Onion Compound Found to Have Anti-Cancer Effects

Kumamoto University (Japan) researchers have found that a natural compound called onionin A (ONA) has anti-ovarian cancer properties. The success of the compound that is isolated from onions is a result of research on the effects of ONA on a preclinical model of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in vivo as well as in vitro.

EOC is the most common type of ovarian cancer with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 40%. Unfortunately, an 80% of patients experience a relapse after their initial treatment with chemotherapy, so a more effective treatment is definitely needed.

The new study found that ONA has several effects on EOC: in vitro experiments demonstrated that EOCs show inhibited growth after the introduction of ONA. Furthermore, it was found that ONA inhibited the pro-tumor functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which are associated with the suppression of the anti-tumor immune response of host lymphocytes. Also, ONA was found to improve the effects of anti-cancer drugs by strengthening their anti-proliferation capabilities.

The experiments on an ovarian cancer murine model that investigated the effects of orally administered ONA resulted in longer lifespans and inhibited ovarian cancer tumor development.

All in all, this research showed that ONA has the ability to reduce the progression of malignant ovarian cancer tumors by interfering with the pro-tumor function of myeloid cells. Importantly, this compound has the potential to enhance existing anti-cancer drugs while having little to no cytotoxic effects on normal cells.

Source:

Kumamoto University via ScienceDaily (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161020101051.htm)

Diversity is Nature’s “Pesticide”

It’s no secret that a farm field growing a variety of plants attracts fewer insect pests than a farm field growing just one type of crop. In fact, farmers and scientists have known about this phenomenon for a long time now, but they weren’t able to understand the reasons behind it.

Now, a study led by the University of California, Davis, explains that much of this phenomenon may have to do with nutritional needs of insects. The authors of the study say that insects have a “perfect nutrient level that they like”. When it comes to monocultures, if an insect likes the crop, it has a huge supply to draw from in one place. On the other hand, in a field growing a variety of plants, insects don’t get a large block of foods that they like, and since they don’t get the nutrients they need to thrive, they don’t survive.

“A monoculture is like a buffet for plant-eating insects where every dish is delicious. A variable crop is like a buffet where every other dish is nasty,” explains William Wetzel, lead author of the study.

While many small farms can (and do) easily include a diverse mixture of plants, what are larger growers supposed to do?

The researchers explain that one solution could be introducing a mixture of genotypes of the same crop species with different nutrient levels. This means that, for example, the parts that the consumers eat could be identical, but the parts that insects eat would vary.

Source:

University of California, Davis (https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/diversity-natural-pesticide/)

Bacteria’s Antibiotic Resistance Explained

Scientists have finally revealed the mystery of bacteria’s antibiotic resistance.

It’s recently become obvious that an antibiotic called Rifampicin, used to treat leprosy, tuberculosis, and Legionnaire’s disease, has become less effective. This is because the bacteria causing these diseases have developed more resistance to it. One of the mechanisms leading to this antibiotic’s resistance is the action of the enzyme Rifampicin monooxygenase, so scientists used X-ray crystallography to describe its the structure.

“In collaboration with Professor Jack Tanner at the University of Missouri and his postdoc, Dr. Li-Kai Liu, we have solved the structure of the enzyme bound to the antibiotic,” said Pablo Sobrado, a professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The team’s work provided detailed information about the mechanism of action and about the family of enzymes that this Rifampicin monooxygenase belongs to (flavoenzyme). And as they explain, “this is all-important for drug design”.

Because the research has demonstrated how this enzyme activates rifampicin, the scientists now have a blueprint to inhibit it and prevent antibiotic resistance.

Source:

Virginia Tech (http://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2016/10/100616-fralin-antibiotics.html)

HPV Vaccine Effective in Reducing Cervical Pre-Cancers

New research shows that the HPV vaccine is very effective in reducing cervical pre-cancers in young women. Between the years of 2007 and 2014, the incidence rate of cervical abnormalities significantly decreased.

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, causes cancer of the cervix, anus and throat. If received before a person is exposed to the virus, the HPV vaccine can prevent infections causing most of these kinds of cancer. The problem is, less than half the young people – both girls and boys – in the USA actually get the vaccine.

New research that is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Oncology, may change things for the better, as it shows that HPV vaccine really is effective.

The researchers reveal that the reasons why cervical pre-cancer rates have decreased are several. One factor is cross protection, which is the vaccine’s ability to protect against additional HPV types that it does not target directly. Another reason is the efficacy of “1, 2 and 3 doses of HPV vaccine”. And finally, we have herd immunity, meaning that those not vaccinated still face a lower infection risk because a large portion of the population has been vaccinated.

Source:

University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center via ScienceDaily (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160929111712.htm)