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Study confirms safety of BrachySil for treatment of inoperable pancreatic cancer

The results of a Phase IIa clinical trial of BrachySil for the treatment of advanced, inoperable pancreatic cancer were presented at American Society of Clinical Oncolgy-GI (ASCO-GI) this weekend in a poster presented by Dr. Paul Ross, Chief Investigator in the study and Consultant Medical Oncologist at Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

30 Jan 2008

Smoking and SIDS

A new study sheds light on the relationship between women who smoke while pregnant or are exposed to second-hand smoke and an increased risk of SIDS to their babies.

30 Jan 2008

Well-funded tobacco control programs reduce number of smokers by millions

The following is a statement by William V. Corr, Executive Directior of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

30 Jan 2008

MUSC spin-off to test wound-healing peptide gel

First-String Research, Inc. (FSR), a spin-off biotechnology company from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), has begun the human clinical trial process for its unique, wound-healing peptide gel.

30 Jan 2008

Lungs' mast cells could provide new treatment target for asthma, other respiratory disease

An enzyme released by mast cells in the lungs appears to play a key role in the tightening of airways that is a hallmark of asthma pointing to a potential new target for treatment against the illness.

30 Jan 2008

Leukemia relapse stems from DNA repair function loss

A University of Kentucky research team reports that loss of an important DNA repair function, called DNA mismatch repair (MMR), is responsible for refractory/relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

30 Jan 2008

Breakdown of kidney's self-cleaning ability makes them more vulnerable to dysfunction and disease

The kidney actively cleans its most selective filter to keep it from clogging with blood proteins, scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveal in a new study.

30 Jan 2008

Kidney cancer drug attacks a major type of acute myeloid leukemia

A drug used to treat kidney cancer also targets a genetic mutation active in about one third of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common and lethal form of adult leukemia, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the Jan. 29 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

30 Jan 2008

Heart transplant standards set too low

Heart surgeons at Johns Hopkins have evidence to support further tightening rather than easing of standards used to designate hospitals that are best at performing heart transplants.

30 Jan 2008

Low-intensity group support improves diet, may cut diabetes risk in American Indian women

Even low-intensity group support helps motivate young American Indian women to hit the produce aisle, a new study suggests.

30 Jan 2008

Link between microRNA expression patterns and poor outcomes for colon cancer

Preliminary research has found an association between certain microRNA expression patterns and poor survival and treatment outcomes for colon cancer, according to a study in the January 30 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

30 Jan 2008

E.coli tweaked to produce hydrogen

For most people, the name "E. coli" is synonymous with food poisoning and product recalls, but a professor in Texas A&M University's chemical engineering department envisions the bacteria as a future source of energy, helping to power our cars, homes and more.

30 Jan 2008

Digital mammography may be a better screening option than film mammography

For some women, digital mammography may be a better screening option than film mammography, according to newly published results from a national study led by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher.

30 Jan 2008

New understanding of sound representations in the auditory cortex

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have reported new findings about how the mammalian brain interprets and fashions representations of sound that may help explain how we are able to focus on one particular sound among many in noisy environments such as offices or cocktail parties.

30 Jan 2008

Common drug-releasing coronary stents appear to have similar clinical outcomes

A comparison of use of the first two commercially available drug-releasing coronary stents (for the medications sirolimus and paclitaxel) among patients in "everyday clinical practice" indicates no significant differences for outcomes such as heart attack or cardiac death, according to a study in the January 30 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

30 Jan 2008

Cell signaling in cervical cancer; gene variant impairs glycogen synthesis

The March of Dimes and seven former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today urged parents not to be frightened of childhood vaccines by the suggestion in an upcoming episode of the ABC-TV drama, "Eli Stone" that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal -- which is no longer used in vaccines may lead to autism.

30 Jan 2008

Carbon monoxide causes direct damage to the heart muscle

Lack of oxygen isn't the only way that carbon monoxide (CO) damages the heart, say researchers at Rhode Island Hospital.

30 Jan 2008

New biodegradable film reduces scarring following open heart surgery

A new, biodegradable film designed to reduce the severity of scarring following open heart surgery in young children appears to be safe and effective, according to researchers attending the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in Ft. Lauderdale.

30 Jan 2008

Number of HIV cases among seniors in Puerto Rico increasing

The number of new HIV cases recorded among people ages 60 and older in Puerto Rico is increasing, the Miami Herald reports.

30 Jan 2008

Bush in State of the Union address calls on Congress to allocate $30 billion for PEPFAR

President Bush on Monday during his last State of the Union address urged Congress to authorize a $30 billion, five-year extension of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the New York Times reports (Stolberg, New York Times, 1/29).

30 Jan 2008