Introduction
A community of Equador named as 'Laron Dwarfs' (as they call themselves) have been found to be immune to few types of cancers. The community consists of just about 100 people. The average height reached by an adult Laron dwarf is about just 4 feet!

Reason for the immunity
The basic underlying physiology suspected in conferring them immunity against cancer has been found to be due to the absence of Insulin-like Growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Medical Potential
The medical potential aimed at by the researchers is to use this 'reduced IGF-1' level in human body to combat the cancers, particularly breast, prostrate and bowel cancer (as found in case of Laron dwarfs being resistant to these sub-types of cancer).

Animal Experiment
The result of reduced or absence of IGF-1 in animals was tested in mice, flies and worms. It was found that those animals were resistant to cancers who lacked or had deficient IGF-1 level.

Reference Link

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden have synthesized a new molecule that can kill away the HIV very effectively, though indirectly.

Anti-gal

The scientists stated that human body has an anti-body which is very minor in concentration in serum called as Anti-gal which mainly fights salmonella and E.coli. However, it fails to defend against serious and major infections. Moreover, it can't recognize HIV which renders it ineffective in detecting the virus.

The anti-gal has a distinct specificity for gal alpha 1-3 gal. Gal alpha 1-3 gal is present on most of the tissues of many non-primate animals.

The Adapter Plug

The scientists created a molecule with one end possessing a sugar group capable of detection by anti-gal and another end with a terminal mimicking the lymphocyte receptor. This enables it to abridge the distance between lymphocytes and anti-gal, hence giving it the role of adapter plug. This then helps the molecule fight HIV.

If you are cosmetically very active, then just keep a watch over the frequency of application of common topical creams you use. Recent study has suggested the involvement of common skin creams in causing skin cancers.

[Skin Diagram in Squamous Cell Skin Carcinoma(Non-Melanoma Skin cancer)] 

(Squamous cell carcinoma of tongue)

Before proceeding with a new blog, I would first like to wish every member and reader of pharmainfo a very very happy independence day and Raksha Bandhan. Today, its the turn for a desi blog to fetch a prior seat along with a desi system of medicine- ayurveda.

Osteoarthritis (taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gonarthrose-Knorpelaufbrauch.jpg)

Brief Idea

In a recent breakthrough surgery conducted by a team of Indian surgeons headed by Harshavardhan Hegde at Artemis Health Institute -- a super specialty hospital in suburban Gurgaon, an american-- Kim Busk aged 52,who was suffering from disc degeneration for the last 10 years, was operated for the replacement of 4 discs from his backbone; 2 in neck and another 2 in lower back.

Caution maintained, in brief

The experts had opened up the vertebral column for the operation. Extreame care was taken to protect the food pipe as well as the intervertebral disc; damage of the latter would lead to intense pain in back, neck and legs and even paralysis!

Replaced substitute

The discs numbered 5-6 and 6-7 were replaced with metal discs in the back. Similarly, discs of L4-L5 and L5-sacrum in the lower back were replaced by metal discs.

Conclusion

The current blog has been posted keeping in view the expectations held by us (students) and the outcome which our luck yields for us. Well, explaining the purpose of choosing such a title was with the objective that just as the mirror shows exactly the opposite image when one stands in front of it, similarly luck often brings an outcome that is completely different, rather opposite and often bitter, to what we aspire for. I am just trying to correlate our mirror image to the unfruitful results and selves to the dream we hope for; and hence, the idea of 'Lateral Inversion'.

Cannabinoid Receptor

Cannabinoid receptor, CB1 is a G-Protein coupled receptor present extensively in brain. It combines with cannbinoids or their structural analogs and serve to perform a variety of functions like relieving pain and nausea, elevating mood and stimulating appetite. Cannabinoids are structurally related to Tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) and are released (endocannabinoids) from the depolarized membrane of neurons and suppresses the release of GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid). CB1 is an extracellular receptor with 116 amino acids with a N-terminal. The N-terminal of CB1 is not efficiently translocated through endoplasmic reticulum membrane of the cell concerned with the expression.

Diagrammatic representation of CB1 agonist and antagonist

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffpages/uploads/bms067/cannaboids1_th.gif

Recent Findings

Before proceeding with the main body of the blog, I admit that this blog is really awkward and risky to be put (for me) ; especially all the parents would surely want to revolt against me. But it's just a recent piece of research that milk intake has been linked to an increase in incidence of acne. I welcome all sorts of comments and criticism.

(Pictures taken from wikipedia.org) 

A study led by Omar H. Vandal,a post-doctoral research fellow at Weill Cornell Medical College has recently reported about a mycobacterial membrane protein called Rv3671c which functions to protect the mycobacterium from acidifying host's acidic attack strategy of macrophages. They have their study published in Nature Medicine. However, they have reported of carrying out further studies on this topic.

Mode of mycobacterial attack

In one of the comments, I was made aware about Lithontriptics and having gone through the information about the stuff, I found it pretty interesting and hence would like to share away the studied facts with every reader. And as usual, I would love to hear from all the readers with comments and criticism!

Definition
Lithontriptics are the agents that have something to do against the renal calculi (kidney stones). These differ from antilithics in the sense that the former helps dissolving away the already formed kidney stones while the latter is used to prevent the formation of calculi.

Nature of Kidney stones
The kidney stones; as described in the materia medica are porous and have a great degree of air entrapped. Perhaps, they vary in shape and surface texture with great diversity: they may be pointed (mulberry stones), regular etc.;rough, smooth and so on.