MEDICAL BEAT May 9, 2014
1
l
April-
June 2014
Issue 1
Also in this issue:
The Science Behind Tomorrow’s Medicine
July 2014, Issue 3
MALNUTRITION DRIVES AWAY GOOD GUT BACTERIA
The lasting damage from childhood malnutrition begins with the gut flora-
Insights from a study in Bangladesh pg. 15
Issue 1
Hope for the Blind: Lab-Grown
Retinas Can Detect Light
New technique to grow light-sensitive retinas
from human reprogrammed cells pg. 5
CATCHING THE HACKERS
BEHIND CANCER
METASTASIS
New approach to stop cancer’s
invasion into the bloodstream
Page 10
Meningococcal Meningitis-
Good Bacteria Turned Nasty
New insights on how good bacteria cause
Meningococcal Meningitis pg. 21
The Medical Beat, July 2014, Issue 3
2
About the Cover
A mother and child on a raft in the aftermath of a typical monsoon flood in
Bangladesh. The recurrent floods in Bangladesh, and their severe impact on the
country’s economy, are the reason why over 41% of children are severely
malnourished. Although immediate food interventions can help save lives,
childhood malnutrition can continue to cause lingering health problems including
stunted growth, immune defects and other problems. In a recent study published
in Nature, Dr. Jeffrey Gordon show that these lingering health problems begin
with the damaging effects of malnutrition on the children’s gut bacteria-
something that could be potentially repaired with new probiotic supplements.
Image Credit: Balaram Mahalder CC-BY-SA-3.0
The Medical Beat, July 2014, Issue 3
3
EDITORIAL Executive Editor- Jennifer WJ Wong (PhD)
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Jennifer received her PhD in Neuroscience in 2010 at the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. While working on her postdoctoral fellowship at
the Brain Research Centre (UBC), Jennifer began her career as a scientific writer
by starting her online blog on Science2.0, and has since published in Science
Magazine and the Lancet Oncology. She later joined the Nature Publishing Group
in London (UK) as a temporary scientific editor. Today, Jennifer is the executive
editor of her newly launched magazine The Medical Beat.
SUBSCRIPTION & ADVERTISING
To subscribe: Download the free The Medical Beat app (for both iOS and Android systems).
http://www.presspadapp.com/digital-magazine/the-medical-beat Find it at
For advertising inquiries: Contact [email protected]
THE MEDICAL BEAT The Medical Beat www.themedicalbeat.weebly.com
Contact: [email protected]
Twitter: @themedicalbeat
PUBLISHING PressPadApp www.presspadapp.com
Presspad Ltd. 5 London Road, SW17 9JR London
The Medical Beat, July 2014, Issue 3
4
CONTENTS July 2014, Issue 3
9
11
13
COVER STORY
Malnutrition Drives Away
Good Gut Bacteria
The Lasting Damage from
Childhood Malnutrition
Begins with the Gut Flora
Meningococcal
Meningitis- Good
Bacteria Turned Nasty
New Clues to Explain
How Good Bacteria Can
Cause Meningococcal
Meningitis
SNAPSHOTS Lasers Stimulate Natural Tooth Repair MERS Virus Replicates by Hijacking Cell Membrane BOTOX- Nature’s Key Across the Intestinal Wall
EDITOR’S PICK
Lab-Grown Retinas Can
Detect Light
15
5
21
