Danish Researchers were the first to isolate Plectasin, an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) active against multi-resistant bacterial from a saprophytic fungus. First tests with Plectasin, were already conducted on animals at Georgetown University.

Plectasin is a type of molecule called defensin found in animals and plants. As a group, defensins exhibit activity against many types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and even viruses. Until now it has been successfully tested against Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes and other types of Gram-positive bacteria, including strains that are now resistant to conventional antibiotics. It showed very low toxicity in mice and cure them from experimental peritonitis and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae with same efficiency as vancomycin and penicillin.

Michael Zasloff, M.D., Ph.D., Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical Center said that although the precise mechanism by which plectasin exerts its antimicrobial activity is still under investigation, it may work by a mechanism that is very different from traditional antibiotic treatments.”

Plectasin, if proven safe and effective in humans, could be on the market by 2012 said co-author of the study Robert Lehrer, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

There are five major types of skin. Understanding your skin type is the best approach to your personal skin care.

Normal skin—is the type of skin that we’d all love to have. This is the “healthy” type of skin. This type is the not too oily, not too dry type, characterized by few blemishes, generally firm and smooth with small pores. When you pull the skin away from the bony structure, it springs back to normal position. Lines and wrinkles are appropriate for age.

Dry Skin—due to environmental exposure to harsh elements and very often lack of water skin may flake off and feel tight in your face. It may lack natural oils, may look rather flaky with small pores, blemishes and blackheads. Without adequate moisture, dry skin can easily become chapped. As dry skin ages, it’s more likely than other types to become wrinkly.

Oily Skin—skin may look oily and coarse, may have recurring blackheads, acne and large pores. The texture of skin is thick; the touch is often sticky. This type is usually youthful- looking due to the presence of oil on the skin. Often, individuals with oily skin have a tendency to develop acne in their teen and middle years, and overgrown oil glands, or sebaceous hyperplasia, in the middle and late years.

Combination Skin—varies according to your skin type. This is the Jekyll and Hyde type of skin, often with split personality. This type may be characterized as oily on the T-zone (the area that stretches from the forehead down to the nose and chin), and dry to normal on the cheeks and around the eye area.

Sensitive Skin—people with sensitive skin are the most prone to allergies, rash, sting, and burns. This type of skin gets irritated easily and can go very red and blotchy. This type will have a lot more trouble to environmental factors and tends to be very sensitive to cosmetics.

“We are in a very interesting stage of psychiatry. Looking at the possibilities of that brain stimulation as a way of treatment, I think we only just scratched the surface” says Sarah Lisanby.

Depression Treatment TMS uses pulsating magnet, which indicates very little electric current in the part of the brain affected by depression. The magnet “re-establishes” normal brain activity and the symptoms seam to diminish. With the help of TSM therapy Marta experienced drastic improvement after only few weeks, and as she said she is finally happy and laughing. First TSM-results are positive, but it hasn’t been approved by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). If proved secure and efficient, magnetic stimulation could be used for depression and epilepsy.

These elements are alcohol, sleeping pills, anti-cold medications (containing antihistamines), and even the way you are lying in bed, or the excessive use of pillows that push you head forward.

A significant factor can be a change in the “architecture” of airways due to a nose break, tonsillitis, and excess weight. Smoking, which causes chronic irritation overproduction of mucous, significantly increases snoring.

The patient can remove all of these causes, but the loss of several pounds is of crucial importance. It is possible that the person who snores should have his/hers tonsils removed or that the operation of deviated nasal septum is needed.

Snoring is not usually a health problem. However, some people suffer from serious condition called obstructive Apnea. People with OSA experience recurrent episodes during sleep when their throat closes and they cannot suck air into their lungs (apnea).

This leads to dangerously low blood oxygen saturation levels. In time apnea can cause high blood pressure, Pulmonary Hypertension (increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, or pulmonary capillaries, together known as the lung vasculature), uneven pulse, depression, fatigue and lowering of intellectual abilities.

Andrew Baterman who is focused on living longer and healthier life is now thinking about taking one of these DNA tests. He says he read the add for the test that offers a diet based on the state of your cardiovascular system, metabolism and bone health.

You send your DNA sample to the laboratory in Seattle where a computer analysis the variations and changes in 19 specific genes. Gelex company representative says that based on the analysis they can propose the changes you should make in your life.

For example, VDR gene variations indicate congenitally calcium and vitamin D deficiency which could be repaired with diet. Apparently the genetic code helps the scientists to design a Healthy diet for each person. The test costs about 400 dollars, but nutritionists claim that you’ll be throwing your money away.

Doctor Steven H. Zeisel says that this kind of genetic research is not fully developed to be applied in practice. He and other critics say that these tests often do not give any results, because testing of just 19 out of 20,000 genes that influence the probability of various disease development is an illusionary science.

Professor James C. Fleet, Ph.D. of the Purdue University says that it’s naive to believe that only few genes influence the development of diseases. Nobody specifies what amount of vitamins one should take, or in which way certain vitamin supplements improve health.

The very idea of a healthy diet plan based on your genetic code is not bad. Nutritionist say – it is promising but it needs to be tested thoroughly and that in their words will take at least 5 to 10 years.

Research results have shown that the brain damage occurs faster in women than in men. “We found greater brain atrophy in alcoholics than in healthy people,” said Professor Man. “Also, it is determined that brain mass reduction is the same in men and woman, but with women it takes significantly less time for it to happen.”

These results confirmed previous findings about the harmful effect of alcohol, such as mental disorders, heart damage, liver disease and diseases of Muscular and Skeletal Systems. It is known that all of these harmful consequences appear earlier in women than in men, even when they are in much lesser degree of exposure to alcohol, pointed out Professor Man.

The information came from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute. Their researchers studied influence of weight on health and the study has shown that the life of people with few extra pounds is less risky than one of a person whose weight corresponds to recommended limits.

Researchers, who were focused on the risk of death, found that the problems occur in people who are either too thin or too fat. Those with BMIs ranging from 24.6 to 29.8 had the lowest mortality rates. The optimum survival was estimated to be in women scoring 29.2, which is considered “overweight” on the BMI scale.

The new study included 11,323 heart attack survivors who had a heart attack in past three months. They were all on Mediterranean diet (a lot of fruit, vegetables, olive oil and fish and btw. if you are interested in Best Diet Plans you can visit other good site) but some have received an extra gram of fish oil a day. It turned out that the risk of dying of people in second group was reduced by 41 percent after only three months.

“The American Heart Association recommends that people increase their intake of long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 oils from fish or directly from fish oil supplements. Healthy people should consume oily fish at least twice a week.

Patients with heart disease should eat enough oily fish on a daily basis to obtain about 1 gram per day of EPA and DHA combined or take a fish oil supplement providing 1 gram per day of EPA + DHA. Patients with high triglyceride levels should receive 2-4 grams/day of EPA+DHA under the care of a physician.”

Group of Australian scientists announced that the discovered pineapple molecules are powerful anticancer agent, which could result in the production of new drugs against the disease.

Scientists from the Institute for Medical Research in Queensland announced that it is about two molecules of bromeliad, a substance obtained from crumbled pineapple pedicles, which is used for softening meat, lightening beer or painting the skin.

One of the molecules CZ encourages immune system to destroy carcinogenic cells, while others CS blocks ras protein which affects the appearance of all types of cancer in 30 percent of cases.

If the results of a two-year investigation therapy stay positive, the Institute will begin to seek trade partners for clinical tests on humans.