Ulcerative Colitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome are all the similar diseases with very minor variations. They all affect the bowel system. The symptoms are very similar to each other.
What are the underlying causes of irritable bowel syndrome?

Strictly speaking, the cause is unknown. Not that this disease has been neglected by the research fraternity, but the results are inconclusive, leading to several presumptions. One obvious presumption is that this is a type of allergic reaction to food; another is that that this is hereditary; while still another is that when the immune system of the bowels is weakened, it causes irritation of the bowels. But all said and done, none of these causes are actually identified to be the culprit.

What are the symptoms?
Some symptoms of Ulcerative colitis are diarrhea, loss of appetite, blood in stool, pain and cramps in the abdomen, fever, mucus in the stool, ulcers in the large intestine. An experienced physician can diagnose the disease using the results of colonoscopy which involves a biopsy of a swab of tissue from the colon. Monitoring depletion levels of important electrolytes like sodium and potassium by blood tests can also lead towards a diagnosis.

What is the best treatment for Ulcerative Colitis?
Conventional systems use two types of drugs. An occasional flare-up is usually taken care of by certain medicines. The symptoms subside until the next spurt which could be several weeks later. The other type of treatment is for more chronic cases where the drugs need to be taken regularly and at all times. Read the rest of this entry »

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Impact of Clinical Research Jobs on Life Science Industry

There is a big impact on the life science industry in UK, which is now on expansion mode with the kind of practices being put into practice concerning clinical research jobs. The main objective is to make sure that these research jobs creates and implements clinical procedures within the industry that can benefit many people who desire for quality treatment. The focus is mainly on research activities related to new pharmaceutical products that can aid in better treatment for everyone.

The available medical research jobs are best suited for professionals who would like a dedicated and challenging career in this field of work. This field is greatly suited to those who have hunger for new discoveries and can put in the necessary effort for suitable innovative practices.

Therefore, there lie enormous opportunities for clinical assignments within this industry for the right kind of candidate. There exists numerous avenues like developmental biology, genetics, evolution, and so on that offers great scope of work in either specialised positions or normal clinical research work. Read the rest of this entry »

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Stem Cell Therapy Could Help Stroke Patients

A British biotech company has finally won approval from Britain’s Gene Therapy Advisory Committee to go ahead with a clinical trial, which will investigate the potential of stem cell therapy in the treatment of patients who have suffered from stroke.

The company, ReNeuron, initially sought approval from UK regulators in 2005 but was unsuccessful and moved the project to the US. There, too, the Food and Drug Administration was reluctant to give the green light and so in 2008 they returned to the UK to find the Medicines and Healthcare Agency more optimistic.

Now, following this final approval the first clinical trial is scheduled to take place at the Institute of Neurological Sciences Southern General Hospital, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board in April this year.

The trial will be a collaboration between a team of doctors in Scotland and scientists from ReNeuron. The procedure entails injecting stem cells from human foetuses into the brains of stroke patients, which could potentially repair damaged areas and improve physical and mental function.

The purpose of the first trial is to assess the safety and feasibility of the therapy at a number of different doses. Treatment will be administered to 12 patients within six and 24 months of their having a stroke. They will then be monitored for two years and if the outcome is successful the company will continue further to develop the procedure, with a specific focus on severely disabled patients who suffer an ischaemic stroke, which is caused from a blockage of blood flow in the brain. Read the rest of this entry »

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