Medical Bulletin 1/February/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Focused-ultrasound-mediated liquid biopsy leads to release of neurodegenerative disorders biomarkers

At Washington University in St. Louis, new research from the lab of Hong Chen, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering and of radiation oncology in the School of Medicine, and collaborators found that using focused-ultrasound-mediated liquid biopsy in a mouse model released more tau proteins and another biomarker into the blood than without the intervention. This noninvasive method could facilitate diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, the researchers said.

The method, known as sonobiopsy, uses focused ultrasound to target a precise location in the brain. Once located, the researchers inject microbubbles into the blood that travel to the ultrasound-targeted tissue and pulsate, which safely opens the blood-brain barrier. The temporary openings allow biomarkers, such as tau proteins and neurofilament light chain protein (NfL), both indicative of neurodegenerative disorders, to pass through the blood-brain barrier and release into the blood.

Reference:

Pacia C, Yuan J, Yue Y, Leuthardt EC, Benzinger TLS, Nazeri A, Chen H. "Focused ultrasound mediated liquid biopsy in a tauopathy mouse model." Radiology. Jan. 31, 2023.

Study finds breast MRI to be effective at detecting cancer in dense breasts

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. Roughly 47% of women in the United States have dense breasts, which is an independent risk factor of breast cancer. Women with dense breasts have a higher amount of glandular tissue and fibrous connective tissue and low amounts of fatty tissue in the breasts.

While screening mammography effectively detects up to 98% of cancer in fatty breasts, breast cancer is more easily missed in dense breasts. This results in a negative mammogram, giving patients false reassurance.

Compared to other common supplemental screening methods, breast MRI was superior at detecting breast cancer in women with dense breasts, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Reference:

Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening in Women with Dense Breasts and Negative Mammography: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,Radiology

Obesity-related neurodegeneration mimics Alzheimer's disease, finds study

Previous research has shown that obesity is linked with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related changes, such as cerebrovascular damage and amyloid-b accumulation. However, to date no research has made a direct comparison between brain atrophy patterns in AD and obesity.

Obesity is increasingly recognized as a multisystem disease affecting respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems, among others. A new study led by scientists at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University finds a correlation between neurodegeneration in obese people and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, suggesting that losing excess weight could slow cognitive decline in aging and lower risk for AD.

Reference:

Obesity-Associated Neurodegeneration Pattern Mimics Alzheimer’s Disease in an Observational Cohort Study,Journal of Alzheimer s Disease,doi 10.3233/JAD-220535