Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Bird flu in humans highlights vulnerability of people to emerging diseases

The occurrence of avian influenza in humans is a reminder of the vulnerability of people to an emerging pandemic, Mayo Clinic researchers warn in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

13 Apr 2004

Gene therapy helps damaged heart cells regain strength and beat normally

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and Duke University have used gene therapy to help damaged heart cells regain strength and beat normally again in the laboratory. The work takes the scientists one step closer to eventual clinical trials in humans.

12 Apr 2004

New research into World Trade Center firefighter respiratory symptoms

Researchers from New York and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Ohio found that arrival time and length of exposure to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster were significant predictors of respiratory symptoms and lung function decline among firefighters.

12 Apr 2004

Sorority members were urged to lie about their health

University of Missouri-Columbia sorority members were urged to lie about their health to qualify as donors in a blood drive at the University, a school that once set a world record for blood collection.

12 Apr 2004

AMA tackles health literacy

An estimated 90 million adults – nearly half the adults in America – have trouble understanding medical terms and directions, according to two studies published on April 8 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

12 Apr 2004

Household molds trigger allergic rhinitis

April showers can increase the amount of mold found inside and outside the home. Along with pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds, molds are an important trigger of allergic rhinitis, affecting nearly 40 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

12 Apr 2004

Results of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease research in people who received human growth hormone from cadavers

The largest study of its kind, designed to track the development of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people who received human growth hormone from cadavers, has found that the vast majority of those who received the hormone did not contract the fatal condition. However, some recipients (26 out of approximately 7,700) did develop the disease.

7 Apr 2004

Launch of The Oxford Genetics Knowledge Park by Matt Ridley

The Oxford Genetics Knowledge Park is a partnership between Oxford University and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, and is one of six such Parks nationally, funded by the Departments of Health and Trade and Industry. The aim of the Genetics Knowledge Parks (GKPs) is to translate advances in genetics research into clinical practice.

6 Apr 2004

The first human case of avian influenza A(H7) in British Columbia

The first human case of avian influenza A(H7) in British Columbia occurred in a person who was involved in culling of infected birds on 13-14 March. On 13 March, he may have been accidentally exposed in the eye. On 16 March, the individual reported conjunctivitis and nasal discharge. Treatment with oseltamavir, an antiviral drug active against influenza A viruses, began on 18 March. On 30 March, Health Canada concluded that this case was caused by avian influenza A(H7). Health Canada informed WHO of this case on 31 March. The patient's symptoms have fully resolved.

5 Apr 2004

Cephalosporins three times more effective than penicillin

Pediatricians treating a child who has strep throat should reconsider the role of penicillin given that a newer class of antibiotics called cephalosporins are three times more effective, according to a study being published in the April issue of Pediatrics. The findings will spark widespread debate, because they contradict long-established guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association,and World Health Organization.

5 Apr 2004

AMA advises physicians to order influenza vaccine

In order to ensure the availability of influenza vaccine for administration early this coming fall, the AMA recommends that physicians and providers begin to order supplies of influenza vaccine immediately. In 2003, large numbers of cases of influenza began to appear in October, and activity was widespread.

5 Apr 2004

Research shows no association between whooping cough vaccine and asthma

Parents who may be concerned by a scare over the side effects of the whooping cough vaccine will be reassured by a new study involving thousands of children. The Department of Health advice that babies should be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis) at the age of two, three and four months has been questioned by some scientists who have suggested a link with asthma and allergies.

1 Apr 2004

GenVec malaria vaccine initiative and the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center has announced partnership for malaria vaccine

GenVec, Inc., PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), and the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) today announced a dynamic partnership to assess whether five malaria antigens, or proteins, can generate strong immune responses alone or in combination. This partnership will advance and expand the ongoing malaria vaccine development program between GenVec and NMRC. Malaria is one of the world's three leading infectious disease killers.

31 Mar 2004

Antarctic fish may aid cardiac research

A species of fish that lives in Antarctic waters may hold clues to climate change and lead to advances in heart medicine. Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are investigating the behaviour and physiology of the little-known 'Antarctic Cod' that has survived in Antarctica's extreme environment for around 30 million years.

30 Mar 2004

Snake venom launders out all stains

Purveyors of snake oil and its mythical powers may not have had it all wrong, if preliminary findings with the Florida cottonmouth, bloodstains and a washing machine stay on target. An enzyme extracted from the viper's venom appears to help launder out notoriously stubborn blood spots on clothing.

29 Mar 2004

Novel vaccine technology to suppress the growth of certain tumors

MedImmune, Inc. and Cerus Corporation have announced preclinical results demonstrating the effectiveness of a novel therapeutic vaccine technology in suppressing the growth of certain tumors.

From Baxter International Inc. 29 Mar 2004

p53 protein peptide stops cancer in its tracks

Researchers have dreamed of thwarting cancer by using proteins that halt cell growth and kill the tumor. In theory, the approach should work. In practice, however, scientists have not had an easy time of getting tumor suppressor proteins into cells where they can block growth effectively.

26 Mar 2004

Growth factor protein succeeds in growing new coronary arteries

Three patients of the UC Heart & Vascular Center have grown new coronary artery branches to increase blood flow to the heart after receiving a new growth factor protein (FGF1) in November 2003. All three patients showed improved blood flow to the heart twelve weeks following the injection.

26 Mar 2004

Children with sickle cell disease are living longer, dying less often from their disease

Children with sickle cell disease, an inherited red blood-cell disorder, are living longer, dying less often from their disease and contracting fewer fatal infections than ever before, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas report. Their study, which will appear in the June edition of the scientific journal Blood, is the first to evaluate survival rates of children receiving the most modern treatments for sickle cell disease. It's also one of the largest published sickle cell studies to date. Researchers followed more than 700 Dallas-area children with the disease over two decades.

25 Mar 2004

Researchers turn off individual human genes to study their function

Researchers have produced vast libraries of short segments of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that can be used to turn off individual human and mouse genes to study their function. The libraries will be made widely available to laboratories studying human biology and disease. The researchers are optimistic that the libraries will become a powerful research tool for gene analysis and discovery.

25 Mar 2004