Taking cocaine alters the way one feels, and a scientific study has revealed that this is due to cocaine having an impact on the genes in the brain. The operations of these genes are altered when cocaine is taken, and this study will eventually lead to breakthrough in treating cocaine addiction.

Genes are not only something which passes on characteristics but actively regulate the behavior of various cells in our body all the time. Research conducted on mice has revealed that repeated doses of cocaine, causes the genes to switch on and off in an unusual manner, and causes the G9a protein to get suppressed. This protein stunts the growth of dendritic spines in the neuron cells, which is directly related to smartness. When G9a is suppressed, the growth of these spines increases thus affecting the IQ of a person. But this would suggest an increase in smartness, but this is not the case, as in cocaine which is considered a bad drug the learning process gets connected to a craving for more cocaine. The reverse has been proved in mice when their G9a levels were increased they had much less craving for cocaine.

As the G9a has an effect on the working of various cells it will still take a long time to develop something which can control addiction in humans.

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The US researchers investigating treatment options for spinal cord injuries made a startling discovery recently. A common blue food dye is capable of providing the best treatment known till date, it is reported.

A common and safe blue food dye called brilliant blue G, when tested in rats, permeated into the spinal fluid and prevented inflammation. Maiken Nedergaard and her team at the University of Rochester Medical Center carried out the study. Brilliant blue G is a derivative of the common food dye Blue no.1.

As of now, there are no successful treatment options for severe spinal cord injuries. The new discovery will be helpful in controlling the secondary damages caused by spinal injuries. Unlike other cells, when a nerve cell in spinal cord or brain is damaged, it releases chemicals that destroy the cells close to them. The reason for this is not known yet. However, to control the situation, it is important to prevent further damage after a spinal injury or a stroke.

Nedergaard found that one of the chemicals released by the damaged cells is ATP. The research team, in their quest for an element to nullify ATP, stumbled upon the fact that the blue dye called brilliant blue G or BBG is capable of interfering with the activities of ATP.

The research team observed that intravenous administration of BBG drastically reduced the chances of secondary damage in spinal cord injury victims. The added advantage is the absence of any aftereffects, except in sepsis patients. The BBG treatment should be given immediately to stop nerve damage, as they are irreversible.

Blue no.1, the popular food additive, is consumed in large quantities in the US. BBG is a close relation of blue no.1.

Nedergaard added that BBG can be used for spinal injury treatment only after human trials, which is still years away.

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It is well known that teenage mothers undergo extreme mental trauma. However, a recent research has revealed that the emotional distress came first and is the reason for the pregnancy.

The study is based on data collected over years from thousands of teen girls and teen mothers. The term ‘depression’ was not used for study purposes, as it is a term used in clinical diagnosis. The quantitative value of depression was measured by asking the study participants questions that displayed their response to depression symptoms. For example, how difficult or easy is concentrating for them and how fast they could elevate their mood while depressed?

During the study, it was found that teenage pregnancy happened in cases where poverty and depression are already present. Earlier studies had found that teenage mothers suffered from high levels of depression. However, it was never verified whether the depression came before or after pregnancy.

The new study results give much hope in preventing teen pregnancies, which is showing alarming trend in recent years. Equipped with these findings, educators and clinicians can easily identify the risk groups and take precautionary measures.

The best preventive for teen pregnancy is to encourage teens to develop good self-esteem and long-term goals. Educating teenagers about their sexuality and responsible behavior is important in this regard. Sexually active teens should be educated on the importance of use of birth control.

Major repercussion of depression among teenage mothers is the adverse effect it has on the health of the mother and the child. Depression in teenage is likely to continue into adulthood, which again has serious consequences.

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For the first time, damaged heart tissue was restored without the help of stem cells. This break-through was achieved by US scientists using a growth factor called neuregulin 1 (NRG1). Using NRG1, they influenced the heart muscle cells to re-enter the cell cycle. This resulted in new cell formation and repair of the damaged heart tissue.

The studies done on mice and rat that suffered heart attacks are encouraging. The scientists are hopeful that one day this will lead to an alternative method to stem cell therapy, in treating heart failure in humans.

Stem cells are not-yet-adult cells, whose functions have not been defined yet. These stem cells are used to repair damaged cells of various organs like heart. Progenitor cells that have started to differentiate as adult cells, but yet to be dedicated to particular functions are also used in cell repair. However, the question remains is that whether fully differentiated and defined cells can regenerate?

Heart muscles or cardiomyocytes multiply at the fetal stage. Once the baby is born, they turn binuclear and stop proliferating any more. Dr Bernhard Kühn, who led the study team, found that adult heart cells grow at a slow rate with about half the cells replacing themselves during a lifespan.

The study team has captured the process in video. They found that NRG1 speeds up the replacement process. This discovery was made after testing the ability of various molecules in inducing cell division.

There are many areas of study remaining that needs clarification. One being whether NRG1 is responsible for the natural repair process in the body. The researchers also found that NRG1 and its receptor are found in adult heart. However, it is not yet known whether there are enough of them in the right places to produce any positive effect.

This study has opened new possibilities for patients with damaged heart muscles.

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It is proved beyond doubt that the children today undergo a lot of stress, which increases their susceptibility to a horde of diseases. Recent studies have shown that asthma is also one among them.

Children living in homes with stress-laden atmosphere are at higher risk of asthma caused by environmental pollution. The pollution can be vehicular exhaust or cigarette smoking. The study found that children living in stressed out homes with high levels of vehicular pollution have around 50% more chance of suffering from asthma than those living in tension-free homes that are equally polluted.

However, the positive aspect revealed during the study was that stress alone does not have any effect on asthma risk in the absence of environmental triggers. Rob S. McConnell, M.D., Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and a study researcher explains that pollution leads to inflammation of lungs, which is the lead cause of asthma. Stress helps in aggravating the situation, but stress alone will not have much impact.

The study was conducted on 2,500 children aged 5-9 years. They were observed for a period of three years. None of the children had asthma at the start of the study. The stress level at home was measured by evaluating their parents’ stress using questionnaires. The pollution level at home was evaluated by collecting information about exposure to cigarette smoke and vehicular exhaust. The education background of parents was also considered to determine the socioeconomic status of the family.

During the study period, 120 children developed asthma. Another reason for heightened asthma risk was for children of women who smoked while pregnant. Household stress played a key role for these children as well.

Stress is a factor that raises risk for many diseases including asthma. More research is needed to understand its influence properly.

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This is great news for women suffering from cystic fibrosis. A recent study has found that the disease will not stand in their way to have successful fertility treatment and have babies. It will neither leave any adverse effect on either themselves or their children.

Until a few years back, women with cystic fibrosis were like those on a death sentence. They never lived long, most of them not past their teen years. With advances in medical field, it is not a life-threatening disease anymore. However, cystic fibrosis (CF) still poses many health problems like complications during pregnancy and infertility.

The study group comprised of a set of infertile women with CF. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) was used to treat them to overcome their infertility. Out of 24 women, 15 received fertility treatment through ART. Three were found to be medically unfit for treatment and the rest of the six are still under assessment.

Dr Sylvie Epelboin, coordinator of the Paris-based ART-CF disease network, explains that women with CF have thick cervical mucus, which prevents natural conception. In these cases, pregnancy is possible with artificial methods like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Depending on the woman’s pulmonary and nutritional status and ethical issues like the resultant health concerns of mother and child, fertility treatment has to be finalized.

As all the 15 women had partners without the CF gene mutation and normal fertility indicators, IUI method was tried with success in 14 cases. One woman underwent IVF to become pregnant. Totally, there were 12 live births with not even one baby with low birth weight (below 1500g). The mothers recorded a slight decline in lung function during pregnancy, but remained healthy otherwise. All children born are aged 10 years to one month and are healthy.

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A recent study reveals the importance of caregiver in the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer’s patients. The study results suggests that those patients having close relationship with their caregivers are better off in keeping their mental faculties intact than those without a caring one. The emotional bond was found to be as effective as some of the drugs used for the disease.

Constantine Lyketsos, director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center explains that having a caring person like a spouse to take care of the Alzheimer’s patient will allow the patients to stay at home. Those who do not have a close caregiver are forced to go to a nursing facility, where they may not get as much attention and emotional bonding as from a relative.

The study does not explain the reasons behind this behavior. Lyketsos warns that this was seen in milder cases of the disease. In milder cases, the close relationship between the patient and caregiver may be the reason for the patient to get more attention and better treatment. It may also be the other way round – the mild form of the disease was helpful in bonding well with the caregiver.

Many studies had been carried out in the past on the welfare of the caregivers, but this is the first time that the relationship between the patient and caregiver is analyzed to find that it affects the progress of the disease in the patient.

During the study, it was seen that the caregiver-patient relationship is most beneficial when the caregiver is a spouse, instead of any other relation. The patient was found to retain the functional and cognitive skills longer, which help them to stay at home rather than go to a nursing facility.

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E-Cigarettes or electronic cigarettes were launched with much fanfare some time ago, as an easy and safe way to curb smoking habit among chain-smokers. Recently, it was discovered by federal health officials that they contain cancer-causing ingredients.

At the time of initial release, the manufacturers had claimed that e-cigarettes are absolutely safe compared to tobacco cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the presence of many toxic chemicals, when they tested two popular brands. Among the toxic chemicals, they found a prime ingredient of antifreeze.

Experts warn that e-cigarettes may act as a stepping stone to regular smoking. As e-cigarettes do not face the restrictions imposed by tobacco laws, it is easier for youngsters to purchase it.

E-cigarettes, claim the manufacturers, work by producing nicotine fumes that are inhaled directly into the lungs. It resembles a regular cigarette in appearance and even in the glowing amber tips. They also produce white smoke just like a tobacco cigarette.

According to e-cigarette makers, they are safer than ordinary cigarettes as they do not burn, resulting in the production of toxic chemicals. However, similar or worse chemicals that may lead to cancer was found by FDA officials in the e-cigarettes, which refutes all the claims of safety by manufacturers.

FDA regulators, in their announcement, revealed that 50 shipments of electronic cigarettes were stopped at the border, after this discovery. The FDA action was challenged in federal court by the manufacturers. The e-cigarette consignment that was denied entry into the country was made in China.

FDA, while revealing these facts, has not clarified whether they will take action against the two manufacturers, whose products tested positive for cancer-causing chemicals. The two companies were also not named in the announcement. However, the officials mentioned that the agency is “planning additional activities” to handle the safety issues. This may include calling back the e-cigarettes with toxic presence and/or issuing criminal sanctions.

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The human trial of a new vaccine for the swine flu is scheduled to start in August in the United States. Thousand volunteers, including adults and children will take part in the study proposed to be held at 10 centers at various parts of the country.

The School of Medicine’s Center for Vaccine Development, University of Maryland, made this announcement. The center is one among the eight Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs), which recruits volunteers for the trial. The trial will evaluate the competence of the new drug and the side effects caused by its use.

With experts warning the resurrection of the virus in fall, the U.S. government is planning to get the vaccine ready for public on time. The flu outbreak was declared a public health emergency by the U.S., following WHO’s declaration to the same effect. Without the vaccine, the US flu season during fall and winter will bring untold miseries to the people.

The plan of action of the VTEU will be to test the vaccine on healthy adults and elderly volunteers. If found to be safe and effective, it will be tested on children. During the trials, vaccines of two strengths will be tested to find out the one that gives maximum protection.

The volunteers will be injected two doses of the trial vaccine, second one three weeks after the first. Blood samples will also be collected after each dose to analyze the reaction. The volunteers will be asked to record any symptoms or sensations experienced by them. They will be under observation for two months and will undergo a medical checkup after four months and again after six months.

Meanwhile, a biopharmaceutical company based in Melbourne, Australia, CSL Ltd, announced their scheduled human trials of swine flu vaccine on Wednesday. They will also be following the same schedule with 240 healthy adult volunteers.

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Our belief that life is the securest within the safety of the mother’s womb is being turned upside down by recent studies. It had been proved by earlier studies that when mother is exposed to polluted environment, the toxins formed in the mother’s blood will reach the unborn baby and may result in abnormalities in the newborn.

The abnormalities may be increased risk for diseases like cancer, reduced birth weight and less-than-average head size. It can also cause delays in developments in babies and childhood asthma. The latest study links air pollution to low IQ, confirming the long-held belief that pollution will adversely affect the developing brain.

The study conducted by the Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Columbia University, involved 249 children from New York City, mostly living in inexpensive localities like Northern Manhattan and South Bronx. The fetal air pollution was measured by fitting the mothers with backpack air monitors, which they carried around during the last few months of pregnancy.

The air pollution was the same as seen in many cities, mainly due to exhaust fumes from vehicles and factory emissions. The children were subjected to IQ tests at the age of 5 years, before starting school. It was found that those children whose mothers were exposed to maximum air pollution scored the lowest in the tests.

Other factors for low IQ scores were taken into account, like exposure to air pollution after birth, secondhand smoke and the stimulus for learning. However, it was seen that in spite of leaving allowances for these factors, the difference is huge to be ignored.

The children and mothers included in the study were either black or Dominican-American. However, in all probability, the results will apply to other races as well.

Environmental Health experts opine that the study is an important step in the right direction and further research is needed to confirm the findings and explore new possibilities.

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