Influenza infection remains a serious health problem throughout the world. Unfortunately, current medicine offers no real treatment or protection, moving our attention to alternative options. In this study we aimed to evaluate the possible effects of a combination of glucan and vitamin C on immunosuppression caused by influenza infection.

In response to any danger signal, cytokines are promptly secreted to help fight back the attackers. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is one of the most potent inflammatory cytokines and its expression is tightly regulated to prevent uncontrolled inflammation. We have shown that three regulatory elements located in Tnf 3’untranslated region (3’UTR) cooperate post-transcriptionally to maintain low levels of Tnf expression during homeostasis.

We recently found that global deletion of TRPC1 produces phenotypes similar to FHH. These TRPC1 null mice have mildly elevated serum Ca in both fasted and unfasted conditions from 3.5 through 21.5 months of age, and inappropriately elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. They also have hypocalciuria, similar to FHH patients.

Nicotinamide (Nam, amide form of niacin acid or nicotinate), a precursor for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), is important for normal physiological function of organisms. Nam also suppresses mobilization of Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum into cytoplasm through inhibiting ADP-ribose cyclase. Previously, we have demonstrated that a pharmacological dose of Nam normalizes maternal blood pressure in mouse models of preeclampsia, a pregnancy related hypertensive disorder.

Metastasis of cancer is the process by which the primary tumor spreads from the original site to other parts of the body. Palliative care is the most common treatment option available for patients with metastatic cancer, but most patients eventually succumb to the disease due to the lack of therapeutics that can specifically target disseminated tumors [1].