Japan team produced sperm from mouse stem cells

Tokyo (AP) - a team of scientists reported producing viable sperm stem cells of mice in an experiment that researchers hope, could one day lead to treatment of infertile men.

The Kyoto University researchers managed to induce mice stem cells in the creation of sperm source materials that have been transplanted in infertile male mouse. The mice then produced sperm, which was successfully used to fertilize the eggs in a laboratory dish.

The offspring were healthy and fertile, according to a paper online Thursday in the scientific journal cellreleased.

Members of the research team, led by Mitinori Saitou, said that they believe that their success in the development of treatments infertility can help the people, although they said that many hurdles remain.

"We high hopes, but it's not easy," said Saitou associated press by telephone Friday from Kyotoin the Western Japan. "There are many difficult issues ahead in applying this to the people." "But it is a first step."

Experts outside the group say that it is an important first step in the direction of infertility treatment, although it a long way.

"This is a very good experiment for treatment of infertile man but a very, very long way, thinking about it", said Toshio Suda, developmental biology professor at Keio University.

He said the Kyoto team findings were a great job, but it is not just the maturity currently prepare sperm. If some barriers be deleted, it could successfully identify "what gene is very important to prepare for the sperm."

Read more »

Drug found ineffective for Veterans' stress

Jae C. Hong/associated press

A United States Navy maintained, psychological tests at the Marine Corps Air ground combat Center in Twentynine palms, California, in 2009 to take.

Generally prescribed drugs for the treatment of severe post-traumatic stress symptoms for veterans are not more effective than placebo and come with serious side effects including weight gain and fatigue, researchers on Tuesday reported.

The amazing statement, from the largest study of its kind in veterans, challenges current treatment standards so directly, that it could soon change some experts to practice said.

Ten to 20 per cent of those who get under heavy fight developing permanent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and one-fifth of the treatment for a recipe for a so-called antipsychotic drugs, according to government figures.

The new study, published in the journal of the American Medical Association, focused on a drug, RISPERDAL. But experts said that their results will most likely expand to the entire class, including drugs such as Geodon, Seroquel and Abilify.

"I think it is a very important study" given how often the drugs were prescribed, said Dr. Charles Hoge, was senior scientist at the Walter Reed Army Institute of research, not involved in the study, but wrote him a document accompanying editorial. He added: "it is certainly in question make the use of antipsychotics in General for PTSD calls."

The use of such drugs has grown in the last decade, as thousands of soldiers and Marines have found that their post traumatic stress symptoms supports drugs not respond to antidepressants, the only one by the scientific evidence for the disease. Doctors have to antipsychotics, transformed the mood, extend treatment, almost entirely on their experiences with them and how they operate expect based strongly influence.

To test these assumptions, 123 veterans with the disease start a therapy, a team of researchers with the Veterans Affairs medical system had joined their treatment RISPERDAL added. Some patients, others in the Iraq or Afghanistan; served in Viet Nam, Antidepressant tried all treatments and little help found.

After six months of treatment actions these veterans no better than a similar group of 124 veterans, the placebo received. Restored around 5 percent in both groups, and 10 to 20 percent reported at least some improvement is based on standardized measures.

"There is no suggestion that the medication was an overall benefit to their lives," said Dr. John H. Krystal, the Director of the Division of Clinical Neurosciences of the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD and main author of the study.

Dr. Krystal said the benefits that many doctors thought, they were always of the drugs "may be treatment, came from establishing just the patient, not the drugs." He said that Neuroleptics features, as well as post-traumatic symptoms could help certain individuals with psychotic but that the study was not designed to identify them.

The findings come at a time when the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs burden to offer treatment, service members who are not only concerned about the stigma of mental illness, but are also often skeptical return the value of the treatment. Surveys have found that this thought treatment need only about half actually find it.

Yet studies indicate that talk therapy, alone or in combination with antidepressants, speed up the liberation of common symptoms such as nightmares & withdrawn behavior. Tends to be relaxation skills include these psychotherapy; incrementally increased exposure to stress triggers; and on some inaccurate assumptions, the fear of fuel pump.

Time should also take into account, be new research has found. "We find that is about 24 months after an a year deployment of enough" for the body even physiologically reset, Dr. Hoge said.

Read more »

Number of autopsies performed in United States falls

Thursday, Aug. 4 HealthDay News)-the autopsy rate in the United States by about a fifth to an in the 10 Americans from 1972 to 2007, according to a new study of the Federal Republic declined.

This accounts for a 58% drop between 1972 and 2007, from 19.3% to 8.5% of the deaths, noted researchers.

In 1972, 79% of autopsies accounted for death as a result of disease, while due to external causes such as injuries or murder death accounted for 19%. 2007, The respective percentages were found 46% and 50%, the investigators.

External causes of death-including murder, unintentional injuries, suicide or unknown cause-nine of the 10 most common unrolled and Autopsied causes of death in 2007 represented.

In 2007 decreased autopsy rates with age of 60% of 15-up 24-year-55.8% in the 25 to 34 age, 11% according the age people the death of 55 to 64, and 4.2% at the age of 65 to 74, to the study of the National Center for health statistics at the US Centers for disease control and prevention.

The study also reported that while the number of deaths among older people increased from 1972 to 2007 unrolled and Autopsied increasingly deaths in the age groups 1 to 34 and 35 to 64 were concentrated.

Although 91% of deaths in the United States were caused in 2007 due to illness, death from complications of pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium (the State of a woman during and up to six weeks after birth) only clustered disease see the 10 most common unrolled and Autopsied was causes of death.

Slightly more than half were deaths from complications of pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium 2007 led.

Reasons for changing autopsy prices are deaths, according to the report can be obtained which not clear, but on hospital of accreditation standards, to investigate State laws concerning the deaths and regulations since 1972 study infants.

Read more »

No increase in the Medicare drug premiums in 2012

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay reporter

Thursday, Aug. 4 HealthDay News)-in the year 2012, the average Medicare Premium seniors pay for their prescription drugs actually something US officials Thursday announced drop.

Overall the average premium cost of Medicare Part D plan must representatives from the U.S. Department of health and human said services (HHS), during a press conference in the afternoon prescription drug in 2012 are about $30, a modest drop from $30.76 paid on average in the year 2011.

How is the plan in a position to keep premiums down? According to officials take advantage of program benefits plans and the increased use of generic drugs Medicares popular drug from competition between private insurance cheaper. And they say that this situation in the future could get rosier as more blockbuster drugs be stated, that in the next few years go generic.

In addition, this year said almost 900,000 Medicare patients, the drop in the prescription drug donut hole-where costs are covered non-- a 50% discount got on their drugs to help ease that financial hardship, HHS officials so far.

Agency Secretary Kathleen Sebelius credited to the Obama management of health care reform efforts with much cost savings seniors.

"Affordable care Act strengthens a very critical Medicare program and help millions of seniors and Americans with disabilities receive the care they need," she said. "Thanks to the new discounts, beneficiaries hundreds of millions of dollars in the Medicare Part D save coverage gap, known as premiums covered the donut-hole at the same time as part D," she said.

Overall, health financing savings on drugs for Medicare patients rose $ 461 million until June 2011, health officials said. This is an increase of $ 260 million by May 2011, meaning that Medicare patients in the donut hole saved in June alone more than $200 million.

"Also, millions of people in Medicare have advantage of potentially life-saving prevention, such as breast and colorectal cancer screenings, drawn without co or deductibles," Sebelius noted. An important part of health care reform, the package was expanded access to preventive health services and HHS says, which so far this year have received more than 17 million Medicare recipients such free services, while a further million patients taken advantages of the free annual wellness visits.

Sebelius indicates that there is still room for improvement, but show. "There are still gaps in coverage, especially in prescription drugs," she said. To have said Sebelius in four seniors, they skip drugs or pills halve or fill prescriptions not, because they cannot afford their medications.

"The affordable care Act number words still this gap until donut-hole is closed in the year 2020," said Sebelius. "No senior should have to choose, that they need between medications to healthy and putting food on their table."

Not everyone was impressed with the new statistics however.

"I like the fact that premiums be kept down", John C. said Goodman, President of the National Center for policy analysis, a Washington, DC-based conservative think tank. "It proves once again that competition works;" "and this is a good model, as opposed to the Government or a base price set to follow."

But the rest of the HSS notice was not good news, he claimed. "What we do is, we humans give advantages which we can afford, and, have the dubious health value, it is truncated white editions, at a time when Congress," said Goodman.

And Michael F. Cannon, health policy Director of studies at the conservative Cato Institute, also in Washington, D.C., called the part D Notice "the latest in an endless string of Valentines administration at Medicare subscribers who sent Obama."

He believes that "your more responsible senior citizens are concerned that Medicare is going to their children and grandchildren bankruptcy."

Read more »

You grant Medtronic type Yale review-bone-growth data

Severe control in one of his bone-growth products faced, Medtronic announced on Wednesday, that it was where to Yale to a complete review of the study data to monitor a $2.5 million grant, which examines the safety and efficacy of the product.

In June infusion called a medical journal charged that researchers sponsored by Medtronic had generated misleading studies about the product, their benefits that set too high and argued that there no risks.

The infusion is used primarily in spinal fusion, a procedure in which the vertebrae to back pain to reduce associated a biotechnological material. Industry analysts have speculated that decreased sales of infusion, as the magazine, the spine journal, its special issue on the product.

Experts said that Medtronic of action that first time, which would make a medical device maker on the underlying and detailed patient data from company-sponsored studies of independent experts was, so she could check and their own conclusions.

Generally companies release only summaries this information, a practice that can hamstring the ability of the experts to check it.

The infusion of about a quarter of the estimated 432,000 spinal mergers in the United States annually carried out was used.

When special edition appeared the spine journal, the company announced that it publishing assertions would respond to information by performing a review of all study infusion-related.

Under the plan announced Friday Yale is provided by Medtronic $2.5 million, use mount Panel of external experts, which will check the Commission then two scientifically recognised research institutes of the company data.

Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale, which will oversee the efforts, said that Medtronic of decision was groundbreaking because it would allow independent researchers to assess the underlying data to support the safety and efficacy of the product.

"Published data is often important information missing", said Dr. O'Connor.

Dr. Eugene Carragee, editor of the spine journal, said he was pleased that Medtronic officials had decided to release the data.

The plan will be together on the study data for other researchers with the groups access, keeps the Yale.

Dr. Carragee, Professor at Stanford University, said that he remained concerned that little study data there for an important use of infusion, a type of spinal fusion, because a study of the application were already stopped when patients suffered complications.

Still, he added, Medtronic, the decision was "a big step in the right direction".

Infusion side effects include infection, bone loss, unwanted bone growth and male sterility.

A stronger version of infusion as step up, was rejected recently for approval by the food and drug due to concerns about possible Cancer risks.

Together with the current issue of the spine journal that leads Ministry of justice a criminal investigation of the Medtronic the marketing of the product and a Senate Committee performs also a request.

Medtronic has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and defended, researchers who have carried out research on infusion their results.

Read more »

Missing link, scientists can have found to common brain cancer

Thursday, Aug. 4 HealthDay News)-A map of genetic mutations associated with the second most common form of brain cancer seems the biological cause of tumors, researchers report show.

Created protein-coding genes in seven samples of tissue from oligodendroglioma tumors the card by sequencing and focused on recurrent mutations in two genes (CIC and FUBP1), previously not these types of tumors associated with.

The genes appear the missing link in the "two hit" theory of cancer development, so the scientists. That is, each cell in the body has two copies of the 23 pairs of chromosomes, the thousands of genes, to produce the protein. If a copy is missing, the other copy for the lack of protein can form. But if the second copy fails, it can be cancer.

Scientists have known for years, that's "first hit" in Oligodendrogliomas in regions 1 and 19, which together, causing the loss of many genes chromosomes will be shown.

In this study, researchers found mutations in the CIC and FUBP1 on chromosomes 1 and 19, suggesting that they cause the "second hit" cancer required are.

Further mutations in the Genentech-the cell processes signal rules-samples have been found in an additional 27 tumor . All of the tumor samples in the study analyzed two thirds of CIC and FUBP1 mutations, had, said the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists.

"If we find gene that mutates in the most tumors, it is likely that the way by this gene is regulated crucial for the development and the biology of the tumor," Nickolas Papadopoulos, Associate Professor of Oncology, said in a press release Center.

The study appears in the journal scienceAug. 4.

About 20 percent of the brain is Oligodendrogliomas, making mostly in age from 30 to 45 and in most cases on the frontal lobe in cells that are to coat the neurons. Treatment includes surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Median survival is 10 years.

Read more »

Many military vets in College plagued by thoughts of suicide

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay reporter

Thursday, Aug. 4 HealthDay News)-American veterans that he are College maintained much more likely thoughts of suicide as fellow students are never in the military, a recent national survey.

Data from the survey a grave picture of the draws these students mental health: almost half say all veterinarians currently in higher education, they have as suicide at some point in their lives, while a fifth say they have plans to go with him, by actually made.

Such numbers exceed far estimates the suicidal tendencies among the college students, never in the military, were noted the research team.

"The data show that the problems soldiers while on active duty at the end when they disconnect from the service", said study author David Rudd, of the National Center for Veterans of studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "But still a large number of students veterans significant problems, including post traumatic stress -Symptome and suicide risk have."

"The reported rate of suicide attempts among student veterans six times the population general student was," Rudd said, "and the message"heavy"Selbstmordgedanken--those thinking about suicide with a plan-more than three times the population was a general student."

Slated, to its results present Rudd and his colleagues Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C.

2011 Survey from a national student veteran coalition known as student veterans of America responses from 525 veterans currently enrolled in the school.

About 80% of the respondents were men, and the average age of respondents was 26. There were about three quarters White had (a percentage that represents the actual racist background of today's military), and almost all in the Iraq or supplied in Afghanistan. And about 60% said they actual struggle in one or other arena were exposed to.

The results: 46% said she had suicide at any given time as, and more than 10% said that she had it not infrequently as. Almost 8% said that she actually had tried suicide, while almost 4%, that she said a trial most likely considered or likely.

Underlines the seriousness of the problem, said the research team that interpret such numbers indicate that the role which is suicide in life playing student veterans comparable with - or perhaps even more dire-- as the role it plays under the larger pool of vets of all ages, the current mental health care in a VA Medical Center setting.

Rudd and his team also noticed that the results of the survey are particularly striking compared with 2010 data filled with the American College Health Association. This data showed that the population General College, only 6% of the enrolled students said that she had "seriously" considered suicide into account. The same data showed that just over 1% of the non-vet students has attempted suicide.

The results of the survey asked the authors this college advise to increase Guide and screening clinics for trauma and programs, to cope with suicidal tendencies among students with a military background.

"The importance of early and effective treatment can be overemphasized as 8% of coverage, that serious suicidal symptoms reported also heavy post traumatic stress disorder," said Rudd. "One of the primary worry is, whether college campuses are adequately prepared to handle the fight with combat trauma related."

Mark Kaplan, Professor of community health with the school of community health at Portland State University in Oregon, thinks that they are not.

"The transition from the military in civilian life is often quite difficult," he said. "Veterans come back and are faced with financial problems, family problems, and intimate partner issues, in addition to the trauma, which while might have seen you in the military." "So, based on own work of I am convinced that the risk of dying from suicide in fact among veterans, not just the recent but is veterans as well as higher in the middle ages."

"This is a very difficult issue-one of the most complex public health issues, which I ever about, come", Kaplan added. "And I think it is safe to say that I do not think that we are really ready yet, to manage it well." In particular are not part of the universities, which absorb many of these veterans in their classrooms. "Of course our mental health centres on the campus need to do a better job."

Because the research on a medical meeting is presented, it should be considered published provisional until in a medical journal.

Read more »