Headline Nov 26, 2014/

''' O'' MENDING HEART! : 

THY MIMICS '''

YOU ARE what you eat, maybe-

ONE SUCH drug is a compound called  serelaxin,  which has been developed by Novartis, a Swiss company.

It mimics a human hormone known as relaxin.

In pregnancy relaxin levels rise to help boost the blood flow for mother and child. This can also help patients whose hearts are coming under a similar sort of stress.

Positive results were reported in a medical trial  of serelaxin  by the lancet in 2013 and the drug could be licensed for use now.

Another drug that mimics a natural process is ularitide.

This has been developed by Cardiorentis, also a Swiss company, as a chemically synthesised form of  urodilatin    -a human peptide which is produced in the kidneys and which helps them excrete:

Waste More efficiently through manipulating hormone levels. This too can improve blood flow and further trials are planned.

Two American biotechnology companies, Amgen and Cytokinetics, reported results from a trial of a drug called  omecamtiv  mecarbil to a recent congress held in Amsterdam by the European Society of Cardiology.

Although more tests are needed, the drug has been shown to stimulate the ability of heart muscles to contract without debilitating side-effetcs. 

Previous drugs- That made the heart contract more powerfully tended to raise calcium levels. Which increases the risk of life-threatening heart rhythm problems 

In the longer term, techniques are emerging which might help repair the damaged heart itself.

Calladon, another American biotechnology company, is funding a clinical trial of gene therapy in a number of hospitals around the world.

The trial, known as CUPID2 , involves introducing a gene which can help the heart improve its muscle function.

the gene is contained in a  genetically engineered  virus and inserted directly into heart muscle via a catheter.

If the trial is successful, such treatment could be four or five years away from being made generally available. 

More work is needed. But after such a long period of little progress acute heart failure might at last start to benefit from the sort of  advances-

That have made heart attacks less deadly.

Scientist Dr Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University, conducted a very fascinating and far reaching experiment. And I bring it up here:

To control for the effect of genetics, Dr Gordon found four pairs of home twins, with one twin obese and the other lean.

He collected their stools, then transferred the twins' bacteria to sets of mice.

Fed an identical diet, the mice with bacteria from an obese twin became obese, whereas bacteria from a thin twin remained lean.

Dr Gordon then tested what would happen when mice with different bacteria were housed together  -mouse droppings help to transfer bacteria. Bacteria from the lean mice made their way to the mice with obese twin's bacteria.

Preventing those mice from gaining weight and developing other metabolic abnormalities.

But the phenomenon did not work in reverse.   

With respectful dedication to all the Patients in the world suffering Heart ailments. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society Computers-Internet-Wireless:

''' For Greater Understanding '''

'''Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless