Page 624 - Health Medical Pharma
Toothpaste ingredient can combat malaria, finds robot scientist
An anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent commonly found in toothpaste, soaps and detergents can be used as a drug against strains of malaria parasite that have grown resistant, a study led by an artificially-intelligent "robot scientist" has revealed.
Abu Dhabi set to hold Terry Fox Run
Abu Dhabi, Jan 18 (IANS/WAM) Abu Dhabi will hold the 21st edition of the Terry Fox Run on Friday to commemorate Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox and to raise money for cancer research.
This anti-ageing protein may combat obesity, cancers
Scientists have revealed the three-dimensional (3D) structure of an anti-ageing protein, that may not only increase human lifespan but also help develop therapies for age-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cancers.
AI 'scientist' bolsters fight against drug-resistant malaria
An artificially-intelligent 'robot scientist' has helped identify a common toothpaste ingredient that can fight strains of malaria parasite that have grown resistant currently-used drugs. Malaria kills over half a million people each year, predominantly in Africa and south-east Asia. While a number of medicines are used to treat the disease, malaria parasites are growing increasingly resistant to these drugs, raising the spectre of untreatable malaria in the future. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, employed the robot scientist 'Eve' in a high-throughput screen and discovered that triclosan, an ingredient found in many toothpastes, may help the fight against drug-resistance. When used in toothpaste, triclosan prevents the build-up of plaque bacteria by inhibiting the action of an enzyme known as enoyl reductase (ENR), which is involved in the production of fatty acids. Scientists have known for some time that triclosan also inhibits the growth in ...
Two-day conference to be held at Bengaluru from Jan 19
The Indian Society for Clinical Research will deliberate on 'Collaborative Clinical Research for Better Patient Outcomes' at its 11th annual conference being held here on January 19 and 20. It is being conducted with an objective to increase India's contribution in clinical research, the ISCR said. Though the country is considered as bearing the one-fifth of the disease burden of the world,clinical research is abysmally low when compared to western countries, it said. While the US constitutes about 41 per cent of the total clinical research carried out in the world and Europe's share is about 30 per cent, India's contribution, the second largest populated country, is just at 1.2 per cent, ISCR president Dr Chirag Trivedi told reporters. Trivedi said though the rules for clinical research are robust and safeguard the interest of patients, certain clauses are hindering clinical research. The ISCR is working with the central government of India to relax norms to pave way for
Panacea Biotec up 3.5% on collaboration with Serum Institute
Shares of Panacea Biotec today rose 3.5 per cent after the company signed two long-term agreements with vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) and its wholly-owned subsidiary to manufacture and sell a type of hexavalent vaccine. The stock went up 3.04 per cent to end at Rs 264.70 on BSE. During the day, it gained 10.52 per cent to Rs 283.95. At NSE, shares of the company rose 3.5 per cent to close at Rs 266. In terms of equity volume, 2.61 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 15 lakh shares changed hands at NSE during the day. The vaccine is a combination of six antigens to protect against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza type B and Polio. "Under the collaboration, SII is entitled to manufacture and sell fully liquid Whole cell Pertussis (wP) and Salk-based Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) based Hexavalent vaccine (DTwP-HepB-Hib-IPV) developed and commercialised by Panacea Biotec," the company said in a BSE ..
Prebiotics in infant formula may boost learning, memory
Adding prebiotics to infant formula can help enhance memory and exploratory behaviour in babies, scientists have found. New mothers are always encouraged to offer breast milk to newborns. Among other things, breast milk contains natural sources of prebiotics: small, indigestible fibre molecules that promote the growth of good bacteria in the baby's gut. Yet for many families, breastfeeding is difficult or impossible. "When we provide prebiotics in formula, our results confirm that we can not only benefit gut health, which is known, but we can also influence brain development," said Ryan Dilger, associate professor at University of Illinois in the US. "We can actually change the way piglets learn and remember by influencing bacteria in the colon," said Dilger. Piglets are widely considered a more informative model for human infants than mice and rats; their digestive systems, behavioural responses, and brain development are remarkably similar to human infants. Therefore, .
2 polio vaccinators shot dead in Pakistan
Two polio vaccinators -- a mother and a daughter -- were shot dead on Thursday by unidentified men on motorcycles in Pakistan's Quetta city.
Prebiotics in formula milk may boost babies' memory skills
While breast milk is considered the best, for mothers for whom breastfeeding is difficult or impossible adding prebiotics to the formula milk could enhance memory and learning in babies, researchers suggest.
African arrow poison a prospective male contraceptive?
A plant extract used by African warriors and hunters as a poison on their arrows can lead to a prospective male birth control pill, a team of scientists including one of Indian-origin reveal.
'Dengue, Scrub Typus behind ICU admissions for tropical fever patients'
Dengue, Scrub typhus, Encephalitis and Malaria are the major reasons for ICU admissions of tropical fever patients in India, a study revealed on Thursday.
Shortage of pharmacists, machines in Delhi hospital: Kejriwal
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said after a surprise visit that there was a shortage of pharmacists and ultrasound machines at the Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital here.
Suven Life Sciences secures product patents
In China and Sri Lanka
UP: 2 critical after truck carrying 30 pilgrims turns turtle
At least two people were critically injured after a truck carrying 30 pilgrims overturned near Badlapur's Jaunpur village on Thursday.The pilgrims were travelling to Kashi from Ayodhya.The incident took place on the National Highway Road near Jaunpur village.Police said, "The reason behind the accident was due to the dense fog. All the injured have been admitted to a nearby Community Health Center for medical treatment"."While the two critically injured have been shifted to nearby hospital," the police added.A case has been registered in this regard.
Suven gets product patents in China, Sri Lanka
Suven Life Sciences has secured a product patent each from China and Sri Lanka corresponding to the new chemical entities (NCEs) for the treatment of disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The two patents are valid through 2033 and 2032, respectively, 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 central nervous system (CNS) arena, which are being developed for cognitive disorders with high unmet medical need with a huge market potential globally," Suven Life CEO Venkat Jasti said. According to the company, the granted claims of the patents are being developed as therapeutic agents and are useful in treatment of cognitive impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson and Schizophrenia. The stock was trading 2.42 per cent higher at Rs 209.10 on BSE.
Poisonous herb extract may lead to birth control pills for men
A plant extract, traditionally used by African warriors as a heart-stopping poison on their arrows, may be used to develop birth control pill for men, a study in mice suggests. Women have many options for oral contraceptives that are safe, effective and reversible, but despite decades of research, men have none. Two types of African plants make the poisonous compound called ouabain. Mammals also produce it in their bodies, though at lower levels that are thought to help control blood pressure; doctors sometimes prescribe small doses of the compound to treat heart attack patients. Ouabain disrupts the passage of sodium and calcium ions through the membrane protein, which are are found in cell membranes and are made up of protein subunits. Prior clinical studies have shown that ouabain curbs fertility in men. However, ouabain itself is not an option as a contraceptive because of the risk of heart damage. Researchers, including those from University of Minnesota in the US, .
Panacea Biotec partners Serum Institute for hexavalent vaccine
Panacea Biotec has signed two long-term agreements with Serum Institute of India (SII) and its wholly-owned subsidiary to manufacture and sell a type of hexavalent vaccine. The vaccine is a combination of six antigens to protect against six dreaded diseases - Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza type B and Polio. "Under the collaboration, SII is entitled to manufacture and sell fully liquid whole cell Pertussis (wP) and Salk-based Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) based hexavalent vaccine (DTwP-HepB-Hib-IPV) developed and commercialised by Panacea Biotec," the company said in a BSE filing. It is the first fully liquid wP-IPV-based hexavalent vaccine in the world. Serum Institute will ensure supply of IPV bulk to Panacea Biotec, an important constituent of the hexavalent vaccine, from its wholly-owned subsidiary Bilthovan Biologicals B V (BBIO), it added. In the next two years, both companies will work together to get this vaccine introduced in .
Secrets of longevity protein revealed
Scientists have unveiled the 3D structure of a protein linked to longer lives, paving the way for new therapies to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. Named after the Greek goddess who spun the thread of life, Klotho proteins play an important role in the regulation of longevity and metabolism. Researchers from Yale University in the US revealed the three-dimensional structure of one of these proteins, beta- Klotho, illuminating its intricate mechanism and therapeutic potential. The Klotho family of two receptor proteins are located on the surface of cells of specific tissues. The proteins bind to a family of hormones, designated endocrine FGFs, that regulate critical metabolic processes in the liver, kidneys, and brain, among other organs. To understand how beta-Klotho works, the research team used X-ray crystallography, a technique that provides high- resolution, 3D views of these proteins. The researchers' analysis
Secret of longevity protein revealed!
A team of researchers has discovered an anti-ageing protein, named after a Greek goddess, which may play an important role in the treatment of multiple diseases ranging from diabetes to cancers.The findings indicated that the three-dimensional structure of one of the so-called Klotho proteins has a big role in the regulation of longevity and metabolism.The Klotho family of two receptor proteins is located on the surface of cells of specific tissues.The proteins bind to a family of hormones, designated endocrine Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGFs) that regulate critical metabolic processes in the liver, kidneys and brain, among other organs.The researchers from Yale University used X-ray crystallography, a technique that provides high-resolution, three-dimensional views of these proteins.They revealed, first, beta-Klotho is the primary receptor that binds to FGF21, a key hormone produced upon starvation.When bound to beta-Klotho, FGF21 stimulates insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism,
Panacea Biotec collaborates with Serum Institute of India
For manufacture and sale of fully liquid wP-IPV based Hexavalent Vaccine