Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIR) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to broaden its expanded access program (EAP) for Prochymal, now making the investigational stem cell product available to adults with life-threatening Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD). In May of 2008, FDA approved the first Prochymal EAP for the treatment of pediatric GvHD [...] Read more »

Continuous poverty during their toddler years can curb the height of children by the time they reach kindergarten, even in industrialized countries, according to a new study from the Université de Montréal. Regardless of hereditary factors such as maternal height and education level, according research published in the Journal of Epidemiology Community Health, children from [...] Read more »

Three new genetic variations that increase the risk of obesity are revealed in a new study, published today in the journal Nature Genetics. The authors suggest that if each acted independently, these variants could be responsible for up to 50% of cases of severe obesity. Together with existing research, the new findings [...] Read more »

Researchers have identified a biochemical switch required for nerve cells to respond to DNA damage. The finding, scheduled for advance online publication in Nature Cell Biology, illuminates a connection between proteins involved in neurodegenerative disease and in cells’ response to DNA damage. Most children with the inherited disease ataxia [...] Read more »

Tufts University has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to design an obesity prevention program for new immigrants. Led by Principal Investigator Christina D. Economos, PhD, the clinical trial will randomize more than 400 mothers and their elementary school age children living in Somerville, Mass., and follow them for two years. [...] Read more »

UroToday.com – In a recent journal article, Dr. Dario Prais et al. evaluated the burden of neonatal UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) in Israel and its relationship to circumcision. The group first reviewed medical records of neonates (T2 months old) hospitalized with UTI. The second part of the study consisted of a telephone survey to assess [...] Read more »

According to an article published in The Lancet this week, the prophylactic administration of a blood cell growth factor to premature babies does not improve survival or reduce sepsis (systemic infection), despite raising immune cell counts. The study was carried out by Dr. Robert Carr, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust, London, [...] Read more »

The use of small, laparoscopic equipment to correct pyloric stenosis in newborn children has advantages over open surgery – but the laparoscopic technique should only be performed in centres with the required level of expertise. Read The Full Article…For Children With Pyloric Stenosis, Laparoscopic Technique Has Advantages Over Open Surgery Read more »

The compound, α-difluoromethylornithine or DFMO, targets the activity of a specific enzyme and, even in very limited doses, is effective in protecting against the malignancy in animal models. The study was published in the January 15, 2009 issue of the journal, Cancer Research (Volume 69, Issue 2). “The drug, [...] Read more »

The Chinese authorities released on Thursday the results of a 2006 survey that showed most women in China would like to have more than the one child they are currently allowed under the country’s strict one child per couple rule. The Chinese government says [...] Read more »