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Headlines: 2003

March 2004 Research Headlines

Special Reports

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Authors of study that linked autism and triple vaccine now retract (11/03)
Ten doctors who co-authored a controversial study that suggested a possible link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, sparking a major health scare in Britain, have issued a retraction.

Drug Switch Aids Breast Cancer Patients - Study (10/03)
For patients who have been taking the drug tamoxifen -- the world's most commonly prescribed breast cancer treatment -- it pays to switch to a newer anti-cancer drug after two or three years, according to preliminary results released on Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

UN warns women face Aids threat (09/03)
Women are becoming the main victims of the global HIV/Aids epidemic, United Nations chief Kofi Annan has warned.

Study: Inhaled Steroids Do Not Harm Fetal Growth (08/03)
Pregnant women with asthma can use inhaled steroids without worrying that they will affect growth of their babies, according to a study released on Monday.

Blood Sugar Sensor Improves Diabetes Control (08/03)
People with type 1 diabetes have to constantly check their blood sugar levels, a chore that involves finger pricks and test strips and a special meter. That might all become a thing of the past with an implanted blood glucose monitor that provides a continuous reading.

Alzheimer's Vaccine Shows Promise (05/03)
Tests on monkeys show promise for an experimental Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites) vaccine, says a study in the March issue of Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders.

Birth Control Pills Lower Risk of Arthritis (02/03)
The use of birth control pills, but not estrogen therapy, lowers the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new report. The findings suggest a dose-related effect, as estrogen drugs are typically one-sixth as potent as birth control pills.

Test May Be Safer Way to Detect Fetal Problems (02/03)
A new technique could make it possible to detect fetal abnormalities with a sample of the mother's blood, instead of invasive procedures that can put the pregnancy at risk, researchers reported on Tuesday.

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Special Reports:

• Dolly the sheep dead
• DNA: Beyond the double helix
  The world of science is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's seminal paper.
• The Genes We Share: New Clues to Human Health and Disease
• Africa AIDS Epidemic
• Nobel Laureates Back Animal Research
• Diabetes Library
• Novel Strategies to Combat the AIDS Virus

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Nobel Laureates Back Animal Research

Winners of Nobel prizes in physiology or medicine overwhelmingly support responsible use of animals in research, according to Seriously Ill For Medical Research (SIMR) of Bedfordshire, England. SIMR has carried out a survey of Nobel prize winners in physiology or medicine to find the views of top medical researchers worldwide on the need for animals in medical research.

The centenary of Alfred Nobel's death in 1896 seemed an ideal opportunity. "We are concerned that animal rights propaganda has undue influence in the media, leading to confusion amongst the public and patients about animal research. SIMR wants to help sort out science fact from science fiction," said the late Andrew Blake of SIMR.

Questionnaires were sent to all living Nobel laureates in medicine or physiology. They were asked to indicate their level of agreement with five statements on the use of animals in medcal research. Their responses show unanimous support on the need to use animals in medical research.

The complete survey results are available at the SIMR website. To review the achievements of these great scientists, see a Timeline of Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine.