Health and Medicine

Research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia may advance treatment of the blood disease thalassemia

Hematology researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have discovered a gene and its associated protein that may have major implications for red blood cell formation, specifically for hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. Understanding how this protein functions may eventually lead to novel treatments for the hemoglobin-related blood disease, thala

Australian scientists are investigating new ways to mass-produce the active ingredients found in the herbal medicines – Echinacea, Ginseng and Gynostemma.
Extracts from these plants are commonly used to stimulate the immune system, alleviate cold and flu symptoms and boost energy levels.

“During winter many people will take herbal medicines to fight off colds and flu. There is an increasing demand for traditional sources of some popular medicinal herbs. Some of these plants grow very s

Australian scientists have developed a permanent contact lens to improve poor vision.

The synthetic lens can be surgically implanted to provide permanent, but reversible, correction of refractive error.

The CRC for Eye Research and Technology believe the new lens will enable some people to do away with the need to wear glasses.

The lens is designed to fit just under the top surface of the cornea, the clear covering at the front of the eye.

The synthetic materi

There is no evidence that MMR or single measles vaccines are associated with autism or inflammatory bowel disease, researchers announced today.

Their conclusion follows the most in-depth analysis of the scientific literature to date, and provides clear reassurance for parents and health professionals regarding the safety of MMR vaccination.

Their findings will be published in Clinical Evidence, the international source of the best available evidence for effective health care, publis

Copolymer 1, also called glatiramer acetate, is an unusual therapeutic compound, a heterogeneous mix of polypeptides containing the four amino acids Y, E, A, and K in definite ratios but with no uniform sequence. Although its mode of action remains controversial, this preparation clearly helps retard the progression of human multiple sclerosis (MS) and of the related autoimmune condition, studied in mice, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Copolymer 1 is presented on class II MHC molecu

A group of anti-cancer agents that once produced dismal results in clinical trials could once again be a promising tool in fighting the deadly disease, thanks to research by a team of chemists at the University of Washington and in Germany.

The agents, called maytansinoids, were first discovered in the 1970s when scientists looked for tumor inhibitors in a rare Ethiopian plant. The same group of maytansinoids was later isolated from a new bacteria species. The compounds held great promise b