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Immunotherapy shows promise in high-risk pediatric sarcomas

Based on a pilot study in children with sarcoma, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) believe that immunotherapy could prove beneficial in treating high-risk forms of this cancer.

3 Aug 2008

Telemedicine could have a profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center say that their first-of-its-kind study of a telemedicine program which transports stroke specialists via computer desktop or even laptop to the patient's bedside, using highly sophisticated video, audio and Internet technology, could have an immediate and profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world.

3 Aug 2008

What makes a Champion? - Rudd joins Blair by video in Beijing

The former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will today open the "What Makes a Champion?" forum in Beijing in the lead-up to the opening of the Olympic Games on Saturday. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will deliver a video message.

3 Aug 2008

Variation in TNFAIP3 gene - cutting the brakes on the immune system

Your immune system may have more in common with a Corvette than you thought. When a virus or bacteria enters a human body, the immune system revs up to fight and expel the invader. Once the invader is gone, the body puts on the brakes to stop the immune response.

3 Aug 2008

Sleep apnea associated with increased risk of death

Sleep-disordered breathing (also known as sleep apnea) is associated with an increased risk of death, according to new results from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, an 18-year observational study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.

3 Aug 2008

Certain HIV treatment less effective when used with rifampicin-based anti-tuberculosis therapy

Patients receiving rifampicin-based anti-tuberculosis therapy are more likely to experience virological failure when starting nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy, an HIV treatment that is widely used in developing countries because of lower cost, than when starting efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy, according to a study in the August 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

3 Aug 2008

Growth hormone reduces abdominal fat, cardiovascular risk in HIV patients on antiviral therapy

Low-dose growth hormone treatment reduced abdominal fat deposits and improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels in a group of patients with HIV lipodystrophy, a condition involving the redistribution of fat and other metabolic changes in patients receiving combination drug therapy for HIV infection.

3 Aug 2008

Fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed

Americans are likely to be exposed to unacceptable side effects of FDA-approved drugs such as Vioxx in the future because of fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA).

3 Aug 2008

Researchers examine link between prenatal vitamin D levels and schizophrenia

Researchers from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute are set to conduct a world-first trial into the link between prenatal vitamin D levels and schizophrenia prevalence.

3 Aug 2008

New figures show need for national HIV/AIDS srategy

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) long anticipated revised estimate of annual new cases of HIV infections was revealed in a paper published in the Aug. 6, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The revised estimated number of new infections suggests that the HIV epidemic here in the United States is more severe than current statistics portray.

3 Aug 2008

Update of treatment guidelines for HIV infection recommended by experts

An evaluation of the latest information on the treatment of the adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has led an international panel of experts to update the guidelines and recommendations for antiretroviral treatment of HIV.

3 Aug 2008

Merck announces significant price cuts on two of its AIDS drugs, Stocrin and Isentress

As more than 20,000 people from around the world gather this weekend for the start of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) the US-based NGO which provides HIV/AIDS medical care and/or services to more than 79,000 individuals in 20 countries worldwide-including at four free treatment clinics in Mexico-commended Merck & Company (known as Merck, Sharp & Dohme in Mexico) over price cuts on two of its key AIDS drugs in Mexico which were announced yesterday before Sunday's opening of the AIDS conference.

3 Aug 2008

Modern living spells disaster for couples

British couples are spending "less time together than ever before", according to a relationship expert. A new survey shows that modern living is leaving little room in relationships for challenge and stimulation and little time for joint activities like exercise - or even talking.

3 Aug 2008

Smoking among child cancer survivors highest in most at risk group

Childhood cancer survivors who are most at risk of developing a second cancer are more likely to smoke than other childhood cancer survivors - reveals a Cancer Research UK study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

3 Aug 2008

Researchers discover novel kind of learning gene

Scientists at the Freie Universität Berlin have come one step closer to unraveling the molecular basis of learning. A team led by neurobiologist Bjorn Brembs has discovered the first gene for operant conditioning in the fruit fly Drosophila.

3 Aug 2008

Dissolvable ultra-fine, 3-dimensional scaffold offers a 'simple' solution to treating skin injuries

A revolutionary dissolvable scaffold for growing new areas of skin could provide a safer, more effective way of treating burns, diabetic ulcers and similar injuries.

3 Aug 2008

Genetic defect in skin cells leads to neurodermatitis, hay fever and asthma

New knowledge points to the fact that a genetically induced lack of filaggrin, a key protein of the skin barrier, plays a decisive role in the origin of allergies.

3 Aug 2008

New resource helps women with diabetes through healthy pregnancies

Pregnancy is a time of great excitement and anticipation. It also can be a time of anxiety, especially for women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Pregnancy in women who have diabetes is automatically considered high-risk. But a new, easy-to-read booklet has information to help women with diabetes experience safe, healthy pregnancies.

3 Aug 2008

Scientists develop ultra-sensitive optical protein sensor, a first for a salivary diagnostic test

For people who dislike needles, medical tests that require a drop of saliva instead of a vial of blood will one day make a trip to a doctor or dentist much easier. But as scientists now construct the first of these saliva tests for early signs of cancer and other diseases, they continue to push the technological envelope in interesting ways.

3 Aug 2008

Medical profession must dissociate itself from torture and actively investigate and sanction offenders

Doctors who assist in torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment should face prosecution and licensing punishments, says an editorial on BMJ.com.

31 Jul 2008