Total Health Solution

With a mortality rate of up to 88 percent, Marburg virus can rip through a community in days. In 2005, an outbreak of Marburg virus struck a pediatric ward in the country of Angola. With no treatment available, doctors struggled to help as the virus killed 329 of 374 infected patients. Now, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered the workings of the first promising treatment for Marburg virus, a pathogen with the same pandemic potential as Ebola virus. The research builds on previous studies showing that an antibody called MR191 can neutralize Marburg—though no one knew exactly how it targeted the virus. For the new study, TSRI scientists created a map of the virus' structure and revealed through high-resolution imaging how MR191 targets and neutralizes the virus. This antibody—or a strategy to elicit this antibody in patients—could finally give doctors a way to successfully treat the disease. "This is the first antibody therapeutic found th...

Space travel: Here's what happens to the human body Space is a dangerous and unforgiving place, and spending time away from gravity takes its toll on the human body, as many astronauts have found out after returning to Earth. But what exactly are the risks? Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai this week may have briefly grabbed news headlines by announcing he had stretched a staggering 9cm (3.5in) in just three weeks onboard the International Space Station (ISS). He later admitted he had miscalculated the figure and it was actually just 2cm (0.9in), but significant height changes are actually normal for astronauts spending time in space. Without the strong pull of Earth's gravity, spinal vertebrae can expand or "unload" leading to a slight change of height. But research shows that once back on Earth, astronaut's heights go back to normal. ADVERTISEMENT What happens during a year in space? Usually astronauts are sent to the ISS for about six months at the...

Oklahomans are more likely to die of cancer than most Americans Oklahomans aren’t much more likely to get cancer than other Americans, but when they do, it is more likely to kill them. The American Cancer Society projected about 19,000 people in Oklahoma will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and more than 8,000 will die. Nationwide, it predicted about 1.7 million cancer diagnoses and 610,000 deaths. Both the state and national numbers are slight increases over the 2017 projections, reflecting population growth and aging. Prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers are predicted to remain the most common types diagnosed, and lung cancer likely will continue to cause the most deaths. While some states have made progress in reducing racial disparities, black and American Indian cancer patients still are at a higher risk of dying than white patients with the same type of cancer, most likely due to problems accessing health

    Lung cancer cases rising in Abu Dhabi, warns doctor According to the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi, cancer is the third leading cause of death in the emirate. It is the second leading cause among nationals and the third among expatriates and accounts for 16 per cent of all total deaths. Precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the increasing cases of lung cancer, said an Al Ain-based doctor. Tobacco smoking is the main cause of the disease and residents must abstain from the habit, said Dr Khalid Balaraj Al Amoudi, head of the Oncology Department at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain. During a lecture, he noted a significant increase in the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer, being admitted to Tawam hospital. "Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer especially among males and it results from smoking shisha, cigarettes and medwakh, especially among the youth," he said. "It is very important for people to abstain from smoking or using tobacco in al...

New Ebola Virus Monoclonal Antibodies Add caption Ebola virus causes severe haemorrhagic fever with a high fatality rate. Recent outbreaks occurred during 2013-2015 in West Africa. Human-to-human transmission is through contact with body fluids. Several strains of the virus have emerged including the Zaire, Sudan and Bundi strains. The natural reservoir of this RNA virus is thought to be bats. ViroStat has introduced new sets of monoclonal antibodies to two of the significant antigens of this virus; Nucleoprotein (NP) and VP40. These antibodies function in ELISA and western blot with both the Zaire and Sudan antigen sequences. As such, they offer powerful tools for the development of rapid immunoassays to aid in the detection of this virus.