Public release date: 18-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tiffany Trent ttrent@vbi.vt.edu 540-231-6822 Virginia Tech
Building on previous work with the botanical abscisic acida, researchers in the Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory (NIMML) have discovered that abscisic acid has anti-inflammatory effects in the lungs as well as in the gut. The results will be published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
"While the immune effects of abscisic acid are well understood in the gut, less was known about its effects in the respiratory tract. We've shown definitively that not only does abscisic acid ameliorate disease activity and lung inflammatory pathology, it also aids recovery and survival in influenza-infected mice," said Raquel Hontecillas, Ph.D., study leader, assistant professor of immunology at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, and co-director of NIMML.
Influenza accounts for anywhere from 3,000 to 49,000 deaths per year in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is difficult to treat if not caught immediately; antivirals usually become ineffective after the virus incubation period has passed and resistance to antiviral drugs poses a serious public health problem in the face of outbreaks. Abscisic acid, however, has been shown to be most effective at about seven to ten days into the infection, targeting the immune response rather than the virus itself, which many researchers feel is a safer way to reduce flu-associated fatalities.
"Most drugs for respiratory infections target the virus itself, rather than the inflammatory responses caused by the virus. Abscisic acid activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, a receptor that aids in reducing inflammation, through a newly identified pathwaya but it does so without the side effects of other agonists like thiazolidinediones, which are known to have strong adverse side effects. The development of complementary and alternative Medicine approaches that modulate the host response has great promise in decreasing respiratory damage caused by influenza or other respiratory pathogens," said Josep Bassaganya-Riera, Ph.D., director of NIMML and professor of nutritional immunology at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute.
From this and previous research, it's clear that abscisic acid could yield a novel new way to combat inflammatory disease, both in the gut and the respiratory tract. By using host-targeted strategies to mediate disease, alternate pathways can be established to activate immune responses without the deadly side effects of many drugs currently on the market.
###
This research was supported by award number R01AT004308 of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health awarded to Josep Bassaganya-Riera, the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute-Fralin CRI grants program to Raquel Hontecillas, and funds from the Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory.
Original post:
Botanical compound could prove crucial to healing influenza
- Podcast 9 Athens part 3 and news [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Podcast 10 Athens part 4 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Podcast 11 Athens Part 5 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 12 Cardiac Nuclear Medicine in the UK [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Podcast 13 Choline PET and prostate cancer [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode14 ED function and Dysponea [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- ep 15 Collimator Choice and Reconstruction algorithm [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 16 Dr Strauss on vulnerable plaque [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode17 Chemical Stress [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 18 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Diabetes [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 19 The INSPIRE trial [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- 20 Dual isotope with a difference [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 21 The real effect of stress [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 22 D-SPECT [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 23 VQ Reprise [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 24 Hepatobiliary Nuclear Medicine [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 25 Sleep Apnea [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 26 Imaging Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 27 Cardiac Stem Cells [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 28 Molly Supply [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 29 Melanoma therapy interview with Dr Ekaterina Dadachova [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 30 Viral Therapy [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 31 breast radiotherapy using radioisotopes [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 32 news from snm [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 33 EBV Imaging and Therapy [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Episode 34 Dr Lele SNM India 2009 [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Episode 35 Dr Andrew Scott from the Ludwig institute [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- Episode 36 CardiArc [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2010]
- Episode 37 Dr Modder Radiosynoviorthesis (Radiation Synovectomy) [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2010]
- Episode 38 Indian Nuclear Medicine With Dr Malhotra and Dr Krishna [Last Updated On: May 28th, 2010] [Originally Added On: May 28th, 2010]
- Episode 39 Prof Ora Israel The Utility of Hybrid Imaging [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2010]
- Episode 40 New V/Q SPECT developments [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2010] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2010]
- Episode 41 scintimun [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2011]
- Episode 42 Radio-Isotope Supply into the future [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2011]
- Podcast 4: DNA therapy [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2011]
- Sorry about the delay a new podcast will be out soon! [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2011]
- Podcast 5 Flash 3D [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2011]
- Podcast 6 Affibody [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2011]
- Podcast 7 EANM 2006 Athens Part 1 [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2011]
- Podcast 8 Athens Part 2 [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2011]
- Episode 43 Rapidscan Part 1, 720P high quality video version [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2011]
- Episode 43 Rapidscan Part 1, Ipod quality video [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2011]
- Episode 43 Rapidscan Part 1, Audio version [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2011]
- Episode 45 Mummies with cardiovascular disease video [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2011]
- Episode 45 Mummies with cardiovascular disease audio edition [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2011]
- Episode 46 Dr Gordon DePuey Choosing Reconstruction clinical perspective [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2011]
- Episode 46 Dr Gordon DePuey Choosing Reconstruction clinical perspective audio version [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2011]
- Episode 47 Cardiac Image Fusion With Dr Kaufmann [Last Updated On: September 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 18th, 2011]
- Episode 47 Cardiac Fusion with Dr Kaufmann video version [Last Updated On: September 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 18th, 2011]
- Dear Steve, I am and many more like me are your one more thing. [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2011]
- EPISODE 48 PET MRI camera from Siemens with Dr Georgi audio [Last Updated On: October 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 23rd, 2011]
- EPISODE 48 PET MRI camera from Siemens Dr Georgi video [Last Updated On: October 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 23rd, 2011]
- Silicon Biosystems to Present Single-Circulating Tumor Cell Molecular Characterization at the Fourth World CTC Summit [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Leukaemia cells have a remembrance of things past [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Technologist Education Requirements Can Help Cut Repeat Scans [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- HKU Collaborative Research Discovers A Novel Molecular Mechanism Of A New Anti-HIV-1 Drug Candidate [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis and the Nephrotic Syndrome - Part 1 Clinical - Video [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Electro-Medicine : Biological Physics - The Molecular Basis of Alzheimers Disease - Video [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- osdd heterocyclic compounds and molecular medicines - Video [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Molecule to Medicine: The Biomarker Frontier - Video [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Fulfilling the Promise of Molecular Medicine in a Developmental Brain Disorder - Video [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Focus on Stefanie Dimmeler - Video [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Dundee [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Nanotechnology In Medicine: Huge Potential, But What Are The Risks? [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Cutting Edge Technology Coming To DMH [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- This Week in Experimental and Molecular Pathology [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Researchers' discovery offers hope for cancer, heart disease miracle drugs [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2012]
- Penn State student Zachary Hostetler from Garnet Valley is being honored as a student marshal [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2012]
- NCKU Student Wins Prestigious Award for Anti-Cancer Research [Last Updated On: May 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 10th, 2012]
- In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market (Clinical Chemistry, Immunoassays, Molecular Diagnostics, Hematology Analyzers ... [Last Updated On: May 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 10th, 2012]
- Pitt team uses genomics to identify a molecular-based treatment for a viral skin cancer [Last Updated On: May 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 10th, 2012]
- Genomics used to identify a molecular-based treatment for a viral skin cancer [Last Updated On: May 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 10th, 2012]
- 2 molecular biologists get $500K medical prize [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2012]
- 2 molecular biologists share $500K medical prize [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2012]
- Lab21 Unveils New Molecular Analysis Services at Greenville Site [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2012]
- 2 molecular biologists from NYC to share $500K medical prize for pioneering research on cells [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2012]
- Two Molecular Biologists Get $500K Medical Prize [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2012]
- Pair of molecular biologists receive Albany Medical Center Prize [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2012]
- CNIO scientists successfully test the first gene therapy against aging-associated decline [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2012]
- Cancer Institute of New Jersey Aims to Advance Personalized Cancer Treatments Through 'Precision Medicine' [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2012]