Mony Labs

in the Department Of Biochemistry @Saveetha Dental College

Weekly Science Update

2024 2023 2022 Oct, 2024 Tcells & Ovarian cancer26 Oral Bacteria & Cancer19 Type 1 Diabetes Cure12 Sep, 2024 T cell Fitness21 HIV Immunization14 Age Reversal07 Aug, 2024 Early Menopause31 METRNL &T Cells24 Colorectal Cancer Therapy17 Intermittent Fasting vs. Aging10 Jul, 2024 Thermal Facial Image06 Jun, 2024 Fenofibrate therapy29 Sildenafil & Dementia22 Patient outcomes & AI15 Birdflu in Cows08 Kidney Transplant Failure01 May, 2024 Gut, Bone Marrow, Tumor Axis25 Prognostic Biomarker for Breast Cancer18 Diverticulitis & Gut Microbiome11 Apr, 2024 Tumour origin20 Nanoplastic Menace13 Mar, 2024 Breast Milk vs. Obesity30 CAR-T & Glioma16 RNAi & Hypertension09 Feb, 2024 Universal Antivenom24 Memory B cells17 Alzheimer’s Transmission03 Jan, 2024 Cannabis vs Brain13 Morning Sickness06

26-Oct-2024 Tcells & Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer cripple T cells

Ovarian cancer cells cripple T cells and hinder their attack by blocking their energy supply.

Recent study discovered the mechanism of how ovarian cancer cells use to maim immune cells (T cells) and hamper their attack by blocking the energy supply to them.

This study reveals the key mechanism behind the immunosuppression in ovarian cancer. This finding will pave the way for new opportunities to improve the efficacy of adoptive T cell immunotherapies in solid tumours by preserving the TAGLN2–FABP5 axis.

19-Oct-2024 Oral Bacteria & Cancer

Oral Bacteria & Cancer

Presence of certain oral bacteria could determine the risk for head and neck squamous cell cancer development

This study holds great potential in the prognosis and prevention of head and neck squamous cell cancer. The identified bacteria and bacterial complexes hold promise as possible biomarkers in identifying those individuals with high risk in developing cancer and thereby may help in a personalized approach for preventing head and neck squamous cell cancer.

12-Oct-2024 Type 1 Diabetes Cure

Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

Patient-derived islet cells generated from iPS cells when transplanted back to a patient cured type 1 diabetes.

This research outcome is really promising. The results from this islet cells transplanted patient is opening up new avenues for diabetic therapy and ultimately cure. Large cohort study in this direction and assessing the safety and efficacy of CiPSC islet transplantation in type 1 diabetes are warranted.

21-Sep-2024 T cell Fitness

Metabolic Fitness of T cell

Intercellular mitochondrial transfer augments T cell metabolic fitness and antitumor efficacy

These results from the study determine intercellular mitochondrial transfer as an example of organelle medicine, opening opportunities to next-generation cell therapies.

14-Sep-2024 HIV Immunization

HIV Immunization

New study suggests a multidose immunization regimen has got protective effect against HIV.

This study shows that a multidose immunization schedule with bnAb lineage-designed SOSIPs has the potential for stimulating early B cell responses with the capacity to mature into protective HIV bnAbs before sexual debut. More studies need to done to confirm how reliably the neutralising response happens in larger cohorts.

07-Sep-2024 Age Reversal

Reversal of Aging

A new treatment can reverse multiple hallmarks of aging. TERT activating compound can reverse aging.

Findings from this study provide a preclinical proof of concept for physiological TERT activation as an approach to alleviate hallmarks of aging and related pathologies. A large cohort clinical study is warranted to validate these findings. This study opens up avenues for the therapeutic interventions especially for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and cancer.

31-Aug-2024 Early Menopause

Early Menopause

Uncommon genetic variant is linked to early menopause

Woman with homozygous stop-gain variant rs117316434(A) attains menopause early.

This study suggests the homozygosity for CCDC201 gene’s loss of function will have considerable impact on the female reproductive health. Thus testing women for such genetic variant may be done, so as to plan when to have children or to plan their reproductive life as well as to treat those with such genetic variant for early menopause.

24-Aug-2024 METRNL &T Cells

METRNL and T Cells

METRNL Protein and Tumour-Infiltrating T Cells

A protein Meteorin-like (METRNL) exhausts energy from T cells and rigorously controls their ability to fight cancer.

This study demonstrates a possible translation of METRNL ablation for increased CD8+ T cell function in killing tumour cells. Thus targeting the METRNL pathway is useful in supporting the bioenergetic fitness of CD8+ Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes.

17-Aug-2024 Colorectal Cancer Therapy

Novel Combinatorial Therapy for Colorectal Cancer

A novel two drug method for colorectal cancer has shown promise

This study was conducted in vitro as well as in vivo. Dias and colleagues are planning to carry forward this findings to a clinical trial.

10-Aug-2024 Intermittent Fasting vs. Aging

Intermittent Fasting and Anti-Aging

A recent study divulges intermittent fasting can control aging through autophagy

Dietary interventions, such as caloric restriction and intermittent fasting, can slow down aging and promote longevity.

This study throws light into the processes through which dietary habits can affect the aging of human beings. By these findings, new approaches will evolve for addressing age-related diseases aiming to enhance life expectancy and quality of life for elderly individuals.

06-Jul-2024 Thermal Facial Image

Thermal Facial Image

Facial temperature patterns may be used to diagnose metabolic diseases and diseases of aging

29-Jun-2024 Fenofibrate therapy

Cholesterol lowering drug and Diabetic Retinopathy

A recent study suggest fenofibrate therapy may reduce diabetic retinopathy progression.

22-Jun-2024 Sildenafil & Dementia

Sildenafil and Dementia

A recent study suggest sildenafil could help in preventing Dementia

The findings from the OxHARP trial looks promising. However, to confirm these findings and to explore the potential of sildenafil in treating vascular dementia, a large clinical trial is warranted.

15-Jun-2024 Patient outcomes & AI

AI to predict patient outcomes

Predictive model for immunotherapy response has been developed by research teams from MSKCC and NIH, USA

Development of this new AI tool may help all those patients undergoing immunotherapy. With few of the readily measurable features, LORIS may help in improving the clinical decisions as well as in improving the precision medicine approach by the clinicians. However, a larger prospective study is warranted to further evaluate this AI model in clinical settings.

08-Jun-2024 Birdflu in Cows

Birdflu in Cows

Spillover of the avian influenza virus (H5N1) to cows had been reported in US and it is suggested that the milking process can be a possible route of viral spread between cows and also from cows to humans.

01-Jun-2024 Kidney Transplant Failure

Kidney Transplant Failure

A new therapeutic approach is safe and efficacious against rejection post kidney transplantation.

This study demonstrated that felzartamab had an acceptable safety profile as well as an effective therapy for late antibody-mediated rejection.

25-May-2024 Gut, Bone Marrow, Tumor Axis

Gut, Bone Marrow, Tumor Axis

Gut microbiota linked to fatty diet drives cancer progression

This findings may open up an opportunity for anticancer therapeutic strategies by targeting the abnormal metabolism of the gut microbiota. As this study being done in China, we need to consider the gut microbiome composition of people over there. Gut microbiome can differ from place to place and also it will differ based on the diet people used to consume. So the caveat of this study is that, this study may not translate to other populations!!. A large multicentre study across the world may provide an answer.

18-May-2024 Prognostic Biomarker for Breast Cancer

Prognostic Biomarker for Breast Cancer

Researchers from Hunan Normal University, China have identified a new prognostic marker for invasive breast cancer.

Altogether, this study strongly showed that RPGRIP1L could be a new prognostic biomarker for invasive breast cancer and the compounds they identified could form the basis of new treatment strategies aimed at modifying RPGRIP1L levels to affect disease development and improve survival rates for breast cancer patients

11-May-2024 Diverticulitis & Gut Microbiome

Diverticulitis & Gut Microbiome

Gut microbiome composition and the metabolic activity may be associated with lots of diseases.

This study highlights and provides an alarm to the inflammation related microbial and metabolomic signature related with this disease. This study thus supports the possibility of microbial-based diagnostics and therapeutic targets for diverticulitis.

20-Apr-2024 Tumour origin

Tumour origin

Prediction of tumour origin in cancers of unknown primary origin with cytology-based deep learning has been reported.

This preliminary study highlights the potential of TORCH as a valuable supplementary tool in clinical practice. Even though the study is promising, a large cohort study and further validation in randomized trials is warranted. To me it looks like, deep learning methods and Artificial Intelligence may take over pathologists in diagnosing and prognosing diseases in the near future.

13-Apr-2024 Nanoplastic Menace

Nanoplastic Menace

Will nanoplastics and microplastics really harm human beings? An unanswered question even though there were concerns about its potential health risks.

This study concluded that the patients with carotid artery plaque in which nano and micro-plastic particles were detected had a higher risk of a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause at 34 months of follow-up than those in whom nano and microplastic particles were not detected. Observations from this study is certainly a cause for concern to the mankind!!

30-Mar-2024 Breast Milk vs. Obesity

Breast Milk and Obesity

Thirty nine million children under the age of 5 were overweight/obese, according to WHO. A recent study pointed out that high-intensity exercise increases breast milk adiponectin concentrations and that may affect the infants

Mothers who did high-intensity interval training had higher levels of adiponectin in their breast milk after their exercise session. It is probable that this hormone is absorbed through the intestines of breastfeeding babies, thus changing how their metabolism functions. Having low levels of this hormone is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Further studies should determine the impact of exercise-induced elevations in breast milk adiponectin concentrations on growth and metabolism in infancy.

16-Mar-2024 CAR-T & Glioma

CAR-T and Glioma

Targeting of two brain tumor-associated proteins with bivalent CAR-T cells shows promising results in Glioblastoma patients from an ongoing phase I clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, USA.

This first-in-human data demonstrate the preliminary safety and bioactivity of CART-EGFR-IL13Rα2 cells in rGBM. This encouraging results requires confirmation with additional patients and longer follow-up time. A real hope for GBM patients.

09-Mar-2024 RNAi & Hypertension

RNAi and Hypertension

According to new Phase II trial results, an RNA interference therapeutic agent, Zilebesiran, helps control blood pressure for several months in patients who are on standard of care.

All these recent reports suggests that, with at least twice-yearly dosing in combination with standard of care medication, zilebesiran has strong potential to sustain lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack and death that can result from inadequate treatment. Results from the trial looks like Zilebesiran has the potential to be used as an effective antihypertensive drug with quarterly or biannual dosing.

24-Feb-2024 Universal Antivenom

Universal Antivenom

A synthetic antibody that broadly neutralizes snake venom long chain α-neurotoxins developed.

This research finding offers a promising framework for the creation of a monoclonal antibody-based universal antivenom to treat snakebite envenoming.

17-Feb-2024 Memory B cells

Memory B cells

A new type of Type 2 Memory B cells has been identified

This study suggest that this Type 2 Memory B cells expressing IgG, CD23, and IL-4Rα as the source of pathogenic, allergen-specific IgE-producing cells.

03-Feb-2024 Alzheimer’s Transmission

Transmission of Alzheimer’s Disease

Recently iatrogenic Alzheimer’s disease has been reported for the first time.

This study throw light to the iatrogenic Alzheimer’s disease transmission. The results of this research emphasizes the need to review measures to prevent accidental transmissions via other medical and surgical procedures.

13-Jan-2024 Cannabis vs Brain

Cannabis and adolescent brain

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) changes teens’ brains

06-Jan-2024 Morning Sickness

Morning Sickness

Fetally-derived protein GDF15 is the reason behind morning sickness

This is an interesting finding and there is a possibility of developing drugs to block GDF15, thereby stopping or reversing this sickness. But before developing drugs few questions need to be answered including (a) what is the status of GDF15 in other ethnic groups, as this study focussed on people with European descent only (b) More in vivo safety data is needed to confirm that blocking GDF15 is not going to affect the growing foetus.