Stefanos A. Zenios, a professor at Stanford⬔s Graduate School of Business, renowned for his application of Operations Research (O.R.) to tackle some of modern medicine⬔s thorniest problems, has completed new research that could revolutionize kidney allocation for transplant waiting list candidates. [click link for full article]

The collaborative work being performed by professionals across medical disciplines in the promising area of molecular imaging - from research scientists to nuclear medicine physicians, urologists, radiochemists and even veterinarians - provides encouraging news in fighting prostate cancer. This type of progressive - or translational - research can be seen in two papers published in the January issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. [click link for full article]

Stem cells from amniotic fluid have been used to create bone cells, blood vessel cells, nerves cells and liver cells in the lab, according to scientists from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, USA.You can read about this new breakthrough in the journal Nature Biotechnology.Team leader, Dr. Anthony Atala, said “Our hope is that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs as well. [click link for full article]

We are pleased to host this Reclassification of Medicines seminar on Tuesday 6 February at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London. This full-day event will focus on women’s health and comprise presentations from Agency and invited speakers. We will also have breakout workshop sessions with a view to building a consensus on opportunities to widen access to the market in products important to women’s health. [click link for full article]

Content of final RegulationThe Regulation aims to establish a legislative framework that will fulfil the following main objectives:– increased availability of medicines specifically adapted and licensed for use in the paediatric population– increased information available to the patient/carer and prescriber about the use of medicines in children, including clinical trial data– increase in high quality research into medicines for children. [click link for full article]

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today issued formal recognition of the Puget Sound Health Alliance as part of an expanded network of region-based organizations focused on improving the quality of health care while reducing health care cost inflation. [click link for full article]

Influenza activity remains low across the United Kingdom. Clinical indicators of influenza activity have remained stable in England but have increased in Scotland. Both are below clinical baseline thresholds. Clinical figures for Wales and Northern Ireland are unavailable for week 51/06.Reports of influenza A and B from NHS and HPA laboratories are also at low levels. [click link for full article]

Nothing But Nets, a campaign to fight malaria in Africa by delivering insecticide-treated nets (bed nets), announced today that it has received its first-ever malaria challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant was announced at an event hosted by the National Basketball Association, one of the campaign’s founding partners. [click link for full article]

The longer Black Caribbean immigrants stay in the U.S., the poorer their mental health becomes. That⬔s one finding from a new study that examined the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Black individuals in the U.S. The study appears in the January 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.David R. [click link for full article]

There’s no one big way to reduce your risk for breast cancer, but a combination of approaches could make a difference, reports the January 2007 issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. Here are several factors that could affect your risk: Weight gain. Studies show that weight gain is a risk factor for breast cancer after menopause. The link is estrogen, which is believed to promote the development of breast cancer. [click link for full article]