How alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk
Scientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer, according to research part-funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nature today.
Much previous research looking at the precise ways in which alcohol causes cancer has been done in cell cultures. But in this study, researchers have used mice to show how alcohol exposure leads to permanent genetic damage.
Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, gave diluted alcohol, chemically known as ethanol, to mice. They then used chromosome analysis and DNA sequencing to examine the genetic damage caused by acetaldehyde, a harmful chemical produced when the body processes alcohol.
They found that acetaldehyde can break and damage DNA within blood stem cells leading to rearranged chromosomes and permanently altering the DNA sequences within these cells.
It is important to understand how the DNA blueprint within stem cells is damaged because when healthy stem cells become faulty, they can give rise to cancer.
These new findings therefore help us to understand how drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing 7 types of cancer including common types like breast and bowel.
Professor Ketan Patel, lead author of the study and scientist, part funded by Cancer Research UK, at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said: “Some cancers develop due to DNA damage in stem cells. While some damage occurs by chance, our findings suggest that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of this damage.”
The study also examined how the body tries to protect itself against damage caused by alcohol. The first line of defence is a family of enzymes called aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH). These enzymes break down harmful acetaldehyde into acetate, which our cells can use as a source of energy.
Worldwide, millions of people, particularly those from South East Asia, either lack these enzymes or carry faulty versions of them. So, when they drink, acetaldehyde builds up which causes a flushed complexion, and also leads to them feeling unwell.
In the study, when mice lacking the critical ALDH enzyme — ALDH2 — were given alcohol, it resulted in four times as much DNA damage in their cells compared to mice with the fully functioning ALDH2 enzyme.
The second line of defence used by cells is a variety of DNA repair systems which, most of the time, allow them to fix and reverse different types of DNA damage. But they don’t always work and some people carry mutations which mean their cells aren’t able to carry out these repairs effectively.
Professor Patel added: “Our study highlights that not being able to process alcohol effectively can lead to an even higher risk of alcohol-related DNA damage and therefore certain cancers. But it’s important to remember that alcohol clearance and DNA repair systems are not perfect and alcohol can still cause cancer in different ways, even in people whose defence mechanisms are intact.”
This research was funded by Cancer Research UK, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK’s expert on cancer prevention, said: “This thought-provoking research highlights the damage alcohol can do to our cells, costing some people more than just a hangover.
“We know that alcohol contributes to over 12,000 cancer cases in the UK each year, so it’s a good idea to think about cutting down on the amount you drink.”
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180103132629.htm
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People who are diagnosed with Hepatitis C would undergo treatment free of cost
The health ministry has drafted a national action plan for Hepatitis C for ensuring that there is no discrimination on the basis of a patient suffering from Hepatitis and to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the viral disease.
People who underwent surgery or blood transfusion for any reason before 2002 will be screened for Hepatitis C in a new drive by the government.
The step has been initiated, as before 2002, blood samples at the blood banks were not examined thoroughly, a senior health ministry official said.
The screening programme is expected to start from March, the official said.
The number of such people who have undergone surgery or blood transfusion before 2002, ranges between 60 lakh to 1.2 crore.
People who are diagnosed with Hepatitis C would undergo treatment free of cost, he said.
“The population that would be focused include those who received blood transfusion or underwent surgery before 2002, injection drug users, people receiving repeated blood transfusions (thalassemics and hemophiliacs), those living with HIV and attendees of STI clinics, among others,” the official said.
The test facilities are available from primary health centres to district hospitals and the government plans to open 100 more centres for carrying out such tests, he informed.
The ministry has also drafted a national action plan for Hepatitis C for ensuring that there is no discrimination on the basis of a patient suffering from Hepatitis and to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the viral disease.
The action plan is expected to be rolled out this year.
“The objective is to increase awareness and take promotive prevention measures through various stakeholders and to capacitate the health sector response to viral Hepatitis, including early diagnosis, management and surveillance,” the official said.
Viral Hepatitis are mainly of four types — water and foodborne A and E, and bloodborne B and C, and like HIV/AIDS, bloodborne viral hepatitis has stigma attached to it.
According to rough estimates, 6-12 million suffer from Hepatitis C in India, and close to 35,000 people succumb to the infection each year.
Hepatitis C symptoms sometime may take 10 to 12 years to come to the forefront.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/health/those-who-underwent-surgery-transfusion-before-2002-to-be-screened-for-hepatitis-c/story-ZTq0AHYtKGrb3mp6uGk42K.html
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Western Diet Triggers Immune System To Be More Aggressive
Mice were used to check the effect of a so-called “Western diet”: high in fat, high in sugar, and low in fiber. The animals consequently developed a strong inflammatory response throughout the body, almost like after infection with dangerous bacteria.
“The unhealthy diet led to an unexpected increase in the number of certain immune cells in the blood of the mice, especially granulocytes and monocytes. This was an indication of an involvement of immune cell progenitors in the bone marrow,” Anette Christ, a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Innate Immunity of the University of Bonn explains.
Bone marrow progenitors for major immune cell types were isolated from mice fed a Western diet or healthy control diet and a systematic analysis of their function and activation state was performed.
“Genomic studies did, in fact, show that the Western diet had activated a large number of genes in the progenitor cells. The genes affected included those responsible for proliferation and maturation”, explains Prof. Dr. Joachim Schultze from the Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES) at the University of Bonn and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
After four weeks, the mice were switched to a cereal diet, the acute inflammation disappeared. What did not disappear was the genetic reprogramming of the immune cells and their precursors: Even after these four weeks, many of the genes that had been switched on during the fast food phase were still active.
“It has only recently been discovered that the innate immune system has a form of memory”, explains Prof. Dr. Eicke Latz, Director of the Institute for Innate Immunity of the University of Bonn and scientist at the DZNE. “After an infection, the body’s defenses remain in a kind of alarm state, so that they can respond more quickly to a new attack.” Experts call this “innate immune training”. In the mice, this process was not triggered by a bacterium, but by an unhealthy diet.
Long-Term Consequences of Inflammatory Cells
The scientists were further able to identify the responsible “fast food sensor” in immune cells. They examined blood cells from 120 subjects. In some of the subjects, the innate immune system showed a particularly strong training effect.
In these subjects, the research team found genetic evidence of the involvement of a so-called inflammasome. Inflammasomes are key intracellular signaling complexes that recognize infectious agents and other harmful substances and subsequently release highly inflammatory messengers. How exactly the NLRP3 inflammasome recognizes the exposure of the body to Western-type diets remains to be determined.
Interestingly, in addition to the acute inflammatory response, this also has long-term consequences for the immune system’s responses: The activation by Western diet changes the way in which the genetic information is packaged. The genetic material is stored in the DNA and each cell contains several DNA strands, which together are about two meters long. However, they are typically wrapped around certain proteins in the nucleus and thus many genes in the DNA cannot be read as they are simply too inaccessible.
Unhealthy eating causes some of these normally hidden pieces of DNA to unwind, similar to a loop hanging out of a ball of wool. This area of the genetic material can then be read much easier as long as this temporary unwrapping remains active. Scientists call these phenomena epigenetic changes. “The inflammasome triggers such epigenetic changes”, explains Dr. Latz. “The immune system consequently reacts even to small stimuli with stronger inflammatory responses.”
Dietary Change in The Community
These inflammatory responses can, in turn, accelerate the development of vascular diseases or type 2 diabetes. In arteriosclerosis, for example, the typical vascular deposits, the plaques, consist largely of lipids and immune cells.
The inflammatory reaction contributes directly to their growth because newly activated immune cells constantly migrate into the altered vessel walls. When the plaques grow too large, they can burst, leading to blood clotting and are carried away by the bloodstream and can clog vessels. Possible consequences: Stroke or heart attack.
“These findings, therefore, have important societal relevance”, explains Latz. “The foundations of a healthy diet need to become a much more prominent part of education than they are at present. Only in this way can we immunize children at an early stage against the temptations of the food industry. Children have a choice of what they eat every day. We should enable them to make conscious decisions regarding their dietary habits.”
Reference
Anette Christ, Patrick Günther, Mario A.R. Lauterbach, Peter Duewell, Debjani Biswas, Karin Pelka, Claus J. Scholz, Marije Oosting, Kristian Haendler, Kevin Baßler, Kathrin Klee, Jonas Schulte-Schrepping, Thomas Ulas, Simone J.C.F.M. Moorlag, Vinod Kumar, Min Hi Park, Leo A.B. Joosten, Laszlo A. Groh, Niels P. Riksen, Terje Espevik, Andreas Schlitzer, Yang Li, Michael L. Fitzgerald, Mihai G. Netea, Joachim L. Schultze, Eicke Latz. ‘Western Diet Triggers NLRP3-Dependent Innate Immune Reprogramming.’Cell (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.12.013.
Source: http://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/western-diet-triggers-immune-system-to-be-more-aggressive-176180-1.htm
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New Mechanism That Helps Devise Treatment For Chronic Pain In the Nerves
A mechanism that deals with communication between neurons and immune cells with regard to pain have been discovered.
This has helped identify a new method of treating neuropathic pain in mice, which could be more safe and effective than current treatments comprising of opioids and antiepileptic drugs.
Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that is usually caused by an injury to nerves, but the pain persists long after the injury has healed. Neuropathic pain may occur after surgery or a car accident, or in some cases when a limb has been amputated.
Currently, the only available drugs for neuropathic pain are either opioids or antiepileptic medication. Opioids, like morphine and tramadol, are highly addictive and the NHS have recently raised concerns about the prescription of these drugs, due to opioid overdoses more than doubling in the last decade.
In the US an opioid ‘epidemic’ has recently been declared due to the rising number of deaths linked to these drugs. In contrast, antiepileptic medication is not addictive but is often accompanied by a whole host of unpleasant side effects such as dizziness, fatigue, nausea and weight gain. However, people with neuropathic pain have very little choice when it comes to other treatment options because the cause of neuropathic pain is so poorly understood.
Using cellular and mouse models of neuropathic pain the authors studied a cluster of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), which are part of the sensory neurons that play an important role in communicating pain information to the brain. They found that after nerve injury, pain neurons in this area released very small biological particles containing microRNA-21. These particles were then taken up by surrounding immune cells, ultimately leading to local inflammation and neuropathic pain.
The authors showed that when they blocked DRG pain neurons from releasing microRNA-21 in particles, this had an anti-inflammatory effect at a cellular level, which prevented neuropathic pain from occurring in mice. The advantage of this method is that these particles, containing agents that block microRNA-21, do not infiltrate the brain and lead to side effects.
In humans, a similar method could be applied to block pain neurons from releasing microRNA-21 in particles, which would prevent neuropathic pain from occurring. If successful, this would be the first drug to target neuropathic pain in specific areas without side effects, which is in stark contrast to the non-specific painkillers currently available.
Fortunately, similar treatments are already being trialed in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy, making the application to other conditions like neuropathic pain highly feasible.
Professor Marzia Malcangio, senior author from the Wolfson Center for Age-Related Diseases at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, said ‘If new treatments based on the findings of this study, targeting microRNA-21, could be designed for patients with neuropathic pain this could provide a brand new avenue for drug treatment. Our next steps are to explore whether the same mechanism applies to other chronic pain conditions.’
Source: Eurekalert
URL: http://www.medindia.net/news/new-mechanism-that-helps-devise-treatment-for-chronic-pain-in-the-nerves-175935-1.htm
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Stop sleeping with your cell phone
Cell phones have long surpassed being a just a device to make calls and receive messages. Our dependency on its numerous features has got us enslaved. Today, almost all of us can’t survive without our indispensable communication gadget. And it has gone a step further, whether single or not, mobile phones have becoming a sleeping companion to people globally. There’s hardly any of us who goes to bed without it. Despite health warnings of radiation, we still keep it next to our faces near the pillow or at the most, within an arm’s reach on the bed side table. Well, it’s time to change all of that…
Health warnings
Recently, the California Department of Health warned that the public need to keep their mobile phones several feet away from them to reduce health risks and radiation exposure. The state released guidance for reducing exposure to cell phone radiation, surrounded by mounting evidence that mobile use may be linked to cancer, attention, mental health and reproductive health issues. Using low frequency radio signals to transmit information, cell phones put us at risk of unhealthy radiation, especially when streaming or downloading large files.
Though research has not definitively proven cell phone radiation is dangerous, there have been enough studies linking the two to exercise caution, especially for children. The California statewide notice issued warnings that citizens should make some distance between their mobiles and their bodies. The radio frequency (RF) energy cell phones use to transmit information are at the bottom of the radiation totem poll, but research suggests that our frequent, close-range exposure to cell phones may be enough to endanger us.
“Keeping a phone directly on the body has never been a good idea,” says Dr Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust. In fact, cell phone makers themselves seem to agree. Apple, for example, includes an ‘RF exposure’ notice in the iPhone’s settings. Health studies have shown evidence that mobile phone exposure may cause tumours in the brain or ears, where the body is frequently in contact with the gadget. Though research on RF’s effects on children specifically is fairly limited, many psychologists have already warned that cell phone use may be linked to poorer attention, mental health and sleep for adolescents.
International studies “have show that men who keep their phone in their pockets the longest have lowest sperm count, with most damage,” says Dr Davis. “Many people keep their phones in their pockets for hours a day, especially in the summer with thinner exposures will be far greater,” she adds. Contemporary cell phone signals use “the weakest signals, but strength of the signals is not an issue when comes to biological effect. It’s not the power, it’s the irregular nature of signal,” says Davis.
Experts speak
Dr Ramakant Deshpande, oncologist, Asian Cancer Institute, says, “Ionisation can impact children; studies have shown it’s effects on the central nervous system is higher. Children have greater exposure to cellphones and this needs to be reduced to avoid any long term health hazards.”
Radiation from cellphones have the potential to cause cancer; there has been an increase in benign tumours but not all cancers. Cellphones are very useful in daily life and it is not possible to completely stay away from them. It is suggested that a balance should be maintained and cellphones have to be used with care and precaution, cautions Dr Deshpande.
Reproductive health
Dr Bandita Sinha, gynaecologist and infertility specialist, World of Women clinic, says that cell phone radiation can be harmful and will affect fertility, although there are no studies that prove the statistics of this radiation and its impact. However, it is advisable to keep cell phones several feet away from one’s body.
“If cell phones are kept closer to one’s body for a longer period, it can have harmful effects. As radiation affects brain and can also lead to hormonal imbalance, it also affects the menstrual cycle. Using cell phones for a longer period of time can impact sleep, long term sleep disturbances cause menstrual irregularities. Using a laptop on the lap regularly will lower sperm count,” warns Dr Sinha.
What to do?
Dr Deshpande recommends keeping cell phones away during bedtime and it should be switched off. Reducing the cell phone exposure time is better especially for children, putting in air plane more may not necessarily be helpful.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-stop-sleeping-with-your-cell-phone-2574154
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Majority of oral cancers can be prevented! Here’s how
Oral cancer refers to the cancers that occur in the mouth, lips, tongue, cheeks, palate or throat and are among the most common forms of cancers in India. In fact, oral cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. India bears the largest burden of oral cancers in the world, with an incidence of around 11.28 percent in Indian men.
It is important to propagate that oral cancer is also a highly preventable and treatable disease if detected early. Incidentally, over 80% of all oral cancers can be attributed to tobacco usage.
By eliminating the use of tobacco and following healthy lifestyles, you can significantly reduce your risk of oral cancer.
According to, Aparna Dhar, Medical Geneticist and Genetic Counselor, CORE Diagnostics, here are 5 measures you must take:
-Quit tobacco in all its forms
More than 50 percent of oral cancers in India are attributable to smokeless tobacco products. Referred usually as gutka or khaini in India, smokeless tobacco increases the risk of oral precancerous lesions and oral cancer between 2-fold and 15-fold. Unfortunately, gutka products are being packaged and marketed as safer products today, with youngsters increasingly falling for them. Let not the packaging befool you, tobacco in any form is a ready form of cancerous poison.
-Quit or minimize use of alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is another risk factor for oral cancer. It is advisable to limit your alcohol intake to a minimal level. Not only will this prove to be good for your liver and heart, but it also reduces your risk of oral cancer. Do not drink more than one drink per day if you’re a woman or two drinks per day if you’re a man.
-Use skin protection
Excessive exposure to the sun is also linked to increased risk of cancer in the lip area. To reduce this risk, you must try to limit your exposure to sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This does not mean you must avoid the sun altogether. However, it is advisable to stay out of the sun particularly between10 am and 4 pm when sunlight is strongest. Also, use sun protection cream as well as lip balm with a minimum of SPF 30.
-Undergo preventive examinations
Early detection and regular preventive examination are key to surviving oral cancer. It is important to thoroughly examine your mouth regularly to be able to spot any abnormal growth or lesion. Also, make sure to undergo regular oral cancer screening by your dentist. Regular examinations by a dentist can help detect oral cavity cancer and some oropharyngeal cancers at an early stage. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene as people with poor oral hygiene are at a higher risk of oral cavity cancer.
– Eat a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals is a potent weapon against cancer as it contains antioxidants that keep the body healthy. A diet low in fruits and vegetables and a vitamin A deficiency is considered to increase the risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. It is therefore advisable to consume generous servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Source: http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Health/2018-01-04/Majority-of-oral-cancers-can-be-prevented-Heres-how/349941
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