by Lewis Chang, PhD Introduction “Damned if I don’t get more tired every day. Tired of what I do. Following arcs, like lobbed rocks. The inevitability of truth. But the complexity and the grey lie not in the truth, but what you do with the truth once you have it.”—Detective Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig, in the 2019 film Knives Out) The current pandemic is not showing any sign of slowing in the US and many parts of the…

by Milene Brownlow, PhD Overview We are beginning to understand the wide-ranging impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on multiple facets of life. The outbreak that started late in 2019 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and sent most of the world’s population into confinement. Beyond healthcare, this pandemic has drastically altered life as we know it. Originally presented in the form of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China, it has since been determined that…

by Christopher Moulton, PhD With what seems to be breakneck speed, the world continues to learn about the myriad manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although much attention has been paid to the hallmark respiratory dysfunction in COVID-19, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the virus can target multiple organ systems, including the central nervous system. Although coronaviruses (including SARS-Cov-2) typically manifest as respiratory illnesses, neurological complications including neuropathy, delirium, and acute cerebrovascular events were seen in the recent 21st century SARS-CoV-1 and MERS…

As the current pandemic rages on, several hundred clinical trials are recruiting and ongoing hoping to identify efficacious antiviral and anti-inflammatory strategies. In a new commentary published in the journal Cancer Metastasis and Reviews (Springer Nature publishing group),1 a group of prominent researchers proposed a promising, complementary direction worthy of consideration: targeting inflammation resolution. Who contributed to this commentary? The article was led by Dipak Panigrahy, MD, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Harvard Medical School, who has had…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Introduction Fun fact: Just like us humans, oysters have a sense of hearing and dislike noises. Researchers from France and Morocco conducted an experiment by exposing oysters (in this case, Pacific oysters; n=16) to different noises emitted from underwater loudspeakers and recorded shell movements using sensors attached to the shells. Within a minute these shellfish would shut their shells, particularly when hearing low-frequency noises.1 Food fact: Oysters have the highest amount of the mineral zinc per…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP, USMC Veteran Introduction SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) began its destructive path in China in late 2019 and spread, quite literally, across the globe at speeds faster than most could have ever imagined. Worldwide, the COVID-19 virus has left (at the time of this writing) over 190,000 people dead, and nearly 2.7 million infected based on the limited testing that most countries have employed. And the trajectory of the global curve is still uncertain. The fight is real,…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Introduction A quick search on ClinicalTrials.gov identified, as of this writing, 58 quercetin-related clinical intervention studies that are currently ongoing (19) or have been completed (39). Diverse health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, endothelial dysfunction, dyslipidemia, stroke, hepatitis C, acid reflux, inflammation, and oxidative stress, are the subject of interest. And in recent days quercetin’s role in immune health is getting a lot of attention as well. So what exactly is…

by Michael Stanclift, ND Introduction While vaccines and targeted therapies are in development for the treatment of COVID-19, some researchers are looking to known natural molecules as therapeutic agents. Two promising treatments for COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, are derivatives of naturally occurring substances. Some researchers are interested in a compound from green tea with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Chemists looking at computer models of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 believe epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea will have high…

by Lewis Chang, PhD What is cytokine storm? Cytokines are a diverse group of polypeptides secreted by cells that have numerous physiological functions, including regulation of inflammatory and immune responses. The rapid response of our highly complex immune system against pathogens or cellular damage is vital for maintaining homeostasis and health. Cytokine storm refers to a situation in which the protective immune response goes out of control, leading to unregulated release of excessive amounts of cytokines that spill into systemic…

COVID-19 April 6, 2020 Update On April 2nd, the number of COVID-19 cases reached 1 million worldwide. The US currently has over 300,000 reported cases, more than any other country in the world. Amid the uncertainty around the pandemic, the US is also learning so much more about the novel coronavirus. Epidemiologists and infectious disease experts recently published what they had learned based on existing data in JAMA Viewpoint. Below are some of the highlights.1 How does SARS-CoV-2 spread? The…