Biopeer

New diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease

Researchers from the Howard Florey Institute, the University of Melbourne and the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, have devised a diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease (PD), which would not only measure the levels of
'alpha-synuclein' protein in the blood, but also check the effect of candidate drugs in improving the level of the protein. If this blood test clears the clinical trials then there may be some hope in PD diagnosis to normalize the level of alpha-synuclein and bring many forms of PD to the forefront for efficient diagnosis.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging in London analyzed the effect of dopamine- related drugs on patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study included 39 healthy people, aged 18 to 39. Divided into three groups, they were administered levodopa, which increases dopamine levels in the brain, a dopamine receptor blocker called haloperidol (which decreases dopamine activity), and placebo respectively. Inference from the study was that dopamine drive leads people to compulsive behavior. The study is expected to look into the therapy that would control the effect of dopamine-related drugs, thereby controlling the compulsive behavior of PD victims.

A recent study on Parkinson’s disease (PD) claims to determine the impact of exercise in preventing the symptoms of PD. “The idea behind it is if we force them to pedal at a higher rate, this rate will allow them to have biochemical changes that are necessary for improvements in motor function. There's a possibility that there's an increase in dopamine, or there's a possibility that there's an increase in these neuro growth factors”, said Dr. Jay Albers of the Cleveland Clinic. Certain exercises like yoga, meditation improves the functioning of brain, and hence there are chances of exercise to ward-off the symptoms of PD in the primary phase.

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Researchers claim to prevent cystic fibrosis bug

Research published by the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western Ontario, in the Journal of Bacteriology, claims identification of molecules, which disturb the synthesis of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (Ara4N), thereby weakening the armor that protects the Burkholderia cenocepacia bacterium, the main cause of cystic fibrosis (CF), from the effects of antibiotics. The molecules by weakening the armor to B. cenocepacia would reduce the number of deaths in CF patients. “The possibility of a life-saving antibiotic to fight B. cenocepacia is tremendously encouraging to adults and children who have cystic fibrosis”, said Cathleen Morrison, CEO of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Researchers at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine revealed that the enzyme, sphingomyelinase (SMase) disables a protein in lungs called CFTR, for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, thereby clogging the respiratory tract with thick mucus. Analysis of the action of SMase in frog oocytes (a tool that allows researchers to assess the flow of ions across the membrane by measuring electrical current), with CFTR placed in their membrane, showed shutdown of the electrical current passing through not only the normal but also the CF-causing mutant CFTR. Further research suggests identification of inhibitors to SMase used along with antibiotic treatments and supportive measures.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina revealed that the rhythmic motion of the lungs during normal breathing clears the respiratory tract from bacteria and other toxins. Further study speaks that rhythmic motion of the lungs re-hydrates respiratory tract and speeds-up mucus clearance in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). This research is similar to previous implications of treating respiratory disorders with alternative therapies like swimming and yoga. Nonetheless, researchers feel that this exercise can help CF patients to clear their respiratory tract largely.

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Gene detection to prevent chronic diseases

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Ophthalmic, Epidemiology and Genetics Service Tufts-New England Medical Center, claims that two genetic variants, CFH Y402H and LOC387715 A69S, can determine age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in older people, to necessitate prevention of the same. Six years of genotypic analysis involving 1,500 adults aged 55 to 80 with the earlier intermediate signs of macular degeneration, confirmed the link of the genes with the progression of AMD, later found in 281 individuals. However, refined studies are required for worst cases of AMD developing in the absence of both the genotypes.

Findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, by Gabriel Corfas, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital Boston, has reported the effect of the gene erbB4 on schizophrenia. Study involved blocking the erbB4 receptor of mice, in oligodendrocytes, resulting in abnormal development of 40% more oligodendrocytes. Contrary to expected inference of successive branching in the oligodendrocytes, the altered mice developed fewer splitting points and branches, resulting in a thinner myelin coating over neurons. The study of altered erbB4 might facilitate the early detection of remyelination and control the white matter disorder in an early phase.

The scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology reports about the involvement of chromosome 3 and chromosome 18 in causing febrile seizures. The study used genetic linkage to examine four generations of a French family, detecting chromosome 3 in 13 childhood febrile seizures, later modified by chromosome 18 to develop epilepsy in adulthood. The detection of these genes in childhood can prove to be efficient in preventing the occurrence of epilepsy or brain disorder in adulthood.

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Baby food to combat obesity

In the journal Chemistry and Industry the researchers from the University of Buckingham have presented their research on a baby formula that would control children’s metabolic system in their infancy in order to control obesity in their adulthood. The formula is enriched with appetite-controlling hormone leptin and is already tried on mice. Although the results on mice showed reduction in weight, there are apprehensions regarding the introduction of the appetite-controlling hormone in baby foods. Therefore, the trials should be carried out on obese people before ensuring the parents of the infants regarding the safety and efficacy of leptin.

Research published in the Public Library of Science Medicine report claims that children who were born to mothers having an early puberty history are likely to be overweight in their childhood and obese in their adulthood. The study involving 6000 children showed that children of mothers who had entered into early puberty were fatter by the age of nine. Although the researchers suspect a genetic link behind early puberty and weight gain, the overall findings are hinged on feeding patterns taken up by a child in the early years of his life.

The inefficacy of losing weight through dieting is reportedly confirmed by the researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The study involving 31 diet studies with a follow-up of two to five years of weight loss, showed a contrary weight gain in almost two-thirds of dieters. The study suggested that eating the right kind of foods alongside exercising is the best way to weight-loss. “It’s just plain difficult to modify your diet and turn away from the pleasures of eating. We’re driven to eat.” said Michael Goran, an obesity researcher at the University of Southern California.

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Less salt, less heart disease

A study published in the Brigham and Women's Hospital Journal revealed that slashing salt consumption reduces the risk of heart disease. Experimentation including reduction of salt intake among people vulnerable to a cardiac arrest resulted in reduction of the risk by 25 percent. The lead researcher Nancy Cook from Brigham and Women's Hospital said, “Dietary intake of sodium among Americans is excessively high. Our study suggests that reducing the level of salt in the diet would lead to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.” Since sodium increases the fluid in body and makes the heart work harder, it is better to consume low-sodium foods.

Chocolates, green tea and berries are often cited to be the best antioxidants, but the latest issue of American Journal of Clinical nutrition published an expanded research, including apple, bran and pears to be one of the best sources of flavonols for heart health. The study compared the flavonoid intake of more than 34,000 women and concluded that only a certain group of flavonoids, consumed in significant amounts was instrumental in reducing the risk of heart diseases by 22 percent. The study suggested combining flavonoids in the diet to make antioxidants effective for reducing the incidence of heart diseases.

Cochrane Systematic Review has identified wholegrain oats as the new cereal that reduces the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), by significantly lowering cholesterol levels. The comparative study, including 914 adults who had at least one major risk factor for CHD, conducted ten trials with wholegrain oats and concluded that healthcare professionals can recommend whole grain oats as part of cholesterol reduction programmes. Wholegrain oats reduced total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and hence considered best for those at a higher risk to CHD.

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NStudy claims new vaccine for breast cancer

A study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research claims to have found a new vaccine for breast cancer, targeted to equip the immune system to look for cancer cells and destroy them. The vaccine is described as a ‘bacteria-type’ substance, prepared to kill the gene HER2/neu. The vaccine’s effectiveness was determined after it curbed the breast tumors in all the mice under experimentation. Formulated to be injected in the body of healthy patients, the vaccine not only targets cancer cells but also prepares the immune system to dispose of the cancer cells. The vaccine appears to be a practicable solution to breast cancer, yet researchers seem to undertake further studies before dishing out the vaccine.

Chinese scientists from Cochrane Collaboration, a UK-registered charity have discovered the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) in protecting the immune system from breast cancer patients from the side effects of chemotherapy. Six women were tested for trials with and without CHM and three cases showed improvement in the white blood cells. If the herbal treatment gives positive results at the end of trials, there are possibilities to expand the research and tap the capacity of herbs towards finding an alternative cure for breast cancer.

An analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported about the sharp decline in breast cancer cases, followed by the decline in the number of menopausal women using hormones since 2002. Statistics showing an 8.6 percent decline between 2001 and 2004 account it to a sharp fall in hormone intake. Earlier studies have shown the increased risk of invasive breast cancer due to the combined intake of menopausal hormones. Therefore, the research affirms the risk of postmenopausal hormones and gives a solid reason to avoid hormone replacement therapy for countering problems associated with the onset of menopause.

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More stem cell research advances

A team at the University of Melbourne’s Center for Eye Research Australia (CERA) employed, for the first time in Australia, the process of limbal stem cell transplant. Along with a team from Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery (BOBIM), they replicated the cornea using only one stem cell from the donor. The technique they used can also assist people with alkaline burns, which have damaged the surface of their eyes. Research on developing a totally bio-engineered cornea using a stem cell extracted from elsewhere on a person's body other than the eye is under progress.

Meanwhile, researchers from Harvard University and Columbia University have reported about replacement of cells, destroyed due to the paralyzing nervous system disorder, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The latest studies done on mice to replicate a form of ALS, show a soluble toxic compound secreting out of the disease-causing astrocytes, which researchers have not yet identified. The research is not on a conclusive phase and hence it is difficult to give a verdict on a definite cure to neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, there is much concern about toxic detection before researchers can spell success on stem cell replacement.

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) at the University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School have found that neural stem cell development during embryogenesis may have a direct effect on abnormal brain development. Dr Freda Miller, a senior scientist in Developmental Biology in the SickKids Research Institute, and her team focused on the human genetic disorder Noonan syndrome, a disorder where the SHP-2 protein is mutated, causing abnormal development of multiple parts of the body. The team found that mutation of this protein changed the way neural stem cells generate the different cells of the embryonic brain; when SHP-2 was altered in a mouse model of Noonan syndrome, early neural development was disturbed.

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Lung cancer studies make headway

Researchers from the New York State Department of Health have discovered that certain molecular signals in the blood or in the airways can help detect the early stages of lung cancer. Through a research study on 33 people, they found that exhaled breath carries DNA from cells in the lungs. They closely studied the methylation patterns of particular gene promoters in the subjects and identified a potential predictor of the cancer. Their conclusions suggest that a breath test can predict lung cancer risk. Early detection of lung cancer is extremely important since treatment at this time will be most effective.

Moreover, another study conducted at Harvard University found that marijuana could help combat lung cancer. The researchers carried out lab studies and discovered that delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component in the drug, halves tumor growth in cases of common lung cancer and also prevents the cancer from spreading. They injected mice with human lung cancer cells and THC. Three weeks later the tumors showed a 50 percent reduction. However, the mice displayed signs of clumsiness and being high. The studies may be at an early stage but the therapeutic potential of THC is now undeniable.

Another American research study associated excessive intake of cured meats with lung disease. Researchers studied the data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination, conducted from 1988 to 1994, which covered 7,352 people. They examined the lung function tests and saw that those consuming meat not less than 14 times a month had higher chances of suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD includes several lung conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema. Rich in nitrites, cured meats produce nitrogen species, which may harm the lungs. However, further studies are essential to know the risk factor of such meats.

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Progress made in liver cancer tracing

American researchers have found a way to trace liver cancer using blood DNA tests. For their study, the researchers used information from a cancer-screening program conducted earlier in Taiwan. The Taiwanese program, which was carried out between 1991 and 1992, covered 12,000 male and 11,900 female subjects who had been giving blood samples regularly before the diagnosis. The American researchers performed screenings and found changes linked with cancer in serum DNA as a biomarker to pinpoint tumor suppressor gene changes which might predict liver cancer. This is the first time that an attempt has been made to use a biomarker to detect early stage liver carcinoma and their findings were extremely optimistic.

Meanwhile, Progen announced the success of its liver cancer trials, which exceeded expectations. The pharmaceutical company carried out stage 1 tests of the Phase 2 trials on subjects who had had their liver cancer operated on and removed surgically. They randomly divided the subjects into three groups, giving them either 160 mg or 250 mg of PI-88 over a period of 36 weeks. They found that those who were given 160 mg of PI-88, showed a marked reduction in the recurrence of cancer. The first stage trials were conducted to find out the adequate dosage of PI-88 and its effectiveness. Due to the success of these trials, the researchers have decided against a stage 2 of these trials and are now planning to conduct a global Phase 3 trial at the end of the year.

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Fight against HIV gets a boost

Researchers from McGill University Health Centre, after a thorough reexamination, found an oral HIV test completely accurate. The US Food and Drug Administration had already approved the OraQuick HIV1/2 test, but reports of the test’s inaccuracy led to skepticism. Due to this, the scientists tried the oral test on 450 advanced HIV patients in rural India. They took saliva from the patients and also gave them a conventional blood test. The oral test was 100 percent accurate, while the blood test showed only 99.7 percent accuracy. Additionally, the oral test proved to be easier to use, gave less discomfort and provided quicker results. The researchers hope that this test could lead to the formulation of a home-based test.

Another group of scientists has announced the success of a new anti-HIV drug, raltegravir, in early clinical trials. They tested the drug on 178 patients who had been suffering from advanced HIV and had shown no reaction to antiretroviral medication for almost 10 years. During the trials, the patients were given the usual HIV drugs; in addition, some of them were given raltegravir while others were given a placebo. The team measured the HIV genetic material or RNA in the patients’ blood, 24 weeks post-treatment. They found that those who were given raltegravir showed a reduction of 98 percent in their RNA, on an average, while the placebo group saw a drop of only 45 percent. In addition, their CD4 cells had risen significantly, which indicated an improvement in their immunity. Most of these patients did not show any unfavorable responses. Researchers believe that there is a possibility that the drug may become a significant part of a combination treatment program.

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