Viruses may be good guys after all - A new drug, derived from a virus, shows promise for heart patients.
Most of the time viruses get a bad rap.
But London, Ont. researchers are turning the tables with a discovery that may eventually spell good news for heart patients.
Viron Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of viral proteins, has taken a new drug derived from myxoma, a virus that attacks rabbits, to Phase II trials on Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients who had stents implanted. The positive results of that trial were reported at an American Heart Association conference in Florida last month by Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the Montreal Heart Institute.
“The positive safety and efficacy data from this trial provide a strong scientific rationale for moving forward with this novel drug in ACS and potentially other indications,” Tardif says.
The drug, called VT-111, was tested in a placebo-controlled trial with 48 patients in Montreal, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Washington, Calgary and at the University of Florida, and found to block inflammation and reduce adverse cardiac events – such as heart attacks – in the six-month follow-up period after the stent implantation.
“Viruses have been around as long as human beings and have become very smart,” says James Rae, CEO at Viron. “They have learned how to evade the immune system and ward of drugs that exist. If you take that knowledge and turn it around, you find a way to control inflammation.”
While initial results show promise, the drug is still years away from the commercial market and will now be tested in higher dosages.
Be happy and live long
Whistling a happy tune and seeing the glass as half full are often spouted as maxims for enjoying life. But they may actually lead to enjoying life longer.
A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society earlier this year concluded that positive personality traits – like an outgoing personality and ability to deal with stressful situations – may lead to better health and a longer life.
The finding is based on an examination of 246 older adults who had parents who lived to age 100. Research has shown that heart disease, stroke and diabetes are less prevalent or occur at a later age in offspring of centenarians. In the new study, researchers discovered these individuals are more extroverted and display lower levels of emotional reactivity and distress. Such traits help establish strong social ties and aid in managing stress, all leading to greater well-being in the long run.
Future research will determine what role other factors – such as genetics and environment – might play in determining longevity.
But, in the meantime, whistling a happy tune and enjoying life can’t hurt. And be fun to boot.
Health care improves for Northern Ontario seniors
Senior citizens and their caregivers across Northern Ontario got a much-needed boost in caring for their health last month with the opening of the North East Specialized Geriatric Services in Sudbury.
The facility’s multidisciplinary team will provide specialized care for older adults with complex health needs in addition to offering expert resources for health care professionals and caregivers.
The team offers consultation in a clinic setting as well as home visits, telemedicine consultation and regional outreach and education.
“Our purpose is to help the frail older adult stay in the community longer by intervening to reverse or modify the factors that contribute to a person’s functional decline,” says Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke, geriatrician and clinical head of the service.
In a move that will help seniors across the northeastern sector of the province, the service will offer outreach clinics serving the districts of Algoma, Nipissing, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Manitoulin and Parry Sound.
The service is operated at the North East Centre for Excellence in Seniors Health, the first comprehensive, long-term-care and wellness centre of its kind in Northern Ontario.
