New research by the American Academy of Neurology shows that surgically removal of ovaries before natural menopause is correlated with memory decline in women.

This study provides another piece of information into the debate about HRT for women who undergo surgical menopause. Image source: Women’s Health Info

What is Surgical Menopause?

Women opt for surgical menopause in case of ovarian cancers and also when faced with certain uterine disorders like endometriosis. Surgical menopause leads to an abrupt drop in estrogen levels in women, as opposed to normal menopause, which leads to a gradual decline. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often used to counter this sudden drop in the hormone; however, this procedure has come under scrutiny in recent years because it has been linked to the incidence of breast cancer and stroke.

How Did They Do This?

In this study conducted on 1837 women (a third of whom underwent surgical menopause), researchers showed that women who underwent surgical menopause without HRT showed an increase of decline in memory and cognitive skills. This decline was higher when the age of surgical menopause was lower. Women who had opted for HRT, on the other hand, showed a reduced decline.

This research is likely to be significant in light of aging populations. Surgical menopause is often a necessity, but the use of HRT remains controversial. These results are not, however, an unequivocal endorsement of HRT. They merely point to the importance of weighing the pros and cons of HRT carefully in each individual case.

The actual details of this study are not available. These results were obtained from materials provided by the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute have engineered another breakthrough in stem cell research by manufacturing an artery from stem cells derived from a baboon.

The Stem Cell Buzz

The huge buzz around stem cell research (including the much deserved Nobel prize in Medicine in 2012) is due to the immense potential of stem cells to form any cell in the body. So far, however, stem cells have been an invaluable tool in research but their clinical applications are still in a nascent stage. In an ideal world, any damaged tissue in the body could be replaced with stem-cell derived tissue. This result is significant because it represents a step towards realizing this possibility.

In these experiments, scientists could repair the inner lining of the cylindrical blood vessels (called the endothelium) using stem cells from a baboon. (image Source: Nature Reviews | Molecular Cell Biology)

How Did They Do It?

The research team first extracted embryonic stem cells from a baboon and converted it into a secondary type of progenitor cells called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)—the progenitor cells for the inner lining of arteries—the blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. To test if these EPCs could repair arteries, the team removed the inner lining of a baboon’s arterial segment, and transplanted these EPCs into these ‘denuded’ segments. On placing these segments inside a bioreactor (an instrument that sets conditions amenable to cell growth), they noticed that the EPCs differentiated to regenerate the complex structure of the inner arterial wall within 14 days. They performed a variety of tests on this regenerated segment testing for normal protein function, and found that it behaved like a healthy functional artery. In contrast, a segment of artery without these stem cells inserted could not regenerate itself.

Baboons are physiologically similar to humans, and this study indicates the possibility of a similar approach to human tissue. “The vision of the future is, for example, for a patient with a pancreas damaged because of diabetes, doctors could take skin cells, induce them to become stem cells, and then grow a new pancreas that is just like the one before disease developed,” said John VandeBerg, head of Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

You can read about this research here.

Chalk this story up in the “eww gross” category. You know those pesky little parasitic worms that we humans try so hard to avoid? Well, it turns out those little parasites may be more helpful to humans than once thought. A study published recently in Nature Medicine has revealed that these dreaded creatures may indeed play a role in preventing obesity related metabolic disorders. The research was done by a team from the University of Georgia, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Université François Rabelais in Tours, France, and the Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

Hookworms courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In a University of Georgia press release, Donald Harn, Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Infectious Diseases said, “Prevalence of inflammation-based diseases is extremely low in countries where people are commonly infected with worms… But the minute you start deworming people, it doesn’t take too long for these autoimmune diseases to pop up”. The researchers hypothesized that this might be a result of sugar-based molecule called glycan, which is excreted by these parasitic worms. This molecule helps protect the worms from our body’s immune defenses which in turn, reduces the amount of inflammation present in the tissues that surround them. Apparently, this reduction in inflammation also helps the human host. Harn and his fellow researchers believe this may have implications for treating all sorts of metabolic disorders.

The researchers tested their theory on mice. They fed a control group a high fat diet and the other group they fed a glycan sugar diet. Both groups gained weight, bu the control group experienced all of the common problems that come with obesity such as, insulin resistance and high triglycerides. The mice on the special sugar diet did not experience the negative health effects in spite of their increased weight.

Now before you go out hunting for parasites (as I know some of you are anxious to do) Harn warns that this is only the beginning of this research in hopes of finding future therapies. The sugar has already shown promise in the areas of preventing psoriasis, stopping MS in mice, and serving as an anti-rejection drug in organ transplants. The researchers are now saying that these parasitic worms have evolved with humans over time and may have more of a symbiotic relationship with us than being mere parasites. Ummm, I say we just take their word for it and have them give us a call when the pill comes out.

For more information, visit the Journal Nature.

A class of commonly prescribed sedatives called benzodiazepines have come under scrutiny. You may know them by their brand names such as, Xanax, Ativan, and Valium. New research published in the British Medical Journal “Thorax” shows that there may be an increased risk of pneumonia associated with the use of benzodiazepines and possibly even an increased risk of death from it as well.

Close-up of 0.5mg tablets of the brand name benzodiazepine drug, Ativan. Generic name is Lorazepam. (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons: Nsaum75)

Benzodiazepines are very often used to treat the symptoms of panic attacks and anxiety. They also are increasingly being used for symptoms of restless leg syndrome and insomnia. Dr. Robert Sanders, a senior clinical research associate at the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London led a team of researchers to study the risks that this class of drugs poses to patients, especially those who suffer an infection. They looked at historical data from the Health Improvement Network database. Nearly 5000 patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia between the years 2001 to 2002 were compared with 29,500 patients who were not. They compared benzodiazepine use between the two groups as well as, another drug that acts like a benzodiazepine called zopliclone. The analysis showed a 54% higher risk of developing pneumonia in the group that used benzodiazepines. Oddly enough, this also held true for zopiclone. Those who were diagnosed with pneumonia and were also taking benzodiazepines showed a 22% increased risk of death from it after a month’s time. It was 32% increased risk within a 3 year window.

More research needs to be done to try to figure out exactly why these drugs are correlating to a fatal pneumonia. One theory is that these drugs tend to suppress breathing and coughing. In a patient with pneumonia, it is imperative that coughing occur to clear the airways in the lungs.

A new muscular dystrophy treatment may be on the horizon thanks to new research being done at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Ottawa, Canada. The research has been published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences and was led by Dr. Julia von Maltzahn and Dr. Michael Rudnicki.

The research focused on a particular variant of muscular dystrophy called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DMD is characterized by muscle weakness and fragility. Unfortunately for many patients, it turns fatal usually in the 20s or 30s. This is due to the fact that the muscles surrounding the lung deteriorate to the point that they can’t breathe anymore.

The Ottawa researchers used a procedure of injecting a human protein into a mouse model of DMD and found that the injections increased the size and strength of the muscle significantly. The protein is called Wnt7a. Previous research showed the affects of this protein on muscle. Now it appears to show significant promise in rebuilding muscle that is atrophied from DMD.

According to an Ottawa Hospital Research Institute press release, Dr. Rudnicki stated, “We know from our previous work that this protein, called Wnt7a, promotes the growth and repair of healthy muscle tissue. In this study we show the same types of improvement in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We found that Wnt7a injections increased muscle strength almost two-fold, to nearly normal levels. We also found that the size of the muscle fibre increased and there was less muscle damage, compared to mice not given Wnt7a.”

If this research proves itself in clinical human trials, there is a strong possibility that patients with muscular dystrophy may be able to receive regular injection, much like diabetics, to treat the disease. Fate Therapeutics is currently developing Wnt7a-based therapies and clinical trials are set to begin soon.

Obesity is a global epidemic and is the subject of much concern in the medical community. Obesity related illnesses and diseases are cropping up in massive numbers which has led the medical community to address the problem in several different ways. Weight-loss, or bariatric, surgery is one of the most effective means of reducing obesity. It has been proven to reduce the chances of obesity related diabetes and is being used more and more, even in teenagers. A new study out of Australia has found however, that their may be some inherent risk to bone health among those who undergo this procedure, especially in young people.

Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research published a study in the journal Obesity Reviews which suggests that bone density scans should be done before and after weight-loss surgery.  Weight-loss surgery usually consist of one of two types of procedures. The most invasive procedure is called gastric bypass which removes part of the stomach and bypasses part of the small bowel. The other procedure utilizes a band that surrounds the area between the stomach and the esophagus and squeezes it forcing the patient to eat smaller portions. Gastric bypass is the most commonly used surgery in the U.S. and is highly effective for weight loss. However, Dr Malgorzata Brzozowska, who is the first person to research the association between gastric bypass and bone loss, found that the more invasive the procedure, the more bone density was lost. According to a Research Australia press release, she said, ”In many situations significant weight loss is associated with bone loss, with or without surgery. The more invasive types of surgery appear to heighten bone turnover and the associated bone loss. This is thought to be caused not only by rapid weight loss and absorption of fewer vital nutrients like vitamin D and calcium, but possibly also by changes in hormones released by fat and the gut, and their impact on the central nervous system.”

The study in no way condemns the use of bariatric surgery as a treatment for obesity, but it does underscore the need for the patient and the doctor to take bone density into account before and after surgery.

A study coming out of the UK shows that women undergoing 5 or more cesareans have significantly more complications and preterm deliveries. The study was published in the journal BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and was a joint effort of Oxford University and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

(Courtesy Wikimedia Commons Credit: David Roseborough)

The study compared 94 women who had undergone multiple repeat cesarean sections (MRCS),which is defined as having 5 or more, to 175 women who had fewer. The results strongly showed that the MRCS group was associated with a much higher incidence of complications. For instance, major obstetric hemorrhage is a risk for women undergoing cesarean. In the study , 18% of the MRCS group had a major obstetric hemorrhage. Only 0.06% of those with fewer cesareans suffered the hemorrhaging. Also, 17% of the MRCS group received a blood transfusion compared to only 1% of the other group. Another staggering statistic was that the MRCS group was 5 times more likely to deliver preterm than those with fewer cesareans.

Women undergoing multiple repeat cesareans are extremely rare. In fact they only constitute about 1 out of 10,000 deliveries. According to the BJOG press release, Dr Mandish Dhanjal, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and co-author of the research said, “Multiple repeat caesarean sections are an unusual occurrence and for most women the outcomes are very good. However there is a higher risk of maternal complications and preterm delivery compared to women having fewer caesareans…We also found that these risks were greatest in women undergoing MRCS who also had placenta praevia and placenta accreta. Obstetricians should be aware of this high risk group of women and work in multidisciplinary teams in order to optimise their management.”

Larger studies need to be done before recommendations for the maximum amount of cesarean deliveries can be made. In the meantime, it is good for doctors and mothers to know these risks and to take steps in the early term to mitigate future complications.

Pre-eclampsia is one of the most dreaded conditions a pregnant woman faces. It is a deadly condition that causes the mother’s blood pressure to skyrocket. It also is associated with a buildup of protein that can cause damage the mother’s kidneys and is potentially life threatening. Some encouraging research is coming out of the University of California Santa Barbara’s College of Engineering(UCSB). Working in conjunction with the Cottage Health System, the researchers have found potential new biomarkers that may assist with pre-eclampsia diagnosis and treatment.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In the study, Dr. Alex Soffici, perinatologist with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and Patrick Daugherty, professor and vice-chair of the chemical engineering department at UCSB collected plasma samples over a period of two years from both normal-outcome mothers and those who experienced pre-eclampsia. Serra Elliott, UCSB graduate researcher, used the sample to analyze for possible biomarkers. What they were able to find was a specific set of antibodies in the mothers with pre-eclampsia that weren’t present in the mother’s with normal pregnancies. According to a USCB press release, Daugherty said, “We developed a separation process to sift through enormous numbers of distinct molecules present in blood to identify those few that are uniquely present in patients with pre-eclampsia…Since our process simultaneously identifies biochemical reagents that can capture the disease biomarkers, there is an opportunity to create an effective diagnostic test for this prevalent disorder and possibly for other diseases where definitive tests are not yet available.”

This is very encouraging news because pre-eclampsia is so dangerous and is currently very difficult to diagnose and distinguish from other syndromes with similar symptoms. For more information about the research visit http://engineering.ucsb.edu.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

An interesting study has been done at the University of Texas at Austin about the timing of an adolescent’s first sexual encounter affects outcomes of their relationships as adults. Psychological scientist Paige Harden set out to determine whether timing of sexual initiation in adolescence affected things like whether people get married or live with their partners, how many romantic partners they’ve had, and whether they’re satisfied with their relationship later on in life.

The study consisted of data comparing 1659 same-sex sibling pairs from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. This study followed the teens from the time they were 16 until they were approximately 29 years of age. The siblings were classified in three ways. Those who had sexual intercourse before the age of 15 were considered early. Teens whose first sexual encounter occurred between 16-19 were classified as on-time. Those after the age of 19 were classified as late. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.

Interestingly, those who were classified as late attained higher educational status and had a higher household income. They also had fewer romantic partners in adulthood and for those who were or living with a partner, they had a higher level of satisfaction with their relationship than their counterparts. Many factors were eliminated that could not explain the difference such as adult educational attainment, income, or religiousness, or by adolescent differences in dating involvement, body mass index, or attractiveness. Though the study focused on early initiation of sexual behavior, they caution that this doesn’t point as much to the risks as much as it points to the protective nature of waiting until later in life to engage in sexual behavior.

More study needs to be done to determine the specifics about why this happens. It could be that these individuals who wait gain a higher maturity level and know better how to handle the relationships they’re in. It may also be a result of delayed gratification and the positive consequences of being able to wait.

A team of researchers at LMU Munich, Germany have been studying the effect that curcumin, a derivative of the spice turmeric, has on the formation of metastases. Metastasis is a term used to describe the spread of diseases like cancer to other organs throughout the body. The study is published in Carcinogenesis.

Turmeric powder is extensively used in Indian cooking. Photo by Sanjay Acharya via Wikimedia Commons

Curcumin, the Wonder Spice

Turmeric is a spice that has been used for many centuries for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a staple of many Indian dishes and curries. Curcumin is the main compound in turmeric that gives it most of its proven medicinal abilities.  Dr. Beatrice Bachmeier led the research at LMU Munich. In previous studies, her research showed that curcumin had a statistically significant impact on the formation of lung metastases in an animal model of advanced breast cancer. This study focused on another prevalent cancer in the western world — prostate cancer.

Breast and prostate cancers are both known to be associated with inflammatory responses. Their tumor cells were found to produce proteins called cytokines, specifically CXCL1 und CXCL2, which are known to contribute to inflammation. Bachmeier’s research showed that curcumin decreased the expression of these proteins, thus reducing metastases.  “Due to the action of curcumin, the tumor cells synthesize smaller amounts of cytokines that promote metastasis,” says Bachmeier. “As a consequence, the frequency of metastasis formation in the lungs is significantly reduced, in animals with breast cancer, as we showed previously, or carcinoma of the prostate, as demonstrated in our new study.”

An Ounce of Prevention

Studies like this are showing that curcumin is proving to be very helpful in prevention. While the researchers caution against using curcumin in place of conventional treatments like chemotherapy, it does seem to have a significant role in reducing inflammation in the body. More research will be done with curcumin, specifically with human trials.

For more information, visit LMU Munich’s website at http://www.en.uni-muenchen.de/index.html.