The Inflammatory Response

Inflammation is a response activated by the body in response to various stimuli. The inflammatory process is related not only to infections (bacterial, viral, or fungal) or tissue damage (cuts, burns) but also to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune, intestinal, and chronic diseases. The list of diseases associated with inflammation is constantly growing, thanks to numerous scientific studies that examine the cells, markers, action mechanisms, and activated signaling pathways involved.

 

The inflammatory response consists of a series of cascading cellular reactions necessary to repair damaged tissues. Normally, the effects of these reactions are balanced and ultimately have a protective effect.

 

Credits: www.ambrogioperetti.it

 

However, chronic inflammation can cause more tissue damage than is repaired, leading to actual diseases. Depending on the stimulus that triggers inflammation, various physiological responses can occur, which can lead to different pathologies. Defending the body against infections generally leads to activation of the immune system, but can also cause damage to inflamed tissues and, in the worst cases, sepsis (potentially lethal systemic inflammation). Fibrosis or tumor growth can occur in response to tissue damage repair, or systemic chronic inflammation can result from the malfunction of one or more physiological processes, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, psoriasis, or multiple sclerosis.

Following increased vascularization, the first reaction initiated by the body in response to inflammation, the following classic symptoms are observed in the affected area:

 

  • Calor, an increase in temperature.
  • Rubor, redness caused by increased blood flow.
  • Tumor, swelling caused by the formation of exudate.
  • Dolor, numbness or pain caused by pressure and continuous stimulation of nerve endings.
  • Functio laesa, impaired functionality of tissue or organ.

 

Common therapies for treating inflammatory diseases are based on steroidal or non-steroidal drugs. Frequent use of these drugs can cause various gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal side effects. Therefore, there is great interest in the study of molecules and alternative therapies for these drugs that have a selective anti-inflammatory action and lower toxicity to the body.

 

Detailed information on the inflammatory process is available in Medzhitov, 2008.

 

Anti-inflammatory properties of cyanobacteria

 

Among the organisms that colonize thermal mud during the maturation process, we find cyanobacteria which are known to produce various anti-inflammatory compounds (Pagels et al. 2022). Among the compounds studied are glycolipid compounds and released polysaccharides of the species Phormidium sp. ETS-05. In addition to these molecules, cyanobacteria produce other compounds of interest, such as amino acids and peptides (mycosporine-like amino acids) and various pigments (carotenoids, chlorophylls, and phycobiliproteins, crucial for cell metabolic processes) with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral actions (Tabarzad et al., 2020). In particular, the production of released polysaccharides and various pigments of interest by the species Phormidium sp. ETS-05 was evaluated in a recent study conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Padova (Zampieri et al. 2023).

 

The importance and contribution of these organisms to the therapeutic effectiveness of thermal mud are evident, and further studies will highlight the contribution of other cyanobacterial species that form biofilms during mud maturation.