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The drug, called denosumab, blocks production of cells that break down bones. In two studies, spinal fractures were reduced by two-thirds in women ages 60-90 and in men getting prostate cancer therapy The first member of a new class of osteoporosis drugs reduced spinal fractures by about two-thirds in post-menopausal women and in men undergoing hormone-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, according to two studies released online today by the New England Journal of Medicine . (Source: L.A. Times - Health)

As the source of the most powerful natural hallucinogen known, salvia is drawing scrutiny from U.S. authorities who want to restrict this Mexican herb, now used recreation­ally by some. But neuro­scientists worry that controlling it before studies have determined its safety profile is premature and could hamper research of the drug's medicinal value. Increasingly, evidence is piling up that it could lead to new and safer anti­depressants and pain relievers, as well as even help in improving treatments for such mental illnesses as schizophrenia and addiction.The plant, formally known as Salvia divinorum , has a long tradition of shamanic usage by the Mazatec people of central Mexico. Salvinorin A, the primary psychoactive component, is part of a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals called diterpenoids, and it affects neural receptors in the brain similar to those that respond to opiate painkillers such as morphine--but without euphoric and addictive properties. Th

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have discovered a connection between mutations in the INPP5E gene and ciliopathies. Their findings, which may lead to new therapies for these diseases, appear in the online edition of Nature Genetics.

Forbes recently examined the challenges Merck researcher Daria Hazuda encountered while developing the HIV treatment Isentress, which 'was Merck's fastest growing medicine last quarter.' Most of Hazuda's work has involved the enzyme integrase. 'HIV copies itself by splicing into the DNA of the people it infects and being copied when their cells replicate.

Washington, Aug 11 : Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have found that low levels of protein required for maintaining constant contact between brain neurons might cause schizophrenia.

Acupuncture has been used in East-Asian medicine for thousands of years to treat pain, possibly by activating the body's natural painkillers. But how it works at the cellular level is largely unknown. Using brain imaging, a University of Michigan study is the first to provide evidence that traditional Chinese acupuncture affects the brain's long-term ability to regulate pain. The results appear online ahead of print in the September Journal of NeuroImage.

Researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the University of Kentucky have discovered the first naturally occurring molecule that selectively blocks lymphatic vessel growth. In an article in the Aug. 9, 2009 online edition of Nature Medicine, they report the identification of a new molecule known as soluble VEGFR-2 that blocks lymphangiogenesis the growth of lymphatics but not blood vessel growth.

Estimates say nearly 98,000 people die from preventable medical mistakes each year, yet there is no comprehensive system for reporting medical errors, Hearst Newspapers/Houston Chronicle reports. The Institute of Medicine released a report, 'To Err Is Human,' nearly ten years ago calling for a nationwide reporting system.

A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathology has been discovered by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. By assaying close to 300,000 compounds, they have identified drug-like inhibitors of AD tau protein clumping, as reported in the journal Biochemistry.

A leading expert, Dr. Alan Fleischer, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, recommends using a moisturizer with lactic acid, like AmLactin(R), to manage the dry skin associated with Keratosis Pilaris (KP). Lactic acid is an effective humectant, or substance that attracts water molecules to the skin to keep it hydrated.