A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Judges seek study with the 'X-factor'
EPILEPSY RESEARCHERS will take part in an X-factor-style competition in Dublin next Monday, where the prize is a €1,000 bursary from the voluntary organisation Epilepsy Research Ireland. The event is part of the Second National Epilepsy Research Conference, and members of the audience will get the chance to give their scores for each of six 10-minute presentations on research projects. See
info@epilepsyresearchireland.ie
CLAIRE O'CONNELL
Expert says psoriasis has strong links to depression
THE SKIN disease psoriasis tops all other chronic diseases in its links with depression, a world authority in the condition has said. Prof Alan Menter said there was now “very good evidence” that the links between psoriasis and depression are not just a reaction to the unsightly nature of the condition, but have a biological basis.
“There is a direct link between the nerves and the skin. Chemicals are excreted from the brain into the peripheral nerves and into the skin. It is very much related to the nervous system,” he said. Prof Menter, who is the founder of the International Psoriasis Council (IPC), will be the keynote speaker at a conference on psoriasis at UCD on Friday. Doctors have gained a greater understanding about how the disease, which is an autoimmune condition, is linked to conditions such as joint pain and obesity which leads to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
The condition, which is identified by patches of inflamed skin, affects 1-2 per cent of the population. Prof Menter said the treatment of psoriasis was “dramatically better” now with the advent of a number of biologic drugs which can treat the condition. The class of drugs known as TNF inhibitors include Adalimumab, Etanercept and Infliximab which are also available for other autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. There is a dedicated drug for psoriasis called Ustekinumab which he said was particularly effective against psoriasis. “In about 70 per cent of cases the patient is clear completely within three to four months of starting this treatment.”
RONAN McGREEVY
Cancer deaths in decline as prevalence increases
DECLINING RATES of smoking and better screening programmes mean mortality rates from cancer are declining even as the prevalence of the disease increases, a cancer specialist said last week. Prof Michael Moriarty, former medical director of St Luke’s Hospital in Rathgar, said the levels of cancer among Irish people were “alarming” but better screening programmes and treatment were making a significant difference. He said researchers were progressing to the stage where cancer would lose its status as a “life-threatening” illness and be similar to illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and rheumatic problems which can be managed.
Giving his inaugural lecture as adjunct professor attached to Dublin City University (DCU) last week, Prof Moriarty said the public should be encouraged by improvements in treatment in recent decades. Some 30,000 Irish people were diagnosed in Ireland with cancer in 2010, an increase of 12 per cent in 2004-2006 with the biggest contributory factor being the increase in the age of the population.
He put the decrease in mortality down to a reduction in smoking and improved breast and cervical cancer screening. He said the introduction of colorectal screening programme, when the financial situation improves, will also lead to a decrease in the mortality rates. In addition, major advances in surgery and radiation therapy are occurring and continue to impact on cancer care. Prof Moriarty will be involved with DCU’s National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology (NICB) which is looking at using molecular profiling to target patient’s specific cancer.
RONAN McGREEVY