Reversing ageing process by putting young blood into older people?

A series of experiments has produced incredible results by giving young blood to old mice. Now the findings are being tested on humans.

Blood plasma from young people has rejuvenated old mice, boosting their memory, cognition and physical activity. The method shows promise for use in people, says Sakura Minami from Alkahest, the company behind the work. Earlier research found that injecting old mice with plasma from young mice can reinvigorate the brain and muscle. The team took blood samples from 18- year-olds, and injected them into 12- month-old mice. After receiving two human plasma injections a week, for three weeks, the middle-aged mice ran around like young mice. Their memories seemed to improve, and they were much better at remembering the route around a maze than untreated mice of the same age.

“The blood of young people must have something in it that’s important for keeping them young,” says Victoria Bolotina, at Boston University in Massachusetts.

Minami says she has pinpointed some factors in young blood that might be responsible for these benefits, but she won’t reveal what they are yet. She hopes to translate the findings into an anti-ageing treatment – one that might help those who are feeling the effects of their brain ageing. “There’s anecdotal evidence that people experience benefits after blood transfusions,” Minami says.

Alkahest is already trialling young blood in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

It is 400 years since Libavius proposed that young blood could rejuvenate older people. At the time, the idea was radical and dangerous. Even though modern science has made blood transfusions safe, blood remains a mysterious fluid: it ferries more than 700 proteins and other substances around our bodies; many are known, but what they do is less clear. Wyss-Coray suspects that among them are factors that orchestrate the ageing process. If scientists can understand how they work, the ageing process might be laid bare. It could be slowed down, or perhaps even reversed.

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://punemirror.indiatimes.com/others/scitech/TEENAGE-BLOOD-HAS-POWER-TO-RESTORE-YOUTH/articleshow/55585788.cms
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23231005-600-blood-from-human-teens-rejuvenates-body-and-brains-of-old-mice/
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/04/can-we-reverse-ageing-process-young-blood-older-people

The bioartificial kidney is about to come

Investigators are getting closer to creating a functional bioartificial kidney, with advances being presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15-20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

A national research project is under way to create a small, surgically implanted, and free-standing bioartificial kidney to treat end stage renal disease (ESRD).

The bioartificial kidney will give ESRD patients new hope beyond the short-term solution of renal dialysis and the longer-term, but impermanent, solution of a living kidney transplant for which donor organs are limited.

As well, the bioartificial kidney is expected to save national health care dollars.

A bioartificial kidney could replace the need for dialysis or transplantation in the millions of patients with kidney failure. A key requirement for such a device is the formation of a "living membrane" that consists of a tight kidney cell layer on artificial membrane surfaces and can transport molecules from one side to the other. In their latest work, Dimitrios Stamatialis, PhD (University of Twente, in The Netherlands), Roos Masereeuw, PhD (University of Utrecht, in The Netherlands), and their teams achieved this using conditionally immortalized human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (ciPTECs) on polyethersulfone-based hollow fiber membranes. They demonstrated that the cell monolayer is indeed functional as a living membrane.

"This study shows the successful development of a living membrane consisting of a reproducible ciPTEC monolayer on hollow fiber membranes, an important step towards the development of a bioartificial kidney device," said Prof. Stamatialis. "The strategies and methods of this work could be relevant to the development of other bioartificial organs, such as a bioartificial liver or bioartificial pancreas, and organs on chips—such as a kidney on chip, a lung on chip, or a liver on chip."

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

https://pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161119185930.htm

Work on autophagy gives Yoshinori Ohsumi Nobel Prize in medicine

The Nobel prize in medicine has been awarded to a Japanese cell biologist for discoveries on how cells break down and recycle their own components.

This year's Nobel Laureate discovered and elucidated mechanisms underlying autophagy, a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components.  

Ohsumi was born on February 9, 1945 in Fukuoka, Japan. He received a B.Sci. in 1967 and a D.Sci. in 1974, both from the University of Tokyo. In 1974–77 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University in New York City.[1]

He returned to The University of Tokyo in 1977 as a research associate; he was appointed Lecturer there in 1986, and promoted to Associate Professor in 1988. In 1996 he moved to the National Institute for Basic Biology in Okazaki City, Japan. where he was appointed as a professor. From 2004 to 2009 he was also professor at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Hayama, Japan. In 2009 he transitioned to a three-way appointment as an emeritus professor at the National Institute for Basic Biology and at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, and a professorship at the Advanced Research Organization, Integrated Research Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology. After his retirement in 2014, he continued to serve as Professor at Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Currently, he is head of the Cell Biology Research Unit, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology.

The word autophagy originates from the Greek words auto-, meaning "self", and phagein, meaning "to eat". Thus,autophagy denotes "self eating". This concept emerged during the 1960's, when researchers first observed that the cell could destroy its own contents by enclosing it in membranes, forming sack-like vesicles that were transported to a recycling compartment, called the lysosome, for degradation. Difficulties in studying the phenomenon meant that little was known until, in a series of brilliant experiments in the early 1990's, Yoshinori Ohsumi used baker's yeast to identify genes essential for autophagy. He then went on to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for autophagy in yeast and showed that similar sophisticated machinery is used in our cells.

Ohsumi's discoveries led to a new paradigm in our understanding of how the cell recycles its content. His discoveries opened the path to understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as in the adaptation to starvation or response to infection. Mutations in autophagy genes can cause disease, and the autophagic process is involved in several conditions including cancer and neurological disease.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Monday, Ohsumi said: “As a boy, the Nobel Prize was a dream, but after starting my research, it was out of my picture.”

He said he chose to focus on the cell’s waste disposal system, an unfashionable subject at the time, because he wanted to work on something different.

“I don’t feel comfortable competing with many people, and instead I find it more enjoyable doing something nobody else is doing,” he added. “In a way, that’s what science is all about, and the joy of finding something inspires me.”

Ohsumi, who was in his lab when he received the phone call from Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee, admitted to being in a “slight state of shock” about the news.

Giovanna Mallucci, a professor of clinical neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, said that Ohsumi’s discoveries were paving the way for new approaches to treating diseases, from cancer to neurodegenerative illnesses.

“I think it’s very important that this area of science been recognised,” she said. “The important principle here is going for common mechanisms in disease. It opens up avenues to treating these disorders that are different from more conventional disease-specific approaches.”

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2016/press.html?ctkey=autophagy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinori_Ohsumi
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/03/yoshinori-ohsumi-wins-nobel-prize-in-medicine

Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation

The Sri Sri Yoga is a holistic way of life that integrates all elements of ancient knowledge of Yoga, to make a prayerful discipline uniting the body, mind and soul.

Along with the series of simple, yet effective yoga postures and breathing techniques, a greater emphasis is placed on the inner experience of meditation, for the well-being of mind and other hidden elements of human existence.

We believe when one is in harmony within, the journey through life becomes calmer, happier and more fulfilled.

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives.  It will not eliminate life's pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events.

It provides us with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding. Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.

Yoga works for everyone from people engaged in desk jobs to professional cyclists to runners to people looking for weight loss to housewives to students.

Mindfulness help individuals to:

• Recognise, slow down or stop automatic and habitual reactions.
• Respond more effectively to complex or difficult situations.
• See situations more clearly
• Become more creative
• Achieve balance and resilience at work and at home

Both Yoga and Mindfulness intended to be profoundly spiritual life-changing practices, not just the superficial stress-busting techniques that are popularised in our media.

Meditation involves concentration techniques, to focus on a particular exercise to quieten the mind. It can help us to connect with our deeper wisdom, so that we see those same auto-pilot reactions and make changes. It can help the mind to focus more clearly, slowing it down and preparing us for deep-acting techniques.


Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.mindfulnet.org/page2.htm
http://www.artofliving.org/es-es/yoga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgPizq1xzb4
http://www.clarejosa.com/articles/love-your-soul/meditation-vs-mindfulness-a-rose-by-any-other-name-would-smell-as-sweet/

14 people infected with Zika virus in south Florida

Florida confirmed Monday 10 more homegrown cases of Zika in people infected by local mosquitoes, leading federal health officials to advise women who are pregnant to avoid the area just north of downtown Miami where Zika is spreading.

Women who have visited the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami since June 15 should avoid getting pregnant for at least eight weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Zika, which can cause devastating birth defects, appears to have begun spreading among mosquitoes in this area around June 15.


How do people catch Zika virus?

Zika virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also transmits chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. The Culex mosquito may also transmit Zika.

A study, conducted by Fiocruz Pernambuco, detected the presence of Zika virus in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. These samples were collected in Recife, Brazil, in houses where people had Zika. Further studies are needed on the transmission potential of the Culex. WHO continues to update information and recommendations as more research contributes to the growing knowledge base on Zika virus and its complications.

Zika virus can also be transmitted through sex and has been detected in semen, blood, urine, amniotic fluids, saliva as well as body fluids found in the brain and spinal cord.

The infection, known as Zika fever or Zika virus disease, often causes no or only mild symptoms, similar to a very mild form of dengue fever. While there is no specific treatment, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and rest may help with the symptoms. As of 2016, the illness cannot be prevented by medications or vaccines. Zika can also spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus. This can result in microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth defects. Zika infections in adults may result rarely in Guillain–Barré syndrome.

The new Zika cases in Miami bring the number of Zika infections spread by local mosquitoes — as opposed to foreign travel — to 14.

Controlling the cluster of Zika cases is proving difficult, CDC director Tom Frieden said, noting that more diagnoses related to the neighborhood are possible.

All pregnant women should take steps to prevent mosquito bites, Frieden said. The mosquito species that spreads Zika, the Aedes aegypti, lives in 30 states, in addition to territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/08/01/florida-announces-10-more-homegrown-zika-cases/87910664/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus

Are sweeteners healthy?

Artificial sweeteners are increasingly used as a substitute for sugar as they achieve the same level of sweetness in a product while contributing little to no calories.

Sweeteners may be safe, but are they healthy? Food manufacturers claim sweeteners help prevent tooth decay, control blood sugar levels and reduce our calorie intake.

According to a new study, consuming artificial sweeteners could do more harm than good as they may make you feel hungry and actually eat more. Researchers identified a new system in the brain that senses and integrates the sweetness and energy content of food.

You may think you’re doing the right thing by eliminating sugar from your life, but replacing it with a sweetener can be more detrimental to your health.

The University of Sydney reported in a new study published in Cell Metabolism that, "Both animals and humans have suggested that consuming artificial sweeteners [sucralose, specifically] can make you feel hungry and actually eat more."

Billions of people worldwide consume artificial sweeteners and they are prescribed as a tool to treat obesity, despite little being known until now about their full impact on the brain and in regulating hunger, researchers said.

"Artificial sweeteners can actually change how animals perceive the sweetness of their food, with a discrepancy between sweetness and energy levels prompting an increase in caloric consumption," said Herbert Herzog from Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

Also revealed was that hyperactivity, decreased sleep quality and insomnia was elevated with consumption of artificial sweeteners. These behaviors are often displayed in those fasting or in a mild state of starvation and have been linked with artificial sweeteners in other human studies.

With artificial sweeteners recommended as an aid to control weight without substantial evidence on how they impact the brain or regulate hunger, the new findings highlight that artificial sweeteners may add to the risk of obesity rather than assisting in reducing the risk through weight control.

However, research into sweeteners and appetite stimulation is inconsistent. Also, there is little evidence from longer-term studies to show that sweeteners lead to increased energy intake and contribute to the risk of obesity. 

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/311605.php

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-artificial-sweeteners.aspx

http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/can-artificial-sweeteners-actually-increase-appetite-1430924

http://www.womansday.com.au/style-beauty/health-body/artificial-sweeteners-contribute-to-weight-gain-15930

The new drug TEV-48125 will be able to relieve Chronic Migraine within 7 days

An experimental drug may bring fast relief to people with debilitating chronic migraines, a new study finds.

Chronic migraine is a distinct and relatively recently defined sub-type of Chronic Daily Headache. The International Headache Society defines chronic migraine as more than fifteen headache days per month over a three month period of which more than eight are migrainous, in the absence of medication over use. Episodic migraine is the other migraine sub-type, which is defined as less than 15 headache days per month.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised the impact of migraine worldwide and categorised it as the same level of disability as dementia, quadriplegia and acute psychosis. Furthermore WHO classified chronic migraine as more disabling than blindness, paraplegia angina or rheumatoid arthritis.6

Many of the therapies prescribed for chronic migraine are the same as those prescribed for episodic migraine. These include both prescription and over the counter painkillers and as well as migraine specific drugs such as triptans. These are known as abortive or acute medications.

Preliminary trials had already found that the drug -- dubbed TEV-48125 -- can help prevent migraine attacks in people who've suffered long-term with headaches.

Dr. Mark Green is professor of neurology and anesthesiology at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, in New York City. "It appears that this antibody works quite quickly," said Green, who is also director of the Center for Headache and Pain Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Green, who was not involved in the study, called the findings "exciting." That's in part because if CGRP-blockers make it to the market, they would be the first drugs specifically designed to prevent migraines.

If TEV-48125 or its competitors are approved, it's unlikely that patients will be put off by having to take a monthly injection, according to Green. "These are people in chronic pain," he pointed out.

But cost could be an obstacle: In general, antibody drugs like TEV-48125 are very expensive. So patients might find it difficult to get insurance coverage, Green said.

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.


http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20160608/experimental-drug-acts-fast-against-chronic-migraine

https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/types-of-migraine/chronic-migraine/