Medical Bulletin 14/August/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day: 

Novel tool predicts patient’s risk of developing psoriatic arthritis

In research published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, investigators developed and validated a tool called PRESTO that identifies patients with psoriasis who face an elevated risk for developing psoriatic arthritis and may therefore benefit from preventive therapies.

Among 635 patients with psoriasis followed in the University of Toronto psoriasis cohort, 51 and 71 developed psoriatic arthritis during 1-year and 5-year follow-up periods, respectively. The risk of developing psoriatic arthritis within 1 year was higher in patients of younger age; male sex; family history of psoriasis; back stiffness; nail pitting (dents, ridges, and holes in the nails); joint stiffness; use of biological medications; poor health; and pain severity. The risk of developing psoriatic arthritis within 5 years was higher in patients with morning stiffness, psoriatic nail lesion, psoriasis severity, fatigue, pain, and use of systemic non-biologic medication or phototherapy.

Reference: Derivation of a multivariable psoriatic arthritis risk estimation tool (PRESTO): a step towards prevention prediction of psoriatic arthritis tool, Arthritis & Rheumatology; DOI 10.1002/art.42661 

Protein that may help protect against osteoporosis identified

New research published in The FASEB Journal indicates that increasing the expression of a particular gene may help to prevent bone loss associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a medical condition characterized by a decrease in bone density and strength that occurs after menopause.

For the study, investigators examined which genes are involved in turning precursor cells called bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into cells that play a crucial role in bone formation. The screen identified a gene that encodes high mobility group AT-hook 1 (Hmga1), a protein that controls the expression of a variety of other genes.

Reference: Hmga1-overexpressing lentivirus 1 protects against osteoporosis by activating the Wnt/β-catenin 2 pathway in the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, The FASEB Journal; DOI 10.1096/fj.202300488R

Electrical signals between skin cells may affect melanoma initiation, shows study

The transfer of a neurotransmitter from one type of skin cell to another (melanocytes to keratinocytes) altered electrical activity and promoted melanoma initiation in preclinical models, according to results published in Cancer Discovery. An intrinsic feature of melanocytes is their ability to secrete melanin-containing vesicles to surrounding skin cells called keratinocytes to give skin its color. While approximately half of all melanomas harbor mutations in the BRAF gene, these mutations are present in many benign skin lesions as well.

Using zebrafish, mouse, and human cell models, the researchers observed that the transfer of molecules between BRAF-mutated melanocytes and normal keratinocytes was critical to melanoma initiation and that it occurred almost exclusively between melanocytes and keratinocytes that were in direct contact with one another

Reference: GABA regulates electrical activity and tumor initiation in melanoma, Cancer Discovery; DOI 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-23-0389