Health Watch - Feb 2014
ICP,
2 Min
Health Watch - Feb 2014
ICP,
2 Min
In Clinical news
Follow this topic
Bookmark
Record learning outcomes
THE BIG CHALLENGE
GlaxoSmithKline is offering a $1 million prize to the scientist who can create a miniaturised implantable device to block or correct brain signals associated with a range of conditions. GSK's bioelectronics researchers hope this innovative implant could be used to treat disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, asthma, hypertension and diabetes, without pills or injections. The challenge was devised by about 150 scientists worldwide called together by the GSK bioelectronics unit. GSK is already funding bioelectronics projects in the United States, the Netherlands and Portugal.
HIDDEN BRAIN DAMAGE
The discovery of cerebral defects in retired American football players, corresponding to their number of head injuries, could help in brain damage diagnosis. Scans showed unusual activity missed by standard tests in the frontal lobes, the areas that regulate other cognitive processes, indicating a weakened ability to plan and organise. Dr Adam Hampshire, lead author of the study at Western Ontario University and a Californian institute, reported: €It's not unusual for an individual who has had a blow to the head to perform relatively well on a neuropsychological testing battery, and go on to struggle in everyday life. The results tell us something very interesting about the human brain, which is that after damage it can work harder and bring extra areas on line to cope with cognitive tasks. The results are also of relevance to other patients who suffer multiple head injuries.€
BABY VACCINE
A reliable vaccine against a common infection causing bronchiolitis in babies may finally be produced. A 1960s vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus worsened infections because, although it boosted T cell production, it virtually eliminated the immune response control given by Tregs, the regulatory T cells. However, using chemokines, proteins that cause cells to move around the body, researchers attracted Tregs, formerly known as suppressor T cells, back into the lungs of mice to reduce inflammation and infection. The researchers, at Imperial College London, believe these findings suggest a new treatment for inflammatory disease, for use in various conditions, including arthritis and psoriasis.
A RAY OF HOPE
Ultra-violet light can lower blood pressure, Edinburgh University researchers have discovered. High blood pressure, which annually causes more than nine million deaths worldwide, often results from modern lifestyle factors, including insufficient exercise, excessive alcohol, nicotine, fatty and salty foods €“ and too little sunlight. The project found ultra-violet light raises nitric oxide levels, which expands vessels so that blood pressure falls. Former industrial scientist Ad Brand, of the Netherlands-based Sunlight Research Forum, said: €The health benefits of moderate exposure to sunlight outweigh the risks of developing skin cancer.€
STEADYING INFLUENCE
The quiet eye technique, the final gaze before any movement, such as aiming, used by golfers and other sports people to avoid distractions, is to be tested as a treatment for children aged eight to 10 with co-ordination problems, including dyspraxia. Sport and health science researchers at Exeter University, whose work is backed by the Waterloo Foundation, a Cardiff-based international charity, believe such an intervention could aid co- ordination.
HEALTHY CUPPAS
Three cups of black tea daily have been found to reduce blood pressure variability, a potential cardiovascular risk. Dr Tim Bond, of the Tea Advisory Panel, an independent group of nutritionists, dietitians and doctors that funded the study, said: €This improvement ... would appear to be the result of a black tea component other than caffeine. This is possibly likely to be the flavonoid content. Tea flavonoids have been associated with improved cardiovascular health in previous studies.€
Copy Link
Record my learning outcomes
Save for later
In Clinical news