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Combined results from two Phase 3 studies presented at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting (ACG) in Orlando, Fla., demonstrated that TAK-390MR resulted in higher healing rates than lansoprazole among patients with more severe grades of erosive esophagitis (EE). TAK-390MR combines dexlansoprazole with a Dual Delayed Release™ (DDR) formulation, designed to provide two separate releases of drug for extended duration of acid suppression.

CHESTNUT HILL, MA (October 6, 2008) – A gene contained in laboratory yeast has helped an international team of researchers uncover new findings about the process by which protein molecules bind to control sequences in genes in order to initiate gene expression, according to findings reported in the journal Nature.

OTTAWA, OCTOBER 6, 2008 – Investing in Canada's public health system is the best way to improve it, rather than privatization, writes Dr. Marcia Angell, a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School and former editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine. The article was published online today in CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.081177.

University of Iowa researchers and collaborators have found, in a previously identified gene, a variation that likely contributes to one in five cases of isolated cleft lip. It is the first time a genetic variant has been associated with cleft lip alone, rather than both cleft lip and palate.

The study provides insight on a previously unknown genetic mechanism and could eventually help with diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cleft lip, which affects more than five million people worldwide. The findings appeared Oct. 5 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review a series of lower court rulings that restrict the Navy's use of sonar in submarine detection training exercises off the coast of Southern California. The court is due to hear arguments in the case this week.

A special supplement of the Oct. 15 journal Cancer for the first time details guidelines for low- and middle-income countries to implement breast cancer programs to detect and treat the most common disease among women worldwide.

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a low-cost, high-resolution imaging system that can be attached to a helicopter to create a complete and detailed picture of an area devastated by a hurricane or other natural disaster. The resulting visual information can be used to estimate the number of storm refugees and assess the need for health and humanitarian services.

A Brazilian palm berry, popular health food though little research has been done on it, now may have its purported benefits better understood.

TORONTO, ON - Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered that the EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disrupts structures in the nucleus of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, thereby interfering with cellular processes that normally prevent cancer development.

The study findings are published in the October 3rd edition of the journal PLoS Pathogens and describes a novel mechanism by which viral proteins contribute to carcinogenesis.

Orlando, FL, October 6, 2008 – A study released at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando found that a new therapeutic treatment, when delivered endoscopically and used in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, improved survival rates in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Cancer of the esophagus often has a poor survival rate.

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of an adenosine receptor that plays a critical role in a number of important physiological processes including pain, breathing, and heart function. The findings could lead to the development of a new class of therapeutics for treating numerous neurological disorders, including Parkinson's and Huntington disease.

The study was published on October 2, 2008, in Science Express, an advance, online publication of selected research papers from the journal Science.

Orlando, FL, October 6, 2008 – Could there be a link between high levels of air pollution and the risk of appendicitis? New research presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando, suggests a novel connection.

"Adult onset appendicitis is a common condition whose cause is unclear and almost universally requires surgery," explained Dr. Gilaad G. Kaplan of the University of Calgary.

The findings suggest new strategies for targeting Mre11 protein for cancer therapies, particularly when combined with other inhibitors of DNA repair. Mre11 is a key component of cellular systems used for sensing, processing, and coordinating repair of two-stranded breaks in DNA. Mutations of this key enzyme can lead to the development of cancer.

The study was published in the October 3, 2008, issue (Volume 135, Number 7) of the journal Cell.

Orlando, FL, October 6, 2008 – Results of a survey presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adulthood obesity. Obesity in the United States is often accompanied by an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases and has emerged as a major health concern, particularly the issue of obesity among children and adolescents.

Orlando, FL, October 6, 2008 – Most people who experience chronic heartburn have symptoms that are caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Two new studies presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology examined eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a condition that can mimic symptoms of GERD, in a small proportion of people. The first study found that the diagnosis of EoE, previously termed "allergic esophagitis," peaked during the summer months.