Health News

How The Immune System Peacefully Co-Exists With 'Good' Bacteria

Date: May-25-2013
The human gut is loaded with commensal bacteria - "good" microbes that, among other functions, help the body digest food. The gastrointestinal tract contains literally trillions of such cells, and yet the immune system seemingly turns a blind eye. However, in several chronic human diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, the immune system attacks these normally beneficial bacteria, resulting in chronic inflammation and contributing to disease progression...

Astellas Receives Marketing Authorisation For Vesomnitm From The Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board

Date: May-25-2013
Netherlands first to approve new fixed-dose combination treatment for men with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH ASTELLAS PHARMA EUROPE B.V., the European subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc.(Tokyo:4503), have announced the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) has granted marketing authorisation for VESOMNI in the Netherlands...

Spending On Patient Care Set To Plummet By Millions, Warn GP Leaders

Date: May-25-2013
The amount of money allocated to GPs to care for their patients is set to fall by nearly £200m over the next three years- equivalent to the current funding for 1.2 million patients, according to predictions from GP leaders. The stark warning comes from the Royal College of General Practitioners who say that the proportion of NHS funding being spent on general practice has been falling for successive years, with GP practices being starved of the resources they need to meet the growing needs of patients and to safeguard the future of patient care...

Intensified, Liposomal Anthracycline-Based Chemo Regimen For Children With Leukemia May Offer High Survival Rates Without Added Heart Toxicity

Date: May-25-2013
Treating pediatric leukemia patients with a liposomal formulation of anthracycline-based chemotherapy at a more intense-than-standard dose during initial treatment may result in high survival rates without causing any added heart toxicity, according to the results of a study published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH)...

Anti-Cancer Drug Viewed As Possible Alzheimer's Treatment Doesn't Work In UF Study

Date: May-25-2013
An anti-cancer drug about to be tested in a clinical trial by a biomedical company in Ohio as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease has failed to work with the same type of brain plaques that plague Alzheimer's patients, according to results of a study by University of Florida researchers. David Borchelt, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience affiliated with the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida, emphasized the importance of verifying promising research results before investing in clinical studies or testing potential therapies in people...

Cockroaches Are Evolving To Evade Sugar Traps

Date: May-25-2013
Surprisingly, cockroaches are steering away from sugary-coated traps designed to kill them. The phenomenon has been subject to much scientific interest with many experts asking why they avoid the traps if they are coated in glucose - a tempting treat for cockroaches. A new study published in the May 24th edition of Science has revealed why. Cockroaches determine whether or not food is safe by using their sensory systems. However, these sensory systems are able to quickly adapt to environmental changes...

Massachusetts Proposes Fees For Medical Marijuana Program

Date: May-25-2013
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has proposed a fee structure for a self-financed medical marijuana industry that supports patient access without relying on taxpayer resources. Acting DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett said: "The program will be self-sustaining through fees on registered marijuana dispensaries and patients. The proposed patient registration fees are in line with other states and will be affordable. At the same time, dispensaries will be required to pay their fair share...

In The Most Severe Form Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Enzyme-Activating Antibodies Identified As A Marker

Date: May-25-2013
In a series of lab experiments designed to unravel the workings of a key enzyme widely considered a possible trigger of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that in the most severe cases of the disease, the immune system makes a unique subset of antibodies that have a disease-promoting role. Reporting in the journal Science Translational Medicine online, the Johns Hopkins team describes how it found the novel antibodies to peptidylarginine deiminase 4, or PAD4, in blood samples from people with aggressive inflammation and connective tissue damage...

Homes With Dogs Found To Have More Types Of Bacteria

Date: May-25-2013
New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Colorado shows that households with dogs are home to more types of bacteria - including bacteria that are rarely found in households that do not have dogs. The finding is part of a larger study to improve our understanding of the microscopic life forms that live in our homes. "We wanted to know what variables influence the microbial ecosystems in our homes, and the biggest difference we've found so far is whether you own a dog," says Dr...

H7N9 Bird Flu Virus May Be Human Transmissible

Date: May-24-2013
The novel H7N9 bird flu virus may be human transmissible through direct contact as well as through airborne exposure, according to a new study. Scientists came up with this conclusion after discovering that the virus, which has already killed 36 people in China, can spread between ferrets. However, H7N9 has not yet shown any indications that it is human transmissible, the experts, from China, Canada and the U.S., pointed out in the journal Science...