In this interview, Joan Claria, PhD discusses the discovery that a resolution deficit occurs in obesity. Dr. Claria outlines the important role that specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) play in adipose tissue and metabolic health, and outlines future potential for SPM-based therapies in the management of fatty liver disease. Joan Claria, PhD is Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, Spain From the 16th International Conference on Bioactive Lipids in Cancer,…

In this interview, Dipak Panigrahy, MD discusses the emerging impact of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) on tumor size and growth, highlighting his work with several preclinical models including pancreatic cancer and breast cancer.  Dr. Panigrahy outlines the reduction in metastases seen in preclinical cancer models, including pancreatic cancer, following treatments with various SPMs. Finally, Dr Panigrahy describes results in preclinical models showing that SPM treatment helps to clear tumor debris caused by standard of care cancer treatments. Dipak Panigrahy, MD,…

In this interview, Bruce Levy, MD describes the loss of inflammatory ‘breaking signals’ in the lung of patients with asthma. Dr. Levy highlights how this defective resolution phenotype negatively impacts both adaptive and innate immune responses in individuals with asthma, leaving them more vulnerable to infection. Bruce Levy, MD is the Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, MA and Parker B. Francis Professor at Harvard Medical School From the 16th International…

In this interview, George Kunos, MD, PhD discusses the involvement of endocannabinoid system (ECS) in regulating addiction and reward. Dr. Kunos also describes the role of CB1 receptors in regulating body weight and metabolic control, and highlights the critical differences of blocking CB1 receptors in the periphery versus the brain. George Kunos, MD, PhD is the Scientific Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health From the 16th International Conference on Bioactive…

In this interview, Cecilia Hillard, PhD discusses endocannabinoid system (ECS) signaling in depressive disorders. Dr. Hillard describes the effect of exercise on the ECS, and how this may underpin some of the benefits of exercise in patients with depression and other mood disorders. Dr. Hillard discusses emerging results in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which show a different picture, and ends with a discussion on what we know about the role that the endocannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) play…

by Noelle Patno, PhD What is lactoferrin? Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein found in most body fluids (including saliva, tears, bile, small intestine secretions, vaginal secretions, and more) and highly similar across species. First identified in bovine milk in 1939, it was later isolated from human milk in 1960 and other fluids as well as blood plasma (specifically, the immune cells called neutrophils). The highest concentration may be found in human colostrum at 8 mg/mL with breast milk levels at…

by Noelle Patno, PhD Lactoferrin (LF) has been advocated by researchers1–3 as a potential method to prevent or treat COVID-19. These recent reviews promote a hypothesis that the natural, endogenous compound which has shown antiviral capabilities for other viruses including SARS-CoV may be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well. With over 70 years since the discovery of this glycoprotein, this iron-scavenging milk protein now deserves greater attention. The current literature demonstrates that LF has many anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and even…

This is a recording of a presentation given by Dr. Noelle Patno and Dr. Jennifer Ryan in June 2020, at the “Next Gen Microbiome and Probiotics” virtual conference. This presentation includes an overview of specific microbiota, F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila, that have been described as next generation microbes and bioindicators of health. Challenges for delivering these microbiota directly as probiotic supplements are also explained. Dietary modification, prebiotics, and supplementation with specific strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are described as…

In this interview, Professor Charles Serhan, PhD, DSc describes new work highlighting the connection between specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) and the vagus nerve. Dr. Serhan reflects back at his proudest moments of his career, and on the most exciting recent developments. Finally, Dr. Serhan delivers a message on the state of resolution science today, and what is needed to advance SPM-based therapies in the future. Charles Serhan, PhD, DSc is Director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury…

As part of this conversation, Gabrielle Fredman, PhD describes what is meant by the failure of resolution, and the mechanisms that can drive this failure in atherosclerosis. Dr. Fredman ends by outlining the potential for specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) therapies in the management of vascular disease. Gabrielle Fredman, PhD is Associate Professor at Albany Medical College, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology. From the 16th International Conference on Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation and Related Diseases, October 2019 in St…