Medicine Medical Science Thread

[CD Xbow]

Lawyer dies after his hidden gun goes off during MRI scan

Leandro Mathias de Novaes’ gun went off due to magnetic field in the MRI scanning room

www.independent.co.uk

also, i've been gardener for a few years now and have tatts of treeroots/branches on both arms, no prob whatsoever with MRI, albeit the scan is on my head for brain tumour. Talked to nurses about possible problems before getting inked oc and they said they rarely get any probs with tatts now, if any then it's with oldtimers that have really old ink (possibly dodgy?), otherwise pretty safe.

will anything get into the lymph nodes later? only time will tell i guess.

Allegedly depends on particle size, carbon black enters the lymph readily, titanium dioxide not so much.

The Age has an article about use of mRNA tech for a whole swag of new of antiviral vaccines, treatment for cystic fibrosis and even melanoma. mRNA really is a game changer.

‘It’s not hype’: COVID vaccine technology to fight another deadly virus, then cancer

Scientists are adapting mRNA technology used for COVID-19 vaccinations to combat deadly illnesses, including cancer.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Werewolf]

Hopefully this works, I had quite a few ear infections as a kid from swimming:

South Australian researchers hope vaccine in the making will silence painful ear infections

Researchers are on the cusp of creating a vaccine to fend off bacterial ear infections in children.

www.abc.net.au

 

[CD Xbow]

I saw this and thought it was brilliant. 'The Ghost Heart', a pig heart striped of cells, then repopulated with stem cells (from the planned recipient) which form heart cells. Still not quite there, but hopefully in the near future.

Lab-grown ‘ghost hearts’ work to solve organ transplant shortage by combining a cleaned-out pig heart with a patient’s own stem cells

Scientist Doris Taylor explains how she and her team are creating bioengineered human hearts in their lab with the goal of one day eliminating the need for heart transplants.

theconversation.com

 

[CD Xbow]

Stem cells haven't lived up to their promise, but recent discovery by Monash University and UWA researchers using epigenetics to wipe the cells memory of it's lineage.

This Australian discovery is set to change stem cell therapy

Researchers have found a way to solve problems with conventionally generated stem cells, changing the way that the cells are created.

www.afr.com

'The scientists resolved the two issues by manipulating the epigenome. While almost every cell in the body has the same genome sequence, cells use this genetic information differently. Like an epaulette, the epigenome is a code superimposed upon the genome. It can control how genes are turned on and off, without altering the underlying DNA sequence. The scientists developed a method called TNT, or transient-naive-treatment reprogramming. This wipes out memory by mimicking the reset of a cell’s epigenome that happens in very early embryonic development.'

 

[CD Xbow]

BMJ has a large, decades long study looking at cancer risks for workers in the nuclear industry who had very low exposures over a long time. The results are startling with the estimated rate of mortality due to solid cancers increased by 52% and these didn't manifest for a decades or more.

Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS): cohort study

A bit of background. There has long been trouble calculating risk from radiation exposure. Most studies have come from studying the effects on the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs. You can already see this is very different scenario to occupational exposures and there has been a lot of controversy about low level, chronic expoure. One model of exposure is called the linear, no threshold model. In this case all radiation exposure accumulates risk in a linear fashion and there is no threshold below which no radiation damage happens. This has been controversial with many, especially in the nuclear industry, saying it is inaccurate and low level exposure don't carry the the risk the model suggests. I think this paper refutes that clearly and confirms the linear, no threshold model is correct.

See - Linear no-threshold model - Wikipedia

It will be interesting to see the discussion following this paper, which I expect to be vigorous.

 

[CD Xbow]

Being vaccinated against a number of diseases decrease your risk of dementia. This study was done after a study showed Influenza vaccines decreased risks of dementia. Despite much speculation, why this should be is unknown.

Several vaccines associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in adults 65 and older

Prior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.

medicalxpress.com

Like all these population based studies it is hard to determine if it's hard to know if it's just correlation or causation. It could be because folks who get vaccinated look after their health better in other ways than people who don't get vaccinated. It could be antivax cookers brain are literally 'cooked' and more likely to dement! I suspect there is something genuine about the relationship, probably related to 'inflammation' as there is a body of literature already linking various forms of chronic inflammatory conditions to dementia risk. The process of neuro-inflammation is clearly important in some forms of dementia.

Alzheimer’s: Is inflammation the key?

A new study suggests combination therapies addressing both amyloid plaque buildup and neuroinflammation may prove effective against Alzheimer’s disease.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[CD Xbow]

Interesting, certainly for the rats. Ketamine and LSD create an unusual, tightly phase synchronised brain waves over extensive regions of the brain.

How consciousness may rely on brain cells acting collectively – new psychedelics research on rats

We still don’t know a lot about how the networks of cells in the brain enable conscious experience.

theconversation.com

 

[CD Xbow]

This story will go gangbusters. A living worm pulled out of poor ladies brain, world first!

'Get it out of my hands right now': Surgeon removes living roundworm from patient's brain

In a world first, doctors have extracted a living roundworm usually found in carpet pythons from a patient's brain. They believe the infection occurred after the patient ate contaminated native greens.

www.abc.net.au

 

[CD Xbow]

Interesting research looking at the loss of synapses in Alzheimer's, by an Australian team lead by Prof Vissel at St Vincents, Sydney.

New theory of Alzheimer's: Recovery of lost memories, in mice

Scientists have found a possible new cause of Alzheimer's. In experiments, mice had their memories restored, supporting the new theory.

thenewdaily.com.au

In his model, the loss of synapses is the primary pathology and the tau protein and amyloid accumulation are secondary. I think he is probably correct given how poorly drugs targeting tau and amyloid have performed. It makes sense because the degree of synaptic interconnectivity is supposed to relate to mental horsepower.

 

[CD Xbow]

A study suggest biomarkers may have been found for concussion by a team at Monash Uni and Alfred ED. Up until now there have been no blood tests specific for concussion nor are there any findings on imaging, so this will be a real break through if confirmed. Exciting times.

New blood test could improve diagnosis & management of concussion

Researchers have found a way to determine whether someone has suffered a concussion by measuring the blood levels of three biomarkers within six hours of the injury. The blood test could be used alongside existing tests for a more accurate diagnosis of the condition and to aid management and…

newatlas.com

They measure 3 different protein - IL-6, GFAP and UCH-L1, the last 2 are specific to the brain.

 

[CD Xbow]

3D printing your brain! In animal studies the implantation of neural progenitor cells has been attempted to repair brain injuries. However, these do not fully restore the damaged brain tissue because the cellular structure does not resemble natural brain anatomy.
It is thought the implantation of tissues resembling the cellular structure of the damaged tissue could be more effective. This study successfully 3D printed a piece of brain which continued to mature and connect after printing. They also showed it could be successfully implanted in to brain tissue in a petri dish. (ex vivo brain explants).

3D printing crafts cerebral cortex tissues: A breakthrough for brain injury treatment

Researchers utilize 3D printing to craft cerebral cortex tissues with organized neurons, offering potential treatments for brain injuries. This novel technique prints neural progenitors in layer-by-layer sequences, aiming for accurate tissue restoration in damaged brains.

www.news-medical.net

 

[CD Xbow]

Buruli ulcer is becoming more prevalent in Vic, with 279 cases in the last year. It used to be known as Bairnsdale ulcer because it was localised to an area around Bairnsdale but over the last 50 years has been occurring in many other areas in Vic. It does occur in other states but with less frequency. It is a nasty painless ulcer of the skin disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans, which releases a 'flesh destroying' toxin.

Flesh-eating ulcer spreads further as cases rise

There's been a jump in patients with Buruli ulcer in Victoria and cases are no longer confined to previously known hotspots.

au.news.yahoo.com

It looks likely the mode of transmission is from mosquito bites and possum excrement, you can't catch it from someone else. About 30 years ago there was an outbreak at Philip Island which was attributed to watering the golf course more, resulting in more Mossies. Betterhealth channel have a pretty good page about it.

Buruli ulcer

Since the ulcer gets bigger with time, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of Bairnsdale disease can keep skin loss to a minimum.

www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

 

[CD Xbow]

I think I have posted about Irukandji syndrome before, this time we have multiple episodes of Irukandji envenomation reported at Fraser Island. One was a kiddie who sounds like she had anaphylaxis to the sting, this is not uncommon with animal venoms, they are big complex molecules with lots of antigenic bits.

Mum whose 3yo was 'foaming at the mouth' calls for better marine stinger warnings, wash stations, on K'Gari

A family holiday turned into a "crisis" when a jellyfish sting caused a severe allergic reaction for a three-year-old girl on K'Gari (Fraser Island), and emergency services faced complications that led to treatment delays.

www.abc.net.au

Envenomation causes excruciating muscle cramps, severe pain in the back and kidneys, a burning sensation of the skin, headaches, nausea, restlessness, sweating, vomiting, tachycardia and hypertension. The symptoms are mostly related to release of your own adrenaline and similar agents. There have been a couple of probable fatalities. Washing the site with vinegar is controversial, the ARC still recommends it. There is no antivenom, treatment is symptomatic.

The locals have known for years that Irukandji are an increasing problem but they have refused to acknowledge it, I think to protect the tourist industry. A biologist identified them at Fraser Is more than 20 years ago. I'd be interested to know if there are warning signs. Many years ago all my kids got stung by more minor marine stingers at Port Douglas after being assured by locals that they weren't a problem at that time of year, turned out the stinger season had been lengthening probably due to global warming and that it was well known. I suspect they lied.

Irukandji jellyfish as the cause of 'Irukandji syndrome' were first identified by a Cairns GP, Jack Barnes in 1964. He rather famously (others may choose a different word) exposed himself, his young son and a mate.to Irukandji jellyfish and they ended up spending the night in Cairns ICU. That probably constitutes a good night out in Cairns.

 

[CD Xbow]

The Conversation has an interesting article about brain mapping and implants.

The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds

As Elon Musk’s Neuralink begins inserting chips into human brains, we trace the history of ‘mind reading’ technology and assess the potential risks and rewards

theconversation.com

 

[CD Xbow]

Fairfax have an article behind the pay wall looking at some folks who have taken 'medical' psylocibin for mental illness and end of life treatment - read it here What a nice place Victoria is, where your final trip can be......a trip.​