World / Health & Beauty
Patient Voice Central To New Direction For Primary Care, UK Department Of Health
04.07.2008 04:18
medicalnewstoday.com
A new strategy published by the Department of Health will give patients and the public a stronger voice, enable them to make informed decisions and have greater choice and control in managing their health and healthcare.
World
Critical Care Medicine & Anesthesiology
Patient Voice Central To New Direction For Primary Care, UK Department Of Health
04.07.2008 04:18
medicalnewstoday.com
A new strategy published by the Department of Health will give patients and the public a stronger voice, enable them to make informed decisions and have greater choice and control in managing their health and healthcare.
World
Critical Care Medicine & Anesthesiology
SIDS And Brain Chemical Imbalance Linked In Mice
04.07.2008 04:18
medicalnewstoday.com
New research from Italy that is based on studies in mice found that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) may be linked to an imbalance in the brain signalling chemical serontonin that regulates heartbeat and breathing, and if shown to be true of humans could point to a way to identify babies at risk of SIDS.
World
Neurology
Take Preventative Measures Against Infectious Diseases: British Overseas Travellers Warned - Association Of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK
04.07.2008 04:18
medicalnewstoday.com
Health experts from the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (A.B.H) have issued a warning to all British families who are planning to visit their friends and families specifically to South Asian countries and Saudi Arabia during the summer holiday period, that they must take preventative measures against life- threatening infectious diseases like Meningitis, Hepatitis and Malaria.
World
Infectious Diseases
HSE Prosecutes HP Bulmer Ltd And Nalco Ltd Following Outbreak Of Legionnaire's Disease, UK
04.07.2008 04:18
medicalnewstoday.com
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has renewed its warning to companies to ensure that water storage and cooling systems are adequately treated to prevent the growth of the legionella bacteria - which affects around 300 people in the UK each year.
World
Infectious Diseases
Task Force Recommends Screening For Hearing Loss In All Newborns
04.07.2008 04:17
medicalnewstoday.com
All newborn infants should be screened for congenital hearing loss that is present at birth, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The recommendation and the accompanying summary of evidence appear in the July 7 issue of Pediatrics.
World
Hearing Disorders
Blood Vessel Inhibitor Shows Promise Against Metastatic Thyroid Cancer
04.07.2008 04:17
medicalnewstoday.com
Thyroid cancer that has spread to distant sites has a poor prognosis, but an experimental drug that inhibits tumor blood vessel formation can slow disease progression in some patients, a research team led by investigators from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the July 3rd edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.
World
Cancer
Disaster Responses 'Should Be Better Planned'
04.07.2008 04:16
medicalnewstoday.com
International healthcare responses to man-made or natural disasters should be co-ordinated and planned to enable the people affected to receive the aid they need, the conference heard this week.
World
First Aid
Soon, a non-invasive tool to monitor lung cancer treatment progress
04.07.2008 02:38
b4uindia.com
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Centre in Boston are developing a blood test that would help in monitoring lung cancer progression by detecting tumour cells circulating in the bloodstream. With the new non-invasive technique, doctors would be able to perform genetic tests on these spreading cancer cells and help them decide the treatment that would be most effective in inhibiting tumours. “If they can scale this up for commercial use, it could be a marked breakthrough,” Nature quoted Joan Schiller, an oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as saying Tumour cells can enter the bloodstream during even the earliest stages of cancer. Although these cells may not promote new cancers elsewhere in the body, researchers have observed that an increase in the total number of circulating tumour cells can lead to poorer diagnosis in some forms of the disease. In 2007, lead researcher Daniel Haber developed a new way of isolating circulating tumour cells with help of a device that thrusts blood samples through tiny channels. These tiny channels contain microscopic columns coated with an antibody for a protein released by epithelial cells. Tumour cells hook onto the columns, allowing them to be separated from the blood. In the present study, involving 27 lung cancer patients, Haber’s team isolated the circulating tumour with the help of their device. They are now using those tumour cells to carry out genetic tests in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Some non-small-cell lung cancer tumours have a mutation in a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor. The mutation makes the protein vulnerable to drugs that inhibit receptor and stall tumour progression. Currently used technique for lung tumour biopsies involve inserting fine needle into the tumour and drawing off a small number of cells. “It’s not just a needle stick, it’s an invasive procedure — it's painful,” said Haber. They researchers could isolate an average of about 100 cells for every millilitre of blood they analysed. While comparing the genetic makeup of the circulating tumour cells with the biopsies, the researchers found that analysis of the circulating tumour cells matched the biopsy 92pct of the time. Haber said that the new technique not quite ready for clinical use. For now, the procedure is slow and laborious, and the collaborators are working to optimize the device for high-throughput use. The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Imbalance of key brain chemical linked to crib deaths
04.07.2008 02:38
b4uindia.com
A pioneering study has found that an imbalance of a key brain chemical could cause crib death, better known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – a finding that could one day lead to babies being screened to identify those at high risk of the devastating and inexplicable syndrome. SIDS is a condition that unexpectedly and unexplainably takes the lives of seemingly healthy babies aged between a month and a year. Now researchers of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, Italy, have developed a mouse model of the so-called crib or cot death, which remains the leading cause of death during the first year of life in developed countries. The model reveals that an imbalance of the neuronal signal serotonin in the brainstem is sufficient to cause sudden death in mice. The brainstem, the lower part of the brain that forms the link to the spinal cord, coordinates many fundamental functions including control over cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Victims of SIDS show alterations in those brainstem neurons that communicate using the signalling molecule serotonin. Cornelius Gross and his group at the EMBL Mouse Biology Unit modified the serotonin system of mice to understand the role of this signalling molecule in the brainstem. They overexpressed an important receptor that regulates serotonin signalling, called serotonin 1A autoreceptor. "At first sight the mice were normal. But then they suffered sporadic and unpredictable drops in heart rate and body temperature. More than half of the mice eventually died of these crises during a restricted period of early life. It was at that point that we thought it might have something to do with SIDS," said Gross. Until now it was unclear how changes in serotonin signalling in the brainstem of SIDS infants are involved in sudden death. The findings in the mouse show that deficits in serotonin signalling in the brainstem can be sufficient to cause sudden death and strongly support the idea that a congenital serotonin defect could play a critical role in SIDS. Serotonin neurons in the brainstem communicate to nerve cells in the spinal cord that innervate the heart and organs involved in temperature regulation such as brown fat tissue. This signalling is defective in the mouse model of SIDS. For example, when placed into a cold chamber the animals cannot properly activate brown fat tissue to produce heat. This inability to activate fundamental body systems under certain conditions is likely to explain why the mice succumb to sudden death. While a complete block of serotonin signalling does not lead to death, upsetting its intricate balance by overexpressing serotonin 1A autoreceptor can. In response to serotonin the receptor initiates a negative feedback mechanism that reduces serotonin release and dampens down the signal to the body. The researchers caution, however, that it is unlikely that the exact same molecular mechanism leads to SIDS in humans. Nevertheless, the mouse model will help to shed light on how serotonin signalling, when dysfunctional, can be life-threatening. "We hope the mouse model will help identify risk factors for SIDS. One open question is whether like in SIDS, the animals die during sleep and whether we can identify which mice will die by looking at their heart rate or body temperature before the crisis. Ultimately, we hope it will give new ideas to doctors about how to diagnose babies at risk for SIDS," said Enrica Audero, who carried out the research in Gross' lab. The study is published in this week's issue of Science. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Scientists uncover new target for potential treatment of TB
04.07.2008 02:38
b4uindia.com
Scientists have revealed a new target for the potential treatment of tuberculosis, by identifying several molecules that could be developed into drugs to treat the deadly infectious disease. The researchers say that their findings may finally resolve a long-running debate about how the bacterial cell wall is built. Multi drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, sparked concern but the recent emergence of extensively drug-resistant strains (XDR-TB) means the search for new treatments is imperative, the authors noted. Unlike human cells, bacteria have cell walls. Molecules called mycolic acids form a vital part of these walls. To produce them, bacteria carry out several processes but until recently, scientists were unsure of the genes that control each step. One vital step is dehydration - the removal of a water molecule to lengthen the acid chain. Researchers from the University of Birmingham have shown that the gene Rv0636 controls this step, which provides new avenues for the development of treatments for TB. "FAS-II is a group of enzymes that work together to carry out dehydration," said Professor Gurdyal Besra from the University of Birmingham. "We know that the molecules NAS-21 and NAS-91 can stop these enzymes from building cell walls, so we looked at their effect on Mycobacteria. We also wanted to find out if one of the enzymes is coded for by the gene Rv0636." Professor Besra and his colleagues made modifications to NAS-21 and NAS-91, making several analogues based on the original molecules. They then tested these analogues to see if they stopped the enzymes from working. "Both series of compounds demonstrated activity against the FAS-II enzymes alone," said Professor Besra. "When we tested them against live bacterial cells we noticed that some of the analogues stopped the cells from building mycolic acids, which effectively killed them. "We also tested them on bacteria that were overexpressing Rv0636, which meant they were producing extra enzymes. These cells were resistant to NAS-21 and NAS-91, suggesting that the gene Rv0636 does code for an enzyme in the FAS-II complex. So we have solved the mystery,” he added. The researchers have also identified a new class of compounds that could be developed into successful treatments for tuberculosis that are urgently required in the future. "The emergence of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has highlighted the need for new TB drugs. We hope our discovery will lead to a new rationale for the design of treatments," said Professor Besra. The study is published in the July issue of Microbiology. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Researchers shed light on function of glucose transport molecule
04.07.2008 02:38
b4uindia.com
A team of scientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose co-transporters (SGLTs), which pump glucose into cells – paving the way for improved treatments for diabetes, obesity and cancer. These transport proteins are used in the treatment of chronic diarrhea via oral rehydration therapy, saving the lives of millions of children each year. The research team, led by Jeff Abramson and Ernest Wright of the UCLA Department of Physiology, produced an ‘atomic snap shot’ of an SGLT protein. With the help of a specialized technique known as X-ray crystallography, the researchers generated the first high-resolution, three-dimensional picture of a glucose transport protein. "This was a very challenging study that required innovation at each step of the process," said Abramson. "We literally had to invent new approaches to entice the protein into a crystal and then spent years optimizing these crystals to reach a quality suitable for visualization by X-rays. This would not have been possible without high-throughput protein production and purification capabilities," he added. A tantalizing observation made during the determination of the glucose transporter structure was the possibility for structural similarities with a previously crystallized neurotransmitter transporter molecule. Exploiting these similarities, along with computer modelling of structural dynamics, the researchers obtained the first atomic-level evidence for the mechanism underlying transport of glucose and neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) into cells. These results provide a fundamental understanding of how membrane proteins function in a dynamic manner. Pharmaceutical companies already have extensive clinical trials underway to evaluate the use of inhibitors targeting SGLT1 and SGLT2 proteins to control blood glucose levels in diabetic patients by blocking intestinal glucose absorption and increasing glucose excretion into the urine. The new findings will dramatically enhance the ability to rationally design these drugs. Currently, Wright and Abramson are examining the manner in which inhibitors of the transporter proteins modulate function with the goal of facilitating better drug design for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and cancer. The study is published in an online edition of the journal Science. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
‘Anaconda’, the rubber snake, may revolutionise wave power generation
04.07.2008 02:38
b4uindia.com
US scientists have invented the ‘Anaconda’, a device consisting of a giant rubber tube, which may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves. The developer of the rubber snake, Checkmate SeaEnergy, describe it as a totally innovative wave energy concept. Its ultra-simple design means it would be cheap to manufacture and maintain, enabling it to produce clean electricity at lower cost than other types of wave energy converter. The Anaconda is closed at both ends, and filled completely with water. It has been designed in such a manner that it can be anchored just below the sea’s surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves. A waves hitting the end squeezes it, and causes a 'bulge wave' to form inside the tube. While the bulge wave runs through the tube, the sea wave that created it runs along the outside of the tube at the same speed, and thereby squeezes the tube further and causes the bulge wave to grow bigger and bigger. A turbine fitted at the far end of the device is turned by the bulge, and the power thus produced is fed to shore through a cable. Since the Anaconda is made of rubber, it is much lighter than other wave energy devices that are primarily made of metal, and dispenses with the need for hydraulic rams, hinges and articulated joints. This characteristic of the device may help reduce capital and maintenance costs, as well as scope for breakdowns. However, this concept is still at an early stage of development, and has only been proven at very small laboratory-scale thus far. Engineers at the University of Southampton are now planning larger-scale laboratory experiments, and novel mathematical studies designed to determine the Anaconda’s potential performance as part of a programme that will be funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Using tubes with diameters of 0.25 and 0.5 metres, the experiments will assess the Anaconda's behaviour in regular, irregular and extreme waves. Parameters measured will include internal pressures, changes in tube shape, and the forces that mooring cables would be subjected to. The study will also help estimate exactly how much power a full-scale Anaconda would produce. When built, each full-scale Anaconda device would be 200 metres long and 7 metres in diameter, and it will be deployed in water depths of between 40 and 100 metres. "The Anaconda could make a valuable contribution to environmental protection by encouraging the use of wave power. A one-third scale model of the Anaconda could be built next year for sea testing and we could see the first full-size device deployed off the UK coast in around five years' time," says Professor John Chaplin, who is leading the EPSRC-funded project. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
'Deadliest' malaria rising in UK
04.07.2008 02:11
bbc.co.uk
More cases of the most dangerous type of malaria are being brought back to the UK from trips, official figures show.
World
Health & Beauty
Call for prescription charge end
04.07.2008 02:11
bbc.co.uk
Three quarters of people in the UK want to see prescription charges scrapped in England, a BBC poll suggests.
World
Health & Beauty
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