Australian researchers are conducting a world-first study to try to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes by treating children with their own umbilical cord blood.

They hope the blood, rich in stem cells and immune cells, will help reboot the immune systems of children at risk of the condition, which occurs when the body attacks and kills its own insulin-producing cells, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Mark Kirkland, the medical director of Cell Care and a co-investigator for the study, said worldwide about one in every 2000 to 2500 people with cord blood stored used it, partly because it was an emerging industry and the blood might not be useful for many years.

“It’s one of these catch-22 situations that people are storing cord blood in the hope that it will be a future therapy, but a lot of the diseases you are hoping to treat with cord blood won’t happen in that population for years or even decades,” the paper quoted Associate Professor Kirkland as saying.

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Scientists, including one of an Indian origin, have found that diabetic patients with ovarian cancer who took the drug metformin for their diabetes had a better survival rate than patients who did not take it.

The findings may play an important role for researchers as they study the use of existing medications to treat different or new diseases.

Metformin is a widely prescribed drug to treat diabetes, and previous research by others has shown its promise for other cancers. The Mayo-led study adds ovarian cancer to the list.

A study headed by Mayo Clinic compared the survival of 61 patients with ovarian cancer taking metformin and 178 patients who were not taking metformin. Sixty-seven percent of the patients who took metformin were surviving after five years, compared with 47 percent of those who did not take the medication.

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An international team of genetics researchers has discovered four new gene regions that contribute to low birth weight – three of those regions influence adult metabolism, and appear to affect longer-term outcomes such as adult height, risk of type 2 diabetes and adult blood pressure.

“This large study adds to the evidence that genes have a strong influence on fetal growth,” said one of the co-authors, Struan F.A. Grant, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“The cumulative effect of the genes is surprisingly strong; it’s equivalent to the effect of maternal smoking, which is already recognized as lowering a baby’s weight at birth. We already know that a low birth weight increases the risk of health problems in adult life,” he noted.

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Dr Gowthaman, Medical Director, Dr Gowthaman’s Ayurveda Panchakarma Center, Chennai, answers readers’ questions on Ayurveda. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Tuesday.

This week’s answers:

1. hello sir, i am 31 yrs old n i have a problem of insomia.i m not able to sleep whole nite, i am taking a alopathy medicine,but still the problem is smae, my BP is normal n i have also thyroid problem but its normal now.i m also taking the medicine like folic acid and iron tablets.pls suggest me ayurvedic medicine for what to do to overcome from sleepness.i want to cre completely as its very irretating not able to sleep.thanks
seema prajapati

Hi Seema,
Sleep is a natural phenomenon of giving adequate rest to the body and mind. When this natural phenomenon is disturbed it leads to sleep disorders. Causes for insomnia are an irregular sleep-wake schedule, physical disorders, anxiety, and stress etc.

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As opposed to the common belief that a glass or two of wine is good since its antioxidants work to protect the heart as the alcohol hits the head, researchers have found that drinking has no protective effect if you are carrying a bit of extra weight.

According to obesity expert from London, Tim Lobstein, previous findings that small amounts of alcohol lowered heart disease risk were taken from surveys more than 40-years-old.

Studies have indicated that alcohol may raise levels of good cholesterol and be beneficial to blood vessels, while antioxidants in wine are thought to protect arteries.

‘‘But we were concerned that the findings may not apply to our modern, fatter population,’’ the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lobstein from Curtin University’s Public Health Advocacy Institute in Perth as saying.

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Orthopaedics expert, Dr VV Prasad answers readers’ questions on bone health. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Monday.

This week’s answers:

Q. I am suffering from kneepain after excessive climbing stairs regularly. I am
taking Rewalk containing glocosamine by quantity is not mentioned. Can I use
kneecaps for walking and clmbing stairs?
Biplab Kumar Biswas

A. yes you can use knee cap. Its better if you learn knee strengthening exercises and do them regularly. try to avoid staircase climbing if that causes knee pain.

Send in your questions on orthopaedics to bawarchieditor@sify.com now! And don’t forget to include `Orthopaedics FAQ` in the subject line.