Statins have unexpected effect on
pool of powerful brain cells
Our results suggest the need for awareness of the possible toxicities accruing to
long-term statin use, and identify one such potential toxicity, the premature
differentiation and attendant long-term depletion of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells of
the adult brain," conclude the authors in their Glia paper.
Looking for the Founatain of Youth?
Cut your calories, research suggests
In addition to reducing one's risk for many common diseases, new Saint Louis University
research found that calorie restriction may slow the aging process.
New study finds coronary arterial
calcium scans help detect overall death risk in the elderly
Measuring calcium deposits in the heart's arteries can help predict overall death risk in
American adults, even when they are elderly, according to a new study published in the
July issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Study shows quantum dots can
penetrate skin through minor abrasions
Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that quantum dot nanoparticles
can penetrate the skin if there is an abrasion, providing insight into potential workplace
concerns for healthcare workers or individuals involved in the manufacturing of quantum
dots or doing research on potential biomedical applications of the tiny nanoparticles.
“If I contracted cancer, I would never go to a standard cancer treatment centre.
Cancer victims who live far from such centres have a chance.” Professor Charles
Mathe, French cancer specialist Doctors are too busy to dig into the statistics of cancer
treatments, they assume that what they are taught at school or what is demonstrated in the
pages of briefing journals is the best treatment. They cannot afford to suspect that these
treatments are only the best for the pharmaceutical companies that influence their
'institutions of higher learning'.” Paul Winter, The Cancell Home Page, dedicated to
exposing the fraud behind pharmaceutical company controlled medical research institutions
and their deliberate withholding of information from the general public on safe cancer
treatments.
Today's mass vaccination programmes constitute probably the biggest threat to the general
health and well-being of our children. Vaccination is unnecessary.
Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods.
Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported
to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many of these reactions are very serious
including seizures and death as recently disclosed in a February 1994 Department of Health
and Human Services report. Department of Health and Human Services, Report on All Adverse
Reactions in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System, (February 25 and 28, 1994). A few of
the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame
include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight
gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems,
hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech,
loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.
Corporate Interests Dominate the System “Corporate interests control much of the
science, public debate and politics over how government regulates pesticides. At the most
fundamental level, the federal regulatory system is driven by the economic imperatives of
the chemical manufacturers – to expand markets and profits – and not by its
mandate to protect public health.”
Researchers of the Université
Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) elucidate the early mechanism of cardiovascular specification
Researchers uncover the key molecular switch that specifies undifferentiated mesodermal
cells to become cardiovascular progenitors. The authors of this study found that a protein
called Mesp1 acts a master regulator of multipotent cardiovascular progenitor
specification. They showed that a very transient expression of a Mesp1, increase by more
than 500% the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiac and vascular cells,
which represent the greatest promotion of cardiovascular differentiation induced by a
single factor. “When we look at the Mesp1 stimulated cells under the microscope, it
was just amazing! It was looking like all cells became cardiac cells, and were
spontaneously beating everywhere in the dish”, comments Antoine Bondue, the first
author of the paper.
New research shows that Artichoke
Leaf Extract lowers cholesterol
Researchers at the University of Reading have found that an over-the-counter Artichoke
Leaf Extract (ALE) from the globe artichoke plant can lower cholesterol in otherwise
healthy individuals with moderately raised levels. Cardiovascular diseases are the chief
causes of death in the UK, and are associated with raised circulating levels of total
cholesterol in the plasma. Once plasma cholesterol reaches a certain level, drugs such as
statins are often prescribed to help reduce it. Intervention before concentrations reaches
these levels may help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases without the
need for drugs. This new piece of research has shown that otherwise healthy people with
moderately raised plasma cholesterol may be able to lower their levels by taking this
herbal supplement.
Brain ‘trick’ offers
treatment hope for Alzheimer’s
Scientists in the UK and Canada have made a significant step forward in the search for new
drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. An ageing population means that
neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease, is one of the major health problems
in the developed world. But researchers at the University of York and Simon Fraser
University in Burnaby, British Columbia, have designed an enzyme inhibitor which could
‘trick’ the brain and so help to halt neurodegeneration.
Tackling malaria with the help of a
medicinal herb
Scientists from the University of York are working to make vital malaria drugs cheaper and
more accessible to patients in developing countries by improving yields of one of the
world"s most important medicinal plants — the aromatic herb Artemisia. They will
showcase their work this week at a major public exhibition at the Royal Society in London.
Study identifies toxic key to
Alzheimer’s disease memory loss
The team of Irish and international researchers have identified that the accumulation of a
particular protein (called amyloid ß-protein - Aß) in the brain initiates
Alzheimer’s disease and that it directly alters the structure and function of brain
cells. The findings place a significant emphasis on the development of new therapeutic
strategies targeted at the reduction of the formation of Aß as opposed to the reduction
of the plaque burden associated with the disease.
Splenic ellipsoids might be
significant in the early development of AA amyloidosis
During the course of her PhD studies, Randi Sørby demonstrated that ellipsoids, small
filtering units for blood in the spleen, might be significant in the development of AA
amyloidosis. AA amyloidosis is a potential complication of chronic inflammation or
infection, for example, rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis, and is characterised by
systematic deposition of protein fibrils in the tissues of organs such as the spleen and
liver. Similar deposition, but of other proteins, also occurs in diseases such as
Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, and prion-associated disease ("mad cow
disease"). In her thesis, Randi Sørby used experimental amyloidosis in the mink as a
model to study how amyloid deposition arises in different parts of the spleen. This model
was chosen because the mink has especially well-developed ellipsoids, which are lacking in
the more commonly-used experimental animals such as mouse and rat, but which are found in
most other mammals, including man. Studies have shown that ellipsoids are central
structures in amyloid deposition and that they play an early role in the development of
the disease.
Development of a method for the
early diagnosis of bronchial cancer
EPFL researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation have developed a method
for detecting bronchial cancer at an early stage. This method is based on the fact that
healthy bronchial tissue naturally fluoresces more intensely than precancerous tissue when
exposed to light radiation of a specific wavelength. Late diagnosis is the primary factor
behind the high mortality rate associated with this common form of lung cancer. An early
detection method is therefore of particular interest and comes as a welcome development.
The method is now commercially available – a gratifying success for basic research.
Mother's vitamin D status during
pregnancy will affect her baby's dental health
Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification,
leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay.
UCLA researchers clarify function
of glucose transport molecule
UCLA scientists have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose
co-transporters, which pump glucose into cells. The solution of the SGLT structure will
accelerate development of new drugs designed to treat patients with diabetes and cancer.
The journal Science publishes the findings.
Old fillings have increased chance
of mercury leeching out
Dr. Shane S. Que Hee, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of
California, Los Angeles School of Public Health, said the risk "depends on how eroded
[the filling] is." As amalgam fillings get old, they deteriorate, increasing the
chance of mercury leeching out.
Stem cells from umbilical cord used
in the treatment of hepatic diseases
Researchers of the University of Granada and the University of León (Spain) have proved
that human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells can be an effective alternative to bone
marrow. This work, accepted to be published by the journal Cell Transplantation, means a
significant advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
6 of every 100 patients die in
hospital due to adverse drug reaction
Six of every 100 patients who die in hospital do so as a consequence of an adverse drug
reaction or, in other words, a fatal reaction to medicines. Those are the conclusions of a
research carried out at the Department of Medicine of the University of Granada, in
collaboration with the Clinical Hospital San Cecilio of Granada, by Alfredo José Pardo
Cabello and directed by Professors Emilio Puche Cañas (Department of Pharmacology) and
Francisco Javier Gómez Jiménez (Department of Medicine).
Breast cancer - How tumor cells
break free and form metastases
When tumor cells acquire the capacity to move around and invade other tissues, there is a
risk ofmetastases and cancer treatment becomes more difficult. At the Institut Curie, CNRS
Director of Research Philippe Chavrier and his group have just discovered how breast
cancer cells break the bonds that tether them to the tumor. The basement membrane around
the mammary gland is a barrier to the spread of cancer cells. Three proteins in the tumor
cells transport enzymes needed to perforate this barrier, and another protein puts these
enzymes in the right place. These discoveries, published in the 16 June 2008 issue of The
Journal of Cell Biology and in Current Biology on 8 July 2008, shed light on the early
mechanisms of the formation of metastases in certain breast cancers. These findings
constitute an essential step in the quest for the early identification of highly invasive
tumors, or even the blocking of formation of metastases.
Monsanto has to Accept Full
Responsibility for Genetic Contamination
On 19 March 2008 Monsanto accepted their responsibility for the genetic contamination of
Schmeiser’s canola fields in an out of court settlement between Percy Schmeiser and
Monsanto. In an earlier trial the Canadian Supreme Court had recognized the legality of
the patent protection to Monsanto’s Transgene, but at the same time this court had
transferred the question about the legality of a patent about life and forms of life to
the Canadian Parliament for re-evaluation. In accordance with earlier legal norms the
owner of a patent on a certain gene is also the owner of the respective harvest. This
question is still pending and has to be re-assessed by the Canadian Parliament. Since
Schmeiser could prove that he had never used Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds
nor the total-herbicide Roundup Ready going with the Monsanto GM seeds, and that he had
indeed no advantage from the pollution and contamination of his harvest, he was acquitted
of Monsanto’s compensation demands. In 2005 Schmeiser again found Monsanto GM Rap
plants on his fields. He informed Monsanto and demanded that the company remove the
plants. Monsanto confirmed to Schmeiser that the plants were Roundup-Ready raps and
therefore property of Monsanto. Referring to the existing judgement that the owner of a
plant is also liable for plant contamination damages, Schmeiser had the plants removed
professionally and forwarded the removal cost invoice to Monsanto.
Soy - It can prevent breast cancer
– in one group of women
Researchers, who studied the health profiles and diets of 35,303 women in Singapore, found
that a daily amount of 10 mg of soy isoflavone, obtained in a standard serving of tofu,
had lasting protective effects against breast cancer.
Back in 2004, I wrote three columns (when I was at The Wall Street Journal) on how one
particular theory of what causes this awful disease—and therefore the best approach
for treating it—has had the field in a headlock, censoring competing theories. That
closed-mindedness, I quoted scientists as saying, had a lot to do with why there is not
only no cure or preventive for Alzheimer’s, but not even a treatment that slows down
the inexorable cognitive decline.
Boston researchers have developed a test that can identify minute amounts of tumor cells
floating in the blood of cancer patients, a discovery that could lead to better treatments
with fewer side effects.
Lycopene as effective as statins
for artery health
Supplements of the lycopene, the carotenoid that give tomatoes their red colour, may be as
effective as statins to reduce the formation of plaques in the arteries that cause
atherosclerosis, says a new study with rabbits.
Toxicity in FEMA Trailers Blamed on
Cheap Materials, Low Construction Standards
High levels of formaldehyde found in trailers provided to Hurricane Katrina evacuees on
the Gulf Coast probably resulted from cheap wood and poor ventilation in designs used by
manufacturers under permissive government standards, federal scientists reported
yesterday.
Circulating Biomarkers of
Inflammation, Antioxidant Activity, and Platelet Activation Are Associated with Primary
Combustion Aerosols in Subjects with Coronary Artery Disease
Results suggest that traffic emission sources of OCpri and quasi-ultrafine particles lead
to increased systemic inflammation and platelet activation and decreased antioxidant
enzyme activity in elderly people with CAD.
Association of Environmental
Toxicants and Conduct Disorder in U.S. Children
Overall, 2.06% of children met DSM-IV criteria for Conduct Disorder in the past year,
equivalent to 560,000 U.S. children 8–15 years of age. After adjustment, prenatal
tobacco exposure was associated with increased odds for CD [odds ratio (OR) = 3.00 ; 95%
confidence interval (CI) , 1.36–6.63]. Increased blood lead levels (fourth vs. first
quartile) and serum cotinine levels (fifth vs. first quintile) were associated with an
8.64-fold (95% CI, 1.87–40.04) and 9.15-fold (95% CI, 1.47–6.90) increased odds
of meeting DSM-IV CD criteria. Increasing serum cotinine levels and blood lead levels were
also associated with increased prevalence of CD symptoms (symptom count ratio, lead: 1.73
; 95% CI, 1.23–2.43 ; symptom count ratio, cotinine: 1.97 ; 95% CI, 1.15–3.40) .
Region-Specific Growth Effects in
the Developing Rat Prostate Following Fetal Exposure to Estrogenic Ultraviolet Filters
Exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors is a potential risk factor for humans. Many
of these chemicals have been shown to exhibit disruption of normal cellular and
developmental processes in animal models. Ultraviolet (UV) filters used as sunscreens in
cosmetics have previously been shown to exhibit estrogenic activity in in vitro and in
vivo assays. We examined the effects of two UV filters, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor
(4-MBC) and 3-benzylidene camphor (3-BC) , in the developing prostate of the fetal rat.
4-MBC exposure during development of the male reproductive accessory sex glands exhibited
classical growth effects associated with estrogenic endocrine disruptors. The different
regional responses suggest that the two developmental processes of ductal outgrowth and
branching morphogenesis are affected independently by exposure to the environmental
chemicals.
How Monosodium Glutamate entered
the US food supply
The world's largest manufacturer of this neurotoxic and neurodegenerative food additive is
Ajinomoto ('essence of taste') of Japan, which is also the world's largest manufacturer of
another proven neurotoxin, the artificial sweetener, Aspartame. In order to deflect
criticism and to further promote their products, this corporation and other related
henchmen corporations using their additives, like Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola, have formed
very powerful food lobbyist groups.
Smokeless tobacco products (STPs), which include products such as snuff and chew tobacco,
do increase the user's risk of cancer -- just not as much as smoking does.
Secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke is an asthma trigger in children and a new study
shows that smoking by the primary caregiver and daycare provider are important sources of
smoke exposure in children with asthma.
Omega-3 doubly good for female
brain power, but omega-6 makes girls dimmer
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, are twice as effective in improving test scores
for girls as boys, U.S. researchers have found. While this appears to confirm the theory
that fish is brain food, the researchers also found that omega-6, found primarily in
rapeseed, sunflower, palm, and soy oils, diminishes the power of the brain.
An investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that nearly all infant
formulas are packaged in containers that contain the dangerous toxin bisphenol A.
The most recent independent research indicates that those imbibing 40 microgrammes a day
of the carcinogen are twice as likely to get cancer of the ovary or the womb as those with
low intakes. That is the equivalent to half a packet of biscuits or a packet of crisps.
There are nine microgrammes in a serving of breakfast cereal.
Antipsychotics Bring Little
Long-Term Benefit in Alzheimer's
At week 12, investigators found no significant differences between patients treated with
an antipsychotic medication and those treated with placebo in scores on measures of
cognition, function, and quality of life.
Australian scientists discover
reason for extreme allergic reactions
Australian scientists believe they have discovered why some people experience extreme
allergic reactions and their find could lead to new treatments for what seems to be an
increasingly common problem.
Biologists Develop Machine To
Remove Viruses From Blood
Infectious disease experts designed a machine called the hemopurifier. It works much like
a dialysis machine, using thin fibers to capture and remove viruses from the blood it
filters.
Probiotic intervention has
strain-specific anti-inflammatory effects in healthy adults
In the present study, we also found that B. animalis ssp. lactis Bb-12 decreased the T
lymphocyte growth factor IL-2 in the influenza-virus-stimulated PBMC, indicating an
anti-inflammatory effect, which is consistent with our previous findings in human
leukocyte cell culture[17]. Our finding is a new one since, in healthy adults, a
combination of B. animalis ssp. lactis Bb-12 and L. paracasei ssp. paracasei CRL-431 had
no effect in in vitro-stimulated blood cytokine production[7]. IL-2 is a very important
cytokine in viral infections and inflammatory responses since it activates NK cells and
induces activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes. Therefore, IL-2 production might be
an important factor for a probiotic fighting against respiratory tract infections. Based
on our present results, the Bifidobacterium strain might not be the most optimal strain
against respiratory infections. Indeed, it is mainly probiotic strains from Lactobacillus
genera-L. rhamnosus GG[34], L. casei DN-114001[35], a combination of L. gasseri PA 16/8,
B. longum SP 07/3 and B. bifidum MF 20/5[5-6], and L. reuteri[36]-that have reduced the
incidence or symptoms of common cold or respiratory tract infections. However, the
immunomodulatory effects underlying the results observed in these studies have not been
fully elucidated.
Researchers Take Drug Company Pay,
Then Lie About it
Dr. Joseph Biederman, of Harvard Medical School, is a world-renowned child psychiatrist
whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in
children. He earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to
2007. However, he did not report much of this income to university officials.
So why did Americans spend nearly $11 billion on bottled water in 2006, when we could have
guzzled tap water at up to about one ten-thousandth the cost?
Speaking today during the 86th General Session of the International Association for Dental
Research, a team of investigators from Baylor College of Dentistry (Dallas), the
University of Regensburg (Germany), and Rice University (Houston) presents its preliminary
data describing the results of studies on hydrogels made of peptide amphiphiles, where a
short peptide sequence is attached to a fatty acid, which provides the driving force for
self-assembly. However, they recently applied a different design concept, where the
self-assembly of peptide chains is achieved without attaching a hydrophobic tail. Based on
their design, the chains can include bioactive peptide sequences for cell adhesion,
binding of growth factors, or other biological molecules with therapeutic potential.
Hence, multidomain peptide hydrogels represent a novel and highly versatile material
offering a higher degree of control over nanofiber architecture and better chemical
functionality. The overarching goal of this research is to utilize these multidomain
peptides as a biomimetic scaffold, along with dental stem cell therapy, to provide a
natural 3D environment that can control and direct the differentiation and function of
dental stem cells for the targeted regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex.
Since the approval of Gardasil thousands of young women and girls have been adversely
affected by this vaccine. Here are the newest stats.6697 reported incidents + 2141 = 8838
(multiple incidents), 103 were considered life threatening, 255 were hospitalized, 3544
were taken to the ER, 1236 had not recovered at the time of the report, 159 are disabled
at the time of the report, 15 have died + 1 = 16 (multiple incident)
