Indian scholar helps break ground on research for breast cancer vaccine

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Over 11, 500 kilometers away from her hometown in Kerala, PhD student Juby Mathew is seen neck-deep in work at the laboratory of Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington, New Zealand.

Juby is the only Indian in Professor Gavin Painter’s research group that is works on discovering vaccines to life-threatening illnesses. Juby in particular is involved with the development of a breast cancer vaccine candidate.

The research on breast cancer vaccine has been underway since 2013, and recently the institute was able to conduct the vaccine trials on animals. Over $5,00,000 are being invested on vaccine research.

“Professor Gavin Painter’s group has done leading-edge research in the field of cancer vaccines. To be part of such a highly experienced team is invaluable. I am also part of a wider ecosystem of people, which includes interactions with immunologists at the Malaghan Institute and lots of different high-tech start-ups that are situated on the Callaghan Innovation site. I hope to make a world where no one dies of cancer,”Juby told dna.

Worldwide, more than 500,000 women died of breast cancer in 2011, and incidence rates are increasing in most countries including India. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) estimates that there were 1.5 lakh new cases of breast cancer in India in 2016. Some 70,000 indian women estimatedly died due to breast cancer in 2012 and that number will increase to 76,000 by 2020.

The institute says that before conducting the trials on humans, they ought to be absolutely convinced about it’s potential safety and efficacy and hence more research is required before trials on humans are undertaken.

The vaccine has been trialled on several animals and how it works is well understood within these animal models. It has triggered significant reduction in tumour size over an extended period of time. It has also been used in vitro (outside of the human body) with human blood and has shown promising results. Patients with malignant breast cancer who have not undergone any recent treatment that may influence the results of the trials. Current treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are harsh on patients.

“The vaccine has been successful in several different animal species and the next step is clinical trials on humans. To be given permission for human clinical trials is a big step; it means that there is a high likelihood that the treatment will be effective for humans because permission is only given in cases which show significant potential and an expected high probability of success. Although all the cell types are the same in humans as in these animal trials, cell distribution and prevalence is different and therefore, more research must be done to collect more evidence that the vaccine would have the same efficacy in humans as in other animal species,”said a spokesperson from the institute.

The vaccine will trigger activation of natural killer T-cells that directly destroy the tumour cells, according to the team’s hypothesis.

“The vaccine is based on ‘Immunotherapy,’approach, which works by helping the body’s immune system recognise cancer cells and to fight them. Immunotherapy vaccines introduce chemicals to the body which activate the immune response, allowing the body to effectively fight off the cancer by itself,”the spokesperson further said.

Casualties
70,000

Indian women died of the cancer in 2012

76,000

Number of women estimated to fall victim to it by 2020

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-indian-scholar-helps-break-ground-on-research-for-breast-cancer-vaccine-2577035

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Testosterone therapy may help older men live longer

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Restoring testosterone in older men to normal level through gels, patches, or injections may lower their risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause, says a large study co-authored by an Indian-origin researcher.

The study also found that men who were treated but did not attain normal levels did not see the same benefits as those whose levels did reach normal.

“It is the first study to demonstrate that significant benefit is observed only if the dose is adequate to normalise the total testosterone levels,” said corresponding author of the study Rajat Barua, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Kansas in the US.

“Patients who failed to achieve the therapeutic range after testosterone replacement therapy did not see a reduction in (heart attack) or stroke and had significantly less benefit on mortality,” Barua noted.

The findings may sway the ongoing debate over testosterone therapy’s benefits and risks, especially for the heart.

So far, the medical community lacks results from any definitive clinical trial that might provide clear guidance.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance earlier in 2015 advising clinicians about the over-use of testosterone therapy, and pointing to a possible increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The new study looked at data on more than 83,000 men with documented low testosterone, all age 50 or above, who received care between 1999 and 2014.

The researchers divided the men into three clinical groups: those who were treated to the point where their total testosterone levels returned to normal, those who were treated but without reaching normal, and those who were untreated and remained at low levels.

The average follow-up across the groups ranged from 4.6 to 6.2 years. The sharpest contrast emerged between those who were treated and attained normal levels and those whose low testosterone went untreated.

The treated men were 56 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period, 24 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack, and 36 per cent less likely to have a stroke.

The exact reasons for testosterone’s apparent benefits for the heart and overall survival are not known. Possible explanations, the researchers said, could involve body fat, insulin sensitivity, lipids, blood platelets, inflammation, or other biological pathways.

The study was published online in the European Heart Journal.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/health/story/testosterone-therapy-may-help-older-men-live-longer-287975-2015-08-12

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New smart pillows may prevent flat head syndrome in babies

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Scientists have developed a smart baby pillow that can prevent and even correct mild cases of flat head syndrome, caused when infants repeatedly lie on their backs to sleep.
Babies are born with highly malleable skulls, and therefore receiving constant pressure on a particular part of their head may lead to some positional flattening or molding of the head.
Although this does not harm brain development nor cause any lasting appearance problems, simple practices, like placing them in different positions over the course of each day, can easily prevent a baby from developing an asymmetrical skull shape.
“We came up with the idea to help new parents who are in drastic need of sleep. We wanted to help them relax and rest at least when their babies are asleep,” said scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, who developed the device.
The smart baby pillow is designed to help induce the correct sleeping posture, thereby preventing babies from developing flat head syndrome.
It features an embedded air volume control system, as well as the image-based soft tactile sensor.
“A soft tactile sensor has been applied to monitor the position of a newborn’s head in real time,” said Tae Hun Chung from UNIST.
“We have also added a system that automatically controls the volume of air in the pillow for a perfectly symmetrical skull. This saves the trouble of attempting to change a newborn’s head in different positions every 1 to 2 hours,” said Chung.
The team plans to commercialize the product and later expand into the medical device market.
“The device itself would certainly be a great help for those stressed-out parents,” said HyeWon Cho from UNIST.
“By allowing mothers to have some relaxation time, it can also help prevent or treat symtoms of postnatal depression and anxiety,” Cho said.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/new-smart-pillows-may-prevent-flat-head-syndrome-in-babies-2075858

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FDA clears radioactive drug for cancer that killed Steve Jobs

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a radioactive drug to treat the ultra-rare type of digestive tract cancer that killed Steve Jobs in 2011.

The approval for Advanced Accelerator Applications SA’s (AAAP.O) Lutathera comes just days after Swiss giant Novartis AG NOVS.S closed its $3.9 billion acquisition of the French company.

Lutathera is unusual in that it harnesses the same molecule that is used to diagnose cancer to also deliver the treatment.

The radiopharmaceutical injection works by hitting cancer cells with high energy electrons, just like radiotherapy, but targets gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) that over-express a certain protein.

Advanced Accelerator said Lutathera’s list price is about $47,500 per dose, with the usual treatment period including four doses. This price is not necessarily what patients actually pay, as out-of-pocket costs vary based on a patient’s insurance plan and rebates offered by drugmakers.

The treatment reduced the risk of the disease progressing by 79 percent in a late-stage clinical trial, on the basis of which it was approved, Accelerator Applications said.

In general, patients with well-and-moderately differentiated tumours, compared with healthy cells, have a roughly 35 percent probability of surviving for five years, the company estimates.

This is the first U.S. approval for this kind of treatment, known as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. The European Medicines Agency approved Lutathera in September and Novartis offered to buy Advanced Accelerator a month later.

The FDA estimates that each year, one out of 27,000 people are diagnosed with GEP-NETs, a disease that killed Apple (AAPL.O) co-founder Jobs in 2011.

It has been a long journey for Lutathera. The FDA rejected the drug in 2016, asking for more study data. The company resubmitted its marketing application in July last year.

Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sai Sachin Ravikumar and Savio D’Souza

Source: https://in.reuters.com/article/advanced-accelerator-fda/fda-clears-radioactive-drug-for-cancer-that-killed-steve-jobs-idINKBN1FF2RA

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Indore becomes the first city to offer non surgical weight loss

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Indore becomes the first city in the country to offer non surgical method of weight loss. City based Mohak Bariatrics and Robotics one of the country’s leading weight loss surgery centre has come up with the modality, Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, a novel procedure which was performed for the first time in India at this hospital.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Mohit Bhandari and Dr. Manoel Galvao Neto from Brazil. The patient who was operated upon was 87 kg weight with BMI 32.7

Patient was a type 2 diabetic since last 5 years.

According to bariatric surgeon Dr. Mohit Bhandari, this is a non invasive method for treatment of obesity.

According to him, in this procedure capacity of the stomach is reduced by plication taking sutures all around stomach to reduce its size.

Dr. Bhandari says patients can lose 15-25 kg depending on multiple factors through this procedure.

He adds bariatric surgery is a more radical approach towards weight loss which incorporates both restrictive and Malabsorptive component.

We all need a bridge therapy between medical and surgical therapy and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is that option.

The cost of the procedure will be around 2.5 lakh rupees.

Dr. Bhandari is one of the pioneers in bariatric surgery and has singularly performed more than 8000 bariatric and Robotic procedures which is one of the highest volume in Asia.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/indore-becomes-the-first-city-to-offer-non-surgical-weight-loss/articleshow/62581891.cms

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Wrinkles treatment: New type of Botox discovered from animal gut bacteria

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Scientists have discovered a new source of neurotoxin, known for its paradoxical ability to remove wrinkles yet cause an illness associated with food poisoning from a strain of animal gut bacteria, a finding that can potentially expand its therapeutic applications.

Clostridium botulinum toxin was able to jump into bacteria called Enterococcus faecium, through plasmids, mobile structures that contain DNA independently of the chromosomes and can be swapped from one bacterium to another, the study showed.

Enterococci are hardy microbes that thrive in the gastrointestinal tracts of nearly all land animals, including our own, and generally cause no harm.
But their ruggedness has lately made them leading causes of multi-drug resistant infections, especially in settings like hospitals where antibiotic use disrupts the natural balance of intestinal microbes.

“This is the first time that an active botulinum toxin has been identified outside of Clostridium botulinum and its relatives, which are often found in soil and untreated water,” said Andrew Doxey, a bioinformatics professor at the University of Waterloo.

“Its discovery has implications in several fields, from monitoring the emergence of new pathogens to the development of new protein therapeutics — it’s a game changer,” Doxey added.
Over the past 20 years, botulinum toxin type A, known as Botox, has been used for a growing number of therapeutic applications including treatment for migraines, leaky bladders, excessive sweating and cardiac conditions.

In the study, which appeared in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, the researchers were able to sequence the genome of the E. faecium bacteria drawn from cow faeces, and found the gene for botulinum toxin in the bacterial strain.

They noted that the botulinum toxin was likely transferred from C. botulinum bacteria in the environment into the E. faecium bacteria in the cow’s gut, showing that the toxin can be transferred between very different species.
“The botulinum toxin is a powerful and versatile protein therapeutic,” said Michael Mansfield, a Biology doctoral student at the varsity.

“By finding more versions of the toxin in nature, we can potentially expand and optimise its therapeutic applications even further.”

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/new-type-of-botox-discovered-from-animal-gut-bacteria-2076794

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New eczema therapy reduces asthma severity in kids

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Scientists have discovered insights for a possible new therapy for eczema that also reduces the severity of asthma in children.

The findings, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, are an important next step in understanding the relationship between the two inflammatory diseases and to developing effective therapies.

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD), a type of eczema of the skin, show an increased risk of developing asthma later in life.

House dust mites are known culprits in the development of both AD and asthma, as exposure to the mites induces inflammation.

The researchers from VIB, the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology in Belgium, created a mouse model to look further into the relationship between the two diseases.

“As predicted, our test showed that house dust mite- induced skin inflammation leads to aggravated levels of allergic airway inflammation,” Julie Deckers, from VIB.

“Yet, to our surprise, this response significantly differs from the reaction to direct exposure of house dust mites in the lungs without prior skin inflammation. These results have given us a deeper understanding of the complexity of the atopic march,” Deckers said.

The challenge, however, was to investigate whether the relief of skin inflammation might influence the subsequent development of asthma.

The team therefore combined two anti-inflammatory compounds—orticosteroids and PPAR agonists—into one potential treatment in mice.

“The combined therapy effectively alleviated AD, but was insufficient at preventing allergic asthmatic response in the lungs,” said Deckers.

“However, the treatment did significantly reduce the severity of the asthma by counteracting one aspect of the specific immune response in the lungs. In this way, the therapy represents a potent remedy against allergic skin inflammation and the aggravation of atopic march,” Deckers added.

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/new-eczema-therapy-reduces-asthma-severity-in-kids/531577.html

Photo source: Thinkstock

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New ‘smart’ material to help fight tooth decay

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Scientists have developed a filling material with tiny particles made by self-assembly of antimicrobial drugs which is designed to stop bacteria in its tracks.

Toronto: Researchers have developed a ‘smart’ material to minimise new cavities caused by bacteria digging under the dental fillings.

These recurrent caries affect 100 million patients every year and cost an additional USD 34 billion to treat, researchers said.

In the study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada have proposed a novel solution.
They have developed a filling material with tiny particles made by self-assembly of antimicrobial drugs which is designed to stop bacteria in its tracks.

These particles may solve one of the biggest problems with antibacterial filling materials: storing enough drug within the material to be effective for someone’s entire life.

“Adding particles packed with antimicrobial drugs to a filling creates a line of defence against cavity-causing bacteria,” said Professor Ben Hatton.

“Traditionally there has only been enough drug to last a few weeks. We discovered a combination of drugs and silica glass that organise themselves on a molecule-by-molecule basis to maximise drug density, with enough supply to last years,” said Hatton.

The discovery of using antimicrobials which self-assemble means the team can pack 50 times as much of the bacteria-fighting drugs into the particles, researchers said.

“We know very well that bacteria specifically attack the margins between fillings and the remaining tooth to create cavities,” said Professor Yoav Finer.

“Giving these materials an antimicrobial supply that will last for years could greatly reduce this problem,” said Finer.

The research team plans on testing these new drug-storing particles in dental fillings, monitoring their performance when attacked by bacteria and saliva in the complex environment in the mouth.

With some fine-tuning, the new ‘smart’ material could create a stronger filling and fewer trips to the dentist, researchers said.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/new-smart-material-to-help-fight-tooth-decay-2077504

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Emergency Medical Air Ambulance Service in Ranchi

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Teens glued to smartphones have 400% more chance of getting brain cancer

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There is a 400% increase in the risk of brain cancer among teenagers due to excessive use of smart phones, says Professor Girish Kumar of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

The scientist urged the smart phone users not to take lightly the latest warnings pertaining to “hidden dangers” of technology, which stem from indiscriminate use of such devices.

He also categorically warned people from using smart phones for more than 30 minutes a day.

Prof Girish Kumar from the Electrical Engineering Department of IIT Mumbai had recently submitted a report to the central government on the serious health hazards of excessive use of latest technology.

He pointed out that the release of free radicals into the human body due to excessive use of cell phones was also causing irreversible damage to male fertility.

The scientist stressed that children, in particular, were suffering grave threats to their health as “a child’s skull is thinner and easily penetrated by radiation”.

Cell phone radiations are also causing serious effects on animal and plant life, he said.

Talking about the adverse impact of indiscriminate use of latest technology on youngsters, Prof Kumar said there was a 400 per cent increase in the risk of brain cancer among teenagers due to excessive use of smart phones.

“Such radiation is causing irreversible damage to the human DNA, especially of youngsters. It is also responsible for a steep increase in sleep disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease,” he said.

The IIT professor added that one cannot wish away the latest technological developments, but it would be a fatal error if the society was not made aware of the serious health hazards, emanating from unbridled use of technology.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-teens-glued-to-smartphones-have-400-more-chance-of-getting-brain-cancer-iit-professor-2563167

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