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science : Gene therapy restored the hearing and music appreciation ability of patients with hereditary deafness

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 23:10 Sunday, June 9, 2024
From the camera
Gene therapy restored the hearing of five children with congenital hereditary deafness, two of whom had the ability to enjoy music. The research report was published in the journal Nature Medicine, and the research team was also surprised by the results. This clinical experiment was carried out in the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Department Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, targeting the patients with hereditary deafness DFNB9. The research team published the preliminary results of the research in the Lancet earlier this year. DFNB9 is caused by OTOF gene mutation and the inability to produce a functional otoberlin protein, which is necessary to transmit sound signals from the ear to the brain. Six children with DFNB9 were observed for 26 weeks. They used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying human OTOF gene to carefully introduce the gene into the inner ear of patients through a special surgical procedure. Different doses of single injection of virus vector were used. Clinical trials continue, and researchers say this gene therapy is "feasible, safe and effective".

science : Progress in research on male contraceptive gel

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Tuesday, 22:59, June 4, 2024
From Holy Libra
Progress has been made in the research of male contraceptive gel. The gel, called NES/T, is the abbreviation of its two main components - Nestorone acetate and Testosterone. Enorgestrel acetate is a synthetic version of progesterone, which plays an important role in regulating pregnancy and other reproductive functions. Such drugs have been used as contraceptives for women. When it is used in men, it will reduce the hormone level in the testes responsible for male fertility, and reduce the number of sperm. It also reduces testosterone levels in the blood, reduces male libido and has other side effects. The gel introduces synthetic testosterone to stabilize the testosterone level in men's blood and minimize side effects. NES/T is conducting Phase IIB test. As long as 5ml gel is applied to the scapula once a day, it can effectively inhibit male fertility in a few weeks. The researchers said that NES/T is both effective and safe, with very little side effects.

science : Chinese scientists use cell therapy to cure diabetes in a patient

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 18:29 Monday, June 3, 2024
From the Night of the Dragon
The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese scientists successfully cured a patient of diabetes mellitus by using cell therapy. The research report was published in the journal Cell Discovery, which represents a major breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine in the treatment of diabetes. The patient was a 59 year old male with a 25 year history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and developed end-stage diabetic nephropathy (uremia). In June 2017, he developed end-stage diabetic nephropathy and received kidney transplantation. However, due to the near failure of its islet function, it needs to inject insulin many times a day, and there is a great risk of serious complications of diabetes in the future. On July 19, 2021, due to concerns about hypoglycemia and considering the adverse effects of poor blood glucose control on the long-term survival of donor kidneys, the patient received autologous regenerative islet transplantation in Shanghai Long March Hospital. The patient began to completely separate from exogenous insulin 11 weeks after surgery, and gradually reduced the amount of oral hypoglycemic drugs after surgery, and completely withdrew the drug in the 48th and 56th weeks, At present, the patient has been completely free of insulin for 33 months. This is the first time to use autologous derived islets to treat T2D patients with impaired islet function.

science : The ancient Egyptians removed brain tumors by surgery 4000 years ago

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Friday, May 31, 2024 at 16:47
From Breaking Dawn
For a long time, cancer has been regarded as a disease in modern life. The latest archaeological discoveries and medical research reveal that ancient Egyptian doctors may have tried to cure cancer through surgery more than 4000 years ago. This discovery not only rewrote our understanding of ancient medicine, but also added a new chapter to the history of cancer treatment. The latest research focuses on an ancient skull preserved in the University of Cambridge, UK, Duckworth Laboratory. This skull belongs to a 30-35 year old man, whose surface scars and tumor scars provide clues. Through digital microscopy and computerized tomography (CT) of the skull, researchers found cutting marks around the tumor. These marks indicate that ancient Egyptian doctors may have used sharp metal tools to remove tumors. In addition to the first skull, scientists also found cancer lesions in the second skull collected by Duckworth. This skull belongs to an adult female at least 50 years old, and its age can be traced back to 664 BC to 343 BC.

science : An American Family Infected with Rare Brain Worm by Eating Uncooked Bear Meat

USA
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 22:55
From Alien: River of Pain
In the summer of 2022, the family gathered in South Dakota to have a special dinner - BBQ Bear Kebabs. The black bear was captured from Canada in May of that year. Because there is no meat thermometer, they mainly rely on the color of the meat to judge whether it is cooked or not. Some bear meat was found to be undercooked and re roasted. After dinner they returned to their respective homes. A few days later, family members began to get sick. A 29 year old man saw doctors four times and was hospitalized twice in 17 days. His symptoms included fever, severe muscle pain, periocular swelling, and high levels of anti infective white blood cells. When he was hospitalized for the second time, he revealed the information of eating bear meat, and the doctor confirmed that he was infected with rare trichinosis. Trichinosis is very rare in humans. Between 2016 and 2022, there were 7 cases involving 35 cases recorded in the United States, most of which were related to the consumption of bear meat. Once eaten, Trichinella spiralis will gradually invade the whole body, including the heart and brain. Of the eight family members who had eaten bear meat, six were infected with trichinella spiralis, three were hospitalized, and three were lucky to recover without treatment. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the remaining frozen bear meat and found that there were still alive trichinella spiralis. This trichinella is very resistant to freezing. Health experts suggest that if you really want to eat wild animals, you should at least buy a meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is cooked and the temperature exceeds 74 degrees Celsius.

science : Men have a higher risk of diabetes

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 15:15
The shadow from the overlord
According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, men are more vulnerable to diabetes (type I and II) than women. Regardless of the duration of the disease, men are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, leg, foot and kidney complications, and diabetic retinopathy. The researchers analyzed 25713 patients in Australia who had type I or type II diabetes. They monitored the development of symptoms of diabetes related diseases in these patients. These include cardiovascular disease, eye problems, leg or foot problems, and kidney problems. Among 19277 diabetic patients, 58% of them had been ill for less than 10 years, and 42% had been ill for 10 years or more. In general, men are 51% more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases than women; The possibility of leg and foot complications was 47% higher; The possibility of renal complications was 55% higher. The researchers suggest that men should pay more attention to their lifestyle, take preventive drugs or take health checks to reduce risks.

science : Micro plastics found in human testes

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 14:40 Tuesday, May 21, 2024
From the Sea of Forgetting
Scientists analyzed the testicular tissues of dogs and humans, and found that each sample contained microplastics, of which the microplastics content of human testicles was nearly three times that of dogs. The study found that dog testicular tissue contains 122.63 micrograms of microplastics per gram on average, and human testicular tissue contains 329.44 micrograms of microplastics per gram on average. Among the 12 identified microplastics, polyethylene (PE) is the most abundant, which is widely used to manufacture plastic bags and bottles, and is the main cause of plastic pollution. The researchers could not directly test the number of sperm in human testicular tissue, but the analysis of dog tissue samples found that high content of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was associated with low sperm number. Xiaozhong Yu, from the University of New Mexico, said that he didn't want to scare people, but just told people about the existence of a large number of micro plastics, encouraged people to make their own choices, change their lifestyle, change their behavior, and avoid contacting a large number of plastics.

science : Exercise helps delay cognitive decline during aging

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 22:20 Monday, May 20, 2024
From Holy Libra
According to the research on experimental mice published in Aging Cell, exercise can help delay the decline of cognitive ability in the process of aging. The researchers evaluated the gene expression in mouse brain cells and found that aging will significantly change the gene expression of all brain cell types, which has the greatest impact on microglia, which are immune cells of the central nervous system supporting brain function. It was found that the gene expression profile of aging microglia could be reversed to the young version by running the wheel in mice. The researchers said that mouse research helps to understand the impact of human exercise on cognitive ability, and supports the importance of exercise for the elderly.

science : Patients with high military ranks receive better treatment than patients with low military ranks

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 16:34
From the librarian and the golden pot
A study involving 1.5 million patients shows that patients with higher military ranks will receive better treatment from military doctors than patients with lower military ranks. These findings provide evidence that the powerful can enjoy better clinical resources and support, which is often at the expense of the rights and interests of the less powerful. Although the role of power is common in almost all aspects of the normative system of human society, it is extremely difficult to study power with real world data, which limits our understanding of the way power dynamics play a role in the real world. A particularly relevant high-risk power dynamic is the relationship between doctors and patients. This power difference is usually beneficial to doctors, because doctors have knowledge, clinical resources and legal authority, while patients need to rely on doctors' medical care. It is based on social expectations, that is, doctors always treat all patients in a selfless and ethical manner. Researchers studied how changes in the power difference between doctors and patients in the U.S. military medical system (MHS) would affect patient care and outcomes - there is a clear and deep-rooted power hierarchy in MHS. In this system, doctors and patients are active servicemen, and each has a clear military rank. When a patient's military rank is close to or higher than that of a military doctor, this power difference should be narrowed, which may affect the behavior of the doctor or patient, and thus may affect the medical treatment provided and the outcome of the patient.

science : Salt in food significantly increases the risk of gastric cancer

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 21:57
From the burning Milky Way
According to a study published in the Journal of Gastric Cancer, food salt significantly increases the risk of gastric cancer. The researchers analyzed the data of more than 470000 adults in UK Biobank. During the observation period of about 11 years, those who said they always or often added salt to their food were 39% more likely to suffer from gastric cancer than those who never or rarely added extra salt to their food. The fact that high salt diet will increase the risk of gastric cancer has been previously confirmed in research on Asian populations, who often eat salty food, high salt fish or extremely salty brine and sauce. The top four countries in the global incidence of gastric cancer are South Korea, Mongolia, Japan and China.

science : Beethoven is unlikely to die from lead poisoning

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 19:23
From Mars Synthetic Man
Beethoven is one of the greatest composers in history, but he suffered from health problems all his life. In 1818, he basically lost his hearing. These problems undoubtedly affected his career and emotional state. So he left a will to ask the doctor to perform an autopsy to determine the source of pain. Nearly two centuries later, scientists confirmed that Beethoven was infected with hepatitis B by analyzing the genome of his hair. Toxic analysis of his two hairs showed that he was exposed to high concentration of lead, which was 64 times and 95 times higher than the upper limit of lead content in healthy people, respectively. The lead content in his blood may be between 69 and 71 micrograms per deciliter. However, researchers said that such high levels of lead are usually associated with gastrointestinal and renal diseases and hearing loss, but not high enough to be the only cause of death. The author said that there are limitations in his analysis. Hair may be polluted by environment or dye.

science : The study found that drinking together by couples is related to longevity

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 16:05 Monday, May 13, 2024
From Longdao
A study by researchers from the University of Michigan in The Gerontologist magazine found that couples with consistent drinking behavior (that is, both drink) tend to live longer. The researchers stressed that behaviors beneficial to marriage may not be beneficial to health. The research conclusion is not to suggest that couples drink more, but that the consistency of drinking between couples may reflect the compatibility between partners in terms of lifestyle, intimate relationship and relationship satisfaction.

science : New mRNA vaccine helps the immune system fight against deadly brain tumors

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 23:09
Descendants from Sea and Fire
In the first human clinical trial on four adult patients, an mRNA cancer vaccine developed by the University of Florida rapidly reprogrammed the immune system to attack glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly brain tumor. This discovery represents a potential new method, which can recruit the immune system by using mRNA technology and iteration of lipid nanoparticles to fight against the notorious drug-resistant cancer. This method is similar to COVID-19 vaccine, but has two key differences: use patients' own tumor cells to produce personalized vaccines, and use the newly designed complex delivery mechanism in vaccines. This new method can quickly stimulate the strong rejection of the immune system to tumors through intravenous injection. Glioblastoma is one of the most destructive cancers, with a median survival time of about 15 months.

science : The clinical trial of Japanese tooth regeneration drugs started in September

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 20:57 Monday, May 6, 2024
From Kingston City Volume I: Seal of Wizard
Japanese researchers announced that the world's first tooth regeneration drug will start clinical trials in the Kyoto University Hospital in September. If the safety is confirmed, the drug will first be tested on patients who are born without all teeth to confirm its effectiveness. Researchers hope to start selling the drug by 2030. Most people have tooth buds that have the potential to grow into new teeth, but they usually do not develop and then disappear. The research team developed an antibody drug to inactivate the protein USAG-1, which will inhibit tooth growth. Congenital tooth loss affects about 1% of the population. The symptom of lacking six or more teeth is called oligodontia, which affects about 0.1% of the population. The first phase of the clinical trial is from September to August 2025. The test subjects are 30 men, aged between 30 and 64 years old, who must lose at least one posterior tooth.

science : Scientists found that a group of enzymes can change type A and B blood into type O blood

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 19:10
From our ancestors
According to a paper published in Nature Microbiology, researchers found a group of enzymes in the intestinal colonization of Achmania mucophila. These enzymes can transform known and previously unknown antigens in human red blood cells, and convert blood into type O blood. This discovery may provide clinically relevant solutions to increase the supply of universally compatible blood. Blood type matching is crucial in blood transfusion, because the immune system will react to mismatched blood cells, leading to potentially fatal reactions. Type O blood has universal compatibility because its sugar structure is common to all blood groups. The hospital's blood type O reserve sometimes cannot meet the demand, so it is necessary to develop strategies to convert type A and B blood into type O. The researchers conducted biochemical screening on the enzymes produced by Achmania mucophila, which can decompose the glycans in mucus. They found a group of enzymes with unique structure, which can effectively transform type A and B red blood cells into type O. This enzyme combination is also effective for the recently discovered extended type A and B, and reduces the mismatch reaction in the test, especially for the converted type B.

science : Three American women infected with HIV due to "vampire beauty"

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Friday, April 26, 2024 at 23:54
Return from Huangquan
In the summer of 2018, an American woman went abroad and tested positive for HIV. She did not inject drugs, did not have blood transfusions, and her only partner was HIV negative. She reported that she went to a beauty center called "VIP Spa" in Albuquerque, New Mexico to do "Vampire Beauty" in the spring. The so-called vampire beauty is commonly known as platelet rich plasma microneedle surgery. The operation will first draw blood, separate the bleeding plasma, and then inject the blood plasma rich in platelets into the face with microneedles. The operation is claimed to restore skin vitality and improve skin appearance. This operation was supported and promoted by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian. VIP Spa was closed soon. Maria de Lourdes Ramos De Ruiz, the boss, was accused of practicing medicine without a license. She pleaded guilty in 2022 and is currently serving her sentence. Investigators tracked and contacted nearly 200 customers of the beauty center, at least three of whom were confirmed to be infected with HIV, and the other two HIV infected people were also considered to be closely related to the beauty center. The researchers said that the incomplete customer records of the beauty center had brought challenges to the investigation.

science : A strain of monkeypox virus has the ability of sexual transmission

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 19:25
From the Adventures of Captain Hatteras
According to a preprint report released by researchers from the National Institute of Biomedical Research of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a strain of monkeypox virus has acquired the ability to transmit through sexual contact. According to the pre printed report, 241 cases of suspected infection and 108 cases of confirmed infection are related to the epidemic - these figures may be greatly underestimated due to the limited detection capacity. Nearly 30% of the confirmed infected persons are sex workers. Monkeypox virus can cause painful and liquid filled lesions on the skin, and can cause death in serious cases. The virus persists in wildlife in several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and occasionally infects humans. The first reported large-scale human to human transmission epidemic occurred in Nigeria in 2017, resulting in more than 200 confirmed cases and more than 500 suspected cases. Although monkeypox virus infection has decreased since 2022, it is on the rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: in September 2023, a new group of suspected cases appeared in South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This cluster is of particular concern to researchers because it is mainly spread among sex workers, which indicates that the virus has adapted to the ability to spread through sexual contact.

science : Hong Kong men infected with rare and fatal monkey herpesvirus

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 22:43 Monday, April 8, 2024
From the people who dominate the world
Hong Kong reported the first case of human infection with simian herpesvirus. A 37 year old man was attacked by wild monkeys in Jinshan Country Park in late February. He was admitted to the hospital due to fever and unconsciousness until March 21. After testing, he was confirmed to be positive for the B virus, also known as monkey herpesvirus. As of last week, he was still in the ICU ward. Rhesus monkeys infected with monkey herpesvirus usually have no symptoms or mild symptoms. Human infection is extremely rare, but once infected, it is often fatal. According to the report of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkey herpesvirus was discovered in 1932. As of 1999, only 50 cases of human infection had been recorded, including 21 deaths. At first, infection looks like flu, but the virus can transfer to the brain and spinal cord, leading to brain damage, nerve damage and death. Health officials suggested keeping a distance from wild monkeys, not feeding them, or holding plastic bags containing food to avoid misunderstanding; Avoid making eye contact with monkeys. Relevant behaviors will be regarded as provocations.

science : Familial Alzheimer's disease can be transferred through bone marrow transplantation

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 22:43 Sunday, April 7, 2024
From the voice of its master
A study found that familial Alzheimer's disease can be transferred through bone marrow transplantation. When the research team transplanted bone marrow stem cells from mice carrying hereditary Alzheimer's disease into normal mice, the recipient developed Alzheimer's disease faster. This study emphasized the role of amyloid protein from outside the brain in the development of Alzheimer's disease, and transformed Alzheimer's disease from a disease produced only in the brain to a systemic disease through transplantation. Researchers say donors of blood, tissues, organs and stem cells should be screened for Alzheimer's disease to prevent accidental transmission during blood transfusion and cell therapy.

science : CRISPR Cas gene editing completely eliminates HIV in the laboratory

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 18:41
From ape friends and leopard friends
Researchers from Amsterdam University in the Netherlands reported that they successfully eliminated HIV virus from infected cells using CRISPR gene editing technology. One of the major challenges of HIV treatment is that the virus has the ability to integrate its own genome into the host DNA. Although there are many effective antiviral drugs currently used to treat HIV infection, they can only inhibit the replication of HIV in the human body and cannot be cleared. Therefore, patients need to receive lifelong antiviral treatment, because once the antiviral treatment stops, HIV may make a comeback. HIV can infect different types of cells and tissues in the body, each of which has its unique environment and characteristics. In this study, Dutch researchers used "molecular scissors" and two kinds of gRNAs (guide RNAs) to fight against all known HIV strains that maintain the same part of the virus genome, and successfully cured the T cells of HIV infected people. Dutch researchers have proved that when tested on immune cells in petri dishes, their CRISPR system can inactivate all HIV viruses and remove them from immune cells. The researchers stressed that their work is still "proof of concept" and will not soon become a treatment for HIV.

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