Identified a cause of resistance to colon cancer treatment
Doctors and researchers of Hospital del Mar and its research institute, the IMIM, have lead a study describing a new pharmacological resistance to cancer. This new mechanism is a mutation in an oncogene called EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) causing resistance to treatment using a drug called cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody which specifically attacks the EGFR.
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Cancer studies warn over NHS cost-cutting
A leading cancer researcher has identified very high levels of doctor-patient trust and confidence within the NHS. University of Leicester researcher Professor Paul Symonds also highlights the risk of jeopardizing this record of success if measures to become more cost effective are not carefully thought through and implemented. In two papers published this month in the journal Clinical Oncology, Professor Paul Symonds of the Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, assesses attitudes and beliefs concerning cancer care in the UK.
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The concept of 'overactive bladder' serves better commercial rather than patient interests
"The overactive bladder syndrome has become an accepted way to simplify a complex array of symptoms and leads people to believe that an overactive bladder is an independent disease in itself. However, the truth is not as simple as this, as there are usually several factors at work explaining the symptoms. This is also one of the reasons why so called overactive bladder medications often do not bring the hoped result," says Kari Tikkinen, MD, PhD, from the HUCS Department of Urology.
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Scientists shed new light on link between 'killer cells' and diabetes
Killer T-cells in the human body which help protect us from disease can inadvertently destroy cells that produce insulin, new research has uncovered. The study provides the first evidence of this mechanism in action and could offer new understanding of the cause of Type 1 diabetes. Professor Andy Sewell, an expert in human T-cells from Cardiff University's School of Medicine worked alongside diabetes experts from King's College London to better understand the role of T-cells in the development of Type 1 diabetes.
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Ireland welcomes Allergan Pharmaceuticals $350 million expansion
IDA Ireland welcomed the announcement by Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland that it is to invest $350 million in its Westport operation to expand both its development and manufacturing capabilities. The expansion will result in the creation of approximately 200 new jobs at the site over the next four years and an estimated 250 indirect jobs locally, during the construction period. The investment is supported by IDA Ireland.
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Ovarian cancer study proves drug delays disease progression
Treating ovarian cancer with the drug bevacizumab ("Avastin") delays the disease and may also improve survival, show the results of an international clinical trial co-led by Drs. Amit Oza of the Princess Margaret Cancer Program, University Health Network and Timothy Perren, St James's Institute of Oncology, Leeds, UK. The findings, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, report that the drug halted the cancer's return for two months overall.
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Can nerve growth factor gene therapy prevent diabetic heart disease?
Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and can reduce blood supply to the heart tissue and damage cardiac cells, resulting in heart failure. New research has investigated if nerve growth factor (NGF) gene therapy can prevent diabetic heart failure and small vascular disease in mice. The study by Professor Costanza Emanueli, British Heart Foundation Senior Research Fellow and colleagues of the Bristol Heart Institute in the Regenerative Medicine Section of the School of Clinical Sciences at the University of Bristol is published online in Diabetes, which is the journal of the American Diabetes Association.
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