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• Researchers in the School of Biosciences partner with preclinical-stage biotechnology start-up company to develop drugs for fibrotic diseases • Professor Martin Griffin and team develop TG2 inhibitors to help treat a serious chronic lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. • Isterian Biotech is part of Cambrian BioPharma who have been working with Aston University since 2019. Aston University scientists are working with start-up company, Isterian Biotech, part of Cambrian BioPharma, to develop novel drugs to treat fibrotic diseases such as lung disease. The focus of preclinical-stage biotechnology company Isterian Biotech is on developing novel drugs to stop or reverse the pathological accumulation of crosslinked proteins commonly observed in all major organs with age. As we age a chronic increase of crosslinked proteins occurs in the extracellular matrix (ECM), that surround, support, and give structure to the cells and tissues in the body. These crosslinked proteins are difficult for the body to degrade and over time can make organs stiff and dysfunctional, ultimately resulting in fibrosis. Reversing the accumulation of these pathological crosslinks will greatly contribute to reducing fibrosis. The start-up is working to develop small molecule inhibitors of transglutaminase 2 also known as TG2, which is one of the major crosslinking enzymes in the human body, that becomes more active during ageing - thus resulting in fibrotic diseases such as a type of lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Isterian President and Chairman of the Board, Georg C Terstappen, PhD said: "Isterian's strategy of combining rational drug design with efficient multiparametric profiling of synthesized small molecules has been both impressive and highly productive. Notably, for one of our highly potent and selective TG2 inhibitors, we have recently demonstrated efficacy in a mouse model of lung fibrosis for the first time. "Using this state-of-the-art approach to drug discovery combined with an impressive team gives us great confidence in the future of this novel company." IPF is a progressive, irreversible disease that is characterized by pathological crosslinking of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (a large network of proteins and other molecules that surround, support, and give structure to the cells and tissues in the body) leading to excessive deposition of collagen. This means that in IPF scar tissue or fibrosis builds up around the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs and reduces the ability to transfer oxygen that is breathed into the blood, resulting in severe restriction of lung capacity and function. IPF is the most common form of pulmonary fibrosis. The disease affects between 200,000 and 300,000 people globally. Statistics from the charity Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis suggest there are about 30,000 people living with IPF in the UK with an estimated 6,000 new cases of the condition each year. The disease usually develops in people aged 70 and older and is more common in men. But it can occur in younger individuals, particularly if there is a family history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The company was founded by capitalizing on over 35 years of scientific research from the laboratory of Professor Martin Griffin and his team Dr Dan Rathbone and Dr Vivian Wang at Aston University. Their work with small molecule inhibitors selective for TG2 has demonstrated reduction of fibrosis in multiple organs in a number of animal models. In 2019, Aston University partnered with Cambrian to form Isterian Biotech with a mission to develop safe and effective TG2 inhibitors to treat Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a devastating fibrotic disease of the lung. Professor Martin Griffin, Biosciences Research Group, Aston University said: “We are delighted to continue our work with Isterian researching how we can further develop TG2 inhibitors to help tackle this awful disease.” CEO of Cambrian BioPharma, James Peyer, commented: "As Cambrian continues on its mission to build medicines that will redefine healthcare in the 21st century, we are very thankful to find brilliant scientists such as Martin and his team that are willing to break the mold. Isterian and its work to reduce fibrosis are a perfect fit alongside the other pipeline companies our team has announced in 2022." The company's current pipeline includes an advanced preclinical-stage TG2 inhibitor for inhaled administration and several structurally unrelated back-up compounds for the treatment of IPF. For more information about the School of Biosciences at Aston University, please visit our website.
MEDIA RELEASE: CAA survey finds people who drive high on edibles continues to rise
A survey conducted by CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) found that since 2019, there has been a 10 per cent increase (26 per cent in 2022 vs. 16 per cent in 2019) in cannabis impaired drivers admitting to consuming an edible before driving. With approximately 10 million Ontario drivers, that number equals about 156,000 Ontario drivers who have driven high on edibles in the last three months. “It’s shocking that we’re seeing this many people who are getting behind the wheel while high,” says Michael Stewart, community relations consultant at CAA SCO. “Our data shows an alarming trend in the use of edibles and driving. With the growing popularity of cookies, gummies, and chocolates, since legalization, the use of edibles continues to rise and so do people who drive high on edibles.” Stewart warns that edibles pose a greater risk to road safety because they are harder to detect and can take up to two hours for the effects to kick in. He underscores that people may get behind the wheel sober, only to become high mid-trip. Also, the effects can last up to 12 hours and residual effects for up to 24 hours. The survey also found that in the past three months, approximately 600,000 Ontario drivers have admitted to driving after consuming cannabis. While this number has remained the same since CAA’s survey in 2019, what continues to be of concern is the following: Almost half (about 282,000) of the cannabis impaired driving was paired with other substances such as alcohol or other drugs. More than half (about 336,000) of the cannabis-impaired drivers admitted to getting behind the wheel within three hours of consumption. A third of cannabis impaired drivers who drive the same day felt high while driving. While most Ontario drivers say that cannabis-impaired driving is a serious risk to road safety (89 per cent), only half are aware of the penalties. “Because of the novelty of edibles, there seems to be a knowledge gap surrounding the impaired-driving laws related to substances other than alcohol. However, studies show that the drug affects nearly every skill related to driving. It impairs a driver’s motor skills, making it harder to judge distances, and can slow reaction times,” says Stewart. Those caught and who fail a Drug Recognition Expert’s evaluation face an immediate 90-day licence suspension, a seven-day vehicle impoundment, and a $550 fine. If convicted in court, drivers will see their licence suspended for at least a year, along with various other mandatory stipulations including an education or treatment program, and the use of an ignition interlock device for at least a year.
Aston University partners with paediatric pharmaceutical company to facilitate student research
• Aston University MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Delivery and MPharm students work with industry professionals on research projects • Proveca pharmaceutical specialises in the development and licensing of medicines for children • Students will attend workshops led by Proveca and receive coaching on their research proposals. Aston University has partnered with pharmaceutical company Proveca to help support and facilitate final research projects being undertaken by its MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Delivery and MPharm students. The partnership between the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University and Proveca began with a contract research project during which Professor Afzal Mohammed worked with Proveca to explore the development of drug formulation. Proveca is a pharmaceutical company specialising in the development and licensing of medicines for children. The company has now come on board to support and supervise at least five final year research projects and will help steer the students in the next steps in their lab research. The company will also support a wider number of students by running workshops, educating them on the current challenges of drug formulation development and providing coaching on how to write a research proposal. Professor Afzal Mohammed, associate head of pharmacy at Aston University, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to enhance the student experience and build on our excellent industry focused teaching and research”. The projects are due to start in January 2023 and Proveca has agreed to sponsor the final project prize open to all of our MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Delivery and final year MPharm students. Dr Simon Bryson, CEO and founder of Proveca Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be building on our relationship with Aston University, having collaborated over several years on a range of successful projects including PhD sponsorship and supervision, visiting lecturing and MPharm research awards. “The partnership brings together the academic excellence of Aston University with the paediatric pharmaceutical expertise of Proveca which will ultimately drive innovation in paediatric medicines to improve child health.” For more information about the School of Pharmacy at Aston University please visit our website.
Researchers awarded £2 million to develop drugs to prevent epileptic seizures in children
• Three-year research project to develop new drug treatments for childhood epilepsy • Scientists will test new treatment on pieces of living brain tissue • The research is a collaboration between Aston University, Bristol University and Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Scientists at Aston University have started work on a project that will look for new drug treatments to prevent the onset of childhood epilepsy. The three-year Medical Research Council (MRC) funded project is a collaboration led by researchers in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University, partnered with Bristol University and Jazz Pharmaceuticals. They have been awarded £2 million to explore how epilepsy becomes established in the brain and how this process might be prevented. The researchers will test new drugs in the human brain, using samples of living tissue taken from children with difficult to treat epilepsies who have had to have brain surgery. Epilepsy is a brain disease which is characterised by seizures. As Professor Gavin Woodhall, lead researcher and co-director of Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, explains: “Seizures are periods of time when networks of brain cells are too active and are uncontrollably excited and spiking. If uncontrolled excitation spreads to brain regions that control movement, then too many brain cells are ‘talking at the same time’ and we can see seizures as changes in movement such as jerks and twitches.” Upon receiving the grant, Professor Woodhall said: “We will be able to study epilepsy in such detail that we hope to be able to treat the problems that underly epilepsy and not just the seizures themselves. And this could help pave the way to prevent epilepsy from developing in children at all. “Essentially we want to find a treatment that stops the brain from being able to establish epilepsy after the first seizure - via a new drug treatment. We will be testing a known drug and a new drug to see if the drug can do this.” As part of the research for this project the scientists will look at how different amounts of epileptic activity in the brain can alter the brain’s excitability. The researchers predict that if there are a lot of seizures, the synapses in the brain will decrease their activity and brain cells will become more likely to spike. Professor Woodhall added: “This is why we will test antiepileptic drugs, and new drugs designed to interfere with homeostatic scaling - which is a form of plasticity, in which the brain responds to chronically elevated activity in a neural circuit with negative feedback, allowing individual neurons to reduce their overall action potential firing rate. “By interfering with homeostatic scaling we will be able to see if they can prevent seizures from developing or reducing their intensity.” The research will allow Professor Woodhall and his team to be able to record the life history of the disease. This is something which has not been done before in this level of detail and it is predicted it will help to shed light on how epilepsy initially develops in the brain. Following on from the three-year project the team will move into drug development and then clinical trial. For more information about research being undertaken at AIHN please go to our website. If you are interested in the courses we have available in this area please go to our course pages.
Manuka honey could help to clear deadly drug-resistant lung infection – research
• Scientists develop a potential nebulisation treatment using manuka honey to clear a drug resistant lung infection that can be fatal in cystic fibrosis patients • Aston University researchers combined the antibiotic amikacin with manuka honey as a novel treatment for Mycobacterium abscessus • Using the manuka honey combination resulted in an eight-fold reduction in the dosage of the antibiotic A potential new treatment combining natural manuka honey with a widely used drug has been developed by scientists at Aston University to treat a potentially lethal lung infection and greatly reduce side effects of one of the current drugs used for its treatment. The findings, which are published in the journal Microbiology, show that the scientists in the Mycobacterial Research Group in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University were able to combine manuka honey and the drug amikacin in a lab-based nebulisation formulation to treat the harmful bacterial lung infection Mycobacterium abscessus. Manuka honey is long known to have wide ranging medicinal properties, but more recently has been identified for its broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Now scientists have found that manuka honey has the potential to kill a number of drug resistant bacterial infections such as Mycobacterium abscessus – which usually affects patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) or bronchiectasis. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, CF is a genetic condition affecting around 10,800 people - one in every 2,500 babies born in the UK -and there are more than 100,000 people with the condition worldwide. The NHS defines bronchiectasis as a long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become widened, leading to a build-up of excess mucus that can make the lungs more vulnerable to infection.. In the study, the researchers used samples of the bacteria Mycobacterium abscessus taken from 16 infected CF patients. They then tested the antibiotic amikacin, combined with manuka honey, to discover what dosage was required to kill the bacteria. As part of the study the team used a lab-based lung model and nebuliser - a device that produces a fine spray of liquid often used for inhaling a medicinal drug. By nebulising manuka honey and amikacin together, it was found they could improve bacterial clearance, even when using lower doses of amikacin, which would result in less life-changing side-effects to the patient. In the UK, of the 10,800 people living with CF, Mycobacterium abscessus infects 13% of all patients with the condition. This new approach is advantageous not only because it has the potential to kill off a highly drug resistant infection, but because of the reduced side effects, benefitting quality of life and greatly improving survival chances for infected CF patients. Mycobacterium abscessus is a bacterial pathogen from the same family that causes tuberculosis, but this bug differs by causing serious lung infections in people (particularly children) with pre-existing lung conditions, such as CF and bronchiectasis, as well as causing skin and soft tissue infections. The bacteria is also highly drug resistant. Currently, patients are given a cocktail of antibiotics, consisting of 12 months or more of antimicrobial chemotherapy and often doesn’t result in a cure. The dosage of amikacin usually used on a patient to kill the infection is 16 micrograms per millilitre. But the researchers found that the new combination using manuka honey, required a dosage of just 2 micrograms per millitre of amikacin - resulting in a one eighth reduction in the dosage of the drug. Until now Mycobacterium abscessus has been virtually impossible to eradicate in people with cystic fibrosis. It can also be deadly if the patient requires a lung transplant because they are not eligible for surgery if the infection is present. Commenting on their findings, lead author and PhD researcher Victoria Nolan said: "So far treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infections can be problematic due to its drug resistant nature. The variety of antibiotics required to combat infection result in severe side effects. "However, the use of this potential treatment combining amikacin and manuka honey shows great promise as an improved therapy for these terrible pulmonary infections. “There is a need for better treatment outcomes and in the future we hope that this potential treatment can be tested further.” Dr Jonathan Cox, senior lecturer in microbiology, Aston University said: “By combining a totally natural ingredient such as manuka honey with amikacin, one of the most important yet toxic drugs used for treating Mycobacterium abscessus, we have found a way to potentially kill off these bacteria with eight times less drug than before. This has the potential to significantly reduce amikacin-associated hearing loss and greatly improve the quality of life of so many patients – particularly those with cystic fibrosis. “I am delighted with the outcome of this research because it paves the way for future experiments and we hope that with funding we can move towards clinical trials that could result in a change in strategy for the treatment of this debilitating infection.” Dr Peter Cotgreave, chief executive of the Microbiology Society said: "The Microbiology Society is proud to support the scientific community as it explores innovative solutions to overcome the growing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. This study demonstrates one of many ways in which microbiologists are pioneering new methods to tackle drug-resistant infections, by incorporating natural products, like manuka honey, into existing therapies." For more information about the School of Biosciences, please visit our website.
Researchers are exploring new ways to ‘listen’ to and record electrical signals emitted from brain cells Findings could be used to help treat conditions like epilepsy and schizophrenia Project will use newly developed nanomaterials to keep removed samples of brain healthy for longer to allow more understanding of what generates epileptic seizures. A new method of examining the brain’s electrical signals could hold the key to better treatment and understanding of conditions like epilepsy and schizophrenia. Researchers at Aston University are exploring new ways to ‘listen’ to and record electrical signals emitted from brain cells, which could be used to help treat the conditions. Dr Petro Lutsyk, lecturer in electronic engineering and systems in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and member of Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT), together with Dr Stuart Greenhill, senior lecturer in neuroscience in the College of Health and Life Sciences and member of Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN), have been awarded £100,000 by the Royal Society to conduct the project Nanomaterial Webs for Revolutionary Brain Recording. Currently, epilepsy patients who can’t be helped by drugs may undergo brain surgery in order to prevent seizures, removing the part of the brain that is the ‘focus’ of the seizures. Dr Greenhill said: “The research project will use newly developed nanomaterials to keep samples of brain healthy and active for far longer than current technology allows, whilst recording the activity of the tissue. “This allows more understanding of what generates epileptic seizures and opens up new avenues for drug development, meaning fewer surgeries may be needed in the future. “Eventually, the technology may lead to new and better ways of recording from patients’ brains before surgery.” The two-year project will see materials and electronic engineering applied to translational neuroscience research. The grant is from the Royal Society APEX Awards scheme (Academies Partnership in Supporting Excellence in Cross-disciplinary research award) which offers researchers with a strong track record in their area an opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research to benefit wider society. For more information about studying at Aston University please visit our website.
Expert Insight: President Biden’s COVID-19 ‘Rebound Positive’
UConn Health’s Dr. David Banach explains how a fully vaccinated and boosted person could test positive, negative, and positive again for COVID-19 within a 10-day span If anything, I would say this situation actually reinforces the importance of vaccination. — Dr. David Banach President Biden is back in isolation, testing positive again for COVID-19 despite testing negative a week after his initial positive test July 21. It may be a puzzling sequence, but there is an explanation. “It’s unlikely this is anything other than the original infection resurfacing,” says Dr. David Banach, infectious diseases physician and hospital epidemiologist at UConn Health. Biden’s physician says the president had been taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which is a standard treatment for those with COVID-19 who are considered “high-risk,” including older patients. Biden is 79. “It’s not unheard of for people to take Paxlovid, clinically improve, be antigen-negative, then ‘rebound’ a few days later as antigen-positive,” Banach says. Antigens are substances that cause an immune response. Antigen tests are commonly used in at-home testing and can yield results in 15 minutes by detecting antigens specific to COVID-19. Antigen tests differ from PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, which look for genetic material that indicates a COVID-19 infection. Due to the nature of his position, the president tests routinely. PCR testing generally is not recommended within 90 days of infection because if frequently remains positive positive for a prolonged period of time, even after patients recover and are no longer contagious, so Biden was given antigen testing instead. All signs point to the Paxlovid suppressing the antigens to undetectable levels, resulting in temporary negative results, followed by the “rebound.” As of Tuesday Biden’s only symptoms were a “loose cough,” according to a memo from his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who reported, “He remains fever-free and in good spirits.” The White House says the president is fully vaccinated and up-to-date on all his recommended boosters. “While this is another example of someone getting infected despite being is fully vaccinated and boosted, it’s important to understand the vaccines protected the president from serious illness from infection,” Banach says. “If anything, I would say this situation actually reinforces the importance of vaccination, especially for older people, those who are immunocompromised, or those with other health problems that could make them more vulnerable to serious illness.” Looking to know more about this topic - then let us help with your stories and coverage. Dr. David Banach is an expert on infectious diseases and epidemiology and is a leading expert on COVID-19 in America. To book an interview with Dr. Banach, click on his icon today.
Professor of biotechnology appointed as new executive editor of prestigious journal
A biotechnology professor in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University has been appointed as the new executive editor of the journal, BBA Biomembranes. Professor Roslyn Bill is sharing the role with Professor Burkhard Bechinger of the University of Strasbourg and will be jointly responsible for the editorial direction of the journal, including overseeing the peer review process of submissions. Roslyn's own area of research focuses on membrane protein structure, function and regulation. She is particularly interested in the regulation of aquaporin water channels in the brain and their development as drug targets to prevent life-threatening brain swelling. BBA Biomembranes is part of a family of 10 Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) journals, which are celebrating their 75th year of continuous publication in 2022. They were the first international journals to cover the joint fields of biochemistry and biophysics. Commenting on her appointment, Roslyn said: “I am delighted and honoured to join BBA Biomembranes as Executive Editor in BBA’s 75th anniversary year. “The journal has an international reputation for publishing high-quality articles in all aspects of membrane biology and biophysics. I look forward to working with the BBAMEM team to drive the journal’s continuing success.” Areas of research covered by BBA Biomembranes include: membrane structure, function and biomolecular organization, membrane proteins, receptors, channels and anchors, fluidity and composition, model membranes and liposomes, membrane surface studies and ligand interactions, transport studies and membrane dynamics. For more information on Professor Bill’s research, visit the research pages. For more information about studying in the School of Biosciences at Aston University, please visit our website.
Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment hosts showcase event to highlight research expertise
Research showcase held to highlight research underway at the Aston Institute for Health and Neurodevelopment Researchers met with local clinicians and funding bodies to talk through their latest developments The event will take place each year with a plan to invite guests back to update them on how the institute has progressed. Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) held its inaugural research showcase event on Thursday 7 July at Conference Aston. The yearly event is an opportunity to highlight its research projects and meet with the Institute’s external partners, funding bodies and professional colleagues. Guests were invited to join IHN’s research and teaching team to learn more about its vision and hear about individual research projects currently underway. The centre’s co-directors Professor Jackie Blissett and Professor Gavin Woodhall talked about IHN’s vision which includes: • unlocking the potential of research to support child health and development • answering the questions that matter to children and young people, their families and the services that support them • developing the next generation of research leaders in child health and development. Researchers working on projects including treatments for drug resistant epilepsy, childhood eating behaviour, improving support for people with rare neurogenetic conditions and diagnosis of paediatric brain cancer using magnetic resonance imaging and artificial intelligence met with external partners and clinicians to talk them through their latest projects and developments. The event was also attended by Aston University Interim Vice-Chancellor, Saskia Loer Hansen, Executive Dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, Anthony Hilton and other members of the University executive team, together with academic researchers in the University’s College of Health and Life Sciences. There was also an opportunity to meet all the Institute’s researchers, ask questions and network. Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director of Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, said: “After a successful launch of our new £2.8 million MRI scanner earlier this year, it is great that we were able to come together again and showcase all of our research that goes on in IHN, particularly to our external partners, including local clinicians and funding bodies. “This is our inaugural research showcase and we plan to invite guests back to Aston University each year to update them on how the institute has progressed with its research. “As a research institute that puts children and young people at the heart of what we do, it is important to be in touch with all of our partners from a cross section of the community to update them on all of our latest developments and find ways to collaborate further – particularly in clinical settings.” For more information about research being undertaken at AIHN please go to our website. If you are interested in the courses we have available in this area please go here.
Up in smoke? With vaping on the edge of banishment, let our experts help with your coverage
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has paused a ban on the sale of Juul Labs' e-cigarettes, saying an additional review of the company's marketing application is required. The once thriving company won a temporary reprieve a couple of weeks ago after a federal appeals court stayed the FDA's ban, following an appeal from Juul for an emergency review of the regulator's order. Juul has always been in the spotlight, in part because of its prominent placement atop the e-cigarette chain, but with the company facing a potential demise, it could be the first casualty, with the rest of the vaping industry in the government's sights. Dr. Zubair Karim, assistant professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at Augusta University, fields a few questions and lends his expert perspective on this topic. With the ban on Juul products, could this result in a ban on other companies’ e-cigarette products as well, or was there something specifically about Juul that caused their ban? This is the first steps toward the banning of the e-cigarette, i.e., Juul, where the FDA took a significant and bold step. Gradually, this will open the path for banning of the other e-cigarette products. There are no differences in the Juul and other products but Juul became more popular in our young generation. Many local and state jurisdictions have recently begun enacting laws that prohibit e-cigarette usage that smoking is banned, although some state laws with comprehensive smoke-free laws will still allow for vaping to be permitted in bars and restaurants while prohibiting e-cigarettes in other indoor places. On a more basic level, what are platelets (where are they, and what do they do) and do we know what has caused them to react more negatively compared to traditional smoking? Platelets are small and colorless stem cell fragments present in our blood. They are disk-shaped and don’t have a nucleus. It plays an important role in maintaining vascular integrity based on their ability to respond to lesions in a vessel wall. Hyperactivity of platelets is known to cause spurious clot formation and occlusive loss of blood flow, leading to strokes and heart attacks, whereas hypoactivity causes bleeding diathesis with life-threatening consequences. Several studies have been reported that smoking induces oxidative stress, leading to increased platelet activation, whereas nicotine causes the damage of endothelial lining of the arterial and venous system and ultimately leads to the severe life-threatening consequences. What are thrombotic events and why should someone be worried about them? Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot (partial or complete blockage) within blood vessels, whether venous or arterial, limiting the natural flow of blood. There are several complications depending on where the thrombosis is located. The most serious problems include stroke, heart attack and serious breathing problems, which is called pulmonary embolism. If the patients are not treated in a timely manner, it will lead to life-threatening conditions. However, progression of the disease can be prevented by following changes in our lifestyle such as increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, losing weight, eating a balanced diet, quitting junk food and managing other health conditions. How do nicotine and other harmful chemical levels compare in vaping vs. traditional cigarettes? Both smoking and vaping have similar side effects and cause serious health risks in the long run. Scientists do not fully understand the long-term health effects of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), yet science indicates that they are not a safe alternative to smoking. In the last several years it has been observed that vaping is growing in popularity among teenagers. Moreover, e-cigarettes contain a large dose of nicotine, a substance known to slow the development of brains in fetuses, children and teens. Furthermore, vaping involves breathing in aerosol that contains several chemicals, including nicotine and flavoring through an e-cigarette or other devices. Also, the liquid present in the e-cigarettes which creates the vapor is dangerous to adults and children if they swallow, inhale, or get it on the skin. Nonetheless, vaping also delivers dangerous chemicals, including diacetyl, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and such toxic chemicals that are not generated in traditional cigarettes. In summary, long-term vaping causes similar toxic impact to overall health compared to traditional cigarettes. This court case will be getting a lot of attention and could determine the future of the e-cigarette industry. If you're a journalist looking to know - then let Augusta University's expert help. Karim is available to speak with reporters about vaping and e-cigarettes. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
