Doctors in the US have achieved a breakthrough in developing drugs that repair lung cells damaged by smoking, which causes 99 percent of the most lethal type of lung cancer.

Scientists at the John Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore found that severe lung damage caused by smoking causes a ‘repair message’ to be constantly switched on, making too many new cells and ultimately resulting in cancer.

The team are now testing drugs that might block the repair message in mice. One which has shown promise is called cyclopamine. It could be three to four years before the drugs can be tested on humans.

Mobile Phones could soon be helping asthma sufferers to monitor their breathing capacity and prevent asthma attacks.

E-San, a British company is testing a software programme for mobile phones that reminds asthma sufferers to monitor their condition twice a day.

"We hope using mobile phones will make monitoring a cooler option, especially for kids," Lionel Tarassenako, the company’s chief technologist, told New Scientist magazine.

Asthma patients check their condition by breathing into a mechanical flow meter and record the results on a chart. It provides information for doctors to make sure their medication is working.

The E-San programme prompts the phone-owner to use the meter. The phones used in the trials include a pocket PC that records the data and will send it to E- San’s offices where it will be analysed by a computer.

"If the software detects any early signs of an impending attack, the details are e-mailed to the patient’s GP, who can then text or e-mail the patient if action is needed," the magazine says.

If the trial is successful, the company plans to expand the programme to monitor other illnesses such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis.

Biotin is a part of the B Complex group and is vital for a healthy immune system. It is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It is essential for the growth and health of the hair and prevents premature greying and hair loss. This vitamin keeps the skin and the nervous system in a sound condition.

Deficiency of biotin causes muscular weakness, pains, pins and needles sensation, lassitude and lack of appetite. It may be accompanied with eczema, dandruff and hair loss. Other common problems which may occur are skin disorders, heart ab- normalities, lung infections, anaemia, fatigue, confusion, depression and drowsiness. The fleshy part of the tongue may waste away.

Treatment with 20 mcg of biotin, taken daily for 10 days intramuscularly, can heal skin lesions in about 90 per cent of infants with seborrheic dermatitis. Oral biotin taken in doses of 400 mcg daily for 8-12 weeks, or 600 mcg daily for 6-8 weeks, has been used with good success in the treatment of acne and seborrheic eczema. The use of a tropical creamy preparation once daily, and a shampoo containing 0.25 to 1.0 per cent biotin, three times weekly, is effective in reducing excessive hair loss in men. There are no recommended daily amounts for this vitamin.

There are no recommended dietary allowances for this vitamin.

A joint team of physicists and ophthalmologists at the University Michigan has developed a new bladeless, laser surgical method, which may help reduce complications and improve overall results of the popular LASlK eye surgery.

According to a study of 208 procedures in 108 patients, femtosecond lasers can make clean, high-precision cuts in the human cornea that offer superior reliability and fewer complications than cuts made with mechanical devices now used in most Lasik procedures.

Intralase Corporation commercialised the technology. Over 30,000 procedures have been safely completed with the new technology.

LASIK, or laser in situ keratomilieusis, surgery reduces refractive error in the eye by reshaping or removing a portion of the cornea with an excimer laser. But before an excimer laser can be used, a thin flap in the cornea must be cut and folded away from the eye to provide better access to the tissue to be sculpted.

Creation of this flap is one of the most important steps toward insuring a successful and trouble-free procedure. In the traditional LASIK procedure, a microkeratome is used to create the flap. The microkeratome relies on a mounted metal razor blade to cut the flap in the cornea. Even in very skilled hands accurate depth and consistent flap thickness can be dif- ficult to control with the device.