| NEWS
news T
HE COSMETIC SURGERY industry is under scrutiny and could find itself operating under tighter restrictions following a major review into cosmetic surgery and procedures
launched by the Department of Health (UK). The review, requested by Health Secretary
Andrew Lansley and led by the NHS Medical Director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, is in response to concerns raised about the industry following problems with PIP breast implants. 'The recent problems with PIP breast implants
have shone a light on the cosmetic surgery industry,' said Professor Sir Bruce Keogh. 'Many questions have been raised, particularly around the regulation of clinics, whether all practitioners are adequately qualified, how well people are advised when money is changing hands, aggressive marketing techniques, and what protection is available when things go wrong.' The review will look at these issues and
whether the right amount of regulation is in place, if people have the right amount of information before going through with surgery,
and how to make sure patients get the right aftercare. People are being asked to give their views on,
and share their experiences of, the cosmetic surgery industry and cosmetic procedures. This comes as a survey shows that many
people consider the cost of surgery more important than the qualifications of the people doing it, or how they will be looked after. The survey of 1762 people shows that: ■ 67% of those questioned consider cost as a factor when deciding whether or not to
Scientists have found that Mother Nature uses DNA as a wire to detect the constantly occurring genetic damage and mistakes that — if left unrepaired — can result in disease, and underpin the physical and mental decline of ageing. DNA wires and their potential use in identifying people at risk for certain diseases was the focus of a plenary talk during the 244th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society. 'DNA is a very fragile and special wire," said Jacqueline K. Barton, PhD,
A round-up of news stories in the aesthetic and anti-ageing medicine industry
COSMETIC PROCEDURES UNDER REVIEW UK expert panel to look at the best ways in which to protect patients
have cosmetic surgery (66% for non- surgical procedures)
■ 54% (50% for non-surgical procedures) take the qualifications of their practitioner into consideration
■ 44% (36% for non-surgical procedures) consider the quality of their aftercare.
It also shows that, as a result of the recent PIP
breast implant problems, almost half of women (45%) who said they would have considered cosmetic surgery before, say that they are now less likely to have it. This compares to 24% of men.
'I am concerned that too many people do not
realise how serious cosmetic surgery is and do not consider the life-long implications ® and potential complications ® it can have. That's why I have put together this Review Committee to advise me in making recommendations to Government on how we can better protect people who choose to have surgery or cosmetic interventions,' Professor Sir Bruce Keogh added. A team of experts will assist Sir Bruce Keogh
to gather evidence and make recommendations to the Government by next March.
DIAGNOSING DISEASE WITH THE HELP OF 'DNA WIRES'
who delivered the talk. '[And] that fragile state is exactly what makes DNA so good as an electrical biosensor to identify DNA damage.' Barton won the US National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honour for scientific achievement, for discovering that cells use the double strands of the DNA helix like a wire for signalling, vital for detecting and repairing genetic damage. Damage is constantly occurring to
DNA. Cells have a natural repair system in which special proteins constantly patrol the spiral-staircase
architecture of DNA. They monitor the 3 billion units, or 'base pairs', in DNA, looking for and mending damage from carcinogens and other sources. Barton noticed that the DNA
architecture chemically resembles the solid-state materials used in transistors and other electronic components. And DNA's bases, or units, are stacked on top of each other in an arrangement that seems capable of conducting electricity. The research suggests that DNA uses its electrical properties to signal
repair proteins that fix DNA damage. If the DNA is no longer conducting electricity properly, that would be a signal for repair proteins to act. Barton's team is applying that
knowledge to develop 'DNA chips'; devices to take advantage of DNA's natural electrical conductivity and ability to bind to other strands of DNA with a complementary sequence of base units, and probe that sequence for damage. This would help diagnose disease risk by changes in electrical conductivity resulting from mutations or other damage.
prime-journal.com | September 2012 ❚ 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84