Wine and the pope; wine and heart health; wine and GenZ. It’s [mostly] all about wine this monthPope Francis praised Italian wine producers last year at an industry event VinitalyWhile the death of Pope Francis has touched people across the globe, perhaps Italian wine producers are feeling the loss a little more keenly. Last year the pope addressed a group of more than 100 Italian wine producers who were granted special audience with the pontiff during an industry promotional event. Though Argentine, the pope was of Italian descent, with his father originating from Asti, the heart of Piemonte’s wine country. The pope told the producers yours is “certainly a significant presence” in terms of production and employment, but also recognized their diligence in wisely using “wine, the land, farming skills and entrepreneurial activity, [which] are gifts from God.” Bringing it a more secular level, he praised the producers for “the fundamental lines along which you have chosen to move – care for the environment, work and healthy consumer habits – indicate an attitude centered on respect, at various levels.”The special Vatican wine EL PAISIn related news, wine-searcher.com makes note that the election of a new pope may affect the fortunes of Spanish winery Heras Cordón in Rioja, which has been the exclusive supplier of wine for the Vatican since 2001 under the selection of John Paul II and continued by the subsequent popes. The only winery in Spain to hold the official Vatican supplier certificate produces 2000 bottles of the Vatican wine per year

Findings could point to new ways to treat RAS-driven cancers BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators have discovered a new way in which RAS genes, which are commonly mutated in cancer, may drive tumor growth beyond their well-known role in signaling at the cell surface. Mutant RAS, they found, helps to kick off a series of events involving the transport of specific nuclear proteins that lead to uncontrolled tumor growth, according to a study published Nov. 11, 2024, in Nature Cancer

Peer-reviewed study offers first description of ongoing NETosis induction in Long COVID; provides insights into pathogenesis and can serve as a surrogate marker for persistent pathology Research emphasizes need to explore neutrophil-targeted therapies in acute and chronic COVID-19SALT LAKE CITY, April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Peel Therapeutics, an evolutionary-inspired, clinical-stage biotech company, announced research conducted by the company has been published in The Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. The study, NETosis Induction Reflects COVID-19 Severity and Long COVID: Insights from a Two-Center Patient Cohort Study in Israel, evaluated the ability of blood from Israeli patients with Long COVID to induce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) as a marker of ongoing inflammation. NETs are sticky webs of DNA released by activated immunes cells that contribute to immunothrombosis (mini-clots) and fibrosis. Peel scientists also correlated NETosis potential with acute disease severity in COVID-19. The study concluded that NET inhibitors may be a possible treatment approach for COVID-19 and recommended additional research to confirm findings. Peel Therapeutics is developing first-in-class Neutrophil Targeting Peptides (NTPs) – originating from natural NET inhibitors in newborns – to block inflammation leading to immunothrombosis and fibrosis