Norbest Weissman, a scientist from University of Giessen Lung Center in Germany, pointed that there was no clarity on what causes the disease and hence, no effective therapy could be worked out to reverse or stop lung destruction in emphysema. In 20 years of research, there had been no path-breaking news until now.

For a long time it was known that COPD would also mean high blood pressure in the lungs, though it was not clear whether this was a cause or trigger. The research that Norbest Weissman and his colleagues uncovered evidence that high blood pressure caused by changes in the pulmonary blood vessels set the scene for the development of emphysema. The study isolated and enzyme – iNOS or nitric oxide synthase – that induces these changes by catalyzing the formation of nitric oxide.

In other words, iNOS increases the formation nitric oxide (NO), which in normal quantity is essential for maintaining vascular health by opening up blood vessels. When in excess, however nitric oxide causes mutation of the molecule (through chemical reaction) to form peroxynitrite, which destroys lung tissue.  As Weissman said, “Simply put, peroxynitrite can modify protein functions, leading to the destruction of lung tissue.”

The finding and understanding of the role of this enzyme – iNOS – can prove immensely beneficial to human beings fighting diseases that have caused advanced lung destruction. Research showed that blocking the iNOS and/ or iNOS activity in mice protected them from COPD and changes to their lung blood vessels.  Over time, it reversed the course of the disease.

The good news here is that the iNOS inhibitor showed no side effects  in clinical trials. Weissman said that there is hope for this drug to be used in inhalation therapies to reverse damage caused to lungs by COPD.

What Are The Effects On The Personality Post Consumption Of Magic Mushroom?

The scientists who published the paper in the Journal of Psychopharmacology are from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. In their paper they pointed that no everyone would have these personality changes; only those who experienced mystic experiences after eating the mushroom (under the influence of psilocybin) were likely to have personality changes.

The personality changes include becoming more curious, more focused, more artistic and becoming more open about their feelings. Long-lasting effects were seen on only one trait of personality, i.e. openness. The researchers looked for effects on the other four traits of personality – extroversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism and agreeableness – but found none.

The immediate effects one would feel after consuming this magic mushroom are perception distortion, spiritual experiences, altered sense of time and place, altered thinking process.

What Is Psilocybin?

Psilocybin is a known psychedelic drug. In other words, this is a drug that has the capacity to alter the perception and cognitive reflexes of a person. The feeling of the affected person can be compared to that of LSD and mescaline.

This drug – psilocybin – can be found in over 200 types of mushrooms, mostly from the genus Psilocybe. The most common known and used mushroom in this genus are P. cyanescens, P. semilanceata, P.cubenis.

The magic mushrooms are normally eaten but there are instances where people have smoked them, or taken them as tea.

The Power Of Magic Mushroom Was Well Known In Ancient Times

Mayan archives have mention about this magic mushroom, where it is said that this mushroom was used in religious rituals and ceremonies. The Aztecs have left indications on various murals found in Southeast Algeria that point at the use of this mushroom as well. They used to call the magic mushroom, “teonanacati” in Nahati (Aztec language), which means “God’s flesh”.

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What motivated the research was not only the highly advanced age of this woman  at the time of death, but the fact that her body (now referred to as W115) showed no signs of vascular disease or dementia. Scientists are studying her brain, body organs and have mapped her DNA in search of answers.

The medical history of this woman reveals that she had been born prematurely and at that time there had been little hope that she would pull through. Fortunately for her and humanity, she did live a very long and healthy life. She died of stomach tumor – as revealed by post-mortem examination. She was treated successfully for breast cancer at the age of 100.

What makes this woman amazing and interesting for science is that her body did not show any signs of plaque formation in the arteries (atherosclerosis), which is normally associated with senior years – and lead to dementia. In fact, this woman underwent a neuro-psychological examination at the age of 113 when it was found that her mental capacity (alertness) was as good (if not better) as that of a 65-67 year old.

Scientists hope that W115 genome would reveal path-breaking answers on longevity and good health – especially in context of cardiovascular disease (CVD) – which is presently the top killer in the USA[2] and most parts of the world.

The major symptoms of this disease are chronic painful fatigue episodes. There is pain in abdomen and bones, often too debilitating to even move. There are medicines that attempt to ease the symptoms of sickle cell anemia, but the hope of a cure was in the last few decades sought right at molecular level where the fetal hemoglobin transforms into adult hemoglobin triggering the dysfunction.

The Role Of BCL11A In The Production Of Fetal Hemoglobin

The onset of sickle cell anemia is noted as soon as the transition from fetal hemoglobin is made to adult hemoglobin. According a report published by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) a new research study where three leading medical schools participated led by investigator Stuart H. Orkin of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) of Children’s Hospital Boston (other two participants are Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School) identified a protein by the name BCL11A, which when silenced (or switched off) can re-start the production of fetal hemoglobin and thereby counter the onset of sickle cell anemia.

A paper was published by Jian Xu, an HHMI and Helen Hay Whitney fellow revealing the role of the protein BCL11A as the primary factor in the reversing of the adult hemoglobin to fetal hemoglobin. Stuart H Orikn states, “I think we’ve demonstrated that a single protein in the cells is a target that, if interfered with, would provide enough fetal hemoglobin to make patients better.”

This protein binds to DNA and while regulating gene expression, it plays the role of a repressor that influences the reversal from adult hemoglobin to fetal hemoglobin. The good news here is that there are no toxic effects resulting from the reversal.  Hence, the patients who have higher levels of fetal hemoglobin get rid of the pain-fraught disease, without any other side effects. This is why this therapy is considered better than any available drug therapy.  Orkin points out that, “The more fetal hemoglobin you have, the better. The cell doesn’t care if it’s producing fetal hemoglobin or not.”

This scientific breakthrough might come in handy even for those who suffer from other types of blood disorders such as thalassemia major.