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Shoulder scans in most people above 40 show rotator cuff abnormalities, pain or not

Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint seen by doctors, affecting approximately 18–31% of the global population each month. Up to 85% of these cases are due to problems with the rotator cuff (RC)—the shoulder’s built-in support system. Made up of four muscles and their tendons, the RC keeps the upper arm bone securely in the socket while allowing the arm to lift, rotate, and move smoothly.

A Finnish Imaging of Shoulder (FIMAGE) study found that rotator cuff changes on MRI are nearly universal after age 40. Overall, 99% of people in this age group showed some form of abnormality on imaging, whether or not they had shoulder pain. The findings are published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The results point toward the fact that many MRI findings likely reflect normal age-related changes in RC rather than the true source of pain. The researchers suggest that routine imaging should not be taken as the sole guide for the diagnosis or treatment of shoulder pain.

Oxytocin reverses anxiety-like behavior after three months of isolation in mice

Periods of prolonged social isolation have long been associated with difficult emotions and, in some cases, with the emergence of psychiatric symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and difficulties connecting with others. Some past psychology studies have suggested that chronic isolation during adolescence, the critical stage between childhood and adulthood, can disrupt the structure and functioning of a brain region known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC).

The PFC is known to play a critical role in various mental functions, including decision-making and the regulation of emotions. Disruptions to this brain region could thus explain the emotional and social difficulties experienced by many people after long periods of isolation.

Researchers at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and other institutes recently carried out a study involving mice that investigated the potential of oxytocin (OXT), a hormone released when bonding or cuddling with others, as a therapeutic target for the mental health symptoms arising from chronic isolation. Their findings, published in Translational Psychiatry, suggest that this hormone could reverse some of the adverse effects of prolonged isolation.

SGLT2 Inhibitors and Cardiorenal Outcomes in T2D With Liver Cirrhosis

Among adults with Type2Diabetes and liver cirrhosis, SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with lower risks of end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular events, mortality, and hepatic decompensation compared with DPP4 inhibitors.

Importance Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and liver cirrhosis frequently coexist, creating a high-risk population for adverse outcomes. Patients with both conditions face elevated risks of kidney and cardiovascular complications, yet evidence regarding optimal antidiabetic therapy in this vulnerable population remains limited.

Objective To evaluate the association of sodium-glucose cotransporter–2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) vs dipeptidyl peptidase–4 inhibitor (DPP4i) use with kidney outcomes, cardiovascular events, and hepatic decompensation in patients with concurrent T2D and liver cirrhosis.

Design, Setting, and Participants This nationwide retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Database between May 2016 and December 2023. Adults with both T2D and liver cirrhosis who initiated either SGLT2is or DPP4is were included.

Unfinished business: ending the HIV epidemic

SINCE the 1980s, researchers have worked tirelessly to develop effective treatments that can suppress the HIV virus to undetectable levels. As a result, by taking a single daily dose of an antiretroviral (ARV) medicine, people with HIV can now expect to live long and healthy lives – as well as prevent transmission to others.

The impact has been dramatic, with annual global AIDS-related deaths having fallen from 2.1 million at the peak in 2004 to 630,000 in 2024. The number of new acquisitions has plummeted too: an estimated 1.3 million people acquired the virus in 2024, marking a 60 per cent decline since the peak in 1995.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in the quest to end the HIV epidemic,” says Jean van Wyk, chief medical officer at ViiV Healthcare. This quest is to meet the UN’s 2030 goals that ViiV has been involved with since the 1980s as the pioneers of the first ARV medicine.

The shingles vaccine may reduce your dementia risk—here’s why

Shingles, a viral rash, can be incredibly painful. Vaccination can help prevent the infection, but new research is showing the shingles vaccine may also have another benefit: protection against the development of dementia. With more than 40 percent of Americans estimated to develop dementia at some point in their lives, this discovery could have groundbreaking implications for our health. But what explains the link between the shingles vaccine and reduced dementia risk?

Recent research is part of a growing body of evidence that vaccination against shingles—and potentially other infections—can help prevent and delay the progression of dementia.

The Vulnerable World Hypothesis

And exploration of the Vulnerable World Hypothesis solution to the Fermi Paradox.

And exploration of the possibility of finding fossils of alien origin right here on the surface of the earth.

My Patreon Page:

https://www.patreon.com/johnmichaelgodier.

My Event Horizon Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/eventhorizonshow.

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How chronic inflammation rewires macrophages

TIL therapy for glioblastoma.

Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy has demonstrated encouraging efficacy in melanoma and nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is now being explored for glioblastoma despite its immunologically ‘cold’ microenvironment.

Recent studies confirm that functional TILs can be expanded from cold tumors such as glioblastoma, including solid tumor resections and aspirates, overcoming previous feasibility concerns.

Advances in cytokine support, gene editing, and artificial antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are improving TIL persistence, cytotoxicity, and manufacturing scalability.

Focused ultrasound and nanoparticle delivery offer innovative solutions to enhance TIL infiltration across the blood– brain barrier. Integration of spatial multi-omics enables high-resolution mapping of immune niches and identification of tumorreactive clones.

Combination strategies with checkpoint blockade, myeloid modulation, and oncolytic virotherapy are emerging as rational paths to enhance TIL efficacy sciencenewshighlights ScienceMission https://sciencemission.com/TIL-therapy-17895

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