Medical Bulletin 13/ February/ 2025
Here are the top medical news for the day:
Can Climate Change Increase Risk of Prolonged Pregnancy?
New Curtin University research has found exposure to outdoor air pollution and extreme temperatures during pregnancy may increase the risk of prolonged pregnancy, offering new insights into the impact of climate change on maternal health. Findings are published in urban climate.
The study analysed data from nearly 400,000 births in Western Australia and found that higher exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and biothermal stress was associated with pregnancies lasting beyond 41 weeks.
Lead author Dr Sylvester Dodzi Nyadanu from Curtin’s School of Population Health said
“Our findings show that exposure to air pollution and biothermal stress during pregnancy increases the likelihood of prolonged pregnancies, particularly among mothers over 35 years old, first-time mothers, those living in urban areas, and those with complicated pregnancies.
Dr Nyadanu said prolonged pregnancy can have serious health implications for both mother and baby, including the need for medical interventions such as labour induction or caesarean sections, increased risk of stillbirth, birth complications, child mortality, early childhood behavioural and emotional problems, and emotional impacts on families.
Reference: Nyadanu, S. D., Tessema, G. A., Dunne, J., Roy, A., & Pereira, G. (2025). Maternal climate-related exposures and prolonged pregnancy: Findings from a statewide population-based cohort study in Western Australia. Urban Climate, 59, 102316.
New Research Highlights Effective Stem Cell Treatment for Inflammatory Eye Diseases
In a new study researchers have proposed a novel therapy for ocular Graft-versus-host disease involving Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). The team explored the potential of regenerative mesenchymal stem cells in reducing ocular inflammation in Graft-versus-host disease -infected mice. The study, published in The Ocular Surface, explores the potential of adipose-derived MSCs (adMSCs) to reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair.
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common and severe complication that occurs after stem cell transplantation, where the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s tissues. Ocular manifestation of Graft-versus-host disease is among the most challenging to treat, often leading to chronic inflammation and corneal tissue damage, which can result in loss of vision.
Using mice that had been induced with chronic Graft-versus-host disease, researchers administered adipose-derived MSCs into the eyes via a single injection. Over three weeks, the researchers found that the adipose-derived MSCs treatment increased regulatory T cells while reducing inflammation in the mice. Further, adipose-derived MSCs -conditioned media enhanced cell migration and proliferation in laboratory scratch tests, showcasing the regenerative capacity of the cells. Importantly, the injected cells disappeared within a week, minimizing the risk of long-term complications such as tumor formation.
These observations point to the potential of adipose-derived MSCs as a targeted, localized therapy for immune-related eye conditions. Unlike systemic treatments, these local injections ensured the therapeutic effects remained localized to the ocular surface.
Elaborating on the rationale behind this study, Dr. Shimmura, senior author and researcher says, “adMSCs are easy to obtain and have demonstrated benefits in corneal tissue regeneration. Moreover, we injected adMSCs after the onset of GVHD and also monitored them over an extended period of time, helping us verify their therapeutic applicability.”
“Our findings highlight the dual benefits of adMSCs: They suppress inflammation and enhance tissue healing,” elaborates Dr. Shimmura. Adding further, he says, “This makes them a promising candidate for treating immune-related ocular disorders without systemic side effects.”
Reference: Rusch, R. M., Inagaki, E., Taniguchi, H., Sakakura, S., Tamai, R., Nonaka, H., ... & Shimmura, S. (2024). Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells: A study on safety and efficacy in ocular inflammation. The Ocular Surface, 34, 523-534.
Biomarker Test May Detect Alzheimer’s Pathology Earlier: Study Finds
Years before tau tangles show up in brain scans of patients with Alzheimer's disease, a biomarker test developed at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine can detect small amounts of the clumping-prone tau protein and its misfolded pathological forms that litter the brain, cerebrospinal fluid and potentially blood, new research published in Nature Medicine suggests.
The cerebrospinal fluid biomarker test correlates with the severity of cognitive decline, independent of other factors, including brain amyloid deposition, thereby opening doors for early-stage disease diagnosis and intervention.
The clumping of tau protein into well-ordered structures referred to by pathologists as "neurofibrillary tangles" is a more defining event for Alzheimer's disease as it is more strongly associated with the cognitive changes seen in affected people.
In this latest research, using the tools of biochemistry and molecular biology, researchers identified a core region of the tau protein that is necessary for neurofibrillary tangle formation. Detecting sites within that core region of 111 amino acids, a sequence they call tau258-368, can identify clumping-prone tau proteins and help initiate further diagnostics and early treatment. In particular, the two new phosphorylation sites, p-tau-262 and p-tau-356, can accurately inform the status of early-stage tau aggregation that, with an appropriate intervention, could potentially be reversed.
Reference: Islam, T., Hill, E., Abrahamson, E.E. et al. Phospho-tau serine-262 and serine-356 as biomarkers of pre-tangle soluble tau assemblies in Alzheimer’s disease. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03400-0
Triple T: Faster, Simpler Therapy for Common Cause of High Blood Pressure
Doctors at Queen Mary University of London, Barts Health NHS Trust, and University College London have led the development of a simple, minimally invasive Targeted Thermal Therapy (Triple T) that has the potential to transform medical management of a common, but commonly overlooked, cause of high blood pressure. Findings are published in the lancet.
High blood pressure affects one in three adults, of whom a hormonal condition called primary aldosteronism accounts for one in twenty cases. However, fewer than one percent of those affected are ever diagnosed.
Triple T offers a faster, safer alternative to surgery, by selectively destroying the small adrenal nodule without removing the gland. The new treatment harnesses the energy of waves, adapting two well-established medical techniques: radiofrequency or microwaves generate heat in a small needle placed into the malfunctioning tissue, causing a controlled burn; ultrasound uses reflected sound waves to create a real-time video of the procedure.
In Triple T, as in routine endoscopy, a tiny internal camera -- in this case using ultrasound as well as light -- is passed by mouth into the stomach. The endoscopist visualises the adrenal gland and guides a fine needle from the stomach precisely into the nodule. Short bursts of heat destroy the nodule but leave the surrounding healthy tissues unharmed. This minimally invasive approach takes only 20 minutes and eliminates the need for internal or external incisions.
The study is called FABULAS, the name being an acronym for Feasibility study of radiofrequency endoscopic ABlation, with ULtrasound guidance, as a non-surgical, Adrenal Sparing treatment for aldosterone-producing adenomas.
FABULAS tested Triple T in 28 patients with primary aldosteronism, whose molecular scan had pinpointed a hormone-producing nodule in the left adrenal gland. The new procedure was found to be safe and effective, with most patients having normal hormone levels six months later. Many participants were able to stop all blood pressure medications, with no recurrence of the condition.
Reference: Endoscopic, ultrasound-guided, radiofrequency ablation of aldosterone-producing adenomas (FABULAS): a UK, multicentre, prospective, proof-of-concept trial, Argentesi, GiuliaBastos, Jose et al., The Lancet, Volume 0, Issue 0
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