SensiGen LLC has made an announcement about a new program to make the company’s AttoSense™ HPV assay available to head and neck cancer researchers worldwide. The declaration has followed the announcement of results of recent studies conducted at the University of Michigan. These conclude that the success of various treatment options is determined by the viral load of HPV in tissue samples from patients. With the AttoSense™ HPV test, selecting the most effective therapy for a particular patient will be easier. The diagnostic assay can accurately identify minute quantities of the biomarkers that indicate the beginning of major diseases or their causing pathogens.

A research conducted by the University of Texas Medical School has discovered some antibodies that have the potential to prevent an HIV-positive person from progressing to AIDS. This study could be used to develop a vaccine or microbicides to prevent people who are not infected with HIV from getting in contact with it. Catalytic antibodies attack on HIV’s outer shell where the virus binds to immune system cells, preventing the entry of virus into the cells. According to the researchers, the antibodies are present in lupus patients whose immune systems, generally, malfunction and produce a number of unusual antibodies.

Applied Biosystems’ ultra-high-throughput genomic analysis platform, the SOLID™ System, generates genome-wide expression profiling data at the single cell level. This can help in finding details about cell fate, accelerating the discovery of biomarkers for disease. Ability to generate such profiles of gene activity from single stem can give an idea on variation between molecules of genetically identical stem cells. Detailed characterizations of this kind give scientists a better understanding of the application of these cells in regenerative therapies for damaged cells and organs. The sensitivity of the SOLiD System, which is higher than the currently used micro-array technology, enables researchers to generate detailed gene expression profiles from the trace amounts of RNA present in single cell and cancer samples.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an immune globulin product called Gamunex for the treating a rare autoimmune disorder, CIDP. It is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and impaired sensory function in the limbs.
Designated as an orphan drug by the FDA, manufacturers have been provided with financial incentives to develop Gamunex. Caused by the damage to the myelin sheath that protects the nerve fibers, CIDP can be treated by Gamunex which is made from the plasma in human blood containing antibodies that fight infections. Talecris Biotherapeutics Inc. is the manufacturer of Gamunex.

The Australian Patent Office has awarded BioCurex Inc. its first patent to develop applications of its proprietary RECAF technology to therapy. The approval is a sequel of the first approval to diagnostic application that was a part of the original filing. The company owns the technology to use RECAF, a molecule which is present inside and on the surface of cancer cells. These cells release some RECAF into the blood stream. This has led to the development of a blood test for cancer which can successfully diagnose about 90% of patients with malignancies with precision.

A research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has combined futuristic nanotechnology with an old drug to treat atherosclerotic plaques. The scientists have found that drug-laced nano-particles in collaboration with a statin can curb the growth of blood vessels that lead to arterial plaques. The findings suggest that this treatment also prevents these tiny vessels from resuming their growth. The test on rabbits, if successful in human patients with atherosclerosis, can prove to be a boon.

A research conducted by the University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute has concluded that a knee surgery does not relieve osteoarthritis patients from joint pain and provide for no improvement in knee functioning. A minimally invasive surgical procedure, arthroscopic surgery, adds no therapeutic value to medication and physical therapy for patients suffering from moderate osteoarthritis. The authors of the study have suggested that the resources which are currently allotted to arthroscopy for osteoarthritis could be utilized in a better way if directed elsewhere.

A research at the School of Naturopathic Medicine at BastyrUniversity in Kenmore, Washington has revealed that St. John’s wort is not an effective treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) funded the study. Most herbal supplements like the St. John’s wort, tend to interact with other medications. Therefore, these should not be taken unless advised by the doctor. The researchers did not find any significant differences between the groups of children given St. John’s wort against those given placebo.

One-fifth of Ayurvedic medicines made in the United States and India ordered from 25 websites by a team from Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center were found to have metallic poisons such as lead, mercury or arsenic. About 21 percent of 193 Ayurvedic medicines tested had some or more of the metals. Moreover, half of those exceeded established standards for exposure levels. Some of these herbs are very promising treatments for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, but the researchers suggested that strictly enforced, government-mandated daily dose limits for toxic metals in all dietary supplements were necessary to ensure safety. They also suggest that all manufacturers should demonstrate compliance through independent third-party testing.