BDS INSIGHTS by Dr Manish Khazane

The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded Monday to three physician-scientists from the United States and Britain - William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza - "for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. "The discoveries by the trio illuminated what the Nobel Committee called "one of life's most essential adaptive processes," answering profound questions about how the body works and providing potential new therapeutic avenues to treat cancer and other diseases. The three scientists, working independently, revealed the cascade of molecular events that allow cells to detect and respond to different levels of oxygen. That allows the human body to adapt to thinner air at high altitude by generating more red blood cells to carry oxygen. But it can also go awry in disease, providing new targets for treatment: Cancer cells exploit these molecular switches to thrive, for example, and i...

Melbourne Dental School Head of School Mike Morgan, CSL Senior Vice President of Research Andrew Nash, University of Melbourne Vice-President (Enterprise) Doron Ben-Meir, COHR CEO & Director of Research Eric Reynolds, Member for Higgins Katie Allen and Brandon Capital Investment Manager Ingmar Wahlqvist at the launch of Denteric. A vaccine for periodontal gum disease, which affects a third of all adults globally, is in development following a $14 million investment into newly-formed biotech company Denteric Pty Ltd. The company was set-up to develop and commercialise the research outputs of a long-running programme originating from the University of Melbourne working in collaboration with CSL. The announcement was made at the official launch of the University’s Centre for Oral Health Research (COHR). The Series A investment comes from the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund’s (MRCF) Biomedical Translation Fund, a Commonwealth-backed fund managed by Brandon Capital Partn...

Nearly 450 million people worldwide are currently living with a mental illness, yet nearly two thirds of people with a known mental illness never seek treatment.  Due to the stigma associated with mental illness, a lack of awareness, and limited access to professional help, only 10-12% of these sufferers will seek help. Support, judgement, fear The study revealed three broad segments of people based on their attitudes towards mental illness. People’s understanding of mental health The study showed that while 87% of the respondents showed some awareness of mental illness, 71% also used terms associated with stigma. This shows that stigma and awareness are two separate issues although interlinked. They need to be addressed in parallel in order to tackle the burden of mental illness in India. If individuals continue to view mental illness with apprehension and resistance, it will remain difficult for people with mental health concerns to se...

The World Health Organization has an Indian doctor for its new Deputy Director General for Programmes. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research has been appointed as the same. A paediatrician by trade, Swaminathan is famous for her research in tuberculosis. The position she now adorns in the WHO is the second highest position in the global organization. It comes only below the Director General. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who took the post in July is the Director General. Swaminathan's is also the highest position adorned by an Indian in WHO’s history. DOCTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING INDIA’S FOCUS ON TB RESEARCH The doctor comes with over 30 years of experience in clinical research. She used to be the director of the National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai. She has been largely responsible for heightening the focus on tuberculosis research in India. To this end, she even created a consortium called “India ...

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Doximity Republish Print The effectiveness of the nasal spray flu vaccine illustrates of the limitations of randomized controlled trials. JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES R andomized controlled trials have long been held up as the “gold standard” of clinical research. There’s no doubt that well-designed trials are effective tools for testing a  new drug , device, or other intervention. Yet much of modern medical care — perhaps most of it — is not based on randomized controlled trials and likely never will be. In this “dark matter” of clinical medicine, past practices and anecdotes all too often rule. We need to look beyond trials to improve medical care in these areas. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants are randomly assigned to receive either the treatment under investigation or, as a control, a placebo or the current standard treatment. The randomization process helps ensure that the various groups in the st...

During patient treatment, the clinician needs to consider many factors that will affect the ultimate outcome. In simple terms, these factors can be grouped into 3 categories: (I) operator needs, (II) restoration needs, (III) the tooth needs. (I)The operator needs are the conditions the clinician needs to treat the tooth. (II) The restoration needs are the prep dimensions and tooth conditions for optimal strength and longevity. (III)The tooth needs are the biologic and structural limitations for a treated tooth to remain predictably functional. The Cala Lilly is a flower and is the new model for composite preparations. SOURCE: Modern Molar Endodontic Access and Directed Dentin Conservation, David Clark et al,2010

Antibiotic resistance is a result of different environmental factors and behavioral changes. Recently, antibiotic resistance has been on the rise in the past decade. In the recent turn of events, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has issued an urgent notice to MCI, PCI, Nursing, and Dental Council on 1st Feb 2017, about the rational use of antibiotics with the aim to limit antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat which needs to be contained. It has also led to the death of a patient in India. To limit the antibiotic resistance, the office has been advising about the strict requirements and prescription of Schedule H and H1 drugs for sale. Thereby, DCGI advised Indian supply chain system stakeholders for strict compliance of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act and Rules (January 2017): Taking strong policy measures, including strict regulatory action on over the counter sale of high-end antibiotics Raising awareness through different platforms and ...