New Study Shows HIV Rates In Black Women Around The U.S. Higher Than Previously Thought

A new study published on the 9th of March shows that the rate of HIV infections in women living in the epidemic areas of the United States is a lot higher than previously estimated.

The study, led by the HIV Prevention Trials Network, called HPTN 064 show a 0.24 percent incidence of HIV in the study group. 2,099 women, out of which 88 percent were black, were tested. This new percentage is almost five times higher than previously thought. Scientists say that this incidence percentage could be compared to the percentages resulted from testing the population of sub-Saharan Africa. Rates of infection there were found to be between 0.28 percent (Congo) and 0.53 percent (Kenya).

HIV

The tested group included women from six different geographical areas of the United States, where health problems and poverty are known to be common.�“We have known that black women in the US are disproportionately impacted by HIV, however, the magnitude of this disparity in areas hardest hit by the HIV epidemic underscores the gravity of the problem”, said lead author of the study Sally Hodder from the New Jersey Medical School.

One quarter of all new HIV infections that appear in the United States are found in women. Roughly 66 percent of these new infections occur in black women, even though black women only make up for 14 percent of the total United States women population. According to different studies, the rate of death observed in black women infected with HIV is almost 15 times higher than the death rate of white women with the same infection.

Doctor Hodder says that even though there have been significant attempts to reduce new HIV infections throughout the United States in the past 30 years, until now, these attempts have had little effect.

The study conducted by Dr. Hodder was funded by the National Institutes of Health and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. A total of 2,099 women were enlisted for the study, all between the age of 18 and 44. Out of the 2,099 women, 88 percent were black and 12% were Hispanic. Women from poverty struck geographical regions of the United States were targeted, most being from Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Washington D.C., New York City, Baltimore, etc.

The HPTN 064 study used a new approach in the ways of recruiting participants. Scientists focused on geographic areas of the United States where HIV infections are encountered more often than in other areas. Only women who had not been previously tested and found HIV positive were allowed to enlist in the study. Each participant was thoroughly interviewed on aspects concerning sexual behavior (including other sexually transmitted diseases they’ve had), mental health, domestic violence, health care, social support and other everyday life aspects.

The study also revealed that almost 1.5% of the tested women discovered they had an HIV infection at the moment of enlistment, without any prior knowledge of this. This finding shows that more focus in increasing the awareness of HIV infections is needed, whilst also new methods of expanding the prevention efforts of HIV infections should be researched.

“The study provides convincing evidence that more effort is needed to develop effective prevention strategies for high risk populations in order to stem the HIV epidemic in the US”, said one of the lead researchers of the HPTN 064 study, Sten Vermund.

New Device Allows Reseachers To Study Embryo Growth Outside The Uterus

A process that is essential to the early development of mammalian embryos has been exposed and studied for the first time by researchers from the University of Nottingham. The research team, led by professor Kevin Shakesheff, created an artificial device that simulates the tissue found in the uterus, thus making it possible to implant human embryos in it.

The new artificial device allowed researchers to observe the growth of embryos outside of a mother’s uterus for the first time in history. Although only being able to sustain the embryo for a limited amount of time, scientists say that it is more than enough for them to study the growth of embryos during the essential stage between the fourth and the eighth day of development.

One of the leading authors of the paper, professor Shakesheff said that by using unique materials they were able to create such a device, offering a new view of embryo development throughout the world. He also added that the current study is a breakthrough that will permit future researchers to understand how human tissue is formed and even develop new medical techniques that would help regenerate damaged tissue.

Artificial Uterus

Until now, the observation of the embryo was possible only until it had reached its fourth day of development, when it transforms into a blastocyst. Any attempt to study the further development of the embryo involved the use of snapshots taken from embryos which had been removed from a living uterus.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham have made further observation of the embryo possible. For the first time in medical history, they have been able to study the process involved in the formation of the fetus’ head. Whilst researching this process, they also discovered that a group of precursor cells moves quite the distance within the embryo. Many other cells are involved in the signaling of the location where the head of the fetus should be formed. This observation has been achieved by using fluorescent markers on the signaling protein, found only in the head of the fetus.

These particular cells seem to have a major role in the forming of the fetus head. They appear to be only a couple of cells that emerge from the blastocyst and migrate to the location where the head will be formed, leading the other cells to the location through specific signaling.

The current discovery is only part of the research from the University of Nottingham. Researchers are trying to understand the complex process that stands behind the development of the embryo so that they can use the advantage of knowledge to try to treat a damaged adult body.

The necessary�funding was provide by the�European Research Council.

Telomeres And Ageing – Study Reveals How We Age

Aging is a natural process,�which researchers are increasingly struggling to understand�at molecular level, hoping that one day,�they will�mange to reverse it. It may sound daring but�small�steps forward�are made every�day by scientists throughout the world. It is the case of a new study available in the Nature Communications journal, that�links damage to telomeres (chains of DNA that�are present at the ends of�the chromosomes of�all body cells) to the ageing process.

All our body cells divide�in order to�replace�dead, malfunctioning or aged�cells. When cells divide, they forward a copy of their DNA to the daughter cells. Since the DNA molecule is very large, it needs to be condensed�to fit�inside the cell nucleus, giving birth to chromosomes. Each chromosome presents at�its end�a telomere�which shortens with each cell division. Previous studies have shown that�when�telomeres are too short,�they reach a critical minimum length that makes cells unable to divide.

Chromosomes

The study, conducted at The Newcastle University�now suggests that critical minimum telomere length is not the only factor that determines cells to halt their�division process. According to study leader,�Dr. João Passos telomere shortening is indeed�one factor that increases the risk of certain diseases and�cellular death but the stress induced�DNA damage of telomers could also play a key role in the ageing process. It was also found that even long telomers�but�with damaged�DNA makes body�cells unable to divide.

With age, all cells suffer different mutations of the DNA�(molecule that�stores�the encoded�genetic information needed for protein synthesis and replication). These mutations that�are�largely caused by the action of free radicals�can be fixed by different cell DNA�repair�mechanisms. The sudy reveales that�sensitive to stress telomeres are not so efficiently repaired.�During the division process�they are transmitted to the next generation of cells which gradually reduce their ability to regenerate – ageing.

These findings represent a huge step forward in understanding how exactly telomers influence the ageing process. It seems that�is not just the telomore length that matters when when it comes to ageing, but also how they respond to damage. Future studies aim�to elucidate what exactly makes these chromosome ends so special, hoping to find drugs that can interfere with telomere damage and renew it.

Effects Of Ecstasy Abuse During Pregnancy

A recent study conducted at Case Western Reverse University School Of Medicine in partnership with two UK Universities, sheds light on the devastating�effects that�ecstasy has�on fetal development and toddlers.

Ecstasy is a generic term for various substances with similar action spectrum. The group includes MDMA (methylene-dioxy-metilamphetamine) and MDE / MDEA (methylene-dioxy-etilamfetamine),�among other substances.�All these�compounds are marketed under the same name “Ecstasy”, as well as the�mixtures that contain added caffeine, amphetamines or LSD.

Ecstasy Pills

Biochemically,�ecstasy�acts on the�neurotransmitter release process. Pure MDMA�acts especially on the neurotransmitter called�serotonin. It affects emotions, activity, sensory impressions, motor activities,�brain associations and acoustic and visual sensations. The multinational study, published in today’s issue of Neurotoxicology and Teratology, links ecstasy use during pregnancy with malfunctioning chemical signaling responsible for determining the baby’s gender�as well with�poor growth and development.

“The potential harmful effects of ecstasy exposure on prenatal and infant development have long been a concern,” said Lynn T. Singer, PhD, study leader.

In their study, researchers included 96 women who were interviewed regarding their ecstasy addiction problem and screened for any behavioral�symptoms that may have emerged due to the�drug abuse. Scientists then compared at the moment of birth and after fourth months ,�healthy�infants born of�unaddicted mothers and infants exposed to ecstasy during pregnancy.�The stage of development as well as the cognitive development�of infants�were taken into account. Researchers�observed some�neurochemical effects of�ecstasy�that�affected the�normal motor functioning of�babies. Surprisingly, substance abuse�also led to a predominance of males at the moment of�birth. Normally the male to female gender�ratio at birth�is 1:1.

After four moths, infants born of ecstasy addicted mothers presented developmental delays,�poorer quality of coordinated movement, balancing their heads with delay or�presented delays in normal eye-hand�coordination�when compared with their�not exposed counterparts. The study also�highlighted a possible link between�the doses of ecstasy taken by the�mother during pregnancy�and poorer quality of coordinated movement or developmental delays of the child after birth.

Serotonin is a substance derived from an amino acid, tryptophan, synthesized by�the intestinal cells. It is a�neurotransmitter of the�central nervous system.�Previous studies have shown that�altering the action mechanism of serotonin during fetal development can lead to adverse�long-term effects�of the child’s memory and learning skills.

Now scientists expressed their desire to continue with their�research and investigate the long term effects of ecstasy exposure�but lack the needed�financial�support�as that their study is only�funded to�collect data up to 18 months after an infant’s birth.

Study Reveals Possible Link Between Social And Physical Pain

A new study led by researcher Naomi Eisenberger, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) reveals a possible link between social and physical pain. The study was recently published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.

According to Eisenberger�a survey was conducted, that�asked patients about negative past experiences. She says that most of the answers given by the patients were related to broken hearts and hurt feelings. Along with her colleague, Dr. Eisenberger noticed numerous similarities between the brain activity images of patients who had suffered an emotional pain and of patients who had suffered from a sort of physical pain in the past.

The similarities observed by the two colleagues led to further research. It is known that both social and physical pain are processed in similar areas of the brain. Physical pain is based on two components: sensory experience and emotional reaction. Through the emotional reaction, the brain determines the intensity of the pain. It is also the component shared with social pain. Some researchers believe that severe social pain might also be processed by the brain area involved in sensory experience.

Man Covering His Eyes due to Social Pain

A computer generated program reveals that patients that are more delicate when it comes to physical pain and even more delicate when it comes to social pain.�The discovery was�made using�a computer program that simulates rejection, which is felt by the patient who is�taking the test. A different study also shows that patients taking Tylenol (an analgesic and antipyretic) proved to be less sensitive to social pain than patients what were on placebo medication. The discovery surprised even�Dr. Eisenberger, who said that even though it’s hard to imagine, the study shows a correlation between social and physical pain.

“We take Tylenol for physical pain; it’s not supposed to work on social pain” , says Dr. Eisenberger who also added that taking analgesic medication in order to relieve social pain is not recommended, as the experience of social pain could be valuable to people. Although against taking analgesic medication in social pain cases, she notes that there are particular cases in which social pain can prove to be too much to handle for patients.

Dr. Eisenberger�and her colleague suggest the study�results that somehow prove that social pain is a real experience should be taken more into consideration.

New Study Describes Intracellular Pathway That Promotes Or Suppresses Breast Cancer

The cancerous behavior of the cells is dictated by intracellular signals that present the capacity to induce normal cells to act and become cancerous. The cancerous behavior of cells is defined by growing and reproducing out of control and increased survivability. Also this intracellular signals present the capacity to induce the death of cancerous cells or to make them stop growing. In breast cancer this intracellular signal is represented by TGF-beta� which sometimes promote tumor growing and sometimes will suppress cancerous cells.

Researchers from the University of Colorado published in the journal Oncogene a study during witch they observed how breast cancers can switch the activity of TGF-beta pathway. This particular�discovery is very important�as it provides the know-how�basis in the future�to block TGF-beta intracellular pathway when it promotes tumor growing and to leave it untouched�or even promote the intracellular pathway when�it is suppressing cancerous cells.

Early in the human development, embryos need cells that are proliferating very quickly and this action is ensured by SIX1, a transcription factor that make cells to move from one area of the embryo to an other. When we reach adulthood, SIX1 intracellular pathway is switched off in almost all cells because as adults we don’t need�that kind of�higher proliferation rate. The scientists observed that many breast cancers reactivate SIX1 intracellular pathway that will�in turn�switch on the�TGF-beta pathway from tumor suppressing mode to tumor promoting mode.

Intracellular Pathways in Breast Cancer

SIX 1 pathway can influence the activity of TGF-beta pathway through some small molecules called microRNAs, which present the capacity to regulate the activity of the genes that encode TGF-beta signals. Those microRNAs can attach to the genes that regulates the activity of TGF-beta and transform them in mutant genes that will inhibit the capacity of TGF-beta to stop cell growth. When this action occurs, TGF-beta is not only losing the capacity to stop cells from growing, but is also encouraging cells to start proliferate and to grow into new tissue.

High SIX1 or high microRNAs associated with SIX1 are a sign that a breast cancer is using TGF-beta signaling in a tumor-promoting way,� leader of the study says.

All cases of breast cancers that present high levels of SIX1 or associate microRNAs represent the perfect candidates that can benefit from therapy with TGF-beta inhibitors, drugs that are turning off the signals of TGF-beta intracellular pathway and are currently�in clinical trials. Researchers also pointed out that in patients where levels of SIX1 or microRNAs are normal, TGF-beta intracellular pathway is preffered�to be left intact, because they think that the signals that are given by this pathway are helping the patients to fight against breast cancer.

In the future, scientists hope that they will be�able�to attack directly�the�SIX1 intracellular pathway.�Due to the fact�that this intracellular signaling�mechanism is not present in most adult tissues�researchers hope that they�will be able to inhibit the development of breast cancer with very few side effects in the near future.

Vaccine Against Hepatitis C Virus Discovered

Researchers from the University of Alberta and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology announced this afternoon at the Canada Research Chair Summit in Vancouver thae discovery of�a vaccine against hepatitis C.�Until now, an effective vaccine�against this kind of infection was not available. The announcement was made by the leader of the research team that discovered the hepatitis C virus back in 1989,�Michael Houghton.

Research leaders�announced that�the vaccine is made from�only one C virus strain�but�has already�shown its effectiveness against all known C virus strains.�For developing this vaccine�more than 10 years were needed.�Prior to this discovery,�vaccines tested in clinical trials have shown�limited results.

Hepatitis C virus is a more virulent virus than HIV and this represented the�biggest challenge for�scientists as they believed that it would be impossible to discover a vaccine which can neutralize different strains of hepatitis C virus. After the vaccine was tested on humans, researchers observed that it is capable to neutralize antigens and antibodies against all different major strains of hepatitis C virus.

This tells us that a vaccine made from a single strain can indeed neutralize all the viruses out there. It really encourages the further development of that vaccine. This is a really a big step forward for the field of hepatitis C virus vaccinology.�, said the leader of the research.

Vaccine Against Hepatitis C

Every year thousands of people are being infected with hepatitis C virus and 20 to 30 per cent will�suffer at one point from chronic liver disease, even hepatic cancer. For this reason the new discover represents a big step�forward in the prevention of� hepatitis C�and brings hope among people with this disease. The researchers also�highlight that further testing is needed�and maybe in the next five to seven years the vaccine will be approved and used as a prevention method.

“A breakthrough such as this one is exactly the kind of advance we believed would happen here when we created the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and recruited internationally renowned researchers such as Michael Houghton and his colleagues,” said U of A President Indira Samarasekera.

This ambitious program in which world-class�virologists were attracted represents the exact findings that�the 21st century needs. It is true that the exact date when this vaccine will be used in clinical practice remains unknown, but the�impact on the medical world of such�a�vaccine�will be major. The researchers also believe that in the near�future they will be able to discover other desperately needed vaccines.

These findings demonstrate that the Li Ka Shing Institute is a very important player in the field for virology research and�its leaders are constantly�working,�providing and translating laboratory findings to patients.

Study Links Thrombocytosis And Low Survivability In Ovarian Cancer Patients

Researchers from the University Of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center suggest in a new study that survivability of ovarian cancer patients is reduced due to high levels of platelets in their blood. The new finding may lead to further progress in cancer treatment schemes.

“We’ve long known that ovarian cancer patients often have markedly increased platelet counts but we haven’t known why this happens or understood its relevance, if any, to disease progression”, said senior study author Anil Sood, M.D.

Scientists have discovered the cause of high platelet levels and the link between it and the severity of ovarian cancer, suggesting that anti-coagulant drugs might be introduced in ovarian cancer treatment schemes.

After analyzing clinical data from numerous ovarian cancer patients and after clinical trials conducted on laboratory rats, researchers from the University Of Texas discovered that ovarian tumors produce IL-6 (interleukin-6). This triggers an increase in TPO (or thrombopoietin, the hormone that stimulates platelet growth) synthesis in the liver, therefore causing an intense growth in platelet numbers, to more than 450,000 per cubic millimeter. The whole process further stimulates the growth of the tumor. Platelets were also found in ascites – a common sign in ovarian cancer, and even in the tumor bed.

Thrombocytes

A clinical trial held in London by the same research team also shows that patients treated with Siltuximab (a monoclonal antibody that binds to IL-6) had experienced a drop in platelet count.

An earlier�search revealed an association between thrombocytosis and cancer, but a clear�link between the two was�never evidentiated. A clinical trial conducted on 619 patients revealed that almost 31 percent suffered from thrombocytosis whilst less than 2 percent suffered from iron deficiency, one of the main causes of high platelet levels. After taking tumor grade, patient age and disease stage into account, scientists discovered that high platelet levels continued to be a major factor in the poor survivability rate of patients.

Aside from breast cancer, researchers discovered that thrombocytosis can be found in pancreatic, uterine and epithelial ovarian cancer. A link between the effect of TPO, elevated levels of megakaryocytes (bone marrow cells that are responsible for producing thrombocytes) and high number of blood platelets has also been found.

A following clinical trial on 150 patients, and a subsequent trial on 310 patients revealed that patients with thrombocytosis have high levels of IL-6 and TPO in their blood. This analysis also shows that IL-6 can be associated with low survivability rates of ovarian cancer patients.

In order to find a solution to the problematic high levels of TPO and IL-6, scientists used short interfering RNA. Using laboratory rats they inhibited the action of IL-6 and TPO separately and together. In both cases, researchers managed to eliminate thrombocytosis.

Two strains of mice with induced ovarian cancer were further tested with Siltuximab, chemotherapy or both. These treatments all showed signs of reduced platelet count and tumor growth. The most effective treatment was the combination, showing a tumor growth reduction of almost 90 percent.

Scientists at�the University Of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center will further continue their research to discover why exactly are platelets beneficial for tumor growth. The current study could be used to explain why certain cancer patients benefit from blood-thinning medication.

“If you see high platelets, absent inflammation or iron deficiency, it would be important to look for cancer”, noted Rebecca Stone, M.D., adding that high platelet levels may serve as a biomarker for some cancers.

Epileptic Seizures Can Be Preventet Using Gene Therapy

Epilepsy is a lifelong and debilitating disease which is characterized by uncontrollable, recurrent and spontaneous seizures.� It is a disease with potential complex consequences (economic, social, psychological) that affect both the patient and its family, because people with this disease can not have a independently living or can not holding jobs, especially if they do not respond to seizure medication.

Researchers from the University of Florida discovered that increasing the production of a hormone in the brain could prevent the onset of epileptic seizures. They used epileptic lab rats that received gene therapy, aimed to stimulate the production of somatostatin, a brain hormone that can stop seizures, that naturally exists in the brain. This study was published in the journal Neuroscience Letters.

Scientists observed that in people with epilepsy, the levels of somatostatin hormone have a tendency to decrease, as same as� in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Somatostain, a neuropeptide that belongs to a larger group of protein-like molecules which are found naturally in the brain, it is present in normal�concentrations in people with epilepsy, but it has a tendency to decrease during seizures.

To test whether by increasing the levels of this hormone they could prevent seizures, the scientists injected a gene that regulates the somatostatin expression. The gene was transported through the body by a harmless virus. After increasing the levels of somatostatin, researchers observed that the seizures became weaker and shorter and non of the subject that received gene therapy presented seizures with a higher intensity than before. No side effects was observed after the administration of this therapy, better yet the subjects presented a better capacity to learn and to concentrate, after the administration of this gene therapy.

Epilepsy

Being able to restore somatostatin up to normal levels allows the brain to heal itself and that is the idea here. We're putting something back in that is normally there and allowing the brain to pick it up as part of its normal machinery. We're not putting in a drug.�, the leader of the study said.

Other studies demonstrated that somatostain may have a important role in brain aging and in others neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Because it is a neuromodulator, somatostain can regulates the behavior of nerve cells and also can alter this behavior.

In this research, scientists focused especially on temporal lobe epilepsy, which represents the most frequent form of epilepsy. In this type of disease medication are useful in seizures control, but about 30 percent of patients do not respond to the medication therapy.� For this reason, researchers believe that this new gene therapy can represent a more effective treatment that can be used for a large population of adults and children who do not respond to medication therapy.

This study represents only the first step in the long road of epilepsy treatment and they need additional research before this therapy could be tested on humans. The scientists are focusing on the side effects of the treatment and on a proper way of administration, directly into the brain or less invasive intravenously.

New Guidelines Regarding The Diagnosis Of Deep Venous Thrombosis Available

New guidelines regarding the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis are now available in the february issue of American College of Chest Physicians. These guidelines are essential in the clinical practice of�physicians worldwide in order to correctly diagnose deep venous thrombosis. The new guidelines provide up to date information regarding how to diagnose, prevent and treat deep venous thrombosis and it’s potentially� fatal complications. It is expected to become� the global standard of care for the diagnosis of DVT.

Deep Venous

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a disorder that affects blood vessels that carry�blood�to the heart, particularly�large veins in the lower leg and thigh. The main signs of DVT�are pain and�swelling. Due to various conditions, such as surgery or venous failure, a clot that obstructs blood flow is formed.� If the clot migrates through the bloodstream, this�can lead to embolism. Embolism is a fatal complication of deep venous thrombosis as it can obstruct vessels in brain, heart, lungs and other important territories in the organism.

Dr. Scott Stevens, MD, co-director of the Thrombosis Clinic at Intermountain�Medical Center, underlines the importance of treatment for DVP�in order to prevent complications. ”Rapid treatment for DVP�is crucial to prevent potentially fatal complications. But the symptoms�are often mistaken for a sprain or tendon injury,” he says.

Thrombosis, particularly DVT, is the third most common cardiovascular disease in the United States, behind only heart attack and stroke,” Dr. Stevens says. “Prompt treatment is very important to prevent the clot from leaving the leg and traveling to the lungs, heart or brain. Physicians need good information on the best way to diagnose a DVT.”

The research and the activity conducted by Dr. Stevens along with the team of thrombosis researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center, has led to Dr. Stevens been chosen to help create a new chapter for the new edition of the guidelines. It is for the first time that a chapter on diagnosing deep venous thrombosis is included in the guidelines.

Because the symptoms�are not specific, it is not always easy to diagnose DVT. In their daily clinical practice, doctors have to recognize�the symptoms�and properly treat the patients�suffering from DVT. Thus, the guidelines offer the main keys in order to�correctly diagnose the illness.

Along with 11 other experts from hospitals and universities in Canada, England, Boston, Buffalo and�New York,�Dr. Stevens has helped writing the chapter on DVT�diagnosis. Apart from this chapter, the guidelines provide information about treatment options for DVT and other� associated disorders.