Both CPP-ACPF and sodium fluoride have protective effect on Enamel, suggests study

Researchers have found in new research that both casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride (CPP-ACPF) and sodium fluoride (NaF) showed a protective effect on tooth enamel against erosion caused by an orange juice-based beverage.

With the increasing prevalence of dental erosion, this study explores the protective role of traditional fluoride-based products and newer formulations on eroded enamel. A study was done to assess the protective effectiveness of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride (CPP-ACPF) and sodium fluoride (NaF) on human enamel against erosion using surface microhardness (SMH) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Ten extracted human third molars were sectioned to obtain 40 enamel sections and randomly assigned into four groups (n = 10) and treated as follows: G1 (Sound Enamel), G2 (Erosive Challenge), G3 (CPP-ACPF + Erosive Challenge), and G4 (NaF + Erosive Challenge). All samples were subjected to Vicker’s SMH analysis, while changes in surface morphology and elemental composition were validated in few representative samples using FTIR and SEM, respectively. Results:

The mean SMH1 values for the experimental groups G3 and G4 were significantly higher (426.58VHN and 455.83VHN) when compared to G1 (P = 0.000) and G2 (P = 0.000). In SEM analysis, G2 showed eroded honeycomb appearance compared to the smooth homogenous surface of G1, while both G3 and G4 showed deposition of some precipitates. FTIR analysis revealed that in G3 and G4, a characteristic peak of phosphate vibrations between 528 and 823 cm-1 and carbonate bands at 845-932 cm-1 was observed. Both CPP-ACPF and NaF demonstrated a protective effect on enamel against erosive challenge by an orange juice-based beverage.

Reference:

Assadi, Mohammed Raihan; Devadiga, Darshana; Ingle, Aditya; Jain, Nainy; Devadiga, Dheeraj1. Efficacy of Sodium Fluoride and Fluoridated Calcium Phosphate in Mitigating Dental Erosion on Human Enamel: An In vitro Analysis. Indian Journal of Dental Research 35(3):p 309-314, Jul–Sep 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/ijdr.ijdr_80_24

Keywords:

Assadi, Mohammed Raihan; Devadiga, Darshana; Ingle, Aditya; Jain, Nainy; Devadiga, Dheeraj, Both, CPP-ACPF, sodium, fluoride, protective, effect, Enamel, suggests study

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Menopausal Hormone Therapy Increase Risk of Autoimmune Diseases: Study

A new Swedish study published in the Rheumatology journal suggests that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may increase the risk of developing autoimmune conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). 

This nested case-control study investigated the association between MHT and these autoimmune diseases. The study analyzed data collected from Sweden’s National Patient and Prescribed Drug Register, covering women diagnosed with SLE and SSc between 2009 and 2019. A total of 943 women with SLE and 733 women with SSc were identified, along with matched controls from the general population.

This study examined the medical histories of the participants by focusing on MHT use before diagnosis. The analysis considered factors such as education level, income, and sick leave. The findings of this study revealed a marked link between MHT use and a higher risk of developing SLE and SSc. Women who used MHT had a 30% increased risk of developing SLE (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–1.6) and a 40% increased risk of developing SSc (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2–1.7) when compared to women who did not use MHT.

Moreover, the risk varied based on the type and route of MHT administration. Women who used a combination of systemic and local MHT medications were at the highest risk, with a nearly 2-fold increase in SLE risk (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4–2.7) and an 80% increased risk of SSc (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2–2.5). The research highlighted that the association between MHT and these autoimmune conditions was independent of socioeconomic factors, by suggesting that the use of exogenous female sex hormones might play a role in triggering or exacerbating these diseases.

Autoimmune diseases like SLE and SSc disproportionately affect women, and hormonal differences have long been suspected to contribute to this gender disparity. The findings of this study underline the need for further investigation into how MHT might influence the pathogenesis of these conditions. Women considering or currently using MHT may want to discuss these risks with their clinicians, particularly if they have a family history of autoimmune diseases.

Overall, these findings emphasized the need for further research to explore the underlying mechanisms and confirm causation. The findings are a critical step toward understanding the complex relationship between hormone therapy and autoimmune diseases in women.

Source:

Patasova, K., Dehara, M., Mantel, Ä., Bixo, M., Arkema, E. V., & Holmqvist, M. (2025). Menopausal hormone therapy and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis: a population-based nested case-control study. Rheumatology (Oxford, England). https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keaf004

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Human papillomavirus infection may increase risk of new-onset hidradenitis suppurativa, suggests study

Researchers have found that human papillomavirus infection is more likely to be found in those with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), an inflammatory skin disease. Although the cause of HS is still unknown, researchers think that some chronic inflammatory skin diseases might be related to infections. A new study was recently published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology conducted by Gau and colleagues.

The study aimed to establish whether patients who are HPV-infected have a higher risk of developing HS. In employing the retrospective cohort comparison, researchers compared patients who had been diagnosed with the HPV infection to a control group that did not have the infection. This study controlled age, sex, race, BMI, and other lifestyle factors as confounders.

This analysis originated from the TriNetX research network with 582,007 HPV-infected patients and a similar number of matched controls. To balance the groups by demographics, health characteristics, and lifestyle variables, this study used propensity score matching between the groups of patients with HPV and those in the control group. To find out how likely patients are to develop HS after the diagnosis of HPV, hazard ratios (HR) accompanied by their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of findings across different subgroups of patients.

  • The patients who were diagnosed with HPV had a higher risk of having HS than those without the same diagnoses; the hazard ratio was 1.356 (95% CI: 1.290–1.427). This results in the risk of HS to be increased by 35.6% in patients infected with HPV.

  • The increased risk was consistent across the different categories of demographics and clinical characteristics, suggesting a potentially wide applicability of HPV as a risk factor for HS. Age, sex and BMI did not importantly modify the increased risk.

  • With both the HPV and control cohorts totaling 582,007 patients, this is one of the largest ever studies in terms of cohort size to examine the role of HPV in inflammatory skin conditions and, thus, validates its relevance and generalizability.

From this study, it was concluded that there was an elevated risk for developing HS associated with the HPV infection. This adds to the evidence of a possible connection between viral infection and inflammatory skin diseases. Such findings point to the fact that further investigations of the role of infections in HS could lead to better understanding and management of this challenging condition.

Reference:

Gau, S.-Y., Lo, S.-W., Hsu, C., Chen, S.-J., Zuberbier, T., & Chang, H.-C. (2024). Human papillomavirus infection is associated with increased risk of new-onset hidradenitis suppurativa: a population-based cohort study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2024.10.055

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Study identifies persistent lymphopenia as Key Predictor of In-Hospital Mortality in Immunocompromised CKD Patients

Researchers have found in new research that persistent lymphopenia is the most significant predictor of in-hospital mortality among immunocompromised chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Further in the study clinical prediction model incorporating persistent lymphopenia demonstrated strong diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility.

Immunosuppressive agents, although indispensable in the treatment of chronic kidney diseases (CKD), could compromise the patient’s immune function. The risk factor for in-hospital mortality in immunocompromised CKD patients with severe infections remain elusive. They conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of CKD patients who received immunosuppressive agents and presented severe infections. The cohort comprised 272 patients, among whom 73 experienced mortalities during their hospitalization. Logistic regression was employed on the training set to identify key feature variables and construct a predictive model for in-hospital mortality among immunocompromised CKD patients following severe infections. To facilitate clinical application, we constructed a nomogram to visually represent the predictive model. Results: The findings indicate that ventilator use, vasoactive drug administration, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total bilirubin (TBIL) levels, and persistent lymphopenia(PL) are effective predictors of in-hospital mortality in immunocompromised patients with severe infections. These variables were subsequently incorporated to construct a robust prognostic model. Our model demonstrated excellent discriminative ability (AUC = 0.959, 95% CI, 0.924–0.994), significantly outperforming the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (AUC = 0.878, 95% CI, 0.825–0.930) and quick Pitt Bacteremia Score (qPBS) (AUC = 0.897, 95% CI, 0.846–0.947). Calibration curve analysis and the Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) test corroborate the concordance of our model with empirical observations. Furthermore, decision curve analysis (DCA) underscores the superior clinical utility of our predictive model when compared to the SOFA score and qPBS score. Most importantly, our results showed that PL is the most important predictor of in-hospital mortality in immunocompromised patients following severe infection. The findings highlight PL as the most significant predictor of in-hospital mortality in immunocompromised CKD patients. A clinical prediction model incorporating PL as a key variable exhibited robust performance in terms of diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility.

Reference:

Wang, Y., Zhou, Y., Huang, C. et al. Development of a prediction model for in-hospital mortality in immunocompromised chronic kidney diseases patients with severe infection. BMC Nephrol 26, 78 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04002-9

Keywords:

Study, identifies, persistent, lymphopenia, Key Predictor, In-Hospital, Mortality, Immunocompromised, CKD Patients, Wang, Y., Zhou, Y., Huang, C, Immunocompromised, Nomogram, SOFA score, Persistent Lymphopenia

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Mouth bacteria may hold insight into your future brain function, finds study

The bacteria in your mouth and on your tongue may be linked to changes in brain function as you age, new research suggested.

The study, led by the University of Exeter, found that certain bacteria were associated with better memory and attention, while others were linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers identified two possible ways these bacteria may impact brain health. This includes harmful bacteria directly entering the bloodstream, potentially causing damage to the brain. Alternatively, an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria can reduce the conversion of nitrate (abundant in vegetable-rich diets) to nitric oxide -a chemical crucial for brain communication and memory formation.

Individuals who had large numbers of the bacteria groups Neisseria and Haemophilus had better memory, attention and ability to do complex tasks. These people also had higher levels of nitrite in their mouths.

On the other hand, greater levels of the bacteria, Porphyromonas, was more common in individuals with memory problems. Whereas the bacterial group Prevotella, was linked to low nitrite, which the researchers predict could in turn could mean poorer brain health and was more common in people who carry the Alzheimer’s Disease risk gene, APOE4.

The study was supported by Wellcome and part funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Exeter Biomedical Research Centre. poses an interesting possibility for early identification and intervention.

Lead author Dr Joanna L’Heureux, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Our findings suggest that some bacteria might be detrimental to brain health as people age.  It raises an interesting idea for performing routine tests as part of dental checkups to measure bacterial levels and detect very early signs of declining brain health.”

While decline in memory and brain functions is typical in old age, deteriorations in mental capabilities that is greater than would be expected with normal ageing is known as Mild Cognitive Impairment. Approximately 15% of older adults fall into the category of mild cognitive impairment, considered the greatest risk factor for the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Published in PNAS Nexus, the study recruited 110 participants, over the age of 50 from an online study called PROTECT that tracks the brain health of more than 25,000 middle-aged people in the UK. Researchers split participants into two groups: those with no brain function decline and those showing Mild Cognitive Impairment. The participants in these two groups sent in mouth rinse samples that were then analysed and the bacteria population studied.

Co-author Professor Anne Corbett, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “The implication of our research is profound. If certain bacteria support brain function while others contribute to decline, then treatments that alter the balance of bacteria in the mouth could be part of a solution to prevent dementia. This could be through dietary changes, probiotics, oral hygiene routines, or even targeted treatments.” 

Reference:

Joanna E L’Heureux, Anne Corbett, Clive Ballard, David Vauzour, Byron Creese, Paul G Winyard, Andrew M Jones, Anni Vanhatalo, Oral microbiome and nitric oxide biomarkers in older people with mild cognitive impairment and APOE4 genotype, PNAS Nexus, Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2025, pgae543, https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae543

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Insurtech Giant Go Digit Buys Stake in Dr Reddy’s for Rs 30 Crore

Mumbai: Insurtech company Go Digit General Insurance Limited has made a significant investment of Rs 30.06 crore in leading pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, acquiring a 0.32% stake in the company.

In a disclosure filed with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE), Go Digit stated that the investment was made on February 25, 2025, as part of its routine investment strategy. “The investment in shares is being made in the ordinary course of the investment function of the company,” Go Digit mentioned in its regulatory filing.

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, founded in 1984, is one of India’s leading multinational pharmaceutical companies. It offers a wide range of products and services, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), custom pharmaceutical services (CPS), generics, biosimilars, and differentiated formulations.

According to its latest financial report, Dr. Reddy’s reported a turnover of Rs 28,011 crore for the financial year 2023-24, up from Rs 24,670 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 21,545 crore in 2021-22. The company has a strong presence in global markets, including the US, Europe, and emerging economies.

Go Digit’s Strategic Investment

Go Digit, founded in 2017 by Kamesh Goyal, is a digital-first insurance provider that offers a wide range of non-life insurance policies across motor vehicle, health, travel, and property sectors. The company has been expanding its investment portfolio while maintaining steady growth in its core insurance business.

As of December 31, 2024, Go Digit’s assets under management (AUM) stood at Rs 18,939 crore. The company recently reported a 176.46% year-on-year (YoY) surge in profit after tax (PAT) to Rs 118.52 crore in Q3 FY25.

With this latest investment in Dr. Reddy’s, Go Digit has expanded its footprint in the healthcare sector, a move that aligns with its broader financial strategy of diversifying investments into stable and high-growth industries.

The acquisition does not fall under related-party transactions, and no regulatory approvals were required for the investment. Go Digit clarified that its promoter group or related entities may have independent business transactions with Dr. Reddy’s but that the stake acquisition was conducted at arm’s length.

Go Digit, competing with insurance providers like Acko, ICICI Lombard, Bajaj Allianz, and Tata AIG, has strategically diversified its investments by acquiring a stake in Dr. Reddy’s. This move reflects confidence in the long-term potential of India’s pharmaceutical market while aligning with Go Digit’s broader financial strategy.

The investment also highlights a growing trend among digital insurance firms leveraging surplus capital for high-growth sectors. While expanding its asset portfolio, Go Digit remains committed to scaling its core insurance business and maintaining a balanced investment approach.

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Gastro-Resistant, Delayed-Release Drugs Now Under ‘New Drug’ Category

New Delhi: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has directed all State and Union Territory (UT) Drugs Controllers to uniformly classify Gastro-Resistant Tablets/Capsules and Delayed-Release Tablets/Capsules as ‘New Drugs’ under Rule 2(1)(w) of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019.

The decision was taken following discussions during the 64th meeting of the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) on June 19, 2024, where concerns regarding the inconsistent implementation of this rule across different states were raised.

The official circular emphasized the need for clarity and standardization in regulatory enforcement. “The issues relating to uniform implementation of this rule regarding Gastro-resistant Dosage forms / Delayed-release Dosage forms (Enteric Coated Tablets/Capsules) across the country were deliberated in the 64th meeting of the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) held on 19-06-2024,” it stated.

As per Rule 2(1)(w) of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, any modified or sustained-release formulation of an already approved drug or a novel drug delivery system will always be classified as a “New Drug.” This definition explicitly includes Enteric Coated Tablets/Capsules, Gastro-Resistant Dosage Forms, and Delayed-Release Dosage Forms. The directive further clarifies, “A modified or sustained-release form of a drug or novel drug delivery system of any drug approved by the Central Licensing Authority shall always be deemed to be a new drug.”

CDSCO has now instructed all State and UT Drugs Controllers to strictly enforce this classification to prevent pharmaceutical companies from bypassing the mandatory approval process. Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), highlighted the significance of the decision, stating, “The committee deliberated extensively on the interpretation of Rule 2(1)(w) and recommended issuing a circular to ensure its uniform implementation across the country.”

With this directive, pharmaceutical companies seeking approval for Gastro-Resistant or Delayed-Release formulations will now have to comply with regulations applicable to ‘New Drugs.’ This may include conducting additional clinical trials, providing bioequivalence studies, and obtaining fresh approval from the Central Licensing Authority (CLA) before marketing these formulations. The move aims to strengthen safety and efficacy assessments of modified drug formulations while maintaining strict regulatory compliance.

CDSCO has also issued strict instructions to State/UT regulators to monitor compliance and enforce this classification uniformly. Dr. Raghuvanshi emphasized the importance of regulatory alignment, stating;

“All the State/UT Drugs Controllers are requested to ensure uniform implementation of Rule 2(1)(w) of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, that modified or sustained-release forms of a drug—including Gastro-resistant Tablets/Capsules, Delayed-release Tablets/Capsules (Enteric Coated Tablets/Capsules), or novel drug delivery systems—shall always be deemed to be a new drug.”

To facilitate smooth implementation, CDSCO has also forwarded copies of the directive to all zonal and sub-zonal offices of CDSCO as well as the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) at CDSCO headquarters for further monitoring.

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Q&A: How a sports scientist aims to maximize performance on the track

Dr. Nerea Casal García is an athlete, personal coach, and injury readaptation specialist who last year completed a Ph.D. on observational analysis in elite sports. Today, she is a professor at the Institut Nacional d’Educació Física de Catalunya of the University of Lleida, focusing on the theory and practice of training and performance optimization.

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15-minute screening tool can help stroke survivors with visual perception problems

A new 15-minute tool to screen stroke survivors for visual perception problems has been launched by researchers from Durham and Oxford universities.

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Innovative CT scan technique could improve prognosis and treatments for head and neck cancers

Cancers occurring in the mouth, nose, and throat are on the rise in the U.S., especially in younger people. About 60,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, with one in five cases occurring in people younger than 55, according to the American Cancer Society. A new study provides insights that may eventually help oncologists better predict how the disease will respond to certain therapies, leading to improved survival outcomes for patients.

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