Germs can help you to increase your immunity

Germs are a necessary part of a healthy immune system, helping our body's defenses beef up and fight future illnesses. When a person's exposure to germs is decreased, problems may arise.
We've known for a while that people who grow up on farms are less likely to have ailments related to the immune system than people who grow up in cities. Those include asthma, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis.

Exposure to germs as a kid seems to be helpful, while living in an environment that's squeaky clean seems to pose risks for some illnesses. Still, nobody knew precisely why. But now some scientists say they think they've figured out the details of the "hygiene hypothesis."

They found that microbes in the gut keep a rare part of the immune system reined in. No microbes, and the immune cells go crazy in the lungs and intestines, increasing the risk of asthma and colitis. Add in the microbes, and cells in question, invariant natural killer T cells, retreat.

The discovery was one of those lovely "aha" moments in science. Or as says Richard Blumberg, the chief of gastroenterology at Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston, and co-author of the study says: "We made the serendipitous observation that these cells were dramatically enriched in the lung and colon in mice that lacked any microbes."


These are mice raised in totally germ-free environments in the lab. What really piqued the scientists' interest was that the immune response in the super-clean mouse innards looked very similar to what happens in diseases like asthma.

But they were still missing the connection with exposure to bacteria in early childhood. So Blumberg and his colleagues took pregnant germ-free mice and exposed them to microbes the day before they gave birth. The baby mice had fewer iNKT cells in their guts, even after they grew up.

The researchers also found that genetically altered mice without the iNKT cells don't get colitis, even if they were raised in a germ-free environment.
As far as the hygiene hypothesis is concerned, this abundance of bacteria is a good thing, since it helps exercise our immune system.

"But as we moved into the 1950s and '60s and '70s, and as we in the developed world became progressively hygienic, we began to think that we wish to protect ourselves, particularly fragile newborn babies, from anything that might be microbial," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "And that turns out to be obviously what we might call an overreaction."
It's unclear which microbes help regulate the immune cells, according to Dennis Kasper, director of the Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women's, and a co-author of the study, which was published online in Science. Figuring that out is very important, he says. "You can't just put any piece of dirt into a baby and direct the control of the immune system," he says.

He thinks there are a very few special molecules in the 500 to 1,000 species in the intestine that control the immune cells, but it's going to take a lot more work to figure that out.

Of course, this study was done in mice, but it gets at some fundamental questions that would be impossible ask in humans. No germ-free cages for us.

And their findings square with 20 years of epidemiological research showing that exposure to microbes and parasites in childhood reduces the risk of autoimmune disease.

There's evidence that children who are given antibiotics early in life are more likely to have immune-based problems like asthma and food allergies. There's even some evidence that women might have more autoimmune diseases than men because they're kept cleaner than boys as children.

These disorders are more common in developed countries, and in people who move from the developing world into tidier lands.

So parents may someday emulate the germy mouse world, rather than a scrubbed and sterile environment, to ensure the health of their offspring.
Childhood exposure to bacteria and other germs may help build immunity to various microbes later on in life, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) claim in a new study.

According to Carrie Gann of ABC News, this belief is known as the “hygiene hypothesis,” and suggests — in contrast to the common belief that people should strive to remain germ free regardless of circumstances — that bacteria and other germs may be “a necessary part of a healthy immune system, helping our body’s defenses beef up and fight future illnesses. When a person’s exposure to germs is decreased, problems may arise.”

In a press release detailing their findings, the BWH experts say that the hygiene hypothesis helps to explain the increase of allergic reactions and auto-immune diseases in cities throughout the world, and that medical professionals have claimed that various sociological and environmental changes, such as the use of antibiotics among younger patients, have contributed to this phenomenon.

However, no scientific study had ever discovered a biological basis for this belief. They say that their study, which was published Thursday in Science Express, changes that.

“The researchers show that in mice, exposure to microbes in early life can reduce the body’s inventory of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which help to fight infection but can also turn on the body, causing a range of disorders such as asthma or inflammatory bowel disease,” Nature‘s Helen Thompson reported on March 22.

The BWH researchers report that, after studying the immune systems of both “germ-free mice” and those who have received normal exposure to bacteria and other microbes, they discovered that the germ-free mice “had exaggerated inflammation of the lungs and colon resembling asthma and colitis, respectively.”

“Most importantly, the researchers discovered that exposing the germ-free mice to microbes during their first weeks of life, but not when exposed later in adult life, led to a normalized immune system and prevention of diseases,” they added. “Moreover, the protection provided by early-life exposure to microbes was long-lasting, as predicted by the hygiene hypothesis.”

The researchers warn that additional research is required to see whether or not the hypothesis holds true for humans as well, but according to Gann, experts claim that the biological mechanism analyzed in the mice during this study is similar in people.

Likewise, Erika Von Mutius, head of the Munich University Children’s Hospital Asthma and Allergy Department, told Nature that the findings “complement what we see in epidemiology… It supports the idea that the microbiome is very important and the age of exposure is decisive.”

Reports on the morning after pill

Health Minister Ana Mato, announced this week that the three reports commissioned on the morning after pill, developed by Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Competent Authority), the Medical College (WTO) and the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO) and held by it and are "neither conclusive nor coincidental." These reports, which will build the new policy on this drug have not been made public, not known or the methodology or the evidence on which were based, nor the main conclusions of each.

Health Ministry sources consulted by ELMUNDO.es have noted that these reports are held by the minister and that "not going to publish" at least for now. Nor have they explained the turn of the discrepancies between the three studies and what scientific evidence have been used for processing, which was commissioned by Mato late last January.

In the wake of Health, Juan Jose Rodriguez Sendin, president of the WTO, said during a press conference that they will not make public the results of his report but that in his opinion and that of the organization he chairs, the pill postcoital "must be indicated by a professional, served in a health center and free [...] to ensure that there is reasonable doubt as to their delivery to minors." Phrase that encompasses ideas that the WTO and which presumably has been forwarded to the Executive of Mato.

The WTO position, Rodriguez Sendin said on several occasions, seems representative of the SEGO, which last February issued a joint paper with the Spanish Society of Contraception (SEC) stating that emergency contraception with levonorgestrel is not an abortifacient and that its use "is safe for all women including adolescents."

As the Competent Authority, no data on the document have been developed but, according to Santiago Barambio, gynecologist and president of the Association of Accredited Clinics for Interruption of Pregnancy (ACAI), "it should be based on scientific evidence exist on levonorgestrel, a drug that is well studied for years. "
Free dispensation to prevent pregnancy

"We are not facing a drug-points Barambio unknown. All organizations involved in health hospitalizations say that it is safe and has very little risk. Can produce only mild discomfort, similar to those of pregnancy because, precisely, during pregnancy Women have a lot of progesterone [active ingredient of the emergency pill], more than provided by the drug, "says this expert.

Studies, remember Barambio have already shown that this emergency contraception (not abortion) is safe, also before 18 years. "The children, are from the social point of view, but if they can be mothers, are physiologically women," says the president of ACAI.

"These girls have sex, which are allowed by law in over 13 years, so it is logical to gain free access to all measures to avoid undesirable consequences, such as pregnancy," he continues. "The free dispensation, precisely, is a useful tool to limit this."

Many neighboring countries have adopted the free dispensing the morning after pill as did Spain in September 2009. "Was established because, in light of studies on their safety and because it is a single dose, the risks are few, however, could prevent unwanted pregnancies whose risk increases the weekends which is when the access to health facilities is more limited, especially in small populations. "
In the hands of the Advisory Committee

Nevertheless, Ana Mato has on several occasions its concern about how this drug can affect children, which is why these reports commissioned. However, given the disparity of their results, the Minister has announced that it will convene an Advisory Committee "in the coming days or weeks", according to Health.

This committee, as recorded by the Gazette, consists of a Chairman, appointed by the Minister, and two vocal groups: first, the presidents of the General Councils of Associations of professionals in the sector and other recognized experts who will also be elected by the head of the Health portfolio.

The work of this committee, to analyze these reports, you will leave the final decision on the morning after pill, as Mato assured, "there never obey ideological" because "the subject of drugs, decisions must be taken by the scientific and medical criteria alone. "

Report on Yes well framed to euthanasia

Report on Yes well framed to euthanasia

A sick man should be able to claim the help of a doctor to die, and that, legally.

After more than two years of work, the parliamentary committee that focused on assisted suicide and euthanasia has come to this conclusion, in a 180-page report released Thursday.

To claim the aid of a physician to shorten his days, a patient should be of age, suffering from an incurable disease and estimate endure unbearable physical or psychological suffering.

In addition, the request for euthanasia must come from the patient himself, be in writing and two doctors must certify its compliance.

The Commission on the right to die with dignity, which included nine members of all political parties, therefore recommends that the Attorney General issue a directive to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DCPP) so we can no longer pursue a doctor having helped a dying to end the life.
The Commission was sensitive to the demands of the medical profession, who claimed his side of tags to meet strict, if it was in line to allow some form of euthanasia.

The College of Physicians and the College of Nurses are encouraged to modify their code of ethics, so that their members can assist or perform the type of euthanasia defined by law.

A healthy person could also preventive, to sign a notarized document, which would have a binding legal value, calling medical help to die, "in case they become irreversibly unconscious."

Essentially, however, members of the Committee particularly stressed in their report on the need to avoid the seriously ill the odium of having to beg for assistance to die.

Many of the 24 recommendations of the Commission are therefore intended to assert an upward revision of the provision of palliative services, whether in hospital, in nursing homes or at home. In addition, palliative care should not be reserved for people with cancer, but also be offered to those suffering from degenerative diseases.

All health professionals should receive specific training in palliative care, the commission said.

The receipt of palliative care should become a legally recognized right.

This commission had been a record number of participants, who received about 300 submissions and heard 400 witnesses.

Not to finish his report on a shelf, the commission recommends a law that the coach by June 2013.

Pregnancy and cell would not mix

A recent study indicates that using a cell phone during pregnancy could cause behavioral problems in the unborn child.

Exposure to radiation emitted by cell phones could affect brain development of fetuses, making them more likely to suffer from attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), reveal researchers from the Faculty of Medicine, University Yale.

Until now, the link between radiation exposure during pregnancy and cellular behavior problems a child had not been clearly demonstrated, but according to Dr. Hugh Taylor, author of the study, the results his team for the first time demonstrate a cause and effect, at least under tests on mice.
Radiation. Other potential effects of radiation on the human body include infertility and brain tumors. Cell phones emit more radiation when seeking a signal.
"Prenatal exposure is worrisome, because this is when the fetal brain is most vulnerable, says Dr. Taylor. Radio frequencies emitted by cell phones do not damage DNA like X-rays can do, but can permanently alter the electrical activity of cells and compromise the transmission of electronic signals in the brain, thus influencing the child development. "

Pregnant women should they stop using their cell phones until the birth of their child? Dr. Taylor responded firmly that we should not jump to conclusions too quickly. "It would be unethical to expose pregnant women to radiation 24 hours a day, he argues. What our study shows is that the link is qualitative. That said, the fetus of a mouse and the human fetus are very different. We must be cautious in extrapolating our findings to humans. "

Before you panic, it is important to realize that this is not so much your phone to your ear that is potentially harmful. Which involves certain risks, is having an open cell near it for a long time. "As long as the device is open, it will send signals and emit radiation, said Dr Taylor. Radiation from dissipating rapidly with distance from the source, just keep some distance between the phone and the abdomen of a pregnant woman. Do not leave it on your bedside table and do not attach to a pocket near your waist. "Other tips: leave it on a table or desk, and when you go out, carry it in a bag back.

"If you are pregnant, get rid of your cell would be a bit extreme as a reaction. Do not keep it constantly with you and not to use excessive measures should be sufficient, "he advises.

Two million French people drink polluted tap water

Two million French people drink polluted tap water

The UFC publishes an investigation in which she points agriculture, largely responsible for the pollution.

Nearly two million people in France receive water does not comply with regulations as too polluted, warned Tuesday the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, involving agriculture, "the source of nearly 70% of pollution. "

"There are nearly two million consumers who pay for water significantly contaminated," said at a press conference Sylvie Pradelle, national director of the association, even if for 97.5% of the population " overall water quality is good through regulation. "

If virtually no pollution is found in large cities or medium-sized cities, 2,750 municipalities receive water does not comply in France, mainly in areas of intensive agriculture, according to the UFC.

The association based its warning on its investigation from the results of analyzes of the Ministry of Health, district by district, over two years. She spent her results to the test of six criteria "reflecting the main contamination."

Pesticides are responsible for most of agricultural pollution (60%) and their use in agriculture "has not declined in 10 years," denounces the association.

She said that if none of the suspected risks could not be demonstrated, an exhibition on the long-term interactions between different pesticides could cause cancer and reproductive disorders.

The areas most affected are the Paris Basin, the North Rhone Valley and the Southwest, and the most populous municipalities receiving water are polluted Sens (Yonne) and Lisieux (Calvados).
Pesticides and nitrates

Second source of agricultural pollution and leading cause of catchment closure (water extraction points), nitrates contaminate water mainly in the north, says the association.

The France is being prosecuted by Brussels for failing to fight against this pollution, which is the subject of a directive.

More generally, if the major cities or regions such as Brittany distribute clean water, this is by applying "essentially remedial solutions (dilution water, dépollutions or abandonment of abstraction)," laments the UFC.

These solutions, largely borne by consumers (90%), result in a surcharge of 7 to 12% of the water bill, or between 640 million and 1 billion euros, deplores the association.

"For us, it is urgent to act" because "the future can not be bottled water," which costs 133 times more than tap water, says Alain Bazot, its president.

The UFC-Que Choisir claims therefore "effective protection of all catchments", "application of the polluter-pays in the field of agricultural pollution" and that "the aid of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are reserved for modes production based on integrated and organic farming. "

"We do not stigmatize farmers but agricultural policy," said Alain Bazot, for whom "a way to save the CAP is to add an environmental logic."

Besides agriculture, other sources of water contamination are related "to treatment failure (bacteriological quality, aluminum) and natural contamination (radioactivity)" and related "1500 common and 500,000 consumers."

The UFC-Que Choisir makes available on its website the results, district by district, its statements.

Plasticizers can lead to diabetes and obesity

Plasticizers and flame retardants can cause in humans, according to a study on obesity and diabetes. This is apparent from an examination of the British environmental organization ChemTrust for human exposure by synthetically produced chemicals, said the Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) and in Berlin. Plasticizers and flame retardants are present in some plastic toys, electrical appliances, PVC floors and in the coating of food cans. Humans can absorb these chemicals through air, skin or food.
The literature review presented by ChemTrust that summarize nearly 240 studies show clearly that among the causes of obesity and diabetes and hormonal pollutants, said Sarah houses, chemical expert at BUND. In laboratory animals, exposure to chemicals such as bisphenol A was performed in the womb at a later weight gain and increased insulin resistance.There is therefore a danger that people with diabetes will be triggered, warned houses. The federal government must therefore ensure that the chemicals will reduce exposure of sensitive people, especially as children and pregnant women.

 "Plasticizers and bisphenol A have to be replaced with safer alternatives," called houses.Gilbert Schönfelder, a toxicologist at the Charité Berlin, said the diabetes and obesity have a global epidemic. Than previously thought would cause primarily poor diet and physical inactivity. "Recent studies show that the strain could have it with hormonal pollutants is an important and previously underestimated proportion," said Schoenfelder. Therefore, the preventive measures would be strengthened. Hormonally active chemicals should certainly not get into the bodies of children, but not in those of adults.To date, the hormonal effects of bisphenol A, especially for infertility, adverse effects on sexual development as well as prostate and breast cancer blamed. The controversial chemical is similar to the female sex hormone estrogen and affect reproduction and brain development.

Every third German baby is born by caesarean section

Every third German baby is born by caesarean section

The Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced on Monday a new report on birth statistics. Thus, almost one in three children in Germany is now the world by caesarean section. Between 1991 and 2010 the proportion of cesarean births from 15.3 to 31.9 percent has more than doubled. Compared to 2009 the proportion rose by 0.6 percentage points to 209 441 caesarean sections. 20 years earlier had been counted only 126 297 births by caesarean section.

Other techniques are used only rarely: A suction cup was in 2010, only 5.3 percent of births used a forceps to 0.6 percent. The probability of a Caesarean section is in the states vary widely. Based on the number of births proportionately the most Caesarean sections were performed in Saarland (36.6 percent), followed by Rhineland-Palatinate (34.8 percent) and Ontario (34.2 percent). In Saxony (22.9 percent) took place very few caesarean delivery.

Planned and unplanned cesareans keep the scale in Germany, such as data of BQS Institute for Quality and Patient Safety show in Dusseldorf. The most frequent indications for a planned caesarean section is that the woman already had a caesarean section. If surgery is spontaneously during birth, most are poor heart sounds the child's cause.


"A Caesarean section is the safer option," Petra Kolip, says Professor of Health Sciences at the University of Bielefeld and author of a large Caesarean section study. Prof. Ulrich Gembruch of the University of Bonn, a board member of the German Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, explains the rising caesarean section rate with the higher average age of women giving birth: The older the women, the more they are at risk pregnant women.

"It made far more caesarean sections than necessary," however, Susanne Steppat, member of the German Confederation of Midwives believes. A cesarean section was easier for hospitals to plan, but for mothers and children are the worse alternative. The World Health Organization WHO has only a C-section rate of 10 to 15 percent for medically necessary. Prof. Gembruch does not consider it useful to keep the number of Caesarean sections as low as possible, the price would be more ill or even dead children.

Diet rich with the Cadmium is the cause of Breast Cancer

Diet rich with the Cadmium is the cause of Breast Cancer

Ingesting higher levels of cadmium, a metal found in fertilizers, may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, a new study from Sweden suggests.

The results showed that postmenopausal women with a relatively high daily dietary cadmium intake had a 21 percent increased risk of breast cancer.

The major sources of cadmium in the diets of women in the study were foods that are generally healthy — whole grains and vegetables. These accounted for about 40 percent of the cadmium consumed.

The reason for the link may be that cadmium can cause the same effects in the body as the female hormone estrogen, the researchers said. Estrogen fuels the development of some breast cancers.

Whole grains and vegetables generally protect against cancer, and people should not avoid these foods because of this study, said study researcher Agneta Åkesson, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

The study showed an association, not a cause-and-effect link, in one population of women, and further work is needed to confirm the findings.

"Though no single observational study can be considered conclusive, this very large, prospective study of [cadmium] exposure and post-menopausal breast cancer makes an important contribution to what is a fairly sparse literature considering this very important topic," said Michael Bloom, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Albany, who was not involved in the study.

Cause for concern?

"It has been known for some time that cadmium is toxic and, in certain forms, carcinogenic," said study researcher Bettina Julin, of the Karolinska Institute of Environmental Medicine.

In the study, the researchers collected data from more than 55,000 women in Sweden for 12 years. The women kept a daily log of everything they ate. The researchers estimated how much cadmium the women's consumed based on the country's data on the amount of cadmium in foods, and divided the women into three equally-sized groups based on their intake.

Over the course of the study, there were 2,112 breast cancer cases among the women: 677 in the women in the lowest cadmium intake group, and 744 in the women in the highest cadmium intake group. Because women's risk of breast cancer rises with age, the researchers took the women's ages into account when calculated the increased risk seen in the high intake group.

The researchers said they are concerned that cadmium is found in foods we consider healthy. The metal is well-absorbed by farmed plants, and fertilizers used to help grow our fruits, vegetables and grains contain cadmium.

The researchers noted that whole grains and vegetables, which were found to contain the most cadmium, have many beneficial nutrients — some that likely counteract the negative effects of the toxic metal.

And the data showed that women who ate the most whole-grain foods and vegetables, even when these foods contained cadmium, were less likely to develop the cancer than women who ingested high levels of cadmium through other types of food.

The highest risk of breast cancer was found among women who had a high cadmium intake, but ate few whole grains and vegetables.

Potatoes, root vegetables such as carrots, and cereal grains can accumulate cadmium from fertilizer and environmental deposits. Other types of food known to have a higher cadmium content include shellfish, organ meats and sunflower seeds.

Balancing act

"A major limitation of such a large-scale study is the exposure assessment," said Alfred Bernard, of the department of medicine at Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. In other words, the researchers estimated cadmium intake, and that may not accurately reflect the actual amount consumed or the absorbed by the body.

Still, because of the high incidence of breast cancer, compared with other types of cancers among women, "even a modest increase in risk will stimulate a substantial public health concern," Bloom said.

Some researchers aware of the link of cadmium and cancer are taking reasonable precautions. "I have reduced my consumption of sunflower seeds considerably," Carolyn Gallagher, of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University in New York, told .

Getting enough iron may also reduce the body's uptake of dietary cadmium, which may help reduce risk, Gallagher said.

The findings are published today (March 15) in the journal Cancer Research.

Alzheimer's Biomarkers Unaffected By Antioxidants 2012

Alzheimer's Biomarkers Unaffected By Antioxidants 2012

Adding antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E and vitamin C to the diet does not appear to affect some cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers linked to Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a randomized controlled trial that were published online in Archives of Neurology on Monday.
Antioxidant supplements don't appear to have an impact on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers related to Alzheimer's disease, a clinical trial determined.

The combination of vitamin E, vitamin C, and alpha-lipoic acid did not lower levels of the amyloid and tau proteins that make up the plaques and tangles seen in the brain with Alzheimer's disease, Douglas R. Galasko, MD, of the University of California San Diego, and colleagues found.

The combination did reduce CSF levels of the oxidative stress biomarker F2-isoprostane by 19% but raised a safety concern with faster decline in cognitive scores, they reported online in the Archives of Neurology.

The popular antioxidant coenzyme Q (CoQ) had no significant impact on any CSF measures in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study antioxidant biomarker trial.

Oxidative damage is widespread in the brain in Alzheimer's disease and contributes to neuronal damage, Galasko's group explained.

Some prior observational evidence has pointed to lower Alzheimer's risk with an antioxidant-rich diet, although prevention trials with supplements have had mixed results, they noted.

Their study included 78 adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer's randomly assigned to double-blind treatment over 16 weeks with the combination of 800 IU vitamin E, 500 mg vitamin C, and 900 mg of alpha-lipoic acid once a day; CoQ alone at a dose of 400 mg three times a day; or placebo.

Vitamins C and E act as antioxidants by controlling dangerous free radicals produced when oxygen reacts with certain molecules, while alpha-lipoic acid spurs production of many antioxidant enzymes in the body. CoQ is an antioxidant that helps protect mitochondria from oxidation.

Serial CSF specimens collected from 66 of the participants showed only small changes from baseline.

Beta-amyloid 42, which accumulates to forms plaques in the Alzheimer's brain, declined by 8 pg/mL from a baseline of 190 pg/mL with the antioxidant combination and by 15 pg/mL from a baseline of 185 in the CoQ group, but neither was a significant difference from placebo.

Tau protein, which forms neurofibrillary tangles in the brain with Alzheimer's, fell by 23 pg/mL with the antioxidant combination from a baseline of 123 and by 9 pg/mL from a baseline of 109 in the CoQ group, but again neither differed from changes with placebo.

Levels of tau phosphorylated at a specific site (P-tau181) likewise declined slightly over the study period for the two antioxidant groups but without a significant difference from placebo.

The one significant change was in CSF levels of the oxidative marker F2-isoprostane, which is stable oxidized arachidonic acid.

The vitamin C and E plus alpha-lipoic acid group saw a 7 pg/mL reduction in F2-isoprostane from a baseline of 38 over the 16 weeks of treatment (P=0.04). The other groups showed no change.

"It is unclear whether the relatively small reduction in CSF F2-isoprostane level seen in this study may lead to clinical benefits in Alzheimer disease," the group cautioned.

Cognition, measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination, didn't improve in any of the groups. In fact, the decline in scores appeared accelerated in the antioxidant combination group, with a change of -4.6 points over the 16 weeks compared with -2.3 to -2.4 in the other two groups.

The researchers highlighted that as a potential safety concern that needs further careful assessment if longer-term trials are considered. The antioxidants were otherwise well tolerated.

Function, as measured on the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activities of Daily Living Scale, didn't change in any group.
First author Dr Douglas R. Galasko, from the Department of Neuroscience at the University of California San Diego, and colleagues describe how they tested for the effects of a combination of vitamin E, vitamin C and alpha-lipoic acid (E/C/ALA) on levels of CSF biomarkers.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by an abundance of beta-amyloid protein plaques that clog up the spaces between brain cells and tau-based neurofibrillary tangles that clog up the insides of brain cells. Certain proteins in spinal fluid relate to this amyloid and tau pathology and serve as reliable biomarkers for the disease.

Metabolic reactions in the body produce free radicals that interact with other molecules to cause oxidative damage to proteins, membranes and genes. This influences the aging process and is also linked to disease, including cancer and Alzheimer's. In fact, oxidative damage in the brain is widespread among people with Alzheimer's disease.

The body defends against oxidative damage by producing antioxidants to mop up free radicals. Genes, environment and lifestyle (eg diet, smoking, exercise) determine how well it does this.

Increasing intake of antioxidants can boost the body's ability to defend itself against oxidative damage, and Galasko and colleagues write that some observational studies have suggested that a diet rich in antioxidants can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but randomized clinical trials have shown mixed results.

For their study, Galasko and colleagues looked at changes in CSF biomarkers related to Alzheimer's disease and oxidative stress, cognition and function in 78 patients from the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) Antioxidant Biomarker study.

The patients were placed in three groups.

One group took 800 IU per day of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), plus 500 mg per day of vitamin C, plus 900 mg per day of alpha -lipoic acid (E/C/ALA). Another group took 400 mg of the popular antioxidant coenzyme Q (CoQ) three times a day, while the third group was given a placebo.

66 of the patients provided serial CSF samples that were adequate for analysis during the trial, which lasted for 16 weeks.

The results showed that changes in the CSF biomarkers for the amyloid and tau proteins that are related to Alzheimer's disease (alpha-beta, tau, and P-tau proteins) did not differ among the three groups.

The E/C/ALA group did show a 19% reduction in the oxidative stress CSF biomarker F2-isoprostane, but the authors expressed concern at the rapid decline in cognitive function in this group, as assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

"It is unclear whether the relatively small reduction in CSF F2-isoprostane level seen in this study may lead to clinical benefits in AD. The more rapid MMSE score decline raises a caution and indicates that cognitive performance would need to be assessed if a longer-term clinical trial of this antioxidant combination is considered," they conclude.

They also note that while the findings suggest CoQ was safe and well tolerated, the absence of any impact on the CSF biomarkers would suggest that at the dose tested in this trail, CoQ does not affect oxidative stress or the progress of neurodegeneration.

Cure of the Victim's of Breast Cancer

Cure of the Victim's of Breast Cancer

"Time is ticking for a lot of the people we're interacting with on a regular basis and at times it's frustrating that we can't work faster."

Breast cancer victim Natalie Murphy, 32, was one of those people.

Murphy revealed the huge emotional impact breast cancer had on her life in a video filmed in November, 20 months after she was diagnosed with the disease.

The video, which is calling for donations to help support finding a cure, was launched on the Breast Cancer Research Trust Facebook page today.

Murphy said in the video: "Greg (her husband) remembers telling me that he felt something in my breast, but still in my mind I said it's not cancer, it's something else." But Murphy was told it was cancer, and was in her liver and possibly in her lungs.

Murphy said the woman who broke the news to her burst into tears when she told her: "Unfortunately we can't save you, you are now terminal."

"I had no idea how much time I had and I had to wait two days before I could see my oncologist to find out if I had weeks, months, years."

Finding a cure

Murphy said nobody deserves to get cancer and "it's really sad in this day and age that we don't have cures".

Shelling told Breakfast researchers would like to be able to turn breast cancer into a chronic disease by 2018, so most women diagnosed will survive and go on to live a normal and happy life.

He said breast cancer is a complicated disease that must be found early for the best possible treatment.

"We know that each woman presents with an individual cancer and we're working with the breast cancer research trust to come up with ways to pick up cancer more earlier through blood tests."

A husband's shock

Murphy's husband Greg told Breakfast it was a shock when he found out his wife had incurable cancer. He said she tried a lot of contemporary treatments to fight the cancer.

Greg Murphy said Natalie did the video because she wanted to get her story out there and show that in her case it was not hereditary.

He said she also wanted to make women under 45 aware of the dangers.

Greg Murphy told Breakfast finding a cure was important for Natalie and she would be "ticking another box in her life" if one was found.

Murphy lost her battle with cancer and died in December last year.

Treatment of Menopause and Breast Cancer

Treatment of Menopause and Breast Cancer

Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed)

Dr. Rowan Chlebowski: Effects of estrogen alone vs. estrogen plus progestin on breast cancer risk

Menopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer risk: Emerging evidence from randomized trials

LOS ANGELES (March 15, 2012) - In the past decade, results from large prospective cohort studies and the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized placebo-controlled hormone therapy trials have substantially changed thoughts about how estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin influence the risk of breast cancer, according to a review published TK in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute.

Although hormone therapy is currently used by millions of women for menopausal symptoms, there is still concern about hormone therapy–induced breast cancer risk. In addition, the effects of estrogen plus progestin versus estrogen alone on breast cancer are not completely understood.

To compare the effects of estrogen alone versus those of estrogen plus progestin on breast cancer risk, Rowan T. Chlebowski, M.D., Ph.D., of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Garnet Anderson, Ph.D., at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, looked at data from two randomized, placebo-controlled full scale clinical trials conducted in the WHI. One trial evaluated estrogen plus progestin in postmenopausal women with an intact uterus, and the other evaluated estrogen alone in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy. Estrogen plus progestin statistically significantly increased the risk of breast cancer. In contrast, estrogen alone use in postmenopausal women with a previous hysterectomy, statistically significantly decreased the risk of breast cancer.

The randomized clinical trial findings differ from the predominance of observational studies, which suggested that both estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin increase breast cancer incidence. Dr. Chlebowksi explains that "an imbalance in the use of mammography with greater screening for hormone users could explain some of the increase in breast cancer incidence with estrogen alone seen in cohort studies because screened populations have more cancers detected than unscreened populations."

While the mechanisms underlying the different effects of estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin are not completely understood, the authors state that preclinical and other clinical evidence suggests "the findings in the clinic, taken together with preclinical evidence, indicate that many breast cancers in post-menopausal women can survive only a limited range of estrogen exposures."

A Brief Primer of HRT and Breast Cancer

The recent $72 million Pfizer jury award to three women who said they developed breast cancer after taking PremPro has once again placed women in and around menopause in an incredibly stressful situation: to take or avoid estrogen.

Some women are afraid to start it, some worry the entire time they are one it, others won't consider stopping it. But no matter how you feel about estrogen, it remains the most effective government-approved drug therapy in the United States and Canada for treating menopause-related symptoms.

Prior to 2002 and the publishing of the Women's Health Initiative study, a very large percentage of women in menopause were taking estrogen or estrogen plus progestin or progesterone. After the study, which showed that estrogen plus progestin caused an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attack, blood clots and stroke, many women went cold turkey and stopped everything.

I remember my phone ringing off the hook with concerned women. Half the calls were women looking for an alternative to HRT. The other half the calls were from women wanting to know if they could stay on their estrogen. Since that original study, we've learned a lot more about estrogen. The most important one is that estrogen therapy has to be individualized and periodically reevaluated. Here are a few things every female HuffPost reader should know about her hormone therapy.

First, the terms:

Drugs that contain estrogen are divided into two categories:

    ET stands for estrogen therapy. These contain estrogen only. I've included an important video about ET and breast cancer risk below that is sure to help you.

    EPT stands for estrogen-progesterone therapy.

    HT stands for hormone therapy and can refer to either ET or EPT.

    HRT stands for hormone replacement therapy. It's still used a lot by laypeople but it isn't currently used as much by the medical community.

Now the estrogen types:

There are four types of estrogens.

    Human Estrogens. There are three human estrogens -- estradiol, also called 17b-estradiol, is the strongest one. Estrone is 50-70 percent less active. Estriol is 10 percent as active as estradiol. Estradiol is the only government approved single-estrogen product.

    Non-Human Estrogen. These are also called conjugated estrogens or CE. These are a mixture of at least 10 estrogens obtained from natural sources, typically, the urine of pregnant mares. Their effects are caused by the sum of the 10 or more estrogens.

    Synthetic Estrogens. These are manufactured in chemical plants and resemble human and non-human estrogens.

    Plant-Based Estrogens. These are also called phytoestrogens. Some act like an estrogen and others act like an anti-estrogen, depending on which part of the body the phytoestrogens affects. These are not prescription hormones. These are commonly found in foods such as soy, flaxseed, red clover and others.

The recent Pfizer jury award is sure to scare many women. Whether or not to take estrogen and or progesterone is a very personal decision that needs to be individualized. Think of it as you would when considering whether or not to take any medication: It depends on your history, why you are taking it and what other options you have for treatment.

For those of you considering HT, I strongly suggest you have a detailed discussion with your healthcare provider that addresses your personal needs, wants and desires. It's important to know what symptoms you are hoping to alleviate, what the risks are for you as an individual and what alternatives exist for you.

Helpful drug for cystic fibrosis patients

Helpful drug for cystic fibrosis patients

Rick Cissna, born in 1962, was always sick as a kid. He didn't understand why his lungs were always full of goop, why he couldn't recover from colds like his friends did, why eating made him sick. At 16, he was finally diagnosed: He had cystic fibrosis, an often-deadly disease caused by a genetic defect.

Soon, he became a patient of Dr. Bonnie Ramsey, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's. Ramsey was just starting what would become three grueling decades fighting the devastating disease, which clogged young lungs with mucus and often killed patients before adulthood.

Thirty years later, Cissna's and Ramsey's paths would cross again in a most wonderful way.

It came about because of a little blue pill called Kalydeco, recently approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a key trial led by Ramsey showed striking results.

Although it helps only a small subset of those who have cystic fibrosis, it is the first drug to target the disease's genetic cause, not just its symptoms.

"I don't think you can overstate how dramatic this result is," said Dr. Peter Mogayzel, director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Johns Hopkins.

Not only will it give powerful help to a small percentage of patients, he said, "it also heralds the beginning of a new era" of therapies for other cystic-fibrosis patients.

Kalydeco (kuh-LYE-de-co) rests on scientific work begun decades ago on the human genome.

A "personalized" drug, it works only for a certain genetic mutation — the one Cissna has.

Cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease, occurs when people inherit two copies of a defective gene — one from each parent. About 30,000 people in the United States have the disease; an additional 10 million or so — about one in 31 Americans — have one copy of the defective gene.

According to the FDA, it is the most common fatal genetic disease for Caucasians.

Targets the lungs

Although Cissna had a relatively mild case, he experienced many of the disease's symptoms.

Because the genetic defect disturbs the body's salt balance, people with CF can't keep their lungs and airways clear. The lining of their lungs dries out and mucus thickens, clogging airways, inviting infections, pneumonia and scar tissue.

People with CF typically die from lung failure, although the disease affects many other organs and the digestive tract, making it hard for people with CF to get enough nutrition. Often, their fingers show a distinctive club shape, and males often are infertile.

Currently, the average life span is about 39 years.

When Cissna and Ramsey first met, about 1980, the average life span was about 18.
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At 21, Cissna left her care, and Ramsey lost track of him, hoping he was still alive, but fearing the worst. During the next three decades, Ramsey helped develop important treatments that allowed patients to live longer.

More than 10 years ago, she began collaborating with the company that originally developed the drug. In 2009, she began the trial that led to Kalydeco's approval.

She didn't know that her former patient had volunteered for the study, received the drug — not the placebo — and had quickly improved.

When she found out, she recalled, "I was ecstatic."

Later, she saw a brief video of Cissna. He wasn't coughing. He was running.

"I just started crying. I was just so happy."

Earlier this month, Ramsey and Cissna met again. In a hallway at the Children's Research Institute where Ramsey works, they threw their arms around one another.

Both were elated.

Cissna because Kalydeco has helped him breathe, eat and have more energy. And Ramsey, because finally, there was a "game changer" in her long quest to stop CF's relentless destruction.

"It really is one of the most exciting things that I've been involved with in my career," said Ramsey, director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Children's. "It's wonderful to be able to make this impact on someone's life."

Kalydeco, said Dr. Margaret Hamberg, an FDA commissioner, "is an excellent example of the promise of personalized medicine — targeted drugs that treat patients with a specific genetic makeup."

Outlook bleak

In the early years of Cissna's life, the outlook for most kids with CF was grim. Sequencing the human genome was just a dream, and doctors had little to offer beyond oral antibiotics and teaching parents how to pound their child's back to loosen CF's thick mucus.

In those days, most kids were repeatedly hospitalized until lung failure finally sapped their lives.

Many people became aware of the disease's toll through a moving 1982 memoir by sports writer Frank Deford, detailing the life of his daughter, who died in 1980 at age 8.

"Alex: The Life of a Child," and the 1986 TV movie based on it, made millions of readers and viewers cry as they learned about Alex's struggles. In those years, most children were diagnosed through their very salty sweat.

Now, newborns, who benefit from early diagnosis, are screened through a blood draw from the heel. Last year, Washington's screening found 17 newborns with CF.

CF involves 1,800 mutations; any two create the disease.

These days, virtually all CF patients know their mutation, Ramsey said.

Most have at least one copy of a particular mutation, an improperly folded protein trapped inside the cell, unable to reach the surface to do its duty as a salt pump. The protein Kalydeco targets, on the other hand, has made it to the surface, where the drug can "turn it on."

Kalydeco is the "destination in a long journey" that began with the identification of the CF gene in 1989, The New England Journal of Medicine recently noted.

To get there, it needed sustained effort and investment, collaboration of academic and industry researchers and a research network — the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics Development Network, created by Ramsey with support from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The development of Kalydeco, Ramsey said, is "step one" in finding drugs to fix the more common defect.

"I think this gives us a clear path to future research," says Ladd Moore, co-president of the Washington chapter of the CF foundation. His sister, Lissy Moore, died of CF in 1998 at age 15.

Treating symptoms

In the early 1980s at Seattle Children's, Ramsey's patients often spent half their short lives in the hospital.

Despite being what Ramsey recalled as "a very sick kid," Cissna enrolled in her very first study.

Cissna "was one of my dearest patients," she said. "The age he was diagnosed was when we were losing most patients."

As Cissna grew up, he and others with CF were helped by innovations, many developed by Ramsey and her colleagues, such as nebulizers and inhaled antibiotics to help quell life-threatening lung infections.

But always, the drugs treated only symptoms.

High hopes for gene therapy were dashed in 2005, when, after 15 years and at least $40 million, a large trial by a Seattle biotech failed to find benefit.

Through it all, Cissna just kept going. He married, adopted two kids, and became a teacher. But denial was getting harder to sustain.

Over the years, he had recurrent lung infections, a collapsed lung and repeatedly developed resistance to antibiotics. Insurance paid for a $14,000 inflating vest to help him clear his airways. He enrolled in the Kalydeco trial more than two years ago. A week after starting to take the little pills, Cissna had a sudden realization: "Ohhhh — I was not on the placebo!"

For the first time, he began gaining weight. Just like normal people do. "My friend said, 'Congratulations! You're now just a middle-aged, overweight guy!' " Now, his wife, Kathy, says it's as though he doesn't have CF anymore. "It's amazing."

Kalydeco doesn't "cure" CF. And it costs $294,000 a year. That means nearly $400 for each blue pill, taken twice a day. Dawn Kalmar, spokeswoman for the drug's Cambridge-based company, Vertex, says it will help many patients with costs.

Ramsey said she expects insurers will pay for this FDA-approved treatment. Parents in online chat rooms note that in some cases, Kalydeco costs less than IV antibiotics, respiratory therapy and hospitalization.

Fund of £4 Million Boost For Cystic Fibrosis Treatment

Campaigners supporting the call for funding of trials for a groundbreaking gene therapy treatment are delighted to hear that money has been secured to take the work forward. Trials will now begin in March due to a grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

One hundred and thirty adults and children with Cystic Fibrosis will take part in the largest trial of its type yet, coordinated by the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium

The Gene Therapy Consortium is made up of teams from Imperial College London and the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Lothian. The teams have been working alongside eachother for over decade to find a definative treatment for Cystic Fibrosis which over 9,500 individuals have in the UK and over 90,000 worldwide.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most commonly inherited disease in the UK. Patients’ lungs become filled with thick sticky mucus and they are vulnerable to recurrent chest infections, which eventually destroy the lungs. In 1989 it was discovered that Cystic Fibrosis is caused by a gene mutation on the 7th chromasome. This discovery and subsequent research offers real hope for the development of a gene therapy treatment and its this that the trials are aiming to push forward.

Glomming Onto Proteins to Detect mesothelioma Early On

You believe your protein-identifying molecules are a disruptive technology and envision them packed onto a "wellness chip" that will enable doctors to identify diseases before patients report symptoms. How would it work?

A: Besides lung cancer, SomaLogic has molecules that can detect proteins thrown off by 20 diseases and conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer's, pancreatic cancer, and mesothelioma [lung cancer due to asbestos exposure], early labor, and infectious diseases. The molecules attach to the protein "gloves" they fit, and can then be detected on a chip by a flash of light with every match.

I've believed since 1997, and haven't wavered once in 15 years, that if we can find 10 or so important biomarkers for every disease, the ultimate value would be to help a physician during annual checkups, because blood is an integrator of all the biology that's happening in your body. And it's not just for disease, but for wellness and nutrition, which constitute holistic medicine.

Our whole business model coalesces into the wellness chip. Measuring 1,000 proteins doesn't cost much more than measuring 10. So sets of our molecules associated with specific diseases can be aggregated onto a chip and patients screened for many diseases at once. A drop of blood would be placed on the chip and it would read out associated diseases. It might also help when you decide to go on a diet or run more.

Q: How would your biomarker molecules help with diet and exercise?

A: There are two integrators of your whole biology -- nutrition, exercise, sleep, disease, everything -- and they are the brain and blood. We believe you can learn amazing things from watching a person's blood over time. We asked our 90 employees to give blood and go to a local restaurant and have a 2,500-calorie meal. Then they gave blood again and we watched a whopping number of things go up and down. So there's a connection between blood and diet. You know your blood is watching you.

Q: What is SomaLogic's business model?

A: Our synthetic molecules operate in our business model in three ways. We license them for making diagnoses, drug discovery and development, and they themselves can act as drugs. Our molecules behave as medications when they inactivate a protein. We have great molecules that have done wonderful jobs in animals. None have been used to treat humans, but we expect a clinical program in the next year or two.

So we are a proteomics play with this vast group of molecules, which is growing by one or two thousand a year. We'll get to 6,000 by 2014. We might as well do the whole human proteom [the collection of all the proteins human cells can make], which is about 20,000 proteins. Our goal is to finish the job by 2016.
Q: But other diagnostic tools such as mass spectrometry are entrenched among researchers. How will you catch up?

A: Almost nobody has been successful doing protein-based diagnostics with mass spectrometry. But it's early in the game. You can't deny people the opportunity to prove I'm wrong. But we don't think of it as competition.

Q: How have you financed your company?

A: We have raised $200 million from venture capital, angels, and our pharmaceutical partners Novartis, NEC, Otsuka, and Quest, and NeXstar money that I plowed back in. We also get some revenue from licensing. Revenues this year were $20 million. We operated at a loss last year, but expect much more in 2012, although it won't be enough to drive us to profitability, which we expect in 2013.

Q: And you also recently got a grant.

A: We got a $500,000 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant to make a diagnostic test for tuberculosis. That will take less than a year.

Q: What did you think when you saw your new molecules?

A: You look at them and you're aghast at their extraordinary beauty. We have shown people 3-D structures of them and one will be published in the next few months.

Q: What is the company's future?

A: The $40 billion monoclonal antibodies market is a small fraction of what we're going after. We will never displace all antibody drugs. They work beautifully. But our molecules will operate within that growing market. It's anybody's guess what fraction they might ultimately enjoy. It could be 10 percent. No one can possibly know.

Hybrid Aspirin as Cancer Destroying Drug

In an unprecedented research study conducted by a team from the City College of New York (CCNY) it appears that the run-of-the-mill medication, aspirin, is the new heavy weight in the on-going fight against cancer.

The report, published in the ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, states that the newly created hybrid aspirin not only will have exceptional implications for cancer treatment, but also is significantly safer for people on a daily regimen.

After studying the effects of the aspirin, researchers found that it halted the growth of tumors for 11 different cancers, including cancerous tumors in colon, pancreatic, lung, prostate, breast and leukemia.

Further, the aspirin did not pose any threat or harm to the surrounding healthy issues and cells. For individuals on a daily aspirin regimen for heart or stroke issues, balancing the medication's benefits with the serious side effects can be a dangerous game. Traditional aspirin has been found to damage to the lining of the stomach, kidney problems and aid the development of ulcers.

What makes this new aspirin hybrid different is in its chemical makeup. The dual release of two materials – nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide – protects the stomach and increases aspirin's cancer-fighting ability, respectively.

According to Associate Professor Khosrow Kashfi, one of the study's leading researchers, “The hybrid is more potent – and it is more potent by orders of magnitude – compared to aspirin.”

Named NOSH-aspirin for its two leading components, demonstrated its remarkable cancer-fighting abilities when given to cancer cells. Within 24 hours, the NOSH-aspirin was 100,000 times better at fighting cancer than its traditional form, and after 72 hours, the drug was nearly 250,000 times more potent.

For mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure, and cancers like it, the breakthrough may mean more effective treatment options.

NOSH-aspirin “could be used in conjunction with other drugs to shrink tumors before chemotherapy or surgery,” said Kashfi. For cancers similar to lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma – affecting the lining of the lungs – prescribing NOSH-aspirin before receiving conventional cancer treatments may mean lower risk of harmful side-effects, the reduction of the amount of chemotherapy needed and potentially the complete eradication of tumors.

Though practical applications of the NOSH-aspirin may be years away, the results of the study are encouraging to the medical community.

“We could be looking at a human trial within two years,” said Kashfi.

Mesothelioma Law Firm Warns Younger Workers More At Risk of Asbestos Cancer

Young workers and those new to working in occupations where they are likely to encounter asbestos containing materials need extra protection as they may not be aware of how dangerous exposure to asbestos can be. This is even more so with asbestos hazards, as the fatal consequences caused by exposure to asbestos are not seen until decades later due to a long latency period between initial exposure and development of disease.
According to a recent report published in the European Respiratory Journal, Temporal Patterns of Occupational Asbestos Exposure and Risk of Pleural Mesothelioma, men under the age of 20 who are occupationally exposed to asbestos are more likely to later develop mesothelioma than are those exposed at later ages.

These results highlight the fact that young workers and those new to the workplace, especially where asbestos exposure is known to be a risk, need extra protection. Young and inexperienced workers often lack the experience, knowledge and full understanding of how being exposed to asbestos products can lead to fatal illnesses such as mesothelioma.

Exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma (malignancy that develops in the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen that is often called asbestos cancer,) asbestosis (scarring of the lungs,) and other asbestos related cancers. Because the threat of asbestos is not obvious fibers are microscopic and exposure doesn’t lead to immediate effects - young workers may lack the cognition to protect themselves from this occupational hazard.

Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason (CPSM), asbestos attorneys, have represented clients who died of mesothelioma as young as 35 years old – way too young! They urge employers and workers themselves to take precautions by:

Identifying areas and products in the workplace that create risk of exposure to asbestos
Attending trainings to learn what the hazards of asbestos are and how to avoid them
Having a thorough understanding of the long term consequences of occupational exposure to asbestos
Attending safety meetings and orientations that discuss the importance of and ways to avoid exposure
Following workplace protocols, including using personal protective equipment and clothing.

CPSM Urges: Don’t Downplay the Danger of Asbestos

Employers and more experienced, knowledgeable workers probably know about that asbestos presents a risk and that people of all ages, not just older workers, need to worry about protecting themselves to avoid later developing asbestos related diseases. The Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration has regulations for employers as well as guidelines for workers to follow specific to asbestos substances.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and developed mesothelioma, contact one of our asbestos attorneys today at 1-800-440-4262 for a free case evaluation. We have been standing up for and fighting for the rights of asbestos victims for over 30 years.    It’s what we do, and we’re good at it. Contact us today.

Mesothelioma study could crack the code for early detection

As with most cancers, early detection is the key to fighting mesothelioma. That’s sometimes easier said than done.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is one of the toughest cancers for doctors to diagnose. It’s a relatively rare cancer and the disease’s symptoms are similar to lung cancer. The treatments, however, are different. With a quick, accurate diagnosis, mesothelioma can be a manageable disease.

According to new research, a group of Danish doctors may have cracked the code on early diagnoses of pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the lung. The doctors relied on biomarkers, or the structure of the blood and lung fluid, to identify mesothelioma in its early stages.

The team found absent or decreased levels of the enzyme methylthioadenosine phosphorylase in the majority of mesothelioma patients tested. When combined with other forms of testing, this could provide earlier diagnosis and increase the chances of surviving longer. Symptoms of the illness include shortness of breath, fatigue and painful coughing fits.

The Danish doctors measured MTAP levels in more than 100 patients. They found that 65 percent of the patients had decreased levels of MTAP. In a second study, the doctors found that they could diagnose mesothelioma accurately the majority of the time.

Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the lung. Mesothelioma can also strike in the abdomen or the heart.

An estimated 3,000 patients are diagnosed in the United States with mesothelioma each year. The disease is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Patients who are diagnosed with the disease live for about two years. But when detected and treated in its early stages, patients have lived for more than decade. But not every doctor is familiar with the disease and sometimes it’s misdiagnosed as lung cancer.

The Danish report is encouraging for those suffering from the incurable disease.
Anybody who has worked around asbestos is at risk of contracting mesothelioma. Trades commonly associated with the disease are pipefitters, railroad workers and roofers. But it’s not uncommon for schoolteachers whose classrooms were coated with asbestos material to become victims.

Diagnosis is also complicated by the fact that the latency period is 10 years or more after initial asbestos exposure. Some cases have seen latency periods up to 40 years or more.

Patients who exhibit the first onset of symptoms are encouraged to visit a mesothelioma specialist to receive an accurate diagnosis.

The town of Bluffton requires businesses operating within the town limits, including home occupations, to obtain a town of Bluffton business license. Applications are available on the town’s website. New business license applications are made by submitting a completed application either by mail or in person at the business license office at Town Hall.

If you have any questions or comments regarding business licenses, or to notify us of a change of address or closure of your business, please contact the business license department.

Brushing can make ill-hazardous disinfectant to spring clean

An exaggerated campaign against germs and bacteria at risk their own health and pollutes the environment. The Federal Environment Agency and consumer advocates advise from so much of chemistry. Because a lot of chemistry does not automatically means better hygiene.
In order to bring the house into shape, generally ranging from four agents: a neutral cleaner for floors, tiles and other smooth surfaces, scouring for stubborn dirt, soap for washing windows, and citric acid or vinegar with lime. For stains on upholstery and carpets are announced any other media: foam soap or mild detergent solution lukewarm. The products consumers should look at the environmental label "Blue Angel" eighth.
Damage to the skin floraCleaning products with antibacterial additives which are actively promoted in advertising are, according to experts, however, unnecessary. Disinfectants and antibacterial cleaners can harm the beneficial bacteria flora of the skin and trigger allergies and eczema. They attack the immune system and thus pave the way to even more diseases. In addition, there are some disinfectant as potentially mutagenic or carcinogenic. With many cleaning products with antimicrobial additives in addition to efficacy is not proven.

Many disinfectants contain substances which humans can be dangerous: for example, triclosan can be absorbed through the skin and interfere with the metabolic detoxification of the liver. Of sodium hypochlorite, a substance that is found in many cleaners, chlorine is liberated. This in turn can irritate skin and mucous membranes.
Cleaners can interfere with the functioning of sewage treatment plantsSuch cleaners should never be mixed with other cleaning products containing vinegar such as this can lead to severe poisoning. For the environment can be harmful disinfectants, because they kill aquatic life and disrupt the function of sewage treatment plants.
For children an exaggerated hygiene is anything but healthy. The seeds, with whom they come into contact in the home must not be destroyed - they train on the contrary, the immune system.
Fit with spring cleaningBasically: Vigorous scrubbing can save a lot of chemistry. But the rags should be changed frequently and boiled.Not least, a spring-cleaning promotes no "chemistry clubs' fitness. After all, a man with 70 kg of body weight consumed during window cleaning in 15 minutes already 83 calories, such as the Consumer Initiative has calculated. When dust wipe Putzwütige burn in a quarter hour 37 kilocalories, when wiping the floor with 60 calories and scrubbing the bathroom tiles 74 kilocalories.

AIDS experts believe in healing in a few years

It is one of the most feared diseases in the world. AIDS was believed to be incurable. Now there is finally hope for a cure. AIDS experts see new approaches to cure the immune deficiency disease. "The healing has made research in the last twelve months more progress than ever before," said the Munich-based internist and director of the 14th Munich-based AIDS and Hepatitis-day hunter Hans. "I believe that a realistic period in which we can heal, five years." At an early breakthrough in a vaccine, he think not. "We do not have vaccinations and they are not getting in the coming years."

Approximately 1,500 scientists, doctors, lawyers and nurses to discuss Sunday's AIDS and Hepatitis-days in Unterschleissheim near Munich, about new developments in their field.

A cure through a bone marrow transplant was successful but at the Charité in Berlin three years ago in a patient, this method is too complex to apply it in all patients, said Hunter.

Instead, the scientists hope to at a conference in Seattle presented method. With the cancer drug vorinostat had succeeded in hiding in infected cells get hold, where slumber the virus despite treatment. With current AIDS drugs might the virus in other cells are killed off well, but survived in the sleep-cells. "This drug has succeeded in latently infected cells releasing viruses, which can then be reached and destroyed by known drugs."

Already now the drugs reduce viral load in blood to keep at least so low that no longer exists contagion. It was just important for couples where one partner is infected. Not only those affected could lead a normal life, including the risk of infection go to zero. "The concept of prevention is through therapy."