Category: News Archive

After the US Food and Drug Administration analysed samples of its product Viapro 375 mg capsules, sold as an alternative to Viagra, EG Labs announced a recall of all batches because of a possible risk to users. The capsules contain an undeclared active ingredient, thio-methisosildenafil, a chemical relative of sildenafil (the ingredient of Viagra), which […]

We should take our mothers' advice: eating vegetables keeps blindness away. Age-related macular degeneration causes vision loss in Americans aged 60 and over, but many studies show that foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin help protect against it, as these substances are antioxidants. The body can't make them; they come from food, mainly from green […]

Scientists at the University of Manchester are working out how natural sugars in the body could be used to guide stem cell treatments for heart disease and nerve injuries. Every cell that makes up the body's tissues, such as liver, skin, brain and blood, is coated in a layer of sugars. This layer defines the […]

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that a protein called Notch helps human embryonic stem cells decide their final fate, an important step towards stem cell treatments. The results were published in Cell Stem Cell. Human embryonic stem cells receive signals from neighbouring cells telling them either to stay as stem cells or to turn […]

In a study at the University of Rochester Medical Center, neuroscientists found that statins, among the most prescribed drugs, affect brain cells in the lab. They looked at glial progenitor cells, stem-like cells that keep the brain healthy because they are the main source of other cells the brain needs, and found that statins push […]

Researchers at cancer centres have confirmed that gene tests can predict which lung cancer patients have a lower chance of survival, and so which patients may need more intensive treatment. They examined tumour samples from 442 lung cancer patients at six cancer hospitals in North America, studying the activity of hundreds of genes along with […]

The American Academy of Pediatrics stresses that breast milk is the best food for babies. Formulas based on soy protein have been available for nearly a century as an alternative to cow's milk formulas for babies who can't tolerate them. The Academy has now updated its advice on soy formula and set out the pros […]

Schizophrenia is a severe, complex mental illness that affects about 1% of people. Diagnosis relies on clinical interviews and the assessment of vague symptoms, which often delays diagnosis and treatment, so a biomarker that shows the risk or onset of schizophrenia would help a great deal. Dr Schwarz and colleagues looked for a "protein fingerprint" […]

Scientists have identified a compound in human saliva that speeds up wound healing. This gives hope to people with chronic wounds, such as people with diabetes, as well as wounds from injuries and burns. Fortunately it can be produced in large amounts, so it could be made into antibacterial creams. "We hope this will be […]

Platelets play a key role in blood clotting, and their numbers often drop in people having chemotherapy or with some kinds of anaemia. Platelets from blood donors carry a risk of infection and other side effects, especially for people who need repeated transfusions, so scientists have tried to make platelets from another source: embryonic stem […]

Roxane Laboratories, out of concern for the health of patients using its medicines, announced that batch 856396A of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Suspension contains a strain of yeast that could affect people with weak immune systems. The company says the contamination may come from a batch of high-density polyethylene used in the containers. The yeast can […]

A study published in the journal Hypertension found that children born with a low birth weight are more likely to develop high blood pressure when they eat more salt, and have smaller kidneys than children of normal birth weight. This may explain the higher rates of high blood pressure and heart and kidney disease in […]