*Originally published July 22, 2021
About Amoebas
They are single-celled organisms that move by extending their protoplasm.
Heat-loving amoebas are found in bodies of warm freshwater. Others can be found in ponds or freshwater streams.
What can they cause?
Amebiasis is caused when you are in contact with contaminated water or food, irrational devices, and more. It can cause diarrhea, cramping, nausea, fever, etc.
Brain-eating amoeba can cause PAM. You can get this when you swim in infected lakes.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Amoeba Insight
COPD has 2 main conditions: emphysema and bronchitis. Emphysema is where alveoli(parts of the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide) are damaged. Breathing is difficult and people often have shortness of breath. Bronchitis is where bronchial tubes are swollen or scarred. This leads to a build of mucus and phlegm.
Looking at Amoebas and COPD
Amoebas also have some properties that are useful to us. A study was done by Corrine Kliment, a physician at the University of Pittsburgh. Soil-dwelling amoeba (Dictyostelium discoideum) were exposed to cigarette smoke extract; they were then screened. The best-surviving amoebas overproduced ANT2.
In lung cells, Kliment saw ANT2 accumulated around cilia(hair-like projections). However, patients with COPD tend to have less ANT2 as the cilia have a hard time clearing the mucus. Kliment and her colleagues found that boosting ANT2 keeps the cilia hydrated and helps them clear the mucus.
Kliment and others are now trying to make drugs that increase the production of ANT2; they hope that this will lessen mucus buildup and lower the severity of COPD.
Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/treating-a-deadly-lung-disease-with-a-little-help-from-amoebas/
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Amoeba". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Feb. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/science/amoeba-order. Accessed 25 July 2021.
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/general.html
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