Cellular senescence is an irreversible cell cycle arrest, triggered by stressors like telomere shortening, DNA damage, and oncogenic signaling.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 294
MRI antenna can boost image quality and shorten scan times—without changing existing machines
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of medicine’s most powerful diagnostic tools. But certain tissues deep inside the body—including brain regions and delicate structures of the eye and orbit that are of particular relevance for ophthalmology—are difficult to image clearly. The problem is not the scanner itself, but the hardware that sends and receives radio signals.
Now, researchers led by Nandita Saha, a doctoral student in the Experimental Ultrahigh Field Magnetic Resonance lab of Professor Thoralf Niendorf at the Max Delbrück Center have developed an advanced materials-based MRI antenna that overcomes these limitations—delivering enhanced images more quickly and that can be used in existing MRI machines. The research was published in Advanced Materials.
Niendorf and his team worked closely with researchers at Rostock University Medical Center, combining expertise in MRI physics with clinical ophthalmology and translational imaging. The Rostock team is also supporting clinical validation of the technology.
Emerging and underrecognized viral triggers of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease flares
In this Review, the authors summarize the potential role of emerging viruses in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). They describe the association between viruses and AIRD flare ups, the putative mechanisms linking AIRD to viral infections and hormone modulation of viral pathogenesis and autoimmune diseases.
Plant-Derived THC Extracts Ease Fibromyalgia Pain
Plant-derived THC extracts significantly reduced fibromyalgia pain in patients resistant to standard treatments. [ https://www.labroots.com/trending/cannabis-sciences/30219/pl…gia-pain-2](https://www.labroots.com/trending/cannabis-sciences/30219/pl…gia-pain-2)
How can cannabis oil help alleviate fibromyalgia pain? This is what a recent study published in the Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Critical Care hopes to address as a team of researchers from Italy investigated the benefits of using tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-based medicine options, specifically cannabis oil, for treating fibromyalgia pain. This study has the potential to help researchers, medical professionals, legislators, and the public better understand the benefits of using cannabis products for treating chronic diseases over prescriptions medications, and the steps that can be taken to implement them.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data obtained from 65 adult patients comprised of 59 women and 6 men diagnosed with fibromyalgia for a minimum of 7 years and were treated with cannabis oil therapy with a concentration of 15 percent from 2021 to 2023. The goal of the study was to ascertain the effectiveness of cannabis oil on mitigating fibromyalgia pain compared to traditional methods, specifically prescription medication. In the end, the researchers found that not only did the patients report decreased fibromyalgia pain during cannabis oil therapy, but this pain reduction was greater with younger patients.
The study notes, “While these observations should not be interpreted as evidence of effectiveness, they contribute real-world insights into tolerability and adherence in routine care. We hope they may help inform future prospective research aimed at better defining the role of cannabis oil in fibromyalgia management.”
Ultrasound-Mediated Membrane Modulation for Biomedical Applications
Deep tissue drug delivery is restricted by biological barriers. Ultrasound modulation offers a non-invasive solution using nanobubbles.
Read the Editor’s Choice article: mdpi.com/3348542
The cell membrane plays a critical role in regulating substance exchange, signal transduction, and energy conversion, making it essential for maintaining homeostasis and responding to environmental stimuli.
Stunning new maps of myelin-making mouse brain cells advance understanding of nervous system disorders
Johns Hopkins scientists say they have used 3D imaging, special microscopes and artificial intelligence (AI) programs to construct new maps of mouse brains showing a precise location of more than 10 million cells called oligodendrocytes. These cells form myelin, a protective sleeve around nerve cell axons, which speeds transmission of electrical signals and support brain health.
Published online Feb. 18 in Cell and funded by the National Institutes of Health, the maps not only paint a whole-brain picture of how myelin content varies between brain circuits, but also provide insights into how the loss of such cells impacts human diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders that affect learning, memory, sensory ability and movement, say the researchers. Although mouse and human brains are not the same, they share many characteristics and most biological processes.
“Our study identifies not only the location of oligodendrocytes in the brain, but also integrates information about gene expression and the structural features of neurons,” says Dwight Bergles, Ph.D., the Diana Sylvestre and Charles Homcy Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “It’s like mapping the location of all the trees in a forest, but also adding information about soil quality, weather and geology to understand the forest ecosystem.”