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New blood test for quick heart attack diagnosis

The U.S. National Institute for Health Research is investigating a new blood test that might help diagnose, or rule out, heart attacks. Acute chest pain is a common symptom of heart attack, but it is also a symptom of many problems that are less serious. Since current tests aren't able to detect heart attacks quickly, doctors must treat any sign of acute chest pain as an emergency. "Acute chest pain is one of the most common reasons for people to have to go to hospital as an emergency, and it is important that doctors are able to make a diagnosis quickly, allowing early treatment for people with a heart attack and avoiding unnecessary hospital admission for those without," said Steve Goodacre, professor at the University of Sheffield. "We hope that the results of our study will provide the NHS with important evidence to help inform the care of patients with acute chest pain."

A report published in the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health suggests that omega-3 fatty acids should be a part of a heart healthy diet because they reduce the risk of heart rhythm problems in certain groups of people, thus reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death. The researchers also found that omega-3s may help reduce triglycerides, lower blood pressure slightly and reduce blood clotting. Higher amounts of two particular omega-3s, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), can also have an anti-inflammatory effect for people with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, a study is underway to find whether DHA could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

A review published in the August 14 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology cast doubt on the standard use of beta blockers in patients with uncomplicated hypertension. The authors of the review looked at decades of accumulated data and concluded that there is no credible evidence to prove that beta blockers, when used as single-drug therapy for uncomplicated hypertension, reduces heart attack risks, stroke, or improves clinical outcomes.

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Researchers discover protein linked to muscle deterioration in the elderly

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine found that stem cells in muscles get more garbled instructions from the body as we age, and without full instructions, the stem cells can't heal injured muscles as well. The study revealed that Wnt, a protein traditionally thought to help promote maintenance and proliferation of stem cells in many tissues, actually blocks proper communication in this instance. Researchers already know of many drugs that block Wnt signaling. "Theoretically, given the number of ways to block Wnt and Wnt signaling, one could envision this becoming a therapeutic," said Thomas Rando, associate professor of neurology at Stanford. "You could potentially enhance the healing of aged tissues by reducing this effect of Wnt signaling on the resident stem cells." Understanding how the body directs stem cells may open the door to new therapies for injuries in a host of different tissues.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated that applying physical stress can alter the structure of proteins tucked within cells, unfold them and expose new targets in the fight against disease. "We were motivated to probe molecular mechanics within cells in part by our recent findings on stem cells that show they generate their own forces, switching on and off development of different cell types," said Dennis Discher, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. The results of this study may increase the understanding of cellular behavior and unlock sites for drugs to interact with these proteins to treat disease.

A study led by Yi Sun at UCLA and Thomas Südhof at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center showed that not all embryonic stem cell lines are created equal. The scientists compared neurons generated from two NIH-approved embryonic stem cell lines and uncovered significant differences in the mature, functioning neurons from each line. "On the one hand, it may actually be good to have ES (embryonic stem) cells with a particular propensity for differentiation, because it may make it easier to get certain types of tissue," said Dr. Thomas Südhof. "On the other hand, it may also limit the ability of these ES cells to fully replicate those types of tissues."

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New nanotechnology shows promise in radiology and drug delivery

Researchers at the University of Delaware and Washington University in St. Louis have discovered how a mechanism to "train" synthetic polymer molecules to assemble by themselves and form into long, multi-compartment cylinders. These copolymers are 1,000 times thinner than a human hair, and have potential uses in radiology, signal communication and the delivery of therapeutic drugs in the human body. "Moving from a sphere to a cylinder, you could conceivably deliver two or three, or four different drugs in one injection, one to one part of the body and others to other parts of the body all through the same self-assembly," said Darrin Pochan, associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Delaware.

Scientists at the New York University School of Medicine have invented a hand-held device, called the BrainScope, that can detect subtle brain damage immediately after a concussion. Mild-to-moderate concussions often to go unnoticed because symptoms like nausea quickly resolve. According to the researchers the device is simple to operate and may prove especially useful on the battlefield or the football field, enabling detection of brain damage immediately after mild head injuries. The newly invented device is currently in pre-clinical testing at three hospitals: Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, Case-Western Reserve in Cleveland, and Washington University in St. Louis. Emergency room doctors at these hospitals are determining whether the device is useful in making rapid assessments of brain dysfunction.

A study published in the August issue of Journal of Nuclear Medicine explored how useful molecular imaging and nuclear medicine are to treating depression and understanding brain dysfunction. The researchers found that antidepressants normalized the low blood flow in the brain that is usually found in depression patients. They also found electroconvulsive therapy worsened low blood flow. "Currently, clinical psychiatry is based almost solely on subjective observer-based judgment," said Omer Bonne, associate professor at Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem. "Our findings suggest that objective imaging evaluations could support subjective clinical decisions."

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Light-activated molecules found effective at killing cancerous cells

Researchers at Florida State University (FSU) found that certain kinds of molecules, when exposed to light, have the potential to kill cancer cells without damaging the healthy ones. The researchers' method of killing cancer cells was to induce a type of cell death called apoptosis, in which a cell sustains so much damage that both strands of the cellular DNA are broken and the cell can no longer repair itself.  "We have found that a group of cancer-killing molecules known as lysine conjugates can identify a damaged spot, or ‘cleavage,’ in a single strand of DNA and then induce cleavage on the DNA strand opposite the damage site," said Igor V. Alabugin, associate professor of chemistry biochemistry, FSU. "This ‘double cleavage’ of the DNA is very difficult for the cell to repair and typically leads to apoptosis."

An international research team, led by Yoram Palti at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, suggests that low-intensity electric fields can disrupt the division of cancer cells and slow the growth of brain tumors. The researchers used low-intensity alternating electric fields that jiggle electrically charged particles in cells back and forth hundreds of thousands of times per second in laboratory experiments. The study also involved a small human trial of 10 brain cancer patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The researchers observed that the brain tumors in these patients progressed to advanced stages much slower than usual, and the patients also lived considerably longer with a median survival time of 62 weeks. This electric-field treatment poses little danger because it does not damage healthy brain cells. The researchers are now working on another human trial with a control group to investigate the possibility of combining the electric-field therapy with low-dose chemotherapy.

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Stem cell transplantation increases lifespan for amyloidosis patients

Researchers at the Boston University Medical Center discovered that high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplantation can result in long-term survival for patients diagnosed with primary systemic light chain (AL) Amyloidosis, a condition where plasma cells in bone marrow produce proteins that mis-fold and deposit in tissues leading to organ failure and eventual death. The research team reviewed the records of 80 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplantation for three years. The median survival period for these patients was about six years and 23% of them are still alive today. That's a significant improvement compared to the 2% of patients who manage to survive 10 years after traditional treatment with melphalan and prednisone. "However, efforts need to continue to be directed upon achieving a complete hematologic response in patients," said Vaishali Sanchorawala, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Boston University. "We are finding that the proportion of patients who ultimately achieve a complete response have the highest rate of long-term survival."

Scientists at the Forsyth Institute discovered a mechanism for controlling the behavior of adult stem cells. The researchers found a novel role for the proteins that are involved in cell-to-cell communication, which may help them understand the nature of the messages that control stem cell regulation. The Forsyth team used planarians (a flatworm) and other animal models to study development and regeneration. Their findings highlighted how direct cell-cell transfer of small molecules between stem cells and their neighbors can provide a blueprint for learning about regeneration. "Further analysis in both planarians and in vertebrates will provide crucial opportunities for understanding what drives stem cell behavior and may help medical science identify novel therapeutic targets," said Nestor J. Oviedo, lead author of the study.

A study published by the journal Cell Stem Cell reported that a new method for comprehensive genetic analysis can help distinguish the type of human embryo that stem cells come from. The scientists completed a thorough genome-wide analysis of the first human embryonic stem cell (or ES) line purportedly generated by Korean scientists using human eggs and somatic cell nuclear transfer, in what is sometimes referred to as cloning. That process would result in stem cells that are nearly genetically identical to a donor, and thus would be easier to use in treatment than stem cells with the genes of a new embryo. The results confirm that ntES (stem cells from "cloning") and pES (stem cells from an unfertilized egg) have distinct DNA recombination signatures. Those made from pES display a telltale genetic pattern close to the center of chromosomes. Using that knowledge, researchers showed that the Korean stem cell line was the first ever successfull pES line, meaning the first successful stem cell line using unfertilized eggs that were chemically tricked into dividing into embryos.

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Green tea found effective for treating inflammatory skin disease

Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia found that skin disorders such as psoriasis and dandruff could be treated with green tea. The researchers studied an animal model for inflammatory skin diseases and found that those animals treated with green tea showed slower growth of skin cells. The researchers observed that a chemical in the green tea suppressed inflammation by regulating the expression of Caspase-14, a protein in genes that regulates the life cycle of a skin cell. "That marker guides cells by telling them when to differentiate, die off and form a skin barrier," said Stephen Hsu, an oral biologist at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. "In people with psoriasis, that process is interrupted and the skin cells don’t die before more are created and the resulting lesions form."  The traditional treatment of ultraviolet light and medication is effective in controlling lesions, but may cause squamous cell carcinoma – the second most common form of skin cancer. So green tea treatment may prove to be a potential alternative.

Scientists from the U.S., France and Japan discovered what causes acne rosacea, a common inflammatory skin ailment that affects people over 30,  also known as adult acne. The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that that people with rosacea have high levels of the anti-microbial peptide cathelicidin in the skin, and the proteins that the cathelicidin produces are different than those produced by people without rosacea. An enzyme called stratum corneum tryptic enzyme (SCTE) is another contributor to rosacea. The scientists found that over-production of two inflammatory proteins leads to high levels of a third protein that causes rosacea symptoms. "It's like having lost of gasoline and a match," said Richard L. Gallo, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Dermatology, University of California. "Antibiotics tend to alleviate the symptoms of rosacea in patients because some of them work to inhibit these enzymes. Our findings may modify the therapeutic approach to treating rosacea, since bacteria aren't the right target."

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Scientists successfully reverse signs of Alzheimer’s disease

Biologists at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland have developed a compound capable of blocking a nerve cell interaction that leads to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers have successfully prevented the death of brain cells, which leads to improved memory and learning ability that was already damaged. "Alzheimer’s sufferers produce too much amyloid and ABAD in their brains," said Frank Gunn-Moore, senior lecturer at the University of St. Andrews. "Based on our knowledge of ABAD, we produced an inhibitor that can prevent amyloid attaching to it in a living model." The researchers are now trying to refine the inhibitor to develop a potential drug, particularly for the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists at the Mayo Clinics are aiming to develop an improved diagnostic method and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers are studying aging effects in elderly people and analyzing how aging changes brain structure, thought processes and blood chemistry, so they can model and predict progression to Alzheimer’s disease. “We have moved a great distance forward in understanding what might be the key, or, in the least, an important aspect of this disease," said Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D. at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "We are at the threshold of developing therapies that we hope will eventually impact Alzheimer’s disease."

A study published in the July 31 issue of Neurology showed that a drug initially used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease improved the memory, language and attention of people with severe Alzheimer’s disease. The study was carried out on 343 patients over a period of six months. Half the group was given a daily dose of donepezil, the other half got a placebo. The study found cognitive function stabilized or improved in 63% of the patients taking donepezil compared to 39% who were taking placebo. "Our findings provide further evidence that donepezil is safe, effective and benefits cognition and global function in people with severe Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sandra Black, professor of Neurology at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center.

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Radiofrequency ablation found 100% effective at killing small kidney tumors

Researchers from the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that a minimally invasive treatment was 100% successful in eradicating small malignant kidney tumors. Doctors followed 104 patients with renal cell carcinomas (RCC), who underwent CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for a total of 125 kidney tumors ranging in size from 0.6 cm to 8.8 cm. Researchers found that 95 small and 14 large tumors were completely eradicated by a single treatment, and seven more were eradicated after a second treatment. "This is the largest treatment group to date of patients with biopsy-proven renal malignancies," said Ronald J. Zagoria, M.D., professor of radiology at Wake Forest. "The results – a high cure rate and low complication rate – establish that at institutions with experience doing this procedure, this is an alternative method for treating small renal malignancies in patients who are not good surgical candidates."  The researchers believe renal cell carcinomas can be reliably and safely eradicated with percutaneous RFA regardless of their location in the kidney.

A pilot study conducted by researchers at Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a combination of the drugs interferon alpha and sorafenib works better than isolated drug treatment for patients with renal cell carcinoma. The study comprised of 40 patients, out of whom two had complete responses (the tumors were destroyed) and 33% had significant tumor shrinkage. "Most tumors that respond to either therapy alone begin growing again after about five or six months," said Jared Gollob, M.D., an oncologist at Duke. "By using interferon alpha and sorafenib in combination, we not only increased the response rate, but found we could double the amount of time that these patients could survive without their tumors growing." The results of the study suggest that the efficiency of drugs like sorafenib and interferon alpha could be further improved to treat this deadly cancer.

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Alternative to stem cell therapy discovered for treating chronic brain diseases

Scientists in Korea have reported the first successful use of a drug-like molecule to transform early-forming human muscle cells into nerve cells. The researchers exposed immature mouse muscle cells called myoblasts to neurodazine, a synthetic small molecule. They observed that after a week, about 45% of the myoblasts transformed into cells that resembled both the structure and function of nerve cells, including expression of neuron-specific proteins. "In conclusion, we have developed the first small molecule that can induce neurogenesis of non-pluripotent myoblasts and the cells derived from mature, human skeletal muscle," the study authors wrote. "These studies build upon recent research illustrating the value of chemical approaches for providing tools that differentiate lineage-committed cells into other cell types." The results of this study may lead to potential treatments for stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. A fully developed treatment like this would be a breakthrough for chronic brain disease treatment and would provide an alternative to stem cell therapies.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have shown that cell-based therapies can rescue the dying neurons characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The study, reported in the August 1 issue of PLoS ONE, showed that stem cells engineered to secrete a key growth factor can protect the motor neurons that waste away as a result of ALS. "At the early stages of disease, we saw almost 100% protection of motor neurons," explained Clive Svendsen, neuroscientist and lead author of the study. "But when we looked at the function of these animals, we saw no improvement: the muscles aren't responding." The researchers implanted embryonic stem cells which were engineered to secrete a chemical known as glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), an agent that has been shown to protect neurons. "The (GDNF secreting) cells survive beautifully. In 80 percent of the animals, we saw nice maturing transplants," said Svendsen.

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American Health Care Debate