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Viral video of woman smoking at Changi Airport that riled Singaporeans is from months ago

Jewel Stolarchuk
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17
Viral video of woman smoking at Changi Airport that riled Singaporeans is from months ago

A viral video showing a woman smoking within Changi Airport Terminal 3 is circulating on social media and has riled several netizens who questioned what airport security and officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) are doing.

In the video, posted by Facebook user Clement Chia, a woman can be seen smoking beside a trash can. Chia, who shared the video on Monday, revealed that he was not the one who shot the video:

https://www.facebook.com/clement.c.chia/videos/10155157819527101/

The video quickly began trending online, ruffling the feathers of several netizens. While some questioned what airport security and NEA was doing, others wondered whether the person who filmed the video stopped the woman:

A spokesperson from Changi Airport Group has since revealed that the incident happened months ago. While the Group noted that the act captured in the video is illegal, it did not elaborate on whether action was taken against the woman captured in the viral video.

The spokesperson said: “The incidents captured in the videos are not recent, having occurred months ago. The actions of the individuals in the videos contravene existing laws.”

Beverage prices at coffeeshops climb in spite of Indranee Rajah’s assurance that drinks prices “should not” rise with water price hike

Jewel Stolarchuk
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49
Beverage prices at coffeeshops climb in spite of Indranee Rajah’s assurance that drinks prices “should not” rise with water price hike

The Chinese daily reported last Friday (4 May) that beverage prices at several coffee shops have gone up as a result of the water price hike by the government. At one coffeeshop, the prices of coffee, tea and canned drinks have increased by $0.10 while the price of beer has climbed by $0.20.

This coffeeshop, the Kim San Leng coffee shop at Bishan Street 13, is one of several in a chain of coffeeshops owned by grassroots leader Hoon Thing Leong that have imposed the beverage price hike. Reporters who visited the coffeeshop found a handwritten note pasted at the cash register that read, “Drinks Coffee increase $0.10”.

When the publication contacted Mr Hoon, he confirmed that the coffeeshops in his chain imposed the drinks price hike from 1 May this year. He added: “We have not raised prices for 2 years. But in the last 1 year, our cost has increased by around 20%. So I think the price increase is reasonable.”

Mr Hoon – who sits on the boards of various associations, such as the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, besides serving as a grassroots leader – added that many coffeeshops increased their prices last July itself to cope with the hefty water price hike.

Mr Hoon, who was awarded the Public Service Medal by the Prime Minister when he served in the Environment Ministry in 1999, shared that his chain of coffeeshops is the last to raise their drinks prices.

The grassroots leader’s admission stands in stark contrast to the Government’s assurances that the water price hike should not affect beverage prices, after Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced last year that the price of water would increase by 30% to “reflect the higher costs of desalination and NEWater production.”

Speaking to reporters after Heng’s announcement, then-Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah assured that the water price hike would have “very minimal impact” on the price of coffee and tea. She emphasised that the cost of goods such as coffee and tea “should not and ought not” go up with the hefty water price hike, at a REACH post-Budget forum she chaired.

Indranee was promoted to full minister during the latest Cabinet reshuffle that went into effect this month. She now serves as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Education.

Sale by EOI of rare freehold shophouse at Havelock Road

The Independent
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0

Savills Singapore on 8 May announced the sale of a freehold shophouse along Havelock Road for sale by EOI (Expression of Interest). The EOI closes on the 12th June 2018 Tuesday at 3pm.

The intermediate 3-storey freehold shophouse at 772 Havelock Road consists of a ground floor retail shop and residential units on the upper floors. Located along Havelock Road, just after the junction with Beo Crescent, the property is within a row of shophouses famous for its eateries.

The city fringe property has a gross floor area of about 3,767 sq ft and land area about 1,574.8 sq ft. Under the 2014 Master Plan, it is zoned Residential with Commercial at 1st Storey and has a Plot Ratio of 3. Subject to approval, there is potential to undertake addition and alteration works to further enhance the value of the property.

Nestled amongst public housing estates Havelock View, Beo Crescent and Tiong Bahru View, there is a large catchment of foot traffic. Other notable landmarks such as Tiong Bahru Plaza, Delta House and Valley Point are located nearby.

The shophouse is easily accessible as it is well positioned near the main junction of Alexandra Road and Lower Delta Road which is also well served by public transportation. There are ample carpark lots within close proximity to the property and Tiong Bahru MRT is a short walk away.

“This Havelock shophouse presents an opportunity to own a rare collectible along this row of shophouses popular for its eateries. Prospective buyers can consider renting the ground floor space to a F&B operator and home office cum co-living concepts for the upper floor units, subject to approval. Hence while they enjoy immediate rental now, in future they can look to reposition the property through tenant upgrades and enhancement works.” said Donald Goh, director of investment sales at Savills Singapore.

The Havelock Road property is among similar freehold shophouses which have been put up for sale by EOI in recent months.  In early April, Knight Frank Singapore reported that a row of four adjoining two-storey freehold shophouses with attic at 71 to 73B Jalan Besar have been put up for sale by EOI at a guide price of over $20 million.

The sale by EOI of the freehold property comes at a time when the office market showed continued signs of recovery in the fourth quarter of 2017, with active leasing activity gathering pace. A February 2018 report by Knight Frank on Office Market snapshot said: “The ‘flight to quality and efficiency’ supply-led demand for prime office space that was dominant in 2017 is expected to continue in 2018. Tenants are relocating to larger and more efficient floor plates to fulfil their evolving operational requirements, over less and / or scalable office space through various activity-based workplace solutions. Prime office rents are expected to rise by at least 8.0% to 12.0% year-on-year by Q4 2018.”

If you are currently renting your retail shop or office space, you may consider using our calculator whether to buy commercial property. However if you are aiming to buy for investment, then you will need to consider carefully the potential rent that you could obtain from the unit.

In property, there are fundamentals and there are sentiments. When sentiments run wild, that can defy logic for an extended period of time. And ultimately when everyone makes silly decisions, it is also possible that the person that is not silly will lose out.

—
If you are home-hunting, our Panel of Property agents and the mortgage consultants at icompareloan.com can help you with affordability assessment and a promotional home loan. Just email our chief mortgage consultant, Paul Ho, with your name, email and phone number at [email protected].

Sugars in mother’s milk help shape baby’s microbiome and ward off infection

The Independent
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0
Sugar mama? Researchers are teasing out the benefits of various molecules in human milk. Stefan Malmesjö, CC BY

While living in a mother’s womb, cushioned by amniotic fluid and protected from the outside world, babies have only minimal exposure to microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Shortly after birth, a newborn’s collection of microorganisms – their microbiome – begins to develop as a succession of bacteria colonizes their gut.

A variety of factors, such as mode of delivery (cesarean or vaginal birth) and antibiotic use, influence this population of bacteria. After that, human milk serves as a primary way more bacteria are introduced to a baby’s system, as it can contain up to 700 different species of bacteria.

In my research as a chemist, I’ve been focusing on the complex sugars that human milk contains. My colleagues and I are interested in how these sugar molecules help mold a baby’s microbiome and contribute to overall health. Ultimately we hope that knowing more about individual molecules in human breast milk will lead to the development of better infant formulas that can be used in cases where breastfeeding isn’t possible.

What’s in mother’s milk

You’ve probably heard that breast milk provides all the energy requirements, vitamins and nutrients that an infant needs. In fact, the World Health Organization recommends exclusively breastfeeding babies for the first six months of life when possible. Unfortunately there are a number of reasons that breastfeeding can be a challenge to keep up; and indeed, only about a quarter of American babies meet that guideline.

Breastmilk has a number of health benefits, beyond just keeping a baby well-fed. Exclusively breastfed babies have lower infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, ear infection, necrotizing enterocolitis and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), compared to formula-fed counterparts. And antibodies in milk mean breastfeeding helps babies recover quicker when they do fall ill.

Researchers know human milk contains two types of simple proteins, whey and casein, which are easily digested. It also has complex proteins including lactoferrin, which inhibits the growth of iron-dependent bacteria, and secretory IgA, which protects the infant from viruses and pathogenic bacteria. It provides a number of essential fats that are necessary for brain development, vitamin absorption and nervous system development.

And then there are the complex sugars called human milk oligosaccharides or HMOs that have long been neglected by the scientific community. As trained organic chemists, my team took an interest in HMOs precisely because not much was known about them. A few studies had found that these sugars were food for good bacteria, but not the pathogenic ones. It seemed like there must be more to the story. We also knew we’d be able to synthesize in the lab any molecules we identified as important.

Basic techniques of organic chemistry can isolate the sugars from a mother’s milk.
Steven Townsend, CC BY-ND

A closer look at mom’s milk sugars

These complex sugars in human milk appear to provide a growth advantage for good bacteria. For example, breastfed infants have a microbiome rich in two species of bacteria: Bacteroides and Bifidobacteria. Both species are symbiotes, meaning they live with us on a daily basis, but typically cause no harm. They live in the human gut where they use human milk oligosaccharides as energy sources to grow, whereas pathogens do not. Breastfed babies tend to be colonized to a lesser extent by infectious species, meaning they get sick less.

Many of the protective properties of human milk have been attributed to its HMO component. For instance, research has shown that HMO supplementation shortens the duration of rotavirus infection – one of the leading causes of diarrhea in infants.

Bovine milk, which most formula is based on, however, contains a negligible oligosaccharide component. Additionally, bovine milk oligosaccharides lack the structural complexity and diversity of HMOs. So formula-fed infants do not obtain comparable oligosaccharide-fostered protections to those who are breastfed.

A case study: Group B strep

Based on these known effects of human milk oligosaccharides, my research group took an interest in Group B streptococcus. All mothers-to-be are screened during the third trimester of pregnancy for Group B strep; although it isn’t much threat to a healthy adult, this bacteria can be passed to the baby during labor and birth, with an increased risk of infection.

We noted that, even though Group B strep bacteria are present in breast milk, children who breastfeed are not at increased risk for Group B strep infection. Why? Could HMOs be providing protection against this bacteria?

To investigate, our team worked to isolate the complex sugars contained in donated human milk. With these molecules in hand, we began to test whether HMOs acted as antibiotics against Group B strep. In an initial study, we tried to grow Group B strep both in the presence and absence of HMOs. It turned out that HMOs do prevent the growth of Group B strep bacteria.

We also observed that different women produced HMOs with varying levels of antibiotic activity. This was not surprising as there are over 200 different HMOs in breast milk. Every woman produces a different set of sugars and they change during lactation. In followup studies, we showed that HMOs have antibiotic properties against a number of additional pathogens, including staph.

Going forward, our goals are to figure out exactly how these sugars are working and why specific women produce sugars that are more antimicrobial than others. Once researchers understand more about which HMOs are the most important ingredients in breast milk for baby health, these compounds can be synthesized and added to infant food products. A better quality infant formula that more closely mimics human breast milk may help close the health gap between breastfed and formula-fed babies.

The Conversation

Steven Townsend does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.


Source: Science-Technology

Brawl erupts at People’s Park Food Centre after man allegedly hits on married woman

Jewel Stolarchuk
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22
Brawl erupts at People’s Park Food Centre after man allegedly hits on married woman

The police are investigating a brawl that broke out at People’s Park Food Centre over the weekend. The fight, which involved several men, occurred on Sunday (6 May) around 9pm and erupted after a man allegedly hit on a married woman.

The dispute reportedly began when a trio consisting of two men and a woman walked past a larger group of men who were having drinks at a table. One of the men in the bigger group allegedly caught a hold of the woman’s hand and invited her to join him for a drink.

The woman’s husband, one of the men in the trio, confronted the other man only for the men in the larger group to start hitting him, prompting a fully fledged brawl to erupt:

Brawl breaks out at People's Park Food Centre after man allegedly hits on married woman

Brawl breaks out at People's Park Food Centre after man allegedly hits on married woman https://bit.ly/2rqZvTg

Posted by Stomp on Monday, 7 May 2018

 

Both groups were reportedly not acquainted with one another prior to the incident. The trio suffered superficial injuries but were not taken to the hospital. Police investigations are ongoing.

This latest brawl occurred mere days after several men became embroiled in a riot at Bendemeer Food Centre on Labour day evening. The riot, that occurred last Tuesday around 9pm, saw bottles breaking and chairs flying as the men involved pummeled each other viciously while shouting:

https://theindependent.sg.sg/bottles-break-and-chairs-fly-as-men-pummel-each-other-in-bendemeer-food-centre-riot/

Jurong Region Line to lift fortunes of properties at Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay along with Jurong Lake District

The Independent
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0

The upcoming seventh MRT line, Jurong Region Line, is expected to lift the fortunes of not just the properties in Jurong Lake District, but also the real estate in Boon Lay and Choa Chu Kang. Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in announcing details of the Jurong Region Line today said that the new line will serve the Jurong area and the western part of Singapore.

Jurong Region Line will connect residents in Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay and the Tengah New Town, and will also connect the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Jurong Industrial Estate and the new Jurong Innovation District.

Mr Khaw said that it will relieve pressure on the crowded Jurong East Interchange Station by directly connecting the north to the Jurong region via a new Jurong Region Line interchange station at Choa Chu Kang. The Jurong Region Line will be developed to support the Government’s urban decentralisation strategy, and car-lite policy.

In announcing the Jurong Region Line, Mr Khaw recounted the evolution of Jurong and the western part of Singapore:

“Until the 1950s, Jurong was mostly swamps, jungles and small fishing villages. In 1961, Dr Goh Keng Swee mooted the idea of turning Jurong into an industrial park, to catalyse Singapore’s economic development. Today, it is a major economic and residential centre, home to 300,000 residents and workplace for 400,000, and growing.

Jurong’s transport infrastructure has improved in tandem with its evolution. The expressways came first, with the Pan Island Expressway in 1981 and the Ayer Rajah Expressway in 1988.

Trains came around the same time. The EWL was extended to Lakeside in 1988, and Boon Lay in 1990. The same year, a spur line linked up Jurong East and Choa Chu Kang. It was subsequently merged with the rest of the NSL in 1996. The EWL was further extended to Joo Koon in 2009, and to Tuas last year.”

The Minister said that the Jurong Region Line marks a quantum leap in the Government’s improvement of transport infrastructure for Jurong.

The Jurong Region Line will be 24km long with 24 stations, and will run above-ground. It will open in three phases, starting from 2026. The Jurong Region Line will give commuters route choices. For example, the two interchange stations at Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay will connect the North-South Line (NSL) and East-West Line (EWL), giving commuters alternative travel routes.

“This will help to redistribute and relieve train loading between Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East stations, so that commuters can enjoy more comfortable rides,” Mr Khaw said.

The Jurong Region Line is expected to help develop the Jurong Lake District (JLD) into the largest commercial hub outside the CBD. Beyond the Jurong Lake District, the Jurong Region Line will also support the development of the Jurong Innovation District into a next generation industrial estate. Together with the upcoming Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail, commuters will have convenient connections not just within western Singapore, but also to Malaysia.

Mr Khaw said: “When all these plans come together, Jurong will be a water front business hub nestled in greenery, served by good public transport connections, as well as amenities to support active mobility. This is our vision for Jurong – a vision which I am fully confident that our fourth-generation leadership will be able to discharge and make it a reality.”

And added: “To realise the vision, there will be inconveniences and some heartaches along the way when construction begins. So let me first thank in advance the residents, schools and businesses near the Jurong Region Line construction sites. LTA and the contractors will minimise any inconvenience. In life, no pain is no gain. But for this, we will make sure small pain but big gain.”

It was earlier announced that the high-speed rail (HSR) project connecting Singapore with Kuala Lumpur is expected to deliver higher property prices and rev up commercial and retail activity in the Jurong Lake District area. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has called for tenders for the design and construction of tunnels and associated facilities for the HSR and construction is expected to start next year.

Developments for the Jurong Lake District are centered around the Jurong East MRT station. With established businesses around the MRT station – like the International business park, IMM (a major shopping mall), along with other new shopping malls, a hospital, educational hubs, high rise offices and residential units – Jurong Lake District is looking very credible as a regional centre.

The Transport Minister’s announcement of the Jurong Region Line now, is expected to boost the prices of properties not just in the Jurong Lake District area, but also in areas where the interchanges are expected to be built – in Boon Lay and Choa Chu Kang.

Besides ramping-up the prices of landed and non-landed private properties in the western region of Singapore, the announcement of the Jurong Region Line may also lift the resale prices of Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats in that area.

According to HDB’s recent announcement, the median resale prices of flats in the Jurong and Choa Chu Kang areas commanded some of the lowest prices.

All this may change with the Jurong Region Line, especially for Choa Chu Kang which is earmarked to be one of the interchanges for the new western line – especially for flats which have more than 60 years in its lease.

HDB resale flat prices fell by 0.8 per cent, from 132.6 in 4th Quarter 2017 to 131.6 in 1st Quarter 2018, but if past property booms are indicative, HDB resale prices will rebound soon as it is unlikely that the Government will allow the HDB resale prices to drop for a continued period without intervening to correct it.

—
If you are home-hunting, our Panel of Property agents and the mortgage consultants at icompareloan.com can help you with affordability assessment and a promotional home loan. Just email our chief mortgage consultant, Paul Ho, with your name, email and phone number at [email protected].

Yishun: Man found guilty of trying to use a stun gun on police officer

Obbana Rajah
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6
Yishun: Man found guilty of trying to use a stun gun on police officer

Obbana Rajah

Earlier today, 24 year old Sivakandesh was found guilty of attempting to cause hurt to a public servant.

On the 10th of January last year, Sivakandesh was arrested at at an open car park in front of Block 624, Yishun Ring Road, at about 12.05pm.

After the police were alerted by a tip-off, they found Sivakandesh behaving suspiciously in a parked car. They later came to learn that he was trying to steal a pair of sunglasses worth $150 and a green purse containing $87.30.

After lying to police officers that he owned the car, Sivakandesh showed them an expired passport belonging to someone else, and a name card of the rightful car owner.

When officers tried to arrest him, Sivakandesh resisted and attempted to use a stun gun on Lim Kok Hwee, a 42 year old police officer.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Nim pushed for a sentence of five years of corrective training in addition to 209 days of imprisonment, emphasising the “striking need for deterrence”.

Netizens feel similarly, stating that the consequences on those trying to harm police officers should be harsher.

Under the Arms and Explosive Act, anyone found guilty of unlawful possession of arms without a licence can be fined up to $5,000, jailed up to five years or be sentenced to at least six strokes of the cane.

For voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant performing his duty, Sivakandesh could be given up to seven years’ jail, a fine, caning, or a combination of the three.

For committing theft, Sivakandesh could be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

[email protected]

95-year-old wheelchair-bound woman is left at HDB void deck for 6 hours during family dispute over who she should live with

Jewel Stolarchuk
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7
95-year-old wheelchair-bound woman is left at HDB void deck for 6 hours during family dispute over who she should live with

A 95-year-old wheelchair-bound woman was left waiting at a HDB void deck at Hougang Ave 8 for six hours during a family dispute about who she should be living with. The elderly woman was accompanied by a domestic helper.

One of the elderly woman’s daughters, 52-year-old Mdm Shen, told the Chinese daily that her mother became confined to a wheelchair more than a year ago, after suffering a hip injury caused by a fall. This also caused her mother to spend large amounts of time in bed. Mdm Shen revealed:

 

“My mother has been living with my eldest sister for about 20 years. My niece helps to care for her too.
“However in the past two or three years, my mother has been bad-tempered. She often scolds and hits my niece. On April 16 at around 8pm, my mother not only scolded the maid, but also kicked (her). It’s worrying.”
“My mother said she wanted to stay at my older brother’s house. Therefore, we arranged for her to go over that night. My brother and his wife also said they would take care of her properly.
“However, two days later, they unexpectedly sent my mother back to my eldest sister’s place.”

Since her mother was still “throwing a tantrum” and since Mdm Shen discovered her mother’s desire to move out from her older sister’s place, Mdm Shen and her niece decided to return her mother back to her brother’s house:

“At 11am that day, we were driving to my brother’s home. My mother and the maid sat at the void deck and were waiting to go upstairs.
“I realised that my sister-in-law was returning from buying food and was trying to avoid us from a distance. Afterwards, when my niece discovered her, she left my mother in my sister-in-law’s care and left.”

Mdm Shen revealed that she received a call from her brother later, requesting her to come and fetch their mother. It was only then that Mdm Shen realised her mother had been sitting at the void deck the whole time:

“The two of them had been waiting downstairs for six hours just like that. It made us feel really angry. My brother and his wife had actually not allowed my mother into their home!”

Mdm Shen’s sister-in-law, however, told the Chinese daily a different story. Refuting the allegations, 62-year-old Mdm Zhang said that it was Mdm Shen who left the elderly woman at their block, even though her mother-in-law did not want to move from her eldest daughter’s home:

“My mother-in-law did not even want to move out. It was said that she would only be temporarily staying with us for a few days.
“It was Mdm Shen who left her mother downstairs without a care. She did not hand her mother over to us and simply left on her own with her niece.”

Khaw Boon Wan claims building upcoming Canberra MRT station is “like open heart surgery”

Jewel Stolarchuk
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45
Khaw Boon Wan claims building upcoming Canberra MRT station is “like open heart surgery”

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan claimed this morning that building the upcoming MRT station “is something like open heart surgery.” Speaking to reporters during a visit to the station’s worksite this morning, Khaw said that the station – which is situated between Sembawang and Yishun stations on the North-South line – is on track to be completed by December next year.

Canberra station will give greater convenience to commuters living in surrounding estates like Sembawang Springs and new developments that are sprouting in Canberra, such as new HDB clusters and executive condominiums like Parc Life and SkyPark Residences.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) expects another 17,000 households to benefit from the new station, which is already 55 per cent complete, given that it will be within a 10-minute walk away from their homes.

The Canberra MRT station project is a unique one since the station is being built on an existing line. The only MRT station that was added to an existing line in this manner was Dover station on the East-West Line. Because of this, LTA had to ensure that the safety of the North-South Line’s existing structures is not compromised and that disruptions to train services are minimised.

Remembering his own open heart surgery, Khaw compared the challenges of building the new station to the beating heart method in heart surgeries. He said:

“As you can imagine, such projects are not easy to do. Ages ago I had an open heart surgery and surgeon asked me there are two ways to do. One is a very traditional open-heart method … there’s another way which is you let the heart continue to beat and then you do the sewing while the heart is beating.

“And this (Canberra station) is something like open heart surgery. This is called the beating heart method. It can be done, but of course it’s very challenging.”

Khaw underwent heart bypass surgery in May 2010. His surgery was notable and made headlines when it was reported in October that year that the Minister paid only $8 in cash for the procedure, since his Medisave savings, Medishield and private Medishield-integrated Shield insurance covered most of the bill.

At the visit to the Canberra MRT station worksite this morning, Khaw also spoke about the upcoming Jurong Region Line – a new 24-km line consisting of 24 stations that will be open in three phases from 2026 onwards.

Noting that the new above-ground line will improve the resilience of the entire MRT network, Khaw said that line will help relieve and redistribute heavy train loading between Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East stations with two interchange stations within the new line being Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay stations. LTA is also studying the possibility of extending the Jurong Region Line so that it can connect to the Circle Line.

The Jurong region, which was mostly swamps, jungles and fishing villages until the 1950s is now a blossoming economic and residential hub with about 300,000 residents and 400,000 workers. The new Jurong Region Line “marks a quantum leap” in the area, according to Khaw, who noted that the line will support the development of the Jurong Lake District into the largest commercial hub outside the Central Business District, besides helping develop the Jurong Innovation District.

Along with the upcoming Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail, the new MRT line will help achieve the Government’s vision for Jurong, according to Khaw. He said: “When all these plans come together, Jurong will be a water front business hub nestled in greenery, served by good public transport connections, as well as amenities to support active mobility.”

A hangover pill? Tests on drunk mice show promise

The Independent
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0
Keep the buzz. Lose the hangover. By bogdanhoda/Shutterstock.com

“Civilization begins with distillation,” said William Faulkner, a writer and drinker. Although our thirst for alcohol dates back to the Stone Age, nobody has figured out a good way to deal with the ensuing hangover after getting drunk.

As a chemical engineering professor and wine enthusiast, I felt I needed to find a solution. As frivolous as this project may sound, it has serious implications. Between 8 and 10 percent of emergency room visits in America are due to acute alcohol poisoning. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature deaths and disability among people aged 15-49 and its abuse leads to serious health problems, including cardiovascular and liver cancer. Despite these sobering facts, current treatments for alcohol overdose largely rely on the body’s own enzymes to break down this drug.

I decided to design an antidote that could help people enjoy wine or cocktails or beer without a hangover, and at the same time create a lifesaving therapy to treat intoxication and overdose victims in the ER. I chose to create capsules filled with natural enzymes usually found in liver cells to help the body process the alcohol faster.

Together with professor Cheng Ji, an expert in liver diseases from Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and my graduate student Duo Xu, we developed an antidote and tested it in mice.

Inspired by the body’s approach for breaking down alcohol, we chose three natural enzymes that convert alcohol into harmless molecules that are then excreted. That might sound simple, because these enzymes were not new, but the tricky part was to figure out a safe, effective way to deliver them to the liver.

To protect the enzymes, we wrapped each of them in a shell, using a material the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had already approved for pills. We then injected these nanocapsules into the veins of drunk mice where they hurtled through the circulatory system, eventually arriving in the liver where they entered the cells and served as mini–reactors to digest alcohol.

We showed that in inebriated mice (which fall asleep much faster than drunk humans), the treatment decreased the blood alcohol level by 45 percent in just four hours compared to mice that didn’t receive any. Meanwhile, the blood concentration of acetaldehyde – a highly toxic compound that is carcinogenic, causes headaches and vomiting, makes people blush after drinking, and is produced during the normal alcohol metabolism – remained extremely low. The animals given the drug woke from their alcohol-induced slumber faster than their untreated counterparts – something all college students would appreciate.

The ability to efficiently break down alcohol quickly should help patients wake up earlier and prevent alcohol poisoning. It should also protect their liver from alcohol–associated stress and damage.

We are currently completing tests to ensure that our nanocapsules are safe and don’t trigger unexpected or dangerous side effects. If our treatments prove effective in animals, we could begin human clinical trials in as early as one year.

This sort of antidote won’t stop people from going too far when consuming alcohol, but it could help them recover quicker. In the meantime, we plan on drinking responsibly, and hope that you do too.

The Conversation

Yunfeng Lu receives funding from National Institutes of Health.


Source: Science-Technology

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