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New drug could cure nearly any viral infection

New drug could cure nearly any viral infection
Most bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin, discovered decades ago. However, such drugs are useless against viral infections, including influenza, the common cold, and deadly hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola. Now, in a development that could transform how viral infections are treated, a team of researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory has designed a drug that can identify cells that have been infected by any type of virus, then kill those cells to terminate the infection. The microscope images above show that DRACO successfully treats viral infections. In a paper published July 27 in the journal PLoS One, the researchers tested their drug against 15 viruses, and found it was effective against all of them — including rhinoviruses that cause the common cold, H1N1 influenza, a stomach virus, a polio virus, dengue fever and several other types of hemorrhagic fever. Few antivirals available

Treatment with vitamin C dissolves toxic protein aggregates in Alzheimer's disease Researchers at Lund University have discovered a new function for vitamin C. Treatment with vitamin C can dissolve the toxic protein aggregates that build up in the brain in Alzheimer's disease. The research findings are now being presented in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The brains of people with Alzheimer's disease contain lumps of so-called amyloid plaques which consist of misfolded protein aggregates. "When we treated brain tissue from mice suffering from Alzheimer's disease with vitamin C, we could see that the toxic protein aggregates were dissolved. "Another interesting finding is that the useful vitamin C does not need to come from fresh fruit. There is at present no treatment that cures Alzheimer's disease, but the research is aimed at treatments and methods to delay and alleviate the progression of the disease by addressing the symptoms. Source: Lund University

Harmless soil-dwelling bacteria successfully kill cancer A bacterial strain that specifically targets tumours could soon be used as a vehicle to deliver drugs in frontline cancer therapy. The strain is expected to be tested in cancer patients in 2013 says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of York. The therapy uses Clostridium sporogenes – a bacterium that is widespread in the soil. Spores of the bacterium are injected into patients and only grow in solid tumours, where a specific bacterial enzyme is produced. An anti-cancer drug is injected separately into the patient in an inactive 'pro-drug' form. When the pro-drug reaches the site of the tumour, the bacterial enzyme activates the drug, allowing it to destroy only the cells in its vicinity – the tumour cells. Researchers at the University of Nottingham and the University of Maastricht have now overcome the hurdles that have so far prevented this therapy from entering clinical trials.

Cuba Announces Release of the World's First Lung Cancer Vaccine From the island nation known for the quality of its cigars comes some pretty big news today: Xinhua reports that Cuban medical authorities have released the first therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer. CimaVax-EGF is the result of a 25-year research project at Havana's Center for Molecular Immunology, and it could make a life or death difference for those facing late-stage lung cancers, researchers there say. CimaVax-EGF isn't a vaccine in the preventative sense--that is, it doesn't prevent lung cancer from taking hold in new patients. It's based on a protein related to uncontrolled cell proliferation--that is, it doesn't prevent cancer from existing in the first place but attacks the mechanism by which it does harm. As such it can turn aggressive later-stage lung cancer into a manageable chronic disease by creating antibodies that do battle with the proteins that cause uncontrolled cell proliferation, researchers say. [Xinhua]

foodconsumer.org THE MEDICAL NEWS | from News-Medical.Net - Latest Medical News and Research from Around the World Cancer cell breakthrough re... JPost - Health & Sci-Tech - Health The molecular basis for the breakage of DNA – the hallmark of cancer cells – has been identified by Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists. The important discovery will be published on Friday in the prestigious journal Molecular Cell. The DNA encodes all the genetic information needed to build the cell’s proteins. Thus, breaks in the DNA disrupt the proteins and lead to changes in cell function. These changes can lead to defects in the control of cellular proliferation, which results in the development of cancer. RELATED:Space research yields new ultrasound medical tools 1st-ever ‘domino triple kidney-pair exchange’ saves 3 lives Using cutting-edge technologies, researchers Prof. This is a breakthrough in our understanding of the effect of the DNA sequence and structure on its replication and stability, they said on Thursday. “A hallmark of most human cancers is accumulation of damage in the DNA, which drives cancer development,” Kerem said.

Skin Cancer: Star Trek-Style Probe Could Improve Diagnosis And Treatment By Thomas Moore, health correspondent A new "Star Trek-style" probe could improve the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. The device beams infra-red light through the skin to "see" 2mm below the surface. It allows doctors to map how far a cancer has spread with far greater accuracy. The VivoSight Multi-Beam probe is being tested at Guy's Hospital in London. "Accurate and early diagnosis of malignant skin lesions is vital to ensure the best possible outcome for patients," said consultant dermatologist Dr Katie Lacy. "This new instrument will allow us to view not only the surface appearance of skin cancer but, for the first time, to also examine the structures under the skin." The probe detects how infra-red light is scattered by underlying tissues and then provides doctors with a highly magnified image. It should avoid the need for some patients to undergo painful punch biopsies of suspicious skin lesions. Carole Letherby is taking part in the tests. "I think it's brilliant.

Killing cancer, without killing healthy cells | Health Apoptosis (cell death) occurring in the brain. The majority of diseases begin the same way – with the process of cell death, otherwise known as apoptosis. While most imaging techniques seek to reveal abnormalities in the shape and appearance of the body’s organs, Israel’s Aposense, a clinical stage drug development company, has developed a molecular imaging technology to detect apoptosis in the cells themselves, at the earliest phase of a disease. This technology has multiple uses. It can detect diseases before the symptoms manifest themselves; track the day-to-day progress of cancer treatment; and significantly, it can target and treat cancer cells via injection, without harming healthy cells and obviating the need for invasive procedures. Founded originally by neurologist Ilan Ziv in 1997 and chaired today by Eli Horovitz – the former CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals, Aposense takes a two pronged approach, says CEO Yoram Asheri – diagnostic and therapeutic platforms. Identifying dying cells

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