Scientists find new agent to fight genetic disorders — Zorro-Locked Nucleic Acid

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
A study to appear in the June 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal describes a new agent, called “Zorro-LNA,” which has the potential to stop genetic disorders in their tracks. In the study, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, describe how they developed Zorro-LNA [...]

The vanilloid receptor TRPV1: 10 years from channel cloning to antagonist proof-of-concept.

1: Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2007 Apr 20; [Epub ahead of print]
Szallasi A, Cortright DN, Blum CA, Eid SR.
Department of Pathology, Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey 07740 and Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
The clinical use of TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily, member 1; also known as VR1) antagonists is [...]

Green tea compound may be a therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis

Contact: Katie Gazella
kgazella@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System
Anti-inflammatory compound inhibits production of molecules that cause destruction of cartilage, bone
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A new study from the University of Michigan Health System suggests that a compound in green tea may provide therapeutic benefits to people with rheumatoid arthritis.
The study, presented April 29 at the [...]

Costs of treating arthritis on the rise nationwide, study finds

Contact: Kristen Bole
kbole@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California – San Francisco
The amount Americans spent on arthritis medications more than doubled between 1998 and 2003, due to the fast-rising number of people with the disease, increases in the number of medications they take each month and the inflation-adjusted cost per prescription, according to a new study led by [...]

Fibromyalgia Day and M.E. Awareness Week

Press Release
25th April 2007
Talk by world-leading medical expert, Professor Basant K. Puri, on the natural treatment of M.E. and Fibromyalgia for World Fibromyalgia [...]

Outdated policies are impediment for Americans with disabilities

Contact: Maureen O’Leary
news@nas.edu
202-334-2138
The National Academies
WASHINGTON — Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has helped increase awareness of barriers faced by people with disabilities, and advances in science and engineering have led to better assistive technologies that make it easier for individuals to lead productive, independent lives, outdated regulations too often impede access to [...]

Depression among retired NFL players: Rates mirror the general public, but pain compounds symptoms

Contact: Katie Gazella
kgazella@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System
University of Michigan Health System study is based on extensive survey of retired NFL players
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As the sports world prepares for this weekend’s National Football League draft and the excitement of promising young players entering the league, a new study from the University of Michigan [...]

Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) Scores are not Affected by Chronic Pain or Depression in Patients with Fibromyalgia.

Iverson GL, Page JL, Koehler BE, Shojania K, Badii M.
University of British Columbia & Riverview Hospital. Vancouver, BC.
1: Clin Neuropsychol. 2007 May;21(3):532-46.
Neuropsychologists routinely give effort tests, such as the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). When a person fails one of these tests, the clinician must try to determine whether the poor performance was due to [...]

FDA causes unnecessary scare about common painkillers

Contact: Karen Richardson
krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu
336-716-4453
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has caused an unnecessary scare about some pain relievers by adding a warning to drugs that are safe, says Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. At the same time, he says the [...]

Thermal and Visceral Hypersensitivity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients With and Without Fibromyalgia.

Moshiree B, Price DD, Robinson ME, Gaible R, Nicholas Verne G.
1: Clin J Pain. 2007 May;23(4):323-330.
Departments of *Medicine daggerOral and Maxillofacial Surgery double daggerNeuroscience section signClinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health and Health Professions, Gainesville, FL parallelNorth Florida/South Georgia Veteran Health System.
BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is [...]