Health News

Bacteria 'could be a cause of preterm births'

Date: Jan-10-2014
New research from the US has found a link between preterm births where the water sac around the baby breaks prematurely, and bacteria near where the walls of the sac arethinner.The researchers, including Amy P. Murtha, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine, report their work in a recent online issue of PLOS ONE.Prof. Murtha says:"Complications of preterm births can have long-term health effects for both mothers and children.

Pregnancy exposure to BPA in plastic 'raises prostate cancer risk'

Date: Jan-10-2014
A study in mice has found prostate cancer is more likely to develop when exposure to BPA levels matches that typical for pregnant women, according to researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) investigating concerns over the chemical used in water bottles.Gail Prins, professor of physiology and director of the andrology laboratory at the UIC College of Medicine, says BPA levels are almost impossible to avoid - the plasticizer is found in water bottles, soup can liners and paper receipts.

New blood test 'could accurately predict heart attack risk'

Date: Jan-10-2014
According to The Heart Foundation, more than 920,000 Americans will suffer a heart attack this year, and many of these will occur without warning. But researchers from The Scripps Research Institute in California say they have created a blood test which may be able to predict whether patients are at high risk of heart attack.The research team, led by Prof. Pete Kuhn, says that at present there is no test available that can predict the occurrence of a heart attack with good accuracy.

SMi's 2nd Quality by Design Conference, 24-25 January 2014, London

Date: Jan-10-2014
Transforming data into knowledge to support PAT and QbDHear Mr Julian Morris speak about Transforming data into knowledge to support PAT and QbD at SMi's 2nd Quality by Design conference."Pharma-Chem and bio-pharma development and production are now being profoundly influenced by the FDA PAT initiative with spectroscopic instrumentation being increasingly applied, or at the very least explored in product and process development and for on-line real-time process applications.

IIC Show, 14-15 February 2014, Manchester

Date: Jan-10-2014
Just over a month left until the largest disability healthcare show hits the North West!IIC Show is set to be the most comprehensive shopping and resource event on disability/mixed ability in the North of England. There is no other show on this scale in the area and the North West is completely untapped and presents a strong opportunity to support disabled people on this scale. The show will be aimed at industry professionals, trade specialists and the 1.8 million disabled people in the North West along with their family and carers.

The Biotherapeutics event of 2014, 3-4 April, London, UK

Date: Jan-10-2014
Oxford Global are proud to present the Biotherapeutics Event of 2014. Held on 3rd & 4th April 2014 at the Novotel London West, UK the 7th Annual Proteins & Antibodies Congress, the 2nd Annual Biosimilars & Biobetters Congress and the Peptides Congress is not to be missed! Come and join over 400 attendees working within the biotherapeutics industry.7th Annual Proteins & Antibodies CongressAs the only conference to bring together all the experts in the biopharmaceutical industry, this exciting and important meeting is a must for anyone working in the field of proteins & antibodies.

Blue Cross Blue Shield companies, Bupa join to create largest global healthcare network, covering 190 countries

Date: Jan-10-2014
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and Bupa has announced a strategic global partnership that will create the largest healthcare provider network in the world for international health insurance customers. The U.K.-headquartered international healthcare company Bupa, and the largest U.S.-based health insurance group the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) system, are teaming up to expand GeoBlue, the global health insurance product offered in the U.S. under the Blue Cross Blue Shield Brands.The partnership includes Bupa's purchase of a 49 percent stake in Highway to Health, Inc.

Target canine 'superspreaders' to halt killer disease and cull fewer dogs, study suggests

Date: Jan-10-2014
A new way to test for the parasite which causes the fatal disease leishmaniasis could help control its spread to humans and stop dogs being needlessly killed in parts of South America.Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-transmitted parasitic infection which can be fatal if left untreated. It generally affects the poorest of the poor, particularly malnourished children in developing countries, with an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 new cases in humans annually according to World Health Organisation figures.

Researchers uncover secrets of newborn neurons

Date: Jan-10-2014
A new form of cell sub-division that is key to the development of the nervous system has been identified by researchers at the University of Dundee. Neurons are vital to the development of the nervous system and in some regions of our brains they are continually produced throughout our lives. They are `born' in a particular place in the early nervous system and then have to migrate to the correct place to make functional neural structures.

A good outcome for the CHILD-INNOVAC project: successful test in humans of a nasal vaccine against pertussis

Date: Jan-10-2014
The CHILD-INNOVAC European research programme, coordinated by Inserm, has enabled the development of an innovative vaccine that can be administered intranasally, to combat pertussis, which has shown a resurgence in developed countries in recent years. The research consortium, headed by Camille Locht, Director of the Centre for Infection and Immunity of Lille (a joint Unit involving Inserm, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille and University of Lille Nord de France), has published promising results from Phase I clinical trials of the vaccine in human subjects in the online journal PLOS ONE.