Gene discovery could lead to new HIV treatments
Scientists have identified a new gene that may have the
ability to prevent HIV from spreading after the virus enters the body.
The study led by King's College London is the first to
identify a role for the human MX2 gene in inhibiting Human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.
Researchers said this gene could be a new target for
effective, less toxic treatments where the body's own natural defence system is
mobilised against the virus.
Scientists carried out experiments on human cells in the
lab, introducing the virus to two different cell lines and observing the
effects. In one cell line the MX2 gene was expressed or 'switched on', and in
the other it was not, or 'silenced'. They saw that in the cells where MX2 was
silenced, the virus replicated and spread.
In the cells where the MX2 gene was expressed, the virus was
not able to replicate and new viruses were not produced. The work was led by Dr
Caroline Goujon and Professor Mike Malim at the Department of Infectious
Diseases, King's College London.
"This is an extremely exciting finding which advances
our understanding of how HIV virus interacts with the immune system and opens
up opportunities to develop new therapies to treat the disease," Malim
said. "Until now we knew very little about the MX2 gene, but now we
recognise both its potent anti-viral function and a key point of vulnerability
in the life cycle of HIV.
"Developing drugs to stimulate the body's natural
inhibitors is a very important approach because you are triggering a natural
process and therefore won't have the problem of drug resistance. "There
are two possible routes - it may be possible to develop either a molecule that
mimics the role of MX2 or a drug which activates the gene's natural
capabilities.
"Although people with HIV are living longer, healthier
lives with the virus thanks to current effective treatments, they can often be
toxic for the body and drug resistance can become an issue with long-term use. "It
is important to continue to find new ways of mobilising the body's natural
defence systems and this gene appears to be a key player in establishing viral
control in people with HIV," he said.
Source: www.indianexpress.com
20.09.2013
Heart disease patients with positive attitudes live
longer
Heart disease patients with positive attitudes are more
likely to exercise and live longer, a new study has found. Researchers found
that heart disease patients with a B positive attitude were 42 per cent less
likely to die over a five-year period than those with a negative attitude.
Researchers used a questionnaire to assess the moods of 600
ischemic heart disease patients in a Denmark hospital. Ischemic heart disease,
also called coronary artery disease, is caused by narrowed arteries that don't
provide enough blood and oxygen to the heart.
After a five-year follow-up period, researchers found that
the most positive patients exercised more and had a 42 per cent less chance of
dying for any reason during the follow-up period; deaths were less than 10 per
cent.
Among patients with less positive attitudes, 50 deaths
occurred (16.5 per cent).
Positive mood and exercise also cut the risk of
heart-related hospitalisations, the study found. Exercise levels the playing
field between positive and negative patients, researchers said. So the
differences in death rates between upbeat and sad heart patients weren't as
striking when both groups exercised.
However, information on the types and amounts of exercise
were not available.
"We should focus not only on increasing positive
attitude in cardiac rehabilitation, but also make sure that patients perform
exercise on a regular basis, as exercise is associated with both increased
levels of optimism and better health," said Susanne S Pedersen, one of the
study authors and professor of cardiac psychology, the Department of Medical
and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
She is also adjunct professor of cardiac psychology, the
University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
The study was published in the American Heart Association
journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Source: www.indianexpress.com
20.09.2013
Here is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the
right direction
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