Archive for February, 2010
Artificial Pancreas-Hope For Diabetic Children
The latest news says that the scientist in the Cambridge have given an idea that an “artificial pancreas “can be made use in order to regulate the blood sugar in children with diabetes type 1.
In the trail it was found that combining a “real time” sensor for measuring the glucose levels with a pump that delivers insulin can boost overnight control in the levels of blood sugar. Also, the lancet study proved that this device can significantly cut the risk of blood sugar levels dropping dangerously low.
The type 1 diabetes is a chronic and also a life threatening at times. Here the pancreas does not produce insulin, the hormone that control blood sugar levels.
According to the news, about 17 teenagers as well as children suffering from type 1 diabetes were allowed to take part in the study over 54 nights in hospital. Further, the glucose monitoring system and the insulin pump were used individually in the study. These both are commercially available and widely used.
In order to turn children into a “closed loop” system, that monitors the condition of the patient and delivering the treatment according to it, the researchers conducted an advanced algorithm to calculate the appropriate amount of insulin to use. This was based on real time glucose readings.
Henceforth, It was measured how well the artificial pancreas system controlled the blood sugar levels compared to the regular continuous pump, which delivers insulin at preselected rates of the children.
Testing was done in many different circumstances such as on nights when all the children went to bed after eating and having evening meal and exercise. Both of this can increase the risk of low blood sugar levels.
Finally, the result showed that the artificial pancreas kept the glucose levels normal for 60 % of time compared with 40 % for the continuous pump.
New Drug Slows Advanced Kidney Cancer
Do new drugs slow advanced kidney cancer? Kidney Cancer is one of the diseases which cannot be cured so easily. Pazopanib (Votrient) is the new drug that is used to cure the kidney cancer. This new drug slows the advanced kidney cancer.
This research as 3 phase study, it included 233 patients who had never gone through a kidney cancer treatment. This untreated cancer is also known as renal cell carcinoma. Pazopanib successfully slowed advanced kidney cancer of these patients. This medicine Pazopanib (Votrient) is a very useful drug.
The other drug cytokine therapy did not help much in slowing down the advances kidney cancer. Immediately the 202 patient those who were prescribed for this therapy were given the drug of Pazopanib tablets.
There are common side effects to these new drugs that are used for kidney cancer treatment.
1) The Pazopanib treatment include diarrhea up to 52%
2) High blood pressure 40%
3) Hair color changes 38%
4) Nausea 26%
5) Weight loss 22%
6) Vomiting 21%
The United States of America. Food and Drug Administration was requested to approve Pazopanib in October 2009 for renal treatment. This drug inhibits the development of the blood vessels that gives tumors the help to grow and spread.
Scientists are still in search of new curative drugs for patients with advanced kidney cancer. But still we can say that treatments have increased for kidney cancer. Pazopanib which actually targets multiple paths to kill the cancer, specifically the kidney cancer is a good invention all together.
Many study authors like Dr. Cora Stemberg who is the chief of the medical oncology department at San Camillo and Forlanini Hospital in Rome, Italy has also appreciated these new drugs that slows advanced kidney cancer.
Thus there are many treatments for the kidney cancer but these new drugs slow advanced kidney cancer and are far more effect than any other therapy or medicines.