Moderate drinking by pregnant women, defined as three to seven glasses of alcohol a week, does not harm the development of their unborn babies, according to British research carried out on 7,000 children up to age 10. (Times) >
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Blog Archives
Irish cancer experts decry breast cancer study findings
Irish cancer experts have urged caution about a British study that appears to show that breast cancer screening programmes have yet to show a reduction in the number of women who die from the disease. The study in the Journal of…
UCC conference to focus on blood cell disorder
The 10th international Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia conference will be held at the UCC Brookfield Health Sciences Complex from Jun 12-15, and it will be hosted by the Grace Nolan Foundation. The conference will focus on intensive discussions and debates on…
Overweight people with cancer have poorer rate of survival
The findings emerged from an examination of 1,041 patients who were treated for cancer at Limerick Regional Hospital between 2001 and 2010. They had poorer survival rates, although this was only of statistical significance for non-cancer deaths among these patients,…
UL researchers create alloy to improve X-ray visibility
A metal alloy created at UL’s Materials Surface Science Institute is fully visible under X-ray, thereby making it easier for surgeons to work with. The research was conducted through a partnership between UL and Cook Medical, supported by Enterprise Ireland.…
Suicide risk for men under 21 is four times higher
The ‘Suicide in Ireland 2003-2008′ study has found evidence to suggest that as many as half of all suicides happen in clusters, where there is a series of deaths in one location over a short time period. Of 104 cases…
Muiris Houston: We need a calm approach to breakthrough for treatment of patients with chronic low-back pain
Zits and back pain sharing a common cause? Multiple headlines in the British press proclaiming antibiotics to be a much sought after “magic bullet” for chronic back pain. Could this actually be true? Probably not is the short answer. The…
Letter re clinical trials controversy
Ben Goldacre, who is a central figure in current campaigns and controversies, claims in his book, Bad Pharma , that trials are too short, that they often test drugs against the wrong comparator, that drugs companies resist carrying out studies of drugs’…
Times Editorial: Time to legislate on stem cells
The news of another breakthrough in Oregon in stem-cell technology – the cloning of embryos using human tissues and then the ability to harvest stem cells from them – opens up new possibilities in the personalisation of therapeutic cloning. But,…
Is Ireland is danger of being left behind due to lack of stem cell research laws?
Ireland is one of the few European countries that does not have legislation or meaningful regulation to guide this kind of research. This gap leaves scientists caught in a web of ethical uncertainty – at a time when the State’s official…
Scientists issue warning on embryonic stem cells breakthrough
The new technique for cloning human embryos announced by US scientists may carry with it ethical problems associated with destruction of viable embryos. It is also important that the Government introduce legislation to control research that involves the use of…
Graham Love: Tried and tested method that ain’t broke but needs fixing
In simple terms, the purpose of a clinical trial is to prove a medicine works and is safe for humans. Prior to the advent of proper clinical trials, many drugs were introduced to the market that did not meet these…
Dublin hospital makes strides in creating personalised cancer tests
A cost-efficient test which could identify up to 50 different cancer mutations is being developed at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. St James’s is part of an international consortium involved in biomarking testing for mutant genes such as Her2 involved…
Scientists close to bipolar disorder breakthrough
A new study into bipolar disorder suggests scientists may be on the verge of identifying the mechanisms that lead to its onset. Research carried out by Prof Nick Craddock and Prof Pamela Sklar of the Institute of Psychological Medicines and…
The substance in breast milk that helps stop the MRSA superbug
A molecule derived from human breast milk makes the antibiotic-resistant “superbug” MRSA susceptible to antibiotics again, according to a study at the University of Buffalo in the US. (Times) >
Irish team develops improved whooping cough vaccine
Children are routinely vaccinated against whooping cough, a potentially fatal infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. Unfortunately, the currently used vaccine while very safe, does not give strong, long-lasting immunity, says Kingston Mills, professor of experimental immunology at Trinity College Dublin. (Times)…
Opsona Therapeutics tests immune-dampening to ward of dangerous inflamation after transplants.
Irish biopharma company Opsona Therapeutics last week announced a new round of investment, to the tune of €33 million. Their goal? To dampen the body’s early immune response to kidney transplant and so improve the odds that the transplanted organ will bed…
Breast cancer’s ‘sweet tooth’ could hold key to treatment
Claire Fergus from the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin is investigating why cancer cells consume so much sugar. The Irish Cancer Society is the largest voluntary backer of cancer research in Ireland and is spending more…
Patricia Eadie on how a €3 doorstop can stop children from losing fingers
Dr Patricia Eadie, a plastic surgeon at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, revealed that figures show at least 15 children are being treated for crushed fingers every week. Dr Eadie, who is president of the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons,…
New B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) test leads to large fall in patients presenting with heart failure
A simple blood test devised by Irish doctors has resulted in a near 40 per cent decrease in admissions for heart abnormalities and failure. The research, which was carried out at a number of Dublin hospitals, adopted a blood test…
Muiris Houston on relative merits of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
On the relative merits of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and stenting (percutaneous coronary intervention – PCI) in patients with stable coronary heart disease, research has found that rather than cardiac surgeons and cardiologists working in isolation, for anyone…
Bloodstream sensor potential heralded
“You know more about the health of your car than you do about your own health. When it comes to your car, you know how much fuel you have, the air pressure in tires, whether you need to go for…
At least 2,500 people affected by dementia in Belfast, says report
With the population ageing there is a pressing case for new treatments to stop the brain’s decline, Alzheimer’s Research UK said. Scientists in Belfast will hold a free public meeting on dementia research to coincide with the start of the…
Cancer hope from genetic profiling of tumours
The breakthrough was welcomed by leading Irish cancer specialist Professor John Crown, who said he was hopeful this area of research would bring improvements in cancer treatment. But the St Vincent’s Hospital specialist cautioned that the timeline was a little…
Irish research may help lung cancer survival rates
An Irish Cancer Society funded study at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, has found that cell lines with particular mutations respond differ-ently to combination treatment strategies. The frequency of the mutations are being tested in 120 lung cancer patients at the…
Doctors’ group wants DNA data of babies used for genetic research
The Royal College of Physicians said research using the DNA information from heel-prick test on babies born between 1984 and 2002 could be used to discover genetic diseases in Irish people or give parents reasons why their babies died of sudden…
Research, led by Jochen Prehn, into predicting response to chemotherapy
According to scientists of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, who developed the prediction tool model for bowel cancer, believe it could be applied to other cancers eventually. The tool measures the amount of…
10-year-olds showing signs of heart disease
The findings of this research conducted by researchers at the Department of Physiotherapy in Trinity College, to be published in the ‘Irish Medical Journal’ reveal that children as young as 10 have already developed risk factors for heart disease and stroke…
President Higgins receives recipients of the President of Ireland Young Researcher Award
Speaking today President Michael D Higgins said, “This award recognises the continued hard work and dedication of the winning scientists into fighting debilitating and potentially fatal diseases. The work being carried out by Prof. [Mark] Little and Dr. [Patrick] Walsh…
Cannabis spray ‘no aid to MS muscle spasms’
There is no strong evidence to back a licensed cannabis-extract medicine which the Department of Health plans to make available to multiple sclerosis patients next year, according to a study. The drug, Sativex, is used in the treatment of muscle spasms in…
