StemCell Therapy

I wrote here about the reports of rather short antibody persistence in recovering coronavirus patients, and whats been coming out in the two weeks since then has only made this issue more important. In that post, I was emphasizing that although we can measure antibody levels, we dont know how well that correlates with exposure to the virus nor to later immunity from it, and that T cells are surely a big part of this picture that we dont have much insight into.

This Twitter thread by Eric Topol is exactly what I mean, and this article that he references is an important read. Its schematic at right (see also here) will help make clear that antibody levels are only one aspect of the immune response to the infection its an important one, but were making it look even more important than it is because its by far the easiest part of the process to measure. The T-cell response (much harder to get good data on) is known to be a key player in viral infections, and is also known to be highly variable, both between different types of pathogens and among individuals themselves. The latter variations are also beginning to be characterized among patients in the current pandemic. We have to get more data on it across a broader population of patients in order to make sense of what were seeing.

Many readers will have seen, for example, this new paper from The Lancet on a large study in Spain. Testing tens of thousands of people across the country continues to show that (on average) only about 5% of the population is seropositive (that is, has antibodies to the virus). There are a lot of interesting findings such as rather large differences in those positive testing rates in different regions of the country, as well as the realization that at least one-third of the people who now test positive never showed any symptoms at all. But we are still not sure if this means that 95% of the Spanish population has never been exposed to the virus, because we dont know how many people might have cleared it without raising enough of an antibody response to still be detectable. This paper does show that seroprevalence was about 90% in people 14 days after a positive PCR test, which indicates that most people do raise some sort of antibody response, but we dont know how many of these people will still show such antibodies at later testing dates. Remember the paper discussed in that link in the first paragraph above, which found that 40% of asymptomatic patients went completely seronegative during their convalescence.

In other words, the Spanish survey may appear to show that 95% of the country has not yet been exposed to the coronavirus, but thats almost certainly not true. The authors do mention that cellular immunity is important and not something that they were able to address, but the combination of that factor plus the apparent dropoff in antibody levels with time makes these large IgG surveys almost impossible to interpret. But note that if there are indeed many people who have been exposed but do not read out in such surveys, that we also have no idea how immune they are to further infection. At a minimum, youd want to know antibody levels over time, T-cell response over time, and (importantly) what a protective profile looks like for both of those. We barely have insight into any of this: the large-scale data are just a snapshot of antibody levels, and thats not enough.

We have similar data here in the US: several surveys of IgG antibodies show single-digit seroconversion. You could conclude that we have large numbers of people who have never been exposed and indeed, the recent upswing in infections in many regions argues that there are plenty of such people out there. But we need to know more. We could have people who look vulnerable but arent perhaps they show no antibodies, but still have a protective T-cell response. Or we could have people who look like they might be protected, but arent perhaps they showed an antibody response many weeks ago that has now declined, and they dont have protective levels of T-cells to back them up. Across the population, you can use the limited data we have and our limited understanding of it to argue for a uselessly broad range of outcomes. Things could be better than we thought, or worse, getting better or deteriorating in front of our eyes. We just dont know, and we have to do better at figuring it out.

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More on T Cells, Antibody Levels, and Our Ignorance - Science Magazine

The adage all things in moderation applies not to just to food and drink, but also to the legions of bacteria inside our guts helping us digest that food and drink. It turns out the rule may also extend to the lesser understood bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect the bacteria living inside us. Like Russian nesting dolls, our bodies host close to 100 trillion bacterial cells that make up our microbiomesand those bacterial cells have their own inhabitants.

Were appreciating more and more that the most abundant microbial entities in the human gut are actually viruses, says Eric Martens, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigans Medical School. His team has been exploring the puzzling way bacteria and their viruses appear to coexist inside the human gut. The secret may lie in a hairy-looking sugar coating bacteria used to defend not only against attacks from the human immune system, but also from various viruses seeking a way in.

Using a common gut bacteria Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, or BT for short, Martens team began to look at the complex interaction between BT and viruses, by pitting them against each other in the lab.

When challenged with viruses, or phages, collected from waste water, some of the bacteria were able to resist infection while some were not. When a particular phage comes along that can kill certain members of the population, it does so and the resistant bacteria quickly grow out, says Martens.

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However, instead of permanently altering the receptor that allowed the viral penetration, and potentially harming itself, some of the bacteria temporarily turn on a resistant state through a reversible process called a phase variation. But some of members of the bacterial population, unaware of the phages continued presence, turn off this resistance switch, leaving them susceptible to infectionand on and on.

The team genetically engineered the BT strain to express just one of eight chemically-distinct capsules and a version with no coating at all. In all cases, infection could be blocked by some, but not all, of the capsules. Surprisingly, the researchers noted that the bald bacteria were also able to evade infection. We were intrigued to see we could take away all of the capsules and still infect it with these phages and the bacteria could still survive, which necessitates that they have a backup mechanism in place, Martens says.

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How Viruses and Bacteria Balance Each Other in the Gut Microbiome - Michigan Medicine

(This story is written in partnership with .)

Theres nothing worse than coming down with a debilitating flu or cold during the summer monthsspending three days sprawled out on the couch while your friends are at the beach is pure torture.

wants to keep you from falling ill this summer by sharing valuable information on vitamins that can fortify your immune system, strengthen memory, support nerve function, and much more. You dont have to take a handful of supplements every morning in order to get the vitamins you need. Instead, you can reap the benefits from specific vitamins by integrating certain superfoods into your diet.

This vitamin has antioxidant properties and plays an important role in your vision, immunity, cell growth and division, and reproduction. Like other antioxidants, vitamin A is capable of protecting your cells against free radicals, which can contribute to heart disease and some forms of cancer. One can get their recommended dose of vitamin A through supplements or by consuming foods like spinach, dairy products, carrots, and cantaloupe.

The recommended daily doses for all of these essential vitamins can be found on .

Vitamin B-6 is important for the maintenance of the immune and nervous systems while promoting normal brain development. This vitamin can be derived from bananas, chickpeas, potatoes, poultry, and fishnow you have an excuse to make baked potato wedges and crispy chicken strips for dinner tonight. People with kidney conditions or genetic diseases may be predisposed to a vitamin B-6 deficiency, which can lead to a weakened immune system, confusion, and depression.

The regular consumption of vitamin B-12 is imperative for everyone, and those who follow vegetarian or plant-based diets are more at risk of being deficient. Vitamin B-12 is can be derived from meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. This vitamin is central in the production of DNA and red blood cells while also supporting cell metabolism and nerve function. People with a deficiency in vitamin B-12 may experience fatigue, anemia, mood disturbances, weakness, intestinal problems, and even nerve damage.

Vitamin C is best known for its antioxidant properties that can fend off a cold and its ability to help the body absorb and store iron. This vitamin also aids in the formation of blood vessels, cartilage, muscles, and collagen. Similar to vitamin A, vitamin C protects your cells against free radicals that may cause heart disease and some forms of cancer. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, and Brussel sprouts. Many people choose to take vitamin C supplements in a delicious gummy form.

Take a look at Vitamin page to better understand safe dosages and side effects of oral vitamin C supplements.

This vitamin is vital for bone health as calcium can only be absorbed by the body when vitamin D is present. Vitamin D can also be absorbed from direct sunlight, which is why people who experience seasonal depression or those living in rainy cities are encouraged to take vitamin D supplements. Symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency can include bone density loss, mood changes, fatigue, and muscle cramps. Vitamin D isnt naturally present in many foods but companies will often fortify dairy and cereal products with it.

Vitamin E is present in foods that you probably consume on a regular basis like olive oil, almonds, peanuts, margarine, meats, dairy, dark leafy greens, and fortified cereals. This vitamin is an antioxidant and can also protect your cells from free radicals while maintaining the health of your blood, brain, skin, eyes, and reproductive system.

Figuring out what vitamins you should be consuming can be rather confusing, especially for those with pre-existing conditions. iMD Healths Vitamin FAQ page can answer some of the most common questions that people may have about vitamins.

For more information on these six vitamins, visit iMD Healths page.

Follow iMD Health on , , and for updates.

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Six vitamins that can improve your body's vital functions and immune system - Straight.com

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New Delhi: As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage through the world, scientists are making new revelations about the virus every day.

Here are some of the latest research developments on the Covid-19 front.

Scientists in Canada have launched clinical trials focussed on strengthening the immune system for cancer patients one of the most vulnerable populations to protect them from Covid-19.

The trial involves IMM-101, an inactivated bacteria that broadly stimulates the innateimmune system, which is the first to kick in when the body encounters a novel pathogen.

The researchers hope that boosting cancer patients immune systems with IMM-101 will protect them from developing severe Covid-19 and other dangerous lung infections.

The researchers said that an effective vaccine providing specific protection against Covid-19 could take another year or more to develop. Meanwhile, they believe the IMM-101 may be able to protect cancer patients from developing a serious Covid infection.

Also read: Asthma does not increase risk or severity of Covid-19, says new study

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A review of Covid-19 patients has shown that cases of brain complications linked to the coronavirus infection, such as confusion, stroke and inflammation of the brain, are occurring across the globe.

Published in The Lancet Neurology, the study has found that strokes, delirium and other neurological complications have been reported from most countries with large outbreaks of the disease.

The infection caused by the novel coronavirus has been mostly associated with problems such as difficulty in breathing, fever and cough. However, it is now becoming clear that other problems can also occur in patients.

For this study, researchers analysed findings from Covid-19 studies across the globe that reported on neurological complications. The review included studies from China, Italy and the US. It found nearly 1,000 patients with Covid-19-associated brain, spinal cord and nerve diseases.

While these complications are uncommon, the large number of Covid-19 cases globally means the overall number of patients with neurological problems is also likely to be high.

Naturally occurring molecules called resolvins can be harnessed to control the life-threatening immune reaction, called a cytokine storm, in Covid-19 patients, scientists have said.

A cytokine storm is when the bodys immune system overreacts and begins attacking healthy cells too.

The cytokine storm in Covid-19 patients can lead to respiratory failure, organ damage and potential death.

In a study published in the Cancer and Metastasis Reviews, researchers have said that controlling the local and systemic inflammatory response in Covid-19 may be as important as anti-viral therapies.

They suggest that a family of molecules naturally produced by the human body may be harnessed to resolve inflammation in patients with severe Covid-19. This would reduce the acute respiratory distress and other life-threatening complications associated with the viral infection.

Resolvins can actively turn off inflammation. Researchers have previously demonstrated that resolvins and related molecules can play a role in preventing cancer metastasis and progression.

These are current clinical trials on these molecules, to look at their use against other inflammatory diseases. Scientists have suggested that they could be re-deployed for the management of Covid-19.

Scientists have identified the differences in lung physiology and immune function in children that could explain why they are less susceptible to severe Covid-19 illness than adults.

Published in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, the study suggests that children naturally have less ACE2 in the lungs than adults. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2s, called ACE2, allow SARS-CoV-2 to enter the bodys cells.

According to the study, only about 1.7 per cent of the first 1,49,082 cases in the US were under 18 years of age.

The findings from the study require further examination, and may hold the key to identifying therapeutic agents, researchers have said.

Months of self-isolation and social distancing can trigger stressors in the body that increase vulnerability to upper respiratory viruses and perhaps coronavirus, a study has suggested.

To slow the spread of coronavirus, many communities issued stay-at-home measures, increasing interpersonal stressors like loneliness, loss of employment and familial conflict.

According to an article published in the Perspectives on Psychological Science, these stressors may be powerful predictors of how a person will respond if exposed to coronavirus.

In a series of studies, researchers found that participants experiencing interpersonal stressors had a greater chance of developing upper respiratory illnesses when exposed to cold viruses.

Interpersonal stressors might play a similar role in response to the coronavirus, increasing a persons vulnerability to Covid-19.

The study indicates that social support may offer a protective shield against respiratory infection and illness.

Also read: CanSino, Moderna, Novavax: A list of Covid vaccines under clinical trials across the world

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Trial to see if immune booster can protect cancer patients from Covid-19 - ThePrint

These microscopic critters are hard to avoid, which means nearly everyone has been exposed.

Study opens up new path to research to fighting allergic diseases.

The world is full of house dust mites. Do some cleaning, and youll probably stir some up. While everyone has immune cells capable of reacting to common allergens like house dust mites, most of us have no allergic symptoms.

Still, many people do react with the typical allergic symptoms: sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, swollen nasal passages. Others have a much more severe reaction: a life-threatening asthma attack.

To treat the root cause of allergies and asthma, researchers need to know exactly what sets these patients apart from healthy individuals.

In a new Science Immunology study, published on June 12, 2020, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) offer a clue to why non-allergic people dont have a strong reaction to house dust mites. Theyve uncovered a previously unknown subset of T cells that may control allergic immune reactions and asthma from ever developing in response to house dust mites and other possible allergens.

We discovered new immune cell subsets and new therapeutic opportunities, says Grgory Seumois, Ph.D., instructor and director of LJIs Sequencing Core and co-leader of the new study. This new population of cells could be one, out of many unknown mechanisms, that explains why healthy people dont develop inflammation when they breathe in allergens.

The study highlights the power of unbiased single-cell genomics approaches to uncover novel biology, says LJI Professor Pandurangan Vijayanand, M.D. Ph.D., senior author of the new study.

The study builds on the Vijayanand labs expertise in linking gene expression to disease development. The team also took advantage of the Immune Epitope Database, an LJI-led resource that houses information on how the immune system interacts with allergens like house dust mites.

Why house dust mites? These microscopic critters are hard to avoid, which means nearly everyone has been exposed. Even in people without a house dust mite (HDM) allergy, the immune system is likely to react in some way as it learns to recognize HDM molecules. This makes HDM a useful model for studying what causes allergies and asthma attacks.

The LJI team used a technique part of the genomic revolution arsenal of tools, called single-cell RNA-seq (or single cell transcriptomics) to see exactly which genes and molecules specific T cells produce in response to HDM allergens. They tested cells from four groups of people: people with asthma and HDM allergy, people with asthma but no HDM allergy, people with only HDM allergy, and healthy subjects.

Their analysis suggests that a subset of helper T cells, called interleukin (IL)-9 Th2 expressing HDM-reactive cells, is more prevalent in the blood of people with HDM-allergic asthma compared with those who are only allergic to HDM. Further analysis suggested that those IL9-TH2 cells are enriched in a group of molecules/genes that increased the cytotoxic potential of those cells. In other words, those specific T cells could kill other cells and drive inflammation.

In contrast, another subset of T cells stood out in the non-allergic subjects. These T cells express an interferon response signature and were enriched for a gene that encodes a protein called TRAIL. The work done by Seumois and his colleagues suggest that TRAIL could be important because it could dampen the activation of helper T cells.

This finding may mean that people with this specific cell population could have less T-cell driven inflammation in response to HDM allergens. At last, this could provide a clue to why some people develop allergies and asthma while others do not.

Now if functional studies confirm this dampening effect, were curious if there is a way to boost the activation of these T cells or induce their proliferation in asthmatic or allergic populations, says Seumois. Can we act on those cells very early on, before asthma has developed?

For example, genomics studies like this one may someday help identify children at risk of developing asthma and allergies. Early detection could open the door to preemptively acting on immune cells before development of allergy and asthma.

While Seumois emphasizes that there is much more work to be done, he says the transcriptomic method used for this study could accelerate future asthma and allergy research. This is the first large-scale, single-cell, RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis for LJI, says Seumois. Now that we have developed the bench know-how and analysis pipeline, it could be applied to many diseases.

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Reference: Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of allergen-specific T cells in allergy and asthma by Grgory Seumois, Ciro Ramrez-Sustegui, Benjamin J. Schmiedel, Shu Liang, Bjoern Peters, Alessandro Sette and Pandurangan Vijayanand, 12 June 2020, Science Immunology.DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aba6087

The study, titled Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of allergen-specific T cells in allergy and asthma, was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants U19AI100275, U19AI135731, R01HL114093, S10RR027366 and S10 RR027366) and the William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation

Additional study authors included Ciro Ramrez-Sustegui, Benjamin J. Schmiedel, Shu Liang, Bjoern Peters and Alessandro Sette.

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Scientists Uncover Immune Cells That May Help Those Suffering From Allergies and Asthma - SciTechDaily

The immune systemis made up of cells and chemicals that fight infection or microbes that enter the body. B- and T-lymphocytes, also known as a memory cell, keep a record of every microbe that it has ever defeated.

This means that once the microbe enters the body again, the immune system can quickly destroy the microbes before it can multiply and make the host sick.

However, in response to an unknown trigger, the immune system begins to produce antibodies that perceive other cells and tissues in the body as a threat and attack them. This is what autoimmune disordersdo to the human body.

Although some of them, such as allergies, can sometimes be treated, several autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) remains incurable.

According to the researchers, their new study shows how to stop the immune system from attacking the body's cells- or nerves in the case of multiple sclerosis. They give the immune system an ever-increasing doses of the same molecule that it is attacking.

They have taken it a step further to show how this process works in the white blood cells. They revealed the complex mechanisms that made the switch of T-cells from one that attacks cells of autoimmune disease into something that protects it. They also learned how to make reactive T-cells tolerant.

The researchers were able to develop T-cells that can recognize different parts of the molecules made by antigens. The T-cells then start to multiply in order to attack the invaders.

This means that T-cells went from being in a resting state to a highly activated state by switching immune response, which helps them attack pathogens.

So when a person gets cured of the infection, these T-cells become memory T-cellsgiving the person a lifelong immunity.

In autoimmune diseases, T-cell starts to develop myelin basic protein, as an insulating coating that surrounds nerve cells, as an antigen. They attack the nervous system, which makes MS sufferers lose control over their muscles. This is where the new study comes in, as they try to correct this.

Read Also: [WATCH] Scientists Develop 'Nanosponges' That Attract and Neutralize Coronavirus to Render Them Ineffective

In their study, the authors found that T-cells became less reactive after being exposed to gradually increasing doses of the myelin basic protein. This progressive exposure made them weaker and converted them from attacking to protecting.

This switch happened because the immune system is regulated by two types of genes that tell it to attack and silences it to stop going out of control.

Repetitive exposure to the myelin basic protein allowed T-cells to remember to inhibit its receptor from attacking when they encountered that same specific myelin basic protein fragment. When inhibitory genes weakened the signal inside the T-cells, they would also stop receiving the signal telling them to attack nerve cells.

Presently, autoimmune diseases are treated using immunosuppressive drugs. However, using these drugs make the patient more prone to cancers and other infections as they suppress the whole immune system.

Trials using antigen therapy are already underway on patients with MS and Grave's disease. Short-term preliminary clinical trials showed both diseases started to have positive results.

Read more: Coronavirus Has Gone Through 6 Mutations Since January Suggesting Vaccine Development May Become a Cyclical Work: Study

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Experts Reversed T-Cells from Attacking Autoimmune Disease Patients to Protecting Them, Here's How - Science Times

As we shelter behind closed doors, the Sars-CoV-2 virus causing Covid-19 has spread like no other disease before. In just a few months, from its identification in December 2019, more than a third of humanity was living under some form of lockdown. It is, to use the clich of 2020, unprecedented.

The Covid-19 pandemic has undeniably and dramatically exposed many weaknesses in human society. But it has also revealed that, despite the enormous advances we have made in medical science and technology, humans are just as vulnerable as any other organism to a novel disease. We are equipped with a very effective immune system that keeps us all alive, but that system has to learn to identify new invaders, and to react appropriately. Our naive immune system renders us all vulnerable to Covid-19, and in some people the overreaction of the immune system in response to the virus, a cytokine storm, can be fatal.

Our immune system, in all its complexity, is an evolved feature. It is an adaptation that, through natural selection, has been shaped and refined to combat disease. But there are subtler aspects of our evolutionary heritage at play during this pandemic. In the modern world of our own creation some of these aspects, so central to our global dominance as a species, can also conspire against us.

Evolution has equipped humans with large and complex brains capable of abstract thought, innovation, language and qualities we term intelligence. The evolved structure of our brain and the thought processes it allows also help us to be social, living and working collectively. Together, these features have allowed humans to achieve truly incredible things. At the same time, some of these features have rendered us horribly and uniquely vulnerable topandemics.

Social behaviour was essential during our evolutionary past, when our ancestors were far more likely to be the hunted than the hunter. Grouping for defence, and using the power of groups to keep safe and extend our diet, went hand-in-hand with evolutionary changes, and larger social units became possible. This accelerated greatly when we latched onto the idea of agriculture. Released to some extent from a foraging existence, human societies expanded, our skulls, dentition and metabolism evolved, technological advances flowed and ever larger settlements became possible. The supercity of the modern world is the culmination of this simultaneous expansion and concentration of humanity. Technology, arising from our unparalleled ability for innovation allows for such control over our environment that sometimes tens of millions of people are able to live a high-rise, high-density lifestyle, literally on top of each other. But high-density urban living provides the perfect conditions for a disease to spread.

The modern lifestyle hugely increases the number of people we have contact with, both socially and when we are crammed together in offices, streets and train carriages. Our social behaviour is now a threat, our conversations a liability. The primary defensive strategy in the face of Covid-19 is to actively and continually oppose our evolutionary heritage and, rather than group together for defence, we must defend ourselves by isolation.

Social distancing is affecting most parts of our daily lives at a local level, but we have also distanced globally. Our large and innovative brains dreamed of flight long before we invented the jet engine and shrank the world. The problem is that our ability to fly is also shared by any diseases we carry with us.

Gathering together people from far and wide for long periods in cramped airports and flying them all over the world is a wonderful dispersal mechanism for a virus like Sars-Cov-2. It is evolution that gave us all the innovative power of our brain, and it is our brain that has allowed us to create a globalised, interconnected world. If viruses had hands they would be have been rubbing them together in anticipatory glee when the Wright brothers took to the air.

Our cerebral evolutionary legacy laid the track for this pandemic but evolved aspects of our bodies arent always helping either. We have a wonderful ability to lay down fatty reserves, and for many of us the modern world is a landscape of caloric potency and opportunity.

Obesity is a major health risk any way you look at it, but it is also emerging as a risk factor for complications arising from Covid-19. The simple evolutionary story of obesity, often repeated, is that we are famine-adapted creatures living in a world of feast. The thrifty gene hypothesis as it is known is a seductive and popular idea, not least because of the implication that getting fat is somehow not our fault.

But it has proved difficult to support. Thrifty genes have been identified, in South Pacific islanders for example, but globally the evidence suggests that obesity cannot be put down to a Boy Scout metabolism, always prepared for famine.

Another evolutionary explanation is that, a few million years ago, the predation risk to our ancestors decreased. Evolved upper limits to fat storage were no longer so restrained by having to run away and they changed upwards not by natural selection but by a process called genetic drift (the drifty gene hypothesis). Whether we are thrifty or drifty, echoes of the mismatch between our evolutionary past and the calorie-filled modern world we have created are being heard.

Beneath our thin veneer of civilisation, far away from the dazzle and glare of our achievements, humans are vulnerable animals. Covid-19 has changed that. It has found itself the perfect host, a species with a powerful evolutionary double-hit of highly social behaviour and an innovative brain, leading to dense urban living and global travel.

The very nature of the modern world, building as it does on our evolutionary heritage, is our weakness in this pandemic. But just as our brain power helped us to get into this, it will also be our way out.

Unfit for Purpose: When Human Evolution Collides with the Modern World by Adam Hart (Bloomsbury Sigma, 16.99) is out now

Originally posted here:
Evolution of the immune system and modern lifestyle have left us vulnerable to coronavirus - iNews

A pioneering new clinical collaboration between a Cambridge start-up specialised in gut bacteria, and Cancer Care UK, is hoping to transform the approach to treating malignant tumours. Founded in 2016, Microbiotica has received backing from several venture capital funds to conduct its research trials with Cambridge University Hospitals.

The complexity of gut bacteria, known as the microbiome, has become increasingly evident, and its role has been recognised in a host of inflammatory diseases, as well as mental diseases such as depression. In recent years faecal transplants have already been used to treat antibiotic-resistant Clostridioides Difficile infections, that have caused many deaths among hospital patients withcompromised immune systems.

Even more intriguing, however, have been advances in understanding the role played by the microbiome in shaping our immune response to cancer and cancer treatments. The microbiome varies from one individual to another, and in combination with their genes, it is believed to be one of the major causes of why one patient might respond well to treatment, while another suffers debilitating side-effects.

Just like the human genome, the race is on to map the genomes of different species of gut bacteria in order to understand how they can be weaponised against cancer and other diseases. Faecal transplants, which in a small number of cases have caused death by also transplantingincurable pathogens, have long been viewed as a necessary but primitive approach that are only a prelude to far more effective outcomes. Given the sheer complexity of the endeavour, it is no surprise that research is coming of age at a time when huge advances have been made in machine learning and computing power.

Each of us is host to trillions of bacteria in our guts, weighing up to 2.5 kilos, Mike Romanos, CEO, and himself a seasoned researcher, explained to Innovation Origins. Those trillions are on average made up of two to three hundred species out of a possible 1300 or so, with EastAsians having noticeably rich and varied microbiomes and Americans of European descent having the most limited.

Analysing the genomes of these bacteria, as well as their many sub-strains, in order to understand how they interact and modulate our immune system is only part of the challenge. Before that can be done, it requires technology that can extract, isolate, and sequence the genomes ofsamples, while keeping fragile cultures alive at a scale and speed that makes Microbiotica an outlier in its field.

Thanks to a decade of pioneering work by Trevor Lawley at the Sanger institute, which is famous among other things for sequencing 40% of the human genome, we were well ahead of the game at the outset, said Romanos. His research made it possible to isolate the individual bacteria and sequence their entire genomes.

Microbiotica boasts the worlds biggest dataset of gut bacteria species together with their genome sequences, and it has also discovered previously undetected bacteria. Combined with its technological knowhow it can now conduct rigorous and unrivalled research at an industrial scale. It is able to take faecal samples from patients participating in clinical trials in many different areas of medicine, and use its databank to produce analyses that are 100% accurate.

We can conduct shotgun sequencing from stool samples, and map the gut bacteria and its entire genome for individual patients in short time, in a way our rivals simple cant, Romanos added. We have done plenty of benchmarking, and discovered our rivals are often missing up tohalf the gut bacteria in their research.

In an ongoing trial with Genotech, the company has already successfully discovered biomarkers in patients suffering from IBD which can determine whether they will respond positively to certain treatments. The latest oncology collaboration with Cancer Care UK and CambridgeUniversity Hospitals, aims to build on this type of research, and take it a step further.

Some cancers manage to hide from the immune system by triggering what are known as checkpoints in the immune system, thereby switching off an attack directed against them. In recent years a number of new cancer treatments have been developed known as checkpoint inhibitors. One such example is Pembrolizumab. These drugs can restore the immune system and direct it to attack the cancer. Inoperable cancers have been treated very effectively as a result, sometimes withcomplete remission.

Successful immune responses, however, occur in only 30% to 50% of the patients treated, depending on the cancer. It is now hoped that during treatment, co-therapies developed by the likes of Microbiotica, could broaden the effectiveness of these drugs by either finding new ways tomodulate immune responses, or by enabling the selection of patients ahead of treatment who it is known will respond well by identifying key biomarkers that determine their immune response.

Microbiotica was also cofounded by Cambridge Professor, Gordon Dougan, who has previously been a key player in major drug developments with pharmaceutical giants such as GSK. A former WHO advisor and world authority on epidemics and vaccine developments, he has also given his personal take on the current epidemic. According to Ramonos, they are also assessing whether they might have a role to play in helping to stratify patient responses to COVID-19 and future treatments, which have already been shown to be highly individualistic.

There is no shortage of potential partners and investors. The current oncological research being pioneered by Microbiotica is partly funded by venture capital, in particular Cambridge Innovation Capital, which is all too well aware that one checkpoint inhibitor drug alone, known asKeytruda, has an annual revenue of 10 billion dollars. Hence a treatment developed by Microbiotica that could broaden the effectiveness and application of this and other similar drugs, would immediately be able to tap into huge revenue streams.

It is hoped that one of the principal outcomes of Microbioticas collaboration with Cancer Care UK and Cambridge University Hospitals will be to identify specific gut bacterial signatures, and better understand how they assist or reduce the efficacy or side effects of treatments in individual patients.

The clinical studies will involve thousands of patients, making it one of the most rigorous ever conducted in this new area of medicine. In addition to identifying biomarkers, they will also be aiming to cultivate new co-therapies using live bacterial products, derived from the microbiome, which will directly assist the potency of other treatments and diminish, or entirely prevent, some of the often debilitating side effects. The cancers targeted by the research will include melanoma, nonsmall cell lung cancer, and renal cancer.

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New Cancer Therapies found in the Gut - Innovation Origins

Keith Roach, To Your Health Published 6:07 p.m. ET June 19, 2020

Dear Dr. Roach: My wife and I are 74 and in good health. Recently, I started reading about vitamin D and its effect on the immune system. We both had a vitamin D blood test for the first time ever, despite having almost yearly blood tests for the past 40 years. My level was 32 nanograms per milliliter, and hers was 22. She is now taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D weekly on doctors orders. Her blood level is considered insufficient, and mine is barely over the optimal level, although the optimal extends to 100 ng. We have both taken multivitamins for years. How did we get so low, and are our are immune systems compromised? What levels should we be trying to achieve?

E.

Dear E.: Vitamin D has many effects on different tissues of the body, but the data showing definitive benefit to treatment mostly comes from its effect on bone.

Most of the bodys immune cells have the receptor for vitamin D, but evidence that treatment of low vitamin D improves immune function is scant. Randomized trials have examined the effect of vitamin D on upper respiratory infections and tuberculosis, but the benefit was limited to people with VERY low vitamin D levels (less than 10 ng/mL). Studies are ongoing to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on infection in general, but since very low levels should be treated anyway from the standpoint of bones, there is currently no indication to treat low vitamin D solely in order to prevent or treat infection.

The target level of vitamin D remains controversial. Most experts recommend levels between 20 and 50, which is usually achievable with vitamin D3 doses of 800-2,000 IU daily (I prefer daily to weekly dosing).

Dear Dr. Roach: This 83-year-old male has lost three contemporaries recently to lung diseases: pneumonia, COPD and cancer. Now, the public has been thoroughly educated on the hazards to lung health, such as cigarette smoking, coal mining and asbestos handling. And diet and exercise are promoted for such things as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal health, but Ive never seen comparable advice for lung health. Are there any exercises to perform, substances to inhale or foods to eat that will promote my lungs longevity?

R.J.B.

Dear R.J.B.: Humans have enormous lungs if spread out, the surface area of a lung is roughly the size of a tennis court! In a healthy person, lung function rarely, if ever, limits performance. Over time, lung function slowly decreases, and a reasonable goal would be to slow that decrease. Mostly, that means avoiding factors that damage the lung: These are cigarette smoke; other lung irritants such as cooking smoke; indoor and outdoor air pollution; the occupational hazards you mention; and radon in the home. Get your house checked if you live in an area where this is likely; find out where at tinyurl.com/CDC-radon.

There are some proactive steps you can take. One is to reduce your likelihood of infection. Getting your flu shot yearly and your pneumonia vaccines when recommended will help. Serious infection can cause permanent loss of lung function. Diet, especially fruits, have been correlated to improved lung function. Regular, moderate exercise has likewise been shown to slow lung function loss and it certainly helps muscles including the muscles needed to breathe. It also allows cells to get better at extracting oxygen from the blood.

Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

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Dr. Roach: Does vitamin D have an effect on immunity? - The Detroit News

With coronavirus likely to be with us for the foreseeable future and flu season here already, theres a lot of talk around boosting our immune systems.

Protecting and optimising your immune system is a totally different thing from having immunity. Having immunity means a persons body contains certain antibodies to combat a specific virus as it tries to take hold. When people talk about boosting or bolstering immunity, meanwhile, they are referring to supporting your immune system the network of cells, tissues and organs that defend your body against infection to function as best it can.

In other words, an optimally-functioning immune system will not prevent you from contracting Covid-19 for which there is currently no vaccine or other viruses such as the flu. But making sure your immune response is functioning as well as it can is one way to help your body fight infection when it does happen.

Its important to be cautious about unfounded advice in this space, especially given the lack of regulation in the wellness industry and the misguided idea that, by eating right or taking vitamin supplements, one could build some sort of forcefield against infection you cant. (Many doctors bristle at use of the word "boost" to talk about immunity for just this reason.)

So, what can you do to make sure your immune response is as good as it can be? Does meditation help? Should you be taking certain vitamins? What about exercise? And what are the myths to be aware of?

We spoke with a doctor, a sleep expert and a nutritionist about the concrete, everyday things you can do to help many of which can be done without leaving your home or purchasing anything and things that wont really help at all.

Professor Danny Eckert: get outside, get moving and get enough sleep

Danny Eckert, a professor in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Adelaides Flinders University and the director of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, says there are three vital pillars that strengthen the multiple components of the bodys immune response: exercise, diet and sleep.

Insufficient sleep that is, less than eight hours a night and excessive alcohol consumption can negatively impact your immune system, Eckert says. He cites a 2009 study in which people exposed to the virus that causes the common cold were five times more likely to contract it if theyd slept less than seven hours a night or had poor sleep.

Regular aerobic exercise outside, such as brisk walking, cycling, running, or swimming, also helps to strengthen the bodys immune response, he adds.

Getting the body moving isnt just important for your physical health its almost important for your mental wellbeing, and psychological factors have been shown to contribute to the overall wellbeing of the immune system.

Stress is the immune systems enemy, Eckert says, as its inflammatory and can increase the level of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is harmful, Eckert says [because the body] gets used to it and stops responding in the protective way that it should, [decreasing] the ability to lower inflammation and decreasing white blood cells (lymphocytes), which help fight infection. Over time, long-term stress can take energy away from the bodys normal processes, leaving it less able to defend itself.

While indoor exercise is beneficial, being outdoors means you also get a much-needed dose of Vitamin D, which has a positive effect on your immune system and response. Dont spend too much time soaking up rays though, Eckert says. He recommends just a few minutes outside on most days of the week.

Vitamin C can also be helpful in immune support, he says, but is best obtained from a well-balanced diet rather than loading up on supplements. And its important to note that the vitamins mythic status as a cold and illness preventative is overblown.

Doctor Femke Buisman-Pijlman: reduce stress, as psychological factors impact your immune system health

Like Eckert, Dr Femke Buisman-Pijlman says getting enough rest, eating well, exercising and reducing stress all play a part in keeping your immune system strong and healthy. The associate professor at the University of Melbourne and specialist in pharmacology also emphasises that psychological factors are proven to play a part in the overall wellbeing of the immune system.

The immune system is made up of a very extensive system of proteins and cells that circulate in the body and brain, she explains.

Our immune system doesnt function alone, rather, it works in concert with other systems such as the central nervous system and the stress system (known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or HPA axis).

Research has shown that some mental health problems are associated with, or may even result, from an imbalance in specific factors in the immune system, says Buisman-Pijlman. So, your psychological state is clearly linked to how well your immune system can respond, and this also works in the other direction. Feeling down when you are sick is an example of this.

Even a temporary lull in stress triggers can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing, she says. The hormone oxytocin, for example, associated with feelings of wellbeing, love and bonding, can be produced through exercise and physical contact, and is one source of stress reduction.

Nutritionist and naturopath Katrina Schilling: eat a nutritious diet and avoid processed foods, alcohol and smoking and try meditation and mindfulness to alleviate stress

The immune system depends on a broad spectrum of things to thrive, including nutrients from food, homeostasis, which is the biochemical balance of hormones, and commensal microbiology, which is the healthy populations of microorganisms in and on the body, nutritionist Katrina Schilling says.

She highlights the importance of caring for your gut microbiome population in supporting healthy immune function. Meaning? Looking after the community of bugs living in the human gastrointestinal tract and their genes. (She cites two recent studies that demonstrate how intestinal microbes support and regulate the immune system and response.)

Minimise processed foods lacking micronutrients and fibre; avoid diets high in animal protein, fat and refined sugars; avoid excess alcohol, smoking, heavy environmental pollution and a sedentary lifestyle, Schilling recommends, as these things can negatively affect the development of vital gut microbes.

Eating nutrient-rich fresh vegetables and fruits as well as nuts, legumes and whole grains will support gut health, she says. Grapes, berries, cocoa and grains (which contain polyphenol micronutrients, which are full of antioxidants) are particularly good in this regard.

Schilling also recommends consuming moderate amounts of safely-produced fermented foods which are full of digestive-tract strengthening probiotics such as yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut.

With approval from your doctor or pharmacist, Schilling says you can also look into taking probiotic supplements that contain lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Speaking of supplements, she warns against the common myth that more is better in terms of higher percentages in a vitamin.

This couldnt be further from the truth. Looking for the biggest number on the front bottle label may not be doing you any favours and may not even correlate to the actual active content. In fact, it can be harmful to supplement ones diet if the added level of mineral, vitamin or probiotic isnt needed.

Instead, Schilling says that supplement quality matters above all its important to make sure the product is of high quality and actually contains the ingredients on the label.

Vitamin D and zinc are two nutrients commonly linked to healthy immune function, increased anti-microbial peptides and defence against infection, she says. The former can be obtained from safe sunlight exposure, as well as oily fish, eggs, fortified milk and some mushrooms. The latter can be found in sunflower and pumpkin seeds, whole grains, egg yolks, oysters, beef and bilberries.

Schilling, like Eckert and Buisman-Pijlman, is also a big advocate for reducing stress to help strengthen the immune system. She recommends meditation and walks in nature to relieve anxiety and tension, and points to the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing which involves short, leisurely forest visits as a particularly enjoyable way to do this. Its been shown to reduce stress biomarkers and increase the population of cells that would combat a virus, she says.

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How to Optimise Your Immune System, According to a Doctor, a Nutritionist and a Sleep Expert - Broadsheet

The workings of the human immune system are fascinating and particularly vital through the coronavirus outbreak. Whereas the immune systems armamentarium of stem cells, helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and different fighters is spectacular, so is the armamentarium {that a} virus makes use of to invade cells and make them factories to duplicate it.

A vivid and entertaining video, The Wonderful Immunology of our Viral Difficulty and Herd Immunity Revelations! describes the continued warfare between your immune system and an invading virus, reminiscent of COVID-19. It was not too long ago created by Ivor Cummins, a chemical engineer who runs the well being web site The Fats Emperor.1 Creon Levit, chief scientist of Planet Labs, was the visitor.

Levit, who has collaborated with prime immunologists, is an expert utilized physicist who beforehand served as an aerospace engineer at NASA for over 35 years.2 Planet Labs is a personal satellite tv for pc knowledge firm that operates over 300 imaging satellites within the Earths low orbit.3

In The Wonderful Immunology of our Viral Difficulty and Herd Immunity Revelations! Levit showcases in vivid charts and visuals the various intricacies and cell signalings that allow the immune system to battle viruses like COVID-19 in addition to how viruses like COVID-19 can battle again.

An particularly burning query that Levit and Cummins handle is that if and the way herd immunity will be achieved in opposition to COVID-19. They attain some shocking findings.

Its generally believed that the one individuals who could have grow to be resistant to COVID-19 are those that present antibodies when theyre examined, says Cummins, and a rustics herd immunity is commonly primarily based on the outcomes of such checks. For instance, if 7% or 8% of a inhabitants have antibodies, its assumed {that a} nation has solely that low p.c of herd immunity. This can be a false impression, say each males within the video.

The science suggests that folks could have a major quantity of de facto or efficient immunity with out exhibiting antibodies, they are saying. For instance, some individuals, known as denatured or barriered circumstances, could have been uncovered to the virus however, not like these round them, didnt grow to be in poor health. In keeping with Lev:4

due to these individualss both luck or their wholesome metabolisms, the virus will get blocked via mucous membranes and different types of issues and it by no means truly infects their cells due to this fact they dont seem to be even mounting an immune response and so they may get challenged once more and maybe contaminated.

However, some quantity of people that get uncovered do not get the illness, not a lot due to a traditional immune response as a result of it is simply blocked via their physique membranes and kind of nonspecific processes.

In keeping with Cummins, if such individuals get previous the virus they dont seem to be going to be a spreader except they get an enormous viral load that is a lot larger ought to the virus come alongside once more. These individuals will not be contributors to herd immunity per se however theyre much less prone to getting the illness, clarifies Levit.5

Different individuals could contribute to a areas herd immunity too, but are sometimes not detected via present antibody checks which might be administered. Amongst these individuals are these thought-about to have an innate or cleared standing, which suggests, based on Levit:6

that sure facets of your immune system, sure antibodies and sure different signaling processes can stop or clear a viral an infection regardless that you have by no means been uncovered to that specific virus earlier than regardless that you havent any immunological reminiscence.

Such generalized immune responses that may acknowledge and battle viruses which have by no means been encountered earlier than are seen all through the animal world, particularly in primitive animals and even in microbial life, says Levit.7

The one immune system theyve is a generic system that targets usually all micro organism or usually all viruses and so this isnt a factor the place youd have particular antibodies to a selected virus, however you may have signaling the place virally contaminated cells do sure issues. After which the immune system begins setting close by cells into kind of antiviral modes

some individuals handle to battle off the infections presumably utilizing their innate immune system with out essentially getting sick, and producing adaptive or acquired immune response they actually did have an immune battle. They are going to go on to be de facto herd immunity contributors to society however they will not present antibodies.

In keeping with the video, mammalian immune programs have developed to focus on particular viruses or households of viruses and are all primarily based on T cells lymphocytes produced or processed by the thymus gland.

If somebody is contaminated with a virus, their physique can mount a T cell response focusing on that specific virus and the contaminated cells, particularly after they have immunological reminiscence. Immunological reminiscence is a well known idea, says Levit:

We have all heard about this, like when you get resistant to one thing you may keep immune for years or in your entire life. You may have immunological reminiscence that you just get from viruses that arent similar to the present virus however are comparable.

Prior an infection with SARS or different coronaviruses just like the widespread chilly could present such prior immunity and immunological reminiscence, says Levit.8 Your T cell system could act to clear your physique of the an infection attributable to comparable however not similar viruses. Notably, he says, this may occur with out producing a number of antibodies.

Furthermore, says Levit, COVID-19 antibody checks solely check for a small fraction of the potential antibodies in opposition to COVID.

One of the wonderful immune system elements depicted in The Wonderful Immunology of our Viral Difficulty are T cells. Their instinct and flexibility in combating invading viruses is simply wanting miraculous. In keeping with Levit there are:9

many a whole lot of hundreds or tens of millions of various kinds of T cells and the distinction between one T cell and one other is that every one is focused to acknowledge a selected peptide fragment held in an MHC [major histocompatibility complex] molecule.

The one ones which might be in your life while youre now not properly, the one ones which might be in your circulation throughout regular life are ones that concentrate on non-self proteins.

All of the T cells that concentrate on self proteins get eradicated in your thymus while youre very younger so that you solely have T cells circulating in your physique that concentrate on MHC that is holding non-self peptides.[This kind of T cell] is a selected variant of a T cell that solely acknowledges this one explicit non-self peptide it acknowledges stuff you have by no means seen earlier than like SARS-CoV-2.

B cells, lymphocytes not processed by the thymus gland, T cells and MHC (main histocompatibility advanced) genes that encode main antigens may mount immunological responses, says Levit.10

That is mainly that when you have by no means seen the virus earlier than and also you mount an immune response that begins with T cells and MHC you may clear the an infection out of your physique utilizing quite a lot of totally different mechanisms Its not essentially the case that it will activate a system that produces the antibodies that the antibody check checks for

Your an infection could get cleared in precept by one of many T cell mediated pathways like cytotoxic T cells that are not examined for by the antibody check.

Individuals who have efficiently fought COVID-19 this manner are contributing to herd immunity within the society however with out triggering the check, Cummins summarizes. Those that are examined for COVID-19 antibodies however obtain a false adverse outcome after they truly harbor the coronavirus antibodies additionally contribute to herd immunity. Its not clear how typically this occurs, the boys agree.

A virus agenda is to duplicate itself in a numbers cells. Not like micro organism, a virus cant reproduce by itself. However, says Levit, if a thousand viruses get into your physique from somebodys sneeze and they do not get into your cells to breed, they do no hurt. Theres only a thousand floating round and so they go nowhere.11

The various proteins that the virus wants to duplicate and infect different cells are buried contained in the virus the place antibodies wont ever see it, so they wont set off a response when the virus is freely floating round on this method, says Levit.

However, and its a massive however, viruses are cagey and use spike proteins to invade a numbers cells, factors out Levig.12

The virus subverts your cell after which ultimately the cell begins budding viruses out from its personal membranes after which ultimately the cell can grow to be virtually like a virus crystal. It may be so taken over with viruses that it simply stops functioning The viruses have even perhaps contaminated the nucleus [of the cell] so the cells a goner.

Ideally, the physiques immune system wont let the virus enter, says Levit.13

One factor your physique can do if it has the fitting antibodies to eliminate viruses is that it could possibly simply utterly encompass the virus. It may trigger it to cease working as a result of there is no extra uncovered spike protein to make use of to sneak right into a cell.

Additionally, as soon as the virus is surrounded by antibodies, different elements of the immune system know that in the event that they see one thing surrounded by antibodies, that factor needs to be digested and eliminated the virus itself as a ball or sphere has bought identifiable proteins. When youve got reminiscence and youve got constructed antibodies it may be attacked immediately as an entity as a virus.

On the conclusion of this glorious video, you mayt assist however be amazed on the intelligence of your immune system in mobilizing defenses in opposition to viruses like COVID-19 in addition to different pathogens.

The refined methods by which your immune system acknowledges invading viruses additionally counsel that herd immunity in opposition to COVID-19 could also be a lot larger than that estimated by public well being officers. As Levit summarizes on the finish of the video:14

it seems that there could very properly be a set of people that have been contaminated with COVID however who arent producing antibodies, maybe as a result of these different immunological mechanisms, T cells or [the] innate system or each cleared them successfully earlier than they began producing a variety of antibodies.

Additionally, conversely, weve got this different phenomenon {that a} bunch of people thatve by no means been contaminated with COVID already seem to have among the immunological equipment thats partially specialised to coping with COVID as a result of they have been contaminated with homologous viruses prior to now.

One conclusion that may be drawn from the video is that antibody checks as a foundation for projected herd immunity are clearly not efficient. Those that could have been contaminated dont essentially harbor antibodies, together with asymptomatic individuals whose sicknesses werent detectable.15

On the videos shut, Cummins expresses awe on the many-faceted human immune system designed to maintain you wholesome and promote herd immunity.

I might assume that [it is] essentially the most unique immunological equipment within the universe this entire system you described that is not the antibody system, however the entire T cell system [that] has been developed and I might guess it is fairly rattling efficient after one million years of evolution.

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The whole lot You Needed to Know About Your Immune System - Editorials 360

Some children have developed a severe inflammatory response due to COVID-19 infection that appears similar to Kawasaki disease. Doctors are referring to this response as paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Although severe COVID-19 illness is less frequent in children, it is still significant. Further research into MIS-C could provide insights on how COVID-19 affects the immune system and how it can be treated, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

Ana Fernandez Menjivar, MSc DLSHTM, Senior Epidemiologistat GlobalData, comments, As our understanding of COVID-19 grows, and as patients continue to recover, more additional long-term complications and rare effects on various demographics could emerge. As a result, it will be a while before we gain a full understanding of the medical impacts of this disease. This paediatric syndrome has been tied to the COVID-19 because most cases either tested positive at the time their symptoms developed or had a positive antibody test. While this new syndrome has similarities to Kawasaki disease, an observational study from Italy and a review of cases in New York City, US has highlighted differences between the two diseases.

Kawasaki disease can have long-term cardiovascular complications. Future longitudinal studies will have to be conducted to determine if MIS-C patients will have similar issues.

To date, there have been 157 suspected cases of paediatric MIS-C reported in New York State, and approximately 230 combined suspected cases in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, among others.

Menjivarconcludes, Even though a small proportion of confirmed cases of COVID-19 occur in the population under the age of 18 years and paediatric MIS-C appears to be a rare complication, studies such as the one carried out in Italy can provide valuable insight. Observational studies can shed light on the immune response that COVID-19 triggers in children and promote data collection efforts, which can lead to a better understanding of how the virus works and possible treatment options.

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MIS-C research can give insights on COVID-19 effect on immune system - Express Pharma

NBCs Today Show health expert Joy Bauer knows that a strong immune system is vital to help ward off disease.

Reducing stress, exercising, eating antioxidant-rich foods, and getting a good nights sleep can help individuals stay healthy, especially during a pandemic. Although eating a bowl of chips while binging on Netflix may have been the norm at the beginning of the crisis, Bauer says now is the time to get off the couch, nourish your body with healthy foods, and get a good night of sleep.

She told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that boosting your immune system doesnt have to be complicated, require an expensive gym membership, or involve a complex nutrition plan.

Its really a combination of looking and feeling our best, she says. But at the same time every single physician you talk to now, they make strengthening the immune system their top priority.

Bauer acknowledged that a number of Americans are re-emerging into society after being in a COVID-19 cocoon. Some people may have added a few pounds to their frame due to the stress of being locked down too.

But she views this as a unique opportunity for Americans to get serious about their health. Because its about survival, she remarks. One transformative aspect of the lockdown is that many people have become better home chefs. So rather than hitting the same pasta recipe, Bauer suggests weaving immune-boosting foods into meals.

RELATED: Today Shows Joy Bauer Says These 4 Foods Can Keep You Looking Young

Specifically [meals] loaded with produce and antioxidants, she suggests. Now is the time to find recipes that you can create around your repertoire and learn how to make things that are healthy and immune-boosting.

Plan out your week with at least three or four meals for each meal category, to keep the variety fresh. Thinking ahead means youll be better prepared at the grocery store and more likely to save money. Going back to the office? Double up on the recipes, portion out sizes, and store extras in the freezer. When its time to head to work, grab a packaged meal, and go. Dont forget to date your stored items.

Bauer recommends integrating Vitamin C immune-rich produce, such as citrus and mangos, into daily meals. Also, consider zinc to boost your immune system. Zinc-rich foods include cashews and pumpkin seeds.

RELATED: Foods That You Should Never Touch If Youre Over 50

Vitamin D is also important. It plays a major role in the immune system, she says. Milk and milk alternatives are good sources. But the important resource is salmon. The omega-3 fats with salmon are so great for every part from head to toe of your body, she says. Bauer also shared three immune-boosting recipes. They include loaded bell pepper nachos, plus her longevity smoothie and mango-ginger cashew smoothie.

Not feeling comfortable going back to the gym just yet? Bauer says taking a walk every day will give you the immune-boosting exercise your body craves. The easiest thing anybody can do to boost their immune system, mood and regulate weight from the exercise standpoint is just put on your sneakers and walk for at least 30 minutes a day, she remarks.

RELATED: 5 Healthy Habits You Should Remember Every Day

Its so simple and the health payoff is tremendous, Bauer adds. I always tell people to do it first thing in the morning because I think it sets you up to have a productive day. We know from research it boosts your mood. Harvard Health cited additional benefits, which include a possible cancer risk reduction, reduced sugar cravings, and less joint pain.

Bauer suggests using the time to catch up with friends on the phone or to listen to a book on tape. Make a deal that you are only going to listen to the audio when you are exercising, she suggests. Also, find a podcast to dive into for fun.

Bauer says the third key to a strong immune system is getting a good night of sleep. Sleep has gotten so much attention within this last year, even prior to the COVID stuff, she says. Being sleep deprived is directly related to increased levels of stress, being overweight, and having Type 2 diabetes. Also having memory issues.

RELATED: Today Show: Former Co-Host Kathie Lee Gifford Said She Would Get Creamed For Talking About This On the Air

People should try to aim for seven to eight hours a night, she recommends. But with people experiencing anxiety and stress, how can you still grab those vital hours of shut-eye? One of the things people can do is drink a calming cup of chamomile tea, Bauer says. Avoid drinking alcohol and also keep technology, such as phones and tablets, out of the bedroom.

And melatonin for sure, she says. Melatonin is a hormone and it helps to regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Bauer recently partnered with Life Extensions Fast- Acting Melatonin. Its a citrus vanilla [flavor], she describes. And it helps you get a restful sleep pattern.

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Joy Bauer of the 'Today Show' Shares 3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Immune System - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

By: PTI | Beijing | Published: June 18, 2020 6:26:57 pm In the study, the researchers studied 37 asymptomatic people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection from the Wanzhou district in China, before 10 April 2020.

COVID-19 patients who do not show any symptoms of the disease may have a weaker immune response to the virus, according to a new study which highlights the risks of using immunity passports to certify that a person has recovered from COVID-19, and is fit for travel and work.

The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, presents an analysis of the clinical and immunological manifestations of 37 asymptomatic patients infected with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

It found that these patients had an average duration of viral shedding of 19 days, compared with 14 days in another group of 37 patients who showed symptoms of the disease.

According to the scientists from the Chongqing Medical University in China, most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience a mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms that include fever, cough, and shortness of breath that may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

In the study, the researchers studied 37 asymptomatic people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection from the Wanzhou district in China, before 10 April 2020.

Of these asymptomatic patients from a group of 178 people with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 22 were female and 15 male, with ages ranging from 8 to 75 years, the scientists said.

In comparison to symptomatic patients, the asymptomatic group had a significantly longer duration of viral shedding, with a viral shedding time of 19 days, they wrote in the study.

According to the study, the levels of virus-specific immune system molecules called IgG antibodies were significantly lower in the asymptomatic group than in the symptomatic group during the acute phase of infection when the virus could be detected in the respiratory tract.

Eight weeks after the patients were discharged from the hospital, the researchers said the levels of neutralising antibodies decreased in more than 8o per cent of asymptomatic patients, compared with about 62 per cent of symptomatic patients.

They added that the asymptomatic patients also had lower levels of 18 pro- and anti-inflammatory cell-cell signalling proteins called cytokines.

Based on these observations, the scientists believe that the asymptomatic patients may have had a weaker immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The IgG antibody levels in the patients also began to diminish within three months of infection in a large proportion of the asymptomatic patients, the study noted.

This finding, along with previous analyses of neutralising antibodies in patients recovering from COVID-19, highlights the potential risks of using immunity passports, and supports the continuation of public-health interventions and widespread testing, the researchers said.

They believe that further research in larger groups of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients is urgently needed to determine the duration of antibody-based immunity.

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Boost your immunity to sail through the Monsoon

New Delhi, June 22 (IANSlife) This year has been nothing short of eventful so far, and with monsoon knocking at our doors, little modifications in our diet can save us from more unwanted trouble on the health front.

It is a cue for everyone to adopt a diet that suits the changing weather, which brings with it seasonal maladies such as the flu, allergies, and infections.

With the worldwide threat of the coronavirus pandemic looming at large, now is not the time to get sick and be privy to a whole lot of infections. The period calls for building a strong and robust immunity that will help you steer clear of the season''s diseases.

The best way to go about it is practicing a balanced lifestyle which involves nutritious eating habits, plenty of exercise, yoga and meditation, deep sleep and a positive outlook towards life. Eating right is perhaps the most crucial aspect towards a healthy and disease free body, Gaia founder and director Dolly Kumar told IANSlife.

Here is her list of five super-healthy foods that will not only boost your immunity and health but also ensure that you remain active and focused during the day.

Green tea

Every Indian loves a nice cup of steaming hot tea especially during the monsoon hours. Sipping tea in the comfort of your homes while listening to the music of the monsoon shower is one of the simpler pleasures of life. Instead of having the regular milk and sugar concoction, switch to a nice and aromatic cup of green tea. A warm healthy dose of green tea helps you stay invigorated throughout the day. Green tea is fortified with natural antioxidants. It is also a great source for bolstering the immune system and enhancing one''s memory. The minerals and nutrients in green tea help the body to detoxify its impurities accumulated over time. They also improve the body''s digestive system and also help in cleansing the skin.

Honey

It is nature''s answer to most health ailments. Honey is the ideal remedy for sore throats, coughs and cold due to its soothing effect on the throat. Multifloral honey when consumed with some ginger is the perfect cure for ailing throats. A natural substitute for sugar, multifloral honey is also a great immunity booster as it is free from fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Neem

Neem is the king of all medicinal plants and has been used since the ancient times to cure all kinds of diseases and disorders. It is the perfect remedy for stomach bugs, which are so prevalent in this season. The cooling properties of neem are next to none and can be consumed in the form of readymade capsules. Its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and blood-cleansing properties aid in building up the body''s resistance against external infections and malicious agents. Neem also helps in strengthening the body''s immunity and digestion.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is great for maintaining the overall health. It is a powerhouse of nutrients as it contains more than twenty amino acids and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium along with enzymes, vitamins, polysaccharides, nitrogen and other vital nutrients. It also improves hair and skin texture and keeps them healthy and lustrous. A natural cure for constipation and acidity, Aloe vera can also improve the body''s digestive system.

Olive oil

The rainy season is a catalyst for heightening one''s cravings for fried snacks like pakoras. It is alright to indulge your taste buds every once in a while. Just make sure that you replace the ordinary cooking oil with the healthy and extra flavorful light olive oil. Olive oil being rich in mono-saturated fatty acids, has a light texture that complements a dish perfectly, making it a great alternative to regular cooking oil and ideal for almost all cuisines. It also reduces the risk of cancer, Type-2 Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer as it is packed with numerous anti-oxidants. Now who said fried pakoras cannot be healthy!

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS

Sj/adr/

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: IANS

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Boost your immunity to sail through the Monsoon - Outlook India

The risk of severe COVID-19 infection is more common in those with high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, conditions that are all associated with changes to the composition of the gut microbiome the community of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in the intestines. This raises the question of whether the gut microbiome has a role in dictating COVID-19 severity.

Lets recap what we know about COVID-19. COVID-19 is a new disease caused by a very contagious virus called SARS-CoV-2.

In most infected individuals, the virus does not cause serious illness. However, it causes a very serious respiratory disease and even death in a minority of patients. Through many studies of people with COVID-19 over the past few months, we have learned what characteristics are more likely to be linked to mild versus severe forms of the disease.

Children and young adults are less likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19, although infection readily occurs in young people with equally high viral loads in the airway, suggesting that they can certainly infect others. In contrast, people of older age and those with pre-existing chronic conditions are highly at risk and very likely develop symptomatic, severe disease.

If we consider the gradient of severity of the disease, children are at one end, and the elderly and patients with chronic conditions are at the other end.

The information collected by researchers from many countries all points to similar characteristics and health conditions that are more commonly seen in patients with severe disease. These include older age, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The strength of these associations is even more prominent among younger individuals, as younger patients with obesity and diabetes are more likely to have serious disease.

In New York City, 5,279 patients tested positive for COVID-19 between March 1 and April 8, 2020. Of these, 22.6 per cent had diabetes and 35.3 per cent were obese.

Obesity was associated with an increased rate of hospital admission and critical illness. Similar findings were provided by investigators in the United Kingdom about the outbreak in Britain, where obese patients were twice as likely to develop severe disease.

Do these findings raise the possibility that the mechanisms underlying high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity may help explain why these conditions lead to severe COVID-19 disease? Before exploring this question, lets zoom in on cellular and molecular mechanisms known to be involved in COVID-19 disease.

When the virus enters the body, it mostly goes to the airways and the gastrointestinal tract. The virus then binds to specific receptors present on the surface of epithelial cells to enter these cells. Viral replication within the cells leads to cell damage and cell death. This results in the release of specific signalling molecules that alert the local immune system.

Armies of immune cells are then dispatched to initiate an antiviral response. Some of these cells are specialized to locate and identify the virus, while others mount a specific immune attack. The immune response results in the release of cytokines, chemokines and antibodies, which in many cases can defeat the virus, and the patient recovers.

Sometimes the immune system is dangerously at high alert and overreacts. In this case, the immune cells mount an especially strong inflammatory response one that goes beyond what is required to kill the virus. This extra-strong attack releases cytokines and chemokines on a massive scale throughout the body, resulting in a cytokine storm, which causes widespread inflammation and tissue damage in patients with severe COVID-19.

One of the reasons for an abnormal, overreactive immune response lies in the gastrointestinal tract. Millions of interactions are constantly occurring between the immune system and trillions of non-dangerous microbes that live within the body. These interactions educate the immune system in how to function and, importantly, in how not to overreact to infectious microbes. Could this help explain why some people are more likely to develop uncontrolled inflammation upon COVID-19 infection?

The gut microbiome is the community of micro-organisms living inside the gastrointestinal tract, mostly in the large bowel. The microbiome contains bacteria, fungi (yeast), viruses and protozoa, all of which contribute to maintaining a balanced ecosystem and human health. These microbes collectively perform many beneficial functions, including educating the immune system.

When studying the microbiome, scientists examine the composition (what is there) and function (what are they doing) of this ecosystem. We have learned that both composition and function of the gut microbiome are important features linked to human health. In certain conditions, the balance of the gut microbiome composition and function is disrupted in a way that leads to disease, a phenomenon called microbiome dysbiosis.

There is accumulating evidence from animal and human studies that gut microbiome dysbiosis has a causal role in metabolism dysregulation manifested as diabetes and obesity the risk factors of severe COVID-19 disease.

The gut microbiome regulates host defences against viral infections including respiratory viruses, such as influenza virus. This occurs through the activation of immune antiviral mechanisms and the prevention of excessive inflammation.

Different species of the gut microbiome have pro- or anti-inflammatory properties and play different roles in regulating the immune system. In the context of COVID-19, a recent preprint study (not yet peer reviewed) showed that specific members of the gut microbiome were associated with severe disease and with immune markers known to be elevated in severe disease. The association of these gut bacteria with the immune markers was even higher than that of the known risk factors of COVID-19 severity: age and obesity.

Further work is needed to confirm that pro-inflammatory microbial species can contribute to the immune responses that make severe COVID-19 more likely, but based on what we know about the microbiome, this is certainly a possibility. This also could mean that beneficial gut microbiome species, the type that promote low inflammation, have the potential to prevent or remediate the immune alterations that lead to severe COVID-19.

The research community is working very hard to develop and test safe and effective vaccines and treatments against COVID-19. Tapping into the potential of the gut microbiome is another avenue that we can pursue to identify potential safe and affordable probiotics for prevention and treatment. This is not unprecedented in the context of viral respiratory diseases: probiotics and prebiotics can affect the immune response to the flu vaccine, and may improve outcomes in flu-like illnesses.

Until effective treatments are available, mind your microbes and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Gut reaction: How the gut microbiome may influence the severity of COVID-19 - The Conversation CA

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It is better to be a coronavirus patient in June than it was in March.

Back then, there was just so little we knew about the virus: after all, it was a brand new thing. But as scientists and doctors battle this disease that has infected millions and killed more than 460,000 people around the globe, they have learned a good deal about how it attacks the body, and a little more about how to treat it. That means a better chance of survival for those who have the disease.

Unfortunately, this is relevant for an ever-increasing number of Utahns, with more people getting the virus and more people hospitalized than ever before. With that in mind, I thought Id walk you through what we know about the coronavirus right now, as jargon free as possible.

What happens when you inhale the coronavirus, anyway?

Naturally, the virus finds itself in your lungs. Once there, the virus bumps around the inner walls until it finds a cell it can connect to it turns out the spiky exterior on coronaviruses is really well suited to connecting to lung cells called alveolar cells, which are the ones that bring oxygen to your blood. The average person has about 480 million alveoli per lung, so theres plenty of opportunity for infection.

The virus injects its genetic code into the cell, hijacking it and turning it into a copy machine. That produces more of the virus, which can infect your own cells and be exhaled to infect others. As more and more cells become infected, they dont work at their original jobs.

Your immune system, understandably, is not thrilled about this. While it takes a little while for it to notice youve been infected and do something about it anywhere from 2-14 days, with an average of 4-5 days it does eventually mount a response that causes many of the coronavirus symptoms, such as fever or cough. That immune response also typically works to cure people: it kills the infected copy machine cells, your body naturally creates new working ones in their place, and you recover.

Normally, the immune system is pretty good about starting up and shutting down at the right times using an in-body signaling system made up of cytokines. Cytokines promote all sorts of useful immune system functions, but one is that they send more repairing blood to infected sites. They even make blood vessels more permeable than usual so immune system cells can more efficiently get from the blood to attack the infected cells.

However, sometimes the immune system gets overexuberant, as one medical education site put it. Its not always clear why, but in certain cases very bad infections, burns, or other trauma the immune system ends up producing and sending way too many cytokines. This is called a cytokine storm.

The cytokine storm in COVID-19 cases cause big problems. For one, theres now way too much blood going to these infected sites, and they get super inflamed. All of the fluid and blood everywhere means that even the uninfected alveolar cells in your lungs are drowned, and cant work to bring oxygen in your body anymore. That causes Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

And those previously-helpful permeable blood vessels now become too permeable: they spring leaks. That means the blood clot system has to start working to fix those leaks, but that creates little blood clots all around your body.

At least the majority of people who die or experience severe symptoms due to COVID-19 end up facing ARDS, either due to the initial viral cell killing or the cytokine storm. But others die from or also experience the results of those blood clots, with problems like heart or kidney failure, even strokes. Thats one reason we kept seeing all of these COVID-19 patients with unexpected symptoms: once your circulatory system stops working well, all sorts of weird stuff can happen.

A team of Harvard researchers proposed a three stage categorization system for coronavirus patients. Stage 1 is mild coronavirus, caused mostly by the negative effects of the virus itself. But the biggest problems come in Stage 3, when the immune system is essentially attacking the body.

What does this mean for treating the virus?

It means that we have to use different treatments at different stages.

Essentially, at the beginning, we want to help the immune system as much as possible. When its working normally, its terrific; so terrific that the majority of people face only mild symptoms. We also want to prevent the virus from making copy machines of itself using antiviral drugs.

However, once were in the moderate or severe stages, we want to suppress the immune system to stop the cytokine storm. We dont want to completely kill the immune system, but reducing its response significantly would lessen many of the most dangerous symptoms. In conjunction, wed also like to prevent or mitigate the effects of those micro blood clots.

It is a tricky balance. In one stage, we want to help the immune system, and in later stages, we want to suppress it. And diagnosing whether a cytokine storm is about to occur or is currently underway isnt necessarily an immediate process: there are lab tests to perform.

Still, this split approach looks like our best chance of treating COVID-19 patients.

What treatments are there for the early stages of the disease?

Remdesivir is the most well-tested antiviral product we have to use against COVID-19. It works by inhibiting virus production in those infected, copy machine cells, and in a randomized, controlled trial, it made a statistically significant but relatively small impact on the amount of time people spent in the hospital with the virus: 11 days on average instead of 14.

It just doesnt make sense to give to everyone with mild symptoms: remdesivir has to be delivered intravenously, which means it probably has to be done in a hospital. Theres also not that much of it to go around.

Ideally, wed find a more easily delivered and effective antiviral product. Were still looking.

Hydroxychloroquine is the option thats gotten the most attention, in part for political reasons. The thinking here is that it works to help prevent malaria infections, so it might work with the coronavirus. By one count, 158 studies that tried to find out whether hydroxychloroquine works or not, in all sorts of combinations. Most of them have been poorly designed, or too small to be elucidating, or based on data so flawed they had to be retracted.

Based on a majority of the studies, the most likely scenario is that it doesnt work against this virus. There are those who will say that it needs to be tested with azithromycin and/or zinc, or only in pre-symptomatic patients, or only on Thursdays. But the scientific community is moving away from this one. The FDA recently pulled its emergency approval to use the drug to treat COVID-19 and the World Health Organization dropped the drug from its huge study into coronavirus treatments.

Another promising path is the use of antibodies. This study from the University of Washington looked at how injecting someone with blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients which contains antibodies specific to the coronavirus actually prevented the virus from infecting cells in the first place. We also know that injecting plasma into hospitalized people seems to make a big difference, unless we inject it too late, in which case it probably doesnt work. In short, the antibodies help with the virus but not with the cytokine storm.

The traditional problem with the plasma antibody strategy is that you need the blood of someone who already had the disease but recently recovered, and there arent that many doses of it to go around. Furthermore, those doses tend to vary wildly in terms of effectiveness, because different people produce different numbers and types of antibodies. Finally, the antibodies dont last forever, probably only a month or two.

But if we create those antibodies in a lab, we should be able to make enough doses to give to people who need protection. You can imagine those antibody injections being the bridge to a vaccine, administered to healthcare workers, those in long-term care facilities, or anyone else exposed to an outbreak, with or without symptoms. Science Magazines Derek Lowe had a good roundup of the companies working to create and test these antibodies; some think those treatments will be available by the fall.

What treatments are there for the late stages of the disease?

Theres still a lot we dont know about the cytokine storm, but we do have some pretty good ways of slowing down the immune system. Obviously, we want to test these in the context of COVID-19.

The first one that showed significant results in a big study was tocilizumab. When given to patients in Stage 2, it reduced intensive care unit admission by more than half and significantly cut mortality as well.

It has problems though. Its incredibly expensive, in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to administer. It does really wreck a persons immune system for a while, putting them at risk of other infection. Its something that wed want to give to save lives, but probably not in large numbers.

Luckily, we found a much better solution. Dexamethasone is a cheap and widely available steroid that cut deaths by one-third in a study released this week of 2,100 participants in the UK with severe COVID-19. Its a pill. It costs about $6 per day.

You can see why the head scientist in the study called it a major breakthrough.

Now remember: this is an immune system suppressant. People with Stage 1 coronavirus definitely shouldnt take it, because itd be handicapping the very thing they need most. But those in later stages might find it effective in weathering the cytokine storm.

Just like with remdesivir, its also a proof of concept. Yes, we can save a third of deaths among severe cases, but now well try other immune-suppressing drugs with different doses to try to treat the cytokine storm most effectively. Well get better at it over time.

That will be the continuation of a positive coronavirus trend: a lowering in the fatality rate. One study looked at the rate of deaths of people in Italy and found a reduction in fatality rate from 10.8% to 6% from March to April. Testing differences make this issue difficult to study, but it really does appear that doctors have gotten better at treating the disease.

That was another reason all of us have taken so many coronavirus precautions: to buy doctors time. While theyve done well with it reducing mortality by a third is no small feat its easy to see that more improvements are just around the corner.

One common refrain Ive heard from people who have shown a lack of care about the virus was Well, Im going to get it at some point, it might as well be now. But the truth is simple: its much better to be a coronavirus patient in June than March. Thats a trend I expect to continue moving forward.

Andy Larsen is a Tribune sports reporter who covers the Utah Jazz. During this crisis, he has been assigned to dig into the numbers surrounding the coronavirus. You can reach Andy at alarsen@sltrib.com or on Twitter at @andyblarsen.

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Coronavirus treatments are improving. Here's a guide to what works and why. - Salt Lake Tribune

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Chocolates with ashwagandha, ginger or cumin; potato wedges with moringa leaves; a white rum pina colada with turmeric... Restaurants and cafes in Bengaluru are coming up with innovations to show that diners can actually get a host of health benefits in these pandemic-ridden times.

Many are now turning towards local ingredients for their immunity-boosting properties, with pepper, amla and chia seeds joining the list of condiments as the new stars of their dishes. According to food writer and consultant Monika Manchanda, in the last 15-20 days alone, a couple of clients have reached out to her for help with new recipes to include on their menu.

"And those who arent coming up with new dishes, are highlighting the immunity-boosting ingredients in their existing ones," she says, adding that she has recently helped a Bengaluru eatery with a Golden Glow smoothie that contains carrot, turmeric and ginger.

Antioxidants in dark chocolates are, of coursem said to be good for the immune system. But in light of the coronavirus spread, Smoor Chocolates has decided to further infuse their chocolates with ashwagandha, and come July, will offer customers variants with pecan nuts, goji berries, turmeric, ginger, amla and cumin.

Agreeing that these are not ideas one might stomach easily, chief marketing officer Kanchan Achpal hopes that people will develop a taste for it anyway since boosting ones immunity is the need of the hour. "People tend to be hesitant about such combinations but come to eventually enjoy it," she says. Case in point: The turmeric latte they introduced earlier this month.

Currently, the Indiranagar outlet receives 10-12 orders for this, as opposed to 30-35 orders for their regular latte.Agrees Nidhi Nahata, founder of JustBe Resto Caf, who is hoping to reopen her eatery for dine-in in July.

New offerings include a salad bar (with 50 varieties), potato wedges with moringa leaves, hemp hearts in milkshakes, hemp powder in chapati and pizza dough, and avocado chocolate mousse. "Right now, people have been cooking more and becoming more aware of what to eat. So such dishes will only be in demand," says Nahata, who is also a health coach and food therapist.

While the ingredients to experiment with are plenty, nothing beats the crowning glory of the golden spice. Having always been famous in its haldi doodh form (Chaayos has also introduced a haldi chai on its menu), turmeric has even managed to find its way into alcoholic drinks at The Leela Palace, Bengaluru.

The star hotel will offer diners a turmeric pina colada once restaurants get a go-ahead to serve liquor, with its team having spent the last few weeks coming up with a menu of 12 new drinks (eight cocktails and three welcome drinks) with amla, hibiscus, tulsi, etc.

"Turmeric powder tended to overpower the drink, so we settled for a crushed decoction of it that blends well with the drink. The taste of pineapple, coconut and white rum remains the same, with just enough spice to get its health benefits as well," says F&B manager Mark Manuel.

On the menu

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Taste of times: Bengaluru eateries launch dishes with immunity boosting ingredients - The New Indian Express

Immunity Booster Drink: Kadha is basically a mix of various traditional herbs and spices

Highlights

Immunity Booster Drink: As the world is under a constant threat of Covid-19 pandemic, health experts are time and again insisting on boosting our immunity. Although it has not been proved whether strong immunity helps in treating the novel Coronavirus or not, it may help you have an overall better health. While some people are blessed with good immunity, others are resorting to various natural ways to strengthen their stamina, immune system and overall health. Many of us are practicing regular yoga, breathing exercises and more and even trying natural concoctions like herbal teas, drinks and kadhas.

Speaking about kadha, it will not be an exaggeration if we term it to be one of the oldest and treasured medicinal secrets of India. It is basically a mix of various traditional herbs and spices that help us to keep strong from within.

Here we bring you an easy immunity-boosting kadha recipe that can be prepared with some common herbs and spices like tulsi, ginger, turmeric, mulethi, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves. The best part is you can prepare and store it for future use. All these herbs and spices are power packed with various health benefiting nutrients and can be found easily in any Indian kitchen.

Also Read:This Moon Milk At Night May Help Induce Good Sleep

Ginger- 1 inch

Raw turmeric- 1 inch

Tulsi- 8-10

Mulethi- 4-5 sticks

Cinnamon- 4-5 sticks

Black pepper- 10-12

Cloves- 10-12

Water- 8-10 cups

Step 1. Pour the water in a saucepan and put all the ingredients in it.

Step 2. Boil it for at least 1 hour in a low/medium flame.

Step 3. Switch off the flame and cool it down.

You can store this kadha for 2 days in refrigerator. All you need to do is, strain the drink in a sterilised airtight glass bottle and close the lid well. Warm it well before drinking. Do not warm the whole thing; just take as much you need.

Pro-tip: You may also add some green tea, lemon and honey while warming this kadha for consumption.

Stay healthy, stay safe!

About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.

Originally posted here:
Kadha For Immunity: Prepare This Herbal Potion With Basic Indian Herbs And Spices - NDTV Food

Chronic stress can lead to inflammation, which can result in physical symptoms as well as mental health symptoms

During the current COVID-19 pandemic have you been wondering why youre getting headaches more often? Or stomach aches? Or feeling itchy or getting pimples? Or why your periods are irregular or more painful than usual? Exciting recent science suggests that the answers may lie in our bodys biological reactions to stress.

Our biological stress response system the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis evolved hundreds of millions of years ago to help our vertebrate ancestors quickly mobilize energy to confront imminent, life-or-death threats, such as predator attacks. In the short term, this system is exquisite in its efficiency and crucial to survival.

The problem with our current situation is that it has been going on for months, and the end is not clearly in sight. Chronic stress sends the HPA axis into overdrive, with effects felt throughout the body. These symptoms can even serve as further sources of stress. Understanding why our bodies are reacting in these ways can help us develop strategies to prevent stress from getting under our skin.

The biological stress response

When animals perceive a threat in their environment, the HPA axis stimulates the adrenal glands to release the hormone cortisol. Cortisol, along with adrenaline, work to pump oxygen to the major muscles to enable the animal to fight or escape.

This fight/flight response produces physical symptoms such as heart palpitations and chest tightness (the heart pumping oxygen to the major muscles), and stomach butterflies, nausea and tingling (blood leaving the stomach and extremities to get to the major muscles).

The HPA axis also interacts with the immune system to help with the aftermath. Cortisol is a potent anti-inflammatory and binds to large numbers of receptors in the skin to help repair wounds and fight infection.

The HPA axis doesnt know the difference between the life-or-death threat of a predator attack and modern stressors. So, in the early stages of this crisis, if your stomach did flip-flops, or you felt your heart racing, when reading about surges in COVID-19 cases, your body was doing what it was designed to do even though at that moment you were not in any imminent physical danger.

The problem of chronic stress

A predator attack is time-limited. In contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for weeks, and may be compounded by social isolation, job or financial insecurity and care-taking responsibilities. Unfortunately, all the HPA axis knows is that it needs to release stress hormones when we perceive a threat in our environment. So, if we perceive our environment as threatening all the time, then the HPA axis will release these chemicals all the time.

One of the most pronounced effects of long-term cortisol release is glucocorticoid resistance. This is when cells in the immune system become less sensitive to the anti-inflammatory effects of cortisol. As a result, cortisol starts to increase inflammation throughout the body and brain.

So, your itchiness and rashes? All of the cortisol receptors in your skin may no longer be receptive to cortisols anti-inflammatory effects and instead, chemicals are released that inflame the skin.

Your headaches or stomach aches? Painful periods? All of these symptoms can also be the result of inflammation in these organ systems caused by chronic HPA axis activation.

Even psychological symptoms, such as feelings of depression or loneliness, have been linked to the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals caused by chronic stress.

Taking control of your stress response

Much of what is perceived as stressful on a day-to-day level is not specific to contracting the COVID-19 virus, but instead is the result of changes that we have had to make in our lives. A switch to working from home, or not working, has disrupted our sleeping, eating and activity schedules that regulate our internal circadian clock. Staying indoors means lower exercise and activity levels. Many people, especially those living alone, are socially isolated from friends and loved ones.

Disrupted circadian routines, lack of exercise and social isolation have all been strongly linked to dysregulation of the bodys stress and immune systems, and release of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body and brain.

Fortunately, even small positive changes in these areas can have strong stress-reducing effects. Keeping a regular routine by going to bed, getting up and eating at consistent times each day has been linked to greater overall health by promoting healthy function of the HPA axis and immune system. Even 20 minutes of moderate exercise, which inside could include exercise videos or jogging around at home, regulates the HPA axis, reduces inflammation and has strong mood-lifting effects.

Finally, talking regularly with friends and loved ones, even remotely or at a distance, is one of the best things you can do to protect against the biological and psychological effects of stress. Remember, were all in this together!

Kate Harkness, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Director of the Mood Research Laboratory, Queen's University, Ontario

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Strange physical symptoms? Blame the chronic stress of isolation - KitchenerToday.com