VITAMINS: The Micronutrients in Our Body !

Vitamins

The essential macronutrients are water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

In developed countries, vitamin deficiencies result mainly from poverty, food fads, drugs, or alcoholism. Vitamin toxicity (hypervitaminosis) usually results from taking megadoses of Vitamin A, D, B6, or niacin. In general, excess amounts of water-soluble vitamins are excreted via the Kidneys.

Vitamins may be Fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K) or Water soluble (B vitamins and vitamin C). The B vitamins include biotin, Folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine, and B12. After digestion and absorption, which circulatory system carries fat and fat-soluble vitamins?

“Vitamins are the essential nutrients that our body needs in small amounts. More specifically, an organic compound is defined as a vitamin when an organism requires it, but not synthesized by that organism in the required amounts (or at all). There are thirteen recognized vitamins.”

Vegans may develop vitamin B12 deficiency unless they consume yeast extracts or Asian style fermented foods. Strictly, vegetarian diets also tend to be low in calcium, iron, and zinc.

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Study Sheds Light on How High Cholesterol Causes Cancer !

Cholesterol

New research from the University of California, Los Angeles has found a previously unknown molecular mechanism involving cholesterol that may promote tumor growth in the intestines.

A report on the study — published in the journal Cell Stem Cell — reveals how increasing levels of cholesterol in mice increased proliferation of intestinal stem cells and made tumors grow faster.

One of the methods that the researchers used to increase the availability of cholesterol to intestinal cells in the mice was to feed them a high-cholesterol diet.

"We were excited to find," says senior author Peter Tontonoz, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, "that cholesterol influences the growth of stem cells in the intestines, which in turn accelerates the rate of tumor formation by more than 100-fold."

He and his colleagues believe that their findings could pave the way to new treatments for gastrointestinal diseases, such as colon cancer.

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Practical Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students 2nd Edition !

Practical Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students 2nd Edition pdf

Practical Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students 2nd Edition ebook

This book is in resonance with the Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students, by Vasudevan et al, which is now in the 7th edition. That textbook is now accepted not only inside India, but also various other countries in the world. The Spanish edition of the Textbook is already in market and a Russian edition is in preparation. Students are advised to clear the doubts by going through that main textbook. This practical book is prepared after consulting the syllabi of MBBS course of various universities. The contents are divided into qualitative and quantitative experiments, which the students are supposed to do by themselves in the practical classes. Further, a few more experiments are given, which may not be possible for the student to do by himself/herself. Some of these will be demonstrated in the practical classes. In the end, a few case reports are also included, which will be useful for the students to prepare the practical examinations.

Printed Pages: 162.

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Product details

• Paperback: 162 pages 
• Publisher: Jp Medical Ltd; 2nd Revised ed. edition (July 1, 2013) 
• Language: English 
• ISBN-10: 9350906686 
• ISBN-13: 978-9350906682

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Cancer: Four-Stranded DNA Could Help Develop Targeted Treatments

By taking a closer look at four-stranded versions of DNA inside the genome of human cells, scientists have discovered some potential new avenues for targeted cancer treatments. They found that the quadruple helix structures occur in DNA regions that control genes, especially cancer genes.

The researchers, from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, report their findings in the journal Nature Genetics.

Targeted cancer therapies are currently the focus of much research and development into new anticancer treatments.

They are an important area of precision medicine - where information about an individual patient's genes and proteins are used to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.

Read more: Cancer: Four-Stranded DNA Could Help Develop Targeted Treatments

The aim of targeted therapy is to attack cancer cells without affecting healthy cells.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Melanoma May Be Stoppable With Drug That Halts Cancer Cell Proliferation

A drug already being tested in people as a treatment for cancer appears to show great promise in halting melanoma skin cancer. The drug - called pevonedistat - works in a way differently than intended and could also be effective against other cancers.

So says a new study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville that was published in the journal EBioMedicine.

Lead researcher Tarek Abbas, assistant professor of radiation oncology, says:

"In fact, the drug is very effective on all melanomas, including those for which an effective therapeutic is lacking."

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that develops when melanocytes - the cells that give skin its color - mutate and become cancerous.

Read more: Melanoma May Be Stoppable With Drug That Halts Cancer Cell Proliferation

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that develops when cells that give skin its color mutate and
become cancerous. The researchers say they have found a drug that may stop the cancer progressing.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Blood Vessel-Forming Protein Could Offer Alternative to Heart Bypass Surgery

For patients with severe coronary artery disease, heart bypass surgery can reduce the risk of heart attack and improve overall quality of life. Now, researchers report the possibility of a new treatment that may be even more beneficial, without the surgery.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease in the United States, responsible for more than 370,000 deaths in the country every year.

The condition arises when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, partially or fully blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. This blockage can cause heart attack, angina - severe chest pain - and, over time, heart failure.

While lifestyle changes - such as adopting a healthy diet and regular physical activity - are considered key to improving CAD, some patients may require heart bypass surgery, which can help restore blood flow to the heart.

But, as with all surgery, it has its risks. These include chest wound infection, bleeding, stroke, heart attack, and kidney or lung failure.

Read more: Blood Vessel-Forming Protein Could Offer Alternative to Heart Bypass Surgery

Researchers say the protein AGGF1 could be a promising treatment for coronary heart disease and
heart attack.

Source: medicalnewstoday

HIV: Newly Discovered Component Could Lead to More Effective Drugs

Scientists from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and University College London - both in the United Kingdom - have uncovered key components of HIV, which they believe could lead to new approaches for drugs to fight the infection.

HIV weakens a person's immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. Only certain body fluids - blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk - from a person who has HIV can transmit HIV.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States. Although there is no cure for HIV infection, improved treatments allow people living with HIV to slow the virus' progression and stay relatively healthy for several years.

HIV is a part of a subtype of viruses called retroviruses, which means that the virus is composed of RNA - instead of normal DNA - and has the unique property of transcribing RNA into DNA after entering a cell.

Read more: HIV: Newly Discovered Component Could Lead to More Effective Drugs

Findings from the research could lead to future drugs that can enter human cells and block the pores
from within.

Source: medicalnewstoday

'Living' Cartilage Grown Using Stem Cells Could Prevent Hip Replacement Surgery

An alternative to hip replacement surgery may be in sight. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers reveal how it may be possible to use a patient's own stem cells to grow new cartilage in the shape of a hip joint.

Furthermore, the team - including researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO - says it is possible to program the newly grown cartilage to release anti-inflammatory molecules, which could stave off the return of arthritis - the most common cause of hip pain.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), osteoarthritis is the primary cause of hip joint damage that requires hip replacement surgery, causing severe pain and disability.

Hip replacement surgery, also known as arthroplasty, involves surgically removing the diseased part of the hip and replacing it with new, prosthetic parts. Each year in the United States, more than 332,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed.

Read more: 'Living' Cartilage Grown Using Stem Cells Could Prevent Hip Replacement Surgery

Researchers describe how they could use a patient's own stem cells to grow new cartilage that covers

a 3-D scaffold molded to the shape of their hip joint.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Osteoarthritis can be Caused by Senescent Cells

Researchers have uncovered evidence that cellular senescence - whereby cells stop dividing - is a cause of osteoarthritis, and they suggest targeting these cells could offer a promising way to prevent or treat the condition.

Study co-author Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and colleagues publish their findings in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, is a condition in which cartilage - the tissue that protects the end of each bone in a joint - wears away, causing the underlying bones to rub together. This can cause pain, swelling, and poor joint movement.

As the condition worsens, the bones may lose shape. Additionally, growths called bone spurs may arise, and bits of bone and cartilage can break off and float around the space in the joint. This can trigger an inflammatory response that exacerbates pain, as well as cartilage and bone damage.

Read more: Osteoarthritis can be Caused by Senescent Cells

Researchers say that targeting senescent cells may have the potential to prevent or treat osteoarthritis.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Scientists Identify Trigger and Treatment

Apart from lifestyle changes and weight loss, there are currently no effective or safe treatments for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Now, for the first time, researchers find that a protein called cdk4 occurs at higher levels in mouse models and human patients with the disease. Also, when they blocked the protein in mice, using drugs, it significantly reduced development of hepatic steatosis - the first stage of the disease.

The study, by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, is published in the journal Cell Reports.

Senior author Nikolai Timchenko, a professor in the department of surgery at the University of Cincinnati and head of the Liver Tumor Biology Program at Cincinnati Children's, says:

"This is the first study to show that cdk4 triggers development of NAFLD [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease] and that inhibiting this enzyme can both prevent and reverse the first step of the disease."

Read more: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Scientists Identify Trigger and Treatment

The researchers found high levels of a protein called cdk4 in people with fatty livers.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Cancer Breakthrough? Novel Insight into Metastasis Could Offer New Treatments

Researchers from the United Kingdom may have made a breakthrough in cancer treatment, after discovering an unusual mechanism by which cancer cells spread and survive in the body.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers reveal how two molecules join forces to help cancer cells survive as they metastasize.

Metastasis is the process by which cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymph system.

Once cancer has spread, the disease becomes much more challenging to treat Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiotherapy, and other treatments can yield success for some metastatic cancers, but for most, the prognosis is poor.

Read more: Cancer Breakthrough? Novel Insight into Metastasis Could Offer New Treatments

Source: medicalnewstoday

Scientists Offer New View on Origins of Parkinson's Disease

The death of brain cells in Parkinson's disease is likely a result of stress in their endoplasmic reticulum or protein-folding machinery rather than just a general failure of their mitochondria or powerhouses.

So conclude researchers from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, who report their findings, based on research conducted in fruit flies, in the journal Cell Death and Disease.

Dr. Miguel Martins, who heads a group in the MRC Toxicology Unit at Leicester, says:

"This research challenges the current held belief the Parkinson's disease is a result of malfunctioning mitochondria."

Read more: Scientists Offer New View on Origins of Parkinson's Disease

Source: medicalnewstoday