Medical Bulletin 21/January/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Link between schizophrenia and vascular alterations in the brain uncovered in study

A recent study suggests that schizophrenia may be associated with alterations in the vascularization of certain brain regions. Researchers found a link between astrocytes (central nervous system cells) from patients with schizophrenia and formation of narrow blood vessels.

In the study, the researchers focused on the role of astrocytes in development of the disease. These glial cells are housekeepers of the central nervous system and important to its defense. They are the central elements of the neurovascular units that integrate neural circuitry with local blood flow and provide neurons with metabolic support.

Reference:

Juliana Minardi Nascimento et al, Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes from patients with schizophrenia exhibit an inflammatory phenotype that affects vascularization, Molecular Psychiatry

Study finds defects in mitotic and telomere function to increase risk of sarcomas

Heritable pathogenic defects in genes related to mitosis and telomere function may specifically increase the risk for sarcomas - rare cancers that develop in muscles, bones, and other connective tissues, researchers report.

The findings provide new biological insight into sarcoma development and could inform better genetic risk profiles for sarcoma susceptibility. Sarcomas are aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers that tend to develop in younger patients. However, due to their relative rarity, they are not as well understood as other, more common forms of cancer.

Reference:

Heritable defects in telomere and mitotic function selectively predispose to sarcomas, Science, doi 10.1126/science.abj4784

Decoding the chemistry of nutritional wealth of brown rice

In a recent study, researchers from Japan have identified cycloartenyl ferulate (CAF) as the main “cytoprotective” or cell-protecting compound in brown rice. CAF is a unique compound owing to its hybrid structure.

In it, the researchers provide evidence of CAF’s antioxidant properties by demonstrating that it can protect cells from stress caused by hydrogen peroxide. Although hydrogen peroxide is a by-product of a cell’s metabolic processes, abnormal amounts of the compound can be toxic to cells and cause irreversible damage.

Reference:

Cycloartenyl ferulate is the predominant compound in brown rice conferring cytoprotective potential against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, doi 10.3390/ijms24010822