The image at left shows tissue from the intestine of a normal mouse. At right, in a mouse infected with Toxoplasma gondii, the intestines are inflamed and have lost much of their normal structure. Image: Kirk Jensen

Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that infects about one-third of the world’s population, comes in several strains. some can have severe consequences such as encephalitis, while others produce no noticeable symptoms.

Jeroen Saeij, an MIT biologist who has been studying Toxoplasma for several years, is trying to figure out the root of that discrepancy. in his latest work, he found that two of the three most common strains of Toxoplasma produce a protein that actually suppresses inflammation in the infected host — a discovery that could help researchers develop new ways to shut off inflammation in patients infected with the more threatening strains of Toxoplasma, or even in people with other inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease.

“There’s a lot of these inflammatory diseases, and if there’s a general pathway that’s really good at quelling inflammation, there might be [drug] applications,” says Saeij, an assistant professor of biology.

Saeij and his colleagues described the new discovery in the June 15 issue of Cell Host & Microbe. Lead author of the paper is postdoc Kirk Jensen.

Inflammation

Toxoplasma spores, which can infect nearly any warm-blooded animal, are often found in dirt; humans can be infected by eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables. the parasite can cause encephalitis in individuals with suppressed immune systems and is also harmful to fetuses whose mothers become infected during pregnancy. some strains, primarily those found in South America, can lead to blindness.

There are about a dozen major types of strains of Toxoplasma; in North America and Europe, the most common is the type II strain, which is also the one most often isolated from patients with complications from Toxoplasma. in a previous paper, Saeij and colleagues showed that type II produces a form of the protein GRA15 that causes inflammation, an immune reaction that is meant to destroy invaders but can also damage the host’s own tissues if unchecked.

In the new paper, Saeij showed that type II also has a variant form of another protein called ROP16. the researchers found that in types I and III, which are less often found in patients with Toxoplasma symptoms, ROP16 suppresses inflammation in the host. However, the form of ROP16 found in type II has no such effect.

When the researchers inserted type I ROP16 into the type II strain, inflammation was suppressed.

Why opposite results from strains of the same parasite? the researchers believe different forms of the parasite evolved to take advantage of different immune reactions from potential hosts. Toxoplasma wants to provoke some inflammation in the host, because inflammation helps the host survive acute infection. As a consequence, the parasite can form tissue cysts that spread to other victims through carnivorism. However, too much inflammation might kill the host and stop the parasite’s life cycle. By employing different strategies, the parasite can be successful in hosts with varying inflammatory responses.

Jon Boyle, an assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of Pittsburgh who was not involved with this research, agrees with this assessment: “What the paper shows really well is that you have these different strains and even though they are quite similar, each type is adapted to different host environments.”

A model for Crohn’s disease

In the new paper, the researchers studied Toxoplasma infection in mice. the resulting inflammation of the mouse intestine strongly resembles the intestinal inflammation seen in Crohn’s disease, which affects about half a million people in the United States.

It is unknown if any of these cases are actually caused by Toxoplasma, but Saeij says some studies have shown a higher incidence of Toxoplasma in Crohn’s patients compared with the general population.

Saeij and Jensen are now trying to figure out how the ROP16 protein exerts its anti-inflammatory effects, which could help identify new approaches to developing anti-inflammatory drugs. However, that will likely require many more years of research, Saeij says.

“in reality, going from a discovery to a drug can take decades,” he says. “you hope that you contribute to something like that, but that’s always a long road.”

Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (news : web)

Coughing is a reflex that keeps your throat and airways clear. although it can be maddening, coughing helps your body heals or protects itself.

Coughs can be either acute or chronic. Acute coughs begin suddenly and more often than not last no more than 2 to 3 weeks.

To define cough, it is not anything but an action of the body to get rid of any foreign substance or own creation (like mucus) that irritates or impediment the airway or windpipe.

Read more on Home Remedies for Cough and Home Remedies for Common Cold and Herbal Remedies

When certain special cells along with the air pathway gets irritated and trigger the chain of events, the whole process is called as cough and the act of it is called as coughing.

Cough is a sudden, often repetitive, spasmodic reduction of the thoracic cavity, resulting in violent release of air from the lungs, and usually accompany by a distinctive sound.

Coughing is an action performed by the body to throw out or to get rid of substances that are irritating the air passages in their way. a cough is usually initiate to clear the phlegm that is been caught in the trachea or its neighboring areas.

Cough can be acute lasting for a few days to chronic, lasting for a few weeks. It is not restricted to any particular age group and can affect all and sundry.

Coughing is accompanied with a typical noise from the act of exhaling air abruptly in order to clear the phlegm or the blocking.

Treatment of Cough

The treatment of a cough will depend largely on its severity and underlying cause. a productive cough should not be suppressed except in special circumstances (eg, when it exhausts the patient or prevents rest and sleep) and generally not until the cause has be identified.

An acute infection such as pneumonia may require antibiotics, an asthma-induced cough may be treated with the use of bronchodilators, or an antihistamine may be administered in the case of an allergy.

Cough medicines may be given if the patient cannot rest because of the cough or if the cough is not productive, as is the case with most coughs connected with colds or flu.

Home Remedies for Cough

Fill one cut lemon with black pepper powder and salt and suck it to lessen the intensity of cough. This is a very good cough treatment.

Add a pinch of grounded white pepper in one tea spoon of pure honey. Regular use of this 2-3 times a day for regularly for 4-5 days will cure your cough. This remedy is considered as one of the successful home remedy for cough.

Simple cold and cough can be cured with the usual eating of grapes for number of days. They tone up the lungs and act as expectorant.

Take 1-2 gm powder of black pepper, long pepper, and dry ginger in equal size and make a mixture. taking this mixture of powder with honey 2-3 times a day give reprieve from cough and is one of the useful cough remedies.

In winters eating garlic at night with meals twice a week will provide relief from cough and its also a simplest cough cure.Mix pulp of Belleric Myrobalan fruit with long pepper and honey and take this mix twice a day. This is one of the good home remedies for cough.

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2. Cough causes and Symptoms and Herbal Remedies and Natural Treatment for Cough
3. Home Remedies for Cough and Effective Treatment for Cough
4. Cough Natural Remedies and Easy Home Remedies for Cough
5. Home Remedies for Cough – Simple and Natural Way to get Relief

Firstly in regards to your other question regarding antibioitcs, they do work on some species but not all. Antibiotic resistance can cause an antibioitc to be inaffective on a species this is due to several machanisms; the lack of structure which the antibiotic inhibits, the orhansims being impermable to the antibiotic, the organsim inactivating the antibiotic, modification of the target structure of an antibioitc, alteration of the biological pathway the antibiotic blocks and releaseing of the antibiotic out of the organism. For mor einfo. google mechanism of anitbitoc resistance.

Reasons why antibiotic resistance occurs; over use, not finishing full prescription. Visit WHO.org for more info on antibiotic resistance

Re: white blood cells they fight off infection through phagocytosis-
Think pacman engulpinginvaders
google it

Malaria is parasitic infection cause by the spread of sporizoites in the saliva of mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever and flu like symptoms. It is usually hard to treat due to the mechanisms of spreading- treatment consists of antibiotics. for more info. apps.who.int/malaria/docs/Treatme…

SAN ANTONIO — The dream act bill is expected to go before the House this week. The act would allow illegal immigrants who attend college or join the military to use that as a pathway to citizenship.seven activists who have been on a hunger strike since Nov. 10 and other supporters held a rally to gather support for the act and to put pressure on lawmakers.The group who has been on a hunger strike for the last 26 days is pushing for the passage of the act that would allow students who are in the country illegally to go to school and ultimately earn citizenship.”It’s really neat to see everyone here, to get together for this reason for the students, there the future of this country,” said Claudia Sanchez, who had been on a hunger strike.from about 16 hunger strikers, the group has dwindled to about seven for health reasons, but they say their message was still strong.”I heard about it, seen about it in the news and I was like yes, I support it. I think it’s a real important act that has to be passed,” said Thomas Salinas, a supporter.The group of hunger strikers were arrested Monday on trespassing charges at the office Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, but they say they won’t let up until lawmakers hear them out.

Shares in Sydney biotech Novogen jumped 16.7 percent today on news that its majority-owned US subsidiary Marshall Edwards had reported positive data from it anti-cancer therapeutic, NV-128.

The data comes from a study being conducted at Yale University which demonstrates NV-128′s ability to inhibit the growth (mitochondrial) mechanism of chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cells.

Novogen describes NV-128 as different to other anti-cancer therapies which tend to attack the caspase pathway, which is the survival signalling mechanism of Cancer cells.

It is part of Marshall Edwards’ isoflavone technology platform, which was shown by this latest study to promote a state of cellular starvation.

In addition, Novogen said that this therapy has been shown to be effective in attacking several different sorts of cancer, and would be the subject of clinical trials taking place next year, along with NV-344 which the company describes as a “more powerful next generation compound”.

Isoflavones are a class of organic compounds similar in chemical structure to oestrogen, and which have been shown to have wide range of health applications including protection against breast cancer, prostate cancer, menopausal symptoms, heart disease and osteoporosis.

In September Novogen licenced to Marshall Edwards the rights to its entire portfolio of isoflavones. It also licenses to Marshall Edwards its drug candidates triphendiol, NV-143, and phenoxodiol.

The isoflavone compound announced today, NV-128 is an analogue of triphendiol (triphendiol) and phenoxodiol (NV-06).

Back in June Novogen’s shares took a beating following disappointing Phase II trial results for phenoxodiol on late-stage ovarian cancer patients.

They closed today up 16.7 percent to $0.14.