Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) is characterized by severe jaw pain associated with chewing or biting down. There is no effective treatment for the disorder, which affects more than 10 million Americans. TMJD can arise from trauma, but for many cases, the underlying cause is not known, hindering attempts to develop therapeutic strategies. A study byContinueContinue reading “Taking the bite out of TMJD pain”
Tag Archives: musculoskeletal system
Molecular link between sodium and calcium transport
Calcium homeostasis in the body is maintained through coordination between renal, intestinal and bone tissues. Ingested calcium in the intestine is first absorbed into the blood and then is either deposited into bone or filtered in the kidney and then reabsorbed or excreted in urine. Excretion of large amounts of calcium in the urine, orContinueContinue reading “Molecular link between sodium and calcium transport”
Grb10 grabs control of muscle growth
Studies have shown that deletion of the protein Grb10, which is a negative regulator of receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1, results in excessive muscle growth in mice. Lowenna J. Holt and her colleagues at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Sydney, Australia) investigated this phenotype more closely to determine whether it mightContinueContinue reading “Grb10 grabs control of muscle growth”
Toward better management of Lyme disease
Results of a new study by researchers at Yale University School of Medicine (New Haven, CT) may point to the cause of persistent arthritis in people with Lyme disease. About 10% of Lyme sufferers will experience Lyme-related arthritis; in about 10% of these cases, the arthritis can last for months, despite antibiotic therapy. Its pathologyContinueContinue reading “Toward better management of Lyme disease”
Exercise alone relieves arthritis symptoms
The links between diet, obesity, exercise and arthritis have been the focus of much research attention, partly because arthritis is estimated to affect as many as 20% of adults in the US. One form of arthritis, called osteoarthritis, is characterized by inflammation, joint degeneration and development of osteophytes (bony outgrowths around joints), resulting in pain.ContinueContinue reading “Exercise alone relieves arthritis symptoms”
What dogs can teach us about bones
Osteosarcoma occurs spontaneously in humans (usually children) and in dogs with a disease course and severity that are difficult to predict. Some patients respond well to conventional therapies, have a less aggressive form of disease and may survive for decades without recurrence, whereas others respond poorly to treatment or experience recurrence and may survive lessContinueContinue reading “What dogs can teach us about bones”
Activating apoptosis to treat rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, destructive inflammation, primarily of the joints, that affects up to 1% of the world’s population. The cause of the disease is not known, but its progression is autoimmune: immune cells called macrophages, which normally die after attacking an invader, instead persist and collect in the cartilage and bone, where theirContinueContinue reading “Activating apoptosis to treat rheumatoid arthritis”
VLP vaccine for Chikungunya
Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that causes severe arthritis. Since re-emerging in 2004, it has infected millions of people. Attempts to develop vaccines had only limited success until recently, when researchers developed a vaccine using virus-like particles (VLPs). The VLP vaccine protected macaques from Chikungunya viral infection. Lab Anim. (NY) 39, 63 (2010).ContinueContinue reading “VLP vaccine for Chikungunya”
Mice, mitochondria and myopathy
New research has identified mitochondrial therapies that may benefit people who suffer from certain types of inherited neuromuscular disorders. Neuromuscular disorders affect a large number of children and adults worldwide, and mitochondrial involvement characterizes roughly 1 in 5,000 cases. Currently, treatments for mitochondrial diseases may relieve symptoms but do not target the disease itself. LabContinueContinue reading “Mice, mitochondria and myopathy”
Engineered cartilage does better under pressure
Arthritis affects millions of people worldwide, causing pain and stiffness in joints. In some cases, arthritis develops after the cartilage in a joint is damaged. Cartilage acts to cushion the joints, allowing for smooth movement. Because cartilage cannot repair itself after injury, tissue engineers have attempted to generate new cartilage that could be transplanted intoContinueContinue reading “Engineered cartilage does better under pressure”
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