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"Dad would be stoked": Robert Irwin chokes up over Australia Zoo breakthrough

<p>Robert Irwin has choked up in an emotional video, sharing a major milestone for Australia Zoo that had special meaning to his late father. </p> <p>The wildlife warrior shared the exciting video to Instagram, holding a tiny baby turtle that he was about to release into its enclosure for the first time.</p> <p>Dressed in his Australia Zoo khakis, Irwin explained the moment was “one of the highlights of my entire life, and one of the most special moments ever here at Australia Zoo,” as the turtle is an “Elseya Irwini,” a species of turtle first discovered by Robert’s father Steve Irwin in the early 1990. </p> <p>Some 30 years later, Robert explained that this is the first of this particular species hatched in any zoological facility or captivity, anywhere in the world.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyYGqjfPL11/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyYGqjfPL11/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"This is so surreal. All the stories from dad about how beautiful they are... I don’t get emotional about much,” Irwin said, choking back tears as he released the tiny turtle into its pond.</p> <p>“You tearing up? Your dad would be really proud, mate,” a voice could be hear telling Irwin off-camera. </p> <p>“Dad would be stoked with that... we did it,” he said.</p> <p>The video has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, with people flocking to comments to share how proud Steve would be of his wildfire warrior children. </p> <p>One person wrote, "Steve is looking down and crying tears of joy.. His heart is proud of not only the turtle, but with the fact that his legacy continued with same path he envisioned for his kids."</p> <p>Others were quick to encourage Robert and Bindi Irwin to keep carrying on their father's legacy with their conservation work at the zoo, while others said that they should "Name the baby turtle Steve". </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Italian historian makes major Mona Lisa breakthrough

<p dir="ltr">A small town in Tuscany is revelling in excitement after it was claimed that a bridge in the backdrop of the Mona Lisa belongs to the town. </p> <p dir="ltr">Italian historian Silvano Vinceti determined that the bridge in the background of the most famous portrait in the world is in fact the Romito di Laterina bridge in the province of Arezzo: about 80km southeast of Florence. </p> <p dir="ltr">Leonardo da Vinci painted the masterpiece in Florence in the early 16th century, and ever since, it has been subject to disputes over the inspiration for the portrait. </p> <p dir="ltr">The identity of the woman in the painting - who is widely believed to be Lisa del Giocondo – has triggered as much speculation as the distant backdrop.</p> <p dir="ltr">Past theories have identified the bridge as Ponte Buriano, close to Laterina, as well as Ponte Bobbio in the northern Italian city of Piacenza.</p> <p dir="ltr">Using historical documents and drone images, and by making comparisons between the painting and photographs of the area, Vinceti said he is confident it was “the Etruscan-Roman bridge, Romito”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Vinceti told reporters in Rome that the most telling detail of the bridge’s identity is the number of arches. </p> <p dir="ltr">The bridge in Leonardo’s painting had four arches, as did the Romito. Ponte Buriano, on the other hand, has six arches, while Ponte Bobbio has more than six.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another telltale sign, according to Vinceti, is the fact that the bridge was once a “very busy, functioning bridge”, that provided a shortcut between Florence and Arezzo.</p> <p dir="ltr">Simona Neri, the mayor of Laterina, said Vinceti’s theory had caused a lot of excitement in the town of just over 3,500 people. </p> <p dir="ltr">She said, “We need to try to protect what’s left of the bridge.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

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"Breakthrough moment": Charles and Camilla's "secret son" shares new pics

<p>Simon Dorante-Day, the Australian man who made headlines with his claim to be King Charles and Camilla’s son, has taken to social media to share a side-by-side comparison of himself and his would-be royal family. </p> <p>Simon initially posted a picture of himself at the age of 23 to celebrate his 57th birthday, with many in the comments telling him that he looked just like Prince William in the snap. </p> <p>A short while later, Simon posted the comparison of himself, Charles, and William, all appearing to be around the same age when their respective pictures were taken. </p> <p>As Simon told <em>7News.com.au</em>, “photo comparisons like this are so important to my case. It’s always a breakthrough moment.”</p> <p>It was more than enough proof for Simon’s supporters, with over a hundred comments soon piling onto the post, all celebrating the resemblance they found between the three.</p> <p>“As soon as I saw your post I couldn't believe how much you and William look alike,” one wrote. “I can't wait till the truth comes out and [you] take your rightful place."</p> <p>“Just remarkable,” said another. “Hopefully this is the year Charles acknowledges you and your dear brothers and their families know that you have always been out there in the world."</p> <p>“I actually thought it was an old photo of William!” confessed one. </p> <p>“When I saw your post earlier where you told us it was your birthday, I initially thought it was a photo of Prince William accompanying it!,” someone else agreed. </p> <p>“The resemblance speaks for itself,” came further belief in the father-of-nine’s claim. </p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPrinceSimonCharles%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02qKTcpY1aT4Wu7vVSLNCifvzTUXPanmgM9FJ3QTginoABumpKe75q6fGjtyuF1w4al&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="256" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Meanwhile, one follower’s thoughts turned to Camilla, and what must be going through her mind if Simon was actually correct, writing that she “wonder[s] how Camilla feels every year on your real birthday because only she can know how it felt.” </p> <p>It’s a thought that Simon seems to have had as well, with the Australian confessing that while his birthday is “just another one” for him, he often considers what they might be thinking on the big day.</p> <p>“Especially Camilla,” he said, “not like she doesn’t know.” </p> <p>He went on to explain that despite this, it was “their loss” in having nothing to do with him, his wife, or their nine children. However, it isn’t enough to stop him from getting to the bottom of his family tree ‘mystery’, with Simon telling <em>7News</em> that he has every intention of getting answers from a DNA test. </p> <p>“Supporters and visitors to my Facebook pages are always sending me comparisons,” he noted. “But it’s important for people to know that my belief that Charles and Camilla are my parents isn’t based on photos.</p> <p>“I have a lot of research that backs up my claims, a lot of evidence. And I want people to remember that my case has spent a long time in the courts, trying to find a resolution, and my legal battles are still continuing.”</p> <p>And as he had admitted in the past, it was all about his desire to know who his real parents are. He believed it all stemmed from that search, and “the thought that it could be Charles and Camilla didn’t come into it until much later on - for years I was simply searching for my parents.</p> <p>“But then eventually, all the evidence just kept on coming back to Charles and Camilla.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Olivia Newton-John’s foundation makes cancer breakthrough

<p dir="ltr">Just over two months after her passing, the cancer research foundation Olivia Newton-John founded has made a significant discovery that could affect the treatment of a highly-aggressive pancreatic cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">The study, led by Professor Matthias Ernst, the director of the ONJ Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne and the head of LA Trobe’s School of Cancer Medicine, investigated potential targets for treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).</p> <p dir="ltr">This aggressive form of cancer has a five-year survival rate, with nine out of ten patients still dying of the disease after receiving chemotherapy treatments due to reoccurrence in the same area or metastasis (where cancer spreads to other parts of the body).</p> <p dir="ltr">Approximately 4,260 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in Australia, with many experiencing few or no symptoms during the early stages.</p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Ernst and his team identified a novel drug target that could make PDAC tumours more responsive to chemotherapy and immunotherapy and published their results in the journal <em><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)01329-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cell Reports</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">They identified a protein called HCK (hematopoietic cell kinase), which has previously been correlated with poor survival rates and has been found in 95 percent of solid tumours, including PDAC.</p> <p dir="ltr">After comparing PDAC tumours to non-cancerous samples, they found that the tumours expressed this protein at a higher rate.</p> <p dir="ltr">They then wanted to determine whether HCK was involved in the growth of tumours and metastasis, by inserting PDAC tumours into normal mice and mice that have had the gene responsible for making HCK removed.</p> <p dir="ltr">In comparison to the normal mice, the mice without the HCK gene had smaller tumours and didn’t develop metastatic lesions. </p> <p dir="ltr">This confirmed that HCK is involved in the progression of this kind of cancer and that preventing the gene from creating HCK proteins could be a potential target for new cancer treatments.</p> <p dir="ltr">The team reported that targeting HCK could help reduce immune suppression caused by the increased levels of cancer cells that reduce the ability of our immune system to identify and fight cancer, making immunotherapy treatments more effective.</p> <p dir="ltr">While he cautioned that the study was still in its early stages, Professor Ernst is hopeful that the ONJ Institute can build on their findings and run clinical trials in the future. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Because we work in the same building as our oncologist colleagues at Austin Health, our discoveries in the laboratory can be quickly translated into patient trials,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Ashleigh Poh, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the ONJ Institute added that the findings could have big implications for pancreatic cancer treatment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The survival rate of pancreatic cancer has not improved over the past few decades,” Dr Poh said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We hope to eventually translate these findings into the clinic and improve survival outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ab3ceb5a-7fff-1dce-ba56-1a7edeb562a8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: The ONJ Institute</em></p>

Caring

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Potential breakthrough in Theo Hayez case

<p>Investigators are a step closer to solving the mystery of missing backpacker Theo Hayez, after honing in on WhatsApp messages he exchanged the night he vanished, to gain an insight into what happened.</p> <p>The Belgian teenager disappeared in 2019 from NSW hotspot Byron Bay, with an inquest on Wednesday hearing there had been a 'potential breakthrough' in the case.</p> <p>The development came just hours after Theo's parents suggested 'another person' was involved in their son's disappearance and police offered a $500,000 reward for information.</p> <p>'I don't want to overstate it, your honour, but we know Theo was engaged in some WhatsApp activity just before 1 am on the 31st of May,' counsel assisting the coroner, Kirsten Edwards said.</p> <p>This activity was prior to a five-hour window when Hayez' mobile phone ceased communicating with the nearest tower.</p> <p>In a bombshell revelation, Ms Edwards said the investigating team had also found a mystery person 'who was communicating with Theo on the 31st of May' but it is not yet known when the two exchanged messages.</p> <p>But WhatsApp messages, very commonly used as the primary messaging app in Europe, are encrypted, making it virtually impossible to find out what the texts said without one of the senders' phones.</p> <p>Earlier on Wednesday, it was revealed the police officer who led the initial search for Mr Hayez was inexperienced, missed vital training and would have conducted the operation 'very differently' with the benefit of hindsight.</p> <p>Speaking at the inquest the same day police announced a $500,000 reward for information on his case. Senior Constable Louis Papworth admitted he had only previously conducted two minor searches before the 18-year-old went missing.<br />Due to the urgency of the search and his inexperience, Papworth told the inquest he had made 'some mistakes.'</p> <p>If he'd had access to location data sourced from Theo's phone on the first two days of the search, it would have looked very different, Papworth said. With the benefit of hindsight, he would also have tried to find out more about Theo's interests and behaviours, to help tailor the search.</p> <p>The data showed Theo had spent seven minutes near cricket nets at a local sporting field, before charting a route through the Arakwal National Park to Cosy Corner Beach.</p> <p>'If you'd had that access to that information, you would have approached the search in a very different way, and with a lot more intensity?' Ms Edwards asked at the inquest.</p> <p>More volunteers would have been sent to those areas and he would have sent detectives to interview 'vagrants' who were staying near the sporting field.</p> <p>The inquest continues, and is due to hear more new 'significant' evidence in the coming days.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Common ingredient found to encourage aggressive cancer spread

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New research has found that a fatty acid found in palm oil and dairy products contributes to the aggressive nature of tumours and allows them to spread.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study from Barcelona’s Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) saw researchers expose samples of mouth and skin cancers to a diet rich in palmitic acid - a major component of palm oil - before transplanting the sample tumours into mice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the world and can be found in food, beauty products, and detergents, according to the </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/which-everyday-products-contain-palm-oil" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">World Wildlife Fund</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team found that the tumours had a greater capacity to metastasize - meaning they were more likely to spread to other parts of the body.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They also identified that the cancer cells were permanently changed after being exposed to palmitic acid and were able to maintain this improved ability to metastasize months after.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When they compared palmitic acid to linoleic acid and oleic acid - found in ingredients such as olive oil and linseed oil - the team discovered that palmitic acid was the only one to have any effect on the tumours.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWGewZNIOOx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWGewZNIOOx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by IRBBarcelona (@irbbarcelona)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They also found that the fatty acids didn’t increase the risk of developing cancer in the first place.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There is something very special about palmitic acid that makes it an extremely potent promoter of metastasis,” researcher Dr Salvador Aznar-Benitah told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/10/fatty-acid-found-in-palm-oil-linked-to-spread-of-cancer" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In previous work, the same team showed that there was a correlation between palmitic acid and increased risks of metastasis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In 2017, we published a study indicating that palmitic acid correlates with an increased risk of metastasis, but we didn’t know the mechanism responsible for this,” Dr Aznar-Benitah </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/news/scientific/palmitic-acid-promotes-cancer-metastasis-and-leaves-more-aggressive-memory-tumour" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">explained</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In their latest study, published in </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04075-0" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nature</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, they identified that the altered, aggressive cancer cells attracted the attention of the body’s nervous system and led to the construction of a network of neurons around the tumour, which helps the cancer cells to keep growing and spreading.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, the team found that blocking Schwann cells - cells that surround and protect the neurons - could stop the network from developing and prevent metastasis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This discovery paves the way for research into and the development of therapies that specifically block cancer metastasis, a process that is almost always the cause of death by cancer,” researcher Dr Gloria Pascual said.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Dr. <a href="https://twitter.com/SalvadorAznar3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SalvadorAznar3</a>: “In this study, we detail the process and reveal the involvement of a metastatic capacity “memory” factor and we point to a therapeutic approach to reverse it. This is promising”. <a href="https://t.co/DW1zOpaIk8">pic.twitter.com/DW1zOpaIk8</a></p> — IRB Barcelona (@IRBBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/IRBBarcelona/status/1458464584113827845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Helen Rippon, the chief executive at Worldwide Cancer Research, praised the work as a “huge breakthrough”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This discovery is a huge breakthrough in our understanding of how diet and cancer are linked and, perhaps more importantly, how we can use this knowledge to start new cures for cancer,” she </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/acid-found-in-palm-oil-encourages-cancer-spread-new-research-finds-c-4543186" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Rippon said about 90 percent of cancer deaths across the world can be attributed to metastasis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Learning more about what makes cancer spread and - importantly - how to stop it is the way forward to reduce those numbers.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images / @worldwidecancerresearch (Instagram)</span></em></p>

Body

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Police make major breakthrough in search for missing Victorian campers

<p dir="ltr">Police have made a breakthrough in the case of missing Victorian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hill and Clay were both aged in their 70s when they disappeared from a remote Wonnangatta campsite on March 20 last year. Their campsite at Dry River Creek Track was discovered burnt out, and Hill’s abandoned Toyota Landcruiser was located nearby.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detectives say they have now ruled out the possibility that the pair staged their disappearance, and believe that it’s most likely they were murdered after an altercation with a stranger.</p> <p dir="ltr">Authorities say a car spotted near the campsite, a dark blue mid-1990s Nissan Patrol with a trailer attached, around the time the pair disappeared could help them crack the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">Victoria Police Detective Inspector Andrew Stampers told<span> </span><em>60 Minutes,<span> </span></em>“Everything seems to point towards this being some sort of confrontation, which has started as an argument maybe.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“But my belief is that the person that carried out this is probably just an ordinary member of the community, who’s operating in a normal job, but carrying this significant load on their mind.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said that police have received reports that a vehicle attempted to leave the valley late on the night the pair vanished. Witnesses say the vehicle was forced to make a complicated turn back in the direction it came because of a closed gate. Stampers continued, “That same vehicle is also spotted on two cameras at the top of Mount Hotham, consistent with where a vehicle would exit the valley given the closure of the Myrtleford gate.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We understand that initially, given the confusion around COVID-19 and state-wide lockdowns that people may have been reluctant to come forward, or that someone may simply have missed our repeated appeals for information.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Authorities also revealed that charred camping chairs, a burnt-out battery, and a bucket used for Hill’s gas canister were located inside the pair’s burnt tent. They believe it’s unlikely that these items would have been put there by the missing pair. “It certainly builds that picture for us that potentially someone was trying to cover their tracks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Stampers encouraged anyone who recognises the car or who may have more information to speak to police. “If you are the driver of this blue Nissan Patrol, or you know who is, we would urge you to come forward – if nothing else, so we can eliminate you from our inquiries and move forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Both families are still desperate for answers about what happened to Russell and Carol and why, and I know our investigators are doing all they can to try and get those answers for them.”</p>

Legal

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Cleo Smith search: Police announce potential breakthrough

<p dir="ltr">Western Australia Police announced a potential breakthrough in the disappearance of Cleo Smith on Sunday, telling the public that they are now looking for a smaller passenger vehicle that was spotted in a crucial 30-minute window the night Cleo disappeared.</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver may not be a person of interest, but the timing is crucial – roughly 90 minutes after she was last seen at 1.30 am on Saturday October 16, in a tent she was sharing with her parents at the Blowholes campsite in Macleod, north of Carnarvon.</p> <p dir="ltr">The "smaller vehicle, probably a passenger vehicle" was seen driving south towards Carnarvon between 3 am and 3.30am, according to Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde. "What we're hoping for is the persons that were in that vehicle to come forward and make themselves known," Mr Wilde said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He clarified that those in the vehicle are not considered suspects, and that the police “just want to establish who they were and what they were doing at that time". He declined to speculate as to whether Cleo was in the vehicle in question at the time. The sighting was reported by two people who were travelling along the North West Coastal Highway, who were only able to provide a limited description of the vehicle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Wilde added that if Cleo had been abducted, she was likely still within Western Australia as a result of the tight border restrictions Premier Mark McGowan has implemented against COVID-19.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Wilde said it was “more than likely [Cleo’s disappearance] was a chance event”, and added that there was “no evidence that Cleo was stalked at all”. Police have been searching the Smith family home in Carnarvon for clues since Cleo disappeared on October 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">Premier Mark McGowan<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/no-hesitation-wa-premier-announces-huge-reward-in-cleo-smith-search" target="_blank">announced</a><span> </span>a $1 million reward for information relating to Cleo’s disappearance last Thursday, saying, “We want to ensure police have everything they need to solve this case and that’s why my government has no hesitation in supporting police with this reward offer.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

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Major breakthrough in search for Brian Laundrie

<p>A major breakthrough has occurred in the case of Brian Laundrie, who disappeared from his house in Florida in early September. </p> <p>The investigation into Brian, <span>whose fiancée Gabby Petito was found dead in Wyoming last month, has uncovered new details about his earlier movements, as well as traces of human activity in a nature reserve that has been the key area of the search. </span></p> <p><span>Police found the <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/they-were-here-dog-the-bounty-hunter-confirms-new-laundrie-lead" target="_blank">remnants of a campsite</a> that appeared to be used recently in Florida’s Carlton Reserve, a sprawling 24,565-acre wilderness near Laundrie’s family home that has been closed to visitors, a source close to the family told <a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/07/us/gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-update-thursday/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span>Chris Laundrie, Brian's father, joined law enforcement and went to the reserve to </span>help them look on Thursday morning. </p> <p><span>“Chris was asked to point out any favorite trails or spots that Brian may have used in the preserve. Although Chris and Roberta Laundrie provided this information verbally 3 weeks ago it is now thought that on-site assistance may be better,” the family's attorney Steven Bertolino said.</span></p> <p><span>The North Port Police Department also confirmed that a notice was placed on a seemingly abandoned </span>vehicle that belonged to the Laundrie family close to the reserve on September 14th.</p> <p>Brian originally told his family that he was heading to reserve the last time they saw him.</p> <p>The ongoing search for Brian comes as law enforcement try to piece together the events that led to the death of 22-year-old Gabby Petito. </p> <p>Gabby and Brian had been travelling across the United States in a 'van life' trip that they were documenting on social media. </p> <p>Gabby was officially reported missing on September 11th: 10 days after Brian returned home from Florida without her. </p> <p>In the days following, <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/tragedy-unfolding-body-confirmed-as-missing-woman-gabby-petito" target="_blank">Gabby's body was found</a> in a national park in Wyoming, and the coroner determined she died by homicide.</p> <p>Brian originally refused to speak with police when questioned, and then went missing himself. </p> <p>Brian is now the <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/new-witnesses-in-gabby-petito-homicide-as-fbi-issue-warrant" target="_blank">subject of a federal warrant</a> as a key person of interest in Gabby's case, as well as <span>for unauthorised use of another person’s debit card.</span></p> <p>He was last seen on September 13th by his family, and has been missing for 25 days.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / Instagram @gabspetito</em></p>

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Breakthrough discovery links deadly disease with "eye twitch"

<p>Victorian researchers have made a ground-breaking discovery in what could help diagnose Australia’s most deadly mental illness.</p> <p>The Swinburne Anorexia Nervosa Research Group found that anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to as anorexia, can possibly be diagnosed by an eye twitch.</p> <p>The twitch, paired with anxiety, create a biomarker for the illness.</p> <p>A biomarker is a measurable characteristic in the body, such as heart rate or blood sugar levels, and none have ever been used to diagnose mental illness before.</p> <p>Head researcher Dr Andrea Phillipou, who has been researching the illness since 2012, said they initially stumbled on the discovery.</p> <p>“It was an accidental finding, it happened when I was chatting with a patient while doing eye-tracking and I noticed her eyes were jerking a little bit,” she told news.com.au</p> <p>“We had all this data from the tracking and were able to link the eye tracking to a part of the brain.”</p> <p>As research progressed, Dr Phollipou and her team found that a combination of a type of twitching eye movement called ‘square wave jerks’ together with anxiety is a promising two-element biomarker for anorexia.</p> <p>These eye jerks were found in people currently with the illness, survivors and sisters of people with anorexia nervosa. The finding in sisters is critical as it shows there is likely a genetic link.</p> <p>Anorexia has the highest death rate of any mental illness. It also has extrememly low recovery rates with just 50% of patients completely bouncing back.</p> <p>Alongside the weight-loss, suffers often have heart, organ and brain issues.</p> <p>Dr Phillipou is hopeful this research will allow early detection of the illness.</p> <p>“Being able to detect the twitcing eye movement as a screening tool, via an iPad or phone, would be extremely beneficial for GPs or in clinics where there is a suspected diagnosis,” she said.</p> <p>“We are hoping this research helps identify people at risk, early in the development and we are hopeful that the research plains the biology behind the illness – that which parts of the brain are contributing.”</p> <p>There are more than one million Australians who suffer from eating disorders.</p> <p>Of those, 4% have anorexia nervosa and 80% of those are women.</p> <p>One young Australian woman, Imogen Barnes, documented her recovery from the illness on social media. Her Instagram page, im_powering, has 50,000 followers, she discusses the illness in hope of transforming “pain into power.”</p>

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Curing the incurable: A new breakthrough in childhood cancer

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scientists are on the cusp of a medical breakthrough that could help in the treatment of an aggressive brain cancer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, is the most aggressive childhood cancer with a </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.ccia.org.au/blog/dipg-shining-a-light-on-the-deadliest-childhood-cancer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">current survival rate of 0%</span></a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. DIPG primarily occurs in children aged four to eleven years old and grows in the brainstem, meaning that it cannot be removed via surgery. On average, 20 Australian children are diagnosed with DIPG each year and have an average survival time of nine to twelve months after diagnosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But now a new drug offers hope to patients diagnosed with the disease.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scientists at Children’s Cancer Institute have developed a new anti-cancer drug from antimalarial drug quinacrine. When tested on animals that were growing DIPG tumours, they found that the drug stopped tumour growth and, when combined with a second drug, panobinostat, increased survival time.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNn7JQHAOCy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNn7JQHAOCy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Children's Cancer Institute (@childrenscancerinstitute)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Associate Professor David Ziegler from </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.ccia.org.au/blog/australian-researchers-find-new-way-to-target-deadly-childhood-cancer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Children’s Cancer Institute</span></a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said, “Over the years, many different types of treatments have been tried for DIPG, but none so far have proven effective in clinical trials of children with the disease.”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking to Sunrise, he said the development was “a fantastic and exciting breakthrough.”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is one of the worst cancers to affect either children or adults and until now we’ve had no effective treatments,” he continued.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re at the point where we’ve found a drug that looks really effective and is actually finally promising some hope.”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ziegler will lead human trials of the drug in top children’s hospitals in the United States and Australia “by the end of this year”.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re working as quickly as possible to bring this to kids who desperately need it,” Ziegler said.</span></p>

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Incredible breakthrough in breast cancer treatment

<p>An incredible new study from an Aussie scientist has discovered that bee venom is effective in killing aggressive breast cancer cells.</p> <p>Results revealed the venom – from honeybees sourced in Western Australia, England and Ireland – rapidly destroyed triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells.</p> <p>The scientist behind the research, Dr Ciara Duffy, said a specific concentration of honeybee venom could kill 100 per cent of cancer cells.</p> <p>She said the treatment had minimal effects on normal cells.</p> <p>“The venom was extremely potent,” she said.</p> <p>Dr Duffy, from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and The University of Western Australia, used the venom from 312 bees to test the effect on the clinical subtypes of breast cancer, including types with limited treatment options.</p> <p>The key ingredient was the compound melittin, naturally occurring in the venom, which Dr Duffy said can be reproduced synthetically.</p> <p>“We found that melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes,” she said.</p> <p>“No-one had previously compared the effects of honeybee venom or melittin across all of the different subtypes of breast cancer and normal cells.”</p> <p>She said melittin in honeybee venom also had another remarkable effect: within 20 minutes, melittin was able to substantially reduce the chemical messages of cancer cells that are essential to cancer cell growth and cell division.</p> <p>“We looked at how honeybee venom and melittin affect the cancer signalling pathways, the chemical messages that are fundamental for cancer cell growth and reproduction, and we found that very quickly these signalling pathways were shut down,” she said.</p> <p>Western Australia’s chief scientist, Professor Peter Klinken, said it was an “incredibly exciting observation”.</p> <p>“It provides another wonderful example of where compounds in nature can be used to treat human diseases,” he said.</p> <p>Dr Duffy’s research was conducted as part of her PhD.</p> <p>“I began with collecting Perth honeybee venom,” she said.</p> <p>“Perth bees are some of the healthiest in the world.</p> <p>“The bees were put to sleep with carbon dioxide and kept on ice before the venom barb was pulled out from the abdomen of the bee and the venom extracted by careful dissection.”</p> <p><strong>IMAGE:</strong> Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research</p>

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Alzheimer’s breakthrough discovery

<p>Australian researchers are optimistic as they believe they have discovered a treatment that could revise the impacts of memory loss in people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>The Macquarie University Dementia Research Centre study builds on previous research that found an enzyme in the brain could modify a protein so it prevents the development of Alzheimer’s symptoms.</p> <p>The latest research went further by finding the gene responsible for the enzyme that could help restore or improve memory in mice suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>The study also suggests the gene therapy, which involves genetic material being introduced to cells to help replace abnormal genes, may also be helpful for those who are in their 40s and 50s and suffer from dementia.</p> <p>Researchers have discovered gene therapy is safe when given in high doses and for a long period of time.</p> <p>Dr Arne Ittner, one of the leaders of the study, says a better understanding is required of what happens to the molecules in the brain during dementia.</p> <p>"Our work delivers a very powerful piece in this puzzle," he said in a statement.</p> <p>His brother and co-research leader, Professor Lars Ittner, said he was ecstatic to see a decade worth of research transition into clinical development that could benefit those living with dementia.</p> <p>"This provides hope as there is a lot of therapy out there focused on prevention but not much for those already affected by the disease," he said.</p> <p>The two researchers said the possible success of this new therapy could be within reach in five to 10 years.</p>

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Breakthrough treatment for glaucoma sufferers

<p>An eye implant that's smaller than a grain of sand has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of glaucoma, which is a leading cause of blindness. </p> <p>The implant measures just 0.2mm by 1mm and is a tiny polyester plug that gradually releases bimatoprost.</p> <p>This is a drug that's already found in eye drops that are often prescribed to patients to treat glaucoma. </p> <p>With more than seven in ten patients failing to use the drops properly, this highly reduces the benefit of the drug and others suffer from side-effects of the eye drops.</p> <p>It is hoped that the implant will improve treatment as well as slow down the progression of the disease.</p> <p>Glaucoma is most common in people in their 70s and 80s and is often caused by fluid building up in the front part of the eye.</p> <p>This increases pressure in the eye and squeezes the optic nerve, killing some of the fibres needed to transmit information to the brain and leads to a loss of vision.</p> <p>The implant's benefits last for around eight months, with a patient only being able to be fitted for one.</p> <p>It is hoped in the future that they are able to have replacements when needed.</p> <p>"Anything that makes it easier for people to manage glaucoma is a good thing," says Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, clinical adviser for the College of Optometrists.</p> <p>"Implants are a possible option, but recent research suggests that a pressure-lowering laser treatment called selective laser trabeculoplasty may be even more helpful."</p>

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“Major breakthrough”: Scientists find new drug to save COVID-19 patients’ lives

<p>A cheap and widely accessible steroid called dexamethasone has become the first drug that has been shown to save lives among COVID-19 patients.</p> <p>Scientists have hailed it as a “major breakthrough” after trials showed that the drug reduced death rates by around a third of the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.</p> <p>Dexamethasone is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases and the success of the drug suggest that it should immediately become standard care in patients with severe cases of the pandemic disease.</p> <p>“This is a result that shows that if patients who have COVID-19 and are on ventilators or are on oxygen are given dexamethasone, it will save lives, and it will do so at a remarkably low cost,” said Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor co-leading the trial.</p> <p>“It’s going to be very hard for any drug really to replace this, given that for less than STG50 ($A90) you can treat eight patients and save a life,” he told reporters in an online briefing.</p> <p>Co-lead investigator Peter Horby said that dexamethasone was “the only drug that’s so far shown to reduce mortality and it reduces it significantly”.</p> <p>“It is a major breakthrough,” he said.</p> <p>“Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide.”</p> <p>There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, a disease that has killed more than 431,000 globally.</p> <p>“The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients,” Horby said.</p>

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Breakthrough drug touted as new hope against coronavirus

<p>A US biotech firm has increased production of an experimental drug that has been touted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the most promising treatment for the coronavirus.</p> <p>Gilead Sciences said it had also ramped up manufacturing of its antiviral medicine remdesivir to increase its supplies “as rapidly as possible”, as the first clinical trial of the drug in COVID-19 patients is due to report its findings next month.</p> <p>In February, Gilead announced human clinical trials across multiple countries for the treatment, which has been cited by public health officials as the most promising therapy to date to fight the new coronavirus strain.</p> <p>“There is only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy and that’s remdesivir,” said WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward during a press conference in Beijing late February.</p> <p>Timothy Sheahan, virologist at the University of North Carolina told <em><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/hopes-rise-over-experimental-drugs-effectiveness-against-coronavirus/ar-BB10ZO4S?li=AAgfYrC">The Guardian</a> </em>the drug could “help make people’s disease less severe, save lives for those hospitalised, and be used prophylactically for hospital workers and perhaps even in the community to limit spread out there”.</p> <p>At the time of writing, a total of 113,702 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally, with the death toll reaching 4,012. The WHO said Monday that of over 80,0000 people who have been infected by the coronavirus in China, more than 70 per cent have recovered and been released from hospitals.</p> <p>“We need to remember that with decisive early action we can slow down the virus and prevent infections,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Among those who are infected, most will recover.”</p>

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New breakthrough in the search for William Tyrrell: 5 suspects identified

<p>Detectives investigating the William Tyrrell case have identified five “high priority person of interest” suspects in the disappearance of the toddler.</p> <p>The development comes as a coronial inquest into the disappearance of William is set to start later this year.</p> <p>William went missing from his grandparent’s house in Kendall, on the NSW mid-north coast on September 21, 2014, when he was aged just three years old. </p> <p>As part of the investigation, one high-profile suspect remains a “person of interest” while four other “high priority” suspects are being examined, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/william-tyrrell-case-police-prepare-for-coronial-inquest/news-story/1e2b7207ec13464ac782830d9056ac22?login=1" target="_blank" title="The Australian reported">The Australian </a></strong></em><strong><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/william-tyrrell-case-police-prepare-for-coronial-inquest/news-story/1e2b7207ec13464ac782830d9056ac22?login=1" target="_blank" title="The Australian reported">reported</a></strong><strong>.</strong></span></p> <p>Yesterday, officers from the Strike Force Rosann began focusing on an area of land at Cedar Loggers Lane and Batar Creek Road in Batar Creek, which is outside the forensic search zone that had previously been outlined.</p> <p>The area is four kilometres from William’s grandparents’ house, south-west of Port Macquarie.</p> <p>It's a zone that Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said is “very specific” and it relates to a “high risk” individual who lives nearby.</p> <p>“The reason why we're searching this very specific area of bushland is the result of information we've uncovered during the course of the investigation,” Det Insp Jubelin said on Wednesday. </p> <p>“We're looking for any information, any exhibits... anything that's foreign to the area and anything that links to William's disappearance.”</p> <p>He also hoped the fresh search would put pressure on people he believed know something about the case.</p> <p>“I strongly believe that there are people out there who have information on this and I want to make a point to those people that if you do have information concerning what happened to William, you are committing an offence if you do not come forward,” he told reporters on June 13.</p> <p>A $1 million reward for information leading to William’s recovery still stands.</p>

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Aussie researcher’s stunning asthma breakthrough

<p>Australian researchers have made a stunning breakthrough in the prevention of asthma, happening across a method that has been described as a ‘holy grail’ that could cut the rate of children diagnosed with the condition by 50 per cent.</p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Dailymail reports</strong></em></span></a> Hunter Medical Research Institute has been studying asthma in pregnant woman, and found breath-testing and treatment during pregnancy halved the odds their children would be diagnosed before starting school.</p> <p>“Implementation of this approach in clinical practice has the potential to reduce asthma rates among a group of children at high-risk of developing the disease,” the findings published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology said.</p> <p>The study’s lead researcher Vanessa Murphy, from the University of Newcastle, said early results from the research were more than promising.</p> <p>“Asthma in pregnancy affects around 10 to 12 per cent of pregnant women in Australia,” she told the ABC.</p> <p>“And I don't think we take that seriously enough because it can have major impacts on the health of both the mother and the baby.”</p> <p>Her bullish attitude was backed up by fellow research and paediatrician Professor Joerg Mattes, from the John Hunter Children’s Hospital.</p> <p>“To see such a clear and robust and impressive effect, I have to say was obviously a nice surprise,” he said.</p> <p>“To identify a prevention for asthma is considered to be the holy grail within our research and this finding, which is unexpectedly very clear and very significant, we believe has large implications because it is the most effective asthma prevention that has been demonstrated so far.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

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The breakthrough migraine medication set for approval

<p>An online Migraine World Summit has revealed that millions of Australian migraine sufferers may not be getting high enough doses of medicine to reduce their pain.</p> <p>But a new class of medicine expected to get FDA approval in the US this year could be the solution for three million Aussie migraine sufferers.</p> <p>Australian neurologist Professor Peter Goadsby revealed at the Summit that a typical 70kg migraine sufferer needs 900 milligrams of aspirin to relieve their pain, not the standard 600 milligram dose.</p> <p>Similarly, medications prescribed to beat migraines such as blood pressure medication propranolol and anti-epileptics are often not given in high enough doses to fix the issue.</p> <p>Dr Richard Lipton from the Montefiore Headache Centre also revealed that patients also need to understand that their migraine medication can actually cause headaches as well, if it is taken too often.</p> <p>Medication-overuse headaches occur when a person uses drugs such as codeine, barbiturates or triptans more than twice a week, reported the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health/the-new-breakthrough-migraine-medications-set-for-approval/news-story/a1f29bfb92c6e3fd00904f31f9f64880" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Daily Telegraph</strong></span></a>.</p> <p>However, a new migraine treatment called Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors is currently going through the FDA approval process and could be the solution for migraine suffers.</p> <p>This medication, which is the first new migraine treatment in almost 30 years, has shown in trials that it can cut the number of migraine attacks in half.</p> <p>The medication, which is injected once-a-month, blocks CGPR molecules released in the brain that have been linked to migraine headaches.</p> <p>The drug reduced the number of attacks by 50 per cent or more in up to 50 per cent of people.</p> <p>Professor Lars Edvinsson from Lund University, who is behind the research, says it has very few side effects.</p> <p>Professor Goadsby explained that around half of those who suffer from migraines are never diagnosed because they think they need to have visual disturbances or aura for it to be a “true migraine”.</p> <p>Only 25-30 per cent of migraine sufferers have a visual disturbance or aura as a side effect.</p> <p>Do you regularly suffer from migraines? Tell us in the comments below? </p>

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New breakthrough test detects Alzheimer’s decades earlier

<p>A simple new blood test can now pinpoint Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before any symptoms appear, in a significant breakthrough in the fight against dementia.  </p> <p>Pioneered by Australian and Japanese researchers, the blood test measures levels of beta-amyloid –  known as the “Alzheimer’s protein” – in the brain. The protein begins to build up from the age of 50, years before symptoms often appear, and is a strong indicator that a person will get the disease.</p> <p>The world’s first accurate blood test will make diagnosis much easier, cheaper and more accessible. Currently, most patients only get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s once symptoms appear.</p> <p>Lead researcher Professor Colin Master, from the University of Melbourne, said the blood test can now be a part of a routine health check and screen people for their risk of developing Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.</p> <p>“I can see ... people having a regular check-up every five years after the age of 55, 60 to determine whether they are on the Alzheimer’s pathway or not,” he said.</p> <p>“The test itself has an accuracy of greater than 90 per cent at predicting people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s because they have a build-up of this abnormal protein in the brain,” Professor Master said.</p> <p>However, Professor Masters acknowledges many people might not want to know they one day may suffer from the disease.</p> <p>"Most people probably wouldn't want to have this test unless there's a specific therapy, but many others would take the view that they want to plan ahead by five or 10 years," Professor Masters said.</p> <p>"If the test is negative, there's a 95 per cent chance that you're not going to develop Alzheimer's within the foreseeable future – that means within 10 or 15 years."</p> <p>However, the professor said it will still early days and the blood test will now be used to find people suitable for clinical trials, before hopefully expanding to be used by the wider population.</p> <p>"Always in this type of medical science research, it's always good to have a diagnosis first and then a treatment follows," he said.</p> <p>"Once you can diagnose the condition accurately and specifically, then it makes it so much easier to work on developing a specific therapy."</p> <p> </p>

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