Now, painless vaccination minus needles

London: In what would be a real boon for India, scientists have found a way to vaccinate without using an injection. 

    Scientists at King's College London have for the first time demonstrated the ability to deliver a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle, and shown that this technique is powerful enough to enable specialized immune cells in the skin to kickstart the immunizing properties of the vaccine. 
    This technical advance, they say offers a potential solution to the challenges of delivering live vaccines in resource-limited countries globally, including India, without the need for refrigeration. A cheaper alternative to hypodermic needles, it would also remove safety risks from needle contamination and the pain-free administration could lead to more people taking up a vaccination. 
    Dr Linda Klavinskis from King's College said "We have shown that it is possible to maintain the effectiveness of a live vaccine by drying it in sugar and applying it to the skin using microneedles — a potentially painless alternative to hypodermic needles. We have also uncovered the role of specific cells in the skin which act as a surveillance system, picking up the vaccine by this delivery system and kick-starting body's immune processes." 
    The new discovery involves a silicone mould to create a microneedle array — a tiny disc with several micro-needles made of sugar which dissolve when inserted into the skin. 
    The team formulated a dried version of a live modified adenovirus-based candidate HIV vaccine in sugar (sucrose) and used the mould to create the microneedle array. They found that the dried live vaccine remained stable and effective at room temperature.

Sunlight cuts diabetes risk by 50%: Study

London: Are you getting enough sunlight? Scientists have now found that Vitamin D deficiency — a common phenomenon among Indians — increase risk of type 1 diabetes. According to a study at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), having adequate levels of vitamin D during young adulthood may reduce the risk of adult-onset type 1 diabetes by 50%. 

    The findings, if confirmed, could lead to a role for vitamin D supplementation in preventing this disease in adults. 
    The study provides the strongest findings yet to suggest that vitamin D may protect against type 1 diabetes. 
    Lead author Kassandra Munger from HSPH said, "A blood test by a doctor measuring the vitamin D levels provides the most accurate assessment. However individuals who avoid direct sun exposure, who wear much clothing to protect themselves from the sun, have a diet low in fatty fish, or have darkly-pigmented skin are more likely to have low vitamin D levels."

Give your health a boost with grapefruit

    Known for its sour taste, grapefruit is packed with Vitamin C. Here are some benefits... It is high in enzymes, which burn fats and is low in sodium. It also has a high water content. These things make grapefruit an ideal fruit for increasing metabolism and a great option for those trying to lose weight. 

    Grapefruit contains salicylic acid known to break down your body's inorganic calcium that builds up in the cartilage of your joints. So, if you suffer from arthritis, drink grapefruit juice for relief. Salicylic acid works as an antiseptic as well. If you have a bacterial or fungal infection, add grapefruit seed extracts to water to make an antiseptic spray. 
    Having grapefruit is known to treat common cold and fever, dissolve gallstones, boost liver function and enhance immunity.