Health junkie

allthingseurope: Milan, Italy (by Dario’s 478)

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:45:19 +0800

allthingseurope:

Milan, Italy (by Dario’s 478)

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Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:27 +0800

thecakebar: Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies...

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:18:24 +0800

thecakebar:

Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies Tutorial

{click link for FULL tutorial and Recipe}

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Mon, 20 May 2013 23:05:41 +0800

descrier: Bahrain: An Uprising UnabatedProtesters in Bahrain....

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:46:11 +0800

descrier:

Bahrain: An Uprising Unabated
Protesters in Bahrain. Photograph by Sara Hassan/Al Jazeera

More than two years after peaceful…
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Mon, 20 May 2013 19:23:39 +0800

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Mon, 20 May 2013 18:25:48 +0800

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Thu, 16 May 2013 13:44:24 +0800

ikenbot: HIV cure months away, Danish scientists say, citing...

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:09:20 +0800

ikenbot:

HIV cure months away, Danish scientists say, citing novel new DNA treatment

Danish scientists believe they may have a cure for HIV “within months.”

Image 1: This photo shows HIV infecting a T-cell, which usually fights off infections in the human body. Credit: NIH/NIAID

Image 2: Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark are testing a new technique that involves flushing HIV from so-called reservoirs in human DNA. (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark are testing a new technique that involves flushing the virus from so-called reservoirs in human DNA.

The virus is then destroyed naturally by the body’s immune system, The London Telegraph reported.

They are expecting results to show that “finding a mass-distributable and affordable cure to HIV is possible”.

Fifteen patients are taking part in the trials, funded with $2.1 million from the Danish Research Council.

If they are found to have successfully been cured of HIV, the new technique will be tested on a wider scale.

Any cure would be affordable for many of the 33 million people worldwide afflicted by the virus.

However, despite the trials Dr. Ole Sogaard, a senior researcher in the department of infectious disease warned that the efficacy in the human body remained unproven.

Medical Daily quoted him as telling the media:

“The challenge will be getting the patients’ immune system to recognize the virus and destroy it. This depends on the strength and sensitivity of individual immune systems.”

British researchers are reportedly conducting similar research through a consortium of five universities.

Both studies are aiming to find a cure for those already infected with the virus and would not result in a preventative measure for HIV or AIDS.

As with many articles purporting possible cures it’s always good to take these with a grain of salt and practice our skepticism until the results and stats are weighed in. But if it’s anything close to being true then I am glad to see this progressing into a challenge of engineering the proper tools to fight it rather than how to fight it. Let’s hope this is followed up with success.

neuromorphogenesis: Reversing Paralysis with a Restorative...

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:12:54 +0800

neuromorphogenesis:

Reversing Paralysis with a Restorative Gel

TAU researchers develop implant to regenerate nerves

Some parts of the body, like the liver, can regenerate themselves after damage. But others, such as our nervous system, are considered either irreparable or slow to recover, leaving thousands with a lifetime of pain, limited mobility, or even paralysis.

Now a team of Tel Aviv University researchers, including Dr. Shimon Rochkind of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Prof. Zvi Nevo of TAU’s Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, has invented a method for repairing damaged peripheral nerves. Through a biodegradable implant in combination with a newly-developed Guiding Regeneration Gel (GRG) that increases nerve growth and healing, the functionality of a torn or damaged nerve could ultimately be restored.

This innovative project is now gaining international recognition. Its initial successes were reported recently at several renowned scientific congresses, including the World Federation of Neurological Societies and the European Neurological Society. And the therapy, already tested in animal models, is only a few years away from clinical use, says Dr. Rochkind.

Like healing in the womb

A nerve is like an electrical cable. When severed or otherwise damaged, power can no longer be transferred and the cable loses its functionality. Similarly, a damaged nerve loses the ability to transfer signals for movement and feeling through the nervous system.

But Dr. Rochkind and Prof. Nevo found a way to breach the gap. In their method, two severed ends of a damaged nerve are reconnected by implanting a soft, biodegradable tube, which serves as a bridge to help the nerve ends connect. The innovative gel which lines the inside of the tube nurtures nerve fibers’ growth, encouraging the nerve to reconnect the severed ends through the tube, even in cases with massive nerve damage, Dr. Rochkind says.

The key lies in the composition of the gel, the researchers say, which has three main components: anti-oxidants, which exhibit high anti-inflammatory activities; synthetic laminin peptides, which act as a railway or track for the nerve fibers to grow along; and hyaluronic acid, commonly found in the human fetus, which serves as a buffer against drying, a major danger for most implants. These components allow the nerve to heal the way a fetus does in the womb — quickly and smoothly.

Keeping cells safe for transplant

The implant has already been tested in animal models, and the gel by itself can be used as a stand-alone product, acting as an aid to cell therapy. GRG is not only able to preserve cells, it can support their survival while being used for therapy and transplantation, says Dr. Rochkind. When grown in the gel, cells show excellent development, as well as intensive fiber growth. This could have implications for the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson’s, for which researchers are actively exploring cell therapy as a potential solution.

yasasiihitogomi: Pulmonary Embolism and DVT Top left: embolus...

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:11:56 +0800

yasasiihitogomi:

Pulmonary Embolism and DVT

Top left: embolus in a right lower-lobe pulmonary artery (arrow)

Top right: DVT in the left popliteal vein (arrow).

Bottom left: thrombus in the left common femoral vein (arrow).

They all are seen in the same patient.

Bottom right: DVT.

villesdeurope: Praia Monte Clérigo, Portugal Places I’d...

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:01:47 +0800

villesdeurope:

Praia Monte Clérigo, Portugal

Places I’d love to go to one day with my best friends, family and/or husband. One day after I’ve achieved my dreams, become a doctor, become slim & beautiful, build a great family and achieved my dreams, I hope to travel the world - one photo at a time.

Ever since I can remember, acting is what has made me feel...

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:55:30 +0800

Ever since I can remember, acting is what has made me feel free, entirely, it really makes me emotional, but it’s really where I’m happy hands down. Between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ is where I feel like me completely. That’s where my energy comes from.

Emma

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Tue, 14 May 2013 22:39:37 +0800

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Tue, 14 May 2013 22:38:40 +0800

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Tue, 14 May 2013 22:37:01 +0800

fattributes: Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos with Salsa Verde

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:06:12 +0800

fattributes:

Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos with Salsa Verde

thecakebar: Cookies and Cream Oreo Bark Just 2 ingredients and...

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:39:48 +0800

thecakebar:

Cookies and Cream Oreo Bark

Just 2 ingredients and super fast to make!

Yumzzzzz

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:46:27 +0800

Yumzzzzz

f0o0od: Berry friands

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:48 +0800

f0o0od:

Berry friands