Common BP drug may lead to Diverticulosis in elderly

A team of scientists have found that blood pressure drug belonging to class of calcium channel blockers may lead to diverticulosis in elderly. 

Diverticulosis causes small bulges or pouches to appear in the lining of the intestine and can in some cases can lead to a medical emergency if the pouches become infected or burst.

High blood pressure affects onw in ten adults across the globe and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. The most common treatments for high bP are lifestyle changes and medications.

A team of scientists incestigated the effectiveness and side effects of 3 common BP medications- ACE inhibitors, beta-bloackers and calcium channel blockers.

The 3 main medications which are being taken by millions were investigated and their potential side effects as well as studying their effectiveness for treating other diseases can be difficult and often involves lengthy and expensive clinical trials.

Therefore in order to overcome this problem, the research team used genetic analyses to study the effects of the drugs. By investigating versions of genes that mimic the effects of these drugs, the team were able to study the drugs' effectiveness and their potential side effects.

First, the researchers identified the proteins targeted by the drugs, and which helps lower BP. Next, they analysed genetic data from around 750,000 people and identifies the so-called genetic variants that code for these proteins.

The team, then studies whether these gene variants which cause increased production of these proteins, were linked to an increased or decreased risk of other diseases.

The good news was that, as expected, these so-called genetic variants ( which coded for proteins involved in lowering BP) were linked to lower heart disease and stroke risk.

However after assessing the risk of around 900 different diseases- using data from the study, the team found that the versions of genes related to the effects of a particular type of calcium channel blocker- the non-dihydropyridine class, were linked to an increased the risk of a bowel condition called diverticulosis.

The team compared their findings with further genetic data, and supported the potential link with an increased risk of the bowel condition.

The link now needs further investigation with larger trials, explains the co-lead author of the research. This is the first time that this class of BP drug has been associated with diverticulosis. We're not sure of the underlying mechanism- although it may relate to effects on the fiction of intestine muscles, which perform contractions to transport food through the gut.

Senior author added, the study of genetic variants that mimic the effect of drugs is evolving as a powerful concept to help prioritise clinical trials and design clinical trials more likely to be successful.

The researchers caution the findings should not change current prescribing guidelines and that people should not stop taking their medications unless first consulting their doctor.

He added, these findings should not change clinical practice, but instead should act as a catalyst for further research.

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Researchers hijack the common flu to make it a pancreatic cancer killer

As part of a new effort to halt one of the deadliest cancers in its tracks, researchers are recruiting a common flu virus as a powerful new weapon.

While the flu virus might be the last thing we want to hear about in the midst of what has been a particularly virulent flu season, it could prove to be a powerful new weapon in the fight against pancreatic cancer with a survival rate of just 5%.

The reason for its poor survival rate is due to both its late diagnosis and the cancer’s rapid development of resistance to current therapies leading to researchers searching for new strategies that won’t allow the cells to develop an immunity.

In a paper published , a team of researchers has revealed how the common flu can be modified to attack different parts of the body, in this case the pancreatic cancer cells.

“The new virus specifically infects and kills pancreatic cancer cells, causing few side effects in nearby healthy tissue,” said the study’s lead researcher.

“Not only is our targeting strategy both selective and effective, but we have now further engineered the virus so that it can be delivered in the blood stream to reach cancer cells that have spread throughout the body.”

The key to the breakthrough was down to a unique feature of pancreatic cancer cells: a specific molecule called alpha v beta 6 (αvβ6), which is found on the surface of many pancreatic cancer cells but, crucially, not on normal cells.

Could be used with existing treatments

With this knowledge, the team set about modifying the flu virus so that it displays an additional small protein on its outer coat that recognises and binds to αvβ6-molecules.

When the virus enters the cancer cells, the virus spreads producing thousands of copies of itself prior to bursting out of the cell and thereby destroying it in the process.

These new copies can then bind onto neighbouring cancer cells and repeat the same cycle, eventually removing the tumour mass altogether.

This seemingly astounding solution was tested on human pancreatic cancer cells grafted onto mice with the results showing they inhibited cancer growth.

“If we manage to confirm these results in human clinical trials, then this may become a promising new treatment for pancreatic cancer patients, and could be combined with existing chemotherapy drugs to kill persevering cancer cells,” the Dr. said.

She added that the team’s new virus is much more specific in its targeting compared with previous versions.

If the team secures funding for clinical trials within the next two years, early phase trials could be just a few years away.
 

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