Health

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) US researchers have engineered a novel gene therapy to target the airway and lungs via a nasal spray.For gene therapy to work well, therapeutic molecules need to be efficiently delivered to the correct locations in the body. It is commonly done by using adeno-associated viruses (AAV) gene therapy.To improve the AAV's ability to deliver therapeutics specifically to the lungs and airway, researchers at the Mass General Brigham engineered a new version, called AAV.CPP.16, which can be administered with a nasal spray.In preclinical models, AAV.CPP.16 outperformed previous versions by more effectively targeting the airway and lungs and showing promise for respiratory and lung gene therapy, said the researchers in the paper published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine....

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Treatment with an experimental drug has shown significant improvements in young patients with a rare form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) -- a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, said a team of US researchers on Friday.ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to the loss of motor neurons causing difficulty with movement, balance, coordination, and potentially even breathing. While experimental therapies have so far slowed down the disease or halted its progression, the new treatment using ulefnersen (previously known as jacifusen) -- showed that functional losses in young patients can be reversed. "When testing new drugs for ALS, we do not expect to see clinical improvement...

Bhubaneswar, May 22 (IANS) Amid worries over the detection of one Covid-19 positive case in Bhubaneswar, Secretary for Odisha Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department, Aswathy S. on Thursday advised people not to panic over the sporadic incidents of Covid detection.Speaking to mediapersons, Aswathy said that a fresh Covid-19 case was detected in Odisha after two and a half years.She told the media that the health condition of the patient, who also suffers from other comorbidities, is stable now.She also assured that the situation is completely under control and there is no need to worry about the sporadic appearance of Covid cases.While advising people over the issue, Aswathy said: "There is no need to panic. There is no advisory from the Government of India or any other agency at t...

Seoul, May 22 (IANS) Samsung Biologics, a biotech arm of South Korea's Samsung Group, said on Thursday it plans to spin off its biosimilar development business to streamline its operations and focus on its core contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) services.According to a regulatory filing, the company will establish a new entity, Samsung Epis Holdings, which will later incorporate Samsung Bioepis Co., a biosimilar drug developer, as a wholly owned subsidiary, reports Yonhap news agency.The spinoff process will proceed with the submission of a securities report on July 29, followed by a shareholders meeting on Sept. 16 for final approval.Samsung Biologics explained that the split will allow the company to concentrate resources on its CDMO business, which operates under...

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Taking birth control pills or combined oral contraceptives containing both oestrogen and progestin may triple the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, according to a study.Strokes without a known cause are called cryptogenic. It accounts for up to 40 per cent of all ischaemic strokes in young adults. Despite its prevalence, the contribution of sex-specific risk factors, such as contraceptive use, has remained underexplored.The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking hormonal contraception to vascular risk in women of reproductive age.“Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk,” said lead author Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University.“What’s particularly notable is that the association re...

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Do you follow the social media trend of taping mouth while sleeping to help breathe from the nose instead of mouth? Beware, it could pose serious asphyxiation risks.Asphyxiation is a condition where oxygen is deficient in the body, often leading to impaired breathing or suffocation.When the nasal passages are blocked, breathing switches from the nose to the mouth. Mouth breathing has been linked to sleep-disordered breathing, which includes conditions ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea, where breathing stops and starts frequently during sleep.However, a recent trend amplified by social media has some people taping their mouths shut at night to treat sleep-disordered breathing by preventing mouth breathing.Mouth taping has been recommended by many soci...

Sydney, May 22 (IANS) Acute stress can disrupt the brain's ability to manage emotions, particularly in people with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, according to a study.Researchers from the Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia found that stress can temporarily impair executive functions, which are mental processes like working memory, impulse control, and flexibility, crucial for regulating emotions and making decisions under pressure, Xinhua news agency reported."These executive functions are vital for controlling emotional responses, especially in challenging situations," said Tee-Jay Scott, from the varsity."Our findings suggest that people with distress-related disorders may be more vulnerable to having these executive func...

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Thursday launched a nationwide campaign to end plastic pollution, ahead of World Environment Day.World Environment Day is observed every year on June 5, and the theme this year is Beat Plastic Pollution. The day serves as the principal platform of the UN for encouraging global awareness and action for environmental protection.The mass mobilisation campaign ‘One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution’, highlights India’s unwavering commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. It is also aligned with the country’s flagship initiative -- Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).“The campaign aims to nudge citizens to adopt eco-friendly alternatives as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi under...

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) US researchers have identified a widely used antidepressant drug that could shrink the growth of tumour and help the immune system fight cancer.Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), best known for the role they play in the brain, can significantly enhance the ability of T cells to fight cancer.In the study, published in the journal Cell, the researchers tested SSRIs in mouse and human tumour models representing melanoma, breast, prostate, colon, and bladder cancer.They found that SSRI treatment reduced average tumour size by over 50 per cent and made the cancer-fighting T cells more effective at killing cancer cells."It turns out SSRIs don't just make our brains happier; they al...

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has thanked India for its commitment and support to the historic Pandemic Accord.After three years of negotiations, the Agreement was adopted by consensus by member countries of the WHO at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva this week.India is also a signatory to this treaty, which has been in talks since the Covid-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people worldwide. The treaty aims to bridge global healthcare gaps and inequities in case of future pandemics.“Namaste, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for joining us virtually at a historic 78th WHA when the Pandemic Accord was adopted. We are grateful for India's commitment and support to the WHO,” the WHO chief said...