guptashubhranshu's blog

Introduction

Nina Bhardwaj, an Indian origin researcher at New York University has reported the role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (pDC) as an inti-HIV agent.

Actual Observation and Research

She has reported that when these pDC interact with HIV, they get activated to release a huge amount of alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha). The latter is the active anti-HIV component of human immune system.

in-vitro contradiction

However, the reported result has been contradicted by the previous in-vitro studies, which had found out that human pDC (stimulated by HIV-1) lead the CD4+ T cells to become Tregs; the latter suppress immune response. Moreover, it was also observed that the Tregs produced an in-vitro inhibition of maturation of Bystander Conventional Dendritic Cells (that help initiate immune response), thereby damping the immune response against the retro-virus.

Conclusion

Here's another blog contradicting the much appreciated deed of studying hard. Infact, a new research has pointed out this phenomenon. I hope this blog would attract a lot of comments.

Introduction

Researchers from Université Laval have recently found out that thinking hard makes people hungrier. The study was led by a team headed by Dr. Angelo Tremblay. What they have found out is that performing a lot of intellectual works like studying, doing a task on computer etc. increases the appetite of the people.

Details

The team had measured the food and diet intake of 14 students after each of three tasks: relaxing in a sitting position, reading and summarizing a text, and completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer.

Introduction

Recently few researchers have successfully demonstrated the secret of how P. aeruginosa could breach the human body's natural immunity and cause diseases. Infact, it was a presentation conducted at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting at Trinity College in Dublin, University of Cambridge which made us all aware of this fact.

Microbial attack mechanism

P. aeruginosa grow in colonies and act as a bio-film. These bio-films are highly resistant to a range of anti-biotics. This is in contrast to other bacteria which live singly but are susceptible to many anti-biotics.

These superbugs advance progressively at an astonishing rate. They are usually free-floating and often secrete potent cytotoxins that could lyse away the cells of the body, thereby causing disease in one way and protect themselves from the administered antibiotics on the other hand.

Reference Link

This short blog is meant to focus upon rare category of Drugs called as ‘Orphan Drugs’. Comments would be welcome from depth of heart.

Definition and introduction

Orphan Drugs, as defined by US-FDA under ‘Orphan Drugs Act of 1993’ refer to those drugs used to treat a rare disease that normally would not be of interest to commercial manufacturers during the ordinary course of business. An orphan drug is approved by similar procedures used to approve to other drugs, except for few significant differences.

Rare Diseases

A rare disease, as included in the US-FDA definition, refers to any disease that affects fewer than 200000 persons (in USA). It may also include those diseases for which a manufacturer manufacturing a drug for the former has no enough expectations of recovering the cost inculcated in its development and its subsequent availability in the market.

US-FDA considerations for Orphan Drugs

Introduction

In the current blog, I would like to bring a very interesting bodily defence mechanism in humans serving to protect the natural homeostasis and integrity of body from xenobiotic besiege. I would heartily welcome comments and criticisms of all kinds. The subject of discussion is the P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) which is a membrane protein transporter that serves to prevent the absorption of xenobiotic (any foreign substance that itself probably may be toxic or its metabolite(s) be harmful).

Few P-gp and mechanism

Introduction

The blog I intend to put this time is purely a statistical blog bringing into focus a vital statistical weapon and tact used in most of the pharmacological research works in analyzing the dose efficacy and toxicity of a drug. The dose response curve, as the name indicates is the plot of response of some entity like enzyme activity, accumulation of an intracellular second messenger, membrane potential, secretion of a hormone, heart rate, contraction of a muscle etc to that of differing concentrations of a drug or hormone.

Here's a novel development in the social and cultural domain in Indian society...Well, one might say it a really good initiative in preventing the spread of AIDS...Comments would be sportingly taken and discussed...

A wedding hall in Chinnamanur in Theni district has started asking the bride and the groom to fetch a 'No HIV certificate' before marriage. Well initially, a person would get a mixed feeling after reading this news. But Iam sure the readers would appreciate the decision after going through whole of this blog.

This decision was taken after Selvam (who is an autorickshaw driver) was found to be HIV positive and was hence ditched before his marriage. But this was justified by E Muthu- a member of the managing board of the marriage hall and the state organizer of the Muvender Munnetra Kazhagam-by saying that this was just done because many women in the surrounding villages had lost their husbands at the hands of AIDS.

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)