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MEDPULSE SPECIAL FEATURE
Phage Therapy J a n u a ry 2014 | C a l i f o r n i a
Ebola Outbreak
M a r c h 2014 | W e s t A f r i c a
Antibiotic Resistance
a p r i l 2014 | G e n e va
Vaccine Discovery M ay 2014 | R h o d e I s la n d
Bill 52
J u n e 2014 | Q u e b e c
HIV Resistance
J u ly 2014 | G e n e va
9/11 Cancer Cases A u g u s t 2014 | N e w Yo r k
Lung transplantation A u g u s t 2014 | W a s h i n g to n
Pediatric Cancer A u g u s t 2014 | Lo n d o n
Bill 52 Quebec Nico le Fal zo ne
On Thursday, June 5, 2014, the Quebec national assembly passed the act “respecting end-of-life care,” or Bill 52. This gives physicians a legal responsibility toward terminally ill patients who wish to end their lives. Bill 52 aims to improve palliative care in Quebec, defining “endof-life care” as including terminal palliative sedation and medically assisted suicide. However, the bill also brings controversy to the public healthcare system, and a moral dilemma for physicians. The law allows a physician to refuse a request for euthanasia if it goes against their conscience.
Vaccine Discovery Kimia So ro uri
Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have identified an antibody that has proven to hinder the progression of the malaria parasite, leading to the development of a possible vaccine. The antibody, created in response to the protein PfSEA-1, is able to prevent the parasite from leaving the red blood cells it has infected, thereby impeding its replication.
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Bill 52: An Act respecting end-of-life care. In: Parliament of Quebec. National Assembly: First Session, Fortieth Legislature. 2013. 2. New CDC Vaccine Schedule Released [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://www.thedoctorschannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Vaccine_Vials_Syringe_Needle.jpg
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Raj DK, Nixon CP, Nixon CE, Dvorin JD, DiPetrillo CG, Pond-Tor S, et al. Antibodies to PfSEA-1 block parasite egress from RBCs and protect against malaria infection. Science. 2014 May 23;344(6186):871–7. 2. Humanity’s Last Stand: How Our Immune System Protects Us. [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://blog.rottenecards.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/04-On-the-attack.jpg
June 2014
Quebec,Canada
May 2014
medpulse
Rhode Island, USA
January 2014
August 2014
California, USA
August 2014
New York, USA
Lung Transplantation
PHage Therapy When Holly Ganz, a researcher at the University of California, examined samples from a zebra carcass in Namibia, she found that in addition to cells of B. anthracis, there was a virus infecting the anthrax bacterium. Ganz and colleagues named the isolated virus, Tsamsa (a type of bacteriophage). They then cloned the protein endolysin from Tsamsa and administered it directly to B. anthracis cells. Results showed that the cloned endolysin was effective in destroying the bacterial cell. Besides supporting the idea of using bacteriophages in place of antibiotics, the results suggest possibilities for genetically engineering endolysins so that they target only harmful bacteria.
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F a l l 2014
A b raham R edda
m e d u cato r
Washington, USA
1.
Holly H. Ganz et al. Novel Giant Siphovirus from Bacillus anthracis Features Unusual Genome Characteristics. PLOS One [Internet]. 2014 Jan [cited 2014 Jun 22]. 2. Generic Bacteria [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://usfinancepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/bacteria-generic-110121-02.jpg
9/11 Cancer Cases Is h a n Aditya
Cancer researchers from Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health have documented 2509 cancer cases among the EMS and fire rescue workers who aided victims of the incident. After in-depth statistical analysis, it has been shown that all 37,000 workers involved in the incident have a 20% higher rate of acquiring cancer compared to the general population. 1.
Christensen J. Number of 9/11-related cancer cases is growing. http://edition.cnn. com/2014/07/30/health/911-cancer-increase/index.html?hpt=he_c2 (accessed 4 August 2014) 2. Diagnosing Lung Cancer [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/ health_tools/lung_cancer_overview_slideshow/ princ_rm_photo_of_lung_cancer_xray.jpg
Avrilynn D in g
The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a device in lung transplantation that can preserve donor lungs for hours outside of the body. The technology, called the Xvivo Perfusion System, was developed by Xvivo Perfusion with Toronto General Hospital in Toronto Canada, and has already been used in Canada and Europe. It can sustain lungs for four hours by supplying oxygen and perfusing the organ with a sterile cleansing fluid. This extra time enables doctors to evaluate lungs and accurately determine their suitability for transplantation, maximizing the use of available donor lungs that may have previously been discarded. 1.
Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves donor lung preservation device that may result in more lung transplants [Internet]. 2014 Aug 12 [cited 2012 Aug 13]. Available from: http:// www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm409488.htm 2. Xvivo Perfusion. History [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2014 Aug 13]. Available from: http:// www.xvivoperfusion.com/about/history-2/ com/2014/07/30/health/911-cancer-increase/index.html?hpt=he_c2 (accessed 4 August 2014) 3. White Paper Cyberknife for Lung Metastases [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://pasadenacyberknife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ lung-feat-img.jpg
August 2014
London, United Kingdom
Pediatric Cancer S a n a Gill
Exciting findings at The Institute of Cancer Research reveal that mutations in CTR9 gene are linked to expression of Wilms tumour, the most common pediatric renal cancer. The CTR9 gene is a core component of PAF1c, a multi-protein complex involved in essential cellular processes, including gene silencing and activation. Although PAF1c is implicated in other cancer types, the study provides novel and compelling evidence that CTR9 is a Wilms tumour predisposition gene and suppresses tumour formation. 1.
Hanks S, Perdeaux ER, Seal S, Ruark E, Mahamdallie SS, Murray A, et al. Germline mutations in the PAF1 complex gene CTR9 predispose to Wilms tumour. Nat Commun. 2014;5. 2. Wilms’ Tumor [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Wilms_tumour_-_very_high_mag.jpg
Geneva, Switzerland
July 2014
Antibiotic Resistance
HIV Resistance
March 2014
West Africa, AFRICA
Maxwell Tran
Ebola Outbreak Arlinda D e ng
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Antimicrobial resistance: global report on surveillance. World Health Organization. 2014 30 Apr. 2. Antibiotics may be contributing to obesity epidemic [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://cdni.wired. co.uk/1240x826/a_c/antibiotics.jpg
The World Health Organization recently published recommendations that men who have sexual intercourse with men should consider preventative medication as a measure against HIV infection. The practice is termed PrEP, an abbreviation for pre-exposure prophylaxis, and involves regular intake of a pill containing tenofovir and emtricitabine. These two substances are already used to combat HIV infections and if taken prior to exposure, can prevent the virus from permanently taking hold. These recommendations were published just ahead of the 20th International AIDS Conference, which began on July 20. 2014. 1.
MEDPULSE
F a l l 2014
World Health Organization. Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations. Geneva: World Health Organization Press; 2014. 2. United States Public Health Service. Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States: 2014 clinical practice guideline. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2014. 3. HIV viewed through an electron microscope [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://journeytosolidarity. org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/hiv_microscope.jpg
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World Health Organization. Ebola virus disease in Guinea. http://www.who.int/csr/ don/2014_03_23_ebola/en/ (accessed 8 August 2014) 2. World Health Organization. WHO Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2014/ebola-20140808/en/ (accessed 8 August 2014) 3. Gupta S, Dellorto D. Experimental drug likely saved Ebola patients. http://www.cnn. com/2014/08/04/health/experimental-ebola-serum/ (accessed 8 August 2014) 4. Ebola Virus [Image from the internet]. [Accessed 26 Aug 2014] Available from http://i.huffpost. com/gen/1943181/thumbs/o-EBOLA-VIRUS-facebook.jpg
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Maylynn D in g
m e d u cato r
Since, the Ministry of Health of Guinea first informed the World Health Organization of an Ebola outbreak on March 22, 2014, the virus has affected countries throughout West Africa including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, causing over 900 deaths. On August 8, 2014, The Emergency Committee announced the Ebola breakout as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Though currently incurable, a new experimental drug that has not yet undergone clinical trials, ZMapp, was given to two American missionary workers who contracted Ebola in Liberia with their consents, and has had positive outcomes.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization released the first-ever global report on antibiotic resistance. Incorporating data from 114 countries, the report revealed several troubling public health findings. For example, resistance to the lastresort treatment for gonorrhoea, cephalosporins, has been observed in 10 countries, including Canada. Antiobiotic resistance is also increasing the length and severity of common illnesses. WHO has outlined important action steps for the general population, health workers, policymakers, and the general population to combat resistance.
medpulse
April 2014
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