US President Barack Obama played down chance of ebola outbreak risk in the US

US President Barack Obama has played down the chance of an Ebola outbreak in the US, saying the risk of Americans getting the virus was "extremely low".

He was speaking after a second US nurse became infected after treating a Liberian who died a week ago in Dallas.

Meanwhile, a UN chief has warned that West Africa faces a potential food crisis because of the Ebola crisis.

The disease has killed about 4,500 people so far, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

In the US, health officials are seeking to trace 132 people who flew on a plane with Amber Vinson the day before she fell ill.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it wanted to interview the passengers on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dallas, Texas on Monday.

An unnamed federal official has told US media that Ms Vinson, 29, called the CDC before boarding to report a temperature of 99.5F (37.5C) and to say she was getting on a plane.

She is the second nurse to become infected after treating Thomas Eric Duncan at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

More than 70 medics who may have come in contact with Mr Duncan at the hospital are being monitored for symptoms.

Mr Obama cancelled a political campaign trip to meet Cabinet officials involved in the Ebola response both in the US and in West Africa. He has also cleared his diary for Thursday, postponing other engagements so that he can remain in Washington and monitor the situation.

Speaking after chairing a crisis meeting on Ebola, President Obama said it would be more difficult to prevent an outbreak in the US if the epidemic "rages out of control in West Africa".

He promised a "much more aggressive" monitoring of Ebola cases in the US and reaffirmed plans to send a "Swat team" of experts to any hospital that reported an infection.

It is still unclear how Ms Vinson and the other infected nurse, Nina Pham, contracted the virus.

Both wore face shields, hazardous materials suits and protective footwear as they drew blood and dealt with Mr Duncan's body fluids.

However, a national nurse union said health workers had not been properly equipped while treating Mr Duncan.

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Pep Guardiola eye Manchester United Managerial role- according to the new book "Pep Confidential"

Pep Guardiola would like to one day follow in Sir Alex Ferguson's footsteps and manage Manchester United, according to the new book "Pep Confidential: The Inside Story of Pep Guardiola's First Season at Bayern Munich."

Marti Perarnau, the book's author, writes that Guardiola told his personal assistant Manel Estiarte of his interest in United in 2011, as revealed in excerpts published by the Telegraph.

"It was May 4, and the pair sat together in the stands of Old Trafford watching Sir Alex Ferguson's team beat Schalke 4-1. Pep turned to his friend and said: 'I like this atmosphere. I could see myself coaching here one day.'

"Guardiola has always felt a deep admiration, almost veneration, for the legendary teams and players of Europe." 

Current United boss Louis van Gaal was Guardiola's manager when the two were at Barcelona as player and coach. Guardiola went on to manage Barca five years after the Dutchman had left the Nou Camp.

The former Spanish midfielder then met with Ferguson in New York City at the halfway point of the 2013-14 campaign, after Guardiola had moved on from Barcelona.

At the time, there was speculation that Ferguson told Guardiola of his plans to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, but that was never confirmed.

"During his sabbatical year in New York, the job offers poured in," Perarnau wrote. "His ex-colleague, Txiki Begiristain, the director of football at Manchester City, was very insistent.

"He also met up in Paris with Roman Abramovich, who was prepared to do anything to lure Pep to Chelsea.

"Bayern, too, were anxious to register an early interest and a delegation from Munich attended Pep's last game with Barca, the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao in Madrid on May 25, 2012. In the event, the Bayern delegation did not get a chance speak to Guardiola, but they made their interest clear during a meeting with his agent. Within a few months, Pep had chosen Bayern.

This news comes a little late for the brass at Old Trafford, who made efforts to bring Guardiola over from Bayern Munich after they sacked David Moyes towards the end of the 2013-14 Premier League campaign, according to The Telegraph report.

When asked in April about an Old Trafford move, Guardiola said, "I am here. I am at Bayern and I want to stay two more years here."

That timing would take Guardiola to the end of his current contract with Bayern in 2016. Van Gaal's contract with Manchester United goes until the end of 2017, so even if there was interest, the move couldn't happen unless the Dutchman was let go or resigned.

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Drop Cough medicines and go for traditional home made remedies with lemon or honey- Doctors

NHS bosses and leading GPs approve the traditional home made remedies with lemon or honey for cough. 

Cough medicines, which usually cost between £3 and £5 for a small bottle, are part of an over-the-counter healthcare industry worth £3 billion a year.

But the NHS Choices website advises: 'There's little evidence to suggest cough medicines actually work, although some ingredients may help treat symptoms associated with a cough, such as a blocked nose or fever.'

The webpage adds that the 'simplest and cheapest' treatment for a 'short-term cough' may be a homemade remedy containing lemon and honey.

It continues: 'There's no quick way of getting rid of a cough caused by a viral infection. It will usually clear up after your immune system has fought off the virus.'

Dr Tim Ballard, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, today backed up the NHS claim.

He said: 'The medical evidence behind cough medicines is weak and there is no evidence to say that they will reduce the duration of illnesses - as such, GPs are unlikely to prescribe them.'

A Which? investigation two years ago said found many popular cough medicines do not work as well as they claim to.

The report authors concluded that studies used to support the claims of effectiveness are often low quality.

Many also contain high doses of sugar, with one week of the adult maximum dose of a popular product containing as much sugar as five Mars bars.

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain, a national trade association representing the consumer healthcare industry, released a statement after Benylin was contacted for a comment.

It said: 'Cough medicines will not "cure" a cough, but they can help relieve the symptoms.

'The key to effective management of cough is to identify the most troublesome symptom and to choose an appropriate product.

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Advert showing woman's breast causes around 517 accidents in Moscow... "i was distracted by the picture"

An advertising campaign showing a woman's breasts has been blamed for more than 500 traffic accidents in one day.

The massive adverts placed on the side of 30 trucks driving around Moscow showed a woman's breasts cupped in her hands with the slogan 'They Attract' across her nipples.

As the trucks trundled around the streets of the Russian capital, they left a trail of carnage as male drivers became so distracted they ploughed straight into each other.

A total of 517 accidents were reported.

The stunt, by an advertising agency specialising in mobile adverts, backfired after police sent out patrols to round up all the vehicles and impound them until the risque images could be removed.

Motorist Ildar Yuriev, 35, said: 'I was on my way to a business meeting when I saw this truck with a huge photo of breasts on its side go by.

'Then I was hit by the car behind who said he had been distracted by the truck. It made me late and left my car in the garage, and although I am insured I am still out of pocket.'

Furious drivers across Moscow have reportedly bombarded the agency with compensation claims.

A spokesman for the Sarafan Advertising Agency, which organised the promotion said: 'We are planning to bring a new advertising format onto the market, encouraging companies to place their ads on the sides of trucks, as we thought this would be a good alternative to putting them on the sides of public transport.

'We wanted to draw attention to this new format with this campaign' he explained.

And he added: 'In all cases of accidents, the car owners will receive compensation costs from us that aren’t covered by their insurance.'

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Miley Cyrus apologises to Brisbane fans for feeling 's*****'

She's made straddling a giant inflatable hot dog her signature on stage move.

And it looks like Miley Cyrus has become rather attached to her oversized 'wiener'.

Sitting astride her go-to prop during a performance in Brisbane on Wednesday the 21-year-old shouted to the crowd, 'You know these are some of the last shows on the Bangerz tour and you what I'm going to miss?

'I'm going to miss riding this big f****** wiener every night'.

Departing the arena on her flying 'wiener' Miley had these last words for her fans, 'Enjoy your life and be happy.

'That's all that f****** matters.'

The controversial popstar was performing at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night as part of her Bangerz tour of Australia when she apologised to Brisbane fans for an under par performance, after explaining she had come down with the flu.

'You've probably seen on my Instagram that since I've been in Australia I've been up to no f****** good.

'Well I guess it's catching up with me today because I woke up this morning feeling pretty f****** s*****.

Cyrus asked the crowd to sing extra loud to help her get through the show. 'You guys are going to have to sing f****** hard to help me but we're still going to have a good time and we're still going to get f***** up.

If Miley's Queensland fans were disappointed they didn't show it.

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Arsene Wenger is a managerial 'giant' and replacing him will be their 'biggest challenge'- Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis

Gazidis told the club’s official website: “So much of the attention on a football club is around an individual and that’s very understandable at Arsenal because we have a giant who’s managing us.

“Arsene has been a fantastic driver and has put the club in a great, great position.

“The biggest challenge we’re going to face as a club is that, when the transition from Arsene to the next manager of our football club happens – and I don’t know what that’s going to be – that we come through that strongly.”'

Gazidis is confident that Arsenal will get a decisive call right, with Wenger having laid the foundations for the club to continue competing alongside the world’s best – with an FA Cup triumph in 2013/14 bringing to an end a nine-year wait for major silverware.

He added: “Winning the FA Cup was a fantastic moment.

“In my life, that’s one of my greatest moments. The moment you get away from the euphoria of the moment, the next question is, ‘How do we have more of that?’

“We want this football club to be at the top of the world’s game. If the manager believes in someone like Mesut Ozil, he can buy him. It’s the same with Alexis Sanchez.

“Underneath that tip of the iceberg, those star signings that we talk a lot about, there’s an awful lot else going on. Our youth development, for example, is going to be the foundation of this football club going forward.

“Where we are currently is off the shoulder of the world’s top teams. I don’t think we’re at that level yet, but that’s where we’re aiming to get to. We want Arsenal to be in that elite group of football clubs around the world.”

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Sir Alex Ferguson supports Louis van Gaal despite United slow start

Sir Alex Ferguson said he has "no doubts" Louis van Gaal will be a success at Manchester United, despite making a slow start to life at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal lost his first Premier League match and did not win any of his first four games in charge of United, but Ferguson drew comparisons with his own difficult beginning after he replaced Ron Atkinson in 1986.

And the former United manager, who retired in 2013, is not worried that one of his successors has encountered early difficulties.

"He has not been getting the results that are expected, but when I came to the club I didn't get the results I expected myself at the beginning," he told MUTV. "What we needed then was Sir Bobby Charlton, Martin Edwards and the board to stick by me and we had a great spell after that.

"Once I got settled into the club, everything was fine. Louis is going through that same process and there's no doubt in my mind that he will sort it out.

"It's the rebuilding of the team and they have brought in some good quality. It was really important because you need quality at Manchester United, you need the best players."

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Chris Brown receives backlash after controversial tweet "I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control..."

Chris Brown has made a controversial statement regarding Ebola which has killed more than 4000 people in West Africa. The R&B singer shared his thoughts on the disease via Twitter on Monday, October 13. "I don't know ... But I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control. S**t is getting crazy bruh," he wrote, before adding in another post, "Let me shut my black a** up!"

Brown received backlash after sending out the tweets. "He has obviously ignored Twitter's key rule: Think before you tweet. This is a global emergency about three countries struggling with a deadly disease, countries whose health systems are under immense strain," Jane Moyo, a spokesperson for British charity Action Aid, told Wenn.

"This is obviously nothing to do with population control but is a serious, deadly situation. At the moment we do not need thoughtless phrases which reach out to Chris Brown's many followers and do not add understanding to the cause. ... It was unfortunate that he said it in the first place. What would be fantastic is if Chris Brown could donate to a charity working on Ebola and encourage his followers to do the same," she added.

The first person who was diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. passed away on Wednesday, October and a Dallas nurse who had "extensive contact" with him during his treatment was also infected. The nurse used protective gear, but officials said that there was a breach at the protocol which resulted in the infection. "The (Ebola treatment) protocols work. ... But we know that even a single lapse or breach can result in infection," said Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC, on Sunday.

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Manchester City Player of the Month: Frank Lampard voted player of the month after 4 impressive goals

Frank Lampard has been voted Manchester City's Player of the Month for September.

Lampard, who is loan from New York City FC, only made his debut for the club a month ago in the 2-2 draw at Arsenal on Sept. 13.

However, the 36-year-old has grown in importance to the Premier League champions in that time, scoring four goals against Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City.

His first goal for City came in dramatic fashion as he netted a late equaliser against former club Chelsea, where he spent 13 years before leaving in the summer.

The former England international took more than a third of the 6,095 votes cast, beating off the challenge of James Milner, who finished second, and David Silva, who finished third.

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ISIS militants group claim God instruct them to enslave and sell Yazidi women and children, even sharia supports it

Islamic State militants claim the capture, enslavement and sale of thousands of Yazidi women and children had been ordered by God in a magazine purportedly published by the terror group.

The latest issue of Dabiq was released yesterday and attempts to justify the militants' snaring of thousands of innocent Yazidis during an assault on the Iraqi city of Sinjar in August.

Explaining why Yazidis have been sold into sex slavery while those from other groups have not, the magazine claims Islamic Sharia law allows the enslavement of innocent 'polytheists and pagans' but not of those the militants regard as simply heretical. 

Tens of thousands of Yazidis were forced to flee for their lives - many of them into the nearby Sinjar mountains and then into Kurdish-held regions of northern Iraq. 

However many were captured by the militants, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of men and the selling into slavery of women and children, after they were first divided up between ISIS fighters.

ISIS' claim to have enslaved and sold Yazidi women and children came as Human Rights Watch said hundreds of Yazidis from Iraq continue to be held captive in makeshift detention facilities.

Tens of thousands of Yazidis fled into the Sinjar Mountains after the militant onslaught on Sinjar, part of ISIS' lightning advance into north and western Iraq.

Iraq's Human Rights Ministry said at the time that hundreds of women were abducted by the militants, who consider the Yazidis, a centuries-old religious minority, a heretical sect.

The issue of Dabiq magazine released on Sunday stated that 'the enslaved Yazidi families are now sold by the Islamic State soldiers.' 

It added that 'the Yazidi women and children were then divided according to the Shariah amongst the fighters of the Islamic State who participated in the Sinjar operations.'

Attempting to justify the move, the magazine said Sharia law differentiates between female Muslims from 'heretical' sects, and those from groups such as the Yazidids, who are considered pagans.

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African Migrants forced into selling their organs to pay for being trafficked to Europe

An international human trafficking ring forced migrants to sell their organs as payment for their journey from Africa to Europe, an Italian police investigation has revealed.

Five people have been arrested as part of the probe into the gang, which allegedly arranges the harvesting of kidneys and other organs of migrants arriving in Europe by boat.

Italy, with its southern-most province Lampedusa just 80 miles from Africa, is the gateway for many seeking new lives in Europe. Almost 150,000 have made the journey so far in 2014. Around 3000 have died attempting the journey this year.

The group of Libyans and Eritreans allegedly demanded that asylum seekers pay €1,500 (£1,200) up front to board one of the often overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.

Those who could not immediately pay the full price were given the option of paying after arrival, according to court documents seen by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Upon landing in Italy, the gang decided whether to 'use them as manpower or organ donors,' according to the arrest warrant.

Investigating magistrate Tiziana Coccoluto wrote that the situation of the migrants was like that of slaves, with the gangsters having the power to sell them off to other criminal groups.

The gang's 'treasurer' Michael Brhane, was among those arrested, along with four other men - Haile Seifu, Russom Gebrem Michael Henok, and Tesfay Bahta - who allegedly worked as cashiers collecting money owed in Italy.

The five face charges of human trafficking aiding illegal immigration.

Police suspect that other gang members are responsible for the tragedy off the island of Lampedusa last year that killed 300 people on October 3 2013.

The evidence found is thought to be only the tip of the iceberg of the international trade in organs.

The bodies of migrants lacking organs are often found in the north african Sinai desert, Alganesh Fessaha, an activist campaigning against trafficking, has warned.

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The 81 years old Britain's oldest transsexual

A former RAF navigator has become the Britain's oldest  person to have sex change surgery after NHS-funded operations.

Ruth Rose, 81, of Newhaven, East Sussex, underwent the final stage of her gender realignment surgery in July after she started living as a woman four years ago.

Ms Rose, who had been James - a father of three and grandfather of four, said she had always known she was living in the wrong body, and had started dressing up in secret while at school.

When she married in 1961, Ms Rose felt she could not tell her wife about her feelings, hoping instead that they would go away.

The couple were married for 42 years and had three children, but after they divorced amicably 11 years ago, Ms Rose began to be more open about living as a woman - having previously been living as a man at home, but dressing up to see friends.

She started hormone therapy four years ago when she stopped attending events as a man, and decided to undergo the dramatic surgery after coming through an unrelated operation for a hip and knee replacement. 

'My doctor had said I should have the gender ­transformation operation but I thought I was too old. I thought I had left it too late. But the surgeons wouldn’t have done it if they didn’t think I could go through with it,' the charity worker told the Sunday People.

Ms Rose, an activist and public speaker for charities like Age UK, says she is still close to her ex-wife, and says although her family tolerated her decision to live as a woman, they were shocked by the surgery.

She is the oldest in Britain to have the surgery, with her treatments and the operation costing the NHS £4,000.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has €1billion release clause in Real Madrid- Agent Jorge Mendes

Ronaldo's future has been the subject of recent speculation, with Sky Sports journalist Guillem Balague stating recently that "everything is in place" for the Portugal international to return to Manchester United.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed a stunning start to the season, with three hat-tricks and 13 goals in just six games for the European champions, but is has been suggested he is unhappy at the Bernabeu.

Chelsea have also been linked with the second-most expensive player of all time but manager Jose Mourinho was quick to shoot down the idea of a transfer, while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has also discussed the player.

But the most enduring speculation has come from Old Trafford, with Ronaldo's personal attachment to his former club putting Louis van Gaal's side in a strong position should he wish to leave.

However Mendes recently explained it would be "impossible to get him out of Madrid", and the 48-year-old has perhaps now revealed why.

Speaking to Spanish daily sports newspaper AS, Mendes said: "I no longer get calls from anyone asking about Cristiano. It's not worth them calling to ask for it.

"The price is that stated in his release clause – €1bn (£785m)."

Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances from 2003 to 2009 under Sir Alex Ferguson, helping steer United to three Premier League titles and a Champions League amongst numerous other club and individual honours.

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2014 Sexiest Woman Alive: Penelope Cruz named Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive

Penelope Cruz is named Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2014. She is the 11th woman to be given the title, joining a number of famous figures including Scarlett Johansson, who won the same title twice in 2013 and in 2006, Mila Kunis, Rihanna and Minka Kelly.

Penelope tells the magazine in an interview for its November issue that she was attracted to drama in her teens and twenties. "I've played a lot of tricks on myself," she says, "I've made it hard for me sometimes, especially in my teens and twenties. I had an attraction to drama. Most of us have that, especially if you are an artist-you feel like you are tempted to explore the darkness."

The "Nine" actress adds, "I could not be less interested now. For me, the most attractive, charming, cool, fun, interesting thing-how could I call it? A plan."

Penelope refuses to discuss about her relationship with his husband Javier Bardem. "That is for us," says the "Volver" actress. She also declines to talk about her two children, only saying that her family is everything to her.

Penelope says that she doesn't feel like "sexiest woman alive", adding that she "feels like a mother who doesn't get enough sleep."

The 40-year-old actress can be seen in upcoming movie "Grimsby" along with Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Isla Fisher and Annabelle Wallis. The action-comedy movie is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters on July 31, 2015.

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Jose Mourinho revealed he turn-down PSG offer twice in the past but would not rule out a future move

Jose Mourinho has revealed that he turned down Paris Saint-Germain twice in the past and said he would only consider taking charge of the club in the future if he was sacked as Chelsea boss.

Mourinho said both previous approaches had come during former PSG sporting director Leonardo's reign, indicating that he had first been offered the job in 2011 before Carlo Ancelotti took charge, and then again in 2013 prior to the appointment of current coach Laurent Blanc.

"I turned down Paris twice," he told TF1. "I think I can say I was the first option for Leonardo. Before Carlo Ancelotti? Yes. Before Laurent Blanc? Yes. I really thought about it, but I was at Real Madrid the first time and the second time I returned to Chelsea."

He said he was currently "very happy" with the Blues but would not rule out a future move to the French capital in the future should things go wrong at Stamford Bridge.

"If Chelsea sack me? Yes. But, otherwise, I am unmovable," he said. "I do not want to leave. Paris is not an option, and I will not get fired because results are good."

He added: "I am now at a club I want to be at. But football is football. There will come a day when I'm told: 'Jose, it's over!' I understand that -- I am a man of football. I will respect that decision."

Mourinho also said he had no regrets about branding himself the "Special One" upon his arrival at Chelsea a decade ago.

"I think everyone has the right to think he is special," he said. "It is a great quality to be positive. I'm like that."

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Neymar declare Lionel Messi his World best... An honor playing alongside him

Neymar believes Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is the best in the world and says playing alongside him is an "honour."

The pair are set to be on opposing teams on Saturday when Brazil and Argentina meet in an international friendly in Beijing.

Neymar, speaking at a news conference ahead of the clash, said he would prefer not to be lining up against his club teammate, but is hopeful the Selecao will find a way to stop him.

"Playing alongside him is a great honour, he is the best in the world. Playing against him is not very nice, but I hope I can do better than him," Neymar said.

"We hope he does not have a good day and does not touch the ball. Seriously, we have said that we have to be careful because you must always be on alert with a great player.

"We cannot let him have time to think or start his mazy runs. Well, we basically cannot let him do anything. But we do have to win this game."

Neymar came in for criticism at Barcelona following his debut campaign last term, with some saying he and Messi were unable to link up effectively.

However, the duo have silenced any doubters this season, having scored 15 goals between them already, and Neymar is confident they will only get better.

"I am impressed by Messi for what he does on the field -- the assists, his play, the goals. In my opinion he is the best in the world," he added. "We understand each other and every time we connect more. Hopefully we can grow to help Barcelona."

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Luis Suarez made his first appearance for Uruguay since his ban for biting

Luis Suarez set up Uruguay's goal in the 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, as he made his first appearance for the country since his ban for biting.

The Barcelona forward's strike came off the post before it was diverted into his own net by Hassan Muath Fallatah.

The 27-year-old was initially banned for four months and nine international matches, for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

That was changed to nine competitive internationals on appeal.

The ban will end in time for Barca's El Clasico game against Real Madrid on 25 October.

Suarez was available for last month's friendlies against South Korea and Japan, but Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez opted to leave him out of squad.

In July, the former Liverpool player was suspended from all football-related activity for four months following the incident during the final Group D match in Brazil.

The severity of the punishment was reduced on appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing the striker to train, play in friendlies and take part in football-related activities.

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2015 Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco Government wants the tournament Postponed because of ebola

The government of host country Morocco. says the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations should be postponed because of the Ebola epidemic.

The biennial competition is scheduled to be held between 17 January and 8 February 2015.
The request to delay the event has been lodged with organisers Confederation of African Football (Caf).
More than 4,000 people have died in the Ebola epidemic that broke out in west Africa at the start of the year.
The Morocco health ministry made the plea in the wake of their decision "to avoid events which involve those countries affected by the Ebola virus."

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The Jungle King in the Kingdom of men: Melanie Griffith and mom Tipi Hedren with their pet 'lion Neil'

Actress Melanie Griffith a daughter of famed starlet and Hitchcock muse Tipi Hedren, began acting when she was just a toddler, and started dating Hollywood heartthrob Don Johnson was she was just 14-years-old - and he was 22.

Also, her family had a giant pet lion named Neil.

 

In a new set of photos that have recently been released, we get a look into the life of Griffith and her family, and see just what it is like to have one of the most fearsome creatures in the wild as a pet.

 

Turns out, not much different than having any other kind of domesticated pet.

Neil is seen lounging on the floor as the maid steps over him, chilling with Griffith in her bed and mostly just horsing, or rather lioning, around with his human family.

The majestic beast was adopted by the family after they took a trip to Africa and decided to make a movie about lions, Roar. 

Sadly, the movie was a box office flop, and some of the lions got a bit rough on set.

Griffith required 50 stitches at one point after being bit by one of the cats, and cinematographer Jan de Bont had to have his scalp sewn back on after being attacked.

 

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Medical success: Some Harvard Scientists made a major breakthrough in the Cure for Diabetes

Scientists at Harvard have announced a major breakthrough in the search for a treatment for Type 1 diabetes, bringing doctors closer to a functional cure for the disease than at any time in history.

A group of researchers developed a procedure that converts stem cells into fully functional pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. They help regulate metabolism and are dangerously insufficient in people with Type 1 diabetes. In other words, we may be able to replace the metabolism-regulating cells that Type 1 diabetes negates.

The breakthrough can largely be attributed to Doug Melton, who developed the groundbreaking new embryonic stem-cell treatment after his two children were diagnosed with the condition decades ago. Published Thursday in Cell, Melton's work was a collaboration with specialists Felicia W. Pagliuca, Jeff Millman, Mads Gurtler and more than 50 graduate students over a 15-year period.

The problem: People with Type 1 diabetes cannot generate enough insulin and must rely upon a combination of diet, blood-sugar monitoring and painful daily injections or an insulin pump to maintain healthy blood-sugar levels. The JDRF says that "many factors, including stress, hormone changes, periods of growth, and illness can easily cause blood sugars to swing out of control," resulting in potentially deadly hypoglycemia levels. 

Until now, the only cure was thought to be a beta-cell transplant from a recently deceased person, an operation so complicated that National Geographic reports fewer than 1,000 have ever been performed. But, it's been thought, these transplants would be more successful if scientists could reproduce these cells outside the body without a person's immune system attacking and destroying the foreign cells (without a lifelong medication regimen, at least).

That's where Melton and company come in. His team was able to finally produce immature beta cells suitable for mass fabrication and distribution for treatment. The Harvard Gazette reports that the cells are currently undergoing testing in nonhuman primates and adds that Melton is already collaborating with MIT chemical engineering expert Daniel G. Anderson to develop an implantation device to remedy the immune-system problem. It works in mice, who are still producing insulin months later.

Why you should care: Melton cautioned the Boston Globe that while the new treatment offers a lot of potential, it's too early to promise for sure that a cure for Type 1 diabetes is "just around the corner." Many technical hurdles still remain, but Melton hopes to have the technique ready for human trials in just a few years.

For now, Anderson told the Harvard Gazette that "this advance opens the doors to an essentially limitless supply of tissue for diabetic patients awaiting cell therapy" as well as makes developing other potential treatments easier. Excellent work, and a big thank you to Melton, who really deserves a "#1 Dad" mug.

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