Gut microbe may promote some breast cancers

Researchers, including one of the Indian-origin, have found that a microbe found in the colon and commonly associated with the development of colitis and colon cancer also may play a role in the development of some breast cancers.

The study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, suggests that breast tissue cells exposed to this toxin retain a long-term memory, increasing the risk for disease.

In a series of laboratory experiments, researchers discovered that when enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) was introduced to the guts or breast ducts of mice, it always induced growth and metastatic progression of tumor cells.

“While microbes are known to be present in body sites such as the gastrointestinal tract, nasal passages and skin, breast tissue was considered sterile until recently,” said senior author Dipali Sharma, Professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine in the US.

The study is a first step to show the involvement of ETBF in breast cancer development, Sharma says.

According to the team, additional studies are needed to clarify how ETBF moves throughout the body, whether ETBF can be a sole driver to directly trigger the transformation of breast cells in humans, and/or if other microbiota also have cancer-causing activity for breast tissue.

“Despite multiple established risk factors for breast cancer, such as age, genetic changes, radiation therapy and family history, many breast cancers arise in women harboring none of these, indicating the need to look beyond,” Sharma said.

“Our study suggests another risk factor, which is the microbiome. If your microbiome is perturbed, or if you harbor toxigenic microbes with oncogenic function that could be considered an additional risk factor for breast cancer,” she added.

For the study, the team performed several experiments to study the role of ETBF. First, they performed a meta-analysis of clinical data looking at published studies comparing microbial composition among benign and malignant breast tumors and nipple aspirate fluids of breast cancer survivors and healthy volunteers.

B. fragilis was consistently detected in all breast tissue samples as well as the nipple fluids of cancer survivors.

In the lab, the team gave the ETBF bacteria by mouth to a group of mice. First, it colonized the gut. Then, within three weeks, the mouse mammary tissue had observable changes usually present in ductal hyperplasia, a precancerous condition.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

 

Scientists develop synthetic peptide that could inhibit toxic aggregates in Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have developed synthetic peptides that could target and reduce toxic protein aggregates, which are supposed to cause Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

 Alzheimer's is a disease caused by the aggregation of the toxic protein. Neurons in the human brain make a protein called amyloid beta. Such proteins on their own, called monomers of amyloid beta, perform important tasks for neurons.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/    

                                                                                                                                                     FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/  

         

                   FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com  


But in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid beta monomers abandoned their jobs and get joined together. First, they form oligomers- small clusters of up to a dozen proteins- then longer strands and finally large deposits called plaques.

For years, scientists believed that plaques triggered the cognitive impairments characteristic of  Alzheimer's disease. But newer research implicated the smaller aggregates of amyloid beta as the toxic elements of this disease.

The research reported that the synthetic peptides- which are designed to fold into a structure known as an alpha sheet- can block amyloid beta aggregation at the early and most toxic stage when oligomers form.

The team showed that the synthetic alpha sheet's blocking activity reduced amyloid beta-triggered toxicity in human neural cells grown in culture, and inhibited amyloid beta oligomers in two laboratory animal models for Alzheimer's.

These findings add evidence to the growing consensus that amyloid beta oligomers- not plaques- are the toxic agents behind Alzheimer's disease.

The results also indicated that synthetic alpha sheets could form the basis of therapeutics to clear toxic oligomers in people, according to the author.

"This is about targeting a specific structure of amyloid beta formed by the toxic oligomers. What we have shown here is that we can design and build synthetic alpha sheets with complementary structures to inhibit aggregation and toxicity of amyloid beta while leaving the biologically active monomers intact," he said.

Using both novel and conventional spectroscopic techniques, the team observed the individual stages of development of amyloid beta clusters, from monomers to six- and 12-protein oligomers all the way up to plaques, in human neural cell lines.

The researchers confirmed that the oligomer stages were most toxic to the neurons, which agrees with clinical reports of amyloid beta plaques in the brains of people who don't have Alzheimer's.

"Amyloid beta definitely plays a lead role in Alzheimer's disease, but while historically attention has been on the plaques, more and more research instead indicates that amyloid beta oligomers are the toxic agents that disrupt neurons," he said.

The synthetic alpha sheet also protected laboratory animals from toxic oligomer damage. In brain tissue samples from mice, the team observed an up to 82 per cent drop in amyloid beta oligomer levels after treatment with a synthetic alpha sheet peptide.

Administering a synthetic alpha sheet to living mice triggered a 40 per cent drop in amyloid beta oligomer levels after 24 hours.

In the common laboratory worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), another model for Alzheimer's disease, treatment with synthetic alpha sheets delayed the onset of  amyloid-beta-induced paralysis.

For the current study, the researchers also created a novel laboratory assay that uses a synthetic alpha sheet to measure levels of amyloid beta oligomers. They believe this assay could form the basis of a clinical test to detect toxic oligomers in people before the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms.

"What we are really after are potential therapeutics against amyloid beta and diagnostic measures to detect toxic oligomers in people. Those are the next steps," he said.

New cancer-causing toxin found in recalled blood pressure pills

U.S. health regulators said on Friday a third cancer-causing toxin was found in some blood pressure pills recalled by India’s Hetero Labs Ltd a day earlier, adding to a global recall of commonly used drugs to treat hypertension. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also looking into whether these types of impurities could be found in other classes of drugs, a spokeswoman for the regulator said. 

The toxin, N-Nitroso-N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid (NMBA), identified in 87 lots of Hetero’s losartan potassium pills, was not found in medicines that were previously recalled by a number of drugmakers. 

The FDA said Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd is expanding its voluntary recall to include 114 additional lots of losartan-containing medication due to unacceptable amounts of NMBA in the losartan manufactured by Hetero Labs. 

Global authorities have been clamping down on sales of some blood pressure medicines as they are suspected to be tainted with two probable carcinogens - N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). 

The drugs, including losartan, belong to a class of widely used medicines for treating high blood pressure called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs. Some generic versions of other ARBs, such as valsartan and irbesartan, have also been recalled. 

The FDA said increased risk of cancer in patients exposed to the new impurity, NMBA, appeared to be the same as those exposed to NDMA, but less than the risk from NDEA. 

The recalls began last year after regulators said ingredients used by Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals Co to produce valsartan contained cancer-causing impurities. 

Since then, generic drugmakers such as Mylan NV, Teva Pharmaceutical and Novartis’ Sandoz have recalled products containing the tainted ingredients. 

In January, the FDA warned of the possibility of additional shortages of hypertension drugs in the United States due to the recalls. 

The FDA also said it is working to develop testing methods to detect other cancer-causing impurities.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

                                                                           FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Israeli Scientists Claim To Have Found A ‘Complete Cure’ For Cancer & It’ll Be Available By 2020

The revolutionary cure, dubbed MuTaTo, is being developed by researchers and will apparently be available for cancer patients early next year.

One of the researcher said, "Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market. Our solution will be both generic and personal.

The scientists also claim that it will be cheap and effective and will have minimal side-effects.

MuTaTo reportedly uses a combination of cancer-targeting peptides and a unique toxin that only targets and terminates cancer cells. It leaves alone healthy cells and tissues in the process.

The Israeli scientists claim that that the cure can be hyper-personalised to each patient.

They have successfully conducted trials on mice and are now fast-tracking to conduct human trials through 2019.

If the trials complete successfully, it will save millions of lives in the coming years.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/       
                                                                                                                                                                      FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           
                                                                           FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com  

Toxin in centipede venom identified

A team of researchers from several institutions  have identified the toxin in golden head centipede venom. In their paper published, the group describes how they found the toxin that makes the venom so deadly to prey and also identified a possible antidote for it.

Researchers have known for quite some time that golden head centipedes (aka the Chinese red-headed centipede), which live in Asia and Hawaii are able to subdue prey larger than its own size, in some cases, much larger—testing in a lab showed a centipede was able to take down a mouse, a creature 15 times its size. Until now, it was not known what was in the venom that made it so powerful. In this new effort, the researchers report that they have isolated the toxin in the venom, which they call Ssm Spooky Toxin—the Ssm comes from the scientific name of the centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans. The team found the toxin by testing the chemicals in the venom one by one—a laborious process. The toxin works, the team reports, by blocking potassium from moving in and out of cells. Such blockage prevents the brain from signaling the heart to beat, and the animal dies very quickly. Potassium movement is also important for cells in airways, which means the victim of a bite also starts having problems breathing.

When people are bitten by a golden head centipede, they experience a lot of pain, so much that many take themselves to a hospital for relief. It is actually quite common—in Hawaii, the researchers note, centipede bites accounted for approximately 1 in 10 emergency room visits due to natural causes over the years 2004 to 2008 (averaging approximately 400 a year). Deaths from such bites are rare, however.

Prior research has shown that a drug called retigabine is able to reestablish potassium channels—it is normally used as an anticonvulsant medicine for epilepsy patients. In this case, it might be used instead as an antidote for people bitten by the centipede.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                      
HTTP:GSEASYRECIPES.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                        

HTTP://KNEE REPLACEMENT-STICK CLUB.BLOGSPOT.COM/
FOR CROCHET DESIGNS
HTTP://MY CROCHET CREATIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM

A team of researchers from several institutions in China has identified the toxin in golden head centipede venom. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes how they found the toxin that makes the venom so deadly to prey and also identified a possible antidote for it.

Researchers have known for quite some time that golden head centipedes (aka the Chinese red-headed centipede), which live in Asia and Hawaii are able to subdue prey larger than its own size, in some cases, much larger—testing in a lab showed a centipede was able to take down a mouse, a creature 15 times its size. Until now, it was not known what was in the venom that made it so powerful. In this new effort, the researchers report that they have isolated the toxin in the venom, which they call Ssm Spooky Toxin—the Ssm comes from the scientific name of the centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans. The team found the toxin by testing the chemicals in the venom one by one—a laborious process. The toxin works, the team reports, by blocking potassium from moving in and out of cells. Such blockage prevents the brain from signaling the heart to beat, and the animal dies very quickly. Potassium movement is also important for cells in airways, which means the victim of a bite also starts having problems breathing.
When people are bitten by a golden head centipede, they experience a lot of pain, so much that many take themselves to a hospital for relief. It is actually quite common—in Hawaii, the researchers note, centipede bites accounted for approximately 1 in 10 emergency room visits due to natural causes over the years 2004 to 2008 (averaging approximately 400 a year). Deaths from such bites are rare, however.
Prior research has shown that a drug called retigabine is able to reestablish potassium channels—it is normally used as an anticonvulsant medicine for epilepsy patients. In this case, it might be used instead as an antidote for people bitten by the centipede.


Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-toxin-centipede-venom.html#jCp