chronic inflammation tagged posts

Our immune system sees Neu5GC as foreign and antibodies are made to attack it. This cancause inflammation and may promote cancer cell growth.

Neu5Gc, a non-human sialic acid sugar molecule common in red meat that increases the risk of tumor formation in humans, is also prevalent in pig organs, with concentrations increasing as the organs are cooked, a study by researchers from the UC Davis School of Medicine and Xiamen University School of Medicine has found. The research suggests that Neu5Gc may pose a significant health hazard among those who regularly consume organ meats from pigs.

Neu5Gc is naturally found on cell surfaces in most mammals but not in humans. It gets incorporated into human cells by eating meats, organs and some dairy products...

Under the influence of interferons, chronic viral infections cause strong inflammation. This causes the B cells to initiate an inadequate immune response which first optimizes the production of antibodies for a short period, but then rapidly subsides. (Image: University of Basel)

Scientists at the University of Basel discovered a fundamental new mechanism explaining the inadequate immune defense against chronic viral infection. These results may open up new avenues for vaccine development. In the course of an infection or upon vaccination, B cells, produce antibodies that bind viruses and inactivate them. In the context of chronic viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis C virus, however, antibody production by B cells is quantitatively inadequate and starts too late.

A team of scientists...

A mouse’s fat cells (red) are shown surrounded by a network of blood vessels (green). Source: Daniela Malide, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health

UC SF scientists have found a surprising new avenue for potential therapies to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders associated with chronic tissue inflammation in obesity. Inflammation in obesity may be caused, at least in part, by a completely different mechanism from the one that controls normal immune responses. The research shows saturated fats “short-circuit” both mouse and human immune cells, producing an inappropriate inflammatory response as a consequence...

Clearance of senescent cells prolongs healthspan

Researchers have shown senescent cells – cells that no longer divide and accumulate with age – negatively impact health and shorten lifespan by as much as 35% in normal mice. The results demonstrate that clearance of senescent cells delays tumor formation, preserves tissue and organ function, and extends lifespan without observed adverse effects.

“Cellular senescence is a biological mechanism that functions as an ’emergency brake’ used by damaged cells to stop dividing,” says Jan van Deursen, Ph.D., Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular biology at Mayo Clinic...