“In-built defence system against HIV in human body”

The Hindu, October 13, 2008

New Delhi: Scientists have decoded an in-built defence system of human body against the HIV, giving a new approach to drug development.

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have unravelled the long-sought atomic structure of an enzyme APOBEC-3G which is capable of stopping HIV at the very first stage of its attack on the body.

“We now understand how this enzyme can interact with DNA,” one of the researchers and a professor at USC Xiaojiang Chen said.

“This understanding provides a platform for designing anti-HIV drugs.”  more 

Jam and jelly join the fight against cancer

http://news.scotsman.com/health/Jam-and-jelly-join-the.4583955.jp
Published Date: 13 October 2008
By Lyndsay Moss
Health Correspondent
AN INGREDIENT found in jelly and jam could help prevent the spread of cancer, research suggested yesterday.
A study found that pectin – a natural fibre found in fruit and vegetables and widely used in food processing – played a role in fighting the progress of the disease. more

No more free treatment at Bowring

tBy Gayathri L, DH News Service, Bangalore: Deccan Herald Ocober 7, 2008

Totally free healthcare would be a thing of the past at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, thanks to the Hospital's now active "autonomy".

Patients availing treatment at Bowring Hospital in the near future, will have to foot bills which is expected to be “almost on par with corporate hospitals,”  a highly placed official revealed. The Hospital has begun charging patients for healthcare services from September 25. Bowring, along with four other government hospitals in Bangalore, were granted autonomous status through a Government Order (HFW19MPS2005) dated November 16, 2006. While the administrative transition had begun then, the financial part  will begin to hurt the patients only now. Till now, Bowring Hospital used to treat 1200 out patients and admit 30 to 40 new in-patients everyday, free of cost. Only a small user fee was charged for admissions and in certain cases, for diagnosis. This was possible with an annual budget of Rs 15 crore, which came from the government.

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Smoking would Kill 83m in China in 25 years

China lung disease 'to kill 83m'

By Jill McGivering  BBC News One in three cigarettes in the world is smoked in China A US study has suggested that more than 80 million people in China will die in the next 25 years as a result of lung disease. The research says the vast majority of those premature deaths are preventable. The study focused on the devastating impact of smoking and the widespread practice of burning wood or coal at home for cooking and heating. The Harvard School of Public Health research looked at a 30-year period, spanning the last five and the next 25. Respiratory disease is already a leading cause of death in China, but this latest study suggests a startling rise. In the 30-year period, it calculates, about 83 million Chinese people will die prematurely of lung disease.  more

Deadly Rugby Virus

Spreads In Sumo Wrestlers
ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2008) — Rugby players may get more than just the ball out of a scrum – herpes virus can cause a skin disease called "scrumpox" and it spreads through physical contact. Researchers have studied the spread of the disease among sumo wrestlers in Japan and have discovered that a new strain of the virus could be even more pathogenic, according to a new article.

"Scrumpox", or herpes gladiatorum, is a skin infection caused by the herpes virus, which can cause coldsores. It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact so it is common among rugby players and wrestlers. Symptoms can start with a sore throat and swollen glands and the telltale blisters appear on the face, neck, arms or legs. The disease is highly infectious, so players who are infected are often taken out of competition to stop the virus from spreading... more

Surgery is 'only means to healthy weight loss'

By Steve Connor, Science Editor

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

PA

This Morning presenter Fern Britton had a gastric band fitted two years ago, which enabled her to lose 5 stones

The number of Britons undergoing drastic stomach surgery to treat obesity will have to soar in the coming years because it will be the only way that many people are able to maintain the weight loss necessary for a healthy life, scientists have said.

Dieting and other lifestyle changes can lead to substantial weight loss. But many people, the scientists said, find it hard to maintain the loss because hormone levels change, making the body want to produce more fat.

"Once you start losing weight by decreasing calorie intake, your body interprets this as starvation and goes into emergency status, fighting to lay down fat deposits where possible," explained Rachel Batterham of University College London. "Therefore you are fighting against your body when losing weight."

Stomach surgery such as gastric bypass operations should not only be carried out on severely obese people, but offered to overweight men and women as a form of disease prevention, in much the same way statins are offered to prevent heart disease, they said. Read full story

Girls to have cervical cancer jab

The vaccine does not reduce the need for women to have smear tests. Every Year 8 schoolgirl in Wales is to be offered a vaccination against the virus which causes most types of cervical cancer, from this month. Some 20,000 secondary school girls aged 12 and 13 will be offered the vaccine against the human papillomavirus(HPV). The jab protects against two viruses responsible for about 70% of cases. Wales has around 170 cases a year. Read more