Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdVfxNKh-3Y/

A new study suggests that popular GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound may be linked to a higher risk of male-pattern hair loss in men who are already genetically susceptible.

NYU dermatologists analyzed genetic data tabulating both GLP-1 receptor activity and androgenetic alopecia, that is hair loss. They found that genetically predicted higher GLP-1 receptor activity was associated with about a 7 percent higher risk of male-pattern hair loss. The association remained after accounting for hypertension, insulin resistance and lower testosterone. 

Interesting result, but the study only pinpoints an association. The researchers did not actually follow men taking Ozempic or Wegovy and measure any resultant hair loss. They used an inherited genetic variation in the GLP-1 receptor gene as a proxy for increased GLP-1 activity. 

*However, where there is smoke, there may be fire. Hair shedding has already been reported by GLP-1 users but is often attributed to rapid weight loss. This study raises the possibility that GLP-1 signaling itself may be the cause. Future studies are needed to determine the exact mechanism, which men are at risk, and whether the same relationship exists in women.

References on my website.

#Ozempic #Wegovy #GLP1 #HairLoss #MedicalResearch

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdVfMCWuQXY/

A compound naturally found in foods like spinach, almonds and sweet potatoes may unexpectedly worsen the intestinal inflammation suffered by people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. That compound is oxalate, already known to potentiate the development of kidney stones.

Gastroenterologists at the University of North Carolina studied people with inflammatory bowel disease and find that those with Crohn’s disease have higher levels of oxalate in their stool, even when their plant-food intake is similar to that of healthy controls. Investigating the cause, they show that the two proteins necessary for transporting oxalate out of the intestine, SLC26A2 and SLC26A3, are consistently reduced in those with IBD. 

They went on to study the phenomenon use mouse models of IBD. Adding oxalate to the diet intensified colitis. In one model, mice receiving supplemental oxalate were 60 percent less likely to survive.

*The researchers emphasize that this new information does not mean people with IBD should stop eating vegetables or other healthy plant foods, but they certainly should avoid those with higher oxalate levels. In the future, it may be possible to identify those patients with lower levels of oxalate-transporting proteins as candidates for replacement therapy as well as personalized, lower-oxalate diets or treatments with oxalate-digesting gut bacteria. 

References on my website.

#IBD #CrohnsDisease #UlcerativeColitis #GutHealth #MedicalResearch

Vidcast:   https://www.instagram.com/p/DdVeXfUBO_Y/

One giant barrier to effective immunotherapy for solid tumors is the inability of killer T cells to penetrate tumors. Enter surgical bioengineers at the Stanford Cancer Institute with new methodology for “supercharging” natural killer cells, NK cells for short, and improving their ability to infiltrate solid tumors and eradicate the cells within. 

Finding that the strongest killer cells carry a molecular marker, the ectonuclease CD39, the researchers were able isolate these cells and deploy them in the test tube against individual epithelial tumor cells.  These CD39 T cells also showed enhanced abilities to penetrate clusters of tumor cells or organoids.

These CD39 killer cells performed particularly well when combined with cetuximab, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibiting antibody already FDA-approved for treatment of certain colorectal and head-and-neck cancers. Use a preclinical mouse model, the combination suppressed tumor growth substantially better than either treatment alone. 

This research predicts the possibility of an “off-the-shelf” cell therapy. Unlike a number of current immunotherapy treatments that require manufacturing a personalized product for each patient, NK C39 cells could be produced in batches, frozen, and administered as needed for any number of patients.

*This therapeutic approach remains highly experimental with impressive results so far only in laboratory studies and in mice. The Stanford investigators are preparing a Phase I clinical trial in people with advanced squamous cell carcinoma, pending regulatory approval. 

References on my website. 

#CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #NaturalKillerCells #CancerTreatment #MedicalBreakthrough

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdVdMBnNCkh/

A new technique developed by bioengineers at The University of Texas-Dallas slashes the time necessary to produce a custom zirconia crown from 20 to 100 hours to less than 30 minutes. Zirconia is a durable, tooth-colored ceramic widely employed for fabricating dental crowns.

The new process used for creation of the zirconia crown is so-called vat photopolymerization.  The time consuming portion of the process is known as thermal debinding. The researchers are able to accelerate this process by combining vacuum debinding and rapid heating of the material with porous graphite felts leading to a 40-200 fold reduction in processing time.

*This exciting manufacturing advance remains in the research stage, and it must be commercialized before your dentist will be able to deliver a polished, digitally-designed and fabricated zirconia crown in 30 minutes or even the same day.  Stay tuned!

References on my website. 

#DentalInnovation #3DPrinting #DentalCrowns #Zirconia #HealthTechnology

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdVcmP3JDu5/

Current diet drugs, the GLP-1s, do help you lose weight, but they trigger muscle loss. The good news: nutritionists at UC-Berkeley now report that an old experimental compound, TOFA, coaxes your body to burn more energy without curbing your appetite. For you biochemists, TOFA stands for 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furoic acid.

In a preclinical study published in the journal Science Advances, obese mice fed TOFA increase their energy expenditure by as much as 18%, lose body fat without significant loss of lean muscle, and show improvements in blood sugar, triglycerides and fatty liver disease. 

TOFA is not an appetite suppressant like the current diet drugs but rather activates metabolic pathways that encourage cells to burn fat and produce more energy. Combining TOFA with semaglutide or tirzepatide produced even greater weight loss and metabolic improvements in the mice than either treatment alone. 

*A final thought: TOFA has not yet been tested in humans. Its safety, effectiveness and its ability to drive weight loss in you and I while preserving our muscle masses is completely unknown. 

The references for this report are available on my website.

#Obesity #WeightLoss #TOFA #Metabolism #HealthNews

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdVbxjNvhbO/

A massive new meta-analysis involving more than 100 million people followed in 32 studies finds that recreational use of cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines is associated with substantially higher stroke risk, even for those under 55. The study, from neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge, was published in the International Journal of Stroke.

For those of all ages, cocaine use was associated with a 96% higher risk of stroke, amphetamine use with a 122% higher risk, and cannabis with a 37% higher risk. Among people under 55, amphetamine use was associated with a 174% increase, while cocaine was associated with a 97% increase and cannabis with a 14% increase. 

*Remember that people of any age can develop devastating strokes.  These recreational drugs can produce sudden blood-pressure surges, constrict blood vessels, disturb heart rhythms, and increase blood clotting.  Any or all of these events can trigger either a devastating blockage or bleeding in the brain.

The references for this report are available on my website.

#Stroke #Cannabis #Cocaine #Amphetamines #HealthNews

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdUax77twZx/

Rockefeller University molecular biologists show that this intense exercise releases 100-fold more beneficial proteins into your bloodstream. Their study was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. 

Researchers studied 19 young, healthy men who performed either six 30-second, all-out cycling sprints, just three minutes of intense effort, or 90 minutes of continuous moderate cycling. Immediately after the sprint workout, nearly 25% of the proteins measured in the blood had changed, compared with less than 0.25% after moderate cycling. More than 200 metabolites also changed after sprinting. 

Many of the proteins activated by sprinting are involved in blood-vessel growth, tissue remodeling and communication between organs. When the researchers compared these proteins with health data from more than 53,000 people in the UK Biobank, they were associated with lower risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiometabolic diseases.

*These results shouldn’t drive you to perform only intense exercise. It does show that  higher exercise intensity can dramatically change the biological signals and levels of beneficial proteins  produced by exercise.  It won’t hurt, though, to add these sprints to your routine in moderation if you are able.

The references for this report are available on my website.

#Exercise #Sprinting #Metabolism #Diabetes #HealthNews

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdUZWxAv5cj/

This test is the FIT test standing for Fecal Immunochemical Test.  It is a sensitive method for detecting minute amounts of blood in stool. That blood is the sign that there is trouble ahead.

Surgical researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and Umeå University followed 376,511 people for up to 14 years. This screening program mailed each participant a kit every two years and asked for a stool sample. If blood was detected, additional testing, usually a colonoscopy, was offered.

For those who returned their kits and participated fully, the risk of dying from prostatic cancer is 43% lower than for those who remained unscreened.

*Though this observational study cannot prove that screening itself is responsible for this dramatic reduction, it does suggest that participating in colorectal cancer screening can save lives. You can buy these FIT tests online. They can and should be used during the intervals between your colonoscopies to pick up dangerous changes in a timely fashion.

References on my website. 

#ColorectalCancer #CancerScreening #ColonCancer #EarlyDetection #MedicalResearch

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdUYlM9Tn6E/

Guys—-Do listen up!

Men consuming larger amounts of ultra-processed foods including soft drinks, packaged snacks, cereals, and those processed luncheon meats have a 29% to 30% higher risk of prostate cancer compared with men in the lowest-consumption group.

Preventive medicine researchers at Florida Atlantic University analyzed nationally representative dietary and health data from 17,024 U.S. men participating from 2003 through 2023. The study was observational, so it doesn’t prove that ultra-processed foods cause prostate cancer.

*This is yet another reason to cut down on your consumption of ultra-processed foods in of favor fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other minimally processed foods. Doing so won’t guarantee that you won’t develop prostate cancer, but it might just improve your odds.

References on my website. 

#ProstateCancer #UltraProcessedFoods #MensHealth #CancerPrevention #MedicalResearch

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdUXv9uPn_O/

Yale researchers find that one of the unexpected byproducts of dieting is the reduction of agents that degrade our tissues. That process is under the control of the immune system component C3. This protein normally increases with age and is known to increase the inflammation that degrades our tissues.

The New Haven immunobiologists studied 42 participants in the so-called CALERIE trial. These subjects reduced their caloric intake by 11 to 14% over a two year period. Blood testing revealed that their C3 levels diminished in association with weight loss.

Studying this phenomenon in mice, the researchers found that C3 levels increase with age and  that the agent is produced by scavenger white cells, macrophages, that proliferate fat tissue. When researchers C3 activation is blocked, the mice develop less age-related inflammation.

* Unfortunately, there is currently no C3-blocking drug that can make you live longer, so don’t start searching the web for one. Yale researchers at on the hunt. Their studies do identify a potentially important biological pathway through which moderate calorie restriction may promote healthier aging.  

References on my website.

#Aging #Longevity #CalorieRestriction #Inflammation #MedicalResearch