WPI Researchers Take Aim At Hard-To-Treat Fungal Infections

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171703.php

A team of researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park has developed a new model system to study fungal infections. The system can be a powerful tool for screening potential drug targets for conditions like thrush, athlete's foot and vaginal yeast infections, which affect millions of people each year but are difficult to treat with existing medications.

Dietary Management In Eating Disorder Patients

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171676.php

Eating disorder (ED) patients display a high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. These symptoms may interfere with their nutritional management. Ingestion of fructose-sorbitol (F-S) is an established means of gastrointestinal symptom provocation in irritable bowel syndrome patients.

Sucampo Receives Marketing Authorization For Amitiza(R) In Switzerland For Treatment Of Chronic Idiopathic Constipation

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171718.php

Sucampo Pharma Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCMP), announced that Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, has granted a marketing authorization for Amitiza® (lubiprostone) 24 microgram (mcg) gel capsules for the long-term treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC).

Is Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus A Risk Factor For Gallbladder, Biliary And Pancreatic Cancer?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171677.php

There are minimal data assessing the relationship between diabetes and gallbladder, biliary and pancreatic cancer. Recent small studies have suggested an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer only in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A research article published on November 14, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team, lead by Dr.

Genzyme Announces Results Of Phase 2/3 Trial Of Advanced Phosphate Binder

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171587.php

Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) reported results of a phase 2/3 study of its advanced phosphate binder (APB). The trial met its primary endpoint, which was to show that the APB lowered phosphate levels effectively compared to placebo. However, the APB did not show a significant improvement in phosphate lowering compared to Genzyme's Renvela® (sevelamer carbonate). Based on these results, the company is not planning to pursue further clinical development of the APB.

Vardenafil: A Potential Drug To Protect Gastric Mucosa

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171519.php

Indomethacin has been proved by epidemiological and experimental studies to be closely associated with peptic ulcer development. Vardenafil is a potent phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor and its effects on the gastric mucosa have not been reported. A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this problem. The research team, led by Dr.

Can EP4 Agonist Alleviate Gastric Lesions?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171531.php

Over 300 million patients use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the world to treat pain, arthritis, fever and other diseases. Nearly 30% of the users suffer from gastric lesions and bleeding. To mitigate NSAIDs' adverse effects on the stomach, misoprostol, a non-selective prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) analogue, has been prescribed as the first choice for prevention of NSAID-induced injuries, but often induces severe adverse effects.

CytRx To Initiate Phase 2 Clinical Trial With INNO-206 In Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171571.php

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical company, today announced plans to initiate an open-label, multinational Phase 2 clinical trial with its doxorubicin prodrug INNO-206 as a second-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric (stomach) cancer. CytRx President and CEO Steven A. Kriegsman said, "This planned clinical trial is a key step forward in our plans to build a commercial oncology franchise for CytRx.

Identifying The Factors Related To Bile Output And Reduction Of Serum Bilirubin After Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171526.php

Biliary drainage is performed as a palliative treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The reduction of serum bilirubin is usually the hallmark of successful biliary drainage. However, some patients may have persistent jaundice or scanty bile output after biliary drainage. A research team, led by Dr.

What Is Dysentery? What Causes Dysentery?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171193.php

Dysentery is an infection of the intestines. This inflammatory disorder causes stomach cramps and diarrhea. According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, Dysentery is: "A disease marked by frequent watery stools, often with blood and mucus, and characterized clinically by pain, tenesmus, fever, and dehydration". In many cases there are only mild symptoms, such as diarrhea and nausea.

How E. coli Gets Ahead

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170893.php

Scientists at the University of York have discovered how certain bacteria such as Escherichia coli have evolved to capture rare sugars from their environment giving them an evolutionary advantage in naturally competitive environments like the human gut. Microbes are well-known for their ability to grow in demanding and nutritionally poor environments, which has allowed them to colonise some of the most remote places on the planet.

New Explanation For Nature's Hardiest Life Form

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170902.php

Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. Spore-forming bacteria, present almost everywhere in our environment, can also cause serious infectious diseases, such as tetanus, anthrax, and botulism. Now researchers from Lund University and the U.S.

African-Americans With Colorectal Cancer Have Poorer Outcomes, Lower Survival Rates

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170922.php

New research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that African-American patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and are less likely to undergo surgical procedures compared with Caucasians, suggesting that improvements in screening and rates of operation may reduce differences in colorectal cancer outcomes for African-Americans.

Food Science And Clinical Science Joined For The First Time In A Periodical

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170928.php

Springer is founding a new journal Food Digestion, dedicated to a quickly growing area of research - food science combined with the physiology of digestion. The journal will publish two issues in 2010 and increase to four issues in 2011. Food Digestion will bring together the increasing number of researchers who are working at the interfaces between the physical sciences and nutrition and health.

Pass On The Gas: Tips To Reduce Flatulence

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170822.php

Passing gas -- flatulence -- is normal and happens to everyone. But for some people, excessive gas and pain interfere with normal activities. The November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers tips to reduce gas. Gas is often caused by what and how one eats and drinks. "One common cause is swallowed air," says G. Richard Locke, III, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist.

Dark Chocolate May Improve Metabolic Stress Response Say Nestlé Researchers

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170829.php

A new study by Nestlé researchers suggests that eating a few pieces of dark chocolate every day may improve the metabolic response of people who report feeling highly stressed. The study, which was published in the Journal of Proteome Research, was the work of lead investigator Sunil Kochhar, a researcher at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Lexicon Announces Positive Phase 2 Results Of LX1031 In Non-Constipating Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170809.php

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: LXRX) announced that the company's investigational new drug, LX1031, a tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) inhibitor, demonstrated positive results in clinically important parameters for the treatment of non-constipating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Mylan Receives FDA Approval For Generic Version Of Prevacid® Through Its Subsidiary Matrix Laboratories

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170690.php

Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) announced that its privately held Indian subsidiary, Matrix Laboratories Limited, has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Lansoprazole Delayed-release (DR) Capsules, 15 mg and 30 mg. This product is shipping immediately and will be sold under the Mylan Pharmaceuticals brand.

Study Suggests Westernized Diet Leads To Obesity Via Gut Microbes

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170695.php

US researchers who transplanted human intestinal microbes into germ-free mice and then switched their diet from a low-fat plant-based one to a more Westernized diet, high in fat and sugars, found that within one day obesity-linked microbes were thriving in the gut and the mice eventually became obese. The study was the work of Dr Jeffrey I Gordon and colleagues and was published on 11 November in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Enhancing Drug Delivery In Gut Using Nano Bubble Gum

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170424.php

Of the many characteristic traits a drug can have, one of the most desirable is the ability for a drug to be swallowed and absorbed into the bloodstream through the gut. Some drugs, like over-the-counter aspirin, lend themselves to this mode of delivery and are trivial to take. They can be pressed into a pill and swallowed. Other drugs cannot be swallowed and must be administered instead through more complicated routes. Insulin, for instance, must be injected.

What Are Tapeworms? What Causes Tapeworm Infection?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170461.php

Tapeworms, or cestodes, are intestinal parasites; they are worms that are flattened like a tape measure. A tapeworm cannot live freely on its own - it survives within the gut (intestine) of an animal, including a human. A parasite is an animal or plant that lives in a host; another animal or plant. Tapeworm eggs generally enter the human host from animals through ingested food, especially raw or undercooked meat.

Light Shed On Gastroschisis Birth Defect By Local Health Investigation

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170248.php

Results of an investigation conducted by University of Nevada, Reno researchers, public health officials and area physicians published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, indicate that Washoe County experienced a cluster of a particular birth defect, gastroschisis, during the period April 2007 - April 2008. Subsequent review of medical records since the study's conclusion indicates that while the rate is still elevated, the cluster appears to have subsided.

Compelling Rotavirus Burden Data And Critical Need For Access To Vaccines In High-Burden Regions Outlined In Journal Of Infectious Diseases

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170127.php

The Journal of Infectious Diseases has released a special edition, Global Rotavirus Surveillance: Preparing for the Introduction of Rotavirus Vaccines. This special edition provides a significant contribution to the understanding of rotavirus disease burden and the impact of rotavirus vaccines, which have the potential to save an estimated 228,000 lives annually.

Gastroenterology/Hepatology Societies Release Report Evaluating Fellowship Training Curriculum

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169969.php

Due to the increasing complexities of treating digestive diseases, allowing gastroenterological (GI) trainee physicians the opportunity to develop enhanced abilities and experiences in specific disease areas or procedures will be a great benefit to patients, according to a "Report of the Multisociety Task Force on GI Training." Additionally, GI training programs need to measure the achievements of trainees based on specific defined competencies rather than the duration of training alone.

Study Examines Campaign To Increase Use Of Zinc To Prevent Childhood Diarrhea

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169924.php

Scientific American reports on a multiyear PLoS Medicine study, published on Monday, which "followed a nationwide public health campaign to increase zinc use for childhood diarrhea in Bangladesh." "A 10-day course of zinc tablets ...