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Jane Fonda announced on Friday that she is suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a type of cancer that can start anywhere in the body where lymph tissue is located. (Getty Images)

Two-time Academy Award winnerJane Fonda announced on Instagram on Friday that she's been diagnosed with a treatable form ofnon-Hodgkins lymphoma.

"So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share," the 84-year-old wrote.

"Ive been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and have started chemo treatments," Fonda also said.

Cancer occurs when cells in the body grow out of control, according to the American Cancer Society. Almost any cell in the human body can become cancerous and spread to other parts of the body, the same source also explained.

JANE FONDA ANNOUNCES CANCER DIAGNOSIS: VERY TREATABLE

But what is non-Hodgkins lymphoma, exactly?

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a type of cancer that begins in theimmune system.

Jane Fonda (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage )

The immune system helpsfight infection, but sometimes a cancer can start in the white blood cells called lymphocytes and cause non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the society added.

It is a general term that is used for many types of lymphoma that occurs most often in adults, per the association.

Approximately 2% of men and women will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute's data from 2017-2019.

The institute estimates that 763,401 people were living with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the United States in 2019.

"Lymphomas can start anywhere in the body where lymph tissue is found," according to the American Cancer Societys website.

Jane Fonda (Photo by Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for Chopard)

These include lymph nodes, which are small, bean-shaped structures that are connected by a network of lymphatic vessels.

They're located throughout the body, such as inside the chest and abdomen and pelvis. Lymph tissue is also found in the spleen, bone marrow, thymus, tonsils and digestive tract.

Symptoms include fever, night sweats and weight loss as well as a swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Patients may feel persistent fatigue, coughing, shortness of breath or chest pain.

"The lymph system is made up mainly of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infections," according to the American Cancer Societys website.

There are two types of lymphocytes: B cells or T cells.

Actress Jane Fonda is seen outside "GMA" on July 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

B cells help the body fight germs by creating antibodies which in turn help the body neutralize them.

"There are several types of T cells. Some T cells destroy germs or abnormal cells in the body," according to the American Cancer Society.

"Other T cells help boost or slow the activity of other immune system cells."

Although lymphoma can start in either type of cell line, B-cell lymphomas are most common.

Lymphocytes usually go through a life cycle, in which old lymphocytes die and then the body replaces them.

"In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, your lymphocytes don't die, and your body keeps creating new ones," according to the Mayo Clinics website.

Jane Fonda is shown posing for a publicity shot in 1967. She wrote on Instagram this week that she "will not allow cancer to keep me from doing all I can, using every tool in my toolbox." (Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images)

"This oversupply of lymphocytes crowds into your lymph nodes, causing them to swell."

Lymphomas also can be categorized by how fast they grow and spread to other parts of the body.

Some are known as "indolent," which means they grow and spread slowly, so they might not need to be treated when first diagnosed.

"The most common type of indolent lymphoma in the United States is follicular lymphoma," according to the American Cancer Society.

Aggressive lymphomas, however,grow and spread rapidly, so treatment is often started immediately.

"The most common type of aggressive lymphoma in the United States is diffuse large B cell lymphoma," per the American Cancer Society. "Regardless of how quickly they grow, all non-Hodgkin lymphomas can spread to other parts of the lymph system if not treated."

Eventually, they can also spread to other parts of the body.

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The overall five-year relative survival rate for NHL is 73.8%, per the National Cancer Institute's 2012 to 2018 data.

Fonda posted on Instagram that she feels lucky because she has a "very treatable cancer" with an 80% survivable rate, although she did not specify the exact type she has.

Some people are more at risk for NHL, including those who take medications to depress the immune system and patients with certain viral infections, such as HIV or the virus that can cause mononucleosis known as Epstein-Barr virus, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The cancer is also associated with the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers as well as certain chemicals that are used to kill insects and weeds, per Mayo Clinic.

NEW STUDY SUGGESTS YOU SHOULD STOP EATING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS

And people over the age of 60 are at higher risk, although anyone can get the cancer, per Mayo Clinic.

"Im doing chemo for six months and am handling the treatments quite well and, believe me, I will not let any of this interfere with my climate activism," said Fonda, who is also an advocate for environmental issues.

Actress Jane Fonda is arrested during the "Fire Drill Friday" Climate Change Protest on October 25, 2019 in Washington, DC . (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

She was inspired bySwedish environmental activistGreta Thunberg in 2019, she said, to become an advocate for the climate change, starting "Fire Drill Fridays" to raise awareness of environmental challenges, according to her website.

She was arrested multiple times that year after organizing protests on the climate crisis inWashington, D.C, according to The New York Times.

Fonda posted on Instagram that she"will not allow cancer to keep me from doing all I can, using every tool in my toolbox, and that very much includes continuing to build this Fire Drill Fridays community and finding new ways to use our collective strength to make change."

LINK: Get updates and more on this story at foxnews.com.

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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: What is the cancer that Jane Fonda announced she has? - FOX 29 Philadelphia

Sikhulile Moyo, the laboratory director at the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute and a research associate with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, headed the team that identified the omicron variant. Leabaneng Natasha Moyo hide caption

Sikhulile Moyo, the laboratory director at the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute and a research associate with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, headed the team that identified the omicron variant.

Sikhulile Moyo led the team of scientists that first identified the omicron variant of COVID-19 in November 2021. It's gone on to dominate the world. Moyo directs the laboratory for the BotswanaHarvard AIDS Institute and is a research associate with the Harvard School of Public Health.

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Moyo was disturbed to see the world's reaction to the more transmissible variant. Other nations closed off travel and trade with southern African countries, including Botswana, even as they discovered the variant was already within their own borders. In fact, it was subsequently found that the variant was circulating in the Netherlands a week before the announcement from Africa.

"How do you reward the countries that alert you of a potential dangerous pathogen with travel bans? My country was put on a red list, and I didn't feel good about that," Moyo told NPR.

NPR touched base with Moyo to see what he's been working on and thinking about since this landmark discovery.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You discovered omicron. Did omicron discover you?

I got COVID. Funnily enough, the omicron discoverer gets omicron.

I had three days of very serious symptoms of COVID, and I had to stay at home. So I would say mild to severe, but not too severe.

Then I had long COVID. I had almost three months of difficulty trying to recover my lung volume, my breathing. Walking, I was fatigued. All of a sudden, the COVID made my [blood] sugar worse, and I had to change my diabetes doses. I had to step up my meds, because it was no longer controlling [my diabetes] the way it was.

These are the complications that come with COVID, while people think COVID is gone.

Do you think the world has made any progress in learning not to cast blame?

There was a global awakening. Those events around the omicron discovery showed us the triumph of science but the failure of global health policy.

While we suffered, we were a catalyst to make people aware of the value of global public health that we cannot be inward-looking, because the virus knows no borders.

You see the response to monkeypox is different than the response to COVID. No one is blacklisting anyone from the monkeypox-endemic areas.

Has your work changed because of this discovery are you and your lab collaborating more with scientists around the world?

Yes! We have established collaborations with the Africa CDC. We've established what is called the Pathogen Genomics Initiative, a network of labs that are working together, and we have a lot of demand for training.

I was named one of the TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2022. That gives us a voice to share our experiences but also access to a lot of collaborations that I never thought I would have. That is really pushing us forward.

Have you made more ground-breaking omicron discoveries?

Earlier this year, around April, May, there was the discovery of BA.4 and BA.5, and we detected them in Botswana a few days after South Africa detected them. And these are the variants that have taken over the world. Some of the questions have been: What's happening in southern Africa that [the region] is seemingly detecting more variants?

What is unique about southern Africa, especially Botswana and South Africa, is the ability to detect these variants in near real-time because of the pathogen genomic sequencing that has been established [examining DNA to identify it or see if it's changing]. We think it's not that they are not circulating elsewhere, but it's just that maybe we are looking deeper.

We are always doing pathogen genomic sequencing. The most resourced in the world, in terms of sequencing, is of course the U.K. and the United States, and many parts of Europe. But I think the systematic, real-time, sampling and sequencing [in southern Africa] has been very, very useful.

How has southern Africa become so good at finding new variants and subvariants?

Southern Africa was the hotspot for HIV. We have passed through difficult times. I think we have taken this to our advantage to find solutions for ourselves. With funding from PEPFAR and from other international agencies, U.S. institutes, some donors southern Africa began to implement pathogen genomics focusing on HIV.

Some of us were involved in setting up population-based sequencing to understand the movement of viruses, to characterize transmission dynamics and that has spilled out to malaria, to TB. And we used those technologies to quickly adapt to SARS-CoV-2. That has been the strength of southern Africa.

We're even thinking beyond COVID. We are preparing ourselves to be able to adapt for pathogen discovery. If a [new] outbreak happens, we should be able to quickly check within 24 to 36 hours what it is.

New subvariants seem to be getting better at reinfecting people. What does that mean moving forward?

BA.4 and BA.5 are masters in terms of evading the fury of the immune system. The subvariants were able to elicit an immune response, but magnitudes lower than what we saw before.

As the immunity wanes down, that's where my worry is: How far can we hold on with the current levels of immunity?

The vaccine immunity still provides some protection against severe disease. We know that you may get infected, but you may not get hospitalized with BA.4 and BA.5.

It may get a little bit rough. Many people are spending days at home and [developing] long COVID afterward.

What do you think needs to happen next?

Research, training and development cost a lot of money, but as cases go down, people forget that we need to make sure these systems are sustained. That's one of the challenges: Are we going to be able to sustain some of this innovation that we have developed over a very difficult time of our lives during COVID?

The virus is still finding some pathways to escape immune pressure.

And there's always a possibility of a more virulent variant?

The variant that is going to really dominate is a variant that would have a massive escape to antibody neutralization or to vaccine neutralization. Chances are low of that happening. But omicron taught us that anything can happen.

So we need to be very careful. We need to continue with surveillance, so that if we notice anything, we should be able to go back and say: Do we need to change the way we are doing things?

While I support loosening and going back to our lives [when cases are low], I also feel that's when you need to be more vigilant. When you see signs of wildfire starting, then you can try and put it out.

Melody Schreiber (@m_scribe) is a journalist and the editor of What We Didn't Expect: Personal Stories About Premature Birth.

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Whatever happened to the Botswana scientist who identified omicron then caught it? - NPR

Cabbage may not be the most attractive vegetable, but its full of nutritional goodness that can keep you feeling strong and healthy. From boosting your immune system to improving your digestion (sometimes with embarrassing results), cabbage and its health benefits deserve a place at your table.

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This common leafy green vegetable comes in a range of colors, shapes and sizes that you can use for soups, salads, sandwiches and more. Eat it raw or stir-fried to get the most benefit. Find it fermented in gut-healthy foods like sauerkraut and kimchi or chopped into coleslaw for a quick fix.

Cabbage is good for you. Its one of those foods that tastes better than it looks, and it has even more nutritional value than people expect, says registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. Plus, its versatile, affordable and easy to find.

Zumpano explores the benefits of eating cabbage and how it can boost your health.

Many people recognize cabbage for its bounty of fiber, vitamins and minerals. One cup of chopped, raw green cabbage is only 22 calories and delivers:

Cabbage is also a potassium-rich food, which can help lower high blood pressure, says Zumpano. The more we learn about cabbage, the better it promises to be.

Research shows leafy green vegetables, in general, are good for you, but we need more studies to understand how cabbage specifically affects your body. Zumpano says many people believe the nutritional value of cabbage means it can have any of the following benefits.

Some of cabbages health benefits are due to anthocyanins, which are naturally occurring antioxidants. Anthocyanins not only add color to your fruits (think blueberries) and vegetables, but may also reduce inflammation.

Chronic inflammation (long-term swelling) is associated with heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and many other medical conditions. In animal studies, anthocyanins have been shown to help control inflammation.

We need more research, but one small human study showed that those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had much lower inflammation levels than those who ate the least.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, does a lot of work for your body. It helps make collagen and boosts your immune system. It also helps your body absorb iron from plant-based foods.

Packed with phytosterols (plant sterols) and insoluble fiber, cabbage can help keep your digestive system healthy and bowel movements regular. It fuels the good bacteria in your gut that protects your immune system and produces essential nutrients. Thats especially true when you eat fermented cabbage in kimchi or sauerkraut.

Cabbage can help you stay regular, says Zumpano. It can also help support safe and healthy weight loss.

Fiber is a nondigestible or absorbed carbohydrate, so it adds bulk to meals and takes space in your belly causing you to fill full faster and longer without ingesting carbs that youre absorbing.

The anthocyanins found in cabbage help with more than inflammation. Research suggests they add to the health benefits of cabbage by reducing your risk of heart disease. Scientists have found 36 different kinds of anthocyanins in cabbage, which could make it an excellent option for cardiovascular health.

Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that helps your body control blood pressure. One cup of red cabbage can deliver a healthy amount of potassium as much as 6% of your recommended daily value. This could help lower your blood pressure, reducing your risk for heart disease.

Too much bad cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol, can cause heart problems if it builds up in your arteries. Cabbage contains two substances fiber and phytosterols (plant sterols) that compete with cholesterol to be absorbed by your digestive system. They wind up reducing your bad cholesterol levels and improving your health.

Vitamin K is essential to your well-being. Without it, youd be at risk of developing bone conditions like osteoporosis, and your blood wouldnt be able to clot properly. Enter cabbage, a great source of vitamin K. One cup provides 85% of the recommended daily value.

Vitamin K helps keep our bones strong and our blood clotting well, says Zumpano. Cabbage can give you that boost you need to make sure your levels are adequate, and your body stays protected against illness and disease. And you dont even need to eat that much cabbage to get great health benefits.

Early animal studies suggest that leafy green vegetables like cabbage have phytochemicals that may help protect against cancer. They contain antioxidants and plant compounds like glucosinolates. These sulfur-containing chemicals break down during the digestive process into substances that may help fight cancer cells and clear them from your body.

Excited to add more cabbage to your diet? Just be careful not to go overboard. To maximize its health benefits, increase your cabbage intake slowly and allow your body to adjust. Also, stay hydrated to reduce constipation, which can cause excess gas.

Cabbage might not be the best choice for a romantic night out since eating too much can cause diarrhea, flatulence or abdominal discomfort. It also contains substances that can interfere with medications like blood thinners or cause hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid doesnt create enough thyroid hormone and causes your metabolism to slow down.

In most cases, you can avoid side effects by eating cabbage as part of a healthy diet. Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience symptoms or have any concerns.

Cabbage belongs to the Brassica oleracea species of vegetable, along with broccoli, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts. The most common type is green cabbage. But hundreds of other varieties exist in red, white and purple hues, with a range of textures and sizes.

Some forms of cabbage have subtle, delicate flavors, while others pack a peppery punch. Nutrition from cabbage comes from types like:

Cabbage is a versatile vegetable thats affordable, widely available and easy to prepare. Keep it whole and unwashed in the refrigerator until youre ready to eat it, recommends Zumpano. And when youre ready, it wont take long to find easy cabbage recipes that add a (healthy) zing to your diet and color to your plate.

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8 Health Benefits of Cabbage - Health Essentials

Construction of CSCC gene co-expression network and screening of immune-related module

Firstly, the unqualified samples and genes in the TCGA-CESC dataset were removed based on hierarchical clustering, and 253 samples and 4,553 genes were reserved for WGCNA to build the gene co-expression network. =3 (scale-free R2=0.92) was selected as an optimal soft threshold to construct a scale-free network, and finally 15 gene modules were obtained (Table 1). Then, the correlation between the feature genes of each module and four immune-related features (Stromal, Immune, Estimate Scores, and Tumor Purity) was calculated. It was found that brown module was significantly associated with immune status, presenting Immune Score (r=0.88, P=1e-84), Stromal Score (r=0.46, P=1e-14), ESTIMATE Score (r=0.79, P=2e-55) and Tumor Purity (r=-0.82, P=1e-63) (Fig.1). Therefore, the brown module was included in the subsequent study.

The immune-related modules based on WGCNA

Enrichment analysis was performed on 330 genes in the brown module to reveal relevant biological function. The results showed that the genes were largely enriched in the functions and pathways related to immune signal activation and immunomodulation, such as response to interferon-gamma, positive regulation of immune response, adaptive immune response, regulation of cytokine production, myeloid leukocyte activation, regulation of response to biotic stimulus, T cell activation, inflammatory response, negative regulation of immune system process, Type II interferon signaling (IFNG), Lysosome, response to tumor necrosis factor, regulation of viral process, etc. (Fig.2AC).

Enrichment analysis of genes in the brown module. A P value distribution of the top 20 enriched pathways and biological processes in the brown module; B The P value clustering network of genes in the brown module, with the redder the node color is, the more significant P value is; C Network analysis of enriched terms of genes in the brown module. Different node colors indicate different functional or pathway clusters that nodes belong to

The brown module was known to be highly correlated with cellular immunity. In the present study, consensus clustering was conducted on tumor samples based on the expression patterns of genes in the brown module to identify different immune subtypes. Since the grouping was suboptimal when using K=3 as the clustering value, we selected K=3 to divide the samples into three groups (Fig.3AC). The samples obtained were named as cluster A (38 cases), cluster B (132 cases) and cluster C (84 cases). To better understand the immune patterns of the three subgroups, we explored the expression of genes in the brown module in the three subgroups (Fig.3D). The results showed that most of the genes in the brown module were down-regulated in the cluster B subgroup, while most of the genes were up-regulated in the other two subgroups, and the overall level of gene up-regulation in the cluster A subgroup was more evident than that in the cluster C subgroup. Therefore, we assumed that the three subgroups might represent different immune patterns, which was further verified by subsequent analysis.

Consensus clustering analysis of gene expression pattern in the brown module. A Cumulative distribution function (CDF) of consensus clustering when K=2~9; B Relative change of AUC of CDF curve when K=2~9; C Tracking plot results of consensus clustering when K=3; D Heat map of gene expression in different subtypes in the brown module

GSVA was done to explore the biological behaviors of the three tumor immune subtypes. Cluster A enriched in the pathways associated with immune deficiency and disease development, such as PRIMARY IMMUNODEFICIENCY, TYPE I DIABETES MELLITUS, INTESTINAL IMMUNE NETWORK FOR IGA PRODUCTION, ALLOGRAFT REJECTION, etc. Cluster B was enriched in pathways related to immunosuppressive biological processes. Cluster C was mainly enriched in pathways associated with cell adhesion, cytokine and cytotoxic activation pathways, including CYTOSOLIC DNA SENSING PATHWAY, CELL ADHESION MOLECULES CAMS, HEMATOPOIETIC CELL LINEAGE, CYTOKINE NATURAL KILLER CELL MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY, CYTOKINE RECEPTOR INTERACTION, etc. (Fig.4). These results indicated that the three subtypes have different enrichments in biological pathways, and it was speculated that these subtypes may have different biological behaviors.

Heat maps of GSVA among different subtypes. Red: up-regulated pathways; green: down-regulated pathways

The analysis of cell infiltration in TME showed that there were differences in the contents of B cells, T cells, NK cells, monocytes and macrophages among the three subtypes (Fig.5A). ssGSEA results showed significant differences in CD8 T cells, CD4 T cells, Treg cells, macrophage MD, M1 and dendritic cell contents among the three subtypes (Fig.5B). To further verify the classification, ESTIMATE was used to calculate Stromal Score, ESTIMATE Score, Immune Score, and Tumor Purity based on mRNA data. These indicators were used to distinguish the high, low and medium immune groups. Compared with low immune cell infiltration group, the high immune cell infiltration group had lower Tumor Purity and higher Stromal Score, Immune Score and ESTIMATE Score. Therefore, Cluster A was defined as high immune group, Cluster B as low immune group, and Cluster C as medium immune group (Fig.5C). High immune group was significantly positively correlated with ESTIMATE Score, Immune Score and Stromal Score, but negatively correlated with Tumor Purity (Fig.5D). human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is an expression product of human major compatibility complex and is also a highly polymorphic allogeneic antigen [23]. In the present study, the correlation between immune cell infiltration and HLA family proteins in different subgroups was analyzed to verify the rationality of typing. The results demonstrated that the expression of HLA family gene was significantly downregulated in high immune group compared with in low immune group (Fig.5E). The above results indicated that there were differences in the immune cell infiltration, immune-related scores and HLA family protein expression among subtypes, which also provided support for the rationality of the typing.

Analysis of immune cell infiltration and immune-related indices in different tumor subtypes. A CIBERSORT analysis of differences in immune cell composition among different subtypes; B Differences in the abundance of each immune infiltrating cell among different subtypes; C Heat map of immune cell typing; D Violin plot of the differential analysis of Tumor Purity, ESTIMATE Score, Immune Score and Stromal Score among the three subtypes; E Differences in the expression of HLA family gene among different subtypes

Subsequently, a prognostic model was constructed based on the genes in the brown module. In the TCGA-CESC dataset, the samples with survival time less than 30days were excluded. Then, for the 330 genes in the brown module, a univariate regression analysis was conducted, and 46 genes significantly associated with prognosis were obtained with P<0.01 as the screening condition (Additional file 1: Table S1). Next, lasso and multivariate regression analyses were done on these 46 genes, and 8 feature genes were obtained finally, including ISCU, MSMO1, GCH1, EEFSEC, SPP1, RHOG, LSP1 and TCN2 (Fig.6A, Additional file 2: Table S2). HRs of MSMO1 and SPP1 were higher than 1, which were risk factors for CSCC prognosis, while HRs of ISCU, GCH1, EEFSEC, RHOG, LSP1 and TCN2 were lower than 1, which could be protective factors for CSCC prognosis. The risk scores were calculated based on these 8 feature genes, and the samples were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups. According to the heat map, the expression levels of GCH1, EEFSEC, SPP1, RHOG, LSP1 and TCN2 were decreased overall with the increase of risk score (Fig.6B). Based on the risk score distribution and survival time of the high/low-risk group samples, we found that the number of patients dying increased and the survival time decreased with the increase of risk score (Fig.6CD). Survival curves of the high/low-risk groups also demonstrated that patients in the low-risk group had a higher survival rate (Fig.6E). ROC curve demonstrated the reliability of the risk assessment model in predicting 1-, 3- and 5- year survival rates of samples, with AUC values of 0.8, 0.77 and 0.75 respectively (Fig.6F). Also, the expression statuses of the 8 genes were examined using qRT-PCR, whose results showed that ISCU was downregulated, while MSMO1, GCH1, EEFSEC were upregulated in the tumor tissues (Fig.6G). In addition, this study assessed the correlation between the prognostic model and immune cell infiltration. As a result, the risk score was significantly negatively correlated with 6 immune cells, including B_ cell, CD8_ T cell, CD4_ T cell, neutrophil, dendritic cell and macrophage (Fig.7AF). To verify whether the risk score could be considered as an independent prognostic indicator, univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were introduced based on risk score and clinical features of the samples. As observed in Fig.7GH, risk score could independently serve as prognostic factor. In conclusion, we constructed an 8-feature gene risk assessment model to predict the prognosis of patients with CSCC and proved the favorable predictive ability of this model and revealed the association between the model and cellular immunity.

Construction and assessment of a prognostic model for CSCC. A Forest map of the 8-prognostic feature genes, *P<0.05; B Heatmap of expression of the 8 prognostic feature genes in the high- and low-risk groups; C Risk score distribution of CSCC patients, with green representing the low-risk group and red representing the high-risk group; D Scatter plot of survival status of CSCC patients, with green and red dots representing survival and death, respectively; E KaplanMeier survival curve of the high- and low-risk groups; F ROC curves of the prognostic model predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival of patients.; G qRT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expressions of the feature genes

Correlation between risk score and infiltration degree of 6 immune cells. A Correlation between risk score and B_cell infiltration; B Correlation between risk score and CD4 T cell infiltration; C Correlation between risk score and CD8 T cell infiltration; D Correlation between risk score and dendritic cell infiltration; E Correlation between risk score and macrophage infiltration; F Correlation between risk score and neutrophil infiltration. GH Univariate and multivariate Cox regression for risk score and the clinical features

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Identification of cervical squamous cell carcinoma feature genes and construction of a prognostic model based on immune-related features - BMC Women's...

When the original strain of COVID-19 arrived in spring 2020, a pandemic soon swept the country. Most survived. But hundreds of thousands did not. American deaths now number well more than 1 million.

Amid the tragedy, there initially was some hope that the pernicious effects of the disease would all disappear upon recovery among the nearly 99 percent who survived the initial infection.

Vaccinations by late 2020 were promised to end the pandemic for good. But they did not. New mutant strains, while more infectious, were said to be less lethal, thus supposedly resulting in spreading natural immunity while causing fewer deaths from infection.

But that too was not quite so.

Instead, sometimes the original symptoms, sometimes frightening new ones, not only lingered after the acute phase, but were of increased morbidity.

Now 2 years after the onset of the pandemic, there may be more than 20 million Americans who are still suffering from what is currently known as long COVID a less acute version but one ultimately as debilitating. Some pessimistic analyses suggest well more than 4 million once-active Americans are now disabled from this often-ignored pandemic and out of the workforce.

Perhaps 10 percent to 30 percent of those originally infected with COVID-19 have some lingering symptoms six months to a year after the initial infection. And they are quite physically sick, desperate to get well and certainly not crazy.

So far, no government Marshall plan exists to cure long COVID.

While we know the nature of the virus well by now, no one fathoms what causes long COVIDs overwhelming fatigue, flu-like symptoms, neuralgic impairment, cardiac and pulmonary damage and an array of eerie problems from extended loss of taste and smell to vertigo, neuropathy and brain fog.

Post-viral fatigue has long been known to doctors. Many who get the flu or other viruses such as mononucleosis sometimes take weeks or even months to recover after the initial acute symptoms retire. But no one knows why long COVID often seems to last far longer and with more disability.

Is its persistence due to one theory that SARS-CoV-2 is a uniquely insidious, engineered virus? Or do vaccines and antivirals only help to curb infection, while possibly encouraging more unpredictable mutations?

Who gets long COVID, and why and how is, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Those who nearly die from acute COVID-19 can descend into long COVID. But then again so can those with minimal or few initial acute symptoms.

The obese with comorbidities are prone to long COVID, but triathletes and marathon runners are, too. The elderly, the mature, the middle-aged, adolescents and children can all get long COVID. Those with down-regulated and impaired immune systems fight long COVID. But then again so do those with up-regulated and prior robust immunity, as well as people with severe allergies.

Since early 2020, no one has deciphered the cause, although numerous Nobel prizes await anyone who unlocks its mysteries.

Does a weakened but not vanquished SARS-CoV-2 virus hide out and linger, causing an unending immune response that sickens patients? Or does COVID-19 so weaken some long-haulers to the degree that old viruses, long in remission, suddenly flare up again, sickening the host with an unending case, of say, mononucleosis?

Or is the problem autoimmunity?

Is there something unique to the nature of COVID-19 that damages the vital on-and-off buttons of the immune system, causing the body to become stuck in overdrive, as it needlessly sends out its own poisons against itself?

Without knowledge of what explains long COVID, it is hard for researchers to find a cure. After all, is the answer to slow down the immune system to dampen the immune storm or to enhance it to root out lingering viruses?

Do more vaccines help or worsen long COVID? Is the solution some new drug or discovering off-label uses of old medicines? Can a good diet, moderate exercise and patience finally wear out long COVID? Or is its course too unpredictable or near permanent and chronic?

Is long COVID a single phenomenon or a cluster of maladies, each manifesting according to ones own genetic makeup, particular history of past illness, and unique reaction to the initial infection?

If we have few answers, we do have an idea about the costs.

Long COVID may be one of many reasons why in a recession, labor paradoxically still remains scarce. Millions likely stay home in utter disbelief that they are still battling long COVID. Others isolate in deadly fear of getting either the acute or chronic form of the illness.

The social costs to America of this hidden pandemic in lost wages and productivity, family and work disruption and expensive medical care are unknown. But they are likely enormous, still growing and mostly ignored.

Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness and a classicist and historian at Stanfords Hoover Institution. Contact at authorvdh@gmail.com.

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VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The mysteries of Long COVID - Las Vegas Review-Journal

In recent years the subject of mental health has come to the forefront. In fact, it seems that every time you turn on any sort of national news, one of the top stories has some sort of connection to mental health.

Experts have said that we're in the middle of a mental health crisis and there are many claims that we don't have sufficient funds or resources to help all of those that are suffering. Of course, here in Montana, we're certainly not immune to the issue; in fact, Montana ranks first when it comes to suicide.

According to new data, we now know that one Montana city is the most depressed in the United States.

Billings ranks number one among U.S. cities, with the highestrate of depression. The data was published by CEUfastand was gathered from the CDC. Billings has a metro area of just over 180 thousand and according to the report, almost one-third (31 percent) of those people have been diagnosed with depression by a professional.

Billings wasn't the only city in the northwest part of the country that made the Top 10. The Spokane Valley area ranked 6th with over 27 percent of the population diagnosed with depression, and Salem, Oregon was in 8th place with almost 26 percent of the population diagnosed with depression.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are many different signs of depression. Below, we have a list of some symptoms:

If you feel like you're depressed, or have any of the symptoms above, remember that there are folks who want and are willing to help you and you're not alone. Organizations like Resources To Recover are a great place to start if you're looking for help, plus you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255.

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KEEP READING: See 25 natural ways to boost your immune system

Goosebumps and other bodily reactions, explained

Read the original:
Is This Popular Montana City The Most Depressed In The Nation? - XL Country

The adapted COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 and Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 are now authorised across the EU. This follows a decision from the European Commission issued on 1 September 2022.

EMAs human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended authorising two vaccines adapted to provide broader protection against COVID-19. Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 and Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 are for use in people aged 12 years and above who have received at least primary vaccination against COVID-19. These vaccines are adapted versions of the original vaccines Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech) and Spikevax (Moderna) to target the Omicron BA.1 subvariant in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.

Vaccines are adapted (i.e., updated) to better match the circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2. Adapted vaccines can broaden protection against different variants and are therefore expected to help maintain optimal protection against COVID-19 as the virus evolves.

Studies showed that Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 and Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 can trigger strong immune responses against Omicron BA.1 and the original SARS-CoV-2 strain in people previously vaccinated. In particular, they were more effective at triggering immune responses against the BA.1 subvariant than the original vaccines.

Side effects observed with the adapted vaccines were comparable to those seen with the original ones and were typically mild and short-lived.

The two CHMP opinions will now be sent to the European Commission, which will adopt a final decision.

As the pandemic evolves, the EUs strategy is to have a broad range of adapted vaccines that target different SARS-CoV-2 variants so Member States have a plurality of options to meet their needs when they design their vaccination strategies. This is a key element in the overall strategy to combat the pandemic as it is not possible to predict how the virus will evolve in the future and which variants will be circulating this winter. Other adapted vaccines incorporating different variants, such as the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, are currently under review by EMA or will be submitted soon, and, if authorised, will further extend the arsenal of available vaccines. The clinical data generated with the original/BA.1 bivalent vaccines recommended today will support the evaluation and authorisation of further adapted vaccines.

The original vaccines, Comirnaty and Spikevax, are still effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalisation and death associated with COVID-19 and will continue to be used within vaccination campaigns in the EU, in particular for primary vaccinations.

National authorities in the EU Member States will determine who should receive which vaccines and when, taking into account factors such as infection and hospitalisation rates, the risk to vulnerable populations, vaccination coverage and vaccine availability.

Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 can be used in people aged 12 years and older, at least 3 months after the last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The CHMPs opinion on Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 is based on 2 studies. One study in adults over 55 years old who had previously received 3 doses of Comirnaty (primary vaccination and a booster) found that the immune response to the Omicron BA.1 subvariant was higher after a second booster dose of Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 than after a second dose of the original Comirnaty vaccine (as measured by the level of antibodies against Omicron BA.1). In addition, the immune response to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain was comparable for both vaccines. The study involved more than 1,800 people, of whom about 300 received Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 in its final composition.

Further data from a study involving over 600 people aged between 18 and 55 years who had previously received 3 doses of Comirnaty showed that the immune response to Omicron BA.1 was higher in people who received a booster with a vaccine containing only the Omicron BA.1 component than in those given a booster with the original Comirnaty vaccine.

Based on these data, it was concluded that the immune response to Omicron BA.1 following a booster with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 in people aged 18 to 55 years would be at least equal to that in people aged over 55. Further, based on previous data in younger people, it was also concluded thatthe immune response to a booster dose with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 in adolescents would be at least equal to that in adults.

Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 can be used in adults and adolescents from the age of 12 years, at least 3 months after primary vaccination or a booster dose with a COVID-19 vaccine.

The CHMPs opinion on Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 is based on data from a study involving more than 800 adults aged 18 years and above. The study found that a booster dose of Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 induced a stronger immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 strain and the Omicron subvariant BA.1 compared with a booster dose of the original Spikevax vaccine. The study compared the level of antibodies in people previously vaccinated with a primary series and booster dose of Spikevax, and who were given a second booster dose of either Spikevax or Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1. It was also concluded that Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 could be used as a first booster after primary vaccination and that the immune response induced by a booster dose of Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 in adolescents aged 12-17 years would be at least equal to that in adults, given that previous data with Spikevax have shown a comparable effect.

The adapted vaccines work in the same way as the original vaccines.

Both adapted vaccines work by preparing the body to defend itself against COVID-19. Each vaccine contains molecules called mRNA which have instructions for making the spike proteins of the original SARS-CoV-2 and the Omicron subvariant BA.1. The spike protein is a protein on the surface of the virus which the virus needs to enter the bodys cells and can differ between variants of the virus. By adapting vaccines, the aim is to broaden protection against different variants.

When a person is given one of these vaccines, some of their cells will read the mRNA instructions and temporarily produce the spike proteins. The persons immune system will then recognise those proteins as foreign and activate natural defences antibodies and T cells against them.

If, later on, the vaccinated person comes into contact with the virus, the immune system will recognise the spike protein on its surface and be prepared to attack it. The antibodies and immune cells can protect against COVID-19 by working together to kill the virus, preventing its entry into the bodys cells and destroying infected cells.

The mRNA molecules from the vaccines do not stay in the body but are broken down shortly after vaccination.

The companies marketing Spikevax and Comirnaty submitted applications (called variation applications) to change the current marketing authorisations of the authorised vaccines Comirnaty and Spikevax and include the use of adapted vaccines. These applications included data on the quality and safety of the adapted vaccines, and their ability to trigger immune responses against various strains of SARS-CoV-2.The review was carried out by EMAs Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), responsible for questions concerning medicines for human use. The CHMP opinion has been forwarded to the European Commission, which will issue a final legally binding decision applicable in all EU Member States.

Read the original:
First adapted COVID-19 booster vaccines recommended for approval in the EU | European Medicines Agency - European Medicines Agency |

In a webinar hosted by AC Immune, scientists discussed the various advantages of vaccines ranging from their expected safety and long-lasting immune responses to potentially lower costs in treating and possibly preventingParkinsonsand Alzheimers disease.

The Key Opinion Leader webinar, broadcasted on Aug. 24 and available for viewing, offered a presentation by Cynthia A. Lemere, PhD, a scientist at the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham & Womens Hospital and an associate professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School. Lemere also works as a scientific advisor and consultant for AC Immune, among other companies.

Vaccines are a form of active immunotherapy for neurodegenerative diseases, which work bystimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against the abnormal, or misfolded, proteins driving these diseases. In the case of Parkinsons, clumps of the misfolded alpha-synuclein proteinspread throughout the brain and contribute to nerve cell death and disease progression.

AC Immune is planning to open a Phase 2 clinical trial of ACI-7104, a potential vaccine against the toxic alpha-synuclein protein in Parkinsons patients this year.

A newer generation of vaccines, called multi-epitope vaccines, target several epitopes the part of a protein that elicits an immune response on misfolded proteins. As such, they are designed to elicit a more powerful immune response, AC Immune reported in an accompanying company press release. Multi-epitope vaccines also contain adjuvants, additional components that boost immune responses.

Vaccines are designed to provide long-lasting immune activation, the speakers stated, leading to a consistent and gradual production of antibodies against misfolded protein clumps. This allows for greater safety and long-term efficacy than is possible with synthetic or lab-made monoclonal antibodies that only target one epitope. Monoclonal antibody treatment, the scientists explained, is a passive immunotherapy, with a relatively short-lived peak in antibody production compared with vaccines.

Its really a question of balancing efficacy and safety, Lemere said, speaking of monoclonal antibodies in studies for Alzheimers disease relative to potential vaccines.

Vaccines also enhance a persons own immune response.Active vaccination is a way to have the body basically make antibodies,Lemere said.

Vaccines can be administered as a simple injection, she added, while monoclonal antibodies are often infused over four hours during regularly scheduled hospital or clinic visits. They also can be cost-saving and less of a burden to patients, needing to be given possibly only once or twice a year, she added.

Contrary to monoclonal antibodies, however,the immune response triggered by vaccines cannot be shut down.

The ability of vaccines to safely and specifically target multiple epitopes on the toxic drivers of neurodegenerative disease makes them uniquely suited to address the unmet needs of patients, Lemere said in the release. Data from prior clinical studies conducted by AC Immune and others clearly highlight the therapeutic potential of vaccines and provide a strong scientific rationale for the Companys ongoing and planned trials.

Marie Kosco-Vilbois, PhD, chief scientific officer at AC Immune, and Johannes Streffer, MD, the companys chief medical officer, also spoke at the event.Theypresented an overview of the companys goals and pipeline ofcandidate vaccines.

ACI-7104, its lead candidate for Parkinsons and other synucleinopathies, diseases characterized by the accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein aggregates, was initially developed by Affiris and later acquired by AC Immune. It is designed to trigger a specific immune response against toxic aggregates of alpha-synuclein.

A Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT01568099) and its extension studies, sponsored by Affiris, in 21 people with early-stage Parkinsons supported the vaccines safety and tolerability with repeat injections (six doses in total). Patients treated at the highest dose, 75 micrograms, also showed a 51% drop inlevels of alpha-synuclein aggregates in the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, its researchers reported in 2020, supporting further clinical testing.

The planned Phase 2 trial of ACI-7104 will evaluate an improved version of the vaccine, Streffer said. It is to be an adaptive and biomarker-based study that will initially determine an optimally safe and effective dose and confirm the Phase 1 trials findings. Up to 150 additional Parkinsons patients will then be enrolled for treatment and assessment at the selected dose.

This study is in preparation, Streffer said. We are planning to include the first participants later this year.

AC Immune also has two candidate vaccines for Alzheimers disease, ACI-35.030 and ACI-24.060, in clinical testing.

We believe these programs, together with our cutting-edge diagnostic imaging agents, position AC Immune to lead the field towards the earlier diagnosis and prevention of neurodegenerative disease, said Andrea Pfeifer, CEO ofAC Immune.

Originally posted here:
Potential of Vaccines in Treating Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Detailed | AC Immune to Launch Trial of Vaccine in Early-stage Parkinson's - Parkinson's...

Its a fact of life: If youre lucky enough, you will get older and, with that, your body will show signs of aging. Research has been ongoing to try to determine what, exactly, is behind this process and scientists have largely linked the aging process with one biological factor: Senescent cells, aka zombie cells.

A recent study published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology specifically links zombie cells to age-related diseases like cancer, dementia, and heart disease, and breaks down how these cells develop.

The study found the oxidative damage (damage that happens as a result of an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body) to telomeres, the protective ends of chromosomes, can spark the formation of zombie cells.

This isnt the only research on zombie cells: Scientists have been analyzing these cells and their role in aging for years.

If youve never heard of zombie cells before, fair. But, of course, you probably have someor a lot ofquestions about what these are and what role they play in aging. Heres a breakdown.

Its important to quickly recap how cells in your body work. There is a process called mitosis, which is a fundamental process for life, where a cell duplicates all of its contents and splits to form two identical cells, Medline Plus explains. When mitosis isnt regulated correctly, you can develop health problems like cancer.

Zombie cells, aka senescent cells, are cells that stop dividing, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When youre younger, your immune system spots these cells and eliminates them from your body, Sabrina Barata, M.D., a primary care doctor at Mercy Personal Physicians, explains. But, as you get older, your immune system doesnt have as large of a capacity to do this.

Zombie cells simply stick around in your body. They dont diethey become resistant to death, says researcher Paul Robbins, Ph.D., associate director of the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism and the Medical Discovery Team on the Biology of Aging at the University of Minnesota. They stay in your body forever.

These cells release certain molecules that can spark inflammation and even harm other cells, Dr. Robbins says. Theyve also been linked to the growth of cancerous cells, per the NIH.

However, Dr. Robbins says, senescence is seen as an anti-cancer mechanism because it stops cells that may have become abnormal from continuing to replicate.

I would hypothesize that yes, everyone has these cells, Dr. Robbins says. Your burden of cells increases with age and older people or people with chronic diseases may have more.

Cells stop dividing after theyve divided so many times or acquire so many mutations that theyre at risk of becoming abnormal or potentially making you sick, the NIH says.

Zombie cells become more common as people age. Your immune system gets rid of these cells when youre young but, when you get older, it cant clear them as effectively, Dr. Robbins says. Research has found that tinkering with these cells can help extend lifein mice, at least.

Landmark research from Jan van Deursen, Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic actually removed zombie cells from living mice. Van Deursen and his team discovered that injecting a certain drug triggered the death of these zombie cells.

In follow-up research, the team found that treating mice to remove zombie cells extended their median lifespans by 17% to 42%, depending on the mices sex, diet, and genetic background. The mice that were treated also usually looked healthier than those that werent treated and were more likely to have spontaneous activity and explore thingssigns of youth.

Thats what doctors think right now. If we understand why senescent cells happen and how to reverse them, we have the ability to have healthier aging with less debility, says Santosh Kesari, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., and regional medical director for the Research Clinical Institute of Providence Southern Calif.

Dr. Robbins points out that zombie cells are interconnected with other things that go wrong as we age. Those include things like dysfunction in your stem cells, changes in metabolism, and dysfunction of your mitochondria, which generate energy to power your cells, he says.

If one of these things are affected, the others are, too, Dr. Robbins says. Theyre all linked. Meaning, if you can target and wipe out zombie cells, your metabolism and energy may improve, he says.

Dr. Barata says that studying these cells can absolutely help lead to advances in healthy aging. If we can find a way to kill off these cells, they wont accumulate in the body, she says. That will protect us from diseases like dementia, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease.

Currently, research is ongoing to study the impact of targeting zombie cells and certain diseases like Alzheimers disease, osteoarthritis, and diabetes. We will know their impact quicklywithin in a few years, Dr. Robbins says

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Mens Health, Womens Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a masters degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.

See original here:
What Are Zombie Cells? Here's How They Impact Aging - Prevention Magazine

Your child is cranky, running a fever and going through tissues like theres no tomorrow.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Then, they wont eat.

Then, you see a rash. And their best friends mom from daycare calls and says her child hasnt been feeling well either.

And now its all making sense.

It might be hand, foot and mouth disease, a common but highly contagious childhood illness that makes its way very quickly through households, daycares and schools.

Like most viruses, hand, foot and mouth is fairly contagious, says pediatrician Dana Schmidt, MD. So, in a daycare or school setting, it can spread very quickly.

Caused by a strain of the coxsackievirus, hand, foot and mouth disease is best known for the blister-like rash that appears on the you guessed it hands, feet and mouth. Contrary to its name, though, the rash can appear all over the body.

Dr. Schmidt answers your most pressing questions about this common and highly contagious illness.

A: Hand, foot and mouth disease will initially look similar to a cold. After a few days, a rash will start to form.

The first symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease are similar to a cold and include:

Its during this first phase of the disease that youre most contagious and most likely to pass the virus to other people, Dr. Schmidt says.

After the initial symptoms set in, you may notice small sores inside of your mouth, including on your gums, tongue and roof of your mouth. The spots may appear like small red bumps or larger open sores.

These sores can make swallowing painful, so its common for people with hand, foot and mouth disease to not want to eat. Its also common that mouth sores will cause children to drool.

Sometimes, the rash stops at the mouth. Thats called herpangina (and the advice below still applies).

In the next day, you may notice sores spread to the hands and feet, and possibly elsewhere.

The hallmarks of the virus are a rash that appears on the hands, feet and mouth, but the rash can often be found all over the body, including the trunk and genitals, Dr. Schmidt states.

The look of the rash can vary from person to person. Some people experience small, red spots that dont cause any discomfort. Others may have larger spots, sometimes filled with pus, that may be painful. The spots may contain the virus, so avoid touching the rash as much as possible, and wash your hands thoroughly after coming in contact with blisters. The rash usually isnt itchy.

The spots should clear up in about 10 days.

A: Youre most contagious with hand, foot and mouth disease during the first few days of being sick often before blisters appear. Once the blisters dry up, youre less likely to pass on the virus, though it can live in your stool for weeks after the rash clears.

Hand, foot and mouth disease can be spread in several ways:

If your child becomes infected, prevent the spread by keeping them home from daycare, school or other group activities. If youre infected, stay home from work or school.

A: Yes. Hand, foot and mouth disease is very common and usually affects infants and children under the age of 5. But because its so infectious, it can spread among family members and daycare providers. It can make older kids, teenagers and adults sick.

A: Yes. Dr. Schmidt explains that because multiple viruses can cause hand, foot and mouth disease, its possible to catch the virus multiple times.

You can do several things to prevent or reduce the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease:

Hand, foot and mouth disease has no specific treatment, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that most people get better on their own within seven to 10 days. But you can treat symptoms of the virus with over-the-counter pain medications.

Its also important to stay hydrated. Because mouth sores can make eating and drinking uncomfortable, dehydration is a common side effect. Avoid foods and drinks that are acidic, like orange juice, as they can irritate mouth sores. Stick to milder or cold foods. Older children and adults may also relieve some discomfort with salt water gargles, although this treatment isnt recommended for infants, toddlers or younger children.

Be especially vigilant if hand, foot and mouth disease symptoms become severe, or if you or your child has a weak immune system or becomes dehydrated. Talk with a healthcare provider if the fever doesnt go away after three days or if all symptoms dont improve after 10 days.

Read the original:
What To Know About Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - Health Essentials

Somehow time has flown by so that Ive been around for ages in the stem cell universe and some unproven stem cell clinic type firms, like the well-known Panama stem cell clinic that sells autism treatments, are also long-timers.

Its been an odd parallel existence for more than a decade.

Todays post is focused on this Panama stem cell clinic. Think of it as a fact-check or a scientific review of a sort. Overall, I believe there are serious reasons for concern about The Stem Cell Institute.

Long-time stem cell clinics | The Stem Cell Institute in Panama | What they sell | Who works at The Stem Cell Institute? | Lack of expertise & specialty training? | Lack of data | Cost of stem cell therapy in Panama $16,000-$30,000 and up | Take home message | References

Quick Article Summary and Claim Review.Stem cells are a still unproven approach to autism and other conditions. The Stem Cell Institute in Panama claims that umbilical cord stem cells can help autistic children and people with other conditions. In my view there are no strong data to support this claim, particularly on autism. The most rigorous study to date by Duke suggests no consistent benefit. There are definite risks too and the procedures are expensive. You should consult your childs pediatrician.

Both the Panama clinic place, run by Neil Riordan and called simply enough The Stem Cell Institute, Texas stem cell clinic Celltex, and the Regenexx clinic brand come to mind in this long-termer category. These three firms are quite different though. Ive written many times before about Celltex and a bit aboutRegenexx, but less so about The Stem Cell Institute. My most recent item on this Panama place was related to the puzzling threads between them and the Duke Autism Program.

There are stem cell clinics all over the world, but some draw more attention and customers than others. I also view some as posing potentially higher or lower risks on different levels.

The Stem Cell Institute in Panama strikes me as risky on some specific levels such as having many children getting unproven cellular injections as part of their business model. This place seems particularly successful with their PR too.

I dont know about you, but for me the name institute implies a non-profit research institution, but to the best of my knowledge The Stem Cell Institute is a for-profit. While it does some research, I dont see that as its primary mission.

The Stem Cell Institute offers injections for a wide menu of health conditions using umbilical cord and other kinds of cells. You can see a screenshot I took from their website recently to get a sense of their marketing.

Its strikingly diverse, raising the question for me of how one place can purportedly have the expertise to try to treat so many different conditions.

To cover all of these conditions with care and expertise Id say that youd need a neurologist, an immunologist, an orthopedist, a cardiologist, and pediatric physician specialists of several kinds.

Do they have the needed medical staff with board certifications in so many different specialties?

In regard to the above question, who are the doctors and other staff at the Panama stem cell clinic?

Last I checked their website, they listed 7 physicians in total including a medical director, a clinical trials research physician, and staff physicians.

Only the first 3 doctors listed have bios describing their training. Do they have the needed expertise?

Of these 3, the Medical Director, Jorge Paz-Rodriguez, MD, appears to be an internist. Hernan H. Hernandez, MD may be a hematologist. Dr. Cindy Leu may be a general practitioner. I wasnt able to clear up if she has a specialty.

The clinical trials doctor listed, Giselle Fernandez, MD, also might be a GP, but Im not positive. As to the staff physicians, I was not able to determine if they have any specialties or are GPs despite looking around on the web and watching some videos. Leader Neil Riordan is a Ph.D., not an M.D.

Overall, as a result of the lack of information and the nature of what I could find, in my opinion, it does not seem like this clinic clearly has the needed expertise to treat so many medical conditions and patients ranging from pediatric to geriatric. In my view, this increases risks for patients.

If these Stem Cell Institute physicians have more specialty training than I could find, I will update this post.

I also view the offerings of The Stem Cell Institute as lacking in rigorous data to back them up. Neil Riordan has some publications, but the research in these papers relevant to what they are selling is not convincing at all to me. It does not show that the stem cell offerings, such as umbilical cord MSCs, actually work. The papers also do not indicate that they are definitely safe for the conditions being marketed.

The clinical studies generally do not have placebo controls, randomization, or double-blinding. If you are developing an as yet unproven cellular therapy, it may be fine to have early phase trials without placebos, etc., but if you are already marketing and injecting folks with this unproven stuff and charging for it, its an entirely different situation. The Stem Cell Institute seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse. Note that while others have done research on cord blood cells for autism including Duke, the data are generally very discouraging.

It is expensive to go to the Stem Cell Institute. Their own website mentions the cost as follows, $15,825 USD for children and $23,150 for adults. An important paper this year in Cytology by Jeremy Snyder and Leigh Turner, focusing in part on reverberations between the Stem Cell Institute and Duke, also discussed cost and fit into this general price range.

Like many stem cell clinics abroad and even in the US, the cost often ends up being a package including a hotel stay and ground transportation.

There are also many fundraising campaigns on GoFundMe that mention Panama stem cells and sometimes include patients mentioning about what they paid. All of this is generally consistent with a price range of $16,000-$30,000.

As with other clinics, the cost can go much higher than what is stated. Factors influencing cost include the number of injections and the type of condition. If you get several injections or go on multiple occasions over the course of months or years, the costs can go way up, even into the high tens of thousands.

Also, one should factor in the odds of attaining success in the medical condition that is the problem and with unproven stem cells the odds of real documented success in my view are very low. Then there are risks as well.

Overall, in my view there is a low probability of efficacy from what is being sold at this firm in Panama and we cant be sure about safety. At least some of the cells being sold are amplified in a lab, potentially increasing safety risks. As I said earlier, I also worry about the apparent lack of relevant (and Id say crucially needed) medical specialty training.

As a Ph.D. I cannot give medical advice, but as a stem cell biologist and long observer of clinical research in this arena as well as of unproven stem cell clinics, I personally would not go to this clinic or have a friend or loved one go.

If you have complaints about the Stem Cell Institute in Panama Id like to learn more about what your concerns are.

Crowdfunding, stem cell interventions and autism spectrum disorder: comparing campaigns related to an international stem cell clinic and US academic medical center, Jeremy Snyder and Leigh Turner, Cytology, March 2021.

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Fact-Checking Panama stem cell institute: cost, safety, efficacy, docs

I took a look again into the world of stem cell supplements since its been a few years.

What I found now in 2022 wasnt a pretty picture. This post has several sections so feel free to jump to sections below. Ive also done a new YouTube video on stem cell supplements that goes through the main points to consider. If you like the video please subscribe to our channel.

Supplements in general | Stem cell supplements claims| Supplement ads and products| Visiclear & Visishield | Stem-Kine | Regenexx supplements | Big picture on stem cell pills

Quick Article Summary and Claim Review.Stem cells have generated a lot of buzz, only some of it legitimate. Stem cell supplements and their makers claim that these pills or drinks will improve your health via impacting your stem cells. My research indicates there are no strong data to support any of these claims. Stem cell supplements also could have risks. Since they are also very expensive, as a stem cell biologist I recommend against taking stem cell supplements, but you should consult your physician.

Note that supplements here refer to things people can ingest to somehow supposedly help their stem cells, not supplements that us scientists add to the media we use to grow stem cells.

For context, Im fairly skeptical of supplements in general unless one has a documented deficiency in something like iron or maybe (maybe not) Vitamin D, or if you are vegan maybe you should take B12.

As a 10+ year prostate cancer survivor the only supplement I take still is in fact Vitamin D, but Im having my doubts even about that. Ten years ago it made sense to me theoretically that a hormone like Vitamin D might help prevent cancer recurrence based on in vitro results growing cancer cells in a dish, but the literature hasnt been very encouraging on any benefit in actual people. Im mulling it over.

The idea of zinc supplements given right at the beginning of colds has been controversial but a new study this year gives some weight to it perhaps shortening the length of colds.

I more recently went through the supposed brain supplement Prevagen and found reasons to be concerned about their advertising claims and also about potential risks.

So what about supplements claiming some link to stem cells?

Theres not much foundation for them and they cost a bundle.

The main claims of these supplements is that theyll either make you as a patient have more stem cells, happier stem cells, or aid in stem cells differentiating into the desired cell type. Other claims include anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties

A big surprise for me was that searching Clinicaltrials.gov finds many studies of the effects of specific supplements on stem cells, but little data. One that did have data was focused on a supplement called NutraStem and tested its effects on CD133+ or CD34+ cells as compared to a placebo. It didnt seem to work.

There is no evidence of supposed stem cell eye supplements benefiting eyes or vision either.

A Google search for Stem cell supplements yields an array of results and ads.

While Google has rightly (and generally very effectively) banned stem cell clinic ads, it still feels like anything goes with stem cell supplement ads. You can see a screenshot above for some results. An Amazon search yields tons of overlapping and sometimes wild results too, some approaching a thousand dollars a pop.

Take a look at a grassfed bone marrow (Im imagining a test tube of living bone marrow with someone trying to feed it grass) supplement claiming to have something to do with stem cells:

Contains all the nutrients, specialized cells (including stem cells and base cells), collagen, growth factors, fat soluble activators and substances that the body uses to build, repair, and maintain all tissues

I doubt there are living stem cells in there. And, what are base cells? Basal cells?

Ive been hearing more about two vision-related supplements called Visiclear and Visishield.

These supplements contain vitamins, antioxidants and other factors. Various claims on the web suggest that these products may help vision by either keeping stem cells healthy or restoring stem cell health.

Im skeptical.

While we stem cell researchers do sometimes add vitamins or antioxidants to our cultures of stem cells in the lab, its not clear that antioxidants that people eat or take as supplements would have benefits to endogenous stem cells, including in the eye.

A quick search on Amazon found that these products are also very expensive. There are quite a few unhappy customers who left reviews there as well.

One purported stem cell-related product that pops up often on Google searches is something called Stem-Kine from Neil Riordan, who runs a stem cell clinic firm in Panama. A decade ago he published some on Stem-Kine claiming a link to mobilizing stem cells, but Im not convinced at all.

Physicians in the hospital can reproducibly mobilize stem cells in donors or patients but this is done using powerful, proven drugs, and has been the subject of tons of published research such as related to preparing stem cell transplants after chemo in cancer patients. (By the way, you might find this guest post on a familys experience with stem cell donation to be an interesting read.)

These supplements are super expensive too. How much does Stem-Kine cost? For a case of 60 x 700mg capsules on Amazon youll pay about $70, which seems ridiculous to me.

But could it work?

Its hard to say without more data, but I doubt it and anything like this has risks too.

Further, its not clear that mobilizing bone marrow stem cells in a healthy patient on a regular basis is a wise thing to do.

Check out the comments from Wise Young in the comments section for another view.

The Regenexx brand has a whole supplement product line now including Regenexx Complex. One supplement, called Advanced Stem Cell Support Formula costs about one hundred bucks for 32 fluid ounces which is about $400 a gallon.

The description says its a proprietary blend of vitamins, herbs, and supplements that may help support healthy stem cell function and cartilage production.

The Amazon page for this or a very similar product lists these ingredients: Vitamin C 1000mg, Vitamin D 2000IU Proprietary Blend 3455 mg of Glucosamine Sulfate and HCl, Chondroitin Sulfate, Curcumin, L-Carnosine, Resleratrol (resVida), Bitter Melon, BioPerine Does not contain wheat, gluten, sugar, soy or dairy. Contains ingredients derived from shellfish and corn.

Is there any published clinical data to back up this expensive supplements use in people? Not that I could see. I dont see a good rationale for Regenexx Complex either.

Note that Advanced Stem Cell Support Formula comes in citrus or strawberry banana flavor. A good-sized Jamba juice with fresh strawberries and bananas, and a boost of some vitamins in it costs about $6 or $7. I havent had one of those in years, but they sound good even if rather full of sugar.

Overall, in my view stem cell supplements are not worth the money, probably wont do anything terribly exciting in a positive way, and could have risks. You can watch a Q&A YouTube video I did below in which one question and answer was related to stem cell supplements.

Note that I actually had an old post (Top 5 possible natural stem cell boosts) on possible simple ways to possibly boost stem cell numbers in a more general sense, but admittedly even these ideas are speculative and do not involve supplements or paying money. For example, try to sleep a healthy amount and especially exercise more in certain ways.

At this point in my view exercise seems like maybe the only possibly reliable and safe way to impact certain kinds of stem cell numbers in your body.

Well see in coming years or decades if any specific supplement can convincingly do something useful that is stem cell-related based on more research. Its also important to consider that anything that boosts stem cell numbers could also pose the risk of unwanted consequences like abnormal cell or tissue growth.

Will there ever be a stem cell pill that one can take to somehow improve your stem cells in numbers or function in a safe way that positively impacts specific aspects of your health? Well see but right now there is nothing like that.

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Fact-checking stem cell supplements in 2022 - The Niche

Your gut is a wondrous place. A special layer of cells that coats the insides of your small and large intestines takes in nutrients and water from what you ate while keeping anything bad out of your system. This layer is called the intestinal epithelium. It completely renews itself every four to seven days using stem cells. These are a special cell type that can both self-renew by dividing and differentiated to give rise to any other types of cells to renew your organs. Scientists still do not know how exactly they make these decisions however, or what defines a stem cell.

Bernat Corominas-Murtra, previously postdoc at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and now assistant professor at the University of Graz, and Edouard Hannezo, professor at ISTA, worked together with an international group of experimental researchers led by the Jacco Van Rheenen team in Amsterdam to study the stem cells in the intestinal epithelium. They found an exciting new mechanism that could change our understanding of what a stem cell is.

The intestinal epithelium is just one layer of cells thick and constantly renewed. It is all over the villi which look like tiny tentacles covering the insides of the small and large intestines. Between the villi, there are tiny pockets in the tissue called intestinal crypts. That name may invoke some mystery and that may be not too far off what really happens there. At the bottom of the crypts, stem cells in the epithelium are constantly dividing. Some of the resulting cells remain as stem cells in the crypt and the others are pushed outwards towards to tip of the surrounding villi, Corominas-Murtra explains, there, in the end, they differentiate into functional cell types that allow intestinal function and which are discarded after a few days. This happens all the time inside your body and if this mechanism breaks down, you can get into serious medical trouble.

While studying these stem cells in the small and large intestines, the scientists were initially perplexed. How we usually think of stem cells is that being a stem cell is determined by intrinsic biochemical properties of a cell something like a biochemical marker we can identify, Corominas-Murtra continues. We found that among the cells that had this traditional stem cell marker, many of them never actually worked as stem cells but were pushed out of the crypts to be discarded instead, without contributing at all to the long-term renewal of the gut. We also saw that while classical markers predicted about the same number of stem cells in both the small and large intestines, there were about twice as many of them actually working as stem cells in the small intestine than in the large intestine. The scientists therefore wanted to understand what determines which cells actually act as stem cells and they found a surprising new mechanism that regulates the stem cells in the crypts.

We found that whether these cells behave as a stem cell or not is all about their location! Cells in the epithelium are not just pushed outwards from the crypt by the cell divisions below them like on a conveyor belt but there is another kind of motion involved, Corominas-Murtra explains. The scientists found that cells in the epithelium layer also actively move around in random directions back and forth along the conveyor belt if you will. This way, cells that were already pushed along the conveyor belt for a bit can end up back at the base of the crypt, and act there again as stem cells to divide and replenish the epithelium. Edouard Hannezo explains the possible implications of these findings, These movements constitute a new environmental mechanism that determines which cells get to functionally act as stem cells. In the small intestine, the molecular signal regulating the movements is stronger than in the large intestine, so cells can move more frequently back into the crypt. This explains why there are more actually working stem cells in the small intestine than in the large ones. This could have major implications for our understanding of what a stem cell actually is and how to use them in medical applications.

This insight builds on previous research by Bernat Corominas-Murtra and Edouard Hannezo at ISTA and the work of the Van Rheenen group. Originally coming from a physics background, Corominas-Murtra and Hannezo created an advanced mathematical model of the intestinal epithelium layer which included the motion of the cells both away from and back towards the crypt. Using their model, they could predict the number of actually working stem cells in the small and large intestines. A number of other research groups from all around Europe designed experiments using the latest methods in microscopy and genetics to test the predictions and found them to be accurate. They even tried to inhibit the chemical signal in the crypts and saw that this reduced the number of working stem cells as predicted.

Reference:Azkanaz M, Corominas-Murtra B, Ellenbroek SIJ, et al. Retrograde movements determine effective stem cell numbers in the intestine. Nature. 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04962-0

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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New Stem Cell Mechanism Discovered in Intestinal Epithelium

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OverviewWhat is integrative medicine?

Integrative medicine focuses on you as a whole person and not just your illness or disease. While it seeks to understand the underlying cause of your symptoms or condition, it does so by looking at your complete mind, body and spirit. Integrative medicine uses an evidence-based approach to improve your health and wellness.

Integrative medicine believes your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs affect your health. It believes those needs rely on each other and affect your entire well-being. There are many different aspects to address, so integrative medicine uses a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes.

With integrative medicine, the relationships between you and your healthcare providers are important. You are equal partners in your healing process. Integrative medicine aims for well-coordinated care among different providers and specialists. It brings together conventional healthcare approaches (like medication and psychotherapy) and complementary therapies (like acupuncture and yoga). In this way, integrative medicine integrates all aspects of your well-being to achieve optimal health and healing.

A variety of healthcare providers delivers care through integrative medicine. These providers may include:

Integrative medicine physicians dont replace your primary care provider or specialist. They work together with all members of your healthcare team to heal your mind, body and spirit. Their expertise lies in preventing and managing chronic diseases. They dont treat acute medical problems. For acute care and medical emergencies, you should seek help from your primary care or emergency medicine physician.

Many people can benefit from integrative medicine, including healthy people. People with long-lasting (chronic) or complex conditions may especially find the approach helpful. Integrative medicine can help you find relief for many health and medical conditions, including:

Integrative medicine covers a broad range of practices, techniques and services. Integrative medicine techniques may include:

Acupuncture uses thin needles to maintain the flow and balance of your bodys energy (Qi). This can help activate your bodys natural healing capability. Acupuncture may help relieve:

Certified Chinese herbalists use formulas from a traditional Chinese medicine text. It contains thousands of herbs, minerals and other extracts and their intended uses. Chinese herbal therapy may help relieve:

Chiropractic doctors perform soft tissue adjustments and manipulate your spine and joints. Chiropractic therapy may help relieve:

Culinary medicine combines the evidence-based science of food, nutrition and medicine with the joy and art of cooking. It may use special diets, including vegan, low-carb and FODMAP to improve your wellness. Culinary medicine can help improve and/or reverse common chronic diseases. These conditions include:

Holistic psychotherapy uses evidence-based therapies to improve mood, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other symptoms. These therapies include:

Massage therapy uses soft tissue manipulation and body movement to promote health and well-being. It can help treat physical disorders and improve clinical outcomes. Massage therapists can use different techniques to relieve:

Reiki is a method of energy healing that involves balance. It restores your bodys natural energy fields. It can increase vitality, balance your emotions and improve your health. Reiki may help relieve symptoms of various conditions. These may include:

Yoga and tai chi combine specific postures and movements with breathing to unify your mind and body. They may help:

Integrative medicine techniques support your bodys natural ability to heal. It helps you reduce stress and promotes a state of relaxation that leads to better health. It can help you achieve optimal health when you engage in your own healing and feel empowered to make lifestyle changes. Adding integrative medicine to your healthcare routine can help you regain control of your well-being.

All recommended therapies and lifestyle changes are very safe with minimal risk. But the treatments arent substitutes for regular medical care from your primary care physician and specialists. Integrative medicine should be used together with your regular medical treatments. Integrative medicine providers communicate their care recommendations with your other medical providers. In this way, they can coordinate care and avoid confusion.

Your outlook depends on your diagnosis, health history and treatments you receive. Ways you can improve the likelihood of good results include:

You should be in contact with your healthcare provider throughout treatment. Letting them know about the integrative medicine therapies youre receiving helps them better tailor care to keep you safe.

Integrative medicine and functional medicine are similar, but they approach healing in slightly different ways. Integrative medicine seeks to understand you as a whole person. It uses many different types of therapy to heal your mind, body and spirit. Functional medicine seeks to identify and treat the underlying cause of your condition. It centers on the idea that one condition may have many causes or one cause can have many conditions.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Integrative medicine uses a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes to treat and heal the whole person. It focuses on your complete mind, body and soul and uses an evidence-based approach to improve your health and wellness. With integrative medicine, the relationships between you and your healthcare providers are very important. Always remember, you are an equal partner in your healing process. Maintain open communication with all of your providers to help you get the most out of treatment.

Continued here:
Integrative Medicine: What Is It, Types, Risks & Benefits

This 2022 Healthline Stronger Scholarship winner believes integrative medicine will revolutionize the conventional understanding of health and disease.

From a young age, Rodrigo Bravo has felt frustrated with the limitations of Western medicine. He lives with nephrotic syndrome, a type of kidney disorder.

Doctors told Bravo at age 10 that his kidneys may never function properly and that his life may be shortened as a result of the condition.

Yet they could not tell him what caused the condition. Some doctors suspected that there was an environmental factor (like a toxin) involved, though the exact culprit is still a mystery.

Bravo eventually made a spontaneous recovery from the disease, but the experience stuck with him.

He realized that Western medicine needed to start taking into account other aspects of a persons life such as their nutrition, stress, environment, and even subconscious trauma in order to better understand disease and find new ways to promote healing.

Now a public health advocate and physician-in-training, Bravo hopes to gain an even deeper understanding of integrative medicine. The goal: help people better manage the health effects of climate change.

The 28-year-old will start his first year of graduate studies at Yale University this fall. He plans to launch a consultancy to help healthcare centers set up integrative medicine programs and one day run his own clinics.

I am an example of the radical healing that can occur as a result of mind-body unity, and I am so excited to bring this to everyone, he said.

We asked Bravo about his studies, goals, and obstacles. Heres what he had to say.

This interview has been edited for brevity, length, and clarity.

My lifelong passion for helping others heal was inspired by the illnesses I experienced in my early life.

Throughout my childhood and into my mid-20s, I endured a number of rare and chronic conditions that Western medicine could not resolve.

At age 10, I was told that my kidneys might never properly function and that my life expectancy would likely be reduced.

It wasnt until I looked into integrative and holistic medicine that I found life changing solutions for my own health. I quickly began asking questions about how we could improve the healthcare system for others in a similar position.

I grew up with a model of Western medicine that failed to consider the role of things like nutrition, lifestyle, stress, and the environment, all of which can affect diseases and overall well-being.

It also failed to take into account subconscious trauma, spiritual health, and the mind-body connection, which felt critical for me. These elements are the bread and butter of the rapidly evolving field of integrative medicine.

My goal is to help the allopathic (or Western) model of medicine better incorporate these aspects of health and wellness into patient care.

During and after my time at Harvard, I ran a marketing accelerator called BAST Marketing Lab, which helped start-ups that were focused on social and planetary good. It was later reborn as Bee Positive, an accelerator for integrative medicine initiatives.

I was in the middle of bringing reiki and biofield medicine (a type of complementary and alternative medicine) to the largest Veterans Affairs hospital in Georgia when COVID-19 hit, which unfortunately put the project in the backseat.

In the meantime, I started medical school and began exploring neurotechnology, neuro- and bio-feedback, and technology-facilitated mind-body medicine. I helped launch Supermind, a start-up focused on mental health. It uses neurotechnology to address psychological conditions through brainwave training.

In the future, I plan to launch Bravo Conscious Health, a consultancy to help healthcare centers expand their integrative medicine programs and clinics.

I will also debut my own sustainable clinics that will offer therapies based on the science of psychoneuroimmunology. Thats the study of how thoughts, beliefs, and emotions affect the functioning of the nervous and immune systems.

A new era of conscious medicine is trying to emerge in the United States as we catch up with older cultures that have understood and applied the power of the mind-body connection and transpersonal psychology for thousands of years.

It is trying to revolutionize the mainstream understanding of health and disease. It also comes with an agenda to resolve social and planetary injustices.

Concepts such as spiritual health, emotional health, and climate change are fundamental to understanding an individuals health. But theyve often been left out of the conversations people have with their doctors and healthcare team.

To inspire the next era of medicine, well need to educate people on what it means to include planetary, transpersonal, and emotional well-being in healthcare. Well also need to influence policy decisions and incorporate these ideas into modern healthcare.

Overcoming these obstacles will require a deeper understanding of current problems. Well also need cooperation among changemakers and leaders who want to see evolution in allopathic medicine.

Ive been interested in global health since I was young and living with nephrotic syndrome, a poorly understood condition that affects the kidneys.

No one knows exactly what caused my condition or why I eventually made a spontaneous recovery. However, doctors have considered the possibility of a connection to something in the environment, such as a toxin, an infectious disease worsened by the climate, or radiation exposure while my mother was pregnant with me in Bolivia.

My happy ending is not common, though especially among those living in places with limited access to nutritious foods and clean drinking water.

Now as a public health advocate and physician-in-training at one of the most sun-beaten places in the United States, I have already observed the effects of climate change on the community. Im seeing more instances of heat-associated conditions, like heat stroke and dehydration.

Its important to note that the changing climate can also affect mental health. My work at Supermind involves using neurotechnology to support mental wellness.

As we prepare for a future where mental illness will be exacerbated by extreme weather and natural disasters, I am driven to continue working at the intersection of climate change and medicine.

Our bodies reflect what is happening inside of us, as well as in our surroundings. Those who are already experiencing the health effects of climate change are instrumental in helping us achieve a course correction.

They are evidence that our current terms of engagement with Mother Earth are not working, and we need a change in science and policy.

I would encourage people to write to their elected officials and legislators about their policy concerns and ask them to prioritize environmental health. You could also include letters from your physicians explaining the relationship between your medical conditions and the changing climate.

Sharing personal stories on social media can also be a powerful way to support environmental activism. You can also find other opportunities to get involved through advocacy groups.

Lastly, I would encourage people to vote every chance they get and to urge their family and friends to vote in the direction of planetary and environmental health.

Excerpt from:
Rodrigo Bravo: Working at the Intersection of Climate Change and Medicine - Healthline

CDIs industry-leading non-invasive at-home hydrogen and methane breath tests for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO) as well as fructose, lactose, and sucrose malabsorption are now available for ordering via Rupa Health platform.

We are thrilled to partner with Rupa Health and look forward to working together to deliver diagnostic care to patients when and where they need it, said Craig S. Strasnick, President and CEO of CDI. Making CDIs cost-effective diagnostic solutions available on the Rupa platform will provide greater access to naturopathic and integrative practitioners and their patients nationwide and help expedite treatments with more precise and timely results from our experienced lab staff.

Per the strategic partnership, Rupa will provide services including marketing support and order processing services for CDIs portfolio of industry-leading diagnostic solutions. Tests now available for ordering on the Rupa platform include non-invasive at-home hydrogen and methane breath tests for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO) as well as fructose, lactose, and sucrose malabsorption.

Continued Strasnick, The holistic approach to health, wellness, and nutrition strongly emphasizes disease prevention. A central tenant of this approach is that good health starts with good digestion and gut health. Our tests are easy-to-use, quick, and safe for patients and support meaningful GI health outcomes by helping steer a practitioners approach to dietary modification, homeopathic remedies, nutritional supplementation, immune support, high-quality probiotics, and additional testing.

Founded in 2015 in Salem, Massachusetts, and operating out of its CLIA-certified laboratory and as an FDA-registered, ISO 13485-certified medical device manufacturer, CDI has partnerships with leading health systems, hospitals, and private practices worldwide. Benefits of CDIs at-home breath testing program include:

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Commonwealth Diagnostics International (CDI) Expands Access to Naturopathic & Integrative Medicine Community Through New Partnership with Rupa...

Getting sick from COVID is bad enough, but for many it doesn't just end there. Millions will experience a long list of lingering symptomslike brain fog, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, neurological symptoms and GI issues for weeks, months and possibly years after the initial infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "New data from the Household Pulse Survey show that more than 40% of adults in the United States reported having COVID-19 in the past, and nearly one in five of those (19%) are currently still having symptoms of "long COVID." Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with experts who explain how COVID affects the gut and signs you have Long COVID. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

Raphael Kellman, MD, a Physician of Integrative and Functional Medicine tells us, "Research is showing that the COVID virus can actually impact and adversely affect the microbiome, which then results in inflammation in intestinal permeability, and a host of consequences that occur when the gastrointestinal wall becomes more permeable than it should be to toxins, environmental chemicals, and byproducts of bacterial metabolites. That can then cause a number of problems in the body, including inflammation and even oral immunity. A component of the effects of coronavirus is its impact on the microbiome and that's even if you don't have gastrointestinal symptoms. So that's why improving the microbiome is a very important component in the healing of COVID. Also, dealing with vaccines in vaccine injury assists with prevention and the treatment of long haul COVID."

Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., Integrative Medicine Physician, Researcher and Bestselling Author From Fatigued to Fantastic! adds, "In some people, COVID likes to make a persistent home for itself in the gut lining. As the gut makes more brain and mood controlling neurotransmitters than the brain itself, This can trigger the persistent brain fog and anxiety frequently seen in long haulers."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Dr. Teitelbaum says, "It is not uncommon to see people come down with persistent diarrhea and sometimes nausea as part of their Long Covid."

Dr. Kellman adds, "Many people who've had no gastrointestinal symptoms before they got COVID have developed gastrointestinal symptoms. There's no doubt about it. Certainly, if one has an autoimmune gastrointestinal disease like Colitis or Crohn's disease, they're more susceptible to exacerbation. People who have had no gastrointestinal disease, symptom or problem at all developed GI and COVID related problems. They could persist for quite a while."

Dr. Teitelbaum explains, "Although the research has been done actually showing persistent parts of the Covid virus in the gut lining, these tests are not available outside of research settings. But they look very different on colonoscopy and biopsy. The main tipoff? That the gut symptoms started with a viral infection didn't go away."

Dr. Kellman states, "Well, first of all if someone had Crohn's before they would know. But if it's a new onset with Crohn's, you could get mucus and/or blood in the stool, same thing with Colitis. This is not as common with COVID, but there's a lot of crossovers because COVID can induce autoimmunity as well. So, it can be a trigger for Colitis and Crohn's disease. COVID could really cause many problems. It's a really difficult disease, as it has many weapons to it."

Dr. Teitelbaum shares, "In those that I treat, I begin with ivermectin 20 27 mg a day (depending on the person's weight) for five days along with Pepcid 20 to 40 mg twice a day. Interestingly, Pepcid has been shown to have marked immune and anti-COVID activities in a good number of studies. A recent Yale study also showed reactivation of the Epstein-Barr (Mono) Virus in people with Long Covid, and we have known for decades that Pepcid stimulates your immune system in ways that are helpful for this as well. In addition, Our recently published studies showed that a unique form of ginseng very high in rare ginsenosides resulted in 67% average increase in energy in post viral chronic fatigue syndrome."

According to Dr. Kellman, "There are absolutely things that can be done and it relates to restoring the microbiome. COVID can adversely affect the health of the microbiome. It reduces its diversity and it can absolutely reduce percentages of certain healthy bacteria in the gut and overgrowth of some other bacteria. So, number one, reestablishing some balance of the microbiome and helping it to endogenously become healthier so that it could flourish. A very important component of treatments is the use of both probiotics and prebiotics. Prebiotics are the nutrients that are used to help a healthy gut microbiome to proliferate and become more diversified. Probiotics that have immune modulating and anti-inflammatory effects,.are important to incorporate to assist with relief. When the microbiome is adversely affected by COVID, it can lead to an immunological flare up, even autoimmunity. So, you want to use the types of probiotics that tend to modulate and reduce the overactive immune expression."

Dr. Kellman lists the following GI symptoms that can happen with Long COVID:

"Persistent abdominal discomfort and cramps is certainly one possible sign that COVID has affected your gut.

Constipation and/or diarrhea is another sign, some people actually have alternating constipation and diarrhea post COVID.

Bloating is another symptom that I've seen.

When there's gastrointestinal symptoms, invariably, there are other systemic symptoms as well, such as brain fog and difficulty concentrating anxiety. It's rare that you'll see someone with long haul COVID and that they only have gastrointestinal symptoms. It's quite common that it's associated with problems in the brain as well, including anxiety, depression, brain fog, poor memory and difficulty concentrating, which is very common."

Dr. Teitelbaum shares, "The main symptoms of long Covid are fatigue, brain fog, achiness, and insomnia. Although you may have symptoms localized just to the gut, the onset after Covid and the association of these other symptoms suggests that possible long Covid needs to be addressed."

Dr. Teitelbaum tells us, "The more often one gets COVID, the more likely they are to have more severe illness. But in an otherwise young healthy and low risk population, the risk is still low. What is most important is to maintain optimal health and immune function. This can be as simple as taking a good daily multivitamin with zinc 15 mg, vitamin D 1000 units and other key nutrients. I recommend either the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder or a combination of Clinical Essentials plus Virapro. Remember, 40% of people who get the virus have no symptoms whatsoever. And only about 20% of people in a household where somebody has the virus catches it. So simple measures such as a good multivitamin, getting your eight hours of sleep a day, and staying hydrated can make all the difference in the world."

Dr. Kellman explains, "It's most important for people to realize that long haul COVID is a big problem. Some studies show as high as 30% of people who've had COVID develop some form of long haul COVID and sometimes symptoms can start months later. So, it's very tricky to diagnose and sometimes people don't see the connection.

It's very elusive but it could have significant adverse consequences, not only in the fact that many people feel so terrible, but it could have detrimental effects on the brain and other organs. Causing persistent inflammation, which can then lead to a number of different problems, including coronary artery disease, neurological problems and neurological inflammation, which can then lead to neurodegenerative disorders and poor cognitive function. It's important to understand that number one, it needs to be diagnosed and identified and people need to be more aware of this possibility that their symptoms may be due to long haul COVID and not just say aging or "I'm just not feeling so good these days." Make the connection that if you've had COVID and you're having these symptoms, this definitely could be long haul COVID. In fact, some people have long haul COVID who had very mild symptoms with COVID. And then a few weeks or a month later they have long haul COVID symptoms such as brain fog, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, poor memory, and common fatigue among others." And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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Signs You May Have COVID in Your Gut After Infection Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

One simple breathing technique that takes just over a minute to complete could help you fall asleep faster and get a better night's rest overall, according to experts.

The technique, known as 4-7-8 breathing, was developed by Dr. Andrew Weila trained medical doctor and founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.

Weil developed the technique, which is based on breathing exercises found in yoga, for the purposes of managing stress and anxiety.

But experts told Newsweek the technique can also be useful for people who are having trouble sleeping.

Sleep is crucial to our physical and mental health, enabling our body to recover and wake up feeling refreshed.

But large portions of the population don't get sufficient sleep, have poor sleep quality, or have trouble falling asleep as a result of sleep disorders, medical conditions or mental health issues.

According to the American Sleep Association, 50 to 70 million adults in the United States have a sleep disorder, with insomnia being the most common one.

Around 10 percent of adults suffer from chronic insomnia, while many more suffer short-term issues. Meanwhile around 25 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apneaa sleep disorder characterized by repeated obstruction to the airway during sleep.

In addition, 35 percent of adults report getting less than seven hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour periodless than the minimum recommend amount.

"The 4-7-8 breath that I teach is the most powerful relaxation method that I've discovered," Weil said in a video demonstration of the technique. "It's very simple, requires no equipment, takes very little time, costs nothing."

This is how to practise the technique correctly:

The speed with which you do the technique is not necessarily important. What is important is maintaining the 4-7-8 ratio between the counts.

According to Weil, this is a technique that you have to practise regularlyat least twice a dayto benefit from fully.

"You can do it more frequently than twice a day but never more than four breath cycles at one time," Weil said in the video.

According to Weil, it may take four to six weeks before you notice any physiological changes from the practise.

Over time he said it could help to lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, improve circulation, and to help people fall asleep.

"It is the most effective anti-anxiety techniques that I've found," he said. "I've taught it to patients with the most extreme forms of panic disorder, who eventually brought that under control, just relying on this breathing technique."

According to Patrick McKeown, a leading international expert on breathing and sleep, and author of bestselling books like The Oxygen Advantage, changing our breathing can have a profound impact on our physical and mental states.

"With breathing exercises one can down-regulate and up-regulate, giving us control over how our minds and bodies react to external stimuli," McKeown told Newsweek. "For sleep, breathing and mental health, functional breathing is instrumental.

"Knowing what exercises to practise can be life changing as we learn to change states. It's not about taking the deep breath. It's much more than that!"

According to McKeown, how a person breathes during the day will influence our breathing patterns during sleep.

"If our breathing patterns mean we are breathing through the mouth, with a faster rate and from the upper chest, (rather than from the diaphragm) this will increase the risk of sleep issues including insomnia, snoring and sleep apnea."

McKeown said that for people with functional breathing who are able to slow down their respiratory rate to around three breaths per minutelike during 4-7-8 exerciseextended exhalation will help activate the bodies relaxation response.

"When the rest and digest response is activated, one feels sleepy and experience increased watery saliva in the mouth," he said. "Slowing breathing rate also enables a better gas exchange to take place from the lungs to the blood.

"Practising this breathing technique before going to bed will not only help people fall asleep but will noticeably improve quality of sleep and when practiced regularly, will lead to a better quality of life all around."

Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist who is a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, told Newsweek he is a "huge fan" of the 4-7-8 breathing technique.

According to Breus, the technique lowers the heart rate to the point it needs to be at night when some is trying to fall asleep.

"I have adopted this method, as both a 'help you fall asleep' but more of a 'help you get back to sleep' method," Breus told Newsweek. "Most people do not know this metric, but in order to get to a state of unconsciousness you need a heart rate of 60 or below, to get there. So, when you wake up in the middle of the night and your anxiety is high because you looked at the clock, this can help you get back to sleep."

In addition, Breus said there is plenty of data to show that diaphragmatic breathing helps to lower anxiety, which has been linked to difficulties falling and staying asleep.

"Most people are what we call 'shallow breathers' meaning that they do not use their full lung capacity, unless during full-on physical activity," Breus said. "This type of breathing requires more breaths per minute to get the required volume of air to live. More breaths per minute equals increased heart rateand we know we need to get to 60, which is usually down from where people tend to sit naturally (unless you are an athlete)."

Breathing for four counts in will slowly fill the lungs, holding for seven enables oxygen exchange to the fullest, and breathing out for eight pushes all the excess carbon dioxide out of the lungs and allows more fresh, highly oxygenated air to enter the system, and so the heart does not have to work as hard, according to Breus. This leads to a lowering of the heart rate.

McKeown said it is important to note that not everyone will be able to practise 4-7-8 breathing.

"People with poor breathing already experience a breathlessness that we call 'air hunger'. Slowing down the respiratory rate to three breaths per minute will be impossible for them to practise. It could even cause a disruption to their breathing," he said.

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The Breathing Trick That Could Help You Fall Asleep Almost Instantly - Newsweek

The Karnataka Health Vision Group, constituted by the state government in January 2021, released their report recommending various health system reforms, on Wednesday.

The report, titled 'Advancing peoples Health in Karnataka: Vision for Progress', recommends a sharp hike in the states investment in healthcare from 4.7% of GDP (in 2019), to 8% by 2025. This is in line with the 15th Finance Commissions recommendations, says the report.

Senior professor of epidemiology, Nimhans, G Gururaj, who headed the Vision Group, said the fundamental goal was to make public health services available, accessible and affordable to all. The report, to which 250 doctors had contributed, says that decentralised, district-level health systems should be strengthened. All citizens should be able to access all healthcare programmes including specialty services within a 50-km radius.

Read | Four years after launch, Ayushman Bharat reaches 30% of beneficiaries

The report also says that Karnatakas many health programmes and policies will be effective only if streamlined and routinely monitored, and recommends steps for these. The state should commission a pilot study in three districts to identify areas of investment in coming years.

The report adds that Karnatakas current disease surveillance system is weak, not only for non-communicable and occupational diseases, but also for communicable diseases. An integrated surveillance architecture should be set up to tackle this.

The report states that a life course perspective should be adopted, to address healthcare needs in various life stages - that is, for children, youth, middle-aged and elderly. For example, occupational health services should be integrated into primary healthcare for the benefit of the middle-aged.

It identifies less accessible areas like mental and neurological services, and also recommends setting up a state council for inclusion and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Since many health interventions need multi-sectoral coordination, each district should have a committee headed by the district commissioner to oversee such programmes.

Recommendations

Districts should have data on healthcare institutions, including bed availability and cost; All institutions should undergo accreditation for quality improvement; Transparency in drug procurement; resolve issues of drug quality, storage; Create health IT policy, health IT cells to monitor programmes and provide services and State Health Council for Integrative Medicine and Healthcare to integrate AYUSH into health system.

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Karnataka Health Vision Group recommends hike in healthcare investment to 8% of GDP - Deccan Herald