12.31.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:19 pm by Luis
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Out with stainless steel, in with copper? It might be a new hospital trend - not for looks, but for germ-fighting.
Some intensive-care units in New York and South Carolina are about to get copper fittings as part of a project to test if drug-resistant bacteria survive better on hospitals' ubiquitous stainless steel than on copper.
About 1.7 million Americans a year develop infections while hospitalized and almost 100,000 of them die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists have long preached better hygiene to control hospital spread of germs, but increasingly medical manufacturers are looking to anti-germ coatings to help.
In November, the Food and Drug Administration approved sale of the first breathing tube coated with silver, a metal long known to somewhat repel bacteria.
Ventilator patients are at high risk of getting pneumonia. In a multi-hospital study, 7.5 percent of patients given a regular breathing tube developed pneumonia, compared to 4.8 percent of those given C.R. Bard Inc.'s new Argento ventilation tube, the FDA found.
Also this fall, Baxter HealthCare Corp. announced FDA clearance of a silver-coated IV catheter connector, designed to help prevent bacteria from clustering at this entry point to the bloodstream.
But a coppery hue in hospitals?
In a British study published last year, drug-resistant staph germs survived for three days on stainless steel plates kept at room temperature, but the researchers found no sign of the germs on pure copper after 90 minutes.
The new study, funded by a government grant to the Copper Development Association, is putting that finding to a real-world test involving three drug-resistant bugs - staph, enterococci and acinetobacter.
First, researchers are swabbing down a handful of ICU rooms at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Medical University of South Carolina and Charleston's Veterans Affairs Medical Center. They must learn where the germs lurk, explains Sloan-Kettering lead researcher Dr. Kent Sepkowitz.
Then the hospitals will substitute copper for some germ-prone surfaces in those rooms, and track if the change makes a difference.
Copper is expensive, but so are hospital-caused infections, Sepkowitz says.
"The question is will it save more money than it costs," he says.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 9:19 pm by Luis
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Think of germs as gangsters. One thug lurking on a corner you might outrun, but a dozen swaggering down the street? Yikes. Bacteria make their own gangs, clustering quietly in the body until there's a large enough group to begin an attack. This is the next frontier in fighting drug-resistant superbugs.
The idea: Don't just try to kill bacteria. The bugs will always find a way to thwart the next antibiotic.
The new goal is to disable bacteria's ability to sicken, so scientists can throw superbugs a one-two punch. And attempts to bust up germ gangs are leading the race to create these novel anti-infectives - using everything from compounds in Pinot Noir to some popular bone-building drugs.
"It's a stealth approach," says chemist Kim Janda of the Scripps Research Institute, who is developing a vaccine against notorious drug-resistant staph that prevents the bacteria from ganging up.
"We're trying to find the Achilles heel in drug-resistant bacteria," adds Matthew Redinbo of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill - who did find one.
Redinbo's team discovered that certain osteoporosis drugs blocked one E. coli germ from spreading antibiotic-resistance genes to another. Interrupting this recruitment of new gangsters confused the drug-resistant bugs enough that they committed suicide, leaving only easy-to-treat germs behind.
All of this research is in very early stages. But Dr. Julie Gerberding, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calls disarming bacteria a long-needed new approach.
It is "like lasers going in to destroy certain parts of the bacteria as opposed to a bomb that blows the whole thing up," Gerberding told Congress recently. These "next-generation strategies are not proven yet, but really something that needs a lot more attention and focus."
Indeed, despite a rise in bacteria that withstand today's best treatments, there are few novel antibiotics under development - and germs have evolved such complex ways to survive antibiotics' frontal assault that new ones eventually will wear out, too.
Hence the quest to disarm germs. Scientists are trying to disable "virulence factors," molecules that help germs worm their way into the body, or block germ-emitted toxins.
But much of the new research centers on simply keeping germs from clustering.
"We're finding new ways to prevent disease without killing the microbial agent ... rather, neutralizing it somehow," says University of Rochester dentist Hyun Koo, who is using compounds left over from vineyards' wine-making to bust up gooey bacteria masses known as biofilms.
Adds Scripps' Janda: "If you break them up, they don't have that strength in number. They're not going to do like a gang and beat people up."
Among the methods under study:
-Germs talk to each other, by sending out radar-like chemical signals that sense when enough of their mates are lurking for them to switch on and sicken. Scientists call this "quorum sensing." Jam their frequencies, and the germs won't know when they've got a quorum - they'll just hang around harmlessly until the immune system picks them off.
Janda's team designed a molecule that triggers the immune system to form bloodhound-like antibodies that gobble up the communication chemicals sent by deadly staph aureus bacteria. Janda injected some mice with those antibodies and others with a dummy drug. Then he gave all the mice a lethal dose of staph. The antibody-protected mice never got sick, while their unprotected neighbors died within a day.
-Other times germs need only to rub shoulders with a neighbor to start doing damage. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli snuggles up to a still treatable germ and shoots the newcomer with DNA that will turn it drug-resistant, too.
At UNC, Redinbo's team found the enzyme that sparks that whole process could be blocked by bone-building osteoporosis drugs already on the market, including one called etidronate. When they added just a bone drug, not antibiotics, to the drinking water of E. coli-infected mice, the rodents' bacteria levels plummeted. Why? The resistant germs not only couldn't spread their bad genes, they wound up committing suicide.
"This was a huge surprise," says Redinbo, who now is testing if the approach will work on other bacteria - and is checking his hospital's records to see if women taking osteoporosis drugs just might be less vulnerable to hospital-spread infections.
-Then there are biofilms, where germs literally glue themselves together under a crusty shell difficult for antibiotics to penetrate. Rochester's Koo aims to break up cavity-causing dental plaque, the best known biofilm, with compounds called polyphenols culled from fermented grape skins.
A type of strep bacteria forms dental plaque, by secreting enzymes called GTFs that in turn produces the biofilm's glue. When Koo added polyphenols to lab dishes teeming with strep, GTF production plummeted 85 percent. The germs couldn't get sticky enough. For the record, extracts from Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir worked best.
The approach should work against strep strains that cause pneumonia, too, Koo says. His ultimate goal is a cavity-preventing rinse, but much more research is required - and Koo warns not to swish with wine in the meantime. It's too acidic.
"You'll wind up with stained teeth and also erosion from the acidity," he cautions.
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EDITOR's NOTE - Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 9:19 pm by Luis
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- In a murderous quest aimed at "cleansing" their turf of snitches and rival gangsters, members of one of Los Angeles County's most vicious Latino gangs sometimes killed people just because of their race, an investigation found.
There were even instances in which Florencia 13 leaders ordered killings of black gangsters and then, when the intended victim couldn't be located, said "Well, shoot any black you see," Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said.
"In certain cases some murders were just purely motivated on killing a black person," Baca said.
Authorities say there were 20 murders among more than 80 shootings documented during the gang's rampage in the hardscrabble Florence-Firestone neighborhood, exceptional even in an area where gang violence has been commonplace for decades. They don't specify the time frame or how many of the killings were racial.
Los Angeles has struggled with gang violence for years, especially during the wars in the late 1980s and early '90s between the Crips and the Bloods - both black gangs. Latino gangs have gained influence since then as the Hispanic population surged.
Evidence of Florencia 13, or F13, is easy to find in Florence-Firestone. Arrows spray-painted on the wall of a liquor store mark the gang's boundary and graffiti warns rivals to steer clear.
The gang's name comes from the neighborhood that is its stronghold and the 13th letter of the alphabet - M - representing the gang's ties to the Mexican Mafia.
Federal, state and local officials worked together to charge 102 men linked to F13 with racketeering, conspiracy to murder, weapons possession, drug dealing and other crimes. In terms of people charged, it's the largest-ever federal case involving a Southern California gang, prosecutors say. More than 80 of those indicted are in custody.
But eliminating the gang won't be easy. It's survived for decades and is believed to have about 2,000 members. Its reach extends to Nevada, Arizona and into prisons, where prosecutors say incarcerated gang leaders were able to order hits on black gangsters.
According to the indictment, F13's leader, Arturo Castellanos, sent word in 2004 from California's fortress-like Pelican Bay State Prison that he wanted his street soldiers to begin "cleansing" Florence-Firestone of black gangsters, notably the East Coast Crips, and snitches.
His followers eagerly obeyed, according to federal prosecutors.
In one case, F13 members came across a black man at a bus stop, shouted "Cheese toast!" and fired. "Cheese toast" is a derogatory name for East Coast Crips, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin S. Rosenberg said.
The victim, apparently targeted only because of his skin color, survived being shot several times, Rosenberg said.
F13 isn't the only Latino gang linked to racial killings. Last year, four members of The Avenues, a gang from the Highland Park area east of downtown Los Angeles, were convicted of hate crimes for killing a black man in what prosecutors called a campaign to drive blacks from that neighborhood. And last January, authorities announced a crackdown on the 204th Street gang following the killing of a 14-year-old black girl.
The violence goes both ways, said Adam Torres, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department gang detective whose beat includes Florence-Firestone.
During a recent patrol on the east side of the neighborhood, he pointed to a cinderblock wall peppered with bullet holes. Torres said the Crips still control that area and any Hispanic there is at risk of being shot.
Despite the wave of violence, George Tita, a criminologist with the University of California, Irvine, said racially motivated gang killings are an exception. Latinos and blacks are far more likely to be murdered by one of their own.
"You don't see these major black-brown wars, either within the context of gangs or outside the context of gangs," Tita said.
Residents of Florence-Firestone are loath to discuss gangs, fearful they might end up as targets, but there are signs of change. Murders in the neighborhood dropped from 43 in 2005 to 19 in 2006, Baca said. For 2007, there were 19 murders as of Dec. 24.
Jose Garcia sees the difference. The security doors on the store where he works aren't covered with graffiti as often and he hasn't heard a gunshot in two months.
"It used to be at least once or twice a week," he said.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 5:55 pm by Luis
Vitamin E (Tocopherol) as a Hair Loss Treatment
There are a number of herbal supplements out there that claim to work as a treatment for hair loss. Whereas there is no question that marketing is over-reaching at best in order to sell a product, the real question that any hair loss sufferer asks is: will this product help combat baldness or is there any chance that it will regrow hair? To date however, it is important to understand that there is no hair loss cure, therefore realistic expectations must be kept when considering any hair restoration product.
Below I decided to take a look at an herbal supplement that has been said to combat hair loss. This product is an “active” ingredient in a few hair loss remedies such as HairMax MD. Vitamin E is also sold as a stand alone product in nutritional stores.
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
Vitamin E consists of 8 molecules, four of which are known as tocopherols (one of the ingredients in HairMax MD), the other four known as tocotrienols. Both tocopherols and tocoltrienols consist structurally of a chromanol head and a phytyl side chain. The difference between these 2 types of molecules has to do with the phytyl side chain where tocopherols are fully saturated and tocotrienols are not. Tocotrienols contain three double bonds at the 3, 7, and 11 positions. Ultimately, these two types of molecules are distinct entities and not derivatives of one another. (Theriault et al, Clinical Biochemistry (1990) 32(5):309).
So why take the time to explain all this? From my research it seems that there may be clinical evidence to suggest that tocotrienols may be moderately beneficial for hair loss sufferers but there is little evidence to suggest that tocopherols are, at least not by themselves.
Another interesting fact is that tocopherols, though mentioned in some patents of the so called hair regrowing agents, are not the major active ingredient but only act as an aid to the formula itself.
A clinical study was performed on 19 balding individuals (14 men and 5 women) ranging from the ages of 23 to 59 suffering from genetic hair loss who have not received any other type of hair loss medication including minoxodil, finasteride, or ketoconazole. 11 volunteers received a capsule orally containing tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol while 8 volunteers received a placebo capsule. The results of the study transmitted that all hair loss sufferer volunteers who took the tocotrienol / alpha-tocopherol capsules had at least some increase in visible hairs over the 15 month study which indicates that a mixture of tocotrienol and alpha-tocopherol appears to increase the number of visible hairs in balding individuals. Additionally, out of the 8 volunteers in the placebo group, 2 also experienced hair regrowth. 2 experienced hair loss while the other 4 experienced no change.
To read more about this study, visit: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/7211274-description.html
In my opinion, one problem with the study is that the study group was small and one could argue that the hair count increase was either coincidence or that hairs were growing back as part of the natural hair growth cycle.
Keep in mind also that this study shows the effect of a tocotrienol / alpha-tocopherol mixture taken orally, not topically (as some hair loss treatments suggest). Additionally, what part the tocopherol molecule played in the increase of visible hairs cannot be determined from this study.
Conclusions:
Though some nominal evidence exists for the potential benefit of Vitamin E taken orally for hair loss, I would argue that a larger clinical study needs to be performed to rule out coincidence or hair growing back as a result of the natural hair growth cycle.
In my opinion, it would be better to stick to the hair loss drugs that have been proven: Propecia(finasteride), and Rogaine 5% (minoxodil). As an adjunct hair restoration treatment, Nizoral shampoo or Revita shampoo both containing active ingredient ketoconazole may also be helpful.
Bill Seemiller - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of theHair Transplant Networkand theHair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog
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12.30.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:28 pm by Luis
I will be undergoing a donor scar revision in a few weeks. How can I best care for my donor scar in the days following hair transplant surgery? I really would like avoid scar stretching.
Caring for the donor scar after hair transplantation is relatively easy. Your responsibility will be to keep the donor area clean by washing the area thoroughly but gently. I find it helps to run my fingers with shampoo in the donor scar area in a circular motion in order to work off the dried blood that surrounds it. Keep the sutures/staples in as long as your hair transplant clinic recommends and then after that just keep the area clean by washing.
The other component in properly caring for your donor scar to help minimize the risk of scar stretching is to relax. Do not put too much strain on the hair transplant scar. Don’t do any intense weight lifting, stretching, or heavy aerobic exercises for the first several weeks. Gradually increase your workout routine over the course of several months. Common sense is the key. If you feel a strain in the donor area, stop what you are doing. See the following hair loss Q&A blog: Fitness/Sports After a Hair Transplant for more information.
Also avoid putting your chin on your chest as that will cause additional strain on the back of the scalp.
You can also ask your hair transplant surgeon how your physiology plays a role in the risk of donor scar stretching.
Those with extremely elastic scalps may have “thin skin” (though this is not necessary true). The lack of collagen puts these hair transplant patients at additional risk of donor scar stretching. Keep in mind that donor laxity can be a really good thing and will help maximize the number of follicular unit grafts that can be excised. But there is a possibility that too much laxity is a sign of a lack of supporting collagen in the skin. Be sure to ask your hair transplant doctor about this.
I hope this helps.
Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog
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