LATEST ANTIAGING MEDICINE & RESEARCH

The event, which is to be held on Sunday 21st and Monday 22nd September 2008 at Donington Park in the East Midlands, is the UK's largest complementary therapy trade exhibition and educational experience taking place outside of London, and the only event of its kind supported by the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT).
08/19/2008

Cymfony, a TNS Media Intelligence company, reported that caregivers of children with asthma discuss non-pharmaceutical treatment options more than twice as often as the most-discussed type of asthma drug. Cymfony drew this conclusion from its study of over 15,000 posts on blogs, discussion boards, and social network sites written between October 2007 - April 2008 in which parents discussed treatment approaches for their child's asthma.
08/18/2008

Despite considerable progress in research to understand the health effects of vitamin D, experts convened by the NIH to review the available data found major gaps in the evidence. The data are strongest in the area of bone health among elderly men and post-menopausal women, suggesting that increased vitamin D intake can improve bone health and prevent falls. For other age groups and health issues, though, it is too early to say conclusively whether more vitamin D might be beneficial.
08/13/2008

Low vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of death, according to a report released on August 11, 2008 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Vitamin D is a group of prohormones that play important roles in calcium metabolism, bone formation, parathyroid function, and the immune system. Presently, the ideal bood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) has been suggested as 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher.
08/13/2008

Research translates into successful community practice to improve elder health It is not easy to translate research into practice, and a therapy that works well in the sterile research lab is not always successful in the real world. Researchers across the country are driven not only to discover new treatments but also to make sure their treatments are designed to be used successfully in a variety of community settings.
08/12/2008

Positive findings of a safety study involving children and a highly touted botanical extract (COLD-fX) show promise for its future development for kids as a Canadian cold and flu remedy. The results appear in the August, 2008 issue of Pediatrics - the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
08/05/2008

Want to go to the gym but never even set off? The best first step might be to close your eyes and imagine yourself on the journey. A new study, published today (4 August 2008) in the British Journal of Health Psychology, found that people who visualised themselves going through the actions involved in a specific health behaviour were then more likely to intend to carry out the behaviour.
08/04/2008

A new study from researchers at the American Cancer Society finds many cancer patients use complementary and alternative methods, most often prayer, relaxation, supplements, meditation, and massage. Meanwhile, the use of other methods, such as biofeedback, homeopathy, and acupressure, are relatively uncommon.
08/04/2008

A recent report by the internationally renowned, independent Cochrane Collaboration adds further weight to the growing international popularity of standardized Pelargonium sidoides extract EPs® 7630 (Umckaloabo®) in the treatment of acute respiratory tract infections such as acute bronchitis and the common cold.
07/31/2008

Despite the prevalence of acupuncture as a complement to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, a new study to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that there is little evidence of any benefits. The study, from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, was a review and meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials involving the use of acupuncture during IVF treatment and outcome assessment. In total, 2500 women were included.
07/31/2008

If Bruce Lipshutz has his way, you may soon be buying bottles of water brimming with the life-sustaining coenzyme CoQ10 at your local Costco. Lipshutz, a professor of chemistry at UC Santa Barbara, is the principal author of an upcoming review, "Transition Metal Catalyzed Cross-Couplings Going Green: in Water at Room Temperature," which will be published in Aldrichimica Acta in September.
07/25/2008

The earliest known writings about herbal medicines date back to 2800 B.C. in China, and many people believe that electromedicine goes back to the time of Aristotle. But while many complementary or alternative modalities may not be new, these alternative measures are still not well understood by many Americans.
07/22/2008

Chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease have reached epidemic proportions, affecting half of Americans and costing $1.5 trillion annually. But a little-known and relatively inexpensive tool called a TLC program has been shown to be effective in preventing, managing, or even reversing, many of our most prevalent chronic conditions. So why don't more health professionals offer TLC? How TLC Programs Work
07/16/2008

A natural compound from magnolia cones blocks a pathway for cancer growth that was previously considered "undruggable," researchers have found. A laboratory led by Jack Arbiser, MD, PhD, at Emory University School of Medicine, has been studying the compound honokiol, found in Japanese and Chinese herbal medicines, since discovering its ability to inhibit tumor growth in mice in 2003.
07/14/2008

Naturopaths are strongly in favour of regulation of their industry, a University of Queensland researcher has found. Naturopaths believed that regulation would lift the quality of practitioners, improve patient safety, promote research and allow for greater collaboration between complementary and conventional medicine, researcher Jon Wardle, a PhD student with the School of Population Health, said.
07/10/2008

ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) announced the acceleration of an ALS biomarker effort using blood samples collected through an expanded network of clinical partnerships.
08/20/2008

CV Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CVTX) announced that the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology has published a study of ranolazine showing that ranolazine significantly (p
08/20/2008

VION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (Pink Sheets: VION) announced that it had entered into an agreement with the Dutch-Belgian Cooperative Trial Group for Hematology Oncology (the "HOVON") to conduct a clinical trial of laromustine (Cloretazine(R) (VNP40101M)) with standard remission-induction therapy in patients aged 18-65 with previously untreated acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplasia (MDS).
08/20/2008

Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) announced a research collaboration with the Karolinska Institute, a leading European medical university, and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI), a governmental expert agency, to evaluate Vical's Vaxfectin(R) adjuvant with the Biojector(R) 2000 needle-free injection system (Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., OTCBB:BJCT) for a multivalent preventive DNA vaccine against HIV. Professor Eric Sandstrom, M.
08/20/2008

Cancer surgeons today operate "blind" with no clear way of determining in real-time whether they have removed all of the diseased tissue, which is the key to successful surgery. Researchers in Massachusetts now report development and early clinical trials of a new imaging system that highlights cancerous tissue in the body so that surgeons can more easily see and remove diseased tissue with less damage to normal tissue near the tumor.
08/20/2008

A new clinical trial at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill using a popular low-dose contraceptive could uncover a more effective treatment for the 5 to 10 percent of women who suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD is much more severe than premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. The disorder interferes with a woman's ability to function effectively several days out of each month, every month.
08/20/2008

PregLem SA, a Swiss biopharmaceutical company specialized in reproductive medicine, announced the start of an international Phase III clinical trial program for PGL4001 (ulipristal) in symptomatic uterine myoma, a common benign solid tumor of the genital tract in women of reproductive age.
08/19/2008

Assistant Professor James Tunnell has been awarded a Phase II Early Career Award from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation to continue the development and testing of a device that uses light to detect skin cancer without the need for an invasive biopsy procedure. The $260,000 grant will support Tunnell's work for the next two years to refine the device called a "clinical spectrometer" and to conduct additional clinical trials.
08/19/2008

The next time you consider popping a pill when you have trouble nodding off, it might be worth counting sheep instead. A senior psychiatrist at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in San Diego, Calif. has found evidence that taking sleeping pills regularly can increase the risk of skin cancer. Daniel F. Kripke, M.D.'s article, based on a compilation of studies involving sleeping pills and cancer, has just been published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
08/19/2008

Logical Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of medicines that treat diseases associated with poorly controlled inflammation, announced the successful completion of its Phase 1b randomized controlled multi-dose safety and pharmacokinetics study of LT-NS001, the Company's proprietary naproxen prodrug.
08/19/2008

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: BNC), a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, announced that its first Phase III clinical trial with a formulation of Mycobacterial Cell Wall-DNA Complex (MCC), trademarked Urocidin, for the treatment of bladder cancer, is progressing well. The Data Safety Monitoring Committee held its fifth scheduled meeting regarding this clinical trial on August 14, 2008.
08/19/2008

Dyax Corp. (NASDAQ:DYAX) announced positive topline results from its second Phase 3, placebo-controlled trial, EDEMA4, for its lead product candidate DX-88 (ecallantide) for hereditary angioedema (HAE). The EDEMA4 trial, conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), achieved statistically significant improvements in the intent-to-treat population in primary and secondary endpoints.
08/19/2008

Children's National Medical Center immunologist and blood and marrow transplant physician Naynesh Kamani, MD, will serve as the study co-chair for a new national clinical trial of unrelated donor marrow and umbilical cord blood transplants for severe sickle cell disease. Children's National will join more than 20 other medical institutions in the first-ever Phase II clinical trial of this treatment.
08/19/2008

Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announced survival data from its phase II study of ASA404 in hormone-refractory prostate cancer, in which patients were randomised to receive either 1200 mg/m2 ASA404 plus the chemotherapy drug docetaxel or a control treatment of docetaxel alone. The hazard ratio expressing the relative risk of death in the ASA404 and control groups favoured the ASA404 group (hazard ratio 0.8; 95% confidence intervals 0.46-1.39).
08/18/2008

MethylGene Inc. (TSX:MYG) announced that as a result of the internal voluntary suspension of enrollment of new patients into clinical trials evaluating MGCD0103, MethylGene and its development partner, Celgene Corporation, have been informed by the U.S.
08/18/2008

Summary of safety-related revisions to the BOXED WARNING, CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, and ADVERSE REACTIONS sections of the Prescribing Information, plus Patient Package Inserts and Medication Guides.
08/14/2008

Product recalled because the tip of the stent delivery system may detach during a carotid artery stenting procedure.
08/14/2008

Serious injection site reactions may occur with the use of injectable naltrexone.
08/12/2008

UPDATE - Voluntary recall because one lot of the product contained patches leaking fentanyl gel.
08/12/2008

UPDATE - Dear Healthcare Professional letter added.
08/08/2008

Risk of rhabdomyolysis when simvastatin is used with amiodarone, particularly with simvastatin doses greater than 20 mg daily.
08/08/2008

UPDATE - December 2007 Dear Healthcare Professional Letter and revised labeling (re: hyponatremia and seizures) added to previous alert.
08/07/2008

Video news show for healthcare professionals, covering safety alerts, recalls, product approvals, and important tips on protecting patients.
08/01/2008

Physicians warned not to use Blood Pumping System with Valleylab Force FX-C or SSE2L electrosurgery devices because use may result in stoppage of the pump and may cause serious injury or death.
08/01/2008

Product recalled because it was found to contain a potentially harmful analog of Sildenafil.
07/31/2008

Medistem Laboratories (OTCBB: MEDS) reported positive efficacy data supporting development of its lead product, the Endometrial Regenerative Cell (ERC) for treatment of an advanced form of peripheral artery disease known as critical limb ischemia. In the peer reviewed publication, a collaborative team supported by Medistem reported that administration of ERC preserved leg function and viability in animals induced to mimic the human condition of critical limb ischemia.
08/20/2008

US scientists have developed an efficient way to make mature red blood cells on a large scale using human embryonic stem cells to make young red blood cells and then maturing them in the lab. The development opens the possibility of making almost unlimited amounts of transfusion blood in the lab although experts caution there are still many hurdles to overcome.
08/20/2008

STEM cell scientists have developed a more accurate way of identifying aggressive forms of bowel cancer, which should eventually lead to better treatment and survival rates. The UK-led team, headed by scientists from Durham University and the North East England Stem Cell Institute, (NESCI*), studied tissue samples from 700 colorectal cancer patients and tracked their progress.
08/20/2008

Human embryonic stem cells trigger an immune response in mice, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine report. The finding suggests that the effectiveness of human therapies derived from the cells could be limited unless ways are found to dampen the rejection response. The researchers found the immune response in mice could be mitigated by the use of common antirejection medications.
08/20/2008

Cells obtained from menstrual blood, termed 'endometrial regenerative cells' (ERCs) are capable of restoring blood flow in an animal model of advanced peripheral artery disease. A study published in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Translational Medicine demonstrates that when circulation-blocked mice were treated with ERC injections, circulation and functionality were restored.
08/19/2008

Presidential candidates Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Saturday at a forum moderated by the influential evangelical minister Rev. Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., discussed their positions on abortion rights and human embryonic stem cell research, the Wall Street Journal reports.
08/19/2008

In a study of 25 bone marrow donors, treatment with plerixafor, an antagonist able to disrupt a critical pathway associated with stem cell mobilization, was shown to mobilize cells faster than treatment with granular colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), the current standard method used to collect bone marrow stem cells from healthy donors.
08/19/2008

Ning Zhang, assistant professor of bioengineering at Clemson University and the CU-MUSC Bioengineering Program, has received the prestigious 2008 Early Career Translational Research Award from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. The foundation judged Zhang's research on an injectable hydrogel-based system for the treatment of stroke to be a highly promising technology that can progress towards commercial development and clinical practice.
08/18/2008

A fifth young scientist from the Stanford University School of Medicine has received funding from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine through its efforts to foster the next generation of stem cell researchers. Ching-Pin Chang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, was awarded $3.1 million over a five-year period for his proposal to investigate the role of stem cells in the restenosis, or narrowing, of coronary arteries enlarged by angioplasty.
08/18/2008

The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) will hold its annual Stem Cell Action Awards dinner on Monday, September 22, at Alliant Energy Center as part of the 2008 World Stem Cell Summit in Madison, Wisconsin. The 2008 awards dinner is underwritten by Promega Corporation. Through the Stem Cell Action Awards, the Genetics Policy Institute recognizes organizations and individuals who have most positively impacted the stem cell community.
08/18/2008

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The clinical manifestations of CMV disease are serious and range from gastrointestinal disease to life-threatening pneumonia, myelosuppression, retinitis, and encephalitis.
08/15/2008

Opponents of a proposed ballot initiative to loosen Michigan's restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research on Monday launched a campaign to defeat the measure, saying it would lead to human cloning, the Detroit News reports. State Sen.
08/14/2008

Supporters of increased federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research are concerned that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) would do an "about-face" on the issue to appeal to abortion-rights opponents if he is elected, The Hill reports.
08/14/2008

New research sheds light on the biological events by which stem cells in the bone marrow develop into the broad variety of cells that circulate in the blood. The findings may help improve the success of bone marrow transplants and may lead to better treatments for life-threatening blood diseases. "As we better understand the biological pathways that regulate the growth of stem cells, we may identify new approaches for treating blood disorders," said study leader Wei Tong, Ph.D.
08/14/2008

Australia's regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB)(PINK:MBLTY), announced successful preclinical trial results which showed that its proprietary adult stem cells regenerated and regrew damaged knee cartilage in post-menopausal osteoarthritis.
08/12/2008