French scientists appear to halt rare brain disease in 2 boys with new gene therapy approachNovember 5th, 2009 more images
more imagesNew gene therapy halts 2 boys' rare brain diseaseWASHINGTON — French scientists mixed gene therapy and bone marrow transplants in two boys to seemingly halt a brain disease that can kill by adolescence. The surprise ingredient: They disabled the HIV virus so it couldn't cause AIDS, and then used it to carry in the healthy new gene.
Cognitive behaviour therapy more effective for SAD patientsOctober 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An American psychologist has found that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is better than light therapy at preventing recurrence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of acute depression that occurs annually during the autumn and winter. Kelly Rohan, a psychologist at the University of Vermont, has become the first person to publish a study of the long-term effects of various cures for SAD.
Advanced dementia should be treated as terminal illness: StudyOctober 15th, 2009 LONDON - A new study has suggested that late-stage dementia should be considered as a terminal illness. "Dementia is a terminal illness.
Scientists using gene therapy to treat Parkinson's diseaseOctober 15th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists from French Atomic Energy Commission's Institute of Biomedical Imaging in Orsay are using gene therapy to treat Parkinson's disease. While the research conducted over monkeys has shown, trials over human patients are underway.
Trials to test gene therapy for Parkinson's disease underwayOctober 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at Michigan hospital have launched a trial to test gene transfer therapy that would help restore better mobility in Parkinson's patients who have lost responsiveness to drug therapy. When brain neurons in brain begin to die, the cells can no longer manufacture the molecule dopamine, a chemical critical for controlling movement.
Gene that could lead to new therapies for bone marrow disease identifiedSeptember 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists from Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) have identified a gene that helps in progression of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a bone marrow disease. They believe that the new gene called RhoB could prove to be a therapeutic target for late-stage MDS.
Developer of Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas dies after battle with leukemiaSeptember 25th, 2009 Las Vegas' Stratosphere developer dies at 67LAS VEGAS — The developer of the 1,149-foot Stratosphere tower on the Las Vegas Strip has died at a hospital after a long fight with leukemia. A spokeswoman for Bob Stupak's family says the casino entrepreneur and colorful gambler died Friday at Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas.
Studies: Doubling chemotherapy dose helped adults with acute myeloid leukemiaSeptember 23rd, 2009 Doubling chemo dose helped leukemia patientsLOS ANGELES — Adults with a common form of leukemia had a better chance of remission if they got a double dose of a long-used cancer drug, two new studies found. Doctors said the findings should change the standard of care for younger adults with acute myeloid leukemia, but work remains to find better treatment for the elderly, who are more likely to develop the disease.
Targeted heat therapy offers new hope for soft-tissue sarcomas patientsSeptember 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - In what offers a new treatment option for people with soft-tissue sarcomas, experts have found that patients are 30 per cent more likely to be alive and cancer free almost three years after starting treatment if their tumours are heated at the time they received chemotherapy. Rolf Issels, a professor of medical oncology at Klinikum Grosshadern Medical Center at the University of Munich in Germany, says that a study has shown that the addition of the innovative heat technique more than doubles the proportion of patients whose tumours respond to chemotherapy, without increasing toxicity.
Prostate cancer patients on hormone therapy 'at increased heart disease risk'September 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Prostate cancer patients receiving hormone therapy might be at an increased risk of developing heart problems, according to a new study. Hormone therapy is a mainstay of treatment when the cancer is locally advanced and when it has spread to more distant parts of the body, but is increasingly being used in earlier stages of the disease.
New method to turn blood-brain barrier into therapy delivery systemSeptember 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Researchers at University of Iowa have discovered a way to turn the blood brain barrier into a production and delivery system for getting therapeutic molecules directly into brain cells. Working with animal models of a group of fatal neurological disorders called lysosomal storage diseases, the researchers found that these diseases cause unique and disease-specific alterations to the blood vessels of the blood brain barrier.
Nano lotion curbs burns infection thousand timesSeptember 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Treating second-degree burns with a nano-emulsion lotion sharply curbs bacterial growth that otherwise can jeopardise recovery. Experiments show that it reduced bacterial growth a thousandfold compared to control animals receiving no treatment or a placebo.
New therapy shows promise for heart failure patientsSeptember 1st, 2009 LONDON - A major international study has found that a therapy called cardiac resynchronization can significantly delay the progression of heart failure. In the study, researchers found that the treatment reduced the risk of serious heart failure events by 41 percent.
FDA panel says Genzyme did not conduct study necessary to prove benefit of leukemia drugSeptember 1st, 2009 FDA panel wants more data on Genzyme cancer drugWASHINGTON — A panel of cancer experts has issued a negative review of a leukemia drug from Genzyme, saying more data is needed to establish its safety and efficacy for older patients. The Food and Drug Administration's oncology panel voted 9-3 Tuesday that Cambridge, Mass.-based Genzyme should be required to conduct a larger, comparison study to prove its drug is safe and effective.
FDA cites shortcomings with Genzyme study of leukemia drug for frail, elderly patientsAugust 28th, 2009 FDA: problems with Genzyme study of leukemia drugWASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Friday questioned whether Genzyme's leukemia drug Clolar should be approved for older patients based on limited studies conducted by the biotech drugmaker. Cambridge, Mass.-based Genzyme has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve its injectable drug for adults older than 60, who have leukemia but are not healthy enough to undergo chemotherapy.
