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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The greatest gift a mum can give: World first as mother's womb is transplanted into her daughter so SHE can give birth

The pair gave birth using the wombs they too were carried in years before

Breakthrough brings hope to 15,000 British women without wombs

The babies were born in Sweden a month ago and are doing well

Two women have given birth using wombs donated by their own mothers.

The pair become the first ever to have children using the very womb that brought them into the world a generation earlier.

The breakthrough brings hope to the 15,000 British women who want children but were born without a womb or have had it removed.

The two mothers are among nine women to have been given womb transplants – seven of which have succeeded.

Allan Pacey of the British Fertility Society said: ‘That’s a very good success rate for a new surgical procedure. If it carries on like this, it may have a massive impact on things like surrogacy.

‘Women would much prefer to have their own baby and be pregnant than watch another woman be pregnant.’

The babies – both boys – were born a month ago in Sweden and are doing well with their mothers at home.

Henrik Hagberg, a professor in foetal medicine at King’s College London, who was at the first birth, praised the grandmothers who had hysterectomies to donate wombs to their daughters.

‘It is an absolutely extraordinary gift. It is probably the best thing you can do for your daughter,’ he said.

‘The mothers were still very much doubting whether things would really go well. You don’t take anything for granted when you have experienced all of the problems they have been through.’

The first child, who weighed 5lb 8oz, was born to a 29-year-old Swede who lacked a womb at birth

The mother of the second boy, who weighed in at 5lb 15oz, is 34 and had her womb removed when she was treated for cancer in her 20s.

Both babies were delivered by Caesarean section around a month early. They join another history-making boy, named Vincent. Born in September as part of the Gothenburg University project, he was the first in the world to be born from a womb transplant.

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The babies – both boys – were born a month ago in Sweden and are doing well with their mothers at home. Picture posed by model

He was carried in a womb from an unrelated donor.

Four of the seven women with successful transplants have become pregnant and three have had babies.

Richard Smith, head of the charity Womb Transplant UK, is gearing up to start similar operations here, using wombs from dead donors.

He says the first could be carried out as soon as next summer.

Professor Hagberg believes the operation in which the donor’s womb is removed can be reduced from the current ten hours – making the procedure more attractive.

‘I’m an optimist. I’m sure this is something for the future,’ he said. ‘It looks rather promising. It will be very exciting to see what happens in Britain and what they will be able to do using wombs from brain-dead donors.’

Vincent, the first baby born to a woman who had a womb transplant, is cradled by his mother at an undisclosed location in Sweden, Monday, October 6, 2014

Professor Mats Brännström, who led the Swedish team, has spent 15 years perfecting the complex surgical techniques needed for transplant.

He believes Mr Smith’s project will be successful and predicts the first British womb transplant baby will be born three years from now.

Dagan Wells, an Oxford University fertility doctor, said: ‘The numbers are still small and we probably don’t have a good handle on the true safety or how often it will be successful.

‘But from the data available, we can say that it is looking pretty good. That could raise the possibility of wider application – there are significant numbers of women in the population who would have perfect fertility if it was not for a problem with their womb.’

Dr Wells added: ‘It is a pretty radical thing to undergo but the fact that some women have done it, even when it is in this experimental phase, really does emphasise how important it is for some women to carry their own child.

Professor Mats Brännström, who led the Swedish team, has spent 15 years perfecting the complex surgical techniques needed for transplant

‘I am not saying that this is the way that everyone should go but for some people, it clearly is very important.’

Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director of the Create Fertility in central London, said: ‘There is no doubt that the birth of two more babies is encouraging and is further evidence that the project is successful.

‘It’s exciting, complex surgery being done by very skilled surgeons. It is promising for women who need womb transplants but quite clearly it is something that would happen in specialist centres. It is not something that is going to be widespread like IVF.’

Vincent – derived from the Latin for ‘to conquer’ – was given his name to mark the extraordinary lengths his mother undertook to give him life.

A fourth woman with a transplanted womb is pregnant and said to be doing well.

Although womb transplants have been done before, in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, no babies had been born until Vincent.

The fact that Vincent has been joined by two more healthy boys offers hope to women who have been born without a womb, as well as those who have had a hysterectomy due to womb cancer or as a last-ditch attempt to stop a threatening bleed while in labour.

Eventually, some women who have suffered the heartache of repeated miscarriages could also benefit.

The extraordinary procedure, which doctors have likened in importance to the first successful heart transplant, allows women to experience the joy of pregnancy, as well as have babies that are genetically their own.

The Swedish transplant team favour organs from living donors, such as mothers who have completed their families. An organ from a living donor should be in better condition and the woman can take care of her health before removal. But the British team believe the best option is an organ from a dead donor.

This would allow them to take extra tissue and the major blood vessels needed to ease the strain of pregnancy. Either way, ideally, the woman should have had children of her own – meaning her womb has been ‘road-tested’.

The surgery is quite straightforward for a skilled team. The biggest worry is how well the organ copes with pregnancy. The mother is likely to be at risk of extra complications on top of miscarriage or premature labour.

From shrinking teeth to thinning eyebrows... What your face can reveal about your health

Red cheeks can indicate internal issues

Yellow skin and eyes can suggest significant liver damage

Deep lines in the face could be a sign of osteoporosis

Thinning hair in women can signal an overactive thyroid

Big nose, wrinkles, receding hairline — most of us have something we’d like to change.

But your facial features give clues about your health. Bulging eyes, for instance, can signal a thyroid disorder.

Here, CHLOE LAMBERT talks to experts who reveal other secret signs of illness...

If someone has high cholesterol in their bloodstream, it can show up as a white circle in the iris, the coloured part of the eye

EYES

WHITE RINGS IN THE IRIS: If someone has high cholesterol in their bloodstream, it can show up as a white circle in the iris, the coloured part of the eye.

‘Another sign of high cholesterol is small fatty deposits in the white of the eye, known as pingueculas,’ says Francesca Marchetti, of the College of Optometrists.

Small fatty lumps or pimples on the eyelids and skin around the eye are another symptom of high cholesterol.

These are a particular danger sign, says David Webb, professor of therapeutics and clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh and an expert in cardiovascular health.

‘They suggest you have a greater propensity to lay down fat than other people do and, therefore, are more likely to have it blocking up the blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.’

DROOPING EYELID: This may be an indicator of Bell’s palsy where the nerve supply to the eye becomes disrupted, says optometrist Ms Marchetti.

Bell’s palsy is often linked to a virus making the nerve inflamed. In rare cases, it may suggest a stroke (although here it would usually be accompanied by other symptoms such as weakness on one side and slurring of words).

MOUTH

SHORTENED TEETH: ‘I often see people with thinner, shortened teeth as a result of acid reflux — here acid from the stomach splashes up the gullet into the mouth,’ says Dr Ben Atkins, principal dentist and owner of Revive Dental Care.

‘Stomach acid is more damaging than fizzy pop — it literally dissolves the teeth.’

‘I often see people with thinner, shortened teeth as a result of acid reflux — here acid from the stomach splashes up the gullet into the mouth,’says Dr Ben Atkins, principal dentist and owner of Revive Dental Care

BLACK TONGUE: When tiny structures called papillae on the surface of the tongue don’t periodically shed as normal, bacteria builds up, giving the tongue a black colour and a hairy appearance. It can be the result of poor oral hygiene, smoking, or after someone has been taking antibiotics.

Brushing the tongue and using mouthwash can help, says London dentist Dr Linda Greenwall.

SKIN

YELLOW SKIN: Yellow skin and eyes can be a side-effect of some medication, such as those for diabetes and high blood pressure. But it also suggests significant liver damage, says GP Dr Rob Hicks — this triggers jaundice.

BROWN PATCHES: Melasma — characterised by brown or grey-brown patches on the face — is up to ten times more common in women than men.

‘The patches can be as small as a thumbnail or big enough to cover both cheeks,’ says Dr Lowe. ‘It’s caused by the hormone oestrogen, so it can happen when women are pregnant or taking the Pill. It tends to occur on the face because it’s triggered by damage from UVA rays in sunlight.’

WRINKLES: Deep lines in the face could be a sign of osteoporosis, according to a U.S. study published in 2011.

Research on 114 post-menopausal women in their 40s and 50s found those with the worst wrinkles had the most fragile bones. The team said the link may be due to low collagen — the building block for both bones and skin.

EARS

WRINKLED EAR LOBES: ‘It’s not clear why, but there’s some quite good research showing that a diagonal crease across the ear lobe is a risk factor for heart disease,’ says Professor Webb.

One study of 253 people, published last year in the journal Angiology, found those with a visible ear crease were 10 per cent more likely to suffer from blocked arteries. This may mean that cholesterol is deposited there, leaving a crease.

Arthur Friedlander, professor of oral and facial surgery at University of California, Los Angeles, says the link may be down to the fact blood vessels terminate in the earlobe. It may also be because the blood vessels in the lobe have less elastin, which means they are more likely to become stiff.

HAIR

THINNING HAIR: In women, it can signal an overactive thyroid, says Dr Lowe, though why this triggers hair loss is unknown. Meanwhile, female baldness may be a symptom of iron deficiency, because iron binds to ferritin, a protein important for the production of hair cells.

Thinning hair in women it can signal an overactive thyroid, though why this triggers hair loss is unknown. Meanwhile, female baldness may be a symptom of iron deficiency

HAIR ON THE FACE: More than one in 20 women in the UK has polycystic ovary syndrome, where high levels of the hormone androgen can cause excessive hair on the face and acne. Facial hair can also signify arrival of the menopause.

THINNING EYEBROWS: Loss of eyebrow hair is a classic sign of an underactive thyroid, says Dr Lowe. Here the thyroid does not produce enough of the hormone thyroxine, crucial for hair follicles.

CHEEKS

RED CHEEKS: While redness in the face can be a sign of a skin problem such as rosacea (caused by inflammation), it can also indicate internal issues, says Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist and president of the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group.

These can include Cushing’s syndrome, where there are excess levels of the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol causes blood vessels to swell, explains Dr Lowe — and blood vessels in the upper body seem particularly affected, perhaps because those in the face and chest are very sensitive.

While redness in the face can be a sign of a skin problem such as rosacea (caused by inflammation), it can also indicate internal issues

PURPLE CHEEKS: Blue or purple cheeks suggests low oxygen levels in the blood. One reason could be pulmonary hypertension — raised blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs, which means not enough oxygenated blood is transported round that body, says Tony Heagerty, professor of medicine at the University of Manchester.

Deoxygenated blood is blue or purple because the red blood cells are carrying less oxygen. Low oxygen in the blood is also associated with chronic lung disease, and some types of heart disease.

RASH: A butterfly-shaped rash that spreads across the bridge of the nose and the cheeks can be a symptom of lupus, a rare auto‑immune condition that also causes fatigue and joint pain.

‘It’s sun-related, so tends to appear in spring and summer,’ says Joseph Jorizzo, professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. ‘We think the immune system overreacts when UVA rays damage the skin cells.’

Sometimes a purple rash can also appear on the face. This rash, which particularly affects the scalp and eyes (the knuckles can be affected, too), is thought to be triggered by the immune system malfunctioning and attacking the skin cells.

‘It’s very rare, but it can be an indication of cancer, such as breast and ovarian cancer,’ explains Professor Jorizzo.

‘It may be that in some people, when cancer starts, it triggers this immune response.’

NOSE

BUMPS ON THE NOSE: A relatively rare condition called sarcoidosis, which causes scarring of the organs of the body, first presents with red bumps on the nose and ears, although it’s not clear why, says Professor Jorizzo.

‘It’s most common in people of northern European and of African/Caribbean descent - although in this group the lumps appear on the scalp and face.'

BIG NOSE: The good news is that big-nosed people may be less prone to bugs.

A U.S. study published in 2010 found that bigger noses provided a better barrier against dust particles and bacteria — possibly because bigger noses have more nasal hairs which stop particles getting into the lungs.

Lead author Dr Renee Anthony, a researcher in occupational and environmental health from the University of Iowa, said: ‘The nose sticks out and gives better protection to the mouth. It may work for pollen, too.’

Could depression be an INFECTIOUS DISEASE? Condition is caused by parasites, bacteria or virus and could be prevented with a jab, expert claims

Dr. Turhan Canli is a professor from Stony Brook University, in the U.S.

Argues depression should be re-conceptualised as an infectious disease

Condition is caused by parasites, bacteria or viruses, he claims

People with depression show sickness like those suffering infection

If his theory is true, a vaccination against depression could be possible

Depression should be re-defined as an infectious disease rather than an emotional disorder, argues one scientist.

The condition could result from a parasitic, bacterial or viral infection and future research into the condition should search for these micro-organisms, argues Dr. Turhan Canli, of Stony Brook University, U.S.

If his theory is true, he hopes a vaccination to protect against depression could be developed in future.

Writing in the journal Biology of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Dr Canli said: 'It is time for an entirely different approach.

Depression should be re-conceptualised as an infectious disease caused by parasites, bacteria or viruses, argues Dr Turhan Canli, a professor at Stony Brook University, U.S.

'Instead of conceptualising major depression as an emotional disorder, I suggest to re-conceptualise it as some form of an infectious disease.

'I propose that future research should conduct a concerted search for parasites, bacteria, or viruses that may play a causal role in the etiology of major depression.'

He divides his theory into three arguments.

He said patients with depression exhibit sickness-like behaviours.

They lose their energy, have difficulty getting out of bed and lose interest in the world around them, displaying the same symptoms as people who have an infectious disease.

Studies of the patients with depression also show the presence of inflammatory markers in their brains, he said.

These inflammatory markers might indicate the immune system has been activated in response to some kind of pathogen, which could be a parasite, bacterium or virus - this being what is causing the symptoms of depression, he argued.

HIGH-FLYING WOMEN 'FACE DEPRESSION', STUDY FINDS

Women in positions of power at work are at risk of poorer mental health than women further down the career ladder, a study has found.

Researchers found that while men tend to feel better the more authority they have, the reverse is often true for women.

‘Women with job authority – the ability to hire, fire and influence pay – have significantly more symptoms of depression than women without this power,’ said Tetyana Pudrovska, of the University of Texas, who carried out the study.2

‘In contrast, men with job authority have fewer symptoms of depression than men without such power.

‘What’s striking is that women with job authority in our study are advantaged in terms of most characteristics that are strong predictors of positive mental health,’ she added.

‘These women have more education, higher incomes, more prestigious occupations, and higher levels of job satisfaction and autonomy than women without job authority.

‘Yet they have worse mental health than lower-status women.’

His second argument is that there are examples of parasites, bacteria or viruses affecting emotional behaviour throughout nature.

The best known example is Toxomaplasma gondii (T.gondii), a parasite which lives in the intestinal tract of a cat.

There, it lays eggs which are dispersed into the environment when the cat excretes.

When a rat comes in contact with these eggs and becomes infected, it becomes attracted to the scent of cat urine.

The rat’s behaviour is through parasitic cysts being deposited across its brain, activating the same pathways involved in sexual arousal.

He says one third of the world’s population is thought to be infected with T.gondii. The infection is associated with markers of inflammation, as observed in depressed patients.

Of patients with a diagnosed major depression or bipolar disorder, those with a history of attempting suicide had higher levels of antibodies created to fight T.gondii bacteria.

‘Yet, large-scale studies of major depression and T. gondii or systematic searches to discover other potential parasitic infections have not yet been conducted,’ Dr Canli argued in his paper.

Similarly, he cites a number of studies in which rodents’ emotional behaviour changes when they are exposed to bacteria.

Large studies looking at associations between viruses and depressions exist already too, he said.

He cites an analysis of 28 studies, which found a link between viruses and depression. These included the Borna disease virus (BDV), the herpes virus responsible for cold sores, varicella zoster virus, which causes chicken pox and and Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever.

One study found BVD virus was 3.25 more likely to be found in depressed people than in non-depressed people, he said. Another found BVD in the brain’s of two out of 30 depressed patients.

His final argument is that re-conceptualising depression as an infectious disease is useful when thinking about the genetics of the disease.

If his theory is true, he hopes a a vaccination to protect against depression could be developed in future

The search for specific genes linked to depression has come up empty, he said, adding: ‘Perhaps, we have been looking at the wrong organism.’

While studies have looked for internal changes in human genes, which might explain depression, 8 per cent of the human genome is based on external changes, such as from viruses.

Bacteria, viruses and parasistes could transfer genes into our cells, leading to changes in our genetic structure.

They could also be passed during birth or through contact between parents and their children, he said.

He concluded that large scale studies involving patients with depression and people without the condition should be carried out to see if parasites, viruses or bacteria could be the cause.

He added: ‘Such efforts, if successful, would represent the ‘end of the beginning’ , as any such discovery would represent the first step toward developing a vaccination for major depression.’

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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The greatest gift a mum can give: World first as mother's womb is transplanted into her daughter so SHE can give birth

From shrinking teeth to thinning eyebrows... What your face can reveal about your health

Could depression be an INFECTIOUS DISEASE? Condition is caused by parasites, bacteria or virus and could be prevented with a jab, expert claims

HIGH-FLYING WOMEN 'FACE DEPRESSION', STUDY FINDS