MSK researchers report an underlying cause of COVID brain
One of the dozens of unusual symptoms that have emerged in COVID-19 patients is a condition that s informally called COVID brain or brain fog. It s characterized by confusion, headaches, and loss of short-term memory. In severe cases, it can lead to psychosis and even seizures. It usually emerges weeks after someone first becomes sick with COVID-19.
In the February 8, 2021, issue of the journal
Cancer Cell, a multidisciplinary team from Memorial Sloan Kettering reports an underlying cause of COVID brain: the presence of inflammatory molecules in the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (called the cerebrospinal fluid). The findings suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs, such as steroids, may be useful for treating the condition, but more research is needed.
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Lipid epoxides target pain, inflammatory pathways in neurons
Comparative biosciences professor Aditi Das led a study of modified lipids that target the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is involved in regulating pain and inflammation.
Photo by L. Brian Stauffer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. When modified using a process known as epoxidation, two naturally occurring lipids are converted into potent agents that target multiple cannabinoid receptors in neurons, interrupting pathways that promote pain and inflammation, researchers report. These modified compounds, called epo-NA5HT and epo-NADA, have much more powerful effects than the molecules from which they are derived, which also regulate pain and inflammation.
A new animal study, published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, suggests regular walnut consumption may be a promising intervention for reducing negative outcomes associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, a widespread bacterial infection that affects more than half of the world's population.
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Scientists to explore whether anti-inflammatory drugs control blood sugar
Meals prepared for scientific studies of metabolism and nutrition stand ready for distribution at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Researchers at the School of Medicine are studying whether drugs to treat inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease also could help control blood sugar levels. (Photo: Matt Miller/School of Medicine)
Inflammation and metabolic disorders are deeply intertwined. For example, people with inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease and psoriasis are at risk of developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. However troubling that connection might seem, it also might point to some promising news.
Novel immunotherapy approach to revert the main hallmarks of cat allergy
Researchers from the Department of Infection and Immunity of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) brought forward the potential of high doses of a specific adjuvant molecule, namely CpG oligonucleotide, in successfully modulating the immune system s allergic response to the main cat allergen Fel d 1, thereby inducing a tolerance-promoting reaction and reverting the main hallmarks of cat allergy.
The researchers analyzed the molecular mechanisms underlying this tolerance and proposed a pre-clinical allergen-specific immunotherapy approach to improve the treatment and control of this common type of allergy. The full study results were published recently in the renowned international journal