New proteins inhibit HIV infection in cell cultures

[Helen Dodson] Yale Cancer Center scientists have developed a new class of proteins that inhibit HIV infection in cell cultures and may open the way to new strategies for treating and preventing infection by the virus that causes AIDS. The findings appear in the online edition of the Journal of Virology. Read more >>

Motlanthe says SA has made significant strides in fighting HIV, Aids

South Africa has made significant strides in the fight against HIV and Aids over the last two decades, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe told delegates at the opening of the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington DC, yesterday. Read more >>

SA expands ARV treatment

Health Minister Aaron Motswaledi says there has been an increase in the number of people on ARV treatment, with 20% more people living with HIV having been put on treatment between 2010 and 2011. Read more >>

Mandela Day campaign from SAB

The South African Breweries (SAB) Mandela Day campaign roll out, starting today, Wednesday 18 July, will see the company partner with several provincial government departments, non-profit organisations and the Gauteng Office of the Premier as an extension of the company's on-going work to bring positive socio-economic change to communities. Read more >>

Brine levels in chicken too high

The government wants to reduce the levels of brine found in chicken, according to a report on Thursday. Read more >>

Yale scientists pinpoint key ingredient in fighting pneumonia

[Helen Dodson] A mysterious protein produced by a wide spectrum of living things is crucial in regulating the immune response to the most common form of pneumonia, a new Yale School of Medicine study shows. The study appears online in Cell Host & Microbe and in the 19 July 2012 print issue. Read more >>

With drug-loaded nanogel, Yale researchers attack cancerous tumors

[Eric Gershon] Yale University scientists have developed a new mechanism for attacking cancerous tumors that intensifies the body's immune response while simultaneously weakening the tumor's ability to resist it. Read more >>

Preclinical genetic data support ongoing trials testing IDO inhibitors as cancer treatment

PHILADELPHIA, USA: Inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) are being assessed in clinical trials as a potential treatment for recurrent or refractory solid tumors. Clear genetic rationale for these trials, together with evidence that primary and metastatic lung tumors might be particularly susceptible to the drugs, is now reported in a preclinical study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Read more >>

Spit-roasting for SA poultry farmers

[Kevin Lovell] Nobel Prize-winning economist and philosopher Amartya Sen once observed that "there is no such thing as an apolitical food problem". Read more >>

Almonds are a great snack for kilojoule-controlled diet

According to Health24, researchers say that substituting almonds for less healthy foods could help dieters stick to a kilojoule-controlled diet, and lower their cholesterol at the same time. Read more >>

Give spoonful of solid sense

[Nicqui Grant] When talking about the introduction of solid foods to babies, I have purposely avoided using the word weaning, as this implies complete displacement of milk. Read more >>

Trial signals major breakthrough in fight against TB

WASHINGTON, DC, USA and LONDON, UK: A novel approach to discover the first new tuberculosis (TB) combination drug regimen cleared a major hurdle when Phase II clinical trial results found it could kill more than 99% of patients' TB bacteria within two weeks and could be more effective than existing treatments, according to a study published yesterday, 23 July 2012, in the Lancet. These results add to a growing body of evidence that the new regimen could reduce treatment by more than a year for some patients. Read more >>

Addressing poverty, conflicts best gift for Mandela: Radebe

The best gift the world can give former President Nelson Mandela is to renew its commitment to eradicating poverty, conflicts and violence against women and children, says Justice Minister Jeff Radebe. Read more >>