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Grand Challenges Explorations projects receive new grants for tuberculosis research

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it was awarded two $100,000 grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the next phase of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage bold and unconventional ideas for global health.

10 Nov 2010

Only one-third of young women complete HPV regimen

Despite strong evidence of its effectiveness, few of the young women who are eligible for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine take it, according to research presented at the Ninth Annual AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, held Nov. 7-10.

10 Nov 2010

Cholera cases continue to rise in Haitian capital

Officials have recorded more than 70 cholera cases in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and fear for a substantial rise in numbers if the epidemic continues. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Deputy Director Jon Kim Andrus said, “As of Monday, the Ministry of Health was reporting more than 9,100 hospitalized cases and some 583 deaths in some 240 communities… These include 73 cases reported in Port-au-Prince. We expect these numbers to continue to rise as more cases are detected.”

9 Nov 2010

March of Dimes honors professor who linked fetal malnutrition to chronic adult disease

The world-renowned physician and professor who pioneered the theory linking fetal malnutrition to chronic adult disease will receive the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award for outstanding achievement in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.

9 Nov 2010

Priaxon and Technical University Munich partner to develop anti-infective agents against infectious diseases

Priaxon AG, Munich, and the University Hospital Rechts der Isar (Technical University Munich) announce their cooperation for the development of new, highly selective anti-infective agents against a novel protein target class of widely spread infectious diseases. Their joint project is supported in the framework of the top cluster support project of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, coordinated by BioM GmbH.

9 Nov 2010

Patented cover for stethoscopes will curb hospital-acquired infections

Saints Medical Center is pleased to announce that Richard H. Ma, M.D, chair of its hospitalist department, has received a patent for a lightweight plastic cover for stethoscopes that will dramatically reduce hospital-acquired infections.

9 Nov 2010

Researchers examine burden of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in China

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examines the burden of HIV and sexually transmitted disease among male clients of the commercial sex industry in China's Sichuan province

9 Nov 2010

Endeca, eHealth Ontario partner to implement chronic disease management system

Endeca Technologies, Inc., a search and business intelligence (BI) company, today announced that eHealth Ontario, an agency of the Government of Ontario, has selected Endeca and commenced work on the chronic disease management system (CDMS) and portal project previously announced in August 2010. Endeca, working with its partners, will assist with the design, build, and implementation of the system that will be used initially to better manage diabetes care throughout the province.

9 Nov 2010

Research demonstrates a safe method to control malaria in Africa

Research carried out in Mali, West Africa, has demonstrated that a new, safe and uncomplicated insect control method, developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, can bring about a serious decline in malaria-bearing mosquitoes in afflicted regions in the world.

9 Nov 2010

Joint complaints attributed to breast cancer drugs not linked with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease

A new study suggests joint complaints attributed to aromatase inhibitors (AI), popular breast cancer drugs, are not associated with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease. Because of that, researchers say women who were primarily concerned about the threat of arthritis should be encouraged to continue taking the medication. The findings of the study will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta, Georgia

9 Nov 2010

Fake antimalarial medications uncovered across Ghana

Substandard and counterfeit versions of thirteen key antimalarial medicines were uncovered in multiple locations across Ghana by the Medicines Quality Monitoring surveillance program. Set up by the Ghana Food and Drugs Board (FDB) in collaboration with the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the program samples antimalarials across the public and private sectors.

9 Nov 2010

Research reveals body’s defence mechanism against snail fever

Scientists have made a significant discovery about how the body defends itself against snail fever, a parasitic worm infection common in developing countries.

9 Nov 2010

Researchers examine impact of gene mutation on Salmonella bacterium growth rate

Most mutations in the genes of the Salmonella bacterium have a surprisingly small negative impact on bacterial fitness. And this is the case regardless whether they lead to changes in the bacterial proteins or not.

9 Nov 2010

GBS meningitis in infants still very serious

Although now less frequent because of preventive antibiotics, meningitis caused by group B streptococcal (GBS) bacteria is still a serious illness causing a high rate of death and severe complications in infants, reports a study in the November issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

9 Nov 2010

Abbott, CHAI enter agreement to provide HIV testing to infants

Abbott and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) have joined forces to provide HIV testing to infants in all countries working in partnership with the CHAI. A key focus of this cooperation will be sub-Saharan Africa, which the World Health Organization estimates to account for 90 percent of global HIV infections in children.

9 Nov 2010

ORVACS launches ERAMUNE 01 Phase II study to decrease HIV viral reservoirs

ORVACS has launched a Phase II study designed to test the hypotheses that combination therapy with potent antiviral agents and immunomodulator can lead to a decrease in the HIV viral reservoirs and, ultimately, to eradication of the virus. The study is currently being conducted at clinical sites in France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

9 Nov 2010

AHF joins breakthrough research for HIV control

A study published in Science yesterday, reveals what could be the key to why some HIV/AIDS patients' immune systems keep the disease at bay without medication.

9 Nov 2010

Africare announces $1.42M grant from ExxonMobil for battle against malaria in Africa

Africare President Darius Mans announced today new investments from ExxonMobil to extend their partnership in its fight against malaria. ExxonMobil, which has long been a supporter of Africare, will fund three key malaria prevention and intervention programs in Africa.

9 Nov 2010

New TB-drugome may help identify protein targets for tuberculosis

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Leeds have linked hundreds of federally approved drugs to more than 1,000 proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), opening new avenues to repurpose these drugs to treat TB.

9 Nov 2010

Advaxis collaborates with UBC to develop live attenuated Listeria vaccines

Advaxis, Inc., the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company, has entered into a structured collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Tobias Kollmann at the University of British Columbia (UBC) to develop live attenuated Listeria vaccines for the treatment of infectious disease and for new dosage forms of Listeria vaccines.

9 Nov 2010