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Safer optic nerve decompression surgery

Knowing about variations in the location of the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery can aid surgeons in performing optic nerve decompression - a delicate operation performed in patients with vision loss resulting from head injury, reports a study in the November Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

21 Dec 2008

World-first technique used to repair an injured donor lung

For the first time in the world, transplant surgeons at Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network used a new technique to repair an injured donor lung that was unsuitable for transplant, and then successfully transplanted it into a patient.

21 Dec 2008

Botulinum toxin used to treat patients with masseteric muscle hypertrophy

For patients with an uncommon condition causing a swollen appearance of the lower face, treatment with botulinum toxin type A (Botox) provides an effective alternative to plastic surgery, according to a study in the November Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

21 Dec 2008

vCJD blood test achieves 100% accuracy

Amorfix Life Sciences has announced it achieved 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity in a second blinded trial of human blood samples using its EP-vCJD blood test in collaboration with the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) in the United Kingdom.

21 Dec 2008

AstraZeneca submits sNDA for NEXIUM (esomeprazole magnesium)

AstraZeneca has announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for NEXIUM(R) (esomeprazole magnesium) to seek approval for the short-term (up to 6 weeks) treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in pediatric patients ages 0 to 1 year old.

21 Dec 2008

AstraZeneca and MAP Pharmaceuticals announce collaboration on Unit Dose Budesonide

AstraZeneca and MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have announced an exclusive worldwide agreement to develop and commercialize Unit Dose Budesonide (UDB), MAP Pharmaceuticals' proprietary nebulized formulation of budesonide.

21 Dec 2008

Ancient African exodus mostly involved men

Modern humans left Africa over 60,000 years ago in a migration that many believe was responsible for nearly all of the human population that exist outside Africa today.

21 Dec 2008

FDA approves Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) to prevent gastrointestinal stromal tumor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) for a new indication – keeping cancer from growing in patients following surgical removal of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor or GIST.

21 Dec 2008

Rockefeller microbiologist tests safety of spiked eggnog

With one in every 20,000 eggs contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, drinking homemade eggnog can be something of a gamble. But an experiment designed to test whether the alcohol in spiked eggnog can kill the deadly bugs suggests that, in general, few bacteria survive in a mixture containing both raw eggs and 20 percent rum and bourbon.

21 Dec 2008

Researchers identify gene linked to inherited form of fatal lung disease

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that a mutation in a gene known for its role in defending the lungs against invading pathogens is responsible for some inherited cases of a lethal lung disease affecting older adults. The same mutation may also be associated with lung cancer, the researchers said.

21 Dec 2008

Remote sensing helps tackle tropical disease schistosomiasis in southern China

Scientists are looking to outer space for help in their attempt to prevent new outbreaks of the tropical disease schistosomiasis in southern China.

18 Dec 2008

VistaGen, WARF sign license agreement for human embryonic stem cell technology

VistaGen Therapeutics and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) have signed a license for human embryonic stem cell patents for the development and commercialization of stem cell-based research tools.

18 Dec 2008

Two common biomarkers help predict stroke risk

Two common biomarkers have now been shown to improve the ability to predict who will suffer from a stroke.

18 Dec 2008

Scientists develop method for generating novel stem cells

The study, which appears in the December 18 online version of Cell Stem Cell and the January 2009 print edition of the journal, provides proof of principle that alternative sources of stem cells can be created.

18 Dec 2008

Sulfurous ping-pong in the urinary tract

Transfer of information is a basic property of biological systems. Common examples include transfer of genetic information or nerve impulses.

18 Dec 2008

Study looks at brain and movement planning

When you first notice a door handle, your brain has already been hard at work. Your visual system first sees the handle, then it sends information to various parts of the brain, which go on to decipher out the details, such as color and the direction the handle is pointing. As the information about an object is sent further along the various brain pathways, more and more details are noticed-in that way, a simple door handle turns into a silver-plated-antique-style-door-handle-facing-right.

18 Dec 2008

Stem cells may 'ignite' bowel cancer development

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered for the first time that stem cells could be the root cause of bowel cancer, according to a study published in Nature.

18 Dec 2008

Stem cells and leukemia battle for marrow microenvironment

Learning how leukemia takes over privileged "niches" within the bone marrow is helping researchers develop treatment strategies that could protect healthy blood-forming stem cells and improve the outcomes of bone marrow transplantation for leukemia and other types of cancer.

18 Dec 2008

Researchers look at processes asbestos fibers use to trigger cancer in human cells

Ohio State University scientists believe they are the first in the world to study the molecular underpinnings of cancer by probing individual bonds between an asbestos fiber and human cells.

18 Dec 2008

Cellular reprogramming, the 'Breakthrough of the Year' according to AAAS

In its annual list of the year's top ten scientific breakthroughs, the journal Science has given top honors to research that produced "made-to-order" cell lines by reprogramming cells from ill patients.

18 Dec 2008