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A multidisciplinary team made up of doctors and scientists from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar) and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has led a study, recently published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, that proposes a therapeutic approach for preventing the development of resistance to chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, one of the standard treatments for colon and rectal cancer. The work, which also involved doctors from the Pathological Anatomy and Medical Oncology departments at Hospital del Mar, as well as researchers from the University of Oviedo and the CIBER on Cancer (CIBERONC), is another step toward personalizing the therapeutic approach to cancer.

A paper published in the American Journal of Human Genetics proposes ATRIP gene variants as a breast cancer susceptibility gene candidate based on a study of women without any of the known breast cancer-associated gene variants.

A novel drug is showing promise for alleviating heart failure, a common condition associated with sleep apnea and a reduced lifespan. The drug, known as AF-130, was tested in an animal model at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland where researchers found it improved the heart’s ability to pump, but, equally important, prevented sleep apnea, which itself reduces lifespan. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Tobacco control initiatives should consider focusing on dispelling false beliefs, such as smoking elevates moods, reduces stress and provides comfort, a new study has found.

That first sneeze and sniffle prompts you to reach for a tissue. The second and third—perhaps fourth and fifth—may send you to the medicine chest for relief. But, is it a cold? Or is it a spring allergy?

Scientists have long known that the complement cascade, a set of immune system proteins, protects against infection in the body. But in recent years, researchers have uncovered new roles for the system in the brain, including helping to whittle down connections between brain cells, or synapses, to help shape the nervous system early in life. They’ve also found that the pathway can become dysregulated in the adult brain, leading to cell damage and cell death seen in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. But researchers didn’t know how exactly that happens.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has transformed cancer treatment, yet relatively few studies have investigated the impact of the therapy on longitudinal patient quality of life—an aspect of care that often suffers from receiving traditional intensive cancer medications, such as chemotherapy. A new study published in Blood Advances demonstrates that some effective cancer treatments do improve quality of life, revealing that patients with blood cancers experienced a significant improvement in their reported well-being six months after receiving CAR T-cell therapy.

By NATION REPORTER

FINANCE Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane says Zambia’s economic growth for the year 2023, has been projected at 5.4 percent based on improvements in the macroeconomic environment resulting from the country’s admission to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility.

Delivering a ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday, Dr Musokotwane said a recovery in input prices and implementation of a much more efficient input support program in the agricultural sector, including investments in the mining and manufacturing sectors, are expected to drive the country’s 5.4 percent targeted growth.

Dr Musokotwane however says, the risks to the projected growth included the negative impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on commodity supply chains especially in the energy and agriculture sectors.

And Dr Musokotwane says, as at January 31, 2023, income tax collections had amounted to K4.9 billion against a target of K6.2 billion in the previous year. Dr Musokotwane has attributed the underperformance to lower than anticipated tax declarations by the mining companies.

By NATION REPORTER

MUTOTWE Kafwaya has advised that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and Police have should objectively fight corruption without being used as tools of persecution.

Mr Kafwaya, the Lunte Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament says the general citizenry would only support the crusade against corruption if the ACC, DEC, FIC and the police could prove that they were not being used as tools persecution, retribution, vengeance and settling of political scores.

Mr Kafwaya, the PF presidential candidate said the fight against corruption was guided by law and establishments and that the law enforcement agencies should endeavor to strictly abide by the rule of law in their course of duty.

He said the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) should never at any point be the one to pursue corruption suspects as his mandate was to prosecute and not to witch-hunt.

“The place of the DPP is to wait for cases to come from law enforcement agencies and assess their merit for prosecution and proceed accordingly. His place has got nothing to do with going for anyone involved in corruption.”

He said the former DPP, Mrs Lillian Shawa Siyuni was vilified when she asked the DEC to stop meddling in her work and that it was his expectation that the new DPP was not going to manage prosecution through persecution.

“The 2023 budget which was passed for office of the DPP has no provision for going after anyone involved in corruption. I think the law also does not provide for the DPP to be going round looking for anyone involved in corruption,” Mr Kafwaya said.

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has said having free, fair and transparent elections is a foundation of democracy in any country.

Mr. Hichilema said a country could never be truly democratic without having interval selection of leaders in a free, fair and transparent manner.

He said this when a he chaired the plenary discussion on democracy delivering strong institutions at the ongoing Summit for Democracy.

Mr Hichilema said free access to the media by all political players, respect if the rule of law and having and level playing field for all political parties taking part in an election is critical in strengthening democracy.

“The major question that we need to answer here, do countries need strong institutions or do they need strong leaders to enhance democracy,” he said.

He said countries have made progress in their democratic dispensation however there were still detrimental actions that may affect the dispensation of democracy.

Mr Hichilema said Zambia is a symbol democracy because he was the Seventh president and from all the Seven four of those have come from different political parties with peaceful transitions in all the four.

And speaking on another plenary, Prime minister of India Narendra modi said democracy is not just about the structure but it is spiritual because show that each and every person in the world is equally important.

 Mr Modi allowing the freedoms of people encourages development that was why today India was the fastest growing economy because the people were free to participate in business.

He said democracy can deliver that is why democratic countries thrive in most sector of life.