HIV IN CELLS ERADICATED WITH ANTIFUNGAL DRUG

New research by an international team finds that Ciclopirox, an antifungal cream used all over the world, completely eradicates HIV - the virus that leads to AIDS - in cultured cells, and the virus does not return when the treatment stops.

The study also found Deferiprone, a systemic drug used to remove excess iron from the body in people who have beta-thalassaemia major, has the same effect.
The researchers, including a team from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, wrote about their findings in a paper published online. As both drugs are already approved for use in humans - both in the US and Europe - the researchers say this means the normally lengthy process of drug development should be less costly and time-consuming, bringing closer the prospect of global elimination of HIV and AIDS.

The cells of our body have a natural way of stopping this - they kill themselves. When the immune system detects the presence of a virus, it triggers a cell process called apoptosis that makes infected cells commit suicide. But the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has a way around this: it disables the host cell's ability to commit suicide, allowing it to continue to exploit cellular resources to fuel its growth and spread.

In this new study, the researchers found the drugs work against HIV in two ways: they inhibit expression of certain HIV genes, and they also jam up the host cell's mitochondria, the little powerhouses that supply them with energy. Both these effects reactivate the cell's suicide pathway. Healthy cells not infected with HIV were not affected. And remarkably, the virus did not bounce back when treatment stopped.

Thanks to these previous results confirmed in this new study, and the fact the systemic drug is already known to be safe in humans, testing the effectiveness of Deferiprone against HIV has already moved directly from cell culture to human trial in South Africa, bypassing the need for animal testing. Ciclopirox is not approved for systemic use, as it is a topical cream. But the discovery that both drugs, each well-tolerated in humans, are also able to eradicate HIV in cell culture renews hope that HIV and AIDS will one day, in the not too distant future, be wiped from the face of the Earth.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

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WHY PILING ON THE POUNDS MAY HELP YOU LIVE LONGER

It was Wallis Simpson who famously remarked that “you can never be too rich or too thin”. But the latest research suggests the former Duchess of Windsor got it wrong, at least where weight is concerned. The new study, the biggest on the topic to date, has found that those with a little extra padding are likely to outlive their slimmer counterparts.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week, found, as might be expected, that people who were very obese (a Body Mass Index of over 35) had 30 per cent higher mortality than those of a “healthy” weight (a BMI between 18.5 and 25). However, those who were just overweight (a BMI between 25 and 30) were around 6 per cent less likely to die during the study than those who fell into the “healthy” weight range. Even people usually classified as mildly obese (a BMI between 30 and 35) seemed to be at no risk of dying early.

While severe obesity is an established risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes, some modest extra poundage is linked with increased longevity – a phenomenon known to experts as the “obesity paradox”. “We don’t fully understand why it occurs, but one explanation is that overweight people may be more likely to have health problems, like high blood pressure and diabetes, flagged up and treated,” says Paul Gately, professor of exercise and obesity at Leeds Metropolitan University. “Having a higher BMI seems to be protective for some chronic conditions like heart failure, too, and research is underway to explain this.”

What the latest research does highlight is the shortcomings of the BMI, a rough estimate of body fatness based on weight and height, as an overall gauge of health (to work yours out, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared – or use an internet BMI calculator). Although a BMI between 18.5 to 25 is regarded as the ideal, most experts now accept that those who carry a stone or two more can remain perfectly well, provided they eat a balanced diet and take some exercise to keep heart, arteries and blood glucose levels healthy.

BMI is also an imprecise tool because it does not take into account where body fat is deposited. Studies have shown that people who lay fat around their hips and thighs are at lower risk than those who deposit it around their stomachs (the apple shape), whatever their BMI, which is why doctors think waist measurement is key (the ideal being less than 32” for women and less than 37” for men). The measurement is also inaccurate for those with a muscular build who will register a high BMI despite being fit and healthy.

“What the latest research is telling us is that the biggest risks are with the very obese, and this is where we should be focusing our funding and research,” says Prof Gately.

Lucy Aphramor is a Coventry-based registered dietitian who has pioneered the Health at Every Size approach, which is based on the premise that good health is best realised regardless of weight. She argues it is healthier to be a little plump than pursue weight loss through yo-yo dieting – now thought to increase inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease. “A healthy weight is the weight you stabilise at when you have a healthy relationship with food and we can’t guess at that from numbers on a scale,” she says.

However Prof Gately warns against complacency. “You may be fine right now with a BMI of 27,” he says, “but a false sense of security can lead to your weight creeping up over time – which can become a problem.”

By Angela Dowden

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COCA-COLA RECOMMENDED AS 'MEDICAL CURE' FOR STOMACH BLOCKAGES

Doctors now commonly use the soft drink to treat patients with a nasty condition called gastric phytobezoar with a success rate of more than 90 per cent, a study said.

This is because the fizzy favourite has chemical ingredients that do a similar job to gastric acid while the bubbles help speed up the process, said researchers. Even the Diet and Coke Zero options work, because they have the same basic ingredients as the full fat version, said the report.

The researchers went through openly published academic papers that detailed 46 patients with the ailment who were treated with Coke in hospitals worldwide over the past 10 years.

A phytobezoar is a stomach blockage which, unless it is successfully removed or destroyed, can subsequently lead to a bowel obstruction. It is often caused by certain fruits which do not digest properly – for instance, in Asia many cases are a result of eating persimmons which are particularly prone to form blockages. A variety of treatments are available to treat it, from lasers and non-surgical endoscopies to the last resort of full surgery. But of the 46 cases patients given Coca-Cola, exactly half saw the drink destroy the blockage completely and a further 19 only needed non-invasive treatments as a result of Coke's help. Only four needed full surgery giving Coca-Cola a success rating of 91.3 per cent. They reported: "Coca-Cola administration is a cheap, easy-to-perform and safe procedure that can be accomplished at any endoscopy unit."

Coca-Cola has an acidity rating of 2.6 on the pH scale because it contains both carbonic and phosphoric acid.

The researchers added: "It resembles gastric acid, which is thought to be important for fibre digestion. "In addition the bubbles enhance the dissolving mechanism."

If the Coke does not completely destroy whatever is causing the blockage then it is likely to make it smaller and soften the phytobezoar making it easy to remove without the need for full surgery, the report said.

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DOCTORS SEEK COURT ORDER TO CARRY OUT ABORTION ON MENTALLY DISABLED WOMAN

The woman, who is not being named for legal reasons, suffers from sickle cell disease which has already caused her to have a string of strokes.

The medical team treating her say they are concerned that allowing her pregnancy to continue any further could endanger her life. They describe the situation as “urgent” and say that they must act quickly to reduce the risk.

Lawyers from an NHS trust in the south of England are due to take their case to the Court of Protection, sitting at the High Court in London later this week. The judge will be asked to make an order allowing doctors to treat the woman without her consent.

She is described as having a “significant learning impairment” and doctors believe she does not have the capacity to make a decision for herself.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition in which the red blood cells which supply oxygen to the body develop abnormally. The cells, shaped like a crescent sickle rather than being round, have a tendency to clog sections of blood vessels. The blockages, which can last for weeks at a time, can cause anaemia which leaves patients tired and breathless. In more severe cases, they can cause severe breathing problems and strokes.

Last year, the court effectively banned a young autistic woman from having sexual intercourse because she does not understand the risks involved. The judge said that the court had a responsibility to protect people’s freedom to make “unwise decisions” but must occasionally restrict it in their best interests.

Hospitals and councils have previously asked judges to force women to take contraception and undergo surgery. One woman with dementia was almost prevented from taking a cruise after social workers said it was too dangerous.

The latest case contrasts markedly with that of Savita Halappanavar, the Indian woman who died after allegedly being refused an abortion which it has been claimed could have saved her life by a hospital in Ireland.

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PARKINSON'S DRUGS LEAD TO COMPULSIVE GAMBLING & SHOPPING, NOT THE DISEASE ITSELF

Parkinson's disease, the neurodegenerative condition that can cause shakes and tremors, has been linked with alterations in behaviour in patients ranging from compulsive shopping and gambling to being obsessed with taking technical equipment apart, sorting objects or for taking long aimless walks.

Researchers have found that these side effects are caused by the drugs used to treat Parkinson's rather than the disease itself. In a small study, a group of newly diagnosed Parkinson sufferers who were not taking any medication, were asked about their compulsive behaviour and the results compared to a similar group of people who were healthy. It was found that one in five of both groups showed compulsive behaviour. "We've known for some time that these behaviours are more common in people taking certain Parkinson's medications, but we haven't known if the disease itself leads to an increased risk of these behaviours," said study author Dr Daniel Weintraub. "These results provide further evidence that impulse control disorders that occur in people with Parkinson's disease are related to the exposure to the dopamine-related drugs, not just the disease itself," he said. "More long-term studies are needed to determine if the 20 per cent of people who have some symptoms of these disorders are more likely to develop impulse control disorders once they start treatment for Parkinson's."

The symptoms can be controlled by altering doses of medication but drugs should not be changed or stopped without help from medical professionals. Experts have said the behaviours are particularly associated with drugs known as dopamine agonists, but can also affect people who take other Parkinson's drugs, in particular levodopa.

Parkinson's symptoms are caused by a decrease in the levels of the chemical in the brain, dopamine, due to the death of the nerve cells in the brain that make it. Dopamine agonists act in a similar way to natural dopamine in the brain and are particularly effective against the movement symptoms of Parkinson's.

Article by Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor of The Telegragh, UK.

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COMMON BLOOD PRESSURE DRUGS MAY LOWER RISKS OF DEMENTIA

It was found that people who had taken blood pressure drugs, particularly a class known as beta blockers, showed fewer changes in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Findings of a new study were presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in San Diego. Researchers examined the brains of 774 men after they had died, 610 of whom had been treated for high blood pressure. Aroound one in seven of those had been given only beta blockers, 18% had received beta blockers and another drug and the others had been given different drugs. It was found that the men who had received beta blockers as their only blood pressure medication had fewer abnormalities in their brains compared to those who had not been treated for their hypertension, or who  had received other blood pressure medications. Those who had been given beta-blockers in combination with other drugs also had fewer brain leisons and less shrinkage but not to the same extent at those who had used them alone.        

In 2011, more than 30m prescriptions were dispensed for beta blockers in England, showing that millions of patients have used the drugs. Lead researcher Dr. Lon White, of the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute in Honolulu, said: "With the number of people with Alzheimer's disease expected to grow significantly as our population ages; it is increasingly important to identify factors that could delay or prevent the disease; these results are exciting, especially since beta blockers are a common treatment for high blood pressure."     

Earlier research has shown that high blood pressure in middle age is a strong risk factor for dementia. The number of people with dementia is expected to explode to 1.7m by 2050. Dr. Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Hypertension is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's and other causes of dementia, and keeping high blood pressure in check could be important for preventing these diseases; this study suggests a link between the use of beta blockers and fewer signs of dementia, but as the results of this study have yet to be published in full, it is not clear what caused this link; it is important to note that this study only looked at Japanese-American men, and these results may not be applicable to the wider population; while we cant conclude from this study that beta blockers can prevent dementia, a better understanding of the links between high blood pressure and dementia could be crucial for developing new treatments or approaches to prevention; with 820,000 people affected by dementia in the UK, and that number increasing, we urgently need to find ways to prevent the disease that causes it - that requires a massive investment in research."

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HERBAL ALTERNATIVE TO VIAGRA DISCOVERED

A study found men with erectile dysfunction managed to improve their performance in the bedroom after taking the tablets for just a few weeks.

Although some previous studies have suggested ginseng can help tackle impotence, many have been conducted in mice. The latest research, carried out in South Korea, involved more than 100 men who had been diagnosed with erection problems. 

Impotence affects one in 10 men in the UK at some point in their lives. Although drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra have revolutionised treatment in the last 10 years, around 30 per cent of men who take them see no improvement.

While herbal remedies like ginseng have been touted as alternative treatments, the evidence to support their use has been lacking. Ginseng is a plant that has been used for thousands of years to bolster overall health. The root contains several active substances, called either ginsenosides or panaxosides, that are thought to be responsible for the medicinal effects of the herb. 

Scientists at the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, recruited 119 men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction. The group was split into two and while half took four tablets a day containing extracts of Korean ginseng berry, the rest took identical dummy pills. After eight weeks, researchers measured improvements by using a recognised scale called the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction. The results, published in the International Journal of Impotence Research, showed a small but significant improvement in sexual function in the ginseng group compared to those on the dummy tablets. In a report on their findings the researchers said: "Korean ginseng berry extract improved all domains of sexual function. It can be used as an alternative to medicine to improve sexual life in men."

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