New Drug Opens Up Dormant HIV-Infected Cells To Anti-Retroviral Attack

Vorinostat, a chemotherapeutic drug which inhibits histone deacetylase and is used mainly to treat refractory T-cell lymphomas under the brand name Zolinza, has been found to awaken quiescent cells infected with HIV thus creating an avenue by which the infection may be cured completely.

A single dose of the drug (which is marketed by Merck) was able to reactivate such cells in the study that was conducted in the University of North Carolina, USA.

This study has aroused tremendous interest in the field of HIV/AIDS as current drug regimens only suppress the viral load to undetectable levels; stopping the medication usually leads to a relapse of the disease with the very significant risk of drug resistance.

Merck’s head of research Daria Hazuda doesn’t think that Zolinza itself would be the drug that would be used in this form of aggressive therapy, but rather a prototype that would pave the way for such a drug which may be available in a couple of decades.

This indeed is a major breakthrough and I cannot wait to see the results when it is combined with anti-retroviral therapy.

Read more on this on Bloomberg.com

The Zombie Apocalypse is Nigh!

A team of scientists in the University of New Mexico have successfully created a clone of cells coated with silica which enable these cells to withstand much higher temperatures and pressures than normal mammalian cells. The deceptively simple technique embalms the cell down to nano-scale and by heating the coated cell to about 400 degrees centigrade, the organic cells are destroyed leaving the silica mold or “zombie cells” in place; this can then be used for further research or storage.

In other words a biological entity is converted into a very resilient fossil that can be kept indefinitely.

Are witnessing the rise of the Umbrella Corporation?

Probably not but one can only dream..

Read more on Energy.gov

Venomous Erections

Apparently the venom of the Phoneutria nigriventer spider, also known as the wandering or banana spider (how apt!) found in Brazil is able to cause sustained erections – up to four  hours long! I Other less desirable side-effects include the loss of muscle control, severe pain and difficulty in breathing. This should deter anyone who goes spider-chasing. I’m sure in a few years we would see this drug available in the pharmacy next door – depending on how fast it gets FDA approval. Read more on this here

Grow Your Own Heart: Israeli Scientists Convert Skin Cells to Working Heart Cells

Scientists in Israel have been able to transmute skin cells into working heart cells. This method is derived from the use of human-induced pluripotent stem cells or hiPSCs, which are an alternative to embryonic stem cells.  Imagine an old man being given a heart that has the same power as his own from when he was a child, without the need for drugs to prevent graft rejection which carry their own risks of significant morbidity. This is a fantastic breakthrough, considering the global burden of heart disease with cardiac-related deaths reaching 216 per 100,000 people in some areas.

Professor Lior Gepstein, professor of cardiology and physiology at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa however acknowledged that this method is still far off from everyday use in humans although clinical trials should begin in five to ten years.

More on this here

Top Medical Blackberry Apps

As Blackberry addict on the path to recovery (RIM you can eat your OS7) it’s nice to have some quick reference materials always at hand, especially where  a pc with internet connectivity may not always be available or buggy regular  wap/3G data services. No Playbook apps were included in the making of this list. All the apps are available via the Blackberry App World.

1. Medscape: Compared to the Android and iOS versions, the Blackberry version is way below average but as a drug reference (which is really what it is) it is amazing: quick searches, trade names are listed (especially for clients who ask about fancy new drugs  from ‘elsewhere’)  and regular updates . The interface is simple and easy to use with different drop-lists for dosing, contraindications and the rest. The other great thing about this amazing thing about this app is that the database

 

2. Calculate by QxMD: This is a robust calculator for so many indices from BMI and APGAR scores to risk of relapse in an alcoholic. Get it.

3. Skyscape Apps: A collection of amazing articles (Skyscape Outlines in Clinical Medicine) and a Pocket Drug Reference in a neat and crisp format. There are a few other free apps in the package but majority are premium and come with a hefty fee (for a mobile app).

4. Free Torchlight: This turns on your blackberry flash and can be useful for checking pupillary light reflexes and so on (no, I wouldn’t try to transilluminate ANYTHING with it). It also shows the Blackberry OS’s lack of (medical) software. The downside of the free version (which is ad-supported) is that the light tends to go off after a few minutes.

15 Year Old Invents New Method For Detecting Pancreatic Cancer

Jack Andraka from Maryland, USA won the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) top prize (worth over $75,000) for his work in early detection of pancreatic cancer. His method is 28 times faster, 28 times less expensive and 100 times more sensitive than the current gold standard. After his uncle died of pancreatic cancer, he realised that there were no truly effective methods to detecting pancreatic (and some other) cancers early and his test works for both ovarian and lung cancers. He apparently received over a hundred rejection letters before being accepted by Dr. Anirban Maitra, a pathology and oncology professor at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Watch his hilarious and endearing acceptance video here

More on Jack Andraka on the Society for Science and The Public website

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it and refuse to give up isn’t it..

Transfuse in Style

I’m sure those quasi-histrionic patients who always insist on THE BEST AND NOTHING LESS or make ridiculous demands (insert yours here) will rejoice should these ever see the light of day.

Source : The Cake Online

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