e-SQUARE, March 2022

Features

Painless Allergy Test !

Sleep Disturbance !

Cancer Risk !

Dementia Survival !

Predicting Dengue Virus !

Detects Harmful Bacteria !

Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

EDITORIAL TEAM

OMAR AKRAMUR RAB

MBBS, FCGP, FIAGP,

P G Dip. Business Management

MAHFUZUR RAHMAN

MBBS, MBA

Rubyeat Adnan

MBBS, MPH

EDITORIAL

Dear Doctor:

Welcome to this edition of "e- SQUARE" !

Hope you are enjoying this online healthcare bulletin !

This issue features a variety of articles including-

"Painless Allergy Test !", "Sleep Disturbance !", "Cancer Risk !", "Dementia Survival !", "Predicting Dengue Virus !", "Detects Harmful Bacteria !".

In our regular feature, we have some products information of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd. as well.

We welcome your feedback regarding "e-SQUARE" !

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Click on to reply mode.

Yours sincerely,

Editorial Team

Reply Mode : e-square@squaregroup.com

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of its editor or SQUARE PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.

Painless Allergy Test !
A novel painless and reliable allergy test
Although allergies are widespread, their diagnosis is complex and, depending on the type of allergy, the prospects of success with therapy are not always clear. Skin tests so far have been unpleasant, time-consuming and associated with a certain risk of triggering an allergic overreaction. Researchers have now developed a novel test that massively simplifies the diagnosis of allergies and can reliably predict the success of a therapy. Allergies are treated with symptom control, in severe cases also with immunotherapy. For their novel allergy test, the researchers have developed a new in vitro cell culture which, with the help of a few molecular biological techniques, can generate almost any desired number of mature mast cells and this within a few days. These mast cells contain IgE receptors on their surface and behave very similarly to mast cells in the human body when they are exposed to IgE and allergens. In the test, these mast cells are brought into contact with blood serum from allergic individuals thereby binding the IgE antibodies from the serum to the cells and then stimulated with the allergens to be tested. At this point, the activation of the cells can be quantified very easily and quickly using so-called flow cytometry. In order to be able to perform a large number of tests, the researchers have developed a high-throughput approach in which up to 36 conditions can be measured in a single test tube. This makes possible the testing of either multiple allergens with one blood serum or multiple sera together for the same. This would be an important aid in the decision-making process for the allergologist treating the patient, whether it makes sense to continue the therapy or not.
SOURCE: Science Daily News, March 2022	Return to top

Sleep Disturbance !
Lack of sleep increases unhealthy abdominal fat
Findings from a randomized controlled crossover study at Mayo Clinic, show that lack of sufficient sleep led to a 9% increase in total abdominal fat area and an 11% increase in abdominal visceral fat, compared to control sleep. Visceral fat is deposited deep inside the abdomen around internal organs and is strongly linked to cardiac and metabolic diseases. Lack of sufficient sleep is often a behavior choice, and this choice has become increasingly pervasive. More than one-third of adults in the U.S. routinely do not get enough sleep, in part due to shift work, and smart devices and social networks being used during traditional sleep times. Also, people tend to eat more during longer waking hours without increasing physical activity. The researcher added that normally, fat is preferentially deposited subcutaneously or under the skin. However, the inadequate sleep appears to redirect fat to the more dangerous visceral compartment. Importantly, although during recovery sleep there was a decrease in calorie intake and weight, visceral fat continued to increase. This suggests that inadequate sleep is a previously unrecognized trigger for visceral fat deposition, and that catch-up sleep, at least in the short term, does not reverse the visceral fat accumulation. In the long term, these findings implicate inadequate sleep as a contributor to the epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, March 2022	Return to top

Cancer Risk !
Artificial sweeteners linked to higher cancer risk
"Sugar-free" might sound healthy, but a new study hints that people who consume a lot of artificial sweeteners may face a slightly higher cancer risk. Experts stressed that the findings do not prove sugar substitutes are the culprit. But they said it is wise for people to limit not only added sugars, but also the processed foods that carry sugar-free boasts. The study, of more than 100,000 French adults, found that the roughly one-fifth with the highest intake of artificial sweeteners were 13% more likely than non-consumers to be diagnosed with cancer. The risks were specifically seen with cancers where obesity is thought to play a role — including breast, colon and ovarian cancers. Over the years, lab research has suggested that artificial sweeteners are capable of promoting cancer possibly by feeding chronic inflammation in the body, contributing to DNA damage, or affecting the composition of bacteria in the gut. Meanwhile, some studies have found relatively higher cancer risks among people who regularly consume diet drinks. The new study appears to be the first to quantify people's intakes of various artificial sweeteners (not just diet drinks) and look at the relationship to cancer risk, according to the French researchers.
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, March 2022	Return to top

Dementia Survival !
Lithium may decrease risk of developing dementia
Researchers have identified a link suggesting that lithium could decrease the risk of developing dementia. The researcher analysis suggested that patients who received lithium were less likely to develop dementia than those who did not, although the overall number of patients who received lithium was small. Their findings, support the possibility that lithium could be a preventative treatment for dementia, and could be progressed to large randomized controlled trials. Previous studies have proposed lithium as a potential treatment for those who have already been diagnosed with dementia or early cognitive impairment, but it is unclear whether it can delay or even prevent the development of dementia altogether, as these studies have been limited in size. After controlling for factors such as smoking, other medications, and other physical and mental illnesses, lithium use was associated with a lower risk of dementia, both for short and long-term users. However, since the overall number of patients receiving lithium was small and this was an observational study, larger clinical trials would be needed to establish lithium as a potential treatment for dementia. This paper supports others which have suggested lithium might be helpful in dementia. Further experimental medicine and clinical studies are now needed to see if lithium really is helpful in these conditions.
SOURCE: Science Daily News, March 2022	Return to top

Predicting Dengue Virus !
New tool to predict the global spread of dengue
Researchers developed a new tool to predict the global spread of human infectious diseases, like dengue, and track them to their source. The tool draws on travel data from the International Air Transportation Association and dengue incidence rates from the Global Health Data Exchange to derive new insights about the spreading dynamics of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease. According to the World Health Organization, around half the world's population is at risk of contracting dengue. By understanding the travel behavior of infected individuals, researcher can estimate the number of infections that are imported into different countries each month. The tool also determines the infections' country of origin and is able to uncover the routes along which dengue is most likely spread. In non-endemic countries such as Australia, local outbreaks are triggered by individuals who acquire the disease overseas and transmit the virus to local mosquitoes. Researcher said that in many locations, infected individuals are not diagnosed, and dengue can be under-reported to health authorities, making it challenging to monitor risk and prevent the spread of infection. This tool is one of the first to be able to forecast the absolute number of dengue importations, rather than the relative risk, at a global level. It can also help authorities to identify those locations where new dengue outbreaks may occur, following the arrival of infected passengers. The tool can be applied to other vector-borne diseases of global concern such as malaria, Zika and chikungunya. It expands on previous work, which modelled how dengue infections from overseas might spread in Australia. The research is part of the Disease Networks and Mobility (DiNeMo) project aimed at developing a real-time alert and surveillance system for human infectious diseases.
SOURCE: Science Daily News, March 2022	Return to top

Detects Harmful Bacteria !
New device quickly detects harmful bacteria in blood
Engineers have created a tiny device that can rapidly detect harmful bacteria in blood, allowing health care professionals to pinpoint the cause of potentially deadly infections and fight them with drugs. Researcher said the rapid identification of drug-resistant bacteria allows health care providers to prescribe the right drugs, boosting the chances of survival. Drug-resistant bacteria, or super-bugs, are a major public health concern. Globally, at least 700,000 people die each year as a result of drug-resistant infections, including 230,000 deaths from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. That number could soar to 10 million deaths a year by 2050 if no action is taken, according to a 2019 report. Based on a new approach, the tiny new device rapidly isolates, retrieves and concentrates target bacteria from bodily fluids. It efficiently filters particles and bacteria, capturing about 86 percent of them. The nano-device has magnetic beads of different sizes that are designed to trap, concentrate and retrieve Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The small spaces between the beads are used to isolate bacteria in the device. The inexpensive, transparent device is easy to fabricate and operate, making it ideal for detecting disease-causing organisms in laboratory and health care settings, according to the study. The research team is working to perfect the device and plans to add multiple devices onto a small chip and explore scaling up testing in the field.
SOURCE: Science Daily News, March 2022	Return to top

Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

	Product	Dulamet ^TM
	Generic Name	Mometasone & Formoterol
	Strength	Mometasone 100 mcg + Formoterol 5 mcg/puff Mometasone 200 mcg + Formoterol 5 mcg/puff
	Dosage form	Metered Dose Inhaler
	Therapeutic Category	Inhaled corticosteroid + Beta-2 agonist
	Product	Vertina-DX^TM
	Generic Name	Doxylamine Succinate + Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
	Strength	20 mg + 20 mg
	Dosage form	Extended Release Tablet
	Therapeutic Category	Antiemetic + Antinauseant
	Product	Darboren^TM
	Generic Name	Darbepoetin alfa
	Strength	25 mcg/0.42 ml, 40 mcg/0.40 ml & 60 mcg/0.30 ml
	Dosage form	Pre-filled Syringe (IV/Subcutaneous Injection)
	Therapeutic Category	Erythropoietin Products

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Healthcare online	Keeping you up-to-date
*VOL. 20 ISSUE: 3 March 2022*	Medical Services Department **SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.**