New male contraceptive clears hurdle

Tyler Dunlap, a 27-year-old newlywed in San Francisco, is just one of the many American men eagerly awaiting the results of a large clinical trial in India. more  

Parents need to be educated about HPV vaccinations for daughters

Parents of young girls may soon be offered the opportunity to have their daughters immunised against a sexually transmitted virus that is the major cause of cervical cancer, the 4th International Conference on Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Medicine heard today (Thursday 30 March). more

Treatment reduces gastric ulcers in at-risk patients using long-term NSAIDS

Results from two clinical trials, to be published in the April 2006 edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, indicate that esomeprazole magnesium can reduce the incidence of gastric (stomach) ulcers in patients at risk of developing gastric ulcers and who regularly take either non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or COX-2-selective NSAIDs. more  

Pain killer fights breast cancer by targeting key enzyme

A pain–killing medication appears to halt the production of an enzyme that is key to a common form of breast cancer, a new study using tissue cultures suggests. more

First clinical trial of gene therapy for muscular dystrophy now under way 

The first gene therapy human trial in the United States for a form of muscular dystrophy is under way. more

Researchers identify OCD risk gene  

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have identified a previously unknown gene variant that doubles an individual's risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The new functional variant, or allele, is a component of the serotonin transporter gene (SERT), site of action for the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that are today's mainstay medications for OCD, other anxiety disorders, and depression. more

Scientists discover new gene responsible for spread of cancer

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have identified a new gene that causes the spread of cancer. more