Two articles published in this week’s Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) explore the efficacy of new vaccines -- one against the deadly Ebola virus and the second targeting breast cancer tumors. In addition to the reported efficacy of each vaccine, what is interesting about these two papers is that in both cases, the addition of a specific type of adjuvant (an adjuvant is an agent that by itself does little, but when it is given along with a vaccine or drug will improve the efficacy of that drug by inducing a stronger immune response) dramatically improved the responses to the vaccine and produced a therapeutic response. In both studies, the administration of the vaccine alone without the adjuvant did little to induce a response.
Both groups used a protein called the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist as the adjuvant of choice. The Ebola vaccine was given with a TLR3 agonist called poly I, poly C or poly I:C, while the breast cancer vaccine was given along with a TLR2 agonist called PamCys. Although use of TLR agonists as cancer vaccine agonists is not a new idea, it is intriguing to see two non-overlapping fields use similar agents to help augment the immune responses and to eliminate a virus or tumor cell. It would seem that TLR adjuvants are very powerful agents to help induce the proper immune response and fight off viral and tumor invasion. Use of similar agents is very disparate diseases bodes well for usefulness of these TLR agonists in therapeutic settings.
Have a question or comment? Send me an email -- jck@n3scicom.com
Lakshminarayanan, V et. al. PNAS 2011 Dec 14
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/12/13/1115166109.long
Phoolcharoen, W. et. al. PNAS 2011 Dec 5
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/11/29/1117715108.long
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Bacteria can influence weight
Yet another study has linked the profile of bacteria found in your colon (called the microbiome) to obesity and weight gain. This paper, published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology (7:639-646), reviewed the latest studies to investigate the contribution of bacteria to nutrient metabolism and obesity. Their review has demonstrated that numerous studies have begun to understand the influence of the profile of bacteria in the control of overall weight. Together, all of these studies suggest that the microbiome may be a critical player in metabolism and can influence weight gain or loss.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Awareness of symptoms/risk factors for colorectal cancer is low
A new study by Dr. Emily Power and colleagues, published in the journal BMC Cancer , indicates that awareness of the symptoms or risk factors for colorectal cancer is low.
Participants were asked to recall the symptoms of colorectal cancer (changes in normal bowel habit, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, lump in the abdomen, or unexplained extreme tiredness) and risk factors for colorectal cancer (family history, high consumption of red/processed meat, increased body fat/obesity, or alcohol consumption).
Overall, respondents were able to recall just 1 symptom and 1 risk factor. Women faired better than men in ability to recall symptoms, while men outperformed women in the recall of risk factors. Older participants were more aware of symptoms and risk factors than young participants. While this study was conducted among participants only in the UK, this paper highlights the critical need for increased education of the symptoms and risk factors associated with colorectal cancer.
Clear here to read the paper.
n3 science communications, llc
Participants were asked to recall the symptoms of colorectal cancer (changes in normal bowel habit, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, lump in the abdomen, or unexplained extreme tiredness) and risk factors for colorectal cancer (family history, high consumption of red/processed meat, increased body fat/obesity, or alcohol consumption).
Overall, respondents were able to recall just 1 symptom and 1 risk factor. Women faired better than men in ability to recall symptoms, while men outperformed women in the recall of risk factors. Older participants were more aware of symptoms and risk factors than young participants. While this study was conducted among participants only in the UK, this paper highlights the critical need for increased education of the symptoms and risk factors associated with colorectal cancer.
Clear here to read the paper.
n3 science communications, llc
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Lung cancer rates decline in the US!
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released the results of a study assessing smoking rates and the incidence of lung cancer in the US. While the incidence of lung cancer has been steadily declining in men over the past few years, in women, a decrease in incidence was evident for the first time. This decline in lung cancer correlated with a decrease in smoking rates in both men and women, indicating a link between smoking and lung cancer.
According to the CDC, smoking costs $193 billion, $96 billion in health related costs and an additional $97 billion in productivity loss due to illness and premature death.
For more information and access to the report, visit the CDC Vital Signs Adult Smoking web page. (or click here).
n3 science communications, llc
According to the CDC, smoking costs $193 billion, $96 billion in health related costs and an additional $97 billion in productivity loss due to illness and premature death.
For more information and access to the report, visit the CDC Vital Signs Adult Smoking web page. (or click here).
n3 science communications, llc
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Funding NIH grants
A group called the Traditional Values Coalition has just released an action alert asking their members/followers to contact their Congressmen. They want people to demand that Congress freeze funding of what they refer to as "bizarre" and "questionable" NIH research projects. It is unclear what constitutes a "bizarre" or "questionable" project or who will be the one to make such a decision, however, according to this group this type of work should be halted. This is a clear attempt to just push their agenda.
All NIH research projects are peer-reviewed. This means that the experts in the field have donated their time to review and critically assess each grant. In fact, each grant is read and critiqued by at least three researchers within a panel. After the initial review, these professionals then get together to debate the merits and limitations of each grant to decide which proposals are so exceptional that they are worthy of funding. Through this rigorous process only the best proposals are funded.
With the economy in such a weak state and funding for research at an all time low, competitiveness for grants has increased significantly. Therefore, only a small fraction of these meritorious projects are actually receiving money. Indeed, estimates are that less than 10% of all grants submitted per cycle are actually funded.
Why should those outside the field, those who are not experts on these topics, be able to stop these research projects? Please, leave the decisions about what science should be funded to the experts who are best able to judge the projects.
All NIH research projects are peer-reviewed. This means that the experts in the field have donated their time to review and critically assess each grant. In fact, each grant is read and critiqued by at least three researchers within a panel. After the initial review, these professionals then get together to debate the merits and limitations of each grant to decide which proposals are so exceptional that they are worthy of funding. Through this rigorous process only the best proposals are funded.
With the economy in such a weak state and funding for research at an all time low, competitiveness for grants has increased significantly. Therefore, only a small fraction of these meritorious projects are actually receiving money. Indeed, estimates are that less than 10% of all grants submitted per cycle are actually funded.
Why should those outside the field, those who are not experts on these topics, be able to stop these research projects? Please, leave the decisions about what science should be funded to the experts who are best able to judge the projects.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
A new cancer vaccine
It has been a relatively long standing theory that an effective cancer vaccine can and will be created. Such a vaccine would infect and replicate only in cancer cells and would leave normal cells unscathed. A new publication in the journal Nature (477:99-102 at nature.com) demonstrates that researchers have conducted the first clinical trial demonstrating efficacy of just such a cancer vaccine.
Using vaccinia virus, the virus used to develop the small pox vaccine, Dr. Breitbach and colleagues engineered a virus that can seek out and infect cells that express the protein EGFR, a protein that is commonly elevated in cancers. In fact, the vaccinia virus can only live and replicate in cells with EGFR overexpression. Their data show that this engineered virus can be injected intravenously and can selectively infected cancer cells (but not normal cells). When the virus finds and infects these cancer cells, it can effectively kill them. Importantly, by using this vaccinia virus technique, researchers were able to produce high enough levels of vaccine to eliminate a significant amount of the tumor. This is a big step forward towards the development a new therapy in patients.
n3 science communications
Using vaccinia virus, the virus used to develop the small pox vaccine, Dr. Breitbach and colleagues engineered a virus that can seek out and infect cells that express the protein EGFR, a protein that is commonly elevated in cancers. In fact, the vaccinia virus can only live and replicate in cells with EGFR overexpression. Their data show that this engineered virus can be injected intravenously and can selectively infected cancer cells (but not normal cells). When the virus finds and infects these cancer cells, it can effectively kill them. Importantly, by using this vaccinia virus technique, researchers were able to produce high enough levels of vaccine to eliminate a significant amount of the tumor. This is a big step forward towards the development a new therapy in patients.
n3 science communications
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
HDAC4 regulates fasting/feeding states
Many studies have shown that the control of lipid (fat) stores during fasting and feeding states is largely dependent on SIRT1 and FoxO activity. This latest study investigates the role of these proteins in obesity and adds another level of regulation to the mix.
Using a drosophila model, Wang et. al. (Cell 145:596-606) provide evidence that the serine/threonine salt-inducible kinase (SIK) 3 controls lipid storage or lipolysis in a HDAC4/FoxO dependent manner. During feeding, insulin activates SIK3 (its mammalian homolog is SIK2), phosphorylates HDAC4, which prevents its activation and subsequent movement to the nuclear compartment. This inhibits the deacetylation and activation of FoxO and ultimately increases lipid storage. Under fasting conditions, SIK3 activity is inhibited, HDAC4 remains in an active, dephosphorylated state where it can easily translocate to the nucleus. In the nucleus, HDAC4 deacetylates and activates FoxO to increase lipolysis as a mechanism to provide energy to the starving organism. When the organism re-feeds, FoxO is acetylated via the action of p300 and CBP and HDAC4 is re-phosphorylated. Therefore, HDAC4 activity is a critical regulator of fasting or feeding states.
This pathway is not limited to drosophila. Using a mouse hepatocyte cell line, Wang et. al. confirm their findings in mammals, suggesting a universality of this mechanism.
n3 science communications, llc
Using a drosophila model, Wang et. al. (Cell 145:596-606) provide evidence that the serine/threonine salt-inducible kinase (SIK) 3 controls lipid storage or lipolysis in a HDAC4/FoxO dependent manner. During feeding, insulin activates SIK3 (its mammalian homolog is SIK2), phosphorylates HDAC4, which prevents its activation and subsequent movement to the nuclear compartment. This inhibits the deacetylation and activation of FoxO and ultimately increases lipid storage. Under fasting conditions, SIK3 activity is inhibited, HDAC4 remains in an active, dephosphorylated state where it can easily translocate to the nucleus. In the nucleus, HDAC4 deacetylates and activates FoxO to increase lipolysis as a mechanism to provide energy to the starving organism. When the organism re-feeds, FoxO is acetylated via the action of p300 and CBP and HDAC4 is re-phosphorylated. Therefore, HDAC4 activity is a critical regulator of fasting or feeding states.
This pathway is not limited to drosophila. Using a mouse hepatocyte cell line, Wang et. al. confirm their findings in mammals, suggesting a universality of this mechanism.
n3 science communications, llc
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