Liver cancer rates increase in each successive generation of Mexican Americans, study finds

The research, led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC, analyzed risk for the disease across more than 30,000 Mexican Americans, finding third-generation Mexican Americans 66% more likely to get liver cancer than the first generation.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC

In the United States, liver cancer rates have more than tripled since 1980. Some groups, including Latinos, face an even higher risk than the general population—but researchers do not fully understand why.

A study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, funded by the National Cancer Institute, has shed new light on those disparities. Researchers found that among Mexican Americans, liver cancer risk rises the longer a person’s family has lived in the U.S. That increased risk primarily affected men. The findings were just published in the journal Cancer.

“With each successive generation, we’re seeing an increased risk of liver cancer. When we look more closely at this trend, the numbers are significant,” said lead author Veronica Wendy Setiawan, PhD, a professor of population and public health sciences and the Jane and Kris Popovich Chair in Cancer Research at the Keck School of Medicine.

Setiawan and her colleagues analyzed data on first-, second- and third-generation Mexican Americans. Compared to the first generation, second-generation Mexican Americans were 37% more likely to develop liver cancer and third-generation Mexican Americans were 66% more likely to get the disease.

Metabolic syndrome (which includes obesity and diabetes) and lifestyle factors, such as an increase in alcohol consumption and smoking in later generations, can explain some—but not all—of the increased risk. More research is needed to understand what other factors are linked to the rise in liver cancer cases.

“The Mexican American population is growing, but there’s so little research that focuses on this group,” said Setiawan, who is also co-leader of the Cancer Epidemiology Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. “So, there’s a lot that we still don’t know.”

Unexplained disparities

The researchers studied 31,377 Mexican Americans who were part of the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a collaboration between USC and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. First-generation participants were born in Mexico; second-generation participants were born in the U.S. with one or both parents born in Mexico; and third-generation participants were born in the U.S. along with both of their parents.

Across all generations, 213 participants developed liver cancer. Compared to the first generation, second- and third-generation Mexican Americans faced a 37% and 66% increased risk, respectively. Researchers believe the increased risk may primarily affect men because they tend to have more risk factors related to disease than women.

The researchers controlled for a number of factors that could influence a person’s risk of developing liver cancer, including higher rates of alcohol and cigarette use, as well as higher average body mass index. They also accounted for neighborhood-level factors that can influence cancer risk, including socioeconomic status and living in an “ethnic enclave,” a geographic area with many residents of a single ethnicity.

“After we adjust for those factors that are different across generations, we still see these higher risks,” Setiawan said. “That tells us that this is an important population to study further.”

An ongoing search for answers

Further research on lifestyle and neighborhood factors, including data on diet, education and environmental exposures, can help researchers continue to explain the ethnic disparities in liver cancer risk. That knowledge can ultimately support targeted prevention efforts to protect high-risk populations from developing the disease, Setiawan said.

She and her colleagues have also received funding from the National Institutes of Health to recruit approximately 2,000 Latino participants across Los Angeles Country with fatty liver disease, one potential precursor of liver cancer. They will perform ultrasound scans to track liver health over time and collect detailed information about diet and other aspects of health to get a clearer picture of how the disease progresses.

About this research

In addition to Setiawan, the study's other authors are Nicholas Acuna and Christopher A. Haiman from the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC; Kali Zhou from the Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine of USC; Tiffany Lim from the Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Keck School of Medicine of USC; Paulo S. Pinheiro from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine; Iona Cheng and Salma Shariff-Marco from the Hellen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco; and Lynn R. Wilkens and Loïc Le Marchand from the Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center.

This work is supported by the National Cancer Institute [U01CA164973, R01CA228589, R01CA154644].

JOURNAL

Cancer

DOI

10.1002/cncr.35000 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

ARTICLE TITLE

Increasing risk of hepatocellular carcinoma with successive generations in the US among Mexican American adults: The Multiethnic Cohort

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Nov-2023

COI STATEMENT

Kali Zhou reports institutional grant support from Gilead Sciences.

 

Coastal river deltas threatened by more than climate change

Peer-Reviewed Publication

LUND UNIVERSITY

 

Worldwide, coastal river deltas are home to more than half a billion people, supporting fisheries, agriculture, cities, and fertile ecosystems. In a unique study covering 49 deltas globally, researchers from Lund University and Utrecht University have identified the most critical risks to deltas in the future. The research shows that deltas face multiple risks, and that population growth and poor environmental governance might pose bigger threats than climate change to the sustainability of Asian and African deltas, in particular.

“We can clearly show that many risks are not linked to climate. While climate change is a global problem, other important risk factors like land subsidence, population density and ineffective governance are local problems. Risks to deltas will only increase over time, so now is the time for governments to take action”, says Murray Scown, associate senior lecturer, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, and lead author.

Collapse of delta environments could have huge consequences for global sustainable development. In the worst-case scenario, deltas could be lost to the sea; other consequences are flooding, salinization of water, which affects agriculture, coastal squeeze, and loss of ecosystems.

The study, published in Global Environmental Change, looked at five different IPCC scenarios for global development in 49 deltas all over the world, including famous deltas such as the Nile, Mekong, and Mississippi, but also more understudied deltas such as the Volta, Zambezi and Irrawaddy deltas. The research identifies possible risks to deltas stretching 80 years into the future. The researchers based their analysis on 13 well-known factors affecting risk in deltas and drew upon unique models to identify which of these risks are most likely to endanger different deltas in the future. Risk factors include increasing population density, urban development, irrigated agriculture, changes to river discharge, land subsidence and relative sea-level rise, limited economic capacity, poor government effectiveness, and low adaptation readiness.

Population density, land subsidence and ineffective governance are high risk factors

The analysis shows that there are some risks that are more critical to deltas than others – in all of the five future scenarios. These include land subsidence and relative sea-level rise, population density, ineffective governance, economic capacity, and crop land use. 

For some deltas, physical risks are especially pronounced. Land subsidence is, for example, the highest risk factor for the Mekong delta in Vietnam. Extreme sea levels are among the most concerning risk factors for deltas in China, on the Korean peninsula, and in the Colorado (Mexico) and Rhine (Netherlands) deltas. 

In the Nile (Egypt), Niger (Nigeria), and the Ganges (Bangladesh) deltas, it is increasing population density that is of most concern under certain scenarios. For other deltas, it is the lack of economic capacity and government effectiveness to manage risks, for example in the Irrawaddy (Myanmar) and Congo (Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo) deltas. 

“Analysed all together, we can see that the Asian mega-deltas are at greatest risk, with potentially devastating consequences for millions of people, and for the environment. They are under pressure from population growth, intense agricultural land use, relative sea-level rise, and lagging adaptation readiness”, says Murray Scown.

Local and global approaches and a mixture of hard and soft adaptation can mitigate risks 

“Instead of sitting back, governments need to think long-term, and put plans in place to reduce or mitigate risks. In the Mekong delta, for example, the Vietnamese government are making strong efforts to restrict future groundwater extraction in the delta to reduce land subsidence and salinization”, says Philip Minderhoud, assistant professor at Wageningen University and Research.

The researchers highlight that a mixture of hard (“grey”) and soft (“green”) adaptation approaches will be required to manage and mitigate delta risks. They include both hard infrastructures, like sea walls to stop the sea inundating the delta, and soft approaches using nature-based solutions. One example is the Dutch experience of creating room for the river in the Rhine delta, by lowering floodplains, relocating levees, and using spaces that are allowed to flood for grazing. Initiatives to build up delta surfaces by allowing rivers to flood and deposit sediment on the delta to maintain elevation above sea level are also promising, notes Frances Dunn, assistant professor at Utrecht University.

“By looking at the deltas together, like we have in this study, we want to highlight what can happen on a global scale if we do not address delta risk both on a local and global level. The study can also complement studies on individual deltas, and identify efforts needed connected to less studied deltas such as the Saõ Francisco or Volta delta”, says Maria Santos, professor at the University of Zurich.

---

JOURNAL

Global Environmental Change

DOI

10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102736 

ARTICLE TITLE

Global change scenarios in coastal river deltas and their sustainable development implications

 

Why do some people get headaches from drinking red wine?

Not everyone feels fine after red wine, and a flavanol may be the culprit

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - DAVIS

A red wine may pair nicely with the upcoming Thanksgiving meal. But for some people, drinking red wine even in small amounts causes a headache. Typically, a “red wine headache” can occur within 30 minutes to three hours after drinking as little as a small glass of wine.

What in wine causes headaches?

In a new study, scientists at the University of California, Davis, examined why this happens – even to people who don’t get headaches when drinking small amounts of other alcoholic beverages. Researchers think that a flavanol found naturally in red wines can interfere with the proper metabolism of alcohol and can lead to a headache. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The headache culprit: Quercetin, a flavanol

This flavanol is called quercetin and it is naturally present in all kinds of fruits and vegetables, including grapes. It’s considered a healthy antioxidant and is even available in supplement form. But when metabolized with alcohol, it can be problematic.

“When it gets in your bloodstream, your body converts it to a different form called quercetin glucuronide,” said wine chemist and corresponding author Andrew Waterhouse, professor emeritus with the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. “In that form, it blocks the metabolism of alcohol.”

Acetaldehyde toxin buildup leads to flushing, headache, nausea

As a result, people can end up accumulating the toxin acetaldehyde, explains lead author Apramita Devi, postdoctoral researcher with the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.

“Acetaldehyde is a well-known toxin, irritant and inflammatory substance,” said Devi. “Researchers know that high levels of acetaldehyde can cause facial flushing, headache and nausea.”

The medication disulfiram prescribed to alcoholics to prevent them from drinking causes these same symptoms. Waterhouse said that’s because the drug also causes the toxin to build up in the body when normally an enzyme in the body would break it down. About 40% of the East Asian population also has an enzyme that doesn’t work very well, allowing acetaldehyde to build up in their system.

“We postulate that when susceptible people consume wine with even modest amounts of quercetin, they develop headaches, particularly if they have a preexisting migraine or another primary headache condition,” said co-author Morris Levin, professor of neurology and director of the Headache Center at the University of California, San Francisco. “We think we are finally on the right track toward explaining this millennia-old mystery.  The next step is to test it scientifically on people who develop these headaches, so stay tuned.”

Sunlight increases headache-causing flavanol in grapes

Waterhouse said levels of this flavanol can vary dramatically in red wine.

“Quercetin is produced by the grapes in response to sunlight,” Waterhouse said. “If you grow grapes with the clusters exposed, such as they do in the Napa Valley for their cabernets, you get much higher levels of quercetin. In some cases, it can be four to five times higher.”

Levels of quercetin can also differ depending on how the wine is made, including skin contact during fermentation, fining processes and aging.

Clinical trial on wine headaches

Scientists will next compare red wines that contain a lot of quercetin with those that have very little to test their theory about red wine headaches on people. This small human clinical trial, funded by the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, will be led by UCSF.

Researchers said there are still many unknowns about the causes of red wine headaches. It’s unclear why some people seem more susceptible to them than others. Researchers don’t know if the enzymes of people who suffer from red wine headaches are more easily inhibited by quercetin or if this population is just more easily affected by the buildup of the toxin acetaldehyde.

“If our hypothesis pans out, then we will have the tools to start addressing these important questions,” Waterhouse said.

Funding for this initial investigation came from people who supported the project via 2022 Crowdfund UC Davis.

---

JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Inhibition of ALDH2 by Quercetin Glucuronide Suggests a New Hypothesis to Explain Red Wine Headaches

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Nov-2023-

COWABUNGA

Mental health of surfers creates US$1trillion wave for economy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

New research led by Griffith University on Australia’s Gold Coast and Andrés Bello University in Chile, has shown that surfing contributes about US$1 trillion a year to the global economy, by improving the mental health of surfers.   

For the Gold Coast alone, the research team estimated the benefits to be valued at ~US$1.0–3.3 billion per year. Mental health benefits from surfing comprise 57–74% of the total economic benefits of surfing. The mental health benefits are 4.4–13.5 times direct expenditure by surfers, and 4–12 times economic effects via property and inbound tourism.  

The research has been published in the Nature portfolio journal, NPJ Ocean Sustainability.   

Why look at surfing as a mental health cost saver? 

Professor Emeritus Ralf Buckley, from Griffith University’s School of Environment and Science, said the study’s aim was to estimate the large-scale economic value of mental health benefits across the entire representative population of individuals who took part in recreational surfing, which is a similar approach Professor Buckley has adopted in previous estimates for visitors to national parks. 

Mental health benefits may differ in degree, from occasional to frequent surfers. Outcomes may sometimes be perceived as negative, with injuries and overcrowding as principal causes. As with many thrill+skill adventure activities, surfing can act as a behavioural addiction: at least some surfers suffer substantial withdrawal symptoms if deprived of surf. 

“The reason why there are such big numbers in the value of recreational activities like surfing for mental health benefits is that for almost every kind of job, you have to pay attention: for safety, skill, service, or decisions,” Professor Buckley said. 

“If you are stressed and not paying proper attention, your job performance suffers, and that costs money for your employer or your business. 

“Outdoor activities such as surfing reduce stress, as long as you can get a few good waves. Surfing has a powerful psychological effect and that has a substantial value.” 

Why study the Gold Coast? 

Professor Buckley said that for economic valuations, mental health benefits acquired via surfing may also lead to large-scale lifestyle choices, such as residential location and work preferences, and these can create secondary economic effects, e.g., via property prices. 

“The economic value of surf amenities also overlaps with beach amenities more broadly,” Professor Buckley said.  

“Taking all these factors into account, we estimated the mental health value of surfing for our case study site, the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.  

“The Gold Coast is a beach tourist destination, and its economy is driven largely by real estate, tourism, and trade and professional services such as building, healthcare and education.  

“Its 2023 resident population is estimated at ~732,000. In 2008, there were 65,000–120,000 surfers.  

“Surfer numbers have doubled over the past 5 years, so we can estimate >130,000 surfers currently.  

“The mean number of beach visits per capita in Australia is 6 per year. The mean number of surf sessions per Gold Coast surfer is reported at ~100/year.” 

How do you calculate the mental health value of surfing? 

“The economics are straightforward,” Professor Buckley said.  

“We simply took existing health economics calculations for parks and greenspace and applied them to surfing.” 

Professor Buckley and co-author Dr Mary-Ann Cooper from Andrés Bello University in Chile, triangulated the economic value of mental health benefits from surfing using the two different estimation methods currently available. 

Using the productivity + healthcare estimation method, if surfing reduces stress from high to low levels, it creates an estimated ~10% improvement in per capita workplace productivity, plus ~10% reduction in costs of mental healthcare. The Australian mean per capita GDP is ~$45,500, and mental healthcare costs are~10% of GDP4.  

The value of that stress reduction via surfing is estimated at ~$5000 per person per year. Surfing therefore contributes an estimated ~$0.65–2.10 billion per year via surfer mental health benefits.  

This can be injected directly into the Gold Coast economy via both employment and healthcare.  

Where to from here? 

Professor Buckley said this study provided an approximate top-down estimate, and for more accurate estimates at local scales, the team needed to track mental health measures and possible influential factors for large panels of surfers, over multiple years.  

“Our research also makes a contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG14, which is Oceans.   

“Therefore, the economic value of surfing is an argument for the conservation of our coastlines.” 

The study ‘Mental health contribution to economic value of surfing ecosystem services’ has been published in Nature’s NPJ Ocean Sustainability. 

---

JOURNAL

npj Ocean Sustainability

DOI

10.1038/s44183-023-00027-5 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Mental health contribution to economic value of surfing ecosystem services

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Nov-2023

 

Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood

Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world’s first system of farming shipworms, which they have renamed ‘Naked Clams’

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

 

IMAGE: 

NAKED CLAM JUVENILES IN PETRI DISH

view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

[Photographs and a copy of the paper are available here]

 

These long, white saltwater clams are the world’s fastest-growing bivalve and can reach 30cm long in just six months. They do this by burrowing into waste wood and converting it into highly-nutritious protein.

The researchers found that the levels of Vitamin B12 in the Naked Clams were higher than in most other bivalves – and almost twice the amount found in blue mussels.

And with the addition of an algae-based feed to the system, the Naked Clams can be fortified with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids - nutrients essential for human health.

Shipworms have traditionally been viewed as a pest because they bore through any wood immersed in seawater, including ships, piers and docks.

The researchers developed a fully-enclosed aquaculture system that can be completely controlled, eliminating the water quality and food safety concerns often associated with mussel and oyster farming.

And the modular design means it can be used in urban settings, far from the sea.

“Naked Clams taste like oysters, they’re highly nutritious and they can be produced with a really low impact on the environment,” said Dr David Willer, Henslow Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology and first author of the report.

He added: “Naked Clam aquaculture has never been attempted before. We’re growing them using wood that would otherwise go to landfill or be recycled, to produce food that’s high in protein and essential nutrients like Vitamin B12.”

Scientifically named Teredinids, these creatures have no shell, but are classed as bivalve shellfish and related to oysters and mussels.

Because the Naked Clams don’t put energy into growing shells, they grow much faster than mussels and oysters which can take two years to reach a harvestable size.

The report is published today in the journal Sustainable Agriculture.

Wild shipworms are eaten in the Philippines - either raw, or battered and fried like calamari. But for British consumers, the researchers think Naked Clams will be more popular as a ‘white meat’ substitute in processed foods like fish fingers and fishcakes.

“We urgently need alternative food sources that provide the micronutrient-rich profile of meat and fish but without the environmental cost, and our system offers a sustainable solution,” said Dr Reuben Shipway at the University of Plymouth’s School of Biological & Marine Sciences, senior author of the report.

He added: “Switching from eating beef burgers to Naked Clam nuggets may well become a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint.”

The research is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Plymouth, and has attracted funding from sources including The Fishmongers’ Company, British Ecological Society, Cambridge Philosophical Society, Seale-Hayne Trust, and BBSRC

The team is now trialling different types of waste wood and algal feed in their system to optimise the growth, taste and nutritional profile of the Naked Clams – and is working with Cambridge Enterprise to scale-up and commercialise the system.

ENDS.

Naked Clams in wooden growth panel

Excited students seeing Naked Clams in aquarium

CREDIT

University of Plymouth

Reference

Willer, D.F. et al: ‘Naked Clams to open a new sector in sustainable nutritious food production.’ Sustainable Agriculture, Nov 23. DOI: 10.1038/s44264-023-00004-y

 

About the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s top ten leading universities, with a rich history of radical thinking dating back to 1209. Its mission is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

The University comprises 31 autonomous Colleges and 150 departments, faculties and institutions. Its 24,450 student body includes more than 9,000 international students from 147 countries. In 2020, 70.6% of its new undergraduate students were from state schools and 21.6% from economically disadvantaged areas.

Cambridge research spans almost every discipline, from science, technology, engineering and medicine through to the arts, humanities and social sciences, with multi-disciplinary teams working to address major global challenges. Its researchers provide academic leadership, develop strategic partnerships and collaborate with colleagues worldwide.

The University sits at the heart of the ‘Cambridge cluster’, in which more than 5,300 knowledge-intensive firms employ more than 67,000 people and generate £18 billion in turnover. Cambridge has the highest number of patent applications per 100,000 residents in the UK.

www.cam.ac.uk

---

DOI

10.1038/s44264-023-00004-y 

ARTICLE TITLE

Naked Clams to open a new sector in sustainable nutritious food production

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Nov-2023

 

Microbiome development: Bacteria lay the foundations for their descendants

Biology: Publication in Microbiome

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HEINRICH-HEINE UNIVERSITY DUESSELDORF

 

IMAGE: 

VARIOUS STAGES IN THE LIFE OF THE SEA ANEMONE NEMATOSTELLA VECTENIS. TOP LEFT: EGGS, CENTRE LEFT: VARIOUS STAGES OF GROWTH, RIGHT: THE ADULT ANIMAL. (PHOTO: HHU/HANNA DOMIN)

view more 

CREDIT: HHU/HANNA DOMIN

The microbiome (the symbiotic community of microbial organisms of a host) is of existential importance for the functioning of every plant and animal, including human beings. A research team from Düsseldorf and Kiel headed by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has now used the example of the sea anemone Nematostella vectenis to investigate how the microbiome develops together with the host. In the scientific journal Microbiome, the researchers describe that the bacterial community is primarily controlled by the host organism during the early stages of life, while bacteria-bacteria interactions play the lead role in subsequent development.

Every multicellular living creature – from the simplest organisms to human beings – lives in a community with a multitude of microorganisms, the so-called microbiome. This microbiome comprises bacteria, fungi and viruses among other things and assumes various roles ranging from metabolism to immune defence. For example, without the microbiome in the human intestine, many nutrients could not be absorbed from food and made available to the human body.

But how does the microbiome develop as the host develops? It is known that the composition and ratio of the microorganisms in the sea anemone Nematostella vectenis differ fundamentally between the different stages in its life cycle and only assume a stable form in the adult anemone. But who and which factors decide how the microbiome changes as the host matures – does the host control colonisation with the right microbes or do the microbes regulate themselves?

A team from HHU, Kiel University (CAU) and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel addressed this question. The study was headed by Professor Dr Sebastian Fraune from the Institute of Zoology and Organismic Interactions at HHU. The research was conducted within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1182 “Origin and Function of Metaorganisms”, which is headed by CAU.

Dr Hanna Domin, lead author of a study that has now been published in Microbiome: “We took adult Nematostella polyps, which had no microbiome following intensive antibiotic treatment, and then recolonised them in a targeted way. To do this, we used bacterial communities that corresponded to those of firstly a Nematostella larva, secondly a juvenile animal and thirdly an adult polyp.”

In all three cases, the researchers examined how the microbiome developed over the course of time. They discovered that only the initial colonisers – i.e. the bacteria forming the microbiome of the youngest animals – became really well-established in the adult polyps. By contrast, it was difficult for the bacteria from older animals to become established.

Professor Fraune, corresponding author of the study: “Following recolonisation, the microbiome then undergoes a development process that is very similar to the normal development of host and microbiome. It takes around four weeks to reach the same status as adult animals that have undergone a normal growth process.”

The researchers conclude from this that the host – presumably through its innate immune system – controls the composition of the original colony. Domin: “However, the host no longer has a significant influence over the further development of the microbiome after this point. The bacteria control this themselves and lay suitable foundations for their descendants.”

One important aspect of the project, which was driven forward by the research group headed by Professor Dr Christoph Kaleta in Kiel, was the examination of so-called metabolic networks. This involved investigating how the different bacteria are linked via their metabolism and influence each other. “We were able to identify metabolic pathways, which are specific to the initial colonisers as well as pathways that only play a role at a later stage,” says Dr Johannes Zimmermann from CAU.

The research team established that the degradation of the polysaccharide chitin plays a central role for the initial colonisers in particular. It was only recently discovered that Nematostella can produce chitin. Why the animals do this was however unknown as they for example – by contrast with insects – do not need chitin for their structural development. Fraune: “Our results provide clear indications that chitin plays a role for the microbiome.”

The sea anemone only has an innate immune system. Nevertheless, the results are also relevant for medical research. Newborn babies come into contact with numerous bacteria immediately after birth, whereby they also only have an innate immune system at that phase in their lives. Consequently, initial colonisation with the right microbes is also key to establishing a functioning microbiome and training the adaptive immune system in humans.

Fraune: “It has been noted that the microbiome development of children born by Caesarean section who have only limited contact with the bacterial communities of the mother during birth frequently differs to that of children born naturally.” However, disrupted microbial colonisation during the early development phase changes metabolic and immune programming, and appears to be connected with an increased risk of immune system and metabolic disorders. For this reason, initial studies are being conducted in which children born by Caesarean section are brought into contact with the vaginal secretions of the mother immediately after birth to ensure natural initial colonisation.

Original publication:

H. Domin, J. Zimmermann, J. Taubenheim, G. Fuentes Reyes, L. Saueressig, D. Prasse, M. Höppner, R. A. Schmitz, U. Hentschel, C. Kaleta and S. Fraune; Sequential host‑bacteria and bacteria‑bacteria interactions determine the microbiome establishment of Nematostella vectensis; Microbiome 11, 257 (2023).

DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01701-z

---

JOURNAL

Microbiome

DOI

10.1186/s40168-023-01701-z 

ARTICLE TITLE

Sequential host‑bacteria and bacteria‑bacteria interactions determine the microbiome establishment of Nematostella vectensis

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-Nov-2023

 

More needs to be done to prevent dependence on pain medication

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

 

Dependence on pain medication is on the rise due to lack of vigilance by medical professionals, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Patients dependent on pain medication describe feelings of 'living in a haze' and being ignored and misunderstood by the medical profession.

In the first study of its kind in the UK, Louise Norton and Dr Bridget Dibb from the University of Surrey investigated the experiences of patients dependent on medication for chronic pain. Pharmacological treatment for chronic pain usually involves potentially addictive substances such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gabapentinoids, and opioids. Increased prescription levels of such pain relief medications have been associated with heightened levels of overdose and misuse.

Dr Bridget Dibb, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, said:

“An increasing number of people are experiencing chronic pain, which can interfere with their daily life and lead to depression and anxiety. Medication can help alleviate pain and return a sense of normalcy to a person’s life; however, there is a risk of dependence, which can potentially cause damage to vital organs, including the liver and kidneys.

“The first step to tackle this problem is to learn more about a person’s experience, how they perceive their dependence and how they interact with others, including the medical profession.”

To learn more, interviews were carried out with nine participants who had become dependent on pain medication. Participants spoke about how their dependence on pain medication resulted in them feeling not fully present and removed from their lives due to the side effects of the treatment. Many also expressed frustration about the lack of alternative treatment options available on the NHS to manage their pain, with medications being too readily prescribed.

The majority of participants also spoke about their negative interactions with medical professionals, with some attributing the cause of their dependence on them.  Many believed a lack of continuity between doctors led to missed opportunities in spotting their dependence, enabling it to continue.

Louise Norton added:

“Relationships with medical professionals substantially affect the experiences of those with painkiller dependence. Doctors can often be seen as authority figures due to their expertise and so patients may be apprehensive to question their treatment options. However, through providing patients with thorough information, doctors can enable more shared-decision making in which patients feel better supported and equipped to manage their chronic pain.”

Researchers noted participants felt stigmatised when speaking with others about their dependence due to a lack of understanding about their reliance to prescribed pain medications. Such interactions left participants feeling ashamed and critical of themselves.

Dr Dibb added:

“Those with a dependence on prescription painkillers not only have to navigate their reliance on the medication but the shame and guilt associated with such a need. Combining this with feelings of being misunderstood and ignored by medical professionals, they have a lot of emotional needs to be managed alongside their physical pain. To prevent this from happening medical professionals need to be more vigilant when prescribing medication and ensure that their patients are fully aware of the risk of dependence before they begin treatment.”

This study was published in the journal Pain and Therapy.

###

Notes to editors

• Dr Bridget Dibb is available for interview upon request. 

For more information, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk

---

JOURNAL

Pain and Therapy

DOI

10.1007/s40122-023-00553-7