Arthritis and botulinum toxin

　　關(guān)節(jié)炎與肉毒桿菌毒素

　　Something to celebrate

　　值得慶賀

　　Botulinum toxin may help relieve chronic pain

　　肉毒桿菌毒素也許能夠幫助緩解慢性疾病的痛苦

　　An inflammatory problem

　　炎癥的痛楚

　　ARTHRITIS is the bane of millions of lives.

　　關(guān)節(jié)炎是數(shù)百萬人的噩夢。

　　Though it comes in many forms, their common theme is inflammation of the tissues arounda joint in the skeleton.

　　關(guān)節(jié)炎有多種形式，但它們共同的特征是關(guān)節(jié)處組織的炎癥反應。

　　Treatment is merely palliative: anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers or both.

　　對此的治療手段往往是治標不治本：消炎藥，止痛藥，或者兩者同時用。

　　But a piece of research published this week in Biochemistry, by Edwin Chapman of theUniversity of Wisconsin and his colleagues, offers arthritis sufferers hope from a strangequarter: botulinum toxin.

　　但是由威斯康辛大學埃德文查普曼博士以及他的同事們在本周生物化學雜志上的發(fā)表的一項研究，為關(guān)節(jié)炎患者提供了希望：肉毒桿菌毒素。

　　This toxin is one of the mostdangerous substances on earth.

　　這種毒素是地球上最危險的物質(zhì)之一，

　　It is made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.

　　它是由一種叫肉毒桿菌的細菌合成。

　　Even a small amount is enough to kill a healthy adult.

　　僅僅很小的量就足以殺死一個健康成年人。

　　The toxin molecules attach themselves to a protein called synaptotagmin, which is foundon the surface membranes of nerve cells at their junctions with muscle cells.

　　這種毒素能結(jié)合到一種叫做synaptotagmin的蛋白上，SYT則位于神經(jīng)肌肉接頭處神經(jīng)細胞的細胞膜表面。

　　Thence they are ingested into the cell, where they disable another protein, SNAP-25, therole of which is to help release a chemical messenger called acetylcholine.

　　然后這種毒素被吞入細胞內(nèi)部，進而讓另外一個叫SNAP-25的蛋白失活，SNAP-25的作用是幫助一種叫乙酰膽堿的化學信使的釋放。

　　This messengers job is to tell muscle cells to contract. Without that signal, muscles stopsworking. If this happens all over the body, death is rapid.

　　這種化學信使的作用則是讓肌肉細胞進行收縮。沒有這種信號的話，肌肉便停止工作了。如果全身都發(fā)生這樣的情況，死亡便接踵而來。

　　Inject the toxin locally, though, and you can do some good.

　　然而局部注射肉毒素還能帶來好處。

　　It wipes away frown lines and other wrinkles, which are caused by overstimulated muscles,

　　它能撫平額頭和其他部位的皺紋，這些皺紋恰恰是因為肌肉被過度刺激引起的。

　　thus allowing ageing celebs to appear on the covers of gossip magazines withoutembarrassment.

　　它使得那些上了年紀的名流們毫無尷尬的出現(xiàn)在街頭雜志的封面。

　　More seriously, it is used to treat disorders ranging from headaches to muscle spasms.

　　它更為嚴肅的用途是治療各種生理紊亂，包括從頭痛到肌肉痙攣。

　　It only works, however, in cells that have synaptotagmin on their surfaces.

　　然而，它僅僅能在那些表面具有SYT蛋白的細胞中起作用，

　　Which is where Dr Chapman comes in.

　　這正是查普曼博士的切入點。

　　Inflammation is also caused by chemical signalling.

　　炎癥反應同樣是由化學信號引起的。

　　Cells called macrophages summon all sorts of others to an injury, to try to repair it.

　　巨噬細胞召集其他免疫細胞到達受傷處，并試圖修復傷害。

　　If repair cannot be effected, though, the signalling never stops.

　　但如果修復不起作用，則這些信號就不會停止。

　　The swelling causes pain, and the patient suffers.

　　腫痛造成痛苦，而病人只能忍受。

　　But macrophage signalling also involves SNAP-25, so Dr Chapman thinks he can usebotulinum toxin to shut the cells up.

　　但是巨噬細胞的信號通路中也包括SNAP-25，因此查普曼博士想，他能夠用肉毒素來關(guān)閉這些免疫細胞。

　　The problem is that macrophages have no synaptotagmin on their surfaces.

　　問題在于，巨噬細胞的表面并沒有SYT蛋白，

　　They do, though, have other proteins, called Fc receptors.

　　他們表面有的是另外一種被稱為Fc受體的蛋白。

　　What is needed is a way to get toxin molecules to attach themselves to Fc receptors.

　　現(xiàn)在只需要找到一個辦法，讓肉毒素結(jié)合到Fc受體上去，

　　And this is what Dr Chapman thinks he has managed.

　　而查普曼博士認為，他辦到了這一點。

　　His trick is to link each molecule to an antibody.

　　他的絕招是將每個分子與抗體連接起來。

　　An antibody is a protein that binds to a hostile invading organism.

　　抗體是一種能結(jié)合入侵有機體的分子，

　　If this does not kill the invader outright, then it acts as a flag for the bug in question to beeaten by a macrophage.

　　如果抗體不能馬上殺死入侵者，則它將作為入侵者的一個標記，使得它們有可能被巨噬細胞所吞噬，

　　That happens when the antibody that is attached to the invader also attaches itself to anFc-receptor molecule.

　　這個過程只有當結(jié)合在入侵者上的抗體同時也能和Fc受體分子結(jié)合時才會發(fā)生，

　　This done, the invader is ingested.

　　而這個步驟一完成，則入侵者就被吞噬了。

　　Dr Chapmans plan was to use this mechanism to get macrophages to eat toxin molecules.

　　查普曼博士的計劃是，利用這個機制，讓巨噬細胞把肉毒素吞進去，

　　Once inside, they would disable SNAP-25 and thus stop the release of signalling moleculesin the way they do in nerve cells.

　　而進入細胞之后，它就能使SNAP-25失去活性，從而像在神經(jīng)細胞中一樣，阻止信號分子的釋放。

　　The result, the theory goes, would be an end to the chronic inflammation that arthritiscauses, and thus to the chronic pain.

　　如果這個理論可行，那么由關(guān)節(jié)炎所導致的慢性炎癥將被終結(jié)，同時被終結(jié)的，還有長期以來的痛苦。

　　The first stage works.

　　第一步看起來是可行的。

　　The toxin/antibody complex successfully gloms onto the macrophages.

　　肉毒素與抗體的復合物成功地黏附上巨噬細胞，

　　The toxin does get inside them.

　　肉毒素確實進入了巨噬細胞內(nèi)部，

　　And the cells do stop signalling.

　　這些細胞也的確中止了信號通路。

　　It is a long way from there to a treatment,

　　從這一步到治療仍有很長的路要走，

　　but Dr Chapman has made the trick work in mice as well as Petri dishes.

　　但是查普曼博士已經(jīng)用這個方法在培養(yǎng)皿的細胞中和在老鼠身上獲得了成功。

　　Many more animal trials will be needed before it can be tested on people.

　　在人體上進行測試前，還需要完成更多的動物實驗，

　　But for those who suffer the chronic pain of arthritis, it is a hopeful start.

　　但是對于那些正在長期忍受關(guān)節(jié)炎痛苦的人們來說，這是一個充滿希望的開始。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.botulinum n.肉毒桿菌

　　After injecting botulinum toxin type A in the lefteye, her eye became red and painful.

　　經(jīng)過左眼肉毒桿菌毒素注射治療眼瞼痙孿后，患者有左眼紅痛表現(xiàn)。

　　2.relieve v.救濟;減輕;解除

　　The Government acted quickly to relieve thewidespread distress caused by the earthquake.

　　地震造成大范圍的災難,政府迅速采取行動賑濟災民。

　　3.inflammation n.發(fā)炎;炎癥;燃燒;激動

　　He has an inflammation of the lungs.

　　他得了肺炎。

　　4.painkiller n.止痛藥

　　Take this painkiller, it usually acts fast.

　　把止痛藥吃了，這個藥見效很快。

　　5.toxin n.毒素;毒質(zhì)

　　Our toxin will destroy the enemy.

　　我們的毒素將毀滅敵人。

　　Arthritis and botulinum toxin

　　關(guān)節(jié)炎與肉毒桿菌毒素

　　Something to celebrate

　　值得慶賀

　　Botulinum toxin may help relieve chronic pain

　　肉毒桿菌毒素也許能夠幫助緩解慢性疾病的痛苦

　　An inflammatory problem

　　炎癥的痛楚

　　ARTHRITIS is the bane of millions of lives.

　　關(guān)節(jié)炎是數(shù)百萬人的噩夢。

　　Though it comes in many forms, their common theme is inflammation of the tissues arounda joint in the skeleton.

　　關(guān)節(jié)炎有多種形式，但它們共同的特征是關(guān)節(jié)處組織的炎癥反應。

　　Treatment is merely palliative: anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers or both.

　　對此的治療手段往往是治標不治本：消炎藥，止痛藥，或者兩者同時用。

　　But a piece of research published this week in Biochemistry, by Edwin Chapman of theUniversity of Wisconsin and his colleagues, offers arthritis sufferers hope from a strangequarter: botulinum toxin.

　　但是由威斯康辛大學埃德文查普曼博士以及他的同事們在本周生物化學雜志上的發(fā)表的一項研究，為關(guān)節(jié)炎患者提供了希望：肉毒桿菌毒素。

　　This toxin is one of the mostdangerous substances on earth.

　　這種毒素是地球上最危險的物質(zhì)之一，

　　It is made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.

　　它是由一種叫肉毒桿菌的細菌合成。

　　Even a small amount is enough to kill a healthy adult.

　　僅僅很小的量就足以殺死一個健康成年人。

　　The toxin molecules attach themselves to a protein called synaptotagmin, which is foundon the surface membranes of nerve cells at their junctions with muscle cells.

　　這種毒素能結(jié)合到一種叫做synaptotagmin的蛋白上，SYT則位于神經(jīng)肌肉接頭處神經(jīng)細胞的細胞膜表面。

　　Thence they are ingested into the cell, where they disable another protein, SNAP-25, therole of which is to help release a chemical messenger called acetylcholine.

　　然后這種毒素被吞入細胞內(nèi)部，進而讓另外一個叫SNAP-25的蛋白失活，SNAP-25的作用是幫助一種叫乙酰膽堿的化學信使的釋放。

　　This messengers job is to tell muscle cells to contract. Without that signal, muscles stopsworking. If this happens all over the body, death is rapid.

　　這種化學信使的作用則是讓肌肉細胞進行收縮。沒有這種信號的話，肌肉便停止工作了。如果全身都發(fā)生這樣的情況，死亡便接踵而來。

　　Inject the toxin locally, though, and you can do some good.

　　然而局部注射肉毒素還能帶來好處。

　　It wipes away frown lines and other wrinkles, which are caused by overstimulated muscles,

　　它能撫平額頭和其他部位的皺紋，這些皺紋恰恰是因為肌肉被過度刺激引起的。

　　thus allowing ageing celebs to appear on the covers of gossip magazines withoutembarrassment.

　　它使得那些上了年紀的名流們毫無尷尬的出現(xiàn)在街頭雜志的封面。

　　More seriously, it is used to treat disorders ranging from headaches to muscle spasms.

　　它更為嚴肅的用途是治療各種生理紊亂，包括從頭痛到肌肉痙攣。

　　It only works, however, in cells that have synaptotagmin on their surfaces.

　　然而，它僅僅能在那些表面具有SYT蛋白的細胞中起作用，

　　Which is where Dr Chapman comes in.

　　這正是查普曼博士的切入點。

　　Inflammation is also caused by chemical signalling.

　　炎癥反應同樣是由化學信號引起的。

　　Cells called macrophages summon all sorts of others to an injury, to try to repair it.

　　巨噬細胞召集其他免疫細胞到達受傷處，并試圖修復傷害。

　　If repair cannot be effected, though, the signalling never stops.

　　但如果修復不起作用，則這些信號就不會停止。

　　The swelling causes pain, and the patient suffers.

　　腫痛造成痛苦，而病人只能忍受。

　　But macrophage signalling also involves SNAP-25, so Dr Chapman thinks he can usebotulinum toxin to shut the cells up.

　　但是巨噬細胞的信號通路中也包括SNAP-25，因此查普曼博士想，他能夠用肉毒素來關(guān)閉這些免疫細胞。

　　The problem is that macrophages have no synaptotagmin on their surfaces.

　　問題在于，巨噬細胞的表面并沒有SYT蛋白，

　　They do, though, have other proteins, called Fc receptors.

　　他們表面有的是另外一種被稱為Fc受體的蛋白。

　　What is needed is a way to get toxin molecules to attach themselves to Fc receptors.

　　現(xiàn)在只需要找到一個辦法，讓肉毒素結(jié)合到Fc受體上去，

　　And this is what Dr Chapman thinks he has managed.

　　而查普曼博士認為，他辦到了這一點。

　　His trick is to link each molecule to an antibody.

　　他的絕招是將每個分子與抗體連接起來。

　　An antibody is a protein that binds to a hostile invading organism.

　　抗體是一種能結(jié)合入侵有機體的分子，

　　If this does not kill the invader outright, then it acts as a flag for the bug in question to beeaten by a macrophage.

　　如果抗體不能馬上殺死入侵者，則它將作為入侵者的一個標記，使得它們有可能被巨噬細胞所吞噬，

　　That happens when the antibody that is attached to the invader also attaches itself to anFc-receptor molecule.

　　這個過程只有當結(jié)合在入侵者上的抗體同時也能和Fc受體分子結(jié)合時才會發(fā)生，

　　This done, the invader is ingested.

　　而這個步驟一完成，則入侵者就被吞噬了。

　　Dr Chapmans plan was to use this mechanism to get macrophages to eat toxin molecules.

　　查普曼博士的計劃是，利用這個機制，讓巨噬細胞把肉毒素吞進去，

　　Once inside, they would disable SNAP-25 and thus stop the release of signalling moleculesin the way they do in nerve cells.

　　而進入細胞之后，它就能使SNAP-25失去活性，從而像在神經(jīng)細胞中一樣，阻止信號分子的釋放。

　　The result, the theory goes, would be an end to the chronic inflammation that arthritiscauses, and thus to the chronic pain.

　　如果這個理論可行，那么由關(guān)節(jié)炎所導致的慢性炎癥將被終結(jié)，同時被終結(jié)的，還有長期以來的痛苦。

　　The first stage works.

　　第一步看起來是可行的。

　　The toxin/antibody complex successfully gloms onto the macrophages.

　　肉毒素與抗體的復合物成功地黏附上巨噬細胞，

　　The toxin does get inside them.

　　肉毒素確實進入了巨噬細胞內(nèi)部，

　　And the cells do stop signalling.

　　這些細胞也的確中止了信號通路。

　　It is a long way from there to a treatment,

　　從這一步到治療仍有很長的路要走，

　　but Dr Chapman has made the trick work in mice as well as Petri dishes.

　　但是查普曼博士已經(jīng)用這個方法在培養(yǎng)皿的細胞中和在老鼠身上獲得了成功。

　　Many more animal trials will be needed before it can be tested on people.

　　在人體上進行測試前，還需要完成更多的動物實驗，

　　But for those who suffer the chronic pain of arthritis, it is a hopeful start.

　　但是對于那些正在長期忍受關(guān)節(jié)炎痛苦的人們來說，這是一個充滿希望的開始。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.botulinum n.肉毒桿菌

　　After injecting botulinum toxin type A in the lefteye, her eye became red and painful.

　　經(jīng)過左眼肉毒桿菌毒素注射治療眼瞼痙孿后，患者有左眼紅痛表現(xiàn)。

　　2.relieve v.救濟;減輕;解除

　　The Government acted quickly to relieve thewidespread distress caused by the earthquake.

　　地震造成大范圍的災難,政府迅速采取行動賑濟災民。

　　3.inflammation n.發(fā)炎;炎癥;燃燒;激動

　　He has an inflammation of the lungs.

　　他得了肺炎。

　　4.painkiller n.止痛藥

　　Take this painkiller, it usually acts fast.

　　把止痛藥吃了，這個藥見效很快。

　　5.toxin n.毒素;毒質(zhì)

　　Our toxin will destroy the enemy.

　　我們的毒素將毀滅敵人。