CMSP Daily Wantlist Blog

Concern over Ebola Virus in Pigs

A form of Ebola virus has been detected in pigs for the first time, raising concerns it could mutate and pose a new risk to humans. Ebola-Reston virus (REBOV) has only previously been seen in monkeys and humans - and has not caused illness.

But researchers are concerned that pigs might provide a melting pot where the virus could mutate into something more menacing for humans. The new discovery - in the Philippines - is featured in the journal Science. However, the researchers, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress that the virus at present appears to pose no risk to humans.

It has been detected in farm workers who tend the infected pigs, and they have shown no signs of illness. However, writing in Science, the researchers said: "REBOV infection in domestic swine raises concern about the potential for emerging disease in humans and a wider range of livestock.

"There is concern that its passage through swine may allow REBOV to diverge and shift its potential for pathogenicity."

REBOV belongs to the family of filoviruses which usually target primates.

Oh great, just what we need. Move over swine flu. Enjoy those pork ribs while you can.

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Who Wants to Live Longer???

Tests raise life extension hopes.

A drug discovered in the soil of the South Pacific island Easter Island may help to fight the aging process, research suggests. When US scientists treated old mice with rapamycin it extended their expected lifespan by up to 38%.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, raise the prospect of being able to slow down the aging process in older people.

We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the aging process can be slowed and lifespan can be extended by drug therapy starting at an advanced age, said Professor Randy Strong of the University of Texas.

Rapamycin was first discovered on Easter Island in the 1970s. It is already used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, and in stents implanted into patients to keep their coronary arteries open. It is also being tested as a possible treatment for cancer.

The mice were bred to mimic the genetic diversity and susceptibility to disease of humans as closely as possible. Rapamycin extended the animals expected lifespan by between 28% and 38%. The researchers estimated that in human terms this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life, if both cancer and heart disease were prevented and cured.

Is it time to invest in assisted living centers for seniors? Hey buddy, wanna buy a bag of Rapamycin?

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by Fergus Walsh, BBC medical correspondent

Scientists in the UK claim to have created human sperm in the laboratory in what they say is a world first. The researchers believe the work could eventually help men with fertility problems to father a child.

But other experts say they are not convinced that fully developed sperm have been created.

They began with stem cell lines derived from human embryos donated following IVF treatment. The stem cells had been removed when the embryo was a few days old and were stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen.

The stem cells were brought to body temperature and put in a chemical mixture to encourage them to grow. They were "tagged" with a genetic marker which enabled the scientists to identify and separate so-called "germline" stem cells from which eggs and sperm are developed.

The male, XY stem cells underwent the crucial process of "meiosis" - halving the number of chromosomes. The process over creating and developing the sperm took four to six weeks.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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Once-Only Dose Rabies Vaccination Hopeful

Scientists say they have made a safe and effective rabies vaccine that requires only one dose and has the potential to eradicate the disease.

Rabies kills around 55,000 people every year and although there are effective treatments for the disease, prevention is seen as the most desirable option. According to BBC News, some 11,000 people are treated for rabies each year globally.

Attempts to eradicate rabies in dogs have been hampered by the expense and inefficiency of current vaccines.

Rabies is caused by a virus which attacks the nervous system.

Once symptoms appear it is almost always fatal, but people who contract rabies can be treated with a protracted course of antibodies and vaccinations to fight the virus after being bitten. Eradication programs are ongoing in parts of the world where the disease is prevalent in animals, mainly dogs, including Africa, Asia and parts of America.

Mainly dogs? 55,000 people die each year from rabies? OMG!

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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Coffee May Reverse Alzheimer's

Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say. The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease. Previous research has also suggested a protective effect from caffeine.

The 55 mice used in the University of South Florida study had been bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. First the researchers used behavioural tests to confirm the mice were exhibiting signs of memory impairment when they were aged 18 to 19 months, the equivalent to humans being about 70. Then they gave half the mice caffeine in their drinking water. The rest were given plain water.

The mice were given the equivalent of five 8 oz (227 grams) cups of coffee a day - about 500 milligrams of caffeine. The researchers say this is the same as is found in two cups of "specialty" coffees such as lattes or cappuccinos from coffee shops, 14 cups of tea, or 20 soft drinks.

When the mice were tested again after two months, those who were given the caffeine performed much better on tests measuring their memory and thinking skills and performed as well as mice of the same age without dementia.

Those drinking plain water continued to do poorly on the tests. In addition, the brains of the mice given caffeine showed nearly a 50% reduction in levels of the beta amyloid protein, which forms destructive clumps in the brains of dementia patients.

Further tests suggested caffeine affects the production of both the enzymes needed to produce beta amyloid. The researchers also suggest that caffeine suppresses inflammatory changes in the brain that lead to an overabundance of the protein.

Earlier research by the same team had shown younger mice, who had also been bred to develop Alzheimer's but who were given caffeine in their early adulthood, were protected against the onset of memory problems.

Oh great. I never had a cup of coffee in my life. So now I have to drink 20 sodas a day? Or 14 cups of tea? Ah, I forgot, why do I have to drink so much?

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

Today's Cool Image is of an American flag flying over Main Street in Buchanan, Michigan.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

Any questions, contact CMSP at research@cmsp.com

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

Happy Fourth of July everybody!!!!!

Today's Cool Image shows astronaut Buzz Aldrin saluting the American flag on the Moon.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

Any questions, contact CMSP at research@cmsp.com