Efforts to vaccinate “infants against rotavirus could save the lives of millions of children in developing nations who would otherwise die from the diarrhea-causing disease, two new studies show,” HealthDay/BusinsessWeek reports. The studies track diarrhea deaths among children vaccinated against rotavirus in Africa and Mexico and appear in the Jan…
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published the first study demonstrating that Rotarix™, GlaxoSmithKline’s rotavirus vaccine, significantly prevented severe rotavirus gastroenteritis during the first year of life in African babies. In the study Rotarix prevented the disease in 61.2% of these infants. The study also showed that Rotarix…
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced that the European Commission has approved Herceptin (trastuzumab) in combination with chemotherapy for use in patients with HER2-positive metastatic stomach (gastric) cancer…
Janet Bunch of Chicago had just experienced another “excruciating” bout of diverticulitis, an inflammation of the pockets in the lining of the colon. “It was the second time in 19 months and the pain was worse than you could imagine,” said Bunch, 64, a resident of Chicago. Mild cases of diverticulitis can be treated with changes in diet, rest and antibiotics…
Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered how the virulent food-borne bacteria Listeria monocytogenes induces infected immune cells to sabotage their own defensive response. The studies offer insight into host-pathogen interactions and suggest potential therapeutic targets for food poisoning, tuberculosis and autoimmune diseases. In the Feb…
The number of Americans buying prescription drugs to treat digestive conditions climbed over 50 percent, rising from 18.1 million to 29 million people between 1997 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Total annual spending for these drugs increased from $7 billion to nearly $19 billion from from 1997 to 2007 ( in 2007 dollars)…
Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis usually stay in the hospital for several days, waiting for the symptoms to subside, before undergoing surgery to remedy the condition. A new study from researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) indicates patients may no longer have to wait so long for surgery and could leave the hospital sooner…
Polymedco, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance of the OC-Sensor Diana, a high throughput automated system for the immunoassay fecal occult blood test (FIT) used for detecting gastrointestinal bleeding associated with disorders such as colorectal cancer, polyps and colitis…
In a study to be presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™ in Chicago, researchers unveiled findings that demonstrate a link between the birth defect gastroschisis and the agricultural chemical atrazine…
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite evidence and guidelines supporting the value of screening for this disease, rates of screening for colorectal cancer are consistently lower than those for other types of cancer, particularly breast and cervical…
The number of Americans buying prescription drugs to treat digestive conditions climbed over 50 percent, rising from 18.1 million to 29 million people between 1997 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Total annual spending for these drugs increased from $7 billion to nearly $19 billion from from 1997 to 2007 ( in 2007 dollars)…
The involvement of healthy volunteers (HV) in clinical and preclinical research, especially in gastroenterology, has grown dramatically over the past few years. However, many issues of ethical, methodological or even legal concerns have not been systematically studied. A research article published on January 28, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this problem…
Conventional hepatectomy is an effective way to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is invasive and stressful. Laparoscopic surgery, a kind of minimally invasive surgery, has recently gained considerable advances…
Testing has begun on a device that can sniff out the presence of disease by smell, thanks to a 1.3 million pound award from the Wellcome Trust. OdoReader, developed by Chris Probert from the University of Bristol and Norman Ratcliffe from the University of the West of England, uses pioneering technology to rapidly diagnose Clostridium difficile, by ‘reading’ the odour of stool samples…
Novus Scientific Pte. Ltd announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the company 510(k) clearance to market the TIGR™ Matrix Surgical Mesh, for use in reinforcement of soft tissues where weakness exists…
Barrett’s epithelium is recognized as a complication of erosive esophagitis and is the pre-malignant condition for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. A research team from Yokohama City University School of Medicine hypothesized that some macroscopic features of Barrett’s epithelium might be useful for identifying a subgroup with a high risk for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma…
Although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [comprising mainly Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)] is thought to affect about 150 000 people in the United Kingdom, the prevalence of severe IBD is not known. Mortality following hospitalization for IBD is significant but little has been reported on long-term follow-up…
Although several studies pertaining to the natural history of subepithelial tumors have been published, they have been limited by small sample size and relatively short follow-up. The natural history of subepithelial lesions has not been clearly elucidated, and the appropriate management strategy for small subepithelial tumors is still controversial…
It is already known that blueberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. New research from the Lund University Faculty of Engineering in Sweden shows that blueberry fibre are important and can alleviate and protect against intestinal inflammations, such as ulcerative colitis. The protective effect is even better if the blueberries are eaten together with probiotics…
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( CPIX) announced new top-line results for a patient preference study evaluating Kristalose (lactulose) for Oral Solution, a prescription laxative packaged as a crystalline powder, compared to similar products in liquid forms. Kristalose is the only prescription-strength laxative available in pre-measured powder packets…
New research by the University of Adelaide could help explain why some people are more prone to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other autoimmune diseases. A critical imbalance of the regulatory cells required to control the immune system has been revealed among people suffering inflammatory bowel disease…
“Based on our data, the molecular mechanism of infection employed by Salmonella has to be revised,” says Klemens Rottner, head of the HZI research group “Cytoskeleton Dynamics”. The group’s results have now been published in the current issue of the scientific journal Cellular Microbiology. Salmonella are highly adaptive bacteria…
The glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) null genotypes have been linked to increased risk of developing cancer. The results regarding the association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes and the risk of GC or CRC were contradictory. However, the majority of previous reports are limited by their small sample sizes…
Many alcoholic beverages contain byproducts of the materials used in the fermenting process. These byproducts are called “congeners,” complex organic molecules with toxic effects including acetone, acetaldehyde, fusel oil, tannins, and furfural. Bourbon has 37 times the amount of congeners that vodka has…
