Oxygen... good for you

Just saw this interesting article and since it is wave season many are out there breathing extra oxygen.

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The findings build upon Sitkovsky's previous research and represent the culmination of his life's work, which has been supported by Northeastern and the National Institutes of Health. In the early 2000s, Sitkovsky made an important discovery in immunology, which has come to inform his research in cancer biology. He found that a receptor on the surface of immune cells--the A2A adenosine receptor--is responsible for preventing T cells from invading tumors and for "putting to sleep" those killer cells that do manage to enter into the tumors.

His latest work shows that inhaling 40 to 60 percent oxygen--air offers 21 percent oxygen--weakened tumor-protecting signaling through the A2A adenosine receptor and awakened T cells that had gained the ability to invade lung tumors.

"Breathing supplemental oxygen opens up the gates of the tumor fortress and wakes up 'sleepy' anti-tumor cells, enabling these soldiers to enter the fortress and destroy it," Sitkovsy explained. "However," he added, "if anti-tumor immune cells are not present, oxygen will have no impact."

Sitkovsky further noted that the effects of supplemental oxygenation might be even stronger in combination with a synthetic agent that he calls "super-caffeine," which is known to block the tumor-protecting effects of the adenosine receptor. He and Graham Jones, professor and chair of Northeastern's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, are currently collaborating to design the next generation of this drug, which was originally developed for patients with Parkinson's disease.

"The anti-tumor effects of supplemental oxygen can be further improved by the natural antagonist of the A2A adenosine receptor, which happens to be the caffeine in your coffee," Sitkovsky said. "People drink coffee because caffeine prevents the A2A adenosine receptor in the brain from putting us to sleep."

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