EDITORIAL..

EDITORIAL..

Welcome back readers!

We started this newsletter as the result of a desire to share recent exceptional achievements of our department and our students, and today, few issues later, I am proud to say ‘shifa clinpharm‘has gained immense popularity and success among the pharmacy professionals! Thanks to you readers! Thanks for your readership and feedback from time to time. We value your constructive feedback and we look forward to serving you better.

In this issue of our newsletter, we are proud to showcase an article by Dr Agathe Wehrli , creator and coordinator of the International Pharmaceutical Federation's (FIP) Pharma bridge program.

 It’s my great honor and pleasure to give a brief introduction of Dr. Agathe Wehrli to our readers: (courtesy: livewellng.org)

Dr. Agathe Wehrli has worked in the WHO Pharmacy Department in Geneva for over 30 years. After her retirement she set up and is still running Pharmabridge, a project aimed at strengthening pharmacy services in developing countries supported by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). She is secretary of the FIP Pharmacy Information Section and as such ex officio member of the FIP Board of Pharmacy Practice. She holds honorary membership of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) and FIP.
She has an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Bradford, UK.

The article authored by Dr.Wehrli and her team is an updated version and the content highlights the credentials of FIP. Aspiring pharmacist can full fill their dreams by joining hands with FIP, as FIP share a wide spectrum of knowledge and expertise across the globe to uproar the development of pharmacy profession.Interested readers who would like to become a pharma bridge member and get involved in the project; please visit http://www.pharmabridge.org and be a part of this global pharmacy movement. Membership registration is free.

 We wholeheartedly thank Dr .Wehrli and her team, Andrea Bruni, Diane gal, Jennifer and Oliver for their valuable contribution.

Dr G.P Mohanta has once again supported us by his timely contribution on probiotics and I profusely thank him on behalf of editorial board. Also outlined in the newsletter are the various activities carried out by our department in the last quarters in pursuit of our dreams.

Innumerable activities are being chalked out for the year 2013 for the promotion of our department and thus gaining momentum. I appreciate and acknowledge the genuine concern of Dr. Suriya Prakash, principal and Mr.P Uneen, Managing trustee towards the department all the time.

 I owe my gratitude towards Mr. Linu Mohan and Ms. Shamna who have been instrumental in the growth of the newsletter.

I truly hope that you will find this Newsletter both interesting and informative. Help bridge the gap between pharmacists globally - become a part of the Pharmabridge Project and contribute to the society!

Dilip Chandrasekhar.

Editor in Chief, Shifa clinpharm news letter

www.dicalshifa.org( Drug information centre)

www.clinpharmindia.blog

dillu7@rediffmail.com

Pharma pulse -

Pharma pulse -

Linu mohan.P

Asst prof

Alshifa college of pharmacy

BIOSENSOR FOR DETECTION OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE 

Antibiotics, antivirals, and other antimicrobials have saved millions of lives worldwide, but these drugs are losing their effectiveness because of antimicrobial resistance. Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch first characterized antibiosis, the ability for a chemical to kill bacterial cells, in 1877. Since then, in the treatment of bacterial infections the medical and biochemical communities have made great advances. These advances have helped in producing better treatment output.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria become a serious problem because infections caused by resistant microorganisms often fail to respond to the standard treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death.   Continued exposure of antibiotics results in evolution of “super bugs” which are resistant to multiple types of antibiotics. So detection of normal and resistant bacteria is important for rational antibiotic treatment. The scientists have developed a new technique to identify bacterial antibiotic resistance. This technique uses bacteriophage(Viruses targets and kill bacteria). A bacteriophage, when combined with specific antibodies, can be used to produce a physical colour change in a sample that indicates antibiotic resistance. The existing methods need time for the detection of resistance. But this new technique determines resistance within 10 to 12 minutes. Specifically, this technique targets antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus, one of the first pathogens characterized as a superbug.

         

AMNIOTIC FLUID LEAK- EASY DETECTION

Amniotic fluid is a clear, slightly yellowish liquid that surrounds the unborn baby (fetus) during pregnancy. It is contained in the amniotic sac. During Pregnancy amniotic fluid helps in the movement of the fetus, along with development of the fetal muscles and its proper growth. It keeps a relatively constant temperature around the baby, and protecting from heat loss, it also protect the baby from outside injury. So the reduction in the amniotic fluid through leak interferes with these important functions, results in prenatal morbidity and mortality. Leakage of amniotic fluid also increases the risk of infection from mother to fetus.

Leakage of amniotic fluid is a common issue during pregnancy. Hence its early detection, can help in preventing complications of pregnancy and premature labour. This detection also confirms that, membrane have ruptured, so that the patient can reach in the hospital, for safe delivery in right time.

There are some methods available for this purpose, which include speculum examination, microscopic technique, ultrasonograph etc. But these methods have some limitations in terms of accuracy and cost. To overcome all the limitations there is a new method, known as amniotic fluid leakage detection kit for the diagnosis of fluid leakage. It consists of a panty liner with indicator strip assembled on it. The indicator changes the colour, when it comes in contact with fluid of pH greater than 5. The strip is removed after use and dried for 30 minuts.If leakage is there, the indicator shows a blue green colour change due to elevated pH of amniotic fluid. (pH 6)

MUTATION TEST KIT TO DETECT LUNG CELL CANCER

 Usually in normal tissue, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein transmits signals   in cells to regulate cell growth and cell death. Mutations in the EGFR gene result in abnormal functioning of the EGFR protein and stimulate cancer cell growth.

This Mutation Test kit used for automated molecular assay, which designed to detect the presence of mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in cancer-spreading (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

In the test, small amount of tumor tissue is taken from a patient’s NSCLC and examines it (biopsy). During the test the tumor tissue is embedded in a block of paraffin wax. A thin slice of the tumor tissue is then cut from the block for use in the test. DNA is isolated from a patient’s tumor cells and mixed with reagents that specifically detect, and bind to, and make copies of the tumor’s EGFR gene. The fluorescence, produced in this reaction is then measured to determine presence or absence of the specific EGFR mutations in a tumor sample.

This test aid physician in selecting patients with metastatic NSCLC .The presence of specific mutations in the EGFR gene indicates that a patient is eligible for treatment, which may prolong their life.

INTRAOCULAR LENS FOR CORRECTION OF ASTIGMATISM

Corneal astigmatism is a condition, where the curvature of the cornea is uneven, preventing light rays from focusing clearly on retina, resulting in blurred vision. Intraocular Lens (IOL) is an artificial lens used to correct corneal astigmatism and restore distance vision after removal of the natural lens of the eye during cataract surgery. A cataract is a gradual thickening, hardening and clouding of the eye's lens, resulting in loss of vision. Cataracts are often the result of aging, but can have other causes. It acts in place of the healthy eye lens to correctly focus light on the retina and restore vision.

The FDA now approved Tecnis Toric 1-which is an intra ocular lens. The device consists of a lens that is shaped to correct both irregularities to the shape of the eye and the shape of the cornea. It is designed to be positioned in the lens capsule where the lens should replace the optical function of the natural crystalline lens. It is used to restore vision in adult patients with corneal astigmatism and a cataract.

Clinical trial data shows that the device offers exceptional rotational stability while improving visual results. It also sharpens distance vision by minimizing imprecise light focusing

                    

THE POWER OF NANOGOLD IN CANCER

THE POWER OF NANOGOLD IN CANCER

Cancer is the current leading cause of death worldwide responsible for approximately one quarter of all deaths in USA and UK. Nanotechnologies provide tremendous opportunities for the treatment of the cancer. Among  them gold nanoparticles to the cancer cell and hitting them with a laser has been shown                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             to be a promising tool in fighting cancer.    The scientists tells that “Once you cut the size of gold down to a few nanometers, its properties change and it reacts with other elements, catalyzes reactions and interacts with light, which makes it valuable for medical applications” . It is realized that gold nanoparticles have advantages over other nanostructures because they can achieve both diagnostics and therapy simultaneously.

                  By using gold nano and infrared light MIT researchers have developed a drug delivery system that allows multiple drugs to be released in a controlled fashion. By directing gold nanoparticles into the nuclei of cancer cells, they can  not only prevent them from multiplying, but can kill them where they lurk. By attaching nanoparticle to an existing drug, researches may not only be to lower toxicity, but they may also significant life expectancy gains for patient. The biosafety of gold nanoparticles are important in clinical trials. The gold nanoparticles increase the efficacy of the anti cancer drugs and ensures better retention of the drug in the tumors, and hence less amount of drug is needed. Delivery devices already exist can release two drugs, but the timing of the result must be built inside the cell -it cannot be controlled outside the body. The new system is controlled externally and theoretically could deliver three or four drugs.

Gold nanoparticles interact with light and have strong and tunable surface Plasmon resonance, which can be detected using multiple imaging modalities. These provide an unique opportunity for their potential application in optical imaging for early detection of cancer. By changing the shape of the nanospheres to cylindrical gold nano rods, the researchers were able to use near-infrared laser light to detect malignant tumors hidden more deeply under the skin and selectively destroy them without harming the healthy cells.”Since light converted into heat selectively kills cancer cells, this treatment can be used for different kinds of cancers, avoids normal drug resistance and does not require invasive surgery, thus avoiding post surgery infections”.

The researches on gold nanoparticles as drug delivery for anticancer drugs are progressing. Researchers claim that their approach is very promising.

Vandana Kamath,

 Second pharm.D