News 3 november 2009
A Prospective Nested Case-Control
Study of Dengue in Infants
his prospective nested case-control study of primarily DENV3 infections during infancy has
shown that infants exhibit a full range of disease severity after primary DENV infections.
The results support an initial in vivo protective role for maternally derived antibody,
and suggest that a DENV3 PRNT50 >50 is associated with protection from symptomatic
DENV3 illness. We did not find a significant association between DENV3 ADE activity at
illness onset and the development of DHF compared with less severe symptomatic illness.
The results of this study should encourage rethinking or refinement of the current ADE
pathogenesis model for infant DHF and stimulate new directions of research into mechanisms
responsible for the development of DHF during infancy.
Link
Anti-tumor necrosis factor
treatment does not increase cancer Risk in RA patients
A recent study by Swedish researchers found that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients did
not experience an elevated cancer risk in the first 6 years after starting anti-tumor
necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. The research team, led by Johan Askling, M.D., Ph.D., from
Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden assessed the short-term and
medium-term cancer risk for RA patients using anti-TNF therapies: infliximab, adalimumab,
and etanercept. Details of the study appear in the November issue of Arthritis &
Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology published by
Wiley-Blackwell. TNF is a cytokine (substance secreted by immune system cells) that
regulates the body's immune system and is involved in inflammation. TNF inhibitors (or TNF
blockers) are a class of therapies used to reduce inflammation in chronic inflammation
such as RA. The common immunosuppressant drugs and those included in the study are
Remicade®, HumiraTM, and Enbrel®. As these therapies are used to treat chronic
inflammatory illnesses, the long-term inhibition of TNF raises concerns for increased risk
of infections and cancer. This study, one of the largest and longest population-based
assessments of cancer risks associated with immunosuppressive therapy, included data from
several Swedish databases including the Biologics Register, the Cancer Register, and the
Early RA Register. Researchers identified and analyzed data from 6,366 patients who
started anti-TNF therapy between January 1999 and July 2006. Data from patients using TNF
inhibitors was compared with other groups of RA patients—61,160 not taking
medication, 4015 using methotrexate (the gold standard in RA treatment) and 4,015 taking
combinations of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (other than TNF inhibitors).
Link
Biofield therapies - helpful or
full of hype?
New study reviews science behind efficacy of biofield therapies – Reiki, therapeutic
touch and healing touch. Biofield therapies, which claim to use subtle energy to stimulate
the body’s healing process, are promising complementary interventions for reducing
the intensity of pain in a number of conditions, reducing anxiety for hospitalized
patients and reducing agitated behaviors in dementia, over and above what standard
treatments can achieve. However, longer-term effects are less clear. Dr. Shamini Jain,
from the UCLA Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, and Dr. Paul Mills, from
the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, and the Moores Comprehensive
Cancer Center in San Diego, US, publish their review1 of the science behind biofield
therapies online this week in Springer’s International Journal of Behavioral
Medicine. A significant number of patients use biofield therapies – Reiki,
therapeutic touch and healing touch – despite very little research proving that they
work. These techniques have been used over millennia in various cultural communities to
heal physical and mental disorders. They have only recently been under the scrutiny of
current Western scientific methods.
Link
Blue energy seems feasible and
offers considerable benefits
Generating energy on a large scale by mixing salt and fresh water is both technically
possible and practical. The worldwide potential for this clean form of energy –
‘blue energy’ or ‘blue electricity’ – is enormous. However, it
will be necessary to work actively on several essential technological developments and to
invest heavily in large-scale trials. On 3 November, Jan Post hopes to obtain his
doctorate on this subject from Wageningen University. The principle of generating
electricity by mixing salt and fresh water, taking advantage of the difference in charge
that results, has been known for more than 100 years. It was first tested in practice in a
laboratory in the 1950s. There are two methods for generating blue energy:
pressure-retarded osmosis and reverse electrodialysis. Jan Post, in his research, has
focused mainly on the latter because it is the more attractive method of generating energy
from sea and river water. With his research into the practical applicability, techniques
and preconditions for large-scale energy generation from salinity gradients, he was the
first to demonstrate that very high yields are possible. In the laboratory, it is possible
to recover more than 80% of the energy from salinity gradients; the technical feasibility
would be 60-70% and the economic feasibility a little lower than that.
Link
Bodybuilding with Steroids Damages
Kidneys
Athletes who use anabolic steroids may gain muscle mass and strength, but they can also
destroy their kidney function, according to a paper being presented at the American
Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego,
CA. The findings indicate that the habitual use of steroids has serious harmful effects on
the kidneys that were not previously recognized. Reports of professional athletes who
abuse anabolic steroids are increasingly common. Most people know that using steroids is
not good for your health, but until now, their effects on the kidneys have not been known.
Leal Herlitz, MD (Columbia University Medical Center) and her colleagues recently
conducted the first study describing injury to the kidneys following long-term abuse of
anabolic steroids. The investigators studied a group of 10 bodybuilders who used steroids
for many years and developed protein leakage into the urine and severe reductions in
kidney function. Kidney tests revealed that nine of the ten bodybuilders developed a
condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a type of scarring within the
kidneys. This disease typically occurs when the kidneys are overworked. The kidney damage
in the bodybuilders has similarities to that seen in morbidly obese patients, but appears
to be even more severe.
Link
Breakthrough documentary
"House of Numbers" challenges conventional thinking on HIV, AIDS
Canadian filmmaker Brent Leung isn't winning any friends in the pharmaceutical industry
these days. His breakthrough documentary "House of Numbers" features
jaw-dropping interviews with doctors, researchers and even the co-discoverer of HIV
himself (Luc Montagnier), all of whom reveal startling information calling into question
the "official" explanation of HIV and AIDS.
Link
Cancerless rodent has genetic
defense
U.S. scientists say they've discovered how the naked mole rat -- the only known animal
that never develops cancer -- defends itself against tumor development. The rodent, also
known as a sand puppy, has a 30-year lifespan that allows ample time for cells to grow
cancerous. But scientists say the animal has never been found with tumors of any kind --
and now University of Rochester biologists think they know why.
Link
Cranberries Provide Eight-Hour
Health Protection
Cranberries may offer help to more than 11 million American women each year who contract
urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs cost some $1.6 billion in healthcare and the only
known treatment is antibiotic therapy, which increasingly contributes to creating
bacterial resistant strains of pathogens.
Link
Dendritic cells responsible for
smoldering inflammation in smokers' lungs
Inflammation still ravages the lungs of some smokers years after they quit the habit. What
sparks that smoldering destruction remained a mystery until a consortium of researchers
led by Baylor College of Medicine found that certain dendritic cells in the lung –
the cells that "present" a foreign antigen or protein to the immune system
– provoke production of destructive T-cells that attack a key protein called elastin,
leading to death of lung tissue and emphysema. A report of their work appears in the
current issue of Science Transformational Medicine. The National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute estimates that 2 million Americans have emphysema, most of them over the age of
50 years. People with emphysema find it harder and harder to breathe as the lung's air
sacs or alveoli are destroyed, causing holes in the lung and blocking airways. They have
difficulty exchanging oxygen as their lungs become less elastic. Cigarette smoking is the
greatest risk factor for the disease that contributes to as many as 100,000 deaths each
year.
Link
Depression can lead to inflated
reports of physical symptoms
New research shows people who feel depressed tend to recall having more physical symptoms
than they actually experienced. The study indicates that depression -- not neuroticism --
is the cause of such over-reporting. Psychologist Jerry Suls, professor and collegiate
fellow in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, attributes the
findings to depressed individuals recalling experiences differently, tending to ruminate
over and exaggerate the bad. Published electronically this month in the journal
Psychosomatic Medicine, the study was conducted by investigators in the UI Department of
Psychology, the Center for Research in the Implementation of Innovative Strategies in
Practice (CRIISP) at the Iowa City VA Medical Center, and the UI College of Nursing. The
109 study participants, all female, completed baseline surveys to assess their levels of
neuroticism and depression. Each day for three weeks, they reported whether they felt 15
common physical symptoms including aches and pains, gastrointestinal and upper-respiratory
issues. On the 22nd day, they were asked to remember how often they had experienced each
physical symptom in the preceding three weeks. People who scored higher in depression were
more likely to overstate the frequency of their past symptoms. "People who felt
depressed made the most errors when asked to remember their physical symptoms," Suls
said. "They tended to exaggerate their experience."
Link
Ease The Aches Of Arthritis
Until recently, we viewed arthritis mainly as the result of wear and tear on the joints
that caused a gradual loss of cartilage, the smooth layer of connective tissue that
enables our bones to absorb the shock of joint motion and to move smoothly and without
pain.
Link
Eating animals is making us sick
On a typical factory farm, drugs are fed to animals with every meal. In poultry factory
farms, they almost have to be. It's a perfect storm: The animals have been bred to such
extremes that sickness is inevitable, and the living conditions promote illness.
Link
Environmental Influences during
Windows of Susceptibility in Breast Cancer Risk
Recent compelling evidence indicates that breast cancer is an environmental disease. While
exposures to environmental factors are of intense interest to both researchers and
community members, including women with breast cancer, well conducted studies of adult
women have revealed little regarding possible environmental causes of breast cancer. The
study of “windows of susceptibility” in the etiology of breast cancer is of
increasing interest and refers to specific time periods in which breast tissue may be most
vulnerable to the effects of environmental exposures and may directly or indirectly affect
the risk of developing breast cancer. Specific windows exist when physiologic changes
occur in the mammary gland – including gestation, puberty, pregnancy, and lactation -
that likely represent time periods of particular susceptibility to environmental factors
that may influence breast cancer risk. Thus, research focused on these critical periods of
development seeks to improve our understanding of the roles of environmental factors and
their interplay with genetic susceptibility.
Link
Exercise Keeps Dangerous Visceral
Fat Away a Year After Weight Loss, Finds UAB Study
A study conducted by exercise physiologists in the University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB) Department of Human Studies finds that as little as 80 minutes a week of aerobic or
resistance training helps not only to prevent weight gain, but also to inhibit a regain of
harmful visceral fat one year after weight loss. The study was published online Oct. 8 and
will appear in a future print edition of the journal Obesity. Unlike subcutaneous fat that
lies just under the skin and is noticeable, visceral fat lies in the abdominal cavity
under the abdominal muscle. Visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat because
it often surrounds vital organs. The more visceral fat one has, the greater is the chance
of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Link
Fibre may help asthma, diabetes
Modern diets high in processed foods that contain little fibre may be behind the rise in
recent decades of inflammatory diseases such as asthma and Type 1 diabetes, say Sydney
scientists who have found fibre consumption can trigger the production of immune molecules
in the gut.
Link
Genetic links to fungal infection
risk identified
Two genetic mutations that may put individuals at increased risk of fungal infections have
been identified by scientists from UCL and Radboud University, increasing understanding
about the genetic basis of these infections and potentially aiding the development of new
treatments. The two separate studies, published today in the New England Journal of
Medicine, mark a significant step in the understanding of genetic susceptibility to fungal
diseases. The findings have implications for people suffering from chronic mucocutaneous
candidiasis (CMC), as well as more common infections like vaginal candidosis (thrush). The
UCL-led research focused on patients from multiple generations of a large family who had
suffered from serious recurrent fungal infections that proved lethal in some of those
affected. DNA sequencing and genetic mapping techniques enabled the researchers to
identify that this family had a recurrent mutation in a gene called CARD9. The team from
Radboud University in the Netherlands discovered that a mutation in the gene Dectin-1 is
associated with increased susceptibility to vaginal infections by fungi (primarily of the
genus Candida). When these two genes are working correctly, Dectin-1 senses the presence
of fungi and prompts the immune cells to send signals that result in CARD9 setting off a
molecular response in the immune system to protect against these microorganisms. If
Dectin-1 or CARD9 are mutated or missing, the immune system struggles to control Candida
and may allow local or even systemic (affecting the entire body) infections to develop.
Link
How Much Sunshine Does it Take to
Make Enough Vitamin D?
Vitamin D deficiency is quite common, and a growing list of diseases and conditions are
being linked with it. Regular sun exposure, without sunscreen, causes your skin to produce
vitamin D naturally. But how much sun do you need?
Link
Journalist's Vaccine Article Draws
Hate Mail
Journalist Amy Wallace's article in the November issue of Wired Magazine about the
passionate, and sometimes angry, debate over whether vaccines cause autism drew some
vitriolic response.
Link
Low vitamin D tied to heart, stroke
deaths
Low vitamin D levels in the body may be deadly, according to a new study hinting that
adults with lower, versus higher, blood levels of vitamin D may be more likely to die from
heart disease or stroke.
Link
Lupus linked to heart disease
People with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a more than twofold increased risk of
cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
Link
Milk and manure
Regulators in Wisconsin say, for the most part, their big dairy farms are doing a good job
with manure management. They say most of their water quality problems come from smaller
farms in the state - farms that are not monitored as closely.
Link
Modified Crops Reveal Hidden Cost
Of Resistance
Genetically modified squash plants that are resistant to a debilitating viral disease
become more vulnerable to a fatal bacterial infection, according to biologists.
Link
Monsanto and Pioneer Duke It Out
Over Biotech Corn, Farmers Take the Hit
There is an old African saying "Whether elephants make love or war, the grass
suffers." The two elephants in the agricultural seed business are now making real
war, although they have been wary of each other for years. Monsanto, a relatively recent
entry into the business, has become the "dominant male" in the battle after
moving to acquire a large number of formerly independent seed companies. Pioneer, content
for years to be the premiere corn breeder in the world, has found itself suddenly
defending its turf and trying to find ways to move into the new biotech ball game.
Link
No pain, no gain: mastering a skill
makes us stressed in the moment, happy long term
No pain, no gain applies to happiness, too, according to new research published online
this week in the Journal of Happiness Studies. People who work hard at improving a skill
or ability, such as mastering a math problem or learning to drive, may experience stress
in the moment, but experience greater happiness on a daily basis and longer term, the
study suggests. "No pain, no gain is the rule when it comes to gaining happiness from
increasing our competence at something," said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of
psychology at San Francisco State University. "People often give up their goals
because they are stressful, but we found that there is benefit at the end of the day from
learning to do something well. And what's striking is that you don't have to reach your
goal to see the benefits to your happiness and well-being." Contrary to previous
research, the study found that people who engage in behaviors that increase competency,
for example at work, school or the gym, experience decreased happiness in the moment,
lower levels of enjoyment and higher levels of momentary stress. Despite the negative
effects felt on an hourly basis, participants reported that these same activities made
them feel happy and satisfied when they looked back on their day as a whole. This
surprising find suggests that in the process of becoming proficient at something,
individuals may need to endure temporary stress to reap the happiness benefits associated
with increased competency.
Link
North Carolina sea levels rising 3
times faster than in previous 500 years, Penn study says
An international team of environmental scientists led by the University of Pennsylvania
has shown that sea-level rise, at least in North Carolina, is accelerating. Researchers
found 20th-century sea-level rise to be three times higher than the rate of sea-level rise
during the last 500 years. In addition, this jump appears to occur between 1879 and 1915,
a time of industrial change that may provide a direct link to human-induced climate
change. The results appear in the current issue of the journal Geology. The rate of
relative sea-level rise, or RSLR, during the 20th century was 3 to 3.3 millimeters per
year, higher than the usual rate of one per year. Furthermore, the acceleration appears
consistent with other studies from the Atlantic coast, though the magnitude of the
acceleration in North Carolina is larger than at sites farther north along the U.S. and
Canadian Atlantic coast and may be indicative of a latitudinal trend related to the
melting of the Greenland ice sheet. Understanding the timing and magnitude of this
possible acceleration in the rate of RSLR is critical for testing models of global climate
change and for providing a context for 21st-century predictions.
Link
Pain thresholds linked to
inflammation and sleep problems in arthritis patients
Despite recent advances in anti-inflammatory therapy, many rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
patients continue to suffer from pain. Research published in BioMed Central's open access
journal, Arthritis Research & Therapy found that inflammation is associated with
heightened pain sensitivity at joint sites, whereas increased sleep problems are
associated with heightened pain sensitivity at both joint and non-joint sites. Researchers
from the Division of Rheumatology and Pain Management Center of Brigham and Women's
Hospital, and the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Center of the University of Michigan Medical
School, assessed experimental pain sensitivity, disease activity, sleep problems and
psychiatric distress in 59 women with RA. The researchers used questionnaires to assess
the women's sleep problems and psychiatric distress and measured the levels of C-reactive
protein as an indicator of disease activity. They also measured pain sensitivity with
pressure pain threshold testing at joint and non-joint sites. Lower pain thresholds are
indicative of higher pain sensitivity. "Sleep problems were inversely associated with
pain threshold at all sites, suggesting a defect in central pain processing", state
the authors. This finding emphasises the need for research into the mechanisms underlying
sleep disorders and pain in RA patients, particularly given the common occurrence of
sleeping problems among these patients. This autoimmune disease, causing chronic
inflammation, affects nearly 1% of the population and sufferers often report ongoing pain
in spite of successful anti-inflammatory treatment.
Link
Pitt study shows linkage between
teen girls' weight and sexual behavior
A University of Pittsburgh study sheds new light on the relationship between race, body
weight and sexual behavior among adolescent girls. The results suggest that a girl's
ethnicity and her actual weight or perception of her weight may play a role in her
participation in risky sexual behaviors. The study results are published in the November
issue of Pediatrics, now available online. The study, conducted by Aletha Akers, M.D.,
M.P.H., assistant professor of gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of
Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues, further links girls at weight extremes with
an increased risk for engaging in sexual risk-taking behaviors. "This study will
contribute to sexual health education prevention efforts, which can be tailored to address
how cultural norms regarding body size may influence adolescent sexual decision making.
Knowing how a girl perceives her weight may be just as important as knowing her actual
weight," noted Dr. Akers. Of the nearly 7,200 high school girls asked about their
sexual activity and risky sexual behavior as part of the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance survey, half reported ever having sex. Those girls who were both sexually
active and overweight, or who thought they were overweight, were less likely to use
condoms than normal-weight sexually active girls. Underweight girls also were less likely
to use condoms.
Link
Placental precursor stem cells
require testosterone-free environment to survive
Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), cells found in the layer of peripheral embryonic stem cells
from which the placenta is formed, are thought to exhibit "immune privilege"
that aids cell survivability and is potentially beneficial for cell and gene therapies.
Further, the survivability of TSCs has been thought to require the presence of ovarian
hormones. However, none of these assumptions has ever been verified. This study, published
in the current issue of the journal Cell Transplantation (18:7) - now freely available
on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct - has demonstrated that it is the
absence of male hormones, rather than the presence of female hormones, that allows
extended transplanted cell survivability. "Questioning whether a female hormonal
environment is one of the physiological requirements for ectopic TSC survival, we surmised
that a partially immune-privileged site other than the uterus might also allow TSCs to
survive and exert a protective action on other nearby cells, enabling the latter to
survive in locations where they normally could not," said Dr. Bert Binas, co-author
of the study. When the research team injected the livers of both male and female mice with
TSCs, the cells survived in female animal livers but did not survive in male animal
livers. "This was not unexpected, given the natural uterine environment for
TSCs," said Dr. Binas. "However, castration of the male mice abolished the sex
hormone difference and the livers of the castrated male mice provided a perfect
environment for the TSCs."The researchers concluded that the presence of male
hormones was toxic for the injected TSCs. The injected TSCs survived for three months with
little if any proliferation, regardless of their immunological compatibility, but were
dependent on a non-male hormonal environment in castrated male mice.
Link
Research shows Tai Chi exercise
reduces knee osteoarthritis pain in the elderly
Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine have determined that patients over 65
years of age with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who engage in regular Tai Chi exercise improve
physical function and experience less pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of
Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation
and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy. Full findings of the study
are published in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the
American College of Rheumatology. The elderly population is at most risk for developing
knee OA, which results in pain, functional limitations or disabilities and a reduced
quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there
are 4.3 million U.S. adults over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, a common form of arthritis
that causes wearing of joint cartilage. A recent CDC report further explains that half of
American adults may develop symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. For this study,
Chenchen Wang, M.D., M.Sc., and colleagues recruited 40 patients from the greater Boston
area with confirmed knee OA who were in otherwise good health. The mean age of
participants was 65 years with a mean body mass index of 30.0 kg/m2. Patients were
randomly selected and 20 were asked to participate in 60-minute Yang style Tai Chi
sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included: a 10-minute self-massage and a
review of Tai Chi principles; 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement; 10 minutes of breathing
technique; and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Link
Researchers find brain cell
transplants help repair neural damage
A Swiss research team has found that using an animal's own brain cells (autologous
transplant) to replace degenerated neurons in select brain areas of donor primates with
simulated but asymptomatic Parkinson's disease and previously in a motor cortex lesion
model, provides a degree of brain protection and may be useful in repairing brain lesions
and restoring function. "We aimed at determining whether autografted cells derived
from cortical gray matter, cultured for one month and re-implanted in the caudate nucleus
of dopamine depleted primates, effectively survived and migrated," said Dr.
Jean-Francoise Brunet who, along with colleagues, published their study in Cell
Transplantation (18:7), now freely available on-line at
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct. "The autologous, re-implanted cells
survived at an impressively high rate of 50 percent for four months
post-implantation." While the use of neural grafts to restore function after lesions
or degeneration of the central nervous system has been widely reported, the objective of
this study was to replace depleted neurons to a restricted brain area and to avoid both
the ethical controversies accompanying fetal cell transplants as well as immune rejection.
Link
Researchers identify genetic links
to fungal infection susceptibility
New research has identified two genetic mutations that may put individuals at increased
risk for fungal infections. The research focused on patients with severe fungal infections
(primarily of the genus Candida), but the findings may also have implications for patients
who have more common mild infections. The research is published in two studies that appear
together in the October 29, 2009 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The two
independent research teams, one led by Prof. Mihai Netea (Radboud University Nijmegen
Medical Centre, The Netherlands) and one led by Prof. Bodo Grimbacher (University College
London, Royal Free Campus Hampstead, United Kingdom) discovered that mutations in two
proteins involved in the pathway responsible for recognition of fungal beta-glucans
substantially impaired the immune system’s ability to control fungi. Dr. Netea’s
team discovered the relationship with mutations in the protein Dectin-1, and Dr.
Grimbacher’s team identified the relationship with mutations in the CARD9 protein.
The new results show that the mechanisms to protect against fungal infections have been
largely conserved by evolution between mice and humans, which is not necessarily the case
for other microbes. After sensing the presence of Candida by specialised recognition
proteins such as Dectin-1, immune cells send signals from their surface to the inside,
where CARD9 acts as an adaptor molecule that integrates those signals. CARD9 then
initiates several molecular response mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune system
to protect us from those microorganisms. If Dectin-1 or CARD9 are mutated or missing, our
immune system struggles to control Candida and may allow local or even systemic infections
to develop.
Link
Researchers Link Low-Level Mercury
Exposure, Zinc Deficiency and Learning Disorders
Child learning and behavioral disorders are on the rise. Increasingly, diet-related
factors like synthetic food dyes, mercury contamination and mineral deficiencies are being
linked to these problems.
Link
Scientists sift soil for new
antibiotics
Scientists are looking at diverse sources — such as soil and frog skins — for
new antibiotics, worried that doctors will run out of options to treat increasingly
antibiotic-resistant infections.
Link
Statins Show Dramatic Drug And Cell
Dependent Effects In The Brain
A study in the October Journal of Lipid Research finds that similar statin drugs can have
profoundly different effects on brain cells -both beneficial and detrimental.
Link
Stem cell therapy may offer hope
for acute lung injury
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have shown that
adult stem cells from bone marrow can prevent acute lung injury in a mouse model of the
disease. Their results are reported online in the October issue of the journal Stem Cells.
Acute lung injury (ALI) is responsible for an estimated 74,500 deaths in the U.S. each
year. ALI can be caused by any major inflammation or injury to the lungs and is a major
cause of death in patients in hospital ICUs. There is no effective drug treatment. In ALI,
the layer of cells that forms the lining of the blood vessels surrounding the lung's air
sacs is damaged, allowing fluid to leak in and fill the sacs. Repair of these breaks in
the endothelium, or lining, is complicated by the fact that endothelial cells are
long-lived, says Kishore Wary, UIC assistant professor of pharmacology and lead author of
the study. Turnover of new cells takes as long as two to five years, and few of the
precursor cells needed for replacement circulate in the body at any given time. "The
stem cells that might be able repair the damage caused by ALI are simply not on
hand," he said.
Link
Study shows hormone replacement
therapy decreases mortality in younger postmenopausal woman
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopausal estrogen deficiency has been in
widespread use for over 60 years. Several observational studies over the years showed that
HRT use by younger postmenopausal women was associated with a significant reduction in
total mortality; available evidence supported the routine use of HRT to increase longevity
in postmenopausal women. However, the 2002 publication of a major study, the Women's
Health Initiative (WHI), indicated increased risk for certain outcomes in older women,
without increasing mortality. This sparked debate regarding potential benefits or harm of
HRT. In an article published in the November 2009 issue of The American Journal of
Medicine, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of the available data using Bayesian
methods and concluded that HRT almost certainly decreases mortality in younger
postmenopausal women. Bayesian analysis uses prior data, updated with new information, to
make statistical inferences. The authors pooled results from 19 randomized trials that
included age-specific data from the WHI, with 16,000 younger postmenopausal women (mean
age 55 years) followed for 83,000 patient-years, and showed a mortality relative risk of
0.73. When data from 8 observational studies were added to the analysis, the resultant
relative risk was 0.72. Using Bayesian analysis to synthesize the available data, the
probability of a mortality benefit in this population was 1.0. This means that the
probability of the hypothesis that hormone therapy reduces total mortality in younger
women is essentially 1. Writing in the article, Shelley R. Salpeter, MD, states, "It
is clear that these findings need to be interpreted in the light of potential benefits and
harms of hormone therapy. The available evidence indicates that hormone therapy in younger
postmenopausal women increases the risk of breast cancer and pulmonary embolism and
reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, colon cancer, and hip fracture. The
cardiovascular benefit is a result of a small absolute increase in stroke and a greater
reduction in coronary heart disease events. The total mortality benefit for younger women
seen in the randomized trials and observational studies indicates that the reduction in
deaths from coronary heart disease, fracture, and colon cancer outweighed the increase in
deaths from breast cancer, stroke and pulmonary embolism. In addition to this mortality
benefit, hormone therapy in younger women provides an improvement in quality-of-life
measures, at least in the first few years of treatment."
Link
Study Uncovers Key to How
‘Triggering Event’ in Cancer Occurs
Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered what
leads to two genes fusing together, a phenomenon that has been shown to cause prostate
cancer to develop. The study found that pieces of chromosome relocate near each other
after exposure to the hormone androgen. This sets the scene for the gene fusion to occur.
The finding is reported online Oct. 29 in Science Express.
Link
The Protein for quick
decision-makers
Everyday, people are required to make decisions quickly and flexibly. In a flash, they
must weigh up the advantages, disadvantages and possible consequences of their behaviour
and coordinate it with the relevant external circumstances. This learning process involves
the messenger substance dopamine. Decisions that are perceived as positive and are
followed by a reward trigger the increased release of dopamine and are recorded by the
brain as beneficial. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have
now discovered an enzyme variant that promotes fast and flexible decision-making
behaviour.
Link
Toxins in Halloween costumes
scarier than ghosts
Parents should be aware that some children's face paints intended for Halloween contain
toxic heavy metals and other chemicals, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The
organization found in the children's face paints contain lead, nickel, cobalt and
chromium, which can cause lifelong skin sensitization and contact dermatitis.
Link
Tumors and sex changes
In spring of 2008, scientists from Cal Poly discovered that about 10 percent of goby fish
collected in Morro Bay were plagued by bulbous liver tumors. At the time they hypothesized
the gobies were being poisoned by sewage runoff and a common chemical found in everything
from detergents to spermicides.
Link
U.S. government plans major study
of the safety of BPA
The National Institutes of Health will devote $30 million to study the safety of bisphenol
A, or BPA, an estrogen-like chemical used in many plastics, including sippy cups and the
linings of metal cans.
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Upping fiber intake could help
defeat belly fat
Eating just a little bit more fiber could have a big impact in trimming the waistlines of
America's young people, new research shows.
Link
UT Southwestern researchers use
drug-radiation combo to eradicate lung cancer
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have eliminated non-small cell lung (NSCL)
cancer in mice by using an investigative drug called BEZ235 in combination with low-dose
radiation. In a study appearing in the October issue of Cancer Research, UT Southwestern
researchers found that if they administered BEZ235 before they damaged the DNA of tumor
cells with otherwise nontoxic radiation, the drug blocked the pro-survival actions of a
protein called PI3K, which normally springs into action to keep tumor cells alive while
they repair DNA damage. Researchers tested this novel therapeutic strategy in mice
transplanted with NSCL cancers obtained from patients. They found that tumors in the mice
treated with BEZ235 alone were significantly smaller than those in mice not given the
drug. Although the tumors stopped growing, they did not die. By contrast, tumors were
completely eradicated in mice treated with a combination of BEZ235 and radiation.
"These early results suggest that the drug-radiation combination might be an
effective therapy in lung cancer patients," said Dr. Pier Paolo Scaglioni, assistant
professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study.
Link
Wanted for Mass Murder - Barack
Obama, Dr Margaret Chan, & Dr Thomas R. Frieden
This is an extremely important article. It states that former Secret Service agent turned
bioweapons "expert" Marc S Griswold, was ordered by
Indonesian-Imposter-Posing-as-US-President Barack Obama, to transport a vial of the
bio-weaponized H1N1 germs (from the Army's Fort Detrick, MD lab) ABOARD Air Force One when
Obama (along with Marc Griswold and Energy Secretary Steven Chu) made an UNSCHEDULED trip
to Mexico on April 16, 2009 for a "working dinner" with officials of the Mexican
government. Upon Griswold's return to Texas on April 18, 2009, he (and later his family)
began to experience the nation's FIRST symptoms of "Swine flu" 'pandemic' ...Ken
Adachi
Link
Why are fat people abused?
Shouted at, spat at and even attacked, overweight people are campaigning for laws to
protect them. Why is "fattism" seen by many as an acceptable prejudice?
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Why are women predisposed to
autoimmune rheumatic diseases?
n the current issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy, Jacqueline Oliver and Alan Silman
explore the various factors that influence susceptibility to the major autoimmune
connective tissue disorders, in search for an explanation for the high female-to-male
predisposition ratio. Autoimmune diseases of all organ sites and systems affect
approximately 8% of the population, around 78% of whom are women. The majority of studies
into this female predominance have focused on examining the affect of hormonal
fluctuations on disease risk. Oliver and Silman provide a detailed review of these
hormonal influences, as well as genetics and gender differences in lifestyle factors,
focusing on rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma. The
authors convey the complexity of autoimmune disease susceptibility and the need for
further studies to disentangle the many contributing factors.
Link
Why Fish Oils Help With Conditions
Like Rheumatoid Arthritis How They Could Help Even More
New research from Queen Mary, University of London and Harvard Medical School has revealed
precisely why taking fish oils can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Link
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