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Explanation on resistance to taxane class of drugs

Scientists have uncovered critical new details about the mechanisms that modulate the response of ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapy.

10 Dec 2007

Anemia drugs linked with leukemic transformation in patients with primary myelofibrosis

Mayo Clinic researchers have reported the discovery of a link between erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and leukemic transformation (conversion to leukemia) of the blood disorder myelofibrosis.

10 Dec 2007

Doctors trained on patient simulators exhibit superior skills

Senior internal medicine residents who are trained in critical resuscitation skills on patient simulators become more skilled than residents who undergo traditional training, according to new research.

10 Dec 2007

Depression screening for cancer patients too often falls between the cracks

Depression is known to be associated with cancer yet too many cancer patients are not screened for this mental disorder, according to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and the Roudebush VA Medical Center.

10 Dec 2007

Decreasing access to cigarettes for youth in Minnesota study

New research in the December issue of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, shows that there was a decline in access to cigarettes from commercial venues from 2000 to 2003.

10 Dec 2007

Umbilical cord blood transplant may confer advantages over bone marrow transplant for kids with life-threatening metabolic disorders

Children born with inherited metabolic disorders that cause organ failure and early death can be treated successfully with umbilical cord blood transplants from unrelated donors and, in some cases go on to live for many years, according to a study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

10 Dec 2007

Combination therapy including antibiotics may be beneficial for multiple sclerosis

A preliminary study suggests that combining a medication currently used to treat multiple sclerosis with an antibiotic may slow the progress of the disease, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the February 2008 print issue of Archives of Neurology.

10 Dec 2007

Children with sickle cell disease, silent strokes show some relief with blood transfusions

A group of children who have sickle cell disease and who experience silent strokes showed some relief from the silent strokes with blood transfusion therapy, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

10 Dec 2007

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers used as fire retardants could be harmful

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chemicals used as fire retardants, can be found in numerous items in the home, such as the television, computer, toaster and the sofa.

10 Dec 2007

Calcium in coronary arteries may be linked to increased risk for heart disease in low-risk women

About 5 percent of women considered low-risk for heart disease by current classification standards have evidence of advanced coronary artery calcium and may be at increased risk for cardiovascular events, according to a report in the December 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

10 Dec 2007

Belief, disbelief and uncertainty activate distinct regions of the brain

The capacity of the human mind to believe or disbelieve a statement is a powerful force for controlling both behavior and emotion, but the basis of these states in the brain is not yet understood.

10 Dec 2007

Arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution

Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution.

10 Dec 2007

Genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up

Researchers discovered genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up – and has not halted or proceeded at a constant rate, as had been thought – indicating that humans on different continents are becoming increasingly different.

10 Dec 2007

Some anti-drinking campaigns catastrophically misconceived

Some anti-drinking advertising campaigns may be "catastrophically misconceived" because they play on the entertaining 'drinking stories' that young people use to mark their social identity, say researchers who have just completed a three year study of the subject.

10 Dec 2007

Abdominal obesity predicts heart disease

Abdominal obesity is a strong independent risk factor for heart disease, and using the waist-hip ratio rather than waist measurement alone is a better predictor of heart disease risk among men and women, researchers reported in a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Dec 2007

Program offers help for stuttering

Stuttering is a debilitating condition that can change the course of people's lives. "When I thought about career options, I would think, well, I'd like to do this, but I can't because of my speech so I'll have to do something else," said Jacob, a science student at UTS. "In social situations, I wouldn't introduce myself."

10 Dec 2007

Study results from Zolinza (vorinostat) in combination with bortezomib for multiple myeloma trial

Results from two investigational Phase I trials of ZOLINZA (vorinostat) in combination with bortezomib provide preliminary anti-tumor activity in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

10 Dec 2007

New minimally invasive method to repair tears in the aorta

Tears in the aorta which affect thousands of people each year coast to coast, may soon be treated with a much less invasive technique that could dramatically improve patients' chances of survival.

10 Dec 2007

Vaccine improves event-free survival for leukemia patients

Patients whose immune system responded to a peptide vaccine for leukemia enjoyed a median remission that was more than three times longer than non-responders, a team led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

10 Dec 2007

Labor market work and home care's unpaid caregivers

People who provide intensive and time-consuming care to others at home - such as assisting with feeding, bathing and toileting - are the caregivers who are most vulnerable to dropping out of the labor force, according to a new systematic review of studies on unpaid caregivers.

10 Dec 2007