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  • How COVID-19 sets off ravaging inflammation in some people

    April 16, 2022 /

    By Roberta Attanasio Back in March 2020, Jane Brody wrote in The New York Times “While most people focus, as they should, on social distancing, face coverings, hand washing and even self-isolation to protect against the deadly coronavirus now ravaging the country, too few are paying serious attention to two other factors critically important to the risk of developing a Covid-19 infection and its potential severity. Those factors are immunity, which should be boosted, and inflammation, which should be suppressed.” However, major efforts were already underway at that time not only to develop a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, but also to understand how the virus triggers a blizzard of uncontrolled inflammatory immune…

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    April 30, 2013
  • A new way of thinking about ice packs for sore muscles

    April 18, 2021 /

    By Roberta Attanasio We all know ice packs—many of us reach for them soon after an injury to reduce pain or inflammation. Think of strained muscles, sprained ankles, and so on. But is this the right approach to accelerate healing? A 2019 article from The Washington Post states: “Today, ice packs have become as ubiquitous as aspirin—they’re a fixture in every athletic training facility and sold in drugstores throughout the country. Cold baths and ice tubs have also become one of sport’s most popular recovery aids. Nearly every high school, college and pro trainer’s room has at least one ice tub, and over the last 10 or 15 years they’ve…

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    Small Predator Diversity Plays a Significant Role in the Spread of Infectious Diseases

    March 23, 2015

    Food Additives, Microbiota, and Inflammation

    March 27, 2015

    Breast Cancer: Prevention is Better than Cure

    November 4, 2013
  • Childhood Asthma and Traffic-Related Air Pollution

    October 15, 2019 /

    By Roberta Attanasio “I explain it to people like you are breathing through a coffee stirrer straw, and you just can’t get enough breath. The attacks can happen so quickly and out of nowhere, so I feel like I’m really not in control of my own body. Not being able to breathe in and out the way my body is designed to do is quite scary” says one of the 19 million adults who currently have asthma in the US. Asthma is a chronic disorder that causes swelling and inflammation in the lungs—the airways narrow and produce extra mucus, making breathing difficult and causing coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing,…

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    Carbon Dioxide Fertilization Effect and Greening of Deserts

    July 13, 2013

    Ozone, Plants and Heat Waves: Team Players in Adverse Health Effects

    July 23, 2013

    Cooking and Indoor Air Pollution

    January 3, 2014
  • Food Additives, Microbiota, and Inflammation

    March 27, 2015 /

    By Roberta Attanasio “For centuries, additives have served useful functions in a variety of foods. Our ancestors used salt to preserve meats and fish, added herbs and spices to improve the flavor of foods, preserved fruit with sugar, and pickled cucumbers in a vinegar solution. Today, consumers demand and enjoy a food supply that is flavorful, nutritious, safe, convenient, colorful and affordable. Food additives and advances in technology help make that possible.” But, are food additives safe? Results from a recent study show that some food additives known as emulsifiers can alter the composition and location of the gut microbiota — the diverse population of 100 trillion bacteria that inhabit…

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    Neil Young, Monsanto, Starbucks, and “The Monsanto Years”

    June 18, 2015

    Chlorovirus ATCV-1, a Green Algae Virus, May Slow Human Brain Activity

    November 3, 2014

    Climate Change, Parasite Infections, and Immune Responses

    March 6, 2016
  • E-Cigarettes and Vaping May Cause Lung Damage and Impaired Immune Responses

    February 14, 2015 /

    By Roberta Attanasio A few months ago, Oxford Dictionaries announced “vape” as its international Word of the Year 2014 – language research conducted by their editors revealed that its use in 2014 had more than doubled compared to 2013 (and increased by 30-fold since 2012), mostly because of the rapidly growing popularity of electronic cigarettes and the expanding debate over their safety. Although e-cigarettes are portrayed as devices that can help adult smokers quit while providing a safe alternative to tobacco smoking, mounting evidence shows that these devices may cause considerable harm. Indeed, about two weeks ago, California health officials said that e-cigarettes represent a rising public-health risk that threaten…

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    Central Asia Large Mammals: Victims of (Cashmere) Fashion

    August 16, 2013

    Farmed Salmon Develop Ear Deformities All Around the World

    May 31, 2016

    Genetically Modified Crops: Caterpillars versus Aphids

    November 17, 2013
  • Inflammation Drives Susceptibility to Anxiety and Depression

    November 28, 2014 /

    By Roberta Attanasio Stress and anxiety are part of life — but while a little bit of stress (good stress) may keep us active and alert, and sometimes even motivate us, the long-term type (bad stress) can have negative effects on our health.  Elevated blood pressure and heart disease are just some examples of the so-called “stress-related diseases”. In addition, chronic stress increases the risk of developing depression. Scientists have known for many years that stress, anxiety and depression are linked to the inflammatory response — our first line of defense against infectious microbes. The link is provided by some of the chemical messengers, or cytokines, involved in this response.…

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    Sex Differences in the Immune Response to Vaccines

    February 11, 2014

    Tuberculosis in China: A Success Story for a Global Problem

    March 22, 2014

    Food-Borne Parasites: The “Top Ten” List

    July 1, 2014
  • Chlorovirus ATCV-1, a Green Algae Virus, May Slow Human Brain Activity

    November 3, 2014 /

    By Roberta Attanasio Chlorella viruses, or chloroviruses, infect green algae, single-celled organisms present throughout the world in freshwater ecosystems such as lakes and ponds. Now, it seems that chlorovirues also infect humans, causing changes in cognitive functions — the processes by which information is perceived, registered, stored, retrieved, and used. In other words, chloroviruses influence the ability to acquire and use knowledge. These novel findings — published on line in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (October 27, 2014) — confirm that viruses may be able to jump from one kingdom (plants) to another (animals), something that has been shown only in very few instances.  For the study…

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    Climate Change: Influence on the Spread of Lyme Disease

    March 30, 2014

    Global Threats: The Alarming Rise of Antibiotic Resistance

    May 2, 2014

    The Global Travels of Chikungunya Virus: Is it Coming to You?

    March 30, 2015
  • Sex Differences in the Immune Response to Vaccines

    February 11, 2014 /

    By Roberta Attanasio Women and men respond differently to infectious microbes and vaccines – it is said, indeed, that the immune system of women is stronger than the immune system of men. Stronger or weaker, one thing is certain – men and women are not the same in terms of immune response. A few years ago, the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases published “ The Xs and Y of immune responses to viral vaccines” – a comprehensive article that clearly shows how the biological differences between sexes influence the immune response to vaccines, as for example the influenza, yellow fever and hepatitis vaccines. There are not many published studies on the…

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    Climate Change, Parasite Infections, and Immune Responses

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    Air Pollution: The Most Widespread Environmental Carcinogen

    October 19, 2013

    Asthma in Children: Effects of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Particles

    October 12, 2013
  • Asthma in Children: Effects of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Particles

    October 12, 2013 /

    By The Editors Diesel exhaust particles are one of the major components of air pollution. These particles are suspended in the air, and are microscopic — less than one-fifth the thickness of a human hair. As we breathe, they are drawn deep into the lungs. Because diesel-powered engines are everywhere, it is almost impossible to avoid them. People that live and work in urban and industrial areas are more likely to be exposed. Combined results from many epidemiological, clinical, and toxicological studies show that diesel exhaust particles are associated with respiratory disorders, as for example severe asthma. It is not surprising that children are especially susceptible to the effects of these…

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    Carbon Dioxide Fertilization Effect and Greening of Deserts

    July 13, 2013

    Fine Particulate Matter: The Global Toll

    October 18, 2013

    Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollutants: Links to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    April 11, 2015
  • Anthropogens: Inducers of Chronic Inflammation and Degenerative Diseases

    September 7, 2013 /

    By Roberta Attanasio Injuries and infections are facts of life, and we need to deal with them. Thus, it’s not surprising we have developed efficient and magnificent sets of mechanisms that defend us from whatever is perceived as a danger, for example micro-organisms and irritant substances. Inflammation (or inflammatory response) is one of these sets of mechanisms, and not only — inflammation is our first line of defense, as well as the process that leads to repair of the damaged tissue. When the need arises, the inflammatory response stages a battle that results in the classical four signs of inflammation — swelling, redness, heat and pain — with the final…

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    June 23, 2015

    Air Pollution: The Most Widespread Environmental Carcinogen

    October 19, 2013

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