MANCHESTER, England, September 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A new coating for urinary catheters could reduce the risk of infection, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

The use of medical devices inserted into a patient's body is now routine in healthcare management within hospitals and nursing homes. Although there are substantial benefits associated with the use of such devices, there are very worryingly a number of potentially dangerous complications that may lead to an increase in the time patients remain in hospital and, more importantly, an increase in patient deaths.

MANCHESTER, England, September 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Egg secretions from a worm that causes a deadly human disease may prove useful in gene therapy, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

Gene therapy is a method of correcting faulty genes responsible for certain diseases, particularly cancers. It involves using a carrier, or 'vector', to insert new genetic material to mend a faulty gene in the affected cells of the person or 'host'. To achieve this, the vector must be able to survive the host's various defence systems and travel through the cell to its nucleus, which holds the host's genes.

A drug used to increase blood production in both medical treatments and athletic doping scandals seems to also improve memory in those using it. New research published in BMC Biology says that the memory enhancing effects of erythropoietin (EPO) are not related to its effects on blood production but are due to direct influences on neurons in the brain. The findings may prove useful in the treatment of diseases affecting brain function, such as schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s.

Patients given EPO to treat chronic kidney failure had been observed to have improved cognition after starting the drug. “These effects of EPO were thought to result from the blood-boosting effects of the drug,” explains Hannelore Ehrenreich at the Max Planck Institute, “but the finding of receptors for EPO on nerve cells in the brain suggests that some other mechanism might be involved.”

SAN DIEGO, September 8 /PRNewswire/ --

*Weakest Link in Computer Security Strengthened *Innovative UK Company Trumps Industry Giants *Pharma Giant Rolls Out Lanxoma Across Europe

A British developed revolutionary, system-level computer security program Lanxoma (www.lanxoma.com) launched at the prestigious DEMOfall 08 emerging technology conference in San Diego this morning (www.demo.com).

Lanxoma Restricted Access Permission System (RAPS) from Unity Solutions is the first product to address the need for data security from the inside, creating a permanent, digital record that deters abuse, provides accountability and satisfies the most stringent auditing standards.

Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage company, has introduced Glowelle, a dietary supplement that they say protects and hydrates the inner and outer layers of the skin. Their marketing blurb says it is formulated with a proprietary(naturally) blend of high antioxidant vitamins (like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E), phtyo-nutrients, botanical and fruit extracts and that drinking it will help fight the signs of aging.Glowelle's antioxidants help defend against the damage caused by free radicals, which are caused by pollution ... and the sun.

You know, the sun. Source of all life on Earth. It's apparently bad for you. Except for that vitamin C antioxidant they put in Glowelle, which you can get for free ... from the sun.

Bacteria found in compost heaps able to convert waste plant fibre into ethanol could eventually provide up 10% of the UK's transport fuel needs, scientists heard at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting.

Researchers from Guildford, UK, have successfully developed a new strain of bacteria that can break down straw and agricultural plant waste, domestic hedge clippings, garden trimmings and cardboard, wood chippings and other municipal rubbish to convert them all into useful renewable fuels for the transport industry.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide but many people with cardiovascular disease have none of the common risk factors usually blamed, such as smoking, obesity and high cholesterol.

Researchers say they have discovered a new link between gum disease and heart disease, according to a presentation at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin.

In recent years chronic infections have been associated with a disease that causes "furring" of the arteries, called atherosclerosis, which is the main cause of heart attacks. Gum disease is one of the most common infections of humans and there are now over 50 studies linking gum disease with heart disease and stroke.

Neanderthals had a brain at birth of a similar size to that of modern-day babies. However, after birth, their brain grew more quickly than it does for Homo sapiens and became larger too. Nevertheless, the individual lifespan ran just as slowly as it does for modern human beings. These new insights into the history of human evolution are being presented this week in PNAS by researchers from the University of Zurich.

Dr. Marcia Ponce de León and Prof. Christoph Zollikofer from the Anthropological Institute of the University of Zurich examined the birth and the brain development of a newborn Neanderthal baby from the Mezmaiskaya Cave in the Crimea. That Neanderthal child, which died shortly after it was born, was evidently buried with such care that it was able to be recovered in good condition from the cave sediments of the Ice Age after resting for approximately 40,000 years.

Ol' Blue Eyes was way ahead of the curve in diabetes treatment - I nominate his 1956 hit, "I've Got You Under My Skin" for the official anthem for type 1 diabetes patients. A study published online in the New England Journal of Medicine Sept. 8 details a new continuous glucose monitor device placed - you guessed it - under the skin. The Skinny on CGM The authors, from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, randomly assigned 322 adults and children with intensively treated type 1 diabetes to CGM or normal blood glucose meter. Primary outcome was change in glycated hemoglobin at 26 weeks.

CALGARY, Canada, September 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ("Oncolytics") (TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY) announced today that that it has started patient enrolment in a Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN(R) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced head and neck cancers. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Monica Mita of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.