Magnets used to make Drugs Cheaper

A team from the University of Edinburgh has developed an advanced method of making protein-based drugs.

The drugs are created by growing cell cultures in the laboratory.
Magnets are being used during the manufacturing process, this new process could make cancer and arthritis drugs  much cheaper to make.

The magnets are coated with special antibodies were used to draw out dead cells. The removal of these dead cells from the culture means that the remaining cells are 100% more efficient in making the proteins used to create drugs.

Prof Chris Gregory, from Edinburgh University's Centre for Inflammation Research, said that the technique could cut the price of NHS medicines like breast cancer treatment Herceptin and arthritis drug Enbrel.

The researchers have formed a company called Immunosolv, to market the technology.

Immunosolv claim to:

• Increase confidence and reduce uncertainty in your cell preparations and cultures
• Improve viability from less than 50% to over 95%
• Save time and money
• Separate cells in minutes in their own growth medium with minimal manipulation and trauma - no generation of further dead cells!
• Column-free
• No specialist equipment required - all you need is a simple magnet
  
  

Apoptosis Clearance Technology (ACT™) permits discrimination and manipulation of dead and dying cells using antibodies and other proteins coupled to magnetic particles

Professor Gregory said that the findings could also have implications for vaccine development and stem cell research. "We are essentially mimicking what happens in the body when scavenger cells remove dead and abnormal cells," he said. "If the dead cells are not removed, then this affects how healthy cells behave. "Not only will this make the production of drugs more efficient, but it will also streamline research into new medicines which use cell culture."

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Good Home Treatment of Influenza Brochure

Probably the best advice on treating influenza in the home.

Written by Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP An edited excerpt from The Bird Flu Manual, BookSurge Publishing, Charleston, SC, reprinted with permission

Good Home Treatment of Influenza - Download PDF

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Time to ban smoking completely in public places ..?

AIDS Pill May Ward Off HIV Infection

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Cervical Cancer Jab 'Means Fewer Tests'

Girls who have the cervical cancer jab may only need screening twice in their lifetime, an expert has said.
Cervical cancer should become a "rare disease" thanks to the introduction of the vaccine, said Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary, University of London.
Girls who have the jab when they are 12 or 13 would only need testing for the disease when they are 30 and 45, he said.
The vaccine protects against key strains of the sexually-transmitted infection human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer.
Prof Sasieni suggests the current smear test programme, which sees women invited for screening every three to five years, could be replaced with HPV testing.
The HPV test picks up 13 strains of the disease, which account for virtually all cervical cancer cases.
It typically takes over 10 years for a cancer to develop after HPV infection. Research shows that cancer caused by HPV types not prevented by the current vaccines take even longer.
"If you don't have one of these 13 types of HPV then your chance of getting cervical cancer in the next 10 years is really incredibly low," Professor Sasieni said.

Madonna Set To Launch Chain Of Gyms

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The Queen of Pop is a self-professed fitness fanatic and follows a strenuous exercise regime to stay in shape and has partnered with manager Guy Oseary and New Evolution Ventures (NEV) to create the ultimate fitness environment.

Named after her last album, the Hard Candy Fitness centres are scheduled to open in 10 other locations including Russia, Brazil, Argentina and throughout Europe and Asia.
NEV Chairman Mark Mastrov said: "Our goal is to create an environment inspired by Madonna's vision and high standards of what the ideal gym would be.
Hard Candy Fitness will be a reflection of Madonna's point of view and will reflect her input on every detail including music space, light and other design cues."
The singer is set to make a public appearance at the opening of the first branch in Mexico City on 29 November.

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Bionic Exoskeleton Helps Wheelchair Users Walk

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Fluorescent Coral Could Aid Cancer Research

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Alzheimer's Drug U-Turn

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Third Of Carers 'Don't Want To Wake Up'

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Teen Contraception Failure

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Newborn Mistakenly Circumcised; Family Suing

A Florida family says it plans to sue a Miami hospital that mistakenly circumcised their baby even though they repeatedly told staff they did not want the procedure.

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