quality measures in health care

Financial Times examines how GAVI's $2.6B shortfall might affect new vaccine programs in developing countries

AHF's Magic Johnson Testing America Tour arrives in Boston, Massachusetts

UC researchers receive $2.3M grant to develop user-friendly diagnostics for influenza virus

BioNeutral announces distribution collaboration for sporicidal formulations with Steri-7

Meningococcal disease in infants: A potentially difficult and serious diagnosis

Trius Therapeutics reaches agreement with FDA under SPA for Phase 3 study of torezolid phosphate for ABSSSI

Relypsa commences enrollment for RLY5016 Phase 2 study in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease

Microneedle skin patches as effective as hypodermic needles for flu vaccination

Vaccination against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may also protect against 1918 Spanish influenza virus

NexMed's NexACT-based topical psoriasis treatment bioequivalent to Talconex

University of Montreal scientists discover free radical mechanism to viral invasion

Study examines survival rates of CF patients with MRSA

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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