BOSTON (Reuters) - Allergan Inc, the maker of Botox, said on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its eyelash-thickening drug Latisse.

Latisse is designed to treat a condition known as hypotrichosis of the eyelashes, which means a person does not have enough eyelashes.

The active ingredient in Latisse is bimatroprost, the same ingredient that is in Allergan’s glaucoma treatment Lumigan. Patients taking Lumigan found a side effect of the drug to be eyelash growth, prompting Allergan to study it for the new use.

LONDON (Reuters) - A slow, chronic reduction of blood sugar to the brain could trigger some forms of Alzheimer’s disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The study of human and mice brains suggests a reduction of blood flow deprives energy to the brain, setting off a process that ultimately produces the sticky clumps of protein researchers believe is a cause of the disease, they said.

The finding could lead to strategies such as exercise, reducing cholesterol and managing blood pressure to keep Alzheimer’s at bay, Robert Vassar and colleagues at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago reported.

Microsoft is rushing out a software update for its Internet Explorer web browser, after security experts warned that millions of computer users could have their PCs ‘hijacked’ by hackers.

By Claudine Beaumont

Opera, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and Flock are five alternative web browsers to Internet Explorer

LADIES, welcome to the world of swishing… a fashion soiree with a difference.

 Swishing is for eco-conscious fashionistas and their cash-strapped sisters who want to keep their wardrobes looking chic in the recession.

 The popularity of the concept soared after ’60ssupermodel Twiggy set up her own version on TV.

 Here’s how it works: Each woman brings at least five items of chic but unloved clothing or fashion accessories to the party.

 Then they go on the prowl to see what’s on offer.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - It seems a bad back might be the only thing that can stop the relentless spread of Australia’s poisonous cane toads, which are killing native animals as they hop across the nation, researchers say.

Australia’s army couldn’t stop the cane toads, which number around 200 million. Residents swinging golf clubs failed and so did a campaign to freeze them to death in refrigerators.

But now an Australian scientist says evolution has seen the biggest and fastest cane toads interbreed, resulting in arthritis and bad backs which could slow them down.

The rising stars of YouTube.
By Claudine Beaumont

YouTube rising star: SimonsCat is one of the most successful animation outfits on YouTube