Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Grapefruit Benefits

Polymorphism In Endostatin, An Angiogenesis Inhibitor, And Prostate Cancer Risk And Survival: A Prospective Study
UroToday.com - Angiogenesis is the process of new blood vessel formation in tumors, facilitating their growth. Endostatin is a cleavage product of collagen and is a potent inhibitor of endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Endostatin causes apoptosis in endothelial and tumor cells. Prostate cancer expresses angiogenic factors.
generic viagra online
Blogs Comment On 'Common Ground' Bill, Abortion Coverage In Health Reform Legislation, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~ "Democratic Bill Could Be a Preview of Obama"s Abortion Plan," Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report"s "God and Country": A recently introduced bill aimed at reducing the need for abortion is "big news because moderate to liberal faith-based advocates are urging the White House to adopt the bill ... as the core of its forthcoming "common ground" plan on abortion and reproductive health," Gilgoff writes. Some conservative religious groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "have warned the White House" that the bill is a "deal breaker" for them because of its support for comprehensive sex education and contraception, he writes. The White House "has refused to say which way it"s leaning," Gilgoff writes, adding the Obama administration could "buck" the groups that support the bill and "get behind" the Pregnant Women Support Act, "which is generally considered more robust on reducing demand for abortions and which leaves out contraceptive funding." However, he concludes, "that would be a pretty big surprise" (Gilgoff, "God and Country," U.S. News & World Report, 7/23).~ "New Report: Abortion Providers = American Human Rights Defenders, Now Under Increasing Attack," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: A new Center for Reproductive Rights report "calls on both the federal and state governments to address the growing threats against and stigmatization and abuse of abortion providers throughout the United States," Jacobson writes. The report "focuses on a key obstacle to the realization of women"s reproductive rights ... and recognizes their work as human rights defenders," she writes, adding that the U.S. has "historically been a leader both in creating and in encouraging accountability to human rights principles throughout the world." However, "[a]ccess to reproductive health care generally and abortion care specifically are basic human rights largely ignored within the context of U.S. domestic politics," Jacobson writes, noting that abortion access in the U.S. "has been increasingly limited due to the range of obstacles created through anti-choice advocacy." The report highlights several "types of rights violations [that] are most pervasive in limiting women"s choices and the rights of abortion providers," including "intimidation and harassment," "stigma" and "legal restrictions." The report makes a "series of recommendations for change at the state and local level for changes in policy and in law enforcement practices, as well as for the federal government, medical community and non-governmental organizations," Jacobson concludes, adding that the report "makes a special plea for the United Nations Special Rapporteur to document violations of women"s human rights in the United States" (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 7/22).~ "Sixteen Governors Call on Congress To Include Medicaid Family Planning State Option in Health Reform," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: "Sixteen governors have written a letter to both Senate and House Leadership "expressing strong support for the Medicaid Family Planning State Option,"" which is included in President Obama"s fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, Jacobson writes. The governors wrote, "Many of our states have created family planning expansion programs, though we have done so with great difficulty," adding, "Since the early 1990s, 27 states have been granted federal waivers to expand their Medicaid family planning coverage. These demonstration projects have been unqualified successes, providing care to millions of women while saving states [millions] of dollars." Jacobson continues, "The current Medicaid waiver process, however, "puts unnecessary roadblocks in the way of our efforts to maintain and expand coverage for family planning services,"" according to the governors. She adds, "Passing this law as part of health care reform "would give us the needed flexibility to quickly and efficiently expand cove
News of the day
Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission
What
Cardiovascular

The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative And Crucell Announce Collaboration To Test New Adenovirus-based Malaria Vaccine Approach

The US-based PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Malaria Vaccine Development Program (MVDP), and Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, Nasdaq: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) today announced a collaboration to accelerate development of a promising type of malaria vaccine. Through funding from the USAID MVDP, the partners will conduct studies to determine the effectiveness of Crucell"s novel prime-boost vaccine approach against the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. This approach uses Crucell"s proprietary recombinant adenoviruses (a type of virus associated with the common cold and other mild respiratory infections) to deliver a malaria antigen to the immune system. Dr. Jaap Goudsmit, Chief Scientific Officer at Crucell, commented, "This agreement is a strong validation of Crucell"s malaria vaccine approach. We are excited to have MVI as our partner and to have the support of USAID. The fact that MVI is backing our program testifies to the importance of our efforts to further progress the development of Crucell"s malaria vaccine." For MVI, this partnership adds to its existing portfolio a vaccine approach with the potential to elicit a more comprehensive immune response than has been seen to date from the circumsporozoite protein (CSP), the only antigen that has proven to be protective against malaria in controlled challenge studies and field studies. Using Crucell"s AdVac® technology with two different vectors-the adenovirus serotypes Ad35 and Ad26 -as delivery mechanisms, this approach seeks to elicit a protective immune response obtained from delivering the CSP. The safety, immunogenicity and efficacy data from these studies will further advance the research forward development of a safe and highly efficacious malaria vaccine. "Adenoviruses are one of the most potent vaccine delivery systems tested to date in humans. We are excited about the potential of Crucell"s adenovirus-based program and the novel Ad35/Ad26 approach. The prime-boost regimen may be a critical next step in malaria vaccine development and, if successful, could move us toward our goal of having an 80 percent efficacious vaccine in use by 2025," said MVI Director, Dr. Christian Loucq. Crucell is developing a recombinant malaria vaccine, Ad35-CS, based on the company"s AdVac® technology and PER.C6® manufacturing platform. The vaccine candidate is made by inserting the CSP gene from the P. Falciparum malaria parasite into adenoviral vectors, which act as a "vehicle" for vaccination delivery. This prime vaccine candidate is currently being tested in a Phase 1 study in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This new collaboration will make it possible to clinically develop the Ad26 boost component of the vaccine and allow Crucell to further strengthen and expedite its malaria development program. Carter Diggs at the USAID MVDP said, "We are pleased to support this adenovirus approach, which could play a vital role in malaria vaccine development." About AdVac® technology AdVac® technology is a vaccine technology developed by Crucell and is considered to play an important role in the fight against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and in biodefense. The technology supports the practice of inserting genetic material from the disease-causing virus or parasite into a "vehicle" called a vector, which then delivers the immunogenic material directly to the immune system. Most vectors are based on an adenovirus, such as the virus that causes the common cold. AdVac® technology is specifically designed to manage the problem of pre-existing immunity in humans against the most commonly used recombinant vaccine vector, adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5), without compromising large-scale production capabilities or the immunogenic properties of Ad5. AdVac® technology is based on adenoviruses that do not regularly occur in the human population, such as Ad26 and Ad35. In contrast to Ad26 and Ad35 antibodies, antibodies to Ad5 are widespread among people of all ages and are known to lower the immune response to Ad5-based vaccines, thereby impairing the efficacy of these vaccines. All vaccine candidates based on AdVac® are produced using Crucell"s PER.C6® production technology. About PER.C6® technology Crucell"s PER.C6® technology is a cell line developed for the large-scale manufacture of biopharmaceutical products including vaccines. The production-scale potential of the PER.C6® cell line has been demonstrated in an unprecedented successful bioreactor run of 20,000 liters. Compared to conventional production technologies, the strengths of the PER.C6® technology lie in its excellent safety profile, scalability and productivity under serum-free culture conditions. These characteristics, combined with its ability to support the growth of both human and animal viruses, make PER.C6® technology the biopharmaceutical production technology of choice for Crucell"s current and potential pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. About Malaria Malaria is one of today"s top three killers among communicable diseases. The disease currently represents one of the most prevalent infections in tropical and subtropical areas, causing severe illness in approximately 250 million individuals worldwide and causing close to 900,000 deaths every year. Most of these deaths occur among children under the age of five and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, mortality associated with severe or complicated malaria still exceeds 10 to 30 percent. Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted, person-to-person, through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. Although the overwhelming majority of illness and death associated with malaria occurs in the developing world, this disease also affects travellers. PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI)


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009