Month: March 2025

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Interventions to Eliminate Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis B in Africa

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Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have conducted a large-scale analysis that sheds light on the critical steps needed to combat the vertical transmission of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Africa.

Almost two thirds of all new hepatitis B infections globally occur in Africa. The newly published paper in The Lancet Global Health shows the importance of giving the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine (HepB-BD) within 24 hours of birth, and the potential impact of providing antiviral therapy (antiviral prophylaxis) to mothers during pregnancy. The study estimates for the first time that hepatitis B vertical transmission (passed from mother to baby) could be eliminated in Africa, with increased coverage of these two key interventions.

Chronic hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis in Africa and deaths are rising. Most cases of liver cancer are diagnosed late and are associated with a very poor prognosis in the region. Vertical transmission is one of the commonest routes of infection and is associated with an increased lifetime risk of severe liver disease.

Dr Alexander Stockdale, Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University’s Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, based at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, together with Dr Nicholas Riches at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, led the comprehensive analysis of more than 113 individual studies which reported on the prevalence of hepatitis B in more than 190 000 women and investigated rates of vertical transmission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) African region faces a significant burden, accounting for 63% of the global total of new infections. This amounted to 771 000 new infections and 272 000 deaths in 2022. Among children under 5 years, the prevalence of HBV stands at 2.5% in the WHO African region – the highest globally.

Dr Alexander Stockdale said: “This study makes the case for investment in birth dose vaccination and maternal antiviral prophylaxis, in view of the exciting potential for elimination of vertical transmission in the WHO African region in our lifetime. Vertical transmission is a key route of new hepatitis B infections. Due to limited implementation of interventions, elimination targets are not currently being met. We project that expanding HepB-BD vaccination coverage to 90% could reduce transmission events by 44%, and adding maternal antiviral prophylaxis for 90% of eligible women could further reduce transmission by 86% and achieve the WHO targets for elimination.”

Dr Stockdale and colleagues have also recently been awarded £3million funding from the National Institute of Health and Care Research to conduct implementation research in Malawi and The Gambia. The NIHR Global Health Research Grant will allow researchers in Malawi, led by Dr Stockdale and in The Gambia, led by Professor Maud Lemoine and Dr Gibril Ndow, to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of giving antiviral treatment (tenofovir) to all pregnant women living with chronic hepatitis B to prevent transmission. This study will provide vital evidence on the potential impact of this strategy to guide public health policy in Africa, which has been recognised as a key knowledge gap by the WHO in the 2024 hepatitis B guidelines.

Source: University of Liverpool

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Scientists Discover that GLP-1 is Involved in Cocaine Addiction

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Photo by Colin Davis on Unsplash

Cocaine use disorder casts a long shadow, trapping individuals in a cycle of dependence and leaving limited options for effective treatment. A new study in Science Advances delves deep into the brain, offering crucial insights into the underlying mechanisms of this complex disorder. By understanding how this intricate circuitry functions, scientists can pave the way for the development of more effective therapies, offering new hope to those struggling with this debilitating disorder.

At the heart of this discovery lies the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone known for its involvement in regulating food intake and blood sugar. The study reveals that chronic cocaine use is associated with reduced GLP-1 levels, effects that suggest that increasing central GLP-1 signalling could reduce cocaine seeking.

Further investigation pinpointed a specific brain circuit: GLP-1-producing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) that project to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key brain region involved in reward and motivation. By manipulating this circuit, researchers were able to significantly reduce cocaine-seeking behavior in animal models.

The study also sheds light on the specific cells involved. GLP-1 receptors were found to be primarily located on GABA neurons within the VTA. GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a crucial role in regulating brain activity. Importantly, activating these GLP-1 receptors increases the activity of GABA neurons, which in turn reduces the activity of dopamine neurons, a key neurotransmitter involved in reward and addiction.

“This research provides exciting new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying cocaine seeking,” said Schmidt, the Killebrew-Censits Chair of Undergraduate Education and a Professor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences. “By understanding how GLP-1 signaling influences brain activity in this context, we can potentially develop new GLP-1-based treatments to treat cocaine use disorder.”

This research opens a new chapter in the fight against cocaine use disorder. The findings offer a promising avenue for developing innovative therapies that target this critical brain circuit, potentially offering a lifeline to individuals struggling to break free from the grip of this devastating disorder.

Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

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Researchers Unravel Menopause Timing, Shedding Light on Ovarian Aging and Fertility

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Female reproductive system. Credit: Scientific Animations CC4.0 BY-SA

Menopause, driven by ovarian aging and the depletion of ovarian reserve, marks the end of a woman’s fertility, and while many aspects of these processes are well understood, the overall dynamics remain unclear. A new study from Rice University researchers, published in Biophysical Journal, introduces a novel approach to unravelling the complex patterns of ovarian aging using stochastic analysis, a mathematical approach that examines systems by evaluating all potential outcomes using random probability.

Led by Anatoly Kolomeisky, professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering, the research team has developed a theoretical framework that quantitatively predicts menopause timing. By analysing how ovarian follicles transition through different stages, the researchers’ model explains why menopause occurs and sheds light on individual variability and cross-population differences. These insights could improve fertility planning, inform health care decisions related to hormonal therapies and enhance our understanding of age-related health risks associated with ovarian aging.

“By considering menopause as a sequential process involving random transitions of follicles, we can better understand individual variability and population-wide trends in menopause timing,” Kolomeisky said.

A new theoretical model unlocks the mystery of menopause

The research team hypothesised that ovarian aging follows a stochastic sequential process influenced by follicles transitioning through multiple developmental stages. Unlike previous studies focusing primarily on hormonal and genetic influences, this study employed explicit analytical calculations supported by extensive computer simulations.

The approach allowed researchers to model the gradual depletion of ovarian follicle reserves, providing a detailed quantitative framework that aligns with medical data from diverse populations.

“By applying stochastic analysis, we can move beyond broad observations and develop precise, predictive insights into menopause timing and variability,” Kolomeisky said.

Key findings uncover menopause timing

The researchers discovered a universal relationship between three critical factors: the initial follicle reserve, the rate of ovarian depletion and the threshold that triggers menopause. Their model also revealed that menopause occurs within a surprisingly narrow age range, a phenomenon that had not yet been fully explained.

“One of the most unexpected findings was the synchronisation of follicular transitions, which may regulate the timing of menopause,” Kolomeisky said. “This suggests that underlying biochemical processes ensure a relatively consistent age of menopause despite individual variations.”

Source: Rice University

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X-Rays in ‘Colour’: Paving the Way for New Era in Medical Imaging

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New X-ray imaging technologies may soon offer a lot more information than the simple black-and-white images we are used to. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

New technology developed by researchers at the University of Houston could revolutionise medical imaging and lead to faster, more precise and more cost-effective alternatives to traditional diagnostic methods.

For years, doctors have relied on conventional 2D X-rays to diagnose common bone fractures, but small breaks or soft tissue damage like cancers often go undetected. More expensive and time-consuming MRI scans are not always suitable for these tasks in these detection or screening settings. Now, Mini Das, UH professor, has developed a 3D solution.

In a paper featured on the cover of the Journal of Medical Imaging, Das explains how photon counting detectors along with novel algorithms allow for more precise 3D visualisation of different tissues and contrast agents by capturing X-rays at multiple energy levels simultaneously, which helps differentiate materials inside the body.

“There are so many other potential applications for this technology including in materials imaging, baggage scanning for security, imaging for geophysics, and micro- and nano-electronics imaging – it’s very promising.”

Mini Das

“Right now, X-rays used in medical clinics and other industries collect incoming photons as a whole, similar to how white light contains all the colours, but they aren’t separated,” Das says. “So, while they can show differences in density – like distinguishing between bone and soft tissue – they can’t tell us exactly what materials are present.”

Medical and Industrial Applications

The photon counting detectors developed by Das’s team at UH can separate X-ray photons by their energy levels, similar to how a prism splits white light into different colours – and they can help identify specific materials, such as distinguishing between aluminium, plastic, iodine or other contrast agents like gadolinium used in medical imaging.

“This could improve cancer detection, for example,” Das says. “If you inject two different contrast agents – one targeting a tumor and another targeting inflammation – you could see where each one accumulates. Right now, we can see bright areas in an image, but we can’t always tell what they are. This technology would give us a much clearer, quantitative analysis. It would allow us to determine not just what’s inside an object, but what different materials are present and in what quantities.”

However, even with this advanced detection, some materials have similar X-ray properties, so distinguishing more than two or three at once can be a challenge. This is also amplified due to errors in the detectors as they separate photons by energy. But Das is working on a solution to that problem.

“We have developed a method that compensates for these detector distortions by calibrating the detector using known materials,” Das says. “Once corrected, we can use the data along with the proposed novel algorithm, for accurate material decomposition – breaking down an image into its component materials. We do this in a multi-step solution from the same CT data collected improving accuracy.”

Still Work to Do

Before the detectors can be widely used, there is still a lot of work to do. But Das says her team is working with industry partners in Europe to develop larger versions of these novel detectors and optimize their performance.

“We’re still in the research and development phase,” Das says. “Right now, the detectors are small, and we need to refine their measurement accuracy. But once we solve those challenges, we can begin testing in real-world medical and industrial settings. There are so many other potential applications for this technology including in materials imaging, baggage scanning for security, imaging for geophysics, and micro- and nano-electronics imaging – it’s very promising.”

Previously, Das addressed a century-old problem in another innovative area related to the exploration of the wave nature of X-rays to significantly enhance soft material contrast. This research was featured in the prestigious scientific journal Optica last year.

Das’s research is funded through multiple agencies including NSF, CDMRP and NIH. The latest funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering aims to develop low-dose Micro-CT that utilises multiple novel contrast mechanisms, thereby reducing radiation dose and imaging time which continues to be a significant issue.

Source: University of Houston

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Cold Sore Discovery Reveals an Unexpected Trigger for Flare-ups

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Scientists have a new target to prevent cold sores after University of Virginia researchers discovered an unexpected way the herpes virus re-activates in the body. The finding, published in PNAS, could also have important implications for genital herpes caused by the same virus.

The discovery from UVA’s Anna Cliffe, PhD, and colleagues seems to defy common sense. She and her team found that the slumbering herpes virus will make a protein to trigger the body’s immune response as part of its escape from dormancy. You’d think this would be bad for the virus – that activating the body’s antiviral defences would be like poking a bear. But, instead, it’s the opposite: The virus hijacks the antiviral process in infected neurons to make the type of comeback nobody wants.

“Our findings identify the first viral protein required for herpes simplex virus to wake up from dormancy, and, surprisingly, this protein does so by triggering responses that should act against the virus,” said Cliffe of UVA’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. “This is important because it gives us new ways to potentially prevent the virus from waking up and activating immune responses in the nervous system that could have negative consequences in the long term.”

Herpes Simplex Virus-Associated Disease

Cold sores are caused primarily by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), one of two forms of the herpes virus. HSV-1 is very contagious, and worldwide more than 60% of people under 50 (more than 3.8 billion) have been infected, the World Health Organization estimates.

In addition to causing cold sores, herpes simplex virus 1 can also cause genital herpes, a condition most often associated with HSV-1’s cousin, herpes simplex virus 2. Now, however, there are more new cases of genital herpes in the United States caused by HSV-1 than HSV-2. Notably, the UVA researchers found that herpes simplex virus 2 also makes this same protein and may use a similar mechanism to reactivate. So UVA’s new discovery may also lead to new treatments for genital herpes. 

In addition to cold sores and genital herpes, HSV-1 can also cause viral encephalitis (brain inflammation) and has been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Once HSV-1 makes its way into our bodies, it stays forever. Our immune systems can send it into hiding, allowing infected people to be symptom free. But stress, other infections and even sunburns are known to cause it to flare. UVA’s new discovery adds another, surprising way it can spring back into action.

The researchers found that while the virus can make a protein called UL12.5 to reactivate, the protein was not needed in the presence of another infection. The scientists believe this is because the infections trigger certain “sensing pathways” that act as the home security system for neurons. Detection of a pathogen alone may be sufficient to trigger the herpes virus to begin replicating, the scientists believe, even in instances of “abortive infections” – when the immune system contains the new pathogen before it can replicate.

“We were surprised to find that HSV-1 doesn’t just passively wait for the right conditions to reactivate – it actively senses danger and takes control of the process,” researcher Patryk Krakowiak said. “Our findings suggest that the virus may be using immune signals as a way to detect cellular stress – whether from neuron damage, infections or other threats – as a cue to escape its host and find a new one.” 

With the new understanding of how herpes flares can be triggered, scientists may be able to target the protein to prevent them, the researchers say. 

“We are now following up on this work to investigate how the virus is hijacking this response and testing inhibitors of UL12.5 function,” Cliffe said. “Currently, there are no therapies that can prevent the virus from waking up from dormancy, and this stage was thought to only use host proteins. Developing therapies that specifically act on a viral protein is an attractive approach that will likely have fewer side effects than targeting a host protein.” 

Source: University of Virginia Health System