Medical Bulletin 10/March/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Natural peptide may tackle the ‘root cause’ of obesity-related conditions, shows study

Obesity causes complex and dramatic changes in metabolism in adipose (fat) tissue, damage to the pancreas, reduced insulin sensitivity and eventually the hyperglycaemia that underpins type 2 diabetes. It also causes a low-level inflammatory response across the boyd, encouraging white blood cells to enter into many tissues including the visceral adipose tissue (fat stored deep inside the body wrapped around the organs, including the liver and gut) and peritoneal cavity (a thin membrane that encompasses the gut).

Research published today shows that a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM could provide a revolutionary approach to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver).

Reference:

Dr Helen MCGettrick , Dr Asif Iqbal et al,PEPITEM modulates leukocyte trafficking to reduce obesity-induced inflammation,doi 10.1093/cei/uxad022

Metabolic secrets of anaerobes uncovered an new strategies to treat c. difficile infections identified

C. difficile is an obligately anaerobic species of bacteria, which means it does not replicate in the presence of oxygen gas. C. difficile causes infections by releasing toxins that allow the pathogen to obtain nutrients from damaged gut tissues. Understanding how C. difficile metabolizes nutrients while colonizing the gut could inform new approaches to prevent and treat infections.

A team of investigators from Mass General Brigham’s founding members, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), has identified metabolic strategies used by Clostridioides difficile to rapidly colonize the gut. The findings identify methods to better prevent and treat the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). The team’s approach has implications for understanding broader aspects of microbial metabolism, including responses to antibiotics, and production of important metabolites. Results are published in Nature Chemical Biology.

Reference:

Pavao A et al. “Elucidating dynamic anaerobe metabolism with Live Cell HRMAS 13C NMR and genome-scale metabolic modeling” Nature Chemical BIology DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01275-9

New insights into rare eye disorders

The retina is found at the back of the eye. It’s a layered tissue that receives light and converts it into a signal that can be interpreted by the brain. Each retinal layer comprises different cell types that play a unique role in this light conversion process.

Researchers have analysed image and genomic data from the UK Biobank to find insights into rare diseases of the human eye. These include retinal dystrophies - a group of inherited disorders affecting the retina – which are also the leading cause of blindness certification in working-age adults.

For this study published in the journal PLOS Genetics, the researchers focused on photoreceptor cells (PRCs), which are light-detecting cells found in the retina. These cells can be non-invasively imaged using optical coherence tomography (OCT), a service now commonly offered in many opticians. Using OCT image data and genomic data stored in the UK Biobank, researchers were able to generate the largest genome-wide association study of PRCs.

Reference:

Sub-cellular level resolution of common genetic variation in the photoreceptor layer identifies continuum between rare disease and common variation,PLoS Genetics,doi 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010587

Study shows advanced imaging may help in clinical treatment of prostate cancer

A trial conducted at the University Hospital Bonn, in Germany, has been testing the benefit of a scanning method known as PSMA-PET/CT to help target where to take biopsy samples, to improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Interim results reveal that when used alongside standard imaging techniques, the additional scans might help clinicians make improved decisions about subsequent courses of treatment.

Compared to the standard scans alone, when PSMA-PET/CT was used clinicians changed how they might treat a patient with clinically significant prostate cancer in 19% of cases.

Reference:

DEPROMP Trial: The additive value of PSMA-PET/CT-guided biopsy for prostate cancer management in biopsy naïve men