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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 27, 2024 at 9:05am

Researchers discover treatment for major cause of recurrent pregnancy loss

Among women who experience recurrent pregnancy loss, around 20% test positive for a specific antibody that targets the mother's own body. A research team has now found a treatment that drastically increases these women's chances of carrying to full-term without complications.

They have published their results in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

Recurrent pregnancy loss is a condition of women who have lost two or more pregnancies for non-obvious reasons.

The researchers enlisted the help of obstetricians across five hospitals in Japan and, over the course of two years, analyzed the blood of consenting women suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss for the antibodies. If any of these women got pregnant during this time frame, their doctors would offer treatment options also containing those drugs that are effective against the chemically similar condition, specifically, low-dose aspirin or a drug called "heparin." have previously found that in 20% of these women, they can detect a specific antibody in their blood that targets their own bodies. There is no known treatment for this particular condition till now , but the antibodies have a similar target to those that play a role in a different condition that has an established treatment.

The researchers enlisted the help of obstetricians across five hospitals in Japan and, over the course of two years, analyzed the blood of consenting women suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss for the antibodies. If any of these women got pregnant during this time frame, their doctors would offer treatment options also containing those drugs that are effective against the chemically similar condition, specifically, low-dose aspirin or a drug called "heparin." 

The research team then observed how many of the women who included these drugs in their treatment had full-term live births or pregnancy complications and compared that to the pregnancy outcomes in women who did not take either of the two drugs.

The researchers report that women who received the treatment were much more likely to have live births (87% did) compared to the ones without treatment (of which only 50% had live births). In addition, among the live births, the treatment reduced the likelihood of complications from 50% to 6%.

The sample size was rather small (39 women received the treatment and eight did not), but the results still clearly show that a treatment with low dose aspirin or heparin is very effective in preventing pregnancy loss or complications also in women who have these newly discovered self-targeting antibodies.

Many women who tested positive for the newly discovered self-targeting antibodies also tested positive for the previously known ones. However, the Kobe University-led team found that women who only had the newly discovered antibodies and who received the treatment were even more likely to have a live birth (93%) and, among these, none had pregnancy complications.

Low-dose aspirin and heparin treatment improves pregnancy outcome in recurrent pregnancy loss women with anti-β2-glycoprotein I/HLA-DR autoantibodies: A prospective, multicenter, observational study, Frontiers in Immunology (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1445852

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 26, 2024 at 10:17am

Medicinal tree successfully grown from 1,000-year-old seed found in cave

An international team of botanists, agriculturists and historians has successfully grown a mature tree from an ancient seed found in a cave in Israel. In their paper, published in the journal Communications Biology, the group describes where the seed was found, the work that was done to discover its origins and what they have learned about its history as it has sprouted and grown into a mature tree.

In the 1980s, researchers excavating a cave in the Judean Desert, in Israel, uncovered a seed that was subsequently dated to sometime between 993 and 1202 AD, making it approximately 1,000 years old. Testing of the seed suggested that it was still viable, so the research team planted and tended to it. A little while later, it sprouted. Now, 14 years later, the tree has grown to maturity.

The tree, which the team has named Sheba, is approximately 3 meters in height with green leaves on its limbs. As the tree has grown, the researchers have conducted a study of its wood, resin and leaves. They report that its type is now extinct.
They also found evidence of pentacyclic triterpenoids—compounds that are known to reduce inflammation in human patients. And they found an oil type, a squalene that is known to be an antioxidant and which has also been used as a skin treatment.

Finding the seed in a cave, the team notes, suggests that people living in the region planted such trees, further suggesting they knew of its medicinal qualities. This, they theorize, may be evidence that resin from the tree might be the "tsori" medicinal compound mentioned in the Bible several times.

Sarah Sallon et al, Characterization and analysis of a Commiphora species germinated from an ancient seed suggests a possible connection to a species mentioned in the Bible, Communications Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06721-5

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 26, 2024 at 9:24am

Preclinical studies suggest a drug-free nasal spray could ward off respiratory infections

A new study details how a nasal spray formulated by investigators may work to protect against viral and bacterial respiratory infections. Based on their preclinical studies, the researchers say the broad-spectrum nasal spray is long-lasting, safe, and, if validated in humans, could play a key role in reducing respiratory diseases and safeguarding public health against new threats.

The COVID pandemic showed us what respiratory pathogens can do to humanity in a very short time. That threat hasn't gone away. 

Influenza and COVID-19 infections cause thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of cases of severe disease every year. Milder infections cause significant discomfort, resulting in missed work or school.

Vaccines against these viruses can be beneficial, but they're not accepted by some.

 Masks are also helpful but aren't perfect, either—they can leak, and many people wear them improperly or choose not to wear them at all.

So we need new, additional ways to protect ourselves and reduce the transmission of the disease.

Most viruses enter our system through the nose. When we catch an airborne infection like the flu and COVID, we breathe out tiny droplets of fluids that contain the pathogen. Healthy people around us breathe in these pathogen-containing droplets, which attach inside their nose and infect the cells that line the nasal passageways.

The pathogen replicates and can be released back into the air when an individual who is sick, whether they know it or not, sneezes, coughs, laughs, sings, or even just breathes.

The new study details the research team's efforts to create a nasal spray to defend against airborne respiratory illness.

The spray, called Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS) in the paper, was developed using ingredients from the FDA's Inactive Ingredient Database (IID), which have been previously used in approved nasal sprays, or from the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list of the FDA

The researchers developed a drug-free formulation using these compounds to block germs in three ways—PCANS forms a gel-like matrix that traps respiratory droplets, immobilizes the germs, and effectively neutralizes them, preventing infection.

The researchers developed the formulation and studied its ability to capture respiratory droplets in a 3D-printed replica of a human nose. They showed that when sprayed in the nasal cavity replica, PCANS captured twice as many droplets as mucus alone.

PCANS forms a gel, increasing its mechanical strength by a hundred times, forming a solid barrier.

It blocked and neutralized almost 100% of all viruses and bacteria the researchers tested, including Influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV, adenovirus, K Pneumonia and more.

Experiments in mice showed that a single dose of the PCANS nasal spray could effectively block infection from an influenza virus (PR8) at 25 times the lethal dose. Virus levels in the lungs were reduced by >99.99%, and the inflammatory cells and cytokines in the lungs of PCANS-treated animals were normal. "The formulation's ability to inactivate a broad spectrum of pathogens, including the deadly PR8 influenza virus, demonstrates its high effectiveness.

Joseph, J et al. Toward a Radically Simple Multi-Modal Nasal Spray for Preventing Respiratory Infections, Advanced Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202406348

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 26, 2024 at 9:10am

How do rare genetic variants affect health? AI provides more accurate predictions

Whether we are predisposed to particular diseases depends to a large extent on the countless variants in our genome. However, particularly in the case of genetic variants that only rarely occur in the population, the influence on the presentation of certain pathological traits has so far been difficult to determine.

Researchers  have introduced an algorithm based on deep learning that can predict the effects of rare genetic variants.

The paper, "Integration of Variant annotations using deep set networks boosts rare variant testing," has been published in Nature Medicine .

The method allows persons with high risk of disease to be distinguished more precisely and facilitates the identification of genes that are involved in the development of diseases.

Every person's genome differs from that of their fellow human beings in millions of individual building blocks. These differences in the genome are known as variants. Many of these variants are associated with particular biological traits and diseases. Such correlations are usually determined using so-called genome-wide association studies.

But the influence of rare variants, which occur with a frequency of only 0.1% or less in the population, is often statistically overlooked in association studies.

Rare variants in particular often have a significantly greater influence on the presentation of a biological trait or a disease.

AI  can therefore help to identify those genes that play a role in the development of a disease and that can then point us in the direction of new therapeutic approaches.

More details can be found here:  Integration of Variant annotations using deep set networks boosts rare variant testing, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01919-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01919-z

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 26, 2024 at 8:53am

'Invisible forest' of phytoplankton thrives as ocean warms, study shows

An "invisible forest" of phytoplankton is thriving in part of our warming ocean, new research shows.

Phytoplankton are tiny drifting organisms that do about half of the planet's primary production (forming living cells by photosynthesis). The new study examined phytoplankton at the ocean surface and the subsurface—a distinct layer of water beneath—to see how climate variability is affecting them.

 The findings show these two communities are reacting differently. The paper is titled "Climate variability shifts the vertical structure of phytoplankton in the Sargasso Sea."

Over the last decade, the total biomass (living material) of subsurface phytoplankton has increased in response to warming.

Meanwhile, surface phytoplankton now has less chlorophyll—making it less green—but in fact, total biomass has remained stable.

Based on 33 years of data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) in the Sargasso Sea, the findings also suggest the depth of the surface mixed-layer (region of turbulence at the surface of the ocean) has shallowed as the ocean rapidly warmed in the last decade.

It's important to understand these trends because phytoplankton are the foundation of the marine food web, and play a key role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

These findings reveal that deep-living phytoplankton, which thrive in low-light conditions, respond differently to ocean warming and climate variability compared to surface phytoplankton.

We typically rely on satellite observations to monitor phytoplankton, but the subsurface is hidden from satellite view.  But this study highlights the limitations of satellite observations, and underscores the urgent need for improved global monitoring of phytoplankton below what satellites can see. 

Climate variability shifts the vertical structure of phytoplankton in the Sargasso Sea, Nature Climate Change (2024).

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 25, 2024 at 12:25pm

Octopuses Team Up With Fish to Hunt, And Will Punch Them if They Act Up

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 25, 2024 at 11:59am

Ways you can help limit your pain during the insertion:

Time your IUD insertion procedure to around your period. The cervix is more open when you're on your period, so there's less sensitivity to pain. If the timing does not work out, it is still possible to have an IUD placed at any time in the cycle.
Medications. Take 600–800 mg of ibuprofen before your appointment. Ibuprofen is often recommended because it's a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug that works specifically well on uterine tissue. Other options to ask your doctor about include a lidocaine numbing ointment or a lidocaine injection for the cervix, which can also decrease some of the pain. There are several networks of nerves supplying the uterus and cervix, which makes it difficult to completely numb the entire area with local anesthetics and eliminate all pain during an IUD insertion. But studies have shown that it may help with some of the pain during insertion. And depending on your situation, your doctor might also suggest an anti-anxiety medication before your insertion appointment.
Heat packs. Ask your doctor if a heat pack is available. Place this over your pelvis during the procedure to help ease the pain.
Other tips to prepare for the insertion procedure include:

Eating a meal before you come in.
Making sure you are hydrated.
Wearing comfy clothes.
Bringing a light snack for after the procedure.
Bringing a book or your phone to watch videos or listen to music. "This can take your mind off the process," Kuhn says.
Bringing or ask your doctor for pads for potential spotting afterwards.
Clearing your schedule for the day. The most painful part is during the 30 seconds when the IUD is being placed. But you may have some mild period-like cramping afterward and want to just be on the couch with a heating pack.

Source:  Rush University Medical Center

Part 2

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 25, 2024 at 11:58am

How painful is it to get an IUD? What to expect when getting an IUD, and how to prepare

Bleeding, intense cramping, even fainting: These are some of the experiences women are sharing across social media about IUDs—especially with the pain they feel during an insertion.

IUDs—short for intrauterine devices—have become an increasingly popular birth control option. But along with the growing use of the small T-shaped devices, there are increasing concerns from women about whether health care professionals are fully addressing patients'pain.

This prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update its guidelines regarding IUDs, advising doctors to tell patients about the possible pain and discuss pain relief options before putting in an IUD.

How painful is it really?

It depends, because everyone's pain tolerance is a bit different.

It's hard to know who's going to have more or less pain when having an IUD inserted.

There are three parts to the procedure that can typically cause pain. They include:

• Straightening the cervix: Your doctor will use a tool called a tenaculum to hold and straighten the cervix. This helps to make sure the IUD is placed correctly inside the uterus.
• Measuring the uterus: Your doctor will measure the length of the uterus with a small device called a sound. This tool goes through the cervix to the top of the uterus to find out its size.
• Placing the IUD: Finally, the IUD is placed at the top of the uterus. The strings are then trimmed, and the instruments are removed.

But experts say the pain shouldn't stop you from considering an IUD.

Hormonal IUDs have a variety of benefits such as shorter menstrual periods, lighter cramping, and not having to worry about an unintended pregnancy. They can also be used to treat endometriosis, anemia, and even prevent endometrial pre-cancer and cancer.

IUDs are as effective as getting your tubes tied in terms of prevention of pregnancy. They're really an investment that can last for up to eight to 10 years. And working with your doctor ahead of time can help make the experience more comfortable for you.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 25, 2024 at 11:52am

Emotion enhances memory for contextual details, research demonstrates

Researchers have demonstrated that emotion enhances memory for contextual details, challenging the view that emotion impairs the ability to remember such information.

Researchers demonstrated that the circumstances where you can prevent forgetting contextual details, which not only disrupts the status quo at the theoretical level, but also has practical implications about what you can do to control, channel and capitalize on the emotions' energy to remember better.

In emotional situations, people often focus more on the main subject—the crashed car, the yelling stranger, the crying child—and less on peripheral information. In three interconnected studies, the  researchers linked behavioural, attentional and brain imaging data to build a complete image of emotion's impact and account for this involuntary attention shift.

They found that emotion enhances the ability to retrieve contextual details.

In emotional situations that participants in the experiments accurately recalled, functional magnetic resonance imaging data showed evidence of crosstalk between emotion-processing and recollection-processing brain regions, boosting recollection of contextual details. This is contrary to the prevalent view that emotion impairs memory for these details by inhibiting recollection-processing brain regions.

Knowing how emotion impacts memories and how to manage them is a major step toward contextualizing memories, increasing well-being and alleviating clinical conditions like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Paul C. Bogdan et al, Reconciling opposing effects of emotion on relational memory: Behavioral, eye-tracking, and brain imaging investigations., Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (2024). DOI: 10.1037/xge0001625

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 25, 2024 at 11:46am

Human and other primate hearts differ genetically, says study

A research  team  has shown how human and non-human primate hearts differ genetically. The study, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, reveals evolutionary adaptations in human hearts and provides new insights into cardiac disease.

Humans are 98–99% genetically similar to chimpanzees. What then accounts for our differences? Over the years, researchers have shown that the regulation of gene expression—when, where, and by how many genes are switched on—is in large part responsible for our divergent evolutionary trajectories.

Now, researchers in the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences Lab  have unveiled surprising differences in gene expression in the hearts of humans and non-human primates. The research points to adaptations in the way genes are regulated that distinguish our hearts from those of our closest evolutionary relatives. It also serves as a warning against extrapolating research from animal hearts to human hearts.

One of the most surprising findings was how gene regulation in the human heart differs so much from other primates. In terms of anatomy, most mammalian hearts are similar. But we have many unique evolutionary innovations in terms of gene regulation or translation of proteins. 

The researchers found hundreds of genes and microproteins—tiny proteins that have been previously identified in human organs but whose function has mostly been a mystery—present in human hearts but not in the hearts of other primates, rats or mice. Many of these human genes and microproteins are also abnormally expressed in heart failure, which suggests they could play important roles in cardiac function and disease and may present new targets for therapy.

Jorge Ruiz-Orera et al, Evolution of translational control and the emergence of genes and open reading frames in human and non-human primate hearts, Nature Cardiovascular Research (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00544-7

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