All articles tagged with #lung cells
A study by UC Riverside found that heating e-cigarette fluids produces toxic chemicals, methylglyoxal and acetaldehyde, which can damage human lung cells, with methylglyoxal being potentially more harmful even at lower levels, raising concerns about long-term health risks of vaping.
A highly mutated Covid variant, BA.2.86 "Pirola," closely related to the dominant JN.1 strain, has been found to fuse to lung cells faster than other Omicron strains, potentially indicating a more severe form of the virus. Experts suggest that this variant may exhibit signs of older, more deadly strains, raising concerns about the severity of the latest wave of coronavirus. Research indicates that BA.2.86 binds more efficiently to cells in the lower lung, resembling traits of more deadly strains before Omicron, and may pose an elevated health threat compared to previous Omicron sublineages.
A genome-wide study analyzing data from 6,450 people with long COVID has identified a DNA sequence near the FOXP4 gene, which is active in the lungs and immune cells, as a potential genetic risk factor for the condition. Long COVID has been associated with over 200 symptoms, and understanding its causes is crucial for developing treatments and prevention strategies. The study is a breakthrough in unraveling the complexity of long COVID, and future research is expected to uncover additional genetic risk factors contributing to the condition.