Emerging Therapies and Research
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71 articles in Emerging Therapies and Research
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71 articles in Emerging Therapies and Research
Reframing Our Understanding of Concussions
Defining the Complex Nature of a Complex Injury Concussions have become an injury of great interest and concern in recent years, especially in the world of sports. However, there remains much we are still learning about the intricate nature of concussions. New light is being shed on reframing our understanding of what defines a concussion,…
Revisiting the Roots of the Opioid Crisis and Paths Forwards
Tracing the Origins of OxyContin and the Role of Purdue Pharma The opioid crisis unfolding over the past few decades has had devastating consequences, with over 500,000 lives lost to opioid overdoses. While the crisis today involves illicit drugs like heroin and synthetic opioids, many traces the origins back to the introduction of the prescription…
Early Detection and Prevention of Heart Disease: A Silent Killer
Atherosclerosis Develops Over Decades Before Producing Symptoms Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in arteries, starts developing early in life – often in a person’s 20s and 30s – but clinical events like heart attacks usually don’t occur until much later, typically after age 50. This long lag time between the early stages of plaque accumulation…
Building Muscle and Strength With Blood Flow Restriction
What is Blood Flow Restriction Training? Blood flow restriction (BFR) training involves occluding or restricting blood flow to working muscles during exercise. This is often done by placing an inflatable cuff or elastic wraps around a limb. The cuff is inflated to a pressure that reduces but does not completely block arterial blood flow…
Perspectives on Biological Aging and Implications for Interventions
Defining Aging Through Different Lenses There are various ways to define and conceptualize aging depending on the context. From a biological perspective, aging reflects progressive molecular damage that leads to cellular dysfunction, functional declines across tissues and organs, and increased susceptibility to disease. The "hallmarks of aging" framework characterizes key cellular and molecular changes like…
Harnessing the Immune System: Pioneering Immunotherapy for Cancer
The Early Spark of Inspiration The origins of the radical idea to enlist the body's own immune defenses to combat cancer can be traced back to a small number of pivotal patient cases. These cases planted an early seed that would eventually grow into a revolutionary new field of cancer treatment. In one instance, a…
Examining the Science of Aging: Geo-Protective Molecules and the Search for Reliable Biomarkers
The Ongoing Quest for Aging Biomarkers When it comes to assessing the impact of interventions aimed at slowing or reversing biological aging, the field lacks definitive biomarkers comparable to those available for monitoring conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes. While humans can reliably visually estimate biological age based on factors like wrinkles and muscle mass,…
Navigating the Complexities of Medical Research
The Process of Scientific Discovery Before a study is ever conducted, researchers first formulate a hypothesis. This sets up a framework to test a specific relationship between variables. For example, a hypothesis could state that drinking coffee turns eyes darker. The null hypothesis would then be that coffee does not change eye color. The alternative…
Reexamining the Science of Obesity: Insights from Leading Researchers
The Evolving Understanding of Obesity's Causes Views on the causes of obesity have changed over time. In the 1980s, a genetic basis was clearly demonstrated through studies on animals and twins. However, even into the 1990s, pharmaceuticals were viewed skeptically and surgery was seen as a last resort. A paradigm shift occurred after a large…
The Role of Genetics and Lifestyle in Exceptional Longevity and Healthspan Extension
What Makes Centenarians Different? Centenarians, individuals who live to 100 years or more, provide a fascinating model for understanding the keys to longevity and health. Research on centenarians reveals that genetics play a more significant role in reaching ages over 90-100 compared to just 70-80 years. Studies of identical twins help validate the strong genetic…
Advancing the Frontier: The Accelerating Pace of Progress Against Cancer
The Limits of Conventional Cancer Therapies For decades, the mainstay treatments for cancer have been chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. While these modalities saw early successes against some blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia, their efficacy against solid tumor cancers has remained limited over the past 40 years. Chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells, helping explain…
Rethinking Heart Health: Challenging the Coronary Calcium Score
The Limitations of the CAC Test The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a common screening tool used to assess heart disease risk. It is measured using a CT scan to detect calcification in the coronary arteries. Many have come to rely on the CAC score as an infallible indicator – a CAC score of…