Category Health/Medical

Composition of Joint Lubricant potential Culprit behind Osteoarthritis

The complex interplay between phospholipid and hyaluronic acid self-assembly in solution, and the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid, determine surface affinity and the formation of a protective film on cartilage. Credit: Kangdi Sun, Tooba Shoaib, Mark W. Rutland, Changwoo Do, and Rosa M. Espinosa-Marzal

Neutron and light scattering, along with atomic force microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance, illuminate a mechanism explaining the ‘vicious circle’ of osteoarthritis.

The exact mechanism of cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis is unknown, but damage from mechanical stress with insufficient self-repair is believed to be the main culprit...

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Whether Physical Exertion feels ‘Easy’ or ‘Hard’ may be due to Dopamine levels, study suggests

Experimental paradigm. a Association phase; Participants were trained to associate between grip force exerted on a handheld dynamometer and effort levels from 0 to 100 (80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)). Each trial began with presentation of the target, followed by an effortful grip with real-time visual feedback of the exerted force represented as a bar that increased in height with increased exertion. A target zone was also presented, and participants were asked to maintain their exerted force within this target zone. The target zone turned green when exerted force was within the target and stayed red otherwise. Feedback of success or failure was provided at the end of each trial...
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Probiotic company finds Links between Youthful Gut Microbiota and Potential Centenarians

Probiotic company finds links between youthful gut microbiota and potential centenarians
Comparisons of microbial compositions between baseline and follow-up. (a) aPCoA of the Bray‒Curtis distance plot for baseline and follow-up after adjusting for hypertension, medication use, and alcohol and tea drinking. (b) α-Diversity differences between baseline and follow-up for stratified health statuses (HB, n = 21; HF, n = 15; LHB, n = 19; LHF, n = 27). (c) Composition of the gut microbiome at the phylum level between baseline and follow-up for stratified health statuses. (d) LEfSe between baseline and follow-up stratified by health status (two-sided Kruskal‒Wallis test between classes; P < 0.05, LDA > 2). Healthy baseline (HB, n = 21), healthy follow-up (HF, n = 15), less healthy baseline (LHB, n = 19) and less healthy follow-up (LHF, n = 27) samples were examined...
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Novel Immunotherapy Agent Safe, shows promise against High-risk Prostate Cancers

Shenderov
Prostate cancer nodule with dramatized anti-B7-H3 antibody therapy Credit: Adobe stock per investigator

A new drug, a monoclonal antibody known as enoblituzumab, is safe in men with aggressive prostate cancer and may induce clinical activity against cancer throughout the body, according to a phase 2 study led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. If confirmed in additional studies, enoblituzumab could become the first promising antibody-based immunotherapy agent against prostate cancer.

In a clinical trial, 32 men with high-risk or very high-risk prostate cancers who were scheduled for prostate cancer surgery were treated with six weekly infusions of enoblituzumab prior to surgery, and were followed fo...

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