Gut enzymes convert donor blood to much-needed universal type O

TORONTO — Canadian researchers believe they have found the means to convert any type of blood into universally usable group O with enzymes found in the human gut — a finding that could expand the pool of potential blood donors and make blood-matching easier and safer. For transfusions to be safe, blood from a donor —...

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Dutch medical trial using Viagra stopped after 11 babies die

A Dutch trial with the drug best known under the brand name Viagra, has been immediately halted after 11 babies of mothers using the medication died, one of the participating hospitals said on Tuesday. When the trial was stopped on Monday, roughly half of 183 pregnant women participating were taking sildenafil, the Amsterdam University's Academic Medical Centre (AMC)...

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Boys should be given HPV jab, says vaccine committee. Here’s what happens next.

It’s nearly a decade since the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was first introduced in the UK to help protect against the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer. But until now, it has only been routinely offered to girls.Today, the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended that adolescent boys should now also receive the vaccine.When...

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‘Magic’ blood test could make bone marrow transplants for blood cancer safer

A blood test could help predict the risk of complication following a bone marrow transplant in some blood cancer patients, according to a new US study. The test could help identify which patients given a transplant are likely to develop a potentially fatal complication, the researchers report in The Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight (link is external) . "The...

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Smoking vaccine fails clinical trials, $4.1 million in taxpayer dollars down the drain

An experimental new anti-smoking vaccine has failed miserably in clinical trials, faring no better than a placebo shot at helping people to quit smoking.Produced in partnership with drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Nabi Biopharmaceuticals’ NicVAX was intended to help people quit smoking by triggering the production of antibodies that would attach to nicotine and prevent...

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Researchers discover exciting new line of stem cells by accident

The already exciting prospect of stem cell research has just got a little more exciting, with the discovery of a new line of “more robust and easily manipulated” embryonic stem cells, completely by accident.A team of researchers from the University of Missouri came across the new cell type during studies into the causes of pre-eclampsia, a rare and complex condition which...

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Affordable Care Act to Cover Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Drugs

On the heels of a new recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and in line with the Affordable Care Act’s coverage of prevention services, the federal government has announced that beginning in September most health insurance plans will be required to provide breast cancer risk reduction medications free of charge to high-risk women.  Two...

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Investigating a Novel Combination of Treatments for MS Patients

Frequently utilized MS treatments are prescribed with the goal of disease stabilization. However, they may share a common deficiency: lack of effectiveness in addressing many of the symptoms associated with the disease. Additionally they may lead to a troubling array of side effects which in themselves can negatively impact quality of life. Newer treatments are now being...

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Diabetes Drug Metformin May Lower Glaucoma Risk

The diabetes drug metformin was linked to a lower risk of developing the eye condition glaucoma in a new study.People who took the most metformin during the 10-year study period had a 25 percent reduced risk of glaucoma compared with people not taking the drug, researchers found. “Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide and classic open-angle...

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WHO draws lessons from Ebola to prepare roadmap for future epidemics

The World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded a meeting on Ebola R&D to look at lessons learned from the outbreak and develop a roadmap for future epidemics. Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, said the Geneva meeting aimed to “come up with a new framework for R&D for diseases with epidemic potential and...

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Pfizer launches $3M grants program to further breast cancer research

Pfizer has launched a competitive, peer-reviewed grants program to support clinical research projects investigating Ibrance (palbociclib) in advanced breast cancer. The multi-year program, which will award a total of up to $3 million in grants to investigators in the U.S., is an extension of Pfizer’s Advancing Science through Pfizer Investigator Research Exchange (ASPIRE)...

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SIMPLE MISTAKE MADE IN STUDY LEADS TO SEX BIAS BREAKTHROUGH IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.

An innocent mistake made by a graduate student in a Northwestern Medicine lab (they accidentally used male mice instead of female mice during an experiment) has led scientists to an exciting breakthrough that offers new insight into why women are more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  The data finding focuses on a type...

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Canadian-made Ebola vaccine starting clinical trials in humans

Health Minister Rona Ambrose said trials are moving at “unprecedented speeds,” but critics slam government for not acting faster amid deadly outbreak.Clinical trials are now starting for an experimental made-in-Canada Ebola vaccine amid growing global concern over the disease that’s left more than 4,000 people dead.Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose called...

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New portal showcases Canadian clinical research capabilities

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Clinical Trials Coordinating Centre (CCTCC) has launched the Canadian Clinical Trials Asset Map, a pan-Canadian database showcasing Canada’s clinical research capacities. Intended to help Canada regain its position as a leading destination for clinical trials, the online portal provides a comprehensive picture of Canada’s clinical research assets...

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