Australia
Scientists researching drug therapies for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have found that a molecule called ABT-737 can make standard treatment more effective, according to findings published in the scientific journal Blood.
Richard Lock, chief of the Leukemia Biology Program at Sydney’s Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia, says the molecule enhances the effectiveness of the cancer-destroying drugs with little effect on normal cells. ALL is the most common form of childhood cancer.
For more information, contact Richard Lock, rlock@ccia.unsw.edu.au, or visit www.ccia.org.au.
Dubai
Dubai’s newest luxury hotel will be unusual even for Dubai. The brainchild of designer and developer Joachim Hauser, the Hydropolis hotel will sit 70 feet below the surface of the Arabian Gulf.
The Hydropolis, scheduled for completion in 2009, will include a number of amenities including 220 guest suites, restaurants, a shopping mall, library and a theater.
For more information, contact Mansoor Ijaz, or visit www.crescent-hydropolis.com
England
British researchers have identified a toxic compound in vegetables and fruit peels that kills certain human cancer cells. Salvestrol 40 is a natural repellant in plants, but with fruit peels often discarded, it is lacking in most diets. Scientists expect five to seven years of clinical trials before the research yields treatments.
For more information, contact the Leicester School of Pharmacy, PSecretary@dmu.ac.uk