GNIPST BULLETIN 2012

1118-1177-4796-9849-7562-5062

TO GROW AS A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN THE FIELD OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

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25th January 2013

Volume No.: 22

Issue No.: 02

Vision

Contents

Message from GNIPST Letter to the Editor News Update Disease Outbreak News Health Awareness Forth Coming Events Drugs Update GNIPST Photo Gallery
For your comments/contributionOR For Back-Issues, mailto:gnipstbulletin@gmail.com

Campus News Students Section Editors Note Archive

1 EDITOR: Debabrata Ghosh Dastidar

GURU NANAK INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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MESSAGE FROM GNIPST

All the members of GNIPST are proud to publish the 22nd Volume of GNIPST BULLETIN. This bulletin has successfully completed its twenty months journey. We hope it has kept the readers updated of recent activities in pharmaceutical & biological sciences and also introduced them with the different activities of our esteemed institution. We are thankful to all of you for your great cooperation & support and are looking forward to the samein future.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR. NEWS UPDATE

'Quadruple Helix' DNA Discovered in Human Cells (20 JANUARY 2013)

In 1953, Cambridge researchers Watson and Crick published an article describing the interweaving "double helix" DNA structure -the chemical code for all life. Now, in the year of that scientific landmark's 60th Anniversary, Cambridge researchers have published another article demonstrating that four-stranded "quadruple helix" DNA structures -- known as G-quadruplexes -also exist within the human genome. Read more

One Form of Neuron Turned Into Another in Brain (20

JANUARY 2013)

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A new finding by stem cell biologists turns one of the basics of neurobiology on its head -- demonstrating that it is possible to turn one type of already differentiated neuron into another within the brain. Read more

Regular Aspirin Use Linked to Increased Risk of Age-Related (21

JANUARY 2013)

Macular

Degeneration

Regular aspirin use appears to be associated with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in older people, and it appears to be independent of a history of cardiovascular disease and smoking. Read more New Way to Kill Lymphoma Without Chemo-

therapy: Golden Nanoparticle Starves Cancer Cell to Death (21

JANUARY 2013)

Scientists annihilated lymphoma by depriving it of a favorite food: HDL cholesterol. Researchers developed a new golden nanoparticle that's a replica of natural HDL. Acting like a secret double agent, the particle appears to the human lymphoma cell like natural HDL. But when the cell engages it, the particle plugs up the cell and blocks cholesterol from entering. The cell dies. Read more

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Immune Cells Engineered in Lab to Resist HIV

Infection, Study Shows (22

JANUARY 2013)

Researchers have found a novel way to engineer key cells of the immune system so they remain resistant to infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The new approach, a form of tailored gene therapy, could ultimately replace drug treatment, in which patients have to take multiple medications daily to keep the virus in check and prevent the potentially fatal infections wrought by AIDS. Read
more

How Can Evolutionary Biology Explain Why We Get

Cancer? (22

JANUARY 2013)

Over 500 billion cells in our bodies will be replaced daily, yet natural selection has enabled us to develop defenses against the cellular mutations which could cause cancer. It is this relationship between evolution and the bodys fight against cancer which is explored in a new special issue of the Open Access journal Evolutionary Applications. Read more Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to High Risk of

Premenopausal Breast Cancer (24

JANUARY 2013)

Low serum vitamin D levels in the months preceding diagnosis may predict a high risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Read more

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Stem Cell Therapy to Repair Damaged Knee

Cartilage (24

JANUARY 2013)

Medical researchers are conducting the first clinical study in the U.S. of an innovative stem cell drug, Cartistem, to repair knee cartilage damaged by aging, trauma or degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. Read more

HEALTH AWARENESS

Measles
Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. In 1980, before widespread vaccination, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year. It remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. An estimated 157 700 people died from measles in 2011 mostly children under the age of five. Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family. The measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and lungs. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.

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Accelerated immunization activities have had a major impact on reducing measles deaths. Since 2000, more than one billion children in high risk countries were vaccinated against the disease through mass vaccination campaigns about 225 million of them in 2011. Global measles deaths have decreased by 71% from 548,300 to 157 700. Signs and symptoms The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts four to seven days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about three days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet. The rash lasts for five to six days, and then fades. On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus (within a range of seven to 18 days). Severe measles is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases. Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease. Complications are more common in
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children under the age of five, or adults over the age of 20. The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. As high as 10% of measles cases result in death among populations with high levels of malnutrition and a lack of adequate health care. Women infected while pregnant are also at risk of severe complications and the pregnancy may end in miscarriage or preterm delivery. People who recover from measles are immune for the rest of their lives. Who is at risk? Unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of measles and its complications, including death. Unvaccinated pregnant women are also at risk. Any non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected. Measles is still common in many developing countries particularly in parts of Africa and Asia. More than 20 million people are affected by measles each year. The overwhelming majority (more than 95%) of measles deaths occur in countries with low per capita incomes and weak health infrastructures.

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Measles outbreaks can be particularly deadly in countries experiencing or recovering from a natural disaster or conflict. Damage to health infrastructure and health services interrupts routine immunization, and overcrowding in residential camps greatly increases the risk of infection. Transmission The highly contagious virus is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions. The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from four days prior to the onset of the rash to four days after the rash erupts. Measles outbreaks can result in epidemics that cause many deaths, especially among young, malnourished children. In countries where measles has been largely eliminated, cases imported from other countries remain an important source of infection. Treatment No specific antiviral treatment exists for measles virus.

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Severe complications from measles can be avoided though supportive care that ensures good nutrition, adequate fluid intake and treatment of dehydration with WHO-recommended oral rehydration solution. This solution replaces fluids and other essential elements that are lost through diarrhoea or vomiting. Antibiotics should be prescribed to treat eye and ear infections, and pneumonia. All children in developing countries diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of vitamin A supplements, given 24 hours apart. This treatment restores low vitamin A levels during measles that occur even in well-nourished children and can help prevent eye damage and blindness. Vitamin A supplements have been shown to reduce the number of deaths from measles by 50%. Prevention Routine measles vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns in countries with high case and death rates, are key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths. The measles vaccine has been in use for over 40 years. It is safe, effective and inexpensive. It costs less than one US dollar to immunize a child against measles.

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The measles vaccine is often incorporated with rubella and/or mumps vaccines in countries where these illnesses are problems. It is equally effective in the single or combined form. In 2011, about 84% of the world's children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services up from 72% in 2000. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended to ensure immunity and prevent outbreaks, as about 15% of vaccinated children fail to develop immunity from the first dose.

DISEASE OUTBREAK NEWS FORTHCOMING EVENTS

1st international conference on emerging trends in chemical and pharmaceutical sciences and First convention of ICCP Date: 28 Jun 2013 30 Jun 2013, Location: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Anantapur campus, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. Details.

DRUGS UPDATES
FDA approves Exjade to remove excess iron in

patients

with

genetic

blood

disorder

(23 JANUARY 2013)

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the approved use of Exjade (deferasirox) to treat patients ages 10 years and older who have chronic iron overload resulting from a genetic blood disorder called non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT). Read more

CAMPUS NEWS

STUDENTS SECTION
WHO CAN ANS WER FIRS T???

() Which toxin was also known as sausage poison? () Project 523 was established by Chinese army to discover the new treatment strategy for which disease?
Answer of Previous Issue Question:

A) Camptothecin

B) Camptotheca acuminata

Send yourthoughts/ Quiz/Puzzles/games/writeups or any other contributions for Students Section & answers of this Section at
gnipstbulletin@gmail.com

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EDITORS NOTE I am very happy to publish the 2nd issue of 22nd Volume of GNIPST BULLETIN. It is my great pleasure to introduce you to the newly launched facebook account GNIPST bulletin. You are cordially invited to add this account to your friend list. The current issues will also be directly available on facebook. I would like to convey my thanks to all the GNIPST members and the readers for their valuable comments, encouragement& supports. Special thanks to Dr. Prerona Saha for her advice; Mr. Soumya Bhattacharya, for his contribution in students section. It would be my great pleasure to receive the contributions, suggestions & feedback from your desk for further upliftment of this deliberation GNIPST BULLETIN.

ARCHIVE The general body meeting of APTI, Bengal Branch has been conducted at GNIPST on 15th June, 2012. The programme started with a nice presentation by Dr. Pulok Kr. Mukherjee, School of Natural Products, JU on the skill to write a good manuscript for publication in impact journals. It was followed by nearly two hour long discussion among more than thirty participants on different

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aspects of pharmacy education. Five nonmember participants applied for membership on that very day. GNIPST is now approved by AICTE and affiliated to WBUT for conducting the two years post graduate course (M.Pharm) in

PHARMACOLOGY. The approved number of seat is 18.

The number of seats in B.Pharm. has been increased from 60 to 120. 2nd World Congress on Ga-68 (Generators and Novel Radiopharmaceuticals), Molecular Imaging (PET/CT), Targeted Radionuclide Therapy, and Dosimetry (SWC-2013) : On the Way to Personalized Medicine Dates 28 Feb 2013 02 Mar 2013 Location: Chandigarh, India.Details.

AICTE has sanctioned a release of grant under Research Promotion Scheme (RPS) during the financial year 201213to GNIPST as per the details below: a. Beneficiary Institution: Guru Nanak Institution of Pharmaceutical Science & Technology. b. Principal Investigator: Dr. LopamudraDutta. c. Grant-in-aid sanctioned:Rs. 16,25000/- only d. Approved duration: 3 years e. Title of the project: Screening and identification of potential medicinal plant of Purulia&Bankuradistricts of West Bengal with
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respect to diseases such as diabetes, rheumatism, Jaundice, hypertension and developing biotechnological tools for enhancing bioactive molecules in these plant. Special classes on Communication Skills, G.D. and Interview will commence from 3rd week of January 2013 for the students of this Institute. Interested students are required to contact the undersigned for enrolment either personally or by e-mail. Dr. LopamudraDatta E-mail: info.gnipst@jisgroup.org gnipstbulletin@gmail.com

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