In his Budget speech, Arun Jaitley, the Finance
Minister of India, has emphasized 2 key areas the Government will focus
on in health – Free Drug Service and Free Diagnosis Service. For the
first time, the Central Government will provide central assistance to
strengthen the States’ Drug Regulatory and Food Regulatory Systems by
creating new drug testing laboratories and strengthening the 31 existing
State laboratories. Fifteen Model Rural Health Research Centers shall be
set up in the states to take up research on local health issues
concerning rural population. It is proposed to increase assistance to
disabled persons for purchase/fitting of Aids and Appliances to include
contemporary aids and assistive devices. It is also proposed to
establish National level institutes for Universal Inclusive Design and
Mental Health Rehabilitation, and also a Center for Disability Sports.
The Government also intends to cover every household by total sanitation
by the year 2019 – the 150th year of the birth anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi – through Swatchh Bharat Abhiyan. A national program to
control malnutrition is being planned in Mission mode to urgently halt
the deteriorating malnutrition situation in India. A comprehensive
strategy, including detailed methodology, costing, time lines and
monitorable targets is to be put in place within six months. (http://zeenews.india.com/business/indian-budget-2014/union-budget-2014-15-full-text_103644.html)
Bioprinting of Organs
Human organs for transplant are always in short
supply. The dream is to be able to bioprint organs in the laboratory. A
major requirement of artificial organs is to have an efficient vascular
supply around which cells can be made to multiply. Researchers from the
University of Sydney, Harvard, Stanford and MIT have come one step
closer to the dream of artificial organs by bioprinting a vascular
network. Using a high tech bioprinter, scientists produced a complex
network of fibers simulating a vascular network. Atop this, they applied
a cell rich proteinaceous material which was hardened by the application
of light, and the fine bioprinted fibers were removed. The human
endothelial cells organized themselves into a capillary network. Organs
being developed in the laboratory with these bioprinted capillaries had
better cell survival and differentiation. This breakthrough is being
much feted in the scientific world as a critical step towards artificial
organs. (Lab on a Chip. 2014;14:2202; The Hindu 2 July 2014)
The Resilience Project
One of the biggest mysteries is that in the world
there are hundreds of people who possess two copies of genes which are
known to cause major diseases, but are clinically unaffected. A
retrospective analysis of over 600,000 genomes by various genetic
companies found that about 1 in 15000 people are living healthy lives
with mutations which normally cause severe illness. Now scientists want
to study these people and understand how they have remained unaffected
despite their grim genetic loading. Stephen Friend from Seattle and Eric
Schadt from New York have announced ‘The Resilience Project’ in which
more than 1 million adults will be studied. Their genetic material will
be analyzed for 162 catastrophic diseases. They expect to find between
50-100 people with abnormal genes. They will be invited for further
study to tease out reasons for their immunity. If associated protective
mutations are detected, these can be exploited for treatment of these
disorders. Environmental factors like diet and toxin exposure which
affect the clinical phenotype of the disease will be more difficult to
define. Resilience Project is an unorthodox way of looking at disease
and therapy of genetic disorders. (Scientific American 30 May 2014)
What is Behind the Obesity Epidemic?
A study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found
that increasing inactivity – and not diet – is responsible for the surge
in obesity in the USA. They analyzed data from the National Health
Survey between 1988 and 2010. It included data of 17430 participants
from 1988 through 1994, and from approximately 5000 participants each
year from 1995 through 2010. The frequency, duration and intensity of
their exercise within the previous month was noted. ‘Ideal’ exercise was
defined as more than 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or more
than 75 minutes/week of vigorous exercise. In 1988, 19% of women and 11%
of men reported no physical exercise. In 2010, the numbers jumped to 52%
women and 43% in men. Obesity simultaneously rose from 25 to 35 % in
women and 20 to 35% in men. Interestingly, the daily energy consumption
did not change significantly in the same period. The data is a clarion
call to all health workers to include advice for regular exercise in
their prescription for a healthy life style. (http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2014/07/lack-of-exercise—not-diet—linked-to-rise-in-obesity—stanford-.html)