National Academies news: Gulf War and Health
... to various chemical, biological, or environmental agents might be responsible. This IOM report is the thir... examine the health effects of potentially harmful agents to which Gulf War veterans might have been exposed. The first report focused on potential health ef...NIH halts use of COX-2 inhibitor in large cancer prevention trial
...clinical trials. We are examining the use of these agents in all NIH-sponsored clinical studies. In addition, we are working closely with our colleagues at FDA to ensure that the public has the information they need to make informed decisions about the use of this class of drug." "The rigor of our clinical ...How platelets help cancer invade other tissues
...wever to date, clinical trials of the antiplatelet agents aspirin and heparin have yielded inconclusive, albeit promising, evidence that platelet inhibition may enhance the survival of cancer patients. One major reason for the difficulty in translating these results into effective anticancer therapies is th...O Christmas tree: Your bark may fight arthritis
...pounds in the extract compare to anti-inflammatory agents that are already on the market. Some of the phenolic compounds identified in the extract are already familiar to scientists as potent disease-fighting antioxidants, but there are other compounds present in the extract that have not yet been character...Novel antibiotic shows promise in shortening treatment duration of tuberculosis
...called R207910, belongs to a new family of anti-TB agents called diarylquinolines (DARQ) and appears to have better, and more differentiated antibiotic properties than currently used drugs for TB, individually and in combination. R207910 was better at clearing infection from the lungs of mice than the tripl...Multi-center study finds therapy boosts kidney transplants in 'highly sensitized' patients
...ystem because it provides antibodies to infectious agents as well." Although tissue compatibility issues exist for all patients receiving transplanted organs, rejection risks are especially high for a patient who has the added barrier of an immune system that has been exposed to "non-self" human leukocyte a...Lab study: Protein delivered via genetically engineered virus slowed glioblasoma multiforme growth
...eness of gene therapy to deliver novel therapeutic agents to the brain. Most of these have investigated the use of the suicide gene from the herpes simplex virus to develop a gene therapy approach that kills cancer cells, in the presence of the antiviral drug, gancyclovir. In laboratory studies, this type...More than half of relapsed CLL patients respond to two biologics with chemotherapy
...ociety of Hematology (ASH). Combining two biologic agents with chemotherapy forms a potent drug regimen that is showing promise in treating patients who have relapsed with the most common kind of leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Cen...Novel drugs help solve Gleevec resistance
...archers will discuss their experiences using these agents in patients with leukemia at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting. BMS-354825 "shows remarkable activity" In the study conducted at M. D. Anderson and at UCLA School of Medicine, the majority of patients with advanced, Gleevec-resistant...UCSD researchers identify new role for drugs in prevention, treatment of atherosclerosis
...nditions. On the other hand, PPAR-beta/delta agents failed to inhibit atherosclerosis with the results not significantly different from those of control animals receiving non-active drugs. While the three PPARs are very similar proteins and are expressed in all major cell types that make up athe...Some harms of beta-carotene supplementation may persist after discontinuing use
...females and former smokers. "When chemoprevention agents are administered to large, healthy populations, it is necessary to document long-term safety, efficacy and, importantly, the duration of the beneficial (or adverse) effect," the authors write. "This is especially true when the basic underlying molecu...Mayo Clinic discovers potential marker for aggressive kidney cancer
...t candidates for immunotherapeutic treatment using agents such as Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and alpha interferon....munotherapy using either IL-2 or some of the other agents that are out there just by manipulating B7-H1 appropriately. We could improve treatment outcomes, ho...University of Manchester uses crystals to help battle deadly diseases
...g with the function of such proteins in infectious agents like tuberculosis - enabling the production of more effective medicines. 'Ultra-Cold Neutron Protein Crystallography' improves on current methods by probing protein structures with neutrons at temperatures of 15K (-258 degrees C), dramatically increa...LA BioMed Medical/Research Briefs December 2004
.... Despite the critical need for new antiinfective agents (antibiotics, anti-viral drugs and vaccines), the ...ry efforts have shifted from antiinfectives toward agents that treat the chronic medical conditions of the aging - conditions such as arthritis, hypertension ...Risk of muscle-damaging disorder low for most commonly prescribed statin drugs
... effects associated with the use of lipid-lowering agents (statins), according to background information in the article. Fibric acid derivatives (fibrates) have also been associated with primary muscle injury, especially when used in combination with a statin. David J. Graham, M.D., M.P.H., from the Food ...JAMA editors call for major restructuring of postmarketing surveillance system
... current approval process for drugs and biological agents in the United States has come under intense scrutiny, most notably because of concerns about influence from industry." The editorial, to be published in the December 1 issue of JAMA, is being released early online today because of its relevance to c...Study may lead to new means of increasing effectiveness of existing cancer treatments
...ed off, such cancer cells become more sensitive to agents that induce cell death. While it was previously kn...ells. "An increasing number of cancer therapeutic agents are being developed to block pathways activated by interactions at the cell surface," said Dr. Aaron...All chronic sinusitis is not created equal, study finds
...osinophils may benefit from more anti-inflammatory agents over longer periods, Dr. Kountakis says. To simplify categorization, the researchers already are working on a "fingerprint of inflammation" that could be obtained from a simple blood test. "Then, as we design studies to look for still better treatmen...Chemoprevention backgrounder: Working for a future of cancer chemoprevention
...n the future. By all accounts, routine use of such agents won't be here for a long time because much more ne...t. M. D. Anderson was among the first to look for agents that may help prevent cancer - some three decades ago - and now is seen as a national leader in the ...Research with red tide toxin yields potential therapies for cystic fibrosis
...s used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. "These agents can improve the clearance of mucus, and they may also work at concentrations that have no side effects," said William Abraham, Ph.D., a pulmonary pharmacologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center and author of the study. "These compounds will serve as exp...