Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 21, 2008 7:11:39 PM CST


medicine

medicine news stories

21 - 40 of 117 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >>

Multiple Adult Stem Cells May Make Treatment Trickier

Researchers find different types in organs, complicating search for therapeutic cells

(Newser) - There is probably more than one type of adult stem cell in the intestines and other organs, a University of Utah researcher finds—which means therapies based on the cells could be more complicated than expected. Scientists had hoped a single stem cell could fix damage to an entire organ, but the findings suggest the power of one cell could be limited, the BBC notes. More »

More about:  health care medicine stem cell research organs Mario Capecchi

 Climate Killing Medical Hopes 

UN conference highlights the dangers of fading biodiversity

(Newser) - The loss of biodiversity on Earth will seriously hamper efforts to cure human disease, AFP reports. Researchers at the UN-backed Business for the Environment conference highlighted undiscovered cures for pain, infections and even cancer that risk being lost forever if humans fail to reverse the widespread extinction of thousands of species caused, in large part, by climate change. More »

More about:  climate change environment medicine disease research extinction environmental damage biodiversity

Asia Unique in Geography of Flu Outbreaks

Climate, season seen as key in incubating strains of virus

(Newser) - Researchers have found yet another thing the West imports from China: the flu. East and Southeast Asia serve as a birthplace for new flu strains, the Times of London reports, thanks to the region’s unique mix of climates. By the time Europe and America get the sniffles six to nine months later, it’s usually a rerun of Asian-born strains. More »

More about:  medicine Asia flu vaccination influenza flu shot

New Drug Protects Body From Radiation

Promising treatment has potential medical, military applications

(Newser) - A promising new drug that protects animals from damaging radiation is ready for clinical trials in humans, the BBC reports. The drug interferes with the protein that ordinarily causes cell suicide in the presence of radiation, meaning it could be useful in treating cancer patients undergoing radiation as well as victims of a dirty bomb or nuclear attack. More »

More about:  cancer science medicine medical breakthrough cancer treatment radiation dirty bomb

Nurses With Doctorates
Ease Shortage

Advanced degrees, 'hybrid practitioners' raise questions

(Newser) - As part of the effort to counter the worsening doctor shortage, some 200 American nursing schools plan to train "hybrid practitioners" with doctorates in nursing practice who can function as independent primary care givers. But even as the concept of the DNP catches on, some physicians and nurse practitioners are raising red flags about the “doctor-nurse” designation, reports the Wall Street Journal. More »

More about:  medicine education doctor health care industry nurses physician shortage nursing

Scientists Build Immune System in Test Tube

Breakthrough could
make it easier, and safer, to test vaccines

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered a way to produce tiny artificial human immune systems, Time reports, a breakthrough that could transform vaccine research. The process—called Modular Immune In Vitro Construct—will allow researchers to test budding medicines as never before and possibly make faster progress against AIDS and other killers.  More »

More about:  medicine medical breakthrough vaccine HIV/AIDS immune system clinical trials

 When to Dump Your Doc 

If you leave feeling worse than you did when you arrived, find a new physician

(Newser) - Is it time to break up with your doctor? View your next physical the same way you would a date, then decide. Forbes outlines 10 red flags that might indicate "It's over." Your personalities just plain clash. Your doctor doesn't give you enough information about your health and doesn't take the time to explain his or her decisions. You spend way too much time in the waiting room each time you visit, and your doctor doesn't seem concerned when you mention it. More »

More about:  list health medicine doctor physician

New Aspirin Spares Users Stomachaches

Italian scientists
alter key molecule
in painkiller

(Newser) - Aspirin is one of the world’s top painkillers, but it has a nasty way of attacking the stomach lining. That could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a team of Italian researchers who have molecularly altered the drug. The new aspirin “has no side effects,” the lead researcher told the ANSA news agency. More »

More about:  medicine pharmaceutical painkiller clinical trials aspirin stomach

Heparin
Supply Chain Shaky in China

Troubles could trace back to vulnerable
raw materials

(Newser) - With at least four US patients dead and hundreds suffering complications from the blood-thinning drug heparin, the New York Times follows the supply chain back to Chinese slaughterhouses that deal with the pig intestines that provide raw material for the drug. Though companies say the chain is secure, the Times finds it vulnerable to contamination and lack of oversight. More »

Hormone Therapy Skews Diagnosis

Drugs increase false mammogram results, unnecessary biopsies

(Newser) - Women who use hormone replacement therapy to combat menopause symptoms are more likely to get false mammogram results and have unneeded biopsies, new research shows. The UCLA analysis of an earlier study of more than 16,000 women found that 35% of those on hormones received skewed test results, as opposed to 23% of women on a placebo, Reuters reports. More »

Docs Shelve Diabetes Study After Deaths

Findings contradict long-held doctrine of lowering blood sugar

(Newser) - Researchers have abruptly tabled a major study measuring the effects of lowering diabetics' blood sugar after a surprising number of deaths among participants. The results come as a shock to the medical community, which has long held that lowering blood sugar through diet and medication is the only way for diabetics to stave off heart disease, the New York Times reports. More »

Sex Drug
for Women Being Tested

Viagra-like treatment aims to boost
female libido, drive

(Newser) - The University of Virginia is set to become the latest institution to test a drug designed to boost the sex drive of women, the AP reports. LibiGel is a testosterone-laden ointment the patient rubs into her skin to increase energy and libido. Decreased sex drive is believed to affect one-third of American women. More »

More about:  women medicine testosterone sex drive

Mouthwash Could Spot Cancer

'Swish-and-spit' test to spot head and neck cancers

(Newser) - Scientists are working on a mouth rinse that could save lives by detecting head and neck cancers early, Reuters reports. A cheap and easy "swish-and-spit" saliva test could turn up cells containing the altered genes associated with these cancers. Head and neck cancers can often be cured, but early detection is essential. More »

More about:  cancer medicine smoking cancer research

UK Doctor Cooks Up Migraine Cure

Blot-clot medicine relieves headaches
in small early test

(Newser) - A British doctor's hunch about migraines shows early promise in bringing an end to the misery of the painful headaches, the Independent reports. Five patients were treated with a drug used for blood clots, which worked "spectacularly well," says cardiologist John Chambers. Now he's studying group of 280 to see whether the results hold up. More »

More about:  medicine doctor migraines headaches aspirin John Chambers