Drugs Archives - InnoHEALTH magazine

What are the key aspects for an Overall Health of a Woman?

InnoHEALTH magazine digital team — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 07:23:18 +0000

Women characterize the cornerstone of a family’s overall health and therefore they must obtain quality care which will ultimately lead to better health for children and families.

Women in the family are the key caretaker of children as well as elders in every country around the globe. She performs numerous roles including wife, mother, organizer, partner, administrator, teacher, director, economist, re-creator, disburser, disciplinarian, health officer, artist, and more importantly the queen in the family at the same time. Not to mention, women characterize the cornerstone of a family’s overall health and therefore they must obtain quality care which will ultimately lead to better health for children and families. After all, the health of families and communities are coupled to the women’s health to a degree.

So, to have a healthy life, it’s obligatory for all women to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and stay away from lousy lifestyle habits. Besides, it is also helpful to get your body examined from a women’s health specialist for any potential problems and possible treatment solutions.

In addition to healthy eating and healthy lifestyle, women’s health encompasses all therapeutics, drugs, surgical offerings, and precautionary measures for the several disorders related to the women’s population. These disorders are generally associated with the nutrition, oncology, reproductive system, menopause, urological system etc. Offering better management of diseases and focusing on the enhancement of healthy lifestyle is of utmost importance when it comes to overall health of the women population.

As a woman, your body may frequently experience various changes depending on your age, lifestyle, genes, and environment. However, there are certain key aspects of an overall health of a woman that you always need to consider no matter what your age or environment is. These aspects mainly include;

In addition to healthy eating and healthy lifestyle, women’s health encompasses all therapeutics, drugs, surgical offerings, and precautionary measures for the several disorders related to the women’s population.

1. What you eat makes a lot of difference

Healthy food that comprises a balanced diet and all the nutrients required for your body is very essential to lead healthy living. Many times, diet is directly related to a few of the diseases including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. e.g. if you eat food that is high in cholesterol too often, there are great chances of becoming obese. Rather, you can choose healthy options such as white meats (fish or chicken) in controlled portions. For snacking, you can go for healthy choices including peanuts, apples, or walnuts. This way you can keep yourself away from the risk of coronary heart disease and also keep control on your weight.

2. Regular physical activity is a must to be fit

Physical activity doesn’t mean hitting the gym daily and doing intense workout or running 20 miles per day. Your regular physical activity can be as simple and easy as 5-10 minutes of walking or jogging. You can maintain fitness even with this much daily exercise and can lessen the risk of getting heart disease or bone disease. Moreover, if you already have some health issue, you can go for specific physical activity such as Yoga to ease your problem.

3. A visit to health care provider

A regular visit to your primary health care provider (even if you are not sick) helps you know if there is risk of any health issue in your body. He can give you medical advice at the correct time before it’s too late that your body starts showing symptoms of the disease. Your doctor can perform diagnostic tests depending on your health condition and come to know if there is possibility of any severe disease. Women’s health diagnostics is very essential to know disorders related to gynecology, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), birth control, menopause, hormone therapy, pregnancy and childbirth, sexual health, osteoporosis, heart disease, and benign conditions etc.

As Women’s health ultimately promotes child health and family health, it’s vital to maintain the health and wellbeing of a woman first. Along with healthy eating and regular exercise, scheduled visits to a doctor for a diagnosis and prevention of serious health issues has become very essential.

Women’s health diagnostics is very essential to know disorders related to gynecology, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), birth control, menopause, hormone therapy, pregnancy and childbirth, sexual health, osteoporosis, heart disease, and benign conditions etc.

Composed by: “Sopan Gedam works in Data Bridge Market Research Company. He loves to share his research on healthcare topics to a wider audience through his article.”

The post What are the key aspects for an Overall Health of a Woman? appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Guildelines Released for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 10:48:21 +0000

On 24th October 2019 in New Delhi, the Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare released the guidelines for evaluation of nanopharmaceuticals, which are emerging as more potent tools for treating various diseases.
Also Read: WHO’s First Guideline to Digital Health Interventions
The document, which covers all the aspects of evaluation from the definition and categorization of nanopharmaceuticals to pharmacovigilance of the new set of therapeutics, has been prepared as a joint project by the Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Indian Council of Medical Research and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Nano-pharmaceuticals, which are derived by the application of nanotechnology in medical therapeutics, are expected to bring about a revolution in the treatment strategies as they would enable target-specific delivery of drugs and therapeutic molecules and thus offer higher efficacy and lower toxicity in many disease conditions. They are expected to be of great use particularly in cancer treatment.
Also Read: NANOCHIP TO DELIVER BIOLOGICAL

Every year, several new nanopharmaceuticals are being developed and marketed across the world. India too has a sizable pool of nanoscientists generating a large number of scientific publications in this domain. However, regulatory approval is the most important factor for translating laboratory research into bedside medicine. The new set of guidelines is designed to facilitate this process.
Noting that the document has been prepared by domain experts in consultation with representatives of the industry, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare expressed confidence that it will give a big boost to innovators and drug manufacturers to optimize their research and come out with medicines that would be safer and more affordable.
Also Read: Innovative Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Life
Hon’ble Minister Dr. Vardhan also announced a three-day international conference that was organized by the Department of Biotechnology and Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi from November 21-23, 2019 in collaboration with the Association of Biotech-Led Enterprises (ABLE) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which is a public sector undertaking under DBT to showcase India’s prowess in the area of biotechnology and help build new partnerships and investment opportunities.
Titled Global Bio-India 2019, the meet deliberated on opportunities and challenges in the areas of bio-agriculture, bio-industry, bio-energy, bio-services, and biopharma sectors. It had several components including policy dialogues, investors’ round tables, a meeting of regulators across the world and an exhibition.

Credits: India Science Wire

The post Guildelines Released for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Tiny Robot Caterpillar Deliver Drugs

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 09:56:37 +0000

Tiny robot caterpillar designed to walk through the body to deliver drugs

The Research team at the City University of Hong Kong has developed a tiny robot with ‘caterpillar legs’ that could also be used to deliver drugs inside the human body. They say it can move efficiently inside surfaces within the body lined with, or entirely immersed in, body fluids such as blood or mucus. Researchers say that the robot is capable of carrying relatively heavy loads and adapting to adverse environments and could pave the way for medical technology advances. But what makes the ‘milli-robot’ stand out is its hundreds of less than one millimeter long pointed legs that look like tiny hair. The research was published in Nature Communications. The robot’s body thickness measures around 0.15 mm, with each conical leg measuring 0.65 mm long and the gap between the legs measuring about 0.6 mm, making the leg-length-to-gap ratio around 1:1. The pointed legs have greatly reduced the contact area thus reducing friction. Laboratory tests showed that the multi-legged robot has 40 times less friction than a limbless robot in both wet and dry environment. The robot is fabricated with a silicon material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) embedded with magnetic particles which enables it to be remotely controlled by applying electromagnetic force. Both the materials and the multi-leg design greatly improve the robot’s hydrophobic property. The robot is controlled by a magnetic manipulator that can move it in both a flap propulsion pattern and an inverted pendulum pattern meaning that it can use its front feet to flap forward as well as swinging the body by standing on the left and right feet alternately to advance respectively. The researchers said ‘the rugged surface and changing the texture of different tissues inside the human body makes transportation challenging. Our multi-legged robot shows an impressive performance in various terrains and hence open wide applications for drug delivery inside the body.’ The research team further proved that when facing an obstacle ten times higher than its leg length, the robot, with its deformable soft legs, is able to lift up one end of its body to form an angle of up to 90 degrees and cross the obstacle easily and can also increase its speed by increasing the electromagnetic frequency applied. The robot also shows a remarkable loading ability. Lab tests showed that it was capable of carrying a load 100 times heavier than itself, a strength comparable to an ant, one of the strongest creatures in nature or to a human being able to easily lift a 26-seated mini-bus. Before conducting further tests on animals and eventually on humans, the research teams are further developing and refining their research in three aspects, namely finding a biodegradable material, studying new shapes and adding extra features. The team hopes to create a biodegradable robot in the next two to three years, so it will decompose naturally after its meds delivery mission.

Also Read:
The Morphing Face Of Healthcare In The Artificial Intelligence World
Infertility No More A Curse; Scientists Develop New Artificial Ovary Prototype

The post Tiny Robot Caterpillar Deliver Drugs appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Trending Innovations in Healthcare

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 10:34:17 +0000

1. Osteodetect

An AI-Based Diagnostic Tool Detects Wrist Fractures

[vc_single_image image=”5146″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

Imagen’s product ‘OsteoDetect’, an Artificial Intelligence-based diagnostic tool that can quickly detect distal radius wrist fractures is one of the latest products to get US FDA marketing clearance. Its machine learning algorithm studies 2 dimensional x-rays or radiographs for signs of fracture by analysing the posterior-anterior and medial-lateral x-ray images of adult wrists. Studies conducted on comparing fracture detection aided by OsteoDetect and certified orthopaedic surgeons showed that the readers’ ability to detect wrist fractures was improved by using the software as evident by greater sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values, compared with unaided standard clinical practice.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/05/27/fdaapproves- ai-wrist-fracture-detection/

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

2. Alterego

A Device that Let’s Others Hear Words You Are Thinking

[vc_single_image image=”5149″ img_size=”400×200″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

Arnav Kapoor, an Indian-origin researcher at MIT, has developed a device named ALTEREGO that lets others hear words you are thinking without your making a sound. The product looks like a curved bone hooked to one ear that touches the jaw on the chin and under the lower lip which works by using ‘subvocalisations’ which are the tiny, imperceptible movements in the jaw each time you say a word in your mind. There are four sensors which pick up the signals and transmit them to a computer that has been trained to recognize and convert them back to words which are conveyed to the listener’s mind through bone conduction in the listener’s jawbone, instead of words being openly spoken and conveyed. With the use of Alterego’s technology, one could ask questions soundlessly and get a voice reply only in your ears. Presently the product has an accuracy of 92% which claims to keep improving with the exposure to more types of vibrations and words. Times of India

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

3. Inito

New Portable Diagnostic Device: Affordable and Accessible

[vc_single_image image=”5151″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

A study undertaken by Dr. Satish Dubey at IIT Delhi has revealed a new portable diagnostic device which is developed by Inito, Bengaluru-based company that can do a dozen tests with the comfort of a person being at home. It has the advantage of reading dozens of diagnostic test strips with a 99.12% correlation when compared to lab grade scanners irrespective of the mobile phone used. This makes it a very reliable tool for portable diagnostics. The device uses patent-pending imaging technology called flat lens that allows a single portable device paired with a smartphone to conduct dozens of diagnostic tests with the same device. The first test that the company has launched is a fertility monitor targeted at couples trying to have a baby. Soon tests for Thyroid, Diabetes and Vitamin D will be added to the device. To add more tests to the device, you just need to update the App and order the strips for the user. Advantages of the device are that it is easy to use, portable, small size, affordable and also third-party strips can be added to the Inito platform by just an App upgrade. The device has won CII Design Award, India Design Mark and Japanese Good Design Award. The device is priced at INR 3195 and is available on Inito’s official website and Amazon. Soon the device will be made available at pharmacies. HT Team

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

4. Paper Battery

An Indian Innovation Developed using Sewage Water

[vc_single_image image=”5153″ img_size=”500×180″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

An innovation by an Indian research scholar, Ramya Veerubhotla at IIT Kharagpur, is the development of a disposable and flexible battery made from paper that could generate power from the bacteria present in sewage water. The battery is made using air cathode and the anode can be made from any carbon-based material. The product is unique because it is very light in weight and the power generation starts within ten seconds, unlike other usual microbial fuel cells which take a couple of days to start power production as the bacteria need time to adjust to the environment. The capacity of power generated from one cell is in the range of a few microwatts. For more power production, one can stack and fold these cells together giving it a compact shape. This research recently received the First prize and a cash award of INR 10 lacs at KPIT Sparkle 2018. www.news18.com

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

5. NakedLabs

World’s First Home Body Scanner

[vc_single_image image=”5155″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

The product Naked 3D Fitness Tracker is a health and fitness tool for people to track changes in their measurements, body fat percentage, lean mass, fat mass, circumference and overall shape. The start-up has recently raised a $14 million Series A led by Founders Fund. The device has two parts, first is a scale that has sensors and a computer and second being a weight scale that spins a person around so that the stationary mirror can grab the body scan of the user in about 15 seconds. Naked uses infrared light to capture your 3D body model which then gets visualised on the Naked App and alerts the user when there is progress being made by the user in terms of their fitness and also where there is potential for more work to be done. The device has an Intel x86 processor, RAM, 4GB DDR4 RAM and a 64GB SSD which makes it easy to beam the image directly from the device to the user’s phone. The depth data of the users’ body is not uploaded to the cloud instead is being handled on the device itself and also the resultant image is more of a TSA body scan image rather than a 3D avatar. A person can permanently delete the data from his phone if he/ she wishes to. Presently the device is priced at US$ 1395. www.techcrunch.com

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

6. Wearable Sensor to Detect Stress Levels

[vc_single_image image=”5157″ img_size=”300×150″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

A group of researchers under the mentorship of Scientist Alberto Salleo at Stanford University has created a stretchy patch which when applied directly to the skin, takes up sweat and assesses the amount of cortisol the person is producing. This stretchy, rectangular sensor around a membrane/specifically binds only to cortisol but also detects charged ions like sodium or potassium present in our sweat. This patch has a waterproof layer that protects it from contamination. So far, a wearable prototype version has been made but if this is converted into reality it would be very easy to monitor salt imbalances in our bodies and reveal the emotional state of people who are under immense stress and do not open about their situation. The present methods for measuring cortisol levels requires several days of waiting for the lab results. This device seems to solve the waiting problem for the results and is user-friendly. All the user needs to do is to sweat enough to glisten the patch and connect it to a device for analysis which gives results in seconds. The researchers are still working on its reusability though the prototype seems to work multiple times so long as it is not saturated with sweat. A paper co-authored by Scott Keene and Andrew Marais of Stanford University and colleagues at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines in France about this wearable sensor was published in Science Advances on 20 July 2018. https://news.stanford. edu/2018/07/20/wearabledevice- measures -cortisol-sweat

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

7. CustomFlex

World’s First Artificial Flex

[vc_single_image image=”5159″ img_size=”500×200″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

Iris is the part of the eye that is colored around the pupil and controls the amount of light entering the eye. It is found to be damaged in conditions like Aniridia in which people are born with a partial or missing iris or it could happen later in life due to traumatic injury or surgical removal due to melanoma. With patients of eye damage, the surgically implanted device known as the CustomFlex Artificial Iris is a boon. Recently this prosthetic iris has got the US FDA approval. The CustomFlex Iris is surgically inserted and held in place either by sutures or eye’s anatomical structures. This iris is made of thin, foldable medical grade silicon and is custom-fitted and colored for each patient. A study of nearly 400 adults and children with Aniridia or other iris defects found that the device was safe and effective, with 70% of participants reporting significant decreases in light sensitivity and glare, as well as improvement in health-related quality of life. The study also found low rates of adverse side effects. As per FDA, the artificial iris is contradicted in patients who have uncontrolled or severe chronic inflammation, abnormally small size of eyes, untreated chronic glaucoma, cataract caused by the rubella virus, abnormal blood vessels on the iris, inner eye infections and certain kind of damaged blood vessels in the retina. Also, pregnant women cannot be its takers.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news /fda-approves-first-artificial-iris/

[vc_separator color=”juicy_pink”]

8. Smart Bandage to Monitor Wounds and Dispense Drugs Made

[vc_single_image image=”5161″ img_size=”500×250″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

Sonskusale has recently developed a first of its kind ‘sense-then-respond’ smart bandage which uses sensors to detect subtle biomarkers that signal wound healing. The device has a microprocessor to read the data captured by the sensors, communicate with the mobile and also can direct the bandage to release medication if it is needed. It takes into account things like sensing whether the wound is getting enough oxygen, right pH level is there, what is the temperature near the wound and is there any inflammation? All this information is communicated to a central processor where the doctor already has programmed drug release for antibiotic or growth factor to improve healing. Such a bandage has applications in bed sores, burns and surgical wounds with the advantage of reducing complications from infections and reducing the number of amputations. The key is the timely application of the bandage to the wound site to fasten healing. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cooltech/ smart-bandage

The post Trending Innovations in Healthcare appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

A Neo Diabetic’s Tryst with Destiny

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 08:32:40 +0000

A Neo Diabetic’s Tryst with Destiny & Birth of Innovative Enterprise to Combat Challenge

Where there’s a will there’s a way. For a young man – Sachin Gaur, a medical urgency that too on an alien land sent things topsy-turvy for a while, but he envisioned latent prospect in the disgusting scenario. Soon after stepping out from the hospital, he summarily stitched an innovative group to combat challenges being faced by millions of diabetic patients globe over.

Astoundingly, strange are the ways of nature to lend you a helping hand in a well-intentioned initiative. On way back home from Hyderabad, Sachin shared the flight coincidentally with one of the key chemists working with MSD for the last 22 years. He is a Harvard alumnus and was part of the team which designed the molecule called Januvia, which is one of the key drugs for diabetes. The whole gambit of diabetes and afflicted persons were discussed threadbare on board.

[vc_single_image image=”5039″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”]

It was Sachin Gaur’s tryst with destiny – narration of the sugary tale. “My quest for diabetes cure and management: a health accident that has given me a purpose in life.

Surrounded by healthcare experts, my quest of promoting healthcare innovations could not have been better. Until I was diagnosed with high blood sugar and the week immediately after with a medical emergency, which has no direct link with my diabetic condition, but the treatment is such that I need to have a strict regime of a brisk walk, frequent meals, and schedule of oral drugs and insulin. As I am writing this I have spent 6 days in a hospital bed (which was the first time since I was born) and 14 days out of it. The condition I had, essentially, I felt reborn but this time it seemed with a greater purpose. So, I am writing this article – not as 35 years old but a 20-day infant.

It seems the drugs that I am taking have made me as curious as a child – nothing seems impossible. I was able to synthesize a few lines on the hospital bed, which summarize my state of the mind. For English readers, this poem essentially means that I want to win my diet, in my mind and the exercise that this body can do. I need a resolve, determination, and courage from the almighty combined with the blessings of my elders and love of dear ones to defeat the voices of the world.

With this thought process in my mind, the project “Experiments with Sugar” (www.ExperimentsWithSugar.in) was born. With a team of 11 – from different walks of life: medical experts, researchers, a filmmaker, and more joining every day; we aim to enable 1 million people living with diabetes either cure or better manage their diabetes by the end of September 2021. I will be reporting the progress to you for the next three years via the InnoHEALTH magazine. This is the first social cause project we have undertaken at “InnovatioCuris Foundation for Healthcare and Excellence” (ICFHE), a not-for-profit organization as a mission mode project.

With the support of our experts, I managed to meet with some of the top experts and we are getting a great response. To name a few: Dr. Rakesh Sahay, Head of Department at Osmania Medical College; Joseph Duffy, Executive Director, Head of A Neo Diabetic’s Tryst with Destiny & Birth of Innovative Enterprise to Combat Challenge External Discovery Chemistry – Kenilworth, Merck & Co.

We plan to release a few episodes every month as a web series to provide scientifically correct information but in an accessible way to the common man. So, as a reader do guide us and send good suggestions our way. By the year-end, we also aim to produce a very high-quality report on the unmet needs of the stakeholders involved in the life of a person living with diabetes. This will then feed into the Smart India Hackathon planned in February 2019 as a diabetes track to support innovation in the country. We need suggestions for a planned roundtable in December 2018 in Hyderabad to validate our findings and further record the proceedings on the best scientific knowledge on diabetes.

Please write to me by sending an email with a suggestion and queries at sachin@innovatiocuris.com.

The post A Neo Diabetic’s Tryst with Destiny appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Cyber-Biosecurity: Are we ready?

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 08:42:50 +0000

Bertrand Russell once said, ‘War doesn’t determine who is right−only who is left”, thus ‘we need to update, upgrade and be prepared for our own survival’. These words sound more relevant in the contemporary phase in the wake of fast changing global scenario and emerging inevitability for updating virtually by spilled of seconds.

Amalgamation of biotechnological and information technology advancement in the 21st century has altered our world at the fundamental level which is evident in the area of health, manufacturing, and food security. Humankind has also witnessed malicious bugs like Y2K and Wanna cry in biological and cyber field respectively. We have reached new landmarks on our understanding of how biological systems work and also discovered ways to meaningfully manipulate these systems as per our advantage/ requirement. Biotech tools, such as gene drives, can deliberately engineer inheritable genetic traits into wild populations, offering a powerful new way to escape from certain vector-borne diseases.

Gene editing tools such as CRISPR-CAS9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats associated protein-9 nuclease) are being used globally for quick and precise gene editing. Researchers like to use computers to analyze DNA, operate lab machines and store genetic information. In the health sector, the digitization of biology & metabolic engineering accelerated the development of new vaccines, drugs, and painkillers. Agriculture is becoming smarter/digitized, with farmers relying on data-driven decision acquired through sensors planted in the ground, satellites guiding tractor movements and other new practices. But these emerging capabilities come with a whole new category of vulnerabilities and risks.

Also Read: IIT Kanpur Braces Up to Prevent Cyber Attacks

Over the last five years “technological barriers to acquire and use biological weapon has been significantly eroded.” The security impact of biotech advances goes beyond bioweapon. For example, developments in metabolic pathway engineering also offer opportunities to produce illegal drugs such as heroin. Scientists have already identified how to make the active compounds in other narcotics, such as for cannabis and precursors of LSD. What if a terrorist group or a despotic regime tries to spread modified organisms aimed at striking troops, frightening civilians, or putting food production in disarray? The failed attempt of Japanese cult to obtain Ebola strains from South Africa is one such indicator.

Recently Jean and coworkers (2018) highlighted the risks of using gene sequencing technologies to corrupt the databases by altering sequences or annotations. In this article, computer scientists designed a DNA sample that when sequenced, resulted in a data file which enabled the hacker to control the sequencing computer remotely and gave access to the hacker to make changes in DNA sequences. These alterations could delay a research program causing capital, labor loss or can be used in act of terrorism for uncontrolled production of toxins or infectious agents. To mitigate these risks, the culture of the life sciences community needs to shift from trusting blindly to a highly aware and trained community. This also requires intricate relationships between the computational and experimental dimensions of product development workflows.

The diverse nature of pathogens and toxins with their potential to be used as a biowarfare agent (BW) could be attributed to multiple factors. These include infectivity (the number of organisms required to cause disease), virulence (the severity of the disease caused), transmissibility (ease of spreading from person to person), and incubation period (the time from exposure of a biological agent to the onset of illness). All these attributes are manageable by modern biotechnology and information related to such experimentation trials is key to any covert attack using these for BW.

Similarly, in the cyber world, there is a diversity of malicious codes. These include viruses (programs that replicate in target machinery); worms (self-sustaining programs) and carriers such as a trojan horse to perform a legitimate function with malicious activity. Additionally, Botnets, or networks of computers infected with malicious code, can be coordinated to perform distributed denial of service attacks. For biological weapons, delivery vehicles range from advanced aerial spray technology to contamination of food products or water, while malicious code in cyberspace can be delivered by usage portals, email, web browsers, chat clients, web-enabled applications, and updates. The cyber threat has expanded dramatically in recent years with a series of damage. Terrorists are using cyber capabilities over traditional methods to target 104 countries including India.

Also Read: Time To Take Some Intelligent Decisions

Governments and security experts have singled out the life sciences sector as being significantly vulnerable to cybercrime. In cybersecurity terms, innovation is fast 50 Volume 3 | Issue 3 | July-September 2018 becoming a double-edged sword for life sciences clients. Recently FireEye disclosed the threat posed by two Advance Persistent Threat (APT) groups which gained access to the environment of a leading pharmaceutical company for up to three years prior to detection. They stole IP and business data from the victim, information on bio cultures, products, cost reports, and other details pertaining to the company’s operations abroad. There is nothing more important to a pharmaceutical organization than the formula for one of its new drugs.

For cyber biosecurity, employee training should be given priority. It can greatly increase an organization’s general awareness of these new risks. Similar to biosafety training, cybersecurity training modules and policies should be introduced. Secondly, organizations should perform a thorough analysis of its exposure to cyber biosecurity risks not covered by existing biosafety and biosecurity policies.

Training exercises based on this type of analysis will encourage participants to review their workflows and identify their vulnerabilities. It is high time now to evolve a policy framework to detect and prevent security threats that may compromise life sciences assets. It includes guidelines on synthetic DNA targeted companies that provide DNA synthesis services to monitor research focus and relates features.

Bioinformatics software is still not hardened against attack. Encouragement of widespread adoption of standard software best security practices like input sanitization, the use of memory safe languages or bounds checking at buffers, and regular security audits is necessary. Patching still remains challenging as the analysis software are often located in individually managed repositories and not regularly updated. One solution is to use a centralized repository to manage updates and deliver patches, similar to the APT package manager.

These could also be signed to ensure their authenticity. In the case of file sharing, the sequencing files themselves could be signed by verified research groups before uploading them to centralized databases. This is just the glimpse of the long list of strategies that need immediate deployment, continuous review, and improvement with time.

The post Cyber-Biosecurity: Are we ready? appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

World’s first cloned monkeys

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Mon, 07 May 2018 07:57:43 +0000

The first primate clones made by somatic cell nuclear transfer are two genetically identical long-tailed macaques born recently at the Institute of Neuroscience of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai. Researchers named the newborns ZhongZhong and Hua Hua—born six and eight weeks ago, respectively—after the Chinese adjective “Zhōnghuá,” which means Chinese nation or people.

[vc_single_image image=”3975″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

The technical milestone, presented on January 25 in the journal Cell, makes it a realistic possibility for labs to conduct research with customizable populations of genetically uniform monkeys. The academy in a news statement on its website said. “There are a lot of questions about primate biology that can be studied by having this additional model,” says senior author Qiang Sun, Director of the Nonhuman Primate Research Facility at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience. “You can produce cloned monkeys with the same genetic background except the gene you manipulated. This will generate real models not just for genetically based brain diseases, but also cancer, immune or metabolic disorders, and allow us to test the efficacy of the drugs for these conditions before clinical use.”

Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua are not the first primate clones—the title goes to Tetra, a rhesus monkey made in 1999 by a simpler method called embryo splitting (Science, v. 287, no. 5451, pp. 317-319). This approach is how twins are made, but can only generate up to 4 offspring at a time. Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua are the product of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the technique used to create Dolly the sheep over 20 years ago, in which researchers remove the nucleus from an egg cell and replace it with another nucleus from differentiated body cells. This reconstructed egg then develops into a clone of whatever donated the replacement nucleus.

Differentiated monkey cell nuclei, compared to other mammals such as mice or dogs, have proven resistant to SCNT. Sun and his colleagues overcame this challenge primarily by introducing epigenetic modulators after the nuclear transfer that switch on or off the genes that are inhibiting the embryo development.

The researchers found their success rate increased by transferring nuclei taken from fetal differentiated cells, such as fibroblasts, a cell type in the connective tissue. Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua are clones of the same macaque fetal fibroblasts. Cells from adult donor cells were also used, but those babies only lived for a few hours after birth.

“We tried several different methods but only one worked,” says Sun. “There was much failure before we found a way to successfully clone a monkey.”

The researchers plan to continue improving the technique, which will also benefit from future work in other labs, and monitoring Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua for their physical and intellectual development. The babies are currently bottle fed and are growing normally compared to monkeys their age. The group is also expecting more macaque clones to be born over the coming months.

Want to write for InnoHEALTH? send us your article at magazine@innovatiocuris.com

The post World’s first cloned monkeys appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Digital India Healthy India

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:34:46 +0000

New India, Digital India, Make India, Innovate India in making a ‘Healthy’ India

[vc_single_image image=”3771″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border” onclick=”link_image”]

India is a country of diversity with 1.3 billion population of which 70 per cent resides in villages and have access to 30 per cent of medical assets of the country. Poverty is a significant issue of the country, despite having one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, clocked at an economic growth of 7.6 per cent in 2015. It is estimated that 23.6 per cent of Indian population, or about 276 million people, live below $1.25 per day.

As Health is a state subject-there is lot of mismatch in states like Kerala and Punjab have best health indicators, while Uttar Pradesh is the poorest as per the NITI Aayog report. Indian government spends approx. 1.5 per cent of its GDP on health sector and mplans to make it 2.5 per cent which is much less than many developing countries while the USA has dedicated 16 per cent of its GDP. India is riddled with very basic public health issues leading to disease burden. Keeping this in mind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched six initiatives: Open Defecation free country by 2019, Swachh Bharat Mission, National Health Policy 2017, Digital India with e-health, medical device manufacturing and door-to-door screening of chronic diseases.

[vc_single_image image=”3774″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border” onclick=”link_image”]

The healthcare needs holistic approach which depends on multiple factors. The present government has taken many positive steps including launching of National Health Policy 2017 after the gap of 12 years. It has announced many initiatives like health insurance of people who cannot afford basic healthcare and upgrading of health infrastructure.

The regulation of medical devices have been brought out and is applicable w.e.f January 1, 2018 ending uncertainty of medical device manufacturers having global market of 220 billion US dollar. Challenges bring opportunities such as Indian healthcare market is around US$ 100 billion while it is expected to grow US$ 280 billion by 2020. The healthcare IT market is US$ one billion and is expected to grow 1.5 times by 2020. There is requirement of 7 lakh hospital beds which need investment opportunities of 25-30 billion US dollar. We need to bring innovations in hospital planning,devices, diagnostics, drugs and use of technology to reduce healthcare delivery cost and yet quality.

[vc_single_image image=”3779″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border” onclick=”link_image”]

We failed targets of Health for All by 2000, National Rural Health Mission, and Millennium Development Goals and now launched Universal Health Coverage; its success would depend on providing healthcare facilities and strict accountability. We need to focus on primary health care and customise our healthcare delivery system by learning from experiences of other countries.

The concept of Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) making financial package for group of diseases which is known to patients, providers and third party payors should be considered by improving deficiency found in its execution by the USA.

The various schemes of present government are appreciable but success would depend on strict monitoring, corporate hospitals have high cost and many unethical practices are reported every day in media. Public hospitals to National Rural Health Mission have not delivered as required because of corruption, lack of resources and application of management practices. The need is not old wine in new bottle but strict control in implementation of various schemes launched.

Want to write for InnoHEALTH? send us your article at magazine@innovatiocuris.com

Read all the issues of InnoHEALTH magazine:
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 1 (July to September 2016) – https://goo.gl/iWAwN2
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 2 (October to December 2016) – https://goo.gl/4GGMJz
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 1 (January to March 2017) – https://goo.gl/DEyKnw
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 2 (April to June 2017) – https://goo.gl/Nv3eev
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 3 (July to September 2017) – https://goo.gl/MCVjd6
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 4 (October to December 2017) – http://amzn.to/2B2UMLw
InnoHEALTH Volume 3 Issue 1 (January to March 2018) – https://goo.gl/fksdQx
InnoHEALTH Volume 3 Issue 2 (April to June 2018) – https://goo.gl/grbtRo

Connect with InnovatioCuris on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innovatiocuris
Twitter: https://twitter.com/innovatiocuris
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7043791
Stay updated about IC, visit: www.innovatiocuris.com

The post Digital India Healthy India appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

India aims to eliminate TB by 2025

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 10:37:01 +0000

[vc_single_image image=”3594″ img_size=”200×200″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”]

Dr. Soumya Swaminanthan needs no introduction. The 58-year-old pediatrician and clinical scientist has been recently nominated as Deputy Director General of the World Health Organisation. Ms. Swaminanthan, the pioneer in Tuberculosis research, advocates the role of research to root out the disease as the country has the highest number of cases in the world.

India’s National Health Policy recognizes the key role that research plays in the development of a nation’s health. The India TB Research Consortium brings together diverse stakeholders to develop new tools – diagnostics, vaccines and drugs – to enable the country to take a leadership role in fast tracking translational TB research and find solutions for the world.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Director General, ICMR) recently at the second International Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG) meeting, states India has the highest number of TB cases in the world. It is widely recognised that the field needs new tools to make a greater impact on this disease, including more sensitive diagnosis, preventive vaccines and new drugs to treat MDR-TB.

The India Tuberculosis Research Consortium (ITRC), formed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Delhi convened its second International Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG) meeting.

The ISAG comprises global experts in the areas of TB research and has been formed to advise the ITRC on developing and translating, research & development leads across four key thematic areas – diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics and implementation research – taking into account the research leads in each area, available both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Barry R. Bloom (Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University and Chair, ISAG) addressing the meeting states, “TB is now the largest single cause of death in the world from an infectious disease.

Hence, the Government of India has made a significant commitment to support research to prevent and control the disease in India.” India’s National Strategic Plan 2017 for TB elimination aims to achieve and maintain a cure rate of >85% in new sputum positive patients for TB and reduce incidence of new cases, to reach elimination status by the year 2025.

Want to write for InnoHEALTH? send us your article at magazine@innovatiocuris.com

The post India aims to eliminate TB by 2025 appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

New method to remove harmful drugs from water

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:09:53 +0000

New method developed to remove harmful drugs from wastewater

Hospital wastewater is very toxic due to the presence of drugs in it which in turn leads to major environmental issues. A group of researchers from Belgium and India have developed a novel method of treating wastewater to get rid of such harmful substances from hospital waste. The wastewater may contain cytostatic drugs which are known to cause severe and irreversible damages to human body especially from hospitals specializing in cancer treatment.

Researchers have developed a slurry photocatalytic membrane reactor which involves a filtration process similar to the one used to purify drinking water. This device needs a light source like an LED to work. Scientists used a catalyst, titanium dioxide, to breakdown drugs. It is easily available, efficient, stable and not toxic. Monika Kundu Srivastava

The membrane used as a barrier to stop the drugs could be made up of a polymer or ceramic. Though polymers have small and distinct pore sizes and are capable of stopping the large-sized cytostatic drugs, previous studies have proved that ceramic membranes are able to withstand the inevitable `wear and tear’ associated with the filtration process better when these membranes also come in contact with various chemicals. Ceramic membranes were used in this study.

As waste water with cytostatic drugs enters photoreactor, the light source activates or ‘fires up’ the catalyst (titanium dioxide) breaking it up into two parts—titanium and ‘free’ oxygen. The ‘free’ oxygen then combines with the cytostatic drugs in waste water and breaks them into smaller parts thus making them ‘safer’.

If any drug particles are left unchanged, the membrane prevents them from passing through. Thereafter, the mixture goes into another part of the reactor where the catalyst is removed and re-circulated to the photoreactor. The results of this study were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment recently.

Article shared from ‘India Science Wire’

Want to write for InnoHEALTH? send us your article at magazine@innovatiocuris.com

The post New method to remove harmful drugs from water appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.