Daily Med Bites - 24/04/2025

Dear reader, here are the summaries of some of the latest papers from PubMed.

Diabetes: Younger-onset type 2 diabetes increases cancer risk and accelerates diabetic retinopathy progression. MM-Net achieves high accuracy in detecting diabetic retinopathy. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Atherosclerosis: Cigarette smoke exacerbates atherosclerosis and promotes abdominal aortic aneurysm formation by degrading elastin through macrophage activity, driven by endothelial cell dysfunction and monocyte recruitment. Additionally, cigarette smoke extract negatively impacts human granulosa cell maturation, altering angiogenesis and aromatase activity, which can affect reproductive outcomes by disrupting steroid hormone synthesis and SMAD signaling. Source 1 Source 2

Manipulating Gut Microbiota Enhances Cancer Therapies Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 

Breast Cancer: SDCBP stabilizes BACH1 in triple-negative breast cancer, promoting tumor progression. SNORA47 regulates stemness and chemotherapy resistance in Luminal A subtype by interacting with EBF3 to modulate c-Myc expression via RPL11 translocation, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target. Source 1 Source 2

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A PCD score based on a four-gene signature predicts prognosis and drug resistance in HCC patients, PSMB8 is identified as a significant regulator in HCC progression, and precision medicine shows potential for improved outcomes through tailored therapies but faces challenges due to tumor heterogeneity. Advances in diagnostics like liquid biopsy and multi-omics data integration via AI are key to overcoming these hurdles. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Ischemic Stroke and CIRI: Neutrophils contribute to cerebral oedema after ischemic stroke. Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides ameliorate early brain injury post-subarachnoid hemorrhage by regulating inflammatory pathways. A natural compound effectively inhibits microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). Hmox1 is identified as a key hub gene in CIRI, with therapeutic potential through silencing. 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone reduces neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in TBI. Evobrutinib shows promise for ischemic stroke by modulating microglial function. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6

Empyema: Direct surgical decortication without pre-operative tube thoracostomy results in better outcomes for stages II and III empyema. Intrapleural sodium bicarbonate administration combined with continuous chest drainage shows promise in treating empyema and complicated parapneumonic effusion, addressing current treatment limitations. Source 1 Source 2

Kidney Health: Innate immune cells influence kidney health by causing injury through inflammation and promoting repair, impacting the transition from acute to chronic kidney disease. N-acetyltransferase 10 regulates inflammatory responses in kidney diseases, TRIM65 is a key regulator in acute kidney injury, and SIRT6 promotes macrophage shift for kidney repair but may cause fibrosis if prolonged, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for AKI and CKD. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4

Mental Health: Healthcare workers with long COVID experience higher anxiety and depression two years post-infection. The incidence of long-term sickness absences due to mental disorders increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Source 1 Source 2

Asthma: ITGB3 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and acts as a protective factor against asthma. Global pediatric asthma prevalence has been declining since 1990 but remains significant for boys aged 5-9 years, with projected further decline by 2050. Biologic therapies vary in efficacy for reducing severe asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Suicide Prediction: Machine learning models can predict suicidal ideation among university students using mental health predictors like personality functioning and depressed mood, supporting early intervention. Additionally, a multivariate risk prediction model identifies baseline predictors for the onset of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in first-year students over two years. Source 1 Source 2

Prostate Cancer: NEP100 is a multi-omics classifier for neuroendocrine prostate cancer, improving diagnostic accuracy and identifying distinct subtypes. Feature selection methods enhance gene identification, with Random Forest being the most effective classifier. PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy shows promise but requires better definition of responsive subtypes and biomarkers. Histological confirmation remains crucial despite advanced imaging techniques. Voided urine samples targeting VPAC receptors offer a potential alternative to mp-MRI for prostate cancer detection. There is a need for more specific liquid biopsy biomarkers beyond PSA. Bi-parametric MRI can be efficient and cost-effective for low-risk patients, reducing reliance on multi-parametric MRI. A microfluidic device based on well plate design enables efficient multiplexed biochemical analysis, enhancing assay accuracy and consistency. Microfluidic technologies are transforming liquid biopsies for early cancer diagnosis through precise biomarker detection. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source 7 Source 8 Source 9

Glioblastoma: Periostin promotes malignancy and chemoresistance in glioblastoma by activating NF-κB signaling, suggesting it as a therapeutic target. Fucoxanthin inhibits integrin-mediated adhesion and migration in human glioma cells, showing potential as an antimetastatic agent. Source 1 Source 2

Radiation Therapy: 3D bioprinting models in vivo tissue conditions for synchrotron microbeam radiotherapy experiments, showing its superior efficacy over broad-beam radiation. Hexagonal minibeam collimators are validated for Minibeam Radiation Therapy through film measurements and Monte Carlo simulations, enabling dose calculations on mouse CBCT datasets for preclinical studies. Source 1 Source 2

Glaucoma: Minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) procedures maintain refractive stability when combined with cataract surgery. Trabeculo-canalectomy provides effective long-term management of primary angle-closure glaucoma in Chinese patients. Source 1 Source 2

Respiratory Health: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) increases risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with C3 and CD163 as key targets in airway inflammation. The endocannabinoid system is implicated in CRS pathophysiology, suggesting potential for cannabinoid-based therapies. Source 1 Source 2

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): CTA and CTP improve surgical decision-making and outcomes compared to traditional imaging. The TRANSCENDENT Concussion Research Program integrates clinical data for meaningful research findings. Children with TBI, especially mild cases, face higher post-traumatic stress symptoms than those with orthopedic injuries. MRI markers correlate with long-term effects of TBI. Pediatric concussion disrupts brain network connectivity, with recovery trends up to 6 months post-concussion. Higher subacute symptom scores in mTBI are linked to persistent symptoms and reduced quality of life at 6 months. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6

Neurocognitive Disorders: AI-driven screening systems are limited to diagnostic purposes; sleep issues predict cognitive decline in older adults; inflammatory biomarkers combined with traditional AD markers improve diagnosis and prognosis. Early neurocognitive indicators are crucial for intervention strategies against Alzheimer's disease; higher cardiorespiratory fitness is linked to younger brain age and reduced neurodegeneration in amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients; a novel digital assessment tool measures neurocognitive function in those with brain metastasis; the Cognitive Function Instrument identifies early dementia risk; predictors of driving cessation include age, verbal fluency, and balance tests; exercise training reduces fear of falling and fall rates in older adults; STEADI initiative successfully implemented for fall prevention; kinematic strategies differentiate dynamic balance deficits in mild cognitive impairment; diabetes impacts balance function and fear of falling; DNA methylation changes predict future cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease; dual-task performance shows individual variability requiring targeted rehabilitation protocols; sleep-dependent memory consolidation is associated with limbic network integration. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source 7 Source 8 Source 9 Source 10 Source 11 Source 12 Source 13 Source 14 Source 15

HIV/AIDS Metabolic Syndrome: A BMI cut-off of 20 kg/m² predicts metabolic syndrome risk in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients, indicating a need for early intervention even at lower BMI levels. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

That’s enough for today, see you tomorrow!
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