Medical News From The American Chemical Society -- April 1, 2009

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Eye Health / Blindness;  Multiple Sclerosis;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 10 Apr 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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"Magic potion" in fly spit may shoo away blinding eye disease

Researchers are reporting the first identification of a "magic potion" of proteins in the saliva of the black fly that help this blood-sucking pest spread parasites that cause "river blindness," a devastating eye-disease. A better understanding of these proteins may lead to better drugs and a vaccine for river blindness and other diseases spread by biting insects. Also known as onchocerciasis, river blindness affects more than 17 million people worldwide, particularly in rural Africa. The report appears in the current edition of ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.

In the new study, José M.C. Ribeiro and colleagues explain that the saliva of adult female black flies contains substances that mute the human body's natural defenses. This chemical cocktail makes the body more vulnerable to disease when infected flies bite into the skin. Until now, however, nobody had identified the specific chemicals involved in this devious action.

The scientists collected salivary glands from hundreds of adult female black flies and isolated the proteins using high-tech analytical gear. They identified 72 different proteins, including several new to science. These proteins could serve as the basis for developing drugs or vaccines against diseases transmitted by the black fly and other blood-sucking insects, including mosquitoes, midges, and sand flies, the researchers say. - MTS

ARTICLE: "Insight into the Sialome of the Black Fly, Simulium vittatum"

CONTACT:
José M.C. Ribeiro, M.D., Ph.D.
Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Rockville, Md. 20852

Bonanza of new oral drugs offers hope for MS patients

Years of scientific research on multiple sclerosis (MS) are showing signs of paying off, with almost a dozen potential new drugs in the final stages of clinical trials and moving toward pharmacy shelves, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. Those drugs could double the number of medications available to treat MS - which affects about 400,000 people in the United States - over the next several years.

In the article, C&EN senior editor Lisa Jarvis explains that MS is a disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, a protective coating on many nerve fibers. This attack triggers a slowly worsening host of symptoms. Twenty years ago, few effective medicines were available for these patients.

Many of the new drugs are pills rather than injectable medicines, making it easier for patients to take the medication over long periods of time. Most of the drugs ease the immune system damage to myelin or offer protection to already-damaged nerves.

ARTICLE: "Hope in a pill"

Notes:

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 154,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Source:
Michael Woods
American Chemical Society