Medical Bulletin 8/November/2022

Study identifies new gene which can increase chemotherapeutic response in medulloblastomas

An international team led by the Department of Neurosurgery, Niigata University, has identified a new gene called Schlafen11 (SLFN11) whose expression is tightly correlated with response to chemotherapy in medulloblastomas, a highly malignant brain tumor affecting pediatric, adolescent, and young adult populations. The results of the study were published online in the journal Neuro-Oncology on October 23, 2022.

Researchers first noticed that SLFN11 is highly expressed in almost all cases of WNT-activated medulloblastomas, which is the molecular subgroup with the best prognosis. Further studies using medulloblastoma cell lines showed that genetically manipulating SLFN11 led to drastic changes in response to cisplatin, a key drug for treating this deadly tumor.

Reference:

Study identifies new gene which can increase chemotherapeutic response in medulloblastomas; NIIGATA UNIVERSITY, JOURNAL Neuro-Oncology; DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac243

Ultraprocessed foods linked to premature deaths

Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), have highest consumption in modern world as they are ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, that have gradually been replacing traditional foods and meals made from fresh and minimally processed ingredients in many countries.

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, has found that increased consumption of these foods was associated with more than 10% of all-cause premature, preventable deaths in Brazil in 2019, although Brazilians consume far less of these products than countries with high incomes.

Reference:

Ultraprocessed foods linked to premature deaths; ELSEVIER, JOURNAL American Journal of Preventive Medicine; DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.08.013.

Managing eczema in babies: five things to know

Atopic dermatitis affects 10%–20% of Canadian infants. Recognizing atopic dermatitis, getting it into remission, then keeping control can be challenging for both clinicians and caregivers. Eczema atopic dermatitis is common in babies and can be stressful for parents to manage according to an article in Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Atopic dermatitis on cheeks, outer limbs and trunk are common in infants, and classic eczema affecting behind the knees and in the elbow creases may not develop until later in childhood.

Reference:

Managing eczema in babies: five things to know; CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL; DOI-10.1503/cmaj.21209

New one-stop guideline for cardiovascular health in Canada

Medications to follow to treat cardiovascular diseases are ineffective as clinicians are rightly concerned that there are too many guidelines with too many individual recommendations to be practical and useful for daily use, particularly in primary care. Typical patients with multiple illnesses require the access to many guidelines at the same time, and some recommendations are not harmonized and often seem contradictory.

A new one-stop guideline takes a 360-degree approach to managing heart disease in Canadian patients, with 83 recommendations in one easy-to-use reference. The guideline is published in CMAJ Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Reference:

New one-stop guideline for cardiovascular health in Canada; CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL, DOI:10.1503/cmaj.220138.