Fighting blindness, Ozempic saves (again) and targets lung cancer: MediCLE

CLEVELAND, Ohio – This week in Cleveland Medical News … A new tool in the fight against blindness, yet another benefit of the weight loss drug Ozempic, and the ban on toxic alcohol additives , Plus OSU scientists are focusing on the lungs of the non-small cell. cancer

To save cells, to save vision

An assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, he hopes to provide the first oral treatment for the genetic disease retinitis pigmentosa.

RP causes blindness when cells in the retina that respond to light – called photoreceptors – die. It can be caused by various genetic changes, many of which have no treatment.

The researchers say, the new treatment protects the vulnerable cells of the retina by blocking a certain protein that causes them to die. This protein is common among the various genetic mutations that cause RP and other brain diseases, so it may be a cure for many types of genetic blindness as well as other brain diseases. brain diseases such as ALS or Alzheimer’s disease where the cell death is a brain disease. the main driver of symptoms.

Ozempic to the rescue, too?

If you have been following the news about the weight loss drug Ozempic, you know that it not only helps people lose weight permanently with few side effects, but it has also been shown to there are many other benefits such as reducing. inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease, improve kidney function, and even help with infertility.

And now it has been shown to help people stop drinking. I mean, excuse me, but is there anything this drug can’t do?

The study found that compared to other anti-obesity medications, semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, was associated with a 50%-56% lower risk for developing and returning to alcohol use disorder. in patients who were followed for more than a year. .

The findings come from a new study led by Case Western Reserve University and published in the journal Nature Communications.

OSU’s research focuses on non-small cell lung cancer

Ohio State University researchers are using the body’s natural defenses to kill lung cancer cells.

By understanding how cells naturally repair DNA damage, researchers hope to disrupt this process in cancer cells, making them more susceptible to treatment.

OSU researchers have found that by inhibiting one of these chemicals, called checkpoint kinase 1, and combining it with parts of the body’s antioxidant system, they are more effective at killing small cancer cells. of the lungs.

The combination of proteins makes cancer cells more susceptible to treatment, the researchers said. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

Just say no to BVO

The US Food and Drug Administration last week announced its decision to ban brominated vegetable oils from being used in food products.

Brominated vegetable oil is vegetable oil that has been modified with bromine. It is used as an emulsifier in sodas and citrus-flavored drinks to keep the flavor distributed throughout the drink.

As Gretchen reports, the ban, which will begin on August 2, has been a long time coming. It was first banned in the UK more than 20 years ago, and has since been removed from food products in many other countries, including EU countries, Japan and India. However, despite concerns about its safety, it remained in use in the US after the FDA deemed it safe for human consumption.

Recently, studies have shown that BVO has damaged the thyroid of rats that eat it, the FDA has changed its decision, concluding that BVO is no longer considered safe for food.

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