REFERENCE: PLoS Med 4(7):e238. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040238
SIMON LEWIN, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Non-adherence is a big factor reducing the efficacy of tuberculosis treatment according to a review of research released by the Public Library of Science’s online medical journal, PLoS Medicine. The article suggests that more needs to be done to resolve barriers to therapy compliance in order to help reduce the global burden of tuberculosis. Nicola Solomon interviewed Simon Lewin.

;em>REFERENCE: Lancet 2007; 370:39-48
MARGARET JOHNSON, Royal Free Hospital, London
A new non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor has demonstrated its activity in patients infected with HIV-1. TMC125, or etravirine, was compared with placebo in over 500 treatment-experienced patients in the DUET-2 trial, and Derek Thorne heard more from Margaret Johnson of the Royal Free Hospital in London.

REFERENCE: Lancet 2007;370:398-406
RENGASWAMY SANKARANARAYANAN, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon
An inexpensive visual cervix cancer-screening test has proved its worth in India according to a publication in the Lancet. Inspecting the cervix visually after applying 4% acetic acid can reduce the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer in developing countries. Nicola Solomon interviewed Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan.

REFERENCE: O-144
KATE STERN, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
A potential new way of preserving ovarian function during chemotherapy for cancer could be treatment with an antagonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone: GnRH. A pilot study from Melbourne looked at 18 young women with cancer or auto immune disease due to receive cyclophosphamide therapy. Sarah Maxwell spoke with Kate Stern and heard more about the study.

REFERENCE: O-103
GEORG GRIESINGER, University Clinic of Schleswig-Holstein, Luebeck, Germany
Although low fetal birth weight is associated with singleton babies born after in-vitro fertilisation, a new prospective study has demonstrated that this is not a result of ovarian stimulation. Correspondent Sarah Maxwell interviewed Georg Griesinger at the ESHRE meeting in Lyon to get more details.

REFERENCE: N Engl J Med 2007;357:124-34
MITCHELL SHIFFMAN, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
Standard anti-viral therapy for Hepatitis C needs to be used to the full duration according to a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine. Following provocative evidence from previous smaller studies, suggesting that anti viral therapy can be shortened, the ACCELERATE trial (the largest international study with genotypes 2 and 3) was set up to resolve whether shortening the duration of therapy for patients would give the same virologic response rates as with the standard regimen. It found that full-dose, full-duration therapy with interferon and ribavirin needs to be adhered to. Nicola Solomon interviewed Mitchell Shiffman to find out more.

REFERENCE: N Engl J Med 2007;357:135-42
PHILIPPE DE WALS, Laval University, Quebec
Compulsory food fortification with folic acid has been given new impetus following findings from a Canadian study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Fifty per cent fewer neural–tube defects were detected in the Canadian population after compulsory fortification of cereals as compared with before. Nicola Solomon spoke to Philippe De Wals to get details about his group’s study.