Italian minister resigns in blow to Berlusconi

July 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

July 5 (Reuters) – A former executive in Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s media empire who was unexpectedly appointed as a government minister last month resigned in the midst of an embezzlement trial on Monday.

The sudden departure of Aldo Brancher, named as “minister for federalism” in June, deals a fresh blow to Berlusconi whose centre-right government is facing crippling internal divisions that could put its future at risk.

“I am announcing my irrevocable decision to resign as government minister,” Brancher told a Milan court.

Brancher’s appointment as minister with responsibility for overseeing moves to give Italy’s regions more autonomy in matters including tax, education and health services had been heavily criticised by the opposition.

He caused further outrage when he used his newly acquired status as minister to claim immunity from his embezzlement trial and was forced to retreat and drop the claim only days later. (Reporting by Silvia Molteni; Writing by James Mackenzie)

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Friendly nose bacteria could wipe off MRSA

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 20 (ANI): Harmless bacteria from people”s noses could destroy MRSA, and could thus be transformed into nasal spray to mimic the immunity, which allows most of us who aren”t sick to fight off the superbug.

Takayuki Iwase and colleagues at Jikei University in Tokyo, Japan, said that Staphylococcus epidermidis can wipe out colonies of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in the lab.

Crucially, for the spray plan, S. epidermidis also cleared ordinary S. aureus in a bacterial “turf war” in the nose.

The friendly bugs oust their rivals with the help of an enzyme called Esp.

It”s possible either the enzyme, or live S. epidermis, could be used in hospitals.

Mark Enright of Biocontrol Ltd, a firm in Bedfordshire, UK, that is developing ways to pit harmless microbes against infectious ones, prefers using the live bacteria to the enzyme.

This is because the bacteria would continue growing in the nose and oust S. aureus permanently, whereas Esp alone would rapidly lose its activity.

“You would want them to knock out the opposition and take over,” New Scientist quoted Enright as saying.

He added that if a spray for MRSA can be developed the priority would be to treat the noses of all hospital staff since they can harbour and spread MRSA. (ANI)

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Infants ‘at risk for measles in first year’

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 19 (ANI): A new research has found that young infants have a gap in their protection against measles, from around two to three months old until they are vaccinated at 12 months of age.

This is because the level of antibodies infants get from their mother drops over time, leaving them susceptible until they are vaccinated, says the study.

These findings underline the importance of measles vaccination at around 12 months of age and support ongoing research into earlier vaccination.

The study involved 207 healthy women-infant pairs recruited from five hospitals in the Province of Antwerp, Belgium from April 2006.

Medical records were used to divide women into two groups: those who had been vaccinated against measles during infancy and those with naturally acquired immunity from measles infection earlier in life.

Levels of measles antibodies were measured from blood samples taken during week 36 of pregnancy, at birth (cord blood), in all infants at 1, 3 and 12 months, and randomly at either 6 or 9 months.

Vaccinated women had significantly fewer antibodies than did naturally immune women. Similarly, infants of vaccinated women had significantly lower antibody levels than infants of naturally immune women.

The presence of maternal antibodies lasted a median time of 2.61 months – 3.78 months for infants of naturally immune women and 0.97 months for infants of vaccinated women.

At six months of age, over 99 percent of infants of vaccinated women and 95 percent of infants of naturally immune women had lost their maternal antibodies. And at 9 and 12 months, no positive samples were left in either group.

The researchers found no significant impact of breastfeeding, birth weight, educational level, caesarean section or day care attendance on the duration of maternal antibodies.

This study describes a very early susceptibility to measles in both infants of vaccinated women and women with naturally acquired immunity, say the authors.

If future studies show that measles vaccines can be offered with success at an age of less than nine months, policy makers could consider moving forward the routine measles vaccination programme.

The study has been published on bmj.com. (ANI)

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Zardari’s ‘Eureka’ moment to see end of troublesome Swiss graft cases

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, May 13 (ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has directed his team of legal eagles to tell the Supreme Court that there were never any money laundering cases pending against him in Swiss courts, so the question of reopening them does not arise.

While Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar refused to comment on the issue, insiders said Zardari has asked his legal team, consisting Attorney General Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq, Additional Attorney General K K Agha, and acting law secretary Sultan Shah to counter demands of reopening the corruption cases by stressing that there were no such petitions pending against him.

“ The strategy has been prepared in the light of guidelines given by President Asif Ali Zardari. Its main element is to stress the theme that no cases could be revived against the president because these never existed and additionally Zardari enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution under Article 248 of the Constitution,” The News quoted officials, privy to the issue, as saying.

It may be noted that during the last hearing on a case concerning the implementation of the Dec 16, 2009 judgment of Supreme Court against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a five-member apex court bench had expressed its dismay over Haq’s statement that the Swiss cases were a ‘closed chapter.’

A senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said Zardari has particularly told his legal team not to be provoked which could result in confrontation between the government and the superior judiciary.

“Some people want a collision between the executive and the judiciary,” the PPP leader said. (ANI)

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Kazakh president granted immunity as ”Leader of the Nation”

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Astana/London, May 13 (ANI): Kazakhstan has declared its president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, “Leader of the Nation”, granting him immunity from any prosecution, just weeks before it is due to chair a major international conference on democracy and human rights.

According to The Telegraph, the bill, adopted by deputies in Kazakhstan”s lower house, grants Nazarbayev the title for life, and protects him, his family, and their property, from civic or criminal prosecution.

Nazarbayev, who turns 70 later this year, has ruled the vast, mineral-rich Central Asian nation since 1990, guiding it into independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and turning it into the most economically successful of the neighboring republics.

But long-standing criticism of the country”s record on democracy and human rights has come to a head this year, as it takes the Chair of the Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – a 56-nation grouping which cites promoting democracy as one of its key aims.

“We have expressed our concerns about the chairmanship from the very beginning,” said Andrea Berg, Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch.

“Kazakhstan not a country that adheres to human rights standards: the country has huge problems in freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and many other things,” Berg added.

The bill, approved on Wednesday, has also fuelled speculation that Nazarbayev may be preparing to step down when his present term ends in 2012.

The bill, which will amend the constitution, still needs the approval of the upper house before it becomes statute.

Nazarbayev has yet to anoint a successor, although speculation has focused on Dariga Nazarbayeva, the eldest and most political of his three daughters, and Timur Askarovich Kulibayev, husband of his middle daughter Dinara. (ANI)

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Hurley in line for Bombers return

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Essendon coach Matthew Knights says key position player Michael Hurley could return for Friday night’s clash with West Coast, but Angus Monfries and Mark McVeigh remain in doubt.

Hurley, suspended by the club for the opening three rounds for an attack on a taxi driver, played in the VFL on Saturday and Knights says he impressed, although he is not yet guaranteed senior selection for the encounter at Subiaco Oval.

“He virtually played the whole four quarters and got through the game wonderfully well,” Knights said.

“I think he was one of the better players with Bendigo, I only saw the first half live, so we’ll consider him, but the forward line worked reasonably well (in Saturday night’s win over Carlton), so that will be a Monday or a Tuesday decision.”

But Knights says Monfries (quad strain) is unlikely to play against the Eagles, while it is uncertain whether McVeigh (blood infection) will be ready to return after both missed the 20-point victory over the Blues at the MCG.

“Both are probably unknowns at this stage, I would have though Angus would be unlikely, considering it’s a strain, I would have thought he may miss another one,” he said.

“Mark, due to spending a lot of time in hospital, we’ll just see how he trains this week.

“It’s really unknown with that one because his immunity’s obviously been knocked around a fair bit.”

Knights expects to face a fired-up Eagles squad, with John Worsfold’s troops opening their season with three defeats.

“They’re going to be nice and prickly and it gives us a great opportunity to go interstate and really have a crack at West Coast and really go with the same attitude we played with (against the Blues),” Knights said.

“If we do that we’ll give ourselves a decent chance, but we have to back it up, because last week (we were) average, this week high intensity, high effort, they really teamed well together, so we’ve got to take that to Western Australia.”

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Coming soon: Drug that slows ageing process?

April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 1 (ANI): The secrets of a key gene that helps us to live longer and fight disease have been unlocked by University of Birmingham researchers.

With the breakthrough, boffins believe developing drugs that slow the ageing process could be a possibility, reports The Daily Express.

They reckon a drug based on the gene is a real possibility for cutting how quickly the body ages.

Dr Robin May, who led the research, said: “I think there is definite potential, within our lifetime, that we will be able to develop drugs to slow the ageing process based on this gene. Although stopping the ageing process may not happen, slowing it down is quite realistic.”

The research team found that higher levels of the gene – called DAF-16 – are directly linked with longer life.

In the study, boffins found that DAF-16 was strongly involved in determining ageing and average lifespan of laboratory worms.

Dr May said: “We wanted to find out how normal ageing is being governed by genes and what effect these genes have on other traits, such as immunity.

“To do that, we looked at a gene that we already knew to be involved in the ageing process, called DAF-16, to see how it may determine the different rates of ageing in different species. If you have more of that gene, you have got a better chance of living longer. Exposing the worms to a short burst of higher temperature, a quick bit of stress, increased the activity of this gene.

“It leads to the idea of what doesn’t kill you, does you good. If we have some moderate level of stress or challenge, that might be sufficient for us to live longer.”

The study has been published in the journal PLoS ONE. (ANI)

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Corruption cases cannot be re-opened against Zardari : Swiss Prosecutor General

April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Apr.1 (ANI): Rejecting reports that Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked the Swiss government to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, Swiss Prosecutor General has said that the money laundering cases against Zardari could not be reopened as he enjoys immunity under country’s Constitution.

“Zardari cannot be prosecuted in Switzerland because Pakistan’s constitution grants him immunity as a head of state,” said Daniel Zappelli, who had decided to close the case in Switzerland against Zardari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in August 2008.

Zappeli made it clear that Geneva cannot reopen cases against Zardari until Pakistani authorities remove the amnesty granted to the President.

“We could go further only if the competent authorities in Pakistan decide to lift the immunity of the head of state, which I do not know whether it is possible according to their constitution. If not, we can’t. Absolutely not,” The News quoted Zappeli, as saying.

Zardari and Benazir , were convicted by a Geneva court in 2003 of laundering 13 million dollars linked to kickbacks, but that verdict was overturned on appeal. In 2008, Swiss judicial authorities said they had closed the file related to the case.

Zappelli said that Pakistan’s embassy in Switzerland had officially notified him in June 2008 of a decision by Pakistan’s prosecutor-general in April to withdraw proceedings against Zardari.

A trial for money laundering in Switzerland would have to be based on the proceedings of the criminal activity, but that would require proof that a crime had been committed, he said.

“Immunity is the key question. We can’t prosecute Zardari while he has immunity unless Pakistan lifts that immunity. And if he doesn’t have immunity, why don’t they try him in Pakistan,” Zappelli questioned. (ANI)

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Structure of ”swine flu” virus found

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 25 (ANI): The structure of a key protein from the virus that caused last year”s “swine flu” influenza epidemic has been solved by a team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute and other institutions.

The development explain why young people have been more vulnerable than older individuals in recent pandemic.

The structure reveals that the virus shares many features with influenza viruses common in the early 20th century.

The team”s findings were published in the March 25, 2010, issue of Science Express, an advance, online publication of selected research papers from the prestigious journal Science.

In the study, the team describes the structure of the hemagglutinin (the influenza virus envelope protein) from the H1N1 swine flu virus that triggered the pandemic in 2009 and is still circulating in the human population. The team then compared the swine flu hemagglutinin protein with a range of different human H1N1 flu viruses in the past century.

“Parts of the 2009 virus are remarkably similar to human H1N1 viruses circulating in the early 20th century,” said Scripps Research Professor Ian Wilson, who was the senior author of the study. “Our findings provide strong evidence that exposure to earlier viruses has helped to provide some people with immunity to the recent influenza pandemic.”

The information should be useful for scientists and public health officials as they respond to current and future pandemics. (ANI)

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Man flu really does exist, claim boffins

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Mar 24 (ANI): Its official—man flu does exist, and the reason behind why males are more susceptible to an infection is because they are the weaker sex.

Scientists have said that the male spirit of adventure has made men more exposed to infection, which, paradoxically, has left them with less immunity.

Conducted by Cambridge University’s Dr Olivier Restif and colleague Dr William Amos, the study concluded that men compete more with each other than females do, because of the male strategy to “live hard, die young”, which means they may score less in immunity.

“If males are more exposed to infection than females, such as because they are more likely to be risk-takers, then they may have evolved lower immunity.” Men’s ability to turn a sniffle into flu and a headache into a migraine has long been a source of irritation to wives and girlfriends,” the Daily Express quoted Restif as saying.

However, women may have a more powerful immune system, which improves their ability to fight off infection.

Across a range of animal species, males tend to be the weaker sex in relation to immune defences, usually because of hormonal differences.

“On the one hand, females need to protect themselves against transmission from those highly infectious males. On the other hand, even if males have a strong immune system that clears infection, they will become re-infected rapidly, so the effective benefit of immunity is low,” added Restif. (ANI)

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Optimism good for body’s immune system

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 24 (ANI): Optimism may be good for your health, say researchers, claiming that feeling better about the future might help you feel better for real.

In a new study, psychological scientists Suzanne Segerstrom of the University of Kentucky and Sandra Sephton of the University of Louisville studied how law students” expectations about the future affected their immune response.

Earlier studies found that people who are optimistic about their health tend to do better, but it”s not clear how optimism affects your health — or whether pessimism makes you less healthy.

For the study, the researchers recruited first-year law students by sending them a packet during the summer before classes started.

The 124 students that participated in the research were studied at five times over six months.

Each time, they answered questions about how optimistic they felt about law school.

Then they were injected with material that should summon an immune response and two days later, they came back to have the injection site measured.

A larger bump in the skin means a stronger immune response.

Immune systems are many-faceted— this test only measures the strength of the part that is responsible for fighting viral infections and some bacterial infections.

The students” general outlook on life — whether they had an optimistic disposition — didn”t account for the differences in immune responses between students.

But as each student”s expectations about law school waxed and waned, their immune response followed along.

At more optimistic times, they would have bigger immune responses, while at a more pessimistic time, a more sluggish immune response.

So, being optimistic about success in a specific, important domain may promote better immunity against some infections.

“I don”t think that I would advise people that they should revise their expectations to be unrealistic. But if people have slightly more positive views of the future than is actually true, that”s adaptive,” said Segerstrom.

The study has been published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. (ANI)

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Optimism good for body’s immune system

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 24 (ANI): Optimism may be good for your health, say researchers, claiming that feeling better about the future might help you feel better for real.

In a new study, psychological scientists Suzanne Segerstrom of the University of Kentucky and Sandra Sephton of the University of Louisville studied how law students” expectations about the future affected their immune response.

Earlier studies found that people who are optimistic about their health tend to do better, but it”s not clear how optimism affects your health — or whether pessimism makes you less healthy.

For the study, the researchers recruited first-year law students by sending them a packet during the summer before classes started.

The 124 students that participated in the research were studied at five times over six months.

Each time, they answered questions about how optimistic they felt about law school.

Then they were injected with material that should summon an immune response and two days later, they came back to have the injection site measured.

A larger bump in the skin means a stronger immune response.

Immune systems are many-faceted— this test only measures the strength of the part that is responsible for fighting viral infections and some bacterial infections.

The students” general outlook on life — whether they had an optimistic disposition — didn”t account for the differences in immune responses between students.

But as each student”s expectations about law school waxed and waned, their immune response followed along.

At more optimistic times, they would have bigger immune responses, while at a more pessimistic time, a more sluggish immune response.

So, being optimistic about success in a specific, important domain may promote better immunity against some infections.

“I don”t think that I would advise people that they should revise their expectations to be unrealistic. But if people have slightly more positive views of the future than is actually true, that”s adaptive,” said Segerstrom.

The study has been published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. (ANI)

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Potential new target for treatment of colitis identified

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 19 (ANI): Scientists have identified potential new target for treatment of colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

They have found that a protein made by a gene already associated with a handful of human inflammatory immune diseases plays a pivotal role in protecting the intestinal tract from colitis.

St. Jude Children”s Research Hospital researchers led the study, which points to possible new strategies for combating colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease associated with colon damage, resulting in abdominal pain, bleeding and other symptoms.

Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, assistant member of the St. Jude Department of Immunology and the paper”s senior author, said that the work also expands the link between the Nlrp3 protein and Crohn”s disease.

Researchers demonstrated that in a mouse model of colitis, Nlrp3 plays a pivotal role in keeping the intestinal tract intact, thus preventing further damage that occurs if intestinal bacteria leak into the body.

Nlrp3 works by anchoring a large, multi-protein complex known as the Nlrp3 inflammasome where the messenger protein interleukin 18 (IL-18) is made.

IL-18 belongs to a family of molecules known as cytokines, which shape the body”s immune response. In this study, researchers showed IL-18 produced by the Nlrp3 inflammasome helped mice maintain healthy colon by triggering production of more epithelial cells to compensate for those damaged or destroyed by colitis.

“This paper provides the basis for more effective, potentially disease-modifying approaches to treatment,” Kanneganti said.

The study appears in the March 18 online edition of the journal Immunity. (ANI)

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HIV infections increasing in Queensland

March 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Queensland Health says the number of reported HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) cases in the state is climbing.

There were 178 new cases of HIV reported in Queensland last year compared with 166 the year before.

Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young says the figures are worrying.

“That’s the highest number that’s ever been reported,” she said.

Men made up 88 per cent of reported cases last year.

The highest notification rates were in the 25 to 34 age group.

Dr Young says the increase may be due to an aggressive campaign encouraging gay men to be tested.

However, she says now that treatments are available, people are more complacent about the importance of safe sex.

A new national HIV strategy will be considered by the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference next month.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) which destroys the body’s white cells, resulting in reduced immunity leaving the way open for severe infections, tumours and ultimately death.

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Obesity inhibits immune system’s ability to ‘remember’ how to fight flu

March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 16 (ANI): A new research has shown that obesity limits the body’s ability to develop immunity to influenza viruses, particularly secondary infections, by inhibiting the immune system’s ability to “remember” how it fought off previous similar bouts of illness.

In the study, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed that obese mice were not able to develop protective influenza-specific memory T cells.

These cells are generated by the body during an initial influenza infection. They help protect against a second infection by targeting internal proteins common among most strains of influenza viruses.

Leaner mice were able to develop the infection-fighting T cells and ward off a second bout of influenza.

“Our work suggests that obese people should be considered at high risk for infection,” said Erik Karlsson, doctoral candidate in nutrition and lead author of the study.

The researchers infected lean and obese mice with a mild influenza virus. The lean mice had been fed a low-fat diet, and obese mice had been fed a high-fat diet. When the mice recovered from the first bout of flu, they were infected a second time, with a larger dose of a more lethal influenza strain.

“We lost none of the lean mice, but 25 percent of obese mice died,” Karlsson said.

The study has been published in the March 15, 2010, issue of The Journal of Immunology. (ANI)

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Pak SC asks accountability bureau to ‘stop playing hide and seek’ over Zardari’s immunity

March 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Mar.13 (ANI): Reprimanding the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over its dilly-dallying attitude, the Pakistan Supreme Court has asked the bureau to “stop playing hide and seek” over the immunity status granted to President Asif Ali Zardari and seek the custody of the documents relating to the 60 million dollar money laundering case which the government had withdrawn from Swiss courts.

“For how long will this hide and seek continue,” asked Justice Javed Iqbal while hearing a fraud case.

Noting that it is the apex court only which has the authority to interpret the Constitution, Iqbal directed the bureau to submit an application explaining whether any one enjoyed immunity under the Constitution.

“Neither the NRO judgment is person-specific nor the court is interested in personalities,” The Dawn quoted Iqbal, as saying.

NAB’s acting chairman Irfan Nadeem told the court that the bureau had written a letter to the law ministry seeking instructions for reviving the corruption cases since the President enjoyed immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution.

“The ministry in turn referred the matter to the Attorney General’s office and its reply was still awaited,” he added. (ANI)

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New hope in devil disease fight

March 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There is new hope in the fight against the disease wiping out the Tasmanian devil.

Researchers have found a colony of devils in the state’s north-west showing signs of immunity to the deadly facial tumour disease.

The disease has killed about 70 per cent of the state’s devils, spreading from the east coast to the west.

University of Sydney and Tasmanian research has found a group of devils living about 20 kilometres from Cradle Mountain are not catching the disease.

Lead researcher with the University of Sydney, Kathy Belov, says these devils have a different genetic make up to others and could be immune to the disease.

“We’re pretty excited because it means that potentially some of these animals might be able to recognise that the cancer is foreign and mount an immune response against it,” she said.

“This might mean that some animals might survive the cancer epidemic. Up until now we’ve thought the disease would wipe out all of the Tassie devils in Tasmania.”

The Program Manager with the Save the Devil team, Andrew Sharman, says while the research is important, the disease is unpredictable and constantly evolving.

The findings are being published in a research journal today.

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How to stay fit in flu season

September 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 20 (ANI): As cold and flu season approaches, giving up junk food for more healthy options would help maintain a strong immune system.

Dr Ara DerMarderosian, professor of pharmacognosy for University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and an expert in nutraceuticals and natural foods, have provided guidance to change how you eat and break habits that pack on the pounds and compromise immunity.

? Don’t play “food police”

Be conscious of what and how much you eat, but don’t overdo self-monitoring to the point that a healthy lifestyle shifts from being a choice to becoming overwhelming, pushing other activities away and interfering with relationships.

? Pay attention to true hunger

Listen to your hunger signals and refrain from eating when you’re not hungry. Eating when your body doesn’t need food can cause you to overindulge.

? Eat slowly

Eat like a gourmet – enjoy each bite to have, chewing methodically, and truly enjoy the taste of your food. Eating slowly gives your body time to break down the food, which can prevent post-meal indigestion and feeling bloated.

? Focus on eating

Do not watch television, read or work while you eat. When you’re not focused on eating, it’s unlikely you’ll notice how much is going in your mouth.

? Avoid eating when stressed

Stress is a well-known cause of overeating and digestive issues, such as heartburn. A relaxing atmosphere, enjoyable company and conversation, and not feeling rushed for time makes for a healthy meal.

? Everything in moderation

Eating food is pleasurable, so enjoy a few morsels of candy, but limit the quantity. (ANI)

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‘Berlusconi will have to resign if immunity law overturned’

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Rome, Sep. 18 (ANI): Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi would be forced to resign if laws providing him immunity are overturned by the Constitutional Court next month, his lawyers have admitted.

“If the Constitutional Court, which begins its deliberations on October 6, overturns the law there would be damage to the functions of an elected official, which could not be carried out”, Times Online quoted Glauco Nori, a state lawyer for the prime minister’s office, as saying.

The move could cause “irreparable damage” and lead to the Prime Minister’s resignation, he added.

After coming to power for the third time in 2008, Berlusconi pushed the law through Parliament, which gives immunity to the offices of Prime Minister, President and the Speakers of both houses of parliament from court trials, which was dubbed

As being “tailor-made” to shield Berlusconi from corruption charges, by the opposition, the report said.

At the time when legislation was passed, Berlusconi was being prosecuted for allegedly giving a 600,000-dollar bribe to British lawyer David Mills to provide false testimony on his behalf in corruption trials in the 1990s, it added.

Berlusconi’s trial was suspended but Mills was sentenced to 41/2 years in jail.

According to the report, the Milan prosecutor’s office had recently submitted its own memorandum to the court, challenging the immunity law as violating the principle that all citizens are equal before the law.

If the immunity law is struck off next month, corruption charges against Berlusconi are likely to be revived.

According to reports, magistrates in Milan and Palermo are also investigating Berlusconi’s suspected links to the Mafia in the 1990s. (ANI)

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Vaccine for urinary tract infections comes closer to reality

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 18 (ANI): A simple vaccine may soon be available to protect against urinary tract infections, thanks to researchers from University of Michigan.

The study conducted over mice showed that the vaccine prevented infection and produced key types of immunity.

It alerts the immune system to iron receptors on the surface of Escherichia coli bacteria that perform a critical function allowing infection to spread.

Administered in the nose, it induces an immune response in the body’s mucosa, a first line of defense against invading pathogens. The response, also produced in mucosal tissue in the urinary tract, should help the body fight infection where it starts.

The researchers used novel systematic approach, combining bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, to look for key parts of the bacterium that could be used in a vaccine to elicit an effective immune response.

The team, led by Dr. Harry L.T. Mobley, screened 5,379 possible bacterial proteins and identified three strong candidates to use in a vaccine to prime the body to fight E. coli.

Mobley’s team is currently testing more strains of E. coli obtained from women treated at U-M.

If the robust immunity achieved in mice can be reproduced in humans, it could be the first ever vaccine for urinary tract infections.

Most of the strains produce the same iron-related proteins that can be vaccine targets, an encouraging sign that the vaccine could work against many urinary tract infections.

The findings are published in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. (ANI)

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