Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the synovial membrane that encases the joint (Synovium) makes her swelling, which in turn causes severe pain in the joint, you may end up with a distorted form of the joint. May find people who are suffering from symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, in some cases, the difficulty in the implementation of even the simplest acts, such as opening a bottle or walking.

And affects rheumatoid arthritis, overall, more women than men, more than double to three times, and usually appears between the ages of 40 and 60 years. But it may affect young children and the elderly, as well.

There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, yet. But possible to live a long life and active disease with rheumatoid arthritis, if the adoption of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis manner, which includes the protection of the joints and lifestyle change.

Symptoms

• Pain in the joints
• Swelling in the joints
• Arthritis sensitivity to touch
• Redness of palms and Tormanma
• The emergence of a solid lump under the skin in the arms (Romatwedih nodules - Rheumatoid nodules)
• Fatigue
• Sclerosis in the morning feeling lasts 30 minutes, at least
• Fever
• Weight loss

Marburg Virus

 Picture from: SPL

Marburg virus. Computer artwork of Marburg virus particles (virions). This tubular RNA (ribonucleic acid, coloured spheres) virus causes Marburg haemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates. Symptoms of the rare and often fatal disease include fever, muscle pain, rash, diarrhoea and haemorrhage. The virus was first documented in 1967 when there were simultaneous outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade in Yugoslavia. The outbreak was traced to vervet monkey tissue used in research.

Evolution of the Planetary System

Picture From: SPL

 Astronomers have found that certain white dwarf stars have atmospheres which are very rich in the rocky elements (such as silicon) which comprise Earth-like planets. A white dwarf is the core of an initially much larger star, whose outer layers have been lost when the star expanded to become a red giant. Astronomers suspect that as the star expands, it perturbs the orbits of any planets around it, perhaps leading to collisions. Repeated collisions grind down the planets into smaller and smaller pieces of rubble until the star, now a white dwarf, is surrounded by a disc of dust and hot gas. This image depicts the various stages in this process. At the top we see the planetary system it its youth. In the middle, the star has become a red giant and some planets have started to collide. And in the last frame, we see the resultant disc surrounding the white dwarf.

Gardenia plant

 Picture From: SPL

Gardenia plant. 18th-century journal page illustrating a Gardenia plant with a double flower. The anatomy of the flowering parts is annotated and illustrated across bottom. This page is from volume 51 (1759-60) of the journal 'Philosophical Transactions', published by the Royal Society of London.

Cancerous tumor weighed 23 kilograms of the stomach of an American woman

Surgeons removed in the state of "New Jersey" America and the cancerous tumor was growing rapidly and reached its weight to 23 kg of the woman's stomach, which had been put off treatment for more than a month, covered by health insurance for inflation until the tumor in this way.
 

Daobera said David, who led the surgery for women aged 65 years: "She was a lady skinny abdomen is huge, I mean it seemed as if they were pregnant with triplets."
 

I felt women's pain in the abdomen by about eight weeks she went to the hospital, and took her body swell quickly, and said Daobera, she sought treatment on the fourth of June or days after the festival her sixty-fifth, the age at which the eligible for the U.S. program for health care for adults , and added: "The reason it did not go by this is that they did not have health insurance."
 

And found Daobera and his team, that the tumor which apparently originated from fatty tissue around the intestine covered many of its members had to remove the internal and with the utmost caution and deliberation during the operation, which lasted five hours.

Sunlight protects against cancer of the pancreas

Sunlight protects against cancer of the pancreas

By 49% compared to persons with less sensitive skin

 

Recent Australian study demonstrated that exposure to sunlight protects against cancer of the pancreas.

The study made by the researcher Rachel Nyali from the Institute of Queensland Medical Research in Australia that the risk of pancreatic cancer decreased in people who have a history of cancer, skin as well as those born in areas with a high level of UV radiation or persons who are allergic to the sun.

The present study in addition to the many conflicting information on the impact of sun exposure on human health and vitamin D received by the body from the sun and the risk of cancer.

Nyali has supported a study of data that suggests that exposure to the sun gives the protectionist impact of cancer of the pancreas.

The researcher said that many of the studies on biology, including those conducted in Australia suggested that people who live in sunny areas always have a lower risk of pancreatic cancer.

While other studies of vitamin D to indicate that exposure to sunlight protects against cancer of the pancreas and that persons who have a high level of vitamin D are more susceptible to disease.

The experiment was conducted between 2007 and 2011, and included 714 people from the area of ​​Queensland Australian who has been compared with a comparison of 709 people assimilated in age and gender.

The researchers found that those most sensitive to the sun have a lower risk of pancreatic cancer by 49% compared to persons with skin less sensitive to the sun.

The researchers also found that the risk of pancreatic cancer less than 40% among people who have a history of skin cancer or other skin diseases arising from exposure to sunlight.

Source

Argus II artificail retina

Argus II artificial retina. Researcher holding an Argus II retinal implant electrode array. This 60-electrode array measures 3 by 5 millimetres. Developed by US company Second Sight, it is designed to be implanted in the retina of blind people. Images from an external camera pass to a video processing unit, to an antenna, and then to the retinal implant which stimulates the retina to provide some vision. Users of this implant are able to perceive contrasts between light and dark areas. Photographed at the Institut de la Vision, in Paris, France. Argus II was approved for sale in Europe in 2011.

HIV Life Cycle

a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy.
AIDS was first identified in the early 1980s and now affects millions of people. The cause is a virus (called the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV) transmitted in blood and in sexual fluids, and although the incubation period may be long and treatment can slow the course of the disease there is currently no cure or vaccine. In the developed world the disease first spread among homosexuals, intravenous drug users, and recipients of infected blood transfusions, before reaching the wider population. This has tended to overshadow a greater epidemic in parts of Africa, where transmission is mainly through heterosexual contact.

And in this picture we are showing you the life cycle of the HIV virus in details.

Acinetobacter baumannii

 Picture from: SPL

Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). This bacterium has developed resistance to a number of antibiotics and is increasingly seen in opportunistic infections in hospitals. It typically infects the lungs, leading to a form of pneumonia. It can develop resistance to antibiotics even as they are being used to treat an infection. Because of this, and because it is generally found in weakened patients, the mortality rate for infections with A. baumannii is high. In healthy individuals, however, it is a normal part of the skin flora. Magnification: x11,000 when printed 10 centimetres wide.

Reduce the hours of sit prolong life

Reduce the hours of sit prolong life

Stop the leg muscles for the activity causing disturbances in sugar and fat

A study published in the journal "British Medical Journal"showed that the reduction of sitting hours per day to three hours and below would prolong the life of man.

The study, based on investigations conducted in 2005 and 2006, then in the years 2009 and 2010, and included a broad sample of Americans who are over 18 years.

The researchers divided the sample according to the daily sitting hours (less than 3 hours, 3 to 6 hours, and more than six hours), and according to the hours sitting in front of TV (less than two hours, between two hours and 4 hours, more than 4 hours).

The study concluded that "sitting or watching TV for a long time can shorten the life expectancy of the individual in the United States."

The researchers pointed to the "causal relationship" between the hours supposed to sit down and life expectancy, without scientific proof of that.

The several studies have indicated that lack of physical exertion increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and increase mortality in general.

He explained lead researcher Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk from the University of Louisiana that "some studies show that in the sitting position, the leg muscles are not active at all, what is causing unrest in the proportion of sugar and fat in the blood."

The WHO recommends the exercise of at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, to maintain good health.

Breast Feeding improves lung function

A recent study conducted by researchers from Switzerland and the United Kingdom that breastfeeding improves lung function in children at the age of school entry, especially if they were mothers living with asthma, so as published in the journal "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" the number of the month of Feb. .

The researchers study and analysis of data for 1458 children, born between 1993 and 1997 in the UK, and assessed the duration of breastfeeding and symptoms of breathing and some measurements of lung function such as "FVC" and "" FEV1 at the age of school entry, and the results showed that children born to mothers infected with asthma improved lung function have dramatically when continued breastfeeding for more than six months.

The study added that this is not the findings of other researchers, adding that breastfeeding may have a direct impact in helping the growth of the lungs, and contrary to what came of these results with previous studies that breastfeeding may be harmful to children born to mothers infected with asthma.



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Replication Fork

 Picture from: SPL

DNA replication. Coloured Transmission Electron Micrograph (TEM) of human DNA from a HeLa cancer cell, showing a stage of DNA replication. The strand of DNA is coloured yellow. It has formed into a Y-shaped molecule termed a replication fork, where the DNA has unwound into two single strands. Normally, DNA consists of two tightly wound spiral strands. During replication, a "bubble" region forms which enlarges to form a replication fork. It is here that daughter strands form as the parent DNA acts as a template for the construction of a new matching strand. In this way the sequence of bases (or genetic nformation) along the DNA molecule is replicated.

New type of black hole discovered

Picture from: National Geographic

After nearly three years of spying a superbright object nearly 300 million light-years away, astronomers with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and SWIFT telescope recently announced the discovery of HLX-1, the first representative of a new type of black hole. (See black hole pictures.)

(Related: "New Class of Black Hole Found? [2009].")

Until recently, black holes were thought to come in only two sizes: Small stellar varieties that are several times heavier than our sun, and supermassive black holes that pack the gravitational punch of many million suns—large enough to swallow our entire solar system.

Notorious for ripping apart and swallowing stars, extra-large black holes live exclusively in the hearts of most galaxies, including our own Milky Way.

The new middleweight black hole is between these two types—equal to the matter of about 90,000 suns.

New Black Hole Relics of the Early Universe?

An international team, who discovered HLX-1 "almost by accident" in 2009, noticed the object was pumping out copious amounts of x-rays and radio flares—not from within the core of its host spiral galaxy, but some 12,000 light years beyond.

"Our observations from 2009 and 2010 showed that HLX-1 behaves similarly to the stellar [low] mass black holes, so we worked out when we should be expecting to see radio flares from HLX-1, and when we made more observations in August and September 2011, we did," said study leader Natalie Webb, of the Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements in France.

The origin of these intermediate black holes may lie in centers of globular clusters, where hundreds of thousands of stars are densely packed together by gravity.

Alternatively, the middleweights may be true ancient relics of the universe, formed by the very earliest stars, said Webb, whose study appears tomorrow in the journal Science.

(Read more about the origins of the universe.)

"At the dawn of the universe, very massive stars may have existed—maybe as much as ten thousand times the mass of our sun—and these stars would have 
a very short lifetime and end their lives as intermediate mass black 
holes," Webb said.

Middleweights May Explain Black Hole Giants

The very existence of middleweight black holes may also be key in solving how their supermassive cousins formed. (Read about NASA's new "black hole hunter.")

For instance, Webb suspects the middleweights may in fact be the supermassive black holes' progenitors.

These giants may either form when a single intermediate black hole gobbles enough matter to grow into a supermassive black hole with at least a million solar masses.

Or, a number of intermediate black holes "merged in the early universe to form the supermassive black holes we see today," Webb said.

Either way, without further surveys, it's impossible to tell how common middleweight black holes are across the universe.

"It's difficult to assess observationally, as [HLX-1] is the only good candidate," Webb said.

"But some people think that there may be hundreds in each and every galaxy."

Source

Pipistrelle bat

Picture from: SPL

Face of a pipistrelle bat. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Bats, of the order Chiroptera, are the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. About 70 per cent of bats are insectivorous, and many are nocturnal. They are not blind, although many species have small eyes and poor eyesight. Instead they rely on echolocation, emitting high-pitched sounds in regular patterns and using the returning echo to locate and identify objects.

A personal check for the detection of AIDS

240 thousand out of 1.2 million infected in America are unaware they are infected

The United States Agency for Medicines (FDA) allowed for the first time the sale of test to detect HIV infection without any medical supervision.

The agency followed the recommendations of this advisory committee of 17 independent experts supported the May 15 put this test, known as "Quick said Laura - Home HEV" for sale without medical supervision.

Have shown a clinical trial conducted by the laboratory test that allowed detection of HIV infection in 92% of cases, slightly less than the 95% recommended by the "FDA".

And allows examination of the person taking a sample of his saliva from the gum by a piece of cotton placed then in the tube should wait 20 to 40 minutes to get the result, the result was positive does not necessarily mean that the person is a positive serum, but index for additional tests in the medical center to confirm the result.

In contrast, the conclusive results were negative, this is not a guarantee that a person is infected, especially if he was wounded in the last three months made it clear on what "FDA" in its statement, however, that such inspection reveals that a large number of seropositive did not reveal injury of before, especially in vulnerable groups more than others, are not subject to the tests normally.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 240 thousand people out of 1.2 million infected with AIDS in the United States are unaware they are infected with the disease, and that the examination on a regular basis is the most effective way to reduce new infections, up to the neighborhood of 50 thousand cases a year 20 years ago in the United States.

Pufferfish

Picture From: National Geographic

Biologists think pufferfish, also known as blowfish, developed their famous "inflatability" because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. In lieu of escape, pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water (and even air when necessary) to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size.

Quasar

 Picture From: SPL

Primordial quasar, artwork. Quasars are large galaxies with supermassive black holes at their centres. The gas and dust falling towards the black hole glows extremely brightly. This quasar, from early in the history of the universe, is surrounded by gas, dust, star clusters and stars. Observations of very distant, and so very old, quasars by the Hubble Space Telescope and the WMAP spacecraft have shown them emitting iron, indicating that stars had completed life-cycles, during which they created and released this iron, within the first few million years of the universe.

Lung cancer Cell Division

Picture from SPL

Lung cancer cell division. Computer artwork of a lung cancer cell during cell division (cytokinesis). The two daughter cells remain temporarily joined by a cytoplasmic bridge (centre). Cancer cells divide rapidly in a chaotic, uncontrolled manner. They may clump to form tumours, which invade and destroy surrounding tissues. Lung cancer is often associated with smoking tobacco and exposure to industrial air pollutants. It causes a cough and chest pain and may spread to other areas of the body. Treatment includes removal of affected parts of the lung, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

BedBug

Bedbug. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a bedbug (Cimex sp.). Adult bedbugs' bodies are flattened, oval, and wingless, with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. They feed on the blood of warm-blood animals, including humans. Bedbugs are generally only active at night, hiding in crevices in walls and furniture and in bedding during the day. Although they do not transmit disease, their saliva can cause itchy swellings on the skin. Magnification: x15 when printed 10 centimetres wide.

Lytic viral cycle

Picture from: SPL

Lytic viral cycle. Diagram showing the lytic cycle for viral reproduction. The example given here is for bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. At upper left, a bacteriophage (yellow) attaches to the bacteria (blue oval) and injects viral DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, red loop). At upper right, the host DNA (blue loop) and cell mechanisms are used to replicate the viral DNA and produce new bacteriophages that incorporate the copies of the viral DNA. At lower right, the destruction (lysis) of the bacterial cell releases the new viruses. Unlike the lysogenic cycle, the host cells are destroyed by the release of the new copies of the viruses.

Sperm fertilizing egg

Illustration of a human sperm fertilising an egg. The picture shows the size difference between the egg, or ovum, & the spermatozoon. Human spermatozoa are extremely elongated single cells about 65 micrometres long, divided into 3 main regions: a head, neck, & tail. The head, which contains the male nucleus, is about 7 micrometres long. Here, the head appears buried in the follicular cells, which form the corona radia that surrounds the ovum. Beneath the corona radiata is a glycoprotein membrane, the zona pellucida, which the sperm must penetrate to reach the female nucleus. This version on black background. Version on white background is P648 010.

Genetically modified potatoes

 Genetically modified potatoes. Close-up of Amflora potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) with a biohazard symbol. Amflora (also known as EH92-527-1) is a genetically modified potato developed by BASF Plant Science. The Amflora potato plant produces pure amylopectin starch that is processed to waxy potato starch. Amflora was approved for industrial applications in the European Union market on 2nd March 2010.

Over the last few years, potatoes have been losing importance as a food crop. The crop's prospects in the starch and chemical industry, however, have been growing for quite some time. For starch potatoes, taste isn't what's important. Instead, emphasis is placed on the quality and composition of the starch. An optimised starch potato could be making its way to fields in Europe soon. This new potato cultivar is genetically modified.

Only one in four potatoes grown in Europe actually gets eaten by people. Almost half end up being fed to livestock. The remaing one quarter are used as raw material in the production of alcohol and starch.

Potatoes are becoming more and more important as renewable raw materials for the starch industry. The starch produced in potatoes, however, isn't in an ideal form. It's composed of a mixture of two different kinds of starch: amylose and amylopectin. These two kinds of starch have very different properties.

Amylopectin, making up 80 percent of the starch content in potatoes, consists of large, highly-branched molecules. Amylopectin makes starch water soluble and gives it its characteristic stickiness. It is very useful in the food, paper, and chemical industries as paste, glue or as a lubricant.

Amylose is made up of long, chain-like molecules and is used predominantly in the production of films and foils.

Both of these kinds of starch are useful for human nutrition. But for the processing industry, a mixture of different starches is a problem. Industry must separate the two kinds of starch using expensive processes that take a toll on the environment. This is why plant breeders are working hard to develop potatoes that produce only one type of starch. Right now, emphasis has been placed upon developing potatoes containing only amylopectin, due to its diverse applications.

Classical breeding methods have not yet been able to provide an amylose-free potato that has acceptable yield and resistance to pests and diseases. Genetic engineering (Antisense-Strategy), on the other hand, offers a targeted approach to supressing the production of amylose.

Genetically modified amylopectin potatoes have been tested in field trials for several years. In the meantime, applications have been presented to European regulatory authorities for approving the cultivation of these potatoes as a renewable raw material for starch production. Because the post-processing residues would be fed to livestock, a request for the approval of the potatoes as feed has also been submitted. Starch-modified GM potatoes could be growing in European fields soon.

Resistance to pests and diseases

Attempts to confer pest and disease resistance to potatoes using genetic engineering haven't been quite as successful.

Several GM potato cultivars with improved  resistance to viruses and to the potato beetle have been approved in the US and in Canada. In 1999, they were planted on approximately 25,000 hectares. Since then, cultivation of GM potatoes has ceased. The GM potatoes did not prevail, because they were not delivering any economic advantages, and some larger US companies refused to take the GM potatoes for further processing.

Right now, work is being done on potatoes with genetic engineering to confer resistance to  Phytophthora infestans, also known as late blight of potato. Some consider this to be the most dangerous plant disease of all because it can spread extremely rapidly when conditions are warm and moist, leading to devastating losses. The disease is best known for causing the Irish Potato Famine of 1846-1850. Today, the disease is still a major problem. Owing to its flexibility, the disease has been able to survive every management strategy used thus far and has responded with new, adapted forms. Today, the disease is combatted using fungicides and heavy metal treatments. In the meantime, genetic engineers have come up with a promising new strategy. The first field trials with  fungus resistant GM potatoes are already underway. The next few years will show if this new concept is effective.

From: GMO Compass

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy, conceptual image

What is Gene Therapy?

Gene therapy is an experimental technique used in treatment of malfunctioning genes, whereby a deficient or defective gene is replaced by a working gene, so that the body can make the proper enzyme or protein and as a result eliminate the origin of the disease.
Gene therapy is therefore targeted to “genetic metabolic diseases” in which a faulty gene causes an enzyme to be either absent or ineffective in catalyzing a particular metabolic reaction effectively.

There are a number of approaches for correcting defective genes:

The most common approach is inserting a gene into a non-specific location within the genome, replacing a nonfunctional gene.
Through selective reverse mutation, the malformed gene can be repaired to attain its normal role.
Via homologous recombination, the normal gene is exchanged for the abnormal gene
Alteration of the regulation of a particular gene.

How does Gene Therapy work?

To insert the corrected gene into the patient’s targeted cell, a carrier molecule, called a vector must be used. The most common form of vector is a virus which has been genetically modified to contain human DNA within it. The viruses are modified by replacing the deformed gene with the genes encoding for the desired effect. Thus the virus can be used as a 'vehicle' to carry the good genes into the targeted human cell in a pathogenic manner . The target cells are usually a patient’s liver or lung cells, where the viral vector transfers the therapeutic gene into the target cell. The therapeutic gene generates the production of functional proteins and restores the cell to its normal state 

 

The types of viruses used in gene therapy

There are six main types of viruses used as vectors in gene therapy (shown in table below):


1. Retroviruses - A class of viruses that can create double-stranded DNA copies of their RNA genomes. These copies of its genome can be integrated into the chromosomes of host cells. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus.

2. Adenoviruses - A class of viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes that cause respiratory, intestinal, and eye infections in humans. The virus that causes the common cold is an adenovirus. 

3. Adeno-associated viruses - A class of small, single-stranded DNA viruses that can insert their genetic material at a specific site on chromosome 19.

4.Herpes simplex viruses - A class of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a particular cell type, neurons. Herpes simplex virus type 1 is a common human pathogen that causes cold sores.13

5. Alphaviruses- a single stranded positive sense RNA, particularly used to develop viral vectors for  the Ross-River virus, Sindbis virus, Semliki Forest virus and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus.

6. Vaccina or pox viruses- a large, complex, enveloped virus belonging to the poxvirus family. It has a linear, double-stranded DNA genome of approximately 190 kb in length, which encodes for around 250 genes. Can accept as much as 25kb of foreign DNA making it especially useful in expressing a large gene in gene therapy.
 

Hand holds an aborted human foetus aged 8 weeks

Eight week old foetus. Hand holds an aborted human foetus, eight weeks old. The eighth week of pregnancy represents the end of the formative developmental stage and the embryo becomes a foetus. It is human-like in appearance, with the head large in proportion to the body. Eyes, ears and nose are developing. The limbs are long and bent at the elbows and knees, and the fingers and toes have differentiated. The genital organs develop into male or female at 7 weeks. All major organ systems are formed by the eighth week, but require growth. The umbilical cord is prominent. By eight weeks the foetus is about 3-4cm long (crown-rump length) and weighs under 10 grams.

ANNUAL ABORTION STATISTICS

In 2008, approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the U.S., down from an estimated 1.29 million in 2002, 1.31 million in 2000 and 1.36 million in 1996. From 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S. (AGI).
In 2008, the highest number of reported abortions occurred in New York (124,867), NYC (89,469), Florida (86,817) and Texas (81,366); the fewest occurred in Wyoming (≤4), South Dakota (848),  North Dakota (1,386), and Idaho (1,481) (CDC).
The 2008 abortion ratios by state ranged from a low of 59 abortions per 1,000 live births in Idaho (Wyoming had too few abortions for reliable tabulation) to a high of 732 abortions per 1,000 live births in NYC (CDC).

The annual number of legal induced abortions in the United States doubled between 1973 and 1979, and peaked in 1990. There was a slow but steady decline through the 1990's. Overall, the number of annual abortions decreased by 3.7% between 2000 and 2008, with temporary spikes in 2002 and 2006. (CDC)

In 1998, the last year for which estimates were made, more than 23% of legal induced abortions were performed in California (CDC).

In 2005, the abortion rate in the United States was higher than recent rates reported for Canada and Western European countries and lower than rates reported for China, Cuba, the majority of Eastern European countries, and certain Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union (CDC).
Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended; about 4 in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion. (AGI).

WHO HAS ABORTIONS?

In 2008, 84.3% of all abortions were performed on unmarried women (CDC).
Women between the ages of 20-24 obtained 33% of all abortions in 2008; women between 25-29 obtained 24% (CDC).

In 2008, women aged 20-29 years had the highest abortion rates (29.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20-24 years and 21.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 25-29 years) (CDC).

50% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25; women aged 20-24 obtain 33% of all U.S. abortions and teenagers obtain 17% (AGI).

In 2008, adolescents under 15 years obtained .05% of all abortions, but had the highest abortion ratio, 821 abortions for every 1,000 live births (CDC).

47% of women who have abortions had at least one previous abortion (AGI).
Black women are more than 4.8 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are 2.7 times as likely (AGI).

37% of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 28% identify themselves as Catholic (AGI).

At current rates, nearly one-third of American women will have an abortion (AGI).

WHY ARE ABORTIONS PERFORMED?

On average, women give at least 3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 3/4 say they cannot afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner (AGI).

Mouse foetus

Mouse foetus. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a mouse (Mus sp.) foetus. The embryo has started to develop limb buds (bottom right and left). The head and tail are differentiating and the heart bulge is visible (centre). The embryo attaches to the uterine epithelium about five days after ovulation and the pregnancy lasts for approximately three weeks.

Bat fly

Bat fly. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a bat fly (Nycteribia kolenatii). Bat flies are parasitic spider-like flies that feed on the blood of bats. They do not have eyes or wings and almost never leave the bodies of their hosts. Magnification: x33 when printed 10 centimetres wide.

Giardia lamblia

Giardia lamblia protozoan. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a Giardia lamblia trophozoite, showing the ventral adhesive disk (centre right), which it uses to attach itself to its host. Giardia are single-celled parasites of the intestinal tract. They are most common in tropical regions and have flagella (hair-like structures), which are used for locomotion. This is the trophozoite (active, feeding) life stage of the protozoan. Giardia lamblia is the causative agent of giardiasis, an intestinal disease that causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea and nausea. It is spread through contaminated food and water. Treatment is with antibiotics or antiprotozoal drugs, such as metronidazole.

Malaria vaccine trial disappoints

Malaria vaccine research. Researcher holding a vial containing tissue from the heads of Anopheles sp. mosquitoed bred at a bio-medical research facility. This tissue is filtered to remove the sporozoite stage of the malarial plasmodium parasites found in the insects' salivary glands. The sporozoites are then studies as part of research to develop an anti-malaria vaccine. Photographed at the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The numbers were so bad that Dr. Stephen Hoffman did not even want to say them out loud.
"It was a low number," he said. Pressed, he added, "Only a handful." Finally he squeezed the numbers out. "We had five."
Out of 80 volunteers vaccinated with Sanaria's experimental malaria vaccine, only five were protected from infection in the company's first clinical trial.
The Maryland-based company, which opened its doors in 2007, has not given up. But its disappointing results illustrate the uphill battle to develop a vaccine against an infection that kills 800,000 people a year, most of them young African children.
Hoffman gave details about what his team of scientists learned from the trial at a conference of malaria vaccine makers and their backers being held in Washington this week.
Tests in animals suggest that perhaps giving the vaccine intravenously might provide better protection, and Hoffman, founder and chief executive of the small, privately held company, is planning ways to test the idea in people.
"The vaccine was used to immunize 80 volunteers and it was safe and well tolerated," he said in an interview. It did, as expected, stimulate an immune response against the malaria parasite - just not nearly as much as Hoffman had hoped.
Now Sanaria has run out of money from the non-profit PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative. But Hoffman plans to continue with cash from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and perhaps other government agencies.
"Right now I do need to get a lot more funds," he said.
A malaria vaccine has been the dream of hundreds of experts but has been maddeningly hard to actually develop.
Malaria is caused by a parasite, and making a vaccine against parasites is much harder to do than vaccinating against one-celled organisms like bacteria, or the even simpler viruses.
Plus malaria, which is spread by mosquitoes, has a complicated life cycle, passing from the blood to the liver to other organs.

GETTING CLOSE

GlaxoSmithKline is testing what most experts consider the most promising malaria vaccine, one called RTS,S or Mosquirix.
"We're getting close - we are getting very close," Glaxo's Dr. Joe Cohen said in an interview.
Investigators in seven African countries have enrolled 12,000 children and need just 4,000 more. The first data on safety and efficacy are expected by the end of next year.
In earlier trials, the vaccine appeared to produce a good immune response in African children.
But the goal is set very low - the Malaria Vaccine Initiative is asking only for it to protect 50 percent of the children against severe disease for a year.
"We are looking into the possibility of a next-generation," vaccine," said Cohen. Glaxo has spent about $300 million on Mosquirix, plans to spend about another $100 million and will receive an additional $100 million or so from the non-profit Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for a total of $500 million.
Investigators at the conference swapped notes on Tuesday and Wednesday about what the trials have told them so far about trying to vaccinate against the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which causes most cases of malaria.
And groups presented ideas for new ways to deliver vaccines - such as Pennsylvania-based Inovio Biomedical Corp, which is using its so-called electroporation delivery-DNA vaccine approach to try to make a vaccine against malaria, as well as flu and AIDS vaccines.
Electroporation involves making tiny holes in the skin instead of using a needle to deliver a vaccine.
Dutch biotechnology company Crucell has technology that uses a common cold virus called an adenovirus that can "prime" the immune system and may help get a better response to Glaxo's Mosquirix. Crucell has teamed up with Glaxo to test the two together.
Johnson & Johnson, which already owns nearly 18 percent of Crucell, said this month it planned to buy the Dutch vaccine maker for $2.3 billion.
Then there is the next goal, said Cohen - a vaccine against Plasmodium vivax, the parasite that causes most cases of malaria in Asia.

Rabies Virus

Rabies virus. Computer artwork of a rabies (family Rhabdoviridae) virus particle (virion). The virus has a protein coat or capsid, which is made up of helically arranged subunits called capsomeres. Within the coat is the genetic material, which in this virus is single-stranded RNA (ribonucleic acid). Surrounding the protein coat is a lipoprotein envelope studded with surface proteins (pink). The rabies virus is transmitted to man from infected animal bites. Symptoms appear after an incubation period of 10 days to a year and include fever, breathing difficulties, muscle spasms, and hydrophobia.

Tail of a young Nile crocodile

Tail of a young Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), showing osteoderms (bony scale-like plates). These osteoderms, comprised of the protein keratin, form a protective armour on a crocodile's upper surfaces. These plated, armoured skin areas are shed in patches and replaced as the crocodile grows. This crocodile is a carnivorous predator that inhabits tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, near swamps, lakes and rivers. The young, become independent at the age of two years. Photographed in 2011, at the Pierrelatte crocodile farm (La Ferme aux Crocodiles) in southern France.

Diabetes drug may help fight cancer, but no proof yet

From the REUTERS
A cheap and relatively safe diabetes drug, metformin, might have cancer-fighting properties, according to an international study - but findings fall short of proving it actually can stave off cancer.

Researchers, whose findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that women with diabetes who took the medication had a 25 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer over more than a decade of follow-up.

"Metformin use in postmenopausal women with diabetes was associated with lower incidence of invasive breast cancer," wrote lead researcher Rowan Chlebowski, at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

"These results can inform future studies evaluating metformin use in breast cancer management and prevention."

Metformin, also sold under the brand name Glucophage, has been on the market for many years and is generally considered safe, although five to 10 percent of patients experience side effects like nausea and bloating.

It is used by millions of type 2 diabetics every day to help control their blood sugar, and studies have shown it also shrinks lung and breast tumors in mice. Several reports show people taking it for diabetes appear to develop cancer less often.

The new study used data from about 68,000 postmenopausal women who took part in the U.S. government-funded Women's Health Initiative clinical trials.

Over nearly 12 years of observation, there were more than 3,200 new cases of breast cancer among the women.

Every year, 0.42 percent of women without diabetes developed breast cancer, compared to 0.40 percent of diabetics on metformin and 0.47 percent of diabetics taking other drugs.

After taking into account risk factors for breast cancer, the gap between women without diabetes and diabetics on drugs other than metformin vanished. But diabetics on metformin turned out to have a 25 percent lower cancer risk than their diabetes-free peers.

"This is an area of great excitement," said Pamela Goodwin, a breast cancer expert at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, who wrote an editorial that appeared with the study.

"The evidence is coming together that metformin may actually have a clinically-relevant effect, but none of this is good enough to chance clinical practice just yet."

But she added that while the study is the best of its kind so far, it relies on observations instead of an actual experiment in which women are randomly selected to take metformin or not.

US cancer survivors to rise by a third by 2022

(Reuters) - The number of Americans living with cancer will increase by nearly a third to almost 18 million by 2022, according to a report released on Thursday by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers found that even though the incidence rates of cancer are decreasing, the number of cancer survivors is on the rise due to a growing - and aging - U.S. population. The incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age.
The report concluded that the expanding population of cancer survivors makes it increasingly important that the medical community understand their unique healthcare needs.
A survey presented last month showed that 94 percent of U.S. primary care doctors were unaware of the long-term side effects of some of the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs, highlighting the difficulties faced by patients after they beat the disease.
"Many survivors, even among those who are cancer free, must cope with the long-term effects of treatment, as well as psychological concerns such as fear of recurrence. As more people survive cancer, it is vital that health care providers are aware of the special needs of cancer patients and caregivers," said Elizabeth R. Ward, national vice president of Intramural Research and senior author of the latest report.
Nearly one-half of American cancer survivors are age 70 or older, while only 5 percent are 40 or younger. The median age of patients at the time of diagnosis is 66.
Almost two-thirds of survivors were diagnosed 5 or more years ago, while 15 percent were diagnosed 20 or more years ago, the report said.
The three most common cancers among men living with the disease are prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and melanoma, according to the report. The most common cancers among women living with cancer were breast cancer, uterine or colorectal cancers.
There are also 58,510 survivors of childhood cancer living in the United States, and 12,060 more children will be diagnosed in 2012.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/KJGMnA American Cancer Society June 14, 2012.

Breast Cancer in Men

Even though men don't have breasts like women, they do have a small amount of breast tissue. In fact, the "breasts" of an adult man are similar to the breasts of a girl before puberty, and consist of a few ducts surrounded by breast and other tissue. In girls, this tissue grows and develops in response to female hormones, but in men -- who do not secrete the same amounts of these hormones -- this tissue doesn't develop.

However, because it is still breast tissue, men can develop breast cancer. In fact, men get the same types of breast cancers that women do, although cancers involving the milk producing and storing regions of the breast are rare. An estimated 2,190 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2012.

Why Don't I Hear About Breast Cancer in Men as Much as I Hear About Breast Cancer in Women?

Breast cancer in men is uncommon. This is possibly due to their smaller amount of breast tissue and the fact that men produce less hormones such as estrogen that are known to affect breast cancers in women.

In fact, only about 1 in 100 breast cancers affect men and only about 10 men in a million will develop breast cancer.

Which Men Are More Likely to Get Breast Cancer?

It is rare for a man under age 35 to get breast cancer. The likelihood of a man developing breast cancer increases with age. Most male breast cancers are detected between the ages of 60 to 70 years. Other risk factors of male breast cancer include:

Family history of breast cancer in a close female relative.
History of radiation exposure of the chest.
An abnormal enlargement of breasts (called gynecomastia) in response to drug or hormone treatments, or even some infections and poisons.
A rare genetic condition called Klinefelter's syndrome.
Severe liver disease.
Diseases of the testicles such as mumps orchites, a testicular injury, or an undescended testicle.


How Serious Is Breast Cancer in Men?

Doctors used to think that breast cancer in men was a more severe disease than it was in women, but it now seems that for comparably staged breast cancers, men and women have similar outcomes.

The major problem is that breast cancer in men is often diagnosed later than breast cancer in women. This may be because men are less likely to be suspicious of an abnormality in that area. In addition, their small amount of breast tissue is harder to feel -- making it more difficult to catch these cancers early, and allowing tumors to spread more quickly to the surrounding tissues.

What Are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer in Men?

Symptoms of breast cancer in men are very similar to those in women. Most male breast cancers are diagnosed when a man discovers a lump on his chest. However, unlike women, men tend to go to the doctor with more severe symptoms that may include bleeding from the nipple and abnormalities in the skin above the cancer. At that point the cancer may have already spread to the lymph nodes.

From: WEBMD

Herpes Virus

Herpes virus particles. Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of a cluster of Herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1) virus particles (round) in infected tissue. Each particle consists of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) core (dark purple) surrounded by an icosahedral (20-sided) outer coat (capsid), which is itself surrounded by an envelope. Herpes simplex causes oral herpes (cold sores) and genital herpes in humans. There is no known cure for it and the virus remains in the body for life.

Cheesburger and chips ?

Cheeseburger and chips. Processed foods, such as found, in a cheeseburger are usually low in fibre and high in fats. Too much fatty food in the diet is associated with health risks, including an increased risk of heart disease and strokes.

In one type of cancer, heavier men may live longer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Extra pounds may not be good for your health in general, but heavy men appear more likely to survive a particular form of immune system cancer, a new study finds.
The cancer in question is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Non-Hodgkin lymphomas include a large group of cancers that affect the lymphatic system, a part of the immune system.
Some research has linked obesity to a greater risk of developing DLBCL. And in certain other cancers, like breast and colon cancers, obese patients may have a worse prognosis than those who are thinner when they're diagnosed.
"We expected something similar when we started this project," lead researcher Dr. Kenneth Carson, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in an email.
So what the researchers actually found came as a surprise, said Carson, whose findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Of more than 2,500 U.S. veterans with the cancer, men who were obese at diagnosis had only about two-thirds the risk of dying during the study period of normal-weight men -- after considering other factors, like age and overall health.
Out of 625 obese men, 294 -- or 47 percent -- died over the next five years. That compared with 64 percent of 849 men who were normal-weight when they were diagnosed.
Men who were not obese, but overweight, also had a better prognosis than their normal-weight counterparts: a 27 percent lower death risk during the study period.
It's not clear exactly why heavy men with the lymphoma would survive longer.
And Carson stressed that the findings do not mean that men should allow themselves to gain or hang on to excess fat -- especially since obesity may be a risk factor for developing DLBCL in the first place.
"It is important to note that by no means are we trying to discourage weight loss in overweight or obese persons," Carson said.
But figuring out why heavier men with DLBCL have a better outlook could lead to a better understanding of the cancer -- and possibly better treatment for all, according to Carson.
"In my mind," Carson said, "there are two main factors that might explain why overweight and obese patients have improved survival: differences in disease biology or differences in patient responses to chemotherapy."
If obese patients have a tendency to develop DLBCL tumors with a more "favorable" biology, Carson explained, that could give clues to the causes of the lymphoma.
On the other hand, if heavier people respond better to chemotherapy, figuring out why could help improve treatment for patients of all sizes.
It's possible that bigger patients are able to tolerate more-intense chemotherapy before having severe side effects. But, Carson's team notes, other research suggests that in the real world, obese chemotherapy patients may tend to get lower doses relative to their body size.
The American Cancer Society estimates that just over 70,100 Americans will develop some type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2012. DLBCL is the most common form.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants. View of members of a colony of Carpenter ants Camponotus sp., in their nest in a laboratory. At upper left are developing larvae with "minor" workers involved in brood care; large "major" workers take part in foraging. Carpenter ants are notorious destroyers of wood, preferring to chew out their nest in pine trees. Like many other social ants, colonies of Camponotus sp. are self-organising systems which have no leader. But they solve complex problems by individual ants collectively doing simple tasks, such as finding the shortest route to food. This method of group problem solving may help scientists to design future computers, or teamwork in robots.

Does Honey Raise the Glucose Level in the Blood?

Simply put, yes, consuming honey will cause your blood glucose levels to rise. Honey contains carbohydrates, and all carbohydrate-containing foods increase your blood glucose levels. Honey is highly concentrated in carbohydrates, meaning, consuming just a small amount of honey will cause a significant increase in your blood glucose levels.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, unlike proteins and fats, affect your blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates exist in an array of foods including fruits, non-starchy vegetables, starchy vegetables, bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, lentils, beans, nuts and peanut butter, tofu, soy products and milk. Carbohydrates are also found in any food that contains flour -- such as baked goods -- and any food that contains added sugars, such as desserts and candy.


Blood Glucose

After you eat a carbohydrate-containing food such as honey, your body begins to digest it. During the digestion process, the carbohydrates in honey are broken down into sugar molecules. The sugar molecules pass through the lining of your stomach and get absorbed into your bloodstream. This causes your blood sugar levels to rise. When your blood sugar levels rise, your pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone that helps transfer the sugar molecules from your bloodstream to various cells throughout your body.
Sugar
Carbohydrates come in three types: sugar, starch and fiber. Honey is classified as a sugar carbohydrate. Honey -- along with sugars such as granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, maple syrup and high-fructose corn syrup -- is considered a fast-acting carbohydrate. This means that honey will cause your blood sugar levels to rise more quickly than complex carbohydrates -- such as whole grains -- will.

Considerations

Carbohydrates -- and the sugar they contain -- provide energy to your cells so that they can perform their functions properly. A healthy diet includes a lot of nutrient-rich carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Honey, and other sugars, do not provide much nutritional value, so use them sparingly. In order to help ensure that your blood glucose levels remain healthy and do not get too high, limit your daily consumption of added sugars to about 6 tsp. if you are a woman and about 9 tsp. if you are a man.

HCG Hormone

The hormone HCG The hormone HCG or beta-HCG (English Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a hormone secreted during pregnancy. She has a particular role, and dosage can reveal a multitude of elements, in connection with pregnancy or not.

What is HCG and what is its role?

 The hormone HCG is secreted at the time of implantation, ie when the embryo attaches to the uterine wall, for what would become the placenta.Son role is to maintain the corpus luteum, which is a small formation inside the egg, whose role is to secrete progesterone itself necessary for implantation. Clearly, for the egg is fixed and that the embryo develops, the body needs progesterone, which requires the corpus luteum, itself dependent on the hormone HCG. Its role in pregnancy is therefore essential.

The hormone HCG: a powerful indicator

 This is first HCG hormone that detects pregnancy as it is present in the blood about ten days after fertilization, and in the urine a few days later. It is precisely that it blood and urine tests looking for.

 It then allows to know the exact date of pregnancy by assaying the rate because it varies very precisely during the grossesse.Son assay allows also to ensure the smooth running of pregnancy, because if there is a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, the HCG hormone levels raised the alarm.

Finally, through a mix between the 15th and 17th weeks, the HCG is even a risk indicator trismomie 21! If the rate indicates a risk, amniocentesis may be required to confirm the anomaly, or not.

Early Gut Bacteria Regulate Happiness

UCC scientists have shown that brain levels of serotonin, the 'happy hormone' are regulated by the amount of bacteria in the gut during early life. Their research is being published June 12 in the international psychiatry journal, Molecular Psychiatry.

This research shows that normal adult brain function depends on the presence of gut microbes during development. Serotonin, the major chemical involved in the regulation of mood and emotion, is altered in times of stress, anxiety and depression and most clinically effective antidepressant drugs work by targeting this neurochemical.
Scientists at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC used a germ-free mouse model to show that the absence of bacteria during early life significantly affected serotonin concentrations in the brain in adulthood. The research also highlighted that the influence is sex dependent, with more marked effects in male compared with female animals. Finally, when the scientists colonized the animals with bacteria prior to adulthood, they found that many of the central nervous system changes, especially those related to serotonin, could not be reversed indicating a permanent imprinting of the effects of absence of gut flora on brain function.
This builds on earlier work, from the Cork group and others, showing that a microbiome-gut-brain axis exists that is essential for maintaining normal health which can affect brain and behavior. The research was carried out by Dr Gerard Clarke, Professor Fergus Shanahan, Professor Ted Dinan and Professor John F Cryan and colleagues at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC.
"As a neuroscientist these findings are fascinating as they highlight the important role that gut bacteria play in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, and opens up the intriguing opportunity of developing unique microbial-based strategies for treatment for brain disorders," said Professor John F Cryan, senior author on the publication and Head of the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience at UCC.
This research has multiple health implications as it shows that manipulations of the microbiota (e.g. by antibiotics, diet, or infection) can have profound knock-on effects on brain function. "We're really excited by these findings" said lead author Dr Gerard Clarke. "Although we always believed that the microbiota was essential for our general health, our results also highlight how important our tiny friends are for our mental wellbeing."

Diesel exhausts do cause cancer

Exhaust fumes from diesel engines do cause cancer, a panel of experts working for the World Health Organization says.

It concluded that the exhausts were definitely a cause of lung cancer and may also cause tumours in the bladder.

It based the findings on research in high-risk workers such as miners, railway workers and truck drivers.

However, the panel said everyone should try to reduce their exposure to diesel exhaust fumes.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization, had previously labelled diesel exhausts as probably carcinogenic to humans.

IARC has now labelled exhausts as a definite cause of cancer, although it does not compare how risky different carcinogens are. Diesel exhausts are now in the same group as carcinogens ranging from wood chippings to plutonium and sunlight to alcohol.

It is thought people working in at-risk industries have about a 40% increased risk of developing lung cancer.

Dr Christopher Portier, who led the assessment, said: "The scientific evidence was compelling and the Working Group's conclusion was unanimous, diesel engine exhaust causes lung cancer in humans.

"Given the additional health impacts from diesel particulates, exposure to this mixture of chemicals should be reduced worldwide."

The impact on the wider population, which is exposed to diesel fumes at much lower levels and for shorter periods of time, is unknown.

Dr Kurt Straif, also from IARC, said: "For most of the carcinogens when there is high exposure the risk is higher, when there is lower exposure the risk is lower."

There have been considerable efforts to clean up diesel exhausts. Lower sulphur fuel and engines which burn the fuel more efficiently are now in use.

The UK Department of Health said: "We will carefully consider this report. Air pollutants are a significant public health concern, we are looking at this issue as part of our plans to improve public health."

World's first Parkinson's vaccine is trialled

Parkinson's disease. Illustration of the brain, depicting the neurological disorder of Parkinson's disease. A coronal section through the brain is seen, with two elderly figures in a bent posture superimposed. Parkinson's disease is caused by a degeneration of nerve tissue within the basal ganglia (pink areas, at centre) of the brain. As a result, nerve pathways down the spinal cord are altered. Contracted muscle is prevented from relaxing, causing tremor, joint rigidity, and slow movement. Parkinson's disease affects the elderly. It progresses from a slight hand tremor, to an unbalanced, bent-over, shuffling walk. Treatment includes dopamine drugs. There is no cure.

TEN people with Parkinson's disease this week received injections of the first vaccine aimed at combating the condition.

Called PD01A, the drug primes the body's immune system to destroy alpha-synuclein, a protein thought to trigger the disease by accumulating in the brain and disrupting dopamine production.

Affiris, the company in Vienna, Austria, that developed the vaccine, says it is the first treatment to target the cause of the disease. "When it forms clumps in cells, alpha-synuclein disrupts normal levels of dopamine by locking it inside cells that produce it. It is also toxic, killing neurons and their connections," says Mandler Markus, head of preclinical development at the company.

Most existing treatments only ease symptoms by boosting dopamine levels.

In all, 32 people will receive the vaccine in the first trial on humans. The objective is to ensure the vaccine is safe, but researchers will also monitor for signs of improvement in symptoms.

Skin Cancer Large Malignant Tumor

Skin cancer. Large malignant (cancerous) tumour on a patient's foot. This is squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer.Most cases arise from pre-cancerous lesions known as solar keratoses, which are caused by sun damage.

tick biting the skin

Close-up of a tick biting the skin of the underarm (axilla) in a 70 year old male patient.

Feeding tick. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a tick (Ixodes sp. ) feeding head- down in human skin. Ticks are arachnids which parasitise mammals, birds and reptiles, feeding on their blood. In the feeding process, they cut through the skin with the scissor-like action of their modified mouthparts, and thrust their hypostome (feeding tool) through the lacerated skin, and lock into the surrounding tissues. Ticks can transmit diseases such as relapsing fever and Lyme disease, and their bites may become infected. Magnification: x30 at 6x7cm size.