The bacterial genus Burkholderia for example includes dangerous disease-causing pathogens--one species has even been listed as a potential bioterrorist agent
These species the scientists discovered lack those genes that make other Burkholderia species harmful agents of infection.
They searched for genes typically involved in infection--for attaching to and invading cells or for secreting toxins.
Unlike their dangerous cousins the four symbiotic Burkholderia species did not have associated genes with the virulence systems found in the pathogenic species. Burkholderia were discovered first as plant pathogens in 1949 by Walter Burkholder who identified them as the agent causing
Other Burkholderia belong to the Burkholderia cepacia complex a group of related bacteria that are not true pathogens
but can cause opportunistic or hospital-acquired infections in people with weakened immune systems or with cystic fibrosis.
Although some members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex have been used to protect plants from dangerous fungal infections their potential to cause infection has resulted in severe limits on their use in agriculture.
It wasn't until many decades after Burkholder's discovery that closely related Burkholderia species were found to enter plant roots not as pathogens
In addition to the bioinformatics analysis in the current study the team analyzed resistance to a panel of common antibiotics and tested the potential of different Burkholderia species to cause infection in laboratory conditions.
Experiments testing the potential of the four symbiotic species to cause infection in the small nematode worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans
and reduce the risk of rabies and other diseases is now the focus of a new effort by the Wildlife Conservation Society the Peregrine Fund and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
and brain) while some are detrimental to your health (trans fat increases heart disease risk factors).
when designing public health messagesâ#concludes Dr. Choi. â#oeresults from this study suggest that messages about the lack of evidence on e-cigarettes being cessation aids
First author Theodore R. Holford professor of biostatistics and member of Yale Cancer Center and six other researchers who are part of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Intervention
Senior author on the study was David Levy of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University.
and Jihyoun Jeon and Suresh Moolgavkar of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research center. This study was funded in part by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (R01-CA-152956.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Yale university. The original article was written by Michael Greenwood.
#Researchers target cancer stem cells in malignant brain tumorsresearchers at the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Department of Neurosurgery identified immune system targets on cancer
Like normal stem cells cancer stem cells have the ability to self-renew and generate new cells
if the cancer stem cells can be destroyed a tumor may not be able to sustain itself
but if the cancer originators are removed not or destroyed a tumor will continue to return despite the use of existing cancer-killing therapies.
The researchers identified certain fragments of a protein--CD133--that is found on cancer stem cells of some brain tumors and other cancers.
In the laboratory they cultured the proteins with dendritic cells the immune system's most powerful antigen-presenting cells
CD133 is one of several proteins made at high levels in the cancer stem cells of glioblastoma multiforme.
Because this protein appears to be associated with resistance of the cancer stem cells to treatment with radiation
We have found at least two fragments of the protein that can be targeted to trigger an immune response to kill tumor cells.
if the response would be strong enough to prevent a tumor from coming back but we now have a human clinical trial underway to assess safety for further study said John Yu MD vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery director of surgical neuro-oncology medical director
#Dietary fibers protect against asthma, study suggeststhe Western diet probably has more to do with the asthma epidemic than has been assumed so far
because developing asthma is related to the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed. Gut bacteria ferment the dietary fibers contained in them
and fatty acids enter the blood as a result influencing the immune response in the lungs. This has been shown by a research project funded by The swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF.
In the West an increasing number of people have developed allergic asthma in the past fifty years. But dietary habits have changed also during the same period:
A team of researchers led by Benjamin Marsland from Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) has shown in experiments with mice that the lack of fermentable fibers in people's diet paves the way for allergic inflammatory reactions in the lungs.
when digesting and fermenting fibers plays a significant role in preventing intestinal cancer. We are now showing for the first time that the influence of gut bacteria extends much further namely up to the lungs says Marsland His team
When the researchers exposed the mice to an extract of house dust mites the mice with the low-fiber food developed a stronger allergic reaction with much more mucus in the lungs than the mice with the standard diet.
Attracted by the extract of house dust mites these immune cells wander into the lungs where they eventually trigger a weaker allergic response.
We plan to conduct clinical studies to find out how a diet enriched with fermentable fibers affects allergies and inflammations.
The products are designed specially for people with allergies to cow's milk lactose or gluten intolerance as well as children and pregnant women.
which could alleviate allergic reactions caused by food and increase the bioavailability of iron. The caseins of cow's milk as well as being on the list of allergens components hinder the absorption of iron.
They also have components of great nutritional value that can provide numerous health benefits for both consumer groups with specific problems (lactose intolerance allergic to cow's milk vegetarian...
and carbohydrates with low glycaemic index (suitable for diabetics). Moreover they constitute an important source of vitamins B and E antioxidant compounds (phytosterols and/or polyphenols) and dietary fibre
and prevent 200 million premature deaths from lung cancer and other diseases this century according to a review published today in the New england Journal of Medicine.
and the World health organization's 2013 Assembly to decrease the prevalence of smoking by about one-third by 2025 to reduce premature deaths from cancer and other chronic diseases by 25 per cent.
Do you want a flu shot? The kiosk has the capability to ask a series of targeted questions.
Have you been exposed to swine flu? The machines are all the same, but the questions are tailored by the client.
when your last tetanus shot was shot, so the is wasted not if your shot is current.
We give you the tetanus shot if you need it, but we don't depend on you to remember
a social network for fresh, cheap food Weed killer causes new cancer fears; under EPA review Images:
The bacteria can cause skin infections and can lead to more serious illnesses such as pneumonia and sepsis.
Here's a summary of what the study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious diseases, found:
half of the meat sold in grocery stores are contaminated with S. aureus one in four samples were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics methicillin-resistant staph was found in three of the samples the staph are resistant to up to
The New york times reports that federal health officials estimate that staph accounts for less than 3 percent of all food-borne illnesses.
Businessweek reports staph infections occur only three percent of the time and are not nearly as common as other foodborne illnesses like salmonella and E coli.
Still the study highlights a risky farming practice that began nearly 50 years ago. The researchers suggested that the super bug likely made its way into the food chain
If we could get people to wash their hands six times a day we could cut infectious diseases in half.
Some of the things that indoor growing environments don't have are pests, molds and infections.
it's probably a cancer or HIV patient that can't hold down food because of the disease's affect on their appetite.
The last thing they need to be introducing into their system are extra toxins and parasites.
The cancer fighting pizzai never really understand it when people dismiss pizza as unhealthy food.
Pizza could help fight cancer. Yes, if the chef makes the sauce from the latest in tomato technology-genetically engineered purple tomatoes-a 16-inch pie could have the same health benefits as other foods such as blueberries and cranberries.
a molecule believed to battle afflictions including cancer, coronary heart disease and strokes. According to The Independent in the U k.,a shipment of purple tomato juice is on its way from Canada to scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich
Anthocyanin has been shown to help fight cancer in animals. The BBC quoted John Innes'Prof Cathie Martin:
You could call it the Healthy Heart attack. Cover photo is from John Innes Centre
The demise of book publishing as we know itfor years the book publishing industry has been in turmoil over the future of books,
while 34.8 percent of those in schools without it were overweight. 2.)Can coffee stave off Type 2 diabetes?
A new study suggests your morning cup of coffee may be beneficial for thwarting Type 2 diabetes.
U s. Secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack indicted the new regulations may prevent thousands of foodborne illnesses a year--by modernizing the poultry industry and increasing efficiency.
These goats produce human breast milkthis Spring brought news of goats engineered to lactate the building blocks of a malaria vaccine.
who've shown increased resistance to illness after drinking the milk. No word yet on when it will enter clinical testing in humans. via Co. Exist Photo:
The on-the-ground experience of apple growers is that risk of contamination is quite high,
There s always going to be some level of contamination and risk. Whether or not consumers are ready for more GMO fruit,
but the usual suspects (viruses and bacterial infections) didn't have anything to do with the poor health of the trees.
While the number of tree injuries is relatively small-51 people between 2006 and 2011,
Baltzley selected shrimp, unaware that Laukkonen was allergic to it. He felt awful upon discovering the error,
or swelling due to a bee sting does not equal an allergic reaction. Everyone gets that reaction, if anyone finds themselves having difficulty breathing then they are allergic to bees.
Honey bees often get mistaken for the European wasp. The two behave and want totally different things,
and the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control on a program to look at the sociology of healthy eating,
pathogens or weeds that could harm local crops. Led by USDA plant geneticist Stephanie Greene and St petersburg State university scientist Alexandr Afonin,
If you're going to plague a high-density downtown with a parking garage, I can't think of a better addition.
According to global nonprofit medical center Mayo Clinic, celiac disease (in which your body is unable to process gluten) is four times more common now than it was 60 years ago.
Weed killer causes new cancer fears; under EPA reviewglyphosate is the key ingredient in the world's top selling weed killer, Roundup.
And still others say it raises health concerns like infertility and cancer. Glyphosate's days are numbered,
Some users of glyphosate were observed to have a higher risk of multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting bone marrow,
including indications it can cause birth defects. The EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs is in charge of the review
In fact, in some cases, the landfill disposal of biodegradable materials might be causing more harm than good.
Why might biodegradable products actually harm, rather than help, the environment? If a biodegradable material is placed in a landfill,
A new article in The Biologist by professors at The University of Sussex says that the beekeeping boom in London is actually doing more harm than good to bees.
you have heightened risk for bacterial infections and other diseases in the bees that could require burning entire hives.
wild monkeys with special collars to help track contamination levels in places that are hard for us to reach.
and had died from blunt force  trauma to the head. Right, so back to the autopsy.
 The social cost of water contamination is already enormous and increases every year.  Although todays announcement is about giving millions more people affordable access to safe water,
China While guidelines for designs that don't harm birds have been published in the US, a library in China takes the idea one step further.
Can bees be trained to prevent plant disease? Dr. Andrew Sutherland, a researcher with the UC Davis Plant pathology Department is training honey bees to detect plant disease in agricultural crops.
Bees have excellent chemosensors on their antennae, so they're able to detect organic molecules.
but minutes after its birth the calf died of lung abnormalities (which have been cloned common among animals to date).
and nerdy round spectacles, specializes in vertigo-inducing towers of steel and concrete that exceed 1,
and potato crops across the U s.--even attacking genetically resistant potatoes that have been bred to fend off infection.
That ability helps the pathogen to outsmart its plant hosts. Now discovered it may clue researchers into unlocking ways to control it.
This pathogen has an exquisite ability to adapt and change, and that's what makes it so dangerous,
As the team sequences additional strains and close relatives of the pathogen they'll be able to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the blight's adaptation.
The findings reveal the pathogen's unusual strategy to support the rapid evolution of critical genes, known as effector genes,
On the other hand, some effector genes can also trigger plants'immune responses--making them prime targets for combating P. infestans infection.
and death of genes that are key to plant infection. As a result, these critical genes may be gained
Further study should yield a deeper understanding of plant infection and help identify potential targets for fighting back.
Potato blight and flu have much in common
Dell, HP vie for spotlight again. This time, on environmental leadership. It being climate week
People who have this inherited disease endure progressive damage to the heart, brain, and other organs,
the enzyme used to treat the rare lysosomal storage disease mucopolysaccharidosis I. Other plants are already being used to make biopharmaceuticals.
--which are critically important for tracking sources of contamination. We take our responsibility in the food supply chain seriously,
that this genetically engineered fish might cause unique allergic reactions in humans; that it might escape
so their milk contains high levels of an antimicrobial enzyme to help infants ward off stomach infections, a problem that plagues the developing world's children.
an abnormality in the chromosomes that stop female fish from reproducing. plans to sterilize embryos in Canada before shipping them to Panama,
and arteries clean and functioning, has boomed in recent years as Americans face an obesity and heart-disease epidemic.
The measures have been a major setback to seed giants like Monsanto who argue that GMOS--like those that produce crops resistant to disease--are feed necessary to a growing planet and pose no harm to humans or the environment.
But the architects downplayed the headaches that the opposition presented for their design and were quick to highlight the calm,
Now, we're able to extract contaminants from the wastewater--for example salt, which can then be used for road salt here in the Northeast.
especially as cancer and other chronic illnesses are being linked the huge quantities of pesticides used in agricultural production.
They are aware that pesticides are causing sickness said Vikas, a cashier at a local organic store in Gurgaon who didn't want to reveal his last name.
It found contamination of banned pesticides heptachlor and chlordane which affects the liver, in spinach and bitter gourd.
The National Cancer Control Program estimates that there  are 2 to 2. 5 million cancer patients at any given point of time in India with about 0. 7 million new cases coming every year
According to The Lancet, by 2020,70%of the world's cancer cases will be in poor countries
pesticides are being linked to cancer especially in the state of Punjab, the bread basket of India,
But now the Malwa region of the state, called the cancer belt of India, has 136 cancer patients for 100,000 people.
Overall, Punjab has 90 per 100,000, which is higher than the national average of 80 per 100,
and remarked that many families she knows have diagnosed a member with cancer. Ten years ago, one would only hear about cancer in the movies...
This is really scary. Photos: Betwa Sharma
High oil prices: Fortunately and unfortunatelyhigh oil prices are changing our world in many ways;
but in Hong kong, a frightening outbreak of the SARS virus 10 years ago awakened an interest in living more healthfully.
Especially after SARS, more people started going out to the countryside, Chan said. More people started to think about death â
she was diagnosed with breast cancer (something else she shares with her grandmother. She could have neglected her new role,
and went public with her illness--something that wasn't done in the early 1990s.
Having cancer is a scary thing, there's no doubt about it, Bartz recalls. It takes a good three
I'm not going to minimize the impact of cancer on a person and their families and friends.
Lifelong learning Aside from gardening and her lead director role at Cisco, much of Bartz's time these days is devoted to quietly volunteering for various organizations with a focus on cancer support,
studying issues from psychology to pathology. Nobody knows exactly how many people around the planet think of bugs as lunch.
An important aspect of any such study is pathology: knowing which insects are safe to eat and
it is more likely to be pathogen-free. They read any books and papers they can find on the subject,
Kavita Srivastava, a member of the Right to Food campaign, a coalition of non-government organizations, said that the national food security bill is a crucial opportunity to end hunger and malnutrition in India.
Interactive map shows where HIV cases are most prevalent Infographic: Just how safe is your neighborhood?
whether that food is harboring a dangerous pathogen. Researchers are designing packaging that could alert consumers to a pathogen in the food
or to a food product that s nearing the end of its shelf life, Cooksey said. A French company has developed a sensor that can detect
Researchers are working on an antimicrobial film that would go inside food packaging to provide an extra barrier against pathogens.
Better still, the permanent etching-hence tattoo--does not increase water loss, nor the entrance of food pathogens or postharvest pathogens.
stopping decay and food pathogens. Wax coverage is recommended still to prevent water loss. To test for decay, the fruit was inoculated with decay organisms and then etched with the laser.
No pathogens were found in the peel or the fruit interior. So how does it work?
management tips from Intel Pepsico grant supports clean water in rural China Many businesses blind to water risks
Malaria vaccine from the teats of genetically altered goatsmost malaria vaccines require multi million dollar facilities for production.
But most cases of malaria occur in heavily impoverished countries. And grant me one more generalization--most third world countries have plenty of goats.
Co. Exist reports that Texas A&m researchers have engineered goats that can produce a malaria vaccine in their milk.
There is tremendous potential to produce malaria vaccines and other types of medicines, especially for Third world countries.
Our obesity epidemic is not a demand problem. It's a supply problem. The mass production creates the mass production,
The answer to the obesity epidemic lies in changing our production incentives. Take the price supports off mass produced grain
and to the unhealthiness of fast food diets. Mcdonald's tried to dodge all this by making apple slices an option, next to french fries, in its meals.
or optometrists, or dentists, teaching them how to take care of these needs for their own people.
he argued that even the smallest amount of red meat could increase your chances of dying a variety of causes including cardiovascular disease and cancer...
will help to alleviate the pandemic of inactivity and obesity in the city. A recent Victorian Health Report shows poor nutrition accounts for around one-sixth of the total burden of ill health in the state
costing the government between AUD$1. 25 to $4. 15 (USD$1. 19 to $3. 94) billion every year.
HIV drug made in GM tobacco enters clinical trialstoday in London, UK regulators announced the approval of Europe's first clinical trial of an anti-HIV product produced in genetically modified tobacco plants.
Yep, tobacco. The phase I trial, carried out at the University of Surrey Clinical Research Centre,
will test the safety of the plant-produced antibody designed to stop transmission of HIV when applied directly to the vaginal cavity.
anti-HIV microbicide. The active ingredient is called an antibody P2g12 â oe it recognizes proteins on the surface of HIV to block infection.
More specifically, it's a monoclonal antibody made from immune cells for one specific role. It was discovered by private Austrian biotech Polymun.
P2g12 hasn't been shown to actually prevent HIV infection in humans, Nature News reports, so a version made by tobacco plants won't see approval anytime soon.
who have concerns about cross-contamination with other crops, among other environmental risks. Some Roundup Ready seeds had already been planted before the ban was enacted.
reduces gastrointestinal infection in infants does not impair infant growth helps the mother lose weight and delays the return of menstrual periods.
motor and psychosocial problems more food allergies and a higher risk of developing celiac disease But it also notes that babies in western countries who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months were apparently less likely to succumb to infections, such as pneumonia,
exposure to infectious diseases, including HIV, to chemical contaminants, such as some illegal drugs, and to a limited number of prescription drugs that might be in the human milk,
which contaminants can reduce the final yield--and that means higher costs. Researchers concluded the refining process could be sped up by raising the temperature.
a 34-year-old PS 6 science teacher who died unexpectedly in 2007 of a heart attack after a science field trip.
The end goal is to improve sanitation in a world where 1. 5 million children die every year due to diarrhea caused by food
Australian Cancer Council and Action on Smoking and Health
Novel ways to fake ancient goodsbeijing   Strolling through Beijing's Panjiayuan Market, it's easy to imagine you've entered an antique treasure trove.
including the 2008 melamine milk contamination incident that killed six children and sickened some 300,000 more.
Human breast milk has unique ingredients that protect babies against illness. They're special sugars called human milk oligosaccharides (HMO.
which in many poor neighborhoods is increased responsible for asthma rates and other health problems. They also reduce stress,
Potato blight and flu have much in commonin 1846 the first of my ancestors arrived in America.
Which turns out to have a lot in common with a disease stalking my family (and yours) today, the flu.
The influenza germ is constantly changing and the potato blight is capable of similar changes. Senior author Gene Nusbaum of Harvard described its ability to change as exquisite.
and tomato crops throughout the U s. Flu has similar adaptability. Just this week scientists have found N1h1 infecting deeper into the lungs than seasonal flu
while Israel has isolated a strain that resists Tamiflu, the most common antiviral. By attacking this adaptability, pandemic skeptic Peter Palese of the Mt.
Sinai School of medicine in New york says, the flu virus can be controlled. Here again the potato blight offers some clues.
Nearly three-quarters of the blight's genome consists of junk DNA, unused sequences that evolve quickly.
Now if we can just to the same with the flu
Protesting in Brussels? Throw milk at the governmentthinking of protests, kettling, bottle and coke-can missiles,
Richard Webby, health expert, on the new deadly flu strainlast spring, on April 9, 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised its Emergency Operations center to Level II
The Chinese government reported increasing numbers of humans falling dangerously ill due to a powerful new flu strain, H7n9,
Smartplanet spoke with Dr. Richard Webby, Director of the World health organization Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds at St jude Children's Research Hospital.
We know that the H7n9 flu has infected humans, and some of the cases were fatal.
I imagine there are a great number of flu strains that are carried by animal populations at any given time.
In the animal population there is a whole soup of flu viruses. We are not good at determining
Was there any overt indication that this strain of flu was more of a risk?
--which is the other bird flu that has been going for a decade or more now-there has been 600 cases in humans.
but it did have some signatures that we associate with mammalian virus. Where does this virus rank among the flu viruses we know about already?
But if we rank it highest amongst the avian flu viruses, what does that mean? The next leap is:
I think the chances are still most likely that it is going to remain a chicken virus that will spread human infections.
But flu viruses do change. If you give them enough opportunity they will adapt to a new host.
So it may have the ability to turn into a real bona fide human pathogen. That is why we continue to monitor this in the bird populations,
control it and reduce the number of human infections. I understand that of those infected last spring with H7n9,
Is it stronger than a regular flu? are infected humans much sicker? Is there a higher chance of pneumonia?
The H7 is variable. The one thing we know is what stops a lot of the severe disease of the normal human flu strains is immunity.
Essentially anyone over the age of 10 years has had probably the flu a couple of times, and at least in the U s.,most have been vaccinated a couple of times.
So we have quite a bit of immunity to the human flu viruses. And that probably stunts a lot of the ability of that virus to cause disease.
It can still get in and make you a little bit sick. It can still transmit but the severity is limited by your immunity.
We group flu viruses into pathogenic types. Highly pathogenic or low pathogenic. Some viruses of the H5n7 type fall into a very virulent form.
With any flu viruses there is a period when you're infectious before you start to get clinical signs.
What do you think avian flu will do over the next 10 to 15 years? What is the potential for a possible pandemic?
I think it is inevitable that there will be another pandemic. But if you look at the pandemics we've seen they have all been from viruses of the H1, H2 and H3 type.
In 1918 with H1, 1957 with H2, 1968 with H3 and in 2009 with H1 again.
So in terms of H1, H2 and H3 types I think it is a matter of when it will happen again rather than
I personally believe that they probably have the ability to become a human pathogen. What can we do to prevent a pandemic?
The best hope is to monitor what is going on in these animal populations. If we find viruses like the H7 that we perceive as high-risk then we start making viable vaccine strains.
We would like to be on course toward a universal flu vaccine. We have vaccinated against the H1
There is some hope that perhaps we can target other parts of the virus. There is a lot of work toward creating a universal flu vaccine.
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