Tag: 4/12/23

Categories : Dentistry Regenerative MedicineTags :

Tissue Regeneration might One Day Replace Root Canals

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Photo by Caroline Lm on Unsplash

Tissue regeneration might one day replace the pain and discomfort of a root canal for most people. ADA Forsyth scientists are testing a novel technology to treat endodontic diseases (diseases of the soft tissue or pulp of the teeth) more effectively. The technology may also even be applicable to other parts of the body, such as helping to regrow bones.

The study, published in The Journal of Dental Research, demonstrates regenerative properties of resolvins, specifically Resolvin E1 (RvE1), when applied to dental pulp. Resolvins are part of a greater class of Specialised Proresolving Mediators (SPMs). This class of molecule is naturally produced by the body and is exquisitely effective in the control of excess inflammation associated with disease.

“Pulpitis (inflammation of dental pulp) is a very common oral health disease that can become a serious health condition if not treated properly,” said Dr Thomas Van Dyke, Vice President at the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at ADA Forsyth, and a senior scientist leading the study.

“Root canal therapy (RCT) is effective, but it does have some problems since you are removing significant portions of dentin, and the tooth dries out leading to a greater risk of fracture down the road. Our goal is to come up with a method for regenerating the pulp, instead of filling the root canal with inert material.”

Inflammation of this tissue is usually caused by damage to the tooth through injury, cavities or cracking, and the resulting infection can quickly kill the pulp and cause secondary problems if not treated.

The study applied RvE1 to different levels of infected and damaged pulp to explore its regenerative and anti-inflammatory capacities.

There were two major findings. First, they showed RvE1 is very effective at promoting pulp regeneration when used in direct pulp-capping of vital or living pulp (replicating conditions of reversible pulpitis). They were also able to identify the specific mechanism supporting tissue regeneration.

Second, the scientists found that placing RvE1 on exposed and severely infected and necrotic pulp did not facilitate regeneration.

However, this treatment did effectively slow down the rate of infection and treat the inflammation, preventing the periapical lesions (abscesses) that typically occur with this type of infection.

Previous publications have shown that if the infected root canal is cleaned before RvE1 treatment, regeneration of the pulp does occur.

While this study focused on this technology in treating endodontic disease, the potential therapeutic impact is far reaching.

Dr Van Dyke explained, “because application of RvE1 to dental pulp promotes formation of the type of stem cells that can differentiate into dentin (tooth), bone, cartilage or fat, this technology has huge potential for the field of regenerative medicine beyond the tissues in the teeth. It could be used to grow bones in other parts of the body, for instance.”

Source: Forsyth Institute

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease NeurologyTags :

New Compound Restores Lost Brain Function in Mice after Stroke

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Photo by Kanashi ZD on Unsplash

An international study published recently in the journal Brain has reported promising results in restoring function lost in mice and rat models of stroke. Researchers were able to restore lost brain function using small molecules that in the future could potentially be developed into a stroke recovery therapy.

“Communication between nerve cells in large parts of the brain changes after a stroke and we show that it can be partially restored with the treatment,” says Tadeusz Wieloch, senior professor of neurobiology at Lund University in Sweden.

“Concomitantly, the rodents regain lost somatosensory functions, something that around 60 per cent of all stroke patients experience today. The most remarkable result is that the treatment began several days after a stroke,” Wieloch continues.

In an ischaemic stroke, lack of blood flow to affected parts of the brain lead to loss of function such as paralysis, sensorimotor impairment and vision and speech difficulties, but also to pain and depression.

There are currently no approved drugs that improve or restore the functions after a stroke, apart from clot-dissolving treatment in the acute phase (within 4.5 hours of the stroke). Some spontaneous improvements occur, but many stroke patients suffer chronic loss of function.

For example, about 60% of stroke sufferers, experience lost somatosensory functions such as touch and position sense.

The new study shows that rats that were treated with a class of substances that inhibit the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5), a receptor that regulates communication in the brain’s nerve cell network.

“Rodents treated with the GluR5 inhibitor regained their somatosensory functions,” says Tadeusz Wieloch, who led the study.

Two days after the stroke, ie when the damage had developed and function impairment was most prominent, the researchers started treating the rodents that exhibited the greatest impaired function.

“A temporary treatment effect was seen after just 30 minutes, but treatment for several weeks is needed to achieve a permanent recovery effect. Some function improvement was observed even when the treatment started 10 days after a stroke,” says Tadeusz Wieloch.

Importantly, sensorimotor functions improved, even though the extent of the brain damage was not diminished.

This, explains Tadeusz Wieloch, is due to the intricate network of nerve cells in the brain, known as the connectome – the way brain areas are inter connected and communicate form the basis for various brain functions.

“Impaired function after a stroke is due to cell loss, but also because of reduced activity in large parts of the connectome in the undamaged brain. The receptor mGluR5 is apparently an important factor in the reduced activity in the connectome, which is prevented by the inhibitor which therefore restores the lost brain function,” says Tadeusz Wieloch.

The results also showed that sensorimotor function was further improved if treatment with the mGluR5 inhibitor is combined with somatosensory training by housing several rodents in cages enriched with toys, chains, grids, and plastic tubes.

The researchers hope that in the future their results could lead to a clinical treatment that could be initiated a few days after an ischaemic stroke.

“Combined with rehabilitation training, it could eventually be a new promising treatment. However, more studies are needed. The study was conducted on mice and rats, and of course needs to be repeated in humans. This should be possible since several mGluR5 inhibitors have been studied in humans for the treatment of neurological diseases other than stroke, and shown to be tolerated by humans,” says Tadeusz Wieloch.

Source: Lund University

Categories : Dermatology Immune SystemTags :

New Therapy Eliminates ‘Problematic’ T Cells in Skin Autoimmune Diseases

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Photo: CC0

In a groundbreaking study published in Science, researchers discovered distinct mechanisms controlling different types of immune cells, and found that, by precisely targeting these mechanisms, they could selectively eliminate ‘problematic cells’ and reshape the skin’s immune landscape.

The skin is packed with specialised immune cells that protect against infections and cancer and promote healing. These cells, called tissue-resident T cells or TRM cells, stay in place to fight infections and cancerous cells in the skin.

However, when not controlled properly, some of these skin TRM cells can contribute to autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis and vitiligo.

Researchers, led by University of Melbourne’s Professor Laura Mackay, a Laboratory Head and Immunology Theme Leader at the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), found a way to redress this imbalance.

University of Melbourne’s Dr Simone Park, an Honorary Research Fellow and former Postdoctoral Fellow in the Mackay Lab at the Doherty Institute, and lead first author of the study, said that this research is the first to describe the unique elements that control various types of skin TRM cells in animal models, offering precise targets for potential treatment strategies.

“Specialised immune cells in our skin are diverse: many are critical to prevent infection and cancer, but others play a big role in mediating autoimmunity,” said Dr Park.

“We discovered key differences in how distinct types of skin T cells are regulated, allowing us to precisely edit the skin’s immune landscape in a targeted way.”

University of Melbourne’s Dr Susan Christo, Senior Research Officer in the Mackay Lab at the Doherty Institute and co-first author of the study, explained how these discoveries could advance efforts to treat skin disease.

“Most autoimmune therapies treat the symptoms of the disease rather than addressing the cause. Conventional treatments for skin disorders often impact all immune cells indiscriminately, meaning that we could also be wiping out our protective T cells,” said Dr Christo.

“Until now, we didn’t know how to pick apart ‘bad’ T cells in the skin from the ‘good’ protective ones. Through this research, we discovered new molecules that allow us to selectively remove disease-causing T cells in the skin.”

The research team harnessed this new knowledge to eliminate ‘problematic’ cells that can drive autoimmune disorders, while preserving the ‘good’ ones that are essential to maintain protective immunity.

University of Melbourne’s Professor Laura Mackay, senior author of the study, explained that these findings could pave the way for more precise and long-lasting therapies for skin disease.

“Skin conditions like psoriasis and vitiligo are difficult to treat long-term. The T cells driving disease are hard to remove, so patients often need life-long treatment. Our approach has the potential to revolutionise the way we treat these skin disorders, significantly improving outcomes for people dealing with challenging skin conditions,” said Professor Mackay.

With the study demonstrating successful removal of specific skin T cells in animal models, further research is necessary to validate the efficacy of these strategies in human subjects.

Dr Park hopes the study will inspire the development of new treatments for skin disease.

“These discoveries bring us one step closer to developing new drugs that durably prevent autoimmune skin disorders without compromising immune protection,” said Dr Park.

Source: The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

Categories : Regenerative MedicineTags :

Is Stem Cell Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis Worthwhile?

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Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-feeling-pain-in-the-knee-11349880/

Cell therapy has been explored as a new regenerative treatment for osteoarthritis, but the efficacy of stem cell transplantation from different sources for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) remains controversial. A recent analysis of all relevant published studies indicates that stem cell transplantation from different sources is effective for treating knee osteoarthritis, the most prevalent chronic joint disease.

The review and meta-analysis, which is published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, included 16 studies involving 875 patients with knee osteoarthritis (441 in the stem cell transplantation group and 434 in the control group). Stem cell treatment was associated with significant reductions in patient-reported pain from the third month onwards. The most significant pain relief at different postoperative months came from fat-derived and umbilical cord–derived stem cells. A patient’s own fat-derived stem cells resulted in better pain alleviation compared with those from other donors. Also, a patient’s own fat-derived stem cells led to the most effective recovery of knee joint function.

“Stem cell transplantation proved safe and effective for knee osteoarthritis treatment,” the authors wrote. “Different sources stem cells have a good effect on alleviating knee joint pain, restoring knee joint function, and minimising patient trauma.”

Source: Wiley

Categories : General InterestTags :

Embracing the Power of Collective Action on International Volunteer Day 2023

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Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash

The United Nations International Volunteer Day, celebrated annually on 5 December, is a unique opportunity for volunteers and organisations worldwide to celebrate their contributions, share their values, and promote their work within their communities. The theme for 2023 is: “The Power of Collective Action: If Everyone Did.”

The United Nation’s (UN) fourth State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR 2022), titled Building Equal and Inclusive Societies, shows that the ways in which volunteers and entities interact, collaborate and partner are vital for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Volunteerism plays a crucial role in promoting a culture of collaborative decision-making and reshaping power dynamics. Volunteers can act as connectors, bridging the gap between different groups and facilitating better understanding and cooperation.

“At Sanofi South Africa, we understand the immense value of collective efforts in building a healthier, more resilient world for patients, communities, partners, and employees,” says Prudence Selani, Head of Corporate Affairs at Sanofi South Africa. “Our dedication to addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges is evident in our comprehensive social impact strategy, which is now an integral part of our business, influencing every level of our organisation.”

Sanofi’s ‘Play to Win’ strategy, intensifies the pharmaceutical company’s focus on improving healthcare access, reducing its environmental footprint, and building an inclusive workplace. This commitment extends to ensuring a sustainable planet for future generations.

The organisation is making a lasting impact through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) legacy project in Mamelodi, in the City of Tshwane, which forms part of Sanofi’s global In and Beyond the Workplace social impact strategy pillar – “to reflect the diversity of its communities, unleash the full potential of its employees, and transform healthcare to be more inclusive and equitable.”

After engagement with numerous organisations, Sanofi partnered with Entokozweni Resource Centre in Mamelodi to make a real difference in people’s lives. The non-profit organisation is dedicated to uplifting the Mamelodi community through a variety of programs and initiatives, focusing on long-term developmental goals and immediate community needs​.

“The launch of our Legacy Project on 15 September 2023, at Entokozweni was a resounding success, drawing extensive support from our staff,” says Selani. “We dedicated the day to connecting with the people of Entokozweni and the broader community, marking the beginning of a long-lasting relationship.”

Support for the community includes:

  • Donating essential items such as mattresses, toiletries, stationery, uniforms, and clothing.
  • Providing 250 Coursera licences to empower Mamelodi’s youth with skills for employment and helping to transform the lives of their families and community.
  • Hosting the Mamelodi Community Health Centre’s (CHC) Purpose Day at Entokozweni, focusing on educating the community about gut health and the importance of hygiene.
  • Converting an illegal dumping site into a vibrant indigenous garden during the Sanofi Legal Ethics & Business Integrity department (LEBI) Giving Week, through collaborating with employees, local communities, and various stakeholders.

“As we celebrate International Volunteer Day, we are reminded of the importance of working together to effect real change,” says Selani. “Volunteerism is one of the most vital delivery mechanisms for social, environmental and economic transformation, ensuring a lasting impact because it can change people’s mindsets, attitudes, and behaviours. The power of collective action is not just a theme for a day but a guiding principle in transforming lives through united efforts.”

Join the UN in recognising volunteers all over the world using the hashtags #IfEveryoneDid and #IVD2023. SanofiVolunteers #InternationalVolunteerDay2023 #CollectiveAction #SocialImpact