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Category: biotech/medical – Page 1,068

Studies identify novel underpinnings of genetic ALS

A pair of studies from the laboratory of Evangelos Kiskinis, Ph.D., associate professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology’s Division of Neuromuscular Disease and of Neuroscience, have uncovered novel cellular mechanisms that are involved in two types of genetic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

The findings, published in Science Advances and Cell Reports, improve the understanding of ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks in the brain and , and provides support for the future development of targeted therapies.

An estimated 32,000 individuals are currently living with ALS in the U.S., according to the Les Turner ALS Foundation. There are two types of ALS: sporadic (non-genetic), which makes up more than 90% of all ALS cases, and familial (genetic).

Ceftriaxone-Related Encephalopathy in a Patient With End-Stage Renal Disease and High Ceftriaxone Concentrations in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma: A Case Report

Nephrologists — know the CTRX encephalopathy risk in ESRD patients. This case of a hemodialysis patient found blood and CSF concentrations 10 times usual — dose adjustment may be needed. Monitor for neuro changes when using CTRX in renal failure. pharmacology.

Ceftriaxone (CTRX) does not require dose adjustment based on the renal function status and is used to treat infections. Recently, several studies reported the incidence of antibiotic-associated encephalopathy due to CTRX in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We experienced a case of CTRX-related encephalopathy in a patient on hemodialysis. When CTRX-related encephalopathy was discovered, the CTRX concentrations were measured in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The highest blood and CSF CTRX concentrations in this patient were 967 and 100.7 μg/mL, respectively, which were approximately 10 times higher than the CSF concentrations in a previously evaluated patient with CTRX encephalopathy. The concentration of CTRX may be increased in patients with ESRD. Hence, encephalopathy must be suspected in this patient group when CTRX is used.

This artificial heart uses magnets and spinning disks to reinvent the heart

The wait time for a heart transplant is long — from many months to over a year. Some patients will never get the transplant they need.

But researchers may have come up with an artificial heart solution: a titanium, pumpless, device with spinning magnets — and it looks nothing like a bonafide heart.

The problem: Heart failure affects over six million people every year in the U.S., and treatment options are slim. Medication can help, but some people need a heart transplant for a full recovery. Still, donor hearts are hard to come by. The number of people who need a heart far exceeds what’s available. And, donor hearts aren’t one-size-fits-all. The blood type and size need to be just right.

New drug-like molecule extends lifespan, ameliorates pathology in worms and boosts function in mammalian muscle cells

Having healthy mitochondria, the organelles that produce energy in all our cells, usually portends a long healthy life whether in humans or in C. elegans, a tiny, short-lived nematode worm often used to study the aging process.

Researchers at the Buck Institute have identified a new drug-like molecule that keeps mitochondria healthy via mitophagy, a process that removes and recycles damaged mitochondria in multicellular organisms. The compound, dubbed MIC, is a that extended lifespan in C. elegans, ameliorated pathology in neurodegenerative disease models of C. elegans, and improved mitochondrial function in mouse muscle cells. Results are published in the November 13, 2023, edition of Nature Aging.

Defective mitophagy is implicated in many age-related diseases. It’s tied to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s; it plays a role in cardiovascular diseases including heart failure; it influences metabolic disorders including obesity and type 2 diabetes; it is implicated in muscle wasting and sarcopenia and has a complex relationship with cancer progression.

Interventions that reduce inflammation may reduce incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease

Canadian scientists have established for the first time a new mechanism and role for LDL in the development of type 2 diabetes, beyond its traditional role in the development of cardiovascular disease in humans.

Announced today for World Diabetes Day, the work was carried out by Université de Montréal professor May Faraj, director of the nutrition, lipoproteins and cardiometabolic diseases research unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute.

Her study, titled “Native low-density lipoproteins are priming signals of the NLRP3 inflammasome/interleukin1β pathway in human adipose tissue and macrophages,” is published in Scientific Reports.

CRISPR-broad: combined design of multi-targeting gRNAs and broad, multiplex target finding

In CRISPR-Cas and related nuclease-mediated genome editing, target recognition is based on guide RNAs (gRNAs) that are complementary to selected DNA regions. While single site targeting is fundamental for localized genome editing, targeting to expanded and multiple chromosome elements is desirable for various biological applications such as genome mapping and epigenome editing that make use of different fusion proteins with enzymatically dead Cas9. The current gRNA design tools are not suitable for this task, as these are optimized for defining single gRNAs for unique loci. Here, we introduce CRISPR-broad, a standalone, open-source application that defines gRNAs with multiple but specific targets in large continuous or spread regions of the genome, as defined by the user.

Telemedicine found to cure 90.7% of hepatitis C cases in 12 programs

“Our study demonstrates how telemedicine successfully integrates medical and behavioral treatment.”

The practice of providing medical services remotely via telecommunications technology is known as telemedicine.

I going to make a greatest artwork as I can, by my head, my hand and by my mind/iStock.

The practice has gained prominence, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for its ability to provide more accessible and convenient healthcare services. Now, a new study conducted on 12 opioid treatment programs is finding that it may be more successful at treating patients than more conventional approaches such as offsite referrals.

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