More than 1000 cases of BA.2—a sub-lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 variant omicron—have been identified in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported.1The agency warned that BA.2 has an…
Association of coronary angiographic lesions and mortality in patients over 80 years with NSTEMI
Objective Coronary angiography (CA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is of great importance during non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) management. Coronary artery lesions and their association to mortality in elderly patients with NSTEMI was investigated. Methods Patients >80 years of
Patterns of Care in Maintenance Therapy in US Patients Undergoing Definitive Chemoradiation for Stage 3 Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Objective: The recommended treatment for patients with unresectable stage 3 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is definitive chemoradiation followed by 1 year of maintenance durvalumab. Our objective was to assess the rate of maintenance durvalumab use after chemoradiation. Methods: Analyses
Pregnancy outcomes among women with endometriosis and fibroids: registry linkage study in Massachusetts
Endometriosis and uterine fibroids are common gynecologic conditions associated with greater risk of infertility. Prior research has suggested that these conditions are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, potentially due to increased utilization of fertility treatments.
Minimally Invasive Myomectomy: Practice Trends and Differences between Black and non-Black women within a Large Integrated Healthcare System
While multiple professional organizations encourage minimally invasive surgical approaches whenever feasible, nationally, less than half of myomectomies are performed via minimally invasive routes. Black women are less likely than their non-Black counterparts to have minimally invasive surgery.
Articular manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases treated with anti-TNF
Objective To describe and identify factors associated with articular manifestations occurring in patients treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Methods Retrospective monocentric study, including all patients who received an anti-TNF for an IBD in our
Common health issues and advised treatments reported in an ultraendurance ocean rowing race
Objectives Ocean rowing is an extreme ultraendurance sport where individuals row unsupported across an ocean. This can mean months at sea in unpredictable and inhospitable conditions. The extreme physical and mental demands associated mean medical issues are common yet under
Alexander Farquharson MacDonald
bmj;376/jan28_10/o236/FAF1faAlexander Farquharson MacDonald (“Sandy”) was born in Perth, Scotland on 15 July 1929, the youngest of three. His father, Alec, owned a draper’s shop, had left school at…
Heartbeat: bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation patients on non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant medications
In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the decision to recommend long-term anticoagulation is based on consideration of the relative risk of a thromboembolic event versus the risk of major bleeding. Current risk scores for bleeding on anticoagulation were developed for
Survival benefit with second-line combination in endometrial cancer
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 27 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00604-6 Survival benefit with second-line combination in endometrial cancer
Neuroinflammation after SCI: Current Insights and Therapeutic Potential of Intravenous Immunoglobulin
Journal of Neurotrauma, Volume 39, Issue 3-4, Page 320-332, February 2022.
[Editorial] Neglected tropical diseases: ending the neglect of populations
2022 sees the tenth anniversary of the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), a pivotal event at which governments, pharmaceutical companies, foundations, and NGOs committed to collaborate in their efforts to stop NTDs. This initiative was inspired by the
Relationships between childhood trauma and dissociative, psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia: a case-control study
Background Childhood trauma (CT) is an important risk factor in the emergence and clinical course of psychiatric disorders. In the latest literature, an association exists between CT and patients with schizophrenia. There is also a strong relationship between the dissociative
Prehospital identification of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and mortality (ANZACS-QI 61)
Background Early recognition of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is needed for timely cardiac monitoring and reperfusion therapy. Methods Three anonymously linked New Zealand national datasets (July 2016–November 2018) were used to assess the utilisation of ambulance transport in STEMI
On the verge of Poland’s fifth wave of covid-19, healthcare staff are overworked and disenchanted
With only about 56% of its population fully vaccinated against covid-19 and with the booster dose having been administered to merely a quarter of people, Poland has one of the lowest vaccination…
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors: long-term implications of toxicity
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 26 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00600-w Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically improved the outcomes of patients with advanced-stage solid tumours, including the potential for long-term remission in a subset. However, long-term follow-up data reveal a risk
Tumor board presentation of a woman with metastatic, hormone receptor‐positive, mismatch repair‐deficient endometrial cancer
CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, EarlyView.
Detecting pregnancy complications from blood
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 26 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41576-022-00453-0 A new study in Nature uses genetic information from a single blood sample to monitor pregnancy progression and to identify women at risk of pre-eclampsia before the onset of symptoms.
[Editorial] Time for Africa to future-proof, starting with COVID-19
Persisting inequities are slowing progress towards global and national targets for the control of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The same is true for the COVID-19 pandemic, with wealthier countries continuing to monopolise the global share of vaccines. Africa has been
Covid-19: Cuba will request WHO approval for homegrown vaccine
Cuban health officials have said that they will apply for World Health Organization approval for one of the country’s homegrown covid-19 vaccines, as they announced that they had secured funding to…
Uncovering the treatable burden of severe aortic stenosis in the UK
Objective To estimate the population prevalence and treatable burden of severe aortic stenosis (AS) in the UK. Methods We adapted a contemporary model of the population profile of symptomatic and asymptomatic severe AS in Europe and North America to estimate
Data Plotted Incorrectly in Figure 2
In the Original Investigation titled “Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects in an Analysis of Pooled Individual Patient Data From Randomized Trials of Device Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale After Stroke,” published in the December 14, 2021, issue of JAMA, data were
Tumor board presentation of a woman with metastatic, hormone receptor‐positive, mismatch repair‐deficient endometrial cancer
CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, EarlyView.
Racism as a leading cause of death in the United States
During the past year, the dual crises of the covid-19 pandemic and police violence have opened many people’s eyes to the ways in which the political construct of race—and anti-Black racism in…
Correction: Higher chances of survival to hospital admission after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in patients with previously diagnosed heart disease
Cancer statistics, 2022
Abstract Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population-based cancer occurrence and outcomes. Incidence data (through 2018) were collected by the
Cell-free DNA screening for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 in pregnancies at low and high risk for aneuploidy with genetic confirmation
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) non-invasive prenatal screening for trisomy (T) 21, 18, and 13 has been rapidly adopted into clinical practice. However, prior studies are limited by lack of follow up genetic testing to confirm outcomes and accurately assess test performance,
A chromosomal loop anchor mediates bacterial genome organization
Nature Genetics, Published online: 24 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00988-8 Hi-C and live-imaging data show that nucleoprotein complexes containing the transcription factor Rok interact over long distances in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Rok-dependent interactions contribute to anchored chromosomal loop formation.
[Editorial] The power of resilience
The world is under strain. At the time of writing, the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths worldwide has passed 5·5 million. The highly transmissible omicron variant (B.1.1.529) is saturating hospitals and compromising the ability of health-care workers to provide quality
[Editorial] Enabling participation in physical activity
Physical activity is essential for a child’s growth, development, wellbeing, and socialisation. However, children and adolescents with disabilities still face many barriers to full participation in physical activity, and they are less likely to meet 24-h healthy movement guidelines than
Why mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers should not be scrapped
At the time of writing (24 January 2022), unvaccinated NHS workers in England have only until 3 February 2022 to get their first dose of the covid-19 vaccine. Those who do not risk dismissal.The i…
Moderate aortic stenosis: culprit or bystander?
Non-rheumatic aortic stenosis (AS) is among the most common valvular diseases in the developed world. Current guidelines support aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe symptomatic AS, which carries high morbidity and mortality when left untreated. In contrast, moderate AS has
Clinical exercise provision in the UK: comparison of staff job titles, roles and qualifications across five specialised exercise services
Objectives In the UK, the National Health Service long-term plan advocates exercise as a key component of clinical services, but there is no clearly defined workforce to deliver the plan. We aimed to provide an overview of current UK clinical
A real-world assessment of tolerability and treatment outcomes of COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies administered in pregnancy
Author Correction: Mutations in PYCR1 cause cutis laxa with progeroid features
Nature Genetics, Published online: 21 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-022-01013-2 Author Correction: Mutations in PYCR1 cause cutis laxa with progeroid features
Mitochondrial DNA copy number and disease
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 21 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41576-022-00451-2 A study in eLife identifies 71 nuclear loci associated with mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) and reveals a putative causal role for mtDNA-CN in dementia.
[Editorial] Monitoring mental health care
Societies may be judged by how well they care for those who are most at risk, particularly those who are least able to speak up for themselves, such as people with mental disorders. Vulnerable groups have been particularly adversely affected
SOX10: 20 years of phenotypic plurality and current understanding of its developmental function
SOX10 belongs to a family of 20 SRY (sex-determining region Y)-related high mobility group box-containing (SOX) proteins, most of which contribute to cell type specification and differentiation of various lineages. The first clue that SOX10 is essential for development, especially
Occurrence and predictors of pericardial effusion requiring invasive treatment following heart valve surgery
Objectives To describe the occurrence of significant pericardial effusion, and to investigate characteristics associated with pericardial effusion within three months following heart valve surgery. Methods A retrospective, observational cohort study including adult patients undergoing heart valve surgery at Odense University
Highlights from this issue
Teprotumumab reduces extraocular muscle and orbital fat volume in thyroid eye disease (see page 165) Teprotumumab reduces orbital muscle and fat volumes, which correlates to its clinical effect of proptosis and diplopia reduction in patients with active thyroid eye disease.
“Wrongful conception”: the case for no-fault compensation
Evie Toombes seems to be an extraordinary person who has achieved so much in life despite substantial obstacles. Any compassionate person would wholeheartedly support her receiving compensation.1But…
Centring race, deprivation, and disease severity in healthcare priority setting
The fair distribution of health resources is critical to health justice. But distributing healthcare equitably requires careful attention to the existing distribution of other resources, and the economic system which produces these inequalities. Health is strongly determined by socioeconomic factors,
Infobugs: agent for contagious transmission of violence, suicide and other social events
The 2020–2021 was an unprecedented time, where the world experienced not one, but two major pandemics: COVID-19 and the incredible spread of violence. Both these pandemics profoundly impacted society as a whole and will have long-lasting consequences and implications for
Physiologic approaches to reducing blood loss at Caesarean section.
Walking the LINEs hidden in the dark matter of the genome
Nature Genetics, Published online: 20 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-01003-w The function of transposable elements present in mammalian genomes remains an enigma. In this issue, Bodega, Abrignani and colleagues show that LINE1-containing transcripts are key regulators of T cell effector function and
We like neurons
Charleese Williams is the winner of the 2021 Rising Black Scientists Award for an undergraduate scholar. For this award, we asked emerging Black scientists to tell us about the experiences that sparked their interest in the life sciences, their vision
[Editorial] Antimicrobial resistance: time to repurpose the Global Fund
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major cause of death globally, with a burden likely to be higher than that of HIV or malaria, according to the most comprehensive assessment of bacterial AMR to date published in The Lancet. The data
Patient and clinician perceptions of the trauma and acute care surgery hospitalization discharge transition of care: a qualitative study
Objectives Trauma and acute care surgery (TACS) patients face complex barriers associated with hospitalization discharge that hinder successful recovery. We sought to better understand the challenges in the discharge transition of care, which might suggest interventions that would optimize it.
Inspectors must take account of challenges faced by ethnic minority GPs, say leaders
Regulatory system failures that leave ethnic minority GPs fearing Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections and being “harassed” by their demands have been confirmed by authoritative new evidence,…
Prospective arrhythmia surveillance after a COVID-19 diagnosis
Background Cardiac arrhythmias have been observed among patients hospitalised with acute COVID-19 infection, and palpitations remain a common symptom among the much larger outpatient population of COVID-19 survivors in the convalescent stage of the disease. Objective To determine arrhythmia prevalence
Malignant pleural mesothelioma patients experience by gender: findings from a cross-sectional UK-national questionnaire
Objectives Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy of mesothelial surfaces, most commonly those of the pleura. The aim of this study was to understand, using a national questionnaire, the gendered care experiences of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Patients
Highlights from this issue
What the brochure says The WHO top ten list of threats to global health feature many directly relevant to children: climate change, pollution; vaccine hesitancy; dengue; COVID-19; influenza; antimicrobial resistance – all ‘deserving members’ of this unenviable top table, though
Highlights from this issue
Ever since Hughlings Jackson’s pioneering work, neurologists have tried to localise a clinical presentation—either explicitly or subconsciously—in terms of the level of the nervous system affected. This approach is particularly important when trying to disentangle challenging clinical problems—exemplified by the
Highlights from this issue
Welcome to the February 2022 issue of the Emergency Medicine Journal. COVID-19 continues to dominate headlines and remains important to our practice. In this issue, we have published four more articles relating to COVID-19. In addition, we have four valuable
Dose-effect meta-analysis for psychopharmacological interventions using randomised data
Objective The current practice in meta-analysis of the effects of psychopharmacological interventions ignors the administered dose or restricts the analysis in a dose range. This may introduce unnecessary uncertainty and heterogeneity. Methods have been developed to integrate the dose–effect models
SMFM Consult Series #58: Need for a clear evidence base to guide expanded use of antenatal corticosteroids for individuals at risk for late preterm delivery
Sympathetic yet painful: Autonomic innervation drives cluster firing of somatosensory neurons
In this issue of Neuron, Zheng et al. (2021) report synchronized cluster firing of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons that correlates with spontaneous pain in the setting of nerve injury. The authors’ findings further suggest that sympathetic sprouting in the DRG
[Editorial] A decisive year for the neurological community
2022 is likely to bring a historic policy change with the potential to impact neurological services worldwide. In May, WHO is expected to adopt its Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders, with the aim “to improve
Welcome back to your academic home: AMSSM special issue
As with many life events marked in relation to March 2020 when COVID-19 became a global pandemic, the publication of this year’s American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) special issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine corresponds with
Improved pathology reporting in NAFLD/NASH for clinical trials
Introduction Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a disorder characterised by pathological accumulation of non-visible free fatty acids and visible triglyceride in hepatocytes, is on the rise globally in both adult and paediatric populations.1 Evidence suggests that 20%–50% of the European
Healthcare leaders criticise “headline grabbing” plans for academy-style hospitals
Reports that the government is considering establishing academy-style NHS hospitals in England to tackle variation in performance have been condemned by healthcare leaders as incoherent and headline…
Characteristics of circulatory failure after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a prospective cohort study
Background Circulatory failure after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) as part of the postcardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) is believed to be caused by an initial myocardial depression that later subsides into a superimposed vasodilatation. However, the relative contribution of myocardial dysfunction
Blurred Vision and Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Patient With HIV
A 57-year-old man with HIV (CD4 cell count, 16/mm3; HIV viral load >10 million copies/mL) had blurred vision, weight loss, and gastrointestinal bleeding. A sample of small bowel showed inflammation of the lamina propria, with numerous cytoplasmic and nuclear inclusions
Covid-19: Reassess effects of mandatory vaccination on staffing, urge unions
Healthcare unions are urging the government to carry out an updated impact assessment on how its policy of mandatory covid-19 vaccination for healthcare workers in England will affect staffing…
Declining fitness and physical education lessons in UK adolescents
Objectives The objective was to determine recent cross-sectional trends in health-related fitness (HRF) in secondary school students by studying the 13–14 years old age group repeatedly over 6 years, considering parallel national trends in physical education (PE). Methods Height, weight,
Efficacy and safety of efpeglenatide in key patient subgroups from the BALANCE randomized trial, stratified by pre-diabetes status, BMI, and age at baseline
Introduction Efpeglenatide is a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist being developed to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2D). In the BALANCE 205 study (NCT02075281), efpeglenatide significantly reduced body weight versus placebo in patients with obesity, or overweight with
Harnessing big data to characterize immune-related adverse events
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 17 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-021-00597-8 Immune-checkpoint inhibitors are associated with a unique spectrum of organ-specific inflammatory toxicities known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). In the past few years, aggregate clinical data, real-world data and multi-omics
The UGT2A1/UGT2A2 locus is associated with COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste
Nature Genetics, Published online: 17 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00986-w Multi-ancestry genome-wide analyses identify variants near UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 associated with COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste. Both genes are expressed in the olfactory epithelium and play a role in metabolizing odorants.
Retaining trial participants: an individualised approach is needed
Taylor points out that any good strategy for retention in randomised trials will be informed by understanding the participants, good communication, trust, minimising of the avoidable burdens of…
Preparing for the age of therapeutic trials in frontotemporal lobar degeneration
There is a rapidly growing field of therapeutic development for familial forms of FTLD and Peakman et al address the important need for adequate clinical tools to measure treatment effect. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) comprises a spectrum of heterogenous clinicopathological
Call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, restore biodiversity and protect health
Wealthy nations must do much more, much faster. The United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 will bring countries together at a critical time for marshalling collective action to tackle the global environmental crisis. They will meet again at the
Clinical phenotypes and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV and seven other respiratory viruses: a retrospective study using complete hospital data
Background An understanding of differences in clinical phenotypes and outcomes COVID-19 compared with other respiratory viral infections is important to optimise the management of patients and plan healthcare. Herein we sought to investigate such differences in patients positive for SARS-CoV-2
LAG3 inhibition improves outcomes
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 14 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00602-8 LAG3 inhibition improves outcomes
Cancer statistics, 2022
Abstract Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population-based cancer occurrence and outcomes. Incidence data (through 2018) were collected by the
Kenneth Francis Robinson
bmj;376/jan14_10/o22/FAF1faKenneth Francis Robinson (“Ken”) grew up in Reigate, Surrey. He was educated at Charterhouse and went up to Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1943 to read medicine. It was there…
Opportunistic salpingectomy may reduce ovarian cancer risk
CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, EarlyView.
Cell-free DNA screening for prenatal detection of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Prenatal screening has historically focused primarily on detection of fetal aneuploidies. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) now enables noninvasive screening for subchromosomal copy number variants, including 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS or DiGeorge syndrome), which is the most common microdeletion and a leading
Multi-ancestry fine mapping implicates OAS1 splicing in risk of severe COVID-19
Nature Genetics, Published online: 13 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00996-8 Multi-ancestry fine-mapping of the OAS1/2/3 region shows that a splice site variant in OAS1 is likely responsible for the association of this locus with the risk of severe COVID-19.
[Editorial] Theranos and the scientific community: at the bleeding edge
The Theranos story is reaching its conclusion. Elizabeth Holmes, the company’s founder and former CEO, once the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, was last week found guilty of four of 11 charges of fraud related to her actions at the
Update to living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19
This living guideline by Agarwal and colleagues (BMJ 2020;370:m3379) has been updated. For the latest update, visit doi:10.1136/bmj.m3379. The latest version of this WHO living guidance provides (a)…
Impact of COVID-19 on people with asthma: a mixed methods analysis from a UK wide survey
Introduction The impact of acute COVID-19 on people with asthma appears complex, being moderated by multiple interacting disease-specific, demographic and environmental factors. Research regarding longer-term effects in this group is limited. We aimed to assess impacts of COVID-19 and predictors
Correction: Bladder cancer incidence among workers exposed to o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant
Carreón T, Hein MJ, Hanley KW, et al. Bladder cancer incidence among workers exposed to o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant. Occup Environ Med 2014;71:175–182. doi:10.1136/oemed-2013-101873 The authors have noted an error in table 2. The
Prenatal Exposure to Teratogenic Medications in the Era of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)
Prevention of prenatal exposures to teratogenic drugs is a significant clinical and public health concern. With the enactment of the FDA Amendment Act in 2007, the Food and Drug Administration has begun to require manufacturers to implement Risk Evaluation and
The regulatory network architecture of cardiometabolic diseases
Nature Genetics, Published online: 12 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00994-w Complex disease definitions often represent descriptive umbrella terms of symptoms rather than mechanistic entities. A new study shows how network-based approaches can help identify the mechanisms that link genes, cells, tissues and
Correction: Exosomes derived from Fusobacterium nucleatum-infected colorectal cancer cells facilitate tumour metastasis by selectively carrying miR-1246/92b-3p/27a-3p and CXCL16
Guo S, Chen J, Chen F, et al. Exosomes derived from Fusobacterium nucleatum-infected colorectal cancer cells facilitate tumour metastasis by selectively carrying miR-1246/92b-3p/27a-3p and CXCL16. Gut 2021;70:1507–19. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321187 The representative image of Ex SW480 cells in Figure 2D, the
Living Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Adult and Pediatric Concussion
Journal of Neurotrauma, Volume 39, Issue 1-2, Page 243-244, January 2022.
The utility of patient‐reported outcome measures in mental health
World Psychiatry, Volume 21, Issue 1, Page 56-57, February 2022.
One in five doctors feels overwhelmed daily by covid and winter pressures, RCP reports
Over two thirds of doctors (69%) have felt overwhelmed at work at least once in the past three weeks as rising covid cases and winter illnesses heap pressure on healthcare services, a survey by the…
The cost of arthralgia ‘pretreatment to prevent rheumatoid arthritis
The article by Helm-van Mil and Landewé1 represents the tip of the iceberg. Justifying initiation of medications, in the absence of clinical or radiological evidence because an individual might at some time develop a particular disease is a speculative
Highlights from this issue
In the Northern hemisphere, February is one of the colder, darker months of the year (though thankfully shorter). Here we put a positive spin on the last month of meteorological winter and celebrate some Thorax highlights. Super bowl spirometry To
In This Issue [In This Issue]
Single-cell profiling of tumour evolution in multiple myeloma — opportunities for precision medicine
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 11 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-021-00593-y Multiple myeloma and its precursor stages, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smouldering multiple myeloma, have a considerable degree of genetic heterogeneity. The authors of this Review discuss how single-cell
The folate way to T cell fate
The role of folate-dependent one carbon (1C) metabolism in CD4+ T cell polarization is incompletely understood. In this issue of Immunity, Sugiura et al. (2021) provide evidence that blocking the 1C metabolic enzyme MTHFD2 may curb pro-inflammatory CD4+ T cells, while redirecting them
Studies Suggest COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Save Lives
The results of 2 large studies comparing severe disease and death among individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 support a benefit of booster doses. Both studies were conducted in Israel, where BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) boosters were introduced in July 2021.
Trade-off of major bleeding versus myocardial infarction on mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention
Background The choice of antithrombotic therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is heavily dependent on the relative trade-off between major bleeding (MB) and myocardial infarction (MI). However, the mortality trade-off was mostly described in Western populations and remained unknown in
Anaemia prevalence and its associated factors in children under 5 years in Western China: a systematic review
Background Iron-deficiency anaemia disproportionately affects children in low-income and middle-income areas; Western China is a prime example. Given the health risks associated with childhood anaemia and the large heterogeneity of published studies on this subject, we conducted a systematic review
Helen Salisbury: Covid-19 and the consequences of letting it rip
With no centralised data collection, it’s hard to know exactly how short staffed general practice is in this omicron wave. There’s no reason to think that the absence rate will be dramatically…
Withdrawn: 5 Linking 4D flow MRI and molecular data in bicuspid aortic valve aortopathy: segmental differences across the aortic circumference
Sophocleous F, Garate ED, Bigotti G, et al. 5 Linking 4D flow MRI and molecular data in bicuspid aortic valve aortopathy: segmental differences across the aortic circumference. Heart 2021;107:A3–4. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2021-BSCMR.5wthn This abstract has been withdrawn.
HAIC-FO improves outcomes in HCC
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 10 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00599-0 HAIC-FO improves outcomes in HCC
Elimination of fluorescent protein immunogenicity permits modeling of metastasis in immune-competent settings
Transplantation models allow one to faithfully recapitulate the clinical course of metastatic disease, functionally screen for regulators of dormancy and metastasis, and conduct gold-standard assessment of metastasis-initiating potential (Quintana et al., 2008). Historically, these studies have been conducted in immune-compromised settings.
Implicit Biases in Healthcare: Implications and Future Directions for Gynecologic Oncology
Health disparities have been found among patients with gynecologic cancers, with the greatest differences arising between groups based on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors. While there may be multiple social barriers that can influence health disparities, another potential influence may
From systems to structure — using genetic data to model protein structures
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 10 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41576-021-00441-w Large-scale genetic datasets and deep learning approaches are being used to model the structures of proteins or protein complexes. This Review describes approaches based on coevolution, deep mutational scanning and genome-scale
[Editorial] Digging deeper into alcohol-related deaths
According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), deaths from alcohol-specific causes in the UK have increased from 11·8 per 100 000 people in 2019 to 14·0 per 100 000 people in 2020. This increase—by 18·6%—is the highest
Covid-19: Former advisers urge Biden to adopt new pandemic strategy and learn to live with virus
Six of President Joe Biden’s former covid-19 advisers have urged the president to take a different approach to the US’s covid strategy and learn to live with the virus. They published three opinion…
Examining trends in gun violence injuries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across six trauma centers
Objectives The onset of the national stay-at-home orders accompanied by a surge in firearm sales has elevated the concerns of clinicians and public health authorities. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the stay-at-home orders among
Harnessing cytokines and chemokines for cancer therapy
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 07 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-021-00588-9 A variety of cytokines have diverse antitumour and/or pro-tumour activities and, accordingly, alterations in cytokine networks contribute to cancer development and progression. Therefore, cytokines and their receptors have long been
Rapid Initiation of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy After Diagnosis is Associated With Improved Pathologic Response in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Introduction: In rectal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NCRT) is preferred because of toxicity profile, improved resectability and sphincter preservation, although with no impact on overall survival. Pathologic complete response (pCR) to NCRT has been linked with longer disease-free survival (DFS). The
Intermittent fasting: eating by the clock for health and exercise performance
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an increasingly popular dietary practice, and its implementation is found throughout human civilisation in various cultural, spiritual and religious traditions. Emerging evidence has shown that the health benefits of IF stretch beyond calorie restriction and weight
Covid-19: Fourth vaccine doses—who needs them and why?
Who is being given a fourth vaccine dose?Most countries offering a fourth vaccine are prioritising people who are immunocompromised. This is the case in the UK and the US.12 The rationale for these…
Hair follicle stem cells feel the pressure
The number of hair follicle stem cells decreases during aging and in hair-loss disorders, such as alopecia. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Xie et al. (2021) discover that the hair shaft serves as a physical niche component for the
Human embryo at gestational 10 weeks
A PARTHENOGENESIS allele from apomictic dandelion can induce egg cell division without fertilization in lettuce
Nature Genetics, Published online: 06 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00984-y The PARTHENOGENESIS (PAR) gene is identified in apomictic dandelion. A dominant allele has a MITE transposon insertion similar to that found in apomictic hawkweed. Expression of dandelion PAR in lettuce induces embryo-like
Understanding the biological basis of psychiatric disease: What’s next?
Psychiatric disease is one of the greatest health challenges of our time. The pipeline for conceptually novel therapeutics remains very low, in part because uncovering the biological mechanisms of psychiatric disease has been incredibly difficult. We asked experts researching different
[Editorial] Children and adolescents deserve a better future
In January, 2020, we announced a Lancet campaign on child and adolescent health. Our intention was to refocus on child mortality, and on the recognition that adolescents matter in global health, at a time when progress had stalled or in
Centring equity over exceptionalism in the global covid-19 response
The covid-19 pandemic has transformed arguments for global health equity from an altruistic rallying cry into a pragmatic imperative. As long as large clusters of people go without access to…
Hypospadias in toddlers: a multivariable study of prognostic factors in distal to mid-shaft hypospadias and review of literature
Background Tubularized incised plate urethroplasty is the most common hypospadias repair technique. However, there are unanswered questions and debates about the anatomical prognostic factors affecting the repair outcomes. This study tried to address some of the problems in the studies
Characteristics of anatomical difficulty for cryoballoon ablation: insights from CT
Background The limited availability of balloon sizes for cryoballoon leads to anatomical limitations for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. We conducted a comprehensive systematic analysis on procedural success rate, atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence rate and complications of cryoballoon ablation in association
Universal language development screening: comparative performance of two questionnaires
Background and objective Low language ability in early childhood is a strong predictor of later psychopathology as well as reduced school readiness, lower educational attainment, employment problems and involvement with the criminal justice system. Assessment of early language development is
Contrasting results with second-line CAR T cells in large B cell lymphoma
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 05 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-021-00598-7 Contrasting results with second-line CAR T cells in large B cell lymphoma
An overview of real‐world data sources for oncology and considerations for research
Abstract Generating evidence on the use, effectiveness, and safety of new cancer therapies is a priority for researchers, health care providers, payers, and regulators given the rapid pace of change in cancer diagnosis and treatments. The use of real-world data
Progress in the understanding of the pathophysiology of immunologic maladaptation related to early-onset preeclampsia and metabolic syndrome related to late-onset preeclampsia
Among mammalian species, human reproduction has 2 outstanding features. The human hemochorial placentation is characterized by a very deep endovascular trophoblast invasion in the spiral arteries, reaching deep into the myometrium. This requires an agonistic direct cell-cell interaction between the
Author Correction: Gain-of-function variants in SYK cause immune dysregulation and systemic inflammation in humans and mice
Nature Genetics, Published online: 05 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00998-6 Author Correction: Gain-of-function variants in SYK cause immune dysregulation and systemic inflammation in humans and mice
Beyond genetics for cancer evolution
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 05 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41576-021-00446-5 A new study in Nature uses mouse models of acute myeloid leukaemia to demonstrate that non-genetic transcriptional signatures are mitotically heritable determinants of clonal fitness that influence cancer progression.
The developmental roots of neurodegeneration
Neurodegenerative disorders can alter neural circuitry long before symptoms appear, but the path from early changes to later pathologies is obscure. In this issue of Neuron, Capizzi et al. (2021) show how early axonal growth defects in Huntington’s disease create vulnerability
If the government is serious about tackling inequalities, the Health and Care Bill must get serious about data
The National Health Service was founded to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing. We know that all too often it has failed to do so equally for all the different communities it serves. Those at…
Metformin in pregnancy and risk of adverse long-term outcomes: a register-based cohort study
Introduction This study aimed to investigate if maternal pregnancy exposure to metformin is associated with increased risk of long-term and short-term adverse outcomes in the child. Research design and methods This register-based cohort study from Finland included singleton children born
Associations of pain sensitisation with tender and painful joint counts in people with hand osteoarthritis: results from the Nor-Hand study
Objective To examine associations of pain sensitisation with tender and painful joint counts and presence of widespread pain in people with hand osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) at a painful finger joint and the tibialis anterior muscle, and
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement: when should we say no?
An overview of real‐world data sources for oncology and considerations for research
Abstract Generating evidence on the use, effectiveness, and safety of new cancer therapies is a priority for researchers, health care providers, payers, and regulators given the rapid pace of change in cancer diagnosis and treatments. The use of real-world data
Engineering synthetic RNA devices for cell control
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 04 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41576-021-00436-7 Synthetic RNA devices integrate sensing, processing and actuation of signals into defined, programmable functions to control cell behaviour. This Review discusses the emerging applications of RNA devices in biomedical research and
Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in adipose tissue determines organ and systemic lipid metabolism in hamsters and humans
Zickler et al. describe SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem samples of human adipose tissue. In the hamster model, SARS-CoV-2 propagation in adipose tissue leads to specific changes in lipid metabolism, which are reflected in lipidome patterns of hamster and human plasma.
Childhood Obesity Interventions
The epidemic of childhood obesity remains a significant public health challenge worldwide. In the US, rates of obesity among children of all age groups have tripled from the period 1976 to 1980 to the period 2015 to 2018. In nearly
Incorrect Affiliation and Address
In the Letter to the Editor titled “Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection vs Sham Injection and Tendon Dysfunction in Patients With Chronic Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy,” published in the November 16, 2021, issue of JAMA, the affiliation and corresponding author address for James
Covid-19: Fact check—how many patients in hospital are unvaccinated?
Intensive care units in the UK are filling up with patients with covid-19 who have not been fully vaccinated, a number of media reports have claimed over the past week.It led to the prime minister,…
A core outcome set for damage control laparotomy via modified Delphi method
Objectives Damage control laparotomy (DCL) remains an important tool in the trauma surgeon’s armamentarium. Inconsistency in reporting standards have hindered careful scrutiny of DCL outcomes. We sought to develop a core outcome set (COS) for DCL clinical studies to facilitate
Trabeculectomy versus Xen gel implant for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma: a 3-year retrospective analysis
Objective To compare the two surgical techniques in terms of efficacy, safety, and postoperative management over 36 months of follow-up. Methods This retrospective clinical cohort study compared the outcome of trabeculectomy surgery and Xen gel implant in patients having uncontrolled
Greetings from the editor 2022
When a year closes and gives way to its successor, it is good to pause for breath to reflect on the achievements of the past and contemplate the prospects for the incoming year. So when looking back at the year
Mendelian randomization analyses support causal relationships between blood metabolites and the gut microbiome
Nature Genetics, Published online: 03 January 2022; doi:10.1038/s41588-021-00968-y Bidirectional Mendelian randomization analyses in 3,432 Chinese individuals identify putative causal relationships between the gut microbiome and blood metabolite levels.
When women can be stars in sports, why is it so difficult in sports and exercise medicine research?
Autoimmune retinopathy with associated anti-retinal antibodies as a potential immune-related adverse event associated with immunotherapy in patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma: case series and systematic review
Objective To demonstrate the spectrum of autoimmune retinopathy (AIR) associated with immunotherapy for advanced cutaneous melanoma. Methods and analysis Retrospective chart review on patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma who developed AIR after initiating immunotherapy. Complete ophthalmic examination and relevant ancillary
Effect of the interaction between physical activity and estimated macronutrient intake on HbA1c: population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal studies
Introduction Healthy diet and physical activity (PA) are essential for preventing type 2 diabetes, particularly, a combination of diet and PA. However, reports on interaction between PA and diet, especially from large epidemiological studies, are limited. We investigated the effect
Explicit motor learning interventions are still relevant for ACL injury rehabilitation: do not put all your eggs in the implicit basket!
Introduction ACL ruptures are rapidly increasing.1 ACL injuries can have a profound impact on an athlete’s physical and psychological functioning, and sporting career. Current standard of care following ACL injury is neuromuscular rehabilitation to help athletes regain motor skills. Optimising
Covid-19: An urgent call for global “vaccines-plus” action
SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 278 million people globally, with at least 5.4 million deaths recorded by the World Health Organisation as of 26 December 2021. The omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of…
[Editorial] The state of science and society in 2022
As 2022 begins, and the third year of the pandemic continues to put pressure on both the scientific community and the public, it is worth considering the state of science and society. The main headline from Wellcome’s Global Monitor 2020:
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