Radionuclide Therapy Could Be A Viable Treatment For Early-Stage Breast Cancer,

Researchers have identified another potential therapy for early-stage breast cancer.

Radionuclide therapy is a systemic (or whole-body) treatment that travels through the body via the bloodstream, like chemotherapy does. However, the radioactive substances in the treatment target  diseased cells in particular, so side effects are greatly reduced (unlike chemotherapy).

Roughly 20% of five-year breast cancer survivors will experience metastatic breast cancer sometime within five to ten years after treatment for the first occurrence of breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer occurs when cancerous cells from the initial tumor break off and gain access to the circulatory system. From there, they can travel anywhere in the body. These cancerous cells are called  disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). DTCs may immediately develop into tumors elsewhere in the body, or they may stay dormant for several years before suddenly becoming active.

Researchers have found that radionuclide therapy can accurately target these DTCs and delay or stop their growth in early-stage breast cancer. Radionuclide therapy utilizes the alpha-particle-emitting radiopharmaceutical 223RaCl2 (Radium-233 dichloride). Not only can the treatment target DTCs, but it also is able to find and attack cancer cells that are outside of the immediate radiation field, called  bystander cells.

The study was published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Researchers split female mice into three groups. First, each group was given either 0 kBq/kg (the control group), 50kBq/kg, or 600 kBq/kg of 223RaCl2 to create bystander conditions. Then, 24 hours later, the bone marrow of the mice were injected with human breast cancer cells that were either estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) or triple negative (which is not fueled by estrogen, progesterone, or HER2). The tumor cell count was measured on day one and then once a week after that to track growth.
Researchers found that DTCs were present in mice with both types of breast cancer. They found that mice with ER+ breast cancer had a 7-day growth delay in tumor progression when given 50 kBq/kg of 223RaCl2, and a 65-day growth delay when given 600 kBq/kg. The mice with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) experienced a 10-day growth delay in tumor progression when given 600 kBq/kg. The mice with TNBC who were given 50 kBq/kg experienced no significant difference from the control group.

“The increased magnitude of the bystander effect in this study suggests that higher injected activities may better sterilize undetected dormant or slow-growing DTCs in the bone marrow micro-environment,” said researchers.
Because of these promising results, researchers say it may eventually be an option for certain patients who are in the early stages of breast cancer.

“This study adds to the mounting evidence that radiation-induced bystander effects can play a role in in the design of future treatment plans for radiopharmaceuticals alone or combined with external-beam therapy,” researchers said. “Furthermore, the capacity to target specific cells or tissues in a systemic manner may offer advantages over the use of external beams of radiation for eliciting therapeutic bystander responses.”

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Antioxidants found in green tea can destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Green tea's antioxidant properties are well known but recent research has found that it is also beneficial in getting rid of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It is now a proven fact that antioxidant commonly found in green tea can terminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The findings were published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology in which the researchers found that epigallocatechin (EGCG) can restore the activity of aztreonam, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections caused by the bacterial pathogen -- Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

P. aeruginosa is associated with serious respiratory tract and bloodstream infections and has become resistant to many major classes of antibiotics over the years. Currently, a combination of antibiotics is used to fight P. aeruginosa. However, these infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat, as resistance to last-line antibiotics is being observed.

To assess the synergy of EGCG and aztreonam, researchers conducted in vitro tests to analyse how they interacted with the bacterial pathogen individually and in combination. The team found that the combination of aztreonam and EGCG was significantly more effective at reducing P. aeruginosa numbers than either agent alone.

This synergistic activity was also confirmed in vivo using Galleria mellonella (Greater Wax Moth larvae), with survival rates being significantly higher in those treated with the combination than those treated with EGCG or aztreonam alone. Furthermore, minimal to no toxicity was observed in human skin cells and Galleria mellonella larvae.

Researchers believe that in P. aeruginosa, EGCG may facilitate increased uptake of aztreonam by increasing permeability in the bacteria. Another potential mechanism is EGCG's interference with a biochemical pathway linked to antibiotic susceptibility.

"Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health. Without effective antibiotics, the success of medical treatments will be compromised. Natural products such as EGCG, used in combination with currently licenced antibiotics, maybe a way of improving their effectiveness and clinically useful lifespan," said lead author Dr Jonathan Betts, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey.

"The World Health Organisation has listed antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical threat to human health. We have shown that we can successfully eliminate such threats with the use of natural products, in combination with antibiotics already in use," said Professor Roberto La Ragione, Head of the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey.

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Could green tea reduce resistance to antibiotics?

Green is already known for its antioxidant properties but did you know that it can prove beneficial in getting rid of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Yes! Researchers have discovered that a natural antioxidant commonly found in green tea can help eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The findings were published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology in which the researchers found that epigallocatechin (EGCG) can restore the activity of aztreonam, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections caused by the bacterial pathogen -- Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

P. aeruginosa is associated with serious respiratory tract and bloodstream infections and has become resistant to many major classes of antibiotics over the years.

Currently, a combination of antibiotics is used to fight P. aeruginosa. However, these infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat, as resistance to last-line antibiotics is being observed.
To assess the synergy of EGCG and aztreonam, researchers conducted in vitro tests to analyse how they interacted with the bacterial pathogen individually and in combination.

The team found that the combination of aztreonam and EGCG was significantly more effective at reducing P. aeruginosa numbers than either agent alone.

This synergistic activity was also confirmed in vivo using Galleria mellonella (Greater Wax Moth larvae), with survival rates being significantly higher in those treated with the combination than those treated with EGCG or aztreonam alone. Furthermore, minimal to no toxicity was observed in human skin cells and in Galleria mellonella larvae.

Researchers believe that in P. aeruginosa, EGCG may facilitate increased uptake of aztreonam by increasing permeability in the bacteria. Another potential mechanism is EGCG's interference with a biochemical pathway linked to antibiotic susceptibility.

"Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health. Without effective antibiotics, the success of medical treatments will be compromised. Natural products such as EGCG, used in combination with currently licenced antibiotics, maybe a way of improving their effectiveness and clinically useful lifespan," said lead author .

"The World Health Organisation has listed antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical threat to human health. We have shown that we can successfully eliminate such threats with the use of natural products, in combination with antibiotics already in use," said the Professor.

 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
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Rapid DNA Analysis Helps Diagnose Mystery Diseases

As doctors, we deal with a lot of uncertainty. Often, it is difficult to diagnose what is making a patient sick because symptoms from both infectious and non-infectious diseases can be indistinguishable from each other.

The tried-and-true method for clinicians has been to formulate a list of the most likely possibilities – and narrow that list down by ordering a series of tests. However, despite extensive, state-of-the-art testing in hospitals today, we still can’t diagnose approximately 50% of cases of respiratory infection (pneumonia), bloodstream infection (sepsis), and neurological infection.

I am an infectious diseases physician and microbiologist in the US. But in college I specialised in computer science and bioengineering. Because so many of my current patients never end up with a definitive diagnosis, I became interested in applying my skills to leverage emerging sequencing technology and develop a computational pipeline for analysis of DNA sequencing data, with the ultimate goal of providing more accurate diagnoses.

What is next-generation sequencing?

Researchers have developed a novel clinical diagnostic test that allows millions of DNA sequences to be decoded from a single clinical sample; for example, a tube of cerebrospinal fluid collected from a hospitalized patient via a lumbar puncture, also known as a “spinal tap.” The aim of this test, called “metagenomic next-generation sequencing” (mNGS), is to diagnose mysterious infections in acutely ill patients. 

So far, the bulk of our experience is using this test to diagnose the most severely ill patients with life-threatening infections. However, I envision that as sequencing costs fall, this test could be performed routinely for all patients with suspected infectious syndromes.

This test is called “metagenomic” because DNA from all potential pathogens – bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites – as well as the patient are simultaneously sequenced. We diagnose likely causes of infection by searching for tell-tale traces of DNA from the causative pathogen. 

Currently, the overall turnaround time for the test is 48-72 hours. New sequencing devices may soon make it possible to run this test in less than six hours.

Precision diagnosis of acute infectious diseases

For the study, researchers enrolled 204 children and adults from eight different hospitals across the U.S. All of these patients had a mysterious, undiagnosed neurological illness – meningitis, encephalitis and or myelitis – of unknown origin. 

To identify the cause we used clinical mNGS testing to identify the pathogens causing the patient’s acute illness.

mNGS testing for diagnosis of neurological infections. Charles Chiu

We ran the mNGS test on cerebrospinal fluid samples from these patients. After analyzing the data we found that in a surprisingly large proportion of infections – 13 of 58, or 22.4% – mNGS testing was necessary to make a timely and accurate diagnosis. 

In eight of these infections identified by mNGS only, the diagnosis directly guided doctors to a targeted and appropriate antibiotic treatment. In one neurological infection caused by hepatitis E virus, the mNGS diagnosis likely spared the patient from a liver transplant. That’s because her hepatitis E infection was treatable with an antiviral drug: ribavirin. Without knowing that the patient’s infection was caused by the hepatitis E virus, this effective drug would not have been considered.

Overall, our study demonstrates the clinical usefulness of metagenomic testing in diagnosing neurological infections. The approach can be used for other types of clinical samples and infections, such as analysis of respiratory samples to diagnose infectious pneumonia. 

It is my hope and expectation that this powerful new diagnostic tool will transform the way that we as physicians manage infections in our critically ill patients. This would ultimately lower health care costs and saving lives by virtue of earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

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Urinary infection may cause falls in older people

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 Not just a loose throw rug or poor eyesight, even bloodstream, respiratory and urinary infections can cause falls, especially in older people, says a study.

The findings also suggest that while these falls may be more common in the elderly, they shouldn't be overlooked in younger people - 20 percent of patients in the study were younger than 65.

"Over the years I have been struck by the fact that some of the more serious infections I treated were in people who came to the hospital because they fell," said principle investigator of the study Farrin Manian from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US.

"Even though many of the patients had vague early signs of an infection, such as weakness, or lethargy, it was the fall that brought them in," Manian noted.

People can fall down because the infection may cause low blood pressure - and therefore lightheadedness and dizziness - or because it adds to confusion in older patients with dementia, according to the researchers.

They analysed 161 patients who went to the emergency room because they fell and were subsequently diagnosed with a coexisting infection.

Of those, 71 (44.1 percent) had a urinary tract infection, 64 (39.8 percent) had a bloodstream infection, 37 (23.0 percent) had a respiratory infection and nine (5.6 percent) had an infection of the heart valve.

The findings suggest that family members, care givers and healthcare providers shouldn't rush to judgement about the cause of a fall, particularly in an older person, and should consider whether the person was ill or not feeling well before the incident happened to ensure the patient is diagnosed appropriately and can receive timely treatment.

The study was presented at IDWeek 2015 conference in San Diego, California in the US.