Study sheds new light on aggressive childhood cancer
EU-funded researchers have uncovered some of the complex molecular mechanisms that drive the growth of neuroblastoma, a type of cancer found in very young children. The scientists hope that their findings, published in the journal Cancer Cell, will lead to the development of new therapies to treat this often aggressive and unpredictable disease.
Read more ...
Metabolic disturbances indicate progress of the disease even years in advance
Finnish scientists have reported a breakthrough in the attempts to understand the development of type 1 diabetes. They discovered disturbances in lipid and amino acid metabolism in children who later progressed to type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes. The alterations preceded the autoimmune response by months to years.
Read more ...
Expert System for Automatic Analysis of Data Quality in Clinical Trials
In the framework of the development scheme 'Central Innovation Scheme for Medium-sized Businesses' of the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology (BMWI), clinIT AG, based in Freiburg, Germany, has been awarded a six-figure federal grant in cooperation with the Institute for Informatics of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Faculty for Data Bases and Information Systems.
Read more ...
New discovery: lethal fungus reproduces sexually
Researchers in Ireland and the UK have found that a lethal fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, reproduces sexually. The findings represent a major breakthrough in the understanding of this pathogen, which causes death in 50% of infected immune-deficient patients.
Read more ...
New mouse model for study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Italian researchers have bred mice that exhibit similar deficits to those experienced by people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a prion disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The EU-funded study, published in the journal Neuron, provides insights that may help to diagnose prion diseases early, when therapeutic intervention may be effective.
Read more ...
UK's Government and Industry in drug price deal
A new deal has been reached between the UK's Government and the pharmaceutical industry means that more patients will benefit from a wider range of innovative drug treatments at a fair price to the NHS. The flexible pricing scheme agreed will ensure that medicines fairly reflect their value to patients, branded drugs will see their price cut, and industry innovations will be encouraged and rewarded.
Read more ...
EU project IMMIDIET warns: control hypertension in Europe
An EU-funded population study has shown that hypertension, an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is a serious problem in Europe. The results of the IMMIDIET project indicate that high blood pressure has become more common in Italy than in England or Belgium, a reversal of the commonly accepted trend.
Read more ...