Successful male contraceptive gel trial brings new form of birth control closer

A male contraceptive gel has been found to work reliably in a trial in primates, bringing the prospect of an alternative form of birth control for humans closer.

The product, called Vasalgel, is designed to be a reversible and less invasive form of vasectomy and in the latest study was 100% effective at preventing conception. A blob of the gel is injected into the sperm-carrying tube, known as the vas deferens, and acts as a long-lasting barrier.

Previous tests in smaller animals showed the procedure could be easily reversed by breaking up the gel using ultrasound.

Catherine VandeVoort, of the California National Primate Research Centre and the study’s lead author, said: “Men’s options for contraception have not changed much in decades. There’s vasectomy, which is poorly reversible, and condoms. If they knew they could get a reliable contraceptive that could also be reversed I think it would be appealing to them.”

The Parsemus Foundation, a non-profit organisation that funded the work, said it plans to start a human trial as soon as funding is secured, based on the promising monkey results.

“One of the great things about the monkey model is that the male reproductive tract is very similar to humans and they have even more sperm than humans do,” said VandeVoort. “Chances are, it’s going to be effective in humans.”

How Vasalgel male contraceptive works

After decades of minimal progress on male contraceptives, a range of different approaches now appear to be showing promise. A World Health Organisation investigation, published last year, found that a male hormonal contraceptive jab was as effective as the female pill. However, scientists are still working to overcome unwanted side-effects including depression, acne and soaring libido that are linked to hormone-altering gels, pills and injections.

By contrast, the Vasalgel procedure does not interfere with sperm production and hormone levels in the body remain unchanged, meaning such side-effects are not an issue. As with a vasectomy, sperm continues to be produced in the testes, but rather than being ejaculated, it dissolves and is naturally absorbed by the body.

Unlike vasectomy though, in which the tube is snipped and the two ends cauterised, the Vasalgel procedure should be reversible, potentially making it an attractive option for a wider range of men.

“They wouldn’t have to worry about it on a day-to-day basis,” said VandeVoort. “This would be more akin to an IUD [the coil] in women.”

In the study, published in the journal Basic and Clinical Andrology, 16 male rhesus monkeys were given injections of the gel and then returned to their group, which included between three and nine breeding females.

The monkeys were monitored for at least one breeding season and about half the monkeys lived alongside females for two years, during which time there were no conceptions and side-effects, such as inflammation, were minimal.

Angela Colagross-Schouten, lead veterinarian on the project, said: “We were impressed that this alternative worked in every single monkey, even though this was our first time trying it.”

The same team are now hoping to confirm that the procedure is fully reversible in monkeys.

Successful male contraceptive gel trial brings new form of birth control closer

Will the Real Vitamin C Please Stand Up: A Closer Look at the Most Controversial Vitamin

When you think of feeling better or fighting off sickness, the first thing that might pop into your mind is, “I’ll take some vitamin C”. You drink some orange juice, maybe an Emergen-C packet, or even take a few tablets of bottled vitamin C in order to chase away the symptoms of an impending cold, flu, or feeling of general fatigue and malaise. Taking between 50-2000 mg during a few days leaves you believing that, “Wow, that vitamin C really helped kick that sick feeling to the curb!”

Vitamin C, whether taken in low or high doses, coupled with its reported health benefiting properties, has been quite controversial for the past several decades and according to the University of California Berkley, no other vitamin has been so extensively researched since 1932. And as of today, despite all the studies, vitamin C still remains a mystery with a divided consensus. The question remains, does it help?

Believe or not, there are two schools of thought regarding water soluble vitamin C also known as L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate. Humans require a regular intake of vitamin C (30-95 mg daily depending on age) because our bodies do not produce nor store this vitamin, however excrete it very quickly.[1] Vitamin C is imperative for maintenance of all the body tissues, proper growth, and wound healing.

New data about the positive effects of vitamin C on the immune system have been introduced in the last several years.[2] Immune cells contain active vitamin C transporter molecules within their membranes that actively pump the vitamin into the cells when more vitamin C is necessary[3], especially phagocytes and T-cells. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a vitamin C deficiency results in a reduced resistance against certain pathogens, while a higher supply enhances several immune system parameters.[4]

On the other side, a Cochrane Collaboration review has concluded that vitamin C has shown no consistent effect on the duration or severity of helping the common cold symptoms after the initial onset.[5] Although, evidence suggests that it could be justified in people exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise or cold environments.[6] Whereas, Dr. H.K. Bakhru states, “vitamin C helps prevent and cure the common cold and protects an individual against infections”.[7] It is evident that one community believes it does not help much with the prevention and dissipation of cold and flu symptoms and an increase of immunological factors while the other faction believes it does.

A recent controlled trial study showed that vitamin C deficiency has been linked with frequency and duration of colds coupled with immune system defects, and that there are measurable health advantages associated with vitamin C supplementation.[8] Taking into account that if vitamin C introduced into the body will increase immunity, the next question is which form of vitamin C should be taken?

Here is the secret: few people differentiate between the natural vitamin C which you find in fruits and vegetables (citrus, acerola cherries, greens), and synthetic ascorbic vitamin C present in most energizing drinks, vitamin packets, and vitamin C Bottles that you can buy at your local pharmacy or health food store. Because the two are usually marketed side by side as being one in the same, most people are led to believe that if the label says all natural vitamin C, it must be food based, therefore real and wholesome. However, there is a difference. As O. Hofmleker states,”in its natural form vitamin C has a different design than the synthetic vitamin. The natural vitamin C molecule never occurs in isolated form, but rather accompanied by complex nutrients which apparently are essential for vitamin C’s bioactivity. The synthetic ascorbate however, appears in an isolated form, often in overly high concentrations which the human body hasn’t evolved to properly utilize. Human biology has never evolved to accept synthetic vitamins”.[9]

Synthetic vitamin C was introduced in the 1930’s into the market causing all the rage. However, with its inception it pushed the focus of natural wholesome vitamin C found in foods to the back shelf making it a thing of the past. Since then the new trend has been this synthetic ascorbic acid reportedly being linked to all sorts of health benefits.[[10]–[11]–[12] ] It was also believed to be more readily available year round instead of its natural whole food counterpart. The interesting thing is after so many decades and numerous studies conducted, it has actually been shown that ascorbic acid causes potential damage to health. A recent study on vitamin C (Am J Clin Nutr; Jan 2008) showed adults taking the synthetic version had serious side effects and significant adverse effects on the antioxidant system. Dr. Victor Herbert, professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York has said, “vitamin C in supplement forms mobilizes harmless ferric iron stored in the body and converts it to harmful ferrous iron, which induces damage to the heart and other organs. In addition, unlike the vitamin C naturally present in foods like orange juice, vitamin C as a supplement is not an antioxidant.”[13]

So in order to take the most optimal vitamin C, you should kick the synthetic vitamin C (which is usually ascorbic acid derived from genetically modified corn) and start ingesting either real fruits and vegetables or food-based vitamin C supplements with the highest amount of real vitamin C and bio-available nutrients. Ideally, vitamin C should be ingested in its natural wholesome form in order to give its all encompassing health benefiting properties in the areas of cardiovascular and immunological health.[14] According to NIH, those fruits are fresh, raw cantaloupes, citrus fruits, kiwis, mangos, papayas, pineapples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, watermelon, and cranberries.[15] In addition, peppers, kale, broccoli and peas are also great options.

Do yourself a favor and introduce natural vitamin C in the form of fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. It can be in the form of fresh squeezed juice, smoothies, or as fruit and vegetable snacks throughout the day. Your body will thank you. Not only will you be supplying yourself with a daily dose of natural vitamin C required for the proper running of your body and its systems, but you will be able to forgo the bottles, powder packets, and drinks filled with a synthetic vitamin that your body was not engineered to consume. The real vitamin C is in fruits and vegetables. Nothing else comes close to that nor can it mimic its intrinsic healing properties. Introduce the real vitamin C into your daily eating habits!

Interesting fact: Vitamin C is the most widely researched nutrient on the Internet.

[1] Padayatty SJ, Katz A, Wang Y, et al. Vitamin C as an antioxidant: evaluation of its role in disease prevention. J Am Coll Nutr. 2003 Feb;22(1):18-35.

[2] Pavlovic V. A short overview of vitamin C and selected cells of the immune system. Cent. Eur. J. Med. 2010 October;8(1):1-10.

[3] Strohle A, Wolters M, Hahn A. Micronutrients at the interface between inflammation and infection–ascorbic acid and calciferol: part 1, general overview with a focus on ascorbic acid. Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets. 2011 Feb;10(1):54-63.

[4] Ströhle A, Hahn A. Viatmin C and immune function. Med Monatsschr Pharm. 2009 Feb;32(2):49-54.[PubMed abstract]

[5] Douglas RM, Hemilä H. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. PLoS Med 2005;2:e168. [PubMed abstract]

5 Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;(3):CD000980. [PubMed abstract]

[7] Bakhru H.K., The Complete Handbook of Nature Cure (Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House, 2014), 101.

[8] Johnston CS, Barkyoumb GM, Schumacher SS. Vitamin C supplementation slightly improves physical activity levels and reduces cold incidence in men with marginal vitamin C status: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2014 Jul;6(7):2572-83.

[9] Ori Hofmleker, “Vitamin Poisioning: Are We Destroying Our Health with Hi-Potency Synthetic Vitamins?”, https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/vitamin-poisoning-are-we-destroying-our-health-hi-potency-synthetic-vitamins, (accessed Dec. 21, 2016)

[10] Fotherby MD, Williams JC, Forster LA, Craner P, Ferns GA. Effect of vitamin C on ambulatory blood pressure and plasma lipids in older persons. J Hypertens. 2000 Apr;18(4):411-5.

[11]Romieu I, Sienra-Monge JJ, Ramirez-Aguilar M, et al. Antioxidant supplementation and lung functions among children with asthma exposed to high levels of air pollutants. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Sep 1;166(5):703-9.

[12]Afkhami-Ardekani M, Shojaoddiny-Ardekani A. Effect of vitamin C on blood glucose, serum lipids & serum insulin in type 2 diabetes patients. Indian J Med Res. 2007 Nov;126(5):471-4.

[13] Jane E.Brody, “Taking to much vitamin C can be dangerous, study finds”, April 9, 1998,  http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/09/us/taking-too-much-vitamin-c-can-be-dangerous-study-finds.html (accessed Dec.21, 2016).

[14]Asim K. Duttaroy, Aud Jørgensen, “Effects of kiwi fruit consumption on platelet aggregation and plasma lipids in healthy human volunteers”, Platelets (2004) 15(5), 287–292, doi: 10.1080/09537100410001710290.

[15] Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD,  A.D.A.M. Editorial team, “Vitamin C”, 2/2/2015, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002404.htm, (accessed Dec.21, 2016).

Will the Real Vitamin C Please Stand Up: A Closer Look at the Most Controversial Vitamin

Scientists edge closer to creating effective Zika virus vaccine

Scientists have edged closer to an effective Zika virus vaccine after demonstrating that three different formulations can protect monkeys from the disease.

The results suggest that the virus can be repelled by even low levels of immunity and have boosted confidence that a viable vaccine for humans is on the horizon.

Tests on 16 animals found that all three experimental vaccines offered complete protection against Zika infection one month later, though how long the protection could last for remains an urgent question for longer-term trials.

“We don’t want to overstate it, but we hope for protection that is long-lasting,” said Dan Barouch, who co-led the studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “Ideally we’d have protection induced by a single shot vaccine or a two shot vaccine and for that to last for years.”

When vaccinated, the animals churned out antibodies that were more than sufficient to overwhelm the virus.

The Zika virus has swept through Latin America and left behind a trail of birth defects, such as microcephaly, which causes children to be born with small heads. This week, Florida reported the first US cases of local transmission of Zika virus. All previous cases were in people who had travelled to affected regions.

Of the three vaccines tested by Barouch and others, the most conventional and ready for development is a whole, killed Zika virus, which is being pursued by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland.

The other two vaccines are more novel. In one, a single and harmless Zika virus gene is stitched into a loop of DNA. When injected into the body, cells take up the DNA loop and from it produce Zika proteins that trigger an immune response against them.

The third and final vaccine adds the Zika virus gene to a harmless adenovirus. This behaves like a Trojan horse and smuggles the DNA into cells, which then produce antibodies to wipe out the whole virus.

No DNA or adenovirus vaccines have been approved for use in humans before, but clinical trials are underway. The vaccine based on the whole, killed virus will go into human trials this autumn.

Barouch said the findings increase optimism that a safe and effective human vaccine against Zika virus might be successful. “Our data encourage the development of these vaccines in clinical trials as quickly as possible,” he said. Details are reported in the journal Science.

Gavin Screaton, an immunologist at Imperial College London, said the results were “positive early steps”, but whether the vaccines will work in humans and offer long term protection against Zika must still be determined. “A human response will need to last years to be useful,” he said.

Despite the encouraging progress, the path to a viable vaccine in humans may not be straightforward. Recent work by Screaton’s group found that previous exposure to dengue virus could potentially make Zika infections more serious. If the opposite holds too, as some researchers suspect, a vaccine that floods the body with antibodies against Zika virus could make common dengue infections life-threatening.

The problem arises because Zika and dengue, which both belong to a group called flaviviruses, are so similar at the genetic level. This can confuse the immune system. Should a person catch dengue and later catch Zika virus, their body may attempt to fight off Zika with “old” antibodies raised against dengue. Rather than overwhelming the Zika virus, the antibodies might simply draw them into cells and cause the infection to take hold more quickly. Known as cross-reactivity, this raises a second potential hurdle: a person who has fought off dengue or similar flavivirus infections may have antibodies that destroy the Zika vaccine before it has had time to work.

Another issue scientists face comes from the natural immunity people will acquire to Zika as the infection spreads through the population. When people are already immune to a virus, it can be very hard to tell whether a vaccine on trial is helping to protect them.

“Whilst these vaccine studies are promising there are some really important questions that need to be addressed,” said Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham.

Scientists edge closer to creating effective Zika virus vaccine

One particular Million Facebook “Likes” for Natural News is Just the Starting: A Closer Seem at The Stories

Organic Information is constantly bringing overall health and wellness info to the forefront, no matter whether we/they/I/me are/am shedding light on the 70-yr previous who eats raw food items and looks half her age to the surprising information straight from the NN labs that Wheaties cereal is filled with metal fragments.

It’s no shock then, that the readership continues to expand and I couldn’t be happier simply because that means there is a whole lot of like-minded folks out there who are vehemently focused to overall health, wellness and the truth.

The Numbers Communicate for Themselves: In excess of 1 Million Natural Information Facebook “Likes”

In truth, NN Facebook web page “likes” have just lately reached the 1 million mark, and that doesn’t get into consideration the folks who read through the stories and assistance the goals but have not but hit the “like” button.

It’s thrilling and inspiring to see such ranges of commitment from All-natural News fans, and especially at such quickly-developing prices. For instance, on February 8, 2014 the quantity of Facebook “likes” at 8:30 am EST was over 974,000. Just four hrs later, there were an additional one,000. The subsequent day, it leaped to an additional 7,000 ahead of noon EST placing the numbers at a small in excess of 981,000. And here we are today, with in excess of 1 million. So thank you, every person. I’m past thrilled that so a lot of men and women are on board with NN in the mission to set people, and the planet, on track through awareness of healthier choices and breaking information.

As most of us know, it is all about staying informed and currently being in tune to injustices, not just shaking our heads in agreement like Huge Market bobble head dolls just due to the fact the mainstream planet said to. As a result, we’ve broken stories like that of Greg Caton, the guy minding his personal business marketing cancer-curing plant-primarily based topical herbs in Ecuador till U.S. officials arrested him foremost to his jail time and (get this) Interpol listing. We’ve shared our story about the remarkable healing positive aspects of cannabis oil and how it’s been proven to be a hugely efficient normal remedy for a variety of wellness circumstances.

Of program the record goes on.

A Closer Appear at Other Natural News Subjects

• Normal Information was the initial global news web site to support blow the lid off the fake acai berry scam that concerned all types of deceptive ads and fake information pages.
  Read through all about it: http://www.naturalnews.com/031280_acai_berries_scam.html


• NN played an crucial role in exposing Merck’s false vaccine science in which virologists ended up going public about their fraudulence.


• Natural News wrote about the everyday family objects that can lead to anything from birth defects to worsening a person’s asthma symptoms.


• Organic Information was the 1st internet internet site to break the Adya Clarity detox scam where customers were urged to take pleasure in shots of what was established to be 1200 ppm aluminum dissolved in sulfuric acid, imported into the United States as battery acid.


• On the autism front, we’ve written about Jenny McCarthy and her battle against autism, plus the dietary modifications she feels helps to alleviate her son’s signs and symptoms.


• NN is constantly covering the advantages of specific fruits, veggies and spices which may contain enhanced vision, fat reduction and blood strain reduction to title just a number of. From figs to fennel, everything from flatulence handle to more powerful bones might be recognized.

Again, a huge thank you to each one of you for your ongoing interest in awareness of these concerns. Regardless of whether you’re interested in learning about exposure of Large Pharma ills or the wellness benefits of specific essential oils and almost everything in amongst, Organic News I’m particular, will constantly be there for you.

Did you take pleasure in this story? Let other folks know! Share it, like it or comment (or all, if you’re so inclined). Remember, awareness is essential.

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One particular Million Facebook “Likes” for Natural News is Just the Starting: A Closer Seem at The Stories

Scientists move closer to stem cell cure for type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes usually leads to a lifetime of insulin injections. Photograph: Reed Saxon/AP

Scientists believe they may have moved a step closer to a cure for the type of diabetes that develops in childhood and usually leads to a lifetime of insulin injections.

Researchers in California report that they have reversed the equivalent of type 1 diabetes in mice through transplants of stem cells. Their experiments have replaced cells in the pancreas damaged by the disease that are unable to make insulin.

Without insulin, the body has difficulty absorbing sugars such as glucose from the blood. The disease usually first shows in childhood or early adulthood and used to be a killer, but glucose levels can now be monitored and regulated with insulin injections.

Scientists have long wanted to try to replace the damaged ß-cells that normally produce insulin. This has been one of the prime targets of stem cell experiments. But until now, it has proved difficult, partly because mature ß-cells do not readily regenerate.

Writing in the journal Cell Stem Cell, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco describe how they took a step back and collected skin cells, called fibroblasts, from laboratory mice. Then, by treating the fibroblasts with a unique “cocktail” of molecules and reprogramming factors, they transformed the cells into endoderm-like cells. Endoderm cells are a type of cell found in the early embryo, and which eventually mature into the body’s major organs – including the pancreas. “Using another chemical cocktail, we then transformed these endoderm-like cells into cells that mimicked early pancreas-like cells, which we called PPLCs,” said the Gladstone postdoctoral scholar Ke Li, the paper’s lead author. “Our initial goal was to see whether we could coax these PPLCs to mature into cells that, like ß-cells, respond to the correct chemical signals and – most importantly – secrete insulin. And our initial experiments, performed in a petri dish, revealed that they did.”

The team then injected these cells into mice that had been genetically modified to have high glucose levels, mimicking the type 1 diabetes condition in humans.

“Importantly, just one week post-transplant, the animals’ glucose levels started to decrease, gradually approaching normal levels,” said Li. “And when we removed the transplanted cells, we saw an immediate glucose spike, revealing a direct link between the transplantation of the PPLCs and reduced hyperglycemia [high glucose level].”

Eight weeks after the transplantation, the scientists found that the pancreas-like cells had turned into the real thing – fully functional insulin-secreting ß-cells had developed in the mice.

The team says this is proof of principle, which one day might be used to cure type 1 diabetes in humans. “I am particularly excited about the prospect of translating these findings to the human system,” said Matthias Hebrok, one of the study’s authors and director of the UCSF Diabetes Center. “Most immediately, this technology in human cells could significantly advance our understanding of how inherent defects in ß-cells result in diabetes, bringing us notably closer to a much-needed cure.”

Scientists move closer to stem cell cure for type 1 diabetes

Ban on smoking in vehicles in front of youngsters moves closer following Lords vote

The prime minister would like to ‘listen to the arguments’ on banning smoking in cars with youngsters, No ten said. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

A ban on smoking in vehicles in front of youngsters has moved a phase closer right after the Home of Lords voted to bring in new laws and Downing Street explained the prime minister was ready to “listen to the arguments”.

The thought will now be debated by MPs, who will be given a totally free vote on the situation – providing it a actual possibility of making it into legislation. It comes following Labour proposed an amendment to the youngsters and households bill that would give ministers a electrical power to carry in laws that would make it an offence for a driver to “fail to stop smoking in the motor vehicle when a kid or children are present”.

Sources said the prime minister was open-minded about the concern, as peers defeated the government by a slim margin of 25. It is the 89th time Labour and crossbench peers have inflicted a defeat on the coalition.

Asked what the prime minister thought of smoking in automobiles with young children, his spokesman mentioned: “This is an concern that is going to be discussed and debated in parliament right now, and the prime minister’s view is that he would like to listen to the arguments.”

In the morning, the Division of Health said it did not consider legislation was the most efficient way of stopping grownups smoking in front of children in autos. This was reiterated in the Lords by Earl Howe, a health minister, who said it would be complex to police and the government preferred “behaviour adjust”.

“Smoking in autos and in the property is most likely to be a consequence of a lack of understanding about the dangers of 2nd-hand smoke,” he mentioned, adding that the government was “spreading awareness”.

However, he also explained the government had not ruled out legislation and would take into account a overview of the evidence if the publicity campaign failed to have an impact. In closing remarks, Howe said: “We all want to eradicate smoking in automobiles carrying youngsters.”

The baffled position echoes Cameron’s selection to back plain packaging for cigarettes, ahead of dropping the policy, and then saying it would be adopted if there was proof it would be successful.

Andy Burnham, the shadow overall health secretary, said Britain need to comply with the instance set by Australia, Canada and some US states. Underneath Labour’s programs, it would be an offence to expose kids to tobacco smoke in cars and a breach would carry a £60 fine.

“When it comes to improving the well being of kids, we are duty bound to think about any measure that might make a variation,” he advised Sky News.

“Adults are totally free to make their own options but that usually does not apply to kids and which is why society has an obligation to defend them from preventable harm.

“Evidence from other nations displays that stopping smoking in the confined area of a vehicle carrying kids can avoid damage to their wellness and has strong public help.”

Smoking in workplaces and enclosed public spaces has been banned considering that 2007.

Nonetheless, Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ rights group Forest, told BBC Radio Four’s These days programme that the ban would be a slippery slope in the direction of a ban on all smoking in automobiles.

“I consider this legislation is extremely heavy-handed, entirely needless and, according to surveys, 84% of grownups wouldn’t dream of lighting a cigarette in a auto, in a modest enclosed area, with a little one current,” he explained.

“So grownups currently know how to behave. They will not need the state interfering in their lives like this. If there are nevertheless some folks who smoke in a vehicle with youngsters, then let us educate them, but let’s not legislate.”

Ban on smoking in vehicles in front of youngsters moves closer following Lords vote