Medical Portal

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.

Employees of Medical College in Houston conduct clinical tests of cocaine vaccine, informs AP. The preparation forces immune system to generate antibodies which will neutralize a drug before its penetration into a brain - in result dose of cocaine loses any sense for a drug addict.

To make cocaine molecule familiar for immune system, scientific have attached it to a large aluminous molecule of comma bacillus toxin. Unlike the true cocaine, this chemical compound does not cause euphoria and addiction. However antibodies generated in an organism in response to preparation, can distinguish both a “hybrid” molecule, and pure cocaine.

Developers of a vaccine, the spouse Tom and Theresa Kosten, have apply for the third expanded stage of clinical tests at the end of the last year. It is expected, that about 300 patients with a long history of cocaine abuse will take part in the research. However, as researchers mark, even in case of the successful outcome, mass application of the preparation will be possible only in some years.

British and American scientists have declared the successful completion of the first stage of vaccine’s clinical tests, capable to provide long-term protection against all flu varieties, A type. The new preparation will make unnecessary annual updating of vaccines for struggle against seasonal flu epidemics.

Modern influenza virus vaccines help immune system to distinguish superficial virus albumins hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The structure of these albumins varies because of often mutations, and new vaccines are required to struggle against new flu varieties.

Vaccine ACAM-FLU-A developed by Acambis’ experts causes immune response to other superficial albumin named M2e. Gene, coding the structure of this albumin, remains invariable at all varieties of A type viruses, so all of them will be identified and destroyed by immune system of the vaccinated person.

ACAM-FLU-A can not protect from B type viruses, which also can cause an outbreak of disease. However all pandemia, including possible H5N1 pandemia, have been caused by A type viruses. According to WHO’s data, annually from 500 thousand up to one million people die because of flu.

American scientists from Medical school of Harvard University, having studied the data of 13 researches, came to a conclusion that people who drink a lot of coffee and tea, less often develop kidney cancer.

According to the data of the research, those who daily drank on the average three and more cups of coffee (240 milliliters), had 16 % less chances of kidney cancer in comparison with those, who drank coffee once a day or less often.

Also experts have found out, that the daily use of one cup of tea has been connected to 15-percent decrease in risk of cancer development, while milk, soft drinks and juices did not influence frequency of diseases.

That is interesting, beneficial influence of tea and coffee remained the same even taking into account such cancer risk factors as smoking, adiposity and increased blood pressure.

American scientists believe that anticancer properties of tea and coffee can be connected to ability of these drinks to raise sensitivity of organism’s tissues to insulin. It is known that increased levels of this hormone in an organism are considered as one of risk factors of many cancer diseases.