New
Delhi: A team of researchers may have found a herbal way to fight off
colon cancer. The Saint Louis University scientists showed that a
combination of two plant compounds that have medicinal properties -
curcumin and silymarin - holds promise in ...
New Delhi: A team of researchers may have found a herbal way to fight off colon cancer.
The
Saint Louis University scientists showed that a combination of two
plant compounds that have medicinal properties - curcumin and silymarin -
holds promise in treating the disease.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in the
spice turmeric, which is present in spicy curry dishes, and silymarin is
a component of milk thistle, which has been used to treat liver
disease.
The researchers and their students studied a line of
colon cancer cells in a laboratory model. They found treating the cells
initially with curcumin, then with silymarin was more effective in
fighting cancer than treating the cells with either phytochemical alone,
said corresponding author Uthayashanker Ezekiel.
"The combination of phytochemicals inhibited colon cancer cells from
multiplying and spreading. In addition, when the colon cancer cells were
pre-exposed to curcumin and then treated with silymarin, the cells
underwent a high amount of cell death," he noted, adding "Phytochemicals
may offer alternate therapeutic approaches to cancer treatments and
avoid toxicity problems and side effects that chemotherapy can cause."
Scientists next would need to study how the curcumin and silymarin
impact the actions of molecules, such as genetic transcription and
expression, that cause cells to change, Ezekiel said. Then the compounds
would be studied in an animal model, then in humans.
The study appears in the Journal of Cancer.
This drug combo helps soft-tissue cancer survival (Harry Sieplinga/Getty Images)
Adding a novel monoclonal antibody therapy to traditional chemotherapy can help make people more likely to survive advanced sarcoma, a lethal soft-tissue cancer, by nearly a year, suggests a recent study.
Findings from a multicenter clinical trial of the combination therapy,
led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and
NewYork-Presbyterian, represent the first appreciable improvement in
sarcoma outcomes in decades.
"We estimated from preclinical data that the new
drug--olaratumab--might improve survival in these patients by a few
months, but the extent of the improvement exceeded everybody's
expectations," said study leader Gary K. Schwartz, adding: "While
sarcoma remains a fatal disease, we're encouraged that we're on the
right track and hope to build on this progress."
If caught early, sarcomas can be treated effectively with surgery.
However, if the disease spreads, or metastasizes, treatment with
chemotherapy does relatively little to slow disease progression or
improve survival. The median survival time after diagnosis of advanced
disease is 12 to 16 months.
Schwartz and his colleagues are currently studying other potential
drug targets for arresting the progression of soft-tissue sarcomas.
"Sarcomas are complex. There are, in fact, multiple receptors on the
cell surface. PDGFR-alpha is just one of the receptors that are
overexpressed on sarcoma cells. We now have some ideas about how to
combine drugs that block multiple types of these receptors, which will
probably be more effective that targeting a single type of receptor," he
said.
The study is published online in The Lancet.
Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
The
human immune system has long been thought to be connected in some way,
shape or form to the neurological system, but a recent study has now
determined that the immune system has more to do with the brain and its
processes than previously thought.
The immune system research that was done at the University of
Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Virginia has
discovered that the immune system has a direct effect on the social
behaviors of animals like mice. This discovery could now have important
ramifications for human that battle conditions like schizophrenia and
autism-spectrum disorders. [Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images]As
part of the research conducted at the University of Massachusetts
Medical School and the University of Virginia, scientists keyed in on an
immune system molecule called interferon gamma. This particular immune
system molecule is activated in certain animals – including humans –
when they want to be social. Scientists conducting the immune system
experiments blocked the interferon gamma molecule, inhibiting from
activating, and the results were eye-opening. When the immune system
molecule was blocked, the brains of the mice became ‘hyperactive,’ and
that the mice no longer tended towards socialization with their cage
mates, something that mice – being incredibly social creatures – are
usually prone to do. The conclusions were quickly assessed: manipulation
of the immune system had a direct effect on behavior.
Conversely, when the scientists discontinued their blockage of the
immune system molecule, allowing it to once again operate freely in the
brain, the mice calmed down and returned to their normal, social
behavior.
One of the study’s authors, Johathan Kipnis, chair of the University
of Virginia’s Department of Neuroscience, commented on the findings.
“It’s like a little airport in a small city suddenly
becomes a major hub and so there’s a mess of traffic congestion in the
air. ‘Same thing happens with the brain, so the brain cannot function
properly.”
The question of why our immune systems and our personalities are so
interconnected was also broached by the authors of the study. They have
postulated that the connection may actually be an evolutionary mechanism
built in to help a species survive. The linkage exists, encouraging
social creatures to interact and yet boosting our immune systems at the
same time to protect both the individual and the group.
As of now, the immune system experiment has only been conducted on
mice, but there is a belief that the immune system – personality
connection also exists in humans. This linkage is now leading scientists
to believe that they may be on the verge of breakthroughs in how to
best treat people with neurological disorders like schizophrenia and
autism.
Further study will examine how directly the correlation between the
immune system and behaviors reacts in both directions. That is, the
recent study from the University of Virginia suggested that manipulating
the immune system directly effects behavior. But, does changing one’s
behavior – as has long been postulated by scientists – actually alter
the immune system? The correlation between so-called “happy” individuals
and stronger immune systems, and “sad” or “depressed” individuals and
weaker immune systems has been supposed for years… and it now appears
that the immune system molecule isolated by the authors of this study – published in Nature – could be the smoking gun in that supposition. [(Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images]Dr. Kipnis also spoke about the possible, future implications of the experiments.
“Immune molecules are actually defining how the brain is
functioning. So, what is the overall impact of the immune system on our
brain development and function? I think the philosophical aspects of
this work are very interesting, but it also has potentially very
important clinical implications.”
Researchers
have developed a new, non-invasive method that can kill cancer cells in
two hours, an advance that may significantly help people with
inoperable or hard-to-reach tumours as well as young children stricken
with the deadly disease.
New method can kill cancer cells in two hours, shows study
The method involves injecting a chemical compound, nitrobenzaldehyde,
into the tumour and allowing it to diffuse into the tissue. File Photo
The non-invasive technique involves injecting nitrobenzaldehyde into the tumour
Researchers have developed a new, non-invasive method that can kill
cancer cells in two hours, an advance that may significantly help people
with inoperable or hard-to-reach tumours as well as young children
stricken with the deadly disease.
The method involves injecting a chemical compound, nitrobenzaldehyde,
into the tumour and allowing it to diffuse into the tissue.
A beam of light is then aimed at the tissue, causing the cells to become
very acidic inside and, essentially, “commit suicide”, researchers
said.
Within two hours, up to 95 per cent of the targeted cancer cells are dead or are estimated to be dead, they said.
Cell suicide
“Though there are many different types of cancers, the one thing they
have in common is their susceptibility to this induced cell suicide,”
said Matthew Gdovin from University of Texas in the U.S.
Mr. Gdovin tested his method against triple negative breast cancer, one
of the most aggressive types of cancer and one of the hardest to treat.
The prognosis for triple negative breast cancer is usually very poor.
After one treatment in the laboratory, he was able to stop the tumour from growing and double chances of survival in mice.
“All forms of cancer attempt to make cells acidic on the outside as a
way to attract the attention of a blood vessel, which attempts to get
rid of the acid,” said Mr. Gdovin.
“Instead, the cancer latches onto the blood vessel and uses it to make the tumour larger and larger,” he added.
Chemotherapy treatments target all cells in the body, and certain
chemotherapeutics try to keep cancer cells acidic as a way to kill the
cancer. This is what causes many cancer patients to lose their hair and
become sickly. Mr. Gdovin’s method, however, is more precise and can
target just the tumour.
He has now begun to test the method on drug-resistant cancer cells to
make his therapy as strong as possible. He has also started to develop a
nanoparticle that can be injected into the body to target metastasised
cancer cells.
The nanoparticle is activated with a wavelength of light that it can
pass harmlessly through skin, flesh and bone and still activate the
cancer-killing nanoparticle, said Mr. Gdovin.
He hopes that his non-invasive method will help cancer patients with
tumours in areas that have proven problematic for surgeons, such as the
brain stem, aorta or spine.
It could also help people who have received the maximum amount of
radiation treatment and can no longer cope with the scarring and pain
that go along with it, or children who are at risk of developing
mutations from radiation as they grow older, he said.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
To date, no medication or eye drop has been proven to prevent or reverse cataract formation. If a cataract is causing nearsightedness or a change in an individual's prescription, new prescription eyeglasses can help improve blurred vision. The only treatment for a cataract, however, is surgical removal of the natural lens.
When to Remove? Sooner or Later?
A cataract should not be removed simply because it is present. Many
people have cataracts that do not cause blurred vision, interfere with activities of daily living,
or otherwise prevent them from leading active and productive lives. In
such cases, these individuals should not undergo unnecessary surgery to
remove their cataracts.
However, if an individual has blurred vision that makes it difficult
to read print or read signs while driving; has disabling glare while
driving at night; or has difficulty engaging in hobbies such as knitting, crocheting, or card games, it is time to consider cataract surgery.
In short, if an individual has a cataract and resultant blurred
vision that makes it difficult to do anything he or she wants and needs
to do, it is time to consider cataract surgery.
If there are cataracts in both eyes that require surgery, the
surgeries are usually performed several weeks apart. Cataract surgery on
both eyes at the same time is not recommended because there is a
possibility of complications affecting both eyes; the most worrisome is
infection.
What can I do to protect my vision?
Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim to block ultraviolet
sunlight may help to delay cataract. If you smoke, stop. Researchers
also believe good nutrition can help reduce the risk of age-related
cataract.
DON'T DO SURYA NAMASKAR -IT WILL DAMAGE YOUR EYE
A cataract needs to be removed only when vision loss interferes
with your everyday activities, such as driving, reading, or watching TV. You and your eye care professional can make this decision together.
Once you understand the benefits and risks of surgery, you can make an
informed decision about whether cataract surgery is right for you. In
most cases, delaying cataract surgery will not cause long-term damage to
your eye or make the surgery more difficult. You do not have to rush
into surgery
What are the symptoms of a cataract?
The most common symptoms of a cataract are:
Cloudy or blurry vision.
Colors seem faded.
Glare. Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright. A halo may appear around lights.
Poor night vision.
Double vision or multiple images in one eye. (This symptom may clear as the cataract gets larger.)
Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
These symptoms also can be a sign of other eye problems. If you
have any of these symptoms, check with your eye care professional.
If you developed early cataracts after LASIK, are facing cataract
surgery after LASIK, or experienced a poor outcome from cataract surgery
after LASIK, you are invited to join the discussion on FaceBook
Most eye surgeries, including LASIK, carry risk of cataracts.
Anecdotal reports of cataracts shortly after LASIK, even in relatively
young patients, suggest a cause and effect relationship. Moreover,
steriod drops routinely prescribed after LASIK may hasten the onset of
cataracts.
Patients with signs of cataracts before LASIK should not have
LASIK because vision may be corrected with the intraocular lens used for
cataract surgery. Ironically, after LASIK the altered corneal surface
causes inaccurate measurement of the intraocular lens power for cataract
surgery.
This means that patients who have LASIK surgery and later
develop cataracts may be right back in glasses after cataract surgery --
or worse, subjected to the inherent risks of multiple surgeries.
What should you do if you have had LASIK?Print this form (K-card) and have it completed by your LASIK surgeon, and then place it with your important records for safekeeping. Do not delay, as medical records may be destroyed after five years in some states. Read more about the importance of the K-card below.
Facing cataract surgery after LASIK? Request your LASIK medical records from the surgeon (alternatively, you can print this form (K-card), and have it completed by your LASIK surgeon) and take them with you to the cataract surgeon.
WARNING:Do not fall for the marketing hype surrounding "multi-focal",
"accomodating", or "premium" intraocular lenses. Patients who have
previously undergone RK or laser eye surgery may not be happy with
their vision with these so-called "premium lenses". The cataract
surgeon may try to UPSELL you a premium lens to put more money in his pocket, but you may be happier with a conventional cataract lens.
Cataracts
About
Symptoms
Requires a medical diagnosis
The main symptom is blurry vision. Having cataracts can be like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.
People may experience:
Visual: blurred vision, double vision, inability to see in dim light, seeing halos around lights, sensitivity to light, or vision loss
0 Comments