Allergies News and Research

Latest Allergies News and Research

Potential new way to control drug-resistant bacteria

The researchers, who encountered this genetic property while working on an unrelated project, believe that this discovery could lead to the use of genetically engineered phages to treat bacterial infections that have become resistant to antibiotics.

23 Sep 2004

Imperative that strategies to control tuberculosis include measures to treat individuals with MDR disease

Challenging the notion that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a low threat to populations, epidemiologists at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have constructed a mathematical model of the disease variant's potential course

20 Sep 2004

Scientists decipher genetic code of ancient pathogen that causes the horse disease

More than 2,400 years after Hippocrates, the Greek physician born in 460 BC first described the symptoms of glanders, scientists have deciphered the genetic code of the ancient pathogen that causes the horse disease: Burkholderia mallei.

20 Sep 2004

Crucell and AIDS Vaccine Initiative have signed an exclusive license agreement to develop an AIDS vaccine

Dutch biotechnology company Crucell and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) have signed an exclusive license agreement to develop an AIDS vaccine based on Crucell’s AdVac® technology.

20 Sep 2004

Link between eosinophils and asthma

Mayo Clinic researchers have used a comparative genomic strategy to demonstrate a causative link between eosinophils, a rare type of white blood cell, and asthma.

18 Sep 2004

A misconception that eating wasabi decongests the nose

Wasabi, (Wasabia japonica) is commonly known as the Japanese horseradish used to enhance the enjoyment of sushi.

18 Sep 2004

Botox injections may ease the irritation of tinnitus

A preliminary study indicates that Botox injections may ease the irritation of tinnitus, otherwise know as ringing in the ears, for some patients. Researchers say more study is needed, but initial results are promising.

18 Sep 2004

Patients with asthma have a higher incidence of nasal polyposis, nasal congestion, and olfactory disturbances

Some 37 million Americans suffer from sinusitis; some of those patients are unfortunate enough to also have asthma, an inflammatory disease of the lungs characterized by reversible airway obstruction.

18 Sep 2004

A new lipid-based nasal ointment effective at reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis

One in five Americans have allergic rhinitis, a number that is steadily rising, but the exact reasons for this increase are unknown. A new lipid-based nasal ointment is found effective at reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis in German patients.

18 Sep 2004

HHS enhances Medicare drug card program to help seniors

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced new measures to help seniors get the lowest price possible for their medicines by allowing them -- for the first time -- to compare prices for similar drugs used to treat common diseases such as high cholesterol or blood pressure.

15 Sep 2004

German researchers are identifying lymphoma risks

Little is known about the causes of lymphoma. A case-control study conducted by Professor Nikolaus Becker and Dr. Alexandra Nieters, Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ), is looking closely at possible risk factors.

14 Sep 2004

Wyeth gets approval for needle-less syringe for the treatment of hemophilia

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the ReFacto Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant) R2 Kit, the first needle-less reconstitution device with a prefilled diluent syringe for hemophilia.

14 Sep 2004

New insights into the international burden of malaria

Malaria research scientists from around the globe have published new insights into the international burden of malaria and what can be done about it.

14 Sep 2004

First molecular-scale images of DNA binding to an adenovirus enzyme

The images, which appear on the cover of the October 2004 issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, show how binding to DNA may stimulate the enzyme and are already being used to design new antiviral drugs to block this interaction.

14 Sep 2004

Schering-Plough and Bayer form strategic alliance

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Bayer designed to maximize the companies' pharmaceutical resources while maintaining each company's own strategic interests.

13 Sep 2004

Program that targets allergens and tobacco smoke in the home resulted in fewer asthma symptoms in children

A program that targets allergens and tobacco smoke in the home resulted in fewer asthma symptoms in children participating in the intervention than in those who were not, according to a new study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in seven metropolitan areas nationwide.

10 Sep 2004

Study aims for long term impact to help inner-city children with asthma

A study designed to reduce the levels of indoor allergens – conducted in the homes of inner-city children with asthma – resulted in fewer asthma exacerbations and unscheduled visits for asthma during a two-year period, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researcher who participated in the multicenter study.

8 Sep 2004

Hospitals should use latex medical gloves with lower protein and powder levels to reduce latex sensitivity rather than synthetic alternatives

The non-profit, independent evaluator of medical devices notes that while some synthetic alternatives may cost less, latex gloves are still the most cost-effective choice when a glove offering a good level of protection is required.

8 Sep 2004

Researchers uncover how HIV causes abnormalities in antibody-producing cells

HIV wreaks much of its damage by targeting the “orchestra conductor” of the immune system, a key class of T cells—CD4+ T cells—whose destructive relationship with HIV has been well-studied by AIDS researchers.

8 Sep 2004

Researchers keep milk free of contaminants

Dairy farms in the United States produced more than 170 billion pounds of milk last year. The more than 9 million cows that produced that milk occasionally need to be treated for various ailments

8 Sep 2004