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Anti-Inflammatory Drugs May Defeat A Treatment-Resistant Type Of Cancer
Effective drugs for treating a chemotherapy-resistant form of lymphoma might already be on the market according to a study that has pieced together a chemical pathway involved in the disease.
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'Past Time' To Denounce Tiller Murder, Violence Perpetrated By Some Antiabortion Advocates, Opinion Piece Says
In the wake of the shooting death of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, columnist Ellen Goodman writes in the Boston Globe that she "can"t help wondering whether rhetoric can justify a crime in the mind of a fanatic." She continues, "Can"t words provide the sort of perverse moral platform that jihadists stand on and the alternate universe in which a "lone nut" can find a home?" Goodman writes that she does not blame Tiller"s death on "everyone who checks a pro-life box on the pollster"s chart," but it is "well past time for the antiabortion movement to denounce those who are in the profession of inflaming passions."Tiller "was a doctor of last resort for many women, especially those women for whom the sonogram did not bring joy but tragic tidings," Goodman writes, adding, "He refused to be cowed. At the very least, he should be buried with truth." In his recent commencement address at the University of Notre Dame, President Obama asked, "As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?" Goodman writes, "One way is for those who truly "denounce the murder" to take on the chorus, the back-up singers, who still provide the doo-wop for the next deranged soloist." She concludes, "You see, this suspect was not such a lone gunman. And no, I am afraid, this was not an isolated incident" (Goodman, Boston Globe, 6/5).
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Some Groups Say Iowa HIV Transmission Law Worsens Stigma, Hinders Testing Efforts
Some Iowa groups are concerned that the state"s criminal HIV transmission law adds to the stigma associated with the virus and hampers testing efforts, and are urging lawmakers to revisit the law, the Iowa Independent reports. According to the Independent, criminal transmission of HIV is classified among the second-most serious felonies that can be committed in the state. Those that have been convicted under the law have been sentenced to a few months to several decades in prison. Former state Rep. Ed Fallon (D) who supported the 1998 law, said, "It seems to me that since it is now 11, almost 12, years later, it wouldn"t be [a] bad time to take a look at it again," adding that "surely [there] are some tweaks or changes that the legislature could consider relevant to this law, especially with all the new knowledge we have of the disease" (Waddington, 7/1).
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A Compound Found In The Sea Provides Promising New Treatment For Neuropathic Pain

A paper just published in the British Journal of Pharmacology reports that a compound originally isolated from a soft coral (Capnella imbricate) could lead scientists to develop a new variety of treatments for neuropathic pain. This composite is collected at Green Island off Taiwan and could be a new option for treatment. Neuropathic pain is chronic and occasionally follows damage to the nervous system. Presently this type of pain is very poorly controlled by the usual analgesics: aspirin like drugs (NSAIDS) or even opioids like morphine. New treatments are urgently required. Inflammation in the nervous system is a major contributing factor for this condition according to recent research. Microglia and astrocytes are supporting cells that surround the nerve cells. They are activated by inflammation. These activated cells release compounds called cytokines that can stimulate nerves carrying pain sensation (nociceptive pathways). This causes the person to experience from mildly uncomfortable stimuli to very painful (hyperalgesia), or stimuli that would normally induce no discomfort at all or aching (allodynia). As a result, cold drafts or lightly brushing the skin can produce intense pain. This severely affects the person"s quality of life. There is a range of treatments that give some relief to some patients. Nearly all were found empirically and with many other effects. For example, Amitriptyline is an anti depressant currently used for urinary incontinence and it has given relief in neuropathic pain. Similarly, gabapentin and pentagabalin are two drugs designed for treating epilepsy and they have also proved helpful for some sufferers. On the other hand, a lot of patients do not respond to these presently existing drugs. Dr Zhi-Hong Wen, played an important role in a research study searching for new compounds that have potential for use in pain relief. He says: "New, effective and safe painkillers are urgently needed for patients with neuropathic pain." Dr Wen and his collaborators work at the Department of Marine Biotechnology and Res, at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan. Capnellene is a chemical that was originally isolated in 1974. However, it is only recently that scientists have started to understand its potential. Interestingly, the structure of capnellene is extremely different from pain-relieving drugs presently used. Original experiments indicated that it could possibly have pain-relieving properties. Dr Wen, together with Yen-Hsuan Jean MD, PhD and other colleagues tested capnellene. They also studied a second very similar compound. They used isolated microglial cells and experimental models of the condition in rats. Their findings confirmed that the compounds considerably reduced pain-related activities in isolated microglia. In addition, these compounds also significantly reversed hyperalgesic behaviour in the experimental rats. Dr Wen says: "To provide better quality of life, we need new drugs that can act rapidly and have specific functions with low side effects. Moreover, we need better management for chronic pain conditions." He comments: "Today there are few pharmacological agents that can help people suffering from neuropathic pain, but we believe that these marine-derived compounds could lead to the development of a new range of drugs of great potential." "Capnellene, a natural marine compound derived from soft coral, attenuates chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain in rats." Yen-Hsuan Jean, WuFu Chen, Chun-Sung Sung, Chan-Yih Duh, Shi-Ying Huang, Chan-Shing Lin, Ming-Hon Tai, Shun-Fen Tzeng and Zhi-Hong Wen doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00323.x British Journal of Pharmacology Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.) Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today


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