Author: Marie Benz MD FAAD
18 Apr Modest Effect of Spinal Manipulation For Back Pain
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33772" align="alignleft" width="109"]
Dr. Shekelle[/caption]
Paul Shekelle, MD PhD MPH
Chief of General internal Medicine
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Back pain is one of the commonest symptoms for adult patients to seek health care. For a number of years now, VA has had chiropractic care integrated into the ambulatory care available at many large VA medical centers. Most patients referred from VA primary care to chiropractic clinic have chronic back pain. VA was interested in an evidence synthesis of the use of spinal manipulative therapy in acute low back pain. Spinal manipulative therapy is a manual technique delivered by almost all chiropractors, but also delivered by some physical therapists, osteopathic physicians, and some medical doctors.
The main findings are that spinal manipulative therapy is associated with, on average, a modest beneficial effect on pain and function. However, there are large difference sin outcome across studies, and this suggests that some patients may respond much better, and other may respond not at all.
18 Apr Human Behavioral Complexity Peaks At Age 25
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Hector Zenil Co-director Information Dynamics Lab Unit of Computational Medicine, SciLifeLab Center for Molecular Medicine Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The generation of randomness is known to be related to cognitive abilities. It has also recently been shown that animals can recur to random behaviour to outsmart other animals or overcome certain situations. Our results that humans can best outsmart computers in generating randomness at a certain age (25). The results correspond to what it was suspected, that cognitive abilities peak at an early age before declining and that no other factor was important. We quantified a type of mathematical randomness that is known to be the true type of randomness as opposed to e.g. 'statistical randomness'. Something that is random is difficult to describe in a succinct way. Unlike 'statistical randomness', 'algorithmic randomness' does not only produce something that appears random but also that is very difficult to generate or produce. Conversely, something that may look random for the standard of statistical randomness may not turn out to be truly random.18 Apr Low CD4 Count Linked To Heart Failure in HIV Patients
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Matthew S Freiberg, MD, MSc Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Vanderbilt Translational and Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: HIV infected people are living longer and are at risk for cardiovascular diseases. While acute myocardial infarction has been studied and the increased risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) among HIV+ people compared to uninfected people is well documented, there are less data describing the risk of HIV and different types of heart failure, including reduced and preserved ejection fraction heart failure. Understanding more about the link between HIV and different types of HF is important because reduced and preserved ejection fraction heart failure differ with respect to underlying mechanism, treatment, and prognosis. Moreover, as cardiovascular care has improved, HIV infected people who experience an AMI are likely to survive but may live with a damaged heart. Understanding more about the link between HIV and heart failure may help providers and their patients prevent or reduce the impact of HF on the HIV community.17 Apr Inhaling Poppers Associated With Visual Toxicity
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Rebecca Rewbury Sussex Eye Hospital Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust Brighton, UK MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: ‘Poppers’ are recreational drugs which are illegal to sell for human ingestion, but are sold under the guise of household cleaning products. Inhalation leads to a brief sense of euphoria, enhanced sexual arousal and smooth muscle relaxation. The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 was due to outlaw poppers, but they were excluded on the basis that they do not act directly on the central nervous system. The main constituent of poppers, isopropyl nitrite, replaced isobutyl nitrite when the latter was classified as a carcinogen in 2006. Since then, there have been several case reports of ‘poppers maculopathy.’ We noted an increase in patients presenting with central visual disturbances after using poppers and describe 12 such cases. They all demonstrated similar disruption of the photoreceptor layer on retinal imaging. Onset of symptoms was frequently linked to specific brands of poppers, with 3 people having used poppers for many years and only developing side effects on changing brand. Chemical analysis showed that these products contained isopropyl nitrite. One brand of poppers, used without side effects by one patient, contained amyl nitrite, 2-methyl butyl nitrite and isobutyl alcohol, but no isopropyl nitrite. The outcome of poppers maculopathy varied, but following abstention, visual disturbances and retinal damage tended to improve over months, if not fully resolve. Although in some cases, symptoms and/or imaging findings were prolonged. Ongoing use of implicated brands led to persistent, but not worsening maculopathy, whereas one patient that switched back to another brand showed full recovery.17 Apr Review of Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders According to Period of Prenatal Antidepressant Exposure:
Posted at 23:57h
in AstraZeneca, Author Interviews, Autism, Boehringer Ingelheim, Depression, Eli Lilly, J&J-Janssen, JAMA, Merck, OBGYNE
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Florence Gressier MD PhD
Insermk Department of psychiatry
CHU de Bicêtrem Le Kremlin Bicêtre
France
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Results from recent studies have suggested an increased risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in children exposed to antidepressants in utero.
We performed a systematic review of and a meta-analysis of published studies to assess the association between ASDs and fetal exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy for each trimester of pregnancy and preconception.
Our systematic review and meta-analysis suggests a significant association between increased ASD risk and maternal use of antidepressants during pregnancy; however, it appears to be more consistent during the preconception period than during each trimester. In addition, the association was weaker when controlled for past maternal mental illness. Maternal psychiatric disorders in treatment before pregnancy rather than antenatal exposure to antidepressants could have a major role in the risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
17 Apr Sonoillumination May Expand Skin Types That Can Be Treated With Laser Therapy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33956" align="alignleft" width="180"]
Dr. Heather Hunt and Paul Whiteside[/caption]
Paul J.D. Whiteside, doctoral candidate and
Dr. Heather Hunt, assistant professor of bioengineering
University of Missouri
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this technology? What are the barriers to the use of conventional laser treatment of tattoos?
Response: Traditional laser treatments rely on the concept of selective photothermolysis (laser-induced heating) to specifically target certain structures for treatment, while leaving other parts of the skin unaffected. The problem with traditional laser treatments is that the laser needs to transmit through the epidermis, which acts as a barrier to laser transmission both due to its reflective properties and because it is filled with light-absorbing melanin, the pigment that gives our skin its color. Sonoillumination acts to change the properties of the epidermis temporarily using painless ultrasound technology, thereby allowing more laser light to penetrate deeper into the skin to impact desired targets, such as hair follicles, tattoos, and blood vessels. Funding for clinical trials is currently being sought to provide evidence for what we surmise may be benefits of this technology relative to traditional laser treatments. These benefits may include being able to treat darker-skinned people more effectively, being able to provide laser therapy with less risk of scarring or pigment changes, and being able to do treatments with less discomfort, fewer treatments, and lower laser energy settings.
17 Apr Neural Tube Defects in Infants Share Molecular Processes With Neurodegenerative Diseases
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33947" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. Zhiyong Zhao[/caption]
Zhiyong Zhao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Diabetes in early pregnancy can cause neural tube defects in fetus. The defects are a result of failure in neural tube closure, due to excess cell death. The aim of this study was to delineate molecular processes that induce cell death.
The main findings of this study are:
(1) Hyperglycemia disrupts protein folding. The misfolded proteins, including the ones that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, form aggregates, indicating similar molecular processes in both fetal neural tube defects and adult neurodegenerative diseases.
(2) Protein aggregation leads to formation of a neurodegenerative disease-related cell death inducting mechanism.
17 Apr Process Refines Conversion of Skin Fibroblasts into Cardiac Blood Vessels
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33880" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. Rehman[/caption]
Jalees Rehman, MD
Director of Research, Division of Cardiology
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology
University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Medicine
Chicago, IL 60612
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Converting skin fibroblasts into regenerative blood vessel endothelial cells could be a valuable approach to repair diseased blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease and also to build new blood vessels in order to supply engineered tissues and organs.
Using skin fibroblasts is very well suited for personalized therapies because they can be obtained from a skin biopsy in an outpatient setting. The biopsied skin sample is used to extract the skin fibroblasts, which are then expanded in cell culture dishes before they are converted to endothelial cells. This allows for the generation of tens or hundreds of millions of cells that will likely be needed for blood vessel repair and regeneration. By converting skin fibroblasts of a patient, we can generate personalized endothelial cells with the same genetic signature as the patient so that they are less likely to be rejected if implanted back into the same patient after the conversion.
17 Apr Heart Responds To Stress of Cardiac Surgery By Clearing Damaged Mitochondria and Making New Ones
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33929" align="alignleft" width="142"]
Dr. Roberta Gottlieb[/caption]
Roberta Gottlieb, MD
Director of Molecular Cardiobiology
Professor of Medicine
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute
Cedars-Sinai
Los Angeles, California
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Most heart surgeries involve stopping the heart and relying upon a machine to oxygenate the blood and pump it to the rest of the body, a procedure called cardiopulmonary bypass. The heart is typically cooled, which further reduces metabolic demand. During this time, the heart is without a blood supply to provide oxygen and nutrients, but near the end of the procedure, the heart is re-started and blood flow is restored. This period of ischemia followed by reperfusion can injure the heart muscle, much like what happens during a myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
It has been shown that the degree of injury at the time of surgery (measured by the release of cardiac enzymes) is associated with mortality at 30 days and risk of heart failure within 3 years. For that reason, it is important to understand the cellular and molecular events that occur in the heart muscle during cardiac surgery so that we can decrease ischemia/reperfusion injury.
17 Apr Gene Involved in Defective Skin Barrier and Eczema and Ichthyosis Identified
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33975" align="alignleft" width="149"]
Dr. Akio Kihara[/caption]
Akio Kihara, PhD.
Laboratory of Biochemistry
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University
Sapporo, Japan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The skin barrier is the most powerful defensive mechanism terrestrial animals possess against pathogens and harmful substances such as allergens and pollutants. Recent studies indicate that lipids play a central role in skin barrier formation. Multi-lamellar structures consisting of lipids are formed extracellularly in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of epidermis, and their high hydrophobicity prevents the invasion of external pathogens and compounds.
The stratum corneum-specific lipid acylceramide is especially important for skin barrier formation. Decreases in acylceramide levels are associated with cutaneous disorders such as ichthyosis and atopic dermatitis. However, the mechanism behind acylceramide production is poorly understood, especially regarding the last step of acylceramide production: i.e., esterification of ω-hydroxyceramide with linoleic acid. This means that the broader picture of the molecular mechanisms behind skin barrier formation still remained unclear.
Although PNPLA1 has been identified as an ichthyosis-causative gene, its function in skin barrier formation remains unresolved. In the present study, we revealed that PNPLA1 catalyzes the last step of acylceramide synthesis. Our finding completes our knowledge of the entire pathway of the acylceramide production, providing important insights into the molecular mechanisms of skin barrier formation.
17 Apr Low Magnesium May Be Linked To Increased Risk of Hip Fractures
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33919" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Kunutsor[/caption]
Dr Setor Kunutsor Ba(Legon), MBChB(Legon), MA(Cantab), PhD(Cantab)
Research Fellow
Musculoskeletal Research Unit
University of Bristol
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Bone fractures are one of the leading causes of disability and ill health especially among the ageing population and are a burden to health care systems. There is established evidence that calcium and vitamin D play an important role in bone health.
Magnesium is an essential trace element, being the second most abundant intracellular cation after potassium and the fourth most abundant cation in the body. It serves several important functions in the body, which include protein synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, enzymatic reactions, and has also been shown to be cardio-protective. It is also an important component of bone, with majority (67 percent) of total body magnesium known to be found in the bone tissue. There have been suggestions from both human and animal experiments that magnesium may have a beneficial effect on bone health; however, its relationship with fractures is not very certain.
15 Apr Sleep Difficulties Linked to Survival Among Women With Breast Cancer
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33905" align="alignleft" width="132"]
Dr. Trudel-Fitzgerald[/caption]
Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald Ph.D.
FRQS Postdoctoral research fellow & Clinical psychologist (OPQ)
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Boston, MA 02115
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There is very limited research on the association between sleep characteristics and survival among individuals with cancer. However, this is an important question, especially among breast cancer patients because sleep disturbances are frequently reported by these women. Preliminary studies have suggested that sleep duration is related to mortality. The novel findings of our research indicate that not only sleep duration, but also changes in sleep duration before versus after diagnosis, as well as regular difficulties to fall or stay asleep, may also be associated with mortality among women with breast cancer over a period of up to 30 years.
14 Apr Bernie Williams Discusses His Dad’s Journey With IPF and New Treatment Options
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33897" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Mr. Bernie Williams[/caption]
Mr. Bernie Williams
Four-time World Series champion and star centerfielder for the New York Yankees discusses his beloved dad Bernabé’s struggle with a rare lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
MedicalResearch.com: Would you briefly explain what idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is? How does it affect a person's health and ability to breathe?
Mr. Williams: IPF is a rare and serious lung disease that causes permanent scarring of the lungs, and makes it difficult to breathe. Symptoms of IPF include breathlessness during activity, a dry and persistent cough, chest discomfort, fatigue and weakness. Although considered “rare,” IPF affects up to 132,000 Americans, and about 50,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed every year with IPF – enough to fill a baseball stadium.
14 Apr Hepatitis C Can Be Successfully Treated in Homeless Population
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Joshua Barocas, MD Clinical and Research Fellow Division of Infectious Diseases Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program began treating HCV-infected individuals with the new oral medications. Based on clinical experience and previous experience with medication adherence in the setting of HIV, there were no clinical reasons that homeless persons should be excluded. As a result, we began to track the experience of treated individuals including cure, side effects, and adherence. We found that in the initial group of treated individuals, 62 of 64 persons achieved SVR. There were minimal side effects and adherence was excellent.14 Apr Potential Drug-Binding Site Against Zika Virus Identified
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33892" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. Jikui Song[/caption]
Dr. Jikui Song PhD
Assistant professor of biochemistry
University of California, Riverside.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) has become a wordwide health concern. However, no vaccines or antiviral drugs against ZIKV are currently available. To explore potential druggable sites for ZIKV, we set out to determine the crystal structure of full-length ZIKV NS5, the molecular machinery responsible for the genomic replication of ZIKV.
The major findings of our study include the identification of a conserved domain conformation within flavivirus NS5 family, which may be important for functional regulation of flavivirus NS5. Furthermore, our structural analysis revealed a potential drug-binding site of ZIKV NS5, providing basis for future development of novel antivirals against ZIKV.
13 Apr Vascular Safety of Ranibizumab in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33673" align="alignleft" width="170"]
Dr. Zarbin[/caption]
Marco A Zarbin, MD, PhD, FACS
Alfonse Cinotti, MD/Lions Eye Research
Professor and Chair
Institute of Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School
Rutgers University Newark, NJ 0710
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
- Most large, randomized clinical trials are powered to assess the efficacy of drugs or interventions, but they usually do not enroll enough patients to accurately assess the frequency of uncommon, undesirable side effects.
- In order to compensate for this deficiency in trial design, investigators aggregate the results of numerous studies all of which address the same clinical question with the same (or similar) drugs/interventions to increase the power to detect uncommon side effects. These aggregate studies can be meta-analyses.
- Unfortunately, most meta-analyses do not have the ability to answer some critical questions such as the timing of an adverse event relative to the last exposure to the drug, nor can they compensate fully for differences among the aggregated studies in trial design, length of patient follow-up, or presence pre-existing risk factors for the side effects in question.
- A pooled analysis of combined clinical trials using patient level data, however, allows a more in depth analysis of side effects than study level data, which are usually used for most published meta-analyses, because patient level data allow one to incorporate the per-patient duration of exposure to treatment, adjust for imbalances in predefined baseline risk factors, and adjust for the effect of results of single studies on the overall result.
13 Apr Monthly Doses of Vitamin D Do Not Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Robert Scragg, MBBS, PhD School of Population Health The University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Interest in a possible role for vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease was stimulated by studies showing a seasonal variation in cardiovascular disease, which is much higher in winter, when body levels of vitamin D are low, than in summer. Main findings are that bolus monthly doses of vitamin D supplementation do not prevent against cardiovascular disease, even in people with low levels of vitamin D.13 Apr 26 Additional Genes Linked to Intellectual Disability Identified
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Muhammad Ayub MBBS, MRCPsych, MSc., MD Professor of Psychiatry Chair Division of Developmental Disabilities Department of Psychiatry Queens University Kingston Kingston ON Canada MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Intellectual Disability affects about 1 percent of the population worldwide. Genetics play a major role in its etiology. Better understanding of the genetic causes is a necessary step in development of improved diagnosis and treatment. Recessive inheritance where the affected child inherits a defective copy of a gene from both the parents is an important genetic mechanism for prevalence of the disease in populations where within family marriages are common. These types of marital bonds are common in South Asia and Middle Eastern countries. The families where parents are related are an effective resource to study recessive forms of Intellectual Disability.13 Apr Founder of ‘The Pink Fund’ Describes Her Journey With Breast Cancer
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33870" align="alignleft" width="191"]
Molly MacDonald[/caption]
Molly MacDonald
Founder/President/CEO
SurThrivor™
MedicalResearch.com: Would you tell us a little about yourself, especially your life before/outside of your cancer diagnosis?
Response: My life before cancer was a struggle of a different sort. In 1997 I drove up the driveway to our lovely home with five children ages 4-13 safely strapped into the back of my gus guzzling suburban. As I approached the front of the house, I noticed a small paper, about the 4X10 inches tacked to our front door, and where we lived no one tacked notes to the front door and all service providers went around to the side.
Pulling it off I read that the house was to auctioned off in 30 days. That night I had a very unpleasant conversation with my husband during which I learned the deal he was pursuing, among other things, had not come to fruition and he was fronting it with our assets.
Within a monthI liquidated what I could, rented a house for cash and began the process of transitioning our lives from a life of luxury to living paycheck to paycheck.
Trying to find work, while navigating a nasty divorce and helping my children adjust was a huge challenge.
13 Apr Novel Viral Vector Allows Gene Transfer To Correct Hearing Loss
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33853" align="alignleft" width="163"]
Dr. Landegger[/caption]
Lukas Landegger MD
Molecular Neurotology Laboratory (PI Konstantina Stankovic)
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Genetic hearing loss affects more than 125 million people worldwide and constitutes a major hurdle for language acquisition and child development in general. Technological advances over the last decades, such as cochlear implants, have made it possible for deaf children to partially regain their sense of hearing. However, these devices still have several shortcomings, especially when listeners attempt to understand speech in noise or listen to music.
In establishing Anc80L65 as a reliable vector for gene delivery in the inner ear and releasing the first data demonstrating convincing hearing and vestibular function rescue in mice, we provide a foundation for other researchers interested in assessing the benefits of gene therapy in animal models of human disease.
13 Apr Mortality From Cardiovascular Disease in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Drops, But Still Exceeds General Population
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33866" align="alignleft" width="141"]
Dr. Rawshani[/caption]
Aidin Rawshani, MD, PhD student
Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Management of diabetes has improved in the past decades, studies have shown that mortality and cardiovascular disease among patients with diabetes has decreased, but these studies have not compared the trends among persons with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes to those of the general population, where there have also been reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
We observed marked reductions in incidence for cardiovascular disease and mortality among individuals with diabetes, however, similar trends were observed for the general population. We observed a 43% (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.25–1.62) greater event rate reduction for cardiovascular disease among individuals with type 1 diabetes compared to matched controls. The reduction in the rate of fatal outcomes did not differ significantly between patients with type 1 diabetes and controls, whereas patients with type 2 diabetes had a 13% (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.85–0.89) lesser event rate reduction compared with matched controls.
There was a 27% (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.22–1.32) greater event rate reduction for cardiovascular disease among individuals with type 2 diabetes, compared with matched controls. Nevertheless, there remains a substantial excess overall rate of all outcomes analysed among persons with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, as compared with the general population.
13 Apr Fewer Heart Attacks and Strokes After Trans-Fat Restriction Laws in New York
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33863" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Eric Brandt[/caption]
Eric J. Brandt, MD
Yale University
Cardiovascular Disease Fellow
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: From previous studies we know that industrial trans fatty acid (trans fat) consumption is linked to elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. Even small amounts of consumption can be deleterious to cardiovascular health. In New York state, there were 11 counties that restricted the use of trans fatty acids in eateries. We compared hospitalization for heart attacks and stroke from 2002 through 2013 in counties that did and did not have restrictions.
Our study found that when comparing populations within New York state that restricted the use of trans fat, compared to those that did not, there was an associated additional decline beyond temporal trends for heart attacks and stroke events combined by 6.2%.
13 Apr Oral Bacteria Linked to Cardiovascular Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Bradley F. Bale, M.D. Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Nursing, Lubbock, Texas 1002 Montrose Drive Gallatin, TN 37066 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: It has been known for some time that periodontal disease is associated with higher risk for arterial disease. It was shown decades ago that the germs in the mouth frequently seed into our blood stream with simple activities such as chewing and brushing our teeth. During the last decade, it was discovered certain high risk periodontal pathogens are associated with various cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as blood pressure, lipid levels, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. These studies elucidated that the CV risk stems from the bacteria involved in the periodontal disease and not the clinical signs such as pocket depth, bleeding of gums and loose teeth. The above knowledge demonstrated that high risk periodontal pathogens can adversely influence two of the three elements in the atherogenic triad. Those factors are concentration of apoB and endothelial inflammation and dysfunction. Then approximately two years ago it was published that the high risk pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.) can enhance the third element. This portion is the transformation of contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the medial layer of artery into migratory secretory SMCs. These morphed cells enter the deep layer of the intima and enrich it with proteoglycans which are the ‘velcro’ that traps cholesterol particles in the arterial wall and initiates the formation of arterial disease. At that point, there was solid evidence that the high risk pathogens boost every element in the triad to create atherosclerosis. With that knowledge these pathogens must be considered a contributory cause of arterial disease. When a condition is causal it demands diagnosis and management to reduce the disease risk.12 Apr Nasal Spray of Stem Cell Vesicles First Step Toward Treating Brain Diseases
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33838" align="alignleft" width="189"]
Dr. Prockop[/caption]
Dr. Darwin J. Prockop, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine
Temple, TX
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: We and many others have been trying for many years to develop therapies with adult stem cells that might rescue the brain from the injuries and disease. Recently many of found that small vesicles secreted by adult stem cells have many of the beneficial effects of the cells themselves. The paper shows that a nasal spray of the vesicles can rescue mice from the long-term effects of severe epilepsy.
11 Apr Can Greebles Help Identify People At Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Emily Mason, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Associate Department of Neurological Surgery University of Louisville MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? [caption id="attachment_33830" align="alignleft" width="350"]
Family History of Alzheimer’s Disease is Associated with Impaired Perceptual Discrimination of Novel Objects[/caption]
Response: Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that currently affects one in eight Americans over the age of 65. Unfortunately, there is still no treatment that will halt or reverse the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease. One of the reasons for this may be that we still don’t fully understand what is happening in the very earliest stages of the disease. Previous studies have shown that one of the pathological hallmarks of the disease, called “tau tangles,” begins to accumulate in a specific area of the brain called the medial temporal lobe decades before people are typically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. We wondered if we could use cognitive tests targeted to structures in the medial temporal lobe to pick up very subtle behavioral changes in people who were at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. We examined people who were in their 40s and 50s, which is a time when if any differences could be detected, it’s possible that pathology may be reversible.
Using a cognitive task called “odd man out" that can be easily implemented using a computer, we found that subjects at risk for Alzheimer’s disease tended to do worse in identifying differences between objects called Greebles. These objects are highly visually similar, and most people have never seen them before. Those two things make this task very difficult. We believe that this study lays some of the groundwork in developing cognitive tests targeted at relatively young subjects who may be in the very earliest stages of the disease.
11 Apr Smoking Associated With Comorbidities in Atopic Dermatitis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33825" align="alignleft" width="180"]
Dr. Thyssen[/caption]
Jacob P. Thyssen MD, PhD, DmSci
Department of Dermatology and Allergy
Herlev and Gentofte Hospital
University of Copenhagen
Hellerup, Denmark
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Atopic dermatitis has been associated with various comorbidities. With the emergence of biologics for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, the hypothesis has been raised that atopic dermatitis is a systemic immune disease affecting more than just the skin.
11 Apr Evaluation of Athletic Hip Injuries
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33820" align="alignleft" width="173"]
Dr. Christopher Larson[/caption]
Christopher M. Larson, M.D.
Minnesota Orthopedic Sports Medicine Institute
Twin Cities Orthopedics
Edina, MN
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Until recently Athletic Hip and Pelvis disorders and the appropriate treatment strategies have not received the same attention as other sports related disorders. There is significant overlap between intra-articular and extra-articular hip disorders that make this a challenging area of sports medicine from a diagnosis and treatment standpoint.
11 Apr Animal Study Suggests Lorcaserin (Belviq®) May be Useful to Reduce Opioid Intake
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christina R. Merritt and Kathryn A. Cunningham Center for Addiction Research University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX 77555 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is one of the top public health problems in the United States. Overdoses on prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl accounted for 33,091 deaths in the U.S. in 2015 (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm655051e1.htm); each day, 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose. The first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health (https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/ ) observed that more people used prescription opioids than tobacco in 2015. Furthermore, individuals with OUD, the most problematic pattern of opioid abuse, often relapse, particularly in environments associated with past drug use, and new means to help maintain abstinence are needed. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) function in the brain, particularly through its cognate 5-HT2C receptor, is an important regulator of the abuse liability of cocaine and other psychostimulants. Previous studies suggested that the weight loss medication and selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist lorcaserin (Belviq®) can curb cocaine- and nicotine-seeking in preclinical models, even when tested in tempting environments. We administered lorcaserin to rats who were trained to take the powerful painkiller oxycodone (OxyContin®), a prescription opioid currently approved for treatment of acute and chronic pain with characteristically high abuse potential. Lorcaserin suppressed oxycodone intake as well as the drug-seeking behaviors observed when rats were exposed to cues such as the lights and sounds previously associated with drug intake. Taken together, these findings highlights the therapeutic potential for lorcaserin to extend abstinence and enhance recovery from OUD.10 Apr Exposure To Furry Pets During Pregnancy and Babyhood May Help Keep Your Child Lean
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33811" align="alignleft" width="149"]
Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj[/caption]
Anita Kozyrskyj, PhD
Department of Pediatrics
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
University of Alberta
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: We have known for a while that early-life exposure to household pets can reduce risk for allergic disease; new studies also suggest a benefit in preventing overweight. Our pilot study in 2013 showed that postnatal pet exposure increases the number of different beneficial microbes in the infant gut. My team of 12, including first author and Albert Innovates-Health Solutions (AIHS) postdoctoral fellow Hein Min Tun, took the science one step closer to understanding this connection in our recently published work in the Microbiome journal. In a study of 746 infants from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development Study (CHILD) birth cohort, we investigated the impact of pet exposure during pregnancy or afterwards on infant gut microbes, and whether this depended on how infants were born.
In infants born vaginally or by cesarean section, pet exposure during pregnancy or pre and postnatally up to 3 months after birth increased the amounts of 2 bacteria found on dogs and cats. One is Ruminococcus, linked to lower rates of allergies in children. The other is a relatively unknown microbe, Oscillospira, reported to promote leanness. Another important finding suggested that contact with pets during pregnancy could reduce transmission of vaginal GBS (group B Streptococcus) during birth.