New flu drug stops virus in its tracks

Public release date: 21-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Brian Lin
brian.lin@ubc.ca
604-822-2234
University of British Columbia

A new class of influenza drug has been shown effective against drug-resistant strains of the flu virus, according to a study led by University of British Columbia researchers.

Published online today in the journal Science Express, the study details the development of a new drug candidate that prevents the flu virus from spreading from one cell to the next. The drug is shown to successfully treat mice with lethal strains of the flu virus.

In order to spread in the body, the flu virus first uses a protein, called hemagglutinin, to bind to the healthy cell's receptors. Once it has inserted its RNA and replicated, the virus uses an enzyme, called neuraminidase, to sever the connection and move on to the next healthy cell.

"Our drug agent uses the same approach as current flu treatments by preventing neuraminidase from cutting its ties with the infected cell," says UBC Chemistry Prof. Steve Withers, the study's senior author. "But our agent latches onto this enzyme like a broken key, stuck in a lock, rendering it useless."

The World Health Organization estimates that influenza affects three to five million people globally each year, causing 250,000 to 500,000 deaths. In some pandemic years, the figure rose to millions.

"One of the major challenges of the current flu treatments is that new strains of the flu virus are becoming resistant, leaving us vulnerable to the next pandemic," says Withers, whose team includes researchers from Canada, the UK, and Australia.

"By taking advantage of the virus's own 'molecular machinery' to attach itself," Withers adds. "The new drug could remain effective longer, since resistant virus strains cannot arise without destroying their own mechanism for infection."

###

BACKGROUND | NEW FLU DRUG

Partners and funders

The research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund.

The research team includes scientists from UBC, Simon Fraser University, and Centre for Disease Control in B.C., the University of Bath in the U.K. and CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering in Australia.

The new drug technology was developed in collaboration with The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) and has been advanced into CDRD Ventures' Inc., CDRD's commercialization vehicle, in order to secure private sector partners and investors to develop it through clinical trials.

The CDRD is Canada's national drug development and commercialization centre, which provides expertise and infrastructure to enable researchers from leading health research institutions to advance promising early-stage drug candidates. CDRD's mandate is to de-risk discoveries stemming from publicly-funded health research and transform them into viable investment opportunities for the private sector thus successfully bridging the commercialization gap between academia and industry, and translating research discoveries into new therapies for patients.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 21-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Brian Lin
brian.lin@ubc.ca
604-822-2234
University of British Columbia

A new class of influenza drug has been shown effective against drug-resistant strains of the flu virus, according to a study led by University of British Columbia researchers.

Published online today in the journal Science Express, the study details the development of a new drug candidate that prevents the flu virus from spreading from one cell to the next. The drug is shown to successfully treat mice with lethal strains of the flu virus.

In order to spread in the body, the flu virus first uses a protein, called hemagglutinin, to bind to the healthy cell's receptors. Once it has inserted its RNA and replicated, the virus uses an enzyme, called neuraminidase, to sever the connection and move on to the next healthy cell.

"Our drug agent uses the same approach as current flu treatments by preventing neuraminidase from cutting its ties with the infected cell," says UBC Chemistry Prof. Steve Withers, the study's senior author. "But our agent latches onto this enzyme like a broken key, stuck in a lock, rendering it useless."

The World Health Organization estimates that influenza affects three to five million people globally each year, causing 250,000 to 500,000 deaths. In some pandemic years, the figure rose to millions.

"One of the major challenges of the current flu treatments is that new strains of the flu virus are becoming resistant, leaving us vulnerable to the next pandemic," says Withers, whose team includes researchers from Canada, the UK, and Australia.

"By taking advantage of the virus's own 'molecular machinery' to attach itself," Withers adds. "The new drug could remain effective longer, since resistant virus strains cannot arise without destroying their own mechanism for infection."

###

BACKGROUND | NEW FLU DRUG

Partners and funders

The research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund.

The research team includes scientists from UBC, Simon Fraser University, and Centre for Disease Control in B.C., the University of Bath in the U.K. and CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering in Australia.

The new drug technology was developed in collaboration with The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) and has been advanced into CDRD Ventures' Inc., CDRD's commercialization vehicle, in order to secure private sector partners and investors to develop it through clinical trials.

The CDRD is Canada's national drug development and commercialization centre, which provides expertise and infrastructure to enable researchers from leading health research institutions to advance promising early-stage drug candidates. CDRD's mandate is to de-risk discoveries stemming from publicly-funded health research and transform them into viable investment opportunities for the private sector thus successfully bridging the commercialization gap between academia and industry, and translating research discoveries into new therapies for patients.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uobc-nfd021913.php

edgar rice burroughs dallas clark litter marinol flight attendant pau gasol trade michael madsen

Magnetic Implant May Ease Chronic Acid Reflux - Health News and ...

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) ? An implanted magnetic device could offer a new treatment option for people with chronic heartburn that is not controlled with medication, a small study suggests.

The study, reported in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, tested a newer approach to taming stubborn cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) ? one of the most common health conditions diagnosed in the United States.

GERD arises when the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach fails to close properly, allowing stomach acids to splash up into the esophagus. The main symptom is chronic heartburn.

For people who have frequent heartburn ? more than twice a week ? the go-to medications are the so-called proton pump inhibitors, such as Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium. But studies estimate that up to 40 percent of people on those drugs do not get enough relief.

The new study included 100 such GERD patients. They all received an implant ? a bracelet-like device composed of magnetic beads ? that wraps around the portion of muscle where the esophagus joins the stomach. The point is to ?augment? the muscle and prevent stomach acid reflux.

After three years, researchers found, 64 percent of the patients had their acid reflux cut by at least half. And 87 percent had been able to stop taking their proton pump inhibitors altogether.

?That?s huge,? lead researcher Dr. Robert Ganz said of the medication reduction.

It?s estimated that Americans spend $14 billion a year on prescription proton pump inhibitors. Because of the costs and potential side effects, many people would like to drop the drugs, said Ganz, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

He cited bone-thinning as one potential long-term side effect. ?A lot of women do not want to be on proton pump inhibitors for that reason in particular,? Ganz said.

The device his team studied is already approved in the United States and marketed as the LINX Reflux Management System by Torax Medical, Inc., which also funded the study.

Ganz said he could envision the device as an option for ?some fraction? of the 20 million to 30 million Americans who take a daily medication for GERD symptoms.

There are, of course, less extreme ways to manage your heartburn. Diet changes and weight loss often help, and if your heartburn is milder, over-the-counter antacids or drugs called H2 blockers ? brands like Zantac and Tagamet ? may be enough.

Proton pump inhibitors, which block acid production, are often recommended for people with more frequent heartburn. If that doesn?t work, surgery is typically seen as the last-ditch option.

Traditionally, that has meant a 50-year-old procedure called Nissen fundoplication, where the upper part of the stomach is stitched around the lower end of the esophagus.

Performed by an experienced surgeon, that procedure is very effective, said Dr. F. Paul Buckley III, director of general surgery at the Heartburn and Acid Reflux Center, Scott and White Clinic in Round Rock, Texas.

The problem, though, is that the surgery creates a rigid ring around the esophagus, explained Buckley, who was not involved in the new study. That often leaves patients with difficulty swallowing or with other natural bodily functions ? including belching and vomiting.

The LINX device, Buckley said, is designed to be ?dynamic,? expanding when food passes through, then quickly contracting again to prevent reflux.

?I think this will have a significant effect on how we treat GERD,? Buckley said.

However, the device is not without problems: Two-thirds of the study patients had difficulty swallowing at first, although that dropped to 11 percent after one year, and 4 percent after three years.

Six patients had more serious side effects, including four who had the device removed ? mostly for substantial problems with swallowing. Two other patients had the device removed for ?disease management,? the study noted.

?The device seems to be a reasonable and fairly effective alternative,? said Dr. Sigurbjorn Birgisson, a gastroenterologist and director of the Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic.

It might be an option for people who do not find relief from medication ? or cannot stick with long-term drug treatment because of side effects or expense, according to Birgisson, who was not involved in the study.

He added, though, that there should be further studies that compare the device with existing therapies, and look at the long-term effects.

Ganz agreed. The long-term risks are one question. So far, Ganz said, none of the patients in this study has seen the device erode or ?migrate? from its intended location. But they have only been followed for a few years.

For his part, Buckley noted that there is a long history of failed therapies in the GERD world. One example is the Angelchik prosthesis, a doughnut-shaped silicone implant developed in the 1970s that wrapped around the junction between the esophagus and stomach. At first, it seemed to work well, but then doctors found high rates of longer-term complications; many people had lasting problems with swallowing, and in some cases the device eroded or slipped out of place.

The LINX device is designed much differently, but no one yet knows how it fares in the long run.

The estimated cost of the device was not available at publication time. The procedure is not currently available at most hospitals. Right now, Buckley said, only certain medical centers in the United States offer it.

More information

Learn more about GERD treatments from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/02/20/magnetic-implant-may-ease-chronic-acid-reflux/

wrestlemania country music awards 2012 wrestlemania 28 results earl scruggs game of thrones wrestlemania 28 game of thrones season 2

It's not just amyloid: White matter hyperintensities and Alzheimer's disease

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

New findings by Columbia researchers suggest that along with amyloid deposits, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) may be a second necessary factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Most current approaches to Alzheimer's disease focus on the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain. The researchers at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, led by Adam M. Brickman, PhD, assistant professor of neuropsychology, examined the additional contribution of small-vessel cerebrovascular disease, which they visualized as white matter hyperintensities (WMHs).

The study included 20 subjects with clinically defined Alzheimer's disease, 59 subjects with mild cognitive impairment, and 21 normal control subjects. Using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative public database, the researchers found that amyloid and WHMs were equally associated with an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Amyloid and WMHs were also equally predictive of which subjects with mildcognitive impairment would go on to develop Alzheimer's. Among those with significant amyloid, WMHs were more prevalent in those with Alzheimer's than in normal control subjects.

Because the risk factors for WMHs?which are mainly vascular?can be controlled, the findings suggest potential ways to prevent the development of Alzheimer's in those with amyloid deposits.

"White Matter Hyperintensities and Cerebral Amyloidosis" was published online today in JAMA Neurology.

###

Columbia University Medical Center: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu

Thanks to Columbia University Medical Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 43 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126928/It_s_not_just_amyloid__White_matter_hyperintensities_and_Alzheimer_s_disease

superbowl halftime show jason wu for target underwood buffalo wings superbowl kick off time 2012 new york giants hot wings recipe

Staining Science: Make the Boldest, Brightest Dye!

Bright dyes: Learn about different types of fabric by exploring how well they take a stain. Image: George Resteck

Key concepts
Chemistry
Dyes
Fabric

Introduction
Have you ever wondered about the materials that make up your clothes and why some look and feel different from others? The clothes you wear are made of fibers that come from many different sources. Some fabrics are made from natural fibers and others are from manufactured, or totally synthetic, fibers. In this activity you'll explore how well different fiber types can be dyed using fiber-reactive dye. Aren't you just dye-ing to find out which fabric works best?

Background
From woven mummy shrouds in ancient Egypt to the ornate ball gowns ladies wore in the Victorian era to the tie-dyed shirts that gained popularity in the 1970s, dyed cloth has played an important role in human culture. Its production has also changed over time. Early dyes were made using natural resources, like plants, berries, minerals and seeds. The cloths, just like the dyes, were made from a natural resource?such as cotton, linen, wool or silk. Cotton and linen fibers are all formed from cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls. Wool and silk are animal-protein-based fibers.

Later, as advancements were made in chemistry and manufacturing, people learned to make other fibers, including polyester, nylon and rayon, which are known as synthetic fibers. Today's dyes are also different?they are now often made with artificial chemicals. By understanding how the molecules of dye react with the different types of fibers, chemists can design many vibrant and color-fast dyes (which means that they won't fade or run) and figure out on which fiber types they work best.

Materials
? Three different types of white fabric samples: such as linen, cotton?polyester blend, 100 percent polyester, 100 percent cotton, wool, rayon, silk and nylon. Collect enough to make at least one 10-inch by 10-inch square of each type. Preferably select one natural fabric, a synthetic one and one that is a blend of both. Scraps from old pillow cases, sheets, rags or unwanted clothes can make good sources?just be sure they are okay for discard and that you know the fabric type. Otherwise, small pieces can be purchased from a craft or fabric store.
? Ruler
? Scissors
? Permanent marker
? Newspaper or rags
? Measuring cup, which will not be used for cooking afterward (If unavailable, create a discardable plastic cup measurer. To do this, measure out one half cup of water, pour it in the disposable cup and mark the top of the water with a permanent marker. Dump out the water and repeat with one full cup. Use this marked container as your measuring cup.)
? Laundry detergent
? Safety goggles or protective glasses
? Rubber gloves
? Clean glass jar, at least 10 fluid ounces. It should not be used to consume food or beverages afterward
? Measuring teaspoon and tablespoon. (They should not be used for cooking afterward. If unavailable, measure one teaspoon of water into a disposable plastic spoon and note the quantity. Repeat with the tablespoon.)
? Fiber-reactive dye powder, such as Tulip Permanent Fabric Dye or Procion Pro MX Reactive Dye, often available at a craft and or fabric store. Use a bold color, like red, blue or green
? Salt
? Water
? Sealable plastic bag, one-gallon size
? Timer or clock
? Soda ash or Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
? Plastic container that can hold four cups comfortably. (It should not be used for food or beverage afterward.)
? Old clothes to wear that can get stained

Preparation
? Cut at least one 10-inch by 10-inch square out of the each fabric sample (linen, cotton-polyester and 100 percent polyester, for example).
? Use the permanent marker to label each square with its fabric type. Because the permanent marker may leak through some types of fabric, if you are not working on a surface that can be stained, label the fabrics on top of newspaper or rags.
? Prewash the fabric squares by putting them in a normal clothes washing machine with laundry detergent. Wash using hot water, if possible. Allow the fabric squares to air dry.
? Before opening the dye powder packet, cover the area you will be working on with newspaper or rags so that you will not stain it. You might want to work outside to avoid staining something. Also put on clothes that you would not mind staining.
? Dyes often contain soda ash (sodium carbonate), which is caustic. Wear goggles and gloves when mixing the dye solution, mixing the soda ash solution and rinsing the fabric samples after dyeing.

Procedure
? Put on gloves and safety goggles.
? Put two teaspoons of powdered dye, one tablespoon of salt and one cup of warm water into the glass jar. Mix thoroughly. How does the dye look?
? Wet the fabric squares with water and place them in the sealable plastic bag. Carefully pour the dye solution into the bag then add one half cup of water. Seal the bag, trapping as little air as possible. How does the fabric change when the dye is added?
? Let the bag sit for 20 minutes. Every couple of minutes, gently squeeze the bag to coat all of the fabric samples.
? While the fabric is soaking, mix one tablespoon of soda ash (or Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda) with two cups of warm water in the plastic container. Break up any hard pieces that form.
? After the fabric is done soaking, carefully open the plastic bag and add one half cup of the soda ash solution. Reseal the bag, trapping as little air as possible.
? Gently squeeze the bag to mix the soda ash, dye and fabric. Let the bag sit for one hour, gently squeezing every 10 minutes or so.
? With gloved hands, reach into the bag and retrieve the fabric samples and place them on a surface where they will not stain anything. Carefully dump the contents of the bag into a sink (pouring directly into the drain so as not to stain any of the sink area).
? Rinse the fabric until the water runs clear. When you are done handling the rinsed fabric and disposing of the soda ash solution, you can remove your goggles and gloves. Wash the fabric samples in the washing machine just as you did before (but not with any other clothes). Allow the samples to air dry.
? Once they're dry, how do the fabric samples look? Did some types of fabric become dyed to a darker shade than others? Did some types not absorb much dye at all?
? Extra: In this activity you tested how well different fabric samples dyed using a fiber-reactive dye. But there are many other types of fabric you could test dyeing, and they may react differently. How well do other types of fabric become dyed with a fiber-reactive dye?
? Extra: Before synthetic dyes were created, humans used natural dyes. Do some background research and pick one or more natural dyes to try in this activity. You will probably want to use relatively safe dyes, such as turmeric or berries. Be just as careful with these around other surfaces and materials, as they also stain easily. Do some natural dyes work better than others? Does it depend on the type of fabric used?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6b92c8bc680d48e4537c6214ac817247

pat buchanan slither slither naacp glen campbell jerusalem artichoke bud shootout

Eastside Rail Corridor Advisory Council, featuring Redmond Mayor Marchione, to meet on Wednesday

The panel responsible for planning the future of the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC) will hold its first meeting from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Selig Building (300 Fifth Ave., Seattle, first floor conference room).

The council ? which features Redmond Mayor John Marchione ? will make recommendations on a planning process for various uses of the corridor by the entities that have ownership rights within the corridor. The focus of the planning process would be how the rail, trail and utility uses in the corridor will be coordinated.

The council will coordinate with the affected cities around local planning and development and will reach out to community stakeholders who have long been awaiting the corridor?s future uses.

County Executive Dow Constantine and County Council Vice Chair Jane Hague, the council member who represents the majority of the cities directly affected by development of the corridor, are serving as co-chairs of the Advisory Council. The other panel members are: County Council members Larry Phillips and Kathy Lambert, Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl and Puget Sound Energy Community Relations Manager David Namura.

?

Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/redmondnews/~3/4DeMieJ2VLM/191475131.html

bulls california earthquake california earthquake tyson chandler tyson chandler stephen hill draft tracker

EU Apple Online Stores list Mac Pro as unavailable prior to March 1st cutoff

We already knew the current line of Mac Pros would be discontinued in Europe due to new regulatory standards come March 1st, but we didn't think Apple would pull the plug on its tower desktop this early. According to 9to5Mac, several European Apple Online Stores now show its Mac Pros as "currently unavailable" a couple of weeks before the computers are to be sunsetted. We're not sure if this is the case with machines in brick-and-mortar locales, but Europeans keen on the existing Mac Pro should get to their nearest reseller before it's completely out of stock. Either that or you can choose to sit tight and wait for that impending Mac Pro refresh, whenever the folks in Cupertino get around to it.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/mac-pro-unavailable-on-european-online-stores/

presidents george washington russell westbrook horsetail falls ice t president day new york knicks

Finance minister Hafeez Shaikh resigns from post ? The Express ...

Minist?er of State for Financ?e Saleem Mandvi?walla was sworn in as Shaikh's replac?ement.

A photo of Abdul Hafeez Shaikh during a press conference. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:?Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh resigned on Tuesday, two officials said, amid speculation that he may lead a caretaker government that must be set up before national elections scheduled for this spring.

Minister of State for Finance?Saleem Mandviwalla?was sworn in as Shaikh?s replacement.

The law stipulates that the cabinet must step down and a caretaker government be in place for 90 days before an election. The date for the election has not yet been set.

?He?s the government?s top nominee for the prime minister in the caretaker government,? said one of the officials.

The opposition leader and ruling party must agree on a list of officials to head the caretaker government.

But the opposition may object to Shaikh?s appointment because he is seen as being too close to the military and served as privatisation and investment minister under former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

Shaikh will be replaced by the state minister for finance, Saleem Mandviwalla, said one official in the finance ministry and another high-ranking government official.

Shaikh, who holds a PhD in economics, taught at Harvard University and worked at the World Bank for several years, advising 21 countries, including a stint as World Bank country head in Saudi Arabia.

He leaves as the Pakistan currency has slid to a historic low of 98 rupees against the dollar and the economy is beset by inflation, daily power cuts and plummeting foreign investment.

Pakistan only has enough foreign reserves left to pay for two months worth of imports. In 2008, that situation prompted a balance of payments crisis only ended when the International Monetary Fund offered a bailout package of $11 billion.

But in 2011, that program was suspended after Shaikh was unable to push through key reforms, most notably widening Pakistan?s tax base.

The IMF has said it will not consider rescheduling repayments of the $6.2 billion Pakistan still owes without a comprehensive plan for reform agreed on by all political parties.

Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/509443/finance-minister-hafeez-shaikh-exits-from-post/

gsa keith olbermann andrew bynum the time machine michelin tires michelin tires rett syndrome