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 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…

by Milene Brownlow, PhD Nutritional psychiatry is a rapidly growing medical field studying the connection between the role food and diet quality plays in  how we feel.1 We intuitively understand the body-mind connection and how it affects our day-to-day. We get butterflies in our stomach when nervous, our heart races when we are excited, and our mindset quickly goes south when we have digestive problems. This connection has led researchers to investigate lifestyle modifications that may optimize mental and cognitive…

Chemicals used in food packaging that can lower antibody responses in humans will be phased out starting in 2021. JAMA reported on the FDA announcement that several manufacturing companies have agreed to a voluntary phase-out per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used to keep fats from soaking into paper and cardboard food packaging.1 These chemicals are immunotoxic to humans and animals, harming the immune system directly.2 Their effects range from a mild reduction in antibody response levels (measured from…

In this Grand Rounds presentation, Niccolò Terrando, PhD shares scientific research on the role of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) in perioperative neurocognitive disorders. Dr. Terrando uses a preclinical mouse model to study postoperative neuroinflammation and elucidate the impact of SPMs in neuroglia activity and modulating memory.

by Michael Stanclift, ND Introduction Many clinicians who know andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) know its anticancer properties; however, its antimicrobial mechanisms have recently caught researchers’ eyes.1-3 Andrographis has been used for its medicinal benefits in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for centuries, mostly for effects related to infections and/or the immune system.1,3 Based on computer models, some researchers hypothesize andrographolide, a major bioactive compound of andrographis, might have a role in the current COVID-19 pandemic.2,3 Andrographis demonstrates antiviral activity against a…