A cure for
blood cancer on the cards?
Australian scientists say they have discovered a
ground-breaking technique for treating aggressive forms of leukaemia. The
medical researchers at Melbourne-based Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have
found a double-barrelled approach which would hopefully lead to
long-term survival of those suffering from the blood cancer, according to a
media report. A mutant enzyme called JAK2 drives and feeds a virulent form
of the disease that has proved resistant to therapy. ‘Not only do they
grow very quickly and the tumours spread more rapidly but they’re often
refractory to standard chemotherapies up front,’ Ricky Johnstone
of Peter MacCallum Centre said.
‘These are things that are very difficult to treat because
of how quickly they spread but, in addition, they cannot be treated by the
common chemotherapy,’ he said. However, the dual-pronged attack has already
proved successful in completely curing this form of leukaemia in mice.
Johnstone said ‘If we think about a tumour cell as a tree
and if we think about this JAK2 protein being the tree, what we want to do is
target that tree at two points: we want to cut off the leaves with one drug and
then we want to deplete the root system and, importantly, the tap-root at
another level. ‘We think that the best way to kill that tree and therefore
the tumour cell would be this dual approach – remove the leaves, remove the
roots and then completely diminish the survival and nourishment pathway for
that tree and, therefore, kill the tumour cell.’
Researchers hope the treatment will be available to patients
within a year.
23.11.2013
Indian innovations in healthcare to serve as a
template for worldwide health care reforms
At a time when the western world is going through a crisis
of sorts in the health care sector, a conference at the University of Oxford
will explore adapting Indian innovations for better health services across the
world. The conference ‘Big change: Sustainable healthcare for the 21st century’
will be held Nov 22-23, said a statement from the organisers.
It will focus on the need for affordable innovation that is
both sustainable and can deliver health care to those who need it most. India,
being a key proponent of such innovations, will be represented by high profile
health care researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and government officials
like Dr Devi Shetty of Narayana Hridayalaya, Bangalore; Health Secretary Keshav
Desiraju and Balram Bhargava, professor of cardiology at the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
‘Innovation has an essential role to play, not only in
improving health care standards around the world, but even in maintaining
existing standards, given constrained funding,’ said Stephen MacMahon,
principal director of The George Institute, one of the organisers of the
conference.
23.11.2013
Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary
to enjoy success
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