Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have set the stage for the rapid identification of compounds to fight against severe acquired respiratory syndrome (SARS), the atypical pneumonia responsible for about 800 deaths worldwide since first recognized in late 2002.
Cigarette smoking and concurrent infection with high levels of the virus associated with cervical cancer can increase cancer risk by as much as 27 times, according to a study published in the November 2006 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
There is no evidence antibiotics help the vast majority of patients with acute bronchitis, and doctors should stop routinely prescribing them, researchers reported on Wednesday.
Using nanotechnology, a team of University of Georgia researchers has developed a diagnostic test that can detect viruses as diverse as influenza, HIV and RSV in 60 seconds or less. In addition to saving time, the technique — which is detailed in the November issue of the journal Nano Letters — could save lives by rapidly detecting a naturally occurring disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack.
Regimens to treat HIV infection that are based on a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) are at least as effective as treatment with a protease inhibitor but require patients to take fewer pills each day, according to a new study funded in part by HHS? Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
In two studies presented during the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), held in Philadelphia November 9-15, caregivers considered the ?seal of approval? from the FDA to be the most important factor when looking for an effective asthma treatment for their child. Caregivers and physicians also expressed in the study the need for a standardized assessment tool that could help diagnose and monitor asthma.
Children treated with PULMICORT RESPULES? (budesonide inhalation suspension) either once or twice daily experienced a significantly greater increase in the percentage of asthma-control days compared to those receiving placebo. These results are being presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), held in Philadelphia on November 9-15. Asthma-control days were defined as days when children were free of symptoms and did not use rescue medications during the day and night. Control of asthma symptoms during the day and night and reduction of the need for rescue medication is an important goal of asthma therapy in keeping with current National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines.
Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed an inexpensive “gene chip” test based on a single influenza virus gene that could allow scientists to quickly identify flu viruses, including avian influenza H5N1.
Investigators are presenting more than 380 abstracts on preliminary findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Nov. 9-15. Following are highlights of some key investigations on allergic asthma.
As the Northern Hemisphere braces for another flu season, researchers at Florida State University’s National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida are making strides toward better understanding the mechanics of the virus that causes it — a virus that kills between one-quarter and one-half million people each year.