tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77268302009-10-24T08:51:35.381-05:00A daily look at bioscience developments that impact business, higher education, government, and economic development Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.comBlogger457125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-53827683222533805442009-10-24T08:45:00.002-05:002009-10-24T08:51:35.789-05:00

No one said how well it worked, but some doctors are reported to have tried giving patients with severe cases of swine flu doses of nitric oxide (NO) to help their blood vessels expand and work better, and then turning them upside down in a special bed to help their lungs work better. Doctors in Australia and New Zealand even started treating severe cases with an aggressive, unusual treatment

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-91798310269101055392009-09-15T14:59:00.003-05:002009-09-15T15:14:42.945-05:00

The NIH study of the newest H1N1 investigational flu vaccine has confirmed--in spades--the positive results of an earlier industry study. It looks like recipients of the new flu vaccine will have a significant immune response in just 8 to 10 days after injection. And happily this new approach requires only one shot, instead of a shot-plus-booster combination.They should be starting to offer the

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-14410283684464470802009-07-31T15:51:00.001-05:002009-07-31T15:53:22.626-05:00

Image via WikipediaNot good news. If you feel like you get winded sooner than you ought to, you won't be surprised to hear that more than one study has determined that what the EPA has called acceptable levels of ozone are clearly detrimental to normal healthy breathing. Several hours of living in those levels will affect how forcibly a person can exhale (exhaling is the process in people with

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-71344145975974906032009-07-17T11:53:00.003-05:002009-07-17T11:57:03.560-05:00

As with most things, everybody has an agenda when it comes to nano, according to the former CEO of a Chicago nanomaterials manufacturer. The people who make the materials are concerned of course with profitability and with observing all the laws and regulations governing worker safety. The scientists want funding for research and legislation requiring strict standards of safety. The universities

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-27676745949194366712009-06-20T21:09:00.005-05:002009-06-20T21:28:53.666-05:00

Well, we already figured out that nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels, plays a big role in male erections. It's a component of some erectile dysfunction drugs. Now they've found that sildenafil (viagra) which releases nitric oxide can be used to help newborn infants with breathing problems.Apparently nitric oxide gas has traditionally been used to help little ones breathe, and it's very

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-23106920896359899982009-03-31T09:36:00.004-05:002009-03-31T09:47:25.900-05:00

British scientists are starting a project that promises to have human beings receiving injections of infection-free synthetic blood within 3 years. The goal is to find embryonic stem cells of type "O" which can be used for any other blood type and encourage them to grow into mature, oxygen-carrying blood cells in unlimited amounts.Imagine a day when there are no more crises that require people to

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-84977715854918289022009-02-07T06:17:00.003-06:002009-02-07T06:36:23.373-06:00

Had to look up several references but was finally able to confirm that nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, when combined with melatonin, measurably improves antidepressant effects in mice. Now the combination of nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and melatonin are being tested prophylactically to help with sleep disturbances that are associated with stroke and to effectively reduce post-stroke

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-48223992173636602672008-12-30T09:47:00.007-06:002008-12-30T10:08:50.174-06:00

The FDA took a stand recently when it approved a new propellant for asthma inhalers. Up until the ruling, inhalers were made with propellants containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)--now known to be harmful to the Earth's ozone layer. The new chemical, HFA (hydrofluoroalkane), is considered safe for human ingestion but is much safer for the earth's environment. AstraZeneca is currently recruiting

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-14076422513918585062008-12-10T12:49:00.005-06:002008-12-10T13:06:43.164-06:00

A product that can help people with medical problems from controlling diabetes to growing hair to preserving transplant organs? Snake oil, anyone? Nope. A blue bandage made with synthetic nanoparticles promises just such wonders. Its secret? When you wet the bandage, the way the fibers degrade releases nitric oxide--a natural chemical that works wonders for people but that diabetics don't make

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-66615625171559144302008-10-24T09:45:00.003-05:002008-10-24T09:59:53.766-05:00

I remember wondering a while back why I loved green beans so much when they didn't appear to have an especially high food value/nutrition. A few years ago I was excited to learn that green beans, in fact, contain something called flavonoids (a recently discovered nutrient) that were really good for you. Hurray, I thought. My body's wisdom does work after all.Today I found this on the value of

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-6620630106716957192008-10-14T09:53:00.003-05:002008-10-14T10:02:08.999-05:00

Interesting discussion here on how the financial and credit crisis in American is causing upheaval in the healthcare industry and is expected to continue to do so. Hospitals delaying construction; purchases of high technology gadgets canceled; doctors delaying retirement because of investment losses. Good coverage on both sides of the issue--the negatives but also the positives that could come

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-43564992880613331332008-10-11T08:00:00.004-05:002008-10-11T08:12:23.213-05:00

If you live in one of the states that's got a location, this sounds like it's worth attending. The Nanotechnology Colloqium is presenting a video-conference lecture through the auspices of the University of Texas by Jan Beck, PhD--whose credentials as an expert on nanoscale engineering are impressive.The blurb says you don't have to know math or quantum physics to understand how the materials are

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-10488624183871980272008-08-18T08:46:00.003-05:002008-08-18T09:01:15.705-05:00

Believe it or not, a couple of the drugs you see advertised on television for asthma are actually being used in combination with other drugs as a deterrent against the slow but deadly progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). My mother had this difficult disease, and we watched as it progressed over the years into emphysema.The industry-sponsored study refers to positive

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-29575005330354701232008-08-07T08:18:00.002-05:002008-08-07T08:41:20.268-05:00

One-third of uninsured Americans have at least one chronic disease, according to a new report from the Annals of Internal Medicine, including asthma/COPD, diabetes, heart disease, and previous cancer. It refutes suggestions that the uninsured are mainly healthy people not much in need healthcare.Latest stats are that 43 million Americans are without insurance. The nearly 11 and a half million

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-45448381933938425442008-07-19T05:51:00.010-05:002008-07-19T09:49:24.315-05:00

Watched a Chicago angel investors' group at work this past week. Sword Diagnostics presented the business plan and revenue projections for its new super-sensitive biomarker testing technology. The quote in their presentation is from the CEO of GE, Jeff Immelt: "Over the next decade, $250 billion in healthcare spending will shift from disease treatment to diagnosis."Sword uses its own version of

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-75997740050188534232008-07-03T09:07:00.003-05:002008-07-03T09:27:45.028-05:00

If you were a bookworm or otherwise inclined to stay inside when you were a kid, your mom may have yelled at you to get outside and play. Turns out she was right--that being outside is literally good for your health.Vitamin D, that elusive nutrient that's only available from sunshine and from vitamin supplements, seems to play a significant role in death rates. A study shows people tend to die

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-8215791867452482222008-06-27T07:43:00.004-05:002008-06-27T08:08:36.971-05:00

I've had a long busy couple of weeks, but today I read this and simply had to take the time to share it.New studies in neuroscience are proving that RNA is directly moderated by environmental influences and it, in turn, moderates the expression--or non-expression--of genetic coding in our DNA. Integrative biologist Daniela Kaufer found, "Under stress, molecules outside the genome change the RNA

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-86846397628200651962008-06-08T16:15:00.000-05:002008-06-10T16:16:27.624-05:00

One of our favorite multi-use substances, nitric oxide, is doing it again. This time it's being released to work its healing magic by a new substance called iroxanadine (now being put into the works to get approved for Phase II clinical trials). A report about the study appeared recently in a financial news source online.Given that most treatments have focused on simply preventing infection

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-47634430945506863602008-05-30T07:18:00.001-05:002008-05-30T07:19:54.647-05:00

Like our hot topic nitric oxide, which behaves either favorably to the body and or not depending on circumstances, amount, etc., scientists have now discovered among the 1000 other bacteria species living in the human stomach a molecule that can both promote and protect from inflammation in the gut.Some researchers suspect that an upset in the fine-tuned balance of the stomach's ecosystem may be

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-39519758119226979172008-05-25T13:05:00.007-05:002008-05-25T15:53:19.273-05:00

The first attempts at creating artificial blood were disastrous for the most part. Patients suffered high rates of heart attacks and damage to kidneys, pancreas, liver and so on. The applications for a successful substitute for human blood are endless; the path to creating one fraught with medical--and human--challenges.In this article about 2nd generation blood substitutes, some pharma

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-86807295305248618642008-05-20T10:54:00.004-05:002008-05-25T15:56:53.463-05:00

Like leaving simple but extremely attractive food out for mice to eat and lacing it with disguised poison, the NeoPharm company's NeoLipid® technology entices tumor cells to consume lots of fats (lipids) that are secretly loaded with drugs. The liposomal product--a microscopic spherical particle with an outside fat layer that encloses a compartment you can put liquids in--feeds the hungry tumor

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-18537021179315747232008-05-15T10:42:00.002-05:002008-05-25T13:41:12.538-05:00

An inexpensive NSAID drug called salsalate is already being used to safely and effectively treat arthritis. Now it's been discovered this anti-inflammatory drug reduces blood sugar in addition to lowering inflammation. Type 2 diabetes patients may get big benefits from these effects. Ironically, this blood-sugar-lowering side effect of salicylates was discovered 150 years ago--and no one thought

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-88768860159177427212008-05-10T09:57:00.000-05:002008-05-25T10:11:17.033-05:00

Once again nitric oxide (NO) shows itself as a multitalented and multitasking substance. In a new study researchers have found that it's not just how much or how little of it your cells have, but how much nitric oxide is being added or taken away from proteins by the body's enzymes--the removal process itself (dynitrosylation) seems to trigger apoptosis (cell death) in the cells it's being

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-59342135788398033512008-05-04T09:56:00.008-05:002008-05-25T14:05:12.566-05:00

Scientists are more worried about the potential dangers of inappropriate use of nanotechnologies than the public is. And that's mainly because most of the public has little or no idea what nanotechnology really is and what it can do.In their recent telephone survey of American households and nanotech scientists and engineers, two university professors who did the study say this reaction is

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726830.post-17179678569339205102008-04-25T05:08:00.001-05:002008-04-25T05:10:56.601-05:00

Not having it both ways in the cost-savings game. Big Pharma goes and runs clinical trials with the Chinese poor at a fraction of the cost of running them in the US. US companies save tons of money, and Chinese medical staff appreciate the training they end up receiving during such trials.But the other side of the coin is that saving money can introduce risks. Chinese doctors are often so

Barbara Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202170809747136337noreply@blogger.com0