Helping Tobacco Users Quit, More Commitment Needed Worldwide

Helping Tobacco Users Quit, More Commitment Needed Worldwide24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Tobacco users worldwide need more concrete and committed help to quit, say researchers in an article in Addiction, which informs that over half of the countries that signed the WHO 2005 Framework on Tobacco Control have not set up any formal plans to help people stop smoking.

The WHO FCTC (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) was developed as a treaty to address the global tobacco addiction epidemic that is responsible for 5 million deaths each year globally. The legally-binding treaty came into force 8 years ago (2005) and was eventually signed by 175 nations.

Countries that signed the FCTC were supposed to commit to developing plans to help their citizens who are tobacco users to quit - specifically, the treaty stipulates that plans must be based on scientifically-proven strategies.

According to two surveys of 121 nations, over half of all signatories have not yet developed any plans.

According to the two surveys, treatment guidelines are in place in..:

44% of countries
75% of the rich nations
42% of middle-income countries
30% of lower-middle-income countries
11% of low-income countries
Only one-fifth of all countries had a budget dedicated to treating tobacco addiction


Professor Robert West, Editor-in-Chief of Addiction, wrote:

"Tobacco dependence treatment is a very inexpensive way of saving lives, much cheaper and more effective than many of the clinical services routinely provided by health systems worldwide. These reports map out for the first time the work that needs to be done to make this treatment accessible to those who could benefit from it. I hope they will be a spur to action."

In the first survey, the authors concluded "Fewer than half of the Parties to the WHO FCTC have developed national tobacco treatment guidelines, but, where guidelines exist, they broadly follow FCTC Article 14 guideline recommendations."

In the second survey, the authors concluded "Most countries, especially low- and middle-income countries, have not yet implemented the recommendations of FCTC Article 14 or the FCTC Article 14 guidelines."

Regular walking helps teenagers quit smoking - teenagers who walk for 20 minutes a day may find it easier to give up smoking, researchers from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health (April 2013 issue).

Lead researcher Kimberly Horn, EdD, said "This study adds to evidence suggesting that exercise can help teenagers who are trying to quit smoking. Teens who boosted the number of days on which they engaged in at least 20 minutes of exercise, equivalent to a short walk, were more likely than their peers to resist lighting up a cigarette."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Hand Washing Averts Petting Farm Illnesses

Hand Washing Averts Petting Farm Illnesses24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;



Following a number of outbreaks of diarrhoea illnesses this year, public health experts in England are warning people

about the need for good hand hygiene when visiting petting farms.

The authorities are keen to put out this warning ahead of the summer holidays. Visits to petting farms peak during

school and public holidays.

According to Public Health England (PHE), between January and May this year, there have been 12 outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis

linked to petting farm visits across England. In total around 130 people have been affected.

For the last 20 years, the average number of cryptosporidium cases per year linked to petting farm visits reported to the English

authorities has been around 80.

This is in the context of over 2 million visits to over 1,000 UK petting farms.

Bob Adak, PHE's head of gastrointestinal diseases, says in a statement:

"Visiting a farm is a very enjoyable experience for both children and adults alike but it's important to remember that contact

with farm animals carries a risk of infection because of the microorganisms - or germs - they naturally carry."

Common Infections that Can Be Picked Up From Petting Farms

The three most common bugs that you can pick up from petting farms are Cryptosporidium, E. coli and

Salmonella.

All three bugs live in the gut of farm animals and you can pick them up either through touching the animals directly or touching

animal droppings or places that have been contaminated by animal droppings.

The bugs then infect you when you touch your face, put your fingers in your mouth, or touch your food or your food container

before washing your hands thoroughly (with soap and water).

You could also inadvertently pass the infection onto someone else if you touch their face or their food: something parents carrying

small children need to be aware of.



Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite (protozoa) that causes a diarrhoeal illness known as

cryptosporidiosis.

It can be found in soil, water, food, or any surface that has been contaminated with human or animal stools.

Young children are most likely to become infected.

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis are typically watery diarrhoea, stomach pains and vomiting. They usually last for about two

weeks, sometimes a little longer. Symptoms are more severe in people with weakened immune systems.

There is no specific treatment and the illness usually goes away by itself. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid

dehydration.

E. coli

E. coli is a bacterium commonly found in the gut of most people and animals. There are many different strains of the

bacterium, and many of them cause no harm.

But there are a few types of E. coli that cause illness, ranging from mild to severe, as in the case of VTEC O157.



An infection with E. coli can cause gastroenteritis with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain.



In serious cases of infection with VTEC O157 the diarrhoea is bloody and can result in very severe, sometimes fatal disease,

although these cases are very rare. Most people make a full recovery from a VTEC O157 infection.

Cases of E. coli linked to farm visits are at their highest between June and October says PHE.

Cattle are usually the most important source of VTEC O157 in the UK, but it has also been found in the stools of deer, rabbits,

pigs, horses, and other animals, including wild birds.

Salmonella

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that live in the gut of many farm animals and can affect meat, eggs, poultry, and

milk.

It causes a type of food poisoning known as salmonellosis. Symptoms include diarrhoea and stomach cramps, that are

sometimes accompanied by vomiting and fever.

Most people recover without treatment, but if you become very dehydrated you may develop more severe symptoms and need

hospital care to stop them becoming life-threatening.

Young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of becoming severely ill.


Hand Washing to Avoid Illness When Visiting Petting Farms

Visiting a petting farm is a fun and educational thing to do for children and adults alike.

However, there is also a risk of infection, which you can minimize by taking sensible precautions.

Thus when visiting a petting farm, make sure you and your group wash hands thoroughly with soap and water at the end of the

visit (some advise you should do this a few times during the visit too).

It is especially important to wash your hands before eating: even if you have not handled any animals, you may still

have come into contact with infected surfaces like fences, posts and handrails.

You can see dirt on your hands, but you can't see the millions of bacteria harbouring on them.

PHE also warns that hand gels and wipes are not effective protection against the sort of germs found on

farms.

Adults should also keep a close eye on children and make sure they wash their hands properly as they are more at risk of serious

illness.

PHE urges owners and managers of farm attractions to follow the industry code of practice, and also teachers and organizers of

farm tours to read and follow the relevant guidance.

It is also important that signs reminding visitors to wash their hands are clear, large and well-placed.

Top Tips for Avoiding Illness On Farm Visits


Avoid touching face or putting fingers in your mouth.
Do not kiss farm animals.
Do not let children put their faces close to farm animals, no matter how cute they may seem.
After touching animals, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water (soap up to a lather, scrub well, and rinse off with

running water).
Even if you have not touched animals do this: you may have touched contaminated surfaces, such as fences and posts.
Don't eat or drink while touching animals, or walking around the farm.
Eat and drink only after you have washed your hands, and only in designated areas like cafes and picnic sites.
After the visit, remove and clean boots and shoes, and make sure you clean pushchair wheels. Then wash your hands

thoroughly with soap and water.

Adapted from Public Health England

Also, if you are planning to visit the seaside, you may find the same advice will come in useful. A few years ago, scientists carried

out research that showed washing your hands after digging

in beach sand could greatly reduce your risk of ingesting microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.




Written by Catharine Paddock PhD




Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Why does anti-cancer therapy stop working at a specific stage? Scientists in Israel and the USA believe they have made a breakthrough in understanding why a hopeful anti-cancer therapy fails to destroy tumor cells successfully.

The researchers, whose study is published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), believe their findings may lead to new approaches in overcoming this cul-de-sac.

Suppressing the mTOR (mammalian target Of Rapamycin) protein has been extremely challenging for oncologists.

mTOR plays a key role in regulating vital cell growth processes - it is a bit like a communications command center, receiving external signals from hormones, growth factors and proteins. It then sends out "on" or "off" signals for the cell to grow and divide, seek nutrition, or use that nutrition. mTOR is strongly activated in several solid cancers.

mTor inhibitors destroy outer layers but not the core of tumors

While drugs have been shown to suppress mTOR and have been successful in causing the death of cancer cells in the outer layers of malignant tumors, in clinical trials they have failed in destroying the core of those tumors.

Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is an almost-universal characteristic of solid tumors that can affect how tumors respond to therapies. Scientists know that the condition of hypoxia affects the behavior of mTOR signaling, but nobody knew what the mechanism was.

Prof. Emeritus Raphael D. Levine, from the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and scientists from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the California Institute of Technology set out to determine what role hypoxia plays on mTOR signaling in model brain cancer systems and whether this could explain why promising mTOR drugs fail.

They used a new microchip technology to measure the mTOR protein-signaling network in cancer cells. They also used a new set of theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences to interpret the results. This dual approach simplified an otherwise extremely complex biological system.


The mTOR biochemical pathway is a complex one

The investigators found that at a specific level of hypoxia, which is typical in solid tumors, the mTOR signaling network switches between two sets of properties. At exactly the moment when the switching over takes places, the theoretical models predicted that mTOR would not respond to mTOR-inhibiting medications.

According to the combined experiment finding, the researchers believe that the switching over might be a kind of phase transition, something not observed before in biological systems.

This phase transition happened very suddenly, and cells being studied stopped responding like they had done before. The authors wrote "In the case of the tumor, the 'drugging' of the mTOR ceased, meaning that the tumor was no longer inhibited."
These results:

explain why promising mTOR-inhibiting drugs stop working at a specific stage

"indicate that certain complex biological behaviors, which often confound scientists who are seeking to find effective therapies for human diseases, may be understood by the effective application of experimental and theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences."

Levine wrote in the PNAS Abstract:
"We find a hypoxia-induced switch within a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling network. At the switching point, mTOR is predicted, and then shown by experiment, to be unresponsive to inhibition. These results may help explain the undistinguished performance of mTOR inhibitors in certain clinical trials."


In an animal study, scientists from the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, found that mTOR-inhibitors may have adverse effects on heart function in patients with ongoing heart problems.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;


Two-fifths of people (40%) have reported they get a sunburn on purpose to "deepen" a tan, despite the fact that getting a painful sunburn just once every two years can increase the likelihood for skin cancer three-fold.

The research, conducted by Macmillian Cancer Support, surveyed 1,000 men and women in the UK, and found that a quarter (25%) felt that burning in the sun was the only method of getting a tan - more than 90% knew that getting a sunburn can lead to skin cancer.

In Wales and the Midlands 30% were more likely than people in the North and Scotland to burn in the sun to achieve a deeper tan.

Additionally, the survey showed that young people (aged 18 to 35) were more than twice as likely as their parents (aged 55 or older) to think that burning in the sun will secure a faster tan.

Following a long, cold winter, one in 10 Brits were planning to lay out without using suntan lotion, increasing their risk for skin cancer. Men were nearly twice as likely as women to not use any suntan lotion.

The number of people diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the most serious type of skin cancer - in the UK is increasing, with approximately 35 people being diagnosed each day.

Judy Duddridge, 45, Cambridgeshire, a skin cancer survivor, explained:
"I spent many years living in Dubai so I was always in and out of the sun with little protection. I was very unaware of the damage that too much sun and getting burnt could do. I thought I was just living my life normally. My cancer was between my eyebrows and left me with a nasty scar and made me self conscious. It's so important to be sun aware, never to burn and always wear and top up with sunscreen."

The Macmillian team suggests that no one should face cancer alone.

Carol Goodman, Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist on the Macmillan Support Line, says:

"This new research shows that despite being aware of the health risks people are still burning themselves in the sun in order to get a tan. As we start to look forward to summer after one of the coldest winters yet, it is alarming that staying safe in the sun is not a priority for many people.

Sunburn will cause serious damage to your skin which can lead to cancer. A diagnosis of malignant melanoma can be just as fatal as some other cancers. It is vital to protect your skin when out in the sun by using sun tan lotion, wearing sun protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) or staying in the shade between the hours of 11am and 3pm."

Simple Steps To Protect Against The Sun


Find shade when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Avoid sunburn and indoor tanning. Use caution around reflective surfaces, like water and sand.

Use clothes that protect from the sun, like hats and sunglasses.

Check the UV index to prevent overexposure to the sun.

Carefully read sunscreen labels, as it was recently reported that only 25% of sunscreen products offer strong and broad UV protection and raise few health concerns.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

The H7N9 influenza virus has killed over a third of patients who were hospitalized with the infection, experts wrote in The Lancet.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Beijing, China, and the University of Hong Kong, provides the first estimates of the severity profile of the virus.

Data on hospital admissions associated with H7N9 infection were gathered and examined for the purpose of the study. In order to estimate the likelihood of fatality for patients who had been admitted to hospital and the risk of death in symptomatic cases, the experts also used surveillance data.

H7N9, the avian influenza that is in circulation in China at the moment, has a lower fatality risk than H5N1, an avian influenza virus that appeared in 2003, the authors said. However, the death rate from H7N9 infection is higher than the H1N1 pandemic influenza from 2011.

"H5N1 had a fatality risk of around 60% for patients admitted to hospital, whereas pandemic H1N1 killed 21% of patients with the virus who were admitted to hospital," the experts said.

After looking at data from China's sentinel surveillance network, and based on assumptions of how many infected people are likely to seek medical care, the authors explained that between 0.16% and 2.8% of all people with symptomatic H7N9 infection are at risk of death.

Due to the challenges of correctly calculating how many patients are infected with H7N9 but only have mild symptoms, there is a wide discrepancy between these estimates.

The researchers explained:
"Assessing the severity profile of human infections is vitally important in the management and treatment of any infectious disease outbreak. Although previous clinical case series have focused on the potential for avian influenza H7N9 virus infection to cause severe illness, we have estimated that mild cases might have occurred."

"Our results thus support continued vigilance and sustained intensive control efforts against the virus to minimize risk of human infection, which is greater than previously recognized," they added.

In a second report, published simultaneously, the same group of investigators analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of H7N9 and compared them with older H5N1 viruses.

There is a possibility that H7N9 will reappear later this year, the authors warned, and public health officials and health care workers need to be ready.

Men appear to have been more vulnerable to infection from both viruses, especially in urban areas. The researchers believe that a leading risk factor for infection is the handling of infected poultry.

The report also highlighted some notable differences between infections caused by the two viruses. For example, disease progression was experienced more rapidly with H5N1 infections, and the risk of dying for hospitalized patients with this virus was almost two times the risk for H7N9.

"The incubation period of H7N9 was estimated at 3.3 days on average, lower than previous estimates, and directly informing quarantine policies," according to the report.

The authors concluded:
"The warm season has now begun in China, and only one new laboratory-confirmed case of H7N9 in human beings has been identified since May 8, 2013. If H7N9 follows a similar pattern to H5N1, the epidemic could reappear in the autumn.

This potential lull should be an opportunity for discussion of definitive preventive public health measures, optimization of clinical management, and capacity building in the region in view of the possibility that H7N9 could spread beyond China's borders."

The investigation is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between the CDC and the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health.

The scientists' goal is to define the epidemiology of influenza A (H7N9) in real time.

A recent study revealed that the H7N9 bird flu virus may be human transmissible through direct contact as well as through airborne exposure.

A different report said that a vaccine which provides wider protection against multiple strains of the bird flu virus is currently being worked on.


Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Helping Tobacco Users Quit, More Commitment Needed Worldwide

Helping Tobacco Users Quit, More Commitment Needed Worldwide24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Tobacco users worldwide need more concrete and committed help to quit, say researchers in an article in Addiction, which informs that over half of the countries that signed the WHO 2005 Framework on Tobacco Control have not set up any formal plans to help people stop smoking.

The WHO FCTC (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) was developed as a treaty to address the global tobacco addiction epidemic that is responsible for 5 million deaths each year globally. The legally-binding treaty came into force 8 years ago (2005) and was eventually signed by 175 nations.

Countries that signed the FCTC were supposed to commit to developing plans to help their citizens who are tobacco users to quit - specifically, the treaty stipulates that plans must be based on scientifically-proven strategies.

According to two surveys of 121 nations, over half of all signatories have not yet developed any plans.

According to the two surveys, treatment guidelines are in place in..:

44% of countries
75% of the rich nations
42% of middle-income countries
30% of lower-middle-income countries
11% of low-income countries
Only one-fifth of all countries had a budget dedicated to treating tobacco addiction


Professor Robert West, Editor-in-Chief of Addiction, wrote:

"Tobacco dependence treatment is a very inexpensive way of saving lives, much cheaper and more effective than many of the clinical services routinely provided by health systems worldwide. These reports map out for the first time the work that needs to be done to make this treatment accessible to those who could benefit from it. I hope they will be a spur to action."

In the first survey, the authors concluded "Fewer than half of the Parties to the WHO FCTC have developed national tobacco treatment guidelines, but, where guidelines exist, they broadly follow FCTC Article 14 guideline recommendations."

In the second survey, the authors concluded "Most countries, especially low- and middle-income countries, have not yet implemented the recommendations of FCTC Article 14 or the FCTC Article 14 guidelines."

Regular walking helps teenagers quit smoking - teenagers who walk for 20 minutes a day may find it easier to give up smoking, researchers from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health (April 2013 issue).

Lead researcher Kimberly Horn, EdD, said "This study adds to evidence suggesting that exercise can help teenagers who are trying to quit smoking. Teens who boosted the number of days on which they engaged in at least 20 minutes of exercise, equivalent to a short walk, were more likely than their peers to resist lighting up a cigarette."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Hand Washing Averts Petting Farm Illnesses

Hand Washing Averts Petting Farm Illnesses24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;



Following a number of outbreaks of diarrhoea illnesses this year, public health experts in England are warning people

about the need for good hand hygiene when visiting petting farms.

The authorities are keen to put out this warning ahead of the summer holidays. Visits to petting farms peak during

school and public holidays.

According to Public Health England (PHE), between January and May this year, there have been 12 outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis

linked to petting farm visits across England. In total around 130 people have been affected.

For the last 20 years, the average number of cryptosporidium cases per year linked to petting farm visits reported to the English

authorities has been around 80.

This is in the context of over 2 million visits to over 1,000 UK petting farms.

Bob Adak, PHE's head of gastrointestinal diseases, says in a statement:

"Visiting a farm is a very enjoyable experience for both children and adults alike but it's important to remember that contact

with farm animals carries a risk of infection because of the microorganisms - or germs - they naturally carry."

Common Infections that Can Be Picked Up From Petting Farms

The three most common bugs that you can pick up from petting farms are Cryptosporidium, E. coli and

Salmonella.

All three bugs live in the gut of farm animals and you can pick them up either through touching the animals directly or touching

animal droppings or places that have been contaminated by animal droppings.

The bugs then infect you when you touch your face, put your fingers in your mouth, or touch your food or your food container

before washing your hands thoroughly (with soap and water).

You could also inadvertently pass the infection onto someone else if you touch their face or their food: something parents carrying

small children need to be aware of.



Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite (protozoa) that causes a diarrhoeal illness known as

cryptosporidiosis.

It can be found in soil, water, food, or any surface that has been contaminated with human or animal stools.

Young children are most likely to become infected.

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis are typically watery diarrhoea, stomach pains and vomiting. They usually last for about two

weeks, sometimes a little longer. Symptoms are more severe in people with weakened immune systems.

There is no specific treatment and the illness usually goes away by itself. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid

dehydration.

E. coli

E. coli is a bacterium commonly found in the gut of most people and animals. There are many different strains of the

bacterium, and many of them cause no harm.

But there are a few types of E. coli that cause illness, ranging from mild to severe, as in the case of VTEC O157.



An infection with E. coli can cause gastroenteritis with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain.



In serious cases of infection with VTEC O157 the diarrhoea is bloody and can result in very severe, sometimes fatal disease,

although these cases are very rare. Most people make a full recovery from a VTEC O157 infection.

Cases of E. coli linked to farm visits are at their highest between June and October says PHE.

Cattle are usually the most important source of VTEC O157 in the UK, but it has also been found in the stools of deer, rabbits,

pigs, horses, and other animals, including wild birds.

Salmonella

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that live in the gut of many farm animals and can affect meat, eggs, poultry, and

milk.

It causes a type of food poisoning known as salmonellosis. Symptoms include diarrhoea and stomach cramps, that are

sometimes accompanied by vomiting and fever.

Most people recover without treatment, but if you become very dehydrated you may develop more severe symptoms and need

hospital care to stop them becoming life-threatening.

Young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of becoming severely ill.


Hand Washing to Avoid Illness When Visiting Petting Farms

Visiting a petting farm is a fun and educational thing to do for children and adults alike.

However, there is also a risk of infection, which you can minimize by taking sensible precautions.

Thus when visiting a petting farm, make sure you and your group wash hands thoroughly with soap and water at the end of the

visit (some advise you should do this a few times during the visit too).

It is especially important to wash your hands before eating: even if you have not handled any animals, you may still

have come into contact with infected surfaces like fences, posts and handrails.

You can see dirt on your hands, but you can't see the millions of bacteria harbouring on them.

PHE also warns that hand gels and wipes are not effective protection against the sort of germs found on

farms.

Adults should also keep a close eye on children and make sure they wash their hands properly as they are more at risk of serious

illness.

PHE urges owners and managers of farm attractions to follow the industry code of practice, and also teachers and organizers of

farm tours to read and follow the relevant guidance.

It is also important that signs reminding visitors to wash their hands are clear, large and well-placed.

Top Tips for Avoiding Illness On Farm Visits


Avoid touching face or putting fingers in your mouth.
Do not kiss farm animals.
Do not let children put their faces close to farm animals, no matter how cute they may seem.
After touching animals, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water (soap up to a lather, scrub well, and rinse off with

running water).
Even if you have not touched animals do this: you may have touched contaminated surfaces, such as fences and posts.
Don't eat or drink while touching animals, or walking around the farm.
Eat and drink only after you have washed your hands, and only in designated areas like cafes and picnic sites.
After the visit, remove and clean boots and shoes, and make sure you clean pushchair wheels. Then wash your hands

thoroughly with soap and water.

Adapted from Public Health England

Also, if you are planning to visit the seaside, you may find the same advice will come in useful. A few years ago, scientists carried

out research that showed washing your hands after digging

in beach sand could greatly reduce your risk of ingesting microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.




Written by Catharine Paddock PhD




Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Why does anti-cancer therapy stop working at a specific stage? Scientists in Israel and the USA believe they have made a breakthrough in understanding why a hopeful anti-cancer therapy fails to destroy tumor cells successfully.

The researchers, whose study is published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), believe their findings may lead to new approaches in overcoming this cul-de-sac.

Suppressing the mTOR (mammalian target Of Rapamycin) protein has been extremely challenging for oncologists.

mTOR plays a key role in regulating vital cell growth processes - it is a bit like a communications command center, receiving external signals from hormones, growth factors and proteins. It then sends out "on" or "off" signals for the cell to grow and divide, seek nutrition, or use that nutrition. mTOR is strongly activated in several solid cancers.

mTor inhibitors destroy outer layers but not the core of tumors

While drugs have been shown to suppress mTOR and have been successful in causing the death of cancer cells in the outer layers of malignant tumors, in clinical trials they have failed in destroying the core of those tumors.

Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is an almost-universal characteristic of solid tumors that can affect how tumors respond to therapies. Scientists know that the condition of hypoxia affects the behavior of mTOR signaling, but nobody knew what the mechanism was.

Prof. Emeritus Raphael D. Levine, from the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and scientists from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the California Institute of Technology set out to determine what role hypoxia plays on mTOR signaling in model brain cancer systems and whether this could explain why promising mTOR drugs fail.

They used a new microchip technology to measure the mTOR protein-signaling network in cancer cells. They also used a new set of theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences to interpret the results. This dual approach simplified an otherwise extremely complex biological system.


The mTOR biochemical pathway is a complex one

The investigators found that at a specific level of hypoxia, which is typical in solid tumors, the mTOR signaling network switches between two sets of properties. At exactly the moment when the switching over takes places, the theoretical models predicted that mTOR would not respond to mTOR-inhibiting medications.

According to the combined experiment finding, the researchers believe that the switching over might be a kind of phase transition, something not observed before in biological systems.

This phase transition happened very suddenly, and cells being studied stopped responding like they had done before. The authors wrote "In the case of the tumor, the 'drugging' of the mTOR ceased, meaning that the tumor was no longer inhibited."
These results:

explain why promising mTOR-inhibiting drugs stop working at a specific stage

"indicate that certain complex biological behaviors, which often confound scientists who are seeking to find effective therapies for human diseases, may be understood by the effective application of experimental and theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences."

Levine wrote in the PNAS Abstract:
"We find a hypoxia-induced switch within a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling network. At the switching point, mTOR is predicted, and then shown by experiment, to be unresponsive to inhibition. These results may help explain the undistinguished performance of mTOR inhibitors in certain clinical trials."


In an animal study, scientists from the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, found that mTOR-inhibitors may have adverse effects on heart function in patients with ongoing heart problems.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;


Two-fifths of people (40%) have reported they get a sunburn on purpose to "deepen" a tan, despite the fact that getting a painful sunburn just once every two years can increase the likelihood for skin cancer three-fold.

The research, conducted by Macmillian Cancer Support, surveyed 1,000 men and women in the UK, and found that a quarter (25%) felt that burning in the sun was the only method of getting a tan - more than 90% knew that getting a sunburn can lead to skin cancer.

In Wales and the Midlands 30% were more likely than people in the North and Scotland to burn in the sun to achieve a deeper tan.

Additionally, the survey showed that young people (aged 18 to 35) were more than twice as likely as their parents (aged 55 or older) to think that burning in the sun will secure a faster tan.

Following a long, cold winter, one in 10 Brits were planning to lay out without using suntan lotion, increasing their risk for skin cancer. Men were nearly twice as likely as women to not use any suntan lotion.

The number of people diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the most serious type of skin cancer - in the UK is increasing, with approximately 35 people being diagnosed each day.

Judy Duddridge, 45, Cambridgeshire, a skin cancer survivor, explained:
"I spent many years living in Dubai so I was always in and out of the sun with little protection. I was very unaware of the damage that too much sun and getting burnt could do. I thought I was just living my life normally. My cancer was between my eyebrows and left me with a nasty scar and made me self conscious. It's so important to be sun aware, never to burn and always wear and top up with sunscreen."

The Macmillian team suggests that no one should face cancer alone.

Carol Goodman, Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist on the Macmillan Support Line, says:

"This new research shows that despite being aware of the health risks people are still burning themselves in the sun in order to get a tan. As we start to look forward to summer after one of the coldest winters yet, it is alarming that staying safe in the sun is not a priority for many people.

Sunburn will cause serious damage to your skin which can lead to cancer. A diagnosis of malignant melanoma can be just as fatal as some other cancers. It is vital to protect your skin when out in the sun by using sun tan lotion, wearing sun protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) or staying in the shade between the hours of 11am and 3pm."

Simple Steps To Protect Against The Sun


Find shade when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Avoid sunburn and indoor tanning. Use caution around reflective surfaces, like water and sand.

Use clothes that protect from the sun, like hats and sunglasses.

Check the UV index to prevent overexposure to the sun.

Carefully read sunscreen labels, as it was recently reported that only 25% of sunscreen products offer strong and broad UV protection and raise few health concerns.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

The H7N9 influenza virus has killed over a third of patients who were hospitalized with the infection, experts wrote in The Lancet.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Beijing, China, and the University of Hong Kong, provides the first estimates of the severity profile of the virus.

Data on hospital admissions associated with H7N9 infection were gathered and examined for the purpose of the study. In order to estimate the likelihood of fatality for patients who had been admitted to hospital and the risk of death in symptomatic cases, the experts also used surveillance data.

H7N9, the avian influenza that is in circulation in China at the moment, has a lower fatality risk than H5N1, an avian influenza virus that appeared in 2003, the authors said. However, the death rate from H7N9 infection is higher than the H1N1 pandemic influenza from 2011.

"H5N1 had a fatality risk of around 60% for patients admitted to hospital, whereas pandemic H1N1 killed 21% of patients with the virus who were admitted to hospital," the experts said.

After looking at data from China's sentinel surveillance network, and based on assumptions of how many infected people are likely to seek medical care, the authors explained that between 0.16% and 2.8% of all people with symptomatic H7N9 infection are at risk of death.

Due to the challenges of correctly calculating how many patients are infected with H7N9 but only have mild symptoms, there is a wide discrepancy between these estimates.

The researchers explained:
"Assessing the severity profile of human infections is vitally important in the management and treatment of any infectious disease outbreak. Although previous clinical case series have focused on the potential for avian influenza H7N9 virus infection to cause severe illness, we have estimated that mild cases might have occurred."

"Our results thus support continued vigilance and sustained intensive control efforts against the virus to minimize risk of human infection, which is greater than previously recognized," they added.

In a second report, published simultaneously, the same group of investigators analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of H7N9 and compared them with older H5N1 viruses.

There is a possibility that H7N9 will reappear later this year, the authors warned, and public health officials and health care workers need to be ready.

Men appear to have been more vulnerable to infection from both viruses, especially in urban areas. The researchers believe that a leading risk factor for infection is the handling of infected poultry.

The report also highlighted some notable differences between infections caused by the two viruses. For example, disease progression was experienced more rapidly with H5N1 infections, and the risk of dying for hospitalized patients with this virus was almost two times the risk for H7N9.

"The incubation period of H7N9 was estimated at 3.3 days on average, lower than previous estimates, and directly informing quarantine policies," according to the report.

The authors concluded:
"The warm season has now begun in China, and only one new laboratory-confirmed case of H7N9 in human beings has been identified since May 8, 2013. If H7N9 follows a similar pattern to H5N1, the epidemic could reappear in the autumn.

This potential lull should be an opportunity for discussion of definitive preventive public health measures, optimization of clinical management, and capacity building in the region in view of the possibility that H7N9 could spread beyond China's borders."

The investigation is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between the CDC and the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health.

The scientists' goal is to define the epidemiology of influenza A (H7N9) in real time.

A recent study revealed that the H7N9 bird flu virus may be human transmissible through direct contact as well as through airborne exposure.

A different report said that a vaccine which provides wider protection against multiple strains of the bird flu virus is currently being worked on.


Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Helping Tobacco Users Quit, More Commitment Needed Worldwide

Helping Tobacco Users Quit, More Commitment Needed Worldwide24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Tobacco users worldwide need more concrete and committed help to quit, say researchers in an article in Addiction, which informs that over half of the countries that signed the WHO 2005 Framework on Tobacco Control have not set up any formal plans to help people stop smoking.

The WHO FCTC (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) was developed as a treaty to address the global tobacco addiction epidemic that is responsible for 5 million deaths each year globally. The legally-binding treaty came into force 8 years ago (2005) and was eventually signed by 175 nations.

Countries that signed the FCTC were supposed to commit to developing plans to help their citizens who are tobacco users to quit - specifically, the treaty stipulates that plans must be based on scientifically-proven strategies.

According to two surveys of 121 nations, over half of all signatories have not yet developed any plans.

According to the two surveys, treatment guidelines are in place in..:

44% of countries
75% of the rich nations
42% of middle-income countries
30% of lower-middle-income countries
11% of low-income countries
Only one-fifth of all countries had a budget dedicated to treating tobacco addiction


Professor Robert West, Editor-in-Chief of Addiction, wrote:

"Tobacco dependence treatment is a very inexpensive way of saving lives, much cheaper and more effective than many of the clinical services routinely provided by health systems worldwide. These reports map out for the first time the work that needs to be done to make this treatment accessible to those who could benefit from it. I hope they will be a spur to action."

In the first survey, the authors concluded "Fewer than half of the Parties to the WHO FCTC have developed national tobacco treatment guidelines, but, where guidelines exist, they broadly follow FCTC Article 14 guideline recommendations."

In the second survey, the authors concluded "Most countries, especially low- and middle-income countries, have not yet implemented the recommendations of FCTC Article 14 or the FCTC Article 14 guidelines."

Regular walking helps teenagers quit smoking - teenagers who walk for 20 minutes a day may find it easier to give up smoking, researchers from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health (April 2013 issue).

Lead researcher Kimberly Horn, EdD, said "This study adds to evidence suggesting that exercise can help teenagers who are trying to quit smoking. Teens who boosted the number of days on which they engaged in at least 20 minutes of exercise, equivalent to a short walk, were more likely than their peers to resist lighting up a cigarette."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Hand Washing Averts Petting Farm Illnesses

Hand Washing Averts Petting Farm Illnesses24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;



Following a number of outbreaks of diarrhoea illnesses this year, public health experts in England are warning people

about the need for good hand hygiene when visiting petting farms.

The authorities are keen to put out this warning ahead of the summer holidays. Visits to petting farms peak during

school and public holidays.

According to Public Health England (PHE), between January and May this year, there have been 12 outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis

linked to petting farm visits across England. In total around 130 people have been affected.

For the last 20 years, the average number of cryptosporidium cases per year linked to petting farm visits reported to the English

authorities has been around 80.

This is in the context of over 2 million visits to over 1,000 UK petting farms.

Bob Adak, PHE's head of gastrointestinal diseases, says in a statement:

"Visiting a farm is a very enjoyable experience for both children and adults alike but it's important to remember that contact

with farm animals carries a risk of infection because of the microorganisms - or germs - they naturally carry."

Common Infections that Can Be Picked Up From Petting Farms

The three most common bugs that you can pick up from petting farms are Cryptosporidium, E. coli and

Salmonella.

All three bugs live in the gut of farm animals and you can pick them up either through touching the animals directly or touching

animal droppings or places that have been contaminated by animal droppings.

The bugs then infect you when you touch your face, put your fingers in your mouth, or touch your food or your food container

before washing your hands thoroughly (with soap and water).

You could also inadvertently pass the infection onto someone else if you touch their face or their food: something parents carrying

small children need to be aware of.



Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite (protozoa) that causes a diarrhoeal illness known as

cryptosporidiosis.

It can be found in soil, water, food, or any surface that has been contaminated with human or animal stools.

Young children are most likely to become infected.

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis are typically watery diarrhoea, stomach pains and vomiting. They usually last for about two

weeks, sometimes a little longer. Symptoms are more severe in people with weakened immune systems.

There is no specific treatment and the illness usually goes away by itself. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid

dehydration.

E. coli

E. coli is a bacterium commonly found in the gut of most people and animals. There are many different strains of the

bacterium, and many of them cause no harm.

But there are a few types of E. coli that cause illness, ranging from mild to severe, as in the case of VTEC O157.



An infection with E. coli can cause gastroenteritis with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain.



In serious cases of infection with VTEC O157 the diarrhoea is bloody and can result in very severe, sometimes fatal disease,

although these cases are very rare. Most people make a full recovery from a VTEC O157 infection.

Cases of E. coli linked to farm visits are at their highest between June and October says PHE.

Cattle are usually the most important source of VTEC O157 in the UK, but it has also been found in the stools of deer, rabbits,

pigs, horses, and other animals, including wild birds.

Salmonella

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that live in the gut of many farm animals and can affect meat, eggs, poultry, and

milk.

It causes a type of food poisoning known as salmonellosis. Symptoms include diarrhoea and stomach cramps, that are

sometimes accompanied by vomiting and fever.

Most people recover without treatment, but if you become very dehydrated you may develop more severe symptoms and need

hospital care to stop them becoming life-threatening.

Young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of becoming severely ill.


Hand Washing to Avoid Illness When Visiting Petting Farms

Visiting a petting farm is a fun and educational thing to do for children and adults alike.

However, there is also a risk of infection, which you can minimize by taking sensible precautions.

Thus when visiting a petting farm, make sure you and your group wash hands thoroughly with soap and water at the end of the

visit (some advise you should do this a few times during the visit too).

It is especially important to wash your hands before eating: even if you have not handled any animals, you may still

have come into contact with infected surfaces like fences, posts and handrails.

You can see dirt on your hands, but you can't see the millions of bacteria harbouring on them.

PHE also warns that hand gels and wipes are not effective protection against the sort of germs found on

farms.

Adults should also keep a close eye on children and make sure they wash their hands properly as they are more at risk of serious

illness.

PHE urges owners and managers of farm attractions to follow the industry code of practice, and also teachers and organizers of

farm tours to read and follow the relevant guidance.

It is also important that signs reminding visitors to wash their hands are clear, large and well-placed.

Top Tips for Avoiding Illness On Farm Visits


Avoid touching face or putting fingers in your mouth.
Do not kiss farm animals.
Do not let children put their faces close to farm animals, no matter how cute they may seem.
After touching animals, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water (soap up to a lather, scrub well, and rinse off with

running water).
Even if you have not touched animals do this: you may have touched contaminated surfaces, such as fences and posts.
Don't eat or drink while touching animals, or walking around the farm.
Eat and drink only after you have washed your hands, and only in designated areas like cafes and picnic sites.
After the visit, remove and clean boots and shoes, and make sure you clean pushchair wheels. Then wash your hands

thoroughly with soap and water.

Adapted from Public Health England

Also, if you are planning to visit the seaside, you may find the same advice will come in useful. A few years ago, scientists carried

out research that showed washing your hands after digging

in beach sand could greatly reduce your risk of ingesting microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.




Written by Catharine Paddock PhD




Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Why does anti-cancer therapy stop working at a specific stage? Scientists in Israel and the USA believe they have made a breakthrough in understanding why a hopeful anti-cancer therapy fails to destroy tumor cells successfully.

The researchers, whose study is published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), believe their findings may lead to new approaches in overcoming this cul-de-sac.

Suppressing the mTOR (mammalian target Of Rapamycin) protein has been extremely challenging for oncologists.

mTOR plays a key role in regulating vital cell growth processes - it is a bit like a communications command center, receiving external signals from hormones, growth factors and proteins. It then sends out "on" or "off" signals for the cell to grow and divide, seek nutrition, or use that nutrition. mTOR is strongly activated in several solid cancers.

mTor inhibitors destroy outer layers but not the core of tumors

While drugs have been shown to suppress mTOR and have been successful in causing the death of cancer cells in the outer layers of malignant tumors, in clinical trials they have failed in destroying the core of those tumors.

Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is an almost-universal characteristic of solid tumors that can affect how tumors respond to therapies. Scientists know that the condition of hypoxia affects the behavior of mTOR signaling, but nobody knew what the mechanism was.

Prof. Emeritus Raphael D. Levine, from the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and scientists from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the California Institute of Technology set out to determine what role hypoxia plays on mTOR signaling in model brain cancer systems and whether this could explain why promising mTOR drugs fail.

They used a new microchip technology to measure the mTOR protein-signaling network in cancer cells. They also used a new set of theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences to interpret the results. This dual approach simplified an otherwise extremely complex biological system.


The mTOR biochemical pathway is a complex one

The investigators found that at a specific level of hypoxia, which is typical in solid tumors, the mTOR signaling network switches between two sets of properties. At exactly the moment when the switching over takes places, the theoretical models predicted that mTOR would not respond to mTOR-inhibiting medications.

According to the combined experiment finding, the researchers believe that the switching over might be a kind of phase transition, something not observed before in biological systems.

This phase transition happened very suddenly, and cells being studied stopped responding like they had done before. The authors wrote "In the case of the tumor, the 'drugging' of the mTOR ceased, meaning that the tumor was no longer inhibited."
These results:

explain why promising mTOR-inhibiting drugs stop working at a specific stage

"indicate that certain complex biological behaviors, which often confound scientists who are seeking to find effective therapies for human diseases, may be understood by the effective application of experimental and theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences."

Levine wrote in the PNAS Abstract:
"We find a hypoxia-induced switch within a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling network. At the switching point, mTOR is predicted, and then shown by experiment, to be unresponsive to inhibition. These results may help explain the undistinguished performance of mTOR inhibitors in certain clinical trials."


In an animal study, scientists from the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, found that mTOR-inhibitors may have adverse effects on heart function in patients with ongoing heart problems.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;


Two-fifths of people (40%) have reported they get a sunburn on purpose to "deepen" a tan, despite the fact that getting a painful sunburn just once every two years can increase the likelihood for skin cancer three-fold.

The research, conducted by Macmillian Cancer Support, surveyed 1,000 men and women in the UK, and found that a quarter (25%) felt that burning in the sun was the only method of getting a tan - more than 90% knew that getting a sunburn can lead to skin cancer.

In Wales and the Midlands 30% were more likely than people in the North and Scotland to burn in the sun to achieve a deeper tan.

Additionally, the survey showed that young people (aged 18 to 35) were more than twice as likely as their parents (aged 55 or older) to think that burning in the sun will secure a faster tan.

Following a long, cold winter, one in 10 Brits were planning to lay out without using suntan lotion, increasing their risk for skin cancer. Men were nearly twice as likely as women to not use any suntan lotion.

The number of people diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the most serious type of skin cancer - in the UK is increasing, with approximately 35 people being diagnosed each day.

Judy Duddridge, 45, Cambridgeshire, a skin cancer survivor, explained:
"I spent many years living in Dubai so I was always in and out of the sun with little protection. I was very unaware of the damage that too much sun and getting burnt could do. I thought I was just living my life normally. My cancer was between my eyebrows and left me with a nasty scar and made me self conscious. It's so important to be sun aware, never to burn and always wear and top up with sunscreen."

The Macmillian team suggests that no one should face cancer alone.

Carol Goodman, Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist on the Macmillan Support Line, says:

"This new research shows that despite being aware of the health risks people are still burning themselves in the sun in order to get a tan. As we start to look forward to summer after one of the coldest winters yet, it is alarming that staying safe in the sun is not a priority for many people.

Sunburn will cause serious damage to your skin which can lead to cancer. A diagnosis of malignant melanoma can be just as fatal as some other cancers. It is vital to protect your skin when out in the sun by using sun tan lotion, wearing sun protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) or staying in the shade between the hours of 11am and 3pm."

Simple Steps To Protect Against The Sun


Find shade when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Avoid sunburn and indoor tanning. Use caution around reflective surfaces, like water and sand.

Use clothes that protect from the sun, like hats and sunglasses.

Check the UV index to prevent overexposure to the sun.

Carefully read sunscreen labels, as it was recently reported that only 25% of sunscreen products offer strong and broad UV protection and raise few health concerns.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

The H7N9 influenza virus has killed over a third of patients who were hospitalized with the infection, experts wrote in The Lancet.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Beijing, China, and the University of Hong Kong, provides the first estimates of the severity profile of the virus.

Data on hospital admissions associated with H7N9 infection were gathered and examined for the purpose of the study. In order to estimate the likelihood of fatality for patients who had been admitted to hospital and the risk of death in symptomatic cases, the experts also used surveillance data.

H7N9, the avian influenza that is in circulation in China at the moment, has a lower fatality risk than H5N1, an avian influenza virus that appeared in 2003, the authors said. However, the death rate from H7N9 infection is higher than the H1N1 pandemic influenza from 2011.

"H5N1 had a fatality risk of around 60% for patients admitted to hospital, whereas pandemic H1N1 killed 21% of patients with the virus who were admitted to hospital," the experts said.

After looking at data from China's sentinel surveillance network, and based on assumptions of how many infected people are likely to seek medical care, the authors explained that between 0.16% and 2.8% of all people with symptomatic H7N9 infection are at risk of death.

Due to the challenges of correctly calculating how many patients are infected with H7N9 but only have mild symptoms, there is a wide discrepancy between these estimates.

The researchers explained:
"Assessing the severity profile of human infections is vitally important in the management and treatment of any infectious disease outbreak. Although previous clinical case series have focused on the potential for avian influenza H7N9 virus infection to cause severe illness, we have estimated that mild cases might have occurred."

"Our results thus support continued vigilance and sustained intensive control efforts against the virus to minimize risk of human infection, which is greater than previously recognized," they added.

In a second report, published simultaneously, the same group of investigators analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of H7N9 and compared them with older H5N1 viruses.

There is a possibility that H7N9 will reappear later this year, the authors warned, and public health officials and health care workers need to be ready.

Men appear to have been more vulnerable to infection from both viruses, especially in urban areas. The researchers believe that a leading risk factor for infection is the handling of infected poultry.

The report also highlighted some notable differences between infections caused by the two viruses. For example, disease progression was experienced more rapidly with H5N1 infections, and the risk of dying for hospitalized patients with this virus was almost two times the risk for H7N9.

"The incubation period of H7N9 was estimated at 3.3 days on average, lower than previous estimates, and directly informing quarantine policies," according to the report.

The authors concluded:
"The warm season has now begun in China, and only one new laboratory-confirmed case of H7N9 in human beings has been identified since May 8, 2013. If H7N9 follows a similar pattern to H5N1, the epidemic could reappear in the autumn.

This potential lull should be an opportunity for discussion of definitive preventive public health measures, optimization of clinical management, and capacity building in the region in view of the possibility that H7N9 could spread beyond China's borders."

The investigation is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between the CDC and the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health.

The scientists' goal is to define the epidemiology of influenza A (H7N9) in real time.

A recent study revealed that the H7N9 bird flu virus may be human transmissible through direct contact as well as through airborne exposure.

A different report said that a vaccine which provides wider protection against multiple strains of the bird flu virus is currently being worked on.


Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?

Why Does Promising Anti-Cancer Therapy Suddenly Stop Working?24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Why does anti-cancer therapy stop working at a specific stage? Scientists in Israel and the USA believe they have made a breakthrough in understanding why a hopeful anti-cancer therapy fails to destroy tumor cells successfully.

The researchers, whose study is published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), believe their findings may lead to new approaches in overcoming this cul-de-sac.

Suppressing the mTOR (mammalian target Of Rapamycin) protein has been extremely challenging for oncologists.

mTOR plays a key role in regulating vital cell growth processes - it is a bit like a communications command center, receiving external signals from hormones, growth factors and proteins. It then sends out "on" or "off" signals for the cell to grow and divide, seek nutrition, or use that nutrition. mTOR is strongly activated in several solid cancers.

mTor inhibitors destroy outer layers but not the core of tumors

While drugs have been shown to suppress mTOR and have been successful in causing the death of cancer cells in the outer layers of malignant tumors, in clinical trials they have failed in destroying the core of those tumors.

Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is an almost-universal characteristic of solid tumors that can affect how tumors respond to therapies. Scientists know that the condition of hypoxia affects the behavior of mTOR signaling, but nobody knew what the mechanism was.

Prof. Emeritus Raphael D. Levine, from the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and scientists from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the California Institute of Technology set out to determine what role hypoxia plays on mTOR signaling in model brain cancer systems and whether this could explain why promising mTOR drugs fail.

They used a new microchip technology to measure the mTOR protein-signaling network in cancer cells. They also used a new set of theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences to interpret the results. This dual approach simplified an otherwise extremely complex biological system.


The mTOR biochemical pathway is a complex one

The investigators found that at a specific level of hypoxia, which is typical in solid tumors, the mTOR signaling network switches between two sets of properties. At exactly the moment when the switching over takes places, the theoretical models predicted that mTOR would not respond to mTOR-inhibiting medications.

According to the combined experiment finding, the researchers believe that the switching over might be a kind of phase transition, something not observed before in biological systems.

This phase transition happened very suddenly, and cells being studied stopped responding like they had done before. The authors wrote "In the case of the tumor, the 'drugging' of the mTOR ceased, meaning that the tumor was no longer inhibited."
These results:

explain why promising mTOR-inhibiting drugs stop working at a specific stage

"indicate that certain complex biological behaviors, which often confound scientists who are seeking to find effective therapies for human diseases, may be understood by the effective application of experimental and theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences."

Levine wrote in the PNAS Abstract:
"We find a hypoxia-induced switch within a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling network. At the switching point, mTOR is predicted, and then shown by experiment, to be unresponsive to inhibition. These results may help explain the undistinguished performance of mTOR inhibitors in certain clinical trials."


In an animal study, scientists from the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, found that mTOR-inhibitors may have adverse effects on heart function in patients with ongoing heart problems.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan

40% Of People Get A Sunburn On Purpose To Deepen Tan24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;


Two-fifths of people (40%) have reported they get a sunburn on purpose to "deepen" a tan, despite the fact that getting a painful sunburn just once every two years can increase the likelihood for skin cancer three-fold.

The research, conducted by Macmillian Cancer Support, surveyed 1,000 men and women in the UK, and found that a quarter (25%) felt that burning in the sun was the only method of getting a tan - more than 90% knew that getting a sunburn can lead to skin cancer.

In Wales and the Midlands 30% were more likely than people in the North and Scotland to burn in the sun to achieve a deeper tan.

Additionally, the survey showed that young people (aged 18 to 35) were more than twice as likely as their parents (aged 55 or older) to think that burning in the sun will secure a faster tan.

Following a long, cold winter, one in 10 Brits were planning to lay out without using suntan lotion, increasing their risk for skin cancer. Men were nearly twice as likely as women to not use any suntan lotion.

The number of people diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the most serious type of skin cancer - in the UK is increasing, with approximately 35 people being diagnosed each day.

Judy Duddridge, 45, Cambridgeshire, a skin cancer survivor, explained:
"I spent many years living in Dubai so I was always in and out of the sun with little protection. I was very unaware of the damage that too much sun and getting burnt could do. I thought I was just living my life normally. My cancer was between my eyebrows and left me with a nasty scar and made me self conscious. It's so important to be sun aware, never to burn and always wear and top up with sunscreen."

The Macmillian team suggests that no one should face cancer alone.

Carol Goodman, Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist on the Macmillan Support Line, says:

"This new research shows that despite being aware of the health risks people are still burning themselves in the sun in order to get a tan. As we start to look forward to summer after one of the coldest winters yet, it is alarming that staying safe in the sun is not a priority for many people.

Sunburn will cause serious damage to your skin which can lead to cancer. A diagnosis of malignant melanoma can be just as fatal as some other cancers. It is vital to protect your skin when out in the sun by using sun tan lotion, wearing sun protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) or staying in the shade between the hours of 11am and 3pm."

Simple Steps To Protect Against The Sun


Find shade when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Avoid sunburn and indoor tanning. Use caution around reflective surfaces, like water and sand.

Use clothes that protect from the sun, like hats and sunglasses.

Check the UV index to prevent overexposure to the sun.

Carefully read sunscreen labels, as it was recently reported that only 25% of sunscreen products offer strong and broad UV protection and raise few health concerns.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients

H7N9 Has Killed A Third Of Hospitalized Patients24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

The H7N9 influenza virus has killed over a third of patients who were hospitalized with the infection, experts wrote in The Lancet.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Beijing, China, and the University of Hong Kong, provides the first estimates of the severity profile of the virus.

Data on hospital admissions associated with H7N9 infection were gathered and examined for the purpose of the study. In order to estimate the likelihood of fatality for patients who had been admitted to hospital and the risk of death in symptomatic cases, the experts also used surveillance data.

H7N9, the avian influenza that is in circulation in China at the moment, has a lower fatality risk than H5N1, an avian influenza virus that appeared in 2003, the authors said. However, the death rate from H7N9 infection is higher than the H1N1 pandemic influenza from 2011.

"H5N1 had a fatality risk of around 60% for patients admitted to hospital, whereas pandemic H1N1 killed 21% of patients with the virus who were admitted to hospital," the experts said.

After looking at data from China's sentinel surveillance network, and based on assumptions of how many infected people are likely to seek medical care, the authors explained that between 0.16% and 2.8% of all people with symptomatic H7N9 infection are at risk of death.

Due to the challenges of correctly calculating how many patients are infected with H7N9 but only have mild symptoms, there is a wide discrepancy between these estimates.

The researchers explained:
"Assessing the severity profile of human infections is vitally important in the management and treatment of any infectious disease outbreak. Although previous clinical case series have focused on the potential for avian influenza H7N9 virus infection to cause severe illness, we have estimated that mild cases might have occurred."

"Our results thus support continued vigilance and sustained intensive control efforts against the virus to minimize risk of human infection, which is greater than previously recognized," they added.

In a second report, published simultaneously, the same group of investigators analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of H7N9 and compared them with older H5N1 viruses.

There is a possibility that H7N9 will reappear later this year, the authors warned, and public health officials and health care workers need to be ready.

Men appear to have been more vulnerable to infection from both viruses, especially in urban areas. The researchers believe that a leading risk factor for infection is the handling of infected poultry.

The report also highlighted some notable differences between infections caused by the two viruses. For example, disease progression was experienced more rapidly with H5N1 infections, and the risk of dying for hospitalized patients with this virus was almost two times the risk for H7N9.

"The incubation period of H7N9 was estimated at 3.3 days on average, lower than previous estimates, and directly informing quarantine policies," according to the report.

The authors concluded:
"The warm season has now begun in China, and only one new laboratory-confirmed case of H7N9 in human beings has been identified since May 8, 2013. If H7N9 follows a similar pattern to H5N1, the epidemic could reappear in the autumn.

This potential lull should be an opportunity for discussion of definitive preventive public health measures, optimization of clinical management, and capacity building in the region in view of the possibility that H7N9 could spread beyond China's borders."

The investigation is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between the CDC and the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health.

The scientists' goal is to define the epidemiology of influenza A (H7N9) in real time.

A recent study revealed that the H7N9 bird flu virus may be human transmissible through direct contact as well as through airborne exposure.

A different report said that a vaccine which provides wider protection against multiple strains of the bird flu virus is currently being worked on.


Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Biological Causes Of Migraine Discovered

Biological Causes Of Migraine Discovered24 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Researchers have discovered some of the main biological causes of migraine by identifying several different genetic regions that are responsible for triggering the attacks.

Migraines affect approximately 14% of adults, it is classed as the seventh disabler in the Global Burden of Disease Survey 2010.

It has been very hard to study the disorder because no biomarkers have been identified during migraine attacks.

However, in this study, the team managed to identify 12 different genetic regions which play a role in the risk of migraine. Eight of the regions control brain circuitries and two maintain healthy brain tissue.

A person's genetic susceptibility to getting migraines may have to do with the regulation of these pathways.

Dr Aarno Palotie, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said that the study has really helped provide more insight about the cause of migraine.

Palotie added:

"Migraine and epilepsy are particularly difficult neural conditions to study; between episodes the patient is basically healthy so it's extremely difficult to uncover biochemical clues.

We have proven that this is the most effective approach to study this type of neurological disorder and understand the biology that lies at the heart of it."

The researchers gathered data from 29 different genomic studies, which included more than 100,000 migraine and control samples and compared the results.

The susceptible regions were near an area of genes that are very sensitive to oxidative stress, which results in the cells not functioning properly.

The scientists believe that the genes located in these genetic regions are interconnected and could disrupt the regulation of cells inside the brain, leading to migraine symptoms.

Co-author of the study, from Leiden University Medical Centre, Dr Gisela Terwindt, said:

"We would not have made discoveries by studying smaller groups of individuals. This large scale method of studying over 100,000 samples of healthy and affected people means we can tease out the genes that are important suspects and follow them up in the lab."


Another 134 genetic regions were also identified with possible associations to migraine susceptibility, however, the evidence was minimal.


Dr Kári Stefánsson, President of deCODE genetics, said that the molecular mechanisms of migraines "are poorly understood. The sequence variants uncovered through this meta-analysis could become a foothold for further studies to better understanding the pathophysiology of migraine."


Dr Mark Daly, from the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, concluded:


"This approach is the most efficient way of revealing the underlying biology of these neural disorders. Effective studies that give us biological or biochemical results and insights are essential if we are to fully get to grips with this debilitating condition.

Pursuing these studies in even larger samples and with denser maps of biological markers will increase our power to determine the roots and triggers of this disabling disorder."

A previous report on a genome-wide association study was published in Nature Genetics, the research identified three gene variations that are linked to an increased risk for migraine headaches in the general population.

The research team identified "single-nucleotide polymorphisms" or "SNPs" in the genes PRDM16, TRPM8 and LRP1, and showed that each alters the risk for migraines by 10 to 15 percent.

Written by Joseph Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Exercise Can Turn Bad Fat Into Good Fat

Exercise Can Turn Bad Fat Into Good Fat23 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Researchers have found that exercise helps "bad" fat transform into a form of "good" fat that is more metabolically active.

The findings were presented at the American Diabetes Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions.

Humans have two types of fat:


Brown fat (the good fat) - this type of fat burns through calories to generate body heat.

White fat (the bad fat) - this fat develops as a result of storing excess calories, it is just an energy reserve.


People with more brown fat are generally slimmer and better able to stay warm when it is cold, whereas individuals who have high levels of white fat tend to live more sedentary lifestyles.

In this study, the researchers found that mice and men who underwent an intense exercise regime experienced a browning of their subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SCWAT).

The exercise regime had the men training on an exercise bicycle for 12 weeks and the mice running on an exercise wheel for 11 days.

Related article:
"There is more brown fat in leaner children compared to overweight or obese kids"


Compared to the original white fat caused by sedentary behavior, the new, browner fat, was much more metabolically active.

The researchers transplanted this trained browner fat into sedentary fat mice to see how the browner fat might affect the way their bodies use glucose. They found that after the transplant the mice had increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity for at least 3 months.

Kristin Stanford, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, said:

"Our results showed that exercise doesn't just have beneficial effects on muscle, it also affects fat. It's clear that when fat gets trained, it becomes browner and more metabolically active. We think there are factors being released into the bloodstream from the healthier fat that are working on other tissues."

It is still uncertain whether browner fat is having the same impact on humans as there is currently no way to try out fat transplantation on human beings.

Senior investigator of one of the studies, Laurie Goodyear, PhD, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said:

"We know that exercise is good for us. But what we're showing here is that fat changes dramatically in response to exercise training and is having good metabolic effects.
This is not the fat that's around your middle, which is bad fat and can lead to diabetes and other insulin resistant conditions. It's the fat that's under the skin, the subcutaneous fat that adapts in a way that appears to be having important metabolic effects."

In conclusion the study reveals that browner fat is associated with a better body composition, lower fat mass and increased glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity in mice.

Stanford says the findings provide even more motivation to go out and start exercising. Even if you don't lost weight, the study suggests that exercising will still train your fat to be more metabolically active and improve overall metabolism and health.

Dr. Jim Lyons, author of The Brown Fat Revolution, explains why brown fat is healthy.



Written by Joseph Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Researchers Create Complete Map Of The Human Brain

Researchers Create Complete Map Of The Human Brain23 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

A group of researchers has managed to create the most detailed and complete map of the human brain to date.

BigBrain, the 3D digital reconstruction of the brain of a 65-year-old woman, reveals its details with microscopic precision.

The brain is made up of numerous networks of neurons that vary enormously in size, shape, and layers. Scientists can now see cerebral neuronal distribution with greater detail using this new model.

The finding, published in the journal Science, could drive further research into a wide range of brain diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

BigBrain will serve as an atlas for neurosurgery and give researchers invaluable insight into how the brain processes emotion, cognition and language.

Lead author, Katrin Amunts, from the Research Centre Jülich, Germany, said that "it is a common basis for scientific discussions because everybody can work with this brain model."

The brain model "redefines traditional maps from the beginning of the 20th century," says Katrin.

Senior editor of the journal Science, Peter Stern, said that the scientists have pushed the limits of current technology.

With a microtome, scientists cut the woman's brain into tiny 20 micrometer-thick sections.

Courtesy: AMUNTS, ZILLES, EVANS ET AL.

In order to create the brain map, the scientists used 7,400 of the brain slices and assembled images of all of them to create a coherent three-dimensional volume of the brain. They used a high-resolution flatbed scanner to digitize the sections into a fully reconstructed high-resolution 3-D brain model.

According to Alan Evans, a professor at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, the project was "a tour-de-force to assemble images of over 7400 individual histological sections, each with its own distortions, rips and tears, into a coherent 3-D volume."

The BigBrain provides an unparalleled resolution of brain components. Stern said that the "the spatial resolution the researchers achieved exceeds that of presently available reference brains by a factor of 50."

Amunts added that of course the team "would love to have spatial resolution going down to 1 micrometer," but currently "there are simply no computers at this moment which would be capable to process such data, to visualize this or to analyze it."

The team said that it has been "a dream for almost 20 years. The dream came true because of an interdisciplinary and intercontinental collaboration spanning from Europe to Canada and from neuroanatomy to supercomputing."

Even though the atlas map was created using only one person's brain it still provides important information to help interpret other brains, said David Van Essen, a neurobiologist at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. "Getting a really accurate map in one individual is, I think, very valuable," he added.

The researchers hope to use this map to extract measurements of cortical thickness and further understand how neurodegenerative disorders develop.

One day Amunts and her team hope to develop a brain model at a resolution capable of capturing every single detail of cell morphology - which would require a resolution of 1 micron.



Last year, a team of British and American scientists created a complete statistical picture of the human brain's complex network. The simple mathematical model not only helped further understand healthy brains, but it also offered unique insights into schizophrenia and other disorders.

Written by Joseph Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Exercise Can Turn Bad Fat Into Good Fat

Exercise Can Turn Bad Fat Into Good Fat23 Jun 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Researchers have found that exercise helps "bad" fat transform into a form of "good" fat that is more metabolically active.

The findings were presented at the American Diabetes Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions.

Humans have two types of fat:


Brown fat (the good fat) - this type of fat burns through calories to generate body heat.

White fat (the bad fat) - this fat develops as a result of storing excess calories, it is just an energy reserve.


People with more brown fat are generally slimmer and better able to stay warm when it is cold, whereas individuals who have high levels of white fat tend to live more sedentary lifestyles.

In this study, the researchers found that mice and men who underwent an intense exercise regime experienced a browning of their subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SCWAT).

The exercise regime had the men training on an exercise bicycle for 12 weeks and the mice running on an exercise wheel for 11 days.

Related article:
"There is more brown fat in leaner children compared to overweight or obese kids"


Compared to the original white fat caused by sedentary behavior, the new, browner fat, was much more metabolically active.

The researchers transplanted this trained browner fat into sedentary fat mice to see how the browner fat might affect the way their bodies use glucose. They found that after the transplant the mice had increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity for at least 3 months.

Kristin Stanford, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, said:

"Our results showed that exercise doesn't just have beneficial effects on muscle, it also affects fat. It's clear that when fat gets trained, it becomes browner and more metabolically active. We think there are factors being released into the bloodstream from the healthier fat that are working on other tissues."

It is still uncertain whether browner fat is having the same impact on humans as there is currently no way to try out fat transplantation on human beings.

Senior investigator of one of the studies, Laurie Goodyear, PhD, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said:

"We know that exercise is good for us. But what we're showing here is that fat changes dramatically in response to exercise training and is having good metabolic effects.
This is not the fat that's around your middle, which is bad fat and can lead to diabetes and other insulin resistant conditions. It's the fat that's under the skin, the subcutaneous fat that adapts in a way that appears to be having important metabolic effects."

In conclusion the study reveals that browner fat is associated with a better body composition, lower fat mass and increased glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity in mice.

Stanford says the findings provide even more motivation to go out and start exercising. Even if you don't lost weight, the study suggests that exercising will still train your fat to be more metabolically active and improve overall metabolism and health.

Dr. Jim Lyons, author of The Brown Fat Revolution, explains why brown fat is healthy.



Written by Joseph Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today