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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More Bugs and Germs on Car Steering Wheel Than Toilet Seat - New Study Revelations

A recent study has found that nine times more germs breed on the steering wheel of a car than on a public toilet seat.

The research found that while 80 bacteria prowl on each square inch of a toilet, almost 700 harmful bugs inhabit the interior of a car, reports the Daily Mail.

"While most of the bacteria were unlikely to cause health problems, some cars were found to play host to a number of potentially harmful bacterial species," the Daily Mail quoted Dr Ron Cutler, Director of Biomedical Science at Queen Mary University, London, as saying.

He further said: "Most people clean their homes but many are neglecting to clean their cars and are driving around in vehicles which resemble a rubbish bin."

"A car is the perfect place for germs to breed, especially if you eat in it and leave litter or uneaten food around. To avoid potential health risks it would be wise to regularly clean your car inside and out," Cutler added.

Scientists also said the car boot is the filthiest area, with 1,000 bacteria for every one and half square inch.

The study has revealed that Bacillus Cereus, a bug found in rice, pasta, potatoes and pies, and which can cause food poisoning, is the most commonly found in cars.

Another bud arthrobacter, found in soil and human skin also features in the list.

New Research Finds Phenominal Breakthrough in Cure of Stress-related Disorders

Anxiety and Stress kills.....

A team of neuroscientists at the University of Leicester, UK, in collaboration with researchers from Poland and Japan, has announced a breakthrough in the understanding of the 'brain chemistry' that triggers our response to highly stressful and traumatic events.

The discovery of a critical and previously unknown pathway in the brain that is linked to our response to stress is announced today in the journal Nature. The advance offers new hope for targeted treatment, or even prevention, of stress-related psychiatric disorders.

About 20% of the population experience some form of anxiety disorder at least once in their lives. The cumulative lifetime prevalence of all stress-related disorders is difficult to estimate but is probably higher than 30%.

Dr Robert Pawlak, from the University of Leicester who led the UK team, said: "Stress-related disorders affect a large percentage of the population and generate an enormous personal, social and economic impact. It was previously known that certain individuals are more susceptible to detrimental effects of stress than others. Although the majority of us experience traumatic events, only some develop stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorder. The reasons for this were not clear."

Dr Pawlak added that a lack of correspondence between the commonness of exposure to psychological trauma and the development of pathological anxiety prompted the researchers to look for factors that may make some individuals more vulnerable to stress than others.

"We asked: What is the molecular basis of anxiety in response to noxious stimuli? How are stress-related environmental signals translated into proper behavioural responses? To investigate these problems we used a combination of genetic, molecular, electrophysiological and behavioural approaches. This resulted in the discovery of a critical, previously unknown pathway mediating anxiety in response to stress."

The study found that the emotional centre of the brain – the amygdala – reacts to stress by increasing production of a protein called neuropsin. This triggers a series of chemical events which in turn cause the amygdala to increase its activity. As a consequence, a gene is turned on that determines the stress response at a cellular level.

"We then examined behavioural consequences of the above series of cellular events caused by stress in the amygdala," said Dr Pawlak. "Studies in mice revealed that upon feeling stressed, they stayed away from zones in a maze where they felt unsafe. These were open and illuminated spaces they avoid when they are anxious."

"However when the proteins produced by the amygdala were blocked – either pharmacologically or by gene therapy – the mice did not exhibit the same traits. The behavioural consequences of stress were no longer present. We conclude that the activity of neuropsin and its partners may determine vulnerability to stress."

Neuropsin was previously discovered by Professor Sadao Shiosaka, a co-author of the paper. This research, for which the bioinformatics modelling was done by Professor Ryszard Przewlocki and his team, has for the first time characterized its mechanism of action in controlling anxiety in the amygdala.

The study took four years to complete, during which scientists from the Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology collaborated with colleagues from the Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, the Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland and Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. The work was supported by the European Union, the Medical Research Council and Medisearch – the Leicestershire Medical Research Foundation. The first author, Benjamin Attwood, sponsored by Medisearch, took 3 years off from his medical studies curriculum to complete the necessary experiments. He commented: "It has been a thoroughly absorbing project to uncover how our experiences can change the way we behave. Hopefully this will lead to help for people that have to live with the damaging consequences of traumatic experiences."

Dr Pawlak added: "We are tremendously excited about these findings. We know that all members of the neuropsin pathway are present in the human brain. They may play a similar role in humans and further research will be necessary to examine the potential of intervention therapies for controlling stress-induced behaviours."

"Although research is now needed to translate our findings to the clinical situation, our discovery opens new possibilities for prevention and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder."