gene therapy could ‘turn off’ asthma
Scientists have discovered a DNA switch which can ‘turn off’ our reaction to allergies, an advance that may lead to gene therapies providing life-long protection from diseases like asthma with a single treatment. Researchers were able to switch off the immune response which causes allergic reaction in animals. “When someone has an allergy or asthma flare-up, the symptoms they experience result from immune cells reacting to protein in the allergen,” said Ray Steptoe, Associate Professor at the UQ Diamantina Institute. “The challenge in asthma and allergies is that these immune cells, known as T-cells, develop a form of immune ‘memory’ and become very resistant to treatments,” said Steptoe. “We have now been able ‘wipe’ the memory of these T-cells in animals with gene therapy, de-sensitising the immune system so that it tolerates the protein.”
tv in bedroom and childhood obesity
Children who have televisions in their bedrooms before the age of seven are more likely to be overweight or obese, a new study has found. In their journal, authors from the University College london say, “Ironically, while our screens have become flatter, our children have become fatter.” The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, analysed data from more than 12,000 children across the UK. According to scientists, more than half of the children had TVs in their bedrooms by the age of seven. Of those children, girls were 30 per cent more likely to be overweight or obese by the time they tuned 11, compared to 20 per cent of boys. As part of the research, parents were also asked to document how many hours of television their children watched each day.
Olive Oil can Prevent Brain CancerIJ
A compound found in olive oil may help prevent cancer developing in the brain, a study says. Research into oleic acid — the primary ingredient in olive oil — has shown how it can help prevent cancer-causing genes from functioning in cells. The oily substance — one of a group of nutrients known as fatty acids — stimulates the production of a cell molecule whose function is to prevent cancer-causing proteins from forming. “While we cannot yet say that olive oil in the diet helps prevent brain cancer, our findings do suggest that oleic acid can support the production of tumour-suppressing molecules in cells grown in the lab,” said lead researcher Gracjan Michlewski. “Further studies could help determine the role that olive oil might have
in brain health.”