Fatty molecules in blood controls malaria parasites

Depletion of a fatty molecule in human blood propels malaria parasites to stop replicating and causing illness in people Plasmodium falciparum is the parasite responsible for malaria. The key molecule the researchers identified has the catchy name of lysophosphatidylcholine LPC. It appears to be a building block the parasites use to construct new cell membranes when they divide. When LPC drops, the parasites can't multiply anymore and commit to a different pathway, but multiply when LPC increases.

Treating patients with antimalarial drugs usually kills the replicating parasites, but if you don't also block transmission, the disease will never disappear from the population, they pass into humans through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito, congregating first in the liver and later in red blood cells, where they multiply and burst forth in cycles that cause waves of illness.

If the host survive, some of the parasites stop multiplying and follow a different path known as sexual commitment or differentiation. If mosquitoes bite an infected person during this phase, the parasites-now male and female-travel back into the insects and breed. The transmission cycle begins afresh.

When the researchers cultured Plasmodium cells in flasks without their usual bath of human blood serum, the parasites skipped replication and went straight for sexual commitment-hinting that a control switch lurked in the missing blood. The researchers grew Plasmodium with serum. As expected, after a while the parasites lost their zest for replicating and began to undergo sexual commitment. But when the team added fresh serum, the parasites went on replicating. They were indeed grabbing something from the serum.

The researchers decided to separate and study all the serum components to see if they could identify the molecule or molecules at play. We found a single factor that's necessary and sufficient for regulating sexual commitment with each round of parasite replication, the researchers observed that LPC levels dropped. When LPC fell low enough, the parasites switched to sexual commitment.

Plasmodium cells were absorbing LPC from the bloodstream as they prepared to divide. The scientists believe that when the parasites sense that their raw materials are running low, they change strategies. The researchers found similar patterns of LPC depletion in a mouse model of malaria.
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Perfect skin care guide

According to dermatologists, analysing how hydrated your face is and how it produces oils will dictate the correct skin care products. This analysis can help when you are deciding what cleanser, moisturizer and exfoliator to use during your skin care. A skin analysis gives your skin the opportunity to be examined and studied by an expert. Dehydration skin analysis involves measuring the amount of water the skin has versus the water it can retain.

Using skin analysis tool, the reading of 30 or below means the skin is severely dehydrated, between 30 to 50 means its somewhat dehydrated and above 50 means it is hydrated. Hydration level will determine what areas in the skin care routine might need improvement.

Ultraviolet light is used to check for sun damage and determine if the t-zone is active. Some people experience dryness in their skin because they over clean their skin to remove oil, skin has to retain essential oils in order to keep it hydrated. Using ultraviolet light, estheticians can determine the activeness of the t-zone and if the skin is oily, normal or dry.

Knowing your skin type and problem areas you want to solve can help you understand what works best for each phase of the skin care routine. Get a gentle cleanser that fits your specific skin type: sensitive, normal, dry, combination or oily. Use a gentle cleanser to clean your face, rub the product gently onto the face until it lathers. Circular motions are important because it gets the blood flowing in the skin and allows the product to reach deep into the pores.

Use toner to get rid of oils and dead skin that might be left behind during the cleansing phase. Applying serum after the toner, it adds nutrients to all the layers of the skin. Addition of serum can correct uneven texture, dark marks or dehydration. Then apply moisturizer with SPF during the day to protect the skin from harmful UV rays. Use an exfoliator to remove dead skin cells that are left behind in the pores. You can do this weekly.
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DNA - based Zika vaccine is safe

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne infection associated with birth defects and neurological complications in adults. However, no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available for treatment of Zika virus. A new generation DNA-based Zika vaccine demonstrated both safety and ability to elicit an immune response against Zika in humans in a phase 1 clinical trial.

Synthetic DNA vaccines are an ideal approach for infectious diseases like Zika, this new generation of DNA vaccines can be designed and manufactured rapidly, they appear to be highly predictable for the generation of immunity in humans, having significant conceptual safety advantages, and they are more stable than some of the traditional vaccines, making them exceptionally practical to distribute during outbreaks, especially in regions where resources are limited.

The GLS-5700 vaccine contains the synthetic DNA instructions for the host to learn how to mount an immune response against a specific Zika virus antigen. Researchers enrolled some participants in the safety trial, two groups of different participants received two different doses of the vaccine candidate intradermally at zero, four, and 12 weeks.

 Each dosage was followed by Cellectra delivery which generates small, directional electric currents into the skin to facilitate optimal vaccine uptake, production of the intended antigen, and immune responses. Results showed that two weeks after the final dose 100 percent of study participants developed Zika-specific antibodies and 80 percent developed significant neutralizing antibodies against the virus.

Serum from the study participants was able to protect immunocompromised mice from developing the disease after infection with Zika virus, showing that the vaccine-induced antibodies can prevent infection in living organism. Result of this research showed that DNA vaccine can produce an immune response against the virus with minimal adverse effects.
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