Medical Bulletin 29/December/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Pet ownership, living alone, and cognitive decline among adults age 50 and older

In this cohort study of 7945 participants 50 years and older, pet ownership was associated with slower rates of decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency among individuals living alone, but not among those living with others. Pet ownership offset the association between living alone and declining rates of verbal memory and verbal fluency. A study published in JAMA Network.

Older adults tend to experience cognitive decline. As the population ages and life expectancy increases, a major public health issue is the deterioration of cognitive function in older adults. It is estimated that the number of people with dementia worldwide will increase from 57 million in 2019 to 153 million in 2050.

It remains unclear whether pet ownership is associated with cognitive decline and to what extent pet ownership mitigates the association between living alone and cognitive decline.

Reference: Li Y, Wang W, Zhu L, et al. Pet Ownership, Living Alone, and Cognitive Decline Among Adults 50 Years and Older. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(12):e2349241. DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.49241

Scientists use organoid model to identify potential new pancreatic cancer treatment

A drug screening system that models cancers using lab-grown tissues called organoids has helped uncover a promising target for future pancreatic cancer treatments, according to a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

In the study, published Dec. 26 in Cell Stem Cell, the scientists tested more than 6,000 compounds on their pancreatic tumor organoids, which contain a common pancreatic cancer-driving mutation. They identified one compound—an existing heart drug called perhexiline maleate—that powerfully suppresses the organoids’ growth.

The researchers discovered that the cancer-driving mutation in the organoids forces the abnormally high production of cholesterol, which the drug largely reverses.

Reference: Scientists use organoid model to identify potential new pancreatic cancer treatment; JOURNAL Cell Stem Cell

Common origin behind major childhood allergies

Several major childhood allergies may all stem from the community of bacteria living in our gut, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital.

The research, published in Nature Communications, identifies gut microbiome features and early life influences that are associated with children developing any of four common allergies -- eczema, asthma, food allergy and/or hay fever.

The findings could lead to methods of predicting whether a child will develop allergies, and ways to prevent them from developing at all.

Reference: Courtney Hoskinson, Darlene L. Y. Dai, Kate L. Del Bel, Allan B. Becker, Theo J. Moraes, Piushkumar J. Mandhane, B. Brett Finlay, Elinor Simons, Anita L. Kozyrskyj, Meghan B. Azad, Padmaja Subbarao, Charisse Petersen, Stuart E. Turvey. Delayed gut microbiota maturation in the first year of life is a hallmark of pediatric allergic disease. Nature Communications, 2023; 14 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40336-4