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Here are the top medical news for the day:
Another possible monkey virus spillover threat for humans
An obscure family of viruses, already endemic in wild African primates and known to cause fatal Ebola-like symptoms in some monkeys, is "poised for spillover" to humans, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research published in the journal Cell.
While such arteriviruses are already considered a critical threat to macaque monkeys, no human infections have been reported to date. And it is uncertain what impact the virus would have on people should it jump species.But the authors, evoking parallels to HIV (the precursor of which originated in African monkeys), are calling for vigilance nonetheless.
Reference:
Cody Warren et al,Primate hemorrhagic fever-causing arteriviruses are poised for spillover tohumans,Cell, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.022
SuperAger brains have the 'super neurons'
Neurons in an area of the brain responsible for memory were significantly larger in SuperAgers compared to cognitively average peers, individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease and even individuals 20 to 30 years younger than SuperAgers — who are aged 80 years and older, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
These neurons did not harbor tau tangles, a signature hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
The study of SuperAgers with exceptional memory was the first to show that these individuals carry a unique biological signature that comprises larger and healthier neurons in the entorhinal cortex that are relatively void of tau tangles (pathology).
Reference:
Tamar Gefen et al,Neuronal Integrity in SuperAging,JNeurosci
New marker of ALS outcome identified
A study by Human Brain Project (HBP) researchers has identified a new marker for predicting the clinical outcome of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) through magnetoencephalography. This marker can be measured in the brain during its resting state and highlights the importance of brain flexibility for ALS patients.
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease of the brain and spinal cord that causes loss of muscle control. The ability of moving, speaking and, eventually, breathing is progressively impaired. There is no known cure but treatments to improve symptoms, including magnetic stimulation, are being tested.
Reference:
Flexibility of Fast Brain Dynamics and Disease Severity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Neurology,DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201200
Link between inflammation and cognitive problems in older breast cancer survivors reaffirmed
Scientists are still trying to understand why many breast cancer survivors experience troubling cognitive problems for years after treatment. Inflammation is one possible culprit. A new long-term study of older breast cancer survivors published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and co-led by UCLA researchers adds important evidence to that potential link.
Higher levels of an inflammatory marker known as C-reactive protein (CRP) were related to older breast cancer survivors reporting cognitive problems in the new study.
Reference:
Judith Carroll et al,Journal of Clinical Oncology,DOI:10.1200/JCO.22.00406
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