Medical Portal

Two independent teams of the American scientists have declared that they could relieve the patients after kidney transplantation of lifelong taking immunosuppressant. The report on these cases has been published in New England Journal of Medicine.

In the experiments carried out by scientists from Massachusetts hospital and the Harvard Medical School participated five persons, requiring kidney transplantation. Scientists have destroyed a part of patients’ marrow and by means of medicines have destroyed the immune cells, which play a key role in rejection of an alien organ. Then the participants received a marrow and a kidney taken from the same donor.

Two - five years later after transplantation four patients have normally functioning kidney and do not require immunity-inhibiting preparations.

Refusal to take immunosuppressants can considerably improve quality of patients’ life, however additional researches on the safety of a new method are indispensable, believe scientists.

9-years old Australian Demi-Lee Brennan has changed blood type after liver transplant taken from a male donor. Some months after the surgery physicians have found out discrepancy of results in blood tests of the patient: her Rhesus factor was changed from negative to positive. During physical examination it was found out that almost all leukocytes has a male genotype.

In opinion of doctors from the Sydney children’s hospital Westmid, it can be explained by action of stem blood cells, in a small amount containing in a donor liver, which have completely replaced own hemopoietic cells of a marrow. It is supposed, that this could be promoted by a virus infection, which has weakened own immunity of the girl right after the surgery.

In result together with a liver the girl has actually received immune system of the donor. It has completely relieved her of necessity to take toxic preparations – immunosuppressants for prevention of rejection. The patient, who is now 15 years old, lives without drugs for about 5 years.

Authorities of Netherlands have officially declared the beginning of investigation of death cause of 24 patients who were taking part in an experimental technique of pancreatitis treatment with probiotics. The research was carried out in several Dutch clinics from 2004 till 2007.

For this time in a group of 296 patients with a pancreatitis, who were taking probiotics, 24 persons have died, whereas in a control group only 9 deaths have been fixed. Thus, death rate in the first group was 2,5 times higher. The reasons are unknown for the time being.

Bioadditives with probiotics have been given for research by the Dutch company Winclove.

According to the organizers of experiment, results of earlier researches testified that probiotics can promote reduction in intensity of inflammatory processes in a pancreas.

American scientists have suggested using of gene therapy for struggle against chronic pain. Developed by them method is deprived of adverse effects, typical for opiates, and renders long-term anesthetizing effect in experiments on animals, informs Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Now for struggle against chronic pain doctors apply narcotic analgesics – morphine’s analogues. These preparations have such side-effects as constant drowsiness, dormancy and hallucination that forces some patients to refuse taking of them.

Scientists from Medical school Mount Sinai (New York) have developed a technique, which simulates anesthetizing effect of opiates, but renders more directive effect.

Head of the research Andreas Beutler informed, that in the future the directed gene therapy can become an alternative to existing methods of struggle against a strong chronic pain, for example, at patients with the extensive cancer stages.

Chinese scientists have revealed genes and conductive ways of the nervous system “responsible” for predilection of the person for drugs. Experts believe, the opening will help to struggle with an addiction. “We have revealed 396 genes connected to drug addiction, and have established five conductive ways, specifically active for people using various intoxicating substances: cocaine, opium, nicotine and alcohol”, - informed the director of the Biological Information Center at the Peking university.

Researches have shown, that genetic factors by 60 % predetermine propensity of the person to drugs and other stimulating substances. Chinese scientists believe that revealing of conductive ways connected to the transfer of narcotic impulses will help with treatment of drug addiction.

German company Tomarni together with Free University of Berlin has developed and produced a preparation which improves gamers’ skills, informed Eurogamer.

FpsBrain medication, according to the developers, accelerates nervous processes, improve reaction and perception of gamers. Each packing of the given preparation contains 60 capsules which consist of amino acids, vitamins and other safe substances.

As informed in Tomarni, FpsBrain should be taken four times a week. And cost of one packing makes about 20 euros.

Scientists claim that alcohol is almost as effective in prophylaxis of heart diseases, as going in for sports.
Results of the research carried out by international team of scientists prove this statement, published in January issue of European Heart Journal - the official press organ of the European cardiology society.

Within 20 years physicians have observed 12 thousand men and women and came to a conclusion, that moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks considerably reduces risk of heart diseases.

However, the happiest in this respect appeared physically active people who didn’t refuse alcoholic drinks. According to results of the research, this category has 50 % lower risk of heart diseases.

Scientists assume, that consumption of alcohol causes such effect due to increase in amount of “good” cholesterol in blood, and also blood liquefaction that reduces risk of blood clots.

The Israeli scientist Itzhhak Ofek from the medical faculty of Tell-Aviv University has found out, that two glasses of cranberry juice a day prevent urinary tracts infection at women.
For twenty years the scientist has been studying popular means of folk medicine. In the middle of the 90s he has suggested to struggle with caries using found out by him large molecules which formed a teflon - like layer on a surface of a mouth.

He has also has proved efficiency of cranberry juice in eradication of the main reason of stomach ulcers - bacteria Helicobacter Pylori. This time an effective influence was rendered by polyphenols which act as antibiotics.

And now the Israeli scientist has found out that two glasses of cranberry juice a day are very effective in preventive maintenance of urinary tracts infection at women.

The jobless Austrian within three years free-of-charge got some meal and a shelter in the Austrian hospitals, pretending to be ill. According to police, the swindler has managed to deceive the staff of 93 medical institutions for this time.

The 59-years old inhabitant of Vienna Franz Steiger has been detained in an admission room of a hospital. He has gone to the hospital with complaints about fit of weakness and waves of nausea begun after falling from a motorcycle. Suspicions of physicians were caused with complete absence of damages on a body of the patient and contradictions in his story about circumstances of a road accident. When the police detained him, the malingerer confessed, that tried to deceive doctors not for the first time.

Now Franz Steiger is incriminated in illegal residing at 93 medical institutions in Austria. By estimation, the caused damage makes about €100 thousand.

Russian government has approved the draft of the federal law providing a full ban on advertising of tobacco and tobacco products. This step will allow the country to join the Frame convention of the World Health Organization on struggle against tobacco. The interdiction should take effect within five years.
The convention has been adopted in May, 2003 and supported by 172 countries, including the European Union. Russia till now is among the countries which has not ratified the convention.

Annually from the diseases concerned with smoking die about five millions people worldwide. In Russia in 2006 about 400 thousand people have died for this reason. But harm of tobacco products is not reflected yet in consumption - cigarette manufacture in Russia constantly grows.

It is supposed, that within the framework of struggle against smoking in Russia, the project of National strategy on struggle against tobacco will be developed.