Stem Cells of lungs start to breed only at serious damages

March 24, 2010

Stem Cells of lungs start to breed only at serious damages
Stem Cells of air ways of lungs have been described for a long time, but their functions are still badly studied.

Working with mice, the group of scientists of Cambridge has found out that for a homeostasis and updating air ways cages-predecessors in regular intervals scattered in him answer. The same cages provide normal restoration at small damages. However restoration of a fabric after serious damages of lungs occurs for the account small Stem Cells, in other cases remaining in rest in the niches and not participating in homeostasis maintenance.

Thus, it is shown that in bronchial tubes exists two populations of capable cages to expansion, пролиферирующих in different conditions. Research materials are presented in article Giangreco A, et al. Stem cells are dispensable for lung homeostasis but restore airways after injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Jun 9; 106 (23):9286-91. Epub 2009 May

Against the back pain will help the regular charge

February 26, 2010

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.

Fighting obesity: two in one

November 13, 2009

The device copes with severe asthma without drugs

November 9, 2009

The device copes with severe asthma without drugs
American scientists tested an experimental device that uses thermal energy to relieve bronchospasm in patients with severe bronchial asthma, intractable medical treatment.

As shown by one of the last stages of clinical trials, the use of Alair System – is the name of the device – a 32% reduced the incidence of severe asthma attacks and 84% of patients reduced the number of requests for emergency medical help.

In addition, patients who were treated by this device rarely took sick and miss school, and days free from asthma symptoms, they were more than those who received placebo.

The test results were presented at the 105-th international conference of the American Thoracic Society, held in San Diego (California, USA) from 15 to 20 May 2009

The principle of the Alair System is as follows: in the respiratory tract is introduced thin tube through which the high-frequency pulses are fed, heating and destroying the excess muscle tissue of the bronchioles, which prevents them from narrowing and obstruction. The procedure called bronchial thermoplastic and an outpatient.

“In bronchial asthma in the wall of the bronchioles, there are too many smooth muscle fibers, which promote the development of seizures, – explains study leader Dr. Mario Castro of the University. George Washington at St. Louis (Missouri, USA). – Our mission – to reduce their numbers” .

To participate in clinical trials, Dr. Castro and his colleagues have invited 297 patients with severe bronchial asthma from 30 hospitals in 6 countries. Two-thirds of all participants received 3 sessions of bronchial thermoplastics, the other represented the control group, in which during the procedure rf pulses were made.

Within a year after the procedure, scientists monitored the condition of patients. In 79% of subjects who passed the experimental treatment, the condition improved. According to Dr. Castro, improvement was noted in the control group, but its severity was not statistically significant. “This is a very important advance in the treatment of bronchial asthma, – said Dr. Castro, – to this day not much we can help these patients.

All patients enrolled in clinical trials, constantly taking a combination of drugs for inhalation of corticosteroids and b-agonists long-acting, but it did not give them much relief. Could also help immunomodulator omalizumab, intended for the treatment of allergic bronchial asthma, but not all patients the cause of asthma in allergy.

This fall, Alair System expects FDA approval. In Europe, bronchial thermoplastic already approved.

Found genes associated with menopause

October 22, 2009

Found genes associated with menopause
An international team of scientists have discovered genes that determine the time of onset and decline of reproductive functions in women. According to researchers, this discovery may help develop techniques for the treatment of certain disorders of reproductive ability of an organism, or related diseases such as breast cancer and osteoporosis, the authors are confident of the five independent papers published in the journal Nature Genetics.

As experts note, the duration of the reproductive period of women still remains unresolved scientific questions, the answers to which can be obtained by examining a range of factors – from individual genetic characteristics of an organism to environmental conditions and lifestyle, nutrition, health and others. In this context, the timing of puberty and menopause in women are important parameters which, in particular, allow to draw conclusions about the likelihood of developing age-related diseases such as osteoporosis or breast cancer.

All groups, including research teams from the UK, USA, Iceland, the Netherlands and Australia, came to similar conclusions. Scientists analyzed data about the most common variations in DNA among thousands of women living in different parts of the world, and compared them with data on age and time of occurrence of a reproductive phase.

Thus, four out of five research teams found that variations in DNA in the gene LIN28B lead to a change in the onset of first menstruation, called menarche. How LIN28B affect the timing of menarche, scientists still unknown. This gene is responsible for the synthesis of protein, which in turn controls the amount and ratio of other proteins synthesized by cells of the body.

Some previous work has shown that LIN28B somehow influences the growth of man, so the authors of works suggest that their finding may partly explain why the girls into early puberty, usually have a small increase, compared to those who have first menstrual cycle comes to a later age.

In addition, the Icelandic group of scientists have discovered genes associated with menopause. The age at which women experience this stage of development, ranging from 40 to 60 years. With Kari Stefansson of the Icelandic company eCODE Genetics, showed the presence in the genome of human genes are pushed or otherwise accelerate the manifestation of menopause for two years.

But one group of scientists, led by Ken Ong from the Medical Research Council of the epidemiological service in Cambridge, Britain, managed to find DNA variations affecting menarche and located in the chromosomes of several other genes associated with breast development in girls and brittle voice in boys.

Last week it was reported that during the comparative analysis of the gene related to breast and milk, seven groups of mammals – a cow, platypus, opossum, dogs, mice, rats and humans, scientists have concluded: the common ancestor of these groups existed the Earth about 160 million years ago.

Older people with poor appetite die earlier

Older people with poor appetite die earlier
The doctors found an association between appetite and mortality in older people: doctors found that violations of appetite increase the risk of early death.

Clinicians from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev / Israel / reviewed energy expenditure, appetite and mortality among 298 healthy men aged 70-82 years. Scientists noticed that the feeling of appetite can predict death in old age, even after controlling for factors of the illness, presence of chronic diagnoses and other variables. People with poor appetite were dying earlier, although they had normal health for his age.

The doctors noted that elderly people who ate well, had a reduced risk of death from all causes. The results remained the same and after taking into account health status, physical activity levels and analysis of diet. While scientists can not explain how the appetite effect on life expectancy, but most likely, a feeling of appetite depends on the internal processes of aging and in particular from the age of hormonal changes.

Japanese scientists grew hair from stem cells

October 19, 2009

Japanese scientists grew hair from stem cells
Teacher Dental University from the Japanese city of Matsumoto was able to restore hair growth in mice using embryonic stem cells. This achievement is subject to the successful finalization can always save people from the problem of alopecia, Tokyo media reported.

As part of the experiment Mariko YAMAK engaged also in scientific activity, has created a combination of mesenchymal stem cells derived from embryonic mouse tooth germs, and embryonic stem cells, which in the future form the basis of skin cells. After a while approximately 40 percent of cases received “cell clusters” started to grow one or two of hair. When the researchers added the protein that promotes hair growth, the “sprouting” hair reached almost 60 percent.

This result has already been confirmed for the 12 mice, the muscles which was introduced a combined cell mixture. All rodents marked hair growth.

YAMAK told the press that in the first place now wants to try to regenerate the hair using human embryonic stem cells.

A detailed report on this research work will be published in the May issue of the specialized journal “Regenerative Medicine”.

Found gene aging brain

September 9, 2009

Found gene aging brain
Canadian scientists from the University of Montreal and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, and their American colleagues at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory made a big step towards opening the treatment of neurological diseases and develop drugs slow down the aging brain.

Experts have discovered a gene that controls the normal and pathological aging of neurons in the central nervous system – the gene Bmi1. Mutation of this gene greatly accelerates the process of dissolution of Neurosciences in the brain and loss of nerve cells in the eyes. Laboratory tests on mice showed that neurons in the retina and cerebral cortex functioning properly is at work found gene Bmi1. This gene also prevents the activation of p53 and the path accumulation of free radicals, leading to the advancement of brain disorders.

The main risk factor for diseases such as macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, is old age. Many physicians seek to better understand the causes of these diseases, but few studies have focused on the consideration of the basic molecular mechanisms that control the aging of Neurosciences in the human body. Now geneticists have shown that Bmi1 is a direct regulator of cellular aging brain and retina due to its protective properties against harmful free radicals. Doctors hope that in the future be able to unravel the genome coding for neuronal damage.

Discovered a gene predisposition to heart disease

Discovered a gene predisposition to heart disease
60 million people worldwide are carriers of genetic mutation, which almost inevitably lead to the development of their heart disease.

According to a study published in the journal Nature Genetics, carry such a mutation is about 4% of the population of the Indian subcontinent. The risk of these people have heart disease about seven times higher than that of the holders of the healthy gene.

According to representatives of the international team of scientists who conducted the study, is extremely rare to find so common genetic disorder, which has, moreover, is so unpleasant consequences.

Heart disease – the main cause of mortality in the world, especially in India, where the problem in the coming years will be even more acute.

According to the World Health Organization estimates that by 2010 about 60% of all people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, will be living in India.

Incorrect protein

For the first time scientists have discovered a gene mutation responsible for the production of a protein MYBPC3 (it is contained exclusively in heart tissue), five years ago in two Indian families whose members suffered from cardiomyopathy – a disease which leads to the defeat of the heart muscle.

For a more comprehensive study was drawn 800 patients suffering from heart disease in the control group included 700 volunteers. His results showed that the genetic mutation of this kind are fairly common and occurs approximately every hundredth person.

The risk of developing diseases associated with the cardiovascular system, in carriers of a mutant gene jumping seven times, which means almost inevitable occurrence of the disease.

Under laboratory conditions, researchers have demonstrated that heart cells, carries the mutation, which falls 25 letters of the genetic code that produces a defective protein MYBPC3, which violates the structure of cardiac muscle.

According to scientists, people younger organism successfully coped with the “breakdown” and restoring the proper structure of the protein.

However, in adulthood, this mechanism starts to work worse and worse, which leads to the development of cardiovascular disease.

How to outwit the evolution

Chris Tyler-Smith, a member of the British Institute, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute believes that this genetic mutation, likely, probably arose roughly 30 thousand years ago,

Unlike most other negative genetic mutations, which are disappearing as a result of evolution, this has been successful in spreading, as most of its consequences affect human health only after his children were born.

“Usually, mutations or widespread, but it does not have a significant impact on health, or, conversely, have, but not so widespread – he said. – Surprisingly the combination of such a significant impact on health and the spread of such a high” .

According to him, in principle, very easy to test young people in the presence of mutations. But the problem is that effective methods of treatment has not been found and all that the doctor may advise the holders of a mutant gene – a healthy lifestyle.

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