Maurice Cuffee MD’s Post

Finally some of the data from my PhD studies (8 years ago) made it into publication: https://lnkd.in/geGQzJrK Nguyen, T.K., Paone, S., Baxter, A.A., Mayfosh, A.J., Phan, T.K., Chan, E., Peter, K., Poon, I.K., Thomas, S.R. and Hulett, M.D., 2024. Heparanase promotes the onset and progression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E gene knockout mice. Atherosclerosis, p.117519.

I know it’s a bit late to share as this paper was published in late March this year. In this paper, we used a novel mouse model of heparanse knockout gene on atherosclerotic prone background to investigate the role of heparanase in different stages of atherosclerosis. Please check it out! I promise it will be a good read!

Unexpected complexity in treating liver fibrosis: New research by the Feng Lab explores the effects of the inhibiting cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) with JD5037 on liver fibrosis in Mdr2−/− mice. Despite previous promising results with other models, JD5037 unexpectedly exacerbated liver injury and fibrosis in these genetically MDR2-deficient mice. These findings highlight the complexity of liver fibrosis treatment and the necessity for cautious application of CB1R inverse agonists in certain types of liver fibrosis. #TulaneResearch #LiverHealth #Medicine Read the full paper in the comments! Image: A) Staining of liver sections showing greater fibrosis (dark areas) with JD5037 treatment. B) Treatment elevated levels of hydroxyproline, a marker of fibrosis. C) JD5037 elevated levels of various genes which cause fibrosis. D) JD5037 increased levels of CK19, a marker of bile duct remodeling. D) JD5037 increased levels of various inflammatory genes.

A short story about Long QT Syndrome (LQTS),part four. In patients with LQTS, the most powerful predictor of risk of arrhythmia is the length of the QTc. The risk of syncope/ sudden cardiac death is high if : *QTc is greater than 498ms *Age >40yr *Previous syncope or sudden death, *Type of mutation Genetic testing can be helpful but does not exclude the diagnosis (the individual may have an unrecognized variant),so in patients with long QT interval and a clinical diagnosis of syncope or sudden cardiac death, the diagnosis of LQTS can be made. because the genetic testing confirm the diagnosis if the patient has a known mutation(which is the case for approximately 75% of LQTS patients at this time, means that 25% of the patients have not recognized mutation so genetical test can not helpful for diagnosis ). #cardiology #Long_QT_Syndrome

On #rarediseaseday2024 we want to highlight our support for #rarediseaseresearch #rarediseaseday #rarediseases

Proud to be part of a company that's discovering solutions to better chronic kidney disease management! Early detection of kidney, cardiovascular and other metabolic diseases provides the best chance for better patient outcomes, allowing for intervention at the earliest, most treatable stages. www.numares.com #HealthEquity The implications for Blacks are even more significant. As a Black man, Richard Slayman was one of many who are four times more likely than whites to develop chronic kidney disease leading to kidney failure, which requires dialysis and, hopefully, transplantation. https://lnkd.in/e3Yb8r3 For underserved populations, early intervention can be especially critical. Read about our AXINON® GFR(NMR) kidney function assay here: https://bit.ly/3VkRMWD #precisiondiagnostics #NMRmetabolomics #kidneydisease #ESKD #nephrology #biomarkers #CKD #CVD

An easy-to-use prediction classification system (the CROSS model) could aid in the early detection patients anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 positive #dermatomyositis (anti-#MDA5+) who have a high risk to develop rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD). This model uses clinical variables that could be easily obtained during the routine clinic visit, and based on the CROSS score (range from 0 to 6), anti-MDA5+DM patients were classified as moderate risk (CROSS score = 0-2), high risk (CROSS score = 3-4), and very high risk (CROSS score = 5-6) for developing of RP-ILD, respectively. 🔗https://lnkd.in/dQMHDseY

Identifying #HCM mimics or phenocopies is important as disease outcomes and treatment strategies would be different for different HCM mimics. One of the HCM mimics is Anderson-Fabry disease, especially the late onset non -classic/cardiac variant type. In his 2020 paper published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine (DOI:10.1161/CIRCGEN.119.002823), Edmund Pua did genetic studies on 224 Singaporean HCM patients. 2 out of 224 (0.9%) patients had pathogenic/likely pathogenic mutation in GLA gene, the gene that encodes alpha galactosidase A enzyme. A deficient in the activity of this enzyme would give rise to Anderson-Fabry disease. Treatment of Fabry disease would include enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) or chaperone therapy. This reminds us to always consider HCM mimics when we are seeing patients who have unexplained LVH.

Receptor Down-Regulation in Cellular Signaling! ⚖️ How cells fine-tune their responsiveness to growth factors? The answer lies in receptor down-regulation. Ligand binding triggers accelerated endocytosis, reducing cell-surface receptors and moderating the growth factor signal's strength and duration. 🔄 This process is vital physiologically, preventing excessive and prolonged responses. Genetic mutations interfering with down-regulation contribute to various forms of cancer. On a fascinating note, some receptors, like those for nerve growth factors, undergo a different fate. Internalized receptors are translocated, effectively transporting critical survival signals over remarkable distances in neurons. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms sheds light on both normal physiology and disease pathways. 🌐🧠 #CellularRegulation #ReceptorDownRegulation #CellularResponse #PhysiologicalBalance #linkedingrowth #medicalwriter #pharmacology PS: Sky so clean at night :)

This cohort study describes the clinical features, patient characteristics, and treatment of anti-melanoma differentiation–associated gene 5 (MDA5) dermatomyositis. https://ja.ma/3vMU4n9