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Genetic clue into peanut allergy Peanut ButterResearchers have discovered a new gene associated with peanut allergy, giving them a greater understanding into the genetic component of food allergic reactions and even eventually helping them to diagnose children at risk, according to an article in the Institute of Food Technologists newsletter. Peanut allergy is the result of both genes and the environment, says Denise Daley, associate professor of medicine at the University o...f British Columbia, and a corresponding author of the study. The findings in the recently published study give the researchers new insights into the gene’s role as a genetic risk factor for peanut allergy and in modifying gene expression in response to environmental exposures. The study was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Previously published research shows that the gene, c11orf30/EMSY, is involved in other allergic conditions such as asthma, hay fever, and eczema, and the new study’s results show that the gene is associated with a food allergy, in this case peanut allergy, says Daley. The results also show that there is a common set of genes that predispose a person to an allergic phenotype, but which one (or more than one) is expressed (i.e., peanut allergy, asthma, eczema, etc.) may be dependent on exposure early in life, she adds. The next step in the research that will build on the knowledge learned about the gene c11orf30/EMSY, says Daley, will involve investigating if the process by which genes are turned on or turned off (methylation) is different in individuals who have peanut allergy versus those who do not

Anna Resurreccion says: The Institute of Food Technologists Newsletter published the story that Scientists created broccoli extract that kills cancer cells. Read about it here: A team of scientists in the department of biochemistry at National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine have engineered a concoction made from bacteria and broccoli that finds and destroys colorectal cancer cells. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts contain ...plant compounds that have anticancer properties when they are broken down. However, it is unclear how effective those compounds are after they enter the human digestive system. Scientists at National University of Singapore’s school of medicine found a way to improve the bioavailability of the anticancer plant compounds in broccoli by combining them with a type of bacteria normally present in the colon: Escherichia coli Nissle. We programmed E. coli Nissle to enable colorectal cancer cell-binding so that the reprogrammed E. coli can specifically recognize and localize on the surface of tumors, says Matthew Wook Chang, an associate professor at National University of Singapore and a co-author of the study explaining the discovery. Furthermore, we included in the E. coli the ability to produce an enzyme from horseradish to convert a dietary compound from cruciferous plants to an anticancer compound. The enzyme converts glucosinolates in broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables) to sulphoraphane, which is known to have anticancer activity. Chang and his research colleagues showed that the engineered cocktail could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells in vitro. The microbial cells are able to recognize cancer biomarkers and localize on the surface of cancer/dysplastic tissue. Following this binding, the produced enzyme facilitates the conversion of the dietary compound around the cancer site to enhance availability of the anticancer compound, thus increasing absorption of the anticancer compound by the cancer tissue. Consequently, the proliferative cancer cells undergo cell-cycle arrest, inhibiting the cancer growth. The anticancer compound also increases pro-apoptotic factors and decreases anti-apoptotic factors, hence encouraging the cancer cells to naturally perish, Chang explains. Chang says that the engineered cocktail could be used to help reduce the risk of colorectal development in high-risk populations. These probiotic cells could be ingested as a supplement or a drink, which could allow the probiotic cells to monitor the state of the gut and target cancer cells in their early stages, Chang concludes

Anna Resurreccion posts an article from the Institute of Food Technologists Newsletter on BRAIN FOGGINESS or IMPAIRED COGNITION IS FOUND RELATED TO PROBIOTICS. New research associates probiotics with brain fogginess A team of health professionals at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has published research that documents a link between brain fogginess and probiotic use. What happens, explains Dr. Satish S. C. Rao, professor of medicine and director of the D...Continue reading

The chemopreventive benefits of Reseveratrol have been studied and published. Resveratrol is a compound found in wine, grapes, and peanut skins. Recent animal studies have shown cancer inhibitory activity in a number of models, including adenoma, skin, breast, colon, esophagus, glioma, intestinal, liver, and neuroblastoma. Biomarkers are known. Dietary administration is feasible.