A ganglion cyst is a fluid-filled bump associated with a joint or tendon sheath. They most often occur at the back of the wrist followed by the front of the wrist. Onset is often over months. Typically there are no further symptoms. Occasionally pain or numbness may occur. Complications may include carpal tunnel syndrome.The cause is unknown. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve an outpouching of the synovial membrane. Risk factors include gymnastics. Diagnosis is typically based on examination ...

ganglion cysts

Reset-Ageing-Button

Reset Ageing Button

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In Sinclair's lab, two mice sit next to each other. One is a picture of youth, the other is almost faint. Yet they are a brother and sister born from the same litter - only one mice is genetically altered to grow older faster. If this can be done, then Sinclair asks his team is it possible to do the contrary? [&nbsp;<a href="https://sinclair.hms.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" data-ref="Welcome | The Sinclair Lab" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp;]

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Japanese biomedical researcher Dr Shinya Yamanaka has already reprogrammed adult skin cells to behave like embryonic or pluripotent stem cells capable of developing in any cell in the body. The 2007 discovery won the scientist a Nobel Prize and his "induced pluripotent stem cells" soon became known as "Yamanaka factors." [ <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2012/yamanaka/facts/" target="_blank" data-ref="The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012" rel="noopener">[ref. 2]</a>&nbsp;]

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However, adult cells, wholly switched back to stem cells through the Yamanaka factors, lose their identity. They forget they are blood, heart and skin cells, making them ideal for rebirth as a "cell du jour", but not suitable for rejuvenation. If we have to explain it differently, then we don't want Brad Pitt in the movie "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" to suddenly become a baby; he is expected to rejuvenate himself and also remember who he is.

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Laboratories around the world address this issue. A study published in 2016 by researchers from the Solk Institute for Biological Research in La Hola, California, shows that signs of aging can be removed in genetically obsolete mice exposed for a short time to four main Yamanaka factors without erasing cell identity. [ <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)31664-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867416316646%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank" data-ref="Just a moment..." rel="noopener">[ref. 3] In</a>&nbsp;this study, however, there is a disadvantage: in certain situations, altered mice develop cancerous tumors.

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Looking for a safer alternative, the lab geneticist from Yuancheng Lu selects three of the four factors and genetically adds them to a harmless virus. The virus is designed to deliver the rejuvenating factors Yamanaka to the damaged ganglion cells of the retina at the back of an adult mouse's eye. After injecting the virus into the eye, pluripotent genes are involved by giving an antibiotic to the mouse.

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"Antibiotics are just a tool. It could be any chemical, just a way to check that the three genes are involved," Sinclair says. 'They're usually only included in very young developing embryos and then switched off when we get older.'

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What-happens-next

What happens next

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Surprisingly, damaged neurons in the eyes of mice injected with rejuvenated three cells even grow new axons or projections from the eye into the brain. After this initial study, Sinclair says his laboratory experiment reversed aging in the muscles and brains of mice and is now working on rejuvenating the entire mouse body.

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"Somehow the cells know that the body can restart and still know which genes should have been switched on when they were young," says the molecular biologist. "We think we use an ancient regeneration system that some animals also apply &ndash; when you cut off the salamander limb, this limb grows again. The tail of the fish will grow again; the mouse finger will grow again."

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This discovery shows that there is a "backup" of information about youth stored in the body.

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"I call it an information theory of aging," says Dr Sinclair. "This is a loss of information that causes aging cells to forget how to function, to forget what type of cells they are. And now we can turn on a reset button that restores the cell's ability to read the genome correctly again as if it were young."

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While the changes lasted for months in mice, the renewed cells did not "freeze" over time, ageing. "This is as constant as aging. It's a reset, then we see the mice age again, so we just repeat the process.'&nbsp;

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According to him, he and his team found the main control switch, a way to turn around the clock. And he adds that "then the body will wake up, remember how to behave, remember how to regenerate and be young again, even if it is already old and sick."

The-future-of-achievements-in-anti-ageing-medicine

The future of achievements in anti-ageing medicine

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In the laboratory of molecular biologist David Sinclair at Harvard Medical School, old mice are getting young again. Using proteins that can turn an adult cell into a stem cell, Sinclair and his team restored aging cells in mice to earlier versions of themselves. In his team's first breakthrough, published in late 2020, old mice with poor vision and damaged retinas can suddenly see again, with vision sometimes comparable to that of their offspring. [&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2975-4?error=cookies_not_supported&amp;code=1e32e6d0-f6e0-456f-af29-827aa9b6ca63" target="_blank" data-ref="Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision - Nature" rel="noopener">[ref. 4]</a>&nbsp;]

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"It's a constant zeroing, as far as we can tell, and we think it could be a universal process that can be applied throughout the body to restore our age," says Sinclair, who has spent the past 20 years studying ways to reverse the damage caused by the course of time.

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"If we reverse aging, these diseases should not happen. Today we have the technology so we can get to nearly a century of life without worrying about getting cancer in our 70s, heart disease in the 1980s or Alzheimer's in our 90s.'&nbsp;

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While modern medicine deals with the disease, it is not aimed at the underlying cause, "which for most diseases is aging itself," says Dr Sinclair. "We know that when we reverse the age of an organ like the brain of a mouse, the diseases of aging disappear. Memory returns; dementia is no longer there."

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According to the American molecular biologist, in the future delaying and reversing aging will be the best way to treat the diseases that threatens most of us. This is the world that is coming. It's literally only a matter of time before this happens in this decade.

Studies into whether the genetic intervention that revitalized the mice will achieve the same in humans are still at an early stage. A few years will pass before human trials are completed, analysed and, if safe and successful, reach legislative approval and finally get to people. However, the discovery arouses strong interest in the scientific community and gives hope that we probably have a chance against the universal enemy called "time."

The Benjamin Button Effect: How scientists reverse aging in mice

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Бетина Цветкова

Alzheimer's-disease---what-is-it

Alzheimer's disease - what is it

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Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, a common term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-80% of cases of dementia. This condition is not a normal part of ageing, but the most serious risk factor for its development is precisely age. Also, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease in which the symptoms of dementia gradually worsen over several years.

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What the research team finds

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&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2788716" target="_blank" data-ref="Associations Between Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Ganglion Cell Layer and Cognition" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp; "Given that we have not been able to treat advanced Alzheimer's disease and that the global spread of the disease is increasing, the ability to identify people at the preclinical stage, when we still have a chance to intervene, is really important," says health researcher Ashley Barrett-Young of the University of Ougho, New Zealand. [ref.1]

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People with Alzheimer's disease often live with visual impairments that can contribute to mental confusion, disorientation and social isolation - all symptoms that, along with memory loss, disrupt the daily lives of millions of people living with the disease.

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This study is not the first time scientists have suggested that the eyes could be a window into the brain. More than a decade ago, researchers discovered amyloid-beta proteins, the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, in the retinas of people with this disease. Subsequent studies of eye images revealed that Alzheimer's patients also had thinner retinas. Another study from 2018 also reported strong links between Alzheimer's disease and three common eye conditions, including glaucoma and macular degeneration.

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In the new study, researchers analyzed data from Dunedin's long-running study, which tracked the lives of more than 1,000 babies born in the early 1970s at a New Zealand hospital. Five decades later, Barrett-Young and colleagues selected for their analysis a subset of 865 adults who&nbsp; had eye examinations at age 45, along with a set of neuropsychological tests in adulthood and early childhood, as part of the Dunedin experiment.

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The thickness of two different parts of the retina (layers of nerve fibers of the retina and layers of ganglion cells) were measured in the examinations. The analysis showed that study participants with thinner layers of the retina achieved lower scores in cognitive performance tests, both as adults and when they were children.

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However, no associations were found between retinal thinning and an overall decline in cognitive function (between childhood and middle age), which may indicate that something is changing in the brain. While thinner layers of nerve fibers of the retina at age 45 are associated with a decrease in the rate of brain processing since childhood, this may just be a sign of general aging and not necessarily associated with Alzheimer's disease.

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"The findings suggest that retinal thickness may be an indicator of overall brain health," says Barrett-Young, who led the study.

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Further research is needed to validate these claims. However, the team behind the study believes the findings could pave the way for a simple eye test to help predict a person's risk of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. Although such observed associations are interesting to the scientific community, the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease are many and varied, so for now all the links between Alzheimer's disease and eye health are still under intensive investigation.

Key detail in your retina 'speaks' about brain health

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Author: Rositsa Tashkova, Master of Molecular Biology and Microbiology

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Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that might develop&nbsp;without symptoms and often remains undiagnosed. The most common cause of the disease is increased pressure in the eyes (intraocular pressure), sometimes due to poor drainage of the fluid that normally fills the eyeball.

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There is also the so-called normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) when the disease occurs in people with normal internal pressure.

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Glaucoma leads to damage of the optic nerve - which ultimately causes blindness. People who have a hereditary factor (someone in the family has also suffered from the disease) are at greater risk.

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It is usually found by accident during a routine eye examination, because the symptoms appear at a very advanced stage of the disease, when it is too late. Detected in time, glaucoma can be delayed by appropriate treatment prescribed by a doctor - eye drops, medication, laser or surgery.

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In this article, we will address the question of what we can do with natural means to support our prescribed treatment for glaucoma. The condition is serious and should not be underestimated due to the irreversible consequences for our vision and life.

What-foods,-vitamins-and-minerals-should-you-take-if-you-suffer-from-glaucoma

What foods, vitamins and minerals should you take if you suffer from glaucoma

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There is evidence that it is important for patients with glaucoma to take food rich in <a href="https://www.sanat.io/bul/p/kakvo_priedstavliavat_svobodnitie_radikali_i_antioksidantitie_6be12349_ec85_47d4_bcb8_0c265fb59dd4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antioxidants</a> [<a href="https://www.surveyophthalmol.com/article/S0039-6257(08)00116-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.6</a>], vitamin A and C, carotenoids.

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<a href="https://www.sanat.io/bul/p/kakvi_sa_polzitie_ot_antioksidantitie_za_zdravieto_i_koi_khrani_sa_nai_boghati_na_tiakh_0376155d_ea0c_4218_8ed2_114aed9f37c5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">These substances are found in fresh fruits and vegetables</a> - especially green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage, turnip, beets, carrots. Dark fruits are rich in antioxidants - chokeberry, blueberries. There is evidence that peaches can also help glaucoma sufferers. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Glaucoma_risk_and_the_consumption_of_fruits_and_vegetables_among_older_women_in_the_study_of_osteoporotic_fractures_18355790" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.1</a>]

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It is advisable to avoid coffee, as it can further increase intraocular pressure. Instead, it can be replaced with green tea, which contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) - an extremely powerful antioxidant that, according to some studies, can help people suffering from glaucoma and retinal diseases caused by oxidative stress. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Oxidative_induced_retinal_degeneration_is_attenuated_by_epigallocatechin_gallate_17084820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.2</a>]

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Despite the variety of affordable foods today, some people suffer from deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies may worsen the condition of glaucoma patients, but the good news is that they can be diagnosed using a simple blood test and measures can be easily taken to address them.

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These include: magnesium, calcium, zinc, vitamin D [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Serum_vitamin_D_status_is_associated_with_the_presence_but_not_the_severity_of_primary_open_angle_glaucoma_26059919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.3</a>], vitamin B-complex, A, C and E, folic acid. Melatonin, lipoic acid and vitamin B12 can also help as supplements&nbsp;[<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Natural_therapies_for_ocular_disorders_part_two_cataracts_and_glaucoma_11302779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.7</a>].

What-medicinal-plants-might-help-with-glaucoma

What medicinal plants might help with glaucoma

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According to some studies, certain herbs and medicinal plants could improve the condition and slow down to a certain extent the progression of glaucoma, combined with the conventional treatment prescribed by the doctor.

Baikal-skullcap-or-Chinese-skullcap-(Scutellaria-baicalensis)

Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)

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In 2015, a study was published [<a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jop.2014.0074" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.4</a>], according to which the substance baicalein - flavon, isolated from the roots of the Baikal skullcap or also known as Chinese skullcap plant, can lower&nbsp;intraocular pressure by improving the rate at which fluid drains from the eye.

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Baikalein is also found in other plants, such as thyme.

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<figure><img class="tinyMCEImg" src="https://d20hztklr4qnvi.cloudfront.net/84773248-8386-4f88-9c16-24327088fb80_middle.jpg" border="0" alt="baikal helmet glaucoma" title="baikal helmet in glaucoma">
<figcaption>Credit: <a href="https://wellcomecollection.org/works/a3qr2v63" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Henry Oakeley</a>.</figcaption>
</figure>

Ginkgo-biloba-might-lower-intraocular-pressure

Ginkgo biloba might lower intraocular pressure

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Ginkgo biloba extract has been found to increase blood flow to the eyes, improve the survival of retinal cells and protect against oxidative stress - properties that are important for fighting glaucoma.

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It is believed that decreased blood flow to the eyes is the main cause of glaucoma, in which intraocular pressure is normal, not elevated. Several studies have been conducted to check whether Ginkgo biloba extract can help sufferers of this type of glaucoma and the results are encouraging. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Ginkgo_biloba_extract_and_bilberry_anthocyanins_improve_visual_function_in_patients_with_normal_tension_glaucoma_22870951" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.5</a>]

European-blueberry-(Vaccinium-myrtillus)

European blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)

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It is also called bilberry, wimberry, whortleberry. There is evidence that European blueberry extract taken orally has a neuroprotective effect and can protect retinal ganglion cells in sufferers of glaucoma and other diseases affecting the retina. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Bilberry_extract_administration_prevents_retinal_ganglion_cell_death_in_mice_via_the_regulation_of_chaperone_molecules_under_conditions_of_endoplasmic_reticulum_stress_29066860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.8</a>]

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Saffron-(Crocus-sativus)

Saffron (Crocus sativus)

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According to one study from Iran, after a 3-week intake of saffron capsules, there was a significant decrease in the intraocular pressure of the test group of patients. According to scientists, this may be due to the antioxidant effect of saffron. [<a href="https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2184194" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.9</a>]

Coleus-forskohlii-also-known-as-Plectranthus-barbatus

Coleus forskohlii also known as Plectranthus barbatus

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The tubers of this herb contain the substance forscoline. It can lower intraocular pressure when externally administered.

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There is evidence that when taken orally, forscoline reaches the eyes and can exercise its effect there. [<a href="http://www.seu-roma.it/riviste/clinica_terapeutica/apps/autos.php?id=774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.10</a>]

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Given the severity of the disease, it is advisable to discuss the intake of new herbs and supplements with the attending physician.

ganglion cysts

Key detail in your retina 'speaks' about brain health

Herbs, food and minerals that might help you fight glaucoma