Alzheimer's-related brain changes progressed up to 20 times faster in women who also had abnormal levels of a Parkinson's-related protein, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Network Open. The findings suggest that when alpha-synuclein - a protein linked to Parkinson's disease - accumulates alongside Alzheimer's pathology, it may drive faster disease progression in women. That interaction could help explain a long-standing disparity: women make up nearly two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer's disease in the U.S. Kejal Kantarci, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist and senior author of the study, uses advanced brain imaging to track Alzheimer's progression. When we see disease-related changes unfolding at dramatically different rates, we cannot keep approaching Alzheimer's as though it behaves exactly the same way in everyone. Many people along the Alzheimer's disease continuum also develop abnormal clumping of α-synuclein, a protein associated with Lewy body diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Tau and α-synuclein occur naturally in the brain. In neurodegenerative diseases, however, these proteins can misfold and clump together, forming abnormal deposits. This pathological buildup disrupts communication between brain cells and contributes to cognitive decline. Researchers set out to determine whether having both abnormal protein buildups alters how the disease progresses and whether that effect differs between women and men. To investigate, the team analyzed data from 415 participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a national research consortium that tracks brain changes over time. Among participants with both Alzheimer's-related pathology and α-synuclein abnormalities, women accumulated tau dramatically faster than men with the same coexisting protein changes. Elijah Mak, Ph.D., first author of the study and a Mayo Clinic neuroimaging researcher, studies how multiple brain pathologies interact and drive disease progression. "This opens an entirely new direction for understanding why women bear a disproportionate burden of dementia," Dr. Mak says. The researchers are now examining whether these sex-specific effects also appear in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, where α-synuclein is the primary disease driver rather than a coexisting pathology. The work will help determine whether the observed difference is unique to Alzheimer's disease or reflects a broader sex-specific vulnerability across neurodegenerative conditions. Sex-Specific Associations of α-Synuclein Pathology With Tau Accumulation. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a versatile machine learning model that could one day greatly expand what medical scans can tell us about disease. Despite being developed as a general-purpose CT model, Merlin surpassed a gauntlet of similar automated tools in tasks they were specifically built to handle. The team trained their model on a unique set of patient CT scans linked to radiology reports and medical diagnosis codes collected from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Rich datasets like this are necessary to push the limits of what artificial intelligence models can accomplish in medicine. This work exemplifies how meticulously crafted training data can enable remarkable insights that significantly streamline workflows and assist in clinical decision-making." To obtain a diagnosis, a radiologist must interpret the results and, oftentimes, additional tests and clinical assessments are needed too. At baseline, this process is lengthy and only becomes more cumbersome when accounting for the growing shortage of physicians in the United States. "With Merlin, you could potentially go beyond traditional radiology and jump straight from imaging to a possible diagnosis. And that's just one potential use," said co-first author Louis Blankemeier, Ph.D., who conducted this work while a graduate student at Stanford University. Merlin represents a new class of models, commonly referred to as foundation models, that are trained using large-scale, unlabeled datasets, which span many kinds of information. In the new work, the researchers tested Merlin across six broad categories of activities, spanning more than 750 individual tasks that entailed diagnostics, prognostics, and quality assessment. To prepare Merlin for the wide breadth of tasks, the researchers initially trained it on their clinical data trove which connected more than 15,000 3D abdominal CT scans paired with their radiology reports and nearly one million diagnostic codes. Using this information as study material, Merlin learned about relationships between visual and written data. The researchers then quizzed Merlin on more than 50,000 previously unseen abdominal CT scans - coming from one of four different hospitals - to learn how closely their model could match the human-produced conclusions associated with each scan. "Merlin tackled some tasks, such as predicting diagnosis codes, head-on, while other more complicated tasks, such as drafting radiology reports from scratch or identifying and outlining organs in a 3D space, called for additional training," said co-first author Ashwin Kumar, a graduate student at Stanford University. The team also deployed state-of-the-art models, specializing in each task type, to serve as points of comparison. On average across 692 different diagnostic codes, Merlin successfully predicted which of two scans was more likely to be associated with a particular code over 81% of the time, outperforming several variants of two other models. For a subset of 102 codes, Merlin's performance rose to 90%. In another category, the team pushed Merlin to predict the onset of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease, in healthy patients based solely on CT scans. These findings hint that the model can detect key features in scans that may be lost to human eyes, suggesting that the tool could help identify new biomarkers for disease, Blankemeier explained. Merlin's unique ability to identify generalizable features of disease allowed it to perform as well as or better than models trained exclusively on chest scans. Despite being a jack-of-all-trades, Merlin exceeded or matched the specialist models across all tasks. The researchers have high hopes that their approach could soon leverage prior precedent to obtain regulatory approval for simpler tasks but also plan to refine Merlin to better handle more complicated challenges, such as report writing. "Our model and the data will provide the community a robust backbone to build upon," said senior author Akshay Chaudhari, Ph.D., a professor of radiology and biomedical data science at Stanford University. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

The year-long algal bloom along the South Australian coastline has not only devastated marine life and triggered health risks for humans and pets: it has also had a significant psychological impact on local residents, according to new research. Lead researcher Dr Brianna Le Busque, Program Director of Environmental Science and Geospatial Science at Adelaide University, said the findings show marine environmental crises can have profound effects on community wellbeing. More than 60% of the people we surveyed said they were repeatedly thinking about the bloom or felt that their personal actions wouldn't make a difference. Over half reported feeling anxious or afraid, and one in five said it was affecting their sleep or ability to concentrate. Women reported significantly higher levels of eco-anxiety than men, and people who visited the ocean more often were also more likely to report distress. Importantly, the bloom disrupted people's connection to the ocean – a place that many rely on for relaxation and mental wellbeing. Nearly half of those who said they were directly impacted reported stopping recreational activities such as swimming, surfing, walking or fishing. "For many South Australians, the beach is a place of solace and restoration," Dr Le Busque said. "When that space becomes associated with dead marine life, foam and health warnings, it changes how people feel about going there." Just under 40% of directly affected participants said their mental health had suffered, describing feelings of grief, frustration and depression. Some compared seeing washed-up marine life to "the death of a loved one." A third said their distress was specifically linked to witnessing dead animals along the shoreline. The study also identified physical health concerns, with 24% reporting issues such as coughing or respiratory irritation after visiting affected beaches. Dr Le Busque said the research highlights the need to recognise eco-anxiety as a legitimate public health concern – particularly as climate-driven marine events, including heatwaves and algal blooms, become more frequent. "We often think about the economic and environmental costs of events like harmful algal blooms," she said. "But we also need to consider the human cost. The researchers say understanding these psychological impacts is crucial for building community resilience and ensuring mental health support is part of future environmental response planning. "This bloom has shown that when the ocean suffers, communities suffer too," Dr Le Busque said. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis often affects younger, active individuals and progresses quickly following ligament or cartilage injury. While lactate has traditionally been associated with tissue stress and inflammation, emerging evidence suggests it also functions as a signaling molecule that can influence gene expression through epigenetic modifications. However, how lactate-driven epigenetic changes regulate cartilage matrix synthesis after trauma has remained unclear. Based on these challenges, it is necessary to conduct in-depth studies to clarify how metabolic signals are translated into protective gene programs during post-traumatic cartilage degeneration. Using a combination of cellular experiments and mouse models of joint injury, the team investigated how lactate-dependent histone modifications influence collagen production in chondrocytes. Their findings reveal a metabolic-epigenetic pathway that connects glycolysis, histone lactylation, and transcriptional control of cartilage matrix genes, shedding light on potential therapeutic strategies for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The researchers found that chondrocytes naturally accumulate high levels of lactate due to their reliance on glycolysis. Through molecular and genetic analyses, the team demonstrated that this histone mark directly enhances the activity of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a transcription factor critical for chondrocyte adaptation and matrix production. Disrupting any component of this pathway—glycolysis, lactylation, or HIF-1α expression—significantly reduced collagen production. Importantly, the study also showed that α-ketoglutarate, a metabolic intermediate, shifts the cellular redox balance, promotes lactate influx into chondrocytes, and strengthens this protective signaling axis. Together, these findings identify a positive regulatory loop linking metabolism, epigenetic regulation, and extracellular matrix repair in injured cartilage. "This work highlights how metabolites such as lactate are not merely by-products of cellular stress but active regulators of gene expression," the authors note. By uncovering a direct link between cellular redox state, histone lactylation, and collagen synthesis, the study provides a new perspective on cartilage biology after injury. The researchers emphasize that targeting metabolic-epigenetic pathways may allow earlier and more precise intervention in post-traumatic osteoarthritis, potentially slowing or preventing irreversible cartilage damage before clinical symptoms become severe. These findings open new avenues for osteoarthritis therapy by shifting attention from symptom control to molecular protection of cartilage. Modulating cellular metabolism or epigenetic marks—rather than directly supplementing collagen—could offer a safer and more controllable strategy for preserving joint integrity after injury. In particular, approaches that fine-tune lactate signaling or cellular redox balance may help activate endogenous repair programs during the critical early window following trauma. Beyond osteoarthritis, the study also underscores a broader principle: metabolic states can reshape epigenetic landscapes to influence tissue repair, with implications for regenerative medicine and injury recovery across multiple organ systems. H3K56 lactylation promotes collagen II synthesis to modulate chondrocyte metabolism in posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Before the onset of cardiovascular disease symptoms, people often develop dyslipidemia, or abnormal levels of lipids in the blood. A better understanding of the role of gut microbiota in lipid production and metabolism could point to new interventions or microbiome-based strategies for people at risk for cardiovascular diseases, say the researchers behind the new work. Studying microbial alterations at this stage provides insight into biological shifts that may occur before clinical cardiovascular disease manifests." Participants were categorized as having dyslipidemia if blood tests showed abnormally high levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol or low-density cholesterol, or low levels of high-density cholesterol-often described as the "good" kind of cholesterol. The researchers used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to identify bacterial taxa and infer metabolic pathways from microbial genes. They also used this approach to study the resistome-the collection of genetic variations connected to antimicrobial resistance-but did not observe statistically significant differences between the 2 groups. Their results revealed higher levels of Bacteroides caccae among participants with dyslipidemia. The researchers noted that this bacterium has been associated in prior studies with inflammatory and metabolic processes. In people not diagnosed with dyslipidemia, the researchers also found a higher prevalence of Coprococcus eutactus and Coprococcus catus, bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, which in previous studies have shown anti-inflammatory effects, among other health benefits. "Dyslipidemia appears to be associated with a reduction in bacteria linked to metabolic stability and an enrichment of taxa that may reflect altered lipid and inflammatory states," Kim said. However, she noted that rather than identifying individual bacteria as therapeutic species, the findings, more importantly, point to the need for an overall ecological balance of the gut microbial community. "Future translational efforts should focus on restoring functional balance at the community level," she said, "rather than targeting one organism in isolation." Work that builds on these findings, she added, could focus on specific strategies that help people maintain or restore the microbial functions connected to lipid and metabolic balance. Lee, S., et al. (2026) Gut microbial community structure, metabolic signature, and resistome in dyslipidemia: implications for cardiovascular disease management. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Young adults are more likely to consume healthcare when it is available via healthcare apps, and even more so if they do not have to pay patient fees. This has been shown in a study carried out at the University of Gothenburg. The emergence of online healthcare via mobile apps has brought about changes in the availability of and demand for healthcare. Women generally had higher consultation rates than men, and experienced a sharper decline once they turned 20. This doesn't necessarily mean that it is unwarranted care. Gustav Kjellsson, researcher in health economics, University of Gothenburg “These often relate to respiratory infections, skin conditions, and healthcare related to sexual and reproductive health, such as contraceptive management, which would typically be handled by a midwife,” he continues. “What we are seeing is a shift toward more care provided by doctors.” The researchers found no measurable negative medical effects from the shift toward more online and fewer in-person consultations, either on follow-up care or complication rates. A secondary finding is that young men, who are generally less inclined to seek healthcare, increased their visits to youth clinics. “Accessibility may make it easier to seek help for conditions that are sensitive in nature, such as sexually transmitted diseases.” Against this background, there is another finding in the study that the researchers say stands out: The increased consumption of health care among 19- and 20-year-olds did not result in higher total production costs. “Interestingly, our estimates indicate that the increased volume of healthcare is more or less cost neutral. The regions' costs for digital healthcare are not primarily due to production costs, but to the reimbursement models of private online consultation.” An App Call a Day Keeps the Patient Away? Substitution of Online and In-Person Doctor Consultations Among Young Adults. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Despite the increased incidence of endometrial cancer in younger women, there is limited research regarding the safety of local, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy (ET) for survivors. A new study suggests that this form of estrogen is not only effective in relieving numerous menopause symptoms but also does not seem to increase a woman's risk of cancer recurrence. Until recently, all forms of hormone therapy, including local, low-dose vaginal estrogen, had the same black boxed warning as higher-dose, systemic therapies, even though the local, low-dose vaginal estrogen options have a limited, localized effect (meaning there is minimal system absorption). The fear of potential adverse effects may have deterred many women from using vaginal ET, despite its proven benefits in managing a number of menopause symptoms such as vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, and urinary problems. Women undergoing treatment for endometrial cancer commonly require hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy or other therapies such as radiation or chemotherapy that induce early menopause, which is typically associated with worse hot flashes, night sweats, and genitourinary symptoms. The incidence of early onset endometrial cancer in American women aged 50 years and younger has increased steadily from 2.2 to 3.3 per 100,000 women between 2000 and 2019, meaning a lot more women are suffering at a younger age. Because of fears about ET, these women are commonly prescribed nonhormone treatments for their menopause symptoms, with limited efficacy. A new study based on data from electronic health records and insurance claims from 68 healthcare organizations for more than 2,800 women aged 18 to 51 years diagnosed with endometrial cancer sought to evaluate the use of local, low-dose vaginal ET, along with the outcomes associated with its use in younger survivors of endometrial cancer. Based on the results, the researchers concluded that vaginal ET initiation is minimal in younger survivors of endometrial cancer (estimated at 5.6%). This is the largest known US study assessing endometrial cancer recurrence with local, low-dose vaginal ET use in survivors of endometrial cancer. Early detection and improved, targeted therapies have led to more women surviving their endometrial cancer diagnoses. However, the sequalae from these life-sparing treatments often result in significant impairment to quality of life and sexual function. Helping survivors of endometrial cancer to make evidence-based decisions about their care is empowering, especially during a vulnerable time. Expanding treatment options to include local, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy in this population will have long-lasting benefits." Hsu, C. D., et al. (2026) Vaginal estrogen therapy utilization and associated outcomes in younger survivors of endometrial cancer. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Director, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Intermountain Healthcare, Murray, Utah Director, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Intermountain Healthcare, Murray, Utah You literally have to manipulate them into doing their jobs. “Never read the comments,” is popular internet advice for avoiding trolls. Yet I didn't think this was trolling or bait. The reason it appeared in my feed at all was that it was being signal boosted, amplified to the point of 11,000 retweets and almost 160,000 likes. Clearly this resonated, and I think we should take such a prevalent opinion about us seriously. Since 2022, with the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, patients have, by federal mandate, almost full and immediate access to their own electronic health information. I have never been in favor of gatekeeping data, but I will say that it is a brave new world when some patients find out through their electronic medical record (EMR) portal that they have cancer, and from there it's only natural that they would use the same device to research their new diagnosis. Unsurprisingly, something like 75% of patients Google information about cancer before they come to the oncologist, so much so that I now enter the initial consultation assuming that they've read their own record, researched their condition online, or both. All of this ought to be a wonderful corrective to paternalism, but based on that tweet alone, it clearly isn't yet a balanced dialogue resulting in shared decision making. As to the allegation that we don't like patients using medical terms, I personally have no problem with proper terminology, and I think both sides can agree that words matter. Just like DNA itself, slight changes in sequence and composition can have enormous, even malignant implications. Let's just admit that we do speak something of our own language, but jargon isn't necessarily gatekeeping. The 3 years since the 21st Century Cures Act have not been long enough yet for us to export our results into a more immediately palatable and accurate format. As a general rule, there are trade-offs between readability and retention of our initial meaning. Also, there are many words that sound synonymous but have subtly important distinctions in their definitions. To me — as an oncologist, for instance — neoplasm, tumor, and malignancy all mean something slightly different, even though I see them used more interchangeably than I think is appropriate. I think true shared decision making happens somewhere between two poles: paternalism and what I call “a la carte medicine,” when we give the patient a menu of options and allow them to choose their own care without any context or guidance. The latter is certainly respectful of autonomy, but it lacks informed consent, which again is not a form to be signed once but a process that starts at the first visit and continues for as long as choices about care are to be made. Patients shouldn't feel as if they have to manipulate us into doing our jobs. I do think we have to realize what makes us different from the machines, not just as protection against being replaced by artificial intelligence but to reclaim the skills that make medicine an art. I particularly liked this article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, entitled, “The Value — and the Values — of Listening.” It lists six keys to ensuring our patients are heard. One, being proximate and present: that is, not distracted by the EMR. Number four, earning trust by repeating their answers with fidelity. Essentially it means listening to our inner voice and engaging resources whenever we sense we might be close to burnout or at least experiencing compassion fatigue. My favorite phrase in this Mayo Clinic Proceedings article comes near the end: kindness-influenced trust. To quote, “Integrating values-driven listening within health systems is not just a theoretical ideal, but a practical necessity, as trust — essential in healthcare — depends on it. In the case of patients, they are likely to trust a clinician's competence, to assume it, unless their experiences with the clinician prove otherwise. Conversely, perceived kindness-influenced trust must be earned by clinicians in their interactions with patients.” Here's to listening with all the resources at our disposal — yes, including the EMR — for truly active hearing and dialogue that fosters authentic shared decision making.

Cerebral palsy is a condition usually caused by brain damage before or during birth, resulting in impaired posture and movement. Early symptoms are typically subtle, which may delay diagnosis until more obvious signs appear as the child grows. Recent animal studies show that stem cell therapy may help restore neurological function when initiated in the acute or subacute phase, typically within a few weeks after birth. While some clinical research suggests possible benefits even in later stages, confirmatory clinical trials have not yet been published. Now, a Japanese research team has demonstrated in rat experiments that stem cells from human primary tooth pulp may help treat chronic-phase cerebral palsy. This is the first animal study to show that stem cell treatment works even after motor deficits have already appeared." Yoshiaki Sato, Clinical Professor, Nagoya University Hospital, study's corresponding author Cerebral palsy affects two to three of every 1,000 live births, and there is currently no cure. "Our team is collaborating with S-Quatre, a Japanese biotechnology company, to develop a new therapeutic approach for HIE using stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED)," Sato said. "These stem cells are collected from baby teeth that have naturally fallen out and would otherwise be discarded. This method avoids the ethical concerns associated with other stem cell sources." A research team led by Sato, Dr. Takahiro Kanzawa, and Professor Yoshiyuki Takahashi at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine and Nagoya University Hospital, in collaboration with S-Quatre, conducted an experimental study to determine whether SHED-based treatment remains effective in the chronic phase of cerebral palsy. They tested the rats at 4 weeks of age using a horizontal ladder test and selected only those with significantly low scores for the study. They administered SHED intravenously to the selected rats during the chronic phase at 5, 7, and 9 weeks of age-roughly equivalent to pre-adolescence in humans. In the horizontal ladder test, where rats crossed a ladder with irregularly spaced rungs, the SHED group had a significantly lower number of slips than the control group at four months. In the shuttle avoidance test, the SHED group demonstrated significantly better avoidance rates in later sessions, suggesting improved learning and memory. The research team also performed cell culture experiments to evaluate SHED by comparing it with other stem cell types, such as bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells and dermal fibroblasts. The researchers attribute this effect to SHED's high secretion of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). These results suggest that SHED treatment could improve motor and cognitive impairments in rat models of cerebral palsy, even in the chronic phase. This therapeutic effect appears to occur through the promotion of new nervous tissue growth via HGF and related biological pathways. Nagoya University Hospital is conducting a clinical study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a single intravenous dose of autologous SHED in children with cerebral palsy. "Our ultimate goal is to establish this approach as a new treatment option for patients with cerebral palsy and their families," Sato said. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than one billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. For decades, researchers have observed that premenopausal women are less likely to develop high blood pressure than men or postmenopausal women. Researchers have known for years that estrogen is the deciding factor, but exactly how it offers this protection has remained unclear. New research from the University of Waterloo helps answer that question. Using a mathematical model of the cardiovascular and kidney systems, Waterloo researchers have identified which of estrogen's many effects play the biggest role in protecting against hypertension. Their findings suggest that estrogen's ability to relax and widen blood vessels, known as vasodilation, is the key factor. The research also points to more effective treatment options for women after menopause, when estrogen levels naturally decline. Estrogen is often thought of only in terms of reproductive health, but it plays a much broader role in how the body functions. Layton's team has worked for years on their award-winning mathematical model of women's kidneys and the cardiovascular system. This model allows far more flexibility and precision than scientists would have working in a lab or with human subjects. "We can turn on one effect, then another, and see exactly how each one affects the body," Layton said. While no mathematical model is perfect, Layton's model is based on existing laboratory data and its results are continually validated when compared to real-world observations, suggesting its accuracy and reliability. Between the two popular anti-hypertensive drugs, the model predicted that angiotensin receptor blockers will be more effective than angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in treating women with hypertension, even after their estrogen levels decline post-menopause. Modulation of blood pressure by estrogen: A modeling analysis. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Consistent and permanent abstinence from alcohol can lead to the regression of existing liver-related complications, even in cases of advanced alcohol-related cirrhosis. This is shown by an international multicenter study led by MedUni Vienna, which was recently published in the renowned Journal of Hepatology. Up to one third of patients with already decompensated alcohol-related cirrhosis were able to achieve so-called "re-compensation" through consistent abstinence from alcohol - i.e., the complete resolution of liver-related complications with simultaneous recovery of liver function. Cirrhosis is characterised by progressive scarring of the liver. In Western countries, it is often caused by excessive alcohol consumption and leads to serious complications in many affected individuals, such as abdominal fluid accumulation (ascites), altered mental states (encephalopathy) and bleeding from varicose veins in the oesophagus (variceal bleeding). Traditionally, the occurrence of such complications, known as decompensation events, was considered a sign that cirrhosis had become irreversible. The results now published challenge this dogma.The study by the research team led by Benedikt Hofer and Thomas Reiberger (Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Department of Medicine III at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna) included 633 patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis from 17 specialist centres in Europe and Asia. All patients had begun abstaining from alcohol after experiencing decompensation events. Within five years, around one third of patients achieved a complete resolution of all liver-related complications with simultaneous improvement in liver function - a condition known as "re-compensation". Our data clearly show that even after the onset of severe complications, the course of cirrhosis is not necessarily irreversible." Study leader Thomas Reiberger emphasises: "Abstaining from alcohol can not only halt the progression of liver disease, but in many patients can even lead to an improvement in cirrhosis. However, it is crucial that abstinence from alcohol is maintained immediately after the occurrence of complications - this can more than double the chance of recompensation." The risk of developing liver cancer was also significantly reduced in this group, and overall mortality was significantly lower - clinically relevant results that were additionally highlighted as "Research Highlights" in the journal Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Thomas Reiberger continues: "Recompensation is no longer a purely theoretical concept, but a clinically increasingly relevant condition that can fundamentally improve the prognosis of patients despite advanced cirrhosis." "A relapse into alcohol abuse significantly worsens the prognosis," says Benedikt Hofer, adding: "So if savings are made in abstinence support, not only are preventable deaths risked, but also high costs for the medical treatment of advanced liver disease and its complications." Incidence and implications of abstinence-induced recompensation in alcohol-related cirrhosis. Discover how Bruker is helping drive innovation in cosmetic science through advanced AFM techniques. Discover how Thermo Fisher is shaping the future of plant-based foods through texture innovation and cultural relevance. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Medication authorization letters, patient handouts, and patient triage are among top use cases of AI in DermGPT and are likely the top applications in dermatology across AI tools broadly, dermatologists told Medscape Medical News. “A lot of dermatologists have started using AI to help them with prior-auth letters or even handouts for patients,” said Steve Daveluy, MD, professor and program director of dermatology at Wayne State University in Detroit, in an interview. “Uptake is very dependent on people's general views of technology and AI. “And if you're triaging for more serious issues, you can ask that [your AI tool] inform you if there is [a report of] bleeding, for instance, or blisters on the hands or mouth,” Kamangar, chair of dermatology at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, told Medscape. For a case of a patient who reported severe pain (10/10) in the armpit due to a flare of hidradenitis suppurativa, despite antibiotics that had been prescribed for an emergency, for instance, AI rated urgency as “high” and provided this rationale: (As part of her message, the patient had asked, “Can I come for an injection?”) AI assistance with patient handouts can increase the quality of information provided to patients by increasing thoroughness, personalization, and conciseness, dermatologists told Medscape. Kamangar's AI-generated patient handouts are “better than anything I would have written,” and “easier to proofread than to create fresh,” she said at the meeting, noting that one's prompt history can be saved in most generative AI models, and that handouts can be produced in different languages, including in “Minion-speak” (from Despicable Me) for children. Similarly, AI-assisted medication authorization notes can be more thorough, which is important when “you're trying to do everything you can to prevent a first denial,” and they can save time, trimming down the 5-plus hours of time spent on the electronic health record per 8 hours of scheduled patient time, Kamangar maintains. Per a California law that took effect in January 2025, Kamangar said that healthcare professionals are required to disclose when communication is generated by AI, unless, for example, she or a fellow physician or nurse has read and reviewed it. Several other states have AI laws that similarly include disclosure requirements, particularly with regards to patient communication, and medical organizations such as the American Medical Association have issued policies or position papers that include calls for transparent disclosure. In general, Kamangar told Medscape Medical News, a “trust but verify” mentality is currently needed with all AI models. “We read everything verbatim before it goes out to a patient,” she said, and medication authorization communication is routinely proofread. The system's top use case, just above prior authorizations, patient handouts, and triage, involves clinical decision-making for tough cases — specifically, use of a “second consult agent” on the system to review differential diagnoses, Kamangar told Medscape Medical News. In a small study of DermGPT and ChatGPT published in 2025, dermatologists utilized both models to answer a set list of questions but were blinded to which model produced which response. Manuel Valdebran, MD, a dermatologist with the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, who participated in the technology panel discussion at the IDS meeting, uses Doximity GPT (DoxGPT), another generative AI tool designed for clinicians, to edit Assessments and Plans for complex diagnoses and to generate some after-visit summaries and letters regarding specific school- or work-related issues. (Valdebran doesn't use a GPT system for most prior authorizations as his practice has a pharmacist team handling these tasks, but he said he agrees that GPTs can be valuable time-saving tools for generating prior authorization letters.) For answering specific clinical questions, GPT models (including DermGPT and DoxGPT) “aren't always up to date” in his experience. “They don't [always] include the latest articles or are not able to pull out the most relevant articles or guidelines for specific questions,” he said, “such as recommendations in pregnancy and lactation.” GPT models are not currently integrated into electronic medical record (EMR) systems — a fact that necessitates the use of different logins and time for prompt creation — but EMRs are integrating AI in other ways. For instance, Valdebran uses DAX Copilot, an AI clinical documentation tool embedded into the Epic EMR that uses ambient speech recognition to create clinical notes. The tool is helpful for documenting history, but “it struggles with physical exam and assessment and plan sections, particularly [with regard to] full body skin examinations,” he said. Overall, “it may save time and does help patient interaction,” he said. “I use ChatGPT, Claude…and Open Evidence, which is focused on medical literature,” he said. “I use AI a lot for prior authorization letters, and if I'm trying to learn something about specifics of insurance coverage, AI can sometimes be helpful.”