Infection is the Fountain of Youth

Some interesting papers have been popping up on the peer-reviewed-osphere connecting innate antiviral immunity to stem cell turnover. First, a publication in Nature from Essers et al. (1) shows that interferon alpha, a critical anti-viral cytokine that is robustly induced by viral infection, re-activates dormant stem cells in the mammalian bone marrow. Second, data from Buchon et al. (2) in Cell Host and Microbe show that stem cells in the Drosophila gut are induced to proliferate following oral infection with a Gram negative bacterium. Intriguingly, the conserved Jak-Stat kinase signalling pathway is implicated in both phenomena, suggesting an ancient relationship between innate immune and stem cell regulatory pathways.

This idea of course brings up lots of interesting hard-core biological questions, but since this is the blogosphere I'll throw out the random half-assed sci-fi scenario. Could infectious agents be helping us stay young? Perhaps periodic infections with nonlethal viruses selectively purge our decrepit ageing cells, while simulatenously stimulating their replacement with fresh ones derived from newly activated stem cells. Neutropic viruses might help to prune defunct neurons and thus stave off degeneratvie diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

So, I propose a new cure for ageing. Virotherapy with benign, replication competent agents. Much more practical than 18th level magic-user Audbrey deGray's stem cell replacement. Move over StemEnhance, viral anti-ageing cream is on the way!

1. IFN-alpha activates dormant haematopoietic stem cells in vivo. Nature, 2009. Online Feb.

2. Drosophila Intestinal Response to Bacterial Infection: Activation of Host Defense and Stem Cell Proliferation. Cell Host and Microbe, 2009. Vol 5 pg 200.

Sex or chocolate?

Every year, new research comes out saying that chocolate and sex are good for your health. But for some reason it always seems like a competition, which one is better? What's the proportion of woman who will take chocolate over sex? I don't know why you have to choose, but what do we have so far....


Brain:

• Chocolate is anti-neurodegenerative, the flavonoids protect from amyloid beta-induced apoptosis.
• Sex pheromones given off by males can make the brains of female mice grow.

winner: chocolate, because no use having a big brain if you have Alzheimer's...

Blood pressure:

• Chocolate improves your aterial blood pressure a new study finds. Especially dark, non-fat non-sweet chocolate. However if you are a fan of the greasy sweet stuff, it's not all bad news either since obese people tend to recover better after a heart attack.
• Sex on the other hand is a good exercise and as such is good for your vascular health. However if you already have low blood pressure problems and you are a male you probably can't do it anyways.... In fact if you are hypertensive you may experience cephalgia and syncope, so now we know where the headache excuse comes from, it's a consequence rather than a cause....

winner: chocolate, all gain no pain.

Toxicity to pets:

• Chocolate is toxic to parrots.
• I'm not so sure about sex with you parrots. But at least between them it is safe.

winner: Sex, I think.

Pleasure:

• Chocolate tastes good, apparently even more so to woman.
• Sex feels good.

Winner: That's an easy one, because chocolate doesn't fix you a sandwich after.

Nutrition:

• "A 100 gram strip of chocolate will give you about 500 calories of energy, 8 grams of protein, 60 grams of carbohydrate, 30 grams of fat, and small amounts of calcium and iron. But the possible health benefits come from the polyphenols in chocolate, especially the largest group, called flavonoids."

• sex: I'll spare you that one.

Winner: Sex, if you include the sandwich.

So here you go folks, a scientific proof that a hummer and a sandwich beats a parrot and a chocolate bar any day of the week.