Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI); new breakthrough technology for Heart Valve replacement

By: Nityanand C, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Aortic Valve replacement in Aortic Stenosis subjects is usually carried out by highly invasive cardiac surgery; commonly known as open heart surgery. Because of operational complications and post-operative risks most of the subjects with severe Stenosis are not referred to this surgery. But a new minimally invasive technology TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) which utilizes less than 10mm catheters to replace the deteriorated valve would set a new bench mark in Cardiac Surgery, if it meets all the safety parameters. CoreValve Revalving System and Edwards SAPIEN XT Transcatheter Heart Valve are fabricated on this principle and are under clinical trials.

SiRNA; a short nuleotide chain with a great potential to combat cancer

By: Rita Metrani, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

RNA interference (RNAi), an accurate and potent gene-silencing method, was first experimentally documented in 1998 in Caenorhabditis elegans by Fire et al., who subsequently were awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine. The discovery of 21-23 nucleotide RNA duplexes, called small interference RNA (siRNA) may be one of the transforming events in biology in the past decade. RNAi can result in gene silencing or even in removing of sequences from the genome. Efforts to understand its mode of action have revealed a central role in gene regulation and host defense. The specificity, efficiency and potency of RNAi make it an attractive tool for analyzing the function of genes. This focuses on the potential therapeutic use of RNAi for various diseases, the current understanding of RNAi biology and how RNAi has been utilized to study the role of different genes in the pathogenesis of cancer, HIV, infectious diseases, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), cardiovascular and cerebral diseases, neurogenerative diseases, malaria, etc..

New Drugs to Diabetes Prevention kit, but a healthy lifestyle is must!!

By: Dr. Smitha Hegadi, Medical Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Diabetes is one of the major global healthcare burdens which affects all age group population. There has been rigorous research going on since decades towards finding a most significant medication to combat this burden. The additions to the existing chain of medications sound never ending but to prevent the addition of more number of people to Diabetes Subjects’ registry, there is an evident need of educating people about Diabetes and the importance of healthy lifestyle. 

“Lucanix” rising hope for advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

By: Smita Kadam, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Tumor cells' ability to produce significant immune suppressive substances to hide themselves from the body’s immune system has made most of the medications inefficient in destroying them. Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF –β) is very common among those immune suppressive substances. NovaRX Corporation has genetically engineered one of its vaccines Lucanix to expose the tumor cells to body’s immune system by inhibiting the production of TGF-β. This experimental therapeutic vaccine’s success speaks the potential of addressing cancer through immune activation against one of the major healthcare burdens like Cancer.