The implant zaps the inside of the knee joint to stimulate cartilage growth –

An implant that electrocutes the inside of the knee joint to stimulate cartilage growth could be a new way to address osteoarthritis and reduce the need for knee replacement.

Scientists at the University of Connecticut in the United States have developed a patch that produces small amounts of electricity to stimulate the growth of cartilage, the tissue that acts as a cushion to prevent bones from rubbing against each other and causing pain.

When the knee joint moves, these tiny electrical impulses delivered by the implant stimulate the growth of nearby cartilage cells to create a new cushion “patch”.

Around 8.5 million people in the UK have painful joints from osteoarthritis or “wear and tear” arthritis, and knee osteoarthritis, the strongest joint in the body, is estimated to affect one in five adults over the age of 45.

Articular cartilage, a smooth, slippery substance, covers the ends of the bones where they meet at the joint and acts as a cushion. However, it wears out over time, causing bone to bone rubbing, pain and loss of movement.

Treatment ranges from pain relievers to relieve discomfort, to physical therapy and knee braces that support and strengthen the muscles around the joint.

Around 60,000 people in the UK undergo knee replacement surgery each year because, unlike other tissues in the body, articular cartilage cannot regrow or heal because it lacks the necessary blood vessels.

Now, researchers at the University of Connecticut have found that low levels of electricity can stimulate the growth of new cartilage cells.

They developed a small scaffold that resembles a patch that can be adapted to the size of the defect and be surgically implanted. It is made from poly-L-lactic acid (or PLLA), a biodegradable material that is a type of plastic. This has a property called piezoelectricity; this means that it produces a small surge in current when pressed – movement of a joint, such as walking, causes the PLLA scaffold to generate a weak but stable electric field. This encourages cells to colonize and develop into cartilage. The plant itself eventually biodegrades.

Animal studies by the researchers showed that after a month or two, strong cartilage regrowth in the joints. According to the journal Science Translational Medicine, a control group that received a standard scaffold had little or no healing of damaged cartilage. Human clinical trials are expected soon.

Mike McNicholas, orthopedic surgeon at Liverpool University Hospitals, said: “Piezoelectricity is incredibly common in the tissues of the body and is found in some of the body’s building blocks, such as collagen.

“Electrical stimulation is recognized as a way to accelerate the healing of broken bones and has been used clinically for decades.

‘The results of this study are very impressive. It will be interesting to see if they are reproducible in humans. The development of this new therapeutic implant to restore cartilage volume and fill in defects could be a milestone in the fight against arthritis”.

A capsule containing curcumin (the yellow compound found in turmeric) may help treat knee arthritis, according to the results of a new study published in the journal Nutrients.

In the study, patients took 500 mg of curcumin capsules or a placebo twice daily for eight weeks. The curcumin group was able to reduce pain medication by an average of 37%, compared to 13% of patients who took the placebo. Curcumin is believed to be anti-inflammatory.

How yogurt can make fruit healthier

Eating blueberries with yogurt can increase the intake of the nutrients they provide, reports the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

In rat studies, alpha-casein (a milk-based protein) was added to anthocyanin (an antioxidant that gives blueberries their color): the next day, rodents had higher anthocyanin levels in their blood.

The milk protein molecule “packs” the antioxidant and prevents it from breaking down as it moves through the gut and bloodstream, the researchers said.

Now they will see if the protein has the same effect on the human digestive system.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan say that ten minutes of exercise is enough to improve mood. They asked 26 adults to do mental tasks before and after running on the treadmill for ten minutes.

After the run, the tasks took less time and the participants’ mood improved, possibly because physical activity affected the prefrontal cortex, the brain region involved with emotions, the researchers said.

Bacterial weight gain after quitting smoking

Bacterial balance in the gut may explain weight gain in smokers.

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine in the United States have suggested that antibiotics can prevent weight gain in mice that have adapted to weight gain abruptly, in the same way as smokers who quit, and that certain strains of bacteria contribute to the problem.

According to the journal Nature, the animals’ weight remained stable for weeks after the drug. Weight gain after smoking was once thought to be the result of comfort eating.

look at the clock

How to harness the power of your biological clock? This week: dinner at 6 PM

Eating early in the evening may offer benefits ranging from less heartburn to a lower cancer risk.

A 2005 study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that people who ate within three hours of bedtime had heartburn seven times more than those who waited four hours before bed.

Heartburn is usually worse when lying down, as acid can flow back into the esophagus; An extra hour gives the food time to leave the stomach, which stimulates acid production.

Meanwhile, a 2018 study in the International Journal of Cancer found that people who ate at least two hours before bed were 20 percent less likely to develop breast or prostate cancer. Eating earlier is thought to be more in tune with our biological clocks.

rough health

Men with gum disease may be at twice the risk for prostate problems like prostatitis, according to a study of more than 5,000 men. Researchers from Taiwan’s Three-Servant General Hospital suggest that the bacteria involved in gum disease can cause inflammation in other parts of the body.

destructive slang

Scientific terms were deciphered. This week: The endocrine system

The endocrine system consists of glands responsible for producing and releasing hormones essential for metabolism, growth, stress, and sexual function.

These glands include the ovaries, testes, pancreas, and adrenal glands, which release hormones directly into the bloodstream.

The endocrine system is controlled by the pituitary gland located at the front of the brain, near the nose, which refers to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for regulating temperature, hunger, and sleep and can help regulate hormone secretion. according to the needs of the organism.

Aging, medications, and disease can cause an over- or under-secretion of hormones. And now some scientists have realized that Covid can lead to hormone-related disorders, probably because the virus attacks the pituitary gland.

Measuring brainstem responses may help diagnose tinnitus

Following research findings published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a new diagnostic tool for tinnitus may finally appear on the horizon.

The condition often causes ringing or ringing in the ear for no apparent reason, but there is no test to confirm the diagnosis.

Now, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have found that measuring brainstem auditory responses (ABR), which looks at the brain’s response to sound stimuli, can distinguish patients with tinnitus from those without.

It is thought that changes in brain activity resulting from initial exposure to noise that damages hearing cells in the ear may be a sign of this condition and ABR measurements may reflect this.

Antioxidants in blood determine risk of dementia

Measuring blood levels of antioxidants, compounds that protect cells from damage, may reveal Alzheimer’s risk.

A study by researchers from Canada’s Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique found that signs of cell damage caused by molecules called free radicals begin to increase five years before the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

This affects blood vessels in the brain, restricting blood flow to the area, which is a risk factor for the disease.

The study identified a link with antioxidant levels in a common form of Alzheimer’s that typically affects people with a gene called APOE4.

Researchers suggest that increasing antioxidants through supplements, for example, may reduce the risk of disease.