Removable filter placed inside blood vessel has been shown to absorb toxic chemotherapy drugs as they move away from tumour in animal trials The toxic side-effects of chemotherapy could be reduced by a sponge-like device which strains leftover cancer drugs from the blood stream before they damage the brain or cause hair loss. US researchers showed that, in animal tests at least, up to two-thirds of the unwanted drugs were absorbed by a filter placed in a major vein leading away from the site of a tumour. If the results can be reproduced in human tests, the device could allow doctors to deliver drugs in higher doses which would usually be too toxic to be used medically. The filter was inspired by absorbers used to remove unwanted impurities like sulphur from fuel, and works like the stents already routinely used in cardiovascular medicine, researchers from the University of California at Berkley said. “Literally, we’ve taken the concept out of petroleum refining and applied it to chemotherapy,” Professor Nitash Balsara, one of the authors of the study published in ACS Central Science. “Surgeons snake a wire into the bloodstream and place the sponge like a stent, and just leave it in for the amount of time you give chemotherapy, perhaps a few hours.” The research was trialled in pigs and tested on the liver cancer chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. The device, dubbed the “chemofilter” has a honeycomb structure coated with a polymer which reacts with the drug and prevents it being released – similar to the catalytic convertor in a car exhaust.
In the pig trials the device captured 64 per cent of the drug that would otherwise have circulated around the body, damaging the immune system and causing ulcers, nausea and other symptoms. Side-effects of doxorubicin in humans include hair loss, anaemia and increased risk of infection, as the circulating drugs kill off sensitive hair follicles and blood cells, according to Macmillan Cancer Support. Dr Steven Hetts, another of the authors, said if it’s shown to work in humans the device could be rapidly approved for patients because it’s a removable implant. “We are developing this around liver cancer because it is a big public health threat – there are tens of thousands of new cases every year,” he added. “But if you think about it, you could use this sort of approach for any tumour or any disease that is confined to an organ, and you want to absorb the drug on the venous side before it can distribute and cause side effects elsewhere in the body.” This news story is from Independent
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"Patients have been providing feedback that synthetic wigs are now actually the preferred wig choice for many. You can still shave your head in solidarity with cancer patients, but finding a place to donate that ponytail will become a lot harder by the end of the year. The Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign, which has been collecting donations and creating wigs made from real hair for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) since 2006, announced in a statement on its website that in the new year it will no longer accept hair donations in Canada and the United States. The campaign noted the technology behind synthetic wigs has vastly improved — which makes them lighter, cooler to wear and easier to style — and has driven down the demand for products made of real hair. Although donations will close, Carly Schur, national director of corporate partnerships with the Canadian Cancer Society, said the Beautiful Lengths program already has enough donations to continue creating and donating real hair wigs for the next four years. “Patients have been providing feedback that synthetic wigs are now actually the preferred wig choice for many,” Schur said. “So we have time now to educate our community about this change and also look for ways to help people donate their hair to other organizations.” Kerry Bishop, owner of Pink Tree the Fitting Shop, which stocks wigs and other products for women battling cancer, said the move makes sense. “We mostly only sell synthetic wigs for lots of reasons — we might only sell one real hair wig a year,” she said, adding that staff usually advise against purchasing real hair wigs for a variety of reasons, including the high cost and that they lack the longevity and ease of use that synthetic versions offer. While hair shaving fundraisers are popular among many groups to raise funds and awareness for cancer research, Bishop said she doesn’t think the decision to move away from real hair products will negatively affect these efforts, noting that for most people the decision to shave their head is generally to show solidarity with someone battling cancer. Laddie James, general manager of the Hairstyle Inn, who works with C95 to organize its head shave fundraisers, agrees. He said the awareness and attention a head shave event draws won’t be degraded by the fact that it will become more difficult to donate the hair. “There are still other options that people can do with the hair that they can’t source out,” he said. “It can also be utilized and recycled for other purposes — anything from making oil absorption buoys to making mats. Hair is an incredibly tough fabric, and as a result it can be used for a number of different things.” People who get their heads shaved for the C95 marathon can rest easy knowing all those donations end up with Locks of Love — a non-profit that creates high quality hair prosthetics for financially disadvantaged children. The nonprofit’s office in Florida confirmed it has no plan to stop accepting donations. Every year, the Canadian Cancer Society provides about 2,500 wigs free of charge to cancer patients across the country, Schur said, noting that each wig takes between eight and 15 ponytail donations to complete. The Beautiful Lengths campaign has accepted more than 100,000 ponytail donations since its inception. This article appeared on The Star Pheonix Cold myths debunked: Here are 3 common cold myths that parents still rely on
Going outside with wet hair will not lead to a cold. It’s a belief passed on by generation after generation, and although experts say it’s not backed by science, a new poll suggests many of us still believe it. Researchers at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Michigan found this myth, along with a few others, is still popular among parents, CNN reported. Polling more than 1,000 parents with children between the ages of five and 12, researchers found 70 per cent believed in these “folklore strategies.” “For example, 52 per cent of parents reported that they tell their child not to go outside with wet hair, while 48 per cent said they encourage their child to spend more time indoors to avoid catching a cold. In contrast, 23 per cent of parents said they encourage their child to spend more time outdoors to prevent colds,” authors wrote in a statement. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a clinical researcher at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, told Global News it’s hard to pinpoint why people still believe these myths. “A lot of these beliefs started well before germ theory,” he said. “Some of these myths and quirks just get passed down from generation to generation but it’s hard to know why. Simply being cold doesn’t mean you’re going to get a cold.” The poll in detail The poll also found half of parents believed giving their child over-the-counter products, like vitamins or supplements, can prevent colds. “These products generally have no or limited evidence of effectiveness in preventing colds,” authors continued. “The most common product that parents gave their child in the past year for cold prevention was vitamin C. Around 25 per cent of parents had tried giving their child products advertised to boost their immune system.” But the poll also uncovered some good news: 99 per cent of parents encouraged personal hygiene like washing hands. Parents also told their children to avoid others who were sick and to clean shared toys. Getting through cold season Bogoch stressed that colds have nothing to do with the weather. Instead, colds are viruses that circulate. “They can cause nuisance symptoms like low-grade fever, sneezing, coughing, runny noses, and people generally feeling crummy until it passes.” Colds can be more prevalent in colder months because people typically are more clustered together. “Preventing the cold can be challenging [in colder months], but good hygiene is key,” he said, adding viruses can live on surfaces like doorknobs, keyboards, and elevator buttons. Tips for parents Besides encouraging children to wash their hands, parents should also know there isn’t a way to fully prevent the cold. “The vast majority of these infections are self-limited and most of the time it will be over in a few days,” Bogoch said. “There is no silver bullet… there is nothing you can do to shorten the duration.” Authors who conducted the research said parents should also teach children not to put their hands near their nose or mouth, and avoid sharing utensils or drinks with others. Bogoch said always monitor how your children feel. If colds are consistent or last for a long period of time (even with off-the-counter products), speak with your health-care provider. This article is from Global News 2/17/2019 0 Comments Water-Pik Expands Into Hair CareNew HairWand delivers better, faster rinsing.
Water Pik, Inc., perhaps best known for its oral care devices line, is expanding into the hair care with the new Waterpik HairWand Spa System. The launch comes via the Fort Collins, CO-based compay’s replacement shower heads business. The Waterpik HairWand has three therapeutic wand streams and nine modes in the fixed shower head that provide a complete rinse in less than one minute. The company contends it will improve hair manageability; help to naturally detangle hair and promote a healthy scalp; and offer consumers a daily space experience, too. According to a consumer study, up to 94% of users reported superior rinsing action; and 82% reported a complete rinse in less than a minute. "After realizing that consumers were frustrated with the increased difficulty in rinsing out haircare products, we wanted to give them a more purposeful, yet still powerful experience in the shower," said Michael Wakeman, vice president of marketing, Water Pik, Inc. "We are very excited to launch the HairWand Spa System as a new and easy-to-install option to elevate both the shower experience and wellness." The HairWand’s PowerComb stream is targeted and powerful, effectively rinsing out product no matter the texture or length, leaving hair less tangled and more manageable. The Waterpik HairWand Spa System is now available on Home Depot shelves nationwide for a suggested retail price of $59.98. Breaking News from Happi |
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