Preventing HIV transmission during breastfeeding (Sourced from Cambridge)

Scientists at Cambridge university are trying to combat HIV in a unique and inspiring way as the following link and video show. http://bit.ly/ktKmcM.



The scientist modify nipple shields to accommodate a replaceable insert that contains the magic ingredient of an anti-viral agent that is passed on to the baby whilst the mother is breast feeding. This prevents a HIV infection if a mother is HIV positive. 



 As breast feeding makes up for one third of mother to child transmission of the virus approximately 200,000 babies lives could be changed for ever if this kind of Biotechnology was readily available to Sub-Saharan African's. 



HIV has a lot of negative stipulations in the UK and USA but the figures are staggering for Africans, 22,500,000 Sub-Saharan Africans are estimated to currently be HIV positive and the number only grows and grows. The sad fact about HIV and any other sexually transmitted infection is that without a cure the spread and growth of the virus is expotentional. It is simple the more people in a community which are HIV+ the higher the chances of contracting it per individual, and this trend only ends two ways, either a vaccination is found and HIV dies out completely, or just more and more people become HIV+ until populations in the world have higher % of people with HIV than without. This only begins to express the importance of any development in the flight against HIV. And cures are not the only way to suppress the virus as the scientists at Cambridge show. 



The exciting feat with the development of the nipple shield and insert is that, numerous vaccinations could be delivered in the same way to the infants. It is staggering image the amount of lives simple price of Biotechnology worth less that 1p an insert can achieve. 



The future looks promising for advances in the health care of the masses in 3rd world countries and with many dedicated researchers and altruistic professionals trying to combat illness and disease in places where there is simply not the money for the countries to do this themselves. I will finish on the note that complex Biotechnology is not the only way 3rd world healthcare can be improved, simply education, is the best way to immediately effect peoples lives. For example mothers breast feeding their children may simply be oblivious to that fact that there baby could too contract HIV. Education is the mother of all development. 

RNA Nanoparticles Constructed to Safely Deliver Long-Lasting Therapy to Cells (Sourced From Science Daily)

RNA is a vital part in the process of changing DNA to different proteins which can act as enzymes (catalyst for chemical reactions inside our bodies) and many other important functions in the body. In fact almost everything you look at when you see another person is protein (except the clothes!), their skin is protein, even their eyes are protein just arranged in a special way to allow light to pass through.



RNA plays the important role of taking the DNA's codes out of the nucleus of the cell (mRNA) and attaching it to tRNA via codons and anti-codons on the mRNA and tRNA respectively. The tRNA has a single protein attached to one end, while the mRNA attaches to the other. Then the mRNA and tRNA enter a organelle of the cell called a ribosome. The ribosome is responsible for separating the protein form the RNA's in an order so that the original DNA's code is preserved and as if by magic you have got proteins originating from you DNA's code that ultimately make up you, and control the processes that keep you going!



Anyway, RNA therapy can be very helpful in the process of altering damaged cells (especially cancer cells). The damaged cells can be targeted by using pRNA (packages of RNA) at a Nano-size scale. Basically, cancer cells are multiplying out of control because there DNA code has mutated or been damaged eg. by the effects of smoking (See videos above), so therefore it is imperative that if we want to stop the cancer cells spreading so fast, or just kill them, we must first target the cells and then alter there replicating structure (in the form of DNA makes RNA makes Proteins) which is what the  research is trying to achieve, see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110421091125.htm  


 "The researchers detail multiple approaches for the construction of a functional 117-base pRNA molecule containing small interfering RNA (siRNA)." The siRNA is used as a way of making genes in cells ineffective, but siRNA has only been produced so that it would only last for around 30mins in the body and often caused unwanted immune responses. 



Research will continue to be conducted by Professor Peixuan Guo (University of Cincinnati) into this cell therapy, and I will keep all followers up to date with any more advances made.



I will be happy to take any questions about any of the topic areas I have covered.

Can an unexplained DVT be a early warning sign of cancer?

As my first blog post I will try to address a very personal problem relating to the death of my own farther from cancer in 2005. 


My Dad died aged 47 of esophagus cancer, but 9 months earlier he had an unexplained DVT which doctors and surgeons were never sure if this could have been a direct cause and ultimately an early warning sign for his later developed cancer. 

I plan to conduct research through the medium of a questionnaire to a variety of cancer sufferers to try and make a link, or not, between DVT's and the changed coagulation of the blood and cancer. Therefore alerting doctors to the possible complications of a unexplained DVT.

I will keep updating my blog as my research and findings continues.