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Can we treat inflammatory bowel disease by holding the cells of the immune system captive?

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On May 24, 2024

In cellular basis of life, digestive system, lymphatic and immune system

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – cell membrane proteins can function as receptors
  2. digestive system chapter – anatomy of the digestive system, location of large intestine
  3. digestive system chapter – layers of the gastrointestinal tract, location of mucosa
  4. immune system chapter – cell-based immunity depends on cytotoxic T-lymphocytes

The news item:  Recently the following article appeared online:

New drug for IBD, ulcerative colitis wins FDA approval: ‘Amazing results’

“We’re seeing pretty amazing results” with newer treatments, said one expert. “If you look over the last few years, it’s been game-changing.”

The article states that inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis are diseases of the lining of the large intestine and rectum where open sores develop, and while the precise cause is unknown, we consider this a consequence of the improper functioning of the immune system. The article describes the symptoms as diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and rectal bleeding. The article states that the current steroid and other injectable treatments are effective, but patients could be treated easier with oral medication.

So, Why Do I Care??  Each year over 70,000 people in the US are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease; currently about 2.1 million people are treated for the disease. Because the symptoms are debilitating, and treatment options have been limited to injectable drugs, the significance of Etrasimod (Velsipity) is that it provides a treatment option using oral medication instead of injections.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s talk about what inflammatory bowel disease is. This disorder happens when the immune system overreacts to viruses or bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (GI-tract), the tube-shaped part of the digestive system going from the mouth to the anus. Most of the time the large intestine and the rectum are the location for inflammation. The overactive immune system sends a large number of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes to the inner lining, the mucosa, of the GI-tract. Once there, those T-lymphocytes release inflammatory mediators that cause vasodilation, and eventually tissue damage. The damaged mucosa prevents absorption of nutrients and causes bleeding and diarrhea.

Second, let’s talk about how the immune system becomes overactive during the disease. Normally most of the T-lymphocytes reside in the lymph nodes limiting the number of T-lymphocytes released into

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Can our genes influence what we like to eat?

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On October 30, 2023

In digestive system, nervous system, special senses

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of one gene, one protein
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of gene mutation leading to protein malfunction
  3. special senses chapter – taste receptors are in taste buds
  4. special senses chapter – role of G-proteins in sweet, bitter and savory taste receptors

The news item:  Recently this news article appeared online:

Bitter or Savory, Taste Genes Could Influence Your Diet

US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. Track elected officials, research health conditions, and find news you can use in politics, business, health, and education.

 

The article states that a study was conducted to link previously described gene variations to the five basic taste types: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and savory. People with high sensitivity to bitter flavor ate fewer whole grains.  People with high sensitivity to savory flavor ate fewer vegetables. People with high sensitivity to sweet flavor had lower triglyceride levels.

So, Why Do I Care??  Changing ones diet have been part of many non-invasive prevention of diseases, and also part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle after surgery or after the start of new medication. However, changing ones diet is a challenging task, because of the stubborn food preferences we all develop. If those food preferences can be linked to genetic function, then dietary changes could be guided to accommodate those gene-influenced food preferences, and to give patients dietary prescriptions that we find easier to follow.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about the cells that detect tastes. On the surface of your tongue there are hundreds of small bumps called papilla, and inside each of those bumps sit taste receptor cells that detect chemicals around them. When those receptor cells detect taste-related chemicals, the cells then release neurotransmitters to start a nerve impulse in the axons of cranial nerve VII or IX.

Second, let’s talk about how taste receptors detect tastes. The five types of taste receptor cells are sensitive to different taste-causing chemicals (tastants). The “sour” receptor cells are sensitive to hydrogen ions, and the “salty” receptor cells are sensitive to sodium ions. For both of those receptors the

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Can astronauts prevent bone loss by eating genetically engineered lettuce?

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On November 27, 2022

In chemical basis of life, digestive system, endocrine system, skeletal system

TeachableMedicalNews article 11272022

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of one gene, one protein
  2. skeletal system chapter – actions of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in living bones
  3. skeletal system chapter – osteons and trabeculae provide structural strength to bones
  4. endocrine system chapter – actions of PTH made by parathyroid gland
  5. digestive system chapter – ingested proteins are degraded by several digestive enzymes

 

The news item:  Recently the following report appeared:

Humans on Mars may feast on gene-edited salad to stop bones breaking

Genetically modified salad could be crucial to keeping the bones of humans on Mars healthy.

 

 

The article states that a human gene was added to lettuce, and that the human protein, parathyroid hormone (PTH), will fight the osteoporosis that astronauts develop in space. Astronauts lose 1.5% of bone mass from weight-bearing bones, and the expectation is the PTH made by the lettuce will prevent bone loss on a trip to Mars that may last for over a year.

So, Why Do I Care??  Osteoporosis, as stated in the article, weakens bones, but not only in astronauts. Over 10 million people in the US alone has osteoporosis that makes fractures more likely. PTH is currently administered through injections, so, if we could demonstrate that eating PTH-enriched lettuce, then treatment of osteoporosis may become easier.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what osteoporosis is. In our bones we need structural reinforcement to keep bones from fracturing when we walk, run, jump or fall. The microscopic building units called osteons and trabeculae are the structural elements that provide such reinforcement.  Imagine a tall building or a bridge; columns or pillars are the elements of structural reinforcement in them. A corrosion of those pillars and columns weakens the building, and may cause their collapse. In our bones the cells called osteoclasts erode the osteons and trabeculae, but the cells called osteoblasts repair, and, thus, reverse that erosion. In old age, or with hormonal changes, such as menopause, the osteoblasts slow down, and the osteoclasts erode osteons and trabeculae. Osteoporosis is the condition where the erosion weakens the entire bone, and fractures are more likely.

Second, let’s talk about why weightlessness leads to osteoporosis. When we move around in regular gravity, our bone cells are under pressure caused by the weight of the body. That pressure makes

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How can the injectable medication Ozempic get TikTok users excited about weight loss?

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On August 17, 2022

In digestive system, endocrine system, nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 08182022

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. endocrine system chapter – hormones deliver instructions through receptors
  2. nervous system – brain chapter – location and function of hypothalamus in the diencephalon
  3. digestive system chapter – cells of the small intestine make hormones that control appetite

The news item:  Recently the following report appeared:

https://www.yahoo.com/now/ozempic-touted-tiktok-weight-loss-185703991.html

 

 

the article stated that Ozempic is a prescription medication for type II diabetes, that Ozempic makes the pancreas to make more insulin, and that the weight loss is caused through the suppression of the appetite.

So, Why Do I Care??  One reason for caring is that it is unusual to see a side effect of a prescription drug that is a desirable side effect. The other reason to be interested is that we see an example of the sensitivity of the brain to hormones made in the small intestine. It becomes even more interesting, because it looks that the fight against the obesity epidemic just gained a new tool. About 50% of the adults and 25% of children in the USA are obese. Lowering the prevalence of obesity by weight loss could lower the occurrence of heart attacks, strokes, and several cancers.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what is Ozempic. The protein hormone GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide) is the active ingredient in Ozempic. GLP is a natural product of the cells in the human

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Can a new pharmaceutical lower blood cholesterol levels to improve cardiovascular health?

By

On October 30, 2021

In cardiovascular system, cellular basis of life, chemical basis of life, digestive system

TeachableMedicalNews article 10312021

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. chemical basis of life chapter – cholesterol is a steroid type lipid
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – cholesterol is needed to stabilize plasma membranes of our cells
  3. digestive system chapter – liver synthesizes cholesterol
  4. cardiovascular system chapter – coronary artery disease starts with cholesterol buildup in the arteries

The news item:  Recently a report appeared about lowering our blood cholesterol level:

 

FDA approves drug that lowers cholesterol in a new way

Nexletol was approved for people genetically predisposed to have sky-high cholesterol and people who have heart disease and need to further lower their bad cholesterol.

The article stated that high LDL levels are connected with risk of heart attacks, and that this new drug blocks the cholesterol making enzyme in the liver. This new drug, Nexletol, acts differently from the statin drugs that also lower blood cholesterol.

So, Why Do I Care??  In the USA over 1 million people die yearly from heart attacks and strokes, and those deaths are at least partially caused by high blood cholesterol causing blockage inside the blood vessels. While there are life style modifications and drugs we can use to lower blood cholesterol, new pharmaceuticals may increase the success of lowering blood cholesterol.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s talk about what cholesterol is and how it causes cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol is an organic molecule classified as a steroid type lipid. Cholesterol makes cell membranes sturdy, so all cells need it, and cholesterol transporting trucks, called LDL (low density

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Can a genetic mutation of cancer cells be exploited to kill them?

By

On March 28, 2021

In cellular basis of life, chemical basis of life, digestive system, reproductive system

TeachableMedicalNews article 03282021

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. chemical basis of life chapter – DNA structure as double helix
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – DNA replication during mitosis
  3. cellular basis of life chapter – DNA mutation of a gene usually diminishes protein function
  4. digestive system – anatomy of pancreatic duct (origin of most pancreatic cancers)
  5. reproductive system – anatomy of ovary (surface epithelium is the origin of most ovarian cancers)

The news item:  Recently this article appeared online about a new pancreatic cancer treatment:

FDA approves drug for treating pancreatic cancer

Health regulators clear AstraZeneca and Merck treatment for disease projected to kill 46,000 Americans this year.

The article states that Lynparza has been approved for the treatment of ovarian cancers with BRCA mutation, and this approval is now extended to pancreatic cancers with the same mutation. The article also states that the BRCA mutation hinders fixing DNA damage, that Lynparza is a PARP inhibitor, and that 46,000 Americans die yearly because of pancreatic cancer.

So, Why Do I Care??  Pancreatic cancer has a very low survival rate, because the diagnosis usually happens in the late stage of the cancer. A new drug will likely increase survival rates among those 46,000 patients.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s talk about the BRCA mutation. When cells undergo mitosis (cell division) the DNA is copied (replicated), so the new cell can have as much DNA as the starter cell.

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Why eating Listeria-contaminated food can be life threatening?

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On October 22, 2020

In cellular basis of life, digestive system, lymphatic and immune system, nervous system, reproductive system

TeachableMedicalNews article 10222020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – cytosol
  2. nervous system chapter – location of meninges
  3. immune system chapter – vasodilation during inflammation
  4. immune system chapter – emigration by white blood cells
  5. microbiology – Listeria monocytogenes biology

The news item:  Recently a Listeria outbreak was reported to have started from contaminated mushrooms:

Enoki mushrooms tied to listeria outbreak that killed four people and hospitalized 31, CDC says | CNN

Enoki mushrooms are linked to four deaths and 31 hospitalizations in what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says was a multistate listeria outbreak that is now presumed to be over.

The article stated that Listeria outbreak is caused by a bacterium, and that the symptoms of infection are stiff neck, loss of balance, miscarriage, confusion and fever.

So, Why Do I Care??

Infection by Listeria bacterium is the third leading cause of food borne illness, and it is the most lethal food borne illness by killing about 15 – 20% of the infected individuals.  In the US each year about 1600 people get infected, and 260 die. The victims are the most vulnerable of society: elderly, pregnant women, and immunosuppressed people.

Plain English, Please!!!

First, let’s talk about what Listeria is. Listeria is a type of bacterium that infects human beings when they consume Listeria-contaminated food. The bacterium lives

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What makes some hand sanitizers dangerously toxic?

By

On August 28, 2020

In cellular basis of life, chemical basis of life, digestive system, metabolism, nervous system, Uncategorized

TeachableMedicalNews article 08282020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. chemical basis of life chapter – adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
  2. cellular basis of life chapter –sites of detoxification inside the cell
  3. cellular basis of life chapter – mitochondria as site of ATP production
  4. digestive system chapter – absorption through stomach mucosa
  5. metabolism chapter – electron transport chain as most efficient ATP producing process inside mitochondria
  6. special senses chapter – gross anatomy of optic nerve

The news item:  A recent news item described over a hundred hand sanitizer brands are being removed from store shelves because they may be dangerously toxic:

FDA says to avoid these 130 hand sanitizer products that may not work, or are toxic

Regulators say some of the products contain dangerous levels of methanol, which can lead to blindness, hospitalization and even death.

The article mentions that the toxic ingredient is methanol, and that it may cause blindness.

So, Why Do I Care??  Poisoning by methanol, also called wood alcohol, sickens over 20,000 people each year in the US.  These people may become blind in 24 hours, and suffer long-lasting damage to their kidneys and brain. The best prevention is not to consume methanol either by drinking or through contact with skin, such as through hand sanitizers.  So, taking hand sanitizers off the shelf is part of the prevention.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what methanol is. Methanol is chemically similar to ethanol, the alcohol in adult beverages. Methanol gets into hand sanitizers when the ethanol ingredient is contaminated with methanol. When ethanol is made by distilleries, sometimes inadvertently methanol is distilled into the product, so then it becomes part of the hand sanitizer.

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How can an oral drug successfully treat the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis?

By

On August 14, 2020

In cellular basis of life, chemical basis of life, digestive system, respiratory system, Uncategorized

TeachableMedicalNews article 08142020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. chemical basis of life chapter – protein structure and shape is important for proper function
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – ion channel proteins in plasma membrane
  3. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of gene mutation leading to protein malfunction
  4. cellular basis of life chapter – involvement of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum apparatus in protein processing
  1. tissue chapter –function of ciliated epithelium
  2. respiratory system chapter – anatomy of the conduction zone
  3. respiratory system chapter – the lining of bronchi and bronchioles

The news item:  Recently a new treatment was reported for cystic fibrosis:

Studies Yield ‘Impressive’ Results in Fight Against Cystic Fibrosis (Published 2019)

The findings hold promise for a vast majority of those with cystic fibrosis, according to the director of the National Institutes of Health. “This should be a cause for major celebration,” he wrote.

The article mentions that cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder, and it affects the lungs and bowels of the patients.

So, Why Do I Care??  Over 30,000 people in the USA has cystic fibrosis, and 1000 new cases are diagnosed each year.  The mean life expectancy is age 44 for cystic fibrosis patients.  Only symptomatic treatments have been available until now, because gene therapy has been unsuccessful. Any treatment that reverses the root cause of this disorder is a revolutionary achievement that will literally breathe new life into patients.

Plain English, Please!!! First let’s talk about cystic fibrosis. This disorder causes

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Don’t want to get Salmonella infection? Wash your hand after handling pig ears!

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On January 21, 2020

In cellular basis of life, digestive system, lymphatic and immune system

TeachableMedicalNews article 01212020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – function of lysosomes
  2. digestive system chapter – HCl in gastric juice kill bacteria
  3. immune system chapter – cytotoxic T cells destroy infected cells
  4. immune system chapter – antibody production by plasma cells
  5. microbiology; human pathogenic bacteria

 The news item:  Hospitalization of over 100 people from Salmonella infection was in the news recently.

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