A VICTORIAN VALENTINE CURE

The Florida Lung Doctors  began to see heart designs everywhere in Orlando, and so we realized that January was over. February is rushing us into Valentine’s Day.  One of the little know facts about Valentine’s day chocolate is that doctors in the 1800’s prescribed chocolate to calm patients who admitted depression or “lovesickness.”  By coincidence the familiar heart shaped box of chocolates was first sold in the same century. This Valentine’s day, stores will sell at least 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and none of them will be a “prescription!”

A DRAMATIC GENE DISCOVERY:  THE BACKGROUND

So that our blog readers will appreciate our announcement of the latest discoveries in lung research, the Florida Lung Doctors suggest four points of  anatomy should be reviewed:

1. Most of our cells have a single, almost unmoving cilium, a little hair-like structure, used like a sensitive antenna.

2. However, the specialized cells in the tissues of the respiratory system each have 100 to 200 cilia and they really move. The tiny structures ceaselessly beat together in a rhythmic harmony.

3. It is the constant fluttering the cilia which pushes mucus from the lungs up into the trachea. Ensnared in the mucus are bits of dust, foreign matter and pathogens. Thus, the cilia are a crucial defense in preventing infections.

 4. Scientists believe that disease and infection damage the tiny cilia, reducing their ability to move and clear airways. Logically, more and better cilia could help patients.

DRAMATIC GENE DISCOVERY:   AN AMAZING FIND

Very recently, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered the gene which stimulates cells into developing multiple cilia. Head of the research project, Professor Christopher R. Kintner, a molecular Neuro-biologist at the Salk Institute, stated the significance of this discovery:

“Knowing the gene that instructs cells to develop multiple cilia helps us to understand how we might enable stem cells into developing into this type of cell, which we could then use to repair damaged tissue.”

The Florida Lung Doctors believe that awareness of the research of today is important because today’s research leads directly to tomorrow’s therapies.