What do lentils have to do with #Covid_19? Lectins are ancient proteins that evolved before antibodies to inactivate invading organisms. Human mannose-binding lectin has been found to inactivate #SARSCoV2. So have lectins in plants, such as one made by the common lentil 🌱1/n
Mannose-binding protein, MBL, is a member of the collectin family, and it has a carbohydrate recognition domain and a collagen-like domain @NatImmunol 2/n nature.com/articles/s4159…
The first study of lectins began 134 years ago by Peter Stillmark who found that the seed extracts of the Castor bean can cause red blood cells stick together. The lectin was named Ricin. 3/n ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
Plant lectins with antiviral activity were first reported in 1988: D-mannose-specific plant lectins blocked the binding of HIV in-vitro 4/n
Amazing! Placing mice in low air pressure every other day slows hair loss, weight gain, osteoporosis & extends median lifespan by 12%. Ascribed to the killing of senescent, zombie cells
Could exercise, high altitude, or a drug have similar benefits? Let’s dig in🧵
Firstly, hypobaric (low) pressure should not to be confused with hyper-baric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which is also studied by longevity researchers, though there may be overlapping hormetic mechanisms between the two @NaturePortfolio
I’ve always wondered if living at a high altitude is healthier, but the evidence is weak. Maybe it needs to be pulsed: high pressure -> low pressure -> high pressure -> low pressure to induce hormesis
New study indicates that a decrease in nerve cell cholesterol caused by cortisol, inflammation & low SIRT1 activity may be a cause of major depression.
So, do statins exacerbate depression?
And since SIRT1 is NAD⁺-dependent, could NAD⁺ boosters treat or prevent depression? …🧵
Around 5–5.7% of adults worldwide experience depressive disorders at any given time. >280 million people!
Lifetime depression diagnoses in the U.S. have risen. ~29% report ever being diagnosed, up from ~20% a decade ago
CBD, or cannabidiol, is the second most prevalent active ingredient in marijuana, with no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used to treat various degenerative diseases. Their therapeutic potential is limited by their aging in the dish as they are expanded in number. The researchers tested if CBD could help
This study in 2008 was the first evidence for the information theory of aging in mammals - the idea that DNA breaks and other major stresses cause chromatin modifiers like SIRT1 to relocate, which disrupts the epigenome & changes the expression of genes in ways that cause aging
Just re-read this paper and I’ve realized it was 15 years ahead of its time. Still is