Science and Health Journal

May 20, 2011

New Breakthroughs In AIDS Treatment

For decades, the battle against AIDS followed a forked road: one led researchers to seek ways to stem the transmission, and the other had them trying to treat those with HIV, who are more susceptible. Oddly, it took this long for someone to entertain the idea of doing both.

Anyway, it’s in the works now, and the results are nothing short of impressive. The HIV Prevention Trials Network, an organization funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, recently found in a series of trials that a treatment can both suppress HIV levels and stop the patient from passing it on.

The trial, known as HPTN 02, was carried out on 1,763 couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not. Ninety-seven percent of the respondents were heterosexual, and the remaining 3% were homosexual; they came from 13 sites across Asia, Africa, and North and South America. They were selected in a way that the infected partner did not display enough symptoms to qualify for conventional treatment, partly so that side effects did not cloud the results and partly to avoid spurning drug-resistant strains.

Half of the couples were given conventional treatment following current protocol. The HIV-infected partners were given drugs only if their condition began to develop into AIDS or if their conditions fell below critical levels, measured according to the presence of a particular cell in their blood. Infected partners in the other half were given the drugs right away. All were taught techniques to avoid transmission, given condoms, treated for existing sexually transmitted diseases, and given regular checkups.

Since the study began in 2005, only 28 of the infected respondents had transmitted HIV to their partners. All but one were in the control group (the one given HPTN 02), proof that drugs can cure and stop transmission at the same time.

The results were so decisive, according to The Economist, that the study had to stop ahead of schedule. Doing so would mean denying the subjects of the treatment, which was so effective that cutting it off for science would be immoral.

The approach was first put forward by Julio Montaner, director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at the University of British Columbia. He has been pushing for the use of the drug for several years, and this study is the first big step towards it. A full cure may still take some time, but it looks like we’re well on our way.

May 3, 2011

Posted by madamejune | 0 Comments

Keeping Your Brain In Shape

After a mostly sedentary winter, most of us are flexing our muscles and getting in some much-needed exercise in the spring. Others, however, are working on a different muscle group, if you can call it that: they’re into brain fitness.

Lumosity.com, launched four years ago by San Francisco startup Lumos Labs, works as a “mental gym” by offering daily games and exercises designed to sharpen users’ mental skills. The site now welcomes 2 million visitors per month and has some 12 million members—the number doubled over the past year—and is all set to put brain training on the mainstream market.

The idea first came to Michael Scanlan in 2005, who was then a neuroscience graduate student focusing on the brain’s adaptability to different demands. At the time, mental health was largely concentrated on older generations wanting to fight memory loss. Wondering whether a broader market existed for science-based brain training, he took a leave from grad school and teamed up with Kunal Sarkar and David Drescher on a Web-based training program.

It took the trio two years to come up with the right design, exercises, and user experience. But almost instantly after its 2007 launch, Lumosity attracted several venture capitalists and raised over $3 million in funding. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing sites on the Web, ranking in the top 1,000, according to research group Quantcast.

Lumosity was modeled after fitness clubs, where users pay a monthly fee to access equipment and have their performance tracked. This came mostly from Sarkar, who was formerly involved in 24 Hour Fitness. Lumosity members pay $15 a month (less for one-year and two-year subscriptions) to play games and access personal performance data.

The founders’ goal is to make mental fitness as important a goal as physical fitness. According to Sarkar, they are tapping onto the same trend that made 24 Hour Fitness so popular: people becoming more concerned and thus more willing to invest in their well-being.

Another San Francisco company, Posit Labs, agrees. CEO Henry Mahncke, also a neuroscientist, says that some 10 years from now, brain fitness will become routine—and we’ll look back on how we accepted brain deterioration as part of aging for decades. Mahncke says this isn’t true—science as we know it allows for the prevention of mental decline.

Posit Labs also produces mental fitness software, but is equally involved in research and the development of therapeutic programs for the mentally ill and for soldiers fresh out of war. Support for mental exercise has turned up in dozens of peer-reviewed studies, cited by Posit in its own research.

With better marketing and more funding, these companies can make brain training more popular and accessible. As Scanlan puts it, they’ve only unlocked the tip of the iceberg—and it can only get better.

Apr 28, 2011

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Studies Offer New Insight Into Aromatherapy Benefits

Aromatherapy—the use of scents and the sense of smell to create positive psychological or physical reactions—is being incorporated into massage services around the world. Its effects have been known long before modern medicine, but it’s only now that scientists are beginning to understand the processes behind it.

New studies offer clues on how the brain detects and processes odors, and recent research is providing new insights on how this can affect well-being.

A group of researchers in Utah and Colorado are observing odor responses in mice. The four-year study, conducted at the University of Colorado in Denver, shows that smells are first detected in the olfactory bulb before being directed to the brain. Here, it is passed on to the olfactory cortex, which conducts complex analyses of the smell.

The big discovery, however, turned up between the bulb and the cortex. The researchers found that the two parts communicated by sending out a rapid stream of nerve cells. The original idea was that the olfactory bulb filtered the information and the olfactory cortex decided on the smell’s properties, such as whether the source is edible, according to lead researcher Diego Restrepo of the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

As it turns out, information is first processed in the bulb, which sends it to the cortex. What follows is a dialogue between the two organs, after which the brain steps into the picture.

The current use of aromatherapy relies more on essential oils being absorbed through the skin. Combined with massage, this creates a feeling of relaxation and well-being. Certain oils are also believed to help prevent disease, speed up recovery from illness and stress, and strengthen the body’s resistance.

The study’s findings bolster the idea that scents have a psychological as well as physical effect. Scents such as rose and lavender are known to lift the mood, while citrus scents are often used to combat depression. These usually work best in creating environments, such as adding a few drops to a bath or inhaling scented steam.

Separate studies suggest that aromatherapy massage may help alleviate menopausal symptoms and reduce the risk of breast cancer in women between 45 and 58 years old. In the latter, the oils used were sweet orange, jojoba, sandalwood, and lavender. Although probably not an alternative treatment by itself, researchers believe that aromatherapy massage can work as a complementary therapy to conventional methods.

Apr 21, 2011

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Getting in Shape for Summer

Spring is almost in full bloom, and in the West, it’s time to dust off the old running shoes and get some fresh air. Shedding the winter weight is on top of many people’s to-do lists. But with tank top and swimsuit season just weeks away, many are resorting to crash diets. About.com guide Paige Waehner says that easing into a healthy lifestyle is more practical, not to mention more efficient—it will keep you in top form long after summer’s over.

By taking it slow, according to Waehner, one loses fat instead of muscle, which is the way sustainable weight loss should work. Diving straight into intense exercise can slim you down, but not necessarily in the right places.

Waehner says the first step is getting a checkup, especially if you’ve been ill or had an injury over the winter. You’ll want to know if your body is up for a new fitness regimen, and what approach will work best for your condition.

Next, she says, you must commit to 20 minutes to one hour of exercise for four to five days a week. Try to get access to basic equipment such as resistance bands, free weights, or treadmills and elliptical machines. You’ll also need to commit to a healthy diet on most days, if not all.

Cardio is vital to any weight loss program, according to Waehner. Besides burning calories, it conditions your heart and lungs for a range of fitness activities, whether it’s yoga, kick-boxing, or weight lifting. For effective weight loss, one should aim to get in 20 to 60 minutes of cardio five to six days a week, she added.

Next, you’ll want to work in some strength training. This works specific muscle groups, so you can concentrate on that bulging belly, the flabby arms, and other problem areas. Strength training also raises body metabolism, so you burn calories even when at rest. Popular strength training exercises include weight lifting, squats, pushups, and pullups.

Skipping meals is a big no-no, Waehner warns. When you’re well into your workout routine, you’ll want to stay fed and hydrated all day; otherwise you get lethargic and won’t have the strength to work out—even after you do eat. Instead of three big meals, try to snack lightly five to six times a day, Waehner suggested.

Most importantly, find an activity you enjoy—it’s the only way you can be sure you’ll stick to it. Other experts suggest finding a workout buddy or keeping a fitness journal to help you stay on track.

Apr 20, 2011

Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments

NSF-DBA Hires Leading Pharmaceutical Experts to Meet Growing Demand for Training and Consulting

Increasing scrutiny of pharmaceutical companies’ Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliance and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements has created a greater demand for high-quality pharmaceutical training and consulting services. NSF-DBA, an NSF International company with more than 25 years of pharmaceutical experience, adds five leading pharmaceutical specialists to provide consulting and in-house training services to help companies comply with international regulations and improve quality management systems:

Ed Arling

A fo…

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Apr 10, 2011

Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies Announced as New Name for MSD BioManufacturing Network

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has been announced as the new name for the former Merck BioManufacturing Network (known as MSD BioManufacturing Network outside the US and Canada) following completion of its acquisition today by FUJIFILM Corporation of Japan.

As previously announced, the acquisition comprises the facilities located in Billingham, UK (MSD Biologics (UK), formerly Avecia Biologics) and Research Triangle Park, NC, US (Diosynth RTP).

Yuzo Toda, general manager of Pharmaceutical Products Division, FUJIFILM Corporation, said: "We are delighted to complete the addition of thi…

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Apr 10, 2011

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Flexible Phase I Study Designs: Expediting Early Clinical Drug Development

A new paper released by Quanticate provides an overview of some of the ways in which Phase I packages can be tailored to the needs of the specific compound and conducted more efficiently using combination, flexible protocols. It outlines the considerations that need to be made at the planning stage, and how to make best use of emerging PK and safety data to enable informed decisions regarding study progression.

To receive a copy of our new paper, please click on the ‘Flexible Phase I Study Designs’ link at the base of our profile.