DAILY NEWS BULLETIN LEADING HEALTH, POPULATION AND FAMILY WELFARE STORIES OF THE Day Friday T 4.7.2014 PM announces 3 new vaccines PM announces 3 new vaccines for children (The Indian Express:4.7.2014) India s UIP will now provide free vaccines against 13 life threatening diseases to 27 million children annually. Tweet This RELATED Four new vaccines to be part of government's immunisation programme: PM Modi Centre nod for three new vaccines under UIP Symposium on vaccine innovations held at PGI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that three new vaccines for children would be included in the universal immunisation programme along with Japanese Encephalitis vaccine for adults in districts with high incidence of the disease. The new paediatric vaccines are injectible polio, Rubella and rotavirus that the government hopes will help in meeting millennium development goal of reducing child mortality by twothirds by 2015. Modi said, The introduction of four new lifesaving vaccines will play a key role in reducing infant mortality in the country. Many of these vaccines are already available through private
practitioners to those who can afford them. The government will now ensure that the benefits of vaccination reach all sections of the society, regardless of social and economic status. India s UIP will now provide free vaccines against 13 life threatening diseases to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world. Japanese Encephalitis vaccine will be introduced in 179 districts. Share on facebookshare on twittershare on google_plusone_shareshare on redditshare on linkedinshare on pinterest_sharemore Sharing Services0 Injectable Polio Vaccine (The Asian age: 4.7.2014)
Vaccine (Dainik Gagaran: 4.7.2014) Í ɉक ȯ ȡत न और ȣ ɉक ȡ- Đ ĤȡȲğȢɅġ Ȫȣ न ȡçĚȣ ȣ ȡ ȡ[Đ ( य आइप ) Ʌत न और ȣȯȡ करन क एल न ȡ ह अब द श भर Ʌè स ह न ȡȣ म त स Í ɉ क बच न क f र ट व यरस क ȣȯ लग ए ज ए ग इस तरह Û ȡ अ ध पन, बहर पन और ǿ स ब ध Ȫɉस बच न क f [ȢǑ ȡj Ȳक ǽȯȡ क ȣȯʌȯ@ȫ Ȫस लड़न क f अब द ǗȲɅ ȡf ज न ȧ बज य ^Ȳ ȯè क ǐȯȣȯ ȧब हतर ख र क ȣज एग ज प न ^Ȳ ȯ ȡ^Ǒ ( ज ई ) स Ĥȡ द श क 179 ǔ ɉʌअब è ɉ क भ इसक ȣȯ लग ए ज ए ग ĤȡȲğȢ न Ǖǽȡ क कह, ^Ʌस \ ȡȲ ȣȯ अभ भ उन Ȫɉ क रह ɇ, ज इसक f ȧ च क सकत ɇ@ ȯ सरक र अब यह ǕǓǔæ कर ग इनक फ यद सम ज क हर तबक तक पह च च ह व Ȣ भ ] [ और स म जक ǙçǗ क ɉ@ èȡèø Ȳğ क Ǖȡǒ ĤȡȲğȢक एल न क ब द अब ã ȣ इन ȣ ɉ क Đ Ǿ स द श भर Ʌउत र Ǒȡ ज एग इन ȣ ɉ क ȡ कर f ज न क ब द ȡȣȣ ȡ ȡ[Đ Ʌक ल 13 Ȣȡǐɉ क ȣȯ`þ ɉȯ@द श Ʌलगभग 2.7 कर ड़ Í ɉ क स ल न य ȣȯ लग ए ज ए ग ȲǕÈ ȡçĚ Ʌ f व द क ब वज द भ रत Ǖ Ǚ Ǖदर क तय स म तक ल न Ʌ क मय ब ह त ȣȳǒ रह ह İȡǔÞ ȡ ê ( एमड ज ) Ʌ ȯक क रण भ हम र f ऐस उप य उठ न Ǿȣ ह गए ɇ@ȡçěȣ ȣ ȡ ȢǓ त य र करन Ʌअहम Ǘ ȡ Ǔȡ च क भ रत य ȡ अन स ध न ǐ क Ǘ[ ȡǓȯ ȨÈ एनक ȡȲǕȣइस सरक र क ǒãǖ ȣ समय स ȡ गय फ सल बत त ɇ@ȡȳǖȣ कहत ɇ Ȫ Ȫ क म मल ह ज न क ब द अगर ȡf ज न व ल ȣȯ ȡȣ रख ज त त ȣȯ स ȣ Ȫ Ȫ व यरस क प द ह न क खतर बन रहत अब तक सरक र ^Ȳ ȯè क ǐȯǒf ज न व ल ȣ ɉ स ^ f बच ȣ थ, Èɉ इसक f बड़ è पर Ȱȡǐɉ ȧ Ǿ ह त ह Ǘȣ तरफ, ȡçĚȣ ȣ ȡ Ȣ ȧ सल हक र सम ह क è ज कब Ǖ इन ȣ ɉ क ज रद र Ȫ करत ɇ@उनक Ǖ ȡǒ ǒȡ^ ȧ Ǖ ȡ क ल कर Ǘȣ तरह ] æè ह ए ȣ Í ɉ क र ट व यरस ȣȯलग ए ज ए ग सभ ज नत ɇ हम र यह Ȫè ȡȶǑȲ ǓȡȢ ȧ क ई क रगर åèȡ ȣȳह इस तरह Ǖ म नत ɇ ज ई क ȣȯ ɉ क लग न स भ [ ȣ ȡȲǓɉ क ȣ फ यद ह न
व ल ह एनक ȡȲǕȣ कहत ɇ ज ई व यरस कई ब र अपन ĤȪ ȡ^ बदलत ɇ@^ f Ĥȡ ^ȡ ɉʌè ɉक भ ^ ȧ ख र क ȣज न ȡǑ f @उधर, सरक र क द व ह इसस एक ल ख Í ɉक म त स बच य ज सक ग National immunization programme Four new vaccines in national immunization programme(new Kerala:4.7,.2014) The Indian government Thursday introduced four new vaccines, including one for Japanese Encephalitis (JE), in the national immunization programme, which will now provide free vaccines against 13 life-threatening diseases to 27 million children annually. The decision to introduce the vaccines for rotavirus, rubella and polio (injectable) as part of the universal immunization programme was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official here said. The JE vaccine would be available for adults in 179 districts in nine states where the disease is highly prevalent. "The introduction of four new lifesaving vaccines, will play a key role in reducing the childhood and infant mortality and morbidity in the country. "Many of these vaccines are already available through private practitioners to those who can afford them. The government will now ensure that the benefits of vaccination reach all sections of the society, regardless of social and economic status," said Modi. "India is committed to tackle child mortality and provide health for all through multiple initiatives taken up by the government. Strengthening routine immunization is an essential investment in India's children and will ensure a healthy future for the country," he said. The decision to introduce the vaccines represents one of the most significant policy initiatives in public health, the release said adding at least one lakh infant deaths and that of adults in working age group would be prevented by this decision. Diarrhoea caused by rotavirus kills nearly 80,00,000 children each year and results in up to 10 lakh hospitalizations, pushing many Indian families below the poverty line while rubella causes severe congenital defects in newborns.
The Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) is being introduced together with 125 countries in a globally synchronized manner. India has been certified polio free in March 2014 and the introduction of IPV in addition to the oral polio vaccine (OPV) will provide long lasting protection to the population against the virus. The recommendations to introduce new vaccines had been made by the National Technical Advisory Group of India (NTAGI), the country's apex scientific advisory body on immunization. Rotavirus, rubella vaccines Free jabs for polio, rotavirus, rubella vaccines for children (The Tribune:4.7.2014) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced the decision of the government to introduce four new vaccines as part of India s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). Vaccines against rotavirus, rubella and polio (injectable) will now be provided to all Indian children free of cost. The idea is to expedite India s progress on meeting the Millennium Development Goal 4 targets to reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015 and meet global polio eradication targets. In addition, an adult vaccine against Japanese encephalitis will be introduced in districts with high levels of the disease. Recently the government has included the pentavalent vaccine under UIP. Today s decision has the potential of preventing at least 1 lakh infant deaths, deaths of adults in working age group and up to 10 lakhs hospitalizations each year. With these new vaccines, India s UIP will provide free vaccines against 13 life threatening diseases, to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world, the PM said. Modi also said that the introduction of four new lifesaving vaccines will help reduce childhood and infant mortality and morbidity. Many of these vaccines are already available through private practitioners to those who can afford them but the government will now ensure that the benefits of vaccination reach all sections of the society, regardless of social and economic status, Modi said.
Diarrhoea caused by rotavirus kills nearly 80,000 children each year, results in up to 10 lakh hospitalizations, pushing many families below poverty line. It imposes the burden of over Rs 300 crore each year to the country, the PM said. He said India had developed and licensed the first indigenous rotavirus vaccine under a PPP between the Ministry of Science and Ministry of Health and will introduce this vaccine gradually. A vaccine against rubella will prevent severe congenital defects in newborns, like blindness, deafness and heart defects. It is estimated that 2 lakh babies are born with congenital defects each year in the country, Modi said. UIP will also introduce adult vaccine against JE in 179 endemic districts in nine states, he said. Japanese Encephalitis shot for adults Under the Universal Immunisation Programme, adult vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis will be introduced in 179 endemic districts in nine states For meeting polio eradication goals, the government said it will introduce Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) under UIP. The move comes after India was certified polio free in March 2014 Parkinson's Suffering from Parkinson's? Take brisk walk to stay fit (New Kerala:4.7,.2014) Walking regularly improves the mood, fitness and ability to think in people suffering from Parkinson's disease. "The results of our study suggest that walking may provide a safe and easily accessible way of improving the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and improve quality of life," said study author Ergun Uc from University of Iowa in the US. The study was based on data from 60 people who participated in moderate activity sessions while wearing a heart rate monitor. By walking briskly three times a week for 45 minutes, the patients improved their motor function and mood, increased their attention span and aerobic fitness, the findings showed. "People with mild-moderate Parkinson's who do not have dementia and are able to walk independently without a cane or walker can safely follow the recommended exercise guidelines
for healthy adults, which includes 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity, and experience benefits," Uc added. The study was published online in the journal Neurology TB WHO targets elimination of TB in over 30 countries? (New Kerala:4.7,.2014) The World Health Organisation (WHO), along with the European Respiratory Society (ERS), Thursday presented a new framework to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in countries with low levels of the disease. There are 33 countries and territories where there are fewer than 100 TB cases per million population. Low TB-burden countries already have the means to drive down TB cases dramatically by 2035. "Universal health coverage, which ensures everyone has access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship as a result, is the bedrock. The key is to target smart TB interventions towards the people who need them most," said WHO's assistant director-general Hiroki Nakatani. The framework outlines an initial "pre-elimination" phase, aiming to have fewer than 10 new TB cases per million people per year by 2035 in these countries. The goal is to then achieve full elimination of TB by 2050, defined as less than one case per million people per year. "Although TB is preventable and curable, in these 33 settings, 155,000 people still fall ill each year and 10,000 die. Millions are infected and at risk of falling ill," the WHO statement said. According to professor G.B. Migliori from ERS, "powerful antibiotics and better living standards have almost pushed the disease out of many high-income countries. But we still have not succeeded". "But if we get it right, and recommit to fighting the disease, both at home and abroad, TB will eventually no longer be a public health threat," he added.
Meditation Keep yourself stress-free with 25 min of meditation(new Kerala:4.7,.2014) A new study has revealed that 25 minutes of focused meditation for three consecutive days affects people's ability to be resilient under stress. J. David Creswell, associate professor of psychology in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, said that many people reported that they practiced meditation for stress reduction but they knew very little about how much people need to do for stress reduction and health benefits. He further explained that when people initially learn mindfulness mediation practices, they have to cognitively work at it, especially during a stressful task and these active cognitive efforts might result in the task feeling less stressful but they might also have physiological costs with higher cortisol production. Creswell's team is now testing the possibility that mindfulness could become more automatic and easy to use with long-term mindfulness meditation training, which may result in reduced cortisol reactivity. The study is published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. Dark chocolate Dark chocolate 'may improve walking ability for PAD patients'(medical News Today:4.7.2014) Numerous studies claim that in moderation, dark chocolate is good for our health. Now, a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association adds to the evidence, suggesting that it may help increase walking distance for people with peripheral artery disease.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects more than 8 million people in the US. It is characterized by narrowing of the peripheral arteries and reduced blood flow to the stomach, arms, head and most commonly, the legs. Cramping, pain or tiredness in the leg or hip muscles during walking or climbing stairs are the most common symptoms of PAD, meaning many patients are unable to walk long distances without stopping to rest. Past research has indicated that dark chocolate offers cardiovascular benefits. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a study published in The FASEB Journal, which revealed that it may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis - thickening and hardening of the arteries. For this study, the research team - including Dr. Lorenzo Loffredo of the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy - wanted to see whether dark chocolate could improve mobility in people with PAD. Polyphenols in dark chocolate may explain improved walking ability Dr. Loffredo and colleagues recruited 20 participants - 14 men and six women - who had PAD. The participants were required to provide blood samples and undergo a series of walking tests on a treadmill over 2 days. Dark chocolate Researchers found that after eating 40 g of dark chocolate, PAD patients were able to walk further and for longer. On the first day, subjects were asked to walk for as long as they could on a treadmill while the researchers measured their walking time and distance. They were then given 40 g of dark chocolate to eat (approximately the size of standard chocolate bar), and 2 hours later they walked on the treadmill again. The same regime was repeated on the second day, but participants were given 40 g of milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate. Results of the study revealed that after the participants ate the dark chocolate, they were able to walk for an average of 17 seconds longer and almost 12 meters (39 feet) farther than they did before eating the dark chocolate. However, no increased walking time or distance was found after they ate the milk chocolate. The researchers hypothesize that the increased walking time and distance after consumption of dark chocolate may have something to do with its richness in polyphenols - a type of antioxidant.
They note that the dark chocolate had cocoa content of 85%, making it much richer in polyphenols than the milk chocolate, which only had a 35% cocoa content. The team says that after the participants had eaten the dark chocolate, they had higher levels of nitric oxide in their blood - associated with improved blood flow - and had reduced biochemical signs of oxidative stress, which the researchers say may have dilated the peripheral arteries and improved walking ability. Based on these findings, senior study author Dr. Francesco Violi, also of the Sapienza University of Rome, says "polyphenol-rich nutrients could represent a new therapeutic strategy to counteract cardiovascular complications." The researchers admit that their findings are subject to limitations. For example, they did not have a placebo group in the study and patients were aware of the type of chocolate they were being given, which they say could have affected the results. They conclude that further research with a larger group of PAD patients is warranted to confirm the results. Findings 'should be interpreted with caution' A spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA), Dr. Mark Creager, warns people should be cautious of the team's findings: "Other investigations have shown that polyphenols including those in dark chocolate may improve blood vessel function. But this study is extremely preliminary and I think everyone needs to be cautious when interpreting the findings. We know from other studies of antioxidants - vitamin C and E for example - that these interventions have not gone on to show improvement in cardiovascular health." The AHA note that there are other foods rich in polyphenols that are a healthier alternative to chocolate, such as dried peppermint, capers and hazelnuts. Other studies have suggested that chocolate may also yield benefits for other health conditions. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that chocolate could prevent obesity and diabetes, while other research found that hot chocolate may prevent memory decline. Our Knowledge Center article on the health benefits of chocolate reveals some of the other ways the food may be good for you.
Obesity Obesity linked to type 2 diabetes by an absent protein(medical News Today:4.7.2014) Obese people have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body loses its ability to control glucose. And, while the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes is statistically evident, biological explanations are less so. Now scientists have discovered that a key protein that helps the body control glucose, is missing in obese people. The researchers say this is the first time a direct molecular link has been discovered betweenobesity and type 2 diabetes. The team, from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, one of the research institutes of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore, reports its findings in the journal Cell Reports. Obesity is a common, serious condition that increases risk ofstroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types ofcancer, some of the leading causes of preventable deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity now affects more than a third of adults in the US, where the cost of the condition was estimated to be $147 billion in 2008. Once considered a problem only in the more wealthy countries, overweight and obesity are now rising rapidly in low and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not make enough insulin to help it control glucose or the body's cells become resistant to insulin. The result is high levels of glucose in the blood, which if untreated, leads to more serious conditions like blindness, cardiovascular disease, loss of limbs, and kidney failure. More than 360 million people around the world have type 2 diabetes, including about 8% of Americans. The World Health Organization projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death worldwide in 2030. NUCKS protein regulates insulin signaling in cells In their investigation, the IMCB team discovered that a protein called NUCKS is an important regulator of insulin signaling in cells. They showed that endocrine cells lacking the ability to make the protein had impaired insulin signaling.
Also, mice bred to lack NUCKS showed "decreased insulin signaling and increased body weight/fat mass along with impaired glucose tolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity, all of which are further exacerbated by a high-fat diet," note the authors. They also found that NUCKS is downregulated - that is the genes that code for the protein are more or less inactive - in obese individuals. It was also found to be downregulated in mice raised on a high fat diet, yet levels of NUCKS went up upon starvation. The researchers suggest obese individuals who lack NUCKS develop insulin resistance and lose the ability to regulate their glucose effectively, leading them to have high levels of it in their blood, which makes them more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes. First discoveryof a direct molecular link between obesity and type 2 diabetes They say this is the first time a direct molecular link has been discovered between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and will lead to new research projects to identify drugs and lifestyle changes that can restore NUCKS to normal levels in the body. Study leader Dr. Vinay Tergaonkar, Principal Investigator at IMCB, says: "Every year, billions of dollars are spent on metabolic diseases and a big part of the expenditure goes to the drugs for diabetes. The findings in our study have immense therapeutic implications as they will be applicable not only to diabetes in obesity, but also to diabetes as a whole." Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently reported how a team from the University of California, San Diego in the US discovered that a biological link between obesity and type 2 diabetes may also explain how obesity can lead to cancer. The researchers showed that the protein HIF-1 alpha played a key role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in obese mice. They also showed that the protein helps tumor cells to survive conditions of low oxygen. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
View all articles written by Catharine, or follow her on: Biochemical cascade Biochemical cascade causes bone marrow inflammation, leading to serious blood disorders (Science Daily:4.7.2014) Like a line of falling dominos, a cascade of molecular events in the bone marrow produces high levels of inflammation that disrupt normal blood formation and lead to potentially deadly disorders including leukemia, a research team has reported. The discovery points the way to potential new strategies to treat the blood disorders and further illuminates the relationship between inflammation and cancer. ke a line of falling dominos, a cascade of molecular events in the bone marrow produces high levels of inflammation that disrupt normal blood formation and lead to potentially deadly disorders including leukemia, an Indiana University-led research team has reported. The discovery, published by the journal Cell Stem Cell, points the way to potential new strategies to treat the blood disorders and further illuminates the relationship between inflammation and cancer, said lead investigator Nadia Carlesso, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Bone marrow includes the cells that produce the body's red and white blood system cells in a process called hematopoiesis. The marrow also provides a support system and "home" for the blood-producing cells called the hematopoietic microenvironment. The new research
demonstrates the importance of the hematopoietic microenvironment in the development of a group of potentially deadly diseases called myeloproliferative disorders. "It has been known for years that there are links between inflammation and cancer, but these studies have been challenged by the lack of genetic models, especially for blood-based malignancies," said Dr. Carlesso, a member of the hematologic malignancy and stem cell biology program within the Wells Center for Pediatric Research at IU. The researchers focused on what happens when there are abnormally low levels of a molecule called Notch, which plays an important role in the process of blood cell production. Using a genetically modified mouse, they found that the loss of Notch function in the microenvironment causes a chain of molecular events that result in excess production of inflammatory factors. The high levels of inflammation in the bone marrow were associated with the development of a myeloproliferative disorder in the mice. Myeloproliferative diseases in humans can result in several illnesses caused by overproduction of myeloid cells, which are normally are used to fight infections. These diseases can put patients at risk for heart attack or stroke, and frequently progress into acute leukemia and bone marrow failure, which have fatal outcomes. Unfortunately, there are no effective therapies for the majority of myeloproliferative diseases. When Dr. Carlesso's team blocked the activity of one of the molecules in this biochemical cascade, the myeloproliferative disorder in the mice was reversed. In addition, elevated levels of the blocked molecule were found in samples from human patients with myeloproliferative disease. These findings suggest that developing drugs that target this inflammatory reaction at different key points could be a promising strategy to limit the development of myeloproliferative disease in humans. The molecular cascade leading to inflammation was not occurring directly in the bone marrow cells that produce blood cells, but in cells of the bone marrow microenvironment, especially in endothelial cells that line the capillaries -- tiny blood vessels -- inside the bone marrow. This was a key discovery, Dr. Carlesso said. "This work indicates that we need to target not only the tumor cells, but also the inflammatory microenvironment that surrounds them and may contribute to their generation," she said. "We believe that this combined strategy will be more effective in preventing myeloproliferative disease progression and transformation in acute leukemias." Dr. Carlesso also noted that the Notch molecule is mostly known as an oncogene -- one that can cause cancer -- and so is often targeted by therapies for other types of cancer. The new research indicates that clinicians need to be aware of the effects that reducing levels of Notch function could have on the blood development process, she said. Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Indiana University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Lin Wang, Huajia Zhang, Sonia Rodriguez, Liyun Cao, Jonathan Parish, Christen Mumaw, Amy Zollman, Malgorzata M. Kamoka, Jian Mu, Danny Z. Chen, Edward F. Srour, Brahmananda R. Chitteti, Harm HogenEsch, Xiaolin Tu, Teresita M. Bellido, H. Scott Boswell, Taghi Manshouri, Srdan Verstovsek, Mervin C. Yoder, Reuben Kapur, Angelo A. Cardoso, Nadia Carlesso. Notch- Dependent Repression of mir-155 in the Bone Marrow Niche Regulates Hematopoiesis in an NF-κB-Dependent Manner. Cell Stem Cell, 2014; 15 (1): 51 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.04.021 Stem cell Now, corneas regrown from rare stem cells(the Times of India:4.7.2014) Offers A Cure For Blindness Mike Kemp/Tetra Images/Corbis In a breakthrough, scientists have successfully regrown human corneas from an extremely rare kind of adult stem cell harvested from deceased donors. Researchers identified a way to enhance regrowth of human corneal tissue to restore vision, using a molecule known as ABCB5 that acts as a marker for hardto-find limbal stem cells. Limbal stem cells -identified with a new marker -could reverse a leading cause of blindness, experts said. The research at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Research Institute provides promise to burn victims, victims of chemical injury and others with damaging eye diseases. It is also one of the first known examples of constructing a tissue from an adult-derived human stem cell. Limbal stem cells reside in the eye's basal limbal epithelium, or limbus, and help maintain and regenerate corneal tissue. Their loss due to injury or disease is one of the leading causes of blindness. In the past, tissue or cell transplants have been used to help the cornea regenerate, but it was unknown whether there were actual limbal stem cells in the grafts, or how many, and the outcomes were not consistent. In the study, researchers were able to use antibodies detecting ABCB5 to zero in on the stem cells in tissue from deceased human donors and use them to regrow anatomically correct, fully functional human corneas in mice.
Limbal stem cells are very rare, and successful transplants are dependent on these rare cells, said Bruce Ksander, co-lead author on the study with post-doctoral fellow Paraskevi Kolovou. This finding will now make it much easier to restore the corneal surface. It's a very good example of basic research moving quickly to a translational application, said Ksander. ABCB5 was originally discovered in the lab of Markus Frank, of Boston Children's Hospital, and Natasha Frank, of the VA Boston Healthcare System and Brigham and Women's Hospital, cosenior investigators on the study, as being produced in tissue precursor cells in human skin and intestine. In the new work, using a mouse model developed by the Frank lab, they found that ABCB5 also occurs in limbal stem cells and is required for their maintenance and survival, and for corneal development and repair. Mice lacking a functional ABCB5 gene lost their populations of limbal stem cells, and their corneas healed poorly after injury. PTI Metabolism Sweet genes: New way found by which metabolism is linked to the regulation of DNA(Science Daily:4.7.2014) Scientists have discovered a new way by which metabolism is linked to the regulation of DNA, the basis of our genetic code. The findings may have important implications for the understanding of many common diseases, including cancer. research team at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta have discovered a new way by which metabolism is linked to the regulation of DNA, the basis of our genetic code. The findings may have important implications for the understanding of many common diseases, including cancer. The DNA wraps around specialized proteins called histones in the cell's nucleus. Normally, histones keep the DNA tightly packaged, preventing the expression of genes and the replication of DNA, which are required for cell growth and division. In order for these critical functions to take place, histones need to be modified with the attachment of an acetyl-group, donated by a critical molecule called acetyl-coa. This attachment relaxes the DNA, allowing for DNA replication and gene expression. This mechanism is called "epigenetic regulation of DNA" and is important for normal functions (like the growth of an embryo or brain functions) or in common diseases like heart failure or cancer. Until now, how the nucleus generates acetyl-coa for histone acetylation had remained elusive.
The research team, lead by postdoctoral fellow Gopinath Sutendra and professor Evangelos Michelakis in the Department of Medicine, discovered that an enzyme thought to reside only within mitochondria, called Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDC), can actually find its way into the nucleus and do what it is designed to do in the mitochondria: generate acetyl-coa. When in mitochondria, PDC uses the carbohydrates from our diet to generate acetyl-coa for energy production. When in the nucleus, PDC can produce acetyl-coa for histone acetylation. "Although this jumping of an enzyme from one organelle into another in the cell is not unheard off, our results were quite surprising," Sutendra says. "We wanted to measure acetyl-coa levels and PDC in the mitochondria because that's where we thought they were. But accidentally we had the nuclei isolated at the same time and we saw PDC in the nucleus. So we asked, 'what is PDC doing there?' And that started it all." "We were surprised that, despite the recognized importance of histone acetylation in cell biology and medicine, and despite the efforts by many to develop drugs that regulate histone acetylation, the source of acetyl-coa in the nucleus had remained unknown," Michelakis says. "Sometimes the answers to important biological questions are just next to you, waiting to be discovered," he adds. The team found that the translocation of PDC into the nucleus made cancer cells grow faster, an observation that may lead to additional strategies in the war against cancer. Yet, because the findings relate to how our DNA is regulated in general, this work may have far broader implications for many physiologic or pathologic conditions where epigenetic regulation is critical. "We are very excited about this new pathway linking energy production (the process known as metabolism) with gene regulation," the researchers say. The work is published in the July 3, 2014, issue of the journal Cell. Michelakis is particularly proud of the fact that this is the product of a team that is entirely based at the University of Alberta. Many young researchers in the Department of Medicine like Adam Kinnaird, Peter Dromparis and Roxane Paulin were critical members of the team that also included technicians (Trevor Stenson, Alois Haromy, Kyoko Hashimoto) and researchers from the NanoFAB facility (Nancy Zhang, Eric Flaim). The work was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Hecht Foundation (Vancouver, Canada). Sex-determination clinics Sex-determination clinics flourishing in city in connivance with officials, politicians, cops: Court(The Indian Express:4.7.2014)
Delhi court said clinics providing pre-natal diagnosis and sex-determination tests are flourishing in the city. A Delhi court said clinics providing pre-natal diagnosis and sex-determination tests are flourishing in the city in connivance with the local administration, politicians and police. The observations were made while dismissing the plea of a doctor couple seeking discharge from the accusation of running a pre-natal sex-determination and pregnancy-termination clinic in Ashok Vihar. Clinics providing for pre-natal diagnosis and sex determination flourish in connivance with the local administration, police and other concerned authority only because those who are entrusted with the duty of taking action choose to look the other way. This is a harsh social and national reality and the court of law cannot shut its eyes to the same, Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said. This court will not adopt an interpretation of law which defeats the object which this Special Act Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques seeks to attain, the court said. It added that there were thousands of clinics where sex determination and abortions were carried out on a daily basis and, in some cases, it was being run in connivance with politicians. The court, in its order, also gave figures of sex ratio in the country, saying that as per statistics, nearly 10 million female foetuses have been aborted over the past two decades and, of the 12 million girls born in India, one million do not see their first birthdays. As a result of this, human trafficking has become common in various states of India, where teenaged girls are being sold for cheap money by poor families, being treated as sex objects with more than half of such cases going unreported, it said. The doctor couple said the cognisance could only be taken for this offence on a complaint filed by the appropriate authority (and not by an NGO) but that there was no such complaint at the time of cognisance. The complaint against them was filed by NGO Beti Bachao Samiti, which had conducted a sting on the doctors. Mushrooms (The Asian age: 4.7.2014)