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Radium weed can remove sun spots
An Australian drug-maker claims that sun spots can be removed, and potentially deadly skin cancers prevented, with the aid of a gel it has made from the radium weed sap, a common folk remedy for cancer.
A Queensland-based pharmaceutical company, says that its gel can remove sun spots, which can develop into invasive skin cancers if left untreated.
Dr Peter Welburn has revealed that human trials have shown that the gel can treat sun spots and lesions in just two days. He revealed that the trial involved 125 patients, who were made to apply gel once a day for two days.
According to him, the gel successively removed every sun spot on 27 per cent of patients, with 44 per cent having partial success.
“This is the first product that has demonstrated benefit in treating sun spots on the face, neck and difficult areas to treat like the arms and back of hands,'” he said.
Dr Welburn also revealed that no major side effects were noticed during the study, apart from temporary redness and flaking skin.
Turmeric may help reduce weight
Turmeric may help reduce weight gain and suppress the growth of fat tissue, according to a new study on mice.
Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA) claim that curcumin, the major polyphenol found in turmeric, appears to cut weight gain in mice.
The research team studied mice fed high fat diets supplemented with curcumin and cell cultures incubated with curcumin.
“Weight gain is the result of the growth and expansion of fat tissue, which cannot happen unless new blood vessels form, a process known as angiogenesis,” said Mohsen Meydani.
“Based on our data, curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice fed high fat diets,” the expert added.
Cancer drug and brain infection
Scientists are concerned that the popular cancer drug, rituximab, may increase a person’s chances of acquiring an often fatal viral brain infection, known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis (PML), which attacks the brain’s white matter.
The worries about this possible harmful effect of rituximab emerged after MRI brain scans and biopsies were conducted on a 57-year-old lawyer in New York and an 83-year-old woman in Chicago, both of whom had been taking the drug before they developed the brain infection.
The two patients are currently part of a new study from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine RADAR project, which is being led by Dr Charles Bennett.
Treatment for sleep apnea
A new study has revealed that patients with obstructive sleep apnea, who use a short-course of the sleep aid, eszopiclone, when beginning continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy are likely to adhere to the treatment for a longer time.
CPAP is recommended as the first-line therapy for most patients with OSA, and has been shown to improve sleep quality, reduce daytime sleepiness and enhance quality of life.
However, despite many benefits compliance to CPAP is extremely poor.
“We know that non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics promote sleep onset and continuity. Additionally, they can be safely used in patients with OSA, especially those already using CPAP,” said Anita Shah, author of the study.