News Team member Aanya Ravichander reports on the struggles refugee women in Georgia face in accessing healthcare and the possible solutions to build support and trust in medical settings.
World-first stem-cell treatment restores vision in people
By Smriti Mallapaty, Nature
Japanese researchers grew tissue from stem cells for patients at risk of blindness. The four patients in the study had a condition known as Limbal Stem-Cell Deficiency, which affects a group of cells in the eye responsible for regenerating the cornea. The deficiency leads to a build-up of scar tissue around the cornea, eventually leading to complete blindness. Currently, treatment involves transplanting these cells from a healthy donor’s eye.
Transplants often carry two burdens. First, they are highly invasive. Second, the body could reject the transplanted organ/tissue at any time. As such, researchers are on the hunt for an alternative treatment.
The researchers in this study used a new approach with induced pluripotent stem cells, which can develop into any cell in the human body. The researchers, led by Kohji Nishida, had to reprogram blood cells into an embryo state to induce their pluripotency. The team was then able to grow layers of tissue specific to the eye.
The tissue was implanted in the patient’s eyes once grown. The surgical procedure involved removing the scar tissue from each patient’s eyes and grafting in the lab-grown stem-cell tissue. All four patients showed immediate improvement in their vision. None have experienced side effects or signs of rejecting the transplant in the two years following the procedure, but only three of the four have experienced long-lasting enhanced vision.
These promising results suggest a less invasive and potentially more effective treatment option for Limbal Stem-Cell Deficiency. The researchers plan to start a clinical trial with a larger sample size in March to further assess the treatment’s efficacy.
— by Alya Khoury
New Study Finds Link Between Sleep Issues and Dementia
By Ralph Ellis, WebMD
A new publication in Neurology suggests that older adults who feel fatigue during the day are more likely to develop dementia. Researchers found that excessive daytime sleepiness, combined with a lack of enthusiasm, significantly increases the risk of developing motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a mild cognitive impairment.
Dr. Victoire Leroy of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, one of the researchers, believed that addressing proactive signs of restlessness may prevent negative cognitive health outcomes. The neurological study was conducted with 445 older adults without dementia. Sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and enthusiasm levels, were assessed to determine how these factors relate to memory issues and walking speed. Participants completed sleep habit questionnaires, noting difficulties like waking at night or staying awake during activities. Of the group, 177 were classified as poor sleepers, and 42 people had MCR. Another 36 developing MCR over the course of the study.
Leroy and colleagues study suggests that proactive measures now could prevent impairment later as we age. Currently, it is estimated that 1 in 9 adults aged 65 or older develop dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.Links to an external site. This study’s identification of potential drivers of restless sleep can help us mitigate health risks in future generations and secure progressive public health initiatives in the process.
— by Jaden Hayes
Sugar in the first 1,000 days after conception linked to health issues later in life, study says
By Sam Tupper, CNN
A study published in Science revealed that limiting children’s sugar intake from birth to age two can significantly lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure later in life. Researchers analyzed data from before and after the end of the United Kingdom’s World War II-era sugar rationing, which ended in September 1953. The United Kingdom began rationing foods like sugar, fats, and meat starting in 1940 to help evenly distribute food during the wartime shortage. The average adult’s daily sugar consumption in the United Kingdom doubled after the restriction was lifted.
Researchers used longitudinal patient data from a biomedical database to determine the effects of such a large increase in sugar consumption. They found a decrease in obesity risk for babies conceived or born during rationing, with a sharp increase in type 2 diabetes and hypertension in those born after the sugar ration ended. They also found that reducing sugar consumption during the rationing period decreased type 2 diabetes risk by about 35% and the risk of high blood pressure by roughly 20%.
This study can shed light on the impact of diet even beyond the United Kingdom. For instance, the CDC in the US notes that children may not be consuming enough fruit and vegetables compared to sugary drinks. Parents must prioritize reducing their children’s sugar intake to prevent disease in the future.
— by Rama Esrawee
F.D.A Proposes Removing Ineffective Nasal Decongestant from Stores
By Christina Jewett, New York Times
The FDA has recently proposed the removal of phenylephrine, a common ingredient in over-the-counter cold medication, from retail stores. Experts earlier found that phenylephrine has no effect on nasal congestion when taken in liquid or pill form, despite its long history of use since 1976. It was found to be effective only in nasal sprays. Still, medical experts do not recommend people to discard medications with this ingredient, as it is safe to consume.
Among the products affected include DayQuil and NyQuil, a popular choice among COVID19 patients for cough, nasal congestion, and runny nose.
Over-the-counter drug manufacturers are “disappointed” with the decision, but Dr. Leslie Hendeles, a pharmacy professor emeritus at the University of Florida, welcomes it. Dr. Hendeles and a colleague filed a petition with the FDA in 2007 to remove phenylephrine, citing studies by a company that replaced phenylephrine in drugs with a different chemical but observed no change on the drug’s effectiveness. This progress, now 17 years later, offers hope that ineffective ingredients can be eliminated from medications.
— by Ananya Dash
A Popular Decongestant Doesn’t Work. The FDA Is Finally Doing Something About It
By Beth Mole, WIRED
The FDA has proposed an order to remove oral phenylephrine, a decongestant found to be ineffective, from over-the-counter products. It will be moved to the final phase if the order passes the proposal phase without public comment.
The “Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005” banned pseudoephedrine, a similar drug, from being sold over-the-counter. Phenylephrine became an important ingredient in many over-the-counter medications after this decision.
A 2007 FDA study found that phenylephrine needed additional research to assess its usage. Three studies followed, all finding no benefit from using phenylephrine when compared to a placebo drug. In fact, only two studies (out of 14) from the 1950s-1970s ever proved the effectiveness of phenylephrine. These studies’ positive results were unable to be replicated.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) is planning to dispute the FDA’s proposed order with evidence to support the use of phenylephrine. The CHPA represents the interests of manufacturers of phenylephrine-containing products.
— by Diyya Ganju
Items summarized by: Alya Khoury, Jaden Hayes, Rama Esrawee, Ananya Dash, Diyya Ganju
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