Top 5 Health News of the Week: August 16th to August 21st 2010
Health is a major concern of most individuals and who can forget the suggestion given by Benjamin Franklin, ‘Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.’ With that in mind, we saw the past week carrying with it innumerable investigations and discoveries from all over the world. Having gone through these articles, we present the top five tidbits of the week.
The Interbots, Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center and Autism Center of Pittsburgh recently announced some good news for kids with autism. They claimed to have developed a robot-based therapy that can assist autistic children. The ‘Character Therapy’ utilizes Popchilla, the Interbot robot to test the autistic kids’ capacity with limited or no verbal skills. A trained therapist may use Popchilla in the first phase of the program itself. It is assumed that the introduced iPad application can allow therapist to benefit from direct sessions. Scientists mention that the application is in the production process and the program will be introduced very soon.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine recently published an article which has apparently described the way a carbohydrate-binding protein, galectin-3, promotes angiogenesis. It is believed that angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels. Taking the protein as a target, experts supposedly put forth two approaches for reducing angiogenesis in mice. Age-related macular degeneration, cancer, and diabetes are some of the outcomes that an abundance of angiogenesis may produce. So blocking it can possibly lead to treatment for such diseases. The body seemingly expands its network of blood vessels for normal growth, development, and wound healing. However, this process can probably lead to dire consequences, if blood vessels supply tumors or other diseased tissue. Since galectin-3 protein is believed to boost angiogenesis, it can be a potential target for drugs blocking harmful blood vessel growth. By estimating the mechanism behind galectin-3 promoting angiogenesis, novel therapeutic targets may be revealed.
In the following article, William Giannobile, professor at U-M dentistry and director of the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research at the School of Dentistry, unraveled some vital facts about gum disease. Along with his colleagues he seemingly introduced a genetic test for ascertaining the risk of gum disease. In the course of the study, investigators scrutinized data about 15 years of patient clinical outcome. Around 4,000 patients were examined and provided with their genetic information with the help of the PST. This information was then compared to common risk factors like smoking and diabetes. During the PST test, genetic variations are seemingly identified. It is assumed that these differences aid in anticipating severe gum disease and tooth loss in some patients. It was suggested that a patients should be subjected to this test only once in a lifetime.
Chinese herbs which are predicted to be used from the last 1,800 years are supposedly beneficial in reducing gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy and elevate the effects of cancer treatment in mice. Scientists from the Yale University affirmed to combine four herbs for developing the formula in the experiment. This formula called as PHY906 seems to be based on the herbal recipe Huang Qin Tang. Employment of PHY906 can seemingly decline toxicity of the chemotherapy by multiple mechanisms such as inhibiting inflammation. Also new intestinal cells are apparently developed by this formula. Experts elucidate that the combination of herbs may not be helpful if given along with the current medications that target only one mechanism. It is the combination of chemotherapy and herbs that can possible be a potential approach for the treatment of cancer.
The journal Cell carries a research which ascertained the role of polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPASE) in changing RNA into the mitochondria. Investigators assume that the cell protein, PNPASE is the energy producing ‘power plant’ of the cell. It may also regulate the energy producing function of mitochondria by mediating cytoplasmic RNA import. The import of nucleus-encoded small RNAs into a cell’s mitochondria seems to be vital in replication, transcription and translation of the mitochondrial genome. A decline in the expression of PNPASE can probably cause a reduction in RNA import. This process in turn apparently triggers impairment in processing of mitochondrial genome-encoded RNAs. It was concluded that PNPASE controls the energy producing function of mitochondria by mediating cytoplasmic RNA import. The findings may enable researchers in determining a new pathway to regulate mitochondrial energy production and impact the growth of cells, like some type of cancer cells.
With these unique investigations we come to the end of our weekly. And till we meet next week, have a healthy weekend.
