Toxicology News and Research

Latest Toxicology News and Research

72-hour Ecuador booze ban to investigate contamination

After 23 alcohol related deaths the police confiscated 28 containers each holding 55 gallons of contaminated alcohol in Los Rios, a coastal province of Ecuador. A 72-hour national dry law prohibiting the sale of alcohol has been declared to allow authorities to locate and discard the deadly methanol-contaminated liquor that affected so many individuals.

19 Jul 2011

Scientists analyze structural changes in calcium channels caused by Timothy-mutation

The human genome encodes 243 voltage-gated ion channels. Mutations in calcium channels can cause severe inherited diseases such as migraine, night blindness, autism spectrum disorders and Timothy syndrome, which leads to severe cardiovascular disorders.

15 Jul 2011

Multiple studies find no consensus on kava-induced hepatotoxicity in Western countries

A major new review of scientific knowledge on kava - a plant used to make dietary supplements and a trendy drink with calming effects - has left unsolved the mystery of why Pacific Island people can consume it safely, while people in the United States, Europe, and other Western cultures sometimes experience toxic effects. The article appears in ACS' journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

14 Jul 2011

OncoVista commences OVI-117 additional safety study in a second animal species

OncoVista Innovative Therapies, Inc. reported that it has initiated an additional safety study of OVI-117 in a 2nd animal species.

14 Jul 2011

Two papers highlight therapeutic potential of human Sertoli cells

Two papers published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/, highlight the therapeutic potential of human Sertoli cells that are present in the testes and are also called "nurse" or "mother" cells because they nurture the developing sperm cells.

12 Jul 2011

Randox launches Lab Tests Blog

Randox Laboratories is excited to announce the launch of its very own online blog - Lab Tests Blog.

From Randox Laboratories Ltd. 11 Jul 2011

Researchers to evaluate long-term health effects of oil spills

An NIH-funded network of researchers will evaluate potential harmful effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on reproduction and birth outcomes, the cardiorespiratory system, and behavior and mental health.

8 Jul 2011

UTMB scientists to look at possible impact of Gulf oil spill on seafood safety

In an effort to determine the vulnerability of affected Gulf Coast communities following last year's BP oil spill,the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded a five-year $7.85 million grant to a consortium of university researchers and Gulf Coast community groups led by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to examine the safety of Gulf seafood and the long-term health of those who consume it.

8 Jul 2011

Enrollment commences in InterMune's Esbriet Phase 3 study for IPF

InterMune today announced that patient enrollment has begun in ASCEND, a new Phase 3 study of pirfenidone for patients who suffer from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

8 Jul 2011

Toxic waste exposure impacts residents' health in Campania Region

Scientific evidence is mounting in support of a significant increase in cancer mortality and malformations occurring in specific areas of the Campania Region of Southern Italy, where improper waste management and illegal waste trafficking have been repeatedly documented, according to "Wasting lives: the effects of toxic waste exposure on health.

7 Jul 2011

FDA grants Advaxis pre-IND meeting for Advaxis-PSA immunotherapy for prostate cancer

Advaxis, Inc.,, a leader in developing the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases, has been granted a pre-Investigational New Drug meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 10, 2011 to discuss the CMC, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical plans for Advaxis PSA, its construct to fight prostate cancer.

1 Jul 2011

Nitric oxide cream as snake bite first aid may buy time: Study

According to Australian scientists working on snake bits, a chemical compound that is used on heart patients may raise chances of survival for snakebite victim.

28 Jun 2011

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for Neurocrine's NBI-98854 to treat tardive dyskinesia

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for the Company's proprietary Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 inhibitor, NBI-98854.

24 Jun 2011

BioLife becomes the leading supplier of pre-formulated cord blood stem cell freeze media products

BioLife Solutions, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of clinical grade biopreservation media products for cells and tissues, today announced that it has become the leading supplier of pre-formulated GMP cryopreservation media for umbilical cord blood stem cells, a key segment of the Company's strategic biobanking market.

21 Jun 2011

Hand sanitizer ingested by recovering alcoholic patient

Authorities are having another look at their provision of alcohol-based hand rub after an alcoholic patient drank six bottles of hand sanitizers at The Alfred hospital, Melbourne, Australia. This was the alcohol equivalent of about 20 glasses of beer. Doctors reported the incident in The Medical Journal of Australia yesterday.

19 Jun 2011

Pearl advances PT003 dual combination drug candidate into Phase 2 studies for treatment of COPD

Pearl Therapeutics Inc. today announced the advancement of its dual combination product candidate, PT003 and its individual components, PT001 and PT005 into a series of planned Phase 2 studies in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.

17 Jun 2011

'Blue baby' study sheds light on basic biology

A newborn described as a "happy blue baby" because of her bluish skin color but healthy appearance made a small mark in medical history when one of her physicians discovered something new in her genes-the hemoglobin Toms River mutation.

17 Jun 2011

Long carbon nanotubes could cause cancer in the lung lining

Tiny fibres used to strengthen everyday products such as bicycle frames and hockey sticks could pose health hazards to those involved in their manufacture.

15 Jun 2011

Food coloring additives do not cause ADHD in children

When University of Maryland psychologist Andrea Chronis-Tuscano testified before a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing last March, it changed her mind about possible risks of artificial food coloring for children, and drove her to look more closely at the products in her own pantry that she feeds her kids.

15 Jun 2011

Formaldehyde & other chemicals declared carcinogenic: Report

The government, last Friday added formaldehyde, a substance found in plastics and other commonly used products, to a list of known carcinogens and warned that the chemical styrene might cause cancer.

13 Jun 2011