FDA approves Remicade to treat ulcerative colitis in children older than 6 years – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Remicade (infliximab) to treat moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in children older than 6 years who have had inadequate response to conventional therapy.
FDA confirms Listeria monocytogenes on Jensen Farms? Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes — Jensen Farms voluntarily recalled product last week in response to outbreak – US Food and Drug Administration announced that it found Listeria monocytogenes in samples of Jensen Farms’ Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupe taken from a Denver-area store and on samples taken from equipment and cantaloupe at the Jensen Farms’ packing facility.
FDA investigates multistate outbreak of listeriosis – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health agencies to investigate a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis.
Multiple sclerosis research doubles number of genes associated with the disease — Critical insight provided into the disease mechanisms behind multiple sclerosis – Scientists have identified 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis, providing key insights into the biology of a very debilitating neurological disease. Many of the genes implicated in the study are relevant to the immune system, shedding light onto the immunological pathways that underlie the development of multiple sclerosis.
Two Studies Test Impact of Drugs to Slow Progression of Type 1 Diabetes – Abatacept (Orencia), an immune system modulator and GAD-alum, an antigen based therapy found beneficial for patients with type 1 diabetes. TrialNet researchers are conducting a series of studies to test ways to prevent or delay progression of type 1 diabetes. Results of two studies testing drugs to slow or stop the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing cells in people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will be presented at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 71st Scientific Sessions in San Diego and simultaneously published online in the Lancet.
Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets may reduce both tumor growth rates and cancer risk – Eating a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumors already present, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. The study was conducted in mice, but the scientists involved agree that the strong biological findings are definitive enough that an effect in humans can be considered.
Surgical removal of the tonsils and appendix associated with risk of early heart attack — But because of the young age of participants, the absolute risk differences were small – The surgical removal of the appendix and tonsils before the age of 20 was associated with an increased risk of premature heart attack in a large population study performed in Sweden. Tonsillectomy increased the risk by 44% (hazard ratio 1.44) and appendectomy by 33% (HR 1.33).
Low vitamin D levels seen as multiple sclerosis risk for African-Americans, UCSF study finds – Vitamin D levels in the blood are lower in African Americans who have the disease, compared to African Americans who do not, revealed by researchers exploring the connection between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis in African Americans.
Men May Have Greater Allergy Risk Than Women, Suggests Largest Ever National Allergy Study — Quest Diagnostics Health Trends analysis raises possibility that men are underdiagnosed for allergies – A study of nearly 14 million blood tests for aiding allergy diagnosis shows that men exhibited higher sensitivity to 11 common allergens than women when tested, contradicting other research suggesting women experience allergies more frequently than men.
Cancer scientists discover new way breast cancer cells adapt to environmental stress – An international research team led by Dr. Tak Mak, Director, The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), has discovered a new aspect of “metabolic transformation”, the process whereby tumour cells adapt and survive under conditions that would kill normal cells.
Treating HIV-infected people with antiretrovirals significantly reduces transmission to partners — Findings result from NIH-funded international study – Men and women infected with HIV reduced the risk of transmitting the virus to their sexual partners by taking oral antiretroviral medicines when their immune systems were relatively healthy, according to findings from a large-scale clinical study.
New technique extends cancer-fighting cells’ potency in melanoma patients – Researchers trained white blood cells to attack tumors tend to fade away quickly when injected into cancer patients.
