Truely Honey is a superfood

Truly, honey is a superfood, a nectarian delight and an effective healing agent all in one. It is packed with vitamins and minerals, enzymes and antioxidants, lots of carbohydrates in the form of sugars and even some amino acids. So sweet is it that, taken together, its unique combination of fructose and glucose makes it sweeter than table sugar.
When you have a moment, hold up a clear jar of honey up in the sunlight and see the golden nectar for what it is. Its amber color reflects much of the sun’s energy which was utilized in its process of creation.
In Ayurveda honey is considered one of the most effective natural delivery systems for the therapeutic administration of herbal preparations and other remedies.
As in all healing systems throughout the world, there is much subtlety and nuance associated with every healing agent “under the sun”. By that we mean that a single food or herb or spice has different healing qualities associated with it depending on it’s source, its specific type, ripeness, exact time of being picked or harvested, what kind of ground it is grown in, among several other determinants.n the case of honey there are additional differences which are even more subtle, but no less important in distinguishing one healing application from another. By way of illustration, here is a list of the eight different types of honey identified within Ayurveda which can be found at the website linked below:
Types of Honey:
Eight types of honey are described in ayurveda depending on the type of bee which collects it. They are Pouttika, Bhramara, Kshoudra, Makshika, Chatra, Arghya, Oudalaka, Dala.
Pouttika – This honey is collected by very large bees from the nectar of poisonous flowers. It increases vata, causes gout and burning sensation in chest. It is also sedative and reduces fat.
Bhramara – This honey is collected by large bees and sticky in nature.
Kshoudra – (Honey collected by medium sized honey bees) light and cold in nature. Dissolves Kapha.
Makshika – (Honey collected by small honey bees) very light and dry natured. Useful in VataKapha diseases and kapha diseases.
Chatra – Heavy and cold in nature useful in gout, Leucoderma (Shwitra).
Arghya – Good for eyes but causes arthritis.
Oudalaka – Useful in skin diseases, and helps in modulation of voice.
Dala – Dry and reduces vomiting.
Amongst all the above “Makshika” is considered as the best type with immense medicinal properties.

Without delving into the ayurvedic nomenclature we can quickly see just how important this expanded understanding may be for those using honey medicinally on a regular basis, as well as for those who eat a lot in their regular diet like The Health Coach.
According to Ayurveda, honey possesses many useful medicinal properties which are not well unknown, except among the many practitioners of this ancient system of health and wellness. What follows is just a short list of some of honey’s more common usages which can be found at the same website:
Some Health Benefits of Honey:
a. Honey is very good for eyes and eye sight.
b. It quenches thirst.
c. Dissolves kapha.
d. Reduces effects of poison.
e. Stops hiccups.
f. It is very useful in urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea, vomiting.
g. Cleanse the wounds.
h. It heals wounds.
i. Helps in quick healing of deep wounds.
j. Initiates growth of healthy granulation tissue.
k. Honey which is newly collected from bee hive increases body weight and is a mild laxative.
l. Honey which is stored and is old helps in metabolism of fat and scrapes Kapha.
Courtesy:  Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S at Pioneer Thinking

Higher Body Mass Index, Dislike Of Bitter Foods Linked In New Study

The causes of weight gain and obesity are layered and complex, with numerous, interrelated factors playing key roles. A new study linking higher body mass index (BMI) and an aversion to bitter foods has just added another component to the mix: taste.
The study, "Facial Affective Reactions to Bitter-Tasting Foods and Body Mass Index in Adults"  , featured in international research journal Appetite, sought to explain why people who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight eat differently than thinner people. The researchers hypothesized that people with higher BMI had an aversion to bitter foods and consequently avoided them. Because bitter foods are often fruits and vegetables -- think grapefruit, kale and brussels sprouts -- which are high in dietary fiber and water content and contain no saturated fat, refined carbohydrates or added sugar, the researchers supposed avoiding these foods could affect weight.
Forty participants -- 28 females and 12 males who had no history of eating disorders, aversions, allergies or illnesses -- were divided into two groups: low BMI and high BMI. Everyone tasted two bitter drinks: five milliliters of a grapefruit juice drink and five milliliters of a bitter chocolate drink, both in 10 milliliter plastic cups. Researchers measured participants' subjective reaction, as well as their facial expressions.
For the subjective part, participants filled out a survey detailing their preference and consumption of bitter substances. After they tasted the bitter drinks, they rated the taste on a scale of zero to 100, zero being not at all bitter and 100 being extremely bitter. Researchers also measured facial expressions after participants drank the substances by videotaping them and comparing the degree to which their expression changed from before tasting to afterward.
The results confirmed the researchers' hypothesis, showing that the bitter-tasting drinks "elicited significantly more intense disgust reactions" in participants with high BMI than those with low BMI.
Taste, aversive or otherwise, can only partially explain why people may be overweight or susceptible to becoming so, the study acknowledges. Body mass index is a "complex variable," and a more intense responses to bitter flavors, which can lead to the avoidance of some healthy food like bitter-tasting fruits and vegetables, is just one possible cause.
Almost 70 percent of U.S. adults are overweight, and a third suffer from obesity, which was officially classified as a disease in June 2013. With so many people overweight or obese, researchers stress the urgency of future study on the causes of weight gain, and specifically the effects of an individual's taste for bitter foods.
Source:Huffington Post

Environment-friendly Way of Waste Treatment by Japanese

This facility in Chofu, Tokyo, has the most advanced municipal waste treatment plant in Japan. The "Green Plaza Fujimi" started its operation in April 2013. It is managed by JFE Engineering to handle combustible waste and produce energy from it. The fully automated unit attracts visitors from abroad, especially Asian countries. A key feature of this facility is "zero emission" - a mechanism to produce zero waste from garbage. The combustible waste of 400,000 citizens is collected in this facility, which has the capacity to burn 288 tons of garbage every day. Gen Takahashi, Manager, JFE Engineering Corporation, said: "We have a history of building such facilities in cooperation with the civil society. The facility has taken anti-pollution measures to lower dioxins. It has been welcomed by the residents of the area. Taking advantage of this success, we hope to expand our reach in Southeast Asia to provide an optimal solution for waste disposal." The facility also generates electricity using a steam turbine engine from heat produced by the incineration of waste. It produces 43.3 million kilowatts per year, which is sold to an electric company. The electricity produced can meet the requirements of about 10,000 households. Furthermore, gas from the facility is neutralized through advanced gas treatment equipment and then released into the atmosphere. The ash generated after burning of the garbage, is being recycled as cement. Masaki Hagiwara, Engineering Manager, Fujimi Sanitary Association, said: "Even waste from the facility is recycled. It has achieved zero landfill of waste." The environmental protection concept of JFE Engineering is certain to be welcomed in the ASEAN countries and India. Japanese technology is proving its mettle in Asia. Recently, EBARA Thailand Limited, a subsidiary of Japan's EBARA Corporation, participated in the Myanmar Water 2013 Expo in Yangon. There were 150 exhibitors from 12 countries showcasing a wide range of services, technologies, systems, purification processes and equipment for integrated water and wastewater industry. EBARA Thailand Limited also exhibited a wide range of pumps, including standard pumps, submersible pumps and water supply pump units to meet the requirements of Myanmar's newly developed commercial and industrial complexes. EBARA's wide range of high-efficiency, high quality pumps will be able to ensure stable water supply in Myanmar. Katsufumi Nakano, Managing Director, EBARA Thailand Limited, "We have designed our equipment and facilities as best suited to the requirements of Myanmar at the time of developing of its industries, natural gas and industrial port. Asian countries, including Japan, have the potential to grow by joining hands. We do business in this country with the belief that growth of Asia is linked to growth of Japan, and the growth of Myanmar will lead to growth of ASEAN countries." The products and services for pumps, chillers and cooling towers by EBARA are unmatchable. EBARA Thailand Limited has been dedicated to the development of societies and industries in Thailand and Southeast Asia for over 20 years.
Source:Medindia

 

Virus: The In's, Out's and Other Interesting Facts

Viruses are like small vessels containing an active component. The genetic material within the virus can infect a host cell. The vessel, called capsid or vector, is basically a shell that changes its shape when it penetrates a cell to infect it, and may even break into pieces. The research team, that includes Guido Polles and Cristian Micheletti of SISSA, carried out computer simulations and used theoretical models to understand how such 'vessel' responds to thermal and mechanic stimulations. In such a way they identified the weak points of capsids and inferred their spontaneous assembly process.

Each shell is made of numerous protein 'tiles' that spontaneously join up like Lego pieces. A capsid may be composed of hundreds of such subunits, but each 'tile' consists of a limited number of proteins. The edges of the tiles are the "weak" lines where the deformation of the general structures takes place and along which the shell fragments if broken. Experimental observations have been carried out for some types of viruses to understand the internal dynamic of the vector (deformation) and the shape of the single tiles (which is usually rather regular - pentagons, hexagons, triangles). Micheletti and his colleagues produced a virtual model that, in principle, may be applied to any virus whose structure is known. "Starting from the available information on the molecular structure of the capsid, we tried to 'tease' it a little to see the way it changed its shape. By simulating thermal fluctuations (to put it more simply, we virtually heated and then cooled it) observing along which lines the shell would modify. It is very likely that these very lines are also the spots in which the capsid will tend to break up." explained Polles and Micheletti. "Our model turned out to be very robust. The simulations, in fact, reproduced the same conditions observed in the experiments on known capsids. For this reason we have made other speculations on capsids on which we have no direct knowledge in this sense." The research, carried out alongside with University of York (UK), Università di Torino and the Max Planck Institute of Mainz (Germany), was published in Plos Computational Biology. The studies on the nature of viral capsids are important to understand the mechanisms of virus infection (and to study methods to fight it). Viral vectors, besides, are used in pharmacology and in gene therapy. The viruses' shells in fact may be employed as vectors to insert a therapy directly into cells, a cutting-edge methodology in today's medicine. Being able to identify the mechanically weak spots may be exploited, in perspective, to modify the natural capsids optimizing their resilience to convey and deliver the pharmacologic content more effectively. 

Source: Plos Computational Biology./Max Planck Institute of Mainz (Germany)/ University of York (UK)/Università di Torino and the Max Planck Institute of Mainz (Germany)

 

 

 

Wolfberry Fruit Protects Against Flu Virus

Wolfberries also known as goji berries show a reduced flu risk when combined with influenza vaccine, reveals study. The research, led by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, suggested the wolfberry may increase the activity of dendritic cells, which play an important role in the ability of the immune system to defend against viral infections. Older mice, with immune systems weakened by age, were placed on diets that included a small amount of a milk preparation of Wolfberry fruit, also known as goji berries. Over a period of several weeks, they received two flu vaccines before being infected with the flu virus and monitored for signs of symptoms. The researchers then tested for specific influenza antibodies as well as the clinical symptoms of the disease such as weight loss among the mice. "We observed higher antibody response and better protection against flu as indicated by less weight loss in the older mice that consumed wolfberries," senior author Simin Nikbin Meydani said. "While previous studies have shown that wolfberries bolster immune response in mice, our results introduce their potential to reduce the age-related risk and severity of the flu virus in the presence of the vaccine." The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition.
 

Biomaterials to Repair Human Heart, Coming Soon

Biomaterial extracellular matrix (ECM) following a coronary artery bypass surgery allowed the human body to regenerate its own tissue, say researchers. The biomaterial extracellular matrix (ECM) is a naturally occurring substance that helps regulate cells and can be harvested and processed in such a way that removes all cells, leaving only the structural matrix, which is made of collagen. ECM can be molded into a "bioscaffold" for medical applications to enable a patient's cells to repopulate and repair damaged tissue. Clemson University biological sciences student Meghan Stelly and her father, Alabama cardiovascular surgeon Terry Stelly clinically examined a bioscaffold that was implanted five years earlier to close the pericardium, a double-walled sac containing the human heart, following a coronary artery bypass surgery. "Pathology results revealed that the bioscaffold had remodeled into viable, fully cellularized tissue similar to the native pericardium," said Meghan. "Essentially, the human body regrew its own tissue." This research demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of this technology as an implant for pericardial closure and cardiac tissue repair. The researchers said that anytime you can have the body regrow its own tissue instead of introducing a foreign object into it is a better outcome for the patient. The study is published in the journal Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Source: journal Annals of Thoracic Surgery

 

Red Meat Linked to Gestational Diabetes

  Women who eat a lot of red and processed meat even before they become pregnant are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, says study published in Evidence-Based Nursing. "There have been several reports linking red meat with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and now the work of a number of research teams worldwide is showing this link for diabetes during pregnancy," says Ms Middleton, who is one of the Robinson Institute's research leaders. "While this news is alarming, there are also some positives. The latest research from the United States has shown that eating fish and poultry does not increase the risk of gestational diabetes, and consuming more vegetable and non-meat protein is associated with a reduction in risk. "For example, just over half a serving of nuts per day can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes by 40%." Ms Middleton says although the link between red meat and diabetes is strengthening, scientists still don't understand the underlying mechanisms that cause it. "More research is needed to better understand why this is happening and how to adapt women's diets and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent both gestational and type 2 diabetes," she says. "Based on current evidence, pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant should consider eating more vegetable protein, and nuts, and replacing some red meat with fish and poultry. "Midwives, dieticians and others involved in pregnancy care can help women to make these dietary changes in the hope of reducing poor outcomes for the mother and the baby," Ms Middleton says. The full commentary can be found at the journal's website.

Source:Evidence-Based Nursing.

 

 

T Cell Immunotherapy Offers Positive Results in Children and Adults With Leukemia

Nearly 90 percent of children and adults with a highly aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) showed no evidence of cancer after receiving a novel, personalized cell therapy that reprograms a patient's immune system. In pilot studies of bioengineered T cells that attack leukemia, 24 of 27 patients (89%) experienced complete responses within 28 days after treatment. In all, 27 patients received the treatment--22 children treated at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and five adults treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Pediatric oncologist Stephan A. Grupp, M.D., Ph.D., of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, presented outcomes and follow-up results of this immunotherapy clinical trial for pediatric and adult patients with ALL in a press program today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in New Orleans. "Our results serve as another important milestone in demonstrating the potential of this cell therapy for patients who have no other therapeutic options," said study author Grupp. "We are also very excited that this approach has worked and been safe in patients who have relapsed after a bone marrow transplant." All the patients had high-risk ALL that recurred after initial treatment or resisted that treatment from the start. Patients received bioengineered "hunter" T cells called CTL019 cells. The first child to undergo this therapy, 8-year-old Emily Whitehead, remains cancer-free since her T cell treatment in April 2012, and has gone on to enjoy typical childhood activities like going to school and playing with her dog, Lucy. Emily has appeared prominently in news articles since her doctors announced dramatic findings during the December 2012 ASH meeting. In follow-up assessments, the researchers reported six relapses among the 24 patients with complete responses. Therefore, 18 of the 24 pediatric and adult patients had ongoing complete responses at a median follow-up of 2.6 months after treatment. The trials, a collaboration between The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, are overseen by Carl H. June, M.D., the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of Translational Research in Penn's Abramson Cancer Center. Grupp presented alongside Penn investigator Michael Kalos, Ph.D., during the press program. Kalos showed that measuring the number and activity of engineered T cells in patients with both ALL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with this investigational approach provided a useful gauge of treatment success. A relatively new approach in cancer treatment, this type of immunotherapy relies on T cells, the workhorses of the body's immune system. Because B cells become cancerous in specific leukemias such as ALL, CTL019 cells function as cancer hunters, killing the leukemia cells that normally evade regular T cell surveillance. Researchers first extract a patient's own T cells and genetically modify them in Penn's cell and vaccine production facility to create CTL019 cells. Bioengineering techniques are used to reprogram each patient's T cells into chimeric antigen receptor cells—the CTL019 cells—custom-designed to bind to a protein called CD19 that exists only on the surface of B cells. Then, the cells are returned to the patient's body, where they proliferate and then eliminate B cells. Moreover, they persist in the circulation, helping to guard against the cancer's recurrence. The current study reflects an ongoing collaboration between Grupp and the Penn Medicine scientists who originally developed this personalized cell therapy as a treatment for adult patients with CLL, another B-cell leukemia. The CHOP/Penn research colleagues adapted the CLL treatment for use against a high-risk form of ALL. The most common childhood cancer and the most common childhood leukemia, ALL may also occur in adults, such as the five adult patients in the current trial. "Although most adults with ALL respond to drug treatment, as many as half of them eventually relapse, putting the overall cure rate for the disease only around 40 percent," said David L. Porter, M.D., a professor of Medicine and director of Blood and Marrow Transplantation in Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, who leads the adult CLL and ALL trials along with Noelle Frey, M.D., an assistant professor of Medicine. "Once a patient relapses, treatments are often ineffective. Many of these patients are not even eligible for bone marrow transplants, so this approach stands to give them an option where they would otherwise have had none." As the CTL019 cells potently attacked leukemia cells, they also stimulated an unwanted, toxic immune response called cytokine release syndrome. The care team successfully counteracted these side effects with two immunomodulating drugs. In addition, because the CTL019 therapy eliminates healthy B cells along with cancerous B cells, patients must receive infusions of immunoglobin to perform the immune function provided by normal B cells. "The results from the ALL and CLL trials also demonstrate that these engineered hunter cells greatly expand in patients, producing very high complete response rates, and then persist in patients, potentially allowing for long-term disease control. We are looking forward to testing these cells in upcoming multicenter pediatric and adult trials," said Grupp.

Germs in Your Gut Keeps You Healthy: Study

 When it comes to fighting off pathogens like Listeria, your best allies may be the billions of microorganisms that line your gut, suggests a new study.
The study revealed that germ-free mice are more susceptible to infection with the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes than mice with conventional intestinal microbiota. The authors were also able to show that expression of five intestinal microRNA (miRNA) molecules decreases in conventional mice upon Listeria infection while it did not in germ-free mice, indicating that the gut microbiota may determine, at least in part, how the mouse genome expression is reprogrammed in the gut and how the animal responds to an infection. "We were surprised by the robustness of the intestinal miRNA signature in germ-free mice and conventional mice," corresponding author Pascale Cossart of the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, said. "Our results show that even very small variations in miRNA expression can have important outcomes," for the health of the animals. Cossart and her colleagues approached the matter using the system they know best: Listeria infection. L. monocytogenes is a frequent contaminant of raw milk products, and a highly publicized outbreak traced to Listeria-contaminated cantaloupe left 30 people dead in the fall of 2011. Previous studies in Cossart's lab have shown that during infection with Listeria, the bacterium AND the host both reprogram their protein manufacturing using small non-coding RNA molecules like miRNA - pieces of genetic material that are used to selectively regulate the creation of proteins.
Here, the researchers used conventional mice and germ-free mice to address the question of whether - and how - the gut microbiota has an effect on the course of infection and on the production of these regulatory miRNA molecules. Cossart said they found that even though the intestinal miRNA signature is globally stable, Listeria infection can affect the host miRNA response in a microbiota-dependent manner. When paralleled with the lower susceptibility of the conventional mice to infection, these down-regulated regulatory molecules present an intriguing result, write the authors. She noted that although this study was conducted in mice, miRNA and the protein coding gene targets they regulate may be very similar in mice and in humans. The study was published in journal mBio

Source:mBio

 

 

Second, Secret DNA Code Discovered

The findings in the journal Science may have big implications for how medical experts use the genomes of patients to interpret and diagnose diseases, researchers said.
The newfound genetic code within deoxyribonucleic acid, the hereditary material that exists in nearly every cell of the body, was written right on top of the DNA code scientists had already cracked. Rather than concerning itself with proteins, this one instructs the cells on how genes are controlled. Its discovery means DNA changes, or mutations that come with age or in response to viruses, may be doing more than what scientists previously thought, he said. "For over 40 years we have assumed that DNA changes affecting the genetic code solely impact how proteins are made," said lead author John Stamatoyannopoulos, University of Washington associate professor of genome sciences and of medicine. "Now we know that this basic assumption about reading the human genome missed half of the picture," he said. "Many DNA changes that appear to alter protein sequences may actually cause disease by disrupting gene control programs or even both mechanisms simultaneously." Scientists already knew that the genetic code uses a 64-letter alphabet called codons. But now researchers have figured out that some of these codons have two meanings. Coined duons, these new elements of DNA language have one meaning related to protein sequence and another that is related to gene control. The latter instructions "appear to stabilize certain beneficial features of proteins and how they are made," the study said. The discovery was made as part of the international collaboration of research groups known as the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Project, or ENCODE. It is funded by the US National Human Genome Research Institute with the goal of finding out where and how the directions for biological functions are stored in the human genome.
 Source:University of Washington

 

Research shows correlation between adult height and underlying heart disease

Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation research cardiologist Dr. Michael Miedema is the lead author of a paper published by Circulation – Cardiovascular Imaging, a journal of the American Heart Association, that suggests a connection between an adult's height and the prevalence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), a direct marker of plaque in the arteries that feed the heart. Coronary artery calcium is a strong predictor of future heart attacks with a nearly 10 fold increase in the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with elevated CAC. The article is based on research in 2,703 patients from the Family Heart Study, a government sponsored study of the relationship between potential risk factors and heart disease and is the first study to examine the relationship between adult height and CAC in a large population. It suggests that taller adults tend to have lower levels of plaque, and thus, a lower risk of CHD. This relationship persisted even after accounting for standard cardiovascular risk factors such as age, smoking, high cholesterol, and diabetes. The full article can be found at: http://circimaging.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/12/10/CIRCIMAGING.113.000681.abstract
"A potential link between height and CHD has been shown in several studies but the mechanism of this relationship has not been clear and our study suggests the relationship is mediated by plaque build up in the coronary arteries", said Michael Miedema, MD, MPH, from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. There may be as much as 30% lower risk of plaque build-up in the top quarter of tallest adults compared to the bottom quarter. These results had to be adjusted for gender, given the differences in height between men and women, but the relationship was consistent in both men and women."
Why taller individuals develop less plaque is not entirely clear.
"Some studies suggest that taller people have favorable changes in their blood pressure due their height but these changes are quite small and unlikely to be the sole cause of this relationship", Miedema stated. "It may be more likely that this relationship is mediated through a common link, such as childhood nutrition or other environmental factors during childhood, which may be determinants of both adult height as well as future coronary heart disease."
Source:Circulation – Cardiovascular Imaging

ICMR, CCRUM enter research & training pact to provide manpower training in preclinical & clinical research

The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) has entered into a research and training agreement with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under which the ICMR will provide manpower training in several areas related to preclinical and clinical research especially clinical trials carried out under the Unani system as well as to bring in factor of quality to existing research practices presently operative. According to senior CCRUM officials, the research and training collaboration between the two premier institutions is significant because value can be added to the existing preclinical and clinical trial programmes while conducting all Unani medicine trials. This would facilitate the product entry in future into the global arena.  “CCRUM realises that in the current context, undertaking regular training programme and working in collaborative mode with the ICMR is essential,” officials said. Under the collaboration agreement, the ICMR will provide training to CCRUM research staff in the areas identified by CCRUM and shall take necessary steps including imparting hands-on technical training so that research staff of CCRUM may get trained as per the international requirements. While jointly examining and validating the clinical trial protocols submitted by CCRUM, the ICMR will keep in view the fundamentals and special circumstances of Unani medicines. Under the pact, the ICMR has also agreed to put regularly at one year interval the progress made to the joint implementation and monitoring committee. Besides, the ICMR will identify, select and invite experts who will provide regular training to CCRUM research staff. As per the agreement, the ICMR will conduct collaborative research programmes specially at places and cities where both CCRUM and ICMR institutions have presence. For this purpose, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the ICMR and the CCRUM, an apex organisation of Unani medicine engaged in clinical research, drug standardisation, survey and cultivation of medicinal plants in the country. Source:Pharmabiz

Dr Narayana clarifies on Ayush sector's concerns to include phyto pharmaceuticals in D&C Rules

Dr DBA Narayana, senior scientist, and chairman of Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) Herbal Products Committee (HPC) has now categorically stated that the inclusion of phyto-pharmaceuticals in the draft regulations of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules is defensible and warranted.
Incidentally, Dr Narayana was one of the members of the expert committee appointed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to address the issue associated with standards of pharma-pharmaceuticals and reference substances.
“There is a serious misunderstanding by the Ayush sector on this. The draft notification D&C Act & Rules creates regulatory provisions of defining phyto-pharmaceuticals or botanical-based drugs and a schedule providing requirement of scientific data on quality, safety and efficacy for the same. The leads for phyto-pharmaceuticals can have their origin not only in traditional medicines like ASU, traditional Chinese Medicine, Kampo Medicine, Bhutanese Medicines or from Ethno-botany, tribal medical practices and such other sources. Most nations are already putting regulations for access and benefit sharing in such cases and exploitation will not be going unregulated,” Dr Narayana, told Pharmabiz.
Draft regulations are under Chapter IV of D&C Act, and Rules, and hence related to the same class of drugs like synthetic drugs based products.
ASU drugs are regulated under Chapter IVA of D&C Act, and Rules, and hence  does not have any impact on this. Those who wish to continue to manufacture and sale ASU drugs under the current ASU licensing system of Grantha preparations or Proprietary ayurvedic medicines or other license allowed under law can do so. It is also not a mandatory provision that applies to ASU drugs in any way, he added.
Additionally pharmaceuticals should not be confused with ayurvedic drugs because it can be from a botanical source from any part of the globe. It is also in line with regulations in US, China, Europe involving scientific evaluation and data generation. It does not simply depend on traditional knowledge alone.
Phyto-pharmaceuticals proposal would promote innovations and development of new drugs from botanicals in a scientific way. It boost India’s research in drug development. In fact, it would permit development as a drug under chapter IV of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, adopting the Drug Development Technologies involving modern techniques of Solvent Extraction, Fractionation, Potentiating steps, add-back techniques, modern extraction techniques like CO2 based extraction, freeze-drying, formulation developments, and many other techniques. Stress on high degree of characterization of the plant based ingredient as a phyto-pharmaceutical is a requirement that is not generally asked for any traditional medicine (TM.). Ayurvedic drugs are regulated differently and need to meet the requirements given in authoritative texts recognized in the schedule and also have to be processed using methods given in such texts, he said.
Moreover, phyto-pharmaceuticals would need to be mandatorily evaluated for  safety or toxicology and efficacy through human clinical trials on similar lines of synthetic compound based drugs. Such mandatory requirements do not apply to ayurvedic medicines. Information on possible mechanism of action also is a requirement, not generally known in traditional medicine. When approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) these drugs would have the same status for marketing as that given for a synthetic compound based drug. The committee that prepared these draft regulations which is approved by DTAB, has recommended that such products licensed under these regulations may be allowed to be prescribed by both MBBS and BAMS qualified physicians, he said.
Source:Pharmabiz

Acupuncture As A Method Of Treatment For Cerebral Infarction

The individual difference and non-repeatability in acupuncture have restricted the development of acupuncture. It also affects the specificity of acupoints. As reported in a recent study published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 28, 2013), acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) was performed using a
 
custom lifting- and thrusting-controlled machine. A frequency of 1, 2, or 3 Hz and duration of 5, 60, or 180 seconds were used to observe cerebral blood flow and ratio of infarct volume recovery. An orthogonal design was used to sift the optimal parameter of Neiguan acupuncture. Experimental results showed that stimulation at Neiguan with a frequency of 1 Hz and long duration of 180 seconds or 2/3 Hz and long duration of 5/60 seconds significantly increased cerebral blood flow and decreased the ratio of infarct volume.
Source:Neural Regeneration Research
  

Using Neural Prosthesis Scientists Restore Behavior After Brain Injury

Scientists have restored behavior—in this case, the ability to reach through a narrow opening and grasp food—using a neural prosthesis in a rat model of brain injury.    The research took place at Case Western Reserve University and University of Kansas Medical Center. Ultimately, the team hopes to develop a device that rapidly and substantially improves function after brain injury in humans. There is no such commercial treatment for the 1.5 million Americans, including soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, who suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI), or the nearly 800,000 stroke victims who suffer weakness or paralysis in the United States, annually.

The prosthesis, called a brain-machine-brain interface, is a closed-loop microelectronic system. It records signals from one part of the brain, processes them in real time, and then bridges the injury by stimulating a second part of the brain that had lost connectivity.

Their work is published online this week in the science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"If you use the device to couple activity from one part of the brain to another, is it possible to induce recovery from TBI? That's the core of this investigation," said Pedram Mohseni, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Case Western Reserve, who built the brain prosthesis.
"We found that, yes, it is possible to use a closed-loop neural prosthesis to facilitate repair of a brain injury," he said.
The researchers tested the prosthesis in a rat model of brain injury in the laboratory of Randolph J. Nudo, professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Kansas. Nudo mapped the rat's brain and developed the model in which anterior and posterior parts of the brain that control the rat's forelimbs are disconnected.
Atop each animal's head, the brain-machine-brain interface is a microchip on a circuit board smaller than a quarter connected to microelectrodes implanted in the two brain regions. 
The device amplifies signals, which are called neural action potentials and produced by the neurons in the anterior of the brain. An algorithm separates these signals, recorded as brain spike activity, from noise and other artifacts. With each spike detected, the microchip sends a pulse of electric current to stimulate neurons in the posterior part of the brain, artificially connecting the two brain regions.
Two weeks after the prosthesis had been implanted and run continuously, the rat models using the full closed-loop system had recovered nearly all function lost due to injury, successfully retrieving a food pellet close to 70 percent of the time, or as well as normal, uninjured rats. Rat models that received random stimuli from the device retrieved less than half the pellets and those that received no stimuli retrieved about a quarter of them.
"A question still to be answered is must the implant be left in place for life?" Mohseni said. "Or can it be removed after two months or six months, if and when new connections have been formed in the brain?"
Brain studies have shown that, during periods of growth, neurons that regularly communicate with each other develop and solidify connections.
Mohseni and Nudo said they need more systematic studies to determine what happens in the brain that leads to restoration of function. They also want to determine if there is an optimal time window after injury in which they must implant the device in order to restore function. 
Source:University of Cansas
     
 

Therapeutic HIV Vaccine to be Tested by Spanish Hospital

A multi-year trial to test the effectiveness of a therapeutic vaccine for patients who already have HIV will be launched next year at a Spanish hospital, researchers confirmed. 
A therapeutic vaccine treats a disease rather than preventing it. Barcelona's Hospital Clinic said it would conduct the trial as part of a four-year research project being carried out with other centres in Spain, Belgium and The Netherlands.
"The goal is to achieve a functional cure of HIV," said Josep Maria Gatell, director of the Hospital Clinic's infectious disease unit.
"This would mean that we are able to control HIV in infected people without having to provide them with anti-retroviral treatment their whole lives," he told a news conference.
More than 30 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, most of them living in developing countries, Gatell said.
"Although combined anti-retroviral therapy has proven to be highly effective to prevent clinical progression and death, by itself it is unable to eradicate the infection and other alternative approaches are urgently needed," he added.
The therapeutic vaccine research project has received six million euros ($8.2 million) in funding from the EU's executive European Commission.
The trial is being conducted on an updated version of a vaccine unveiled by the same research team in January 2013 which was found to temporarily brake growth of the HIV virus in infected patients.
That vaccine was tested on 36 people carrying the virus and was found to be safe for humans.
It led to a dramatic drop in the amount of HIV detected in some patients but it lost its effectiveness after a year, when the patients had to return to their regular combination therapy of expensive anti-retroviral drugs.
The vaccine, dubbed VIH-TriMix-ARNm, is based on the patient's own RNA, a nucleic acid in all living cells which conveys genetic information. RNA is also being used to try to develop new treatments against cancer.
Researchers have tested the updated vaccine on animals and the first results will be known during the first half of 2014. 
After carrying out toxicity tests on people in 2014, the first phase of clinical trials in humans will begin at the Hospital Clinic in 2015. The aim is to determine the appropriate dose and the vaccine's safety.
If the vaccine passes this phase, researchers will start testing its effectiveness on 40 patients and two control groups of 15 people each in either 2016 or 2017.


 

Researchers Explore New Cures For Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia

Several important insights into the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease and thalassemia that may soon translate into the development of better, more targeted treatments for hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide was uncovered by new research presented during the 55th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited, chronic disorder affecting nearly 100,000 Americans. Instead of producing healthy red blood cells, individuals with the disease produce abnormal hemoglobin, a protein that attaches to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to all parts of the body. This abnormal hemoglobin causes the red blood cells to become rigid and sickle-shaped, which then block blood and oxygen flow to the body and lead to intense pain and infections. Thalassemia, the name for a family of chronic blood disorders characterized by low hemoglobin production, also affects the blood's ability to transport oxygen and is associated with life-threatening complications. 
While there are several ways to treat SCD and thalassemia, these options only manage symptoms and do not correct the underlying genetic defects associated with these disorders. Fortunately, investigators continue to uncover important insights related to the pathophysiology of these blood disorders and their symptoms, fueling the development of new targeted interventions that may lead to improved treatments. Findings presented today explore a promising potential pain management treatment for SCD patients as well as two strategies that use natural proteins to activate the gene responsible for the production of healthy hemoglobin. 
"We now know a great deal about the causes of sickle cell disease and thalassemia and how to treat many of the complications; however, new insights and care strategies that can allow for better management of these diseases are desperately needed," said John Tisdale, MD, moderator of the press conference and Senior Investigator of the Molecular, Clinical, and Hematology branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. "Exciting new developments being reported today include a new therapy that could help sickle cell patients better manage pain crises and two new gene therapy strategies that could allow patients with both sickle cell disease and thalassemia to produce healthy hemoglobin. These advances bring us one step closer to achieving our goal of improving the long-term outlook and enhancing the quality of life of patients with these serious disorders."
his press conference will take place on Sunday, December 8, at 11:00 a.m. CST. 
GMI 1070: Reduction in Time to Resolution of Vaso-Occlusive Crisis and Decreased Opioid Use in a Prospective, Randomized, Multi-Center Double Blind, Adaptive Phase II Study in Sickle Cell Disease.  
Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is a common and painful complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) that occurs when sickled red blood cells and white blood cells stick to the lining of blood vessels, blocking blood flow and preventing oxygen from reaching parts of the body. Sickle cell patients experiencing VOC typically receive potent drugs to alleviate intense pain, but these medications only manage the symptoms and do not attack the root cause of the crisis. Previous research has suggested that molecules called selectins involved in cell-to-cell adhesion may be a significant driver of VOC. Recent studies of a new selectin inhibitor compound GM 1070 in animals have demonstrated efficacy in reducing VOC in that model system. 
To test the safety and efficacy of GMI 1070 in SCD patients, investigators conducted a Phase II trial of the drug, randomizing 76 patients (ages 12-51) experiencing VOC to receive up to 14 doses of either GMI 1070 or placebo. All treated patients reached the primary endpoint of resolving their VOC. While VOC typically lasts five to seven days, VOC episodes in patients who received GMI 1070 in the study were two to three days shorter than in those who received placebo. Furthermore, patients who received GMI 1070 required significantly less narcotics during their VOC compared to the patients randomized to placebo. In the study, 18 patients discontinued treatment (nine in each patient group) due to adverse events, no improvement at day five, or other reasons, and total adverse event rates were comparable between the groups.  
"If this drug continues to demonstrate efficacy in our ongoing studies, it would be the first drug to actually interrupt the mechanism of VOC," said lead study author Marilyn J. Telen, MD, of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "This would signal a major breakthrough since, even though we have increased our understanding of how these debilitating crises develop, we have not been able to intervene once they happen. This potential new drug would change that." 
Dr. Telen will present this study during an oral presentation at 7:45 a.m. CST on Tuesday, December 10, 2013, in Rooms 343-345 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Targeted Gene Modification in Hematopoietic Stem Cells Using Zing Finger Nucleases (ZFNs): A Potential Treatment for Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia.  
Humans produce different types of hemoglobin - the protein responsible for delivering oxygen in the body - at different points in development. In utero, the human fetus produces fetal hemoglobin. Around the time of birth, newborns begin producing adult hemoglobin. In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia, the gene that encodes for the production of adult hemoglobin is mutated. In SCD, red blood cells take on a characteristic sickle shape, stick together, and block the flow of blood and oxygen through small blood vessels resulting in painful complications. Patients with β-thalassemia do not make red blood cells efficiently, requiring lifetime blood transfusions. While these patients' adult hemoglobin is defective, their fetal hemoglobin gene is perfectly normal and prevents both SCD and β-thalassemia until it is switched off during development. Stimulating the switch from adult back to fetal hemoglobin to compensate for defective adult hemoglobin represents an attractive therapeutic strategy for both diseases.  
Researchers have begun to explore highly targeted approaches to switch off production of defective adult hemoglobin and, instead, switch on the gene responsible for producing normal fetal hemoglobin in patients with SCD and β-thalassemia. In this study, investigators used a naturally occurring class of protein called zinc fingers to generate specially designed zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) targeting specific genes involved in the switch from fetal to adult globin synthesis. They hypothesized that the ZFNs could be used to change the genetic sequence of the hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells (HSCs) from SCD or β-thalassemia patients and enable them to produce normal fetal hemoglobin. In the laboratory, investigators delivered the ZFNs into human HSCs and observed both in the case of SCD and β-thalassemia that fetal hemoglobin production increased. Investigators then scaled up this approach on a large preparation of HSCs sufficient to treat a patient and observed an identical outcome, suggesting this approach may be ready for human trials. Finally, investigators transplanted the corrected cells into mice, and observed that they differentiated in to the expected blood cell types and remained present in the mice at all study points tested, verifying their ability to survive and function as a source of new blood cells in the body. 
"The idea of engineering natural proteins to change the gene sequence of hematopoietic stem cells to allow for the production of normal hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia is enormously exciting," said lead study author Fyodor Urnov, PhD, of Sangamo Biosciences in Richmond, Calif. "The fact that we can use the same approach to address both diseases highlights the significant potential of this approach to help many people worldwide."
Dr. Urnov will present this study during an oral presentation at 3:00 p.m. CST on Monday, December 9, 2013 in Rooms 343-345 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.  
Using Forced Chromatin Looping to Overcome Developmental Silencing of Embryonic and Fetal β-Type Globin Genes in Adult Erythroid Cells [433] 
A potential strategy for replacing unhealthy adult hemoglobin with healthy fetal hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia takes advantage of a normal process called chromatin looping, which takes place when the locus control region (LCR), a cluster of regulatory DNA elements, physically contacts genes that activate hemoglobin production via a looping mechanism and turns them on. 
In this study, investigators sought to direct this chromatin loop away from the adult globin genes and instead turn on fetal globin genes to stimulate the production of normal fetal hemoglobin. Elevated levels of fetal hemoglobin have long been known to ameliorate the clinical course of SCD and some forms of β-thalassemia. Using synthetic proteins called zinc fingers (ZFs), investigators redirected the chromatin loop to activate embryonic globin genes in mice and fetal globin genes in humans. Specifically, the researchers designed ZFs that would bind to the part of the LCR that initiates embryonic gene transcription, fused them to protein elements previously known to be involved in chromatin loop formation, and introduced them into an adult mouse red blood cell line that normally produces nearly 100 percent adult β globin. This led to marked activation of embryonic globin production that was dependent on chromatin looping. The authors then employed the same approach in human cells, where they used ZFs to create a chromatin loop connecting the fetal globin genes with the LCR. This led to a striking increase in fetal globin, accounting for nearly 90 percent of total globin production.
"We have opened up a new potential therapeutic avenue by forcing chromatin loops to increase fetal hemoglobin production so it overtakes existing mutated adult hemoglobin," said primary investigator Gerd Blobel, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "There is a tremendous interest in this field to raise fetal globin genes in people who have sickle cell disease or certain forms of β-thalassemia, which can significantly improve their condition."

Dr. Rupon will present this study during an oral presentation at 2:45 p.m. CST on Monday, December 9, 2013 in Rooms 343-345 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.


Read more: Researchers Explore New Cures For Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia | Medindia http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-explore-new-cures-for-sickle-cell-disease-and-thalassemia-129083-1.htm#ixzz2nJjiCyoP
 

Magical Millets for Your Health

Nutritional Significance of Millets
More people are becoming increasingly health conscious and choose healthy food options. Millets are far more nutrient dense than wheat and rice. They are tasty and easily available. Since they are highly under-consumed, we should make efforts to incorporate them in our daily menus in the form of rotis, breads or other food preparations.
Millets like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), or barley have always been stereotyped as the grains for the underprivileged. They are associated with either seeds given to birds or thick rotis to eat for a rural event or a dish to be had occasionally.
Fortunately, millets are gradually acquiring importance. People are more and more becoming aware of the nutritional benefits of millets. Plus, seeing them on the racks of health stores has motivated many a person to consume millets more frequently.
If we were to draw a bar graph comparing the nutrient content of millets and wheat or rice, the millet bar would tower to a much greater extent. For example, the calcium content in finger millet (ragi) is nearly 350mg for 100g whereas in wheat and rice it is even below 50mg.
A few millets are eaten in the form of grains but most are pound into flour and then used to make a range of dishes. Although adding bran and soy flour to wheat would give it extra fiber and protein but it will not increase the content of minerals and B-vitamins. Nutritionists are now advising their clients to consume multigrain flour rotis and breads or switch to millets because of their high nutrient density. Due to the high fiber content they also aid healthy weight loss. For example, instead of two wheat chappatis one can easily do with consuming just one bajra roti or one multi flour chapatti with added bran.
Nowadays range of breads made from millets and premixed flours of jowar, bajra, wheat, bengal gram flour, and soya are also available. We just need to know their nutrient content to motivate ourselves to consume them on daily basis.
 

Johns Hopkins Research Finds Membrane Enzymes 'Stop and Frisk' Proteins Indiscriminately

The inner workings of an important class of enzymes located inside the outer envelopes of cells have been detailed for the first time by researchers at The Johns Hopkins University.  
Much to their surprise, they report, these protein cutters, called rhomboid proteases, are entirely different than nearly every other type of enzyme studied, showing no attraction to the proteins they cut and being extremely slow in making their cuts.
The researchers say their findings may explain why efforts to design drugs targeting the enzymes, which are involved in Parkinson's disease and parasite infections, have so far failed. A summary of their research will be published in the journal Cell on Dec. 5.
"The properties that would be seen as a problem for most enzymes are precisely what give rhomboid proteases their unique function in the cell," says Sinisa Urban, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular biology and genetics at the school of medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "Our results indicate that to catch and cut all unstable proteins in cell membranes, rhomboid proteases must 'stop and frisk' all of them indiscriminately, and their cut rate must be slow enough to allow stable proteins to escape without injury."
Enzymes are essentially proteins that modify molecules, such as other proteins. In comparing enzymes, scientists analyze their efficiency, which depends on two factors: the "magnetism" or attraction between an enzyme and its "prey" and the speed with which the enzyme makes its modifications.
Most enzymes work in a watery environment, which makes them relatively easy to study in laboratories. However, the oily layer of fat molecules that creates a boundary between the inside and outside of a cell is a drastically different environment. It is thicker; it lacks water, which is usually required for enzymes to work; and it is two-dimensional, which limits the positioning of enzymes and their prey. Despite these differences, many researchers had assumed that all enzymes worked in the same way, whether they resided in watery or oily environments.
To explore that assumption, Urban's team needed to test the speed of rhomboid proteases. But Seth Dickey, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, explains that measuring the speed of a membrane enzyme the traditional way was something like having people begin a race inside a mile-long tunnel where it can't be seen. "We didn't have the tools to allow us to see the beginning of the race, when the enzymes are fastest and just starting their work," he says.
To overcome this difficulty, Urban's team first synchronized the enzymes by setting up their "race" under acidic conditions, which inactivates rhomboid proteases. In this way, the researchers were able to turn the enzyme off and keep it off until they neutralized the acidity when they were ready to begin monitoring the race.
What the team witnessed were among the slowest enzymes ever, Urban says. They took more than two and a half minutes to make each cut, whereas most enzymes take only hundredths of a second. In addition to being slow, the enzymes showed no attraction to some proteins over others, as most enzymes do.
While these findings were surprising, Urban thinks there is a reasonable explanation. Normally, rhomboid proteases are probably acting as quality control enzymes that cut up unstable proteins before they can do any damage to the organism, he suggests. In watery environments, unstable proteins are quite wobbly and are easily recognized and destroyed by other quality control enzymes. Recognizing unstable proteins in oily environments is more difficult because fat molecules support the proteins and give them the appearance of being stable.
From their previous work, the team knows that rhomboid proteases resemble water-filled barrels with side gates for protein entry. Their latest work suggests that stable and unstable proteins alike enter the side gate. Stable proteins likely remain intact and drift back out into the membrane before the enzyme's slow scissors have a chance to clip them, while unstable proteins start to wobble in the watery interior and have a hard time exiting the enzyme's barrel. There, the enzyme will clip them, allowing the cell to recycle them for spare parts.
"We hope this new enzyme synchronizing technique and the insights we made will be widely applied to all membrane-embedded enzymes," says Urban.
He notes that membrane-embedded enzymes include enzymes that have been implicated in a wide variety of diseases: from Alzheimer's disease to leukemia to viral, bacterial and fungal infections. For example, gamma secretase is a membrane enzyme in charge of processing the protein beta-amyloid. Clipping beta-amyloid in the wrong place seems to lead to clumps of the protein in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Urban says that a proper understanding of membrane enzymes is paramount to finding drugs that modify their behavior.         
Source:Howard Hughes Medical Institute/John Hopkin Research Institute

Cancerous Cells Use a Different Pathway for Genome Duplication

The process of genome replication occurs at structures called 'replication forks'. The latter are equipped with enzymes and move along the separated DNA strands. In tumour cells, the replication forks are frequently damaged, giving rise to breaks in the double-stranded DNA. An international study led by Thanos Halazonetis, Professor at the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), has revealed how cancer cells repair the damaged replication forks in order to complete their division. The pathway used is known as 'break-induced replication' (BIR) and is common in cancer cells, but rare in healthy cells. The study described in the journal Science thus reveals a significant difference between these two types of cells, which its authors will attempt to exploit for therapeutic purposes.For one of our cells to give birth to two daughter cells, it must first replicate its DNA which consists of around 6.4 billion pairs of nucleotides. The double-stranded DNA opens up like a zipper, producing a 'replication fork' upon which a group of enzymes move about. Present in different regions in the DNA, the forks move with the progression of the replication.
Cell proliferation is controlled in particular by specific genes known as proto-oncogenes. Their overexpression or mutation into oncogenes triggers an uncontrolled proliferation and promotes cancer development. 'In tumour cells, oncogenes induce a collapse or even a rupture of the replication forks. This causes the detachment of enzymatic replication complexes and a break of the double-stranded DNA', explains Thanos Halazonetis, Professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Geneva.The same mechanism in yeast and malignant cells In collaboration with the universities of Helsinki (Finland), Duisburg-Essen (Germany), Brandeis (USA) and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden), the geneticist's team has determined how the damaged forks are repaired so that replication can resume. The researchers have analysed 690 genes involved in DNA metabolism. 'We have set up a library of molecules known as siRNAs which are capable of targeting genes individually by preventing them from being expressed', reports Lorenzo Costantino, post-doctoral fellow in the team and a main author of the article. These genetic hooks have allowed the researchers to isolate several genes essential for the repair of damaged forks, including POLD3 and POLD4. These two genes encode proteins involved in DNA replication and repair. 'Thanks to these first hits, we were able to identify a different repair process known as 'break-induced replication' (BIR), which was known in yeast, but not in humans', notes Sotirios Sotiriou, doctoral researcher of the team and co-author.Aberrant duplication of tumour DNA The biologists have found that the BIR repair process, rarely employed in healthy cells, is very common in human tumour cells. Furthermore, the use of this intracellular repair pathway explains how abnormal duplications of portions of the genome observed in cancer cells occur. The genome's instability is in fact essential to tumour development as it allows for the accumulation of the prerequisite mutations. 'Different proteins, such as POLD3 and POLD4, are recruited for BIR. Our next objective is to identify all the other biochemical players involved in this intracellular pathway in order to determine which ones could be a therapeutic target', explains Thanos Halazonetis.

Brussels Sprouts Increase Fertility in Both Men and Women

Couples who are trying to start a baby should eat a diet rich in Brussels sprouts as it increases the chances of a successful conception.
According to Neema Savvides, a nutritional therapist at the Harley Street Fertility Clinic, around nine percent of all conceptions take place during Christmas period and while parties and festive tipples are majorly responsible, sprouts also play a key role as they contain a phytonutrient called di-indolylmethane that can help women absorb balanced levels of the hormone oestrogen.
"Believe it or not, this green micro cabbage is a baby making super food. Firstly, they are bursting with folic acid which is essential for boosting fertility in both men and women. This vitamin rich source also increases sperm levels and helps line the womb with the right nutrients raising sperm survival chances. Another benefit of this folic rich food is that it also helps to decrease the risk of miscarriages and birth defects", Savvides said.
Source:
           

Epilepsy Drug Levels Could be Monitored by Home Testing Devices

 However, there are no FDA-approved devices that provide an accurate means of detection for generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), or convulsions, during activities of daily living. Two new studies presented at the American Epilepsy Society''s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. provide data that warrants the development of non-invasive devices with the capability to signal the onset of an epileptic seizure and could be crucial to optimal patient dosing.
Interim analysis that aims to validate a seizure detection software algorithm was presented to support the development of a non-invasive detection device with the ability to measure electromyography (EMG) signals (Poster 2.037/ Abstract 1750832). Patients in this study were asked to wear an arm-device that detected all GTCS within 30 seconds of arm motor action. Twenty-nine patients with a history of seizures were enrolled in the study while in the hospital Epilepsy Monitoring Unit for routine EEG monitoring. 
"Our study demonstrates the feasibility to detect generalized tonic-clonic seizures with an arm device analyzing muscle activity during daily living. We were able to capture the GTCS through analysis of EMG signals and confirmed these seizures using video-EEG (VEEG) recordings. The software algorithm was optimized using baseline measurements of maximum voluntary muscle contraction (MVC). In every instance that a GTCS was recorded by vEEG, it was also captured by EMG," said Akos Szabo, MD, the lead researcher of the study.
The results determined that the seizure detection algorithm appeared superior to the other devices currently under investigation or currently commercialized. No false alarms were triggered during activities of normal living. 
In a related study conducted by an interdisciplinary team that includes clinician and research experts in epilepsy from the University of Texas Houston, and bioengineers from Rice University, programmable Bio-Nano-Chips (p-BNCs) are presented here in their first application as a non-invasive, repeatable and adaptable alternative to serial serum antiepileptic drug measurements (Abstract 1750229). This study provides a report on progress towards the development of a realistic saliva-based BNC system demonstrating proof of concept of simultaneous detection and quantitation of two commonly used antiepileptic drugs - phenytoin (PHT) and phenobarbital (PHB). Advantages offered by this technology include the potential for the patients or their caregiver to monitor the levels of antiepileptic drugs in their system, always in a non-invasive, cost effective manner outside the doctor''s office.
"These bio-nano-chips, or "labs on a chip" as we like to call them, are a new generation of compact, programmable chemical processors that will satisfy the urgent need for non-invasive, adaptable and cost effective alternatives to blood test," said Giridhar P. Kalamangalam, MD.
The BNC calibration signals are robust and provide ultra-low reliable limits of detection, and compare favorably to the in-lab reference or gold standards. Further work aims to produce a practical point of care diagnostic, eventually a hand-held device hosting a disposable, credit card-sized lab card that will empower patients to monitor drug intake on their own.
Editor''s Note: Authors of these studies will be available at a press briefing at 1:30 pm (EST), Monday, December 9, in the onsite press room, Room 209A, Level 2 of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The call-in number for off-site journalists is 1-605-475-4000, passcode 521653#.
Source:American epilepsy society
About the American Epilepsy Society
The American Epilepsy Society, based in West Hartford, Conn., seeks to advance and improve the treatment of epilepsy through the promotion of research and education for healthcare professionals. Society membership includes epileptologists and other

Vitamin D may Help Combat MS

A team of American researchers has found that vitamin D can be effective in combating multiple sclerosis (MS) as it can prevent damage-causing immune cells from entering the brain, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals. 
The study has been conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who induced a rodent form of MS in a group of mice and simultaneously gave them a high dose of vitamin D and found no symptoms of the disease. 
They also detected high levels of immune cells, known as T cells in the bloodstream of the mice but very few in their brains and spinal cords, while generally the cells are used to seek and destroy the fatty protein myelin in the brain.
"With this research, we learned vitamin D might be working not by altering the function of damaging immune cells but by preventing their journey into the brain. If we are right, and we can exploit Mother Nature's natural protective mechanism, an approach like this could be as effective as and safer than existing drugs that treat MS", lead researcher Anne Gocke said.
Source:John Hopkins University School of Medicine

Hair Straighteners Cause Hair-raising Experiences

Young ones are three times more likely to be injured in the period following Christmas, the study revealed. Hospitals have witnessed an increase in number of children availing treatment for burns caused by hair straighteners.
Children below two years of age are the ones who are more likely to be injured. Therefore, it is better to use heat resistant pouches to reduce the risk of burns.
Dr Julia Sarginson, who led the research at the burns centre at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital, said: 'Hair-straightening devices can cause significant injuries. Our study shows that infants and toddlers are at most risk and these are preventable burns that warrant our attention.'
With the fashion for straight hair, hair straighteners have become popular and easily available. They also do not cost much, so it is easy to own them.
Children below two could consider it a toy because it looks or is shaped like one. Some of them come in pretty colors with attractive doll stickers which can draw children. Parents must keep these devices away from children's reach.
Dr Amber Young, a consultant pediatric anesthetist at Frenchay Hospital Burns Unit in Bristol said, 'There has to be a health warning about the use of straighteners - and these products should certainly not be marketed to children.'
Source:Bristol's Frenchay Hospital

Central Analgesic Mechanism of Acupuncture for Migraine Explored

However, a single acupuncture stimulus cannot be indicative of the cumulative effects of acupuncture treatment. Prof. Fanrong Liang and colleagues from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine recruited migraine sufferers receiving 1 month of acupuncture treatment and explored the central analgesic mechanism of the cumulative effects of acupuncture for migraine. The aim of their study was to examine changes in brain functional activity and central networks in subjects with migraine undergoing acupuncture at Shaoyang uncommon acupoints. This trial has been registered on www.clinicaltrial.gov and provides a further explanation of the central analgesic mechanism by which acupuncture at Shaoyang acupoints treats migraine.
Source:These findings are published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 28, 2013).

News Video:New treatments for common autoimmune diseases

Source:Fox News

Gene therapy scores big wins against blood cancers

In one of the biggest advances against leukemia and other blood cancers in many years, doctors are reporting unprecedented success by using gene therapy to transform patients' blood cells into soldiers that seek and destroy cancer.

A few patients with one type of leukemia were given this one-time, experimental therapy several years ago and some remain cancer-free today. Now, at least six research groups have treated more than 120 patients with many types of blood and bone marrow cancers, with stunning results.
"It's really exciting," said Dr. Janis Abkowitz, blood diseases chief at the University of Washington in Seattle and president of the American Society of Hematology. "You can take a cell that belongs to a patient and engineer it to be an attack cell."
In one study, all five adults and 19 of 22 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, had a complete remission, meaning no cancer could be found after treatment, although a few have relapsed since then.
These were gravely ill patients out of options. Some had tried multiple bone marrow transplants and up to 10 types of chemotherapy or other treatments.
Cancer was so advanced in 8-year-old Emily Whitehead of Philipsburg, Pa., that doctors said her major organs would fail within days. She was the first child given the gene therapy and shows no sign of cancer today, nearly two years later.
Results on other patients with myeloma, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, will be reported at the hematology group's conference that starts Saturday in New Orleans.
Doctors say this has the potential to become the first gene therapy approved in the United States and the first for cancer worldwide. Only one gene therapy is approved in Europe, for a rare metabolic disease.
The treatment involves filtering patients' blood to remove millions of white blood cells called T-cells, altering them in the lab to contain a gene that targets cancer, and returning them to the patient in infusions over three days.
"What we are giving essentially is a living drug" — permanently altered cells that multiply in the body into an army to fight the cancer, said Dr. David Porter, a University of Pennsylvania scientist who led one study.

 

 

Several drug and biotech companies are developing these therapies. Penn has patented its method and licensed it to Switzerland-based Novartis AG. The company is building a research center on the Penn campus in Philadelphia and plans a clinical trial next year that could lead to federal approval of the treatment as soon as 2016.

Talking with the researchers, "there is a sense of making history ... a sense of doing something very unique," said Hervé Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology, the division leading the work.
Lee Greenberger, chief scientific officer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, agreed.
"From our vantage point, this looks like a major advance," he said. "We are seeing powerful responses ... and time will tell how enduring these remissions turn out to be."
The group has given $15 million to various researchers testing this approach. Nearly 49,000 new cases of leukemia, 70,000 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 22,000 cases of myeloma are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2013.
Many patients are successfully treated with chemotherapy or bone marrow or stem cell transplants, but transplants are risky and donors can't always be found. So far, gene therapy has been tried on people who were in danger of dying because other treatments failed.
The gene therapy must be made individually for each patient, and lab costs now are about $25,000, without a profit margin. That's still less than many drugs to treat these diseases and far less than a transplant.
The treatment can cause severe flu-like symptoms and other side effects, but these have been reversible and temporary, doctors say.
Penn doctors have treated the most cases so far — 59. Of the first 14 patients with CLL, four had complete remissions, four had partial ones and the rest did not respond. However, some partial responders continue to see their cancer shrink a year after treatment.

 

 

"That's very unique to this kind of therapy" and gives hope the treatment may still purge the cancer, said Porter. Another 18 CLL patients were treated and half have responded so far.
Penn doctors also treated 27 ALL patients. All five adults and 19 of the 22 children had complete remissions, an "extraordinarily high" success rate, said Dr. Stephan Grupp at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Six have since relapsed, though, and doctors are pondering a second gene therapy attempt.
At the National Cancer Institute, Dr. James Kochenderfer and others have treated 11 patients with lymphoma and four with CLL, starting roughly two years ago. Six had complete remissions, six had partial ones, one has stable disease and it's too soon to tell for the rest.
Ten other patients were given gene therapy to try to kill leukemia or lymphoma remaining after bone marrow transplants. These patients got infusions of gene-treated blood cells from their transplant donors instead of using their own blood cells. One had a complete remission and three others had significant reduction of their disease.
"They've had every treatment known to man. To get any responses is really encouraging," Kochenderfer said. The cancer institute is working with a Los Angeles biotech firm, Kite Pharma Inc., on its gene therapy approach.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will report on 13 patients with ALL; the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will report about two-dozen patients with ALL or lymphoma, and Baylor College of Medicine will give results on 10 patients with lymphoma or myeloma.
Patients are encouraged that relatively few have relapsed.
"We're still nervous every day because they can't tell us what's going to happen tomorrow," said Tom Whitehead, 8-year-old Emily's father.
Doug Olson, 67, a scientist for a medical device maker, shows no sign of cancer since gene therapy in September 2010 for CLL he had had since 1996.
"Within one month he was in complete remission. That was just completely unexpected," said Porter, his doctor at Penn.
Olson ran his first half-marathon in January and no longer worries about how long his remission will last.
"I decided I'm cured. I'm not going to let that hang over my head anymore," he said.
Source:AP

Do Cosmic Rays Evolve Consciousness & Transform DNA?

25 years ago in the year of 1987, something happened and the world felt it. The first globally synchronized meditation –commonly known as the first “Harmonic Convergence” – took place. Tens of thousands of people gathered all around the world at sacred sites around the planet to co-ordinate their intention. What intention? José Arguelles, who initiated the meditation put it this way:

There comes a point when things have to change. A vibration signal was sent out. Where the signal was coming from – whether it was coming from our genetic coding, whether it was coming from the Earth, whether it was coming from outer space, or whether it was coming from all of those – this signal went out and people responded to a signal. It is very much like when a species gets a signal to change the direction of its migration pattern.

It was from that year on that the human mind began to open up more than it ever has before. Even though the status quo resisted these new ideas, more and more people began seeing through the old paradigm of war, environmental destruction, poverty, slavery and materialism, and instead opened their eyes and minds to a more wholistic worldview. People began questioning the many structures of society, and suppressed information began to resurface and become available to the masses. Ever since 1987, human consciousness has experienced a noticeable acceleration.

Now what is this all about? And why 26 years ago? Is this just some new age speculative talk? As much as world change is not a concept that needs to be backed up by science to be recognized as important, interesting studies have shown that this evolutionary movement isn’t just a coincidence or a simple initiative of a few individuals. The whole cosmos seems to be in.

Cosmic Rays and Human DNA
Before delving into the significance of the year 1987, let’s explore what scientists have discovered to be a key factor in the evolution of life: Cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are light waves of a very high frequency that have been shown to transform human DNA –therefore affecting human evolution. In fact, an analysis of ice cores extracted from polar stations in Greenland and Antartica have demonstrated that about 12,000 years ago and 34,000 years ago, an incredible increase in cosmic rays occurred. Scientists were astonished to find that both times correspond to periods of great leaps in human evolution in terms of art, technology and state of consciousness. Andrew Collins, a science and history writer who has studied the effects of cosmic rays, said:

The effects of cosmic rays on our own genetics has led to mutations within the body, within the mind, the brain, that has altered our perception of reality… The correspondence between ancient cosmic ray levels and sudden evolutionary leaps and human technology and art are facts.

Even as far back as 1973, famous science writer and astronomer Carl Sagan spoke about how cosmic rays cause DNA mutations and would have affected human evolution.

Cosmic rays are passing through the Earth and our bodies all the time due to ambient processes of the cosmos – hence why there is always a slow and gradual evolution taking place. However, in 1987 – the same year when a spark of change was being felt across the world –something different took place. A Supernova occurred close enough to the Earth that it was visible to the naked eye. Cool, but what does that have to do with anything?

A Supernova is a rare stellar explosion so powerful that its radiation can briefly outshine an entire galaxy, releasing as much energy as the sun is expected to emit over its whole life. What type of energy are supernova’s known to emit? You guessed it: Cosmic rays. 1987’s supernova – scientifically referred to as Supernova 1987A – propelled evolution-inducing cosmic rays throughout the universe that have reached planet Earth and are still affecting us to this day. In 1987, an evolution in consciousness began – followed by a growing global movement for change. Coincidence or not, the connection between rising frequencies and rising consciousness is factual.

Are you aware that a Shift in human consciousness is occurring, even as you read these words, that employs celestial triggers such as supernovas and Earth’s alignment with Galactic Center in the years leading up to 2012, to trigger the evolution of our species? – Sol Luckman

Around and after the year of 1987, many other celestial events have occurred; the most known being a massive increase in solar flares (also producing cosmic rays) and a rapid decrease of the Earth’s magnetic field – both of which are happening to this day. The Earth’s magnetic field is known to act as a shield against high frequencies… so what happens when it weakens? All the goodness of high frequencies seeps right in. Now many would think this is crazy because of the common belief that they are dangerous, however the purpose of cosmic rays and other high frequencies isn’t to fry us alive; but to gradually instigate the evolution of our DNA; the blueprint of our level of consciousness.

According to medical science, we have 2 strands of DNA and 10 strands of “junk” DNA which are believed to have no purpose whatsoever. But what if this so-called “junk” DNA is merely dormant DNA? Studies show that our dormant DNA is now reactivating.

Dr. Berrenda Fox, physiologist and naturopath (who was later on “silenced” by the government and given a bad name to suppress such information) said it herself:

Everyone has one double helix of DNA. What we are finding is that there are other helixes that are being formed. In the double helix there are two strands of DNA coiled into a spiral. It is my understanding that we will be developing twelve helixes. During this time, which seems to have started maybe 5 to 20 years ago, we have been mutating. This is the scientific explanation. It is a mutation of our species into something for which the end result is not yet known.

I am working with three children right now who have three DNA helixes… Some adults that I have tested actually do have another DNA helix forming. Some are even getting their third. These people are going through a lot of major shifts in their consciousness and physical bodies, because it is all one. In my opinion, the Earth and everyone here is raising its vibration…

A lot of the old paradigms can no longer exist, yet are fighting to be maintained, but there is no doubt that it is changing. Those of us who have chose to live at this time are the forerunners of almost a new species.

Source:Collective evolution

25 years ago in the year of 1987, something happened and the world felt it. The first globally synchronized meditation –commonly known as the first “Harmonic Convergence” – took place. Tens of thousands of people gathered all around the world at sacred sites around the planet to co-ordinate their intention. What intention? José Arguelles, who initiated the meditation put it this way:

There comes a point when things have to change. A vibration signal was sent out. Where the signal was coming from – whether it was coming from our genetic coding, whether it was coming from the Earth, whether it was coming from outer space, or whether it was coming from all of those – this signal went out and people responded to a signal. It is very much like when a species gets a signal to change the direction of its migration pattern.

It was from that year on that the human mind began to open up more than it ever has before. Even though the status quo resisted these new ideas, more and more people began seeing through the old paradigm of war, environmental destruction, poverty, slavery and materialism, and instead opened their eyes and minds to a more wholistic worldview. People began questioning the many structures of society, and suppressed information began to resurface and become available to the masses. Ever since 1987, human consciousness has experienced a noticeable acceleration.

Now what is this all about? And why 26 years ago? Is this just some new age speculative talk? As much as world change is not a concept that needs to be backed up by science to be recognized as important, interesting studies have shown that this evolutionary movement isn’t just a coincidence or a simple initiative of a few individuals. The whole cosmos seems to be in.

Cosmic Rays and Human DNA
Before delving into the significance of the year 1987, let’s explore what scientists have discovered to be a key factor in the evolution of life: Cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are light waves of a very high frequency that have been shown to transform human DNA –therefore affecting human evolution. In fact, an analysis of ice cores extracted from polar stations in Greenland and Antartica have demonstrated that about 12,000 years ago and 34,000 years ago, an incredible increase in cosmic rays occurred. Scientists were astonished to find that both times correspond to periods of great leaps in human evolution in terms of art, technology and state of consciousness. Andrew Collins, a science and history writer who has studied the effects of cosmic rays, said:

The effects of cosmic rays on our own genetics has led to mutations within the body, within the mind, the brain, that has altered our perception of reality… The correspondence between ancient cosmic ray levels and sudden evolutionary leaps and human technology and art are facts.

Even as far back as 1973, famous science writer and astronomer Carl Sagan spoke about how cosmic rays cause DNA mutations and would have affected human evolution.

Cosmic rays are passing through the Earth and our bodies all the time due to ambient processes of the cosmos – hence why there is always a slow and gradual evolution taking place. However, in 1987 – the same year when a spark of change was being felt across the world –something different took place. A Supernova occurred close enough to the Earth that it was visible to the naked eye. Cool, but what does that have to do with anything?

A Supernova is a rare stellar explosion so powerful that its radiation can briefly outshine an entire galaxy, releasing as much energy as the sun is expected to emit over its whole life. What type of energy are supernova’s known to emit? You guessed it: Cosmic rays. 1987’s supernova – scientifically referred to as Supernova 1987A – propelled evolution-inducing cosmic rays throughout the universe that have reached planet Earth and are still affecting us to this day. In 1987, an evolution in consciousness began – followed by a growing global movement for change. Coincidence or not, the connection between rising frequencies and rising consciousness is factual.

Are you aware that a Shift in human consciousness is occurring, even as you read these words, that employs celestial triggers such as supernovas and Earth’s alignment with Galactic Center in the years leading up to 2012, to trigger the evolution of our species? – Sol Luckman

Around and after the year of 1987, many other celestial events have occurred; the most known being a massive increase in solar flares (also producing cosmic rays) and a rapid decrease of the Earth’s magnetic field – both of which are happening to this day. The Earth’s magnetic field is known to act as a shield against high frequencies… so what happens when it weakens? All the goodness of high frequencies seeps right in. Now many would think this is crazy because of the common belief that they are dangerous, however the purpose of cosmic rays and other high frequencies isn’t to fry us alive; but to gradually instigate the evolution of our DNA; the blueprint of our level of consciousness.

According to medical science, we have 2 strands of DNA and 10 strands of “junk” DNA which are believed to have no purpose whatsoever. But what if this so-called “junk” DNA is merely dormant DNA? Studies show that our dormant DNA is now reactivating.

Dr. Berrenda Fox, physiologist and naturopath (who was later on “silenced” by the government and given a bad name to suppress such information) said it herself:

Everyone has one double helix of DNA. What we are finding is that there are other helixes that are being formed. In the double helix there are two strands of DNA coiled into a spiral. It is my understanding that we will be developing twelve helixes. During this time, which seems to have started maybe 5 to 20 years ago, we have been mutating. This is the scientific explanation. It is a mutation of our species into something for which the end result is not yet known.
I am working with three children right now who have three DNA helixes… Some adults that I have tested actually do have another DNA helix forming. Some are even getting their third. These people are going through a lot of major shifts in their consciousness and physical bodies, because it is all one. In my opinion, the Earth and everyone here is raising its vibration…
A lot of the old paradigms can no longer exist, yet are fighting to be maintained, but there is no doubt that it is changing. Those of us who have chose to live at this time are the forerunners of almost a new species.

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/12/06/cosmic-rays-the-evolution-of-consciousness/#sthash.oGAcv8jr.dpuf

25 years ago in the year of 1987, something happened and the world felt it. The first globally synchronized meditation –commonly known as the first “Harmonic Convergence” – took place. Tens of thousands of people gathered all around the world at sacred sites around the planet to co-ordinate their intention. What intention? José Arguelles, who initiated the meditation put it this way:

There comes a point when things have to change. A vibration signal was sent out. Where the signal was coming from – whether it was coming from our genetic coding, whether it was coming from the Earth, whether it was coming from outer space, or whether it was coming from all of those – this signal went out and people responded to a signal. It is very much like when a species gets a signal to change the direction of its migration pattern.

It was from that year on that the human mind began to open up more than it ever has before. Even though the status quo resisted these new ideas, more and more people began seeing through the old paradigm of war, environmental destruction, poverty, slavery and materialism, and instead opened their eyes and minds to a more wholistic worldview. People began questioning the many structures of society, and suppressed information began to resurface and become available to the masses. Ever since 1987, human consciousness has experienced a noticeable acceleration.

Now what is this all about? And why 26 years ago? Is this just some new age speculative talk? As much as world change is not a concept that needs to be backed up by science to be recognized as important, interesting studies have shown that this evolutionary movement isn’t just a coincidence or a simple initiative of a few individuals. The whole cosmos seems to be in.

Cosmic Rays and Human DNA
Before delving into the significance of the year 1987, let’s explore what scientists have discovered to be a key factor in the evolution of life: Cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are light waves of a very high frequency that have been shown to transform human DNA –therefore affecting human evolution. In fact, an analysis of ice cores extracted from polar stations in Greenland and Antartica have demonstrated that about 12,000 years ago and 34,000 years ago, an incredible increase in cosmic rays occurred. Scientists were astonished to find that both times correspond to periods of great leaps in human evolution in terms of art, technology and state of consciousness. Andrew Collins, a science and history writer who has studied the effects of cosmic rays, said:

The effects of cosmic rays on our own genetics has led to mutations within the body, within the mind, the brain, that has altered our perception of reality… The correspondence between ancient cosmic ray levels and sudden evolutionary leaps and human technology and art are facts.

Even as far back as 1973, famous science writer and astronomer Carl Sagan spoke about how cosmic rays cause DNA mutations and would have affected human evolution.

Cosmic rays are passing through the Earth and our bodies all the time due to ambient processes of the cosmos – hence why there is always a slow and gradual evolution taking place. However, in 1987 – the same year when a spark of change was being felt across the world –something different took place. A Supernova occurred close enough to the Earth that it was visible to the naked eye. Cool, but what does that have to do with anything?

A Supernova is a rare stellar explosion so powerful that its radiation can briefly outshine an entire galaxy, releasing as much energy as the sun is expected to emit over its whole life. What type of energy are supernova’s known to emit? You guessed it: Cosmic rays. 1987’s supernova – scientifically referred to as Supernova 1987A – propelled evolution-inducing cosmic rays throughout the universe that have reached planet Earth and are still affecting us to this day. In 1987, an evolution in consciousness began – followed by a growing global movement for change. Coincidence or not, the connection between rising frequencies and rising consciousness is factual.

Are you aware that a Shift in human consciousness is occurring, even as you read these words, that employs celestial triggers such as supernovas and Earth’s alignment with Galactic Center in the years leading up to 2012, to trigger the evolution of our species? – Sol Luckman

Around and after the year of 1987, many other celestial events have occurred; the most known being a massive increase in solar flares (also producing cosmic rays) and a rapid decrease of the Earth’s magnetic field – both of which are happening to this day. The Earth’s magnetic field is known to act as a shield against high frequencies… so what happens when it weakens? All the goodness of high frequencies seeps right in. Now many would think this is crazy because of the common belief that they are dangerous, however the purpose of cosmic rays and other high frequencies isn’t to fry us alive; but to gradually instigate the evolution of our DNA; the blueprint of our level of consciousness.

According to medical science, we have 2 strands of DNA and 10 strands of “junk” DNA which are believed to have no purpose whatsoever. But what if this so-called “junk” DNA is merely dormant DNA? Studies show that our dormant DNA is now reactivating.

Dr. Berrenda Fox, physiologist and naturopath (who was later on “silenced” by the government and given a bad name to suppress such information) said it herself:

Everyone has one double helix of DNA. What we are finding is that there are other helixes that are being formed. In the double helix there are two strands of DNA coiled into a spiral. It is my understanding that we will be developing twelve helixes. During this time, which seems to have started maybe 5 to 20 years ago, we have been mutating. This is the scientific explanation. It is a mutation of our species into something for which the end result is not yet known.
I am working with three children right now who have three DNA helixes… Some adults that I have tested actually do have another DNA helix forming. Some are even getting their third. These people are going through a lot of major shifts in their consciousness and physical bodies, because it is all one. In my opinion, the Earth and everyone here is raising its vibration…
A lot of the old paradigms can no longer exist, yet are fighting to be maintained, but there is no doubt that it is changing. Those of us who have chose to live at this time are the forerunners of almost a new species.

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/12/06/cosmic-rays-the-evolution-of-consciousness/#sthash.oGAcv8jr.dpuf