On Inflammation and Disease
Via Scenta, a popular science piece on the bugbear of chronic inflammation: "When an infection occurs, immune cells flock to the area and secrete large amounts of highly reactive chemicals to combat the invader. But these inflammatory chemicals also attack normal tissue surrounding the infection and damage critical components of cells, including DNA. During chronic inflammation, the damage may lead to mutations or cell death and even to cancer and other diseases. [Researchers] have discovered that the DNA damage produced by one of these inflammatory chemicals, nitrosoperoxycarbonate, occurs at unexpected locations along the DNA helix. The finding counters the prevailing theory about where the DNA damage occurs and may shed light on new ways to diagnose and combat inflammation ... We need to understand the mechanisms of inflammation in order to make new drugs that will break the link between inflammation and disease and to develop predictive biomarkers."
Link: http://www.scenta.co.uk/scenta/news.cfm?cit_id=997466&FAArea1=widgets.content_view_1