WHO: Hepatitis toll 'in millions'

Medical experts are calling for global action to tackle the viruses that cause the liver disease hepatitis.

The first worldwide estimates in drug users show 10 million have hepatitis C while 1.3 million have hepatitis B.

Writing in the Lancet, experts say only a fraction of those who could benefit are receiving antiviral drugs.

Only one in five infants around the world are vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth, they say.

The figures, published in the Lancet, show about 67% of injecting drug users in the world have been exposed to hepatitis C, while around 10% have come into contact with hepatitis B.

In the UK, around half of injecting drug users have been infected with the hepatitis C virus, while the rate for exposure to hepatitis B is 9% - the highest in western Europe.
The research was led by Prof Louisa Degenhardt of the Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia, and Paul Nelson from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales.

They say: "The public-health response to blood-borne virus transmission in injecting drug users has mainly centred on HIV.

"Maintenance and strengthening of the response to HIV in injecting drug users remains crucial, but the significance of viral hepatitis needs to receive greater attention than it does at present."

Commenting on the study in the Lancet, Dr Joseph Amon, of Human Rights Watch, New York City, US, said: "This study provides us with a first step and powerful data to draw attention to the problem of viral hepatitis in people who use drugs.

"The next step is to challenge governments to act, and hold them accountable for implementation of rights-respecting and evidence-based programmes."
Health risks

Hepatitis is caused by five main viruses - A, B and C, and, more rarely D and E.

Hepatitis B is the most common, and can be passed from mother to baby at birth or in early childhood as well as through contaminated injections or injected drug use.

Hepatitis C is also spread through using unsterile needles and less commonly through unsafe sex or sharing razors or toothbrushes.

The E virus, caught from infected water or food, is a common cause of outbreaks of the disease in developing countries, said the World Health Organization.

Many of those carrying hepatitis are not aware they have it and can unknowingly transmit it to others. (BBC News)

'Super antibody' fights off flu

The first antibody which can fight all types of the influenza A virus has been discovered, researchers claim.

Experiments on flu-infected mice, published in Science Express, showed the antibody could be used as an "emergency treatment".

It is hoped the development will lead to a "universal vaccine" - currently a new jab has to be made for each winter as viruses change.

Virologists described the finding as a "good step forward".

Many research groups around the world are trying to develop a universal vaccine. They need to attack something common to all influenza which does not change or mutate.

Human source

It has already been suggested that some people who had swine flu may develop 'super immunity' to other infections.

Scientists from the Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill and colleagues in Switzerland looked at more than 100,000 samples of immune cells from patients who had flu or a flu vaccine.

They isolated an antibody - called FI6 - which targeted a protein found on the surface of all influenza A viruses called haemagglutinin.

Sir John Skehel, MRC scientist at Mill Hill, said: "We've tried every subtype of influenza A and it interacts with them all.

"We eventually hope it can be used as a therapy by injecting the antibody to stop the infection."

Professor Antonio Lanzavecchia, director of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland, said: "As the first and only antibody which targets all known subtypes of the influenza A virus, FI6 represents an important new treatment option."

When mice were given FI6, the antibody was "fully protective" against a later lethal doses of H1N1 virus.

Mice injected with the antibody up to two days after being given a lethal dose of the virus recovered and survived.

This is only the antibody, however, not the vaccine.

A vaccine would need to trigger the human body's immune system to produce the antibody itself.

Sir John said the structure of the antibody and how it interacted with haemagglutinin had been worked out, which would help in the search for a vaccine, but that was "definitely years away".

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "It's pretty good if you've got one against the whole shebang, that's a good step forward." (James Gallagher/BBC News)

Life-giving plants battle death at Mount Pulag

Mount Pulag, whose fertile environment nurtures life-prolonging plant species, is in danger of dying.

Environmentalists are concerned that Mount Pulag's mossy forest, where a specie of the cancer-curing Yew tree is found , is being killed by illegal vegetable gardeners, loggers, and squatters.

One significant plant specie in Mount Pulag is the Philippine or Sumatran yew (Taxus sumatrana). A study conducted by the Kao-shiung-based Sun Yat Sen University has revealed Sumatran yew contains elements that could cure cancer.

Taxol, the revolutionary drug for ovarian and breast cancer, was developed from the bark of the Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) found in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington states in the United States) forests more than 50 years ago.

The Kalanguya tribe of Pulag also believe in the life-prolonging elements of the Sumatran yew and use it as tea.

Mount Pulag is the second highest peak in the country standing 2,954 meters above sea level, connecting the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya. Its summit is covered with grass and dwarf bamboo plants. At lower elevations, the mountainside has a mossy forest veiled with fog, and full of ferns, lichens and moss. Below this is the pine forest growing on barren, rocky slopes. Falls, rivers and small lakes mark the area. This makes it a favorite of mountaineers, nature lovers and hikers.

The Park contains a unique diversity of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the mountain. Its wildlife includes threatened mammals such as the Philippine Brown Deer, Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat and the Luzon Pygmy Fruit Bat. One can also find several orchid species some of which are possibly endemic to Mt. Pulag, and other rare flora such as the pitcher plant.

One of the nation's most critical watersheds, Mount Pulag provides the water necessities of many stakeholders for domestic and industrial use, irrigation, hydroelectric power production and aquaculture. It is a major headwater for Ambuclao, Binga and San Roque dams. Destruction of the national park means the siltation of the dams.

A few dedicated workers of the Department of Environment and Natural resources (DENR) are determined to protect the 11,550 hectares wilderness created by then Pres. Corazon C. Aquino as a National Park in February 20, 1987 from illegal mountain intruders.

One day recently, Emerita B. Albas, DENR Mount Pulag parks superintendent, came to the office of Cordillera Ecological Center (PINE TREE), in tears having lost all the cases they filed in court against forest destroyers. She also said she and her staff have been receiving death threats.

As early as 2004, Albas said many intruders started bulldozing many parts of the park. Recently, they apprehended a backhoe operator ravaging Tabeyeo Lake but the case was also dismissed. The backhoe was not even confiscated by the authorities. Tabeyeo lake went dry last summer.

Roy Lupos, who once worked as a park ranger in Pulag said those who have intruded into the park are not merely gardeners. The forest destroyers are rich, he claimed. To bring in chainsaws, bulldozers and backhoes as well and trucks for the logs in clearing a forest needs millions of pesos, he stressed.

Already in the tentative list of the World Heritage Convention under natural category, the widespread destruction may derail Mount Pulag's chances of making it to the final list.

Albas said the problem in Mount Pulag is that many of the intruders claim to own parts of Mount Pulag. They make use of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRAS) in invoking their claim.

But by biological reality, the vast majority of the land has never been occupied. The intense growth of trees, plants, ferns and other botanical biodiversity tells of thousands of years of growth. Meaning, Albas explained, no one has really been dwelling in the forest. "So most of the intruders are outsiders," she said.

Inocencio Nerio, an agriculturist of PINE TREE said the gardeners have invaded into Mount Pulag because the cold climate favors the production of potatoes, carrots and cabbages. The same phenomenal fate that befell Mount Data National Park from 1960 to 1990 is happening to Mount Pulag, he warned.

Mount Data National Park used to be a 5,512 mossy forest. However, the mossy forest is now a mere 89 hectares, the rest are vegetable gardens. Mossy forests with pine trees, giant ferns oak trees, petroleum trees and other species exactly as those in Mount Pulag, have all been destroyed.

Even fauna like Philippine deer, cloud rat, civet cat and wild pigs used to abound in Mount Data National Park. Now, they are none left, he said. The same is happening to Mount Pulag, he disclosed.

A source within the regional office of DENR said there are persons with great influence who are behind the destruction of the forest. A few are local government officials of the municipality of Kabayan where Mount Pulag is located, others are lawyers and even one or two DENR staff themselves.

PINE TREE, in response to the plea of Albas and her park rangers, has launched a public information and education campaign to save Mount Pulag. It is using the social network Facebook to condemn the rape of the land through its group called A TRREE A DAY which has some 1,500 members in 37 countries.

It has called for legal assistance from Tanggol Kalikasana and the Legal Rights and Resources Center and will be convening a public legal forum to dramatize the plight of Mount Pulag and gain public support for the government to do its best at the soonest before things turn worse to worst.

It has made known to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje Jr. the state of Pulag as well as the death threats being received by the undermanned national park workers. (Michael A. Bengwayan,Yahoo News)

World Health Organization calls for TB blood test ban

Blood tests designed to detect active TB are inaccurate and should be banned, the World Health Organization has said.

More than two million such tests are carried out annually, but the WHO says they are unethical and lead to misdiagnosis and the mistreatment of patients.

The organisation's review of these tuberculosis test kits says they give wrong results in around 50% of cases.

The kits are mainly sold in the developing world.

However, most of the 18 kits on the market are produced in Europe and North America.

According to Dr Mario Raviglone, the director of the WHO Stop TB Department, the tests must be banned.

He said: "A blood test for diagnosing active TB disease is bad practice. Tests are inconsistent, imprecise and put patients' lives in danger."

The tests work by detecting antibodies or antigens in the blood that are produced in response to the bacterium.

But some of these commercial tests have what's called "low sensitivity" which leads to large numbers of patients being told they do not have TB when they do.
'Unethical'

Dr Karen Weyer, who is also from the WHO Stop TB department, added: "The evidence we reviewed over the past couple of months shows that one in two patients will be wrongly diagnosed, either [as] false negative or false positive.

"If it's a false negative patients get the all clear when they in fact have TB, the disease continues to spread, and the patients may die.

"If, on the other hand, it's false positive, patients are put on treatments unnecessarily while the true cause of their disease remains undiagnosed."

"We would describe this as unethical - and we are making a very strong urge to governments to consider that TB is a threat and the use of these ineffective tests is also a threat."

The WHO says that the tests which are manufactured in Europe and North America are prevented from going on sale where they are made due to regulations that call for extensive evidence of accuracy.

But this is not the case in the developing world - including in India and China.

Dr Weyer added: "One of the major problems is that these developing countries often have little or very weak regulatory mechanisms to make sure that tests are registered before they are used at country level.

"Another problem is that these tests are often used in the private sector, which is a difficult sector to regulate and as a result there is a wide misuse, I would say, of these inaccurate tests in the private sector in at least 17 countries that we are aware of."

She said there was a need for a TB test that could be used "at the bedside". But she added: "We don't have a blood test for TB that can be used at the point of care level."

The WHO says this call for a ban is a highly unusual move - It's the first time the organisation has issued an explicitly negative policy recommendation against a practice that is widely used in tuberculosis care.

TB kills 1.7m people every year, and is the biggest cause of death of people living with HIV. (Matt McGrath/BBC News)

Better animal research rules 'are needed'

Regulation is needed to govern rapidly expanding research in animals containing human tissue or genes, according to the Academy of Medical Sciences.

It said such studies were necessary for medical research, but that new ethical issues could emerge.

It said "category three" experiments on monkey brains resulting in 'human-like' behaviour, should be banned.

The government said it would consider the recommendations.

Dr Robin Lovell-Badge, from the National Institute for Medical Research, said: "Everyone laughs at talking meerkats and cats with opposable thumbs, but if we were actually doing that in the labs I don't think people would be so happy."
Human-animals

Introducing human material into animals has furthered medical research.

Putting human breast tumour cells into mice has allowed researchers to test cancer drugs on human tissue.

Stroke damaged mice showed some recovery when their brains were injected with human neural stem cells, which has led to human clinical trials.

Down's syndrome mice have had a whole human chromosome added to their genome to help researchers learn more about the illness.

Professor Christopher Shaw, from King's College London and one of the report's authors, said animals with human material were "hugely important. Is [the field] going to shrink and go away? No. I'm confident it will lead to new treatments."

The Academy report said it was anticipating "a major increase in the use of these techniques".

However it raised concerns that some cases would fall through gaps in the regulation.

The authors said that, for example, experiments on an embryo which contained predominantly human material would be controlled by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the embryo would not progress beyond 14 days. For embryos which are mostly animal, but contained some human material, they said there was "no regulation at all".

Animal research is regulated by the Home Office's Animal Procedures Committee.

Professor Martin Bobrow, chair of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: "Our report recommends that the Home Office puts in place a national expert body, within the existing stringent system of animal research regulation, to provide specific advice on sensitive types of 'animals containing human material' research."

The Academy recommended three classifications for research on animals containing human material.

Most would be 'category one' and have no more restrictions than any other study on animals.

Category two experiments could be allowed but "would require strong scientific justification". The report suggested this would include adding genes to non-human primates and significant changes to an animal to make it "more human-like".

Category three experiments would not be allowed, such as letting any mixed embryo develop past 14 days, breed animals with human influenced sperm or egg cells and modifying non-human primates to create human-like awareness or behaviour.

Professor Bobrow was keen to stress that "nobody has done any of these things", but the Academy of Medical Sciences said it wanted guidelines in place rather than waiting until the horse had bolted.

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "We welcome the valuable contribution of this study to the understanding of the complex ethical, scientific and animal welfare issues involved in this area of research. (James Gallagher/BBC News)

Obesity 'leading driver' of breast cancer

Obesity is the biggest driving force behind the most common form of breast cancer in older women, say researchers.

Alcohol and then cigarettes are the next largest culprits, according to Cancer Research UK.

One in eight women in the UK develop breast cancer in their lifetime, data shows, and the majority of these tumours are "hormone sensitive" meaning their growth is fuelled by hormones.

Too much stored fat in the body raises the level of these "sex" hormones.

Studies show that post-menopausal women with high levels of oestrogen and testosterone have between two and three times the risk of breast cancer than women with the lowest levels.

Experts have known for some time that factors that influence hormone levels - like pregnancy, the oral contraceptive pill and the menopause - can change a woman's breast cancer risk.

This latest work, published in the British Journal of Cancer, suggests obesity should go at the top of this list, not least because it is a lifestyle factor that women can have some control over.

The Oxford University team, funded by Cancer Research UK, studied the health records of nearly 6,300 post-menopausal women, looking for factors that might explain why some developed hormone sensitive breast cancer when others did not.

A woman's weight had the greatest bearing on a woman's sex hormone levels, shortly followed by smoking and alcohol consumption.

Women who are overweight or obese - meaning they have a body mass index of 25 or more - had high levels of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone.

So too did women who drank more than two and a half units of alcohol a day or smoked more than 15 cigarettes daily.

Experts say women should be made aware of these modifiable risk factors.

Dr Julie Sharp, of Cancer Research UK, said: "This is an important study as it helps to show how alcohol and weight can influence hormone levels. Understanding their role in breast cancer is vital and this analysis sheds light on how they could affect breast cancer risk.

"We know that the risk of the disease can be affected by family history and getting older, but there are also things women can do help reduce the risk of the disease. Maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing alcohol consumption are key to reducing breast cancer risk." (Michelle Roberts/BBC News)

Scientists find 'better way' to grow adult stem cells

A new plastic surface which overcomes the difficulties associated with growing adult stem cells has been developed, according to scientists.

Standard surfaces have proved limited for growing large amounts and retaining the stem cells' useful characteristics.

It is hoped the discovery could lead to the creation of stem cell therapies for re-growing bone and tissue, and also for conditions such as arthritis.

The study was carried out by Glasgow and Southampton universities.

The new "nano-patterned" surface was created using a manufacturing process similar to that used to make Blu-ray discs.

The surface is covered with tiny pits, which the researchers said made it more effective in allowing stem cells to grow and spread into useful cells for therapy.

Currently, when adult stem cells are harvested from a patient, they are then cultured in a laboratory to increase the quantities of cells and create a batch of sufficient volume to kick-start the process of cellular regeneration.

At this point they can be reintroduced back into the patient.

The process of culturing is made difficult because stem cells grown on standard plastic tissue culture surfaces do not always expand to create new stem cells but instead create other cells which are of no use in therapy.

Stem cell expansion can be boosted by immersing the cells in chemical solutions, but the scientists said these methods were limited in their effectiveness.

Dr Matthew Dalby, from the University of Glasgow, led the research alongside colleague Dr Nikolaj Gadegaard and Prof Richard Oreffo of the University of Southampton.

'Stem cell factories'

Mr Dalby said: "This new nano-structured surface can be used to very effectively culture mesencyhmal stem cells, taken from sources such as bone marrow, which can then be put to use in musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and connective tissues.

"If the same process can be used to culture other types of stem cells too - and this research is under way in our labs - our technology could be the first step on the road to developing large-scale stem cell culture factories, which would allow for the creation of a wide range of therapies for many common diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease."

He said the group hoped to make the surface commercially available.

Prof Oreffo added: "It is important to realize the ability to retain skeletal stem cell phenotype using surface topography offers a step change in current approaches for stem cell biology.

"The implications for research and future interventions for patients with arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases are substantial."

The study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the University of Glasgow.

The paper, Nanoscale surfaces for the long-term maintenance of mesenchymalstem cell phenotype and multipotency, was published in the journal Nature Materials. (BBC News)

Mum's stress is passed to baby in the womb

A mother's stress can spread to her baby in the womb and may cause a lasting effect, German researchers propose.

They have seen that a receptor for stress hormones appears to undergo a biological change in the unborn child if the mother is highly stressed, for example, because of a violent partner.

And this change may leave the child less able to handle stress themselves.

It has already been linked to mental illness and behavioral problems.

The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, are based on a small study of 25 women and their children, now aged between 10 and 19.

And the researchers point out that the women involved in the study had exceptional home circumstances and that most pregnant women would not be exposed to such levels of stress day in and day out.

Furthermore, the researchers say the findings are not conclusive - many other factors, including the child's social environment while growing up, might be involved.

But they suspect it is the child's earliest environment, the womb, that is key.

For their study, they looked at the genes of the mums and the adolescents to find any unusual patterns.

Some of the teens had changes to one particular gene - the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) - that helps regulate the body's hormonal response to stress.

Such genetic alterations typically happen while the baby is still developing in the womb.

And the scientists believe they are triggered by the mum-to-be's poor state of emotional wellbeing at the time of the pregnancy.
Sensitive window

In the study, these mums had been living with the constant threat of violence from their husband or partner. And it would appear this continued stress took its toll on the pregnancy.

When the babies were followed up one to two decades later as adolescents, they had changes in the genetics of their GR that other teenagers did not.

This "methylation" of GR appears to make the individual more tuned in or sensitized to stress, meaning that they will react to it quicker both mentally and hormonally.
Stress hormones are regulated by the brain's hypothalamus Stress hormones are regulated by the brain's hypothalamus

As people, they tend to be more impulsive and may struggle with their emotions, explain the researchers, who carried out detailed interviews with the adolescents.

Professor Thomas Elbert, one of the lead researchers at the University of Konstanz, said: "It would appear that babies who get signals from their mum that they are being born into a dangerous world are faster responders. They have a lower threshold for stress and seem to be more sensitive to it."

The investigators now plan to carry out more detailed investigations following larger numbers of mothers and children to see if they can confirm their suspicions.

Dr Carmine Pariante, an expert in the psychology of stress at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, said: "This paper confirms that the early foundation years start at minus nine months."

He added: "Pregnancy is uniquely sensitive to a challenging maternal psychosocial environment - much more than, for example, after the baby is born. As we and others have been advocating, addressing maternal stress and depression in pregnancy is a clinically and socially, important strategy." (Michelle Roberts/BBC News)

UK - Painkillers 'may ease agitation' in dementia patients

Many dementia patients being prescribed "chemical cosh" antipsychotic drugs could be better treated with simple painkillers, research says.

The British and Norwegian study, published on the BMJ website, found painkillers significantly cut agitation in dementia patients.

Agitation, a common dementia symptom, is often treated with antipsychotic drugs, which have risky side effects.

The Alzheimer's Society wants doctors to consider other types of treatment.

Experts say that each year about 150,000 patients in the UK are unnecessarily prescribed antipsychotics, which have a powerful sedative effect, and can worsen dementia symptoms, and increase the risk of stroke or even death.

They are often given to patients whose dementia makes them aggressive or agitated.

But researchers from Kings College, London, and Norway speculated that the behaviour may sometimes be caused by pain, which patients were unable to express in other ways.

They studied 352 patients with moderate or severe dementia in nursing homes in Norway.

Half were given painkillers with every meal, the rest continued with their usual treatments.

Supervised treatment 'key'

After eight weeks, there was a 17% reduction in agitation symptoms in the group being given painkillers - a greater improvement than would have been expected from treatment with antipsychotics.

The researchers concluded that if patient's pain was properly managed, doctors could reduce the number of prescriptions for antipsychotic drugs.

Prof Clive Ballard, Alzheimer's Society: "Simple painkillers... had a a very, very substantial impact”

Professor Clive Ballard, one of the report authors and director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the finding was significant.

"At the moment, pain is very under-treated in people with dementia, because it's very hard to recognise," he said.

"I think this could make a substantial difference to people's lives - it could help them live much better with dementia."

However, he said painkillers should only be given to patients under the supervision of a doctor.

The Alzheimer's Society is issuing new guidance calling on doctors to think much harder before prescribing antipsychotics, and to look at prescribing pain medication instead.

The National Care Association said the study highlighted some of the complexities of dementia.

"Pain in itself is debilitating, so to identify it as the route cause of agitation and aggressive behaviour is a major breakthrough which will enable us to support people appropriately," said its chairman, Nadra Ahmed.

A government programme to reduce the inappropriate prescription of antipsychotic drugs is already under way in England.

The care services minister Paul Burstow welcomed the study.

"It should act as a further call for GPs to carefully examine the reason why those with dementia display agitated behaviour, rather than immediately resorting to antipsychotic medication," he said. (Jane Hughes/BBC News)

Philippines warns against geckos as AIDS treatment

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines warned Friday against using geckos to treat AIDS and impotence, saying the folkloric practice in parts of Asia may put patients at risk.

Environmental officials have also expressed alarm about the growing trade in the wall-climbing lizards in the Philippines. An 11-ounce (300-gram) gecko reportedly sells for at least 50,000 pesos ($1,160).

Geckos are reportedly exported to Malaysia, China and South Korea, where they are used as aphrodisiacs and as traditional medicine for asthma, AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis and impotence.

Their use as medical treatments has no scientific basis and could be dangerous because patients might not seek proper treatment for their diseases, a health department statement said.

"This is likely to aggravate their overall health and put them at greater risk," it added.

Treatments for asthma are easily available and affordable, while there are antiviral drugs to control the progress of HIV, it added.

Geckos are carnivorous, nocturnal reptiles from the family Gekkonidae that are found in tropical countries. They are known for their sticky footpads that allow them to climb vertical surfaces, including glass.

Wildlife official Mundita Lim said her office has asked law enforcers to look into the possibility that scammers may have infiltrated the trade because of the exorbitant prices being quoted online by buyers demanding geckos weighing at least 400 grams (14 ounces).

She said geckos in the wild grow up to 200 grams (7 ounces). Those fattened in captivity can grow only up to 300 grams (10 ounces).

In folkloric practice, geckos are dried and pulverized to use as medicine, and there are anecdotal accounts of the saliva or internal organs being collected, according to Lim.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje earlier warned that collecting and trading geckos without permit can be punishable by up to four years in jail and a fine of up to 300,000 pesos ($6,900).

He said a healthy population of geckos is needed to regulate pests and maintain the fragile ecosystem. Geckos feed on insects and worms. Larger species hunt small birds and rodents. (Yahoo News)