Archive for May 2nd, 2012
Novel Biologic Targets Lupus [while a more effective & less expensive phototherapy continues to be ignored]
May 2nd, 2012 | 
Author: Just a year after the appearance of belimumab, the first new treatment for lupus in 50 years, the anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody epratuzumab is emerging as another potential therapy, a researcher reported here.
Among patients with moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus, those who received a cumulative dose of 2,400 mg of intravenous epratuzumab had response rates at 12 weeks of 43.2%, compared with a rate of 21.1% among those given placebo (P=0.02)…
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Europe selects Jupiter mission
The European Space Agency (Esa) is to mount a billion-euro mission to Jupiter and its icy moons.
The probe, called Juice, has just been approved at a meeting of member state delegations in Paris.
It would be built in time for a launch in 2022, although it would be a further eight years before it reached the Jovian system.
Mediterranean diet is really a lifestyle
Dietitians who help clients adopt a healthy Mediterranean diet need to understand how the Mediterranean lifestyle balances eating, activity and family, says registered dietitian Connie Diekman of Washington University. Hallmarks of the heart-healthy diet include minimally processed foods; eating grains, vegetables and fruit at almost every meal; having sweets and meats in small portions; regular exercise; and shared meals.
Study: Women with melanoma fare better than men
Women diagnosed with melanoma were about 30% less likely to die from the condition than men, a Dutch study showed. Researchers monitored more than 2,600 melanoma patients for two to 12 years and found that women also had a 30% lower risk for experiencing a relapse than men. The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Study: Caloric restriction curbs inflammation in older obese women
Overweight and obese postmenopausal women who underwent a caloric-restriction weight-loss diet alone or with exercise attained significant reductions in inflammation markers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, compared with the control group, according to a study in Cancer Research.
Resveratrol: Study Resolves Controversy On Life-Extending Red Wine Ingredient, Restores Hope for Anti-Aging Pill
A study in the May issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism appears to offer vindication for an approach to anti-aging drugs that has been at the center of heated scientific debate in recent years. The new findings show for the first time that the metabolic benefits of the red wine ingredient known as resveratrol evaporate in mice that lack the famed longevity gene SIRT1.
How That Glass of Red Wine Might Help You Live Longer
Researchers have found new evidence showing that resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, may play a role in preventing cell aging.
The study in rodents found that when mice had a particular gene — SIRT1 — knocked out, or turned off, resveratrol had no effect on them. But tests of muscle tissue in mice with a normal SIRT1 gene that were given resveratrol found that the substance boosted mitochondrial function.
Mitochondria provide the energy that cells need to function. A decrease in mitochondrial energy production has been linked to a variety of diseases, including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, as well as to the aging process itself, said senior study author David Sinclair, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Study Finds Direct Link Between Obesity, Heart Disease
A large new study is the first to show a direct link between a high body-mass index and the risk of developing heart disease, British and Danish researchers say.