University of Toronto scientists say that they have identified several compounds that may pave the way for developing innovative therapies against cystic fibrosis, a serious disease that causes blockages in the lungs and other organs like the liver and the pancreas.
Igor Stagljar, who led the research project, says that one of the compounds identified by his team, exosin, has been found to significantly inhibited infections in mammalian cells, suggesting that it has the potential to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of chronic and acute bacterial respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis patients.
Previous studies had suggested that the onset of certain chronic or deadly infections in cystic fibrosis patients could be prevented by administering them early antibiotic treatment.
However, the current availability of antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen that may cause a host of infections, is limited. Moreover, the pathogen has started to show signs of drug resistance these days.
Stagljar now says that he and his colleagues have identified several drugs that block a key protein that underpins Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s ability to spread infections, called exoenzymes.
Genes affect bones
Findings of a new study have suggested that variants of the gene LRP5 are linked with an increased risk of fractures and lower levels of bone mineral density in the spine and hip. The study has indicated a 20 per cent increased risk of fractures.
One of the main characteristics of Osteoporosis is low bone mineral density (BMD), deterioration of bone and
increased risk for fractures. Earlier studies have shown that genetic factors determine up to 80 per cent of the
variance in BMD, which is a major predictor of osteoporotic fractures.
Though the genes that contribute to differences in risk for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures are unknown, it is believed that the risk of developing osteoporosis is dependent on several common gene variants.
Smoking:Understand teens
If anti-smoking health campaigns are to be effective, teen attitudes to the habit need to be re-examined, according to Hunter researchers.
Researchers from the Centre for Health Research and Psycho-oncology (CHeRP) based their conclusions about adolescent smoking and peer pressure, sales-to-minor laws, and young people’s views on nicotine addiction on the review of 78 international studies.
Flora Tzelepis from CHeRP said the review concentrated on information from focus groups and interviews with young people. “In relation to peer pressure, teenagers rarely identify bullying or teasing as coercive factors that lead to smoking,” she said. “The desire to fit in with the group is far more influential and pervasive and this is what needs to be tackled in education programmes rather than the simplistic ‘Just say no’ type of message.”
Own cats to save heart
Whether it’s a frisky kitten or a tubby tabby, a cat at home could cut your heart attack or stroke risk by almost a third, according to a new study.
A team of international researchers has found that owning a cat helps in relieving stress and anxiety, which is known to help protect against cardiovascular problems by lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart rate.
According to the researchers, one reason could be that stroking the pet could cut the level of stress-related hormones in the blood. The team came to the conclusion after analysing a data of 4,435 adults, aged between 30 and 75, about half of whom owned a cat. Subsequently, the team tracked rates of death from all causes, including heart and stroke.
A researcher said the magnitude of the effect — a 30 per cent reduction in heart attack risk — “was a little bit surprising”.
No exercise, body at risk
Using the elevator instead of the stairs could be a very bad decision for your body, suggests a new study which found direct evidence that lack of daily physical activity is an actual cause of many of the risk factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The study also found that it only takes about two weeks of reduced activity for individuals to start noticing the effects.
“Our findings indicated that if there is a lack of normal physical activity, a person greatly increases the chances of developing a chronic disease,” said Frank Booth, professor of biomedical sciences in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine.
The research team, at the University of Copenhagen, found that after two weeks of no exercise and very little activity, participants had much higher levels of glucose and fat and took a much longer time to clear the substances from their blood streams than before.
