Tag Archives: science

New drug formulations to boost fight against respiratory illnesses, antibiotic-resistant superbugs

A team of five researchers and clinicians in Singapore led by Dr Desmond Heng, ICES, has developed a new combination of drugs to effectively combat bacteria in the lungs which lead to common respiratory system infections, or bacteria-linked pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis. An acute upper respiratory tract infection, which includes the common flu, was reported to be among the top four conditions diagnosed at polyclinics for eight consecutive years, from 2006 to 2013. Pneumonia on the other hand, was the second leading cause of death in 2012, contributing to 16.8 per cent of the total number of deaths from illnesses behind cancer…

Researchers unlock genetic code of cancer-causing liver fluke parasite

GIS’s DNA analysistechnique has allowed the researchers to further study the biology of Opisthorchis viverrini to understand the cause and the eventual development of treatments for bile duct cancer, a condition caused by the parasite. The breakthrough was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Opisthorchis viverrini is a trematode that infects millions in Asia, and it is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). …

Prostate cancer: Pioneering new imaging method — ScienceDaily

Severely ill prostate cancer patients are helping researchers test a diagnostic tool that involves injecting a radioactive substance into their bodies. Norway has the fifth highest mortality rate for prostate cancer in Europe. Four doses of a radioactive tracer called 18F- FACBC are on their way from Oslo to Trondheim in a private jet. Three NTNU researchers, one doctor, two radiographers and a bioengineer fidget nervously as they wait…

Sorting cells with sound waves

Separating cells with sound offers a gentler alternative to existing cell-sorting technologies, which require tagging the cells with chemicals or exposing them to stronger mechanical forces that may damage them. “Acoustic pressure is very mild and much smaller in terms of forces and disturbance to the cell. …

Symptoms after breast cancer surgery need to be treated on an individual basis

The authors state that it is crucial for good aftercare to understand and document a patient’s symptoms and target the treatment accordingly. Special attention will have to be paid to the risk of certain groups of patients: younger, premenopausal women suffer notably more from the effects of breast cancer than older women. In any case, women about to be given treatment for breast cancer should be given detailed information about late sequelae. source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140826085730.htm

Symptoms after breast cancer surgery need to be treated on an individual basis — ScienceDaily

The authors state that it is crucial for good aftercare to understand and document a patient’s symptoms and target the treatment accordingly. Special attention will have to be paid to the risk of certain groups of patients: younger, premenopausal women suffer notably more from the effects of breast cancer than older women. In any case, women about to be given treatment for breast cancer should be given detailed information about late sequelae. source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140826085730.htm

Prostate cancer prevention trial identifies men mostly likely to undergo challenging study procedure — ScienceDaily

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial which tested the efficacy of finasteride, a drug used for prostate cancer prevention. This study was conducted by SWOG — a cancer research cooperative group that designs and conducts multidisciplinary clinical trials. …