The stem cells, taken from human embryos and grown in the lab, are of unprecedented quality and could be offered to researchers before the end of next year for eventual use in clinical trials.

Previous embryonic stem cell (ESC) trials in humans have used lower-quality “research grade” cells, which are manipulated and reclassified into “clinical grade”.

But the new ESCs, described as the “Holy Grail for regenerative medicine”, are of clinical quality from the moment they are donated by patients and do not require a costly and risky conversion.

They are also untainted by animal-derived products which have been used by other researchers to stimulate growth.

Two lines of stem cells, which can be converted into virtually any type of tissue in the body, have been donated to the UK Stem Cell Bank (UKSCB) by researchers from King’s College London.

Prof Peter Braude, a leading member of the team, said: “The key here is that these are clinical grade lines, they have been set up from the beginning as lines that do not contain animal products and have not got animal products coming into contact with them.”

While ESCs of similar quality could potentially have been cultured in secret by private researchers such as drug companies, these are the first of their kind to be developed for public health benefit.

A line of cells of a similar quality is being developed by Manchester University researchers and is expected to be donated to the stem cell bank next month.

At the UKSCB the cell lines will undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are safe and of a sufficient calibre for use in human trials, but it is hoped they will be a “seedstock” for future experiments.

Prof Braude said the achievement, recorded in the Cytotherapy journal, marked ten years of painstaking research.

He said: “Cells that are ready for clinical use have really been the Holy Grail of everybody in terms of regenerative medicine.

“There is still a long way to go … these are not ready for use now. They get handed over to the stem cell bank and they do exhaustive testing and a lot of lines are going to fail.”

The cells could be handed over to university scientists or private companies by the end of next year, though there would likely be a significant period of preparation by researchers before clinical trials actually began.

Dr Glyn Stacey, director of the UKSCB, said: “They will be released – I wouldn’t like to put a date on it, but some time next year.

“The moment we release them they are ready for use in a clinical trial.”

It is widely believed that ESCs could one day be used to generate healthy tissue to replace damaged cells throughout the body, and potentially form the basis of new treatments for conditions like heart disease and Parkinson’s.

ESCs are taken from frozen embryos the size of a pinhead, which are donated to researchers by IVF patients who have no further use for them and would otherwise have been discarded.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8938523/Gold-standard-stem-cells-created-by-British-scientists.html

Few politicians will ever admit they are wrong, so I salute health ministers who have finally capitulated to medical opinion and last month announced a U-turn on the cervical cancer vaccine that is given to 12- and 13-year-old girls.

Two pills a day for two years reduced the incidence of bowel cancer by 63% in a group of 861 at-risk patients, a study reported in The Lancet said.

Newcastle University’s Prof Sir John Burn, who led the study, said the evidence “seems overwhelmingly strong”.

Other experts said the findings added to a growing body of proof that aspirin could be used in the fight on cancer.

The study was conducted on 861 patients with Lynch syndrome, which affects one in every 1,000 people.

For full story, click here.

It says five or more daily portions should be enough to counteract culprit versions of a gene on chromosome 9, thought to be possessed by a fifth of people of European ancestry.

Healthy diets appeared to weaken its effect.

The US researchers investigated more than 27,000 people for their work.

The findings were published in Plos Medicine journal.

These participants came from from around the globe, including Europe, China and Latin America.

The results suggest that individuals with high risk 9p21 gene versions who consumed a diet packed with raw vegetables, fruits and berries had a similar risk of heart attack as those with a low-risk variant of the same gene.

For the complete article, click here.

“Nitric oxide does a variety of jobs,” explains Dr. Jason Allen of Duke University. “It tends to be antiatherogenic, which means that it helps prevent your arteries from becoming clogged. From start to finish, this is a 40-year process which depends on lifestyle.” That is, it’s a function of what you eat, how you exercise, and the stresses you are under.

Allen and colleagues have been studying the production of nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that is responsible for producing nitric oxide. They have found that exercise increases production of the enzyme, which then increases the chances that the nitric oxide levels in the blood will increase and protect the artery lining.

The Duke researchers’ first report, which was released in November 2003, found that exercise especially helped those people who were labeled “at-risk” for heart disease. In blood samples taken after exercise, they had an “almost doubling of the brachial artery reactivity,” said Allen. This means that while exercise is beneficial for everyone, those with more risk factors may get extra benefit from exercise.

In terms of biology, it works like this: Extra time on the stairmaster helps boost the nitric oxide levels in the endothelium, the lining of artery walls. One of the initial effects of arteriosclerosis is damage to that lining, which exposes the vessels to harmful circulating cells. Nitric oxide released by the endothelium works to prevent red blood cells from sticking together, or aggregating, and attaching to the vessel wall. It can also work to control vascular tone, allowing the arteries to relax and stay clear.

Nitric oxide is now one of the heroes of human biology. But that wasn’t always the case. Until recently, nitric oxide was best known as that nasty smog-producing stuff that comes out of tailpipes. Then along came three scientists — Louis Ignarro, Robert Furchgott and Ferid Murad — whose pioneering work showing the good side of nitric oxide won them a Nobel Prize.

The scientists were the first to identify the artery-dilating properties of nitric oxide. Specifically, they identified the following process: the innermost layer of cells (called the endothelium) releases nitric oxide when triggered by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase. Nitric oxide then sends a signal to the inner smooth-muscle cells of artery walls prompting them to dilate (relax). The artery walls relax and blood pressure eases, thus increasing the blood flow in the arteries. Extra time at the gym helps this process even more, by increasing the amount of nitric oxide that enters the bloodstream.

Scientists have taken this preliminary research and run with it in different directions. Probably the best known is Viagra. The drug increases the levels of nitric oxide and promotes smooth muscle relaxation. This, in turn, allows for extra blood flow to the penis, leading to erection.

Other nitric oxide-based products have made their way onto the market. Some are dietary supplements, such as Niteworks, a citrus-flavored powder developed by Herbalife and Ignarro. “We’ve done a lot of work to show that one does not have to take prescription drugs to be effective in treating cardiovascular disease,” says Ignarro. One can just engage in natural sorts of things — dietary supplements, exercise, diets that are low in fat, and so on. All of these things increase or enhance nitric acid production in the body; and the more nitric oxide that is produced, the more protection you have against cardiovascular disease.”

Researchers are continuing to study the possible uses of nitric oxide and its link to heart disease prevention. In the meantime, scientists recommend that you maximize nitric oxide production in your body by following routines that hopefully are already familiar to you: a low-fat diet, mild to moderate exercise, smoking cessation and better “cellular nutrition.” This includes consuming antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which prevent the breakdown (oxidation) of nitric oxide in the body. And popping a few extra vitamin Cs during this time of year certainly can’t hurt.

The study, involving 10,000 mothers and their babies and in journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, says that may be because of the make-up of breast milk.

Or, it says, breastfeeding may lead to better mother-baby interaction.

Breastfeeding is already associated with other health benefits for babies, including lower rates of infection and less obesity in later life.

Researchers looked at the feeding habits of 10,037 mothers and their babies involved in a large study known as theMillennium Cohort Study.

For more of this story, click here.

Writing in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that children who were still regular bottle users at 24 months were 30% more likely to be obese aged five-and-a-half.

They analysed data from nearly 7,000 children across the United States.

Experts say bottle-feeding can make babies consume too many calories.

The research found 22% of the two-year-olds studied were using a bottle as their main drink container, or were put to bed with a bottle containing a calorie-filled drink.

Nearly a quarter of this group were found to be obese aged five, compared with 16% of children who had not been using a bottle at the age of two.

For more, click here.

Technically, Dapoxetine or Priligy® is what is known as a SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). SSRI’s are typically prescribed for patients who experience depression and as such are used as antidepressants. However, some SSRI’s have shown the ability to reduce ejaculation time in some men but no other SSRI in studies has worked as well as Dapoxetine for this issue. Apparently it is also safer and eliminated from the body quicker than typical SSRI’s as its terminal half life is approximately 20 hours with its initial half life around 1.4 hours. This is partially why it was rejected as a depression treatment. Because of its short duration a patient would need to be taking this medication several times per day for a proper effect, which is fairly unrealistic and as such Dapoxetine has not been actually approved as an antidepressant.

Simply put, this drug instructs the brain to delay ejaculation. It does not change the sensitivity of the male sexual organs. Some products have been created to numb this area but get very mixed and often negative reviews. Priligy®/Dapoxetine is not considered a permanent cure for premature ejaculation but when it is taken approximately three hours before sexual activity it can work very well.

Studies show it can work in up to seventy percent of men facing this problem and has shown to postpone ejaculation by upwards of three times. In a study, when men took 30mg of Priligy®/Dapoxetine they increased to ejaculation from 1 minute 45 seconds to just over 2 minutes 45 seconds while men who received 60mg of the drug lasted just over 3 minutes thirty seconds. In a further study with around 2600 patients the researchers found that this medication increased the time a man could last upwards between 3 to 5 times their normal. Results would vary for each individual but averages definitely show a very large improvement, much to the delight of both its users and manufacturers. They also determined that this may safely be taken by men between the ages of 18 to 64 provided that they are healthy enough for sex to begin with.

Priligy® / Dapoxetine has been approved for premature ejaculation in several European countries with more expected to approve it soon. Some of the countries where it is approved are Sweden, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Austria and Italy. Sources say that it is now available in the UK and other countries both in Europe and other continents are expected to soon have it available. However at the time of this writing the FDA has not yet approved it for the United States. It currently is in phase three trial investigations and testing but expect to hear something soon regarding its possibility in the US.

Premature ejaculation although not a dangerous or necessarily unhealthy condition, can cause disappointment, irritation, embarrassing as well as a relationship barrier to both partners. Numbers worldwide pin this problem somewhere around thirty percent but it is a little difficult to quantify as most men do not want to talk about it and it is hard to exclusively define. Some men who normally would not be under the premature ejaculation banner may from time to time in their life experience times of it. This can be brought on from over excitement or forms of anxiety.

Treating PE can be accomplished through various exercises performed along with mental imagery and other psychological practices but now there is a medical way to fight this issue. If you live in a country where Dapoxetine / Priligy® if available and you are interested in trying it, we would suggest you visit your doctor for their view of you taking it as well as any concerns or questions.

Priligy is now available in Malaysia.

The team also noted a 31 percent decrease in the rate of thickening of the carotid artery, the major vessel that supplies blood to the brain. The study, which enrolled 602 participants through The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and seven collaborating centers, is described in the New England Journal of Medicine and has direct implications for the care of 40 million Americans who are pre-diabetic.

“It’s a blockbuster study,” said senior author Ralph DeFronzo, M.D., professor in the School of Medicine and chief of the diabetes division at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. “The 72 percent reduction is the largest decrease in the conversion rate of pre-diabetes to diabetes that has ever been demonstrated by any intervention, be it diet, exercise or medication.”

Multiple-year follow-up

Dr. DeFronzo led the trial of pioglitazone, which is marketed as Actos® by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The Japanese company provided an independent investigator grant to Dr. DeFronzo to conduct the ACT Now study. Some patients were followed for as long as four years; the average follow-up was 2.4 years.

Pioglitazone is widely used as an insulin sensitizer in patients with type 2 diabetes. In the ACT Now study, participants were chosen because of their high risk for diabetes, including obesity, family history and impaired glucose tolerance as demonstrated by a glucose test.

“The drug shows outstanding results,” said Robert R. Henry, M.D., president, medicine and science, of the American Diabetes Association. “It is the most efficacious method we have studied to date to delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.” A study co-investigator, Dr. Henry is professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and chief of the section of endocrinology and diabetes at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Blood vessel damage prevented

Robert Chilton, D.O., FACC, a UT Health Science Center San Antonio cardiologist who was not involved with the study, said the slowing of carotid artery thickness indicated that the participants’ glucose was well controlled, preventing blood vessel damage that leads to heart attacks, strokes and peripheral vascular disease.

Individuals who have diabetes have the same high risk of having a first heart attack as do non-diabetic people who already had a heart attack, he noted.

“The drug was able to postpone conversion to diabetes in 72 percent of people,” Dr. Chilton said. “The only thing that could potentially beat that is the free pill no one seems to be able to take — diet and exercise.”

Insulin resistance

Type 2 diabetes involves abnormalities with insulin, a hormone secreted by beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps the body store and use sugar from food, but in type 2 diabetes the body is insulin resistant, that is, it inefficiently responds to the hormone. With time the beta cells in diabetic patients start to die, resulting in less insulin to handle the demands. Levels of the hormone become progressively lower and sugar levels are increased progressively, damaging blood vessels and organs.

Dr. Henry said the ACT Now study highlights the importance of insulin resistance in the development of type 2 diabetes and how, by treating this resistance, the beta cell secretion of insulin is preserved for a longer period of time.

Pioglitazone was well tolerated by participants, with weight gain and fluid retention observed at the dose used in the study. Dr. DeFronzo said those side effects can be mitigated by using a lower dose that works equally well. Pioglitazone stimulates appetite while at the same time shifting fat around in the body, taking it out of muscle, the liver and beta cells and putting it in subcutaneous fat depots under the skin where it is inert and not harmful, he said.

“No drug is perfect,” Dr. DeFronzo said. “This particular medication does two things — improves insulin resistance and improves beta cell function, which are the two core defects of diabetes.”

Source: Science Daily

The study appears in ACS’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Zhen-Yu Chen and colleagues note that damaging substances generated in the body, termed free radicals, cause undesirable changes believed to be involved in the aging process and some diseases. Substances known as antioxidants can combat this damage. Fruits and vegetables in the diet, especially brightly colored foods like tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries, and apples are excellent sources of antioxidants. A previous study with other test animals hinted that an apple antioxidant could extend average lifespan. In the current report, the researchers studied whether different apple antioxidants, known as polyphenols, could do the same thing in fruit flies.

The researchers found that apple polyphenols not only prolonged the average lifespan of fruit flies but helped preserve their ability to walk, climb and move about. In addition, apple polyphenols reversed the levels of various biochemical substances found in older fruit flies and used as markers for age-related deterioration and approaching death.

Chen and colleagues note that the results support those from other studies, including one in which women who often ate apples had a 13-22 percent decrease in the risk of heart disease, and polish the apple’s popular culture image as a healthy food.

Source: Science Daily