The micrograph shows abundant (malignant) plasma cells with the occasional Mott cell, a plasma cell with an intracytoplasmic Russell bodies (an eosinophilic uniformly staining membrane bound body which contains immunoglobulin). Wikimedia Commons, Author: Nephron

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Alzheimer's Disease

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Aylin Hammann, PhD-student at the Institute of Sanitation Science in Greifswald, Germany, shows how to desinfect the hands properly.

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Fat Schorsch - advertisement for a german pub (1904)

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Leischmaniasis is transmitted by the sandfly, here seen biting a human finger.

A new study published in Science finds for the first time evidence of sexual reproduction in the protozoan parasites in the genus Leishmania, causing skin ulcers and potentially fatal disease, Leishmaniasis. The American scientists show that mating and subsequent genetic exchange occurs when the parasites are in the sand flies.

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The bed bug (Cimex lectularius) sucking blood from a human. Wikimedia Commons courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Bed bugs are small night-active insects in the family Cimicidae (order hemiptera). Different species are found in both temperate and tropical regions, where they feed by sucking blood from humans and other warm-blooded hosts. Bed bugs are flattened, brown and have a length of 4-5 mm. They are attracted to body heat and CO₂, and typically feed every 5-10 days, but they can survive for almost a year without feeding.

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Yum! Who can withstand a muffin? Too much wrong and too much sugar containing food is one of the main reasons for diabetes (photocase.com)

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Panic attacks are a common psychological disorder in western countries (courtesy: photocase.com)

The heart beats fast, the head is swimming and the the cold sweat of fear stands in the face: a panic attack occurs and you cannot control it. Around 3% of a population suffers from panic disorders making it often difficult to live a normal life for the patients concerned. Now a study of german medical doctors revealed that in 90% of the cases a certain behaviour therapy can cure the panic disorders which are characterized by regular panic attacs.

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HIV-Virus leaving the host cell (3-D-electron-tomographie photograph, courtesy: University hospital of Heidelberg, Germany)

  Scientists from Germany discovered an unknown mechanism in host cells of the AIDS-Virus. HIV affects cells of the immune system in humans. Viruses transform their hosts for their own purposes and reproduction. Finally they are released from the infected cell and start befalling other immune cells. But how is this achieved by the virus? The latest research results of german scientists from Heidelberg and Munich suggest an active role of the host cell itself!

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The Eastern Green Mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) has one of the most venomous bites. From Wikimedia Commons (Photo by user Danleo)

Snakes are limbless reptiles which can be found almost everywhere on the globe although the diversity is far greater in the tropics than everywhere else. Most snakes are poisonous and use the poison to paralyze prey, which typically include rodent, lizards and amphibians. However, the poison is also used for self-defence against larger predators and although only few species are dangerous to humans these often possess a significant threat to humans working in rural tropical settings.

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Melanom - skin cancer. RNA-Interference-Method a new hope for patients?

A new designer drug causes cell suicide in cancer cells of the black melanom. This interesting new research result was now published in "Nature Medicine". Scientists from the University of Bonn, Germany, used a newly developed method to knock out certain genes which cause cancer cell growth. They tested their medicine in mice. The team applied the RNA -Interference-Method for which two US-american scientists (Craig Mello and Andrew Fire) received the noble prize in 2006. The Nobel prize laureates discovered that small pieces of RNA, a form of genetic material, can switch on and off the activity of our genetic material, the DNA in cells.

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Vision loss by macular degeneration, still no cure available

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Treatment with the new drug leads to a decline in plaques in treated mice (Figure: Richard Dodel)

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Quick aide is essential when accidents happen. A traumatic shock can lead to death if not treated (courtesy: photocase.com)

Worlds leading shock researchers meet at the University of Witten/Herdecke from 28. June  - 2. Juli 2008. The meeting with some 800-1000 scientists from all over the world is conducted by the International Federation of Shock Societies (IFSS). At the same time the American Shock Society will meet there, for the first time holding the annual meeting outside the USA. Traumatic shocks caused by severe accidents are often underestimated and can lead to death.

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Loosing eyesight; a tragic fate hard to imagine, mostly avoidable (Courtesy: photocase.com)

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Womens sexuality is more complex than in men (Courtesy: photocase.com)

More than 20% of women report an inability to get frequently vaginal orgasms when having sex with their partner. Also men often believe that women are less able to have a sexually fullfilled lifes. Often it is indeed the case that in partnerships women suffer from female coital orgasmic infrequencies. The reasons can be quite diverse.

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Eyes are our most important sense organs. (Courtesy: Photocase)

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breast cancer often affects young women (Courtesy: photocase.com)

Breast cancer is still one of the most dangerous and deadly cancer types for women. It is a malignant tumor of the mammary glands of women. Around half a million women died in 2007 from breast cancer world wide according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In Germany with 25% it is among women the most frequent cancer type. But also men can sicken from breast cancer in rare cases.

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Animation of oxy and deoxy forms of hemoglobin (from: Molecule of the Month by www.pdb.org, Courtesy: US Federal Government )

A pulse oxymeter can measure if the blood of a patient is oxygen saturated or not, giving evidence about the content of oxygen in the carrier molecule hemoglobin in the red blood cells, the erythrocytes. This optical checking device tests the amount of infrared light, swallowed by oxygen loaded hemoglobin cells. The more oxygen the blood tested contains, the more infrared light can be detected. Hemoglobin loaded with carbon dioxide is absorbing most of the infrared light, telling the physician that he deals with deoxygenated blood of the veins which normally contain the blood returning from the body with low oxygen and high carbon dioxide which is transported by hemoglobin. The color of hemoglobin normally changes when unloading oxygen and uploading carbon dioxide.

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Scientists have developed algorithms that can diagnose Dengue Fever from body temperature and blood samples. Photo courtesy of Photocase.com.

The largest markets for medical drugs are found in the Western countries and therefore both private medical companies and public universities and funding bodies mainly pour money into the research of diseases found predominantly in Western countries, while equally dangerous and prevalent diseases from developing countries has been neglected. However, this is slowly changing with the arrival of medical journals dedicated to this field, such as the open-access PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. In the latest Issue, a research group comprising of scientists from the Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases and from various public institutions in Singapore and Vietnam has published a study on Dengue Fever.

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