News and applications for life science research professionals
Speedy Diagnostic Device Adapted for Bacterial Infections
May 4, 2013 8:00 pm | by Mass General | News | CommentsA handheld diagnostic device that MGH investigators first developed to diagnose cancer has been adapted to rapidly diagnose tuberculosis and other important infectious bacteria. New research describes portable devices that combine microfluidic technology with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to not only diagnose these important infections, but also determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.
Philly abortion murder trial has national impact
May 4, 2013 3:24 pm | by DAVID CRARY - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsFor weeks, jurors in Philadelphia heard grim testimony about deaths and squalor at Dr. Kermit Gosnell's inner-city abortion clinic. While they listened, the murder case reverberated far beyond the courtroom, changing — at least for the moment — the tone of the national debate on abortion. Groups...
Ginseng, bear bile: NKoreans look to old cures
May 4, 2013 2:02 am | by MARGIE MASON - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsPYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — The Man Nyon Pharmacy is lined with rows of colorful packages containing everything from dried bear bile and deer antler elixir to tiger bone paste and ginseng. But the ancient "Koryo" medicine provided at this popular dispensary isn't just for minor aches and pains. ...
FDA approves Merck combination cholesterol pill
May 3, 2013 5:56 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsWHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) — Merck & Co. said Friday that it received U.S. marketing approval for the new combination cholesterol drug Liptruzet, which combines the company's drug Zetia with a generic version of the mega-blockbuster drug Lipitor. The Food and Drug Administration approved...
FDA OKs Bristol's HIV drug for younger patients
May 3, 2013 5:51 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBristol-Myers Squibb Co. said Friday that U.S. regulators expanded approval of its HIV drug Sustiva to children as young as three months old. The capsule-based drug was first approved in 1998 to treat HIV-infected children who are age three and older and weigh at least 22 pounds. The new approval...
Spider called pivotal in Slayer guitarist death
May 3, 2013 4:00 pm | by DERRIK J. LANG - AP Entertainment Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsSlayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman thought he was on the mend after a spider bite followed by an infection. He'd been writing songs with the band in anticipation of recording a new album later this year. But in an unusual chain of events, a representative for the band said the bite may have...
Saudi Arabia reports 3 cases of SARS-like virus
May 3, 2013 2:48 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSaudi Arabia's Health Ministry has confirmed three more cases of a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing to 10 the number of cases it reported this week, including five deadly ones. The ministry said Friday the three cases were part of an ongoing investigation. It said the two men and...
App Lets Amputees Self-program Bionic Hands
May 3, 2013 1:37 pm | by KATHY MATHESON - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsDouble-amputee Jason Koger used to fly hundreds of miles to visit a clinician when he wanted to adjust the grips on his bionic hands. Now, he's got an app. Koger came to Philadelphia this week to demonstrate the i-limb ultra revolution, a prosthetic developed by the British firm Touch Bionics. Using a stylus and an iPhone, Koger can choose any of 24 grip patterns that best suit his needs.
Study: Exercise cuts kidney stone risk in women
May 3, 2013 10:52 am | by MARILYNN MARCHIONE - AP Chief Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsWomen have another reason to exercise: It may help prevent kidney stones. You don't have to break a sweat or be a super athlete, either. Even walking for a couple hours a week can cut the risk of developing this painful and common problem by about one-third, a large study found. "Every little bit...
Stem Cells, Heart Cells Communicate without Touching
May 3, 2013 10:16 am | News | CommentsStem cells drawn from amniotic fluid show promise for tissue engineering, but it’s important to know what they can and cannot do. A new study has shown that these stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells and form electrical couplings with each other similar to those found in heart tissue.
Gene Makes Cancer Less Cancerous
May 3, 2013 10:00 am | News | CommentsResearchers have identified a gene that, when repressed in tumor cells, puts a halt to cell growth and a range of processes needed for tumors to enlarge and spread to distant sites, in hope that this so-called “master regulator” gene may be the key to developing a new treatment for tumors resistant to current drugs.
Blood Test Tracks Tumor Evolution
May 3, 2013 9:50 am | News | CommentsBy tracking changes in patients’ blood, scientists have created a new way of looking at how tumors evolve in real-time and develop drug resistance. The research used traces of tumor DNA, known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), found in cancer patients’ blood to follow the progress of the disease as it changed over time and developed resistance to chemotherapy treatments.
China beefs up law to fight food safety scandals
May 3, 2013 5:58 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChina's top court has issued guidelines calling for harsher punishment for making and selling unsafe food products in the latest response to tainted food scandals that have angered the public. The Supreme People's Court said Friday that the guidelines will list as crimes specific acts such as the...
Arrests show China's food safety troubles persist
May 2, 2013 10:33 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChina says 904 people were arrested for selling fake, spoiled, or adulterated meat over three months, indicating notorious food safety problems persist despite a crackdown. State media portrayed the arrests as part of a national crackdown that will now focus on dairy products. Xinhua News Agency...
NY biotech financier gets prison for stock scheme
May 2, 2013 8:34 pm | by LARRY NEUMEISTER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal judge displayed anger as she handed down a four-year prison sentence Thursday to a biotechnology financier who was once among the nation's wealthiest people. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon repeatedly scolded David Blech while imposing the prison term and $1.3 million forfeiture....
