GENE TIED TO SCHIZOPHRENIA IDENTIFIED

WASHINGTON: Scientists claim to have found a group of genes that cause schizophrenia, a breakthrough which they say could soon lead to new and better treatment for the complex mental illness that is thought to run in families . An international team led by researchers from the Indiana University in the US studied genetic information of thousands of schizophreniapatients and healthy controls and identified a comprehensive group of genes that can show if a person is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

Evaluating the biological pathways in which the genes are active, the researchers also proposed a model of schizophrenia as a disease emerging from a mix of genetic variations that affect brain development and neuronal connections along with environmental factors, particularly stress. "At its core, schizophrenia is a disease of decreased cellular connectivity in the brain, precipitated by environmental stress during brain development, among those with genetic vulnerability," said lead study author Alexander Niculescu, an associate professor of psychiatry at IU School of Medicine.

Revealed: How mum’s milk protects newborn

Kounteya Sinha, TNN | May 16, 2012, 06.37AM IST

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NEW DELHI: The mysterious way in which Oligosaccharides, the major component of human breast milk, protects a newborn has finally been unravelled. A University of Illinois study shows that Human Milk Oligosaccharides(HMO), which is found only in human milk, produces fatty acids that feed and help populate good bacteria in the gut of a newborn . This not only protects the newborn against harmful bacteria in the short term, but also strengthens the baby's immune system so that it can fend off chronic health problems like food allergies and asthma.

One litre of human breast milk contains 7-12 grams of HMO. Even though HMO (sugar molecules) is present in higher concentrations than protein in human milk, many of its actions in the baby were not well understood till now.

Scientists wanted to find out what formula-fed babies were missing. "We refer to HMO as the fiber of human milk because we don't have the enzymes to break down these compounds . They pass into the large intestine where the bacteria digest them. We were curious about the role they play in the development of the breast-fed infant's gut bacteria because the bacteria found in the guts of formula-fed infants is different," said Sharon Donovan, professor in nutrition and health.

With this study, which has been published in the Journal of Nutrition , Donovan has for the first time shown that HMO produce patterns of short-chain fatty acids that change as the infant gets older.

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New cholesterol jab may help prevent heart attack

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 09, 2012,16:46

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Tags: Myocardial infarction, Cholesterol jab, Sanofi US

London: A new cholesterol-busting injection, which could save the lives of millions, is being hailed as a potential breakthrough in the battle against heart attacks and strokes.

The medical world has been stunned after trials of the hoped-for miracle jab on volunteers found nearly three-quarters of a harmful form of artery-­clogging cholesterol simply disappeared.

The experimental treatment, being developed in America, could be invaluable to those who have an intolerance to statins, the most commonly prescribed drug to combat high cholesterol.

The jab is still in the early stages of development and is unlikely to be available for at least four years but its early potential has excited medics.

“This is a very exciting development as it appears the drug has remarkable potential for helping lots of ­people with high cholesterol,” the Daily Express quoted James McKenney, the chief researcher, as saying.

“Every cardiologist who has seen the study has said, ‘Wow’.

“We know the more you reduce a patient’s bad cholesterol the better the chances of reducing coronary risk.

“If all goes well we should be able to reduce heart disease in a very substantial fashion. We are highly expectant but we are not there yet,” he said.
People most at risk from harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) include those who have a high-fat diet, smoke and do not exercise.

Doctors recommend keeping blood levels of total cholesterol – essential for producing hormones and absorbing food – at a very low density.

One in five patients is resistant to statins and for many others even high doses do not sufficiently lower cholesterol.

The new drug, codenamed REGN727, has been developed from a class of medicines known as monoclonal antibodies or MABs, already being used in the fight against cancer.

It homes in on a protein known as PCSK9, stopping it from attaching to LDL and leaving it free to filter out unwanted fats.

The potential for a “holy grail” drug more effective than anything else on the market was so far-reaching that two major US companies, Sanofi US and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, joined forces.

The trials were conducted by Virginia-based private medical research company National ­Clinical Research and the results presented to the American ­College of Cardiology.