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SurModics acquires drug delivery assets of PR Pharmaceuticals

SurModics, Inc. announced today that it has acquired a portfolio of intellectual property and collaborative drug delivery projects from PR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a drug delivery company specializing in injectable, biodegradable sustained release formulations.

4 Nov 2008

'Natural killer' immune cells reveal factors for reproductive success

Immune cells known as natural killer (NK) cells are linked with pregnancy problems including pre-eclampsia and recurrent miscarriage. Collaborative research between scientists at the Babraham Institute and Centre for Trophoblast Research in Cambridge is illuminating the role that pregnancy-related NK cells play in moderating the biochemical interactions at the boundary between maternal tissues and the developing foetus.

4 Nov 2008

Extended suboxone treatment substantially improves outcomes for opioid-addicted young adults

In the first clinical trial of a medication that was used for an extended time to treat opioid addiction in young adults, participants who received counseling and Suboxone (buprenorphine-naloxone) for 12 weeks had substantially better outcomes than those who received the standard treatment of short-term detoxification and counseling.

4 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

4 Nov 2008

Brain development takes an unexpected bend

Organs, such as the brain or the heart, are not simply collections of the correct types of cells that are required for their function. If these cells are not organized and shaped properly, the organ simply does not function. One crucial part of this organization is to bend sheets of connected cells ("epithelia") so that they form a structure that is an integral part of the functional organ.

4 Nov 2008

WHO gets aid for Democratic Republic of the Congo victims, but more funds needed

Increasing quantities of medical supplies are being provided by foreign governments to save lives in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, but WHO is calling for more support to meet urgent health needs

4 Nov 2008

Scientists say snakebites are a neglected threat to public health

Scientists are warning that snakebites are a neglected threat - they say snakebites cause considerable death and injury worldwide and pose an important yet neglected threat to public health.

4 Nov 2008

Alzheimer's + diabetes + high blood pressure = a shorter life

A study has found that people with Alzheimer's disease who also suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure may die earlier.

4 Nov 2008

Review rubbishing homeopathy discredited

A review published in The Lancet which claimed that homeopathy is just a placebo, has been slammed as seriously flawed in two separate studies.

4 Nov 2008

Children who are poor sleepers more likely to be obese as adults

According to new research regularly getting a good night's sleep as a child may help protect adults from becoming obese.

4 Nov 2008

Qld scientists breakthrough in battle against insect-transmitted diseases

Scientists at the University of Queensland have made a discovery which could lead to a breakthrough in the battle against insect-transmitted diseases.

4 Nov 2008

Peck on the leg from a magpie leads to amputation

A new study has revealed that a peck on the leg from a pet magpie resulted in an elderly Australian woman losing her lower leg.

4 Nov 2008

35 to 55 - the danger zone for women recovering from alcoholism

According to an Australian researcher women recovering from alcoholism are in danger of relapsing between age 35 and 55 due to the increased pressure from family and work commitments.

4 Nov 2008

Wrongful birth litigation and prenatal screening

Wrongful birth claims may increase in Canada if physicians do not adhere to new 2007 practice guidelines that recommend prenatal screening for chromosomal abnormalities be offered to all pregnant women, write Dr. Jeff Nisker and Roxanne Mykitiuk in CMAJ.

4 Nov 2008