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Can a self-injected treatment help asthma sufferers?

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On July 26, 2020

In cardiovascular system, cellular basis of life, chemical basis of life, respiratory system, tissues

TeachableMedicalNews article 07262020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. chemical basis of life chapter – protein structure determines biological activity
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of receptor proteins in cell membranes
  3. tissue chapter – locations of smooth muscle
  4. immune system chapter – cytokines as stimulators of immune functions
  5. cardiovascular system chapter – white blood cell types in circulating blood
  6. respiratory system chapter – dilation and constriction of bronchioles

The news item:  Recently a new form of asthma treatment was in the news:

‘Life-changing’ asthma injection will be offered to patients

Around 100,000 patients in the UK whose symptoms are too bad for traditional inhalers or steroids will be eligible for treatment with benralizumab.

The article mentions the disorder eosinophilic asthma, that it is caused by too many white blood cells in the lungs, and that this asthma limits what sufferers may do in their day to day lives.

So, Why Do I Care??  Asthma is a respiratory disorder that afflicts 2.5 million people in the USA. In the age group of 35-50 year olds the eosinophilic asthma is the most frequent. Inhaled pharmaceuticals, common for asthma treatment, come with undesirable side effects after long-term use.  Attacking asthma from a different angle provide a new way to treat patients, and it may help people where inhaled asthma treatments fail.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about asthma. While asthma may be started by different conditions, like allergies, cold temperature, the root cause of asthma is always the unwanted restriction of airflow into the lungs.  An important part of our respiratory system is made up of tubes that channel air deep into our lungs, to the air sacks. A set of those tubes, the bronchioles, are 1/20 of an inch in diameter, and they have the ability to narrow and restrict airflow, because the bronchioles have smooth muscle in their walls. When those smooth muscles contract, the narrowed bronchiole restricts airflow to the air sacks.

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Could antibodies from plasma of recovered patients defeat the SARS-CoV-2 virus?

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On June 4, 2020

In lymphatic and immune system, respiratory system

TeachableMedicalNews article 06042020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cell chapter – endocytosis and phagocytosis as transport through cell membranes
  2. blood chapter – white blood cell types and their functions
  3. respiratory system chapter – alveoli as the sites of gas exchange
  4. respiratory system chapter – macrophages of alveoli
  5. lymphatic and immune system chapter – antibody structure
  6. lymphatic and immune system chapter – antibodies are made for specific targets

The news item:  Recently reports appeared where blood plasma taken from recovered patients are given to seriously ill COVID-19 patients:

Blood plasma appears safe for COVID-19 patients in early trial results

Researchers report promising results in early safety trials of convalescent plasma therapy, in which the blood of COVID-19 survivors is used to treat patients.

The article mentions that antibodies in the plasma are the active ingredient, and that 5000 patients were evaluated in this trial to determine the safety of such treatment.

So, Why Do I Care??  Have you been living under a rock in the last few months??? The coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 disease has so far infected over 6 million people, and caused over 377,000 deaths worldwide (on the date of this article). The virus attacks the respiratory system, specifically the alveoli, and may cause pneumonia and death by respiratory failure.  The antibodies from the recovered patients hold promise as a possible treatment to lower the lethality of the virus.

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How could the leukemia fighter drug Calquence help us defeat the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

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On April 24, 2020

In cardiovascular system, lymphatic and immune system, respiratory system

TeachableMedicalNews article 04242020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. blood chapter – white blood cell types and their functions
  2. blood chapter – malfunctioning mechanisms in leukemia
  3. respiratory system chapter – alveoli as the sites of gas exchange
  4. respiratory system chapter – immune defense cells of alveoli
  5. lymphatic and immune system chapter – events of inflammation

How could the leukemia fighter drug Calquence help us defeat the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

The news item:  Recent articles reported that the anti-cancer drug will be evaluated as potential treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients:

AstraZeneca to test impact of cancer drug Calquence on coronavirus patients

Calquence (acalabrutinib) belongs to a class of drugs called Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors which can suppress autoimmune diseases. The drug, which is currently used to treat certain types of blood cancers, has already been approved for the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in the U.S.

The news item mentions cytokine storm in coronavirus infected patients, and that the drug is a BTK inhibitor.

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Can an ancient disease cancel a Phish concert?

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On March 5, 2020

In cellular basis of life, lymphatic and immune system

TeachableMedicalNews article 03052020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – endocytosis as cellular transport
  2. immune system chapter – phagocytosis by the cells of the innate immune system
  3. immune system chapter – activation of the B cells by macrophages in the adaptive immune system
  4. immune system chapter – antibodies speed up phagocytosis of invading microbes
  5. microbiology —  pathology of Yersinia pestis bacterium

The news item:  Recently the disease called plague was reported to disrupt camping and other preparation for a Phish concert in Denver:

Plague-ridden prairie dogs force cancellation of Phish camping event

This is probably not what Phish had in mind when they wrote their 1994 single, “Down with Disease.” Self-proclaimed “Phans” of the legendary jam band are singing the blues a…

The article mentioned that prairie dogs were infected with the plague, and there was concern that the plague would be passed on to concert goers.

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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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Why does a bone marrow transplant create news in the National Hockey League?

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On January 1, 2020

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

TeachableMedicalNews article 12312019

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – formation of cancer cells
  2. blood chapter – stem cells in the formation of white blood cells in red bone marrow
  3. blood chapter – stem cells in red bone marrow can be moved from one person to another
  4. immune system chapter – role of macrophages and cytokines in starting immune reactions

The news item:  A happy introduction was in the news recently where a bone marrow donor and the bone marrow recipient met in person the first time:

Eruption of joy as Laila Anderson meets her bone marrow donor

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. – An 11-year-old came face-to-face with the man whose bone marrow donation gave her a second chance at life. There were hundreds of people gathered at the Be the Match gala in Town and Country to witness the special moment and to support young Laila Anderson’s unique journey.

The article mentions that Laila Anderson’s life was saved by the bone marrow donation. 

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Can an injectable treatment reduce cluster headaches?

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On November 30, 2019

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

TeachableMedicalNews article 11302019

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. Cellular basis of life chapter – receptors on cell membranes bind ligands
  2. general senses chapter – unconventional types of pain
  3. general senses chapter – pharmaceuticals of pain control
  4. immune system chapter – antibodies as pharmaceuticals

The news item:  A new injectable treatment for cluster headaches has recently been in the news:

Emgality Receives First FDA Approval for Treating Cluster Headache

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 mentions the similarity of the pain of cluster headaches to that of migraines, and the approval of the drug Emgality (galcanazumab).

So, Why Do I Care??

About 1 million people suffer from a debilitating disorder, cluster headaches, in the USA.  While there are several therapeutic approaches to cluster headaches, but their effectiveness varies, and many of those treatments have unpleasant side effects.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about cluster headache.  Cluster headache a quick onset and intensely painful type of headache.  That pain makes patients disfunctional, and many cases the pain wakes them up at night, and, so, that is why this disorder is so debilitating.  The headaches happen during a particular time of the day, because these headaches are linked to the body’s own internal clock.

Second, let’s talk about pain, this warning signal of our nervous system.  We sense pain when tissue damage triggers nerve impulses in the nerve cells of the damaged body area, and those neurons conduct the nerve impulse to the brain

Third, let’s talk about this new treatment for cluster headache.  Because cluster headache is not the result of tissue damage, common pain killers don’t work well on cluster headache pain.  Many years of research identified a chemical that trigger cluster headache pain; that chemical is called calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP).  Cluster headaches happen when CGRP reaches receptors on neurons in the brain.   So, how can you block the action of that peptide?  Imagine a football game where the defensive tackle wraps his arms around the running back to keep him out of the end zone.  The drug mentioned in the article, galcanezumab, acts like a defensive tackle wrapping arms around the running back CGRP, and keeping it away from receptors on neurons in the brain.  The defensive tackle, galcanezumab, can target CGRP only, because galcanezumab is a modified antibody, a protein made by immune system cells to specifically target invaders in the body. As antibodies are proteins, they can not be taken orally, but have to be injected.

Can you fight influenza by using used tissue papers?

By

On October 2, 2019

In lymphatic and immune system

TeachableMedicalNews article 10012019

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. immune system chapter – concept of antigen-based recognition of specific invaders
  2. immune system chapter – antigen-specific activation of the T-cell and B-cells

The news item:  Recently there was a report on a commercially available tissue paper from the company Vaev.

A Mysterious Company Claims to Sell Sneeze-Filled Tissues for $80. Is It Real?

Vaev Tissue sells a used tissue that a sick person has sneezed into, claiming that it boosts your immune system. Health experts disagree.

The tissue paper has a special property: it is used by another person who has the “cold”. The company claims that “a human sneeze is safer than needles or pills” and when flu season comes around you should be able to get sick on your own terms”. 

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Can an injectable treatment work for migraines?

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On July 31, 2019

In lymphatic and immune system, nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 07312019

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. general senses chapter – unconventional types of pain
  2. general senses chapter – pharmaceuticals in of pain control
  3. immune system chapter – antibodies as pharmaceuticals

 

Can an injectable treatment work for migraines?

 The news item:  New injectable preventions and treatments for migraine were in the news recently. One of them is Aimovig (erenumab):

FDA approves new drug that stops chronic migraines

The FDA approves, Erenumab, a new migraine treatment, that blocks chronic and disabling headaches, without causing many side effects.

The article mentions migraine statistics, the calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) as the culprit in migraines, and that the new drug is an antibody.

 

So, Why Do I Care??  There are about 39 million migraine sufferers in the USA.  Among them about 4 million who suffers from chronic migraine lasting for 10-14 days.  The impact of migraine is more than the personal suffering; the US economy loses $36 billion yearly because of lost productivity linked to migraine.  While occasional migraine can be successfully treated with common medications, the chronic migraine sufferers don’t have a reliable treatment.

 

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about migraine.  Migraine is a disorder of the central nervous system, and during a migraine attack the malfunctioning nervous system creates pain in the head area, visual disturbances (auras), and sometimes dizziness and nausea.   So, that’s why this disorder is so debilitating.

Second, let’s talk about pain, this warning signal of our nervous system.  We sense pain when tissue damage triggers nerve impulses in the nerve cells of the damaged body area, and those neurons conduct the nerve impulse to the brain.  Everyday pain killer drugs either block the action of chemical released during tissue damage, or they block the movement of the nerve impulse to the brain.

Third, let’s talk about this new treatment for migraine. Because migraine is not the result of tissue damage, common pain killers don’t work on chronic migraine pain.  Many years of research identified a chemical that trigger migraine pain; that chemical is called calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP).  Migraine happens when CGRP reaches receptors on the neurons in the brain.   The receptor is like a wide receiver in football; the peptide has to be caught by the receptor to start migraine pain, like the wide receiver has to catch the football for a touchdown.  So, how can you block the action of that migraine-triggering peptide?  Imagine a football game where the arms of the wide receiver are duct taped to his body.  The drug erenumab does that to the receptor, so the CGRP peptide can not be caught by the receptor, so there is no more triggering of pain.  The duct tape, erenumab, can target CGRP receptors only, because erenumab is a modified antibody, a protein made by immune system cells to specifically target invaders in the body. As antibodies are proteins, they can not be taken orally, but have to be injected.

Why E. coli outbreaks can be deadly?

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On July 16, 2019

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

TeachableMedicalNews article 07162019

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – ligand-receptor interaction
  2. urinary system chapter – glomerular filtration through capillaries of glomerulus
  3. immune system chapter – normal immune functions destroy E. coli that enters the body; consequences of immunosuppressed state

 

Why E. coli outbreaks can be deadly?

The news item:  In 2018 this headline informed us that E. coli infections can have deadly outcomes after consuming the contaminated romaine lettuce:

E. coli outbreak linked to romaine turns deadly | CNN

One person has died from the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region. The death, in California, is the first known fatality from this outbreak.

 

The article mentions the symptoms of diarrhea, cramps resulting from infection by some E. coli strains.  The article also mentions the deadly affliction of hemolytic uremic syndrome.

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