(Press-News.org) MANHASSET, NY – A researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has discovered additional mechanical properties of articular cartilage, a protective cartilage on the ends of bones that wears down over time, resulting in the development of osteoarthritis. The findings are published in the April issue of PLOS ONE.
To better understand the onset and progression of osteoarthritis, Nadeen Chahine, PhD, and collaborators at other institutions looked at cells from articular cartilage using atomic force microscopy (AFM). They used this technology to measure the mechanical properties of single cells to uncover what gives them integrity versus what wears them down with aging. They found in animal models that the mechanical properties of the cells are higher in adult tissue compared to young or old tissue, which is consistent with the higher loads on joints in adults than joints in infants. Furthermore, they found that vimentin, an intermediate filament (IF) protein, is a key contributor to the integrity of the cells.
"This research is exciting because we are using cutting-edge instrumentation to understand the mechanobiology of cells and cartilage, and what might cause or prevent osteoarthritis," said Nadeen Chahine, PhD, director of the Bioengineering-Biomechanics Laboratory at the Feinstein Institute. "Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and patients who suffer from the disease experience joint pain, tenderness, stiffness and locking. It is my hope that this and additional research into articular cartilage will provide insight into how we may be able to alleviate these disruptive symptoms of osteoarthritis through innovative research at the interface of mechanics and biology."
###
About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 5th percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information visit http://www.FeinsteinInstitute.org.
Feinstein Institute Researcher provides insight into osteoarthritis
2013-04-19
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Superstorm Sandy shook the US
2013-04-19
SALT LAKE CITY, April 18, 2013 – When superstorm Sandy turned and took aim at New York City and Long Island last October, ocean waves hitting each other and the shore rattled the seafloor and much of the United States – shaking detected by seismometers across the country, University of Utah researchers found.
"We detected seismic waves created by the oceans waves both hitting the East Coast and smashing into each other," with the most intense seismic activity recorded when Sandy turned toward Long Island, New York and New Jersey, says Keith Koper, director of the University ...
Phosphate-binding drug does not improve heart health of patients with mild kidney disease
2013-04-19
Highlights
The phosphate binder sevelamer carbonate did not improve cardiovascular measures in patients with early chronic kidney disease.
For now, reducing dietary intake of phosphate may be the best way for these patients to reduce the mineral's negative effects on the heart.
High phosphate levels—in kidney disease patients and in the general population—increase the risk of dying from cardiovascular causes.
Washington, DC (April 18, 2013) — High phosphate levels in the blood carry increased heart-related risks, but taking a drug that targets phosphate does ...
Slow walking speed linked with premature death in kidney disease patients
2013-04-19
Highlights
In patients with chronic kidney disease, measures of lower extremity performance were at least 30% lower than predicted, but handgrip strength was relatively preserved.
Each 0.1-meter per second slower walking speed was linked with a 26% higher risk for death over an average three-year follow-up period.
Adding gait speed tests to laboratory tests of kidney function significantly improved the prediction of three-year mortality.
60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease.
Washington, DC (April 18, 2013) — Kidney disease patients who have ...
Community gardens may produce more than vegetables
2013-04-19
People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index—as well as lower odds of being overweight or obese—than do their non-gardening neighbors. Researchers at the University of Utah reported these and other findings in the American Journal of Public Health published online today.
"It has been shown previously that community gardens can provide a variety of social and nutritional benefits to neighborhoods," says Cathleen Zick, lead author of the study and professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah. "But until now, ...
Frontiers news briefs: Embargoed papers
2013-04-19
Frontiers in Psychology
Numerical cognition in bees and other insects
In this article, Dr. Mario Pahl and colleagues review the main studies on the ability of insects to perceive number, and discuss the possible mechanisms involved in number recognition. Recent behavioral investigations have shown that several invertebrate species (animals without backbones) share various numerical activities with bigger animals, such as birds and mammals. This is because the ability to assess the number of food items, competitors or mates can help animals – even smaller ones like insects ...
Study reveals austerity's harmful impact on health in Greece
2013-04-19
In one of the most detailed studies of its kind, a team of Greek and U.S. researchers have vividly chronicled the harmful public health impacts of the economic austerity measures imposed on Greece's population in the wake of the global economic crisis.
Writing in today's [Thursday, April 18] American Journal of Public Health, the researchers cite data showing the economic recession and subsequent austerity policies in Greece have led to a sharp deterioration of health services and health outcomes.
Researchers at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and ...
Rats' and bats' brains work differently on the move
2013-04-19
College Park, MD - A new study of brain rhythms in bats and rats challenges a widely used model - based on studies in rodents - of how animals navigate their environment. To get a clearer picture of the processes at work in the mammal brain during spatial navigation, neuroscientists must closely study a broad range of animals, say the two University of Maryland College Park scientists involved in the study.
In the April 19, 2013 issue of Science, the University of Maryland researchers and two colleagues at Boston University reported significant differences between rats' ...
New carnivorous dinosaur from Madagascar raises more questions than it answers
2013-04-19
Claremont, CA – The first new species of dinosaur from Madagascar in nearly a decade was announced today, filling an important gap in the island's fossil record.
Dahalokely tokana (pronounced "dah-HAH-loo-KAY-lee too-KAH-nah") is estimated to have been between nine and 14 feet long, and it lived around 90 million years ago. Dahalokely belongs to a group called abelisauroids, carnivorous dinosaurs common to the southern continents. Up to this point, no dinosaur remains from between 165 and 70 million years ago could be identified to the species level in Madagascar–a 95 ...
Genital wart rate in young women plummets thanks to HPV vaccine, claim researchers
2013-04-19
The proportion of young women diagnosed with genital warts in Australia has seen a significant decline thanks to the HPV vaccine, suggests a paper published today on bmj.com.
In 2007, Australia became one of the first countries to implement a nationally funded quadrivalent human papillomarivus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls and young women, which offers free vaccinations to girls aged 12-13 years in schools. From 2007 – 2009 there were a further two catch-up programmes: for 13-18 year olds and 18-26 year olds. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that ...
Adolescents with disabilities are more likely to have menstrual problems and need tailored care
2013-04-19
Menstrual problems among adolescents with learning and physical disabilities are more common compared to the general population and there is no one-size fits all solution when managing the symptoms, says a new review published today (19th April) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).
The review looks at the behavioural and emotional changes associated with menstruation in adolescents with learning and physical disabilities and examines the advantages and limitations of therapeutic and surgical options for managing menstrual problems.
Menstrual problems in girls ...