Targeted Plexxikon Drug Helps Ease Joint Pain

Image: Daiichi Sankyo Logo
Source: Google Serach

Plexxikon, a unit of Daiichi Sankyo, has developed experimental cancer drug that can also help to ease pain and swelling in various joint disease that are caused by genetic mutation.
This finding and revelation of the genetic underpinnings of cancer has much more lead to mutations related problem treatment.

Recurrent pigmented villonodular synovitis, or PVNS is a disease that is caused by a glitch causes cells to overproduce stimulating factor 1. This cell destroys the soft normal tissue of joints. Thus the new drug Plexxikon's drug, PLX3397 acts against PVNS by blocking its abnormality.

This drug was tested by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York on 600 600 people in the United States.

This drug is proving good because joint pain it is somewhat same but  does not spread to other parts of the body.

The result declared by evaluating 11 out 14 patients result. The results were good and they response to the drug, along with that tumor shrank at least by half, and 3 patients had stable disease. On average, 61% tumors shrank.

Dr William Tap of Memorial Sloan-Kettering, who led the study said –“These results are a shining example of how patients can experience a meaningful clinical benefit when we are able to match the right treatment with the right target.”

Dr Clifford Hudis, president of American Society of Clinical Oncology, also aparies this study and said that-“at future treatments that will become possible as a result of efforts to better match patients”

Thus a final study will be presented at the ASCO meeting in Chicago starting on May 30 and will end on June 3.

Is it true that Women's Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk could be cut by Beer?

Yes, a new study suggested that having a beer a few times a week might help women to avoid rheumatoid arthritis pain.  Why and how just read it out to know!!!

According to the Arthritis Foundation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistic that about 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. To this ratio women get RA 2.5 times more often than men do. The onset of RA in women is between the ages of 30 to 60 year.

Dr. Bing Lu, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston concluded that-" long-term, moderate alcohol drinking may reduce future rheumatoid arthritis development in women" in his research.

In this study, the risk of RA is reduced by 21 percent if you have few alcoholic drinks during the week, and this ratio goes to 31% if women drink moderately for example two to four beers per week.

This research is published in Arthritis & Rheumatology issue.

What they did to conclude this??

Dr. Bing Lu and his researchers tracked the drinking habits of women in two large studies-

1. The Nurses' Health Study.
2. The Nurses' Health Study II.

In The Nurses' Health Study which began in 1976 included 121,000 registered nurses and in the Nurses' Health Study II included 121,000 registered nurses and which began in 1989.  These two group data were analyzed in two factors. First after every two years that data about their health and lifestyle is collected and the second one every four years data about diet, including alcohol consumption was analyzed.

After this analysis they concluded that beer really help women to ease their RA pain! But concentrated on "Long-term moderate alcohol drinking"

Along with this studies output, Lu also said that he and his group can't explain why beer helps, but it is true. He also said that this study is only done on women not on men, thus he has no idea about the effect of beer on men.

For this his statement was-""We don't know for men, but rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a woman's disease."

This new study reminded the other researcher's studies done on this subject.

Dr. Len Horovitz, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City has also said that "There is a correlation between alcohol and a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis over time" in his study.

Another one Dr. Daniel Arkfeld, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles said that-"Prior studies have linked moderate alcohol intake with lower rheumatoid arthritis risk, but added that none had focused on beer specifically"

Dr. Daniel Arkfeld said one reason to verify this study that-"It's possible that alcohol may work to boost levels of estrogen, which is protective against rheumatoid arthritis"

Thus winding up occasional moderate beer drinking is good for you Women's!! But be in touch with your doctor.

12 May 2014 - International ME/CFS & FM Awareness Day

As May Month starts it is said as Arthritis caring and awareness month. On 10 May its Lupus awareness day and the whole world is uniting and raising fund to spread awareness about Lupus. Likewise same is on May 12-Its Fibromyalgia awareness day.  For this too we need to unite and spread awareness.

Do we really need to stand for this???

Yes!!! Off course!!! Fibro is with us!!It's a Fibro frog!!!

All know that OA is the most common arthritis affecting so many peoples in US, but who holds the second position. It's Fibromyalgia-the second most common ailment affecting the musculoskeletal system disease.  It is estimated by American College of Rheumatology in 2004 that approximately 1 in 50 Americans is estimated to have fibromyalgia.

Statistic really made us to think about this disease!!!!

May 12th is not only the awareness day for Fibro but all Chronic Immunological and Neurological diseases.

Why need to spread awareness on any diseases and Say 12 May as Fibromyalgia awareness day:

• To give importance to finding done on the cause and precaution for Fibro.
• To support and boost the morale of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• Stand for the rights of fibro patient.
• To educate and spread awareness about Fibro- those you are suffering and those you are caretakers of fibro patient.
• To inform and say that they can live a healthy life to the new ones who are newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• To stand united for just one thought-" Awareness about  fibromyalgia"
• Give support and give hope to all Fibro patients.
• To stand that we will find a proper cure for this one day.

Thus come and join on 12 May to spread awareness on Fibro. You can find more information about the event organized on this day on National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association site.

Video Source: Youtube

10 May 2014 World Lupus Day-Around the Globe

Image: Purple For Lupus
Image Source: Google Image

May 10 will be celebrated as World Lupus day for creating awareness among the people. Purple will be the color of the day. We all must joint and make that day-A day of awareness, A day of fighting against Lupus, A day to help and raise fund for Lupus sufferer.

You all must be knowing that Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects our immune system by attacking our healthy tissue. It can attack any part or our body like joints, heart, kidney, lungs and blood cells. It is mainly of 4 types: Systemic, Discoid, Drug-induced and Neonatal. The most common is systemic lupus erythematosus(SEL).

For creating awareness on May 10 what the countries around the world are doing. Just have look over few countries.

1. South America: Argentina

Association Lupus Argentina (ALUA) is going to hosting Medical Symposium with different Lupus patients, families, medical and social workers. They will be distributing free instructional brochures about the event and the illness. Location for this event is Buenos Aires - Argentina : - Auditorium of  Bank of Buenos Aires City.

2. North America: Canada

Here there are two major events on May 10

• In Toronto,the CN Tower will be lit Red and White on May 10.
• Niagara Falls Walk for Lupus will be held in Oakes Park on May 31, 2014.

3. Asia: Indonesia

On World Lupus Day 2014, Indonesia- Care for Lupus SDF (Syamsi Dhuha Foundation) is organizing several activities. The lists of activities are:

• Research Sponsorship.
• Writing Competition.
• Lifetime Achievement Awards.
• Launching a book title "Mentarimorfosa - 10 years Journey of SDF"
• Lupus Awareness Campaign through social media.

4. Europe: 

In Cyprus: 

Here an interactive Workshop by the name-"WE HOLD OUR LIFE IN OUR HANDS" will be conducted. It will include Presentation, discussion and sharing of knowledge by Rheumatologist.

In Germany:

In Germany too workshop will be held to spread awareness among the people.

In Hungary: 

Lectures will be conducted to spread awareness about Lupus in WLD. Along   with taking a tour to Szeged with train and will also conduct some games like pools. Guest will be also offered by some sandwiches and refreshments.

In Ireland:

Lupus Group Ireland will be organizing an online campaign through FB & Twitter. You just need to share a lupus poster and one fact about it on your profile page & twitter accounts.

World is uniting on May 10!!!
Come and be a part of this!!
Learn and spread awareness about LUPUS.

Learn about Lupus Facts

What happens when your own immune system becomes hyperactive and starts working against your body system and attack your healthy tissue. This is what called an autoimmune disease -"Lupus".

Read here to know some facts about Lupus:

• Lupus can damage your joints, your skin,

  

  Image: The systems affected by Lupus.
  Image Source: Google Serach

  your kidney and even your blood and lungs.
  
• The most common type of lupus known is SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus). The other types are discoid, neonatal and drug-induced.
  
• It is estimated by Lupus Foundation of America that 1.5 to 2 million Americans have some form of lupus!!! A serious concern!!!
  
• To this estimation it's also said that women are diagnosed 9 times more often than men and lupus can affect women of any age weather she is 15 year old or 45 year old.
  
• Lupus is not related to cancer or HIV.
  
• Infection, medication or extreme sunlight exposures are the various risk factors of Lupus.
  
• The exact cause of Lupus is not known till now.
  
• It is believed by doctors that Lupus cause can be related to genetic and environmental factor.
  
• Genetic factor can be related to DNA or genes you have or if you have a family history of Lupus.
  
• Regarding the environmental factors the cause is very wide, it can be extreme exposure  to sunlight, infection from any virus such as Epstein-Barr or infection through chemical exposure.
  
• The symptoms of Lupus are: bruising, headaches, fever, weight loss or gain, skin lesions, depression, chest pain, mouth ulcers, memory loss and blood clotting problems.
  
• No cure for lupus of any type.

Only the symptoms of lupus can be treated with some prescribed drugs.

Although lupus can affect anybody what we can do is just we have to go for best treatment with a health care and follow what he says and change your life style accordingly.