Dementia Awareness Week: Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy joins the discussion

Kathryn Smith on May 21, 2013 at 4:32 pm - 0 Comments

This week is the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Awareness Week and Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy is talking about the impact of genetic variants on Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

AD is the most common form of dementia in older people and is characterized by behavioral disorders and a progressive decline in memory function. Genetic studies have provided the best evidence for cause and effect relationships in AD, and recent years have seen tremendous progress in genetics technology to allow for full individualized genomic screening across populations and within individuals.

Examples of the advances include identification of mutations in APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2 genes, which provided a link to the characteristic amyloid plaques seen in AD brains and supported the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Also, …

Infectious Agents & Cancer announces new ‘Clinical oncology’ section

Philip Dooner on May 21, 2013 at 2:56 pm - 0 Comments

Clinical oncology in Western countries is currently characterized by preventative programs (which include early diagnosis), combined treatments (radio-chemo-surgery), reconstructive surgery, and, more recently, by tailored treatment with monoclonal antibodies or specific inhibitors based on newly identified cancer biomarkers. Clinical oncology in the rest of the world, which represents 85.3% of the Earth’s population, has different priorities, strategies and aims, which are often difficult to compare. Major differences are not only due to the different socio-economical conditions and the national health programs, but also to disparities in cancer burden and their etiopathogenesis, as well the population-based genetic susceptibility. A further major difference is the age-distribution of the population. In the Western world, the population is very much aged, with people aged …

Changes in leadership for Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy

Kathryn Smith on May 21, 2013 at 1:09 pm - 0 Comments

We are delighted to welcome Dr Philip Scheltens to his new position as one of the Editors-in-Chief of Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, joining Dr Douglas Galasko (University of California, San Diego, USA) and Dr Todd Golde (University of Florida, USA). Dr Scheltens is replacing Dr Gordon Wilcock (University of Oxford, UK), who is stepping down from this role after many valuable years of guidance as Editor-in-Chief.

Dr Scheltens is Professor of Cognitive Neurology and Director of the Alzheimer Centre at the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, which he founded in 2000. Dr Scheltens is active in the field of biomarkers and clinical trials, with his main clinical and research interests including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, …

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine launches today at BioMed Central

Sara Ho on May 21, 2013 at 10:08 am - 0 Comments

Today marks the launch of Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the first Korean society journal to be published by BioMed Central. It is the official journal of the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (KSOEM) and is the successor of Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AOEM), edited by Professor Sang Baek Ko and supported by an expert editorial board, is an open access, peer-reviewed, online journal that considers original contributions related to the field of occupational and environmental medicine.

“It is …

A new perspective on ancient human genomic diversity

samrose on May 20, 2013 at 12:56 pm - 0 Comments

It’s commonly discussed how each of our genomes contains a story documenting the migration by our ancient ancestors. This is most certainly true in that it is apparent we all originated from Africa and migrated to other continents from there. A study published today in Investigative Genetics proposes that some of the genetic diversity we commonly assume to be ancient may in fact be due to recent demographic events within the last 2000 years.

This study analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 999 individuals at 54 sites across the Netherlands. The authors studied this population in the expectation that the ancient genetic signatures from Paleolithic and Neolithic times, such as the Southeast to Northwest cline observed across Europe, …

Celebrating International Clinical Trials Day

Jack Cochrane on May 20, 2013 at 12:06 pm - 0 Comments

On May 20, 1747, James Lind pioneered a scurvy trial on board the HMS Salisbury. Providing some crew members with two oranges and one lemon per day, while others were given cider, vinegar, sulphuric acid or seawater, along with their normal rations, Lind’s experiment is ranked as one of the first clinical trials in the history of medicine. More than 250 years later, the anniversary of his groundbreaking work is celebrated as International Clinical Trials Day. Held annually by the National Institute of Health Research, the principles of Lind’s work still form the basis of modern clinical trials.

In a commentary for Trials, Dr David Sackett offers his perspective on more recent developments in clinical …

For strawberry poison dart frogs, nearest is dearest

Rhiannon Meaden on May 20, 2013 at 9:04 am - 0 Comments

Strawberry poison dart frog credit Wikimedia Pstevendactylus

Female strawberry poison dart frogs can be non-choosy when it comes to finding a mate concludes research published in Frontiers in Zoology today. In a population with a strongly biased sex ratio and low trait variance between males, females receive no benefit from expending energy and effort searching out the ‘fittest’ mate. Instead they lose no time in seeking out the male in the closest proximity as a partner.

Ivonne Meuche, from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, and her team continuously observed mating behaviour of 20 female Oophaga pumilio frogs, during the time period between two successive ovipositions. In parallel, they measured surrounding males’ behaviour and spatial distribution in order to establish what was important …

Current Controversies in Psychiatry: a new article collection in BMC Medicine

Sabina Alam on May 17, 2013 at 2:20 pm - 0 Comments

Mental health is a tricky branch of medicine – psychiatrists deal with significant diagnostic and research challenges, and some patients struggle with the stigma they may face socially due to having a mental disorder. In a bid to educate the public about psychiatric conditions, Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year runs from 13th–19th May, is focusing on raising awareness about how exercise can positively affect mental health. In fact, there is increasing focus on modifying key lifestyle factors as primary prevention strategies for mental health disorders, and in a recent opinion article published in BMC Medicine, Felice Jacka and colleagues argue that depression and anxiety should be ranked amongst prevalent …

Antibiotic resistance – Can we avert the apocalypse?

Penelope Austin on May 17, 2013 at 12:53 pm - 0 Comments

The problem of antibiotic resistance, recently described as “apocalyptic” by Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer of the UK, is getting worse and cannot be expected to get better quickly. In a Question and Answer article in BMC Biology, Gerard Wright explains the reasons for the worsening situation, and why, despite the acute need, there are few new antibiotics on the horizon.

Antibiotic resistance is a natural and ancient phenomenon, and the emergence and spread of resistance in human pathogens inevitable, he argues, though widespread clinical and agricultural use of antibiotics makes it much worse; and the problem can only be met by the development of new drugs.

The point that antibiotic resistance predates our development of antibiotic drugs was …

Transparency and reporting of clinical trials in the UK

ruthfrancis on May 17, 2013 at 8:54 am - 0 Comments

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on the 20 May to commemorate the day in 1747 when James Lind started one of the very first trials in history. It provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of clinical research in healthcare and to encourage involvement in clinical trials. It is timely that the recently created Health Research Authority (HRA) – whose mission is ‘to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health research’ - has announced its plans to increase transparency and reporting of clinical trials in the UK.

BioMed Central welcomes the HRA proposals ‘to make the registration of clinical trials within an agreed timeframe a condition of ethics …