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Category: biotech/medical – Page 1,355

US surgeons perform world’s first whole eye transplant

A team of surgeons in New York has performed the world’s first transplant of an entire eye in a procedure widely hailed as a medical breakthrough, although it isn’t yet known whether the man will ever see through the donated eye.

The groundbreaking surgery involved removing part of the face and the whole left eye—including its blood supply and optic nerve—of a donor and grafting them onto a lineworker from Arkansas who survived a 7,200-volt electric shock in June 2021.

Aaron James, 46, suffered extensive injuries including the loss of his left eye, his dominant left arm above the elbow, his nose and lips, front teeth, left cheek area and chin.

Supercharging the gut’s immunity with butyrate

Researchers at the University of Oxford, UK have found that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria, can boost the antimicrobial activity of immune cells in the gut, possibly helping them better fend off bacterial infections and improve immune health.

The study, which exposed human monocytes and macrophages (immune cells) to bacterial infections to simulate real-world scenarios in the lab, backs up ongoing research into the benefits of butyrate as a therapeutic component to combat conditions—from food allergies to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and support immune system function.

Cannabis Use Connected with Potential Long-Term Cardiology Issues

Two recent studies due to be presented as posters at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2023 between November 11–13 examine how frequent cannabis use could potentially lead to increased chances of cardiology issues, including heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. These studies were conducted by an international team of researchers and holds the potential to help scientists, medical professionals, and the public better understand the long-term health risks associated with cannabis use, specifically pertaining to cardiovascular concerns.

For the first study, which was conducted by the All of Us Research Program, researchers enlisted 156,999 participants who had not experienced heart failure at the time of the study’s enrollment to take part in a survey-based study to evaluate their cannabis use habits and conduct a follow-up survey 45 months later. The results indicated that heart failure emerged with 2,958 (1.88 percent) of the participants during the 48-month study period along with a 34 percent increased risk of emerging heart failure for participants were reported daily cannabis use compared to participants who didn’t use cannabis.

“Our results should encourage more researchers to study the use of marijuana to better understand its health implications, especially on cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, who is a resident physician at Medstar Health and lead author of the study. “We want to provide the population with high-quality information on marijuana use and to help inform policy decisions at the state level, to educate patients and to guide health care professionals.”

Behold! Swedish firm unveils 5G Onion, veg powered by 5G loaded robot

This is not a networking terminology but quite literally the vegetable grown using 5G technology.

Telia.

5G is the latest generation of mobile telephony commercially available and has been touted as a game changer in various fields. This service’s use cases that provide high-speed internet with low latency extend from medicine to gaming and entertainment to manufacturing.

New Hope to Treat and Reverse Osteoarthritis

Current osteoarthritis treatment manages symptoms rather than addressing the underlying disease, but a new University of Adelaide study has shown the condition may be treatable and reversible.

Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of cartilage and other tissues in joints and is the most common form of arthritis in Australia, with one in five people over the age of 45 having the condition.

It is a long-term and progressive condition which affects people’s mobility and has historically had no cure. Its treatment cost the Australian health system an estimated $3.9 billion in 2019–20.

Study reveals bacterial protein capable of keeping human cells healthy

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, partnering with colleagues in Australia, have identified a novel bacterial protein that can keep human cells healthy even when the cells have a heavy bacterial burden. The discovery could lead to new treatments for a wide array of diseases relating to mitochondrial dysfunction, such as cancer and auto-immune disorders. Mitochondria are organelles that supply most of the chemical energy needed to power cells’ biochemical reactions.

The study is published in the journal PNAS. The researchers analyzed more than 130 proteins released by Coxiella burnetii when this bacterium invades host cells, and found at least one to be capable of prolonging cell longevity by acting directly on mitochondria.

After invading host cells, C. burnetii releases a hitherto unknown protein, which the authors call mitochondrial coxiella effector F (MceF). MceF interacts with glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), an anti-oxidant enzyme located in the mitochondria, to improve mitochondrial function by promoting an anti-oxidizing effect that averts cell damage and death, which may occur when pathogens replicate inside .

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