bismuth appears safe for the treatment peptic ulcer disease

Bismuth compounds have been used for centuries in medicine. The discovery of H. pylori in 1983 led to renewed interest in bismuth compounds, because these were found to successfully treat the infection in combination with antibiotics. However, in the 1970s bismuth salts, used at high doses for prolonged periods, were found to lead to neurotoxicity. There has been no summary of evidence for the toxicity of bismuth when used for short periods as part of H. pylori eradication therapy.

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Grape-seed extract kills leukemia cells in laboratory, proving value of natural compounds

 An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract.

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Potential therapy for congenital muscular dystrophy identified

Current research suggests laminin, a protein that helps cells stick together, may lead to enhanced muscle repair in muscular dystrophy. The related report by Rooney et al, “Laminin-111 restores regenerative capacity in a mouse model for alpha 7 integrin congenital myopathy,” appears in the January 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

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Safe new therapy for genetic heart disease

A new clinical trial suggests that long-term use of candesartan, a drug currently used to treat hypertension, may significantly reduce the symptoms of genetic heart disease. The related report by Penicka et al, “The effects of candesartan on left ventricular hypertrophy and function in non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a pilot, randomized study,” appears in the January issue of The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

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Scientists isolate genes that made 1918 flu lethal

By mixing and matching a contemporary flu virus with the “Spanish flu” — a virus that killed between 20 and 50 million people 90 years ago in history’s most devastating outbreak of infectious disease — researchers have identified a set of three genes that helped underpin the extraordinary virulence of the 1918 virus.

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Fungal pill could provide asthma relief for thousands of sufferers

Research could mean asthma relief for millions worldwide

Up to 150,000 people suffering from severe asthma in the UK could benefit from taking antifungal medication already available from pharmacists, new research has found.

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Researchers find molecule that targets brain tumors

 UC Davis Cancer Center researchers report today the discovery of a molecule that targets glioblastoma, a highly deadly form of cancer. The finding, which is published in the January 2009 issue of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, provides hope for effectively treating an incurable cancer. Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor in adults. It is marked by tumors with irregular shapes and poorly defined borders that rapidly invade neighboring tissues, making them difficult to remove surgically. “These brain tumors are currently treated with surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible followed by radiation to kill cancer cells left behind and systemic chemotherapy to prevent spread to nearby tissues,” said Kit Lam, senior author of the study and UC Davis chief of hematology and oncology. “It is unfortunate that this approach does not extend survival significantly. Most patients survive less than one year.” To find new options for treating the disease, Lam and his colleagues began searching for a molecule that could be injected into a patient’s bloodstream and deliver high concentrations of medication or radionuclides directly to brain tumor cells while sparing normal tissues. Through their study, they identified a molecule — called LXY1 — that binds with high specificity to a particular cell-surface protein called alpha-3 integrin, which is overexpressed on cancer cells. They also tested the molecule’s ability to target brain cancer by implanting human glioblastoma cells both beneath the skin and in the brains of mice. The researchers injected the mice with a radiolabeled version of LXY1 and, using near-infrared fluorescence imaging, showed that the molecule did preferentially bind to human glioblastoma cells in both locations. “This outcome gives us great hope that we will be able to deliver targeted therapies to treat glioblastoma,” said Lam. Lam is planning to continue this work by repeating the experiments with powerful cancer treatments linked to the LXY1 molecule. They will begin with iodine-131, a form of radionuclide currently used to treat some cancers, as well as a nanoparticle, or “smart bomb,” that would carry cancer-fighting drugs to diseased cells.

Rat embryonic stem cells created in lab

Genetically engineered rats should follow soon, providing new models of human disease.

Genetically engineered rats: coming to a lab near you.AlamyRat pluripotent stem cells – the essential ingredient for making genetically engineered versions of the animals – have finally been created after decades of effort in the field.

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Alzheimer’s Caused by Slow Starvation of Brain

A slow starvation of the brain over time is one of the major triggers of the biochemistry that causes some forms of Alzheimer’s, according to a new study that is helping to crack the mystery of the disease’s origins.

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Rice psychologist identifies area of brain key to choosing words

New research by a Rice University psychologist clearly identifies the parts of the brain involved in the process of choosing appropriate words during speech.

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