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Dr. Marie Gabrielle Laguna

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Glial cells in brain can control appetite

Jan 1, 2017

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Glial cells control the appetite and feeding behavior. MIT neuroscientists have discovered the role of brain cells called glial cells� in appetite control in a recent study. The researchers found that glial cells activation leads to overeating and the suppression of these cells, suppress appetite in mice.

The results of this study might help scientists for developing drugs against obesity and other appetite-related problems. This study is considered to be the latest one on glial cells in important brain functions. Earlier the role of glial cells was considered as supporting neurons.

“In the last few years, abnormal glial cell activities have been strongly implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. There is more and more evidence to point to the importance of glial cells in modulating neuronal function and in mediating brain disorders,” mentions Guoping Feng, the James W. and Patricia Poitras Professor of Neuroscience. Feng is also a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute.

Feng and Weiping Han are the senior authors of this study; Weiping serves as head of the Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine at the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium in Singapore. Naiyan Chen,

The lead author Naiyan Chen is a postdoc at the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium and the McGovern Institute.

Role in appetite

The hypothalamus, an almond-sized structure located deep within the brain, controls appetite in addition to energy expenditure, body temperature, and circadian rhythms as well as sleep cycles. While doing studies on glial cells in other parts of the brain, Chen found that the hypothalamus also showed a lot of glial cell activity.

Chen noted that, “I was very curious at that point what glial cells would be doing in the hypothalamus, since glial cells have been shown in other brain areas to have an influence on regulation of neuronal function,”.

Scientists have recognized two major groups of neurons that control appetite, known as AgRP neurons and POMC neurons inside the hypothalamus. AgRP neurons stimulate feeding, while POMC neurons suppress appetite.

There were no techniques for silencing or stimulating these glial cells in earlier days; so it was difficult to study the role of glial cells in controlling appetite or any other brain function. Glial cells are about the half of brain cells count, they have more supporting roles like cushioning neurons and connecting neurons with one another.

A new technique developed at the University of North Carolina to study a type of glial cell known as an astrocyte, used for this study. With the help of this strategy researchers can engineer specific cells to make a surface receptor that binds to CNO, a derivative chemical compound of clozapine. Then, when CNO is given, it will activate the glial cells.

The MIT research team found that turning on astrocyte activity with only a single dose of CNO had a notable effect on feeding behavior.

“When we gave the compound that specifically activated the receptors, we saw a robust increase in feeding,” Chen describes. “Mice are not known to eat very much in the daytime, but when we gave drugs to these animals that express a particular receptor, they were eating a lot.”

The researchers also found that in a short period of three days, the mice did not gain extra weight, although they were eating more.

“This raises the possibility that glial cells may also be modulating neurons that control energy expenditures, to compensate for the increased food intake,” Chen says. “They might have multiple neuronal partners and modulate multiple energy homeostasis functions all at the same time.”

When the researchers muted the activity in astrocytes, they found that the mice ate less than normal

How astrocytes interact?

Still unknown is how the astrocytes apply their effects on neurons. As per some recent studies, glial cells can secrete chemical messengers such as glutamate and ATP; if so, these “gliotransmitters” could control neuron activity.

Another hypothesis is that instead of secreting chemicals, astrocytes exert their effects by controlling the uptake of neurotransmitters from the space surrounding neurons, thereby influencing neuron activity indirectly.

Now Feng plans to create new research tools that could facilitate scientists to learn more about astrocyte-neuron interactions and how astrocytes play their role in modulation of appetite and feeding. He also hopes to learn more about whether there are different types of astrocytes that may contribute differently to feeding behavior, especially abnormal behavior.

Feng stated that, “We really know very little about how astrocytes contribute to the modulation of appetite, eating, and metabolism. In the future, dissecting out these functional difference will be critical for our understanding of these disorders.”

Chemical Inhibitor NGI-1 Curbs Lung Cancer

Dec 29, 2016

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NGI-1 is a chemical inhibitor identified by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine which limits the growth of lung tumor cells. The inhibitor partially disrupts glycosylation and limits the spread of cancer cells.

Joseph Contessa, a senior author of the study describes, Glycosylation is an essential process for all cells, but researchers have long thought that there is no way to disrupt glycosylation in cancer cells without disrupting the same process in other cells and thereby causing serious harm�. The inhibitor NGI-1, identified in the study affects tumor cells most severely. But the inhibitor does not harm other cells relatively.

“This is important to cancer research because what we’re looking for are therapies that don’t have a lot of effect on normal cells but do have a lot of effect on tumor cells, and this falls into that category,” stated Contessa. He serves as the director of Yale’s Central Nervous System Radiotherapy Program and an associate professor of therapeutic radiology and of pharmacology.

Researchers from the Broad Institute, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the University of Kansas, the University of Georgia and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center were worked collectively for this study. To find a substance that could partially disrupt glycosylation, they screened over 350,000 chemical compounds. As a result of their efforts, they identified the inhibitor NGI-1. The first author of the study, Cecilia Lopez-Sambrooks stated that it was largely a team effort.

How The NGI-1�Inhibitor Works?

Oligosaccharyltransferase is an enzyme known as OST that transfers sugar molecules called oligosaccharides to receptor proteins. OST is used to glycosylate receptor proteins, which are required for the growth of tumor cells. NGI-1 blocks the glycosylation of OST and it leads to disruption of the cancerous cells growth.

According to Contessa, when the glycosylation of OST is blocked, the enzyme loses its ability to properly glycosylate the receptor proteins and it hinders the growth of tumor cells as a result. The study claims that NGI-1 only seems to block the spread of cells dependent on the protein receptors EGFR and FGFR. This indicates that the inhibitor NGI-1 can particularly target the growth of tumor cells while having a minimal effect on non-cancer cells.

Contessa likened the usage of NGI-1 to that of a “dimmer change.” He mentioned that, While most people have previously thought of glycosylation as something that can be switched on or off for all cells, NGI-1 only partially blocks glycosylation, which in turn has the most effect on tumor cells highly dependent on EGFR and FGFR.�

Moving forward, Contessa said he hopes to bring the information from the study back to the clinic. He also mentioned that, ideally, this research can provide an alternative to other forms of treatment such as radiation therapy. Contessa recommended that since NGI-1 is a relatively small molecule, it’s likely that it could be ingested by the patient in the form of a pill.

“We have therapies, and they’re good therapies, but they’re not enough,” Contessa mentioned. “We need to take the next step.”

Natural Onion Compound ONA Fights Cancer

Dec 28, 2016

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Onionin A (ONA), a natural compound derived from onions, contains many anti-ovarian cancer properties. Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan discovered the anti-ovarian cancer properties of ONA. They analyzed the effects of Onionin A on a preclinical model of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) both in vivo and in vitro to discover its anti-cancer properties. The same group of researchers have earlier found out that Onionin A suppressed pro-tumor activation of host myeloid cells.

As per a 2014 review of cancer medicines from the World Health Organization, EOC has a 5-year survival rate of approximately 40% and it is the most common ovarian cancer. The lifetime risk of EOC is relatively low, that is, less than 1%. But the risk can climb up to 40% if there is a family history of the disease. A highly effective treatment is required to treat ECO, since eighty percent of patients experience a relapse after their initial treatment with chemotherapy.

Effects of ONA On EOC

The researchers discovered that ONA has many effects on EOC. EOC proliferate with the help of pro-tumor M2 macrophages, but the growth of EOCs were inhibited by Onin. This was due to ONA's effect on STAT3. STAT3 is a transcription factor and is involved in both cancer cell growth and M2 polarization.

In addition to this, the researchers also found out that ONA inhibited the pro-tumor functions of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) by using preclinical sarcoma model. These cells are highly connected with the suppression of anti-tumor immune responses of host lymphocytes. ONA also strengthen the anti-proliferation capabilities of anti-cancer drugs. Furthermore, experiments on an ovarian cancer murine model which investigated the effects of orally administered ONA showed longer lifespan and inhibited ovarian cancer development. This was due to ONA’s suppression of M2 polarized macrophages.

According to the study, ONA showed multiple effects on EOC. It minimized the progression of malignant ovarian cancer tumors by interfering with the pro-tumor function of myeloid cells. ONA can activate anti-tumor immune responses by removing the immunosuppressive function of myeloid cells. ONA enhanced the existing anti-cancer drugs while also having little to no cytotoxic effects on non-cancerous cells. Moreover, side effects in animals have not been seen. After a few rounds of testing, an oral ONA supplement should benefit cancer patients.

Exercise may avoid memory decline

Dec 27, 2016

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According to a new research, exercise might benefit the elderly people who have memory and thinking problems.

People with vascular cognitive impairment were involved in the research. Vascular cognitive impairment is the state of problems with memory and thinking skills result from damage to large and small blood vessels in the brain. It is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.

The study author, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PT, PhD of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada stated that “Studies have shown that exercise can help reduce the risk of developing memory problems, but few studies have looked at whether it can help people who already have these problems get better or keep from getting worse,”.

About 70 people who had mild vascular cognitive impairment, with age group of 74 were involved in the study. One half of the participants took part in one-hour exercise classes three times a week for six months. The other half had a healthy diet, but no information on physical activity.

Every participant was tested before the study started, at the end of the study and again six months later. The tests include overall thinking skills, executive function skills such as planning and organizing and how they can accomplish their daily activities.

Effects of exercise

Participants who exercised improved on overall thinking skills compared to those who did not exercise. People who took exercise classes had 1.7 points high in their scores than other half.

“This result, while modest, was similar to that seen in previous studies testing the use of drugs for people with vascular cognitive impairment,” Liu-Ambrose mentioned. “However, the difference was less than what is considered to be the minimal clinically important difference of three points.”

The exercise program stopped after six months; their scores were no different than those who did not exercise. Also, there was no difference between their tests.� Participants who exercised also improved in their blood pressure and a physical activity test of how far they could walk in six minutes. The test of walking used to measure the participants overall cardiovascular capacity.

Liu-Ambrose stated, More studies are needed to determine whether exercise can improve thinking abilities in people with mild vascular cognitive impairment. Because the study sample size was based on detecting a difference on the overall thinking skills test, large samples might be needed to detect differences in specific thinking abilities, such as planning, and everyday skills, such as managing one’s finances.�

Caffeine Derivatives Treat Parkinson’s Disease

Dec 24, 2016

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Two chemical substances from caffeine were discovered to exhibit promise in preventing the development of Parkinson's disease along with its devastating signs and symptoms. Parkinson's disease attacks the body's nervous system, inflicting uncontrolled shakes, muscle stiffness, and sluggish, imprecise movement, particularly in middle-aged and elderly persons. It is usually prompted by the damage of brain cells (neurons) that produce dopamine, an principal neurotransmitter that allows for neurons to talk� to one another.

A team of researchers from the University of Saskatchewan has discovered and developed two caffeine-derived chemical substances that show promise in stopping the devastating effects of Parkinson’s disease.

The team studied the characteristics of a protein known as a-synuclein (AS), which is involved in dopamine regulation.

A-synuclein

In people with Parkinson’s disease, AS can be misfolded into a compact structure, which is associated with the demise of dopamine-producing neurons. AS also appears to behave like a prion disease similar to that of variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob or “mad cow” disease. In prion diseases, one misfolded protein can lead to the misfolding of others, so that the disease easily spreads.

The investigators of these study were Jeremy Lee, a biochemist from the U of S College of Medicine, and Ed Krol from the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, along with researchers Troy Harkness and Joe Kakish from the U of S College of Medicine, as well as Kevin Allen from the Drug Discovery and Research Group in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.

According to Lee, Many of the current therapeutic compounds focus on boosting the dopamine output of surviving cells, but this is effective only as long as there are still enough cells to do the job. Our approach aims to protect dopamine-producing cells by preventing a-synuclein from mis-folding in the first place.�

Caffeine Scaffold

Despite the fact that the chemistry was challenging, Lee explained that the research team synthesized 30 special “bifunctional dimer” drugs, which are molecules that link two different substances identified to influence dopamine-producing cells.

They started with a caffeine “scaffold,” guided by using literature that suggests the stimulant has a protective outcome against Parkinson’s. From this base, they added different compounds with known effects: nicotine, the diabetes drug metformin, and aminoindan, a research chemical much like the Parkinson’s drug rasagiline.

Using a yeast model of Parkinson’s disease, Lee and his team learned that two of the compounds prevented the AS protein from clumping, and without problems permitted the cells to grow and develop normally. Lee added, Our results suggest these novel bifunctional dimers show promise in preventing the progression of Parkinson’s disease�.

Their findings are published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

Pneumonia in Elderly Males Halted By Vitamin E

Dec 23, 2016

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Recently, it was found out that the consumption of 50 mg per day of Vitamin E can lower the chance of pneumonia in aged male smokers by 72% after they stop smoking. These results are published in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging.

A researcher, Dr. Harri Hemila from University of Helsinki, Finland, has studied whether or not vitamin E supplementation might impact the risk of community-acquired pneumonia. He analyzed the information from the randomized trial (Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention [ATBC] study) which was done in Finland in 1985 to 1993 and involved male subjects who smoke and who are aged from 50 to 69 years.

Vitamin E and Pneumonia

The effect of Vitamin E on pneumonia was significantly affected by the age at which the subject started to smoke. Vitamin E decreased the chance of pneumonia by around 35% in 7,469 subjects who had started smoking at a later age, at 21 years or older. However, the vitamin had no obvious effect on pneumonia for many who had begun to smoke at a younger age.

There were around 7,469 who started to smoke at a later age. Vitamin E supplementation reduced the incidence of pneumonia by 69% in a subgroup of 2,216 light smokers who exercised in their free time. On this subgroup, vitamin E prevented pneumonia in 12.9% of the subjects when they reached the age of 74 years, which corresponds to at least one in eight people getting a benefit from the vitamin. Vitamin E did not have a large influence on individuals who smoked heavily or had not been doing exercise.

One-third of the 7,469 contributors stopped smoking for some time and 27 of them acquired pneumonia. These 27 cases of pneumonia can be utilized to estimate the effects of vitamin E on presently non-smoking males. The incidence of pneumonia was 72% lesser in the vitamin E subjects who had quit smoking, and this advantage from vitamin E was also seen among people who smoked heavily or did not have significant physical activity. Popular webcam chat livesexcamgirlsfree.com is free

Even though the effects of Vitamin E in adult aged males with community-obtained pneumonia are evident on this analysis, the overall findings about vitamin E had been intricate. Furthermore, the subjects of the ATBC trial had been born within the 1920s and 1930s, and lived during the World War II years. According to Hemila, Thus, even though the 72% decrease in pneumonia risk with vitamin E in ATBC participants who quit smoking may be a real effect, it should not be generalized to current elderly males in Western countries. Further research on vitamin E in non-smoking elderly males is warranted.�

Novel Blood Test Detects Liver NASH

Dec 22, 2016

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A new non-invasive method of predicting the risk of developing severe liver disease in the form of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) could make certain that patients will acquire early and probably life-saving health interventions before irreversible liver injury is done.

Using data from a liver biopsy study, researchers at Cardiff University have developed a new approach of finding out the onset of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by means of the evaluation of lipids, metabolites and clinical markers in blood.

NASH

NASH is the most extreme form of non-alcoholic fatty liver ailment (NAFLD), which is in turn a variety of conditions brought about by the accumulation of fats in the liver. With NASH, inflammation of the liver damages the cells, probably leading to scarring and cirrhosis.

Presently, the diagnosis of NASH can be done with a liver biopsy, which is an invasive and high-priced approach. The new study might lead to a simple blood test that might capture the onset of NASH earlier than inflammation damages the liver.

According to Dr You Zhou from Cardiff University’s Systems Immunity Research Institute, Many people with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis do not have symptoms and are not aware they are developing a serious liver problem. As such, diagnosis often comes after irreversible damage is done. Our quicker and less invasive method of diagnosis could mean that more people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease could be easily tested to determine whether they are progressing to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, the more severe form of the disease.�

Liver Fatty Changes

Healthy livers contain little or no fats. It can be estimated that around 20% of people in the UK have early stages of NAFLD where there are small quantities of fats of their liver. NASH is estimated to have an effect on as much as 5% of the UK population and is now viewed to be one of the crucial reasons of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the medical condition that enables irregular bumps to replace the delicate liver tissue, making the liver harder and thus reducing the amount of healthy cells to carry out normal functioning. It will soon result in complete liver failure.

Usual risk factors for each NAFLD and NASH are weight problems, lack of exercise and insulin resistance. Yet, when detected and managed at an early stage, it may be possible to stop both NAFLD and NASH from getting worse.

The new procedure of NASH diagnosis will further undergo investigation which will lead to establishing a simple blood test that can be utilized by clinicians to give effective treatment to sufferers at high risk for the disease.

The results of this study, Noninvasive Detection of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Using Clinical Markers and Circulating Levels of Lipids and Metabolites� are available in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

To know more about liver diseases and how it affects quality of life, feel free to read our other articles in this site.

Are Phytoestrogens Safe and Effective?

Dec 21, 2016

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Even though individuals generally use natural products because of their potential health and wellness advantages, a new assessment shows that it is not clear whether the advantages of plant-derived compounds that mimic estrogen outweigh the viable health risks. The findings are released in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are compounds from plants which are similar in structure to estrogen and are observed in a variety of foods, in particular, soy. Some women may take phytoestrogens promoted as natural alternatives to hormone replacement treatment to help relieve menopausal signs and symptoms such as hot flushes. They are also used as protection against bone loss.

When the researchers made up of Ivonne Rietjens, PhD, of Wageningen University in The Netherlands, and her colleagues analyzed data from previous studies, they learned that several advantages of phytoestrogens have been mentioned, including decreased risks of cardiovascular sickness, obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, brain problems, and several types of cancer, additionally to decreased menopausal symptoms. Phytoestrogens are regarded as endocrine disruptors, nonetheless, which show that they have the abilities to cause harm and infertility, and multiplied risks of cancer in estrogen-sensitive organs such as the breast and uterus.

Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine disruptors are substances that lead to hormonal imbalances in the body by acting as hormones in themselves that regulate the body's metabolic functions. These endocrine disruptors can lead to diabetes, thyroid problems, pituitary problems, infertility, irregular menstrual cycles and even cancers.

Given the information on the harmful health effects, the authors conclude that the present evidence on phytoestrogens’ beneficial effects shouldn’t be so obvious that they obviously outweigh the possible health risks. According to Rietjens, This implies that a definite conclusion on the health effects of phytoestrogens, positive or negative, cannot be made�. It is only a matter of question of whether or not phytoestrogens are useful or unsafe, and the answers may be based on individuals’ age, health status, and even the presence or absence of specific gut bacteria. Further studies are needed to provide more information on these things.

To know more about the different benefits and disadvantages of phytoestrogens and other phytochemicals, feel free to read our other articles on this site.

Calcium Supplements Could Harm The Heart

Dec 20, 2016

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Taking calcium supplements may elevate the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and may lead to heart damage. This is despite the fact that a weight loss plan high in calcium-rich meals seems be protecting, say researchers who analyzed 10 years of scientific tests on more than 2,700 persons.

After examining the results of 10 years of scientific tests on greater than 2,700 individuals in a federally funded heart disease study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine conclude that taking calcium in the form of dietary supplements may just raise the danger of plaque buildup in arteries and coronary heart damage, despite the fact that a eating regimen high in calcium-rich meals appears be protective.

The results of this research were released in the Oct. 10 of the Journal of the American Heart Association. In this study, the researchers caution that their work just documents the association between calcium supplements and atherosclerosis, and does not show reasons and outcomes.

However, the results may add to growing scientific concerns on potential harms of dietary supplements. This is why a consultation with a health care professional should be done before utilizing calcium dietary supplements. An estimated 43 percent of adult men and women in the US take a supplement that contains calcium, according to the National Institute of Health.

Excess Calcium

According to Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S., associate director of preventive cardiology and associate professor of medicine at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, When it comes to using vitamin and mineral supplements, particularly calcium supplements being taken for bone health, many Americans think that more is always better. But our study adds to the body of evidence that excess calcium in the form of supplements may harm the heart and vascular system.�

The researchers had been motivated to study the effects of calcium on the heart and the blood vessels. This is because reports have already confirmed that “ingested calcium dietary supplements — certainly in older men and women — do not make it to the skeleton or get thoroughly excreted within the urine, thus they often accumulate in the body tissues. This is according to nutritionist John Anderson, Ph.D., professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and a co-author of the report. Scientists also knew that as a person grows old, calcium-related plaque builds up in the body’s main blood vessels such as the aorta and other arteries, thus increasing one's chances of having a heart attack.

The investigators checked out data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a long-term study which was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It included greater than 6,000 people who were seen at six research universities, along with Johns Hopkins. The study focused on 2,742 of these individuals who completed dietary questionnaires and two CT scans done 10 years apart.

The subjects chosen for this study ranged in age from 45 to 84, and 51 percent were female. Forty-one percent were white, 26 percentage were African-American, 22 percent were Hispanic and 12 percentage were Chinese.

At the start of the study in 2000, all individuals answered a 120-part questionnaire about their dietary habits to assess how much calcium they took in from consuming dairy products; leafy veggies; calcium-enriched meals, like cereals; and other calcium-rich meals. Separately, the researchers inventoried what medications and dietary supplements every participant took every day.

The investigators used cardiac CT scans to measure participants’ coronary artery calcium scores, a measure of calcification within the heart’s arteries and a marker of heart disorder risk when the ranking is above zero. At first, 1,175 subjects showed plaques in their heart arteries. The coronary artery calcium tests were then repeated 10 years later to verify newly constructing or worsening coronary heart disease.

For the evaluation, the researchers first divided the individuals into 5 groups based on their calcium consumption, together with both calcium supplements and dietary calcium. After adjusting the data for age, sex, race, activity, smoking, income, education, weight, smoking, drinking, blood pressure, blood sugar and family medical history, the researchers separated out 20 percent of the individuals with the highest calcium consumption, which was greater than 1,400 milligrams of calcium a day. That group was said to be 27 percent less probably than the 20 percentage of individuals with the lowest calcium intake to develop heart disease, as indicated by their coronary artery calcium test.

Next, the investigators observed the differences among those who are taking in dietary calcium and those utilising calcium supplements. Forty-six percent of the population used calcium dietary supplements.

The researchers once more accounted for the same demographic and lifestyle factors that might affect heart disorder risk, as in the previous evaluation, and found out that calcium supplement users showed a 22 percent increased probability of having higher coronary artery calcium scores over the decade, indicating the development of heart disease.

According to Anderson, There is clearly something different in how the body uses and responds to supplements versus intake through diet that makes it riskier. It could be that supplements contain calcium salts, or it could be from taking a large dose all at once that the body is unable to process.�

Asthma Drug Cromolyn Combats Liver Disease

Dec 19, 2016

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A drug, cromolyn sodium, which is often used for the prevention of allergy symptoms and asthma has been found out to prevent liver disease and can reduce the need for transplants. This is according to new research published in the October 2016 edition of the scientific journal Hepatology.

The said study was done by a group of researchers at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and the Central Texas Veteran’s Health Care System and Texas A&M Health Science Center. They discovered that cromolyn sodium effectually blocked a sequence of cells that triggered liver scarring (known as fibrosis), which in developed cases can lead to cirrhosis.

This discovery might affect patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic sickness that damages bile ducts and leads to severe liver injury. The disease has no powerful treatments and often leaves sufferers with few choices beyond a liver transplant.

Histamine Blockade By Cromolyn

The study evaluated mast cells (MCs), which are known to infiltrate and multiply after liver injury and release histamine, which factors fibrosis. Utilising a model that mimics human PSC, researchers observed that the drug effectively blocked histamine, which further decreased fibrosis.

According to Heather L. Bradley-Francis, Ph.D., an investigator at the Digestive Disease Research Center (DDRC) at Baylor Scott & White Health, We have been examining mast cells for a number of years in my lab and found that they become more prominent and active during disease, so the overall goal of my research is to find drugs to target mast cells and render them inactive. This particular study was a direct outgrowth of previous published work involving the same drug for bile duct damage and liver cancer. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our data and results matched what we had hypothesized about the drug’s effect on PSC, based on that previous work.�

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

PSC, a condition that causes swelling and scarring within the liver because of short- injury or long-term damage such as in alcohol abuse typically affects persons in their 30s or 40s. Soon, the disease can lead to liver failure, infections or tumors. According to Gianfranco Alpini, PhD, director of the DDRC at Baylor Scott & White, This paper is very important and opens new avenues for the treatment of cholangiopathies. Given the limited treatment options for PSC patients, we are thrilled with these study insights.�

If more studies supports the study’s preliminary findings, investigators see a future where patients could be given the cromolyn sodium drug, which can be used to treat the autoimmune disorder irritable bowel syndrome, for it's histamine-blocking to avoid the progression of fibrosis. That ultimately could result in fewer liver transplants — and possibly shorter transplant waitlists.

According to Dr. Francis,� If you base it off these studies, the possibility of reducing or preventing fibrosis in patients could be very high. We need to perform additional experiments to ensure that we are giving a dose that would be tolerable to humans.�

She further added, We are still very much involved in this work, and I’m optimistic about the future of research and the potential advances that will be made by integrating basic science with clinical research. My lab has a number of studies that are ongoing right now to identify ways to target mast cells in diseases like PSC, but also in other chronic liver problems like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Both of the grants that fund my lab examine the role that mast cells play during different liver pathologies and how mast cells interact with other resident liver cells, so we have a long road ahead to work on better understanding these mechanisms.�

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