Animal studies point to clinical trial of hypothermia for stroke victims

On Monday Dr Malcolm Macleod, head of experimental neuroscience at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, joined scientists from the European Stroke Research Network for Hypothermia (EuroHYP) in urging European governments to fund a  trial of moderate hypothermia for the treatment of ischemic stroke victims.  In ischemic stroke the blood … Continue reading Animal studies point to clinical trial of hypothermia for stroke victims

Breakthroughs of the year 2010: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Every December Science, the magazine published weekly by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and ranking among among the most prestigious of scientific journals, publishes its list of the “Breakthrough of the Year”, and it affords us one last opportunity to look back on a few of the major developments we have discussed … Continue reading Breakthroughs of the year 2010: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Open Letter to the Justice Department

In recent days, the Justice Department (the moniker of an animal rights terrorist group) sent a letter to my home that contained razor blades and graphic threats to “cut my throat”, and they have openly announced that they sent similar letters to at least one of my trainees. The letter that was sent to my … Continue reading Open Letter to the Justice Department

Microbicide gel cuts HIV infection rates…thank the monkeys!

There was exciting news on Monday when it was announced at an international AIDS conference in Vienna that microbicide gel had dramatically reduced the transmission of HIV in a Phase 2 clinical trial involving 889 women in South Africa.  If confirmed by  larger phase 3 trials this gel will offer millions of women a way … Continue reading Microbicide gel cuts HIV infection rates…thank the monkeys!

Scientists discover AIDS in Chimpanzees

The discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by the French scientists Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi in 1983, and the, and the subsequent confirmation by the American scientist Robert Gallo that it caused AIDS was a shock to doctors and scientists around the globe, and begged the question as to whether or not similar … Continue reading Scientists discover AIDS in Chimpanzees

How Monkeys Help to Prevent HIV Infection

With the European Parliament voting on the future of primate research there is no better time to discuss the medical benefits that such research provides - and which would be lost if primate research is severely restricted or banned. We are all familiar with the use of drug regimes such as HAART to control HIV … Continue reading How Monkeys Help to Prevent HIV Infection

Fighting the scourges of humanity

The past week has seen some interesting news on efforts to combat three diseases that blight the lives of millions in the world today. The most exciting news was that in two studies (1,2) published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine the malaria vaccine RTS,S passed a major milestone in its development … Continue reading Fighting the scourges of humanity

From the Nobel Prize to the clinic through animal research

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2008 have been announced today, and this year the prize has been split between three scientists whose epidemiological work lead to the identification of viruses responsible for two deadly diseases.  Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi were given the award for their discovery of the … Continue reading From the Nobel Prize to the clinic through animal research