Skin Cancer                                                                                                                                       

Two cups of tea a day could slash the risk of skin cancer a study shows.  Tea drinkers are at least 65 per cent less likely to get certain types of tumour, scientist found.  The beverage appears to protect against squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas.  The study was carried out in the US, where more people drink lemon tea.  Other research has suggested lemon protects the skin, says the European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

Super Earth

One of the dreams of the scientific achievements is whether there is life in other parts of the universe. Although, this is an old question where scientists and intellectuals always have asked; are we on our own in the universe? Every one has been looking for the answer, those who believe in Unidentified Flying Object known as UFO, they always say there is life elsewhere in the universe. Any how, recently, the astronomers have found an earth like planet that possesses the properties in which life can exist on it. According to such study, the planet is just bigger than earth and it is 20 light years away.

Stress

Stress is caused by challenging or frightening situations triggering our bodies to produce the hormones adrenaline and cortisol.  These increase blood pressure and heart beat so that we can think, fight or run faster.  It is a potentially life saving response, sometimes known as “fight or Flight”.  But high blood pressure can lead to deadly heart problems, especially when combined with poor diet, smoking or too much alcohol.

Gene variant can cut cancer risk

A rogue gene which appears to protect people from some types of cancer has been found. The variant of gene caspase-8, which was already known to regulate cell death, appeared more often in those who were cancer free, said experts who studied the DNA of 10,000 Chinese people. ‘It appears to be associated with lower risk of lung, oesophageal, gastric, colorectal, cervical and breast cancers in Chinese people,’ said Dongxin Lin, of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing.

Cancer

A breakthrough in the study of rare cancer that affects children aged under three may help scientist find a cure.  Thanks to a new method for inactivating genes at any time, they now understand more about Wilms tumour – a cancer of the kidney.  There is a crucial time during the development of the kidney in the womb when loss of a gene causes cells to multiply in an uncontrolled way, they found.  The Association for International cancer Research which funded Edinburgh University research, said this paves the way for finding methods to treat or even prevent the cancer.  About 70 toddlers are diagnosed with Wilms tumour each year in Britain.

Zero Gravity

Stephen Hawking, the physicist in Cambridge who has been having disability in the last forty years and always he is on some special wheelchair was flown to the sky on a special airplane that can follow a parabolic flight to demonstrate the weightlessness for 25 seconds. This is the first time Hawking experience zero gravity and he is outside his wheelchair.

Fighting off Bad Genes

A radical new pill that could treat almost 2000 inherited diseases including some forms of cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy could be available within three years.

The drug, able to repair faulty genes that lead to crippling illness, is in the early stages of human trials after promising results in mice. Scientists say that if the trial goes well, it could be licensed as early as 2009.

The drug is unique as it can correct a mutation that leads to thousands of diseases.  Known as PTC124, it has had encouraging results in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis. 

The pill works by forcing the body to ignore genetic mutations, and to produce normal proteins, rather than mutated versions which lead to disease. Patients would have to take it throughout their lives. 

Lee Sweeney, of the University of Pennsylvania, who is leading the research, said: “What’s unique about this drug is it doesn’t just target one mutation but a whole class of mutations.” 

Dr Marita Pohlschmidt, director of research at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, said the results were “very encouraging”.