What? What Did You Say? I Can’t Hear You!

Hearing loss – it used to be something that was reserved for older people, but with our noisy lifestyle, younger people are finding it harder to hear – and much of that could have been prevented.

Not all hearing loss is preventable. Someone could lose their hearing because of an injury, an illness, or as a side effect from a toxic medication. But a gradual decline in hearing isn’t the same thing.

Acoustic trauma is a common cause of hearing loss and it is the result of mechanical damage in the ear. It could be from a sudden instance, such as an explosion or gunshot, or it can be over a long term, such as working in an extremely loud environment. Today, it could even be caused by listening to music players with earphones, but with the sound turned too high.

Unfortunately, this type of hearing loss cannot be treated or cured. The only thing you can do is to protect your ears from further hearing loss. This means avoiding loud sounds and/or using ear plugs.

So, how loud is too loud? According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders:

How loud is too loud?
150	Firecracker
120	Ambulance siren
110	Chain saw, Rock concert
105	Personal stereo system at maximum level
100	Wood shop, Snowmobile
95	Motorcycle
90	Power mower
85	Heavy city traffic
60	Normal conversation
40	Refrigerator humming
30	Whispered voice

The damage?

110 Decibels
Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss.
100 Decibels
No more than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure recommended.
85 Decibels
Prolonged exposure to any noise at or above 85 decibels can cause gradual hearing loss.

Does any of this surprise you?

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Images: PhotoXpress.com

New Breast Cancer Imaging During Treatment

There’s a new non-invasive technology to help conquer a little-known problem in breast cancer treatment, and I asked a radiation oncologist some questions to help us better understand the development.

Many breast cancer patients aren’t aware that their lumpectomy cavity — or area where the cancerous tumor was removed from — can move and change shape from day-to-day after surgery and before radiation treatment begins. Lumpectomy cavity movement makes delivering targeted radiation more difficult, possibly leading to under-treatment or to unnecessary exposure of healthy tissue to radiation.

Physicians are beginning to address the challenge of lumpectomy movement with a new FDA-cleared application of 3-D ultrasound called the Clarity Breast System. The system helps doctors locate the tumor cavity in real-time during planning and treatment.

Dr. Joseph Imperato, a radiation oncologist and medical director of radiation oncology at Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Illinois, answered my questions about the Clarity Breast System. Dr. Imperato relates why he believes the new system is beneficial to breast cancer patients and further explains how this 3D-ultrasound technology is being applied for the first time in the planning and treatment of breast cancer.

As a radiation oncologist, do you prefer working with the 3-D ultrasound technology of the Clarity System over other methods for locating a lumpectomy cavity? If so, how does it help you tailor treatment?

Dr. Joseph Imperato: Given the extended duration of a course of radiation treatment, a practical solution to the problem of lumpectomy cavity movement is to visualize the cavity on a daily basis prior to delivering radiation to ensure precise targeting. For many years, we relied solely on computed tomography (CT) imaging as the standard tool used for radiation treatment planning. However, CT is limited in its ability to visualize certain soft tissues, such as lumpectomy cavities, particularly in its ability to distinguish them from the adjacent scar or normal tissue. Historically, in the treatment room, physicians have relied on the surgery scar to serve as a marker to localize the lumpectomy cavity. Several studies have found that locating the lumpectomy cavity based solely on this scar may result in a partial miss of the cavity in over 50 percent cases. We have the capability of doing daily X-rays in the treatment room to try to see the cavity, but the images are often unclear, and this is extra radiation that we definitely want to avoid in breast patients. With a lack of alternatives for ensuring precision, many physicians have no option but to expand the treatment margins to accommodate for this movement, exposing additional healthy tissue to radiation.

3D-ultrasound such as the FDA-cleared Clarity System is a much-needed alternative for addressing lumpectomy cavity changes. Ultrasound is a proven technology that many patients may positively associate with memories of pregnancy and the first images of their unborn babies. What’s more, it is a gentle imaging alternative with no radiation and no need to place anything inside the patient. With Clarity, 3D ultrasound is used to visualize the cavity at the time of planning to make sure we target the right areas for treatment. Then at the time of treatment, we reuse Clarity to make sure we are hitting that target every day. For the first time, radiation oncologists are able to increase their certainty and confidence in treating the target in the breast, without any added imaging radiation dose. This confidence could allow radiation oncologists to tighten the margins we are treating, resulting in reduced radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.

Why it is important to image the tumor cavity daily?

Dr. Joseph Imperato: Clinical evidence suggests that patients who are diagnosed early respond well to breast conservation treatment, a lumpectomy followed by a course of radiation treatment with a very targeted boost at the end of the treatment to minimize the chance of recurrence. While we all understand that radiation is necessary to destroy cancerous cells, both patients and their physicians often worry about the side effects of radiation to healthy tissue and the organs near the breast. The fact that a breast lumpectomy cavity can move or change shape within days and weeks of surgery makes this issue all the more complex.

Changes in size, shape and location of the lumpectomy cavity can occur due to tissue healing and scarring, as well as daily patient setup, which can put the patient at risk for under-treatment of the target or unnecessary radiation exposure to healthy tissue. The Clarity System visualizes the precise location and size of the tumor cavity during treatment planning and then daily in “real time,” with each targeted boost portions of treatment. Patients gain the peace of mind that their radiation treatment is being delivered directly to the area where it is needed most while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue.

Does the use of Clarity System require additional visits to a medical office or hospital?

Dr. Joseph Imperato: No, the Clarity System does not require the patient to come in for additional visits. During radiation treatment planning, Clarity is used to create an ultrasound-CT fusion image, which is then compared to daily ultrasounds taken on each consecutive day of radiation treatment, to get an actual visual image and location of the tumor cavity on a regular basis. This makes it more practical for the patients and for our staff since no additional appointments are required.

Many women are familiar with ultrasounds, but how is a 3-D ultrasound system different from traditional ultrasounds?

Dr. Joseph Imperato: Most women associate an ultrasound with the memories of seeing their unborn child for the first time. However, many women are not aware of the important role that ultrasound plays in the detection and, more recently, even in the treatment of breast cancer. Ultrasound is used because it is a very easy way of clearly seeing soft tissue structures, like breast tumors or cavities. It is advantageous because, unlike X-rays, it does not involve any radiation to the patient. It is also an affordable solution that is easy to implement in hospitals. With the Clarity System, 3D-ultrasound technology is being applied for the first time in the planning and treatment of breast cancer.

In general, do health insurance companies typically cover the use of Clarity System during breast cancer treatment?

Dr. Joseph Imperato: Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) with the Clarity System is covered by many insurance companies who recognize it as an integral part of any targeted treatment.

(Image via Resonant)

Why Laughter Really is the Best Medicine

I swiped this from my sister’s Facebook page. It’s a great feel-good video aptly named “Anti-Depression Video.” I think any parent would dig this.

For centuries, people have touted the benefits of laughter. Experts say that a good laugh can reduce stress by relaxing tense muscles and energizing you by sending more oxygen into your bloodstream. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure.

Loma Linda University School of Medicine researchers Drs. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan have conducted studies that show laughter lowers serum cortisol levels, increases the amount of activated T lymphocytes, increases the number and activity of natural killer cells, and increases the number of T cells that have helper/suppresser receptors. What that all means is that the mere act of laughing can stimulate the immune system, off-setting the immunosuppressive effects of stress.

Laughter, too, has been shown to improve one’s tolerance to pain. (Wish I’d heard that after labor, when the epidural wore off!)

There have also been reports that people with serious diseases, like cancer, can mend themselves by arming themselves with a positive attitude and plenty of laughter. Another plus is that laughter, unlike many medicines, has no side effects. So there is truth to the old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.”

Sources:
Solve Your Problems
Natural Medicine, Suite 101

Video & screenshot, YouTube, tipookhan

Proteins in Skin Stem Cell Helps It Regenerate

We know that the cells in our face and skin can only regenerate so many times. We see it on our wrinkles and fine lines, and that’s why we use facial care products religiously, and we maintain healthy habits, to keep our face and skin as subtle and young as much as we can.

It’s known that stem cells found within the skin do create new cells, replenish themselves and continually rejuvenate skin and hair. Well, a new study published in Nature Genetics discovered the very proteins – TCF3 and TCF4 – that are doing the job of continually renewing skin stem cells.

The study, done in mice, showed that skin stem cells that lost TCF3 and TCF4 lost their ability to self-renew and replace skin cells that have died. The skin regenerated only so much until the cells started dying.

The question that researchers want to know is how to keep TCF3 and TCF4 continually supplied into the skin stem cells, therefore letting the cells regenerate itself and grow new skin. Wow, there is so much benefit in this research in helping burn victims grow their skin back, replacing new skin for those who had extensive facial surgeries, and having hair grow back in those who suffer from hair loss.

via Science Daily; Image: Flickr

Powerful Psoriasis Drug Approved!

This latest FDA approval would bring relief to more than 7.5 million Americans who suffer from a chronic skin disorder called PSORIASIS, which look like red, thick, scaly patches on the skin. Psoriatic patches, which are usually itchy and painful, are inflamed areas where excessive layers of cells had built up on the skin.

And now, after extensive and extended testing, the FDA has approved ustekinumab (Stelara) for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

(See amazing before-and-after photos!)

Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease, which means a faulty immune system mistakenly attacks the skin and joints, treating the body like an invader and releasing chemicals that otherwise fight infections and foreign substances.

As bad as it already looks, psoriasis affects more than the skin. The disease is associated with other chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and depression.

Psoriasis has a strong genetic component and many genes have been associated with it, so understanding how the disease is works was a complex matter. Two major genes have been extensively studied in the last decade – the gene IL12B on chromosome 5q (which expresses interleukin-12B) and IL23R on chromosome 1p (which expresses the IL-23 receptor).

Ustekinumab (Stelara) is a biologic drug that blocks the two substances IL-12 and IL-23 so that their actions are inhibited. The drug is not exactly acting at the gene level, but pretty close to it! In the clinical trials, patients significantly improved after 12 weeks of treatment. And when patients were later taken off the injectible drug, psoriasis symptoms returned very slowly.

"It’s not a cure," tells Dr. Craig Leonardi, a lead investigator in clinical trials for the drug, "but psoriasis did not come back with a vengeance."

For more on psoriasis and to connect with a support group, check out the National Psoriasis Foundation.

 

Image: Newscom 

FDA Approves Psoriasis Drug Stelara

FDA Press Release

FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Psoriasis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Stelara (ustekinumab), a biologic product for adults who have a moderate to severe form of psoriasis.

Plaque psoriasis is an immune system disorder that results in the rapid overproduction of skin cells. About 6 million people in the United States have plaque psoriasis which is characterized by thickened patches of inflamed, red skin, often covered with silvery scales.

“This approval provides an alternative treatment for people with plaque psoriasis, which can cause significant physical discomfort from pain and itching and result in poor self-image for people who are self-conscious about their appearance,” said Julie Beitz, M.D., director, Office of Drug Evaluation III, in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Stelara is a monoclonal antibody, a laboratory-produced molecule that mimics the body’s own antibodies that are produced as part of the immune system. The biologic treats psoriasis by blocking the action of two proteins which contribute to the overproduction of skin cells and inflammation.

Three studies of 2,266 patients evaluated the biologic’s safety and effectiveness.

Since Stelara reduces the immune system’s ability to fight infections, the product poses a risk of infection. Serious infections have been reported in patients receiving the product and some of them have lead to hospitalization. These infections were caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. There may also be an increased risk of developing cancer.

The FDA is requiring a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy or REMS for Stelara that includes a communication plan targeted to healthcare providers and a medication guide for patients.

Stelara is manufactured by Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. of Horsham, Pa., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J.

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Image: Newscom.com

Using Fat Cells to Cure Diseases!

Take a look at this! Scientists have found a way to change our fat into the “miracle” cure-all that stem cells are purported to be.

Using fat that were removed during liposuction, Stanford researchers found a method that reprograms these millions of fat cells into a state that is similar to embryonic stem cells!

The fat cells are genetically reprogrammed back into “induced pluripotent stem cells” or iPSCs which have the potential to grow into any cell or tissue. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs can be used to replace damaged or destroyed organs, and treat a variety of diseases like Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

And fat cells-turned-stem-cells have none of the ethical controversies are associated with embryonic stem cells, because they are derived from adult cells. As told by co-author Dr. Michael Longaker to CNN.com, the amount of fat removed in liposuction is around 2-3 quartz but only one-eighth of that is needed for stem cell research, and it’s the fat cells that are needed, not the actual fat inside the cells.

Pretty amazing research, isn’t it? And what a way to use our excess fat!

 

The study was published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Image: Newscom

Can Three-Parent Experiment Solve DNA Problems?

Imagine having been born from a biological dad, and two biological moms. Wait. Don’t imagine. It’s already happened. For now in monkeys, but who knows someday in humans too. And based on your belief, it’s a “no way!” or a “way to go!”.

How did a three-parent experiment happen?

Scientists from the Oregon National Primate Research successfully transferred the nuclear DNA from one macaque into another cell which had it’s mitochondrial DNA removed (termed mitochondia gene replacement). The hybrid egg cell was fertilized by a sperm and implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother. Out of the fifteen hybrid embryos, four baby macaques have survived through full term and seem to be thriving.

And why is this experiment in monkeys so important for humans?

This experiment opens the possibility of giving people who have mitochondrial disease (and suffer from infertility) the chance to bear healthy children by using someone else’ cell. It also opens the possibility of same-sex parents bearing a child from their own genetic materials.

But first, legal and ethical problems must be faced before any of these dreams can come true. Discovery magazine has a great piece on the potential and hurdles for this technique.

 

The study “Mitochondrial gene replacement in primate offspring and embryonic stem cells” was published online on August 26 in Nature, and an article explaining the study appeared in Nature News.

Osteoporosis Drugs May Help Kill Flu

As health officials warn of increasing outbreaks of the H1N1 virus this fall, researchers in Hong Kong may have discovered a new way to fight off the virus. What if a drug you’re already taking for another condition could be boosting your immune system enough to fight off the flu? It’s possible.

Reuters reported that Professor Lau Yu-lung at the University of Hong Kong and fellow researchers studied the effects of two osteoporosis drugs on influenza viruses.

The drugs studied include pamidronate and zoledronate (brand names Aredia and Reclast), marketed by Novartis AG. The experiments didn’t involve animals or humans, but human cells infected with influenza were exposed to the drugs. The drugs triggered production of extra white blood cells, which killed the virus-infected cells.

Researchers believe that pamidronate and zoledronate may also be effective against the H1N1 virus and bird flu viruses. Further animal and human trials are planned.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Three Sons Inherit Rare Disease From Mom

It’s tough enough for a family to have someone suffer from a genetic disorder but to have three in the family is just heart-breaking. And that’s what the Shaffer family from Oregon is going through as their three young sons are treated for a rare genetic condition that affect the nervous systems (video). Two 8-year old twins and their younger brother have leukodystrophies (adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD), a disorder that causes damage to the membrane (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve cells in the brain.

Adrenoleukodystrophy is commonly inherited as an X-linked (or sex-linked) trait, as the gene is located on the X-chromosome and passed from mother to her children. If the mother is a carrier (say XX for one abnormal allele), then she will pass that defective gene to all her sons (XY). Her daughters will have a 50% chance of inheriting the defective X.

Although inherited at conception, the X-ALD can manifest in early childhood (age 4-10) or adulthood (age 21-35), but the onset in children is most severe. Symptoms include progressive stiffness, weakness or paralysis of the lower limbs, and deterioration in brain function. Carrier daughters exhibit the milder forms of the disease but the sons will experience the most severe symptoms because they don’t have the protection of one normal X allele.

"Most of the boys that have this disease look absolutely fine until they’re school aged, so 6 to 8, 10, then they develop progressive neurologic symptoms. Actually it’s a lethal disease. They tend to go downhill relatively quickly and die within a few years," said Dr. Paul Orchard of the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital.

The Shaffer boys were diagnosed early, so they have better prognosis for treatments. The family is staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Minnesota while they’re being treated. And you’re heart would just go out to these playful boys who have so much to go through at a young age.

 

For more of Adrenoleukodystrophy:

The Adrenoleukodystrophy Foundation

NIH Information on Adrenoleukodystrophy

via: WCCO; Image: Newscom

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