Targeting dormant cells may halt colorectal cancer spread

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. Priligy (Dapoxetine) Most of the people who die from the disease die from secondary cancers in other parts of the body - such as the liver - not the primary one in the bowel. The researchers found a way to control the stem cell behavior that causes the spread of colorectal cancer. Conventional treatments for colorectal cancer often have poor outcomes because by the time the disease is detected, the cancer cells have spread to other organs. About Forzest (Tadalafil) without Rx They can sit there for years, lying dormant and undetected, until something triggers them to grow into secondary tumors that then become the cause of death. Now, a study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, and led by the University of Melbourne in Australia, could take the treatment of colorectal cancer in a new direction - one that targets the dormant colorectal cancer cells rather than just active tumor cells. In the study paper, the researchers describe how they found a way to control the stem cell behavior that causes the spread of colorectal cancer. The study s findings surround the activity of Frizzled7 - a receptor or cell surface protein that accepts signals from outside the cell. Previous research had already established that a type of stem cell in the gut - which can be uniquely identified because it is the only one that sports another receptor called Lgr5 - plays an important part in triggering cancer. These stem cells - called crypt base stem cells, or CRCs - help to regenerate the epithelium or lining of the gut when it gets damaged. About Lotensin (Benazepril) To do this, they need to allow "Wnt" signals through their surface receptors into their cell interior. The receptors that allow passage to Wnt signals are called "Frizzled," and there are 10 different types. But before this study, it was not known which of the Frizzled receptors allowed passage to Wnt signals in the Lgr5-unique stem cells - the CRCs - to trigger cancer. About Biaxin The team eventually pinned it down as Frizzled7. Lead investigator Elizabeth Vincan, a professor and head of the cancer biology lab at Melbourne, explains: "If you knock out Frizzled7 while the cells are in a dormant state they aren t able to make the tumor grow. Buy Lopid (Gemfibrozil) without prescription The aim now is to try to get to those cells while they are dormant, before they start growing. Buy Face Masks online It represents a shift in the targeted management of cancers." She says the next step is to find a way to target Frizzled7 and develop antibody treatments that work with current therapies. The American Cancer Society estimate that this year, 93,090 people in the US will discover they have colorectal cancer and 39,610 will die of the disease. Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently reported a study in the journal Cell that described how correcting a disrupted tumor suppressor gene in mice successfully caused colorectal cancer cells to revert to normal cells. http://pharmaceuticaljournal.wordpress.com The researchers found that the tumors regressed and disappeared, or reintegrated into normal tissue, within 2 weeks. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Brain scans could predict how effective OCD treatment will be

Doctors may be able to predict how people with obsessive-compulsive disorder will respond to therapy using a simple brain scan, according to the findings of a new study. Obsessive-compulsive disorder often causes people to perform certain rituals and behaviors repetitively to relieve anxiety. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, is the first to use brain connectivity to predict the progression of a condition after treatment, as well as being the first to assess the impact of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on brain network connectivity. "The efficiency of brain network connectivity before treatment predicts the worsening of symptoms after treatment," states study author Jamie Feusner, an associate professor psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Between 1-2% of the American population is estimated to have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nizoral Cream (Ketoconazole) without Rx The disorder is characterized by frequent upsetting thoughts that patients will try to control through the repetition of certain rituals and behaviors. Not only can OCD be a profoundly distressing condition but it can also severely disrupt the everyday routines of those who experience it, adversely affecting the ability to learn, work or maintain relationships. CBT is frequently used as a form of treatment for OCD, teaching patients different ways of reacting to situations that cause distress without having obsessive thoughts or acting compulsively. Unfortunately, CBT is not effective for every patient. About Kamagra (Sildenafil Citrate) with free prescription In fact, the authors of the study state that in an estimated 20% of patients, the symptoms of OCD eventually return after a course of CBT has finished. Understanding what factors help predict who will relapse after CBT has long been a goal for psychiatry researchers. Zocor (Simvastatin) with no prescription The new study, conducted by researchers at UCLA and colleagues, indicates that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could help. For the study, the researchers examined the brains of 17 participants with OCD aged 21-50. Buy Beclomethasone without prescription Each participant received a 4-week course of CBT, and fMRI scans were taken of their brains both before and after the therapy. Mobic (Meloxicam) with free Rx Over the following 12 months, doctors monitored their clinical symptoms. "We found that cognitive behavioral therapy itself results in more densely connected local brain networks, which likely reflects more efficient brain activity," says Feusner. Scans showing functional network efficiency found to predict OCD relapse The participants whose scans revealed more efficient brain connectivity before CBT fared worse during the follow-up period than those whose connectivity was less efficient before receiving therapy. In contrast, the severity of symptoms prior to CBT and how well the symptoms improved following CBT did not predict how well the participants would fare during the follow-up period. This clue to how patients will respond to CBT in the long term could prove to be beneficial to both doctors and patients in the future if the results can be confirmed in larger studies. "Cognitive-behavioral therapy is in many cases very effective, at least in the short term. Buy DMAE online But it is costly, time-consuming, difficult for patients and, in many areas, not available," Feusner explains. http://futurepharmaceuticals.wordpress.com "Thus, if someone will end up having their symptoms return, it would be useful to know before they get treatment." For those who might find a 4-week course of CBT ineffective, Feusner is keen to point out that alternative forms of treatment exist. Anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants are commonly prescribed by doctors, and longer courses of CBT could be beneficial. The researchers now aim to validate their findings by conducting a study with a larger number of patients. While doing so, they will also look at other measures of brain function and structure in the hope of identifying further predictors of the clinical course of OCD post-treatment. "We are now starting to translate knowledge of the brain into useful information that in the future could be used by doctors and patients to make clinical decisions," Feusner concludes. "Although a brain scan may seem expensive, these scans only took about 15 minutes and thus the cost is not exceptionally high, particularly in comparison to medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy treatments, which over time can cost many thousands of dollars." Previously, Medical News Today reported on a study that found CBT used to reduce chronic tics in people with Tourette syndrome can also alter the functioning in specific areas of the patients brains. Written by James McIntosh

Fast, accurate Ebola test shows promise in trials

According to a new study published in The Lancet, the new ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test from Corgenix can accurately diagnose the presence of Ebola virus in a patient within minutes. For health workers to currently diagnose the presence of Ebola virus, a full vial of venous blood must be shipped to a laboratory with a high level of both biosafety and staff expertise. For health workers to currently diagnose the presence of Ebola virus, a full vial of venous blood must be shipped to a laboratory with a high level of both biosafety and staff expertise. About Female Cialis (Tadalafil) with no prescription There, the blood sample is tested using a method called real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Lozol (Indapamide) with free prescription However, RT-PCR is a slow and complex test that comes with attached risks for the health care workers responsible for the collection, transportation and testing of the blood. Celebrex (Celecoxib) with free Rx The complexity and slow turnaround for this diagnostic have been blamed for delaying success in containing the epidemic. Dr. Aurorix with free Rx Nira Pollock, senior author and associate medical director of the Infectious Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory at Boston Children s Hospital, MA, says that because the laboratory results from the test can take days to return: "Delays like this result not only in the failure to diagnose and treat Ebola-infected patients, but also in individuals without Ebola being admitted to holding units where they may be subsequently infected with the virus." By contrast, Dr. Penisole () with no prescription Pollock says that the new ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test is capable of detecting Ebola virus in just a drop of blood tested at a bedside. New test and benchmark test put head-to-head The accuracy of the new test was compared in the study with the benchmark RT-PCR test. Buy Cranberry online The study used both tests to diagnose 106 suspected Ebola patients who were admitted to two treatment centers in Sierra Leone during February 2015. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com Both tests were also performed on 284 samples in the laboratory. The new test confirmed all of the positive cases that were diagnosed in both the point-of-care patients and laboratory blood samples using the RT-PCR test. Dr. Jana Broadhurst, from Partners In Health, the nongovernmental, US-based organization who supported the treatment centers, says: "This test could have an immediate impact on patient care and infection control by reliably detecting patients well into their illness who are likely to be highly infectious. Earlier test results would improve triage of patients, enabling staff to focus on those most likely to have Ebola, and reducing the opportunity for infection of non-Ebola suspects. Although the RDT requires refrigeration, this is already available in many health centers in endemic areas, particularly those that store vaccines and other medical products." Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, from Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, MA, writes in a linked comment that the study validates the accuracy of the ReEBOV test. "Earlier test results would improve triage of patients," she writes, "enabling staff to focus on those most likely to have Ebola, and reducing the opportunity for infection of non-Ebola suspects. " Earlier this week, we looked at a report published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases that suggested confusion between malaria and Ebola symptoms has contributed to around 74,000 fewer reported cases of malaria than expected in Guinea. The report authors believe this level of misdiagnosis will cause the number of deaths from malaria in the country this year to exceed the total number of Ebola deaths. Written by David McNamee

Could the magnolia tree help combat head and neck cancers?

Head and neck cancers are responsible for the deaths of more than 20,000 people in the US every year, highlighting the need for new prevention and treatment strategies for the cancers. Buy Indocin (Indomethacin) without prescription Now, a new study reveals how a compound found in the bark and leaves of the magnolia tree could provide just that. Researchers say honokiol - a compound found in the bark and leaves of the magnolia tree - may be effective against head and neck cancers. Researchers from the Birmingham Veteran Affairs Medical Center, AL, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) found the compound - called honokiol - blocked a protein that drives tumor growth in squamous cell head and neck cancers, most commonly caused by tobacco and alcohol use. Senior study author Dr. Buy Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) Santosh K. About Doxycycline (Doxycycline) with free Rx Katiyar, of the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the departments of chemistry and dermatology at UAB, and colleagues publish their findings in the journal Oncotarget. The researchers note that honokiol is well known for its medicinal properties. About Artilup without prescription The compound has been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for the treatment of anxiety and stress for hundreds of years. In recent years, however, studies have indicated that honokiol also holds some anticancer properties, with researchers finding it prevents or reduces tumor growth in models of breast, skin, prostate and nonsmall cell lung cancers. About Purim () with free prescription For their study, Dr. Buy Cinnamon Tea online Katiyar and colleagues set out to see whether the magnolia compound may be effective against head and neck cancers. Honokiol reduced tumor growth in human cell lines, mouse models According to the National Cancer Institute, head and neck cancers - including cancers of the larynx, throat, lips, mouth, nose and salivary glands - account for around 3% of all cancers in the US. A protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in around 90% of all cases of squamous cell head and neck cancers, the researchers say, making the protein a promising drug target. One drug already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of head and neck cancers - Cetuximab - targets EGFR, as do some small molecule inhibitors, such as gefitinib (Iressa), that are currently under investigation for this use. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com But Dr. Katiyar and colleagues say there are some downsides to such drugs. "The poor response rates, toxicity and resistance of these drugs or inhibitors have limited their use as therapeutic agents for HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinoma]," he explains. "Therefore, development of less toxic and less resistance-associated alternative treatment options is urgently needed." As such, the team assessed the effects of honokiol when introduced to human cell lines of a number of head and neck cancers, including cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, tongue and pharynx. The compound was also tested on mice that had tumors of these cancers implanted. In both the human cancer cell lines and mouse models, the researchers found honokiol was able to bind to and reduce expression of EGFR, which stopped the growth of cancer cells. What is more, the researchers found honokiol binds more strongly to EGFR than the drug gefitinib, suggesting it may be a more effective treatment strategy against head and neck cancers. Commenting on their findings, Dr. Katiyar says: "Conclusively, honokiol appears to be an attractive bioactive small molecule phytochemical for the management of head and neck cancer which can be used either alone or in combination with other available therapeutic drugs." Earlier this month, Medical News Today reported on a study detailing how another natural compound may have anticancer properties. Researchers from Canada revealed how avocatin B - a compound found in avocados - could help treat leukemia. Written by Honor Whiteman

Cognitive behavioral therapy alters Tourette syndrome brains

. Buy Cinnamon Tea online A new study has found the cognitive behavioral therapy used to reduce chronic tics in people with Tourette syndrome can also alter the functioning of their brains. The researchers found that cognitive behavioral therapy normalized activity in the supplementary motor area of the brains of study participants with Tourette syndrome. The findings of the study will be presented at the First World Congress on Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders in London, UK, and could have implications for the future treatment of people with the neuropsychiatric disorder. Tourette syndrome is an inherited tic disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics - repetitive semi-voluntary movements or vocalizations with no apparent purpose. "There is still no definitive explanation of the causes of this syndrome, but we know that tics are related to an impaired communication between the supplementary motor area - a region of the cerebral cortex - and deeper areas called the basal ganglia," said Simon Morand-Beaulieu, a student in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Montreal, Canada. Many people do not require any treatment for Tourette syndrome, but for some the tics can be disruptive and can - for young people in particular - make learning and socializing difficult. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com Buy Indocin (Indomethacin) without prescription For these individuals, certain forms of treatment are available, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a blend of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy that focuses on helping people to focus on their problems and how they might solve them, assisting them to identify problematic forms of behavior and change them. In people with Tourette syndrome, CBT helps to normalize activity in the supplementary motor region of the brain by utilizing relaxation and exercises targeting muscles associated with tics. "In addition to the beneficial effects on tics, we wanted to see if CBT effectively alters the brain function of people with [Tourette syndrome]," says Morand-Beaulieu. CBT affected supplementary motor region but not frontal region activity For the study, participants with Tourette syndrome completed a task designed to prompt activity in the supplementary motor region of the brain. Buy Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) The task involved responding to the color of an arrow that was pointing to the left or the right. The researchers noted overactivity in the supplementary motor region while there were deficits in the appropriate selection and preparation of the participants physical responses. Following this task, the participants with Tourette syndrome received CBT and then later repeated the task. About Doxycycline (Doxycycline) with free Rx The researchers found that not only were the Tourette syndrome tics reduced, but the brain functioning of the participants in the supplementary motor region was similar to that of participants without Tourette syndrome. Interestingly, the researchers also observed overactivity in the frontal region of the brains of the participants with Tourette syndrome when movement was inhibited. About Artilup without prescription This overactivity was present both before and after CBT. "This could be an adaptive mechanism deriving from the patients experience of inhibiting their own tics," explains study supervisor Marc Lavoie, a researcher at the Institut universitaire en sane mental de Montr eal. About Purim () with free prescription "As a result, they are able to perform as well as participants without [Tourette syndrome] during tasks requiring cognitive control, but at the cost of greater frontal cortex activity." The researchers believe that their findings will help improve therapeutic strategies for Tourette syndrome and have a practical impact on the quality of life for people with the disorder. "It will soon be possible to share this neurophysiological data with psychologists conducting CBT and thus correct or enhance treatment of people affected by [Tourette syndrome]," Lavoie concludes. Previously, Medical News Today reported on a study identifying a chemical in the brain called GABA that could play a major role in controlling tics associated with Tourette syndrome. Written by James McIntosh

Blood test for early stage pancreatic cancer looks promising

A study that successfully differentiated patients with pancreatic cancer from those with another pancreatic disease using a new biomarker, could lead to a blood test that detects pancreatic cancer early enough for curative surgery to be feasible. If pancreatic cancer is spotted early, surgery that boosts chance of survival is more feasible. Pancreatic cancer has a very poor survival rate and ranks fourth as a leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, where around 46,000 people a year are diagnosed with the disease. One reason the disease is so deadly is because by the time it is diagnosed, the tumor is too advanced for surgery to be an option - only about 15% of patients qualify for curative surgery. However, if pancreatic cancer is spotted early, surgery that boosts chance of survival is more feasible, say researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In their study the team shows how a protein released by cancer cells into the bloodstream could be used to screen for early pancreatic cancer. Cancer cells release the protein - which is coded by the gene glypican-1 (GPC1) - in small virus-sized particles called exomes. Estrace (Estradiol) The exomes contain a mixture of DNA, RNA and proteins. Blood test looks for cancer exomes For the study, the team devised a blood test that looks for exomes enriched with the glypican-1 protein - these cancer exomes are called GPC1+ crExos. A blood test based on these cancer exomes was able successfully to differentiate patients with pancreatic cancer from patients with another chronic pancreatic disease. It passed both measures of a successful diagnostic test with top marks: specificity (correctly identifying patients with a disease) and sensitivity (correctly ruling out those without the disease), as senior author Raghu Kalluri, a professor in cancer biology, explains: "GPC1+ crExos were detected in small amounts of serum from about 250 patients with pancreatic cancer with absolute specificity and sensitivity, importantly distinguishing patients with chronic pancreatitis from those with early- and late-stage pancreatic cancer." Prof. Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens) with free prescription Kalluri says levels of the cancer exomes were significantly lower in patients after they had their tumors removed. Cancer exomes could be a more reliable screen than circulating tumor cells The study also examined samples from breast cancer patients and found - like the pancreatic cancer patients - they also showed high levels of the GPC1+ crExos. Prof. Paxil (Paroxetine) with no prescription Kalluri notes that these protein-enriched exomes can be detected in blood samples that have been kept frozen for nearly 30 years. Antara with free prescription You can t do this with circulating tumor cells (CTCs) - they require large amounts of fresh blood, he says. He explains that these cancer exomes could also be useful in other ways: "DNA, RNA and proteins can be isolated from cancer exosomes isolated from stored specimen for further genetic and biological analyses. About Sinemet Cr (Carbidopa / Levodopa) without prescription Therefore, cancer exosomes are not just a biomarker but isolating them provides a trove of cancer-specific information." The team suggests cancer exomes appear to be a more reliable way to screen for pancreatic cancer than using the more common CA 19-9 biomarker test. Buy Chamomile online Using the cancer exome test, they found precancerous lesions in mice bred to develop pancreatic cancer before they could be spotted on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com Prof. Kalluri says because they carry cancer-specific genetic material, the protein-enriched exomes could potentially enhance the specificity of MRI or CT scans, and concludes: "Studies comparing stage of disease with outcome following surgery suggest that death rates for pancreatic cancer would be reduced if the disease were diagnosed at an earlier stage. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for informative early detection of pancreatic cancer and in designing potential curative surgical options." As well as the MD Anderson Cancer Center, The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and the National Cancer Institute (part of the by the National Institutes of Health) provided funds for the study. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported a genome study that said pancreatic cancer splits into four types, depending on the type of DNA shuffling seen in the disease. The researchers termed the subtypes: stable, locally rearranged, scattered and unstable. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Blood pressure medication could prevent alcohol, drug addiction

One of the drivers of alcohol and drug addiction is the powerful and enduring memories of the triggers - the people, places, sights and sounds that lead up to and surround episodes of substance use. Buy Cymbalta (Duloxetine) without Rx Encounters with such powerful cues are recognized as primary reasons for relapse. A blood pressure drug called isradipine has shown promise for preventing alcohol and drug addiction, according to researchers. Now, a team that successfully stopped cocaine and alcohol addiction in rats using a drug already approved for the treatment of high blood pressure, suggests the compound - called isradipine - may prevent relapse by erasing unconscious memories of the triggers underlying addiction. The researchers, from The University of Texas at Austin, report their findings in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Before the 1970s, many scientists believed addiction was a physical craving that could be overcome with willpower. Now, more and more regard addiction as a brain rewiring problem, and that relapse during recovery can be triggered by encounters with environmental cues that have become strongly associated with the addictive substance. Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov showed that if you ring a bell every time you feed a dog, eventually the sound of the bell on its own - without the food - will cause the dog to salivate. For the study, the team - led by Hitoshi Morikawa, associate professor of neuroscience - focused on brain circuits known to be involved in learning, memory and reward, which are thought to become rewired in addiction, forming powerful memories of drug-related cues. They trained rats to associate either a black or white room with cocaine or alcohol as they became addicted to the substances. After the animals had become addicted, the researchers offered them the choice of either entering the black or the white room. About Seroquel (Quetiapine) with free Rx The rats nearly always chose the room they associated with the addictive substance. Isradipine erased memories that associated a cue with the addictive substance Then, the researchers gave some of the addicted rats a high dose of isradipine just before presenting them with a choice of rooms. Plan B (Levonorgestrel) with no Rx On the day they were treated, the rats still chose the room linked to their substance use. About Amantadine without prescription But on subsequent days, they no longer showed a particular preference. Tadalis SX (Tadalafil) with no prescription This did not happen in the untreated group. "The isradipine erased memories that led them to associate a certain room with cocaine or alcohol," explains Prof. Buy Burdock Root Tea online Morikawa. Isradipine reduces high blood pressure by blocking calcium channels in the heart and blood vessels. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com However, these calcium channels are also present in the brain, and the researchers suggest blocking them with isradipine may have had the effect of rewiring the circuits that underlie memories of addiction-associated cues - like the colors of the cocaine and alcohol rooms in the rat experiments. A drug that targets the triggers that lead up to addiction is likely to be more effective than the drugs currently used to prevent people from experiencing the euphoria that accompanies addictive drug use, says Prof. Morikawa. He explains: "Addicts show up to the rehab center already addicted. Many addicts want to quit, but their brains are already conditioned. This drug might help the addicted brain become de-addicted." Isradipine is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe for human use so should not take as long to complete clinical trials as a new, unapproved drug. However, as isradipine is designed to lower blood pressure, it may be necessary to pair it with another drug that stops blood pressure getting too low. This could be a challenge in getting the drug through trials as a treatment for addiction. Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently learned that illicit drug taking in the workplace appears to be on the rise in the US. Data from millions of workplace urine tests suggest the proportion of American workers testing positive for illicit drugs - such as marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine - is nearing 5%, in a second annual increase. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

'Smart insulin patch' could revolutionize glucose control for diabetics

Patients with diabetes have to control their blood sugar by regularly pricking their finger and giving themselves insulin shots. About Ceclor Cd (Cefaclor) with no prescription The procedure is painful and imprecise - injecting the wrong amount of insulin can lead to serious complications, and in some cases, coma and death. The researchers aim to develop a smart insulin patch that would only need to be changed every few days.Image credit: Zhen Gu Now, the development of a "smart insulin patch" could one day make such an ordeal a thing of the past for the millions of Americans who suffer from diabetes, according to the team behind the innovation, which includes members from the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill and NC State in Raleigh. The smart patch - a square sliver of tape no larger than a penny - has more than a hundred microneedles, each about the size of an eyelash, containing tiny reservoirs of insulin and glucose-sensing enzymes. The device - which can be placed anywhere on the body - senses when blood sugar levels get too high and rapidly discharges the right amount of insulin into the bloodstream. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the diabetes doctors and biomedical engineers that invented the painless patch describe how they tested it in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes and showed it lowered blood glucose for several hours. While it shows great promise, it is too early to say if and when the patch can be used in human patients - the team says more tests and then clinical trials are needed. About Timoptic (Timolol) with free Rx Patch mimics body s own system for generating insulin The smart insulin patch works by mimicking the body s own system for generating insulin - the beta cells of the pancreas - which produce and store insulin in tiny sacs or vesicles. About Herbal Max Gun Power () with no Rx They also sense changes in blood sugar and signal insulin to be released from the vesicles as needed. The team constructed artificial vesicles that perform in a similar way out of two natural materials - hyaluronic acid (HA) used in cosmetics and 2-nitroimidazole (NI), an organic compound used in diagnostics. Together, the two compounds form a molecule that is water-loving at one end (the HA part) and water-repellent at the other (the NI part). Albuterol Groups of the molecule self-assemble into vesicles - rather like oil droplets do in water - with the water repellent ends on the inside and the water-loving ends on the outside. The researchers found they could insert a core of solid insulin and enzymes designed to detect glucose into the artificial vesicles, which in large numbers formed millions of bubble-like nanostructures, each 100 times smaller than the thickness of human hair. When they tested the intelligent insulin nanoparticles in the lab, the team found they responded to raised blood sugar. Valparin (Valproic Acid) The excess glucose molecules entered the artificial vesicles, using up oxygen as the enzymes on board converted them into gluconic acid. Buy Bitter Melon online This reduction in oxygen or "hypoxia" makes the water-repellent NI end of the molecules that make up the vesicles become water-loving, and the vesicles dissolve and release insulin into the bloodstream. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com Patch kept blood sugar normal in diabetic mice for hours The next step for the researchers was to find a way to administer the artificial vesicles to diabetes patients. This is when they turned to the idea of tiny microneedles incorporated into a patch, rather than rely on the large needles or catheters of the "closed-loop systems" of other approaches to glucose-sensitive insulin delivery. They eventually produced a silicon strip with over a hundred microneedles that pierce the skin and tap into the blood flowing in the underlying capillaries. Each microneedle contains a reservoir of the artificial vesicles. The team tested the invention in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. They gave one group of mice a standard insulin injection - the levels dropped to normal but then quickly rose to hyperglycemic levels. But when they treated another group of diabetic mice with the patch, their blood sugar levels normalized within half an hour and stayed that way for several hours. The researchers also found that by varying the dose of enzyme, they could fine-tune the patch to alter glucose levels within certain ranges. A game changer for diabetes patients Mice are less sensitive to insulin than humans, so the researchers believe that the patches could last even longer in human patients. The researchers aim to develop a smart insulin patch that would only need to be changed every few days. Such a prospect would be a "game changer" for diabetes patients, explains co-senior author John Buse, a professor of medicine and past president of the American Diabetes Association: "The hard part of diabetes care is not the insulin shots, or the blood sugar checks, or the diet but the fact that you have to do them all several times a day every day for the rest of your life." Co-senior author Zhen Gu, a professor in biomedical engineering, says: "We have designed a patch for diabetes that works fast, is easy to use, and is made from nontoxic, biocompatible materials. The whole system can be personalized to account for a diabetic s weight and sensitivity to insulin, so we could make the smart patch even smarter." There are more than 387 million people with diabetes worldwide, and the number is predicted to rise to 592 million by 2035. Funds from the NC TraCS Institute and the American Diabetes Association helped finance the research. Meanwhile, MNT recently learned how a new screening tool identified a drug that could target an underlying cellular cause of type 2 diabetes that leads to insulin resistance. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Alcoholic Hepatitis - Pipeline Review, H1 2015 - 6 Companies & 7 Drug Profiles

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Scripps team lays 'spectacular' foundations for HIV vaccine

"A leap forward" has been made to develop a vaccine against HIV, claim the authors of two new studies that are published concurrently in the journals Cell and Science. An immunogen called eOD-GT8 60mer could be effective as the first in a series of immunizations against HIV.Image credit: The Scripps Research Institute The aim of the research is to design a vaccine that elicits an immune response against HIV, producing antibodies that bind to the virus and prevent infection. Vaccines typically use a dead or inactive version of the virus to provoke the production of antibodies. About Actigall (Ursodiol (Ursodeoxycholic)) Because HIV is excellent at evading detection from the immune system, however - and because it has the ability rapidly mutate into new strains - HIV microbes are not effective for use in a vaccine. Consequently, researchers have investigated the potential to use related proteins called immunogens to "train" the body to produce antibodies that can neutralize HIV. The authors of the new study explain that this concept is a twist on the traditional booster shot, in which the patient is repeatedly exposed to the same immunogen. The researchers behind the new studies found that an immunogen called eOD-GT8 60mer could be effective as the first in a series of immunizations against HIV. This immunogen produces antibody "precursors" that the scientists explain possess some of the required abilities to recognize and block HIV. The immunogen was designed by a team at The Scripps Research Institute s (TSRI) International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). Buy Zovirax (Acyclovir) without Rx "The results are pretty spectacular," says Dennis Burton, scientific director of the institute. About Priligy (Dapoxetine) with free prescription Prof. Buy 6-MP pill without Rx Burton led the research project alongside TSRI colleagues William Schief (IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Consortium director) and Prof. About Zyban (Bupropion) David Nemazee. Across the two studies, the researchers tested eOD-GT8 60mer in various mouse, rabbit and nonhuman primate models. Buy Adrenal Gland online In all models, eOD-GT8 60mer was effective in priming the necessary antibody response to block HIV. Next, the researchers will investigate other immunogens that could work alongside eOD-GT8 60mer to contribute to a viable HIV vaccine. Why have previous HIV vaccines failed? In January, Medical News Today looked at a study that proposed an explanation for why experimental HIV vaccines are prone to "backfiring." The authors of that study, from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, recommended that researchers should avoid developing vaccines that activate too many of the cells in mucosal tissues that the virus targets. "One of the reasons why it has been so difficult to make an AIDS vaccine is that the virus infects the very cells of the immune system that any vaccine is supposed to induce," suggested senior author Guido Silvestri, chief of microbiology and immunology at Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory. Another study published in January, in the journal Nature, investigated training T cells to recognize, attack and subdue mutant strains of HIV that lie dormant in the body. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com Explaining why this approach might solve some of the problems experienced by previous attempts to create a HIV vaccine, senior investigator Dr. Robert Siliciano, professor of medicine, molecular biology and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, said: "We found that these pools of dormant virus carry mutations that render HIV invisible to the very immune cells capable of disarming it, so even when the virus comes out of hiding, it continues to evade immune detection." Written by David McNamee

Scripps team lays 'spectacular' foundations for HIV vaccine

"A leap forward" has been made to develop a vaccine against HIV, claim the authors of two new studies that are published concurrently in the journals Cell and Science. An immunogen called eOD-GT8 60mer could be effective as the first in a series of immunizations against HIV.Image credit: The Scripps Research Institute The aim of the research is to design a vaccine that elicits an immune response against HIV, producing antibodies that bind to the virus and prevent infection. Vaccines typically use a dead or inactive version of the virus to provoke the production of antibodies. About Actigall (Ursodiol (Ursodeoxycholic)) Because HIV is excellent at evading detection from the immune system, however - and because it has the ability rapidly mutate into new strains - HIV microbes are not effective for use in a vaccine. Consequently, researchers have investigated the potential to use related proteins called immunogens to "train" the body to produce antibodies that can neutralize HIV. The authors of the new study explain that this concept is a twist on the traditional booster shot, in which the patient is repeatedly exposed to the same immunogen. The researchers behind the new studies found that an immunogen called eOD-GT8 60mer could be effective as the first in a series of immunizations against HIV. This immunogen produces antibody "precursors" that the scientists explain possess some of the required abilities to recognize and block HIV. The immunogen was designed by a team at The Scripps Research Institute s (TSRI) International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). Buy Zovirax (Acyclovir) without Rx "The results are pretty spectacular," says Dennis Burton, scientific director of the institute. About Priligy (Dapoxetine) with free prescription Prof. Buy 6-MP pill without Rx Burton led the research project alongside TSRI colleagues William Schief (IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Consortium director) and Prof. About Zyban (Bupropion) David Nemazee. Across the two studies, the researchers tested eOD-GT8 60mer in various mouse, rabbit and nonhuman primate models. Buy Adrenal Gland online In all models, eOD-GT8 60mer was effective in priming the necessary antibody response to block HIV. Next, the researchers will investigate other immunogens that could work alongside eOD-GT8 60mer to contribute to a viable HIV vaccine. Why have previous HIV vaccines failed? In January, Medical News Today looked at a study that proposed an explanation for why experimental HIV vaccines are prone to "backfiring." The authors of that study, from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, recommended that researchers should avoid developing vaccines that activate too many of the cells in mucosal tissues that the virus targets. "One of the reasons why it has been so difficult to make an AIDS vaccine is that the virus infects the very cells of the immune system that any vaccine is supposed to induce," suggested senior author Guido Silvestri, chief of microbiology and immunology at Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory. Another study published in January, in the journal Nature, investigated training T cells to recognize, attack and subdue mutant strains of HIV that lie dormant in the body. http://medicalquestionanswers.wordpress.com Explaining why this approach might solve some of the problems experienced by previous attempts to create a HIV vaccine, senior investigator Dr. Robert Siliciano, professor of medicine, molecular biology and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, said: "We found that these pools of dormant virus carry mutations that render HIV invisible to the very immune cells capable of disarming it, so even when the virus comes out of hiding, it continues to evade immune detection." Written by David McNamee