Pioneering muscle monitoring in space to help astronauts stay strong in low-gravity

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

Handheld device could also bring about a step-change in muscle monitoring back on Earth

Astronauts have been able to track their muscle health in spaceflight for the first time using a handheld device, revealing which muscles are most at risk of weakening in low gravity conditions.

An international research team, including the University of Southampton and led by Charité University in Berlin, monitored the muscle health of twelve astronauts before, during and after a stay on the International Space Station (ISS).

Findings published in Nature Scientific Reports indicate that the astronauts’ daily exercise regime was effective in preserving most muscle groups, but crucial lower leg muscles showed signs of deterioration.

The technology and assessment protocol used in space could also bring about a step-change in healthcare back on Earth, allowing healthcare professionals to better monitor muscle health in neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, such as Parkinson’s Disease and stroke, and in patients in critical care.

“Being able to perform inflight muscle health checks will allow the astronauts to see which muscles are losing strength and adjust their exercise programme accordingly,” says Professor Maria Stokes OBE, UK lead of the project, from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton. “Being able to personalise exercises like this will be crucial on future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.”

Muscle loss in space

Microgravity conditions during spaceflight mean astronauts’ bodies aren’t subjected to the workload they are used to on Earth, meaning muscles don’t have to work very hard to perform functional tasks onboard the spacecraft. This puts astronauts at risk of muscle weakness and bone loss, with up to a 20 per cent decrease in skeletal muscle mass over a month.

To counteract this, astronauts onboard the ISS perform an exercise programme for around two hours a day, six or seven days a week. Until now, monitoring the effectiveness of this programme has only been possible with pre- and post-flight checks due to a lack of appropriate equipment.

Handheld device

The MyotonPRO is a smartphone-sized device which measures the properties of superficial skeletal muscles, tendons, ligaments, adipose tissue (fat), and skin. It’s non-invasive and uses a ‘tap and listen’ method, sending a precision impulse causing the tissues to oscillate and recording the way the tissue responds to compute various characteristics, such as stiffness, tone and elasticity.

The device was used to measure specific points on the astronauts’ bodies throughout their mission, before the flight, during a 4 to 11-month stay onboard the ISS, and up to three months post-flight. Researchers were particularly interested in measuring passive muscle stiffness, as it reflects muscle strength, which is not possible to measure in multiple muscles in space.

“People tend to associate stiffness with poor flexibility and mobility, but an adequate degree of passive stiffness is needed to maintain joint stability and posture,” says co-lead author Paul Muckelt, a research fellow at the University of Southampton. “Stiffness provides support during movement, preventing excessive stretching of muscles and reducing the risk of injury. It also contributes to the efficiency of movement by storing and releasing elastic energy during activities, such as walking or running.”

Passive muscle stiffness can shift throughout the day, so recording conditions needed to be standardised to ensure accuracy.

Weakening of crucial leg muscles

The team found that the astronauts’ exercise programme was effective in preserving muscle stiffness in most sites measured, including the shoulders, neck, back and thigh. But crucially, the tibialis anterior showed signs of waning in all 12 astronauts. The tibialis anterior, located in the front of the lower leg, lifts the foot upwards towards the shin. This movement is essential for walking and running.  

The soleus and gastrocnemius muscles in the calf act in opposition to the tibialis anterior, pointing the foot downward. The soleus also showed a decrease in stiffness compared to preflight, but it did increase gradually over time on the ISS. The gastrocnemius increased in stiffness, indicating it might take over most of the function of the calf.

The Achilles tendon (attached to both muscles) also decreased in stiffness compared to preflight measurements. Monitoring the Achilles is important as sudden reloading, such as that induced by a change in gravitation force, could result in injury or even rupture.

Professor Dieter Blottner at the Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, who led the Myotones Project said: “These lower leg muscles have a vital role in gait and ankle joint stabilisation. Impaired function could hinder performance on missions during planetary excursions and risk injury on return to Earth’s gravity, so exercises which target these muscles should be included in the astronauts’ exercise regimes going forward.”

Use on Earth

Measuring muscle health in this relatively simple way in space could translate to everyday life back on Earth - in healthcare settings, sports, remote communities and even people’s homes.

Assessing stiffness and other muscle characteristics helps in managing neurological disorders, like Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Currently, clinical assessments involve subjective methods, rating stiffness as mild, moderate or severe.

MyotonPRO offers objective measurements for a more accurate and sensitive assessment of the effects of different treatments. In the future, devices like this could be used by patients to monitor drug effects at home, akin to self-testing blood in diabetes.

Dr Martin Warner, co-senior author of the research paper from the University of Southampton said: “This technology and the use of passive muscle stiffness as a muscle health indicator could be used by many health professionals during clinical assessments. Widespread uptake could revolutionise healthcare in neuro-musculoskeletal, critical care and geriatric medicine, rehabilitation and precision medicine.”

Libby Moxon, Exploration Science Officer for Lunar and Microgravity at the UK Space Agency (UKSA), said: “As we approach increasingly ambitious missions that will see us travel deeper into space for longer, it’s imperative we fully understand how space travel impacts human muscle properties, so we can protect astronauts’ muscle health on long-duration missions.

“The University of Southampton’s fascinating research, supported by the UK Space Agency, demonstrates how innovative technology can support this goal, taking advantage of the microgravity environment to provide insights that will also help improve healthcare in space and back on Earth.”

Muscle stiffness indicating mission crew health in space is published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports and is available online.

The study was funded through the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the German Aerospace Agency (DLR), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Science Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Ends

Contact

Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton, press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.

Notes for editors

1. Muscle stiffness indicating mission crew health in space is published in Nature Scientific Reports and is available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54759-6 
2. For Interviews with Professor Maria Stokes, Dr Martin Warner and Paul Muckelt please contact Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.
3. Images:
   1. 1. Close up image of the MyotonPRO device over the Medial Gastrocnemius muscle - one of the sites tested in the Myotones project. Credit to Myoton AS, Estonia.
      2. NASA astronaut using the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) in the Tranquility node of the International Space Station to exercise. This is not one of the astronauts who participated in the study. Credit NASA. Original available here: Nyberg with ARED in Node 3 | NASA Image and Video Library

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Additional information

The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2023). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 22,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk

www.southampton.ac.uk/news/contact-press-team.page

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JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-024-54759-6 

ARTICLE TITLE

Pioneering muscle monitoring in space to help astronauts stay strong in low-gravity

GREENWASHING CAPITALI$M

New research network and hub will integrate biodiversity in the financial system

The £7 million programme is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Grant and Award Announcement

UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

A research and innovation programme that will embed biodiversity into the financial system has launched a network and hub to deliver its second phase.

Incorporating biodiversity impact in financial decision-making is critical to ensure we can reduce the global economy’s damage to the planet and improve sustainability.

The £7 million programme is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The programme’s new network and strategic coordination hub have received £3 million of that investment to utilise the outcomes delivered in the first phase of the programme.

This multi-stakeholder community will build knowledge, tools, collaboration and capacity that can support this goal. The network will connect with the financial services sector as well as business, public and third sectors.

The Integrating Finance & Biodiversity for a Nature Positive programme has three flagship initiatives:

• Financing green sector transitions: This initiative supports the agricultural sector, which accounts for over 70% of landcover, to restore nature.
• Greening finance for nature: This initiative addresses how decision-making processes in financial institutions such as banks and asset management companies impact nature.
• Financing biodiversity: This initiative delivers investment in biodiversity conservation.

Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of NERC, said:

"This NERC funding will empower financial decision makers in the financial, agricultural and public sectors to consider the impact of biodiversity in their investments.

"The research will support the transition to a more nature-positive global financial system, and it expands NERC’s growing Green Finance portfolio of investments."

The finance system has a key role in shaping how the global economy responds to the intertwined challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.

According to the Nature of Business Survey, the majority of business leaders want to take steps to tackle biodiversity loss, but progress has been slow due to a lack of data.

Dr Nick Wells, Principal Investigator of the network and Director of Impact and Innovation at UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), said:

"Our vision is to build national capability bridging scientific, finance, policy and third sector communities, harnessing and catalysing world-leading science to enable the greening of finance for nature and mobilisation of capital for nature recovery."

Emily McKenzie, the Technical Director of The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), said:

"To close the financing gap for nature and biodiversity protection and recovery, businesses and financial institutions need to begin to measure and disclose their impacts on nature and their dependencies on the many vital services that nature provides. This is at the core of the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.

"To achieve this, companies and financial institutions urgently need to be able to access robust data, models and tools to assess their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.

"I’m delighted to welcome  UKRI’s Integrating Finance and Biodiversity for a Nature Positive Future Programme, which will play an important role in filling the data and knowledge gaps and help accelerate progress."

Rhian-Mari Thomas, Chief Executive of Green Finance Institute, said:

"The financial sector will be a key part of the ambition to transition to an economy that values and invests in nature – as will the research sector. The NERC Integrating Finance and Biodiversity programme will play a critically important role, bridging the UK’s world-leading research base and our unique position as a key global Green Finance Centre, to develop the new data, frameworks and financial products to support the mobilisation of private finance into nature restoration and positive nature outcomes.

"At the Green Finance Institute, through our work with the finance sector, and as host to the Group of Financial Institutions for Nature (G-FIN) we are delighted to support the NERC Integrating Finance and Biodiversity network to strengthen meaningful engagement between financial institutions and UK nature finance, facilitating transformative impact driven by evidence-based academic research."

Find out more about the first phase of the programme and research projects.

 

New Durham University study uses camera collars to reveal surprising diet and encounters of chacma baboons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday 20 March 2024

DURHAM UNIVERSITY

-With images and videos-

A team of scientists from Durham University has uncovered surprising insights into the behaviour of wild baboons in South Africa using an innovative camera collar system.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Primatology, provide an unprecedented baboon’s-eye view of their eating habits and interactions with other species.

Researchers have discovered that baboons are much more opportunistic foragers than they realised.

The collar cameras allowed the researchers to literally see what a baboon sees - and they were eating antelope faeces.

The collar cameras recorded footage showing baboons carefully selecting and consuming the faeces from antelope species like kudu, impala and duiker.

Researchers suggest that they might gain nutrients from the faeces when food is scarce.

The cameras also revealed close encounters between baboons and unhabituated wildlife like banded mongooses, impala and nyala.

These animals would have fled if the data had been collected by human observation, a more traditional method of studying primate behaviour.

This pioneering study highlights how collar-cameras can uncover the intricate, unseen lives of wild primates for science and conservation.

Lead researcher of the study, Ben Walton of Durham University said: “Seeing the world through the eyes of these primates gave us unparalleled insight into their daily lives, including what they eat and how they interact with each other and other species.

“It has been exciting to explore the ways in which cameras such as these could improve our understanding of primate behaviour in future.”

Commenting on the findings, study co-author Professor Russell Hill of Durham University said: “Baboons are amongst the best studied primates.

“To uncover undocumented foraging behaviour in just a few days using these collar cameras was thus really surprising.

“I have been studying baboons for years, but this primate’s eye view gave me a totally different perspective on their behaviour.”

Researchers point out that this method has amazing potential to engage the public in research and the footage from these cameras was used in the BBC Natural History Unit documentary: Animals with Cameras.

The team developed the prototype collar cameras with the BBC Natural History Unit for the TV series Animals with Cameras.

They believe the technology has huge potential for primate research on activity budgets, diet, social dynamics and more.

Researchers can study predator-prey interactions and social behaviour in a completely natural, unbiased way.

ENDS

Media Information

Ben Walton from Durham University is available for interview and can be contacted on benjamin.j.walton@durham.ac.uk.

Alternatively, please contact Durham University Communications Office for interview requests on communications.team@durham.ac.uk or +44 (0)191 334 8623.

Source

‘On-primate cameras reveal undocumented foraging behaviour and interspecies interactions in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus)’, (2024), B Walton, L Findley and R Hill, International Journal of Primatology.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10764-024-00423-9

Graphics

Associated images and videos are available via the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/joq4xh8h9ws5tnrkl2jdu/h?rlkey=23rgjmwr4i28pe7f0ikpgxdv1&dl=0

About Durham University

Durham University is a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research based in historic Durham City in the UK.

We are a collegiate university committed to inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham and in the world.

We conduct research that improves lives globally and we are ranked as a world top 100 university with an international reputation in research and education (QS World University Rankings 2024).

We are a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive UK universities and we are consistently ranked as a top 10 university in national league tables (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, Guardian University Guide and The Complete University Guide).

For more information about Durham University visit: www.durham.ac.uk/about/

END OF MEDIA RELEASE – issued by Durham University Communications Office.

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JOURNAL

International Journal of Primatology

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

 

Mystery of unexplained kidney disease revealed to patients

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY

Scientists have identified a new method of analysing genomic data in a major discovery that means patients with unexplained kidney failure are finally getting a diagnosis.

Experts at Newcastle University have worked with data from Genomics England 100,000 Genomes project to establish a diagnosis in patients with unexplained kidney failure.

There are numerous reasons for kidney failure, which if left untreated is life-threatening, but often patients do not get a precise diagnosis which can make their best course of treatment unclear.

Missing genetic data

Research, published in the Genetics in Medicine Open, has now revealed that for these patients areas in their genome are missing so are not detected as faulty when using the routine genetic pipelines to analyse data. 

Scientists say that as this missing gene has now been identified, and mutations within it found, they have been able to classify this as NPHP1-related kidney failure.

Professor John Sayer, Deputy Dean of Biosciences at Newcastle University, said: “Our new genomic methods and their results has huge implications for the patients and families with kidney failure who were previously genetically unsolved.

“What we are now able to do is give some patients a precise diagnosis, which allows their investigations, treatment and management to be tailored to their needs for the best possible outcomes.”

In the study, experts reviewed genetic sequencing data from 959 patients with advanced kidney disease, where a total of 11 patients were identified as having a deleted region genome, leading to a complete loss of a kidney gene and this had previously been undetectable.

The new approach was also used to examine genomic data from 11,754 cases to make new genetic diagnoses of 10 other UK patients with unexplained deafness and blindness, again who had previously been genetically unexplained.

Professor Sayer, who is also a consultant nephrologist at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We knew that many of our unsolved cases had a genetic disorder, and this new approach enables us to solve these cases definitively.

“We can now give an accurate genetic diagnosis to many more families affected by kidney disease and our hope is to provide a proper diagnosis for many more families in the future.

“This work is a reminder that it is always worth investigating the underlying reasons for kidney failure to get to the bottom of the condition.

“Finding a genetic cause of kidney failure has huge implications for the patient and also for other family members, especially if they are wishing to donate a kidney to their loved one.”

The work, co-funded by Kidney Research UK and the Northern Counties Kidney Research Fund, was possible through the Genomics England 100,000 Genomes project, where Professor Sayer has been instrumental in the North East’s success of this project.

The Newcastle experts are now working with cell lines taken from patients to study more in detail the disease process and to test potential treatments.

Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals are both part of Newcastle Health Innovation Partners (NHIP). NHIP is one of eight prestigious Academic Health Science Centres (AHSCs) across the UK, bringing together partners to deliver excellence in research, health education and patient care.

Case study: Family finally given answers

The Bingham family have three members all affected by kidney disease.

Siblings Noah, 23, and Ariel, 19, have both had kidney transplants and their younger brother, Casper, 15, has been diagnosed with kidney disease.

The family, from Hexham, Northumberland, are part of the Genomics England 100,000 Genomes project and were one of the families identified as having the gene deletion, NPHP1-related kidney failure.

Noah presented with kidney failure just after finishing his A-levels and, at the same time, Ariel was being treated for reduced kidney function.

Both now have donated kidneys as their own organs function reduced to dangerously low levels. Sadly, Noah’s transplanted kidney failed after only 16 months, and he had to start haemodialysis again in February this year.

Mum Sarah, 51, a home educator, said: “The genetic tests carried out by Professor John Sayer and his team allowed Casper to receive his diagnosis before he was symptomatic.

“The knowledge that Casper will go into kidney failure and eventually need a transplant, though overwhelming at times, has meant that we can arrange the support he needs and help him prepare for surgery and treatments well before they are necessary.

“When nobody is able to explain why your children are ill, it is very unsettling, with no means of clarifying what might happen in the future. The diagnosis has meant that we have been able to prepare ourselves for the medical issues our children face.

“It’s great that this research is being carried out at Newcastle University as it means patients with the condition can get a better understanding of their medical needs and hopefully new treatments may be developed in the future thanks to the research that is being done.” 

Sarah and husband, Darryl, 52, a chartered building surveyor, have been strong advocates for kidney patients and work with Kidney Research UK to help support patients.

Reference:

Copy number analysis from genome sequencing data of 11,754 rare disease parent-child trios: a model for identifying autosomal recessive human gene knockouts including a novel gene for autosomal recessive retinopathy. John Sayer et al. Genetics in Medicine Open. DOI: 10.1016/j.gimo.2024.101834

Ends

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JOURNAL

Genetics in Medicine Open

DOI

10.1016/j.gimo.2024.101834 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Copy number analysis from genome sequencing data of 11,754 rare disease parent-child trios: a model for identifying autosomal recessive human gene knockouts including a novel gene for autosomal recessive retinopathy

 

New study provides insights into COVID-19 vaccine uptake among children and young people

COVID-19 vaccine uptake among children and young people was low across all four UK nations according to pioneering new research

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

COVID-19 vaccine uptake among children and young people was low across all four UK nations, compared to other age groups, according to the first research study to look at data from all four UK nations.

It also revealed that uptake further reduced for second and booster vaccinations.

Uptake of COVID-19 vaccination was associated with age and sex of the child and young person, as well as number of people and vaccination status of the household.

The research, led by Professor Rhiannon Owen at Swansea University and Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh at the University of Edinburgh, linked health and administrative data to explore COVID-19 vaccine uptake in over 3.4 million children and young people aged between 5 and 17 in the UK.  

The research, published in Nature Communications, was a collaboration between Swansea University, the University of Oxford, Queen's University Belfast, the University of Edinburgh, and Strathclyde University.

The study looked at anonymised data between August 4, 2021, and May 31, 2022. It explored the factors influencing vaccine uptake among children and young people, including sex, age, and household factors, while accounting for delays in vaccine uptake due to infection.

The study used multi-state modelling and meta-analysis techniques to identify key demographic variables influencing vaccine uptake among children and young people on a national scale.

The study showed that across the UK nations 35 per cent of children and young people received the first vaccine, 21 per cent received the second, and 2 per cent received the booster dose. During the study period 13 per cent tested positive for COVID-19 and 133 died of all-causes.

Children and young people aged five to 11 years old were 90 per cent less likely to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine, and 12 to 15-year-olds were 42 per cent less likely compared to 16 to 17-year-olds.

The researchers revealed that children and young people in unvaccinated households were 81 per cent less likely to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine compared to children and young people from households with at least one vaccinated adult.

Males were 7 per cent less likely to receive their first vaccine compared to females, and children and young people residing in single adult households were 11 per cent less likely to receive their first vaccine compared to children living in households with two people.

First author Sarah Aldridge, researcher and data scientist at Population Data Science at Swansea, said:  “Our research emphasises the critical role of prioritising COVID vaccination efforts for children and young people. The data highlights the necessity for targeted interventions to address specific risk factors, ensuring widespread protection and mitigating potential impacts on this age group.

“To prepare for possible future pandemics, understanding and addressing vaccination differences among vulnerable populations are critical to effective public health strategies."

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-46451-0 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations amongst 3,433,483 children and young people: meta-analysis of UK prospective cohorts

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

22-Mar-2024

COI STATEMENT

AS has served on a number of UK and Scottish government COVID-19 advisory bodies. CR has served on a number of UK and Scottish government COVID-19 advisory bodies—SPI-M, MHRA Covid Vaccines Benefit and Risk Group, Scottish Government Covid Advisory Group and Chief Nursing Officer Nosocomial Advisory Group. DTB has served on a number of UK and Northern Ireland government COVID-19 advisory bodies. All other authors report no competing interests. RAL was a member of the Welsh Government COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group. RKO is a member of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Committee, member of the NICE Decision Support Unit (DSU), and associate member of the NICE Technical Support Unit (TSU). RKO has served as a paid consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, providing unrelated methodological advice generally. She reports teaching fees from the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the University of Bristol. SdeL has received grants through his University for vaccine related research from AstraZeneca, GSK, Moderna, MSD, Sanofi and Seqirus. He has also been a member of advisory boards for AstraZeneca, GSK, Sanofi and Seqirus, with any funding paid to his University. The remaining authors have nothing to declare.

Can taking antibiotics combat the gut bacteria that contribute to the pathogenesis of COVID-19?

WILEY

New research indicates that antibiotics can effectively target bacteria in the gut that harbor the virus that causes COVID-19 and produce toxin-like peptides that contribute to COVID-19-related symptoms. In the study, which involved 211 participants and was published in the Journal of Medical Virology, individuals who received early antibiotic treatment after having COVID-19 recovered more quickly than those who did not receive antibiotics.

The authors had already evaluated the efficacy of certain antibiotics in SARS-CoV-2-infected bacterial cultures in vitro, and this new study demonstrates promising results with the use of the combination of 2 antibiotics (amoxicillin and rifaximin) within the first 3 days.

Furthermore, a significant number of patients who received antibiotics within the first 3 days and for a duration of 7 days during the acute phase of COVID-19 did not develop long COVID.

"Our findings suggest that antibiotics should be considered in acute infection and Long COVID. The study also lays the foundation for additional vaccine strategies," said co–corresponding author Marina Piscopo, PhD, of the University of Naples Federico, in Italy.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.29507

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Journal of Medical Virology is a clinical virology journal publishing original scientific papers on fundamental and applied research concerning viruses affecting humans. We welcome reports describing the characterization, diagnosis, epidemiology, immunology and pathogenesis of human viral infections and diseases. Basic studies on virus morphology, genetics, replication and host-cell interactions are also accepted.

About Wiley
Wiley is a knowledge company and a global leader in research, publishing, and knowledge solutions. Dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge, Wiley serves the world’s researchers, learners, innovators, and leaders, helping them achieve their goals and solve the world's most important challenges. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Medical Virology

DOI

10.1002/jmv.29507 

ARTICLE TITLE

A retrospective cohort study on early antibiotic use in vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Mar-2024

 

Physicists develop modeling software to diagnose serious diseases

UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN - FACULTY OF SCIENCE

 

IMAGE: 

ILLUSTRATION OF MESOSCALE SIMULATIONS OF MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE WITH REALISTIC SHAPE AND SIZE

view more 

CREDIT: WERIA PEZESHKIAN

Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen and University of Southern Denmark have recently published FreeDTS – a shared software package designed to model and study biological membranes at the mesoscale – the scale “in between” the larger macro level and smaller micro level.

This software fills an important missing software among the available biomolecular modeling tools and enables modeling and understanding of many different biological processes involving the cellular membranes e.g. cell division.

Membrane shape contains information about the physiological state of the cell and overall health of an organism, so this new tool, with its wide array of applications, will enhance our understanding of cell behavior and open routes for diagnostics of infections and diseases like Parkinsons.

The publication of FreeDTS is now reported in Nature Communications.

Sharing a powerful tool that could have provided NBI with an advantage. Why?

The software package Weria Pezeshkian from the Niels Bohr Institute has been working on for the last 5 years, after an initial idea between him and John Ipsen from the University of Southern Denmark, is shared – laid open for every researcher in this field to use.

Normally the competition for achieving scientific results is high, and science advancements kept secret until publication – so this seems like a very generous attitude indeed. So generous it might seem a bit naive.

It is a strange mix of respect for the “pioneers” of the biomolecular modeling field and the fact that the field offers so many unanswered questions that it would seem almost disrespectful towards the scientific community to keep the tool to ourselves, Weria Pezeshkian explains.

“There are so many questions and bottlenecks to tackle to reach the end goals, that it would be unlikely that we work on exactly the same problems. However, occasional overlap occurs and is a worthwhile cost we pay for advancing the field.

But there is another aspect as well: One of the reasons our community, the biomolecular simulation and modeling community has had this surge in popularity and a fast growth is that we’ve always strived to get more people into the game and share ideas, results and methods and often direct assistance without expecting immediate personal gains.

This culture was built by the early pioneers in the field, for one, late , who always promoted this approach of sharing and bringing people in – so we are to a large extent standing on the shoulders of giants in this respect”.

Acknowledging Herman Berendsen

Herman Berendsen (1934-2019) was a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Groningen (RUG). He was especially known for his contributions to the field of molecular modeling and his dedication to translate models into accessible applications.

Berendsen was especially praised for his non-hierarchical and open approach. This not only locally at his institute, where he was known for enabling the young researchers in his group, but also among the wider scientific community. He contributed to computer simulation applications that are still widely used to study the dynamics of biomolecules. Examples of this are his SPC (simple-point-charge) model, used to model liquid water; and the ‘Berendsen’ thermostat and barostat, that serves to keep the temperature and pressure constant during simulations.

Also, he organized a series of workshops where pioneers in the field met to discuss and share their newest findings.

Berendsen remains one of RUG’s most cited scholars. The applicability of his work ranges far beyond the field of physical chemistry and it is also used by mathematicians, computer scientists, molecular life scientists and in the development of medical applications.

Biological membranes – what are they really?

When you consider a cell, you can imagine a whole lot of small “factories” inside, called organelles, doing their thing – surrounded by a membrane.

The cell also is surrounded by a membrane called Plasma membrane. But membranes are not just a boundary surface. They are actively participating in many processes. They are made from a myriad of different molecules, and they are dynamic, in motion all the time.

Many diseases are associated with irregular membrane shape and abnormal biomolecular organization, so the study of membranes can help us understand the  state of a cell and overall  health of an organism. For instance, when a neuron has increased spiking activity, indicating a higher energy demand, the structure of mitochondria, an organelle responsible for generating cellular energy parcels from food (often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell), undergoes changes.

Moreover, certain diseases, e.g., Alzheimers for one, have been associated with changes in the mitochondrial membranes shapes.

Computer models will improve our abilities within diagnostics

“For now, we are not able to see exactly what the exact causes of changes in membrane shape are and how are they exactly related to the diagnostics of a certain disease. But at some point, in the future, the try and error works in the lab will become minimal because modelling will guide experiments with unimaginable accuracy, as our modeling becomes more precise and the power of computational options increasing.

We will need a lot of adjustments and there is still long way to go, so it is really nice to work within this sharing community, because we all work on different aspects of it” Weria Pezeshkian explains.

Weria continues with a word of caution: “This is probably stretching it a bit far, but possibly, in the future, by imaging for example our mitochondria and leveraging physics-based computer simulations we may be able to say: This person has this disease with this specific genetic deficiency. So, the perspective for computational modelling is rather great – we are not there yet, but we can see it in the horizon”.

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-44819-w 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Mesoscale simulation of biomembranes with FreeDTS

 ALL MEDICINE IS FOR PROFIT

Is active screening for tuberculosis among vulnerable populations cost-effective?

In their systematic review published in Eurosurveillance prior to World TB Day, Gogichadze et al. explore this question particularly for settings with a low incidence of TB cases.

EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL (ECDC)

Early detection and prompt treatment of tuberculosis (TB) are main pillars on the way to end TB as it helps preventing further transmission. Finding those at risk of developing infection, however, requires extra efforts particularly in settings where TB incidence levels are generally low, i.e. when there are less than 10 TB cases per 100,000 population.

This is where active screening targeting populations at higher risk of TB infection, which include people in urban aeras with lower incomes, people experiencing homelessness, communities in remote or isolated areas, indigenous populations, migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable or marginalised groups with limited access to healthcare, could help detecting (latent) infections.

In the Eurosurveillance issue marking World TB Day 2024 [1], Gogichadze et al. [2] present the findings of their systematic review on active pulmonary TB screening programmes run between 2008 and 2023 in so-called high-risk groups living in low TB incidence countries. The authors wanted to identify if active searches for pulmonary TB would be cost-effective given that passive case finding approach may not be sufficient in the effort of detecting and treating TB patients.  

Active case finding makes a difference
In their search, the authors found 6,318 articles based on their search criteria and included nine of them in their review with the specific angle of active case finding that e.g. included chest X-ray, tuberculin skin test, interferon-gamma release assay and a symptoms questionnaire for screening.

Analysing the results of the reviewed articles, Gogichadze et al. conclude that “screening immigrants from countries with a TB incidence with more than 40 cases per 100,000 population and other vulnerable populations as individuals from isolated communities, people experiencing homelessness, those accessing drug treatment services and contacts, is cost-effective in low-incidence countries”.

A comparison between levels of cost-effectiveness was, however, not possible due to the data heterogenicity and, according to the authors, requires further harmonisation of the methods for cost-effectiveness analysis.

They summarise that “based on the findings spanning 16 years and the guidelines available, we have listed several recommendations for optimising study design for active screening programmes for TB in low-incidence countries. Firstly, to guide policymakers, cost-effectiveness analysis should always be part of TB screening activities targeting high-risk groups in low TB incidence countries. Additionally, cost-effectiveness studies should follow national economic evaluation guidelines in case they are available and consider the published WHO guidance. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness analysis should encompass not only the expenses related to screening, but also those related to diagnosis and treatment.”

 

----Ends----

References/notes to editors:
[1] In this issue research articles from de Neeling et al. on genetic markers to simply and rapidly screen for drug-resistant TB clones and Ostergaard et al. on The prevalence of tuberculosis infection in adolescents and adults Denmark and a review on cost-effectiveness of active #TB screening programmes. In their rapid communication, Stoycheva et al. argue that targeted healthcare services for Ukrainians are vital for early diagnosis and treatment and preventing transmission.

[2] Gogichadze Nino, Sagrera Arnau, Vicente José Ángel, Millet Joan-Pau, López-Seguí Francesc, Vilaplana Cristina. Cost-effectiveness of active tuberculosis screening among high-risk populations in low tuberculosis incidence countries: a systematic review, 2008 to 2023. Euro Surveill. 2024;29(12):pii=2300614. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.12.2300614

[3] The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March 1982, one hundred years after Dr Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause TB.

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JOURNAL

Eurosurveillance

DOI

10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.12.2300614 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Systematic review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Cost-effectiveness of active tuberculosis screening among high-risk populations in low tuberculosis incidence countries: a systematic review, 2008 to 2023

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

21-Mar-2024