UPDATE 1-NicOx says key drug rejected by FDA

July 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

PARIS, July 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has rejected NicOx’s (NCOX.PA) pain drug Naproxcinod, recommending further trials, the French biotechnology group said on Thursday.

NicOx, which has spent about 10 years and 100 million euros ($127.6 million) to fund the U.S. launch of its lead anti-inflammatory drug, said it would hold talks with the FDA as soon as possible to discuss potential next steps.

Citing a response letter, NicOx said the FDA had recommended conducting more long-term controlled studies to assess the safety of Naproxcinod on a cardiovascular and gastrointestinal level.

An FDA advisory panel had already voted against approving the drug in May, sending NicOx shares to a four-year low. [ID:nLDE64C05Z]

NicOx Chief Executive Michele Garufi told Reuters last month he remained hopeful for the drug, even as some analysts questioned the group’s drug development technology. [ID:nLDE65F295] (Reporting by Lionel Laurent and James Regan; Editing by David Holmes) ($1=.7836 Euro)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

U-M Earns No. 14 Ranking Among Nation’s Best Hospitals

July 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers have been ranked among the country’s best hospitals, placing 14th overall for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report magazine. This year, U-M was ranked in every specialty and those rankings went up in 11 of the 16 specialties.

The results, released online today, mark the 16th year in a row that U-M has been named to the honor roll of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

U-M is the only hospital in Michigan ranked among the 14 institutions on the national honor roll, which signifies all-around excellence in multiple areas of specialized medical care.

U.S. News ranks each of these specialties individually, and U-M earned a high national ranking in all 16 categories. In virtually all cases, U-M was the highest-ranked hospital in Michigan for each specific treatment area. Of the 4,852 hospitals considered for the rankings, only 152 made the list in even one specialty.

“We are pleased to be nationally recognized in so many areas as a result of the hard work of our faculty and staff,” says Doug Strong, M.B.A., director and chief executive officer of the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers. “It is our wide-ranging strength in so many specialties that keeps us high on the list year after year.”

In one category – ear, nose & throat diseases – U-M made the top 10 in the country, ranking ninth.

In 14 other U-M specialties, U-M ranked in the top 20 nationwide. These include the specialty care of ear, nose & throat diseases (ranked 9th); urology (ranked 11th); geriatrics (ranked 12th) and gastrointestinal disorders (ranked 13th).

Also recognized was the specialty care at U-M’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (ranked 13th), U-M’s Cardiovascular Center (ranked 11th) and the Kellogg Eye Center’s ophthalmologic care (ranked 17th).

U.S. News determines the “America’s Best Hospitals” rankings based on hospital reputation in particular specialties, and, for all but four specialties, on mortality rates and a mix of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. Rankings in Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology are determined by reputation among board-certified specialists.

The U-M Hospitals and Health Centers are part of the U-M Health System, which also has been recognized by U.S. News as having one of the nation’s top medical schools and top children’s hospitals.

Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked the U-M Medical School 6th among the best research-oriented medical schools.

In May, the magazine ranked the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital among the best pediatric hospitals in the nation, ranking fourth in heart and heart surgery, 13th in orthopedics, 19th in kidney care, along with nation rankings in the pediatric specialties of cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, pulmonology, neonatology and urology.

For the 2010 “America’s Best Hospitals” rankings, U-M’s rank in each specialty category is:

Overall: 14

Cancer: 13

Ear, Nose & Throat: 9

Endocrinology: 19

Gastrointestinal: 13

Geriatrics: 12

Gynecology: 18

Heart and Heart Surgery: 11

Kidney: 20

Neurology & Neurosurgery: 22

Ophthalmology: 17

Orthopedics: 24

Psychiatry: 20

Rehabilitation: 19

Respiratory Disorders: 14

Rheumatology: 14

Urology: 11

U.S. News’ 2010-11 publication of “America’s Best Hospitals” will be on sale at newsstands on July 27. The rankings are also available online at http://health.usnews.com/.

SOURCE University of Michigan Health System

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

U-M Earns No. 14 Ranking Among Nation’s Best Hospitals

July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers have been ranked among the country’s best hospitals, placing 14th overall for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report magazine. This year, U-M was ranked in every specialty and those rankings went up in 11 of the 16 specialties.

The results, released online today, mark the 16th year in a row that U-M has been named to the honor roll of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

U-M is the only hospital in Michigan ranked among the 14 institutions on the national honor roll, which signifies all-around excellence in multiple areas of specialized medical care.

U.S. News ranks each of these specialties individually, and U-M earned a high national ranking in all 16 categories. In virtually all cases, U-M was the highest-ranked hospital in Michigan for each specific treatment area. Of the 4,852 hospitals considered for the rankings, only 152 made the list in even one specialty.

“We are pleased to be nationally recognized in so many areas as a result of the hard work of our faculty and staff,” says Doug Strong, M.B.A., director and chief executive officer of the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers. “It is our wide-ranging strength in so many specialties that keeps us high on the list year after year.”

In one category – ear, nose & throat diseases – U-M made the top 10 in the country, ranking ninth.

In 14 other U-M specialties, U-M ranked in the top 20 nationwide. These include the specialty care of ear, nose & throat diseases (ranked 9th); urology (ranked 11th); geriatrics (ranked 12th) and gastrointestinal disorders (ranked 13th).

Also recognized was the specialty care at U-M’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (ranked 13th), U-M’s Cardiovascular Center (ranked 11th) and the Kellogg Eye Center’s ophthalmologic care (ranked 17th).

U.S. News determines the “America’s Best Hospitals” rankings based on hospital reputation in particular specialties, and, for all but four specialties, on mortality rates and a mix of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. Rankings in Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology are determined by reputation among board-certified specialists.

The U-M Hospitals and Health Centers are part of the U-M Health System, which also has been recognized by U.S. News as having one of the nation’s top medical schools and top children’s hospitals.

Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked the U-M Medical School 6th among the best research-oriented medical schools.

In May, the magazine ranked the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital among the best pediatric hospitals in the nation, ranking fourth in heart and heart surgery, 13th in orthopedics, 19th in kidney care, along with nation rankings in the pediatric specialties of cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, pulmonology, neonatology and urology.

For the 2010 “America’s Best Hospitals” rankings, U-M’s rank in each specialty category is:

Overall: 14

Cancer: 13

Ear, Nose & Throat: 9

Endocrinology: 19

Gastrointestinal: 13

Geriatrics: 12

Gynecology: 18

Heart and Heart Surgery: 11

Kidney: 20

Neurology & Neurosurgery: 22

Ophthalmology: 17

Orthopedics: 24

Psychiatry: 20

Rehabilitation: 19

Respiratory Disorders: 14

Rheumatology: 14

Urology: 11

U.S. News’ 2010-11 publication of “America’s Best Hospitals” will be on sale at newsstands on July 27. The rankings are also available online at http://health.usnews.com/.

SOURCE University of Michigan Health System

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Incontinence, breathing problems may lead to back pain in women

August 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 21 (ANI): Women who suffer from incontinence, respiratory disorders and gastrointestinal problems are more likely to develop back pain, according to a new study.

Australian pain researchers reviewed case histories of some 7500 young, mid-age and older women who were a part of Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health and followed them for up to four years.

The results showed that women with preexisting incontinence, breathing difficulties and gastrointestinal disorders were more likely to develop back pain than women without these afflictions.

The prevalence of new back pain found in the study participants was 37 percent in the younger group, 39 percent for the mid-age women and 16 percent in the older group.

The authors noted it was clear from their data that associations between incontinence and respiratory disorders and back pain were attributable to changes in control of trunk muscles occurring over time.

For instance, frequent sneezing and coughing caused by allergies are associated with trunk muscle co-contraction and increased spinal loading, which can lead to back pain.

Regarding the relationship of gastrointestinal problems and back pain, the authors explained that altered abdominal muscle activity is common in disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, and back pain may be a symptom of gastrointestinal problems.

The implications of the findings for treatment options could focus on improving trunk muscle control to reduce potential for developing back pain.

The study appears in The Journal of Pain, the peer review publication of the American Pain Society. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yogurt could help gastric-bypass patients lose weight more quickly

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 14 (ANI): Taking probiotics after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery can help obese patients to lose weight more quickly, according to a new study.

Probiotics are the so-called ‘good’ bacteria found in yogurt as well as in over-the-counter dietary supplements that help in the digestion of food.

New research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Hospital and Clinics suggests that patients who take probiotics after the gastric-bypass procedure tend to shed more pounds than those who don’t take the supplements.

“Surprisingly, the probiotic group attained a significantly greater percent of excess weight loss than that of control group,” said John Morton, MD, associate professor of surgery at the medical school who wrote the paper with lead author Gavitt Woodard, a third-year medical student, and five other medical students at the Surgery Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation in Stanford’s Department of Surgery.

The researchers followed 44 patients on whom Morton had performed the procedure from 2006 to 2007. Patients were randomized into either a probiotic or a control group.
oth groups received the same bariatric medical care and nutritional counseling, as well as the support of weight-loss study groups. Both groups also were allowed to consume yogurt, a natural source of probiotics.

In addition, the probiotic group consumed one pill per day of Puritan’s Pride, a probiotic supplement that is available online and in many stores. Morton has no financial ties to the company that makes the supplement.

The study showed that at three months, the probiotics group registered a 47.6 percent weight loss, compared with a 38.5 percent for the control group.

The study also found that levels of vitamin B-12 were higher in the patients taking probiotics – a significant finding because patients often are deficient in B-12 after gastric-bypass surgery.

The probiotics group had B-12 levels of 1,214 picograms per milliliter at three months, compared with the control group’s levels of 811 pg/mL.

Morton said he now recommends probiotic supplements to his patients, and he plans to continue to look for ways to enhance the outcomes from the procedure.

The study has been published in the July issue of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Environmental pollution raises liver disease risk

May 30, 2009 By 1 Comment

Washington, May 30 (ANI): Environmental pollution increases the risk of liver disease, says a new US study.

The research is the first to show that there is a previously unrecognized role for environmental pollution in liver disease in the general U.S. adult population.

The study is being presented during Digestive Disease Week 2009 (DDW), the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

“Our study found that greater than one in three U.S. adults had liver disease, even after excluding those with traditional risk factors such as alcoholism and viral hepatitis,” said Matthew Cave, MD, assistant professor, department of medicine, division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Louisville.

“Our study shows that some of these cases may be attributable to environmental pollution, even after adjusting for obesity, which is another major risk factor for liver disease,” he added.

Using the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers from the University of Louisville study examined chronic low-level exposure to 111 common pollutants including lead, mercury, PCBs and pesticides and their association with otherwise unexplained liver disease in adults. The specific pollutants included were detectable in 60 percent or more of the 4,500 study subjects.

Dr. Cave added that this analysis used only the ALT liver enzyme as a marker of liver injury, and cautioned that this associative study does not prove causality.

However, he added that previous animal studies do suggest causality for many of these chemicals. Dr. Cave and his co-authors also plan to examine the additive effects of environmental pollutants on liver disease in children and adults with risk factors including obesity, viral hepatitis, and alcoholism in the NHANES population. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why the right hand’s thumb grows on the left hand side, and vice versa

May 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 23 (ANI): Austrian scientists at the University of Innsbruck have explained an important developmental mechanism that makes the thumb of the right hand grow on the left hand side, and vice versa.

Lead researcher Pia Aanstad, a molecular biologist at the university, this process depends upon the concentration of a signalling molecule called Hedgehog.

The researcher points out that this molecule controls the development of the extremities, the central nervous system, the teeth, eyes, hair, lung and the gastrointestinal tract.

“What is most remarkable: The cells are told what to do not only because the molecule is present but also by the different concentrations of the molecules in the tissue. The concentration of Hedgehog makes the thumb of the right hand grow on the left hand side and the thumb of the left hand grow on the right hand side,” says Aanstad.

Considering the functions of Hedgehog, the scientists define it as a morphogen-a signal that is concentration-dependent and controls the pattern formation of an organism.

They say that a mutation in this signalling pathway induces dramatic and embryonically lethal malformations in the early developmental stage, such as the formation of just one central eye.

According to them, defects in the Hedgehog signalling pathway in humans are a cause for one of the most common birth defects-holoprosencephaly.

“Hedgehog genes are not new in evolution and the signaling pathway functions in the fly, mouse, fish and in humans similarly”, says Aanstad.

She focuses on the zebra danio or zebra fish for her research work because their short developmental cycle enables her to observe the development of the small tropic fish in fast motion.

“We want to better understand how the cells process the signals of the signalling molecules and how they react,” she said.

A research article on the current study has been published in the journal Current Biology. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hypnotherapy may help ulcerative colitis patients socialize more

May 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 14 (ANI): People with ulcerative colitis should no longer think twice before becoming a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding, travelling with the boss or even going to parties in peoples’ homes, all thanks to a hypnotherapy.

Laurie Keefer, a clinical health psychologist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, reckons that the therapy could certainly help boost the quality of life for patients with ulcerative colitis, a nasty gastrointestinal disease that flares without warning and makes it vital for patients to find a bathroom fast.

She says that some of her patients have started embracing activities they once avoided, after they took part in a research study, which tested if hypnotherapy could extend the time between their flare-ups.

Currently, the treatments for ulcerative colitis include a maintenance medication called 5-ASA, which should be taken as many as 12 per day that reduce the risk of flares but that many forget to take, as well as steroids or surgery to remove their colon.

Taking an early look at the data for the ongoing study, Keefer has found that treatment with hypnotherapy enabled some subjects’ to socialize more and get involved in activities such as eating at restaurants, exercising and road trips.

Some subjects feel less impaired by their disease, and are better at remembering to take their pills.

The study will be enrolling a total of 80 patients over three years, and will track the progress of each patient for one year.

To date, 27 subjects have enrolled in the study and completed the required eight weeks of hypnotherapy sessions, which also includes listening to special relaxation tapes up to five times per week.

Although it’s early, it has been found that only two of 12 subjects, who have participated in the study for a full year, have experienced a relapse, whereas based on their history, all 12 subjects would have been expected to have had two or more relapses within the year.

“These numbers are encouraging because the study specifically targets individuals who flare a couple times a year,” said Keefer.

Subjects are also expected to take their routine maintenance medication during the trial.

The trial was aimed to see if hypnotherapy can help subjects learn to manage their stress and develop a sense of control over their health.

In the experimental hypnosis sessions, Keefer has suggested the subjects to closely monitor their stress and be aware of how it’s affecting them.Managing stress is really important for managing inflammatory bowel disease,” said Keefer.

She added: “There is quite a bit of data in a variety of diseases that shows people who have a higher sense of control over their health feel better and have fewer symptoms than people who don’t. This is a proactive approach. The preliminary results on the improved quality of life for the 27 subjects in this ongoing study (aiming for a total of 80 subjects) look positive so far.”

The findings were presented at the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America’s 13th Annual Medical Symposium and 14th Annual Patient and Family Conference in Chicago. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ulcer drugs with ibuprofen may offer Alzheimer’s treatment

April 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 23 (ANI): A new study has revealed that common ulcer drugs when combined with an anti-inflammatory medication can offer a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

The research team from the University of British Columbia has found that drugs commonly used to treat ulcers have significant neuroprotective properties, which appear to be enhanced when used in combination with ibuprofen, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug.

“Our results show that proton pump inhibitors are also anti-inflammatory agents. They open up an entirely new application for these drugs,” said Dr. Sadayuki Hashioka, first author on the paper.

Proton pump inhibitors include lansoprazole and omeprazole. They are remarkably safe drugs, which have so far been used only to treat ulcers and other conditions where there is excess gastric acidity.

These include Helicobacter pylori infections and side effects from treatment with NSAIDs such as ibuprofen.

The finding that they also have anti-inflammatory potential opens up the possibility of using these drugs in a variety of inflammatory conditions where NSAIDs are now used.

There would be the double effect of protection from gastrointestinal side effects plus enhanced antiinflammatory activity.

“Many epidemiological studies have revealed that individuals on long term treatment with ibuprofen are relatively spared from Alzheimer disease,” said Dr. Patrick McGeer, senior investigator on the UBC team,

“Our investigation indicates that individuals taking lansoprezole or omeprazole in addition to ibuprofen might be getting even greater protection.

“It also suggests that a clinical trial of a combination of ibuprofen and a proton pump inhibitor might be effective for those already suffering from Alzheimer disease,” he added.

The study is published in Elsevier’s Experimental Neurology. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oprah makes her Twitter debut

April 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 18 (ANI): After Ashton Kutcher’s record-breaking debut on Twitter, the social networking world has now welcomed yet another celebrity entrant – Oprah Winfrey.

Around 10 a.m. on April 17, the talk-show queen posted her first Twitter message, entirely in caps.

“HI TWITTERS . THANK YOU FOR A WARM WELCOME. FEELING REALLY 21st CENTURY,” Us magazine quoted her as writing on Twitter.

With 75,000 followers so far, Winfrey has added Demi Moore and Jimmy Fallon in her friend list.

Fallon even “tweeted” to tell her that he was at a deli for a photo shoot.

And she replied: “Hi Jimmy. Order a reuben for me.”

Oprah also posted an update on her newly adopted blond cocker spaniel Sadie, who is suffering from a gastrointestinal tract disease.

“Sadie’s great. Gets her rabies vaccine today,” said Winfrey. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Josh Hartnett blames ‘contaminated water’ in underdeveloped countries for stomach disorder

April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 17 (ANI): ‘Pearl Harbor’ star Josh Hartnett believes that his hospitalisation in March might have been a result of ignoring an advice against drinking unpurified water during several trips to underdeveloped countries.

The actor was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital after he complained of abdominal pains during a night out.

According to a representative for him, Harnett had a recurring gastrointestinal disorder that first affected him during his stint on London’s West End stage last year.

Harnett now reckons that the cause of his illness was contaminated water.

He, however, has urged his fans not to worry about his health.

“I’m fine. I just had a little stomach bug,” Contactmusic quoted him as telling People.com.

“(There’s) nothing to worry about. I went to the hospital and it was literally just a 24-hour thing. I was so dehydrated that I needed to be on a couple of IVs (intravenous therapies), but I’m good.

“It’s been reoccurring because I have been spending a lot of time in Third World countries, and I occasionally drank the water when I shouldn’t have – and sometimes it catches up with you,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gene linked to inflammatory skin disease identified

April 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 7 (ANI): Scientists have identified a new genetic variant associated with an increased risk of atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease that typically affects the large flexures such as the bend of the elbows or the back of the knees.

While analysing more than 9600 participants from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, the research team discovered a gene variant on chromosome 11.

“Our findings cast new light on the pathogenesis of the disease,” Nature magazine quoted Professor Young-Ae Lee, as saying.

The variant associated with increased risk of atopic dermatitis is located in a region containing the gene C11orf30 which encodes the protein EMSY and the researchers believe that mutation in this gene leads to the skin disease.

The same genetic variant has also been found common in patients with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract.

Scientists therefore suspect that this variant on chromosome 11 will unravel a novel common disease mechanism that can lead to chronic inflammation of various organs.

The study appears in Nature Genetics. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sutent no better than Xeloda in treating breast cancer

April 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sutent no better than Xeloda in treating breast cancer Pfizer Inc (PFE. N) stopped a late-stage study of its drug Sutent. This study was evaluating effect of this drug on advanced breast cancer patients. Sutent is presently approved to treat kidney cancer and a type of gastrointestinal cancer. Company officials notified that three other Phase III trials and two mid-stage trials of Sutent are under way in advanced forms of the cancer.

Researchers were analyzing whether patients taking Sutent could survive longer than patients receiving Xeloda.

Pfizer said the Phase III trial was stopped because Sutent didn’t work better in patients than the chemotherapy drug capecitabine, sold under the brand name Xeloda by Roche (RHHBY).

Company spokesman Jack Cox said: “We remain fully committed to studying Sutent in advanced breast cancer.”

He added that he could not speculate why Sutent fell short in the study, but said the disappointing results are not necessarily an indication of how Sutent will fare in ongoing studies.

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Scientists uncover how probiotics can prevent disease

April 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 2 (ANI): Scientists have now discovered how probiotics successfully work in fighting against a number of animal diseases, paving way for their use in preventing and even treating human diseases.

Scientists from University College Cork, Ireland, used three animal models of disease that have human counterparts – bovine mastitis, porcine salmonellosis (a gastrointestinal disease) and listeriosis in mice (an often fatal form of food poisoning) – to demonstrate the protective effects of probiotics.

“Rather than use commercially available probiotics, we made our own probiotic preparations containing safe bacteria such as Lactobacillus species newly isolated from human volunteers,” said Dr. Colin Hill, the lead researcher of the study.

He added: “In all three animal diseases we observed a positive effect in that the animals were significantly protected against infection”.

Also, the researchers used probiotics to control disease in animals that were already infected.

And the researchers saw that administering these safe bacteria to an infected animal was equally effective as the best available antibiotic therapies in eliminating the infectious agent and resolving the symptoms.

Also, it was found that the protection, in each instance, was linked to a particular bacterial species, and the mechanism of action varied from direct antagonism (where the probiotic directly kills the pathogenic bacteria) to effects mediated by the host immune system.

“It is likely that using probiotics rather than antibiotics will appeal to at-risk individuals since they are safe, non-invasive, do not create resistant bacteria and can even be administered in the form of tasty foods or beverages,” Hill said.

“We have shown that we can protect and even treat animals against pathogenic bacteria by introducing harmless bacteria at the site of the infection.

“In order to use similar strategies in preventing or treating human disease we must understand the molecular basis of their efficacy. This understanding will provide the basis for intelligent screening and selection of the most appropriate protective bacterial cultures to go forward into human trials,” Hill added.

The study was presented at the Society for General Microbiology meeting in Harrogate. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Josh Hartnett hospitalized due to abdominal pain

March 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 31 (ANI): Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett recently landed in hospital after he complained of an abdominal pain.

The ‘Debutante’ actor was hospitalized in L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical center, after he suffered unbearable stomachache at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood around 2am, reports People magazine.

An ambulance was immediately rushed and Hartnett himself walked into it, revealed his representative Susan Patricola.

While Hartnett was in hospital, it was found that he suffered a “flare-up” of an ongoing gastrointestinal problem that had been bothering him for the last few months, it has emerged.

Meanwhile, he is currently under observation of doctors, and is currently feeling pretty comfortable. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gene variant associated with both autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction identified

March 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 3 (ANI): A specific gene variant that links increased genetic risk for autism with gastrointestinal (GI) conditions has been identified by scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) and Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Pat Levitt, director of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and chair-designate of the Department of cell and neurobiology, says that the research team’s findings suggest that disrupted signalling of the MET gene may contribute to a syndrome that includes autism and co-occurring gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication abilities, social behaviour disruption and inflexible behaviour, according to background information in an article published in the journal Pediatrics.

Levitt and lead study author Dr. Daniel Campbell say that while gastrointestinal conditions are common among individuals with autism, researchers have long debated whether co-occurring GI dysfunction represents a unique autism subgroup.

“Gastrointestinal disorders don’t cause autism. Autism is a disorder of brain development. However, our study is the first to bring together genetic risk for autism and co-occurring GI disorders in a way that provides a biologically plausible explanation for why they are seen together so often,” Levitt says.

The researcher highlights the fact that the MET gene in the brain is expressed in developing circuits that are involved in social behaviour and communication, and that disturbances in its expression result in alterations in how these critical circuits develop and mature.

Levitt further says that research indicates that MET also plays an important role in development and repair of the GI system.

For their research, the team studied medical history records from 214 families in the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), and found that a variant in the MET gene was associated with autism specifically in those families where an individual had co-occurring autism and a GI condition.

According to Levitt, the study takes the research team a step further towards understanding the complex genetic risks for autism.

The researcher, however, concedes that further research is required, as different combinations of genes are likely to result in different types of autism features.

“We believe that there are other genes that will help identify different subgroups of individuals who have autism spectrum disorder.

We also believe that there needs to be research looking at whether the children with co-occurring GI dysfunction and autism have unique features that will help us predict what treatments will be best for them,” he says. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Now, minimally invasive method to remove gallbladder through vagina

February 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 26 (ANI): In a breakthrough surgery, physicians at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Have for the first time removed a patient’s gallbladder through the vagina using a minimally invasive technique called NOTES-natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery.

The path-breaking surgery has made the doctors the first in the Midwest and the third in the country to perform the innovative procedure.

NOTES is gaining popularity and has been characterized by many in the medical profession as laying the groundwork for truly “incisionless” surgery.

To carry out the procedure, surgeons use the vagina or mouth in patients to remove organs such as the gallbladder, kidney and appendix.

When the gallbladder is removed through the vagina, a thin, flexible snake-like device, called an endoscope, is inserted through a small incision in the vaginal wall and into the abdomen.

These days the physicians also use laparoscopic assistance, as a small camera is inserted through an incision made in the patient’s belly button to help guide surgeons. Then the organ is surgically resected and taken out the vagina.

“Millions of women in the United States suffer from gallbladder disease, and many of those women will eventually have to undergo a surgical procedure to remove the organ, which is often painful and can have a lengthy recovery time,” said Eric Hungness, MD, a minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who led the team who performed the surgery.

He added: “NOTES reduces the number of and may eliminate the need for abdominal incisions compared with traditional laparoscopic surgery, and may reduce pain and shorten recovery time for patients. This technique may also eliminate the risk of post-operative wound infections or hernias.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cancer survivors face unemployment risk more than healthy individuals

February 18, 2009 By 1 Comment

Washington, Feb 18 (ANI): Cancer survivors are more likely to fail in obtaining or retaining a job as compared to healthy individuals, according to an analysis of previous studies.

The trend is more common in survivors of breast and gastrointestinal cancers, adds the review report.

The researchers behind the analysis say that long-term medical and psychological effects of cancer or its treatment may cause impairments that effect social functioning, including the obtainment or retention of employment.

Almost half of all cancer survivors are younger than 65 years.

“Many cancer survivors want and are able to return to work after diagnosis and treatment. Relatively few studies have assessed the association of cancer survivorship with unemployment,” wrote the authors.

They also say that there are several factors that may promote unemployment after the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, including job discrimination, difficulty combining treatment with full-time work and physical or mental limitations.

Dr. Angela G. E. M. de Boer, of the Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to determine the risk and factors associated with unemployment among adult cancer survivors compared with healthy control participants.

They then identified 26 articles reporting results from 36 studies meeting criteria for inclusion in the analysis. There were 16 studies from the United States, 15 from Europe and 5 from other countries.

The 36 studies included 177,969 participants, with 20,366 cancer survivors and 157,603 healthy control participants.

The researchers found that overall, cancer survivors were 1.37 times more likely to be unemployed than healthy control participants (33.8 percent vs. 15.2 percent).

Additional analysis by diagnosis showed an increased risk of unemployment for survivors of breast cancer (35.6 percent vs. 31.7 percent), gastrointestinal cancers (48.8 percent vs. 33.4 percent), and cancers of the female reproductive organs (49.1 percent vs. 38.3 percent).

However, higher risks of unemployment compared with healthy control participants were not shown among survivors of blood cancer, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

The researchers observed that in studies with a relatively low background unemployment rate, the risk for unemployment for cancer patients was lower compared with healthy control participants than in studies performed in countries with a relatively high background unemployment rate.

In seven studies, unemployment was caused because of disability, with analysis indicating a nearly 3 times higher risk for unemployment because of disability for cancer patients compared with control participants.

“The mechanism behind the higher unemployment rate among cancer survivors is likely to be a higher disability rate,” wrote the authors.

Also, they said that many studies indicated that cancer survivors were more likely than healthy controls to report that the reasons for unemployment included physical limitations, cancer-related symptoms, or both.

“Furthermore, voluntary unemployment is not likely unless patients have other resources for income, which is not the case for most cancer survivors,” said the authors.

The study has been published in the latest issue of JAMA. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dog owners may spread germs to pets by not washing hands

January 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Jan 28 (ANI): Dog owners are more likely to spread germs to their pets by not washing hands than by sleeping with them, or getting licks on the face, according to a new study.

According to Dr. Kate Stenske, a clinical assistant professor at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the human-animal bonding behaviours like sleeping with the dog or getting licked at face aren’t more likely to spread germs.

However, it did show an association between antibiotic-resistant E. coli and owners who didn’t wash their hands after petting their dogs or before cooking meals.

“We know diseases can be shared between dogs and people,” Stenske said.

“About 75 percent of emerging diseases are zoonotic, meaning they are transferrable between humans and other animals. With these two pieces of knowledge, I wanted to examine the public health aspects of such activities,” she added.

For the study, the researchers used E. coli bacteria, which is common in the gastrointestinal tracts of both dogs and humans.

“People have it, dogs have it, and it normally doesn’t cause any problems. But it can acquire genes to make it antibiotic resistant,” she said.

They examined faecal samples from dogs and their owners and looked at the bacteria’s DNA fingerprints.

She found that 10 percent of dog-human pairs shared the same E. coli strains.

She also found that the E. coli had more resistance to common antibiotics than expected, although the owners had more multiple-drug resistant strains than their pets.

“This make us think that dogs are not likely to spread multiple drug-resistant E. coli to their owners, but perhaps owners may spread them to their dogs,” Stenske said.

“What we learn from this is that antibiotics really do affect the bacteria within our gastrointestinal tract, and we should only take them when we really need to — and always finish the entire prescription as directed,” the researcher added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts