Source: ANI

Researchers have discovered a therapeutic target for the preservation and regeneration of beta cells ( cells), the cells in the pancreas that produce and distribute insulin. This finding could be a game-changer for patients with type 2 diabetes. The discovery may help millions of individuals around the world by preventing insulin resistance.

The study was led by researchers from Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute (DOMI) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

All major forms of diabetes are caused by insufficient b-cell mass. When blood glucose levels rise in the body, such as in response to a high-fat diet, b cells respond by producing and releasing more insulin to bring blood glucose levels under control. But prolonged high blood glucose, known as hyperglycemia, can impair the ability of b cells to produce and secrete insulin.

This results in a vicious cycle of ever-increasing glucose levels and ever-declining b-cell function, leading to b-cell death — a phenomenon known as glucose toxicity. Thus, preservation and regeneration of b cells is a therapeutic goal for diabetes.

The Mount Sinai research team found a molecular mechanism that appears to be involved in b-cell preservation and regeneration involving carbohydrate response-element binding protein (ChREBP). The researchers showed that production of a hyperactive isoform of this protein, ChREBPb, is necessary to produce more b cells in response to an increased demand for insulin in the body due to a high-fat diet or significant glucose exposure. However, prolonged, increased glucose metabolism can result in a vicious cycle in which ChREBPb is overproduced, resulting in glucose toxicity in the b-cells and their subsequent death.

The research team found that it was possible to counteract the effects of ChREBPb and the b-cell death they observed by increasing expression of an alternate form of the protein, ChREBP[?], or by activating nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2 (Nrf2)–a protein that protects cells from oxidative damage–in mice and human b cells, thus preserving b-cell mass.

“Traditionally, ChREBP was thought to be a mediator of glucose toxicity, but we noticed one form, ChREBPa, appeared to protect beta cells” said Donald Scott, PhD, a Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease) at Icahn Mount Sinai, and a member of DOMI and of The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute. “By using tools we developed that enabled us to interrogate these isoforms independently, we found that ChREBPb plays a key role in the gradual destruction of b cells. Thus, we believe it is a marker of hyperglycemia and glucose toxicity.”

Also Read: Study probes how intestine repairs damaged tissue

“Moreover, we found that if you remove ChREBPb or counteract it pharmacologically, you can mitigate the effects of glucose toxicity and protect those cells. This exciting discovery creates an opportunity to develop therapeutic agents that target this molecular mechanism, effectively block ChREBPb production, and thus preserve b-cell mass. This would not only address the challenge that has driven diabetes research for years but also prevent patients with type 2 diabetes from becoming insulin dependent due to loss of b-cell mass, which would have a significant impact on outcomes and quality of life.”

Impact of ChREBPb overproduction in Diabetes type 2 patients

Based on these findings, the research team is interested in exploring the impact of ChREBPb overproduction in patients with type 1 diabetes, which differs from type 2 diabetes in that the pancreas does not produce any insulin. The team is also interested in screening for more molecular mechanisms that have the potential to block ChREBPb production and thus prevent glucose toxicity and the subsequent death of b cells. Furthermore, there are plans to investigate whether the vicious cycle that was observed in this study occurs in other tissues in which ChREBPb is expressed, such as kidney, liver, and adipose, or body, fat, and thus might contribute to diabetic complications.

“This study was made possible by bringing together the full breadth of DOMI expertise in areas such as RNA sequencing, three-dimensional imaging, and bioinformatics. Our findings provide a foundation for preserving existing b-cell mass and for developing new therapeutic approaches that have the potential to successfully prevent thousands of type 2 diabetes patients from progressing to insulin dependence,” said the study’s lead author Liora S. Katz, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai.

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A component in the intestine that plays an important function in healing damaged tissue has been uncovered by researchers in a recent study.

The findings were published in the journal Cell Stem Cell by researchers from Cedars-Sinai and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Endothelial cells in lymphatic veins create chemicals that are required for the maintenance and control of stem cells and tissues in the colon, according to researchers. These lymphatic endothelial cells live in close proximity to specific stem cell niches, which are microenvironments that promote stem cell regeneration.
Cell Stem Cell, a peer-reviewed publication, reported the findings.

“It’s important for us to understand niches and how lymphatics communicate with stem cells as part of the niche,” ANI quoted Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and executive director of Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. “Deciphering the mechanisms that explain how the ecosystem that supports stem cells works will help to lay the foundation for future discoveries that could one day lead to therapeutic strategies to repair damaged tissue.”

The gut is constantly renewed to survive the wear and tear caused by food breakdown and the presence of waste, which can harm and kill cells. The gut must continually renew itself with healthy cells, and thankfully, it has an amazing potential for cell regeneration.

The division of intestinal stem cells to produce additional cells is governed by their surrounding niche, which is made up of several cell types and serves as a vital source of signals. However, it is unknown which niche cells provide signals throughout various stages of damage.

To get a better understanding of stem cell activity, the researchers aimed to find out which cells, namely lymphatic endothelial cells, aid in the repair of intestinal epithelial cells.

“Lymphatics are in very close proximity to the stem cells, and almost all the stem cell compartments are near lymphatics,” said Brisa Palikuqi, PhD, co-first author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the Klein Laboratory at UCSF. “Because the two cell types are in such proximity, this made us believe that these lymphatics may play an important role.”

Lymphatics express several factors, including a gene, Rspo3, that is known to be important for stem cells to function. To determine whether the gene played an important role in intestinal stem cell regulation, the investigators deleted the gene in mice and then used single-cell sequencing to see how stem cells in the intestine would react without Rspo3.

Also Read: India records two more monkeypox cases

Initially, the stem cells did not have any response to the change in the environment. The researchers then decided to injure the system by delivering a chemotherapy drug that kills any proliferating cells wherever the drug travels through the body.

“When we did this, all of a sudden the stem cells and the intestine had to proliferate a lot more and replace a lot more cells on a daily basis,” said Jeremie Rispal, PhD, also a postdoctoral researcher in the Klein Laboratory at UCSF and the other co-first author of the study.

The loss of the Rspo3 gene led to a lower number of stem and progenitor cells, hindering recovery after the injury.
“This discovery showed us that lymphatic endothelial cells are a key component of the intestinal niche and essential for intestinal repair after cases of damage, like chemotherapy,” said Klein, who also holds the David & Meredith Kaplan Distinguished Chair in Children’s Health at Cedars-Sinai.

Klein noted that the study demonstrates how lymphatic endothelial cells play a much larger role than previously thought in stem cell regeneration and may play a role in disease, perhaps even influencing the promotion of cancer.

“We are just beginning to understand the functions of the lymphatic vasculature,” Klein said.

Klein previously directed the Institute for Human Genetics and served as chief of the Divisions of Medical Genetics and Craniofacial Anomalies at UCSF, where he remains an adjunct professor. Klein conducted the study at both USCF and Cedars-Sinai.

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Renal stones are associated with cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and chronic kidney disease in addition to being excruciatingly painful. If you’ve already had a kidney stone, your chance of getting another one within five years rises by 30%.

The Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal reported the study’s findings. Dietary modifications are frequently advised to stop kidney stones from symptomatically returning. However, there is no evidence on dietary adjustments for people who only get kidney stones once vs people who do so often.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic created a prospective study to look into the effects of dietary changes. Their research demonstrates that adding foods high in calcium and potassium to the diet can help prevent kidney stones from developing again.

Dietary variables were based on a questionnaire given to 411 patients who had first-time symptoms of kidney stones and a control group of 384 individuals; both groups were seen between 2009 and 2018 at Mayo Clinics in Rochester and Florida. The results of the study indicate that lower dietary intakes of calcium and potassium, as well as fluids, caffeine, and phytate, are linked to greater probabilities of developing a kidney stone for the first time.

Within a median of 4.1 years of follow-up among the patients who had stones for the first time, 73 of them developed stones again. Lower dietary calcium and potassium levels were found to be predictive of recurrence in further study.

“These dietary findings may have particular importance because recommendations for preventing kidney stones have been based primarily on dietary factors associated with first-time rather than recurrent stone formation,” says Andrew Rule, M.D., a Mayo Clinic nephrologist and senior author of the study.

“Patients may not be likely to adjust their diet to prevent an incidence of kidney stones, but they are more likely to do so if it can help prevent a recurrence.”

The study indicates that ingestion of phytate, caffeine, and fewer than 3,400 millilitres of fluid per day (approximately nine 12-ounce glasses) are all related to the development of new stones. Drinking water each day also entails eating things like fruits and vegetables.

Also Read: Short-term high protein diets may hinder endurance athletes: Research

Reduced fluid and caffeine intake can cause low urine volume and higher urine concentration, which can aid in the development of stones. Whole grains, nuts, and other foods include phytate, an antioxidant molecule that can enhance urine calcium excretion and calcium absorption.

“Changing your diet to prevent kidney stones can be very difficult,” says Dr. Rule. “Thus, knowing the dietary factors that are most important for preventing kidney stone recurrence can help patients and providers know what to prioritize.”

Low dietary calcium and potassium was a more important predictor than fluid intake of recurrent kidney stone formation, says Api Chewcharat, M.D., the article’s first author and a postdoctoral research fellow at Mayo Clinic at the time of the study. “This is not to say high fluid intake is not important. We just did not find benefits of increasing fluid intake among those patients with a history of kidney stone formation.”

The study concludes that diets with daily intake of 1,200 milligrams of calcium may help prevent first-time and recurrent kidney stones. That daily intake is in line with the Department of Agriculture’s daily recommended nutrition.

While higher potassium intake also is recommended, the USDA does not make a recommendation for daily potassium intake. The study also doesn’t recommend an intake level.

Dr. Chewcharat says the takeaway is that patients should add more fruits and vegetables that are high in calcium and potassium to their diets. Fruits that are high in potassium include bananas, oranges, grapefruits, cantaloupes, honeydew melons and apricots. Vegetables include potatoes, mushrooms, peas, cucumbers and zucchini.

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Health experts suggested stepping up surveillance to prevent silent spread of monkeypox after the National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed the first monkeypox fatality in the nation. The moment has come, according to Dr. PS Indu, professor and head of the department of community medicine at the Government Medical College in Kollam, who was speaking to ANI.

Stressing the surveillance, Dr Indu said, “Surveillance is important. To know what is happening around us, we need data. And this can only happen when people screen them and get tested.”

She said it is important to strengthen surveillance, otherwise, silent transmission can be speared and warned about complications and silent transmission of monkeypox if surveillance is not get strengthened.

“Screening is important, otherwise, the silent transmission can spread and then people will come with complications. All countries have to take action and share data with important information,” added Dr Indu.

The health expert further explained the complications of the virus.

“It is a virus which can create issues like infection in the mouth, cavity, rashes that you see in the face, lymphadenopathy, lesions on palms and soles,” Dr Indu said.

“The secondary infections are dermatology complications and central nervous system complications which can result in mortality death. And other issues that affect the brain. Encephalitis is an infection of the brain,” she added.

Later, she also stressed wearing masks to avoid face-to-face contact and said, “We need to continue to wear masks and avoid face-to-face and skin-to-skin contact with people who are not aware of their potential symptoms.”

There is a monkeypox vaccination as well, but these are the long-term policy choices, she continued.

Veena George, the Kerala Health Minister, said earlier in the day that tests on a 22-year-old with signs of monkeypox who passed away on July 30 revealed a positive result for the viral zoonotic virus.

The young man, who was from Chavakkad Kuranjiyur in the Thrissur district and tested positive there, passed away on July 30 in Kerala.

Also Read: Covid case update: India sees modest decrease with 13,734 cases reported

He received antibiotics as well as treatment for encephalitis, abnormal seizures, and other illnesses.

Twenty high-risk connections, including three health professionals from the private hospital—a doctor and two nurses—are currently being watched.

Notably, India has so far documented five instances of monkeypox, with three cases occurring in Kerala, one in Delhi, and one in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.

The federal government is now on high alert as a result, despite an increase in the number of illnesses in several other nations.

There is absolutely no need for panic, according to Dr. V K Paul of NITI Aayog, who represents the health sector. This is because the government has taken significant steps to control the disease.

The monkeypox virus, which is a member of the same viral family as the smallpox virus, is what causes the zoonotic condition known as monkeypox.

The WHO reports that although instances have recently been recorded from non-endemic countries as well, the illness is endemic in places like West and Central Africa.

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According to a new study, young men who had a bad diet noticed a substantial improvement in their depressive symptoms when they transitioned to a healthy Mediterranean diet.

Depression is a widespread mental health problem that affects about 1 million Australians each year. It is a major risk factor for suicide, which is the largest cause of mortality in young people. The 12-week randomised control experiment was just published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by experts from the University of Technology Sydney.

The study was the first randomised clinical trial to investigate the influence of a Mediterranean diet on depressive symptoms in young males, according to lead researcher Jessica Bayes, a PhD candidate in the UTS Faculty of Health (aged 18-25).

“We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new diet,” Bayes said. “Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of a nutritionist, over a short time frame.”

“It suggests that medical doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating clinical depression,” she said.

The research contributes to the developing subject of nutritional psychiatry, which seeks to investigate the impact of specific nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns on mental health. The study’s diet included a variety of colourful vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, oily salmon, olive oil, and raw, unsalted almonds.

“The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods while reducing the intake of ‘fast’ foods, sugar and processed red meat,” Bayes said.

“There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects mood. For example, around 90 per cent of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis.

“To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Approximately 30% of depressed individuals may not react satisfactorily to traditional therapies for major depressive disorder, such as cognitive behaviour therapy and antidepressant drugs.

“Nearly all our participants stayed with the program, and many were keen to continue the diet once the study ended, which shows how effective, tolerable and worthwhile they found the intervention.”

A sensor detects misfolded protein biomarkers in the blood. This allows for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease before any symptoms occur. The researchers seek to get it ready for the market.

The findings from the immuno-infrared sensor were published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. A comparison study published in the same journal on 2 March 2022, in which the researchers employed complementary single-molecule array (SIMOA) technology, lends credence to this finding.

Alzheimer’s disease has a 15 to 20-year symptom-free interval before the first clinical signs appear. A study team using an immuno-infrared sensor created in Bochum is able to detect indicators of Alzheimer’s disease in the blood up to 17 years before the first clinical symptoms arise. The sensor detects the protein biomarker amyloid-beta misfolding. As the disease advances, this misfolding results in distinctive deposits in the brain, known as plaques.

“Our goal is to determine the risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia at a later stage with a simple blood test even before the toxic plaques can form in the brain, in order to ensure that a therapy can be initiated in time,” says Professor Klaus Gerwert, founding director of the Centre for Protein Diagnostics (PRODI) at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum. His team cooperated for the study with a group at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg (DKFZ) headed by Professor Hermann Brenner.

The team published the results obtained with the immuno-infrared sensor in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association on 19 July 2022. This study is supported by a comparative study published in the same journal on 2 March 2022, in which the researchers used complementary single-molecule array (SIMOA) technology.

Early detection of symptom-free people with a high risk of Alzheimer’s disease

The researchers looked for possible Alzheimer’s biomarkers in blood plasma from participants in the ESTHER trial in Saarland. The blood samples were collected and frozen between 2000 and 2002. The test participants were between the ages of 50 and 75 at the time and had not yet been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The current study compared 68 people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease over the 17-year follow-up to 240 control subjects who had not been diagnosed. The researchers, led by Klaus Gerwert and Hermann Brenner, wanted to see if there were any indicators of Alzheimer’s disease in the blood samples at the start of the study.

Also Read: Heart patients require mental support at every age: Study

The immuno-infrared sensor was able to identify the 68 test subjects who later developed Alzheimer’s disease with a high degree of test accuracy. For comparison, the researchers examined other biomarkers with the complementary, highly sensitive SIMOA technology — specifically the P-tau181 biomarker, which is currently being proposed as a promising biomarker candidate in various studies. “Unlike in the clinical phase, however, this marker is not suitable for the early symptom-free phase of Alzheimer’s disease,” as Klaus Gerwert summarises the results of the comparative study.

“Surprisingly, we found that the concentration of glial fibre protein (GFAP) can indicate the disease up to 17 years before the clinical phase, even though it does so much less precisely than the immuno-infrared sensor.” Still, by combining amyloid-beta misfolding and GFAP concentration, the researchers were able to further increase the accuracy of the test in the symptom-free stage.

The Bochum researchers hope that an early diagnosis based on the amyloid-beta misfolding could help to apply Alzheimer’s drugs at such an early stage that they have a significantly better effect — for example, the drug Aduhelm, which was recently approved in the USA. “We plan to use the misfolding test to establish a screening method for older people and determine their risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia,” says Klaus Gerwert. “The vision of our newly founded start-up betaSENSE is that the disease can be stopped in a symptom-free stage before irreversible damage occurs.”

Even though the sensor is still in the development phase, the invention has already been patented worldwide. BetaSENSE aims to bring the immuno-infrared sensor to market and have it approved as a diagnostic device so that it can be used in clinical labs.

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Many people born with heart abnormalities display resilience and a great quality of life; nonetheless, they may endure a variety of health-related psychological and social issues throughout their lifetimes.

A new scientific statement examines the psychological and social obstacles that persons born with heart abnormalities face from infancy through maturity, as well as the sorts of mental health therapy that may be useful. The declaration argues for the integration of mental health specialists into interdisciplinary teams that offer medical treatment to children and adults with congenital heart abnormalities, which is more widespread in cancer care than cardiac care.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) occur when a person is born with structural heart or blood vascular abnormalities.

To resolve these difficulties, surgery and catheter procedures are frequently necessary. The majority of CHD patients survive into adulthood, with adults currently outnumbering children among the more than 2.4 million CHD patients in the United States. A surgical operation, on the other hand, does not cure CHD. People may require many procedures and specialty heart care throughout their lifetimes, particularly if they were born with complicated cardiac abnormalities.

“Decades of research describes the psychological and social stressors and challenges that can present across the lifespan for people with CHD,” said Adrienne H. Kovacs, Ph.D., chair of the writing committee for the scientific statement and a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with people who have CHD. “It’s long overdue that we move beyond awareness to action and providing more resources and expert mental health care for people living with CHD.”

A scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association is an expert overview of current research that may impact future guidelines. A companion scientific statement issued by the Association in 2011 addressed cognitive delays and other neurodevelopmental consequences in children with CHD. This is the first declaration, however, to outline the psychological and social problems from infancy to maturity, as well as to assess age-appropriate mental health therapies to promote quality of life.

Also Read: Study links cells to brain tumor growth and recurrence

The American Heart Association’s scientific statement provides an expert evaluation of current research that may influence future guidelines. The Association produced a complementary scientific statement in 2011 that addressed cognitive deficits and other neurodevelopmental implications in children with CHD.

However, this is the first proclamation to identify psychological and social difficulties from infancy to adulthood, as well as to evaluate age-appropriate mental health interventions to improve quality of life.

The statement summarizes the psychosocial impact of CHD during various stages of life:

Infancy: Infants may be subjected to frightening or unpleasant treatments, and they may be away from caretakers and family for lengthy periods of time for surgery or other hospitalisation. As a result, newborns with CHD may be hypersensitive to light and sound, have difficulties eating and sleeping, or exhibit severe anxiety and distress, as well as developmental abnormalities.

Childhood: Additional hospitalizations and operations may occur, resulting in less opportunities to play or attend school, as well as developmental delays. As a result, children with CHD may become socially distant, exhibit anxiety or depression symptoms, struggle in school, or exhibit violence or hyperactivity.

Adolescence — As teens transition from paediatric to adult care, they may experience health difficulties while striving for independence, extending their social networks, and taking on greater responsibility for managing their health care. Adolescents with CHD may experience social difficulties, become angry, rebellious, or frustrated, or have body image issues in response. They may also engage in harmful habits or fail to adhere to health guidelines.

Adulthood — During adulthood, there may be new or worsening heart symptoms, recurrent surgeries or other cardiac treatments, and CHD can have an impact on income, job, insurance, and family planning possibilities. Adults with CHD may struggle with interpersonal connections, further education, or work as a result. They may also have difficulty taking care of their own health and grow concerned about death and dying.

“It’s completely understandable to have a psychological reaction to living with a congenital heart defect. The condition presents numerous challenges throughout the lifespan and may include unexpected news — such as a person realizing they can no longer physically manage the demands of their job, or learning that there are significant risks to pregnancy,” said Kovacs. “Many people with CHD have tremendous resilience in the face of these challenges. At the same time, we want to normalize psychological reactions and increase the prevalence of care for psychological well-being to help people with CHD experience a full and healthy life.”

Approaches to mental health care, according to the statement, may include self-care strategies such as relaxation techniques and hospital-based or online support groups; psychotherapy such as talk therapies for individuals, couples, families, or groups; and medication therapy in which a medical team can determine appropriate, heart-safe medications for depression or anxiety.

The declaration strongly supports the inclusion of mental health practitioners in CHD specialised care teams. Integrated mental health care normalises emotional reactions to health issues, minimises stigma, promotes prompt access when health problems develop, and provides integrated care across the multidisciplinary health care team.

According to one study, tumors are made up of a variety of cell types, both malignant and benign. The particular complexity of the cells found inside brain tumors has been a distinguishing hallmark of the illness, making therapy extremely difficult. Although scientists have long known about the diversity of cells that make up a brain tumor, and how the formation of these tumors has relied on the concept that the cells are static, immobile, and typically stable.

However, researchers from the University of Michigan’s Department of Neurosurgery and the Rogel Cancer Center revealed that these aggressive tumors include highly active cells that migrate throughout tissue in complex patterns.

Furthermore, accumulations of these elongated, spindle-like cells present throughout the tumor, known as ‘oncostreams,’ serve as the foundation for malignant cell activity, defining how tumors develop and infiltrate normal tissue. According to Pedro Lowenstein, M.D., Ph.D., Richard C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and principal author of this study published in Nature Communications, brain tumors are persistent because of their structured growth.

“Brain tumors are highly lethal, with less than 5% of patients living beyond five years,” he said. “Unfortunately, reoccurrence is what eventually kills patients. They receive surgery for their initial tumor, but the tumor always comes back within 12 to 18 months,” he said.

Also Read: Multiple diagnoses are the norm for mental illness in recent study: Research

Lowenstein and his team, including Maria Castro, Ph.D., also found that overexpression of Collagen 1, a protein produced by tumor cells, is essential to the growth and function of these structures.

“When we eliminated Collagen 1 production from tumor cells, the animal models with brain tumors lived much longer. This step removes oncostreams from tumors and reduces tumor aggressive behavior because the tumors need Collagen 1 to move in the specific way we discovered,” said Lowenstein.

Lowenstein says this structure is likely present in other types of cancer, too. “Once people recognize that there are dynamic areas of the tumor, and that they’re related to tumor growth, eventual invasion and death, people will likely locate oncostreams in other tumor models,” he said.

The researchers worked with Todd Hollon, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Michigan Medicine, and Sebastien Motsch, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics at Arizona State University, to develop artificial intelligence algorithms to recognise the structures in tissue.

“Essentially, we showed images to a computer and the computer eventually learns to recognize oncostreams,” Lowenstein explained.

Dismantling oncostreams through the removal of Collagen 1 could represent a novel therapeutic target to treat lethal brain tumors. “This research proves the crucial importance of continuing to investigate the complicated extracellular matrix,” notes Andrea Comba, Ph.D., research investigator and first author of the study.

“Based on this discovery, we propose targeting tumor collagen to disrupt oncostreams, and as novel therapy for the treatment of brain glioma,” she said.

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More than half of those who have one mental condition will get a second or third later in life. Three-quarters or more have four or more.

As a result, patients may find their therapy challenging and may have emotions of misfortune and discouragement. The study’s findings were published in the journal Nature Genetics.

However, a comprehensive new study of 11 major psychiatric diseases sheds fresh light on why comorbidities are the rule rather than the exception when it comes to mental illness.

“Our findings confirm that high comorbidity across some disorders in part reflects overlapping pathways of genetic risk,” said lead author Andrew Grotzinger, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.

According to him, the discovery might eventually pave the road for medicines that target many psychiatric diseases at once, as well as assist modify the way diagnoses are delivered.

“If you had a cold, you wouldn’t want to be diagnosed with coughing disorder, sneezing disorder and aching joints disorder,” Grotzinger said. “This study is a stepping stone toward creating a diagnostic manual that better maps on to what is actually happening biologically.”

Grotzinger and colleagues from the University of Texas at Austin, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and other collaborating institutions conducted the study by analysing publicly available genome-wide association (GWAS) data from hundreds of thousands of people who submitted genetic material to large-scale datasets like the UK Biobank and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.

They investigated genes linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, problematic alcohol use, ADHD, and autism.

They also examined data collected by wearable movement monitoring devices and survey data recording physical and behavioural features.

Also Read: Covid case update: India reports dip in cases with 16,866 new cases logged in 24 hrs

The researchers then used fresh statistical genetic approaches to discover common patterns among illnesses.

They discovered that 70% of the genetic signal linked to schizophrenia is also linked to bipolar illness. This conclusion was striking since, according to current diagnostic criteria, physicians will not normally identify an individual with both.

They also discovered that anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder have a strong genetic architecture, and that those who have a genetic propensity to having a smaller body type or a low BMI (body mass index) have a genetic susceptibility to both diseases.

Not unexpectedly, because the two disorders are frequently associated, the study discovered a significant genetic overlap between anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.

When the researchers analysed accelerometer data, they discovered that conditions that tend to cluster together also seem to share genes that impact how and when we move during the day.

Internalizing diseases, such as anxiety and depression, for example, have a genetic design related with reduced mobility throughout the day. OCD and anorexia appear to connect with genes related with more movement throughout the day, whereas psychotic diseases (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) tend to correlate with excess movement in the early morning hours.

“When you think about it, it makes sense,” said Grotzinger, noting that depressed individuals often present as fatigued or low energy while those with compulsive disorders can have difficulty sitting still.

In all, the study identifies 152 genetic variants shared across multiple disorders, including those already known to influence certain types of brain cells.

For instance, gene variants that influence excitatory and GABAergic brain neurons — which are involved in critical signaling pathways in the brain — appear to strongly underly the genetic signal that is shared across schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

While much more needs to be done to determine exactly what the identified genes do, Grotzinger sees the research as a first step toward developing therapies that can address multiple disorders with one treatment.

“People are more likely today to be prescribed multiple medications intended to treat multiple diagnoses and in some instances those medicines can have side effects,” he said. “By identifying what is shared across these issues, we can hopefully come up with ways to target them in a different way that doesn’t require four separate pills or four separate psychotherapy interventions.”

Meantime, just understanding the genetics underlying their disorders may provide comfort to some.

“It’s important for people to know that they didn’t just get a terrible roll of the dice in life — that they are not facing multiple different issues but rather one set of risk factors bleeding into them all.”

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An international partnership of doctors has uncovered new clinical signs in persons infected with monkeypox in the longest case study series to date. Their discoveries will aid in future diagnosis, decrease the spread of infection, and help the international community allocate the world’s limited supply of monkeypox vaccinations and treatments to the most susceptible regions.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a case series on July 21 as the result of an international collaboration involving 16 countries (NEJM). The study, led by Queen Mary University of London researchers, identifies new clinical symptoms of monkeypox infection, which will aid future diagnosis and help to slow infection spread. It was conducted in response to an emerging global health threat, and it is the largest case series to date, reporting on 528 confirmed infections at 43 sites between April 27 and June 24, 2022. The virus’s current spread disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men, with this group accounting for 98 per cent of infected individuals. Although sexual closeness is the most likely route of transmission in the majority of these cases, researchers stress that the virus can be transmitted through large respiratory droplets and potentially through clothing and other surfaces through any close physical contact.

The virus’s current spread disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men, with 98 per cent of infected individuals belonging to this group. Although sexual closeness is the most likely route of transmission in the majority of these cases, researchers emphasise that the virus can be transmitted through large respiratory droplets and potentially through clothing and other surfaces through any close physical contact.

Many of the infected people examined in the study had symptoms that were not recognised by current medical definitions of monkeypox. These symptoms include single genital lesions as well as mouth sores or anus. The clinical symptoms are similar to those of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and can easily lead to a misdiagnosis. Anal and oral symptoms in some people have resulted in hospitalisation for pain management and swallowing difficulties. This is why it is critical that these new clinical symptoms be recognised and healthcare professionals are educated on how to identify and manage the disease – misdiagnosis can slow detection and thus hinder efforts to control the virus’s spread. As a result, increased rates of diagnosis will result from the study.

As a result of the study, more people from at-risk groups will be diagnosed when they present with traditional STI symptoms.

Public health measures, such as increased testing and education, should be developed and implemented in collaboration with at-risk groups to ensure that they are appropriate, non-stigmatizing, and do not send the outbreak underground.
Professor of HIV Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Director of the SHARE collaborative, Chloe Orkin, said, “Viruses know no borders and monkeypox infections have now been described in 70 countries and in more than 13000 people. This truly global case series has enabled doctors from 16 countries to share their extensive clinical experience and many clinical photographs to help other doctors in places with fewer cases.

We have shown that the current international case definitions need to be expanded to add symptoms that are not currently included, such as sores in the mouth, on the anal mucosa and single ulcers. These particular symptoms can be severe and have led to hospital admissions so it is important to make a diagnosis. Expanding the case definition will help doctors more easily recognise the infection and so prevent people from passing it on. Given the global constraints on the vaccine and anti-viral supply for this chronically underfunded, neglected tropical infection, prevention remains a key tool in limiting the global spread of human monkeypox infection.”

Dr John Thornhill, Consultant Physician in Sexual Health and HIV at Barts NHS Health Trust and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Queen Mary University of London, said, “It is important to stress that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection in the traditional sense; it can be acquired through any kind of close physical contact. However, our work suggests that most transmissions so far have been related to sexual activity – mainly, but not exclusively, amongst men who have sex with men. This research study increases our understanding of the ways it is spread and the groups in which it is spreading which will aid rapid identification of new cases and allow us to offer prevention strategies, such as vaccines, to those individuals at higher risk.

In addition, we identified new clinical presentations in people with monkeypox. While we expected various skin problems and rashes, we also found that one in ten people had only a single skin lesion in the genital area, and 15 per cent had anal and/or rectal pain. These different presentations highlight that monkeypox infections could be missed or easily confused with common sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis or herpes. We, therefore, suggest broadening the current case definitions.

We have also found the monkeypox virus in a large proportion of the semen samples tested from people with monkeypox. However, this may be incidental as we do not know that it is present at a high enough level to facilitate sexual transmission. More work is needed to understand this better.”

Harvard University Health and Human Rights Fellow Keletso Makofane, MPH, PhD, said, “Wherever the monkeypox virus has shown up, it has tested the ability of our public health systems to respond decisively and urgently during an emergency. It is gratifying to be part of a collective which has worked furiously to gather and share information with each other and with the global public health community.”