Author Archives: Brian Infanti

Oral Bacteria May Lead to Better Detection of Esophageal Cancer

Posted on March 5, 2016 | 2 comments

Your future visits to the dentist might have you sitting in the chair longer and wishing you had taken the extra time to floss and brush your teeth. This is because dentists may be examining the plaque in your mouth for a specific type of bacteria that may be linked to cancer of the esophagus.

Brush teeth

Image Source: The Clear Communication People, Flickr

A recent study illustrates that scientists have possibly found an association between a specific species of oral bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and esophageal cancer. Researchers found that in patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer, 61% contained this bacterial species. Within cancerous esophageal cells, they discovered a unique enzyme produced by P. gingivalis as well as bacterial DNA. With this discovery, researchers are hoping to use this bacterial species as a biomarker for esophageal cancer.

Although there are many types of esophageal cancer, P. gingivalis has been associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC). ESCC occurs in the flat, thin cells lining the esophagus. These cells undergo uncontrolled growth and form malignant tumors. This results in the formation of a lump on the inner surface of the esophagus. The most common symptom of ESCC is difficulty swallowing, which can be extremely painful for individuals with this disease.

-Credit: Blausen Medical

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, approximately 2,200 Canadians died from esophageal cancer in the past year. This is due in part to the fact that most cases of esophageal cancers are not detected until the later stages of cancer development.

Although researchers are optimistic about using this bacterial species as an early indicator for esophageal cancer, further studies need to be conducted. It is still unclear whether or not P. gingivalis prefers to live within cancerous esophageal cells, or whether this species of bacteria is responsible for the development of esophageal cancer. Researchers believe that if indeed this species of bacteria could cause ESCC, improved oral hygiene and antibiotics could be an effective treatment for ESCC. With this new correlation found between P. gingivalis and esophageal cancer, researchers are confident that early detection will decrease the mortality rate and increase chances of survival.

– Brian Infanti

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Promising Lead to a Universal Flu Vaccine

Posted on February 7, 2016 | 1 comment

It’s flu season. Every year people get vaccinated against the flu, also known as influenza. Now, researchers are looking at a long-lasting flu vaccine that does not need to be given annually.

Tylenol

– Image Source: Dennis S. Hurd, Flickr

A recent study shows that scientists may have found a new potential target to generate new vaccines against certain types of the flu. They focused on a protein called hemagglutinin found on the surface of viral influenza particles. This protein contains a head region, which undergoes constant genetic changes, as well as a stem region that does not change. Although current influenza vaccines are composed of the viral particles from the head region, researchers discovered a way to stabilize the stem region in order to create a vaccine. Their results showed that vaccinated mice and ferrets either had reduced symptoms or complete immunity against certain related influenza viruses.

A vaccine is produced from taking a virus and weakening it so that it is unable to replicate and cause harm within an individual. When the vaccine is injected, the body is tricked into thinking that the virus particles are dangerous, thus initiating an immune response and producing antibodies that destroy that specific virus particle. As a result, these antibodies reside in the body for long periods of time. Therefore, if in the future the real virus enters the body, you will have specific antibodies to protect you from the virus.

– Credit: TED-Ed

Although a new flu vaccine is produced every year, the effectiveness of the vaccine may vary. Each flu season, because the virus is constantly changing, researchers try to determine the specific types of influenza that are currently circulating and those that will be present in the coming year. Based on this information, a vaccine is produced consisting of multiple types of the virus, however, it is impossible for the vaccine to be 100% accurate. With the discovery of this new target area on hemagglutinin, it could lead to the production of one vaccine for a group of related influenza viruses.

– Credit: Discovery News

According to the Government of Canada, approximately 10-20% of the population becomes infected with influenza annually. Flu symptoms typically include fever, cough, and aches. Furthermore, there are 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths each year. Individuals at greater risk for complications or hospitalization caused by the flu include people with other diseases and weakened immune systems, residents in chronic care facilities, people aged 65 or older, and pregnant women. Immunize BC emphasizes the importance of everyone getting vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of disease to others. Researchers are hoping that a longer-lasting flu vaccine will encourage more people to get vaccinated, and also reduce the cost associated with producing and administering seasonal flu vaccines.

However, we may still have to get our yearly flu shots for quite some time. Researchers, although very optimistic about the future of creating a new long-lasting vaccine, say that more research needs to be done to determine the efficacy in human models.

– Brian Infanti

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Type II Diabetes? There May be a Cure for That

Posted on January 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

How many times have we passed up a delicious sugary treat because we know that it’s unhealthy for us? It just so happens that scientists may have discovered everyone’s favourite new enzyme: glycerol 3-phosphate phosphatase (G3PP).

white chocolate cake with raspberry cream filling and white chocolate buttercream

– Image Source: Sharyn Morrow, Flickr

A recent study by scientists at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre discovered that the mammalian enzyme, G3PP, played a crucial role in controlling sugar accumulation in the body and certain fat conversion processes. They observed that G3PP was expressed at various levels in different tissues and that in the presence of this enzyme, there was lower body weight gain and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein which may protect against heart attacks and strokes.

The new discovery of the G3PP enzyme could also lead to promising therapeutic treatments of obesity and type II diabetes. Type II diabetes is a disease in which specific cells of the pancreas have been presented with excess glucose, and over time, insulin secreted from these cells loses its function on other cells throughout the body or they do not react to insulin properly. This results in high blood glucose levels that can affect other organs of the body and lead to serious complications such as kidney failure. Since the G3PP enzyme prevents excess production of glucose and is able to detoxify excess sugar from cells, it could play a major role in treating type II diabetes.

credit: Animated Diabetes Patient

According to the Government of Canada, there are approximately 60,000 new cases of type II diabetes yearly. Factors that minimize your risk of type II diabetes include limiting fat and sugar intake, as well as keeping cholesterol and blood fats within a target level.

It’s still too early to say whether or not G3PP will be an effective treatment for the reduction of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Although researchers are optimistic that the G3PP enzyme will reduce the risk of people acquiring type II diabetes, more experimentation with the G3PP enzyme will need to be done before we can determine whether it will be an effective treatment in the future.

– Brian Infanti

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