Toxicology News and Research

Latest Toxicology News and Research

Certain occupations do increase risk of breast cancer

Is there a link between the risk of breast cancer and the working environment? A study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health provides further evidence on this previously neglected research topic, confirming that certain occupations do pose a higher risk of breast cancer than others, particularly those that expose the worker to potential carcinogens and endocrine disrupters.

19 Nov 2012

RXi announces pharmacokinetic results from RXI-109 Phase 1 study in healthy subjects

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted technologies, today announced the pharmacokinetic results of their single dose Phase 1 study with RXI-109 in healthy subjects.

15 Nov 2012

In utero exposure to BPA associated with decreased thyroid function in newborn sheep

In utero exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can be associated with decreased thyroid function in newborn sheep, according to a recent study accepted for publication in Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society. Hypothyroidism is characterized by poor mental and physical performance in human adults and in children can result in cognitive impairment and failure to grow normally.

15 Nov 2012

Topically applied DMPS not effective in children with autism

Metal-binding agents rubbed into the skin, prescribed by some alternative practitioners for the treatment of autism, are not absorbed and therefore are unlikely to be effective at helping the body excrete excess mercury. The study by Jennifer Cohen and Michelle Ruha from Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in the US, and their colleagues, provides evidence against the use of these treatments in children with autism.

14 Nov 2012

Inactivating beta2 subunit of nicotinic receptors may help smokers quit without feeling anxious

Preclinical data suggests inactivation of a specific sub-class of nicotinic receptors may be an effective strategy to help smokers quit without feeling anxious, according to Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.

9 Nov 2012

Arisaph’s ARI-3037MO well tolerated in healthy male and female volunteers

Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today during an oral presentation at the American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Los Angeles, CA that its niacin analog, ARI-3037MO, was extremely well tolerated in a single-ascending dose (SAD) and a multiple-ascending dose (MAD) trial in healthy male and female volunteers.

7 Nov 2012

Study indicates that Firemaster 550 is an endocrine disruptor

The flame-retardant mixture known as "Firemaster 550" is an endocrine disruptor that causes extreme weight gain, early onset of puberty and cardiovascular health effects in lab animals, according to a new study spearheaded by researchers from North Carolina State University and Duke University.

25 Oct 2012

Maternal dietary acrylamide has negative effect on fetal growth

Pregnant women who consume a diet that is high in acrylamide, found in cooked starchy foods such as toast, chips, and crisps, are more likely to give birth to a small for gestational age baby than women who do not.

24 Oct 2012

Positive results from PROLOR's Rpeg preclinical toxicology study

PROLOR Biotech, Inc. today announced positive results from a preclinical toxicology study designed to assess the safety and tolerability of PROLOR's proprietary long-acting reversible-pegylation technology.

17 Oct 2012

Multi-system exposure related illness (MERI)

The Global Health Network has released a new paper titled “Common Toxins in our Homes, Schools and Workplaces.” According to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman, indoor air pollution causes 50% of illnesses globally. This statistic should catch the attention of every physician, every lawmaker and every layperson reading this paper. That’s more than all the cancers and all the heart disease combined. It is time we started to pay more attention to the indoor air we breathe. It is staggering to comprehend the enormous impact on our global society as literally millions of individuals and families are harmed by contaminants inside our homes, schools and workplaces.

16 Oct 2012

LRRK2 inhibitors may provide neuroprotection for patients with Parkinson's

For decades, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have had the same experience. Their hands start to shake uncontrollably, their limbs become rigid and they lose their balance. Years before those movement problems set in, many begin struggling with fainting, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression. Many patients are still treated with a 42-year-old drug called L-DOPA, which temporarily staves off symptoms but can itself cause heart arrhythmias, stomach bleeding and hallucinations.

16 Oct 2012

Major holidays associated with reduced number of suicide attempts by poisoning

A joint study by University of Cincinnati Department of Emergency Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers has found that, in contrast to popular opinion, major holidays are associated with a lower number of suicide attempts by poisoning.

16 Oct 2012

Direct link between fuel exposure and damage to genetic material

An experiment carried out on rodents exposed to fuel similar to that of the Prestige tanker oil spill - which took place nearly a decade ago - shows that inhalation of the fuel causes damage to genetic material. According to the study, led by the University of A Coru-a, the results could be used in relation to people who carry out the industrial cleaning of coasts.

16 Oct 2012

New mass spectrometry helps identify bacteria in clinical specimens within minutes

New mass spectrometry technology is helping Le Bonheur Children's physicians analyze microbiology samples quickly - identifying specific bacteria present in a sample within minutes.

11 Oct 2012

Roitt's Essential Immunology receives BMA Book of the Year Award

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., today announced that Roitt's Essential Immunology, 12th Edition, has won the prestigious British Medical Association (BMA) Book of the Year Award.

10 Oct 2012

New ToxIC study identifies current drug poisoning trends

Nonprescription medications are just as likely a cause of poisoning as prescription drugs, according to a new study by Timothy Wiegand, M.D. from the University of Rochester Medical Center in the US and colleagues.

5 Oct 2012

Favorable preliminary results from XenoPort’s XP23829 Phase 1 trial on RRMS, psoriasis

XenoPort, Inc. announced today favorable preliminary results from a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy adults designed to assess the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and tolerability of single doses of four different oral formulations of XP23829, a novel fumaric acid ester compound that is a prodrug of monomethyl fumarate (MMF).

5 Oct 2012

InterMune receives Health Canada approval for Esbriet to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

InterMune, Inc. today announced that Health Canada has approved Esbriet (pirfenidone) for the treatment of mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in adult patients.

3 Oct 2012

Study identifies potential ways to minimize acrylamide levels in french fries

The process for preparing frozen, par-fried potato strips - distributed to some food outlets for making french fries - can influence the formation of acrylamide in the fries that people eat, a new study has found. Published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study identifies potential ways of reducing levels of acrylamide, which the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer regard as a "probable human carcinogen."

27 Sep 2012

Bruker introduces Toxtyper clinical mass spectrometry solution

At the annual conference of the DGKL, Bruker today announced the European launch of the novel, automated Toxtyper clinical mass spectrometry solution to meet the increasing demands for LC-MS/MS throughput and data quality in routine toxicology laboratories without the need for mass spectrometry expertise.

26 Sep 2012