Hopes have been raised for new Alzheimer’s treatments after scientists found an injection could stop the body from killing brain cells by “cutting off” their protein supply.
Researchers found that by injecting a protein into the brain, they could protect nerve cells in the brains of mice with prion disease, a condition which normally causes the brain to slowly die.
Because the process by which prion disease affects the brains of mice is similar to some degenerative brain conditions in humans, it is hoped that the findings could lead to breakthroughs in …

Possible use in HIV pain is discounted
New York – Pfizer halted a late-stage study of its second-best selling drug, Lyrica, as a possible treatment for a nerve pain in HIV patients.
The world’s largest drugmaker said Friday it was studying the drug in patients with HIV neuropathy, which is nerve damage characterized by burning pain that usually starts in the feet. An early analysis of study data showed that pain symptom improvements were nearly identical to those patients treated with a placebo.
No safety concerns were raised in the study, and Pfizer …

Concern Over Use Of Virus As Biological Weapon
The first of two controversial studies about a mutated form of the potentially lethal H5N1 bird flu virus was finally published Wednesday after months of debate over whether release of the research could pose a biosecurity threat.
The journal Nature published the study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher Yoshihiro Kawaoka. Similar research led by Dutch researcher Ron Fouchier at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam has yet to be published in its entirety in the journal Science.
Both studies found that with a few …

Washington, May 3 — Fifteen million babies are born too soon every year and 1.1 million die shortly after birth, making premature birth the second leading cause of death in children under age 5, according to the first ever national, regional and global estimates of preterm birth.
Survivors of premature birth often face a lifetime of disability, including serious infections, cerebral palsy, brain injury and respiratory, vision, hearing, learning and developmental problems.
“Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth” highlight the need for more research into the causes of …

- May 1, 2012 -
FDA approves new orphan drug to treat a form of Gaucher disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Elelyso (taliglucerase alfa) for long-term enzyme replacement therapy to treat a form of Gaucher disease, a rare genetic disorder.
Gaucher disease occurs in people who do not produce enough of an enzyme called glucocerebrosidase. The enzyme deficiency causes fatty materials (lipids) to collect in the spleen, liver, kidneys, and other organs. The major signs of Gaucher disease include liver or spleen damage, low red blood cell counts (anemia), …