The findings, published in the online Early Edition of Proceeding of the National Academy of Science, may offer clues to treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD, which comprises emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
A molecule called Nrf2 — nuclear factor erythriod-derived 2-related factor 2 — turns on antioxidant and detoxifying genes that protect the lungs.
For the study, researchers exposed mice to cigarette smoke and fed them a diet with a substance known to activate this molecule. Those mice were much less likely to have lung cell damage and showed improve heart function, researchers found.
“Our results provide promise for future clinical trials that target the Nrf2 pathway in active or passive smokers with COPD,” according to the study, lead by Shyam Biswal, an associate professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
St. Joe’s runs out of flu shots
St. Joseph Medical Center has canceled the planned flu clinics for January, because the hospital has run out of supplies, officials said.
The hospital doled out a record number of flu shots through four free flu shot clinics in November at the hospital and clinics around the area. The 3,400 free flu shots exceeded the average 2,500 to 3,000 shots.
Hospital officials speculated that the economic downturn motivated many residents to take advantage of the free shots and prevent sick days this winter.
Health proposal picks up endorsements
More than 350 faith, community, labor and business groups have endorsed a universal health care plan proposed by the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative.
Among the supports are the Maryland Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and all its local chapters and the Baltimore Jewish Council, according to officials at the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative.
The Health Care for All plan, announced in November, aims to expand access to Maryland’s 775,000 uninsured by pooling employees under one group to reduce administrative costs and get better insurance rates. The state would cover so-called catastrophic care for the sickest patients, expand Medicaid eligibility and offer subsidies to cover insurance premiums.
The plan would be funded mainly through a 2 percent payroll tax increase on all employers, a 10-cents-per-drink alcohol tax increase and a 75 cents-per-pack cigarette tax increase.
Some state lawmakers have expressed skepticism to the plan, saying it is unlikely a tax increase would pass.
– Compiled by Sara Michael
