Stem Cell Breakthrough: Mass-Production of 'Embryonic' Stem Cells From A Human Hair
from Science Daily
The first reports of the successful reprogramming of adult human cells back into so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which by all appearances looked and acted like embryonic stem cells, created a media stir. But the process was woefully inefficient: Only one out of 10,000 cells could be persuaded to turn back the clock. More

False-positive Results with a Commercially-available West Nile Virus IgM ELISA Kit
from CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health departments are investigating an increase in false-positive test results obtained with a commercially-available West Nile virus immunoglobulin M capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (WNV IgM capture ELISA). False-positive test results that occurred between July and September 2008 may have led to an incorrect diagnosis in some patients. More

HHS Preparing to Open FDA Offices in China, India, Europe and Latin America This Year
from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will send the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff to China, India, Europe and Latin America before the end of 2008, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced recently. “We’re making steady progress to better safeguard our supply of food and medicines, though much work remains,” Secretary Leavitt said. More

Vitamin K Does Not Stem Bone Mineral Density Decline in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia
from Science Daily
In a randomized controlled trial Angela Cheung and colleagues at the University of Toronto found that a high dose daily vitamin K1 supplement did not protect against age-related bone mineral density (BMD) decline. However, the findings also suggest that vitamin K1 may protect against fracture and cancer in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. More

Spinning Natural Proteins Into Fabrics for New Wound-repair Products
from Science Daily
Scientists in Israel are reporting the first successful spinning of a key natural protein into strong nano-sized fibers about 1/50,000th the width of a human hair. The advance could lead to a new generation of stronger, longer-lasting biocompatible sutures and bandages to treat wounds. Scientists recently focused on producing these fibers through "electrospinning," a high-tech weaving process that uses electrical charges to draw out nano-sized fibers from a liquid. More

Vitamin D Deficiency Common in Patients with IBD, Chronic Liver Disease
from Science Daily
New research presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando found patients with inflammatory bowel disease or chronic liver disease were at increased risk of developing Vitamin D deficiencies. Two separate studies highlight the importance of regular Vitamin D checkups in the evaluation of patients with certain digestive diseases. More

Worrisome Infection Eludes a Leading Children’s Vaccine
from The New York Times
A highly drug-resistant germ has become a common cause of meningitis, pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions in young children. The culprit — a strain of strep bacteria — can conquer almost all antibiotics in pediatrics, and has dodged a vaccine otherwise credited with causing the number of serious infections in children to plummet. More

Scientists Hot on Trail of New Antibiotics
from U.S. News & World Report
Researchers believe they are close to perfecting a new class of broad-spectrum antibiotics that could counter increasingly drug-resistant bacteria, a new study says. The new antibiotics compounds – all of which are natural products produced by certain bacteria to battle other bacteria – also show promise as a more effective and faster treatment for tuberculosis. More

Early Pandemic Flu Wave May Protect Against Worse One Later
from The National Institutes of Health
New evidence about the worldwide influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 indicates that getting the flu early protected many people against a second deadlier wave, an article co-authored by an NIH epidemiologist concludes. American soldiers, British sailors and a group of British civilians who were afflicted by the first mild wave of influenza in early 1918 apparently were more immune than others to the severe clinical effects of a more virulent strain later in the year, according to the paper published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. More

Overeating? Blame Your Genes
from The Washington Post
A gene could help prod people to overeat and gain excess weight, new research shows. The finding probably won't provide a "magic bullet" for weight loss, but it does reinforce the value of good eating habits and exercise, especially for young people, scientists say. More