Developments in Alzheimer’s Disease Research

Whether understood through personal experience or absorbed from media coverage, the message has hit home for many of us: Alzheimer’s disease is becoming an increasing threat to the health and lives of millions.  

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease is now the 6^th leading cause of death in the U.S.  Due to the debilitating nature of the disease, the effects are widespread, felt by individuals who are suffering with Alzheimer’s disease, those who care for them, and the Health Care System as a whole.

This disease not only affects millions of Americans, it is also often widely misunderstood. Alzheimer’s is often considered a disease of the mind; however, it has a devastating impact on that body as well.

A recent NPR article outlines the rise in death rates from Alzheimer’s disease, and paints a picture of a troubling reality: that even the high death rate may be underestimated due to the way Alzheimer’s disease “often kills in ways that are indirect.” Examples of indirect effects of Alzheimer’s are: fatal seizures related to brain damage and fevers and infections due to erosion of the body’s defenses (NPR, 2013). (Image Credit)

While the reality of the current impact of Alzheimer’s disease is dismal, the future of detection and treatment proves promising. As with most terminal illnesses, developments in early detection can help pave the way for innovations in treatment. As BBC News Health reported earlier this month, British researchers have discovered a way to test blood for the “markings” of certain proteins (amyloid and APOE) that can detect the presence of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, in January of 2013, the NIH funded $55 million in Alzheimer’s disease research, in hopes of fulfilling the goal to find ways to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025, as reported by MSN Healthday.

Recent developments prove that researchers are catching up to Alzheimer’s disease, providing hope to many that the future effects will be less threatening than the current.

For more information on Alzheimer’s disease, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website.

 

 

 

Introduction: Focus on Women’s Health

Leading up to National Women’s Health Week (May 12-18 2013), the HealthRx Blog will feature a new segment, Focus on Women’s Health. These posts are intended to present critical thought and balanced perspective on current issues in women’s health research.

Many times, women’s health topics tend to focus primarily on reproductive health and breast cancer. While these are certainly important and relevant women’s health issues, the aim of Focus on Women’s Health is to expand upon these core issues, taking into account various under-examined aspects of women’s health.

The purpose is to create a well-rounded, thoughtfully presented and factually grounded take on the many health issues proven particularly pertinent to women. Check back weekly for updates on current women’s health issues! (Image Credit: Stanford School of Medicine)

Don't Get "Stuck" with Counterfeit Malaria Drugs

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

Graduations and cookouts usually mark summer’s arrival, but there’s nothing like a few mosquito bites as war scars. Luckily for most of us, mosquitoes in the U.S. just leave us with unsightly welts. But if you are traveling this summer to Africa and Asia, you may want to take antimalarial drugs.

But, a heads up: one-third of all malaria drugs are counterfeit, according to a report published in The Lancet. Close to 1,500 samples of seven malaria drugs from seven countries in South East Asia were examined. The fraudulent meds can lead to drug resistance and treatment failure. Twenty-one Sub-Saharan countries experienced the same results from 2,500 drug samples (BBC News, 2012). (Image Credit)Researchers at the National Institutes of Health predict the reality involves more malarial drugs; however, malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25% globally since 2000 (BBC News, 2012).

Malaria is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes in the form of a plasmodium falciparum infection. In 2010, malaria caused an estimated 655,000 deaths (with an uncertainty range of 537,000 to 907,000), mostly among African children (WHO, 2012).

The Lancet study found there are insufficient facilities to monitor quality control and poor consumer/health-worker knowledge about the therapies. There is a lack of regulatory oversight of manufacturing and little punitive action for counterfeiters (BBC News, 2012).

 

Growing Up to Be Diabetic

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

Almost one in four U.S. adolescents may be on the verge of developing Type 2 diabetes or could already be diabetic, according to a study published in Pediatrics. The prevalence among children ages 12 to 19 has sharply increased from 10 years ago when it was estimated that fewer than one in 10 were at risk for or had diabetes.  More specifically, teenagers testing positive for diabetes and pre-diabetes nearly tripled to 23% in 2007-2008 from 9% in 1999-2000.  Data from the subjects come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a national sample often used in health-related research. (Image Credit)

Health officials are approaching the research findings with caution because the survey used only one instrument to gage diabetic propensity. Still, the study further illuminates the troubling situation.

Previous studies have shown that Type 2 diabetes to be more aggressive in young people than in adults aged 40 and over. Sedentary lifestyles, lack of physical education in schools, and increased computer use may all be responsible for the increase in diabetes cases. This specific study did not show an increase in cardiovascular disease, though.

Two-thirds of American adolescents ages 12 to 19 are of normal weight, 16% are overweight, and another 18% are obese, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The population of overweight and obese teens are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes.

 

 

 

The Importance of Occupational Safety

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

Job safety inspections reduce workplace injuries and subsequent worker’s compensation claims, saving millions of dollars in profits for companies, according to a study recently published in Science. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health inspected 409 companies included in the study from 1996-2006. It found that inspected firms saved an average of about $355,000 in injury claims and compensation for paid lost work (AP, 2012).  The same companies saved an average of 26 percent on workers’ compensation costs (AP, 2012). (Image Credit)

OSHA policies are not consistent throughout all 50 states. OSHA inspections are often considered “disruptive,” “costly,” and often lead to layoffs, financial instability, or business closure (HealthDay, 2012).  Marc Freedman, executive director of labor law policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the idea of having inspections is not a problem for most business owners. “It’s more a question of how those inspections are conducted and what the relationship between the inspector and employer is,” Freedman told The Associated Press.

The current political and economic climates have prompted debate about the balance between government regulation and the bottom line. This study could possibly ease the combative discourse with the collective goal of achieving high profits and securing workplace safety.

 

 

A New Step Toward Preventing HIV Transmission

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a pill used to combat HIV transmission. This is especially suited for men who have sex with men (MSM). A series of panels have examined the benefits and barriers to use. The pill, Truvada, can be taken once daily as a pre-exposure prophalaxis. Truvada, which is manufactured by Gilead Sciences, is a combination of two previous medications, Emtriva and Viread.

Several considerations must be made when evaluating the PrEP, including costs, effectiveness, adherence, financing, resistance, and “behavioral compensation” (NASTAD, 2010). It is important for persons for taking Truvada to continue using condoms.  FDA emphasizes Truvada use is only for those who are HIV-negative to hinder drug resistance. Four major studies -- CAPRISA (Center for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa), iPrEx (Chemoprophylaxis for HIV Prevention in Men), Partners PrEP, and TDF2 – have assessed effectiveness (Celum, 2011) of Truvada. (Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty)

HIV/AIDS, once known as GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency), is still largely affecting Men Who Have Sex with Men (amfAR, 2012). Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimates 53 percent of new HIV cases as MSM. Furthermore, 53 percent of all persons living with HIV/AIDS are MSM. An additional 4 percent were categorized as MSM-IDU (CDC, 2010). Sexual risk accounts for most HIV infections in MSM due to unprotected anal sex with someone other than a primary, HIV-negative partner. Unprotected anal sex poses a serious threat to the health of MSM (CDC, 2010).

 

 

 

 

Understanding Dual Use Research: Part 1

Dual use research has become a hot topic recently in government-funded research. This post, Part 1 of a two-part series on Understanding Dual Use Research, will provide you with the foundation for interpreting and understanding the policies and discussions going on this Spring about dual use research. 

Definitions

Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC): "DURC is life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security" (NIH, 2012).

Life sciences: This term "pertains to living organisms (e.g., microbes, human beings, animals, and plants) and their products, including all disciplines and methodologies of biology such as aerobiology, agricultural science, plant science, animal science, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, synthetic biology, environmental science, public health, modeling, engineering of living systems, and all applications of the biological sciences. The term is meant to encompass the diverse approaches for understanding life at the level of ecosystems, organisms, organs, tissues, cells, and molecules" (NIH, 2012).

Extramural research: Research "which is funded by a department or agency under a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other agreement and not conducted directly by the department or agency" (NIH, 2012).

Intramural research: Research "which is directly conducted by a department or agency" (NIH, 2012).

Dual Use Tracking

In our PI-Dashboard research registration product, we track dual use with the following questions:

Filling out this part of the research registration provides all information necessary for research approval and oversight in one place.  Our PI-Dashboard was designed to promote biosafety and researcher well-being by collecting and connecting any information that may affect the research itself or the implications of the research.

Part 2 of our Understanding Dual Use series will explain recent concerns and policies developing around dual use research of concern.

 

 

 

USDA Responds Faster to E.Coli

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has some good news for us before cookout season is upon us.  The USDA announced a quicker response procedure to alerting the public of E. coli in the food supply. This new procedure can trim off 24 to 48 hours for the agency to trace the original source. (Image Credit)

If a batch of meat receives a “presumptively positive” test result for E. coli, the USDA can immediately begin efforts to link products, companies, and the pathogen to the source supplier and processors that received the contaminated meat, according to The Associated Press.  E. coli, a foodborne bacteria, can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infection, respiratory illness, and pneumonia (CDC, 2011). Oftentimes, symptoms are minor, but a specific strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 is considerably damaging, possibly leading to kidney failure (CDC, 2011).

Additional regulations announced require meat and poultry companies to prepare recall procedures and notify USDA within 24 hours that a potentially contaminated product has been shipped, AP reports.  Between 13,000 and 15,000 samples of ground beef and beef trimmings are tested for E. coli contamination (AP, 2012).

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends four tips in avoiding E. coli sickness:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before preparing or eating food. Wash your hands after contact with animals or their environments (at farms, petting zoos, fairs, even your own backyard).

2. Cook meats thoroughly. Ground beef and meat that has been needle-tenderized should be cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F/70˚C. It’s best to use a thermometer, as color is not a very reliable indicator of “doneness.”

3. Avoid raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, and unpasteurized juices (like fresh apple cider).

4. Avoid swallowing water when swimming or playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, and backyard “kiddie” pools.

5. Prevent cross contamination in food preparation areas by thoroughly washing hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.

 

 

Caging Bird Flu Research

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

Earlier, we reported the 60-day moratorium on publishing H5N1 articles, which started late January. The moratorium should be extended, say Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). During a U.S. Senate Panel hearing on April 26, Fauci expressed support for the extension.

The moratorium involves two controversial articles based on H5N1 avian influenza virus. The publication of these two articles is seen as disseminating information to potential bioterrorists. Still, some researchers, notably Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities feel the findings too imperative to halt and question the motives.

H5N1, commonly known as avian influenza or bird flu, causes infection in birds but a mutation can possibly affect humans, triggering a global pandemic.

Two studies describe how H5N1 was made more transmissible between mammals by research teams. This is seen as potentially providing a blueprint for bioterrorists intent upon using a flu scare. The U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) asked flu researchers to strike key details from the papers, which are in press at Science and Nature (Malakoff & Enserink, 2012). The researchers and the journals agreed on a voluntary basis, with the caveat stating the U.S. government provide a method for sharing those details with researchers and public health experts on an international level (Malakoff & Enserink, 2012). (Image Credit)

Is this a case of protecting national security or protecting public health? Does one trump the other, or are the two one in the same?

 

 

 

In Memoriam, F. Sherwood Rowland

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

Dr. F. Sherwood Rowland passed in March without much fanfare. Rowland is the American chemist credited with telling the world of the dangers of chlorofluorocarbons and its impact upon the ozone layer. CFCs, a common ingredient found in air conditioners, aerosol cans, and refrigerators, were prevalent in the 1970s.  CFCs destroy the upper atmospheric levels, which protect us mortals from the sun’s ultraviolent radiation. (Image Credit)

This particular finding was not widely known until Dr. Rowland presented his research. Rowland became a controversial rabble-rouser when he started a campaign to ban the industrial production of CFCs in 1974 (Cookson, 2012). Dr. Rowland and his research assistant, Mario Molina, discovered that the CFCs could be trapped in the atmosphere for decades, wrecking havoc on the atmospheric chemistry (Cookson, 2012). He received heavy skepticism from colleagues and industry management, but Rowland’s efforts eventually took hold. Fifteen years after his findings were published, many of the industrialized nations began phasing out CFCs. Rowland won the Nobel Peace Prize for his research.

Without his research, try to imagine how far behind our current understanding of greenhouse gases and climate change would be. We are in debt to Dr. Rowland. It’s one thing to conduct studies in a laboratory and publish journal articles aimlessly. It’s another to jeopardize one’s reputation and credibility to follow those convictions and discoveries in a quiet lab. Plants, animals, and humans owe Dr. Rowland a standing ovation. This is just a token of appreciation for his ground-breaking work.