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Worm eggs may heal ulcerative colitis: Research

A new study involving a man who swallowed worm eggs to relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis sheds light on how worms promote healing in the intestine. The study, published today in Science Translational Medicine, also identifies potential targets for more conventional ways of treating colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.

2 Dec 2010

Researchers identify blip in gene that causes JMP syndrome

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a gene responsible for a rare disease that results in severe joint stiffness, muscle loss, anemia and panniculitis-induced lipodystrophy, or JMP syndrome.

2 Dec 2010

Finger length may predict prostate cancer

In a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers have revealed a connection between finger length and prostate cancer. It says that men whose ring fingers are longer than their index fingers are more likely to develop prostate cancer.

1 Dec 2010

Breast cancer breakthrough

A team of researchers, led by Dr Clare Fedele and Professor Christina Mitchell at Monash University, Australia, has made a significant discovery in breast cancer research that identifies a particular protein’s role in tumor growth. They have also devised a new antibody that can identify the protein and measure its presence in breast cancer tissue.

1 Dec 2010

Researchers show an oncolytic virus switches off cancer cell survival signal

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a mechanism by which specific viruses acting as oncolytic agents can enter and kill cancer cells. This finding, which is currently featured in an online edition of the Journal of Virology, could help lead to the development of more targeted treatments against many types of cancer.

1 Dec 2010

Dec. 1 news from RSNA 2010

The risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from computed tomography (CT) may be lower than previously thought, according to a Stanford University study. Using more than 10 million Medicare claims from 1998 through 2005, the researchers analyzed the distribution of CT scans, determined the ionizing radiation exposure associated with the exams and estimated the associated cancer risk in a population of older adults.

1 Dec 2010

DecisionView releases StudyOptimizer 4.2 patient enrollment planning, tracking and forecasting solution

DecisionView Inc., a leading provider of software solutions to optimize clinical trial enrollment for life sciences companies, today announced the release of DecisionView StudyOptimizer 4.2, the latest version of the company's flagship solution for patient enrollment planning, tracking and forecasting. By providing better insight into historical enrollment performance and future cost projections, StudyOptimizer 4.2 significantly improves the ability of global pharmaceutical customers to optimize enrollment plans and deliver clinical trials on time and on budget.

1 Dec 2010

Genes linked to one-night stands and acts of infidelity

So, he or she has cheated on you for the umpteenth time and their only excuse is: "I just can't help it." According to researchers at Binghamton University, they may be right. The propensity for infidelity could very well be in their DNA.

1 Dec 2010

Report on public health in an era of genomic and personalized medicine

The major challenge for public health in the era of genomics is to generate the base of evidence necessary to demonstrate when use of genomic information in public health can improve health outcomes in a safe, effective and cost-effective manner, participants at an international meeting have concluded.

1 Dec 2010

Study explores beauty discrimination in hiring process of labor market

"Good looks" are only sometimes a positive factor in consideration for a job, according to new research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). In the new working paper, "Are Good-Looking People More Employable?" two economics researchers from BGU prove that a double standard exists between good looks as a positive factor in men and women.

1 Dec 2010

Military deployment influences sleep quality and quantity

A study in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found that deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan significantly influenced sleep quality and quantity in a population of 41,225 military service personnel. The study suggests that the promotion of healthier sleep patterns may be beneficial for military service members.

1 Dec 2010

'Margaret Foti Award' for best thesis in translational oncology established

The American Association for Cancer Research, in cooperation with the University of Catania Ph.D. Oncology Program and the Italian League Against Cancer of Catania, announces the establishment of the "Margaret Foti Award" for the best thesis in translational oncology. The first awards will be given on Dec. 2, 2010, in Catania, Italy.

1 Dec 2010

New study evaluates use and safety of complementary medicine for children's asthma

Approximately 13 percent of parents turn to alternative therapies to treat their children's asthma, according to a new study from the Universit- de Montr-al. The findings, published recently in the Canadian Respiratory Journal, suggest that this trend is associated with a two-fold higher rate of poor asthma control in children.

1 Dec 2010

Not all HIV viruses are bad for the immune system

Mayo Clinic researchers have shown why, in a minority of HIV patients, immune function improves despite a lack of response to standard anti-retroviral treatment. In these cases, researchers say, the virus has lost its ability to kill immune cells. The findings appear in the online journal PLoS Pathogens.

1 Dec 2010

Anacor, UCSF and NYBC collaborate to discover drug therapies for river blindness

Anacor Pharmaceuticals, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Sandler Center and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI) of the New York Blood Center (NYBC) today announced the establishment of a research and development collaboration to discover new drug therapies for the treatment of river blindness (onchocerciasis), a parasitic disease that is the second leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide, and is most prevalent in Africa.

1 Dec 2010

USC purchases WaferGen SmartChip system for Molecular Pathways and Drug Discovery center

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genomic analysis systems, today announced that the University of Southern California (USC) has purchased the WaferGen SmartChip system for its USC Center for Molecular Pathways and Drug Discovery to discover and validate biomarkers for pancreatic and colorectal cancer applications to expedite the development of a cancer therapy. USC purchased a solution that includes the SmartChip platform and validated gene panels for biomarker profiling.

1 Dec 2010

Men with long index fingers at lower risk of prostate cancer

Men who have long index fingers are at lower risk of prostate cancer, a new study published today in the British Journal of Cancer has found.

1 Dec 2010

Aushon, LightArray enter strategic partnership to provide multiplex biomarker products and services in China

Aushon BioSystems, Inc., a leading provider of multiplex immunoassay products and services for biomarker discovery, development and analysis announced during the ChinaTrials 2010 Summit in Beijing, China, that it has entered into a partnership with LightArray Biotech Company, Ltd., to provide Aushon's comprehensive suite of multiplex biomarker products and services to pharmaceutical, biotechnical, and academic research institutions located in mainland China.

1 Dec 2010

Icagen, Pfizer select novel compound for further clinical development in Nav1.7 program

Icagen, Inc. today provided an update on its sodium channel program for pain and related disorders which is being conducted in collaboration with Pfizer. As previously reported, the companies recently conducted a clinical study in healthy volunteers of several collaboration compounds targeting the sodium ion channel Nav1.7.

1 Dec 2010

PhRMA reports 100 new medicines and vaccines in development for HIV/AIDS

America's biopharmaceutical research companies are working on 100 new medicines and vaccines [video] to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS and related conditions, according to a new report from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

1 Dec 2010