Ground-breaking Development: 2-year-old Baby Cured from HIV/AIDS Infection

It has now been more than 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.

2-year-old Baby Cured from HIV/AIDS Infection

Most recently; a potentially ground-breaking case could offer insights on how to eradicate HIV infection in its youngest victims.

Two-and-a-half year old baby girl, who was born with HIV, has been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, researchers say. The Mississippi girl has been off HIV drugs for about a year with no signs of infection.

Although there is an important technical tone: researchers insist on calling it a “functional cure” rather than a complete cure; but still the development is a bright ray of hope that could help improve treatment of babies infected at birth.

 During the medical conference at Atlanta, doctors say that the girl has only trace amounts of HIV in her bloodstream and has been able to keep the virus that causes AIDS in check without the help of medication.

Further testing yet to be done to establish that whether the treatment would have the same effect on other children or this case has some exceptions; but undoubtedly it could transform the way high-risk babies are treated and possibly lead to a cure for children with HIV, which causes AIDS.

"This is a proof of concept that HIV can be potentially curable in infants," said Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

Attempting to replicate the results in other HIV-positive infants is "our next step," said Dr. Persaud further, who described the Mississippi patient at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. She and others are to make a formal presentation during the conference's scientific program later today (Monday).

The only fully cured AIDS patient recognized worldwide is the so-called “Berlin patient,” American Timothy Brown. He is considered cured of HIV and leukemia five years after receiving bone marrow transplants from a rare donor naturally resistant to HIV. The marrow transplant was aimed at treating his leukemia.

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Timothy Ray Brown, The Berlin Patient, HIV, AIDS, HIV Baby, HIV Girl Cured, Deborah Persaud, Mississippi girl, HIV News

Health Warning: SARS-like virus re-emerged, already infected 12 worldwide

The number of confirmed cases worldwide reach to 12 with yet another person in UK has been infected by new potentially deadly SARS-like virus. The person is the third victim from the same family, while this is the fourth case as a whole emerged in Britain.

Health Warning: SARS-like virus re-emerged infected 12 worldwide

The number of confirmed cases worldwide reach to 12 with yet another person in UK has been infected by new potentially deadly SARS-like virus. The person is the third victim from the same family, while this is the fourth case as a whole emerged in Britain.  

In September last year, a 49-year-old Qatari national was treated at a London hospital in September for the virus. Five people have died of the virus, according to the HPA — three in Saudi Arabia and two in Jordan.

The latest person infected with novel coronavirus, also known as NCoV, was a relative of two other cases revealed earlier this week, who were admitted to intensive care units (ICU’s) at two British hospitals; Britain’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) said in a statement.

British family’s first confirmed victim of the virus had recently travelled to West Asia and Pakistan; while the other two family members had no recent travel history.

The HPA said the latest patient was “recovering from a mild respiratory illness and is currently well’’.

The virus belongs to the same family as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) - a coronavirus that surfaced in China in 2002-03 and killed about 800 worldwide, 1 out of 10 infected was died after contracting with deadly virus.

Symptoms common to both viruses include severe respiratory illness, fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.

NCoV was identified when the WHO (World Health Organization) issued an international warning in September 2012 saying a virus previously unknown in humans had infected a Qatari man in Britain who had recently been in Saudi Arabia.

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FDA approved OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit from OraSure to test HIV infection at home

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit has been approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) on Tuesday that will provide Americans the facility to test, in the privacy of their own homes, whether they are infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

FDA approved OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit from OraSure to test HIV infection at home

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit, from OraSure Technologies of Bethlehem (Pennsylvania), is one of the first of its kind ‘over the counter’ HIV test kit which got approval from FDA. The kit is an over the counter version of a test used by trained technicians in clinical settings that the FDA approved in 2004, but the kit is not as dependable as getting tested by a skilled clinical technician.

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test discovers the existence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2).

The one who wants to test has to take an oral swab, and place it in a specially prepared vial that comes with the kit. The test result is ready in 20 to 40 minutes.

As mentioned earlier that kit is not as dependable as a clinical test, therefore, a positive outcome doesn’t essentially mean that the user is absolutely infected with HIV, but that he/she should then go and get himself/herself tested in a medical setting to verify the result.

In the same way, a negative result doesn’t essentially signify that the user is certainly not infected: particularly if he/she may have picked up the virus in the previous three months.

Based on clinical studies, the kit is expected to show one false positive out of every 50,000 results and one false negative out of every 12 results.

Report Tgas: HIV test, OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit, FDA, OraSure, Food and Drug Administration, USA, HIV, AIDS

Gilead Sciences' Truvada: Promises to prevent HIV/AIDS infection

There’s certainly very good news for the humanity as prevention drug has been emerged for one of the most deadly disease, HIV or AIDS – a monster eating thousands of lives every year around the globe.  

Gilead Sciences' Truvada: Promises to prevent HIV/AIDS infection

According to details; the advisory team of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed on Thursday the first drug, named as Truvada, shown to prevent HIV infection – the virus responsible of causing AIDS. Although FDA is not bound to follow the advisory team’s decision, but in normal circumstances it does. FDA’s final decision is expected in the mid of next month. 

The FDA advisory team recommended approval of the daily pill Truvada for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV, including gay and bisexual men and heterosexual couples with one HIV-positive partner. 

Even though the Truvada got an important endorsement; but the FDA team has some reservations about the drug, like:

·         Whether Truvada might lead to the reduced use of condoms, the most dependable protection against HIV,

·         The effectiveness of Truvada in women, who have shown much lower rates of protection in studies.

Truvada first came in spotlight three years ago, back in 2010, when government researchers proved that the drug could stop people from contracting HIV. 

The researches kept on studying the effect of the drug and after three years they reached the points where they conclude that daily doses decrease the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42%, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. 

Last year another study was conducted  which fetched even better results concluding that Truvada reduced infection by 75% in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.

Report Tags: HIV, AIDS, HIV Infection, Truvada, Gilead Sciences, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, USA, Health, AIDS Drug, AIDS prevention,

SOURCE:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-fda-hiv-20120511,0,5295464.story

Mysterious skin disease killed 19 in Vietnam, seek international help

HANOI, Vietnam (Sat, Apr. 21) – The mysterious viral skin infection has killed 19 in Vietnam since it was first reported exactly one year ago in April 2011. More than 170 other people have been registered during last year who are suffering severe medical complications due to this mysterious disease. 

Mysterious skin disease killed 19 in Vietnam, seek international help

Most of the cases have been reported from the Ba To District, which is one of the poorest in the country. The symptoms include a severe rash and ulcers on the skin, as well as high fever that ultimately leads to liver problems and organ failure. 

The mysterious illness was thought to be died out after killing 11 people last year; but apparently it has come back with even more forcefully and 8 deaths are reported only in the last month; while 68 new cases have come under spotlight. 

Vietnamese health ministry officials have requested formally to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control to investigate the cause of this mysterious infection and to take appropriate step to stop it from spreading to the other parts of the country.

Sukkur-born miracle boy with six legs named 'Umar Farooq' after successful operation at NICH, Karachi

KARACHI, Pakistan (Fri, Apr 20) – Sukkur-born infant with six legs was successfully operated at National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi, Pakistan yesterday.

Sukkur-born miracle boy with six legs named 'Umar Farooq' after successful operation at NICH, Karachi

The doctors had decided to go for surgery after they established that the baby actually did not have six legs, but had got extra limbs of conjoined twins, and they were successful in removing the extra limbs.

The head of the NICH, Jamal Raza, said the abnormal birth was the result of a genetic disease which would affect only one in a million or more babies. “It was strange that apparently an abnormal baby with six legs was as normal as other children,” he said.

According to earlier reports, father of the baby, Imran Sheikh, is an X-ray technician whose meager salary of 6,000 Pakistani rupees a month was impossible to cater for his son’s treatment at the hospital. He appealed to philanthropists and the government of Pakistan to help his baby boy. Pakistan Baitul Mal – a charity organization in Pakistan – helped the poor family for their child’s treatment. The family also collected some money from their own sources while the major help was tended by the Baitul Mal.

 

Father of the baby boy said after the surgery, “We are a poor family. I am thankful to the government and doctors for helping us successful operating my baby.”

 He said they have thought to name their son ‘Umar Farooq’.

The heartening news of this boy’s successful surgery spread like jungle fire in Pakistan. Thankfully, this boy would be able to live a normal life with two legs.

 

Report Tags: Imran Sheikh, Six-legged boy, Sukkur-born boy with six legs, Umar Farooq, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, conjoined twins

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.