Many athletes take painkillers regularly after intense workout sessions. The reason being, any muscle injury, inflammation, soreness, stiffness and aches can be handled with these medicines. But a new study suggests that these anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs often harm the muscles rather than doing any good. A Stanford Medicine study supports this view and proposes a new study, based on the inflammatory component to treat muscle degeneration with muscle stem cells.

The stem cells in muscles are scattered across the skeletal muscle tissue. They remain inactive until they are divided by stimulation. When our muscles go through an injury or damage, an inflammatory component activates these muscle stem cells, so they start regenerating the tissue.

The team at Stanford suggests that a molecule, Prostaglandin E2 or PGE2, gets released when the muscle sends the inflammatory signal. This component stimulates the repairing process by aiming at the EP4 receptor, located on the surface of muscle stem cells. The muscle stem cells division is caused by the interaction between PGE2 and EP4, which leads to muscle tissue regeneration.

Dr. Helen Blau, the senior author of the study, said, “Traditionally, inflammation has been considered a natural, but sometimes harmful, response to injury. But we wondered whether there might be a component in the pro-inflammatory signaling cascade that also stimulated muscle repair. We found that a single exposure to prostaglandin E2 has a profound effect on the proliferation of muscle stem cells in living animals. We postulated that we could enhance muscle regeneration by simply augmenting this natural physiological process in existing stem cells already located along the muscle fiber.”

They have conducted a study on a mice model and it reveals that the PGE2 is increased by injuries and that in turn increases the expression of the EP4 receptor. This incident leads the team to the idea of treating the mice with PGE2 pulse, so they can stimulate the muscle stem cells to repair the damage.

Dr. Adelaida Palla, the co-first author explained, “When we gave mice a single shot of PGE2 directly to the muscle, it robustly affected muscle regeneration and even increased strength. Conversely, if we inhibited the ability of the muscle stem cells to respond to naturally produced PGE2 by blocking the expression of EP4 or by giving them a single dose of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to suppress PGE2 production, the acquisition of strength was impeded.”

The research clearly shows that painkillers can make the situation worse. Additionally, it also suggests that the molecule; PGE2 can be the natural element to enhance muscle regeneration. Dr. Blau is hopeful that future studies will show more encouraging results with PGE2.  “Our goal has always been to find regulators of human muscle stem cells that can be useful in regenerative medicine. It might be possible to repurpose this already FDA-approved drug for use in muscle. This could be a novel way to target existing stem cells in their native environment to help people with muscle injury or trauma, or even to combat natural aging,” added Dr. Blau.

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The confirmation of pregnancy for women can arouse mixed responses in them as it is the most awaited news for some and a threatening one for others. Both categories of women anxiously wait before the result appears on the pregnancy test kit. Mayo clinic states that results from the home pregnancy kits are 99% accurate. However, the lower percentile of the results is inaccurate and can disappoint or overwhelm the anxious women with happiness with their incorrect results. What makes these kits go wrong when they are claimed to be extremely accurate in ruling out pregnancy?

Early Miscarriage

You may have tested with a positive pregnancy result. However, you get your period following the test. This may be an early miscarriage. According to health experts, the majority of 70% of the conceptions are miscarriages. Most of the women do not even realize that they are pregnant and the period they got is nothing but the debris of a miscarriage. However, for those who await pregnancy, this can be devastating.

Fertility Medications Can Be Blamed

To understand this, one may need to understand the simple concept behind the test kit. The placenta releases a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) once the egg is implanted in the uterus. The amount of this hormone released multiplies within days and results are more accurate once the HCG is found in the urine.

If you are too enthusiastic about taking a pregnancy test quickly after taking the fertility pills containing the pregnancy hormone HCG, it may lead to an incorrect positive. Those who are on fertility drugs are often suggested by medical professionals to wait for a while before checking it on a strip.

Residual HCG Post a Miscarriage or a Delivery

Four to six weeks is normally the threshold before which the HCG still exists in the body after delivery or a miscarriage. Seldom, it happens that a placenta is left in the body to produce the HCG. Till the placenta cells grow in the uterus, the test can lead to a positive result.

Test Sits Too Long

If you follow the instructions of a standard pregnancy test, it will seek your attention in the stipulated time frame. If you make the test sit for a long time before going through the results, the urine on the strip evaporates to appear as two lines instead of one. But it is actually one and the result is negative. In such cases, go for another test immediately and look out for the result in the stipulated time frame.

Expired Kit

There is a possibility that the kit you are using to check pregnancy may be past its expiry date. The chemical that reads the HCG may fade away with time leading to an incorrect result. Check the expiry date of the kit before you purchase it to increase the accuracy level.

It is always suggested by the healthcare experts to visit a doctor as soon as you get a positive result on the home pregnancy kit to doubly confirm the same via a check-up. A blood test will be performed to investigate the HCG in your body and it cannot fool you. It may be an agreeable fact that you wait anxiously to know that you are pregnant, but a little patience can get you accurate results.

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We all know that autism cannot be cured. But Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development researchers have found a way to alleviate the symptoms of autism, thereby offering a better life for children with the condition. And the key to this therapy lies within their own umbilical cord blood stem cells.

The researchers at the Duke conducted a study to find out if the symptoms of autism can be lowered down in degree by infusing blood, derived from their own umbilical cord. They have published their findings in April 2017 and since then it has all the media attention.

The trial involved 25 children between 2 and 6. Geraldine Dawson, director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development confirmed that all the children have displayed improvement in terms of the autistic symptoms. Dawson mentioned, “We measured the children’s social and communication abilities using various tests and parent questionnaires. We found that the infusion was safe and many children showed improvements in their social and language skills.”¹

In this study, the children received stem cells from their own umbilical cord blood. After the infusion, their improvements were being monitored thoroughly. The doctors found that the infusion was completely safe for the children. After one year, these children were called for another round of tests in order to measure their further improvements.

Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, the professor in the department of pediatrics, said that the process is entirely new to them. Dawson said that the study is still at its nascent stage, as they don’t have any standard comparison factor to compare the effectiveness of the therapy for autism, as there was no control group of autistic children involved in the study to compare the results. Dawson added, “Because there was no comparison group in this study, we don’t yet know whether the improvements we observed were because of the cord blood. As much as we’re hopeful that this is helping, we don’t want to prematurely make claims that haven’t been confirmed.”²

After the successful Phase I, the team is ready to start with Phase II trial, which is expected to be completed in two years. Unlike the Phase I, the second Phase will include a blind control group, where children will get a placebo infusion. Moreover, the Phase II will involve 165 children with autism.

Dawson said that the children will be divided into two groups. One group will receive umbilical cord blood stem cells and another group will receive a placebo. The groups will be switched after six months and the children will receive the opposite therapy. This will enable to researchers to find out the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for autism. Kurtzberg added, “There is a remodeling of certain abnormal brain connections [by the microglia], which then results in decreasing symptoms of autism.”³

Though the first trial showed immense improvements in the children, the team is still hesitant to call it a full-proof therapy for treating autism symptoms.  They will be able to answer all the unanswered questions after the comparative Phase II. Kurtzberg added, “At the conclusion of [the Phase II] study, we’ll be able to answer the question about whether cells are effective.”⁴ 

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What is autism? What makes autistic people different from others? What causes autism? There are hundreds of questions in people’s mind when it comes to this condition. What is it actually?

Autism is a mental condition that remains present from the early childhood days and lasts for a lifetime. It’s characterized by minor to major difficulties in social interaction and framing language abstract concepts. And the critical part is, it’s incurable. However, a new study shows that stem cell therapy may show great improvement in children with autism.

It’s the story of Gracie Gregory, one of the 25 autistic children who participated in the study at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina involving stem cells to tone down the issues associated with autism. The idea behind the research was to find out if a transfusion of the self-umbilical cord blood with the rare stem cells can cure autism or at least reduce the severity.

Gracie was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. When Gracie’s mother first came to know about the research, she immediately enrolled her without knowing what to expect and what not to expect. Such was the difficulty; they were facing with their autistic child. There was a time when Gracie’s sister, Ryleigh was afraid of her because of her unmanageable behavior like hitting and kicking. But now that very Ryleigh thinks Gracie is “very sweet and kind.” And it only became possible after the stem cell therapy.

Gracie was on the mild to moderate scale of autism. During the trial, Gracie, then 5, started with the same symptoms like kicking, spitting, screaming and even hitting her therapists. It was almost impossible to make her sit at one place.

The results were beyond what Gracie’s parents were expecting! Her parents recollects how difficult their life was back then when managing her would take 75% of their daily life and now after the therapy she only consumes 10% of their daily time. When asked about rating her improvement on a scale of 1 to 10, her parents proudly rated 8/9.

She now attends regular school, plays with her sister, and enjoys life to the fullest, something that her parent would never have thought of.

According to her father, “We will say we don’t think it’s cured her. You still see some of the small idiosyncrasies that she does have. But again, I think it’s supercharged her learning curve. It’s pushed her to do things she normally wouldn’t do.” Her mother added, “She got better, and we’re just thankful for that — whether it be the stem cells or not. We’re just thankful for what changes have happened”.

Two thirds of the children, involved in the study showed great improvement. This is the results of the first phase of the study and a broader second level trail is on its way, which promises a long-term treatment for autistic children.

Skeptics are still saying that no matter what autism cannot be cured and there are quite a few unanswered questions that need to be addressed before going gaga over it. Even researchers at Duke acknowledge that the study is at a very early stage and still there is a long way to go. But for families like Gregorys, it’s a life-changing experience.

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Duchenne muscular dystrophy or DMD is a serious genetic disorder that affects hundreds of children every year. This disorder leads to conditions like atrophy and muscle weakness. There is no cure for the disease, however, supportive care can be offered to take care of their lungs and heart but these arrangements can only extend their lives till 27.

Now what causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy so dangerous for children? Kids, suffering from DMD cannot produce dystrophin, a protein that helps to keep away the muscles from breaking. The main reason is, these people have gone through a mutation in their gene in the X chromosome, which is responsible for providing the blueprint for dystrophin. The genetic mutation may lead to a more critical situation where most parts of the dystrophin get affected and a result the body stops producing the protein completely.

For some people with DMD, there are so many errors in the gene that the body cancels out the affected protein the moment it’s created. However, what’s more interesting to see is, the researchers have concentrated on the genes that are completely flawed and that interrupt in reading blueprint to produce dystrophin.

In order to address the criticalness of this condition, researches have conducted a study on a mice model. Multiple groups of researchers have harnessed the technique of applying gene editing enzyme complex CRISPR in order to modify the genes of mice with DMD. The technique allows cutting the errors in the genetic code, so that their effects can simply be avoided. After that the body starts to read the gene and then produce a shorter version of the protein that manages to protect the muscles from breaking down so easily, much like the process to treat patients with Becker muscular dystrophy.

The process involves loading the CRISPR complex into a virus and then injecting it to the mice fetus with DMD. The researchers have found that the mice began to create the shortened protein once the virus is injected into them. This helped the mice to resume the power of their muscles, which gradually led to a concrete treatment of their disease. So, the research was quite successful on the mice model.

The findings have generated a thin window of hope for the people, suffering with Duchenne muscular dystrophy mutation as well. But the process was easier for mice, and the researchers know that it’s not going to be the same easy game for humans. Moreover, no matter how foolproof the technique is proved for the mice, it may not deliver the same results on humans.

The scientists have established that the CRISPR can cut away additions to the gene but it will still take some time to show if it can address other kinds of mutations at all. Researchers are also not sure about the reactions of CRISPR complex in humans. Chances are that they might get rejected by the human immune system altogether. If it does not prove to be a 100% fix to the disorder, it means that the technique will not be able to treat all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy mutation.

However, having said all these, it’s also true that this research is the first ever experiment to have shown success, even if on a mice model. And researchers are hopeful that with more clinical trials, they might achieve the desired results soon.

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Researchers were wondering from ages as to what could be the actual cause of Huntington’s disease which causes involuntary jerky body movements disabling the victim to exhibit physical and mental coordination. The awkward bodily momentum gradually worsens after the initial unsteady gait putting the victim in jeopardy. Parental inheritance being the focal reason, this disease is hard to prevent and has been affecting millions of people globally without a documented cure. However, the available treatments reduce the severity of the symptoms and aid the victim in lessening the care giving requirements.

To enhance the quality of life of the global populace affected with Huntington’s disease, researchers are looking forward to get core advancement in finding an explicit medical solution. However, the extensive research to find the root cause of Huntington’s disease has enabled the researchers to get a key which can be a potential advancement in finding a generic solution to lessen the severity of the ailment. It is established that a mutant of the Huntington (mHTT) protein is the fundamental cause of the disease though the researchers are still unclear as to how it disturbs the brain cells’ function. As per the established findings of late, mHTT vitiates the cellular transport process adding to the neurotoxicity eventually resulting in loss of neurons.

Caused by an extended CAG repeat in the Huntington (HTT) gene, this neurodegenerative disease with mHTT plays pivotal role in disrupting the transport system of a cell which normally requires mobilizing multiple elements from its nucleus to the other parts and vice-versa. It has been pragmatically realized that mHTT creates aggregates in the central operations area that is in the nucleus preventing it from passing through the nuclear pores.  This pile up in the mHTT following the stagnation in the nuclear passages kills the brain cells by shutting them down.

The new fact discovered can drive the researchers to find out new ways to fix the cellular traffic jams there by aiding the process of finding new treatment methodologies for the Huntington’s disease. Although it is a fact that this step towards an advanced research in finding the cause for the disease is in the initial stage, the researchers are excited with their discovery as these findings are the stepping stones in conquering the Huntington’s disease along with encouraging the search for new therapeutic modules.

Biotech companies and pharmacy companies are looking forward to dwell on this very concept to capitalize it and bring into existence various therapies for biological processes. Hope they get abundant clues to prove the fact that early birds get quick worms in the course of their research. Ultimately, it is the millions of people who are affected with the Huntington’s disease who get the best of the research.

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A few days ago, I called my friend Sunita and enquired after her family. As soon as she received the call, I was able to sense that something was wrong. She sounded extremely tensed.  On asking, she told me that her daughter Ria, had conjunctivitis. God, even a toddler can have conjunctivitis! This I was not aware of, at all.

A few days later, I found out that Ria was now doing well and she visited my house with her parents yesterday. The visit led to a long discussion between Sunita, her husband Keshav and me and I definitely learnt something from it.

Keshav said that conjunctivitis is caused due to an infection in the lining of the eyelids and the outer protective layer of the eye. The infection may also occur due to a virus and bacteria; though the former is probably a more common source of the infection.

Ria contracted conjunctivitis through a virus infection, which was why she was having symptoms typical of a common cold. To this, Sunita added that if a baby’s eyes starts to produce a thick yellow discharge, resulting in swelling of the eyelids or the eyelids starts to stick together; then the conjunctivitis are due to bacteria such as staphylococcus, streptococcus or hemophilus.

Besides these types, there is a slightly more serious form of bacteria conjunctivitis called opthalmia neonatorum which occurs in newborns because of exposure to chlamydia and gonorrhoea during delivery.

On asking them how they figured out that Ria had conjunctivitis Sunita and Keshav said they were not able to understand that it was conjunctivitis at the very first instance. One fine morning, when Ria woke up, they noticed water draining from her eyes. Not giving it too much thought, they assumed it must be due to a lack of sleep. Then after a day, they noticed that her eyes had turned red and puffy, and a sticky coating developed on her eyelashes, followed by irritability and fever. That certainly scared the wits out of them. They immediately drove her to the paediatrician who confirmed that it was conjunctivitis.

When I asked them how they went about the stem cell treatment process, they told me that they followed the doctor’s advice to the letter. They always kept Ria’s eyes clean by washing it gently, several times a day with cotton wool soaked in tepid water. Tepid water is boiled water followed by a cooling process, in word lukewarm water. In addition, they also used an eye-drop prescribed by the doctor.

Sunita mentioned that in case other infants have other kinds of conjunctivitis, then the following methods of treatments are usually followed.

For chlamydial conjunctivitis, oral antibiotics are usually prescribed by the doctors; for gonococcal conjunctivitis, intravenous antibiotics are sometimes used; for chemical conjunctivitis, there is no medicinal treatment so far and the babies automatically get cured in 24 to 36 hours.

For prevention, Keshav said, they used a separate towel for Ria and were extremely particular and cautious about anyone using that towel. Also, they -made sure that their hands were always dirt-free, especially during cleaning their baby’s eyes.

Sunita and Keshav are-certainly more relaxed now because of their baby -has gotten over her first experience of conjunctivitis.

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Your due date is a stone’s throw away with just a few more weeks to slog. Nearing the end of your pregnancy journey, you might as well have the baby right now. At 37 weeks, your doctor has probably discussed that it’s close enough to the due date for a safe delivery. You might as well book an elective C-section, consult your partner and parents to check everyone’s availability rather than go through the last couple of weeks of the pregnancy cycle.

When inducing labor was at its peak in the last 3 decades, countless women have been told just that it was ok to deliver post completion of 37 weeks of pregnancy. However, with more scientific research coming forward those last few weeks are just as important and ‘a stone’s throw’ doesn’t always cut it.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have relooked at the definition of ‘term pregnancy.’ The last few decades have seen a tremendous rise in elective C-sections and babies being delivered pre-term and ending up in Neonatal intensive care units. Hence, there is definitely a reason to take those last few weeks extremely seriously. Here’s how American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have categorized ‘Term Pregnancy’:

• Early Term: Between 37 weeks 0 days and 38 weeks 6 days
• Full Term: Between 39 weeks 0 days and 40 weeks 6 days
• Late Term: Between 41 weeks 0 days and 41 weeks 6 days
• Poster: Between 42 weeks 0 days and beyond[1]

Unnecessary induced labor for the sake of convenience is now slowly taking a back seat for the simple reason that it can be potentially dangerous for both the mother and the baby. Induced labor or C-section should only be a means to tackle if complications arise in the pregnancy. However, if the medical reason is not compelling enough and the healthcare provider in question feels that the mother will be able to carry the baby to term, then that is the best route to take where both the mother and the child will fare better.

‘Overdue’ is also one of the terms that these guidelines have elaborated upon. According to them, going past the assigned due date by a week or two does not qualify the pregnancy as ‘over due’. The doctors are primarily concerned about the baby growing too big for the mother’s pelvis or the placenta growing old to sustain the baby. While these are valid areas of concerns, it happens very rarely.

Prior to the 80’s frenzy for C-sections and induced labor, women delivered babies quiet safely a week or two post their due dates. Agreed that those extra weeks will be uneasy and annoying, but that is no reason for having your baby before it’s ready to make its appearance into this world.

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Expectations, anticipation and disenchanted reality of a prenatal visit. 

It was coming up to 8 weeks of pregnancy and we were both preparing for our first prenatal doctor’s appointment. I wanted to be there with my wife right from the very beginning of this journey and get to know everything first hand. I was more than happy to reshuffle my agenda for the day. Lifestyle changes had already begun; work schedules were also being tossed around.

During the past 8 weeks, my wife and I had already discussed the sort of medical guidance we wanted for us during this special journey in our lives. Someone who would be understanding and would have the patience to deal with the concerns of first-time parents like us. We asked around quite a fair bit. Whilst speaking to an old friend, he recommended a gynecologist who he’d consulted for his wife a couple of months ago. On digging a little more, I found out that the doc had a fine reputation and was very popular with young couples. I guess, we’d found the doctor we wanted!

We arrived at the birthing center well in time for the appointment. Giving our names to the Receptionist we waited for the doctor to arrive. There were so many couples and women at various stages of the pregnancy waiting along with us. I vividly remember the room. A light pink and blue combination wallpaper decorated with tons of baby photos. A standee on the side stood with a really graphical representation of all the pregnancy trimesters. My wife picked up few pamphlets and started leafing through them. This room really felt like a “happy place”. Lots of positive energy and glow filled the room.

As we waited, more and more couples arrived but there was still no sign of the doctor. I know this is India and doctors and trains rarely stick to their timetables. But I was nervous and couldn’t wait to get into that consultation room. I had tons of questions that I wanted to ask the doctor and I was eagerly waiting to hear my baby’s heartbeat for the first time. To me, that meant a great deal. It would actually seal the deal; reinforce the fact that I was going to be responsible for that little human being that I helped create.

We’d already been waiting for over an hour and I was determined to find out the reason for the delay. The clock turned another 15 minutes and I was just about gearing up to go to the Receptionist to find out what the problem was. The Receptionist came out into the Visitor’s room and announced that the doctor had an emergency normal delivery to deal with and wouldn’t be able to take the scheduled appointments for the day.

And I felt so let down. The thrill, the excitement that I was feeling throughout the day just evaporated. I know, the situation was such that I should understand. Labour pain and deliveries don’t always follow the timetable. I guess, I found some solace in the fact that I was nearly halfway there today. I’ve rescheduled and hope to go all the way into the consultation room with the doctor tomorrow. Finger’s crossed!

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