Health News

Could living or working near fast food shops make you obese?

Date: Mar-14-2014
It may seem like an obvious association: exposure to fast food restaurants and likelihood of obesity. But researchers whose study revealed these findings say the link shows evidence of a "dose-response relationship" and could have implications in the wake of the increasingly worrisome public health issue that is obesity.Publishing their work on bmj.com the researchers, from the University of Cambridge in the UK, say people exposed to fast food establishments around their home, at work or during their commute are much more likely to consume such foods.

Fighting brain damage from stroke using substance naturally found in humans

Date: Mar-14-2014
A molecular substance that occurs naturally in humans and rats was found to "substantially reduce" brain damage after an acute stroke and contribute to a better recovery, according to a newly released animal study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.The study, published online before print in Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association, was the first ever to show that the peptide AcSDKP provides neurological protection when administered one to four hours after the onset of an ischemic stroke.

Mexican-Americans suffer worse outcomes after stroke

Date: Mar-13-2014
Mexican-Americans had worse neurologic, functional and cognitive outcomes 90 days after stroke compared to non-Hispanic whites, in a study reported in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.Mexican-Americans have increased stroke risk, but lower risk of death compared to non-Hispanic whites. The new research suggests that prolonged survival is at the expense of increased disability.The study's stroke participants were drawn from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project conducted in a non-immigrant south Texas community.

Stumbling fruit flies lead scientists to discover gene essential for sensing joint position

Date: Mar-13-2014
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered an important mechanism underlying sensory feedback that guides balance and limb movements.The finding, which the TSRI team uncovered in fruit flies, centers on a gene and a type of nerve cell required for detection of leg-joint angles. "These cells resemble human nerve cells that innervate joints," said team leader Professor Boaz Cook, who is an assistant professor at TSRI, "and they encode joint-angle information in the same way.

Scripps Research Institute scientists discover a better way to make unnatural amino acids

Date: Mar-13-2014
Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have devised a greatly improved technique for making amino acids not found in nature. These "unnatural" amino acids traditionally have been very difficult to synthesize, but are sought after by the pharmaceutical industry for their potential medical uses."This new technique offers a very quick way to prepare unnatural amino acids, many of which are drug candidates or building blocks for peptide drugs," said Jin-Quan Yu, a professor in TSRI's Department of Chemistry.

14th Annual European Clinical Data Forum 2014, 6th - 7th May 2014, Brussels

Date: Mar-13-2014
The 14th Annual European Clinical Data Forum is due to take place on 6th - 7th May 2014 in Brussels and is one of Arena International's flagship events. The conference will present itself as a unique event providing the opportunity to learn how the industry is adapting to the changing regulatory environment. As times are changing, things are becoming more electronic, new solutions are being invested in and therefore the need to change processes to adapt and integrate new ways of working is appearing increasingly important.

Potential new drug targets for aggressive form of lung cancer

Date: Mar-13-2014
Small cell lung cancer is an aggressive, highly lethal form of the disease that is linked with tobacco use. Researchers have now found mutations and other genetic interruptions occurring in the cancer's development that could translate to potential new drug targets for this disease.The researchers, from the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and geneticists from the Broad Institute, have published the results of their new study in the journal Cell.

New vaginal gel could protect women against HIV hours after sex

Date: Mar-13-2014
A research team, led by investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed a new vaginal gel that they say could protect women from HIV, even if it is applied hours after sex.This is according to a study recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.In the past, scientists have developed microbicides - gels that can kill or neutralize viruses and bacteria - containing antiretroviral drugs to protect against HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) transmission.

Biomarkers could tell doctors when concussed athletes are safe to compete

Date: Mar-13-2014
Swedish researchers have found, through examining studies in sporting injuries, that a protein in the central nervous system could provide a tool for diagnosing concussions. They published their results in JAMA Neurology.Concussion, sometimes referred to as mild traumatic brain injury, is reported to be a growing problem in contact sports, such as ice hockey, football and boxing. Concussion is when trauma - such as a blow to the head - induces a complex pathophysiological process in the brain.

Finance in Pharma & Healthcare Forum, May 15 & 16, Philadelphia

Date: Mar-13-2014
Pioneering Best Financial Practices Across the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare IndustriesFinance professionals working in the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Industries will gather at the exclusive two-day Finance in Pharma & Healthcare Forum on May 15 & 16 in Philadelphia.In a rapidly changing healthcare market, finance professionals are trying to adjust to changes, and balance the fine line of economic cost reality versus market cost influences.