HIV Vaccine Breakthrough as Experts Generate Immune Cells to Stop Spread

Efforts to find a cure for HIV by scientists across the world is yielding positive results following a recent milestone.

An effective Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) vaccine may be a short step away now scientists have overcome a major stumbling block hindering its development.

 

The big hurdle has been the inability to generate immune cells that stay in circulation long enough to stop the Aids virus spreading. International researchers believe they have solved the problem by ‘unblocking’ a process linked to an HIV protein that was halting the production of antibody-generating ‘B-cells’ from the immune system.

 

Lead scientist Professor Jonathan Heeney, from Cambridge University, said: “For a vaccine to work, its effects need to be long lasting.“It isn’t practical to require people to come back every six to 12 months to be vaccinated. We wanted to develop a vaccine to overcome this block and generate these long-lived antibody producing cells. We have now found a way to do this.

 

“What we have found is a way to greatly improve B-cell responses to an HIV vaccine. We hope our discovery will unlock the paralysis in the field of HIV vaccine research and enable us to move forward.”

 

The researchers compared their achievement, reported in the Journal of Virology, to “preventing a key getting stuck in a lock”.In laboratory experiments, the new approach produced desired immune system responses that lasted more than a year.In future it should be possible to produce vaccines that stimulate long-lasting B-cell responses against HIV, the scientists believe.

 

Prof Heeney added: “B-cells need time to make highly effective neutralising antibodies, but in previous studies B-cell responses were so short lived they disappeared before they had the time to make all the changes necessary to create the “silver bullets” to stop HIV.

“We hope our discovery will unlock the paralysis in the field of HIV vaccine research and enable us to move forward.” Also, because ongoing pain is a significant problem that affects 39 to 85 percent of people living with Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), everyone with the infection should be assessed for chronic pain, recommend guidelines released by the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

 

Those who screen positive should be offered a variety of options for managing pain, starting with non-drug treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga and physical therapy, suggest the first comprehensive guidelines on HIV and chronic pain.

 

“Because HIV clinicians typically are not experts in pain management, they should work closely with others, such as pain specialists, psychiatrists and physical therapists to help alleviate their patients’ pain,” said Douglas Bruce, MD, MA, MS, lead author of the guidelines, chief of medicine at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, and associate clinical professor of medicine at Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

 

“These comprehensive guidelines provide the tools and resources HIV specialists need to treat these often-complex patients, many of whom struggle with depression, substance use disorders, and have other health conditions such as diabetes.”

 

The guidelines recommend all people with HIV be screened for chronic pain using a few simple questions:

 

*How much bodily pain have you had during the week?

 

*Do you have bodily pain that has lasted more than three months?

 

Those that screen positive should undergo comprehensive evaluation, including a physical exam, psychosocial evaluation and diagnostic testing. Nearly half of chronic pain in people with HIV is neuropathic (nerve pain), likely due to inflammation or injury to the central or peripheral nervous system caused by the infection. Non-neuropathic pain typically is musculoskeletal, such as low-back pain and osteoarthritis in the joints.

 

HIV specialists should work with an interdisciplinary team to offer multi-modal treatment. The guidelines recommend offering alternative, non-pharmacological therapies first, including cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga, physical and occupational therapy, hypnosis and acupuncture. If medication is needed, the guidelines recommend beginning with non-opioids, such as gabapentin (anti-seizure medicine) and capsaicin (topical pain reliever made from chili peppers), both of which help with nerve pain.

 

The online version of the guidelines includes an extensive list of resources for physicians to reference to help them treat the patients comprehensively.

Type 2 Diabetes: 10 Things You Should Know About The Deadly Disease

Many people know that diabetes is a deadly disease but few actually know its causes, symptoms and risk factors. These are the things you should know about it.

 

 

What Is It?

 

When you have this disease, your body does a poor job turning the carbohydrates in food into energy. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Over time it raises your risk for heart disease, blindness, nerve and organ damage, and other serious conditions. It strikes people of all ages, and early symptoms are mild. About 1 out of 3 people with type 2 diabetes don’t know they have it.

 

What Will You Notice First?

 

People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms. When they do appear, one of the first may be being thirsty a lot. Others include dry mouth, bigger appetite, peeing a lot — sometimes as often as every hour — and unusual weight loss or gain.

 

Later Symptoms

 

As your blood sugar levels get higher, you may have other problems like headaches, blurred vision, and fatigue.

 

Signs of Serious Problems

 

In many cases, type 2 diabetes isn’t discovered until it takes a serious toll on your health. Some red flags include:

• Cuts or sores that are slow to heal
• Frequent yeast infections or urinary tract infections
• Itchy skin, especially in the groin area

 

Risk Factors You Can Control

 

Some health habits and medical conditions related to your lifestyle can raise your odds of having type 2 diabetes, including:

• Being overweight, especially at the waist
• A couch potato lifestyle
• Smoking
• Eating a lot of red meat, processed meat, high-fat dairy products, and sweets
• Unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels

 

It Can Affect Your S*x Life

 

Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves in your genitals. This could lead to a loss of feeling and make it hard to have an orgasm. Women are also prone to vaginal dryness. About 1 in 3 who have diabetes will have some form of sexual trouble. Between 35% and 70% of men who have the disease will have at least some degree of impotence in their lifetime.

 

Your diet makes a difference

 

You can control blood sugar levels by changing your diet and losing extra weight. That will also cut your risk of complications. Carefully track the carbs in your diet. Keep amounts the same at every meal, watch how much fat and protein you eat, and cut calories. Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian to help you make healthy choices and an eating plan.

 

Exercise Is Important

 

Regular exercise, like strength training or walking, improves your body’s use of insulin and can lower blood sugar levels. Being active also helps get rid of body fat, lower blood pressure, and protect you from heart disease. Try to get 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week.

 

Relaxation Is Key

 

Stress can boost your blood pressure and blood sugar. Some people don’t do anything for it. Others turn to food to cope with it. Instead, practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or visualization. Talking to a friend, family member, counselor, or a religious leader could help. If you can’t beat it, reach out to your doctor.

 

Teeth and Gums Are Targets

 

High blood sugar levels can feed the bacteria that make plaque. Plaque buildup leads to cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. Severe gum disease can cause tooth loss. It weakens gums and the tissues and bones that hold teeth in place. That makes it easier to get an infection, too.

 

Source: webMD

Dangerous Habits That Can Damage Your Liver

1.Alcoholism: Excess alcohol intake reduces the ability of the liver to remove toxins from the body. It will make the liver to focus mainly on converting alcohol to a less toxic form and will lead to inflammation and fatty liver disease.

2.Over Medication: Consumption of drugs in excess can gradually harm your liver and will lead to severe liver failure. High doses of acetaminophen, which is commonly available without prescription can cause liver damage when taken continuously for several days.

3.Smoking: The chemicals present in cigarette reach the liver and cause oxidative stress producing free radicals that damage liver cells. It will also cause fibrosis, a process in which the liver develops excess scar-like tissues.

4.Unhealthy Diet: Avoid fatty foods and include fruits and vegetables in your diet. They are a good source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium, which keep your liver healthy. Processed foods contain additives and artificial sweeteners.

5.Sleeplessness: Our body usually goes into a repair and detoxification mode when we are sleeping. Lack of sleep can cause oxidative stress to the liver. So try to get sound sleep of minimum eight hours a day.

6.Obesity And Poor Nutrition: Your eating habits can affect your liver health directly. Eating too many wrong foods causes fats to build up in the liver. Accumulation of fats can lead to inflammation and liver damage.

7.Overdose Of Nutritional Supplements: Even nutritional supplements and certain herbs are harmful for the liver in excess amount. An overdose of vitamin A can lead to liver damage.

8.Not Taking Vaccination: Hepatitis is one of the major diseases that affects the liver. If you are not taking vaccination for Hepatitis, you are risking your liver health.

These are the dangerous habits that can damage your liver.

Vaginal Ring That Prevents HIV To Be Tested In Africa After Trials In America

After recording success amongst teenage girls in the US, plans are in progress to test in Africa, a vaginal ring that prevents HIV infection.

The ring contains an antiretroviral drug called dapivirine and is used for a month at a time.


Dapivirine inhibits HIV’s reverse transcriptase enzyme, a protein vital to HIV’s ability to replicate and cause an infection.

Each intravaginal ring contains one or more microbicides that are intended to be delivered into the vaginal compartment at a high concentration and to be directly absorbed by the cells and tissues.

The flexible ring, which sits on the cervix, is said to cut infection by 56 percent.

Its usage gives women the freedom to protect themselves without relying on men to wear condoms.

At the end of a six-month trial to ascertain its effectiveness, researchers found that 87 percent of ninety-six sexually active girls who partook had detectable levels of the drug in their vagina.

The study investigators concluded that the ring is safe and acceptable to young women.

“HIV doesn’t distinguish between a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old. Access to safe and effective HIV prevention shouldn’t either, young women of all ages deserve to be protected,” said Sharon Hillier, principal investigator and vice chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

If the ring gets regulatory approval, it would be the first method of prevention exclusively for women.

The study was presented at the 9th International AIDS Society conference in Paris.

Team of Nigerian Doctors Successfully Conduct Total Knee Replacement Surgery on a Woman

The Sokoto State-owned Orthopedic Hospital in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State have successfully conducted a bilateral total knee transplant.

 

While speaking with newsmen on Monday, the Chief Medical Director of the Orthopedic Hospital in Wamakko, Sokoto State. Dr Nuradeen Altine Aliyu,disclosed that on Sunday, July 23, the Sokoto State-owned hospital successfully conducted a bilateral total knee transplant on a 50-year old woman.

 

Aliyu stated that the successful surgery was conducted on the lucky woman who was hitherto suffering from Osteoathritis or severe degenerative disease of both knees.

 

 

"The surgery was conducted by Surgeons of the hospital and their colleagues from the National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala in Kano, Kano State.

"The entire procedure cost N 1million per knee, hence gulping only N 2million, as it was highly subsidized by the state government.

 

"The surgery would have costed her nearly N N 5million per knee, totaling N 2 million for the two knees, if it was done outside Nigeria. This is great relief for her, as the cost had been highly subsidized here, compared to other places like India, Egypt or Germany."

 

Aliyu commended the state government for providing the implants needed for such surgeries at highly subsidized prices, coupled with other incentives.

 

 

While also commenting during the media parley, the State Health Commissioner, Dr Balarabe Shehu Kakale, urged other prospective clients to patronize the cheap medical services available at the hospital.

 

Kakale stated that the hospital has the equipment and manpower to provide an array of orthopedic and other related medical services, at highly subsidized prices.

 

 

"This is better than embarking on medical tourism which is more costly and highly inconveniencing. The state government will continue to support the hospital to function effectively, to bring more succor to patients in the state and other parts of Nigeria."

 

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Nigerian Senate Orders Hospitals to Treat Gunshot Victims Without Police Report

The Nigerian Senate has a passed bill compelling all hospitals in Nigeria to treat gunshot victims without police report.

 

The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to compel hospitals and all health care centres to treat victims of gunshot wounds without prior clearance from the Nigerian Police.

 

The bill titled: "Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Bill", was sent to the upper legislative chamber for concurrence.

 

The bill mandates all hospitals in Nigeria to commence immediate treatment of such victims whether or not payment has been made by the victim of those who brought him to the hospital.

 

The normal practice for hospitals is to get approval from the security agency and in most cases, payment before commencing treatment of any victim with a gunshot wound.

 

However, the Presient of the Senate Dr. Bukola Saraki while congratulating his colleagues on the passage of the bill stressed that many people with gunshot wounds were not criminals.

 

He said that the unnecessary loss of lives occasioned by the long time required to obtain clearance to treat such unfortunate victims of gunshot should not be entertained.

 

He said that it was that reason that it becomes important that a legal framework be put into place to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

 

“By the passage of this Bill, the Senate has moved to ensure that every hospital in Nigeria, both public and private, must accept to treat victims of gunshot wounds without any clearance from the police.

“What we have done is to ensure that everyone is entitled to medical treatment, irrespective of the cause of the shooting.

“We should reserve judgment for the criminal justice system, and leave healthcare for the medical professionals,” he said.

 

The bill also stipulates that everybody including security agents should render every possible assistance to any person with gunshot wounds and ensure that the person is taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

 

Additionally, the Bill mandates that no person with gunshot wounds shall be refused immediate and adequate treatment by any hospital in Nigeria whether or not initial monetary deposit is paid.

 

Other Bills passed by the Senate on Tuesday include: Animal Health and Husbandry Technologies (Registration, etc) Bill, 2017 (HB. 320); Corporate Manslaughter Bill, 2017 (HB. 273);  National Child Protection and Enforcement Agency Bill, 2017 (HB. 127); National Intelligence Agency Pension Board Bill, 2017 (HB. 842); Nigerian Academy of Science Bill, 2017 (HB. 917); and the National Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science Bill (HB. 405).

 

This brings the total number of Bills passed by the 8th Senate to 108 Bills. The bills will be forwarded to the President for assent. If the president gives his assent then they will become laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Female Student of Nigerian University Develops Cure for Breast Cancer

The World Bank Education Director, Dr Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi has revealed that a major breakthrough in the cure for cancer might have been found by a female scientist.

Female student of the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Sandra Musujusu

 

A female student of the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Sandra Musujusu, has made a scientific breakthrough after developing an alternative treatment for breast cancer. 

 

Accoriding to TribuneOnline the scientific breakthrough might lead to a lasting solution in the treatment of breast cancer prevalent among women world over.

 

This was made known on Tuesday in Abuja when the World Bank Education Director, Dr Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi with his team visited the University as part of his assessment tour of the 10 African Centres of Excellence (ACE) centres.

 

The World Bank has committed about $10 billion for the ACE project in Nigeria, as part of efforts to encourage conduct of cutting-edge research and specialisation of the beneficiaries institutions in specific development problems faced in Nigeria and indeed the African continent.

 

AUST, is hosting one of the Centres of Excellence, known as Pan African Material Institute (PAMI), with research focus electrical power, disease detection and treatment.

 

Musujusu, research, using macromolecular science is aimed at developing bio-degradable polymer material which could be used as alternative for the treatment of breast cancer in the near future.

 

She revealed that her research focuses on triple negative breast cancer which is the aggressive sub-type of breast cancer that is common with women from African ancestry.

 

Musujusu, a Sierra-Ionian national is conducting the research under the sponsorship of the Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI).

 

Out of 19 African Centres of Excellence, 10 Nigerian tertiary institutions won slots to churn out special research works that could compete effectively with global standards.

 

The ACE universities include Redeemers University, Mowe; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Jos, Jos; University of Benin; and African University of Science and Technology, Abuja.

 

Others are University of Port-Harcourt; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; Bayero University, Kano; Benue State University, Makurdi; and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

 

It would be recalled that when the Ebola Virus Disease broke out in Nigeria in the year 2014, one of the ACE centres, Redeemers University served as the testing site before it was brought under control.

 

Musujusu said, “My research is actually centred on the development of bio-degradable polymers for treatment of breast cancer.”

 

“I will be focusing on triple negative breast cancer which is actually the aggressive sub-type of breast cancer that is common with women from African ancestry.”

 

“I believe there is a bright future for Africa, and as a woman there is much more we can do if we are empowered. This award given to me by PAMI has empowered me to face my studies with more confidence and actually contribute to the frontier of knowledge and move Africa forward.”

Stroke is the commonest cause of hospital admissions in Nigeria

Doctors blame rise on poorly managed hypertension, diabetes

Doctors have raised a fresh alarm on the rising cases of strokes and its complications in the country. They said stroke-related ailments are the commonest cause of hospital admissions in the country constituting about one third of patients who stay at specialized/teaching hospitals.

They however, blamed the situation on rise in cases of hypertension and diabetes, which they said in most cases are poorly controlled and managed leading to complications such as coma, stroke, kidney damage leading to death.

The medical experts said Africans are more likely to develop stroke and die from the disease than whites because of genetic makeup and lower socio-economic status.
Also, according to findings published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, a higher neighborhood advantage, or socioeconomic status, of where a person lives contributes to a lower risk of having a stroke no matter the person’s race.

A consultant physician/neurologist at the College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL) and Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Mustapha A. Danesi; and Consultant Surgeon and Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, in separate interviews told The Guardian that the after-effects of a stroke can be life changing.

They said paralysis, speech problems and memory loss occur in varying degrees, depending on the location and amount of brain tissue damage.

They however, said voluntary physical exercise is known to have a positive effect on a person’s overall well being even as it delays memory loss in old age and improves cognitive ability.
Bode said LUTH has a special Stroke Centre to help in quick recovery of patients and also take the pressure off the regular wards.

To address the situation, Danesi and Bode said that prevention through legislation, increase in physical activity, regular intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, and monitoring of blood pressure and sugar levels is key.
Danesi said: “People are carrying high blood pressure and diabetes that they are not aware of, and sometimes even if they are aware of it they are not treating it adequately and they are also carrying other risk factors. For example if you have hypertension or diabetes and you are not controlling the blood pressure the person can have stroke at anytime.

“Stroke happens to be the commonest consequence for high blood pressure in this part of the world. You know abroad, in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and America people talk about heart attack and myocardial infarction, which is by far the commonest consequences of high blood pressure over there. You see that myocardial infection do occur here but far less than stroke. Most people have blood pressure here and more at risk of stroke than any other complications. We are prone to stroke as a race as black people tend to have a lot of stroke. Genetic racial far more than we have heart attack I think probably that is our characteristics.

“We have a large number of people on admission. The commonest cause of admission to the medical wards today is stroke. If you count the number of patients in the wards those admitted for stroke are by far found in majority than any single diagnosis. It is a very big issue now.”

The neurologist added: “What we need to do is primary prevention. It is the question of addressing the causes like hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol issues, and then we try to educate people. We try to get doctors to make sure that once you identify these conditions you treat them so that you can prevent stroke.
Danesi further stated: “Exercise is important. Studies have shown that those who do exercise are protected to some extent against stroke. It reduces blood pressure if you do exercise. Then diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables also help to reduce stroke.”

Bukola Bolarinwa Receives Award From Queen Elizabeth in The UK

Bukola Bolarinwa, a 28-Year-Old Nigerian lady has received the Queens Young Leaders Award from Queen Elizabeth of England.

Bukola is the founder of Haima Health Initiative, an online blood donation platform which supports hospitals who struggle to find blood in a safe and timely way.

The Queen’s Young Leaders Awards recognise and celebrate exceptional young people aged 18 to 29 in the Commonwealth who are driving change within their communities and transforming people’s lives.

Can drinking tea prevent dementia?

A study in the December 2016 Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging showed that drinking tea frequently is associated with a lower risk of dementia, especially for people who are genetically predisposed to the disease.

Researchers followed 957 older adults, average age 65, who were part of the Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study. Of these, 69% drank tea on a frequent basis. After a five-year period, the researchers found that the tea drinkers had a 50% lower risk of dementia. This is consistent with earlier findings that showed tea consumers scored higher on various cognitive tests.
The researchers also conducted genetic tests on the group and found that tea drinkers who carried the APOE4 gene variant, a known risk factor for Alzheimer's, were also at a lower risk compared with people who had APOE4 and did not drink tea.

How tea may help protect against dementia is not known, but other findings suggest that the brain-protecting effects of tea drinking could stem from bioactive compounds in tea leaves, such as flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential, and L-theanine, which regulates neurotransmitter and brain activities.

It did not matter what kind of tea the people drank — black, green, and oolong all had the same association. The key was regular consumption, according to the scientists. The more the people drank tea, the stronger the relationship, and the best results were among those who had tea daily during the entire study period.

 Published: July, 2017

In the Journals
Harvard Health Publications
Harvard Medical School