http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A significant breakthrough has been made by scientists at The University of Manchester towards developing an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-team-breakthrough-neurodegenerative-disease-treatments.html Medical research Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:00:02 EST news284817534 Agios Pharmaceuticals announced today the publication of two articles in the journal Science by Agios scientists and their collaborators demonstrating the effects of the company's small molecule isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1 and IDH2) mutant specific inhibitors in primary human tumor models. These data add to a growing body of scientific research demonstrating the significant promise of targeting mutant IDH1 and IDH2 enzymes as novel approaches to treating cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-effects-mutant-idh1-idh2-inhibitors.html Cancer Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:00:01 EST news284301154 For nearly a decade, breast cancer researchers studying the hormone therapy tamoxifen have been divided as to whether genetic differences in a liver enzyme affect the drug's effectiveness and the likelihood breast cancer will recur. A new study by researchers from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group provides evidence that genetic differences in the enzyme CYP2D6 play a key role in how well tamoxifen works. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-ability-metabolize-tamoxifen-affects-breast.html Cancer Thu, 27 Dec 2012 13:16:43 EST news275836596 Danish researchers have developed a new and sensitive method that makes it possible to diagnose malaria from a single drop of blood or saliva. The method might eventually be used in low-resource areas without the need for specially trained personnel, expensive equipment, clean water or electricity. With the development of this method, the researchers hope to go one step further in identifying and treating all patients suffering from malaria. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-method-malaria.html Medical research Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:56:52 EST news273232601 (HealthDay) -- For pediatric patients with refractory atopic dermatitis (AD), oral azathioprine is associated with clinical improvement, and measurement of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) activity seems useful for monitoring treatment, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-azathioprine-benefit-pediatric-atopic-dermatitis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:00:01 EST news264774183 Two studies published March 6 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute provide insights about the CYP2D6 genotype in postmenopausal breast cancer patients and represent a major step forward in understanding the usefulness of CYP2D6 testing for deciding whether or not a patient should receive adjuvant tamoxifen for treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Both studies found that CYP2D6 genotypes that were indicative of reduced activity of enzymes that metabolize tamoxifen did not predict clinical responsiveness to adjuvant tamoxifen therapy among postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer. One study also found that CYP2D6 genotypes of reduced enzyme activity were not linked with fewer tamoxifen-induced hot flushes in patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cyp2d6-genotype-tamoxifen-benefit.html Cancer Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:07 EST news250263753 Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that a certain type of genetic testing (for the genotype CYP2C19) be considered before prescribing the drug clopidogrel to identify individuals who may be less responsive to the medication, a review and analysis of previous studies did not find an overall significant association between the CYP2C19 genotype and cardiovascular events, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-analysis-genetic-anti-clotting-drug.html Genetics Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:00:01 EST news244196798 Researchers have created a new phenotypic screening platform that better predicts success of drugs developed to prevent blood vessel tumor growth when moving out of the lab and onto actual tumors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-effective-potential-cancer-drugs.html Cancer Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:16:35 EST news240416187 (Medical Xpress) -- A University of Sydney PhD student has discovered the different diets and lifestyles of South Asians compared to Europeans could lead to the two groups requiring very different doses of medicines commonly used to treat illnesses such as depression and psychosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-south-asians-europeans-react-differently.html Medications Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:30:24 EST news237807008 (Medical Xpress) -- Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered two mutations responsible for a devastating neurological condition they first identified 15 years ago. The researchers say their study -- appearing in Nature Genetics -- has revealed a new neural pathway that may help understand a variety of similar conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-genetic-neurodegeneration.html Genetics Sun, 01 May 2011 13:29:55 EST news223475372