Sorry this took so long, but I have been a bit busy in the past few days…

I began my Polycomb repressor gene quest with this study: http://tinyurl.com/2vboddk, which examines the activity of the Polyhooligans in Hodgkin’s lymphoma cell lines. As you can see, the abstract is a bit on the technical side…This will give you an idea of the kind of stuff I have been reading lately…Okay, now for the relevant part of the full study…

As I mentioned in my July 19 post, the Polyhooligans are bad only when it comes to cancer cells. And, since it is their cancer cell goings-on that interest us, I will skip all the parts in the study concerning body formation, haematopoiesis and cell cycle control.

The full study tells us that a couple of the Hodgkin’s lymphoma cell lines were treated with curcumin and that a decrease in the level of MEL18 expression after curcumin exposure was […] observed in both lines. The cells also showed inactivation of NF-kappaB after being exposed to curcumin.

Another interesting excerpt: when TNF-alpha, a well-known activator of NF-kappaB, was added to these cell lines, the activity of MEL18 increased. These findings support the relationship between NF-kappaB activity and the expression of MEL18...I hope this part is clear enough, since I think it’s amazing. I mean, curcumin inhibited one of the Polyhooligans, the one called MEL18, which seems to be closely connected to NF-kappaB, our old nemesis (=small world, eh…). Fantastic!

Well, this is just the beginning…

Does anybody here remember THESE days? Check out this five-second video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzV3OoRi1h4

🙂

Well okay, my post title is tilted just slightly toward exaggeration…but some day, with a bit of luck!, it may become a reality, at least in part. First, though, a bit of background.

This morning a blog reader (thanks, LZ!) sent me the link to an article published the day after my 49th birthday in “The Independent” on a fascinating research project on ruminant belching (no kidding) carried out recently at Newcastle University.

In a nutshell, whenever cows, goats and sheep burp, quite a large amount of methane (=one of the bad greenhouse gases) gets released into the atmosphere. I read that all the ruminant animals in the world emit 80 million metric tons of methane every year. I mean, holy…cow! I also read that methane is 21 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Clearly, then, it would be a very good thing if we could decrease the emission of this gas…And that is exactly the point of this interesting article…

The Newcastle scientists discovered, in fact, that the burped production of methane could be decreased using curry spices. How simple is that??? More specifically, they found that these spices killed the methane-producing “bad” bacteria in the gut, which increased the levels of “good” bacteria. Coriander, for example, reduced methane emissions by 40%, and turmeric by 30%. Oh I cannot tell you how much this bit of news tickled me as I was driving to work and composing “enteric fermentation” posts in my head…and it still tickles me… 😉

Seriously, now. These results could turn out to be vital for many areas of the world, since curry spices are cheap, easily available and very good substitutes for antibiotics (=the use of antibiotics for non-medicinal purposes was banned in the European Union in January of 2006: http://tinyurl.com/2e65cte)…

Oh, duuuh, I almost forgot. Here is the link to the above-mentioned “Independent” article, which is a highly recommended read…both fun and informative (oh, and by the way, don’t forget to check out that cow’s humongous tongue…mamma mia! Hmmm, after writing that, now I KNOW that 99.9 % of you are going to click on the following link, teehee): http://tinyurl.com/2voucal Enjoy! 😀

Well, here, finally!, are my notes on the Discussion part of the “silencing” study (see my July 16 post). I was forced to skip through the bits that I didn’t really understand..and would therefore welcome comments/corrections from anyone who has a scientific mind/background. Thank you!

Okay, let’s dive right in…the researchers point out that multiple myeloma doesn’t have a common origin that would help provide a universal MM drug target. While it is true that previous studies have identified important signalling pathways (does the infamous NF-kappa B ring a bell?), previous gene expression profiles to date have mainly focused on subdividing MM into genetic entities for prognostic or therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study was instead to find a common denominator for myeloma development and tumor maintenance. A high goal indeed…

The researchers identified a set of “underexpressed” genes located inside MGUS and MM cells. But there is also a second group of genes, a pesky group of hooligans called the Polycomb Group, or PcG for short. The Polyhooligans (=my invention) go after and “silence” all the good guys, I mean, all the good genes. And, as I mentioned a few days ago, this “silencing” activity becomes more frenetic in more advanced stages of myeloma. Bad, bad stuff…

Before going on, let’s take a quick look at the term “underexpression.” In our particular case, as I understand it!, this means that a smaller amount of a particular gene is present in a myeloma cell when compared to a normal plasma cell. Underexpressed = decreased. And here is an example from the study: the researchers found that the CIITA (=Class II transactivator…ah, don’t even ask!) gene was on their list of “silenced genes.” Why am I mentioning this? Because the underexpression of CIITA enables a myeloma cell to dodge the immune system…

Another important finding is that the Polycomb repressor genes appear to be a common feature among the tumor cells, rather than representing a specific subpopulation. The researchers indicate that Epigenetic gene silencing is an attractive drug target due to the fact it can be reverted. So the researchers tested two chemical inhibitors with impossible-sounding names but thankfully-short acronyms: DZNep and LBH589. And yes, these two thingamajigs were able to rouse a selected group of the slumbering genes, including our newest friend, Ms. CIITA.

The chemical substances had other beneficial effects as well. Here is one example: EZH2 is a protein that can become overexpressed (=the opposite of underexpressed…) in multiple myeloma. This is bad, clearly, since the “going crazy” of EZH2 leads to the proliferation and survival of myeloma cells. Well, the above-mentioned chemicals decreased the amount of EZH2 inside the myeloma cells. This is not that surprising, since both chemicals do the same in AML and breast cancer cells…

Another positive effect: In addition to the reactivation of the Polycomb-target genes both DZNep and LBH589 reduced viability and induced apoptosis in two MM cell lines. Yes, that means that, in addition to waking up our sleeping beauties, these two chemical inhibitors exterminated a number of myeloma cells…

The researchers tested LBH589 in vivo (=mice), with the following result: Treatment with LBH589 significantly decreased tumor load and levels of paraprotein AND increased overall survival. They also found that it can overcome drug resistance in MM cell lines and cells from patients with refractory disease, so it might be useful in combination with other drugs.

[Quick aside: the study mentioned that LBH589 was being tested right now in myeloma clinical trials. So off I went to the Clinical Trials website where I found eight clinical trials in the process right now of recruiting relapsed/refractory myeloma patients for an LBH589/Panobinostat trial in combination with other drugs. Interesting. Okay, back to us, now…]

Previous studies have shown that PcGs are involved in the development of other types of malignancy. And they are important in embryogenesis, which is the process whereby an embryo is formed and develops. So they are not ALWAYS violent, bad guys…just in cancer. This bit will clarify, I hope!, the following statement (where “epigenetic mark” = PcG): The fact that an epigenetic mark maintaining self-renewal in embryonic stem cells is found in cancer supports the hypothesis that cancer cells share features with normal stem cells. This is significant because, based on the data, the stem-like features of myeloma cells seem to be crucial for their survival and self-renewal.

In conclusion, the above-mentioned “common denominator” would be the group of silenced/underexpressed genes = the good guys. Then we have the bad guys, the Polyhooligans, who spend all their time lurking in the darkest shadows of our myeloma cells and whose sole purpose in life is to hunt down and knock out a bunch of friendly, nonviolent genes that are then no longer able to function properly, as they would under normal circumstances (in normal plasma cells, that is). This “silencing” process enables myeloma cells to proliferate and survive, completely undisturbed… Well, at any rate, that is how I interpret this incredibly complicated process (and text!)…right or wrong…

Is there anything we can do to stop the Polyhooligans? Well, I hope to have a few suggestions in the next few days…First, though, I have to read the studies…so stay tuned…

Helpful information on the Polyhooligans: http://tinyurl.com/2ecv29s

I have almost finished reading the study mentioned in yesterday’s post…well, I have almost finished the Discussion part, anyway! The rest of the study, to be honest, is so complicated that I doubt I will be able to post about it/understand it/etc. I have, however, extracted (and translated into plain English!) some interesting titbits that I will put on the blog as soon as possible.

Speaking of interesting…this morning I made my own “discovery.” It turns out that a few of the non-toxic substances that we (or some of us, at any rate!) take on a daily basis appear to have the ability to inhibit those bloody Polycomb repressors. Within minutes of my request, a kind friend sent me the full studies that I had found on this topic…sooo, stay tuned. I really hope to have some good news soon…!

Just a little hint: according to the only study I have glanced at so far, curcumin decreases the levels of MEL18, one of those pesky Polycomb repressors…How about THAT?

I feel a bit like this puffin with a beakful of sand eels (Skomer Island, July 2010) today…

And I certainly couldn’t think of a better birthday present… 🙂

Thanks to a comment left by Joao on my previous post, I was able to read a rather exciting bit of news this morning. In a nutshell, a team of Swedish/Belgian researchers has identified, and made a list of!, a group of genes that are “silenced” in myeloma cells but NOT in normal plasma cells. This “silencing” process, which is carried out by a group of proteins called Polycomb repressors or PcGs, may have a lot to do with the uncontrolled growth and “self-renewal” of myeloma cells. More testing and research are needed, of course, but I already consider this a verrrrry important discovery (…incidentally, here is the link to the Science Daily article: http://tinyurl.com/37mbzw5).

The full study is available for free online (oh, I do love freebies!): http://tinyurl.com/3y8errz All you have to do is click on “Download PDF.” The study is VERY technical: now you can’t say I didn’t warn you!!! Since, as you know from my previous post, Florence and the rest of Italy are smack in the middle of a horrendous heatwave, I didn’t and don’t have the energy to read the whole shebang in one sitting, but here are a few interesting excerpts I took from the Discussion part of the study:

1. The silenced genes were found also in MGUS, which means that this “shutting up” process might be an early event during MM development.

2. The “silencing” was also more pronounced in the advanced stages (ISS stage III compared to stage II and I) of MM progression. Huge implications, here…

I need to read this study in full and pay particular attention to the part discussing the similarity between cancer and stem cells. As you know, I am a strong supporter of the myeloma stem cell theory…This study suggests, however, that myeloma stem cells (a small subpopulation of clonogenic CD138 negative B cells) probably do not have an impact on the underexpressed gene profile, when analyzing the tumor bulk. And this profile seems to be a general feature shared by a large proportion of the MM cells. 

Okay, I cannot wrap my brain around this interesting bit of information just yet…I must stop here. I must say, though, that this is one of the most thought-provoking studies to have landed on my desktop in recent times…no question about that…

Busy days…but mostly, it’s been hot here (see: http://tinyurl.com/2vxw3l9), and we are trying to dodge the heat in various ways. Midday naps under a ceiling fan really help… 🙂

How hot, you might ask? Well, just take a look at this cartoon (sent to me by a blog reader, thanks!). When I return home from work or from doing a bit of basic grocery/cat food shopping, I look a lot like the “ta gueule” guy in this cartoon. Oh, that reminds me…Here is the translation of this “corny” exchange (again, provided by my blog reader, more thanks!). The ear of corn on the left asks “Is it hot outside?” The other one answers: “Shut up!” 😆

 The heat wave is supposed to subside a bit in northern and central Italy by Sunday afternoon. Meno male (=thank goodness), as we say in Italian…In the meantime, I am taking it easy (whenever possible), drinking a lot and not doing any research…pant pant pant…!

Here are a few photos of some of the helpful signs that greeted us in England and Wales (in photo no. 3, please notice the Welsh text on the left, under Perygl, which must come from the Latin periculum…in Italian, pericolo) just as we were about to embark on a trek up to a ruined castle perched atop a rocky crag or a steep hill overlooking the sea or a valley or a river…or at the entrance of the most rickety castles…

Reassuring, right?

Uhm, did you notice the words (photo no. 2, get out your magnifying glass…): “Ministry of Works”? For one split second, after reading that particular sign, I wondered if we had somehow wandered into Diagon Alley (=for those of you who are not devoted fans of the series, that is a Harry Potter reference)…now, wouldn’t that have given me some excellent fodder for a blog post!!! But, sigh, no, the Harry Potter one was the Ministry of Magic…Still, I couldn’t help glancing about to see if there were any spare wands lying on the ground…

Seriously, though, I am all in favour of safety and accident prevention, and of course Stefano and I were very VERY careful, wherever we were. We never strayed from marked paths, especially on Skomer Island where you have to have eyes on the back of your head in order not to step on any birds (ah yes, the puffins come that close to you!).

For Paula: that is the photo I took of a baby short-eared owl (see previous post). No, silly billy, of course we didn’t upset it! It was happily perched atop a burrow right off the path that we were following early one evening. It was probably no more than five metres away from us. And it just kept sitting there, looking at us rather benevolently while we snapped about a million photos. Yes, that was one verrry lucky shot. This must be a good year for owls (and voles!) on Skomer Island, since last year we didn’t even see one owl, whereas this summer we glimpsed and took photos of at least five…

Oh, as you can see (photo no. 4), the dire warnings written on signs extended to puffins, too…

And, like us, they paid close attention…

Yesterday I tested several blog themes, and the one that I liked best was this very simple, “bare-boned” one. Not having a blog banner photo anymore might actually turn out to be a positive thing…by putting more focus on blog content, not appearance…

Well, this change was necessary–the old theme was causing the wands of the Healthblog wizards to break in half…obviously, not a good thing! We just have to get used to it…

It is unbelievably hot and damp in Florence these days…and I do not do well in heat, let alone extreme heat (it was more than 10 degrees cooler in the UK…sigh!). Yesterday evening, as we gathered around a table to play cards, even my heat-loving girlfriends were complaining…that’s how bad it is!

My next post will probably be about our UK trip…but I am still going through the hundreds of photos I took…Here is a photo of an extraordinary-looking creature we spotted on the island early one evening…this goes to show that there is more, much more!, to Skomer Island than “just” puffins and Manx Shearwaters…

Just a super quick post today. Stefano and I got back to Florence early Monday morning from our fabbbulous UK holiday. This morning I began looking through my photos and had the bright (…) idea of changing my blog banner. Well, something went very wrong–I couldn’t publish the new photo OR return to the old one. Argh!

Oh, but it gets, er, better: I can no longer see any of my published photos (nor can you, I imagine!). The images have all vanished from my “Media Library”…in their place is an ugly “X.” That means that I will not be able to publish any photos from our trip to the UK until the wonderful Healthblogs technicians manage to fix the problem. I really hope it won’t take very long…I must say, it’s very odd not to have a blog banner photo…and where have all my photos gone? Any ideas? 😉

P.S. THAT was fast! I had barely published this post when I noticed that my photos were back! Yay! Thank you, BM!!!