Suppresses the immune system drug extended the lives of older mice

March 8, 2010

Suppresses the immune system drug extended the lives of older mice
Used to suppress the immune drug sirolimus (brand name – “Rapampitsin) prolongs life in mice by 9 per cent for males and 14 – for females. These results were achieved in the experiments carried out in parallel in the three research centers in the U.S. states of Maine, Michigan and Massachusetts. Article about the study published the journal Nature.

Increased life expectancy was achieved despite the fact that the mouse (there were about two thousand) only started receiving sirolimus at the age of six days, the equivalent of sixty human years. Other known methods of increasing life expectancy of mammals – a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, low-calorie meals – the call for appropriate measures at an early age.

Sirolimus – registered in Russia, a drug used after organ transplantation and to combat certain types of cancer. Not yet determined how effective it would be a means to prolong human life, but that its use can be problematic because of the high toxicity associated with its primary effect. Moreover, the daily dose sirolimusa to humans – from 2 to 5 milligrams – is much lower than that obtained in the mouse experiment (2.24 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day).

Head of research at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor (Maine), David Harrison (David Harrison) said: “I would not own and would not recommend anyone to do it [take sirolimus for prolongation of life] at this stage of research.”

The mechanism of increasing the duration while taking the drug remains unclear. Sirolimus was chosen for the experiment because it acts on the biochemical path TOR, which depends on slowing the aging effect of low-calorie diets. Nevertheless, none of the mice did not lose weight during the study.

American scientists have proposed to treat tuberculosis drugs from Parkinson’s disease

American scientists have proposed to treat tuberculosis drugs from Parkinson’s disease
American scientists have discovered that a cure for Parkinson’s disease, entacapone effective in treating “supertuberkuleza, germs which are resistant to most known drugs), reports Newswise. The research skills of the University of California (University of California) in San Diego, published in PLoS Computational Biology.

The researchers used a technique that enables to find a new use of already known medicines. The specialists studied the pharmacological activity of several derivatives of the drug, and then optimize those who showed the greatest efficiency.

Tuberculosis In the study, researchers found that the drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, entacapone is effective against the pathogens of tuberculosis in doses that are well below toxic to human cells. According to study leader, Professor Philip Bourne (Philip Bourne), this discovery is important because existing drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis are highly toxic.

According to scientists, developed the method of investigation will move from the old scheme of search activity of drugs, one drug – one disease “to a new, implying a multiple-use products.

Nigerian tea will help in the treatment of diabetes

March 2, 2010

Nigerian tea will help in the treatment of diabetes
Tea from the leaves of trees growing in Africa and bitter orange may be remedy for patients with diabetes mellitus type II, described in the material Lexi Abutu and Christina Scott, sent from Abuja, Nigeria.

Tea from the dried leaves of the tree Rauvolfia vomiting / Rauvolfia vomitoria / – known in West Africa as “asofeyedzhe” in the language of the Yoruba tribe – and the fruit of bitter orange tree, as it turns out, is able to regulate the level of blood sugar, according to lead researcher Joan Campbell-Ayabo Toft, researcher at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Diabetes mellitus type 2, which usually develops in middle-aged people, may constitute a threat to life and is characterized by high blood sugar. Often affects people suffering from obesity, diabetes – are endocrine disease that occurs as a result of absolute or relative insufficiency of insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.

In the course of the study conducted in Denmark, 23 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 daily drink 750 milliliters of tea “asofeyedzhe”, while the control group drank a placebo. After four months among patients who consumed tea “asofeyedzhe”, it was observed reduction of blood sugar. The results of this study has not yet been published.

Campbell-Toft, who studied and later taught at the University of Nigeria, said that the tea, apparently affected differently than traditional methods of treatment of diabetes. Conventional drugs are meant to quickly remove excess sugar from the bloodstream, while the tea only the passage of time reduces blood sugar.

The researchers suggest that tea enhances the ability of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the muscle fibers to send sugar into the cells.

Campbell-Toft said in an interview with SciDev.Net, that she learned about this tea from his family and friends who gathered for the research of 50 kg tree leaves asofeyedzhe and 300 kg of bitter oranges in Edo State of Nigeria, where she grew up

But while Campbell-Toft optimistic about the therapeutic possibilities of tea, she warns that the development of each new drug to treat diabetes, “it will take years.”

Asofeyedzhe tree grows in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Sudan and Uganda. Local healers also use its leaves as a laxative and for treatment of mental disorders, leprosy and arthritis.

American Medical Association refused to recognize obesity disabilities

February 26, 2010

American Medical Association refused to recognize obesity disabilities
American Medical Association (AMA) has decided not to recognize obesity disabilities. The reason for this became inevitable difficulties in communication between doctors and patients, which would have occurred otherwise.

Recognition of obese people with disabilities would allow human rights organizations to more effectively combat discrimination against people in the workplace and in other situations.

However, U.S. laws prohibit the point man for his disability, if he had not expressed a willingness to talk on this subject, with exceptions for health workers is not provided. This means that in case of recognition of obesity disabilities doctor will not recommend a patient to reduce body weight.

At the same time, weight control is indicated for many common diseases such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes and many others, and therefore, the law on disability interfere with medical quality to do its work.

Currently, obesity is observed in approximately 65 percent of adult Americans, with more than 30 percent – in the degree of obesity. Experts estimate that excess weight causes 300 thousand deaths in the country annually.

Against the back pain will help the regular charge

Against the back pain will help the regular charge
People with back pain need more exercise, say Australian doctors from the University of Alberta.

Experts examined the health of 240 men and women with chronic pain symptoms in the back and found that those who are doing exercises four days a week, have a better quality of life, at 28% less signs of pain and a 36% reduced risk of disability and physical disability. Those who went to the gym or on your own gymnastics only two or three times a week, did not show the same positive change.

Often, because of pain in the back of people avoid physical activity, but therapists say the opposite – a regular charge can significantly reduce pain and prevent more serious damage to muscle, vertebrae and joints.

Doctors conducted a second study that included 60 people with chronic back pain and divided them into groups: one group doing exercises twice a week, the second – three times, the third – four or more, and the last group in general was ordered to engage in physical activity. During the 16 weeks of physiologists to monitor progress in identifying symptoms of pain in his back. If people involved in physical activity two days a week, the pain decreased by 14% if three days – by 18%. The most significant positive effect of gymnastics moderate loads seen in sports four or more days per week – a pain when it fell by 28%. Quality of life, overall physical and mental well-being has improved by 16, 22 and 28 percent respectively.

Operations for the treatment of obesity began to carry out through the mouth

December 11, 2009

Operations for the treatment of obesity began to carry out through the mouth
American and European surgeons are experiencing how to conduct operations to reduce the stomach through the mouth. Such access by the intervention, aimed at combating obesity, leaves no cosmetic defects.

With gastroscopy, introduced through the esophagus, stomach superimposed surgical staples in such a way that it formed a thin channel, slowing the passage of food. This patient feel full after taking small amounts of food and lose weight.

Doctors called the preliminary results of 200 operations in the U.S. and 100 in Europe are promising. After about 18 months after the intervention the mean weight loss of patients was 45 percent. According to the surgeon Nishi Gregg (Gregg Nishi) of the Medical Center Sidars-Sinai, only one operation was complicated by perforation of the esophagus, the more serious complications were observed.

The new operation was another achievement of technology NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery – Endoscopic surgery through natural openings). Today in the world with the help of this technology has successfully removed the appendix, gall bladder and kidney through the vagina, through the mouth performed appendectomy and biopsies of the pancreas.

Influenza! How often do we hear

Influenza! How often do we hear

Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease caused by a flu virus. This disease is one of the groups of acute respiratory infections. Is the nature of the spread of epidemics. The influenza virus is divided into three categories A, B, C. category A, B belong to the same genus as category C completely to another. Each category has its own structure of influenza which is determined by the hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). Influenza A class has a property to be changed while in natural conditions. Influenza has the form of a sphere with a diameter of 80-120 nm, the center of the RNA fragments that are in the lipoprotein shell on the surface there are processes in the form of spikes consisting of hemagglutinin (H) and of neuraminidase (N). When injected into the human body of its resistance to influenza is determined by the amount worked out by anti-bodies on such substances (H), (N). Accordingly, the more spikes, the harder the body will resist.

The virus is airborne droplets. Most adults are susceptible to this disease. In an infected person becoming sick with influenza will last at most 3-5 days. This virus has the nature of the spread of epidemics. Epidemics of influenza A class of repeated approximately every 2 years, the class of flu in time in 4 years with respect to P then the type of character is rare and isolated cases of people with very low immunity.

The nature of epidemics often gets the virus in the autumn winter season. The distribution and frequency of influenza from the fact that it changes in natural conditions which are most susceptible class AA team considered a huge risk of children and the elderly, future moms, people with diseases of the heart, lungs, people with kidney failure.

Influenza has been known since the late 16 th century, some statistics. Year Distribution
1889-1890 Heavy epidemic
1900-1903 Moderate epidemic
1918-1919 Heavy pandemic (Spanish flu)
1933-1935 Average epidemic
1946-1947 Average epidemic
1957-1958 Heavy pandemic (Asian flu)
1968-1969 Moderate pandemic (Hong Kong Flu)
1977-1978 Average pandemic
1995-1996 Heavy pandemic

Statins may help prevent stroke

Statins may help prevent stroke
Greek researchers have shown that the appointment of statin patients discharged from hospital after the first stroke reduces the risk of recurrence of stroke within 10 years and improves survival.

Sotirios Giannopoulos (University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Greece) and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis 794 patients who had the first stroke, in which data were available 10 years of observation. Within 10 years, 14.1% of patients developed recurrent stroke, and 28,2% – have died. After being discharged from hospital 23% of patients were assigned to one or another statin, and 77% did not receive statins. Patients treated with statins, the frequency of relapses was significantly lower than in patients not taking statins (7.6% and 16,3%).
Regressinny analysis showed that statins reduced the risk of recurrence of stroke by 15%. In addition, patients taking statins, the risk of death within 10 years after th

Found a cure for skin cancer

November 13, 2009

Found a cure for skin cancer
Scientists have developed a new drug that helps in the treatment of the most deadly types of skin cancer, including the most recent stages.

Malignant melanoma – one of the fastest growing types of cancer. Main reason for it – the solar radiation. According to the results of preliminary tests, the drug while still under development and which bears the name of PLX4032 (R7204), can provide a long life expectancy.

Pharmaceutical companies Roche and Plexxikon announced the results of their research at the annual convention of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. PLX4032 (R7204) finds and destroys tumor cells carry the mutation type BRAF, which is present in 60% of malignant melanomas. This can help not only reduce the number of malignant tumors, but also slow the spread of cancer.

Clinical trials

Currently, only 5% of people live more than two years after the appearance of metastases. In the first phase of a clinical study in 16 patients receiving the drug PLX4032 (R7204) was found to decrease proliferation of tumor cells by at least 30%.

On average, these patients have stopped the cancer cells to spread about half a year, while more than half of the tumors were markedly reduced. Representatives of the companies Roche and Plexxikon reported that they are going to conduct a more extensive clinical trials to determine how toxic the drug may be and what should be its optimal dose.

Both companies also hope to develop a process of testing for the diagnosis of patients with melanoma-type BRAF in the early stages of its development.

Fighting obesity: two in one

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