Diabetes leads to retinopathy

Loss of vascular cells in the retina of the eye, loss of barrier function in vessels, edema, and a cascade of inflammatory events lead to blindness. The eye generates a dihydroxy metabolite from polyunsaturated fatty acids that initiates pericyte loss and breakdown of the endothelial barrier function in the eye, the scientists said. This leads to vascular edema and ultimately to a proliferation of new blood vessels and loss of vision.

The small molecule which initiates this process is a diol of a long chain poly unsaturated fatty acid produced by sEH, the researchers said. The enzyme converts an anti-inflammatory epoxy fatty acid into the pro inflammatory and in this case, toxic diol. The research team demonstrated this process and the cellular mechanism involved in diabetic mice and in transgenic mice that over-produce the sEH enzyme.

They were able to block the process by inhibiting the sEH enzyme. The expression of the sEH enzyme also increased with severity of diabetic retinopathy in human patients.The expression of the soluble epoxide hydrolase gene was shown to increase in the retinas of human patients with the severity of the disease with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic eye disease can affect many parts of the eye, including the retina, macula, lens and the optic nerve.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of adult blindness. Chronically high blood sugar from diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina, leading to diabetic retinopathy, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health. The blood vessels can leak fluid or hemorrhage and distorting vision. The sEH enzyme generates a toxic metabolite, but when the enzyme is inhibited, eye disease is prevented.

Inhibiting the soluble epoxide hydrolase preserves fatty acid epoxides which reduce the late or proliferative stages of diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Research team used the same soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors to block production of a pro inflammatory mediator that initiates the early stages of vascular permeability and inflammation of the retina. They discovered that 19,20-dihydroxydocosapentaenoic acid, a product of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) activity, as a key regulator of pericyte loss and endothelial barrier breakdown has brought to light a previously unknown mechanism of action in the induction of diabetic retinopathy.

 Inhibition of sEH blocks formation of this degenerative lipid metabolite thereby halting disease progression, which is of vital interest for the potential management of this blinding disease.The diol of the fatty acid linoleate produced by the soluble epoxide hydrolase was highly toxic to cells leading to vascular permeability and sepsis. These epoxy fatty acid chemical mediators control blood pressure, fibrosis, immunity, tissue growth, pain and inflammation.
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Fish oil protects vision cells

A component of fish oil not only protects cells critical to vision from potentially lethal initial insults, but also from those that occur in the future. The omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, and its derivatives "precondition" photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to survive.

DHA and docosanoids (molecules made in the brain at the onset of injury or disease) are responsible for activating sustained cellular mechanisms that elicit long-term preconditioning protection. A preconditioning PC stimulus is a sub-lethal or pharmacologic stressor that activates a counter-regulatory protective response to a future lethal stimulus. Preconditioning takes place when the blood supply to an organ is interrupted for a short time and then reestablished.

The protective response from that first injury would carry over to a subsequent blood supply shortage, much like the immunity a vaccine confers against future exposures to disease. This happens in the heart, brain and retina, as well as other organs. To harness the therapeutic potential of preconditioning, it is very important to identify the molecules directly involved.

Fish oil contains two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) -- omega-3 (docosahexaenoic acid or DHA) and omega-6 (arachidonic acid or AA). They have distinctly different actions. Omega-3 PUFAs and their enzymatic metabolic derivatives, docosanoids, display potent anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving properties in contrast to the pro-inflammatory actions of omega-6 PUFA derivatives. The researchers found that although they are released concomitantly, DHA can alter the action of AA. When they supplemented DHA prior to the oxidative stress insult, the synthesis of protective DHA derivatives increased while AA synthesis decreased over time.

DHA and the induction of docosanoid synthesis is necessary for preconditioning protection, and thus daily survival, of photoreceptor and RPE cells. Omega-3 impairments are associated with neuroinflammation, which contributes to photoreceptor cell dysfunction and death, enhancing the synthesis of docosanoids may provide an opportunity for halting or ameliorating debilitating retinal degenerative diseases, such as the dry form of age-related macular degeneration.
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Naturally acquired immunity against Zika virus

During their study of Zika infection in pregnant mice, the researchers built-up immunity in previously infected mothers that continued into pregnancy and protected fetal tissues. Because the mothers had already cleared their non-symptomatic Zika infections, they developed high levels of protective immunoglobulin antibodies against the virus that researchers found in the animals. Detection of these protective antibodies points to the possibility of developing diagnostic tests to identify naturally immune women and distinguish them from women at high risk of infection.

The ability to identify high-risk women would help develop focused therapeutic strategies for prevention, combining protective antibodies with an eventual vaccine, which could synergistically provide more a robust level of protection against Zika. Built-up immunoglobulin antibodies protect against Zika infection in mothers and their developing fetal offspring.

Researchers said expectant mothers are susceptible to Zika infection compared to non-pregnant women. If the virus is active during pregnancy, it usually spreads to vital tissues of a developing fetus. Because Zika virus infection in healthy non-pregnant women is mostly asymptomatic, many women of reproductive age in high-risk regions have a cleared infection before pregnancy.

Susceptibility to Zika virus infection was markedly reduced in mice that had previously cleared a prior infection compared to those undergoing a first infection during pregnancy. Mice that didn't have prior Zika infections developed clinical symptoms and sharply increased levels of Zika virus in their blood, which spread to fetal tissues.

Zika virus could not be found in most of the baby mice from mothers with resolved infection prior to pregnancy. Protection found in Zika-resistant mice could be transferred to susceptible mice with Zika virus neutralizing antibodies found in the blood of mice with prior asymptomatic infection.
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Shingrix for preventing shingles

Shingrix has been approved for preventing shingles - herpes zoster in adults. Shingrix is a non-live, recombinant subunit vaccine given intramuscularly in two doses. Shingrix represents a significant scientific advancement in the field of vaccinology.

The vaccine has shown over 90% efficacy across all age groups in the prevention of shingles, a painful and potentially serious disease. The risk and severity of shingles increases with age as the immune system loses the ability to produce effective response to infection. Shingrix was developed specifically to overcome the age-related decline in immunity.

Shingrix demonstrated efficacy against shingles greater than 90% across all age groups, as well as sustained efficacy over a follow-up period of 4 years. It also reduced the overall incidence of postherpetic neuralgia PHN a form of chronic nerve pain and the most common complication associated with shingles.

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus VZV, the same virus that causes chickenpox some adults have the VZV dormant in their nervous system, waiting to reactivate with advancing age.

As people age, the cells in the immune system lose the ability to maintain a strong and effective response to VZV. Shingles typically presents as a painful, itchy rash that develops on one side of the body and can last for two to four weeks. The pain associated with shingles is often described as burning, shooting or stabbing.

Do not receive Shingrix if you are allergic to any of its ingredients or had an allergic reaction to a previous dose of Shingrix. The most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and stomach ache.

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Zinc can stop the growth of cancer cell

Zinc is essential for maintaining human health and protecting the esophagus from cancer. According to the latest research, zinc supplements can prevent the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells. Clinical data and animal studies have shown that this mineral is very important for overall body health and for cancer prevention.

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of deaths across the globe, zinc deficiency has been found in many cancer patients, zinc is an important element in many proteins and many enzymes and the absence of zinc makes it impossible for cells to function properly.

Zinc impedes overactive calcium signals in cancer cells, which is absent in normal cells, and thus zinc selectively inhibits cancer cell growth. Insufficient amount of zinc can lead to the development of cancers and other diseases, foods rich in zinc are spinach, flax seeds, beef, pumpkin seeds, shrimp and oysters.

It is needed in small amounts every day for sound health, apart from cancer prevention, some other benefits of zinc are production of hormones, maintaining proper growth, it improves immunity, it facilitates digestion and reverses heart disease.
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Diabetes and heart disease are related

Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, CHD Researchers examined the
genome sequence information of some people and discovered 16 new diabetes genetic risk factors, and one new CHD genetic risk factor; showing that the two diseases are related.

They discovered that sites on the genome associated with higher diabetes risk are also associated with higher CHD risk. For eight of these sites, the researchers were able to identify a specific gene variant that influences risk for both diseases.

The shared genetic risk factors affect biological pathways including immunity, cell proliferation, and heart development. Identifying these gene variants linked to both type 2 diabetes and CHD risk in principle opens up opportunities to reduce the risk of both diseases.

The genetic link between the diseases appears to work in one direction, so that risk genes for type 2 diabetes are much more likely to be associated with higher CHD risk than the other way around. Additionally, there could be some pathways where pharmacological lowering of one disease increases the risk of the other.

The researchers also found that diabetes-linked gene variants tend to differ in their apparent effects on CHD risk, depending on their mechanisms. Variants that increase the chance of obesity or high blood pressure, for example, appear to boost CHD risk more strongly than variants that alter insulin or glucose levels.

They discovered that the genomic regions implicated as dual diabetes-CHD risk loci encompass targets of some existing drugs. One such drug is icosapent, an omega-3 fatty acid component of some fish oils, which lowers cholesterol and is sold in concentrated form as a prescription pharmaceutical.
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Vaccine protects mice from Zika virus

New Zika vaccine was made from live virus that has been inactivate and it shows effectiveness in mice.

Producing a better vaccine will require a balance between efficacy and safety of the user, vaccine produced from attenuated live viruses normally offers fast immunity but not safe.

Inactivated and subunit viruses always provide safety but may required several initial doses, safe live-atteuation  vaccine will be used for production of Zika vaccine for human in developing countries.

Zika vaccine showed safety profile in mice, this vaccine will prevent transmission of the virus and microcephaly and prevent birth defects and diseases caused by Zika.

The vaccine will be recommended for women of child bearing age, their sexual partner and children less than 10 years.