Nattokinase Dissolves Fibrinaloid Microclots
University of Liverpool (UK), April 18, 2024 (BioRxiv)
Post-acute sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection (long COVID) and after COVID-19 vaccination are characterized by micro blood clotting . The work of Scheim et al suggests the majority of syndromes in both cases are due to Spike protein mediated hemagglutination and then the development of small clots that serve the major organs in the body.
Nattokinase, from the Japanese fermented food natto, is a protease with fibrinolytic activity that can thus degrade conventional blood clots.
In some cases, however, including in Long COVID, fibrinogen can polymerise into an anomalous amyloid form to create clots that are resistant to normal fibrinolysis and that we refer to as fibrinaloid microclots.
The study shows that recombinant nattokinase is effective at degrading the fibrinaloid microclots in vitro. This adds to the otherwise largely anecdotal evidence, that we review, that nattokinase might be anticipated to have value as part of therapeutic treatments for individuals with Long COVID and related disorders that involve fibrinaloid microclots.
Protecting brain cells with cannabinol: Research suggests CBN shows promise for treating neurological disorders
Salk Institute, April 18, 2024 (Medical Xpress)
One in every 10 individuals above the age of 65 develops an age-related neurological disorder like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, yet treatment options remain sparse for this population. Scientists have begun exploring whether cannabinoids—compounds derived from the cannabis plant, like well-known THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol)—may offer a solution. A third, lesser-known cannabinoid called CBN (cannabinol) has recently piqued the interest of researchers, who have begun exploring the clinical potential of the milder, less psychoactive substance.
In a new study, scientists at the Salk Institute help explain how CBN protects the brain against aging and neurodegeneration, then use their findings to develop potential therapeutics. The researchers created four CBN compounds that were more neuroprotective than the standard CBN molecule
The findings, published in Redox Biology, suggest promise for CBN in treating neurological disorders like traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, and also highlight how further studies of CBN's effects on the brain could inspire the development of new therapies for clinical use.
Research explores how a father’s diet could shape the health of his offspring
University of Sydney (Australia) April 16, 2024
New research, published in Nature Communications, finds that the macronutrient balance in the diet of male mice affects the level of anxiety-like behaviour of sons and the metabolic health of daughters.
The research provides a step towards understanding how the effect of diet can transmit from one generation to the next via a father’s sperm. It could ultimately inform dietary guidelines for fathers-to-be, with the goal of lowering the risk of metabolic disease and mood disorders in the next generation.
At the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre in Australia researchers fed male mice one of ten diets differing in the proportions of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, then allowed them to mate with females reared on standard diet. The behaviour and physiology of the resulting pups were then studied.
The scientists discovered that male mice fed low protein and high carbohydrate diets were more likely to have male offspring with higher levels of anxiety, as measured by time spent in the safety zones of their maze. They also found that male mice that were fed high fat diets were more likely to have daughters with higher levels of body fat and markers of metabolic disease.
“Our study shows that the type of diet eaten before conception can program specific characteristics of the next generation,” says co-senior author and leader of the GECKO consortium Professor Romain Barrès, from the University of Copenhagen and Université Côte d’Azur, Nice.
