"We see the public library as the means best suited to meet the needs
of our communities in respect to books and culture. We place special
emphasis on the most needy and geographically isolated sectors, in
that way providing equal opportunity for all peoples of Chile," he
added.
Brain Cleaner
A genetic risk factor for smoking-linked head and neck cancer
In their study, which appeared in Cancer Research, the scientists
asked whether a reduced individual ability (non-inherited) to repair
DNA damage increases chances of getting head and neck cancer. Smoking
damages DNA and is known to be a major cause of this disease, which
can affect the throat, mouth and larynx. The researchers focused on a
DNA repair enzyme called OGG1, for which they had previously
developed a blood test to measure activity levels. By comparing OGG
activity in healthy people with those in head and neck cancer
patients, the research team found that the test was able to single
out those with a heightened risk of this type of cancer: Weak levels
were correlated with greater risk. According to Prof. Livneh, a
smoker with low OGG activity is 70 times more likely to develop head
and neck cancer than a non-smoker with normal OGG levels.
These findings join a previous study by the group in which they found
that low OGG activity is an indicator of elevated risk for lung
cancer, a disease also caused by smoking. Together, these studies
show that a combination of low OGG activity and smoking can skyrocket
a person's chances of becoming ill with a smoking-related cancer
The OGG blood test might be used, in the future, to identify those
most at risk for lung and head and neck cancers, hopefully giving
added incentive to those with the risk factor to quit smoking. In
addition, drugs might be developed to reduce this risk, similar to
those prescribed today to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Ex Libris, an Israeli developer of information management technology
Ex Libris has signed a deal with the Chilean Department of Public
Libraries and Office of Libraries, Archives, and Museums to implement
its library management system ALEPH 500 in over 400 of Chile's
libraries, archives and museums.After the system is integrated the
citizens of Chile will be able to use the national grid for
bibliographic searches on an extraordinarily wide scale.
The upgrade was made possible by BiblioRedes , an innovative program
providing free access to computers, the Internet, and technological
training funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Ex Libris' penetration of the Chilean market continues the process
of deepening the social and academic connection with South America.,"
said Matti Shem Tov, president and CEO of Ex Libris Ltd.Ricardo
Lopez, assistant director of the Department of Public Libraries in
Chile said that "the implementation of ALEPH 500 for the management
and provision of services at all public libraries will help create a
nationwide bibliographic network."
A new method developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science holds
promise for treating brain injuries An injury to the brain can be
devastating. When brain cells die, whether from head trauma, stroke
or disease, a substance called glutamate floods the surrounding
areas, overloading the cells in its path and setting off a chain
reaction that damages whole swathes of tissue. Glutamate is always
present in the brain, where it carries nerve impulses across the gaps
between cells. But when this chemical is released by damaged or dying
brain cells, the result is a flood that overexcites nearby cells and
kills them. A new method for ridding the brain of excess glutamate
has been developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science. This method
takes a completely new approach to the problem, compared with
previous attempts based on drugs that must enter the brain to prevent
the deleterious action of glutamate. Many drugs, however, can't cross
the blood-brain barrier into the brain, while other promising
treatments have proved ineffective in clinical trials. Prof. Vivian
Teichberg, of the Institute's Neurobiology Department, has shown that
in rats, an enzyme in the blood can be activated to "mop up" toxic
glutamate spills in the brain and prevent much of the damage. This
method may soon be entering clinical trials to see if it can do the
same for humans. Though the brain has its own means of recycling
glutamate, injury causes the system to malfunction, leading to
glutamate build-up. Prof Teichberg reasoned that passing glutamate
from the fluid surrounding brain cells into the bloodstream could
circumvent this problem. But first, he had to have a clear
understanding of the mechanism for moving glutamate from the brain
to the blood. Glutamate concentrations are several times higher in
the blood than in the brain, and the body must be able to pump the
chemical "upstream." Glutamate pumps, called transporters, are found
on the outsides of blood vessels, on cells that come into contact
with the brain. These collect glutamate, creating small zones of high
concentration from which the glutamate can then be released into the
bloodstream. Yeda, the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann
Institute now holds a patent for this method, and a new company based
on this patent, called "Braintact Ltd." has been set up in Kiryat
Shmona in northern Israel and is currently operating within the
framework of Meytav's Technological Incubator based. The US FDA has
assured the company of a fast track to approval. If all goes well,
stage I clinical trials are planned for the near future. The method
could potentially be used to treat such acute brain insults as head
traumas and stroke, and prevent brain and nerve damage from bacterial
meningitis or nerve gas. It may also have an impact on chronic
diseases such as glaucoma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or HIV
dementia. Teichberg: "Our method may work where others have failed,
because rather than temporarily blocking the glutamate's toxic action
with drugs inside the brain, it clears the chemical away from the
brain into the blood, where it can't do harm anymore."
A simple blood test may be able to identify those most at risk for
developing head and neck cancer as a result of smoking. This was the
finding of a recent study by Prof. Zvi Livneh, Head of the Weizmann
Institute's Biological Chemistry Department. Dr
Livneh's research deals with repair mechanisms for DNA, the material
of genes. Cells maintain sophisticated repair systems to prevent the
accumulation of mutations that might lead to cancer. In these
systems, molecular detectors scan the DNA for injury. A sort of local
operation is then performed to cut out and dispose of the damaged
segment and replace it with a new one.