Moral Philosophy Of Herpes?

An article on the moral philosophy of dealing with herpes?  It seems so. Abstract:

For many people, living with genital herpes generates not just episodic physical discomfort but recurrent emotional distress, centered on concerns about how to live and love safely without passing infection to others. This article considers the evidence on herpes transmission, levels of sexual risk, when the law has intervened and to what extent health professionals should advise with respect to these issues. It proposes a mechanism by which moral philosophy might provide a rational basis on which to counsel concerning sexual behaviour.

Gut Micriobiota And Therapy For Aging-Related Diseases

Here’s an interesting paper linking the gut microbiota with therapies for aging-related diseases. Abstract:

Aging-associated alterations in composition, diversity and functional features of intestinal microbiota are well-described in the modern literature. They are suggested to be caused by an age-related decline in immune system functioning (immunosenescence) and a low-grade chronic inflammation (inflammaging), which accompany many aging-associated pathologies. The microbiota-targeted dietary and probiotic interventions have been shown to favorably affect the host health and aging by an enhancement of antioxidant activity, improving immune homeostasis, suppression of chronic inflammation, regulation of fat deposition and metabolism and prevention of insulin resistance. Recently, a high effectiveness and safety of novel therapeutic application such as fecal microbiota transplantation in the prevention and treatment of age-related pathological conditions including atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease has been demonstrated. In this review, recent research findings are summarized on the role of gut microbiota in aging processes with emphasis on therapeutic potential of microbiome-targeted interventions in anti-aging medicine.

The importance of the gut microbiota for overall good health and healthy aging cannot be overestimated. Interactions between the microbiota, the immune system, and prevalent diseases and disorders are an important emerging field in biomedicine and one which we will be watching closely.

Priobiotics, Intestinal Integrity, and Health

More evidence for the importance of the proper intestinal bacteria, and possible utility of probiotics. Abstract:

Intestinal barrier integrity is a prerequisite for homeostasis of mucosal function, which is balanced to maximise absorptive capacity, while maintaining efficient defensive reactions against chemical and microbial challenges. Evidence is mounting that disruption of epithelial barrier integrity is one of the major aetiological factors associated with several gastrointestinal diseases, including infection by pathogens, obesity and diabetes, necrotising enterocolitis, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. The notion that specific probiotic bacterial strains can affect barrier integrity fuelled research in which in vitro cell lines, animal models and clinical trials are used to assess whether probiotics can revert the diseased state back to homeostasis and health. This review catalogues and categorises the lines of evidence available in literature for the role of probiotics in epithelial integrity and, consequently, their beneficial effect for the reduction of gastrointestinal disease symptoms.

Note that disruption of the integrity of the intestinal epithelium (in layman’s terms: lining of the gut) is associated with a wide variety of important diseases, and that probiotics can enhance that integrity and reduce symptoms of gastrointestinal disease. The paper discusses various mechanisms whereby “good bacteria” help fight against “bad bacteria” and in so doing reduce inflammation and help maintain the proper structure of the intestines, hence helping reduce disease. The good bacteria occupy space and use nutrients that otherwise could be exploited by the bad bacteria, the good bacteria can secrete molecules that are toxic to the bad bacteria, and the good bacteria can help stimulate immune responses that target the bad bacteria. One home measure that I and people in my immediate family do is to make sure we eat yogurt with active cultures when we are on antibiotics, and after the antibiotic course is finished, to make sure the proper intestinal bacteria are being replenished as they are being killed, as a side effect, by the antibiotics. The aim is to inhibit colonization of the guy by the bad bacteria, especially once the antibiotic course is finished, by making sure that enough of the “good guys” are present. Of course, consult with your physician before doing this yourself and be aware that some antibiotics should not be taken with dairy products (and of course, be aware if you are lactose intolerant – although many intolerant individuals can tolerate yogurt, or have a dairy allergy). We usually eat yogurt anyway, so doing so in this case is nothing unusual.

Shared And Open-Plan Office Spaces Spread Disease

There’s been a trend for offices to be more “shared” and “open-plan” (academic laboratories at some institutions follow this model as well).  There’s probably some sort of underlying social and political motivation in this (“collective team-building” and “cooperation” – although for some strange reason administration keep their own private offices, with Deans having their own private bathrooms), as well as "cost-cutting" financial reasons, but the overall experience for workers seems to be negative. Now, we see that such “open-plan” spaces are hotbeds of disease transmission, as anyone could have expected.  Abstract:

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of this study was to examine whether shared and open-plan offices are associated with more days of sickness absence than cellular offices.

METHODS:

The analysis was based on a national survey of Danish inhabitants between 18-59 years of age (response rate 62%), and the study population consisted of the 2403 employees that reported working in offices. The different types of offices were characterized according to self-reported number of occupants in the space. The log-linear Poisson model was used to model the number of self-reported sickness absence days depending on the type of office; the analysis was adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and physical activity during leisure time.

RESULTS:

Sickness absence was significantly related to having a greater number of occupants in the office (P<0.001) when adjusting for confounders. Compared to cellular offices, occupants in 2-person offices had 50% more days of sickness absence [rate ratio (RR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13-1.98], occupants in 3-6-person offices had 36% more days of sickness absence (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08-1.73), and occupants in open-plan offices (>6 persons) had 62% more days of sickness absence (RR 1.62, 95% CI 1.30-2.02).

CONCLUSION:

Occupants sharing an office and occupants in open-plan offices (>6 occupants) had significantly more days of sickness absence than occupants in cellular offices.

Yet More On The Microbiota Colon Cancer Connection

A review paper asserts, from the abstract:

From the abstract:

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death. Most cases of CRC are detected in Western countries, with its incidence increasing year by year. The probability of suffering from colorectal cancer is about 4%-5% and the risk for developing CRC is associated with personal features or habits such as age, chronic disease history and lifestyle. In this context, the gut microbiota has a relevant role, and dysbiosis situations can induce colonic carcinogenesis through a chronic inflammation mechanism. Some of the bacteria responsible for this multiphase process include Fusobacterium spp, Bacteroides fragilis and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

It is becoming increasingly clear that modification of gut microbiota, possibly through diet and/or probiotics, will become an important tool in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including CRC.

Nothing Boring About Boron

Apparently, boron is a little known but potentially important micronutrient.

The trace mineral boron is a micronutrient with diverse and vitally important roles in metabolism that render it necessary for plant, animal, and human health, and as recent research suggests, possibly for the evolution of life on Earth. As the current article shows, boron has been proven to be an important trace mineral because it (1) is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone; (2) greatly improves wound healing; (3) beneficially impacts the body's use of estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D; (4) boosts magnesium absorption; (5) reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α); (6) raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; (7) protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity; (8) improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders; (9) influences the formation and activity of key biomolecules, such as S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)); (10) has demonstrated preventive and therapeutic effects in a number of cancers, such as prostate, cervical, and lung cancers, and multiple and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; and (11) may help ameliorate the adverse effects of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. In none of the numerous studies conducted to date, however, do boron's beneficial effects appear at intakes > 3 mg/d. No estimated average requirements (EARs) or dietary reference intakes (DRIs) have been set for boron-only an upper intake level (UL) of 20 mg/d for individuals aged ≥ 18 y. The absence of studies showing harm in conjunction with the substantial number of articles showing benefits support the consideration of boron supplementation of 3 mg/d for any individual who is consuming a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables or who is at risk for or has osteopenia; osteoporosis; osteoarthritis (OA); or breast, prostate, or lung cancer.

Embelin Against Cancer

The herbal factor embelin may have utility against colitis-induced cancer through suppression of macrophages

Macrophages are a major component of inflammatory and tumor microenvironment. We previously reported that embelin suppresses colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Here, the role of macrophage targeting in the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties of embelin was investigated. By using colitis-associated cancer (CAC) model, we demonstrated that embelin significantly depleted colonmacrophages by blocking their recruitment. Moreover, embelin attenuated M2-like polarization of macrophages within the tumor microenvironment and eliminated their tumor-promoting functions during the development of CAC. Embelin potently inhibited NF-κB signaling in macrophages and decreased the production of key pro-inflammatory cytokines and tumorigenic factors involved in CAC, such as TNFα, IL-6 and COX-2. In addition, embelin directly reduced the polarization of M2 macrophages in vitro even in the presence of Th2 cytokines. These results suggested that targeting macrophages is, at least in part, responsible for the anti-tumor activity of embelin in CAC. Our observations strengthen the rationale for future validation of embelin in the prevention and treatment of CAC.

Alcohol And Cancer

Paper analyzing the role of alcohol consumption in cancer:

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

There is increasing research evidence about the causal role of alcohol in cancer, accompanied by unclear and conflicting messages in the media. This paper aimed to clarify the strength of the evidence for alcohol as a cause of cancer, and the meaning of cause in this context.

METHODS:

Recent epidemiological and biological research on alcohol and cancer was reviewed and summarized, drawing upon published meta-analyses identified from the Medline database and the archives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. More recent epidemiological studies not included in these publications were also reviewed. A brief description of the nature of causal inference in epidemiology was used to frame discussion of the strength of the evidence that alcohol causes cancer, and contrast this with the case for a protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS:

The usual epidemiological understanding of a cause is a factor that increases the incidence of a condition in the population. In the context of a body of epidemiological evidence of an association of alcohol consumption with a disease, the inference that it is a causal association requires alternative explanations of the observed finding to be judged unlikely. Even without complete knowledge of biological mechanisms, the epidemiological evidence can support the judgement that alcohol causes cancer of the oropharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast. The measured associations exhibit gradients of effect that are biologically plausible, and there is some evidence of reversibility of risk in laryngeal, pharyngeal and liver cancers when consumption ceases. The limitations of cohort studies mean that the true effects may be somewhat weaker or stronger than estimated currently, but are unlikely to be qualitatively different. The same, or similar, epidemiological studies also commonly report protection from cardiovascular disease associated with drinking but a high level of scepticism regarding these findings is now warranted.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites in the body and probably others. Current estimates suggest that alcohol-attributable cancers at these sites make up 5.8% of all cancer deaths world-wide. Confirmation of specific biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.

So, alcohol consumption likely promotes cancer but skepticism is warranted about it being protective against cardiovascular disease.

I myself only consume (small) amounts of alcohol infrequently at holidays. I see no reason to be drinking alcohol on a regular basis.

Another Possible Non-Invasive CRC Screen?

Under study:

Background - Colorectal cancer is one of the main cause of cancer in the world. Colonoscopy is the best screen method, however the compliance is less than 50%. Quantification of human DNA (hDNA) in the feces may be a possible screen non-invasive method that is a consequence of the high proliferation and exfoliation of cancer cells.

Objective - To quantify the human DNA in the stools of patients with colorectal cancer or polyps.

Methods - Fifty patients with CRC, 26 polyps and 53 with normal colonoscopy were included. Total and human DNA were analyzed from the frozen stools.

Results - An increased concentration of hDNA in the stools was observed in colorectal cancer patients compared to controls and polyps. Tumors localized in the left side of the colon had higher concentrations of hDNA. There were no differences between polyps and controls. A cut off of 0.87 ng/mL of human DNA was determined for colorectal cancer patients by the ROC curve, with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 86.8%. For polyps the cut off was 0.41, the sensitivity was 41% and the specificity 77.4%.

Conclusion - A higher concentration of hDNA had been found in colorectal cancer patients. The quantification of hDNA from the stools can be a trial method for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Berries Against Cancer

Something to consider:

Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases across the world. Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that diets rich in fruit, such as berries, provide significant health benefits against several types of cancer, including colon cancer. The anticancer activities of berries are attributed to their high content of phytochemicals and to their relevant antioxidant properties. In vitro and in vivostudies have demonstrated that berries and their bioactive components exert therapeutic and preventive effects against colon cancer by the suppression of inflammation, oxidative stress, proliferation and angiogenesis, through the modulation of multiple signaling pathways such as NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT/PKB/mTOR, and ERK/MAPK. Based on the exciting outcomes of preclinical studies, a few berries have advanced to the clinical phase. A limited number of human studies have shown that consumption of berries can prevent colorectal cancer, especially in patients at high risk (familial adenopolyposis or aberrant crypt foci, and inflammatory bowel diseases). In this review, we aim to highlight the findings of berries and their bioactive compounds in colon cancer from in vitro and in vivo studies, both on animals and humans. Thus, this review could be a useful step towards the next phase of berry research in colon cancer

Vitamin D Deficiency and the Colon

Deficiency of vitamin D can promote colon inflammation and colon cancer.

Epidemiological studies showed that 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D[1,25(OH)2D3] insufficiency appears to be associated with aging and colon cancer while underlying biological mechanisms remain largely unknown. Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the risk factors for colon cancer. In this study, we investigated whether 1,25(OH)2D3 deficiency has an impact on the colon of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase knockout [Cyp27b1-/-] mice fed on a rescue diet (high calcium, phosphate, and lactose) from weaning to 10 months of age. We found that 1,25(OH)2D3 deficient mice displayed significant colon inflammation phenotypes including shortened colon length, thinned and disordered mucosal structure, and inflammatory cell infiltration. DNA damage, cellular senescence and the production of senescence-associated inflammatory cytokines were also increased significantly in the colon of Cyp27b1-/-mice. Furthermore, the levels of ROS in the colonwere increased significantly, whereas the expression levels of antioxidative genes were down-regulated dramatically in the colon of Cyp27b1-/-mice. Taken together, our results demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2D3 deficiency could induce colon inflammation, which may result from increased oxidative stress and DNA damage, subsequently, induced cell senescence and overproduction of senescence-associated secretory factors. Therefore, our findings suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 may play an important role in preventing the development and progression of colon inflammation and colon cancer.

Of course, too much of any vitamin or mineral is not good either. Strive for balance and obtain them from natural food sources (rather than supplements) if possible.  Some sunlight can help with vitamin D - but beware of too much exposure there as well (skin cancer threat).

Possible Health Benefits Of Cyclodextrin

An interesting article contains the following excerpt:

As researchers rolled out data on cyclodextrin, a couple named Chris and Hugh Hempel in Reno, Nevada, paid close attention. In 2007, their twin daughters, Addi and Cassi, then three years old, were diagnosed with NPC (Niemann-Pick type C disease is a genetically caused lysosomal storage disease that affects metabolism). As doctors repeatedly told them there was nothing to be done, the parents kept digging into the research and looking for a cure. 

They found cyclodextrin and initially tried using it in oral doses, which is known to be safe. However, the chemical couldn’t effectively reach the brain that way. The couple made headlines with their tireless efforts to get drug companies, the FDA, and doctors to let them try out intravenous treatments of cyclodextrin for their twins—and they won. Regular treatments gradually improved—although didn’t cure—the twins’ conditions. Cyclodextrin is now in clinical trials to treat other kids with NPC. 

Meanwhile, in 2010, Latz and colleagues published a study in Nature showing that cholesterol crystals, which accumulate along arteries when there’s too much cholesterol in the blood stream, can trigger inflammation. The immune response then produces a snowball effect eventually leading to the development of plaques—layers of cholesterol crystals, immune cells, and calcified lesions in the artery wall. Upon reading the study, Chris Hempel contacted Latz and told him about their experience with cyclodextrin clearing cholesterol from cells. Perhaps the sweet chemical could also clear it from plaques. 

In mice fed high-cholesterol diets, cyclodextrin cleared away plaques and helped prevent more plaques from forming, Latz and his colleagues found. The chemical also activated cholesterol metabolism that boosted clearance of the waxy substance from arteries, plus dampened inflammation responses that spur atherosclerosis. 

Using blood vessel tissue from human patients with atherosclerosis, researchers found that cyclodextrin induced the same changes in the human cells as it did in the mice.

Musings, Part III: May the force be with you

May the force be with you!

Here are the comments of two medical doctors whom I met by chance: “Diet does not affect cancer incidence”, and “I am not excited about [cancer] prevention”. 

Here is my interpretation for you: do not have high hopes that your doctor would help you prevent any disease through lifestyle changes. The doctor would push the pills and treatment procedures, and many of us would be more than glad to accept these, as discussed in Musings, Part II.

Another bad news is that a meaningful prevention initiative from the government is not to be expected, because this is a government assembled by politicians lobbied by big pharma and the food industry.
 

WE ARE BIPEDALS!

The only glimmer of hope to change the status quo is to convince the consumers not to buy the food that makes them sick, and reject the infrastructure that negates their ability of "bipedals". For this to happen, we should all take action.

Here are three stories that teach us how to take action:

Story #1
This is the story of Bernard Fisher, M.D. Before the research of Fisher, breast cancer was “dealt with” by performing the Halsted radical mastectomy. Through this procedure, the women’s torsos were "excavated" and a massive amount of tissue was removed. The barbarian procedure was based upon the hypothesis of Halsted that breast cancer diffused like a dye through the surrounding tissues. Therefore, removal of the breast, underlying chest muscle, and surrounding lymph nodes was to be performed to improve survival. 

The radical mastectomy dominated the operating rooms for 75 years. Fisher proposed clinical studies that led to a more effective and merciful treatment of the female body. In fact, survival rates increased and the quality of patient life improved. Fisher proposed (against everyone in his field) that breast cancer is a systemic disease (that is, spreading through blood and lymph), in which malignant cells could spread throughout the body even before diagnosis. Therefore, a radical mastectomy could not improve survival in a dramatic manner. Fisher reasoned that lumpectomy, a removal of the tumor and a small portion of the surrounding tissue, should be sufficient in most of cases. Bulldozed reputation and sabotaged career, this is what Fisher went through in his quest to the truth. Remember that for Fisher, the truth was worth losing everything else.

 
Story #2

This is the story of Rose Kushner, an American journalist, a breast cancer patient, and a fierce advocate for breast cancer patients. Orphaned at age of 10, Rose wanted to become a physician, but the family was unable to support her ambition. As a result, Rose became a journalist. 

She also became a breast cancer patient at the time of radical mastectomy and one-step surgery. Here is a brief deviation to explain the "one-step procedure": back then, if the woman had a tumor, she had to undergo anesthesia in the operating room, and have a biopsy. If the malignant pathology was confirmed, the patient, still under anesthesia, was subjected to a radical mastectomy. In her journey to eliminate this practice, Rose Kushner became a vehement advocate for women to be able to choose lumpectomy, rather than the mandated radical mastectomy. Rose wrote a book about the cause, she also started a telephone hotline for women in need. Her efforts were bitterly criticized by doctors and the American Cancer Society! 

Rose however, was unstoppable, she stormed into medical meetings, interrupted and questioned the presenters, and spoke against the status quo. Witnesses claim that medical doctors were quivering in the presence of the petite lady. At the time of her death, it was acknowledged that Rose was "probably the single most important person" in ending the practice of radical mastectomy and one-step surgery for breast cancer in the U.S. Remember that just one layman person, a petite lady like Rose Kushner, can create a storm.



Story #3 

This story comes from a Chicago public high school, where the students started to boycott the school lunch. Why? “The hamburger meat is raw, the chicken patties taste like fish and the fruit cups are frozen. And the pizza? They should use ... real cheese", according to this report. The school-wide cafeteria boycott was a part of the "The School Lunch Project: Culinary Denial", developed as a civics class lesson. 

The students even created their own website featuring the current menu, and what they would like to have in the cafeteria - real, fresh, and healthy food. Remember, these students are younger than most of us, and yet, they have the courage to speak out and act. To me, these young people are stealth heroes worth following.

 Actionable

• Learn the facts: most cases of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems are preventable.
• Simple changes in our lifestyle and diet will allow us to gain years of freedom. 
• It is up to all of us to bring a positive change. May the force be with us!  
• Be the change you want to see in the world.