- - European weblog on food, health and environment
News - Week 45 - 2008
Hungry for Change - Eric Schlosser
Author Eric Schlosser talks about why he's Hungry for Change. Grist.org and
TakePart.com caught up with him at Slow Food Nation at a special screening of clips from
the upcoming documentary Food, Inc.
There Is a Connection Between
Gluten and Acne That Often Gets Overlooked
Does it feel like nothing helps with your acne? You eat healthy, you live healthy and
you've tried everything, but nothing helps. Your acne just won't budge. You may suffer
from gluten sensitivity and it may prevent you from curing acne. Gluten sensitivity is one
of those hidden and hard to detect causes behind many health problems. And something you
might not think of in a million years. It also happens to be the reason many acne victims
struggle to get clear skin.
Seasonal Affective Disorder May Be
Linked to Genetic Mutation, Study Suggests
With the days shortening toward winter, many people will begin to experience the winter
blahs. For some, the effect can be devastating.About 6 percent of the U.S. population
suffers from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a sometimes-debilitating depression that
begins in the fall and continues through winter. Sufferers may even find it difficult to
get out of bed in the morning. The disorder, which is not well understood, is often
treated with "light therapy," where a SAD patient spends time each morning
before a bank of bright lights in an effort to trick the brain into believing that the
days are not so short or dim. A new study indicates that SAD may be linked to a genetic
mutation in the eye that makes a SAD patient less sensitive to light. "These
individuals may require brighter light levels to maintain normal functioning during the
winter months," said Ignacio Provencio, a University of Virginia biology professor
who studies the genetics of the body's biological clock, or circadian rhythms. Provencio
and his colleagues have discovered that melanopsin, a photopigment gene in the eye, may
play a role in causing SAD in people with a recently discovered mutation.
New research finds markers for
esophageal cancer before it develops
Rhode Island Hospital researchers have identified genetic proteins, also known as
biomarkers, capable of distinguishing changes at the microscopic level that can signal a
precancerous condition in the esophagus. These markers may help identify patients who are
likely to progress to esophageal cancer. This first of its kind study is published in the
journal Clinical Cancer Research. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a common precancerous
condition of the lower esophagus. Patients with BE need to be screened by endoscopy and
biopsied at frequent intervals in order to detect premalignant changes at the microscopic
level. The presence of BE increases the risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma
(EAC), the most common form of esophageal cancer. Lead author Murray Resnick, MD,
comments, "Identification of biomarkers capable of distinguishing the grade of
Barrett's esophagus-associated dysplasia, as well as identifying patients who are most
likely to progress to cancer, would be extremely valuable tools for both surgical
pathologists and gastroentorologists." The progression of BE to EAC occurs in a
series of steps from low-grade dysplasia (earliest morphological sign of precancer) to
high-grade dysplasia (HGD). Approximately half of all patients who experience HGD will
progress to EAC. Several genetic abnormalities have been identified that support the
transition from HGD to EAC. Currently morphological analysis of esophageal biopsies by
light microscopy is considered the gold standard for identifying HGD, thereby guiding a
treatment plan for these patients. Distinguishing between LGD and HGD, however, can be
challenging for pathologists to detect using light microscopy alone. Resnick says,
"As pathologists, our primary goal was to identify candidate biomarker proteins
suitable for the generation of specific antibodies that could detect these proteins using
immunohistochemical diagnostic techniques that are readily available in all pathology
departments."
New journal shows half-broken gene
is enough to cause cancer
Tumour suppressor genes do not necessarily require both alleles to be knocked out before
disease phenotypes are expressed. Research published in BioMed Central's new open access
journal PathoGenetics reveals that only one allele of SMAD4 has to be damaged to put a
person at risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancer. Riccardo Fodde led a team of
researchers from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, who investigated SMAD4, a tumor suppressor gene
implicated in pancreatic and colorectal cancer. They found that having one mutated SMAD4
allele was associated with the development of gastrointestinal polyps. This research is
the first to address the molecular and cellular consequences of SMAD4 damage on a
genome-wide scale. This high quality research is typical of that which will be published
in PathoGenetics, an open access journal created to meet the need for a resource focused
solely on the pathogenesis of genetic diseases. The journal's co-Editors in Chief are
Professor Stylianos Antonarakis and Professor Andrea Ballabio. Ballabio said,
"PathoGenetics will give scientists a unique opportunity to publish exciting research
on the molecular mechanisms underlying the manifestations of disease phenotype".
Sibling study could lead to better
treatments for inherited form of colon cancer
Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) believe they may be one step closer to
understanding how certain forms of colon cancer develop. In a study using siblings who
have been diagnosed with colon cancer, scientists discovered similarities on a region of a
particular chromosome, referred to as 7q31. Researchers believe that piece of genetic
material may be causing a subset of colon cancers that run in families. "It's those
genetic similarities in colon cancer patients that would suggest that region holds a gene
that's causing colon cancer," says Deborah Neklason, PhD and lead investigator on the
study. Referred to as the Cancer Genetics Network "Sibling Pair Project,"
Neklason and other researchers analyzed the genetic material of 82 siblings. In addition
to the discovery of a potential location of a cancer-causing gene, the research also shows
siblings who share this genetic region tend to develop cancer 3.8 years earlier than
siblings who do not. The study findings are published in the November 1, 2008 issue of
Cancer Research. Scientists already know roughly 30 percent of all colon cancers are a
direct result of an inherited gene, but less than five percent of these genes have been
identified. "Those cases where the genes have been identified tend to be pretty
dramatic," says Neklason. "Colon cancer develops at young ages and the cases are
easier to figure out. It's the other 25 percent that's tough. These cases are more like
sporadic colon cancer and are much more subtle," she says. The findings could
ultimately lead to a better understanding of the cellular process that results in cancer
and its progression. It will likely pave the way for more targeted research that could
someday result in a screening test to detect genetic forms of colon cancer.
Being nervous, socially isolated, anxious or neurotic during childhood protects young men
from becoming criminal offenders until they enter adulthood, but the protective effect
seems to wear off after the age of 21. These are the findings of Dr. Georgia Zara, from
the University of Turin in Italy, and Dr. David Farrington, from the University of
Cambridge in the UK, who explored whether or not certain childhood factors delay the onset
of criminal behavior until adulthood. Their research has just been published online in
Springer’s Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Smokers see decline in ability to
smell, rise in laryngitis, and upper airway issues
As Americans prepare for a day without cigarettes and tobacco products as part of the
American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout (R) (November 21), new research gives them
more reasons to extend that break to a lifetime, according to the American Academy of
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF). Among the new research
presented at the organization's annual meeting in September 2008 are studies that link
cigarette smoking and upper airway symptoms ("smoker's nose"), the loss of
smokers' ability to smell common odors, and most alarming, the role second-hand smoke
plays in the rise of cases of "environmental laryngitis." The first study,
presented by Norwegian researchers, reveals that among 2,294 patients being evaluated for
obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, or nose-related issues, smokers were 12 to 27 percent
higher than non-smokers in 8 of the 13 possible symptoms. The researchers believe that
quitting smoking should be a primary therapeutic measure for patients with these upper
airway ailments. In another study, Brazilian researchers examined the link between smoking
and loss of smell. In a clinical study examining 56 healthy volunteers, current and former
smokers in the group had greater trouble smelling butanol, an alcohol used widely in odor
testing because of its distinct and powerful smell. The authors believe this confirms that
smokers will experience altered ability to smell as they continue the habit. A third study
cites second-hand tobacco smoke as one of the primary causes of what the authors term
"environmental laryngitis," along with allergens and air pollution. The study,
authored by researchers at the University of California-Davis, indicates through animal
models that exposure to second-hand smoke can trigger laryngitis symptoms, including
hoarseness, cough, and chronic clearing of the throat. Researchers and physicians have
generally attributed laryngitis to a viral infection and overuse of the voice; however,
this new research now raises significant concerns surrounding the condition, especially as
air quality and ozone levels worldwide continue to decline.
Surgical Removal of Small Colon
Polyps is Costly and Unnecessary
Polypectomy (the surgical removal of polyps by colonoscopy) of small polyps found during
CT colonography is costly and unnecessary according to a study performed at the University
of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, WI. A decision analysis
model was constructed to represent the clinical and economic consequences of performing
three year colorectal cancer surveillance, immediate colonoscopy with polypectomy, or
neither on patients who have 6-9 mm polyps found on CT colonography (CTC). The analysis
model was accompanied by a hypothetical population of 100,000 60-year-old adults with 6-
to 9-mm polyps detected at CTC screening. Results showed that, “by excluding large
polyps and masses, CTC screening can place a patient in a very low risk category making
colonoscopy for small polyps probably not warranted,” said Perry J. Pickhardt, MD,
lead author of the study. “Approximately 10,000 colonoscopy referrals would be needed
for each theoretical cancer death prevented at a cost of nearly $400,000 per life-year
gained. We would also expect an additional 10 perforations and probably one death related
to these extra colonoscopies. There may be no net gain in terms of lives—just extra
costs,” said Dr. Pickhardt.
Dr Paul Clayton graduated summa cum laude in Medical Pharmacology from Edinburgh
University, prior to obtaining his PhD. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine
and a former Senior Scientific Advisor to the UK government's Committee on the Safety of
Medicines. He has worked with leading doctors and clinical scientists at centres of
clinical expertise in the UK and abroad, and trained the pharmacists in Britain' s largest
chemist chain in preventative nutrition. Dr Clayton has lectured at the Royal College of
General Practitioners. He frequently presents at and chairs international conferences on
nutrition and health. His books include Health Defence and After Atkins. Eating more fruit
and veg is good for you. More specifically, it reduces the risk of degenerative disease
and premature death. This simple fact is supported by so many lines of evidence that it is
beyond argument, although pockets of resistance remain among the more Neanderthal doctors.
The Palaeolithic diet explored by influential scientists such as Professors Boyd Eaton and
Loren Cordain, the Mediterranen diet analysed and tested by leading researchers such as
Professors Kim Knoops and Katherine Esposito, and most recently the Victorian diet (as
revealed by myself and Dr Judith Rowbotham), are all associated with robust good health;
and based on large intakes of fruit and vegetables. Conversely, it is equally clear that
our historically low intake of fruit and veg, currently averaging 2.5 portions per day
(Health of Britain 08), is one of the main reasons why rates of heart disease and cancer
have increased ten-fold since 1880 (Clayton & Rowbotham 08). I should point out here
that the UK governments figure of an average 3.7 portions a day is just another example of
spin (Family Food 05). Their figure was based on amounts of fruit and veg purchased, all
of which was supposedly eaten; although in reality, it is well known that as much as 30%
of food is wasted (Hunter 98), including £820 million worth of wasted fruit and veg
(Ventour 08).
Anti-VEGF drugs for retinal
diseases could have serious side effects, scientists caution
cientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that reducing the levels of
vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is best known as a stimulator of new
blood vessel growth, in adult mice causes the death of photoreceptors and Muller glia -
cells of the retina that are essential to visual function. This finding, published in the
November 3, 2008 PLoS ONE, holds implications for the chronic use of promising new
anti-VEGF drugs such as Lucentis, which eliminate abnormal and damaging blood vessel
growth and leakage in the retina by neutralizing VEGF. "The take home message of this
study is that physicians should be vigilant in monitoring patients undergoing anti-VEGF
treatments for any possible signs of these side effects," says Principal Investigator
Patricia D'Amore, Senior Scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute. "Drugs such as
Lucentis are very good at reducing the edema (fluids) and eliminating the abnormal blood
vessels that characterize wet macular degeneration, but our results suggest that there
could be unanticipated side effects." Scientists have long known that VEGF is
essential for normal development of the vascular system and for wound healing. It triggers
the formation of new blood vessels that nourish the growing body and heal organs and
tissues. VEGF also stimulates--in an apparent misguided attempt to heal perceived damage
in the retina--the growth of abnormal blood vessels that leak and damage delicate retinal
tissue. However, a growing body of evidence also indicates that beyond its impact on blood
vessel growth, VEGF may play other vital roles in the adult body and eye, so that
eliminating the growth factor might lead to unexpected consequences.Given the popularity
and promise of the new anti-VEGF drugs for the treatment of macular degeneration, D'Amore
and her team believed that investigating the broader role of this growth factor in the
normal adult retina was critical. She and her laboratory mimicked the action of the
anti-VEGF drugs by introducing into adult mice a soluble VEGF receptor, known as sFlt1,
which binds and neutralizes the VEGF-- in much the same way that Lucentis does in the eye.
After two weeks, the team found no effect on blood vessels of the inner retina, but did
find a significant increase in the number of dying cells of the inner and outer nuclear
layers which include amacrine cells that participate in transmitting the visual signal;
Muller cells that also participate in the visual signal and support the photoreceptors;
and, photoreceptors, which are responsible for color and night vision. The team then used
electroretinograms to measure visual function and found a significant loss in visual
function. Consistent with these observations, they discovered that both photoreceptors and
Muller cells express VEGFR2, the major VEGF signaling receptor and they found that
neighboring Muller cells express VEGF.
Parasites that live inside cells
use loophole to thwart immune system
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a mechanism by which
intracellular pathogens can shut down one of the body's key chemical weapons against them:
nitric oxide. The researchers found that the microbes block nitric oxide production by
subverting the biochemical machinery used by immune cells called macrophages to produce
the chemical. Macrophages are the battle tanks of the immune system, attacking and
consuming bacteria and parasites, shredding them with enzymes and poisoning them with
nitric oxide. However, some pathogens, such as those that cause tuberculosis and
toxoplasmosis, have evolved to live and proliferate within macrophages themselves. To do
so, these intracellular pathogens deploy an arsenal of weapons to avoid and counterattack
macrophage's own weapons. In their study that appears in the advance online publication of
the journal Nature Immunology, St. Jude researchers focused on the role the microbes play
in activating the macrophages to make an enzyme called arginase. The arginase enzyme
occurs naturally in macrophages, but is normally only expressed under very specific
circumstances, including when macrophages might make too much nitric oxide. "Although
the findings are basic, they suggest that it might be feasible to develop drugs to block
such pathogens' biochemical subversion, restoring nitric oxide production and empowering
macrophages to attack the invaders," said Peter Murray, Ph.D., an associate member of
the St. Jude departments of Infectious Diseases and Immunology.
Consuming small amounts of caffeine
when pregnant may affect the growth of an unborn child
Consuming caffeine at any time during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of
fetal growth restriction (low birth weight), according to research published on bmj.com
today. Although some previous studies have also shown this, this BMJ study additionally
shows that any amount and type of caffeine intake—from tea, cola, chocolate, cocoa,
and some prescription drugs, as well as coffee—is linked with relatively slower fetal
growth. Dr Justin Konje and colleagues from the University of Leicester as well as
collaborators from the University of Leeds, examined the association of maternal caffeine
intake and individual caffeine metabolism on birth weight. From two large teaching
hospitals in the UK between September 2003 and June 2006 the authors recruited 2645 low
risk pregnant women of average age 30, who were between 8-12 weeks pregnant. They used a
caffeine assessment tool (CAT) to record caffeine intake from all possible dietary sources
in the four weeks before and throughout pregnancy, and also used a saliva sample test to
calculate individual caffeine metabolism. The researchers report that the average caffeine
intake during pregnancy was 159mg/day, much lower than the limit of 300mg/day recommended
by the UK government's Food Standards Agency. Interestingly, 62% of the caffeine use
reported came from tea. Other sources were coffee (14%), cola (12%), chocolate (8%), and
soft drinks (2%).
HPV virus helps cervical and head
and neck cancers resist treatment and grow and spread
The human papillomavirus (HPV) allows infected cervical and head and neck cancer cells to
maintain internal molecular conditions that make the cancers resistant to therapy and more
likely to grow and spread, resulting in a poor prognosis for patients, researchers with
UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center found. Virtually all human cancers experience a state called
intratumoral hypoxia, or a low amount of oxygen within the tumor. In the UCLA study,
researchers showed that the HPV-positive cancers adapted to and took advantage of the
hypoxic environment by expressing a protein that activates a cell signaling pathway that
helps the cancers survive, grow and spread. The research, done on cells in culture and in
animal models, may lead to the development of new therapies that target the cell signaling
pathway, thereby interrupting ability of the cancer cells to thrive, said Dr. Matthew
Rettig, senior author of the study and a researcher at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer
Center."There is potential for therapeutic intervention based on this finding,"
said Rettig, an associate professor of urology and medicine.
Does Watching Sex on Television
Predict Teen Pregnancy?
This is the first study to demonstrate a prospective link between exposure to sexual
content on television and the experience of a pregnancy before the age of 20. Limiting
adolescent exposure to the sexual content on television and balancing portrayals of sex in
the media with information about possible negative consequences might reduce the risk of
teen pregnancy. Parents may be able to mitigate the influence of this sexual content by
viewing with their children and discussing these depictions of sex.
Fibromyalgia can no longer be
called the 'invisible' syndrome
Using single photon emission computed tomography, researchers in France were able to
detect functional abnormalities in certain regions in the brains of patients diagnosed
with fibromyalgia, reinforcing the idea that symptoms of the disorder are related to a
dysfunction in those parts of the brain where pain is processed.
New method provides panoramic view
of protein-RNA interactions in living cells
DNA, it has turned out, isn't all it was cracked up to be. In recent years we learned that
the molecule of life, the discovery of the 20th century, did not -- could not -- by itself
explain the huge differences in complexity between a human and a worm. Forced to look
elsewhere, scientists turned to RNA, a direct yet more complex transcript of DNA. But
methodological problems have historically plagued the study of RNA regulation in living
cells, limiting not only the accuracy of results but also our understanding of RNA's role
in human disease. But now, in research to appear in the November 2 advance online issue of
Nature, Robert B. Darnell, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-oncology at
Rockefeller University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, and his team
have changed all that. By adapting techniques mastered in the test tube and combining them
with high throughput technology, the team has developed a genome-wide platform to study
how specialized proteins regulate RNA in living, intact cells. The platform allows
researchers to identify, in a single experiment, every sequence within every strand of RNA
to which proteins bind. The result is an unbiased and unprecedented look at how
differences in RNA can explain how a worm and a human can each have 25,000 genes yet be so
different.
Persistent bacterial infection
exploits killing machinery of immune cells
A new study reveals an important and newly discovered pathway used by disease-causing
bacteria to evade the host immune system and survive and grow within the very cells meant
to destroy them. This discovery may lead to new treatments and vaccines for tuberculosis
(TB) and certain other chronic bacterial and parasitic infections. The research, supported
by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National
Institutes of Health, is the work of the laboratories headed by Peter Murray, Ph.D., at
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and Thomas Wynn, Ph.D., of the
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases at NIAID. Their findings appear in the November issue of
Nature Immunology. Clearing the body of disease-causing bacteria is the job of specialized
white blood cells called macrophages. The word "macrophage" means "big
eater" in Latin and that is just what these cells are--they gobble up cell debris,
infected cells and disease-causing bacteria found in the body. To help them digest and
destroy what they eat, macrophages make compounds that in most cases kill pathogens. One
of these chemicals is the free radical nitric oxide (NO).However, some harmful bacteria,
known as intracellular pathogens, live inside cells and can even survive and replicate
within macrophages, somehow inhibiting or escaping killing by NO. One natural NO inhibitor
made by macrophages is the enzyme arginase. Arginase steals and degrades the material
required to make NO, therefore limiting how much NO is made. "The bacteria designed
to live inside the cell are highly adapted to their environment," says Dr. Murray.
"We wanted to determine just how intracellular bacteria were turning on the genes
that make arginase, thereby controlling the expression of NO and escaping killing by
macrophages."
Psychodynamic treatment may help
depression. Results from a finnish study
There are few studies comparing the efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy
(STPP) and pharmacotherapy in major depressive disorder. A group of finnish investigators
conducted a comparative study on the efficacy of STPP versus fluoxetine treatment in
patients with major depressive disorder in a primary care setting. Fifty-one patients with
major depressive disorder (DSM-IV) of mild or moderate severity were recruited through
occupational health services providing primary health care. Patients were randomized to
receive either STPP (1 session/week) or fluoxetine treatment (20-40 mg/day) for 16 weeks.
The outcome measures included the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Beck
Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale
(SOFAS).
Clinicians highlight urgent need
for research into the best treatment for medication overuse headaches
There is a critical need to review current treatment strategies for the increasingly
common problem of medication overuse headaches (MOH), according to a series of
international papers in the November issue of Cephalalgia. “MOH is associated with
severe disability, unmet treatment need and little clinical data to support current
management strategies” says neurology expert Professor David W Dodick from the Mayo
Clinic College of Medicine, Arizona, USA. His overview also highlights the need for
greater research into the condition - in particular the role that migraine medication can
play in the withdrawal process. It is accompanied by papers on how the condition is
tackled in Denmark, Germany, Moldova, Japan, Spain, Canada, India and Taiwan. MOH,
previously known as rebound headache, drug-induced headache or drug-misuse headache, is a
headache that occurs at least 15 days a month when patients overuse medication.
Chocolate, Cheese, Meat, and Sugar
-- Physically Addictive Foods
Neal Barnard MD discusses the science behind food additions. Willpower is not to blame:
chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances. Dr. Barnard also
discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us
to eat more and more unhealthy foods. A plant-based (vegan) diet is the solution to avoid
many of these problems. Neal Barnard is the founder of the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
This is a news clip I got in my email. I'd never heard of this, and as they mention in
the clip, it's not commonly known amongst women. It's always good to have information like
this, so we can better protect ourselves.
Study Finds ADHD Affects Motor
Skills of Boys More Than Girls
New research published in the November 4, 2008 issue of Neurology®, the medical journal
of the American Academy of Neurology, found that ADHD affects the motor skills of boys
more than girls. By examining age-related improvement of motor skills in children with and
without ADHD, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Md. found that
girls with ADHD and their typically developing peers were more likely to be able to
control their movements compared to boys with ADHD. The findings are consistent with
multiple MRI studies that have shown boys with ADHD have decreased activity in regions of
the brain important for planning and executing movement. This study found that the motor
skills of typically developing children steadily improved with age, but boys with ADHD
continued to show motor skills deficits through adolescence. The motor skills of girls
with ADHD improved at a rate more similar to their typically developing peers. This
study’s large sample size of boys and girls with ADHD distinguishes it from past
research examining motor skill development in children with the disorder because it allows
for direct comparison of girls and boys with ADHD. Previous research has primarily
examined boys with the disorder, making this one of only a handful of studies that has
explored whether girls with ADHD experience similar patterns in motor skill development as
boys with the disorder.
Lung airway cells activate vitamin
D and increase immune response
Vitamin D is essential to good health but needs to be activated to function properly in
the human body. Until recently, this activation was thought to happen primarily in the
kidneys, but a new University of Iowa study finds that the activation step can also occur
in lung airway cells. The study also links the vitamin D locally produced in the lung
airway cells to activation of two genes that help fight infection. The study results
appear in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology, now online. In addition to
contributing to calcium absorption and bone health, vitamin D is increasingly recognized
for its beneficial effects on the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been recently
linked to increased risk of some infections, autoimmune diseases such as multiple
sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, and some cancers. "The more scientists have been
studying vitamin D, the more we learn about new roles it plays in the human body,"
said the study's lead author Sif Hansdottir, M.D., fellow in internal medicine in the
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. "The active form of vitamin D is known
to affect the expression of more than 200 genes, so we were interested both in the
possible lung-specific production of active vitamin D and in vitamin D-dependent
production of proteins that fight infections."
Two new studies conclude that a review which claimed that homeopathy is just a placebo,
published in The Lancet, was seriously flawed.George Lewith, Professor of Health Research
at Southampton University comments - 'The review gave no indication of which trials were
analysed nor of the various vital assumptions made about the data. This is not usual
scientific practice. If we presume that homeopathy works for some conditions but not
others, or change the definition of a 'larger trial', the conclusions change. This
indicates a fundamental weakness in the conclusions: they are NOT reliable.'The background
to the ongoing debate is as follows - In August 2005, The Lancet published an editorial
entitled 'The End of Homeopathy', prompted by a review comparing clinical trials of
homeopathy with trials of conventional medicine. The claim that homeopathic medicines are
just placebo was based on 6 clinical trials of conventional medicine and 8 studies of
homeopathy but did not reveal the identity of these trials. The review was criticised for
its opacity as it gave no indication of which trials were analysed and the various
assumptions made about the data.
Previously unknown immune cell may
help those with Crohn's and colitis
The tonsils and lymphoid tissues in the intestinal tract that help protect the body from
external pathogens are the home base of a rare immune cell newly identified by researchers
at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers indicate that
the immune cells could have a therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such
as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Their report will appear in an upcoming issue
of the journal Nature and is currently available through advanced online publication.
"These cells have an anti-inflammatory effect," says the article's lead author
Marina Cella, M.D., research associate professor of pathology and immunology. "In the
gut, we have beneficial bacteria, and it's important that the body does not recognize them
as something detrimental and start an inflammatory reaction, which could ultimately
promote tissue damage and inflammatory or autoimmune diseases such as IBD. The cells we've
discovered are important for keeping such harmful inflammatory processes in check."
The cells are a type of natural killer (NK) cells, which are white blood cells classically
known to eliminate tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. Because of their killer
tendencies, NK cells are carefully controlled and don't act until they receive the right
signal. Some of the signals that activate the newly discovered cells are the same signals
that turn on a different immune cell with strong inflammatory properties that can promote
cell death and tissue damage if chronically active. But the anti-inflammatory cells,
termed NK-22 cells, that the Washington University researchers discovered have the
opposite effect — they promote cell proliferation and wound healing. "That
finding suggests that these cells play a role in maintaining a balance in the immune
system between inflammatory processes and anti-inflammatory processes," says coauthor
Jason Mills, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and immunology and of
developmental biology. "They make sure that factors that turn up inflammation can be
counteracted by the coordinated activation of anti-inflammatory effects."
Researchers in Sweden suggest in a forthcoming issue in the journal IJRAM that double
standards in health and safety regulations for occupational hazards and for the public
should be removed so that employees are afforded the same rights as individuals. Anders
Persson of Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, points out that health and safety
standards often allow for much higher exposures to chemicals and radiation in employees
than the general public. Arguments put forward to support this double standard often rely
on distinguishing between exposure and risk. Persson, however, asks why it is that, for
example, a nuclear industry worker in the USA can legally receive an annual whole-body
dose of ionizing radiation fifty times higher than is allowed for a member of the general
public? This discrepancy is not based on a greater resilience to radiation exposure than
the member of the public and extends to other industries. An analysis of the various
arguments concerning actual exposure and risks made by Persson suggests that there are no
ethically valid arguments for higher levels of risk-taking in occupational rather than
non-occupational settings. There are, of course, reasons to accept higher risks in some
contexts, and some of these reasons are applicable to some workplace situations, but none
of these reasons is applicable to work or employment relations in general. Persson offers
a minimal guideline based on his analysis that is addressed to employers, politicians, and
risk managers, who are involved in the moral appraisal of these double standards.
"Differentiation concerning exposures may well be ethically justified," he says,
"if no differentiation concerning risks is made. If the latter is the case, however,
one should be aware that no justification of differentiation concerning risk is supported
by a reasonable conception of the contract of employment or by any obvious ethical
principle that is applicable to workplaces or work situations in general."
‘Natural Killer’ immune
cells reveal factors for reproductive success
Immune cells known as natural killer (NK) cells are linked with pregnancy problems
including pre-eclampsia and recurrent miscarriage. Collaborative research between
scientists at the Babraham Institute and Centre for Trophoblast Research in Cambridge is
illuminating the role that pregnancy-related NK cells play in moderating the biochemical
interactions at the boundary between maternal tissues and the developing foetus. Their
findings, reported in November’s Journal of Immunology, reveal that uterine NK cells
are ‘armed’ with specific receptors, enabling interaction with other molecules
to ensure that the placenta develops normally and the pregnancy is successful. Natural
Killer (NK) cells, a type of white blood cell, defend us from tumours, viruses and other
potential dangers. They sense their environment through a repertoire of surface proteins
(receptors), which detect other immune molecules, those belonging to the Major
Histocompatability Complex (MHC). This allows NK cells to distinguish ‘friend from
foe’ and attack cells that have either lost self-MHC molecules or express a different
set of MHC molecules. A specialised set of NK cells accumulates in the uterus during each
menstrual cycle and, if a fertilised embryo implants, their numbers rapidly swell at the
maternal-foetal boundary. The role of these cells in pregnancy is enigmatic. Instead of
the killing function normally associated with NK cells, in the uterus NK cells work in a
different way; they are thought to make factors known as cytokines, which help to modify
the maternal arteries supplying the developing foetus with the necessary blood, nutrients
and oxygen. These dramatic tissue changes must be orchestrated in the context of the
genetic diversity between the maternal immune cells and the paternal genes expressed on
the developing placenta. Hostile interactions between maternal uterine NK cells and
paternal MHC molecules are associated with an increased likelihood of abnormal pregnancies
and recurrent miscarriage. However, the receptors enabling uterine NK cells to interact
with MHC are only recently being uncovered. It is also unclear how maternal immune cells
recognise paternal molecules in the unique micro-environment of the developing placenta,
preventing an attack being mounted.
With the cost of food recently skyrocketing — hitting not just shoppers but the poor
and hungry in the developing world — genetically modified (GM) foods are once again
being promoted as the way to feed the world. But this is little short of a confidence
trick. Far from needing more GM foods, there are urgent reasons why we need to ban them
altogether.
How GM Animals May Be Entering the
Food Chain without Labeling
On September 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released guidance on a regulatory
framework for approving the entrance of genetically modified (GM) animals into the
nation's food supply. The term "guidance" is agency-speak for the law will look
something like this. Put another way, the FDA has offered advice, considerably weaker than
legally enforceable regulation. With the announcement, a 60-day period for public comment
was opened.
First evidence that prenatal
exposure to famine may lead to persistent epigenetic changes
A study initiated by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
and the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands suggests that prenatal
exposure to famine can lead to epigenetic changes that may affect a person's health into
midlife. The findings show a trickle-down effect from pregnant women to the DNA of their
unborn children and the timeframe over which such early damage can operate. While previous
studies have suggested that adult disease risk may be associated with adverse
environmental conditions early in development, these data are the first to show that
early-life environmental conditions can cause epigenetic changes in humans that persist
throughout life. The full study findings are published online in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Science. The research indicates that children conceived during the
Dutch Hunger Winter in 1944-45, caused by a food embargo on the Netherlands in World War
II, experienced persistent detrimental health effects six decades later. The authors found
that the children exposed to the famine during the first 10 weeks after conception had
less DNA methylation of the imprinted IGF2 gene than their unexposed same-sex siblings. By
contrast, children exposed to the famine at the end of pregnancy showed no difference in
methylation compared to their unexposed siblings. These findings support the conclusion
that very early development is a crucial period in establishing and maintaining epigenetic
marks. Epigenetic changes, while not altering the DNA sequence, can alter which genes are
expressed. Genes that might otherwise be activated could be silenced by epigenetic changes
or vice versa, and this could impact an individual's risk for adverse health outcomes
later in life.
MYH9 gene variations help explain
high rate of kidney disease in African-Americans
Several recent studies have suggested that common gene variations may be responsible for
much of the elevated risk of kidney disease in African Americans. New research on the MYH9
gene—and its implications for the screening and possible prevention of kidney disease
in the African American population—will be summarized in a press briefing to be held
at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in
Philadelphia, PA. "The susceptible variants in the gene MYH9 are very frequent among
African Americans and account for a substantial proportion of the higher risk of end-stage
renal disease (ESRD) in African Americans compared to European Americans," comments
Rulan S. Parekh, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, who
will introduce the press briefing. "Discovery of this gene has opened up a new area
of research to focus on both the mechanism of disease and also potential use for screening
in the population." In September, researchers from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) in Bethesda, MD, and Johns Hopkins University published independent studies showing
that variations of the "non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9" gene (MYH9) are linked
to certain types of kidney disease that are more common in African Americans, including
focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), HIV-associated nephropathy, and non-diabetic
ESRD. Variations of MYH9 may also explain the increased rate of hypertension-related
kidney disease in African Americans, which tends to persist even with effective treatment
to lower blood pressure. Overall, the gene variants appear to increase the risk of
developing any form of ESRD, which is irreversible kidney failure requiring dialysis or
transplantation not related to diabetes.
Stem cell therapies for heart
disease – one step closer
New research from the University of Bristol brings stem cell therapies for heart disease
one step closer. The findings reveal that our bodies’ ability to respond to an
internal ‘mayday’ signal may hold the key to success for long-awaited
regenerative medicine. Dr Nicolle Kränkel and colleagues at the Bristol Heart Institute
have discovered how our bodies initiate DIY rescue and repair mechanisms when blood supply
is inadequate, for example in diabetic limbs or in the heart muscle during heart attack.
Their findings also provide a practical step to advance progress in stem cell therapies.
In healthy people, reduced oxygen supply can occur in certain situations, e.g. after an
injury. The affected tissues release chemical messengers that ‘call’ to a type
of circulating stem cells (EPCs) for help to re-establish blood supply via the growth of
new blood vessels. A group of Bristol researchers have found that kinins, for long time
considered inflammatory substances, are among the messengers supporting blood vessel
growth.
'New' estrogen receptor found to be
key player in tamoxifen resistance
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered a novel way in which
breast cancer cells become resistant to tamoxifen, the world's largest-selling breast
cancer prevention and treatment drug. They say the findings could provide a way to
identify tamoxifen users who are no longer benefiting from the drug, allowing doctors to
try another therapy option sooner. In the November 1 issue of the journal Cancer Research,
the researchers show that breast cancer cells that are resistant to tamoxifen display few
of the "alpha" estrogen receptors that the drug is designed to bind on to and
inhibit, but many more "gamma" estrogen-related receptors, which tamoxifen seems
to activate. These two receptors are not closely related – they are more like distant
cousins than siblings, researchers say, adding that understanding how these gamma
estrogen-related receptors work may— eventually— help in designing new, more
effective drugs targeting these receptors.In fact, they track how, as resistance develops
over time, breast cancer cells gradually lose the alpha receptors while gaining the
estrogen-related receptor gamma subtype. The study offers two new insights, according to
lead author Rebecca Riggins, Ph.D., a research assistant professor of oncology at GUMC's
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. One is a clearer understanding of the importance of
the gamma estrogen-related receptor in breast cancer. "Until now, this receptor has
not been viewed to be of much importance in any type of breast cancer," Riggins says.
"All that was known is that there were more of these receptors in breast cancer than
in normal breast tissue, we hadn't gone much further than that." A second important
insight is that the discovery could help explain why invasive lobular carcinoma – the
sub-type of breast cancer in which these findings were made – may not respond as well
to tamoxifen as perhaps other subtypes do, she says.
Severe Gestational Hypertension May
Protect Against Testicular Cancer
Women who experience severe gestational hypertension may give birth to boys at lower risk
for testicular cancer, although the exact reasons why are still unclear, according to a
paper published in the November 1, 2008, issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the
American Association for Cancer Research. Andreas Pettersson, M.D., a doctoral student at
Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said the protective effect of gestational hypertension may
be due to the hormones that are released when a placenta malfunctions. "Ironically, a
malfunctioning placenta may lower the risk," said Pettersson. "One possible
reason is that estrogens are lower in pregnancies that develop severe gestational
hypertension or preeclampsia, and this lack of estrogens may lower the risk of testicular
cancer."
University of Adelaide scientists are part of an international research team that has
uncovered the first example of a bacterium causing disease in humans by targeting a
molecule that is incorporated into our bodies from our diet. Microbiologists Dr Adrienne
Paton and Professor James Paton, and their collaborators, have shown that a potent
bacterial toxin, Subtilase cytotoxin, specifically targets human cells that express a
sugar called Neu5Gc on their surface. "Remarkably, humans cannot make Neu5Gc, and so
we should all be resistant to the toxin," Professor Paton says. "However,
consuming foods that have high levels of Neu5Gc, such as red meat and dairy products,
leads to uptake of the sugar by human cells and this makes them susceptible to attack by
the toxin." Subtilase cytotoxin is produced by E. coli bacteria that cause bloody
diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in humans. Professor Paton says in HUS,
toxin-induced damage to the delicate cells lining the blood vessels causes clots, damage
to red blood cells and kidney failure. Humans usually become infected with the potentially
deadly E. coli after eating contaminated food, as occurred during Adelaide's Garibaldi
outbreak in 1995. "Red meat and dairy products, the richest dietary sources of
Neu5Gc, are also the foods that are most commonly contaminated with the E. coli bacteria
that produce the toxin," Professor Paton says.
Interferon could be a key to
preventing or treating multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) results when the body's own defense system attacks nerve fibers in
the brain and spinal cord. Now scientists led by John Russell, Ph.D., at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that interferon-gamma plays a
deciding role in whether immune cells attack and injure the central nervous system (brain
and spinal cord) in mice. Interferon-gamma is an immune system protein that helps the body
defend itself from invaders. In their latest research, which appeared in the October issue
of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers show that interferon-gamma
determined whether activated immune cells — previously primed to go after nerve cells
— would actually cause nerve damage in experimental mice. The researchers found that
in the cerebellums and brainstems of the mice, interferon-gamma was protective. However,
in the spinal cord, interferon-gamma had the opposite effect, permitting nerve cell
damage. "Some studies show that the most serious cases of MS in people occur when the
immune system specifically targets the cerebellum, a part of the brain responsible for
sensory perception, coordination and movement control," says Russell, professor of
developmental biology. "Our study suggests that researchers need to look at the
amount of interferon-gamma produced in the cerebellum and other brain regions in people
with MS."
New MU Study Indicates that
Exercise Prevents Fatty Liver Disease
It’s easy to go to the gym on a regular basis right after a person buys the gym
membership. It’s also easy to skip the gym one day, then the next day and the day
after that. A new University of Missouri study indicates that the negative effects of
skipping exercise can occur in a short period. The researchers found that a sudden
transition to a sedentary lifestyle can quickly lead to symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty
liver disease (hepatic steatosis), which affects at least 75 percent of obese people.
“We found that the cessation of daily exercise dramatically activates specific
precursors known to promote hepatic steatosis,” said Jamal Ibdah, professor of
medicine and medical pharmacology and physiology in the MU School of Medicine. “This
study has important implications for obese humans who continually stop and start exercise
programs. Our findings strongly suggest that a sudden transition to a sedentary lifestyle
increases susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.” Nonalcoholic fatty
liver disease is a reversible condition that causes fat to accumulate in liver cells of
obese people. As Westernized societies are experiencing a weight gain epidemic, the
prevalence of the disease is growing, Ibdah said.
UNFAITHFUL women beware. Chances are your male partner is on your case. In fact, he is
likely to suspect infidelities even when you have kept to the straight and narrow. The
flip side is that to counter this constant vigilance, women may be better than men at
concealing illicit liaisons. Paul Andrews at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond
and colleagues gave 203 young heterosexual couples confidential questionnaires asking them
whether they had ever strayed, and whether they suspected or knew their partner had
strayed. In this, 29 per cent of men said they had cheated, compared with 18.5 per cent of
women. The men were better than women at judging fidelity. "Eighty per cent of
women's inferences about fidelity or infidelity were correct, but men were even better,
accurate 94 per cent of the time," says Andrews. They were also more likely to catch
out a cheating partner, detecting 75 per cent of the reported infidelities compared with
41 per cent discovered by women (Human Nature, vol 19, p 347). However, men were also more
likely to suspect infidelity when there was none. Andrews says this makes evolutionary
sense because unlike women, men can never be certain a baby is theirs. "Men have far
more at stake," he says. "When a female partner is unfaithful, a man may himself
lose the opportunity to reproduce, and find himself investing his resources in raising the
offspring of another man."
A new article in the December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology provides strong
evidence that allergies are much more than just an annoying immune malfunction. They may
protect against certain types of cancer. The article, by researchers Paul Sherman, Erica
Holland and Janet Shellman Sherman from Cornell University, suggests that allergy symptoms
may protect against cancer by expelling foreign particles, some of which may be
carcinogenic or carry absorbed carcinogens, from the organs most likely to come in with
contact them. In addition, allergies may serve as early warning devices that let people
know when there are substances in the air that should be avoided. Medical researchers have
long suspected an association between allergies and cancer, but extensive study on the
subject has yielded mixed, and often contradictory, results. Many studies have found
inverse associations between the two, meaning cancer patients tended to have fewer
allergies in their medical history. Other studies have found positive associations, and
still others found no association at all.
Our Cheatin’ Brain - The
Brain’s Clever Way of Showing Us the World as a Whole
Whether we choose to admit it or not, we all experience memory errors from time to time.
Research has suggested that false memory may be a result of having too many other things
to remember or perhaps if too much time has passed. However, previous studies have
indicated that a specific type of false memory known as “boundary extension”
occurs for different reasons. Boundary extension is a mistake that we often make when
recalling a view of a scene—we will insist that the boundaries of an image stretched
out farther than what we actually saw. Although this error is very common and occurs in
people of all ages (from young children to the elderly), few studies have been done
examining how quickly boundary extension occurs. That is, it was unknown how long a scene
needs to be interrupted before the viewer experiences boundary extension and is convinced
they saw more than they actually did. Psychologists Helene Intraub and Christopher A.
Dickinson from the University of Delaware were interested in this effect and wanted to
test how quickly boundary extension can occur in a group of volunteers. The researchers
created two versions of a photograph- the photographs depicted the same scene but one had
a wider view, showing more of the background. In the first experiment, volunteers were
shown one view, interrupted very briefly by a “mask” (an unrelated display of
lines and curves with a small “happy face” in the center) followed by the same
photograph or the other version of the photograph, which remained on the screen.
Volunteers were then asked to report whether the picture they were looking at was the
same, or showed more or less of the view compared to the first photograph. The second
experiment had a similar set up except that the first and second photographs were shown on
opposite sides of the monitor forcing the volunteers to shift their eyes from one image to
the other so that the interruption included an eye movement.
New drug target in obesity - Fat
cells make lots of melanin
As millions of Americans gear up for the Thanksgiving holiday, a new report published
online in the FASEB Journal, may provide some relief for those leery second helpings.
Researchers describe a discovery that may allow some obese people avoid common
obesity-related metabolic problems without losing weight: they make a common antioxidant,
melanin, in excess. Even more promising is that some of the antioxidant drugs that can
mimic the melanin effect are FDA-approved and available.
Researchers find new chemical key
that could unlock hundreds of new antibiotics
Chemistry researchers at The University of Warwick and the John Innes Centre, have found a
novel signalling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new
antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria. With
bacterial resistance growing researchers are keen to uncover as many new antibiotics as
possible. Some of the Streptomyces bacteria are already used industrially to produce
current antibiotics and researchers have developed approaches to find and exploit new
pathways for antibiotic production in the genome of the Streptomyces family. For many
years it was thought that the relatively unstable butyrolactone compounds represented by
"A-factor" were the only real signal for stimulating such pathways of possible
antibiotic production but the Warwick and John Innes teams have now found a much more
stable group of compounds that may have the potential to produce at least one new
antibiotic compound from up to 50% of the 1000 or so known Streptomyces family of
bacteria. Colonies of bacteria such as Streptomyces naturally make antibiotics as a
defence mechanism when those colonies are under stress and thus more susceptible to attack
from other bacteria. The colonies need to produce a compound to spread a signal across the
colony to start producing their natural antibiotic weapons.
If the diabetes has a direct
carcinogenetic effect?
The association of type 2 diabetes mellitus with solid tumors, and particularly with
hepatocellular carcinoma, has been long suspected and several studies have reported
increased mortality rates for neoplastic diseases in patients with DM2. A group from
Pordenone Hospital of Italy investigated the relationships between DM2 and risk of HCC in
a large population based case-control study.
Ultrasound shown to exert remote
control of brain circuits
In a twist on nontraditional uses of ultrasound, a group of neuroscientists at Arizona
State University has developed pulsed ultrasound techniques that can remotely stimulate
brain circuit activity. Their findings, published in the Oct. 29 issue of the journal
Public Library of Science (PLoS) One, provide insights into how low-power ultrasound can
be harnessed for the noninvasive neurostimulation of brain circuits and offers the
potential for new treatments of brain disorders and disease. While it might be hard to
imagine the day where doctors could treat post traumatic stress disorders, traumatic brain
injury and even Alzheimer's disease with the flip of a switch, most of us have in fact
experienced some of ultrasound's numerous applications in our daily lives. For example,
ultrasound has been used in fetal and other diagnostic medical imaging, ultrasonic teeth
cleaning, physiotherapies, or surgical ablation. Ultrasound also provides a multitude of
other non-medical uses, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, food processing,
nondestructive materials testing, sonar, communications, oceanography and acoustic
mapping. "Studies of ultrasound and its interactions with biological tissues have a
rich history dating back to the late 1920s," lead investigator William
"Jamie" Tyler points out. "Several research groups have, for more than a
half-century, demonstrated that ultrasound can produce changes in excitable tissues, such
as nerve and/or muscle, but detailed studies in neurons at the cellular level have been
lacking." "We were able to unravel how ultrasound can stimulate the electrical
activity of neurons by optically monitoring the activity of neuronal circuits, while we
simultaneously propagated low-intensity, low-frequency ultrasound through brain
tissues," says Tyler, assistant professor of neurobiology and bioimaging in the
School of Life Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
UT Houston Researchers Find
Aggressive Phototherapy Can Improve Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Some Preemies
Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston say the use of aggressive
phototherapy reduces the odds that tiny premature infants will develop neurodevelopmental
impairment such as cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness or physical or mental challenges.
The study, titled “Aggressive Versus Conservative Phototherapy for Infants with
Extremely Low Birth Weight,” is published in the Oct. 30, 2008 issue of the New
England Journal of Medicine. The study was a multi-center clinical trial funded by the
Neonatal Research Network of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD), and the UT Medical School at Houston was the lead center in
designing and conducting it.
Potentially hazardous levels of metal ions are present in many commercially available
wines. An analysis of reported levels of metals in wines from 16 different countries,
published in the open access Chemistry Central Journal, found that only those from
Argentina, Brazil and Italy did not pose a potential health risk owing to metals.
NJIT Professor Finds Engineering
Technique to Identify Disease-Causing Genes
Scientists believe that complex diseases such as schizophrenia, major depression and
cancer are not caused by one, but a multitude of dysfunctional genes. A novel
computational biology method developed by a research team led by Ali Abdi, PhD, associate
professor in NJIT’s department of electrical and computer engineering, has found a
way to uncover the critical genes responsible for disease development. The research
appeared in “Fault Diagnosis Engineering of Digital Circuits Can Identify Vulnerable
Molecules in Complex Cellular Pathways,” the current cover article of Science
Signaling, a new publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science,
publisher of Science. “We see our research developing a novel technology holding high
promises for finding key molecules that contribute to human diseases and for identifying
critical targets in drug development,” said Abdi. “The key to success was our
collaboration among researchers with different backgrounds in engineering and medical
sciences.” The scientists analyzed large cellular molecular networks whose
dysfunction contributed to the development of certain complex human disorders.
Molecules—genes or proteins—communicate through interconnected pathways via
different biochemical interactions, explained Abdi. Through these interactions, molecules
propagate regulatory signals. The function of cells in the body is vulnerable to the
dysfunction of some molecules within a cell. “In other words,” he added,
“different diseases may arise from the dysfunction of one or several molecules within
an interconnected network system.”
Syracuse University researchers
discover new way to attack some forms of leukemia
Each year, some 29,000 adults and 2,000 children are diagnosed with leukemia, a form of
cancer that is caused by the abnormal production of white blood cells in the bone marrow.
Current treatments rely primarily on killing the cancer cells, which also destroys normal
cells. But what if a way could be found to reprogram cancerous cells back into normal
cells? A team of Syracuse University researchers believes it may have found a way to do
just that. Led by Michael Cosgrove, assistant professor of biology in SU's College of Arts
and Sciences, the team discovered a way to disrupt the protein switch that is a critical
component in the process to create white blood cells. Its discoveries could lead to a more
effective way to treat some forms of leukemia and revolutionize the approach to treating
other forms of cancer. The research was recently published online in the prestigious
Journal of Biological Chemistry of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology, and is forthcoming in the print edition. "We believe our discovery is just
the tip of the iceberg," Cosgrove says. "Our hope is that from the knowledge we
have gained in understanding how these proteins work in normal cells, we will be able to
find new ways to treat all types of leukemia. We also think the discoveries will have
broad implications in treating other types of cancer."
Researchers Apply Systems Biology
and Glycomics to Study Human Inflammatory Diseases
An innovative systems biology approach to understanding the carbohydrate structures in
cells is leading to new ways to understand how inflammatory illnesses and cardiovascular
disease develop in humans. The work was described in two recent publications by University
at Buffalo chemical engineers. Supported by research grants from the National Institutes
of Health, the ultimate goal of the project is to define novel strategies to perturb the
glycome -- the complete set of an organism's carbohydrate structures in cells -- in ways
that lead to the identification of new targets and molecular therapies to combat a broad
range of inflammatory diseases.
Scientists have discovered the two key processes that allow cancer cells to change the way
they move in order to spread through the body, reports leading scientific journal 'Cell'
(1). The progression of cancer cells from one part of the body to another
("metastasis") is one of the biggest problems in curing cancer, therefore this
research brings new hope of future therapies to fight cancer. The discovery has been made
by Dr Victoria Sanz-Moreno in the research team led by Professor Chris Marshall at The
Institute of Cancer Research, in work funded by Cancer Research UK.Professor Marshall
says; "The spreading of cancer cells from one part of the body to another, called
metastasis, is one of the biggest causes of death from cancer. By explaining a key part of
that process, our research brings new hope for future therapies to fight cancer."The
research has found the constant competition between two proteins called 'Rac' and 'Rho' is
responsible for allowing the cancer cells to change shape and spread through the body.
"We have shown that cells from melanoma (an aggressive type of skin cancer) are able
to rapidly alternate between two different forms of movement where cells have either a
round shape or a more stretchy "elongated" shape.
Frequent urination protects against
bladder cancer
A new study has analysed the effect of urinary frequency on the risk of bladder cancer.
The conditions of this research which is published in the latest number of the
International Journal of Cancer, show a direct association between the number of times
people get up at night to urinate and protection against bladder cancer. Night-time is
usually the period during which there is the longest time interval between urination. For
this reason the “length of time carcinogenic agents, such as those from tobacco for
example, are present in the urine, constitutes an important factor towards the likelihood
of developing bladder cancer”, explains Juan Alguacil to SINC. Juan Alguacil is a
researcher from the University of Huelva and one of the authors of the study, which has
appeared recently in the International Journal of Cancer. The research group, made up of
Spanish and North American scientists, analysed the urinary frequency in 884 recently
diagnosed bladder cancer cases and in 996 non-cancer ‘control patients’, from
five regions in Spain. The patients, aged between 21 and 80 years, came from 18 hospitals
in Vallés, Barcelona, Asturias, Alicante and Tenerife. Although the best advice is to
avoid exposure to carcinogenic agents (e.g. to stop smoking and to avoid direct contact
with chemical products or pollution particles), the risk of bladder cancer could be
reduced by increasing urinary frequency and drinking water.
New tumor inhibitor for treatment
of hereditary breast cancer shows promising results in mouse model
Researchers of the Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital
used the novel inhibitor AZD2281 to target breast cancer, in which the BRCA1-gene plays a
role, in a genetically engineered mouse model. Treatment resulted in tumor regression and
a strong increase in survival without signs of toxicity. The inhibitor, which recently
entered trials in human cancer patients, thus seems to have therapeutic potential for
BRCA-defective tumors. Sven Rottenberg, Piet Borst and Jos Jonkers publish their results
this week in PNAS Online Early Edition.
High blood pressure is related to
depression in elderly subjects
An epidemiological study performed in Spain discloses a relationship between high blood
pressure and depression in the elderly in the current issue of Psychotherapy and
Psychosomatics. A positive association between hypertension and depression has been
reported in some inquiries but not in others, and the relationship was limited to
individuals with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in some studies. Methodological
difficulties are observed in previous research: some studies are based on self-reported
hypertension, adjustment for potential confounders is not systematic and the use of a
standardized psychiatric diagnosis is not common. This study tests the hypothesis of a
positive association between hypertension and depression, and tries to circumvent the
described methodological difficulties.
Office workers given the blue light
to help alertness
Research carried out at the Surrey Sleep Centre at the University of Surrey in partnership
with Philips Lighting has revealed that changing traditional white-light lighting to
blue-enriched white light helped office workers stay more alert and less sleepy during the
day.
Project investigating Himalayan
oregano as MRSA antibacterial agent wins SEED award
A research team from the University of the West of England, working in partnership with a
laboratory in Delhi, a fair trade company, a community-based organisation and an
environmental research institute in Himachal Pradesh in the Western Himalaya, have jointly
been awarded a 2008 SEED award for their project investigating Himalayan oregano essential
oil as an antibacterial agent for MRSA. The project is part of an initiative to provide
rural communities with sources of income generated from sustainable collection of
non-timber forest products in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. Origanum vulgare is
a relatively common herb that grows in high altitude meadows throughout the Himalayan
region, yet it is perceived by many villagers to have no culinary, medicinal or economic
value. In Kullu oregano is often referred to as ‘bekaar gahaas’, or
‘useless grass’; even cows and goats don’t eat it.
Anti-Inflammatory Medications May
Become a Treatment for Schizophrenia
Many of the structural and neurochemical features of schizophrenia are present long before
the full syndrome of schizophrenia develops. What processes tip the balance between the
ultra-high risk states and the development of schizophrenia? One candidate mechanism is
cerebral inflammation, studied by Dr. Bart van Berckel and colleagues in the November 1st
issue of Biological Psychiatry. Using positron emission tomography, or PET, imaging, the
researchers provide evidence of a brain inflammatory state that may be associated with the
development of schizophrenia. The authors reported increased binding levels of
[11C]PK11195, a radiotracer with high affinity for the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor
(PBR) in patients who had carried the diagnosis of schizophrenia for five years or less.
PBR is a molecular target that is present at higher levels in activated microglia.
Microglia are activated during inflammatory states. Drs. van Berckel and Kahn further
explain: “It was found that microglia activation is present in schizophrenia patients
early after disease onset, suggesting brain cells are damaged in schizophrenia. In
addition, since microglia can have either a protective or a toxic role, activated
microglia may be the result, but also the cause of damage to brain cells.”
Can your doctor correctly read a
critical heart test?
You have a burning chest pain and a doctor looks at a squiggly-lined graph to determine
the cause. That graph, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), can help the doctor decide
whether you're having a heart attack or an acid attack from last night's spaghetti.
Correct interpretation may prompt life-saving, emergency measures; incorrect
interpretation may delay care with life-threatening consequences. Currently, there is no
uniform way to teach doctors in training how to interpret an ECG or assess their
competence in the interpretation. To address the lack of uniformity, a team of physicians
from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the American College of Cardiology
has developed the first Web-based training and examination program for reading ECGs. It is
an interactive computer program to teach and assess the competence of doctors in training.
Details of the new tool will be revealed on October 31, 2008, during the annual meeting of
the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine, in Orlando. "We hope this
tool helps increase expertise among general practitioners in the interpretation of a very
commonly used screening test that's part of nearly every adult examination," says
team leader R. Michael Benitez, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the University of
Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship
Training Program. "There is no mechanism now for establishing competency among
internists or family physicians or for an interim analysis of how a trainee is
performing," says Dr. Benitez, who is also a cardiologist at the University of
Maryland Medical Center.
Simple chemical procedure augments
therapeutic potential of stem cells
Adult stem cells resemble couch potatoes if they hang out and divide in a dish for too
long. They get fat and lose key surface proteins, which interferes with their movement and
reduces their therapeutic potential. Now, via a simple chemical procedure, researchers
have found a way to get these cells off the couch and over to their therapeutic target. To
do this, they simply added a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the cells. The
procedure took just 45 minutes and restored an important biological function.
"Delivery remains one of the biggest hurdles to stem cell therapy," explains
senior author Jeffrey Karp, an instructor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences
and Technology. "The blood stream offers a natural delivery vehicle, but stem cells
don't move through blood vessels normally after being expanded in culture. Our procedure
promises to overcome this obstacle." In order for cells injected into the blood
stream to be therapeutically useful, they need to take initiative to reach target tissues.
But instead, cultured stem cells go with the flow. They move through the body quickly,
carried by the current, which means they seldom contact the sides of blood vessels. Thus,
they have fewer opportunities to escape into the surrounding tissue by squeezing between
cells of the vessel wall. Adult stem cells must escape before they can colonize
surrounding tissue and rebuild damaged structures.
While prevalent, sexual problems in
women not always associated with distress
The largest such study ever published finds that, while about 40 percent of women surveyed
report having sexual problems, only 12 percent indicate that those issues are a source of
significant personal distress. The report led by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
physician appears in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. "Sexual
problems are common in women, but problems associated with personal distress, those which
are truly bothersome and affect a woman's quality of life, are much less frequent."
says Jan Shifren, MD, of the MGH Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, who led the study.
"For a sexual concern to be considered a medical problem, it must be associated with
distress, so it's important to assess this in both research studies and patient
care." Several studies and surveys of sexual problems in women have found problems
with low desire, diminished arousal or difficulties with orgasm in approximately 40
percent of women, but few of those have asked about levels of distress associated with
those problems. The current study surveyed 32,000 women aged 18 to over 100 from across
the U.S. using a well-established survey of sexual function supplemented by a validated
measure of a woman's distress related to her sex life – including feelings of anger,
guilt, frustration, and worry.
Oral rinses used for tracking
HPV-positive head and neck cancers holds promise for cancer screening
A study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American
Association for Cancer Research, validates a non-invasive screening method with future
potential for detection of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancers. In
the study, researchers at Johns Hopkins University used oral rinses and targeted DNA
amplification to track and identify oral HPV infections in patients with HPV16-positive
and negative head and neck carcinomas (HNSCC) before and after therapy. Findings showed
detection of high-risk HPV infections in patients with HPV16-positive HNSCC for up to five
years after therapy, indicating a high rate of persistent infection and reaffirming the
connection between high-risk types of HPV and HPV-positive head and neck cancer.
"There is no question of cause," said the study's co-author Maura Gillison,
M.D., Ph.D. associate professor of oncology. "It has now become a question of
tracking the infection over time to identify those at risk of developing HPV-positive
cancer, and for those who have had it, the risk of recurrence and risk of transmission.
This is the first study in which we have been able to track the disease and related oral
infections for an extended period of time."
Gene scan of Alzheimer’s
families identifies four new suspect genes
The first family-based genome-wide association study in Alzheimer’s disease has
identified the sites of four novel genes that may significantly influence risk for the
most common late-onset form of the devastating neurological disorder. In their report in
the November 7 American Journal of Human Genetics, being released online today, a team led
by researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND)
describes how newly available technology is improving understanding of genetic mechanisms
underlying the disease. The study presents the first results of the Alzheimer’s
Genome Project supported by the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and the National Institute of
Mental Health.
Gaining too much weight during
pregnancy nearly doubles risk of having a heavy baby
A study by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research of more than 40,000 women and
their babies found that women who gained more than 40 pounds during their pregnancies were
nearly twice as likely to have a heavy baby. Published in the November issue of Obstetrics
& Gynecology, the study found that more than one in five women gains excessive weight
during pregnancy, doubling her chances of having a baby that weighs 9 pounds or more.
"Too many women gain too much weight during pregnancy. This extra weight puts them at
higher risk for having heavy babies, and these babies are programmed to become overweight
or obese later in life," said study lead author Teresa Hillier, MD, MS, an
endocrinologist and senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health
Research in Oregon and Hawaii. "A big baby also poses serious risks for both mom and
baby at birth--for mothers, vaginal tearing, bleeding, and often C-sections, and for the
babies, stuck shoulders and broken collar bones. " While researchers have known for
some time about the link between diabetes during pregnancy and heavier birth weights, and
recently have learned how maternal weight gain affects the birth weight, this is the first
study to determine that women who gain excessive weight are even more likely to have heavy
babies than women who are treated for gestational diabetes. "This is one more good
reason to counsel women to gain the ideal amount of weight when they are pregnant,"
said study co-author Kim Vesco, MD, MPH, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Kaiser
Permanente in Portand, Oregon. "From a practical standpoint, women who gain too much
weight during pregnancy can have a very difficult time losing the weight after the baby is
born." The study followed 41,540 women who gave birth in Washington, Oregon and
Hawaii from 1995-2003. More than 20 percent of the women who gained more than 40
pounds—which is the maximum recommended pregnancy weight gain--- gave birth to heavy
babies. In contrast, less than 12 percent of women with normal weight gain had heavy
babies. At greatest risk were the women who gained more than 40 pounds and also had
gestational diabetes; nearly 30 percent of them had heavy babies. That risk was
significantly reduced-- to only 13 percent-- when women with gestational diabetes gained
less than 40 pounds.
Type-1 diabetes not so much bad
genes as good genes behaving badly, Stanford research shows
Investigators combing the genome in the hope of finding genetic variants responsible for
triggering early-onset diabetes may be looking in the wrong place, new research at the
Stanford University School of Medicine suggests. Early-onset diabetes, also known as
type-1 diabetes, is an autoimmune disease, caused when the immune system attacks and
destroys insulin-producing cells in a person's pancreas. What triggers that immune
response apparently has less to do with having a distinct set of gene variants than how
the behavior of genes may differ in people with the disease. That is the finding of a
study published in the November issue of Clinical Immunology, by Garry Fathman, MD,
professor of immunology and rheumatology, and his colleagues. The paper builds upon the
knowledge that particular immune-system-related gene variants confer type-1 diabetes
susceptibility. Many people have those genes, but only a fraction actually develop the
disease. This has led many investigators to conduct exhaustive searches of the genome for
other elusive genes that, when defective, may predispose someone to type-1 diabetes.
Fathman suggests they may be on the wrong track. Fathman explained it this way -
"Take a pair of identical twins, with one having type-1 diabetes. Although both have
precisely the same genes, roughly half the time the other twin doesn't get the
disease." The same holds true for other autoimmune diseases such as multiple
sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, he added. The situation, Fathman said, is reminiscent
of the 1988 movie "Twins," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. They
may have started out identical, but something diverged, somewhere. Fathman set out to find
out what it was seven years ago, in what he described, tongue-in cheek, as "an
interesting study that started at the dawn of history."
Friend or foe? How the body's
clot-busting system speeds up atherosclerosis
Sometimes it's hard to tell friends from foes, biologically speaking. Naturally produced
in the body, urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen interact to break up blood
clots and recruit clean-up cells to clear away debris related to inflammation. In fact,
urokinase manufactured as a drug effectively clears clogged arteries by generating
clot-busting plasmin from blood-derived plasminogen. However, despite the efficacy of
urokinase and plasmin in clearing blood clots, evidence has shown that humans with a high
baseline level of blood plasmin are at increased risk for heart attacks and for
fast-developing forms of atherosclerosis. In addition, human arteries affected by
atherosclerosis have an abundance of urokinase. These associations between plasmin,
urokinase and increased atherosclerosis counter the notion that urokinase and plasmin
protect against heart attacks by removing dangerous blood clots. At first vascular
biologists didn't know how to interpret these findings. Specifically, they wondered
whether the high level of urokinase in atherosclerotic artery walls was contributing to
atherosclerosis or was evidence of the body's efforts to fight it. To try to resolve this
puzzle, Dr. David A. Dichek, the John Locke Jr. Family Endowed Professor of Cardiology and
associate director for research in the Division of Cardiology at the University of
Washington (UW), and his team generated mice that were genetically engineered to produce
more urokinase in their artery walls. These mice developed arteries with worse
atherosclerosis, including thicker walls, narrower interiors, and limited blood flow. The
mice died suddenly with clogged arteries and evidence of heart attacks. Dichek noted other
reasons why his team expected that increased activity of the urokinase/plasminogen system
would promote atherosclerosis, including the roles of urokinase and plasminogen in
inflammation and cell migration.
Oregon and Hawaiian researchers have found that a woman's weight does not seem to affect
sexual behavior. In fact, overweight women are more likely to report having sex with men
than women considered to be of "normal weight." The study, published in the
September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, is based on data from the 2002 National
Survey of Family Growth that looked at sexual behavior of more than 7,000 women. Dr. Bliss
Kaneshiro, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii,
was a student at Oregon Health & Science University at the time. Oregon State
University professor Marie Harvey helped Kaneshiro with her research because of Harvey's
background and expertise in women's sexual and reproductive health issues. Some studies
have suggested that obese and overweight women have a higher risk of unintended pregnancy
than do normal weight women, according to Kaneshiro. Although multiple factors, including
contraceptive use and its efficacy, may increase the risk of unintended pregnancy among
these women, sexual behavior and the frequency of intercourse could also be a factor.
Kaneshiro's objective was to study the impact of body mass index on sexual behavior. It is
important to understand this relationship because preexisting physician biases can affect
how heavy women are counseled about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
prevention. Kaneshiro studied the relationship between body mass index and sexual
behavior, including sexual orientation, age at first intercourse, number of partners, and
frequency of intercourse. "Our analysis demonstrated that obese and overweight women
do not differ significantly in some of the objective measures of sexual behavior compared
to women of normal weight," said Kaneshiro. "This study indicates that all women
deserve diligence in counseling on unintended pregnancy and STD prevention, regardless of
body mass index." The study seems to contradict widely held stereotypes that
overweight and obese women are not as sexually active as other women. If anything, the
researchers concluded the opposite seems to be true.
Optimal Dose of Vitamin E Maximizes
Benefits, Minimizes Risk
Vitamin E has been heralded for its ability to reduce the risk of blood clots, heart
attack, and sudden death. Yet in some people, vitamin E causes bleeding. Scientists have
known for more than 50 years that excess vitamin E promotes bleeding by interfering with
vitamin K, which is essential in blood clotting. However, they haven’t been able to
pinpoint how the two vitamins interact. Nutrition researcher Maret Traber of Oregon State
University reviews studies of possible explanations of the interaction in an article
published recently in Nutrition Reviews. One of the most compelling studies of the
benefits of vitamin E is the Women’s Health Study, in which 40,000 healthy women, 45
and older, took 600 IU vitamin E supplements or a placebo every other day for 10 years.
Women taking the supplements had 24 percent fewer deaths from heart disease. Vitamin
E’s protective effect appeared even stronger in women 65 and older. Those taking the
vitamin experienced a 26 percent reduction in cardiovascular events and a 49 percent
reduction in cardiovascular deaths.
UC Davis researchers discover a key
to aggressive breast cancer
In trying to find out why HER2-positive breast cancer can be more aggressive than other
forms of the disease, UC Davis Cancer Center researchers have surprisingly discovered that
HER2 itself is the culprit. By shutting down its own regulator gene, HER2 creates a
permissive environment for tumor growth. Building on recent research showing that the
regulator — labeled LRIG1 and commonly called "Lig-1" — limits the
growth-promoting signals of HER2, the research team set out to clarify the role of Lig-1
in breast cancer. They found that, when compared to healthy breast tissue, the regulator
is significantly suppressed. "This suppression assists HER2 in its own
over-expression and in driving the growth of cancer cells," said Colleen Sweeney,
associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine and senior author of the study,
which appears in this month's issue of Cancer Research. "HER2 is clearly taking an
active role its own ability to be successful in promoting cancer." Sweeney added that
the study results could lead to new treatments aimed at restoring or replacing functions
of the regulator. This is good news for patients because, in addition to being more
aggressive, HER2-positive breast cancer tends to be less responsive to currently available
treatments. The gene is over-expressed in about one-quarter to one-third of breast cancer
cases. Sweeney and colleagues began by studying mouse models of breast cancer with genomes
that carry extra copies of HER2. They noticed an excess of HER2 protein in the resulting
tumors, but it was not over-expressed in adjacent healthy tissues that also carried extra
copies of the HER2 gene. "That suggested to us that extra copies of HER2 alone are
not enough to explain its over-expression. If it was, HER2 would have been over-expressed
in both normal and tumor tissues from these mice," she said.
Stem cell therapies for heart
disease -- 1 step closer
New research from the University of Bristol brings stem cell therapies for heart disease
one step closer. The findings reveal that our bodies' ability to respond to an internal
'mayday' signal may hold the key to success for long-awaited regenerative medicine. Dr
Nicolle Kränkel and colleagues at the Bristol Heart Institute have discovered how our
bodies initiate DIY rescue and repair mechanisms when blood supply is inadequate, for
example in diabetic limbs or in the heart muscle during heart attack. Their findings also
provide a practical step to advance progress in stem cell therapies. In healthy people,
reduced oxygen supply can occur in certain situations, e.g. after an injury. The affected
tissues release chemical messengers that 'call' to a type of circulating stem cells (EPCs)
for help to re-establish blood supply via the growth of new blood vessels. A group of
Bristol researchers have found that kinins, for long time considered inflammatory
substances, are among the messengers supporting blood vessel growth. In this study,
published in Circulation Research, Dr Kränkel and colleagues found that EPCs respond to
kinins by travelling to the target tissue and invading it to assist healing. In patients
with angina, EPCs cannot respond to the distress call because they lack a kinin sensor
(the 'kinin receptor') on their surface. The oxygen-starved tissue is therefore left with
reduced blood supply.
University of Delaware scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the University
of Arizona and South Dakota State University, have identified unusual differences in the
natural mechanisms that turn off, or "silence," genes in corn. The discovery,
which was made by comparing the impact of inactivating a gene that occurs in both corn and
in the much-studied laboratory plant Arabidopsis, provides new insight into how one of the
world's most important crops protects itself from mutation-causing mobile DNA elements and
viruses.
Half of all food allergies are not food allergies at all. This is what Cornelia S. Seitz
et al., allergologists from Würzburg University, concluded in a study with 419 patients,
as presented in the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl
Int 2008; 105[42] 715-23).After extensive allergy testing, food allergy was only confirmed
in 214 patients. Thus, food allergies are more often suspected than proven. This can
clearly impair the patient's quality of life, as he or she has to avoid specific foods or
has to be nervous all the time. On the other hand, food allergy may be unrecognized or
underestimated and this can even be potentially fatal. Other diseases must also be
considered, such as intolerance, gastrointestinal disease or psychovegetative reactions.
Only an intensive allergological investigation can confirm or disprove food allergy. This
is something for experts.
A research study carried out by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) proves that
administering natural antioxidants can reduce the effects of lead poisoning in animals
during the gestation and lactation periods. The study suggests that it could also be
effective in humans. In this study, published in the magazine Food and Chemical
Toxicology, the researchers aimed to prove that since the principal toxicity mechanism of
lead poisoning is that it creates free radicals that lead to cellular destruction;
administrating natural antioxidants could reverse this process and re-establish the
organism's lost balance. The results of the study are preliminary but they could be the
beginning of a possible therapeutic treatment to cure the disease. In order to prove their
theory, the researchers carried out an experiment using gestating mice that were separated
in to four different groups with different additives in their drinking water. The control
group was only subjected to purified water, the drinking water for the second group was
contaminated with lead, the drinking water for the third group was also contaminated with
lead, but the mice were also treated with antioxidants (zinc, vitamins A,C, E and B6) and
the fourth group was just treated with the antioxidants and uncontaminated water. The
research stemmed from the belief that the main cause of the toxicity of lead is the
oxidative stress, an imbalance between the antioxidants and the free radicals present in
an organism, leading to an excess of free radicals and a consequent destruction of
tissues. The results have concluded that such alterations, measured by evaluating various
biochemical changes in the brain of the baby mice, diminish in subjects subjected to lead
and treated with antioxidants, almost reaching the levels of the control group. The
symptoms of lead poisoning were also drastically reduced, reinforcing the theory that
administering antioxidants could be a very effective therapy.
