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Essential tremor is a movement disorder that causes involuntary, rhythmic shaking (tremor), especially in the hands. It is distinguished from tremor that results from other disorders or known causes, such as Parkinson’s disease or head trauma. Essential tremor usually occurs alone, without other neurological signs or symptoms. However, some experts think that essential tremor can include additional features, such as mild balance problems.

Essential tremor usually occurs with movements and can occur during many different types of activities, such as eating, drinking, or writing. Essential tremor can also occur when the muscles are opposing gravity, such as when the hands are extended. It is usually not evident at rest.

In addition to the hands and arms, muscles of the trunk, face, head, and neck may also exhibit tremor in this disorder; the legs and feet are less often involved. Head tremor may appear as a “yes-yes” or “no-no” movement while the affected individual is seated or standing. In some people with essential tremor, the tremor may affect the voice (vocal tremor).

The gene-editing method used might ultimately offer a way to remove HIV, experts say.

Like many cancers, skin cancers — including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma — start as precancerous lesions. This WebMD slideshow tells you how to spot the early warning signs of skin cancer and seek treatment.

In an observational study, noninvasive respiratory support was associated with disease slowing for ALS patients, regardless of stage or site of onset.

Alpha ketoglutarate, or AKG, has long been used as a dietary supplement in the bodybuilding world.

By satisfying bioenergetic demands, generating biomass, and providing metabolites serving as cofactors for chromatin modifiers, metabolism regulates adult stem cell biology. Here, we report that a branch of glycolysis, the serine biosynthesis pathway (SBP), is activated in regenerating muscle stem cells (MuSCs). Gene inactivation and metabolomics revealed that Psat1, one of the three SBP enzymes, controls MuSC activation and expansion of myogenic progenitors through production of the metabolite α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and α-KG-generated glutamine. Psat1 ablation resulted in defective expansion of MuSCs and impaired regeneration. Psat1, α-KG, and glutamine were reduced in MuSCs of old mice. α-KG or glutamine re-established appropriate muscle regeneration of adult conditional Psat1 ^-/- mice and of old mice. These findings contribute insights into the metabolic role of Psat1 during muscle regeneration and suggest α-KG and glutamine as potential therapeutic interventions to ameliorate muscle regeneration during aging.

Keywords: aging; glutamine; ketoglutarate; muscle regeneration; muscle stem cells.

Continue reading “Psat1-generated α-ketoglutarate and glutamine promote muscle stem cell activation and regeneration” »

Older people may be at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer and have poorer prognoses because of age-related changes in cells in the pancreas called fibroblasts, according to research led by investigators from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The study, published online Feb. 8 in Cancer Research, provides clues as to why pancreatic cancer is more common and aggressive in older people. It may also help scientists develop new therapeutic approaches for this difficult-to-treat cancer. The study showed that aging alters fibroblasts in ways that enable them to promote pancreatic cancer tumor growth.

“Older fibroblasts release proteins that directly affect pancreatic cancer cells and ultimately lead to the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer tumors,” says the study’s lead author, Daniel Zabransky, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “The younger fibroblasts did not have these capabilities. We think this is a key reason why we see pancreatic cancer more commonly in older patients.”

These new medicines actually have a huge impact on the regulation systems of the body for weight loss which is activated by these new weight loss medicines which induce the production of glp1.

GLP-1 class medications reduce cardiovascular risk and treat diabetes. But they also allow people to lose an average of 10–20 percent of their body weight in the first year. What does that mean for the overweight or obese?

MONDAY, March 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In people with type 1 diabetes, fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect thinking skills in various ways, new research shows.

Researchers looked specifically at what’s known as cognitive processing speed (how fast people process incoming information) and attention.

“Our results demonstrate that people can differ a lot from one another in how their brains are impacted by glucose,” said study co-senior author Laura Germine.

Researchers say they are developing a lung cancer screening tool that involves an inhaler and a urine test to help detect the disease earlier.