年度十大医学突破

 

 

Sent to you by arnold via Google Reader:

 

 

年度十大医学突破

via 国外医疗资讯 by slimdell on 12/25/07

原文作者：Catherine Guthrie
原文链接：Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs
译者：slimdell

时代杂志上的年度十大医学突破，不知道为什么原文经常打不开。。。拖到今天才翻译

#1. Circumcision Can Prevent HIV

In December 2006, the National Institutes of Health halted two clinical trials of male circumcision after an early review of the data showed that the procedure dramatically reduced transmission of HIV. Early this year, the details of those studies were published in the Lancet: In the two randomized trials, which included 7,780 HIV-negative men in Rakai, Uganda, and Kisumu, Kenya, researchers found that medically circumcised men were at least 51% less likely than uncircumcised men to acquire HIV during sex with women. The editors of the Lancet called the discovery "a new era for HIV prevention." Scientists don't know yet whether male circumcision can also provide protection for female partners — a new study on the hypothesis is forthcoming next year.

1.包皮环切术能够预防HIV

2006年12月，国立卫生研究院的暂停了两个关于男性包皮环切术的临床试验，在早期的数据观察分析表明此项手术显著性的降低了HIV的传播。当年早些时候，这些试验的详细情况发表于柳叶刀杂志上：在乌干达的Rakai和肯尼亚的Kisumu进行的有7780名HIV阴性男性参与的两个随机分组试验中，研究者们发现接受过包皮环切术的男性比那些没有接受过手术的男性在与女性性行为中感染HIV的可能性要减少51%。柳叶刀的编辑们称这项发现为"HIV预防的新纪元"。科学家们还没有发现男性包皮环切是否也能为他们的女性伴侣带来（HIV）保护-基于这项假设的新试验将在接下来的一年里进行。

#2. Test for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Surgeons now have a faster way to assess whether breast cancer has spread, thanks to the FDA's approval of the first molecular test to detect metastatic breast cancer. During the patient's lumpectomy or mastectomy, surgeons traditionally examine the lymph node closest to the breast — the sentinel node — for signs of metastases. If the tissue is examined immediately and tumor cells are discovered, additional lymph nodes are taken out — but, usually, further and more extensive microscopic testing is required to confirm that cancer has spread. Problem is the lab results take up to two days to come back, which leaves women in limbo before possibly facing a second surgery. But with the new test, called GeneSearch BLN Assay, doctors can accurately test the sentinel node for metastases during the initial surgery by measuring molecular markers of breast cancer that are abundant in cancerous breast tissue but normally scarce in lymph nodes. If the test shows the presence of cancer, the physician can remove affected lymph nodes immediately, sparing women the wait and possible follow-up surgery.

2.乳腺癌转移的检测

正是归功于FDA批准了第一个分子生物学检测用来发现乳腺癌转移，外科医生们现在能够更快的判定乳腺癌是否已经转移。在患者的乳房肿瘤切除术或者乳房切除术时，医生通常通过检查离乳房最近的淋巴结-前哨淋巴结来发现是否转移的征兆。如果组织能够被立即检查而发现了肿瘤细胞，这些淋巴结也要被切除-但通常，还需要更广泛的显微镜试验来确认肿瘤已经转移。而问题在于得到实验室数据需要两天，这将使得患者处在可能面临第二次手术的炼狱中。有了新的名为GeneSearch BLN Assay检测方法以后，医生能在初次手术中准确的通过检测前哨淋巴结中乳腺癌的分子标记物（在乳腺癌组织里含量高而正常淋巴结中罕见）来判断是否由转移。如果检测提示有肿瘤组织，医生能马上切除感染的淋巴结，而不是让患者继续等待可能的后续手术。

#3. First Human Vaccine Against Bird Flu

In 2007 the threat of a pandemic avian flu got a teensy bit less scary. The deadly disease has killed 207 people worldwide and infected 336 since 2003. While only a small number of those cases were traced to human-to-human transmission, public health officials fear it's only a matter of time before the virus mutates into a more easily transmitted form and sparks a global outbreak. Hoping to ward off that worst-case scenario, this year the FDA approved the first human vaccine against the bird flu. Created from a human strain of the virus, the vaccine is given in two intramuscular shots. But don't bug your doctor for it. The vaccine isn't sold commercially. Instead, the federal government is stockpiling the stuff in case of a national outbreak.

3.第一个人用禽流感疫苗

2007年对于大范围流行禽流感的威胁已经可以不用那么恐慌了。这种致命疾病世界范围内从2003年来感染了336人并带走了207人的生命。尽管这些病例中只有少数是人传人的传播，公共卫生的官员们还是担心病毒变异成为更容易传播的变种并导致全球大流行只是一个时间问题。期望避免那种可怕的情况出现，FDA今年批准了第一个人用禽流感疫苗。由（禽流感）病毒的人类亚型所制的疫苗是两剂肌肉注射。但是不要麻烦你的医生去要求注射这个。疫苗并没有市售，联邦政府库存了这些材料用于防止大范围的爆发。

#4. Help for Dieters: Alli

Need help shedding those extra holiday pounds? Overweight adults now have an extra weapon against fat: Alli, the first FDA-approved weight-loss drug sold over the counter. Alli (a.k.a. orlistat) works by monkeying with lipase, an enzyme the body uses to break down and digest the fat in food. A dose of Alli (pronounced like ally) on the heels of a meal blocks the body's ability to absorb fat by 30%. But Alli's maker, GlaxoSmithKline, insists the drug isn't a magic bullet and recommends that it be used only in conjunction with a healthy low-fat diet and plenty of exercise. Another reason to practice a little restraint? Sticking to a low-fat diet helps reduce Alli's common and unpleasant side effects — cramps, gas, diarrhea and oily discharge.

4. 节食者的福音：Alli

需要帮助来去除那些假期增加出来的体重？超重的人们现在有了对付脂肪的武器：Alli，第一个FDA批准的非处方减肥药。Alli (a.k.a.奥利司他)通过干扰脂肪酶（机体用于分解和消化食物中的脂肪的酶）来起到减肥的效果。饭后一剂Alli（听起来就像ally）可以降低机体吸收脂肪的能力达30%。但Alli的制造商，葛兰素史克坚持说本药并非魔术子弹，建议配合健康饮食和适量运动使用。另外一个原因是因为应用有一点小小的约束？坚持低脂饮食有助于减轻Alli常见的令人不适的副作用-经痛，胀气，腹泻和排出油性物。

#5. New Diabetes Genes

Having a parent with type 2 diabetes ups your odds of developing the disease, but why do some sibs get it and others don't? The answer lies somewhere in your genetic code, and this year brought scientific sleuths closer to cracking it. Research teams from the United States and Finland uncovered four new genetic variants linked to an increased risk of diabetes, which afflicts about 170 million people worldwide. Combined with the six variants scientists had discovered previously, it brings the total to 10. Eventually, these discoveries will aid experts in pinpointing those at greatest risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

5.新的糖尿病基因

同样有一个患有2型糖尿病的父母，但为什么有些家庭成员患病而另外一些没有呢？答案在于你的遗传密码，本年度科学侦探们离揭开谜底更近一步了。来自美国和芬兰的研究团队发现了4个与糖尿病发病因素有关的新基因变异，这疾病困扰了全球的1亿7千万人。与以前发现的6个基因变异一起，使得总数达到10个。最终，这些发现会有助于专家们查明2型糖尿病发病的主要因素。

#6. No More Periods

Women wanting to dodge the nuisance of their monthly menses can now turn to Lybrel, the first continuous use birth control drug approved by the FDA. Made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the new contraceptive is similar to the conventional Pill — minus the placebos. Typically, a month's worth of birth control pills includes four to seven days of placebo pills, which trigger menstruation. With Lybrel, the dummy pills are replaced with daily doses of hormones, eliminating menstruation altogether. The downside? Most women will have some spotting and breakthrough bleeding, especially during the first year of use.

6.再也不要月经周期的烦恼

希望避开每月的麻烦事的女性现在可以求助于Lybrel了，这是FDA批准的第一个不间断使用的避孕药。惠氏制药出品的这个新型避孕药和以往的避孕药类似，只是去除了那些安慰剂。通常，一个月含量的避孕药中包括4到7天的用于引发月经的安慰剂药丸。在Lybrel里，用每日剂量的荷尔蒙替代了这些模拟药丸，从而一起消除月经。不利之处在于？大多数使用者特别是在第一年使用时会有少许的点状出血和不规则出血。

#7. Relief from Fibromyalgia: Lyrica

People who suffer from the chronic fatigue, muscle pain, and stiffness of fibromyalgia finally have a drug to call their own. This year the FDA approved the antiseizure drug Lyrica (pregabalin), made by Pfizer, as a treatment for fibromyalgia. The news was a long time coming for the 3 to 6 million Americans, most of them women, who suffer from the frustratingly elusive and complex condition; the pain of fibromyalgia is unique and, therefore, unresponsive to conventional painkillers. In studies, Lyrica not only soothed the aches of fibromyalgia but also significantly improved patients' quality of life. Lyrica already had the FDA's okay as a treatment for epilepsy, discomfort from shingles, and neuropathy, or nerve pain, often caused by diabetes.

7.去除纤维肌痛：Lyrica

那些饱受纤维肌痛的慢性疲劳，肌肉痛和肌肉僵硬困扰的人们最终有了救星了。FDA今年批准了辉瑞出品的抗癫痫药Lyrica (pregabalin)用于纤维肌痛的治疗。这对于多达3-6百万饱受难以描述的复杂症状挫折的美国人（大多数是女性）是个好消息；纤维肌痛的疼痛是很特殊的，因此常用的止痛药是作用无效的。在试验研究中，Lyrica不仅仅减轻了纤维肌痛的疼痛，而且明显改善了患者的生活质量。Lyrica还已经获得过FDA对于治疗癫痫，带状疱疹的不适和通常由糖尿病引起的神经炎或神经痛的认可。

#8. Early-Stage Test for Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in America and is responsible for more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast, and prostate). One reason lung cancer is so deadly is that by the time tumors are diagnosed, usually as a result of physical symptoms like coughing up blood, the cancer is often advanced and tough to treat. But a new blood test may improve the odds of catching the disease earlier, at a more curable stage. Called LC Detect, the test measures blood levels of a protein present in all stages of lung cancer, but rarely seen in healthy people. While the test alone can't confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer, it can be used in conjunction with chest X-rays, CT scans, and other imaging technology to hone in on early-stage tumors

8．肺癌的早期检测

肺癌在美国是最大的肿瘤致死因素，比其它三个最常见肿瘤（结肠癌，乳腺癌和前列腺癌）加在一起引起的死亡还多。肺癌是如此的致命原因之一在于肿瘤被诊断时常常是因为出现了诸于咯血的体征，这时肿瘤通常已经进展并难以治愈。但新的血液学检查可能有助于在可治愈阶段更早发现疾病。名为LC Detect的检测方法检查一种在各期肺癌中出现但健康人罕见的蛋白在血液中的水平。仅靠检测不能够诊断肺癌，与胸片，CT扫描和其它影像学技术合用可以用于发现早期肿瘤。

#9. New Source of Stem Cells

This was a banner year for stem-cell research. But one advancement that may not have had its due was the discovery of stem cells in amniotic fluid. Researchers believe that amniotic fluid–derived stem cells, AFS for short, have the potential to give rise to many, but perhaps not all, of the 220 specialized cell types found in the human body — placing the potential usefulness of AFS cells somewhere between embryonic and adult stem cells. Best of all, AFS cells are easy to come by. They're bountiful in fluid specimens left over from amniocentesis, a common prenatal procedure that extracts amniotic fluid to test for genetic disorders; another ready source of AFS cells may be "afterbirth," the tissue new mothers lose after childbirth. Considering that four million babies are born in the United States each year, AFS cells are sure to draw much future research.

9.干细胞的新来源

对于干细胞研究这是很好的一年。但对于羊水中干细胞的新发现可能还没有物尽其用。研究者们相信羊水中得到的干细胞（缩写为AFS）有可能可以培养出大多数（也许并非所有）人体内220种分化细胞类型中-AFS干细胞的潜在应用可能介于胚胎干细胞和成体干细胞之间。最好的地方在于AFS干细胞容易得到。在常规的产前检查羊膜穿刺术（抽取羊水用于检测遗传异常）中的羊水样本里可以得到很多；另外一个AFS干细胞的来源是产妇产下幼儿失去的组织。考虑到每年美国有4百万新生儿出生，AFS干细胞肯定是大有研究前途的。

#10. Benefits of Vitamin D

Researchers have long known that the "sunshine vitamin" boosts bone strength by encouraging the body to absorb calcium. But a slew of new studies published in 2007 suggests that the vitamin has a lot of other benefits: Diets high in D may ward off diabetes, gum disease and multiple sclerosis — and maybe even cancer. Though some findings linking vitamin D and cancer showed questionable benefit, the news on colon cancer was promising. In one large trial, men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and women in the Nurses' Health Study with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were half as likely to develop colon cancer as their peers with less circulating vitamin D. To squeeze the most value out of vitamin D, aim for taking a supplement with 1,000 IU daily.

10.维生素D的益处

研究者们很早就知道"阳光维生素"通过促进机体吸收钙来促进骨骼力度。但2007年发表的大量新研究表明这种维生素还有很多其它益处：摄入大量维生素D可以预防糖尿病，牙龈疾病和多发性硬化-甚至可能包括癌症。尽管有些维生素D与肿瘤之间的研究结果表明有不确定的益处，对于结肠癌来说这是有希望的。在一个大型试验中，健康专业人员追踪研究中的男性和护士健康研究中的女性，血液中维生素D水平最高的比起他们那些维生素D低的同事们发生结肠癌的危险性降低一半。为了发挥维生素D的最大效果，建议每天额外服用1000国际单位的补充剂。

 

添加评论

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to 国外医疗资讯 using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites