Why honey is effective as a medicine. 1. Its use in modern medicine

Honey has been used as a medicine for thousands of years and its curative properties are well documented. However, modern medicine turned its back on honey and it is only now, with the advent of multi-resistant bacteria, that the antibiotic properties of honey are being rediscovered

Four cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin as adjuvant treatment in early-stage ovarian cancer: a six-year experience of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group

BACKGROUND: Surgery can cure a significant percentage of ovarian carcinoma confined to the pelvis. Nevertheless, there is still a 10–50% recurrence rate. We administered paclitaxel/carboplatin as adjuvant treatment in early-stage ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with stages Ia or Ib, Grade 2 or 3 and Ic to IIb (any grade) were included. Patients were treated with 4 cycles of Paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2 )and Carboplatin [area under the curve (AUC) 6 (Calvert Formula)] every 3 weeks. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients with no residual disease following cytoreductive surgery and minimal or modified surgical staging were included in this analysis. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occured in 29.9% of patients, while neutropenic fever was reported in 4.5%. Neurotoxicity (all Grade 1 or 2) was reported in 50% of cases. Median follow-up was 62 months. 5-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were: 87% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 78–96) and 79% (95% CI: 69–89), respectively. Significantly fewer patients with stages Ic-IIb and tumor grade 2 or 3 achieved a 5-year RFS than patients with only one of these two factors (73% vs 92%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel/Carboplatin chemotherapy is a safe and effective adjuvant treatment in early-stage ovarian carcinoma. Patients with stages Ic-IIb and tumor grade 2 or 3 may benefit from more extensive treatment

Sexual dimorphisms in adult human neural, mesoderm-derived, and neural crest-derived stem cells

Greiner J, Merten M, Kaltschmidt C, Kaltschmidt B. Sexual dimorphisms in adult human neural, mesoderm-derived, and neural crest-derived stem cells. FEBS letters. 2019;593(23):3338-3352.Sexual dimorphisms contribute, at least in part, to the severity and occurrence of a broad range of neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and bone disorders. In addition to hormonal factors, increasing evidence suggests that stem cell‐intrinsic mechanisms account for sex‐specific differences in human physiology and pathology. Here, we discuss sex‐related intrinsic mechanisms in adult stem cell populations, namely mesoderm‐derived stem cells, neural stem cells (NSCs), and neural crest‐derived stem cells (NCSCs), and their implications for stem cell differentiation and regeneration. We particularly focus on sex‐specific differences in stem cell‐mediated bone regeneration, in neuronal development, and in NSC‐mediated neuroprotection. Moreover, we review our own recently published observations regarding the sex‐dependent role of NF‐κB‐p65 in neuroprotection of human NCSC‐derived neurons and sex differences in NCSC‐related disorders, so‐called neurocristopathies. These observations are in accordance with the increasing evidence pointing toward sex‐specific differences in neurocristopathies and degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease or osteoporosis. All findings discussed here indicate that sex‐specific variability in stem cell biology may become a crucial parameter for the design of future treatment strategies