Page 333 - Health Medical Pharma
Gene discovery may help 'turn off' nightmares
Scientists have identified a pair of genes that regulate how much we dream, an advance that may allow them to 'switch off' nightmares in the future. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a mysterious stage of sleep in which animals dream, is known to play an important role in maintaining a healthy mental and physical life, but the molecular mechanisms behind this state are barely understood. A research team led by scientists at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Japan has identified a pair of genes that regulate how much REM and non-REM sleep an animal experiences. During REM sleep, our brain is as active as it is during wakefulness, and this stage is believed to function in memory consolidation. Although our knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying sleep has gradually advanced, the essential molecular factors that regulate REM sleep are still unknown. The amount of REM sleep was drastically decreased down to almost undetectable levels when both genes were ...
Anaemia drug could help recovery after a heart attack: Study
Drugs currently undergoing development to treat anaemia -- lack of blood -- could be repurposed to help prevent people with Type-2 diabetes from developing heart failure, according to a new research.
World's smallest medical robot hits Guinness Book of World Records
A doctoral research student at the University of Texas has built the world's smallest medical robot that cannot be seen with the human eye.Creation of Soutik Betal, the robot measures 120 nanometer and has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for its negligible size, Fast Company reports.The robot is basically a series of nanocomposite particles of multifunctional oxide materials that can be remotely controlled by an electromagnetic field.Because the tiny robot is capable of interacting with biological cells, future applications could include direct medication to cells in conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
Close ties with father help daughters overcome loneliness
Young girls who have a close relationship with their father are less likely to feel lonely, scientists say. "We found that closeness between fathers and daughters tends to protect daughters and help them transition out of loneliness faster," said Xin Feng, associate professor at The Ohio State University in the US. For the study published in the Journal of Family Psychology, researchers analysed data from 695 families. Mothers and fathers rated their relationships (both closeness and conflict) with their child when the child was in grades 1, 3, 4 and 5. In grades 1, 3 and 5 the children rated their levels of loneliness. Results showed that levels of closeness tended to decline over this time period, while conflict increased. "This is a time when children are becoming more independent, developing relationships with friends and spending more time outside the home," said Julia Yan, a doctoral student at Ohio State. "So they become less close with their parents and have more conflict as .
Over 80% of UTIs caused by E.coli found in poultry: Study
A strain of Escherichia coli (E.coli) found in retail chicken and turkey products may cause a wide range of urinary tract infections in people, a new study has found.
Cadila gets 5 observations from USFDA for subsidiary's injectables facility
Cadila Healthcare today said the US health regulator has issued five observations after inspection of its subsidiary Liva Pharmaceuticals' injectables manufacturing facility. "This was a product specific pre-approval inspection. It concluded with 5 observations. Liva will respond to USFDA within 15 days. It may be noted that at present Liva does not export any products to the US market," Cadila Healthcare said in a filing to BSE. The injectables facility is located at Vadodara. United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) conducted the inspection from August 20-28. Liva is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Cadila Healthcare. Shares of Cadila Healthcare were trading 1.78 per cent lower at Rs 389.40 apiece on BSE.
Indian panel wants Johnson & Johnson to pay compensation over recalled implants
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A government panel has recommended that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) pay compensation of at least $28,500 to each Indian patient who suffered from artificial hip implants the U.S. healthcare firm recalled eight years ago.
Suven secures product patents in China, Eurasia
Suven Life Sciences today said it has been granted a product patent each by China and Eurasia corresponding to a new chemical entity (NCE) for the treatment of disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases. These patents are valid till 2034, the company said in a BSE filing. "We are pleased by the grant of these patents to Suven for our pipeline of molecules in the CNS arena, which are being developed for cognitive disorders with high unmet medical needs with a huge market potential globally," Suven Life CEO Venkat Jasti said. The granted claims of the patents are being developed as therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Huntington's disease, Parkinson's and schizophrenia, it added. Suven Life Sciences shares were trading 2.73 per cent lower at Rs 282.85 on BSE.
Smoking, drinking can damage arteries in teens: Study
The arteries of teenagers who drink alcohol and smoke -- even very occasionally -- begin to stiffen by the age of 17, increasing their risk of heart attacks and stroke in later life, a study has found. The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, showed that a combination of high alcohol intake and smoking was linked to even greater arterial damage compared to drinking and smoking separately. The researchers analysed data from 1,266 adolescents over a five-year period between 2004 and 2008. "We found that in this large contemporary British cohort, drinking and smoking in adolescence, even at lower levels compared to those reported in adult studies, is associated with arterial stiffening and atherosclerosis progression," said John Deanfield, from University College London in the UK. "However, we also found that if teenagers stopped smoking and drinking during adolescence, their arteries returned to normal suggesting that there are opportunities to preserve arterial health ...
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals to market generic Tiotropium Bromide DPI in Western Europe
Tiotropium Bromide DPI is a generic version of Boehringer Ingelheim's Spiriva Handihaler. The product is used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
New insights into ways to use cell metabolism to treat cancer
Researchers have discovered that cell metabolism plays an important role in the ability of cells to start a survival program called autophagy, an unwanted side effect of some anti-cancer drugs that help some tumor cells dodge treatment and eventually regrow into new tumours.The findings provide new insights into ways to use cell metabolism to "pull the plug" on tumor cells that survive treatment, possibly leading to better treatments and outcomes for patients.Research assistant professor Carol Mercer said, "Cells adapt to nutrient starvation by increasing autophagy, where a cell basically eats itself and recycles cellular contents to support essential processes until nutrients become plentiful once again. This process is regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinases (AMPK)."Mercer, principal investigator on the study, and her lab worked primarily in cultured cells to understand how metabolism regulates autophagy, identifying strategies to ...
A new way to attack herpesviruses
A team of scientists have uncovered the mechanism that allows the virus to replicate. Their study could open new therapeutic avenues to treat not only cytomegalovirus but other viruses as well.Human cytomegalovirus is a leading cause of birth defects and transplant failures. As it's evolved over time, this virus from the herpes family has found a way to bypass the body's defense mechanisms that usually guard against viral infections. Until now, scientists couldn't understand how it manages to do so.Normally, when a virus enters your cell, that cell blocks the virus's DNA and prevents it from performing any actions. The virus must overcome this barrier to effectively multiply.To get around this obstacle, cytomegalovirus doesn't simply inject its own DNA into a human cell. Instead, it carries its viral DNA into the cell along with proteins called PP71. After entering the cell, it releases these PP71 proteins, which enables the viral DNA to replicate and the infection to spread.The ...
Model to predict life-threatening respiratory diseases in burn patients
Researchers have devised a model to predict burn patients who are most likely to develop life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).The first-ever prediction model include three factors: the extent of the patient's inhalation injury, the percentage of the patient's body that was burned and whether the patient had high levels of a blood clotting protein called von Willebrand factor."The three-pronged model could be used to better identify at-risk patients for both the study and prevention of ARDS in patients with burn injury," wrote Dr. Afshar and colleagues.ARDS is a form of respiratory failure caused by inflammation and the inability to exchange oxygen appropriately. Patients typically are put on ventilators, and many don't survive.It usually occurs in patients who already are critically ill from predisposing conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia, burns, inhalation injury, traumatic or injuries. Burn injuries, especially those involving inhalation injuries, have the ..
New brain network linked to pain in Parkinson's disease
A novel brain network that links pain in Parkinson's disease (PD) to a specific region of the brain has been revealed by scientists.The research has revealed why a subset of neurons in part of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus is a potential target for pain relief in PD, as well as other diseases such as dementia, motor neuron disease and Huntington's, and certain forms of a migraine.People with PD often report unexplained pain such as burning, stabbing, aching, itching or tingling sensations that are not directly related to their other PD symptoms. Treatment with deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus can help with the movement-related symptoms of PD, but recent studies have shown it also reduces pain. The way it does this, however, is currently unclear.Lead author Arnaud Pautrat said, "In this study, we set out to determine whether the subthalamic nucleus is involved in translating a harmful stimulus such as injury into pain and whether this information ...
Emergent BioSolutions to buy Narcan maker Adapt Pharma
(Reuters) - Emergent BioSolutions Inc said on Tuesday it would buy privately held Adapt Pharma, beefing up its portfolio with Narcan, the only FDA approved needle-free emergency opioid overdose treatment.
Emergent BioSolutions to buy Narcan-maker Adapt Pharma
(Reuters) - Emergent BioSolutions Inc said on Tuesday it would buy privately held Adapt Pharma, beefing up its portfolio with the only FDA approved needle-free emergency opioid overdose treatment often carried by police officers and medical teams.
Mental distress may increase CVD risk in older adults
Older adults who experience psychological distress such as depression and anxiety may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), a new study suggests.
Take vacations to boost your longevity
Want to have a long life? Besides leading a healthy lifestyle, taking at least three vacation a year between your work schedule seems to be the key, especially for men, suggested a study.
Govt makes report public on hip replacement systems by MNC
The government made public today an expert panel's report on alleged faulty hip replacement systems by a multinational company in India followings demands of the patients, who had suffered due to such operations, to release the report. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the Health Ministry put up the report on its website which said pharma giant Johnson and Johnson "suppressed" facts on the harm caused by surgeries which were conducted on patients in India using "faulty" hip replacement systems. A group of patients, who suffered due to alleged faulty hip replacement surgeries by a multinational firm, have written to Union Health Minister J P Nadda saying it is surprising that the media has been able to get the report yet the persons directly affected have kept in the dark. "Indeed, we are unable to make sense of these claims and media reports being unaware of the contents of the expert committee report, which is still secret," they had said. The report of ...
Want to live longer? Take a vacation
Now you have a concrete reason to go on a nice long healing holiday. According to the findings of a 40-year study, taking vacations could prolong life.Professor Timo Strandberg, one of the researchers, said, "Don't think to have an otherwise healthy lifestyle will compensate for working too hard and not taking holidays. Vacations can be a good way to relieve stress."The study included 1,222 middle-aged male executives born between 1919 and 1934 and recruited into the Helsinki Businessmen Study in 1974 and 1975. Participants had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease (smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, glucose intolerance, overweight).Participants were randomised into a control group (610 men) or an intervention group (612 men) for five years. The intervention group received oral and written advice every four months to do an aerobic physical activity, eat a healthy diet, achieve a healthy weight, and stop smoking. When health advice ...