The scientists found that when they kept sugar away from critical immune cells called T cells, the cells no longer produced interferon gamma, an inflammatory compound important for fighting tumors and some kinds of infection. "T cells can get into tumors, but unfortunately they are often ineffective at killing the cancer cells," said Erika Pearce, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and immunology. …
A study published today by scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) describes how a genetic duplication that took place in the vertebrate ancestor some 500 million years ago encouraged the evolution of the ASF1b gene; a gene essential for proper cell division and related to some types of cancer such as breast cancer. The results of the study are published in Molecular Biology and Evolution. The conclusions of the study are the result of collaboration between the team led by Alfonso Valencia, Vice-Director of Basic Research and Director of CNIO’s Structural Biology & Biocomputing Programme, and the team led by Genevieve Almouzni, a member of CNIO’s Scientific Advisory Committee, at the Institut Curie in Paris, France. Valencia says that: "When proteins have such a close similarity as the one that exists between the two human copies of the ASF1 gene — ASF1a and ASF1b — it is commonly assumed that they have similar functions in cells; in this case related to fundamental processes such as DNA remodelling and repair, cell division, cell proliferation and genetic transcription or activation." The Genomic Environment, Key to Success in Separating Functions Almouzni’s team discovered several years ago that, despite the similarity in structure, the two copies of ASF1 were not redundant, but rather had divided up their ancestral functions…
In a breakthrough discovery, researchers have discovered a treatment capable of reducing the debilitating autoimmune response that occurs in people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). When patients are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, their bodies begin to attack the protein myelin, which insulates the body’s spinal cord, brain and optic nerves. As a result, MS patients experience symptoms such as numbness in their limbs, paralysis and sometimes blindness. However, during a phase one clinical trial of a new treatment for MS patients, researchers were able to curtail the body’s attacks on myelin by 50 to 75 percent, while sustaining the functionality of the rest of the immune system. Current treatments for MS seek to lessen the body’s autoimmune response to myelin, but this often results in decreased effectiveness of the entire immune system. “Most therapies for autoimmune diseases employ approaches broadly called immunosuppressors – they knock down immune response without specificity,” study co-author Stephen Miller, professor of microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com.  “People can become highly susceptible to everyday infections and develop higher rates of cancer.” Miller and his colleagues sought a more targeted ‘tolerance’ treatment that would leave the greater immune system intact while knocking out only the autoimmune response to myelin. “In MS, the idea is to target autoreactive T-cells directed against myelin…which would (reduce) disease progression, but wouldn’t make patient susceptible to higher rates of infection,” Miller said. In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a small group of MS patients were treated intravenously with an infusion of their own white blood cells, which had been engineered to carry billions of myelin antigens. Researchers hoped the cells would teach the body to stop attacking myelin. Miller and his team needed to determine if the treatment, which was based on 30 years of previous research, could be safely applied in humans – and they were pleased to discover it could be. “It was safe to infuse as many as 3 billion autologous cells that we collected and manipulated back into the same patient and didn’t trigger exacerbations,” Miller said. “Most patients didn’t show any increased signs of disease during the six-month follow up.” Furthermore, the treatment did not seem to impede the larger immune system. Researchers tested this by analyzing whether or not each patient continued to retain their immunity to tetanus, for which all of the patients had previously been vaccinated. “Among four patients receiving the highest doses (of autologous cells),  immune response to myelin antigens had diminished or gone away - but tetanus had not gone away,” Miller said. This indicated that the immune system’s ability to fight other diseases after the procedure remained intact. Though researchers caution that the study was too small to draw any significant conclusions, they are optimistic about the outcomes of larger studies and the ability of this treatment to help halt the progress of MS – particularly among recently-diagnosed patients. “The idea is that if we’re able to intervene early enough in disease process, we can stop the autoimmune destruction and (the patient) will have little or no clinical deficit as result of earlier attacks before being diagnosed,” Miller said. Researchers hope to receive funding to begin a phase two trial soon.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/medical-breakthrough-for-multiple-sclerosis-sufferers/
A new breakthrough in superbug fighting technology is changing the way patients view hospitals—and it goes by the name TRU-D. The Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfector uses a modified germicidal light to zap bacteria and viruses, and with just one use, it has 99.9 percent disinfection of bacteria and spores, such as influenza and norovirus. “It stops the bacterial organisms from reproducing, and any organism that can't reproduce can't colonize on a patients’ body,” said Michael Hossary, director of environmental services at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. The TRU-D robot is used in patient isolation areas like the operating room and intensive care unit. After being placed in the room, all drawers are opened, all doors are closed and safety signs are put outside the room to ensure no one enters. The robot is then activated remotely. TRU-D’s Sensor360 technology automatically calculates the UV dose required to disinfect a room. It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours and can destroy deadly superbugs like C. difficile and MRSA. According to the Centers for Disease Control, C. difficile is linked to 14,000 American deaths each year. TRU-D is only used after traditional hospital cleaning methods are used. “Traditional cleanup methods for isolation patients usually include use of germicidal chemicals on all high touch point surfaces, replacement of the curtains, washing of the walls to ensure patient safety and reduce infection rates,” Hossary said. Over 100 devices are now being used in hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, and Hossary said it’s just one more step to keep patients healthy – especially since most people who visit the hospital are already apprehensive. “It's not easy knowing that you have to go to the hospital,” Hossary said. “Whether it’s for elective surgery or some unexpected event that happens in your life where you have to end up in the ER. So the uncertainty is definitely there, and we want to give patients a piece of mind for that.”source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/05/disinfecting-robot-zaps-superbugs/
Despite the well-known advantages to breast milk and vigorous campaigns around the world championing breast as best, Mexican mothers say the bottle is better. In a dramatic decline over the past six years, today only one in seven mothers in Mexico breast-feeds exclusively in the first six months, the standard recommended by the World Health Organization. That leaves Mexico with nearly the lowest level of breast-feeding in Latin America. Experts call it a public health crisis for a country where millions still live in extreme poverty, dirty water threatens the health of many families and education is poor. Mother's milk is richer in nutrients and antibodies that protect newborns from infections. Mexico has the highest infant mortality rate among the world's 40 largest economies. Between 2005 and 2010, breast cancer deaths increased twice as fast as Mexico's female population, with some experts blaming declining rates of breast-feeding; studies show it cuts a woman's risk of cancer by 50 percent or more. Officials blame an invasion of baby food ads, little regulation of formula companies and the failure of doctors to promote breast-feeding for an overreliance on formula. “Mexico has become the example of what not to do. It's the strongest case of a setback in breast-feeding,” said Marcos Arana Cedeno, a child nutrition expert and health adviser for the state of Chiapas. Feeding newborns with breast milk can save lives in developing nations, where children have higher chances of dying from diarrhea and pneumonia. The WHO has recommended for the past decade that infants be given only breast milk for the first six months. The percentage of Mexican moms who nurse their babies that long fell from 22 percent in 2006 to 14 percent last year, according to a Health Department survey. Only the Dominican Republic has a lower rate of breast-feeding in the region, at 8 percent. Other nations have improved their numbers, led by Brazil and Colombia, which in the past two decades more than tripled the percentage of mothers breast-feeding - to 47 percent in Colombia and 39 percent in Brazil. For many mothers drawn into the urban workforce, nursing a baby while juggling a job is too difficult. “I had to go back to work and I wasn't going to be able to breast-feed him for long. That's why I chose formula,” said Ruth Gonzalez, a clothing company manager. Gonzalez nursed her baby boy, Luis, only at night, after work. He drank formula during the day, and went off breast milk completely after a month. “Formula was just easier,” she said. Yet, even in traditional rural areas, the trend is downward. Breast-feeding fell by half in poor, rural areas, where babies are exposed to more sanitation problems, according to the Health Department survey. Nutritionists complain that Mexico has not adopted laws to meet guidelines adopted by WHO in 1981, which asked countries to restrict companies from providing free samples of formula or approaching new mothers to push their product. “It really is a tragedy,” said Teresa Gonzalez de Cossio, a nutritionist who researches breast-feeding at the National Institute of Public Health. “There is no one making sure we are following international codes. The country is not setting any goals regarding breast-feeding.” Countries such as Brazil and the United States have long stressed the importance of breast-feeding. The U.S. has improved its rate of mothers who exclusively breast-feed for the first six months to 16 percent in 2012 from 11 percent in 2007, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most New York City hospitals no longer hand out promotional samples of formula and ask new mothers to participate in talks on why human milk is better. Portland, Maine, started a campaign asking businesses to make mothers feel welcome to breast-feed wherever they want. Brazil reversed a decline in breast-feeding in the 1980s by strictly limiting advertising by baby food companies and airing prime-time informational spots with national celebrities to dispel myths, such as that women with small breasts were incapable of nursing. Mexico lets companies self-regulate on following the WHO guidelines. It has rules that say hospitals and doctors should guide new mothers through breast-feeding, but it doesn't enforce them. Dr. Rufino Luna Gordillo, the Health Department's deputy director of maternal and newborn care, said Mexico is renewing periodic checks of breast-feeding practices at public and private hospitals, a policy born in the early 1990s that had fallen by the wayside. “It's clear that these efforts have not been enough to get to the ideal breast-feeding levels,” Luna said in a written statement. “We need to debunk many myths about breast-feeding, limit the abuse of infant formula makers ... and award companies that offer nursing rooms.” Some new mothers say they didn't receive any help on breast-feeding after giving birth and say nurses, without seeking permission, offered formula to newborns at the nursery. In addition, with half of the babies born in Mexico via cesarean-section, many mothers struggle to nurse in the first hours and days after surgery. With little government promotion of breast-feeding, myths proliferate: sagging breasts do not provide healthy milk, or that nursing babies will spoil them. Pediatricians also hear women say that they want to stop breast-feeding so they won't lose their perky breasts. “In Mexico, breast-feeding is not a normative behavior,” said Chessa Lutter, the Pan American Health Organization's regional adviser for food and nutrition. “You are going to see probably walking down the street in Mexico City a lot more bottle-feeding than you are breast-feeding.” Advocates for breast-feeding say big business is to blame. They claim doctors are plied with gifts by formula makers to get them to help introduce infant formula to newborns. Elia Rangel, mother of a 9-month-old girl, Samantha, said a family physician told her not to breast-feed after six months. “We don't have information that is up to date,” she complained. “I came across a doctor at a public hospital who asked me how old Samantha was. She was 7 months. He told me, `Breast milk is no good; it can even harm her.' I was like, `Wow, where did you get this information?'” The government says it discourages the unnecessary use of formula, but Mexico's own Social Security Institute, whose logo shows a mother breast-feeding, provides formula to women even without a medical need if they present a doctor's note. As long ago as 1993, a study warned that Mexico needed to review that policy because of the high cost in both financial and health terms. The government still pays about $35 million a year on cans of infant formula from the Swiss-based food company Nestle, which receives more than 96 percent of the public money spent on formula. Nestle and the U.S.-based Mead Johnson, the two main baby food companies in Mexico, responded in statements that they support the WHO's code for breast-milk substitutes and comply with the law. They say they don't advertise food for babies less than 1 year of age or discourage mothers from breast-feeding. Nestle said it “does not give free supplies of infant formula to hospitals” and cited a 1992 “self-regulatory agreement” that the industry signed with Health Department to end the provisions of formula samples to Mexico's hospitals and doctors. Chris Perille, spokesman for Mead Johnson, said the company tells health professionals about the benefits of their products but doesn't break the rules. “Our work with these experts is conducted in accordance with the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and in compliance with all applicable laws, professional requirements and industry guidelines,” Perille said in a statement.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/public-health-crisis-in-mexico-as-breastfeeding-rates-drop-experts-claim/
When a child enters puberty earlier than expected, doctors are often at a loss to explain why. But now, researchers have discovered a genetic mutation that they say causes some cases of early puberty. In the study, the researchers in Brazil screened the genomes of 32 people with early puberty from 15 families. (Some cases of early puberty run in families.) Mutations in a gene called MKRN3 were found in 15 people from five of the families. In all of these cases, the mutated MKRN3 gene was inherited from the father, the researchers said. Early puberty, also called precocious puberty, is puberty that occurs before age 8 in girls, or age 9 in boys. Some cases are caused by brain tumors or thyroid problems, but in many cases, a cause is not identified. The average age of puberty onset for those with mutations in the MKRN3 gene was about age 6 for girls, and age 8 for boys. It's not clear exactly how MKRN3 plays a role in puberty, but it may be involved in releasing the “brake” that normally prevents puberty from starting, Dr. Ieuan Hughes, of Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, wrote in an editorial accompanying the study. Puberty begins when the brain starts producing higher levels of a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Mutations in the MKRN3 gene may trigger an increase in levels of this hormone at an earlier age, the researchers said. To further investigate the role of MKRN3 in puberty, the researchers studied the brains of mice. They found that levels of MKRN3 gene expression were highest when the mice were young, and reached a low point at the start of puberty, which provides more evidence to tie this gene to puberty. The study is published online June 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/early-puberty-may-be-caused-by-gene-mutation/
That’s right! It is possible to be allergic to the sun! Exposure to sunlight can trigger a variety of nasty skin conditions that affect one in five people. So who’s at risk? Being of a Caucasian or Native American descent may make having a sun allergy more likely, although correlation between skin color and solar skin allergies is still up for debate among researchers. Certain antibiotics such as tetracycline, sulfonamides and/or having eczema can increase the likelihood of sun-related skin problems. If you have a relative with allergic skin reactions to sun, then you are also at an increased risk. Sunlight can actually trigger hives, and those who are affected have red blotchy skin associated frequently with itchiness on sun-exposed areas of their body.  This tends to occur quickly, and in most cases, resolves itself in about a day.   Heat can also trigger hives, simply from an increase in body temperature.  Many of my patients who exercise, particularly when their immediate environment is very warm, or if they are “over-dressed,” find that these conditions may trigger hives and itchy skin. Another increasingly common malady is being allergic to your sunscreen. It generally occurs at the point of application of the product you are using, but it is more likely to appear on sun-exposed areas. The distribution may include your face but often spares affecting the eyelids.   Other less-common causes include a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus. In that case blood tests and/or a skin biopsy may help pinpoint the cause.  In some cases, sun allergy will manifest only when exposed to other triggers such as plants and/or fruits and vegetables. A solar-triggered rash may also have other symptoms including headaches, redness, hives and blisters. Clothing can provide significant protection as well as using an umbrella and a wide-brimmed hat.   Using a physical blocking sunscreen that generally contains micronized (almost invisible) zinc and/or titanium may be gentler on your skin, particularly if you have sensitive skin and/or allergic reactions to “chemical sunscreens.” Oral antihistamines can often reduce the severity of symptoms, although this is no guarantee! Other complementary treatments include topical steroid creams and, of course, avoidance of direct sunlight.   Don’t forget to reduce your outdoor direct sunlight exposure, especially between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.   As always, work with a dermatologist and allergist to get proper advice and care for sun-allergy and photosensitivity reactions.Dr. Clifford Bassett is an adult and pediatric allergy specialist, and diplomat of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He is the medical director of& Allergy and Asthma Care of NY.& & Bassett is a clinical assistant professor of medicine and on the teaching faculty of NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone Medical Center and assistant clinical professor of Medicine and Otolaryngology at SUNY LICH. Follow him on& Twitter. & source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/could-be-allergic-to-sun/
Nathan Luedtke and colleagues explain that the spread of melanoma and other forms of cancer beyond the original location — a process called metastasis — makes cancer such a serious disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves administering a drug that kills cancer cells when exposed to light, already is available. But PDT works only on the main tumor and has other drawbacks. …
"I’m a crazy sports fan," says the patient. "I go 30 days a season. I may be the oldest guy snowboarding on the mountain, but I’m not the slowest!" When he lost a few pounds from what eventually proved to be undiagnosed cancer, the patient was initially pleased. …
I am now totally convinced that our current federal government loves confusion. When you have a single agenda, and many ways to spin it, the American public never gets a clear answer and that is exactly what has happened with the Plan B emergency contraception controversy. A U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must make certain forms of the emergency contraception pill available to children of all ages, without a prescription. This is exactly what I have been warning the American public about. One has to remember that the FDA first approved this form of over-the-counter contraception for women of all ages back in 2011. When that initial FDA ruling came out, there was a loud public outcry and restrictions were quickly put in place barring women under the age of 17 from purchasing these pills. But of course, that was just one spin on the story. In April, a New York judge ruled that restricting access to Plan B was inappropriate, forcing the FDA to reconsider their initial finding that emergency contraception should be available to children of all ages. And then, we got a third spin on the story, as the FDA tried to lower the age limit for access to emergency contraception to15 in May. There was another outcry and more criticism, because we know perfectly well that a 15-year-old may not have a clear understanding of how to utilize emergency contraception. Now, we see that an appeals court is forcing the FDA to do what they wanted to do in the first place. How convenient. And the final ruling is still unclear, after the court decided on Wednesday that while the two-pill version of emergency contraception can now be sold over-the-counter to women of all ages, the one-pill version will still only be sold to women age 17 or older. The court did not explain its reasoning. While there is still a lot of confusion about the ruling, it seems as though the FDA will ultimately get its way. So, what’s the message here?