Study tests potential new drug to reduce pain and symptoms of Endometriosis

Researchers at the Department of Reproductive Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, are testing a new drug for endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease manifested by recurrent pelvic pain and sometimes infertility.

Pain of Endometriosis

Endometriosis means ectopic endometrial tissue. The endometrium is the tissue lining the uterus that detaches every month during the menstrual cycle. In endometriosis, endometrial tissue is found outside the uterine cavity and is influenced by the same hormonal changes like the endometrium of the uterus. Ectopic endometrial tissue can affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestines, bladder, peritoneum and other pelvic or abdominal structures. In time adhesions and cysts occur and these may cause pain, infertility etc. Regarding the cause of this disease, there are several theories. One theory is retrograde menstruation, other theories are coelomic metaplasia or vasculogenesis.

Now researchers are recruiting  patients aged between 18 and 49 years to test the efficacy and safety of a new drug called Elagolix. Sanjay Agarwal, MD, director of UC San Diego Health System’s Center for endometriosis Research and Treatment (CERT says that they hope that Elagolix will educe pain in patients with endometriosis by decreasing the estrogen levels but without giving side effects.

Endometriosis can affect any woman of reproductive age. It is estimated that between 6-10% of women suffer from endometriosis. Symptoms of this disease include pelvic pain, dyspareunia (painful sex), dysmenorrhea (cramping during menstruation), urinary disorders, such as dysuria (painful urination). Other symptoms that can occur are constipation and chronic fatigue. Pelvic pain intensity may vary in some cases is unbearable, and in other cases may be mild and may occur not only during the menstrual cycle but in other days of the month. Pain may radiate to the back or abdomen.

Regarding infertility, it is not  clearly known what is the connection between endometriosis and infertility. Many women with endometriosis fail to conceive and it is assumed that this failure is due to adhesions caused by endometriosis. Others say that endometriosis release some factors that adversely affect gamete or embryo. It is also believed that endometriosis and infertility are caused by a common trigger.

There is no cure for endometriosis up to date. The only solution is menopause, either surgically or naturally. There are some medications that can relieve pain but they interfere with reproductive function of women. An alternative consists of drugs based on progesterone, which counteracts the effect of estrogen to stimulate endometrial growth. Other options consist of oral contraceptives, aromatase inhibitors, GnRH agonists etc.

Connection Between Mental Illness and Limited Literacy

A new study that was recently published shows that the reading level of almost 47% of the population of the United States of America is equivalent to that of an eight-grader. Furthermore, the percentage of people who have a reading level of an eight-grader is considerably higher. The author of the paper, Alisa Lincoln, is an associate professor at the Northeastern University, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Despite the fact that there were numerous papers published regarding the connection between the reading ability of patients and their own general health, there are very few papers published on the impact that limited literacy has on mental health. Through the use of a 3-year $1.3 million grant, professor Lincoln wants to make a change. She is currently the interim director of the Institute for Urban Health Research, from the Northeastern University. The grant was received from the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) in order to find more data on the link between the literacy levels and the mental health of patients.

Mental illness

“You can’t approach this from just one discipline”, said Lincoln, who is a sociology and health sciences professor. She noted that help from other medical fields is needed in order to assess the complete mental function of patients. Her current team consists of several public-health experts, a biostatistician, a psychiatrist, a medical anthropologist, two cognitive psychologists and two literacy specialists. According to Lincoln, this team will be able to correctly assess the connection between limited literacy and mental health.

The first time a connection between limited literacy and the lives of mental-health patients was suggested was through a previous study that involved a small number of patients. Researchers observed that the patients with higher reading abilities were able to handle their symptoms better than patients with lower reading abilities. Methods that were unavailable to patients with lower reading abilities include the use of Internet or journalism to gather information about their illness.

According to Lincoln, the grant will be used to fund a study that will include 300 patients that use the public mental-health services. This study will include the assessment of the levels of numeracy, literacy and even aural literacy of the patients. Other factors that are related to the social conditions of the patients will also be taken into consideration. Professors Lincoln pointed out that the number of studies that are related to the shame associated with limited literacy is growing, compared to the already high number of studies that were focused more on the negative impact of mental diseases on the health and lives of patients.

“If you’re living with mental illness and struggling with limited literacy, you’re dealing with a double whammy. It’s no wonder these folks are cut off from many societal resources”, said professor Lincoln.

Study Shows that Alzheimer’s Disease is not Prevented by Ginkgo Biloba Extract

A new study published in the journal Lancet Neurology reveals that the Ginkgo Biloba extract doesn’t reduce the possibility of diagnosing elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The paper examines if a dose of 120 mg of standardized Ginkgo Biloba extract “ taken directly from the leaves of the tree “ administered twice a day, affects the number of patients who are later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A comparison has been done with the help of a control group that received placebo. The study was conducted as a double-blind, randomized trial and had almost 3000 participants, all from France, all older than 70 years of age. All patients were included in the study based on their complaints on memory problems.

Ginkgo Biloba Extract

Half of the patients received the Ginkgo Biloba extract whilst the other half received a placebo that was designed to have a similar taste and aspect as the Ginkgo Biloba pills. The cognitive function, the memory and the dementia status were all tested over a period of 5 years. Researchers used standardized tests in order to conclude the results. The results that were gathered at the end of the clinical trial show that 4% (roughly 60 patients) of the group receiving Ginkgo Biloba have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, compared to 5% (roughly 70 patients) from the control group. Researchers found that the difference between the groups is not statistically significant. Furthermore, the research team has shown that there is no statistically significant difference between the deaths recorded in both groups.A precedent clinical trial from 2009, held in the United States of America has shown similar results. The results of these studies, if put together, show that the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease onset is not reduced through administering medication consisting of Ginkgo Biloba extract.

“Effective and safe prevention strategies are urgently needed to tackle the growing public health burden of Alzheimer’s disease, and the efficacy of any such intervention needs to be shown through randomised controlled trials. This is only the third Alzheimer’s prevention trial to be completed, and is the first to be done outside the USA, so further research in this area is urgently needed”, said professor Bruno Vellas, from the Hôpital Casselardit, in Toulouse, France. Professor Vellas is the lead author of the study.

Professor Vellas noted that the results of the study only shows that  the daily use of Ginkgo Biloba doesn’t affect the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. However, more studies regarding preventive therapies are needed in the near future, as it is speculated that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s will quadruple in the next 40 years.

University of Basel Scientists Make Progress In Reversing Autism

Autistic patients suffer from an extensive disorder that impairs the development of the brain. This disorder becomes evident in the early childhood. A research team led by Peter Scheiffele and Kaspar Vogt have discovered that autism causes a specific dysfunction of the neuronal circuits. The team also reports success in the process of reversing this dysfunction. The main authors of the study are professors at the University of Basel.

Autism

Current estimates show that almost 1% of all children develop an autistic disorder. Rigid behavior patterns, impaired social behavior and limited speech development are a few of the symptoms that have been seen in autistic patients. Autism is a hereditary developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. The main risk factors for the onset of this condition are genetic mutations discovered in more than 300 genes, including the gene called neroligin-3. This gene has an important role in the formation of synapses, which are passage ways for electrical or chemical signals between neurons. Thus, the loss of neuroligin-3 can interfere with inter-neuronal signaling.

The research team has studied the consequences of the loss of the neuroligin-3 gene in mice. These mice developed behavioral patterns that have been observed patients suffering from autism. In collaboration with Roche, the research team managed to identify the defect of the signal transmission mechanism that interferes with the plasticity of the neuronal circuits. The negative effects of this defect are correlated with an increase in the numbers of glutamate receptors, which are the receptors that are responsible for neuronal signaling modulation. The excess of glutamate receptors inhibits the adaptation of synaptic signaling transmission that occurs during the learning process and thus disrupts the development of the brain.

The researchers found out that this developmental inhibition is reversible, thus making this a study of great importance. Researchers were able to reactivate the production of the neuroligin-3 gene in laboratory mice. This resulted in a decrease in the number of glutamate receptors due to inhibiting their production. Furthermore, this also reduced the structural defects that were caused by autism, resulting in the disappearance of autism. Therefore, these receptors might be a possible target for future pharmacological drugs that would stop or even reverse the development of autism.

Autism is currently a disorder that doesn’t have a cure. However, the symptoms of the disorder can be lightened through behavioral therapy. However, this new study reveals a new possible treatment for autism. Work on glutamate receptor antagonists is done through a collaboration between researchers from the Basel University and Roche.

Statins May Inhibit Tumor Growth According To Study

According to new study, researchers found that statins can stop tumor metastasis by blocking development of lymphatic vessels. The study was led by Michael Detmar, Professor at the ETH Zurich Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and published in the science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This discovery was made by using a newly developed cell culture system that is able to screening for various compounds which have the propriety of being modulators of lymphatic vessel expansion. Lymphatic vessel growth is a very important factor in tumor cell dissemination. With this system, scientists were able to screen for over 1000 substances, of which 30 compounds show their capacity to inhibit lymphatic vessel expansion. Among this 30 compounds, two were studied in more detail. One of the two compounds belongs to the drug class of statins.

Statins are drugs used to combat atherosclerosis. Rosuvastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin and other cholesterol-lowering compounds  inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and reduce blood cholesterol levels. In other words, statins reduce LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol. So far, studies have shown that statins can prevent complications such as stroke or myocardial infarction. For a good control of cholesterol level, statin therapy should be completed with lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and physical exercise.

Lymphatic Vessel Growth

By lowering blood cholesterol, statins decrease the risk of plaque formation that may lead to blockage of blood vessels. Moreover, it was found that statins poses beneficial effects  in secondary prevention of cardiovascular complications, by helping the regression of atherosclerosis. Statins keep plaque stability and prevent thrombus formation. It is known that, like any drug, statins have some side effects, of which the most common are elevated liver enzymes and muscle pain. Elevated liver enzymes, can lead to liver dysfunction and therefore, it is necessary to monitor liver enzymes during treatment. Other side effects include myalgia, rhabdomyolysis, neuropathy, cognitive loss, sexual dysfunction.

Scientists consider that in the future, statins might not only be administrated to patients with cardiovascular disorders, but also to cancer patients, because most of the malignant tumor spread over the body via lymphatic vessels or secret mediators that induce lymphatic vessel growth as a part of metastasis process. Blocking metastasis is one of the targets for cancer therapy. However, as stated Michael Detmar, Professor at the ETH Zurich Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, there is no available treatment in clinical practice to stop tumor metastasis. This findings are also useful in preventing transplant rejection, because it is known that immune cells which are mediating organ rejection are transported via lymphatic vessels, and there are studies indicating that graft rejection can be reduced if the growth of lymphatic vessels is inhibited.

The discovery according to which development and invasion of malignant tumors can be stopped by statins is supported by a study published 5 weeks ago, in which were investigated malignancies of over 100 patients with heart transplantation within the last 20 years. This study concluded that patients under continuous statin therapy developed cancer less frequently and had a better prognosis compared to patients without statin therapy. Also, studies done so far have shown that statins administered for a period of five years can reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Will iPhone 5 Feature A Quad-Core CPU?

iPhone 5 has been lately probably the Holy Grail of rumors and more and more surface each day. The surprising fact is that there is no   rumor yet that explains or details what kind of CPU Apple will use for the iPhone 5 manufacturing process. The guys at GSMArena are rushing to state that a quad-core 1.2 GHz will be present in the terminal. In the new iPhone 5 everyone is eagerly waiting to see the new A6 chip that Apple has not implemented in the iPad 3 tablet. Personally I think that Apple keeps the quad-core CPU  “in storage” for future surprises. It has been speculated that the iPad 3 will have a quad-core CPU but eventually the tablet kept the dual-core  A5 processor, but  featured a quad-core graphics chip that supports the amazing high-resolution of the retina screen.

If iPad 3 does not have a quad-core CPU, the chances for the iPhone 5 to have it are virtually zero, because in the recent years the iPad CPU also equipped the next generation of iPhone. I think that Apple iPhone 5 will implement the same processor from the A5X iPad tablet , processor clocked at 800 MHz or 1 GHz (inclined to think it’s the first frequency) but has a quad-core graphics chip able to run the most complex games from the App Store. iPhone’s  5 CPU will most likely be manufactured using a 32nm production process or even 28nm, Apple improving both performance and energy consumption in this version of the A5 chip.

We think that the new iPhone 5 will feature an improved A5X chip, the same performance (and autonomy) that iPhone 4S has now nothing more because Apple will not offer more from this point of view. Currently there is no iPhone generation that needs a quad-core CPU and Apple knows that and will not force things now useless. The iPad 3, in turn, would do much better with a quad-core CPU and probably the iPad 4 will come with a greater processing power, but even in this case we can not be sure we’ll get our hands on the A6 chip.

New Liver Failure Treatment Shows

According to a current study published in Hepatology, liver failure can be treated successfully with ARC (apoptosis with caspase recruitment domain repressive). Even if the treatment has not been yet tested on humans, experiments on laboratory animals showed positive results. The study was led by the physician Dr. Junfeng Year of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and Dr. Stefan Donath, a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology, Also of the MDC and Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch.

Researchers have used some recently discovered proteins, ARC (apoptosis with caspase recruitment domain repressive) that prevents apoptosis in liver cells. These proteins are found in heart muscle and skeletal muscle, and experiments based on these proteins have been already made in the past. In 2006, Dr. Donath has shown the role these proteins in heart failure. It seems that ARC prevents myocardial cells to be destroyed. Due to of this role, ARC proteins are extensively studied in the treatment of cancers, because it is known that a tumor is characterized by uncontrolled growth and proliferation. Dr Donath mentioned that ARC proteins can reach also other organs, not anly the liver. This is way, he added: “since TAT-ARC only has to be administered for a short time, a cancer risk can be largely excluded.”

Liver Failure

Because ARC proteins are not found in liver, researchers had to inject mice with hepatic failure with  ARC proteins. What researchers found was that ARC acted quickly, in other words ARC stopped liver cell apoptosis and mice with liver failure have fully recovered. Dr. Donath mention that the rapid effect of ARC proteins is extremely useful for patients with advanced liver failure. Also, during the study the researchers also discovered other mechanisms of action. It seems that ARC inhibits not only JNK activity, a molecule that causes some abnormal processes in the liver, but also TNF alpha, which cause liver cell apoptosis.

Liver failure is a clinical syndrome caused by global reduction and biological functions of liver, caused by a shortage of functional liver cells. Causes of acute liver failure are multiple: acute fulminant hepatitis (hepatitis B viruses, C, D or other viruses, Epstein Barr, cytomegalovirus), toxic hepatitis caused by drugs (antibiotics, NSAIDs, mushrooms poison), Budd-Chiari syndrome, etc. . Chronic liver failure is most common after cirrhosis. Because the liver has many important functions in the organism, liver failure leads to  multiple disruptions. Disorders of all metabolisms occur   (protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, disorders of acid-base balance,endocrine disorders, hematological disturbances ) The only effective treatment of liver failure today, consists of liver transplantation.

Diabetics On Statins At Higher Cataract Risk

Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Ont., Canada, found that diabetic patients on statins have a higher risk of developing cataracts than non diabetic people not taking statins. The study was published in the August issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. Although they believe that more studies are needed to verify these findings, researchers think that these results should warn diabetic patients there is the risk of early appearance of cataract. Furthermore, these results are an incentive to develop other drugs that reduce cholesterol levels without increasing the risk of cataracts.

Cataract

Furthermore, researchers found that diabetes and statin therapy are two independent risk factors in cataracts, although many of diabetic patients take statins to control diabetes. Of the 6,400 surveyed, 452 were diabetic (type 2 diabetes). Of the 452 diabetics, more than half were taking statins (drugs that reduce cholesterol). The researchers analyzed the role of statin therapy and diabetes in causing age-related cataract. Besides diabetes and treatment with statins, other risk factors have been evaluated like smoking, sex, arterial hypertension. Of these, researchers found that both statin therapy and diabetes were associated with an increased risk of developing age-related cataract. According to the results, diabetes was associated with a higher risk compared with cholesterol-lowering treatment (82% versus 57%). It is worth mentioning that the associations differ depending on the type of cataract. For example, the association of diabetes with a particular type of cataract, posterior subcapsular cataract, was not statistically significant.

A complication of diabetes mellitus type 2 (and 1 also) is diabetic retinopathy, which is an important cause of blindness. Diabetic retinopathy usually occurs after a long evolution of diabetes, approximately 20 years after diabetes onset. Cataract occurs as a result of pathological changes that occur in diabetes. It seems that intracellular accumulation of sorbitol leads to lens opacities. Although diabetic cataract can be cured by surgery, studies have shown that diabetic patients have a higher rate of complications after surgery.

Statins (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, etc.) are drugs that inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme with a role in cholesterol synthesis. Statins have been shown effective in reducing cholesterol levels and are used to lower mortality among patients with cardiovascular risk. Statins are effective not only in preventing atherosclerosis but also in plaque regression. The most common side effects of statins are those on the liver and the muscle. There have been reported increased liver enzymes, muscle cramps, rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown).

Iphone 5  Component Pictures

Like every morning since the beginning of the week, we invite you to discover new photos of spare parts shown as being intended to equip the new generation of Apple iPhone or iPhone 5.  Today is the turn of the Chinese society iColorOS which reveals a set of new internal elements that make claims on behalf of Apple. On the two photographs you can find below, we were surprised to see the famous Smart Card SIM-Nano slot that many rumors presented a couple of days ago, manufactured by the company whose web address leads to a strange homepage “Lion Server” …

In the pictures below you will be able to distinguish the following iPhone 5 components: the glass front, tray for SIM card, home button, sensors, volume control buttons and the protection element that is placed on the back of the phone screen. .

iPhone 5 Components

iPhone 5

The actual screen has not been disclosed yet but at this rate at which the leaks surface the web it is very likely that this missing link will be unveiled without any doubt in the coming days. On the other hand, just to remind you that although suspected for some time that the next iPhone would have an aspect ratio different from what we have all seen so far in IOS, in a report by 9to5Mac there are strong arguments that confirm this hypothesis.

Iphone 5 Display Simulator

Using a version of the iPhone simulator slightly modified from the original, the guys at 9to5Mac have managed to set the application to 1136 x 640 resolution. The magic came when the content window, the IOS 6, scaled perfectly to the new resolution, seamlessly introducing a new row of icons. Worth remembering that not the same thing happened with IOS version 5, which created more space between icons. After successive attempts, only using a 1136 x 640 resolution this kind of screen behaviour was recorded, the rest of the scenarios the icons were scrambled all over the screen. Although we can not fit these details elsewhere than in terms of rumors, will not be waiting very long, because in September we expect the launch of new iPhone 5 model.

Adalimumab

According to a study published in Gastroenterology, adalimumab, a TNF inhibitor, is effective in maintaining remission of Crohn’s disease in children. The study was conducted on 192 patients aged 6 to 17 years with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. The researchers found that 80% of participants responded to treatment within the first month. Patients received, depending on body weight, whether a high dose of adalimumab (40 mg one week, then another week, 20mg) or low dose (20 mg one week, then another week, 10mg). Even if the results were not statistically significant, more patients in the high dose group were in remission at week 26. In terms of long-term response, 34% of patients were in clinical remission at 6 months and after one year 28% of patients were in remission.

Adalimumab

 Adalimumab (Humira) is a recombinant human monoclonal antibody that inhibits TNF-alpha, a cytokine with a role in the inflammatorys response and immune response. In other words adalimumab binds to TNF and prevents TNF binding to it s receptor. After treatment with adalimumab, there is a rapid decrease in levels of acute phase reactants (such as C-reactive protein), which is useful in inflammatory bowel diseases.Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel diseases, are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract without a precise cause.

Crohn’s disease typical features are giant cell granuloma sarcoid-like, discontinuous,transmural lesions and the presence of stenoses and fistulas in neighboring organs. In ulcerative colitis, lesions are continuous, located strictly to the colonic mucosa, and predominantly affecting the rectum and other segments of the colon without interesting other parts of the digestive tract. Differential diagnosis is made by histopathological  examination.

The most common symptoms are diarrhea, intestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. It can also occur weight loss, fatigue, fever, delays in development in children. Also inflammatory bowel diseases are associated with extraintestinal manifestation of such as arthritis, spondylitis, uveitis, erythema nodosum, sclerosing cholangitis, etc.

Modern medicine currently has no cure for inflammatory bowel diseases the treatment options only aim to control symptoms, reduce complications and improve quality of life. It should be noted, however,  that surgery may be curative in ulcerative colitis. Drugs used in inflammatory bowel diseases are derivatives of 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents (azathioprine, cyclosporine, methotrexate) and biological response modifying agents (infliximab, adalimumab). Of these, corticosteroids (prednisone) are not used to maintain remission due to their dangerous to kids side effects (delay in growth and development in children and others) Corticosteroid therapy is used  in acute episodes only for short periods.