GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that is active all the time in all cells, but particularly highly in the brain. GSK-3 was originally named for its ability to phosphorylate and inactivate glycogen synthase and regulate glucose metabolism. As genes and proteins are discovered, they are often ascribed names based on function—their function at the time of discovery. GSK-3 turned out to be a multifunctional enzyme, able to phosphorylate many proteins. Phosphorylation of the protein acts as a molecular switch, turning the activity on or off. GSK-3 has many phosphorylation targets. It should therefore not be surprising that GSK-3 has both pro- and antiapoptotic roles.
GSK-3 is presently known to be a key regulator of a wide range of cellular functions. GSK-3 regulates numerous cellular processes through …
Our immune system is an intricate system of defenses that distinguishes between foreign substances within the body from healthy cells, when properly functioning. Nearly 90% of people see their immune system as their body’s most specialized defense mechanism in preventing illness, making the idea of “immune boosting” an appealing concept. It sounds simple and desirable. Can you boost immunity? So what Can You Do? It’s a completely invalid analogy.
Attempting to boost the cells of the immune system is especially complicated because there are so many different kinds of cells in the immune system that respond to so many different microbes in so many ways. Which cells should you boost, and to what number? So far, scientists do not know the answer. …
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) has been used historically by some Native American tribes as a medicinal agent to stimulate the digestive system. It has also been used medicinally as a remedy for fevers, as an expectorant for chronic bronchitis and as a local application in chronic eczema, especially when secondary to varicose ulcers.
Bloodroot is generally prescribed as an external treatment as it is poisonous if ingested in large amounts. In toxic doses, it causes burning in the stomach, intense thirst, vomiting, faintness vertigo, intense prostration with dimness of eyesight. Bloodroot grows primarily in North America and in India. Sanguinarine, the major active compound found in bloodroot, is a very impressive natural medicine. Sanguinarine is a benzophenanthrene alkaloid. It has also been …
The mouth is the body’s primary entrance to our digestive organs and the bloodstream. For this reason – among many others – the mouth should be carefully cared for. Good oral care is vital to our health and vice versa. In fact, the plaque deposits from the pathogens in the mouth are the same types of plaque found in arterial walls in cardiovascular disease sufferers. Given the understanding that these ‘pathogens’ in the mouth swim through the bloodstream, it makes complete sense.
Bad breath, also known as Halitosis, is caused by a number of different factors. It may be the result of tooth decay or abscess, chronic gingivitis, disorders of the tonsils, smoking, improper diet and sinuses. Sometimes really bad breath, despite good oral care, comes from dysbiosis (the growth of abnormal …
Much of the cancer chemopreventive properties of green tea are mediated by EGCG. Cancer cells survive by using multiple pathways. But EGCG is so powerful, it cuts those pathways off. Apparently, EGCG functions as a powerful antiangiogenic and antitumor agent and as a modulator of tumor cell response to chemotherapy. EGCG induces apoptosis and promotes cell growth arrest by altering the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins, activating killer caspases, and suppressing oncogenic transcription factors and pluripotency maintain factors.
EGCG is also able to induce proteasome inhibition in whole cells. Since the inhibition of the proteasome blocks the activation of NF-kB, it is logical to conclude that proteasome inhibitors such as EGCG would have a strong therapeutic effect against cancer, lymphoma and leukemia….
