Impotency drug Viagra brings new hopes for patients suffering heart ailment

The impotency drug Viagra has new promises in healthcare field as the scientists have discovered its surprisingly positive effects for the patients with diastolic heart failure by causing too-stiff heart chamber walls to become more elastic.

Impotency drug Viagra brings new hopes for patients suffering heart ailment

According to a latest study published in the journal Circulation, explains how Viagra might benefit patients suffering with diastolic heart failure.

Patients with such condition have unusually stiff ventricles, the heart's major pumping chambers, which do not fill sufficiently with blood. This leads to blood "backing up" in the lungs and causing breathing difficulties.

Scientists discovered that Viagra triggers an enzyme that causes a protein in heart muscle cells to relax. The positive result was observed in dogs with diastolic heart failure within minutes of the drug being administered.

"We have developed a therapy in an animal model that, for the first time, also raises hopes for the successful treatment of patients", said research leader Professor Wolfgang Linke - from the Ruhr Universitat Bochum (RUB) in Germany.

Viagra has same kind of effect on blood vessels, that’s why it was originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease. Viagra’s active component, ‘Sildenafil’, reduces an enzyme involved in the mechanism that normalizes blood flow. However, the enzyme serves somewhat different in different parts of the body.

Contrary to their first belief the British scientists behind Viagra discovered that it didn’t help in a great way to the patients with high blood pressure; but it had an amazing effect on men with erectile dysfunction. The drug effectively restrains the enzyme ‘phosphodiesterase’ (PDE) in the penis, increasing blood flow to the organ.

Professor Linke's team found that it worked on the same enzyme in heart cells. This had the effect of causing a cardiac muscle protein called titin to become more elastic.

"The titin molecules are similar to rubber bands," said the professor. "They contribute decisively to the stiffness of cardiac walls."

Human PYY and Obesity -- Now Keep on Chewing Gum to Lose Weight Effectively

Diet and exercise may be the most common prescription for losing weight, but a team of US scientists believes they're close to delivering a gum that can help users fight the battle of the bulge one chew at a time.

Now Keep on Chewing Gum to Lose Weight Effectively

The key to the gum’s formulation is a hormone called human PYY that regulates appetite and energy and is released into the bloodstream when people eat or exercise, say researchers out of Syracuse University in an announcement made November 21.

Studies have shown that obese people have lower concentrations of PYY in their bloodstream compared to their non-obese counterparts. When given PYY intravenously, however, the hormone acted as an appetite suppressant in obese and non-obese volunteers as both groups consumed less calories.

The hard part? Delivering the hormone so that it can travel through the digestive system unharmed and allow it to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Lead researcher Robert Doyle believes the answer lies in vitamin B12. It would be the second time Doyle developed the vitamin to act as a carrier for a hormone. Several years ago, he created an oral delivery system for insulin that was masked under vitamin B12. Early tests accomplished the same task for PYY. Results of the study were published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry earlier this month.

"Phase one of this study was to show that we could deliver a clinically relevant amount of PYY into the bloodstream," Doyle said in a statement. "We did that, and we are very excited by the results."

Like nicotine-laced gums which are used to help people stop smoking, PYY-laced gums and oral pills would be a natural way to help people lose weight, Doyle said.

About four hours after chewing the gum, the PYY supplement would begin to kick in and decrease appetites as users approach their next meal.

Meanwhile, a story published last week on WebMD.com also highlighted the benefits of chewing gum sweetened with xylitol, also known as birch sugar.

While some dentists recommend chewing the gum to prevent cavities, scientists have also found that xylitol-sweetened gum could help prevent painful middle ear infections common in children because of its bacteria-fighting properties.

"World Diabetes Day" (Nov. 14) -- Raise Awareness as Diabetes Kills One Person Every Eight Seconds

"World Diabetes Day" is being observed today (Monday, Nov. 14) across the globe to raise public awareness about harmful effects of diabetes. The increased awareness will lead to more resources to fight the causes of diabetes and help fund research into improved treatment options.

Raise Awareness: Diabetes Kills One Person Every Eight Seconds

Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and World Health Organization (WHO), the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

‘World Diabetes Day’ will be observed in Pakistan, like in other parts of the world, on Monday (today) in a bid to raise public awareness about harmful effects of diabetes and its complications so that the goal of healthy society can be achieved.

Diabetes kills one person every eight seconds, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said in his message on World Diabetes Day, adding that the cost of treatment amounts to a staggering $465 billion in the neighbourhood.

In context to this Day; a record has also been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records on Sunday when 3,573 people tested their blood glucose levels within just eight hours.

The even was organized by the Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF) in Bangalore, India based on the theme “Act on Diabetes Now”.

Managing trustee of Novo Nordisk Education Foundation Melvin D’Souza received the certificate from the official from the Guinness Book of Records, UK who monitored the event.

Painkiller Abuse and Overdose Lead to 3 times High Fatality Rate Over a Decade

NEW YORK – Human Killers or painkillers…??

Human Killers or painkillers

The latest report issued by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is an eye-opening document stating that the number of deaths have increased three times over a decade due to the over-dosage of powerful painkillers. It’s an epidemic trend but one that can be stopped with precautionary measures on urgent basis, a U.S. health official said.

Almost 15,000 deaths were recorded, including actor Heath Ledger, due to prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone. The stunning number is almost four times of the deaths caused by narcotics in 1999.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Dr. Thomas Frieden, said, “such painkillers are meant to help people who have severe pain, but they are, however, highly addictive.”

The report further mentions almost 5% of Americans ages 12 and above said they've abused painkillers, using them without a prescription or doctor’s consultation, in the last year. In 2008-09 surveys, Oklahomans reported the maximum rate of drugs abuse; while Nebraska and Iowa were on the lowest side.

Sources and References

USA Today

New York Daily News

Conjoined Twin Sisters Angelina and Angelica Sabuco from Philippines Separated Successfully in U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO – Two conjoined Filipino sisters were successfully separated by U.S. surgeons in a California hospital on Tuesday (Nov. 01).

Conjoined Twin Sisters Angelina and Angelica Sabuco from Philippines

According to details; 2-year-old sisters Angelina and Angelica Sabuco, who were joined at the chest and abdomen at the time of their birth, were separated after 8-hour surgery at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in the northern city of Palo Alto.

After the twin sisters shifted to separate operation theatres for further surgeries needed, the hospital’s spokesperson Reena Mukamal said, “The surgeons are happy with the progress of the operation so far.”

The twin sisters, who turned two in August, were joined at the chest and belly but have separate brains, hearts, kidneys, stomachs and intestines.

The successful surgery was lead by surgeon Gary Hartman, who is believed to be the best for such kind of surgeries and this is his sixth surgery on conjoined twins. Costa Rica’s Yurelia and Fiorella Rocha-Arias were the most recent set of twins separated at the Hospital in November 2007.

Before the operation Hartman said, “This is a major operation, but we really expect both twins to survive and to do well.”

The girls’ mother, Ginady, said she knew that her babies were conjoined at her seventh month of pregnancy and her husband was working in San Jose, California.

She joined her husband, Fidel, in California in late 2010, more than a year after the girls were born, and the couple began consulting with doctors.

‘I want them to live normally, like other children,’ said Ginady.

Human Stem Cells Successfully Developed by U.S. Scientists Using Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)

In a latest finding, that could be monumental if passes successfully through further tests and analysis, US scientists have developed a cloning procedure to obtain custom-made embryonic stem cells to grow in unfertilized human egg cells. 

Human Stem Cells Successfully Developed by U.S. Scientists

Researchers used a cloning method called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) to get embryonic stem cells that match a patient's DNA. The details of the research and its findings are published in the journal Nature on today (Wednesday, Oct. 5).

The findings are of great significance because now it would be possible to replace damaged cells of any patient with the cloned patient-specific cells, obtained through this new technique, without the risk of rejection by patient’s immune system.

"This paper will be seen as significant both by those who are trying to use SCNT to produce human patient-specific embryonic stem cell lines and by those who oppose human 'cloning' experiments," said Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, a division head at Britain's National Institute for Medical Research.

Stem cells are the source material for all other cells therefore called as the body's master cells. Those who support embryonic stem cells advocate that they could alter medicine, providing treatments for blindness, juvenile diabetes or severe injuries.

Smoking Kills -- 40 million excess deaths predicted by 2050 due to smoking habits

Washington, Oct 5: Smoking could cause 40 million excess deaths among smokers, who also suffer from tuberculosis (TB), by 2050, new research says.

40 million excess deaths predicted by 2050 due to smoking habits

Once smokers develop the disease, they are more likely to die from it, meaning that smoking can single-handedly undermine the goal to reduce TB mortality by half between 1990 and 2015, says the research.

The study, led by Sanjay Basu from the University of California, San Francisco, used a maths model to determine the effect of smoking on future TB rates, the BMJ (British Medical Journal) reports.

It shows that from 2010 to 2050 smoking could lead to 40 million excess TB deaths worldwide - from 61 to 101 million.

They also conclude that if current smoking trends continue, the number of excess TB cases could rise from 256 to 274 million - 18 million new cases in total.

"Aggressively lowering the prevalence of tobacco smoking could reduce smoking attributable deaths from tuberculosis by 27 million by 2050," Basu said, according to a California statement.

Nearly one-fifth of the world's population smokes and that most cigarettes are smoked in countries with high TB prevalence. Given this, the authors wanted to predict how much impact smoking will have on future TB rates.

Researchers found that smoking may have a substantial impact on future TB rates because a moderate increase in individual risk translates into a large population-level risk.

EXTRA SHOT: With respect to the topic I got an interesting news from entertainment world which is worth sharing here.

Bollywood's super star Shahrukh Khan, who is a big smoker, vows to stop smoking after the release of his upcoming superhero flick "Ra.One". Read Complete story below:



Bollywood Buzzzzzz. 

Esteem: A Hearing Implant from Envoy Medical -- Amazing Hope to Born Deaf People (Proof Video)

Sarah Churman, a 29-year-old born deaf woman, shared the video of her experience when she able to hear herself with the aid of a hearing device, dubbed as Esteem from Envoy Medical. 

Esteem: A Hearing Implant from Envoy Medical

It's just unimaginable for anyone who isn't deaf to even presume how it might feel to hear laughter for the first time or your own voice.

According to Sarah Churman (as he described on Youtube with her video):

“I was born deaf and 8 weeks ago I received a hearing implant. This is the video of them turning it on and me hearing myself for the first time. For those of you who have asked the implant I received was Esteem offered by Envoy Medical.”

The hearing implant is placed behind the ear and no part of it is visible.... continue reading  and watch the video on link given below:

Trends and Styles For You!

Dengue Virus/Fever Spreading Widely in Pakistan

The menace of dengue virus/fever is spreading dangerously in Pakistan, especially in the most populated province of Punjab. The most threatening situation is in the capital city of the province, Lahore, while other big cities are also getting affected rapidly including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and many other cities.

Dengue Virus/Fever Spreading Widely in Pakistan

 

According to latest reports; after 21 new dengue virus cases reported in Faisalabad yesterday (Wednesday, Sept. 14) the number of dengue patients has soared up to 184. Sources of health ministries revealed that out of these 21 new registered cases, 5 belong to city Faisalabad and 5 from rural areas of the Faisalabad district while 11 patients are brought from nearby districts to Faisalabad for treatment.

Despite the claims of Punjab government about wide-spread arrangements to control dengue fever by spraying and fogging throughout the district; the dengue virus is spreading rapidly and causing panic among the masses in Faisalabad district. A careful estimate shows that more than a dozen dengue cases are being reported in Faisalabad on daily basis.

On the other hand; the residents of rural localities especially slum areas are denying the Punjab governments claims of wide-spread measures to control dengue virus. They said that they had not seen any spray or fogging campaign in their areas for the last many years due to which there was much increase in the breeding of mosquitoes. 

A team of dengue fever specialist and experts from Sri Lanka has already reached Punjab and will start their fight against this menace from today.

Mystery Syndrome: The 13-year-old Joshua Parson Feels No pain, Cry Tears or Sweat

Back in November 2010 we shared here an article about a little 8-year-old girl, Gabby Gingras, who couldn’t feel any pain due to mysterious syndrome called HSAN Type V.

Mystery Syndrome: The 13-year-old Joshua Parson Feels No pain, Cry Tears or Sweat

Now another case came in spotlight in Australia where a 13-year-old Leopold boy was born with an undiagnosed syndrome that means he can't feel pain, cry tears or sweat.

The syndrome also affects his growth and muscle tone.

Joshua’s mother Leanne described Joshua as a "mystery man" and hoped this week's visit to Monash Children's Hospital could provide the subtle diagnosis.

To send him off in style, Portarlington Police visited Grovedale College with the police helicopter and 4WD.

Mrs Parson said Joshua's Barwon Valley School, which is annexed through Grovedale's campus, had been a big support throughout his stints in hospital.

In March he spent five weeks at Monash including three days in intensive care and was given a 20 per cent chance of survival.

Mrs Parson said Joshua had 1.1m of bowel removed and fought off pneumonia before being released and heading straight to his first Geelong Cats game at Skilled Stadium.

"It's been a long year but he's great, he never complains, he does so well," she said.

"The police visit is a nice treat he likes police (television) shows, and even the hospital ones."

After happily telling the Geelong Advertiser he'd been "really sick" for a long time, Joshua delighted in getting amongst his classmates and hamming it up with the cops.

Brother Nick, 10, said while he had to go easy on Joshua, he was a great brother and he just wanted him to get well.

Mrs Parson said she knew something was wrong when Joshua was born "floppy" and developed a blood condition within a week.

Baseless Health Warning: Skin Cancer Caused by Scratch Card Coating

Scratching Recharge Card Coating (Silver Nitro Oxide) with Nails Causes Skin Cancer

A warning message started spreading first on Facebook, through re-posting and request for re-posting, and then it spread like a jungle fire via mobile text message/SMS; which warns recipients not to scratch the recharge mobile or phone cards with nails as the material used for scratch card coating i.e. Silver Nitro Oxide, can cause ‘SKIN CANCER’.

The mastermind behind this warning message used the name of Medical research Authority of the US to authenticate this message and in the last it is requested to re-post and forward the same to your contacts and friends.

Let’s have a look to the contents of the message before we start post-mortem of the reality of this ‘Scratch Card Coating Causing Skin Cancer’ warning message.

1. Facebook version looks like the shown below:

1. It mentions, “ATTENTION! !!!!!!! Medical research Authority of the US have found that new cancer in human beings caused by 'Silver Nitro oxide'. Whenever u buy recharge cards or calling cards don't scratch them with ur nail as it contain 'silver nitro oxide' coating and can cause skin cancer. Copy and paste this status and spread awareness please”
2.  
3. SMS/Mobile Text Message reads like this mentioned below:

Fwd as rcvd Medical research authority of us have found new cancer in human being caused by silver nitro oxide.. whenever you buy recharge cards dont scratch wid nail as it contain silver nitro oxide coating and can cause skin cancer… share dix msg to ur frndx…

Found interesting want to read more, click below:

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Breakthrough in cancer treatment - - Genetically engineered T cells eradicate cancer cells in patient's body

In a potential breakthrough in cancer research, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have genetically engineered patients' T cells — a type of white blood cell — to attack cancer cells in advanced cases of a common type of leukemia.

A microscopic image shows two T cells binding to beads, depicted in yellow, that cause the cells to divide. After the beads are removed, the T cells are infused into cancer patients. (Dr. Carl June / Penn Medicine)

Two of the three patients who received doses of the designer T cells in a clinical trial have remained cancer-free for more than a year, the researchers said.

Experts not connected with the trial said the feat was important because it suggested that T cells could be tweaked to kill a range of cancers, including ones of the blood, breast and colon.

"This is a huge accomplishment — huge," said Dr. Lee M. Nadler, dean for clinical and translational research at Harvard Medical School, who discovered the molecule on cancer cells that the Pennsylvania team's engineered T cells target.

Findings of the trial were reported Wednesday in two journals.

Before reading further just watch the video below:

To build the cancer-attacking cells, the researchers modified a virus to carry instructions for making a molecule that binds with leukemia cells and directs T cells to kill them. Then they drew blood from three patients who suffered from chronic lymphocytic leukemia and infected their T cells with the virus.

When they infused the blood back into the patients, the engineered T cells successfully eradicated cancer cells, multiplied to more than 1,000 times in number and survived for months. They even produced dormant "memory" T cells that might spring back to life if the cancer was to return.

On average, the team calculated, each engineered T cell eradicated at least 1,000 cancer cells.

Continue Reading ........... Link given below:

HERE.

smowtion-bf524fbdc03d46a831705b3527a351eb.html

smowtion-bf524fbdc03d46a831705b3527a351eb.html

High Levels of CXCL5 Found in Sun-burnt Skin Samples - - UK Researchers Found Clues to Sunburn Pain

High Levels of CXCL5 Found in Sun-burnt Skin Samples

A chemical in the body that triggers pain from sunburn has been pinpointed by UK experts in a discovery that could lead to new painkillers.

Scientists hope one day to be able to knock out the substance with drugs, helping people who suffer from chronic pain.

Tests on volunteers showed CXCL5, as it is called, is produced when skin is burnt by UV rays from the sun.

The research is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.



Exposure to ultraviolet light from sunlight causes premature skin aging, cancer and other skin changes.

UVB affects the outer layer of skin, and is the main agent responsible for sunburn.

In the study, scientists at King's College London exposed small patches of the 10 volunteers' skin to UVB.

Areas of sunburn were produced which became increasingly tender over a few days.

The scientists took small samples of sun-burnt skin and screened them for hundreds of known pain molecules. They discovered unusually high levels of CXCL5.

Study leader Professor Steve McMahon from the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases at King's College said: "These findings have shown for the first time the important role of this particular molecule in controlling pain from exposure to UVB irradiation.

"But this study isn't just about sunburn - we hope that we have identified a potential target which can be utilised to understand more about pain in other inflammatory conditions like arthritis and cystitis.

"I'm excited about where these findings could take us in terms of eventually developing a new type of analgesic for people who suffer from chronic pain."

Dr David Bennett, a neurologist at King's College Hospital, added: "We intend to extend this approach to other types of pain and in particular to study patients suffering from chronic pain with the hope that this will speed up the process of turning science into effective treatments for patients."


Source: BBC

33 Deaths Reported Across Europe Due to E.coli Outbreak -- More Deaths Warned by Germnay's Health Minister

33 Deaths Reported Across Europe Due to E.coli Outbreak

BERLIN, Germany – Authorities in Germany have identified the source of the E.coli outbreak as being vegetable sprouts from an organic farm in Lower Saxony, northern Germany.

E. coli outbreak has killed 32 people already in Germany, While Mr Daniel Bahr, Health Minister of Germany, warned of more possible deaths even the source of infection has been identified. 

Daniel Bahr, talking to Bild am Sonntag newspaper, said, “'More fatalities cannot be ruled out, painful though it is to say so.”

The decreasing number of people being infected was a healthy sign; but it couldn’t rule out more cases of E.coli infection; he further added.

Reportedly, more than 3,000 got infected with E.coli in 14 European countries while the death of a Swedish woman is reported, who recently travelled to Germany, other than 32 deaths confirmed in Germany.

Roller-Shaper: Get Trimmed Without Heavy Workout in the Gyms (Must See Video)

A lot of people are continuously looking for a way to lose weight without having to really exercise or workout, and the Roll-Shaper may be another option that gets the plump to the gym more effectively than a treadmill does.

Roller-Shaper: Get Trimmed Without Heavy Workout in the Gyms

Roller-Shaper, the rotating body massager is large enough to press your back, thighs, butt and belly and it comes with instructions for several “workouts” that involve holding different positions against the mechanical roller. 

Although the weight loss claim may be a little contentious, the manufacturers emphasize that the Roll-Shaper has great results for lymphatic drainage and ultimately for overall health. The image of a room full of Roll-Shapers rather than cross-trainers may remain surprising for some, but so long as users see some physiological result, this may be worth a try. 

Just watch out the Roller-Shaper machine in action here in the video clip.

Timothy Ray Brown: The Berlin Patient - First Man in History Cured of HIV/AIDS - - Watch the Video

Timothy Ray Brown: The Berlin Patient - First Man in History Cured of HIV/AIDS

SAN FRANCISCO — It has been now three decades since the world came to know about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. About 30 million people have fallen prey to this killer disease and 7,000 people a day are infected with HIV around the world.

But now a ray of hope has emerged from almost nowhere for the infected patients of HIV.

Timothy Ray Brown, also known as ‘Berlin Patient’, resident of the Bay Area may be the first person ever cured of the deadly disease AIDS, the result of the discovery of an apparent HIV immunity gene.

The 45-year-old Brown tested positive for HIV back in 1995, but has now entered scientific journals as the first man in world history to have that HIV virus completely eliminated from his body in what doctors call a "functional cure."

Brown talked to CBS Channels. Just watch the video for more information.

HIV/AIds on the Rise in UK - Infected Patients will Cross 100,000 by the Year 2012: HPA Study

HIV/AIDS to rise in UK: HPA

LONDON (June 07) – It has been three decades since the first HIV/AIDS case came into light in June 1981 in Los Angeles.

To mark the 30^th anniversary of first HIV/AID; UK-based Health Protection Agency (HPA) presented a new report that suggests that number of HIV/AIDS patients in UK could rise to 100,000 by the end of next year.

The latest available figure of HIV patients is 86,500 (according to 2009) in UK which could rise to 100,000, according to HPA. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has predicted the rise assuming different factors unchanged like encouraging behaviour change, more prevention, routine testing as part of expanded HIV testing policies, and earlier diagnosis.

The data collected by HPA for the latest study shows that since the first diagnosis of HIV was made in 1981, there have been 115,000 infections diagnosed in the UK alone. Of these people diagnosed with this once deadly infection 27,000 have developed full blown AIDS and 20,000 have died.

E. coli/HUS outbreak: source still mystery - - 365 news cases reported today (Wednesday/June 1)

BERLIN, Germany (June 1) — The German government is still unable to find the real source of E. coli outbreak while 365 news cases of E. coli have been registered on Wednesday (June 1).

365 E. coli/HUS case reported today (Wednesday/June1)

According to Robert Koch Institute of Germany; almost 1/4th of the new cases involved the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous complication resulting from E. coli infection that affects the blood and kidneys.

As per latest reports, total 16 deaths have been reported in north Europe and an unfortunate common factor among all is that all of them have traveled northern Germany in the last days of their lives.

As one of the biggest outbreak of its type; HUS/E. coli has already effected more than 1,500 in Germany only while the authorities have been unable to identify the source of the virulent strain of E. coli.

In early days of E. coli outbreak; German authorities have blamed the Spanish produce as the source of the outbreak after some cucumbers tested positive for the bacteria; but on Tuesday authorities in Hamburg established that the E. coli found on Spanish cucumbers is not the one that is killing people in Europe.

Spain’s per week loss of sales is almost US$287.5-million due to the false blame from German authorities which is a really big one for Spain, which already has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. Therefore, Spain considering to take legal action against authorities in Hamburg for blaming its produce for the E. coli outbreak.

High comsumption of caffeine hinders successful conception: Latest Study Revelations

Extra dose of caffeine might hinder pregnancy 

Even though previous research confirmed that drinking too much coffee could hinder a woman’s chances of getting pregnant, the reason for exactly why remained a mystery until now.

A study done in the United States on mice found that caffeine, the stimulant drug inside coffee, reduces the activity of muscle pacemaker cells inside of the Fallopian tubes. In order for a woman to have a successful pregnancy, the fertilized egg must reach the uterus. However, if these pacemaker cells aren’t working properly, it decreases her chances of successfully getting pregnant.

Because these cells are responsible for coordinating tube contractions, eggs are unable to move down the tubes into the uterus when they’re not working properly. In fact, these muscle cells play an even bigger role in moving the tiny egg along than the cilia along the tube wall.

“Our experiments were conducted in mice, but this finding goes a long way towards explaining why drinking caffeinated drinks can reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant”, said Professor Sean Ward of the University of Nevada’s School of Medicine in Reno.

This new discovery not only explains why women with higher caffeine consumptions have a harder time conceiving, but it also gives fertility experts another clue in how to help couples who want to conceive naturally do so.

China's scientists generate liver cells from skin

China's scientists generate liver cells from skin

A team of scientists in China has found a way to restore damaged livers using adult skin stem cells.

The technique raises the possibility of what one liver specialist is calling the "Holy Grail" - that people now needing liver transplants could be simply treated with an injection of their own cells.

Researchers spent three years on the study in which they took skin cells from mice to reproduce fully functional liver cells.

The results, being published in the Journal of Nature today, show the mice were able to live healthy lives.

Professor Geoff McCaughan, the head of the Liver Research Program at the Centenary Research Institute at the University of Sydney, is excited by the Chinese team's work.

He has worked nationally and internationally in the field of liver transplants for 25 years and says the findings could have dramatic ramifications.

Every year, around 200 Australians have a liver transplant.

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