brain inflammation Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Four Advances That Could Change Tuberculosis Treatment

The AHA! Team — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:47:50 +0000

American Chemical Society via EurekAlert! – As of early 2025, tuberculosis cases are increasing in the U.S. As of early 2025, tuberculosis cases are increasing in the U.S. This disease, often shortened to TB, causes significant lung damage and, if not treated, is almost always lethal. World TB Day on March 24 raises awareness about the disease and commemorates Robert Koch’s discovery of the source bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. More than a century later, scientists continue refining TB diagnosis methods and treatment strategies, some of which are in these four ACS journal articles. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org. 1. Fluorescence for a faster TB diagnosis. Currently, testing saliva samples for M. tuberculosis is time-consuming because of the bacterium’s slow growth and resistance to stains used in imaging. To develop a faster method, researchers targeted a protein that the bacterium uses to steal iron ions from its host’s cells. In a study published in ACS Central Science, the team explains how to label the iron-transporter protein with a fluorescent tag, which turns on after releasing the iron inside the M. tuberculosis cells. In separate tests on saliva from 11 people diagnosed with TB, the fluorescence technique identified infectious levels of the bacterium within 10 minutes. 2. White blood cell-focused M. tuberculosis therapy. A type of white blood cell called a macrophage gets taken over during a tuberculosis infection, becoming an incubator for the pathogen. So, researchers report in ACS Infectious Diseases that they have developed sugar-coated nanoparticles that get absorbed by infected macrophages. And once inside, the nanoparticles interrupted critical cellular pathways and prompted the damaged cells to be recycled. In infected mice, 6 weeks of nanoparticle treatment significantly reduced the amount of M. tuberculosis in the lungs. 3. A potential nasal treatment for tuberculous meningitis. If M. tuberculosis reaches cerebrospinal fluid, the result can be tuberculous meningitis — a life-threatening inflammation around a person’s brain and spinal cord. To get the TB drug clofazimine across the blood-brain barrier, researchers have encapsulated it inside tiny particles and created a nasal spray. According to their study in ACS infectious Diseases, the spray didn’t adversely affect mice with tuberculous meningitis. A 4-week treatment significantly reduced the bacterial burden within the animals’ brains and lungs compared to untreated mice. 4. Light-activated particles inactivate bacteria. Many new TB cases are multidrug resistant. So, a research team wanted to improve treatment efficacy and reduce the risk of further antimicrobial resistance by creating a photoreactive therapy. They encapsulated light-activated particles inside nanometer-wide spheres. When the nanospheres were injected into mice, red laser light triggered the particles to produce reactive oxygen species that inactivated Mycobacterium marinum, a bacterium that causes TB-like illness in fish. The initial animal study results are published in ACS Omega. Additionally in March 2025, ACS Webinars and ACS Publications co-hosted a virtual event, “Disrupt & Destroy: Starving Tuberculosis with Smarter Science,” about innovative drug strategies and cutting-edge TB research. The webinar is available to watch on demand. ### Journal ACS Central Science To read the original article click here.

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Glyphosate Exposure Linked to Lasting Brain Inflammation

The AHA! Team — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 06:04:19 +0000

Arizona State University via News-Medical – The human brain is an incredibly adaptable organ, often able to heal itself even from significant trauma. The human brain is an incredibly adaptable organ, often able to heal itself even from significant trauma. Yet for the first time, new research shows even brief contact with a common herbicide can cause lasting damage to the brain, which may persist long after direct exposure ends. In a groundbreaking new study, Arizona State University researcher Ramon Velazquez and his colleagues at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, demonstrate that mice exposed to the herbicide glyphosate develop significant brain inflammation, which is associated with neurodegenerative disease. The findings suggest the brain may be much more susceptible to the damaging effects of the herbicide than previously thought. Glyphosate is one of the most pervasive herbicides used in the U.S. and worldwide. The research, which appears today in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, identifies an association between glyphosate exposure in mice and symptoms of neuroinflammation, as well as accelerated Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology. This study tracks both the presence and impact of glyphosate’s byproducts in the brain long after exposure ends, showing an array of persistent, damaging effects on brain health. The research, appeared in the Journal of Neuroinflammation Glyphosate exposure in mice also resulted in premature death and anxiety-like behaviors, which replicates findings by others examining glyphosate exposure in rodents. Further, the scientists discovered these symptoms persisted even after a 6-month recovery period during which exposure was discontinued. Additionally, the investigation demonstrated that a byproduct of glyphosate – aminomethylphosphonic acid – accumulated in brain tissue, raising serious concerns about the chemical’s safety for human populations. “Our work contributes to the growing literature highlighting the brain’s vulnerability to glyphosate. Given the increasing incidence of cognitive decline in the aging population, particularly in rural communities where exposure to glyphosate is more common due to large-scale farming, there is an urgent need for more basic research on the effects of this herbicide.” Ramon Velazquez, researcher, Arizona State University Velazquez is a researcher with the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at the ASU Biodesign Institute and an assistant professor with the School of Life Sciences. He is joined by first author Samantha K. Bartholomew, a PhD candidate in the Velazquez Lab, other ASU colleagues, and co-senior author Patrick Pirrotte, associate professor with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and researcher with the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in California. According to the Centers for Disease Research, farm laborers, landscape workers, and others employed in agriculture are more likely to be exposed to glyphosate through inhalation or skin contact. Additionally, the new findings suggest that ingestion of glyphosate residues on foods sprayed with the herbicide potentially poses a health hazard. Most people living in the U.S. have been exposed to glyphosate during their lifetime. “My hope is that our work drives further investigation into the effects of glyphosate exposure, which may lead to a reexamination of its long-term safety and perhaps spark discussion about other prevalent toxins in our environment that may affect the brain,” Bartholomew says. The team’s findings build on earlier ASU research that demonstrates a link between glyphosate exposure and a heightened risk for neurodegenerative disorders. The previous study showed that glyphosate crosses the blood-brain barrier, a protective layer that typically prevents potentially harmful substances from entering the brain. Once glyphosate crosses this barrier, it can interact with brain tissue and appears to contribute to neuroinflammation and other harmful effects on neural function. The EPA considers certain levels of glyphosate safe for human exposure, asserting that the chemical is minimally absorbed into the body and is primarily excreted unchanged. However, recent studies, including this one, indicate that glyphosate, and its major metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid, can persist in the body and accumulate in brain tissue over time, raising questions about existing safety thresholds and whether glyphosate use is safe at all. Herbicide may attack more than weeds Glyphosate is the world’s most heavily applied herbicide, used on crops including corn, soybeans, sugar beets, alfalfa, cotton and wheat. Since the introduction of glyphosate-tolerant crops (genetically engineered to be sprayed with glyphosate without dying) in 1996, glyphosate usage has surged, with applications predominately in agricultural settings. The U.S. Geological Survey notes approximately 300 million pounds of glyphosate are used annually in the United States alone. Although glyphosate levels are regulated on foods imported into the United States, enforcement and specific limits can vary. Due to its widespread use, the chemical is found throughout the food chain. It persists in the air, accumulates in soils, and is found in surface and groundwater. Despite being considered safe by the EPA, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies glyphosate as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” and emerging research, including this study, points to its potential role in worsening neurodegenerative diseases by contributing to pathologies, like those seen in Alzheimer’s disease. The chemical works by inhibiting a specific enzyme pathway in plants that is crucial for producing essential amino acids. However, its impact extends beyond the intended weed, grass and plant targets, negatively affecting the biological systems in mammals, as demonstrated by its persistence in brain tissue and its role in inflammatory processes. “Herbicides are used heavily and ubiquitously around the world,” says Pirrotte, associate professor in TGen’s Early Detection and Prevention Division, director of the Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource at TGen and City of Hope, and senior author of the paper. “These findings highlight that many chemicals we regularly encounter, previously considered safe, may pose potential health risks. However, further research is needed to fully assess the public health impact and identify safer alternatives.” Is glyphosate safe to use at all? The researchers hypothesized that glyphosate exposure would induce neuroinflammation in control mice and worsen neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s model mice, causing elevated Amyloid-β and tau pathology and worsening spatial cognition after recovery. Amyloid-β and Tau are key proteins that comprise plaques and tau tangles, the classic diagnostic markers of Alzheimer’s disease. Plaques and tangles disrupt neural functioning and are directly linked to memory loss and cognitive decline. The experiments were conducted over 13 weeks, followed by a six-month recovery period. The main metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid, was detected in the brains of both normal and transgenic mice with Alzheimer’s pathology. Transgenic mice are genetically modified to carry genes that cause them to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms as they age. This allows researchers to study the progression and effects of the disease in a controlled laboratory setting. The researchers tested two levels of glyphosate exposure: a high dose, similar to levels used in earlier research, and a lower dose that is close to the limit used to establish the current acceptable dose in humans. This lower dose still led to harmful effects in the brains of mice, even after exposure ceased for months. While reports show that most Americans are exposed to glyphosate daily, these results show that even a short period could potentially cause neurological damage. Glyphosate caused a persistent increase in inflammatory markers in the brain and blood, even after the recovery period. This prolonged inflammation could drive the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, indicating even temporary glyphosate exposure can lead to enduring inflammatory processes that affect brain health. The data emphasizes that glyphosate exposure may be a significant health concern for human populations. The researchers stress the need for continued vigilance and intensified surveillance of glyphosate neurological and other long-term negative health effects. “Our goal is to identify environmental factors that contribute to the rising prevalence of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases in our society,” Velazquez says. “By unveiling such factors, we can develop strategies to minimize exposures, ultimately improving the quality of life for the growing aging population.” The National Institutes on Aging, National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and ASU Biodesign Institute funded this study. Source: Arizona State University Journal reference: Bartholomew, S. K., et al. (2024) Glyphosate exposure exacerbates neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology despite a 6-month recovery period in mice. Journal of Neuroinflammation. doi.org/10.1186/s12974-024-03290-6. To read the original article click here.

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Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone System

AHA Publisher — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 08:00:35 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Did you know there’s one system in your body that’s responsible for the health of all other systems? Sure, if your nervous system or cardiovascular system fails, the whole body fails. However, there’s one system that functions to maintain the health of all other crucial organs. This one system is the digestive system. Your digestive health is paramount to your entire body’s health, and specifically your brain’s health. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that 60-70 million Americans suffer from chronic digestive issues each year (1). Some are severe. Some are more minor. All impede everyday life to some extent and affect every other system in the body. It’s for this reason that Dr. Colbert has created an amazing system to help you care for your digestive health: Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone System. This complete kit includes the best probiotics available, a two-fiber supplement powder for complete digestive health, and Dr. Colbert’s Gut Zone book. With the Healthy Gut Zone System, you’ll learn how digestive health affects your entire body and what you can do to keep yours in top-notch shape! Digestive Health, Brain Health and Beyond Amazingly, your digestive health has direct implications for your brain health. In fact, it’s now known that: Gut inflammation promotes brain inflammation and declining function An unhealthy digestive tract promotes illness in other parts of the body Healing your gut can reduce brain fog, increase alertness, support youthful memory, and energize the body and brain Immune function is dependent on a healthy digestive tract Healthy digestion is first responsible for nourishing your body, from your hair to your toes. What’s more, there is an incredible gut-brain connection that impacts your brain health directly. In fact, your digestive tract is home to 75% of your immune system. The health of your brain depends on strong immunity and a healthy gut-brain connection! Are you convinced? Ready to take care of your digestive health above all else? Here are 5 steps you can take today to optimize digestive health and therefore, whole-body health with Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone System. 5 Steps to Optimal Health 1. Take Care of the Good Bacteria Forty trillion. This is the number of bacteria in your body. Most are in your intestines. And, most are there to help you. It’s time to start helping them. How? It’s simple, really. The first thing to do is to replenish and fortify your healthy bacteria with probiotic supplements and foods. Within Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone System, you’ll receive Dr. Colbert’s Beyond Biotics Ultra Blend. Beyond Biotics is a probiotic supplement that contains live, viable probiotic bacteria in pill form. It is specifically beneficial to modern-day humans since we have many food-supply, environmental, and chemical compounds that harm our digestive tracts and bacteria. Both anecdotal reports and studies show that probiotics help acute digestion symptoms. They can also produce beneficial effects on the bacteria in the gut (2). What’s more, they can affect other health issues within the body as they improve digestion comfort, nutrient absorption and microbiota (3, 4, 5). In addition, Dr. Colbert’s Gut Zone Book emphasizes healthy foods you can consume to fortify your digestive tract’s healthy bacteria. These include Divine Health® Fermented Greens Supremefoods, plain yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, and more. Don’t leave your healthy bacteria to fend for themselves. Fortify them with probiotics each day. 2. Fortify Your Digestive Tract with Fiber Next, you can fortify your digestive tract with fiber. Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone® Fiber Zone is included in the Healthy Gut Zone System. Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone® Fiber Zone is a delicious fiber powder specially formulated using 2 of the most powerful, important fibers available. First, it contains psyllium husk. Psyllium husk is made of both soluble (70%) and insoluble fibers (30%). This means twice the benefits. It acts as a prebiotic, feeding and fortifying healthy gut bacteria. Its insoluble fiber passes through the digestive tract, providing bulk and softness to stools. This encourages digestive health, reduced inflammation, and a healthy gut-brain connection (6). Next, Fiber Zone contains inulin. Inulin is a prebiotic fiber. Like psyllium, it feeds the healthy bacteria and cells in our digestive tracts, making them stronger and healthier (7). Together, these fibers work to reduce hunger cravings, support healthy digestion, encourage optimal weight, support bone health and optimize the gut-brain connection (8). In addition, following Dr. Colbert’s Gut Zone Book, eat healthy high fiber and prebiotic foods. These include berries, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, greens, onions, garlic, leaks, cacao, flaxseeds, hemp heart seeds, nuts, and more. 3. Nourish With Collagen Collagen is another great food for your digestive health! In fact, collagen supports healthy digestion, joint health, vibrant skin, healthy weight, and more! In particular, those who suffer from leaky gut syndrome can find relief by adding collagen to their diets. With this digestive issue, toxins, allergens and large particles are able to pass from your gut into your bloodstreams, causing negative reactions. Collagen can help fortify connective tissue in the protective lining of the digestive tract. It heals it and helps it seal out the offending particles. Further, it supports better digestive health in those who suffer from inflammatory digestive issues, acid reflux, and more (9). Keto Zone® Collagen Powder is a great source of collagen. It is enzymatically hydrolyzed, or predigested, for effortless digestion and full absorption into the body. It is derived from chicken and marine peptides, and contains Types I, II, and III collagen. This combination of collagen supports the formation of elastin in the body, which is critical in fighting against wrinkles and sagging skin. 4. Avoid Harmful Substances Did you know some substances you consume actually harm digestive health? Some foods, drinks, and environmental contaminants harm or destroy digestive cells, healthy bacteria, and more. These include: Sugar: Sugar can harm the digestive tract in a few ways. First, it promotes the growth of harmful Candida albicans which can lead to leaky gut and other digestive issues (10). Next, high-sugar diets increase gut permeability, degrades healthy gut barriers, increases spleen weight, and increases inflammatory immune response in animal studies (11). Man-Made Artificial Sweeteners: Chemical artificial sweeteners have been widely used in “diet foods.” Unfortunately, they can have negative effects on gut bacteria. Animal and human studies have shown that aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and other artificial sweeteners can impair gut bacteria (12) allowing other microbes to take over (13). If you use sugar substitutes, make sure they are natural ones like sugar alcohols: xylitol is safe and does not seem to affect gut bacteria (13). Antibiotics: In recent years, there has been a push to drastically reduce the use of antibiotics in humans and animals. Most doctors have been urged to only prescribe antibiotics only when necessary, and with much less frequency than in previous decades. The overuse of antibiotics has been shown to 1) hurt the gut by wiping out healthy bacteria, and 2) lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In fact, the World Health Organization is also working to reduce the antibiotics that humans consume. It is recommending that routine antibiotic use in animals is stopped and reserved only when the animal is sick (14). Alcohol: Unfortunately, alcohol, especially in large quantities, can negatively affect the bacteria colonies in the gut. In fact, many people who abuse alcohol have impaired nutrient absorption, poor digestion, and discomfort. When used in moderation, bacteria colonies can remain healthy. But, overuse of alcohol can destroy them (15). Nicotine: Nicotine is harmful to digestive health. It has been associated with excess reflux, peptic ulcers, and a decrease in colon strength. What’s more, smokers experience higher Helicobacter pylori infections (16). While you use the tools in Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone System, you will learn to also avoid these compounds that harm your digestive system. 5. Be Active, Hydrate, and Reduce Stress Your lifestyle choices make a difference in the health of your digestive system. First, exercise can improve digestion. Movement and gravity helps food naturally move through your intestines. On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle actually harms the digestive system. When we sit all day, our digestive tract is kinked. This makes natural, healthy digestion more difficult. Make sure to get up frequently and include physical activity each day to support healthy digestion. Next, healthy digestion depends on the presence of fluids. Water helps break down food, lubricates the digestive tract, reduces constipation, and keeps your cells healthy. Make sure to drink water throughout each day. Lastly, chronic stress can have a negative effect on digestion. In fact, chronic stress can decrease the blood flow to the intestines, slow nutrient absorption, and even change how the bacteria in your gut function. One way to reduce stress? In addition to daily de-stress strategies, make sure you stay hydrated! Dehydration is linked to elevated cortisol levels. Bottom Line You can improve your digestive health, support your entire body, and improve brain function, alertness and health starting today! Join Dr. Colbert in his challenge to help the millions of Americans that suffer from digestive issues. Try Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone System now and enjoy better digestion! To read the original article click here.

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Resolving Inflammation: Could it Prevent Memory Loss in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s?

AHA Publisher — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 07:00:21 +0000

Medical University of South Carolina via EurekAlert – Individuals with Down syndrome are at a much greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, with inflammation of the brain starting early in life and the risk of Alzheimer’s reaching nearly 80% by the age of 60. The root cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown. However, its frequency in patients with Down syndrome suggests that targeting inflammation in preclinical models of that syndrome could be an attractive strategy for designing therapies to promote healthier aging. In one such preclinical model of Down syndrome, administering specialized lipids, known as resolvins, reduced inflammation and prevented memory loss, according to a recent article in Glia. The findings were reported by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the Center for Alzheimer’s Research at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging at the University of Denver. “We have an ancient pathway that helps us return our damaged bodies to normal, which is known as the resolution response,” said lead author Eric D. Hamlett, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at MUSC. “In our model, we can now engage this response with the specialized lipids and, in a more natural way, calm down long-term inflammation.” While the Down syndrome model does not produce the same brain ‘tangles’ that normally would be observed with Alzheimer’s disease, constant brain inflammation begins early in life and leads to similar neuronal damage. In humans, long-term inflammation is often seen alongside other indicators of Alzheimer’s in the brain, but it is not yet known how these conditions get started. Chronic brain inflammation typically leads to progressive memory loss. Surprisingly, a sustained treatment regime with the lipid reversed memory loss in the Down syndrome model without having any adverse effects, reinforcing its role as a potential therapeutic. The tragic progression of memory loss and dementia due to Alzheimer’s represents a breakdown of the brain’s ability to self-maintain and to limit wild fluctuations in condition. However, self-maintenance can be disrupted by injuries, pathogens and sometimes by aging. The disruption of self-maintenance can manifest as prolonged inflammation, which can result in devastating effects if left unchecked. Down syndrome is one such condition that can result in this sustained inflammation response. Typically, the inflammation caused by a disease is resolved by the body naturally. However, when the body cannot do so, long-term inflammation can result. With the body on high-alert but unable to rectify the problem, progressive damage can occur as our normal tissues are caught in the crossfire. “Our bodies first need to be able to respond to a problem and then have a separate and equally important response to resolve the inflammation mechanism,” explained Hamlett. Gaining insights into the role of inflammation in a healthy brain could bring us closer to identifying key mechanisms in our body that are activated in response to damage and age. Understanding how these mechanisms are activated could allow us to control the balances our bodies must achieve every day, leading to breakthroughs in regenerative medicine and potential new therapies that halt the progression of dementia. Brevity of inflammation is crucial to healthy healing, and using these naturally produced lipids may be the first step in understanding our body’s most ancient system of recovery. To read the original article click here.

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