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Medical News Today
27-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Aging: Exercise timing, consistency can affect heart and lung fitness
Written by Corrie Pelc on May 27, 2025 — Fact checked by Amanda Ward Exercise timing and consistency can influence heart and lung fitness as we age. Image credit: Alina Rudya/. Researchers have come to have a better understanding of how the body's circadian rhythm impacts their overall health. Past studies show that disrupting the natural sleep/wake cycle can increase a person's risk for several health conditions. The circadian rhythm also defines the times a person performs activities during the day, such as when they exercise. A new study says that people who work out at the same time every day may improve their cardiovascular and lung health as they age. Over the past few years, researchers have come to have a better understanding of how the body's circadian rhythm impacts overall health. In addition to regulating when you are awake or sleeping, the circadian rhythm also defines the times you perform activities during the day such as when you go to work, when you eat different meals, and when you exercise. Now, a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise reports that people who work out at the same time every day may improve their cardiovascular and lung health as they age. For this study, researchers recruited about 800 older adults with an average age of 76 years. Study participants were asked to wear wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days to measure their daily activity, and also underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess their heart and lung health. 'Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together in response to exercise,' Karyn Esser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, senior author of this study, told Medical News Today . 'Higher values are strongly associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks,' Esser explained. The study also evaluated the walking efficiency of participants, which is considered another indicator of healthy aging. 'Walking efficiency provides an assessment of how efficiently the body uses energy to walk forward,' Esser noted. 'The more efficient you are, the farther you can walk. It's another measure of fitness.' At the study's conclusion, Esser and her team found that participants who had the most activity during the active part of their day relative to their daily resting time, and whose maximum daily activity happened earlier in the day, were correlated to better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency. 'We found that earlier peak activity was associated with better outcomes even when you [take] into account the amount of activity,' the researcher detailed. 'This suggests that getting moving earlier in the day could provide a health benefit. In addition, we found that the amplitude of the activity, or amount of activity during the day was healthy, this is maybe not such a surprise.' Additionally, scientists observed that better health outcomes were correlated to having a greater consistency in daily activity patterns, with the highest activity time happening at the same time every day. 'This was an interesting finding as, again, we took into account the amount of activity so this is saying that being consistent with your activity pattern is an additional parameter of your activity that likely contributes to healthy outcomes,' Esser said. To sum up, Esser said that this study finds that maintaining a daily programme of activity that includes attention to the timing and consistency of activity is important for maintaining health as we age. 'While we are living longer, in general, we are not living healthier,' she explained. 'So it is important to find ways to help people maintain or improve their health while aging, [to] improve quality of life and diminish the impact of age-related chronic diseases.' 'We suggest that the earlier time of activity and repeatability of the activity provide benefits in addition to just the activity alone,' Esser continued. 'Lastly, we propose that the timing and reproducibility of the activity are working with our intrinsic circadian clock system to maintain health.' 'We are continuing to expand our clinical study of circadian, or time of day activity behavior, with other outcomes including sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health,' she added. 'In addition, my lab has ongoing preclinical studies to determine more mechanistically how the timing of activity impacts health with aging.' MNT had the opportunity to speak with Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, about this study. 'This study found an association between the timing of daily physical activity and measures of cardiopulmonary fitness,' Chen commented. 'This suggests that we may eventually be able to better tailor our exercise recommendations in order to optimize the physiological benefits.' 'Getting regular exercise is an essential part of staying healthy as you get older. As our population ages, strategies to improve physical fitness may help us reduce the burden of disease in our society. More research will be needed to determine whether intentionally changing and optimizing the rhythm of daily physical activity will lead to better health outcomes.' – Cheng-Han Chen, MD Heart Disease Seniors / Aging Sports Medicine / Fitness
Medical News Today
21-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
How does Alzheimer's disease affect the whole body?
Written by Tim Newman on May 21, 2025 — Fact checked by Amanda Ward Research shows that Alzheimer's disease affects many organs beyond the nervous is characterized by a buildup of proteins in the brain, which disrupts their function. A new study in fruit flies shows that these proteins may also significantly impact the functioning of other organs. The researchers also identified mechanisms that might explain how proteins in the brain can have such wide-reaching effects. A new study in fruit flies concludes that proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease not only influence brain health, but also have effects further afield. Specifically, the researchers show that certain Alzheimer's-associated proteins can increase the rate of biological aging and influence fat metabolism and reproduction. They also created an Alzheimer's Disease Fly Cell Atlas (AD-FCA) based on their analysis of 219 cell types in flies that express Alzheimer's-associated proteins in their brains. The results recently appeared in the journal Neuron . Alzheimer's and other dementias are considered diseases of the mind, and for good reason. The primary symptoms are cognitive changes that grow progressively more severe as time goes on. For this reason, much of the research into dementia focuses on the brain and nervous system. However, more recently, scientists have begun exploring Alzheimer's influence on other aspects of the body. The authors of the new study explain how new evidence hints that the effects of Alzheimer's extend beyond the nervous system to other parts of the body. 'For example,' they write, Alzheimer's 'has been associated with disruptions in the gut microbiota, cardiovascular function, and hormone homeostasis.' Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a buildup of faulty proteins in the brain, including amyloid-beta 42 and tau. As they accumulate, they form so-called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, respectively. These proteins interfere with how neurons work and, eventually, kill them. In their recent study, the researchers used fruit flies. Although fruit flies, as you may have noticed, are quite different from humans, they have already provided many insights into human health. As the researchers write, 'Many molecular pathways are conserved from flies to mammals.' Medical News Today contacted Gurneet Sawhney, MD, chief neurosurgeon and founder at Neurolife Brain and Spine Clinic, who was not involved in the study. We asked about the usefulness of fly models in neuroscience. 'Fruit fly models are surprisingly valuable in dementia research. While they may seem simplistic,' he explained, 'they allow us to study the effects of tau and amyloid at a genetic and cellular level, with faster results and lower complexity than mammalian models.' 'They've helped us uncover fundamental mechanisms of neurodegeneration that often translate into mammalian systems later,' he said. In the current experiment, the scientists used flies with either amyloid or tau buildup and compared them with control flies without protein buildup. The researchers employed a technique called whole-organism single-nucleus RNA sequencing . In a nutshell, this involves analyzing genetic information from cell nuclei to discover which genes are turned 'on' in specific cell types. The authors investigated the impact of tau and amyloid on a range of cell types throughout the flies' bodies. First, they examined the cells of the nervous system, including brain cells, nerve cells in their body, and glial cells (support cells for neurons). They found that amyloid resulted in the loss of many types of these cells compared with tau and control flies. In particular, cells involved with the senses, such as vision, hearing, and smell, were impacted most severely. Interestingly, loss of smell is an early sign of Alzheimer's in humans. When investigating the mechanism responsible for neuronal cell death, the researchers identified a cluster of neuronal cells that expressed lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). We asked Sawhney why this matters: 'LDH plays a role in cellular energy metabolism,' he explained, 'and its dysregulation can indicate tissue stress or damage. In the context of dementia, abnormal LDH activity might reflect broader metabolic dysfunction.' Importantly, the scientists also identified increased levels of LDH in the brain tissue from humans with Alzheimer's but not those without the condition. According to Sawhney, this increased LDH may 'link neurodegeneration with systemic effects, as this study hints.' The scientists also showed that cells with elevated LDH had changes in genes that control mitochondrial functions. This is important because mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to oxidative stress, which is an early feature of Alzheimer's in humans. Next, the scientists moved their attention to the effects of Alzheimer's proteins on cells other than those of the nervous system. This time, it was tau that produced the most significant changes. The cell types that were most affected were those involved in fat metabolism, digestion, and reproduction. According to the authors, 'The fly fat body is a central storage depot of nutrients and energy reserves.' It carries out a similar role to the liver, immune system, and fat tissue in mammals. They found that fat droplets in tau flies are large early on, but become smaller and more fragmented as the disease progresses. The researchers then looked at fat cells in a mouse model of Alzheimer's — the equivalent of the fly's fat droplets. Again, they found oversized fat cells initially, which grew smaller as the disease progressed. Aside from changes in fat metabolism, the researchers noted changes in the behaviour of cells in the gut. In line with this, studies in mice have also shown that tau induces gut degeneration . Finally, neuronal tau was associated with a reduced ability to reproduce in male flies. In concordance with this, studies show that a decline in sex hormones is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's in humans. According to the authors, changes in fat metabolism, digestion, and reproduction are associated with aging. So, the authors hypothesize that tau's presence in neurons may increase the speed of aging throughout the rest of the body. By measuring gene expression and molecular markers associated with fly aging, the scientists found that tau flies, but not amyloid or control flies, aged more quickly. Overall, they conclude that 'Tau expression has a broad impact on peripheral tissues and induces an accelerated aging phenotype.' To understand how tau in neurons has such wide-ranging effects on the body, the scientists used cell-cell communication analysis, which can identify changes in how the brain communicates with the body. Compared with amyloid and control flies, tau flies demonstrated thousands of differences in these communication pathways. The cell types showing the greatest differences, once again, were involved with fat metabolism, digestion, and reproduction. These results suggest that tau in the brain can influence cells in the rest of the body by interfering with brain-body communication. Investigating further, they found that in neurons containing tau, there were changes in the gene expression that affected how synapses — the junction between nerve cells — are organized. There were also increased levels of synaptic boutons in the gut of tau flies. The synaptic boutons are swellings on nerves at the synapse that contain neurotransmitters, which pass information from one neuron to another. In other words, tau in brain cells can influence not only how neurons work and develop within the brain but also how effectively they communicate with more distant tissues. Overall, the scientists conclude that while amyloid and tau are both toxic, their effects are distinct: Amyloid predominantly affects neurons, and tau has a more widespread impact on the body. They also found that LDH is elevated in amyloid flies, as well as in mice and humans with Alzheimer's. They believe this should be an area for future research, as LDH could perhaps be used as an early biomarker for Alzheimer's. Research on flies is an important first step in scientific research; it provides direction for future studies on other animals and, eventually, humans. While we need to interpret the results with caution, taken together, they provide new insights into the widespread effects of Alzheimer's-associated proteins. 'The focus on the peripheral effects of tau and amyloid stands out in this study,' Sawhney told MNT . 'We often think of these proteins as brain-specific problems, but this work highlights how their impact may extend beyond the central nervous system. That's an important shift in perspective for understanding the full systemic nature of dementia.' — Gurneet Sawhney, MD Alzheimer's / Dementia Neurology / Neuroscience
Medical News Today
18-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Heart disease: Semaglutide may reduce risk by up to 20% in 6 months
Written by Jessica Freeborn on May 18, 2025 — Fact checked by Amanda Ward Ozempic, the active ingredient of which is semaglutide, can also reduce the risk of heart disease, according to research. Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Preventing major adverse cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes is better than treating them. Research about potential prevention strategies, including the use of semaglutide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and aid weight loss, is ongoing. Results of a secondary analysis found that semaglutide may help decrease the risk of death from any cause, death from cardiovascular causes, combined heart failure outcomes, and major adverse cardiovascular events after just six months of receiving semaglutide. A recent secondary analysis of a study shared at the 32nd European Congress on Obesity helps to further demonstrate that the benefits of semaglutide begin early. It builds on the findings from a study published in 2023 in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that weekly injections of semaglutide helped to decrease the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death from cardiovascular causes. At just three months, before dose titration was over, participants on semaglutide had a noted decreased risk for stroke, heart attack, or cardiovascular death, with additional benefits at six months. The findings suggest an early advantage of taking semaglutide for people with cardiovascular disease who are overweight or obese. Semaglutide assists with weight management, and it may also minimize the risk of severe cardiovascular outcomes, according to the original study this secondary analysis is based on. This study included 17,604 participants who were overweight or obese and already had cardiovascular disease. About half of the participants received semaglutide while the other half received the placebo. The researchers found that participants who received semaglutide had a 20% decreased risk of experiencing non-fatal heart attacks, non-fatal strokes, or death from cardiovascular causes. The average follow-up time with participants was 39.8 months, and the average time participants took semaglutide was 34.2 months. This secondary analysis focused on heart health in the first six months after participant randomization. The results suggest that the cardiovascular benefits of semaglutide could begin fairly early on. At three months, researchers found that participants who received semaglutide had a decreased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which included non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. These findings occurred even before there was significant weight loss among participants in the semaglutide group and even before participants had reached the full dose of semaglutide. Typically, people start on a lower dose of semaglutide and build up to receiving a 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide. The titration timeframe usually lasts sixteen weeks, and researchers of the 2023 study followed this typical timeline. At four weeks, semaglutide participants had an average difference in body weight of 1.1% lower than those in the placebo group. At 12 weeks, the average weight difference was 3.6% lower in the semaglutide group compared to the placebo group. At six months, researchers observed similar outcomes for MACE. They also found the semaglutide group had a decreased risk for death from any cause, death from cardiovascular causes, and the measured heart failure composite, which included having an urgent medical visit or hospitalization from heart failure and death from cardiovascular causes. Patrick Kee, MD, PhD, a cardiologist at Vital Heart & Vein, who was not involved in the study, noted the following about the study's results: 'The investigators demonstrated that the therapeutic efficacy of semaglutide on the primary cardiovascular composite endpoint indeed emerged early and persisted over the initial three months (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41-0.95) and the subsequent six months (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.81).' 'While the underlying mechanisms of semaglutide's early clinical benefits remain under investigation, these findings suggest an encouraging intervention capable of altering the trajectory of [patients with obesity] with established cardiovascular disease but without a diagnosis of diabetes,' he told Medical News Today. The full secondary analysis is unavailable, so it is not entirely clear what the research limitations are. This initial report lacked some information that will become available at the time of full study publication. 'Additional analyses of the early MACE separation for semaglutide versus placebo by individual MACE components, additional clinical outcomes, patient subgroups, and other parameters changing during the early post-randomisation stages of the trial will be provided,' the authors note. Thus, it's not entirely clear what the outcomes are for some individual endpoints at this time, and this will be clearer when the full study is available. The secondary analysis would also carry similar limitations to the original study. For example, the original research focused on people who already had cardiovascular disease and did not have diabetes, and all participants were at least 45 years old. The results could be different in other groups with other criteria in place. Less than 30% of participants were women, and there was a relatively low number of Black participants. Thus, the sample did not represent the global population. It may be beneficial to verify the findings of this analysis in other study samples. The authors of the secondary analysis also note that research can further focus on why semaglutide produced the effects they observed. These analysis results suggest the benefits of semaglutide, even in the short term, regarding cardiovascular outcomes in at-risk individuals. This research could help expand the prevention of deaths related to cardiovascular problems. Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who was also not involved in the study, said: 'This study suggests that patients overall receive a benefit to cardiovascular health with semaglutide early in their treatment course even before losing significant body weight. As there are a certain proportion of patients who do not actually lose significant weight with semaglutide treatment, it may potentially be worthwhile to keep these patients on therapy for this reason despite not losing weight.' 'This study gives us more information on the timing of the cardiovascular benefit of semaglutide. This will help us to design treatment programs for our patients and provides a benchmark for comparison of future therapies,' he told MNT.
Medical News Today
17-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Could protein bars with added collagen help with weight loss?
Written by Erika Watts on May 17, 2025 — Fact checked by Amanda Ward New research explores the potential of protein bars enriched with collagen as a weight loss aid. Jeff Wasserman/Stocksy A study conducted by Spanish researchers analyzed how effective collagen is as a weight loss aid. The study followed two groups for 12 weeks; one group received collagen-based protein bars, and the other did not. The group that received the collagen supplement lost twice as much weight as the control group. More than 70% of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or have obesity. As this number continues to climb, scientists are interested in finding ways to help people lose weight. There are many popular weight loss options, such as GLP-1 drugs, but these can be cost-prohibitive for many people. With that in mind, researchers in the new study took a closer look at the supplement collagen. Since collagen is relatively inexpensive, the researchers wondered how people who used a collagen supplement for a 12-week period would do compared to a control group. The results showed promise for the future of using collagen supplements as a weight-loss aid, the collagen group saw a greater improvement across multiple health metrics. The findings of the study appear in Nutrients. Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissue of both humans and animals. Collagen supplements are often derived from cows or pigs and are widely available in pill and powder form. Collagen has many benefits and can be helpful for improving joint health and building muscle mass. It is also beneficial for improving skin elasticity. The supplement is gaining attention as a potential weight loss tool, and researchers in the present study wanted to see how adding a collagen supplement to one's diet could affect weight loss. The researchers recruited 64 adults for their study, whose BMI levels ranged from being overweight to class 1 obesity. The participants followed a healthy diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and fish and poultry. The test group (32 people) received a protein bar to eat in addition to their meals twice per day. The 90-calorie protein bars had 10 grams of bovine-based collagen. The control group did not receive a placebo bar and only focused on following the dietary recommendations. The control group consumed around 2000 calories per day while the control group consumed slightly more because of the protein bars. The participants went to several screening appointments to provide their weight, blood pressure, blood samples, and urine and fecal samples. They also completed questionnaires about their food intake and appetite. The study results are promising for people who want to lose weight. Not only did the collagen group have a greater weight loss than the control group, they showed improvement in cardiometabolic health. Participants in the collagen group lost an average of 6.6 pounds compared to the control group where participants lost an average of 3.3 pounds. The test group saw a greater decrease in systolic blood pressure with readings reduced by 8 mm Hg on average compared to a slight rise of 0.4 mm Hg in the control group. The test group also experienced bigger reductions in waist circumference, BMI, and fatty liver index . While muscle loss is a concern with weight loss, the participants did not have this issue. The test group had a higher fat-free mass at the end of the study. The test group participants also reported reduced hunger and an increased feeling of being full with their protein bars. The collagen group noticed this feeling of satiety throughout the entire study. They reported the same experience when they went to screenings at months 1, 2, and 3. Overall, the study makes an excellent case for using collagen supplements as a cost-effective way of enhancing weight loss. A study limitation exists in that some of the authors are affiliated with the company that produces the protein bars. Mir Ali, MD, a board certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center spoke with Medical News Today about the study. 'This was a good study that showed the potential benefits of protein bars with collagen,' said Ali. Ali noted that there may be some question of whether the collagen itself was responsible for the weight loss. 'I am not certain that the effects can all be attributed to collagen as protein meal replacements are also beneficial to weight loss,' commented Ali, who said more research is needed on this. When asked whether there are any health concerns people should have about using collagen supplements, Ali did not think most people would have anything to worry about. Possible side effects with collagen 'I am not aware of any major concern with collagen supplements; perhaps a bloating sensation as collagen swells when ingested. Patients with poor gastric motility may feel more bloating, but overall collagen appears safe.' — Mir Ali, MD Hector Perez, MD, lead bariatric surgeon at Renew Bariatrics, also spoke with MNT . 'It's a promising and well-structured pilot study,' said Perez. 'The randomized controlled design, use of validated tools (like DEXA), and a focus on both subjective (appetite) and objective (weight, fat-free mass, metabolic markers) outcomes are strengths.' Perez also said collagen supplements are generally safe but did say people with kidney disease need to proceed with care. Is collagen safe for everyone? 'There's a theoretical concern about kidney strain in people with impaired renal function if high protein supplements are overused, though this study's dosage (20g/day) is moderate.' — Hector Perez, MD While Perez finds the study promising, he did say collagen is not a 'magic bullet.' 'I'd recommend collagen as a complement to a structured weight loss program, not as a stand-alone solution,' said Perez. 'I always stress that no supplement replaces portion control, physical activity, and sustainable dietary habits.' Nutrition / Diet Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness antiaging
Medical News Today
06-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Prostate cancer: Simple urine test may help with early detection
Written by Paul Ian Cross, PhD on May 6, 2025 — Fact checked by Amanda Ward Scientists are working on developing a urine test to detect prostate detection of prostate cancer remains a major clinical challenge due to the lack of reliable biomarkers, despite the disease being highly treatable when caught in its early stages. Now, researchers have identified a new set of urine-based biomarkers that can accurately detect both the presence and severity of prostate cancer. The study combines artificial intelligence with detailed genetic analysis and could potentially offer an alternative to current PSA testing. Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in men yet is often highly treatable when detected early. It originates in the prostate gland, located between the bladder and the penis. While the exact cause remains unknown, the likelihood of developing the disease increases with age. One reason early detection is challenging is the absence of reliable biomarkers that can accurately indicate the onset of the disease. This new research, published in the journal Cancer Research, suggests that early-stage prostate cancer can be detected using a simple urine test. Researchers created digital models of prostate cancer by analysing mRNA activity across all human genes in thousands of individual tumour cells, each classified by cancer grade and location. They used artificial intelligence to examine these models and identify proteins that could act as potential biomarkers. These biomarkers were then tested in blood, prostate tissue and urine samples from nearly 2,000 patients. First author Martin Smelik explained the key findings to Medical News Today . 'The key finding of this article is that prostate cancer can be effectively identified by analyzing the expression of candidate biomarkers in urine,' Smelik explained. 'This approach [via a urine sample] outperforms the current blood tests based on PSA but at the same time keeps the advantages of being non-invasive, painless, and relatively cheap.' — Martin Smelik A specific set of urine-based biomarkers showed strong potential in detecting both the presence and severity of prostate cancer with greater accuracy than PSA, the current standard blood-based marker. A PSA test is a simple blood test that checks the level of a protein called prostate-specific antigen, which is made by the prostate. High levels of PSA can be a sign of prostate cancer, but they can also be caused by other conditions like an enlarged or inflamed prostate. Plans are now in place to conduct large-scale clinical trials to further validate the findings. In addition, discussions are underway to include the novel biomarkers in a UK-wide prostate cancer study to speed up testing and implementation. 'This publication brings hope for more efficient screening programs within next few years, which might ultimately help to prevent and treat prostate cancer. While this study was focused specifically on prostate cancer, we believe that some of the methods could be generalized to other cancers as well, which we would like to try in our future studies.' — Martin Smelik These improvements may also help reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies in men who do not have the disease. Milan Sheth, MD, quadruple board certified in internal medicine, hematology, oncology, and palliative care, at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, who was not involved in the study, said that this is an impressive study utilising artificial intelligence to find alternative methods and bio markers for diagnosing prostate cancer. 'Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for preventing such complications. However, current methods for diagnosing prostate cancer utilize uncomfortable, and invasive approaches that can only be performed by a urologist.' — Milan Sheth 'The findings from the current paper showed that specific biomarkers which are dynamic and more sensitive than PSA can actually be found in the urine,' Sheth told MNT . 'Remarkably, the urinary bio markers demonstrated exceptional diagnostic precision, and we're capable of distinguishing not only cancerous from non-cancer states but also indicating disease severity.' 'This discovery could potentially change the ways in which prostate cancer is not only diagnosed but can also be used as a more accurate screening mechanism, which we desperately need. And all this simply through a urine test,' Sheth said. Ramkishen Narayanan, MD, board certified urologist and urologic oncologist and Director of the Center for Urologic Health at The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA, agreed, saying that 'this paper presents an exciting area of research.' 'With respect to prostate cancer, serum PSA has remained the only reliable 'biomarker' for nearly 50 years at this point. We are long overdue for additional biomarkers that can both detect prostate cancer and monitor prostate cancer progression.' — Ramkishen Narayanan Narayanan pointed out that 'the study authors make note that urine may be an excellent modality for finding a reliable biomarker due to the 'local fluids' near cancer concept.' 'Urine is intimately associated with the prostate and a urinary biomarker for prostate cancer is an ongoing area of research worldwide,' he said. 'Spatial transcriptomics is unfortunately very expensive; therefore, a globally collaborative approach (such as the cancer genome atlas program) would be the most beneficial to the public,' Narayanan added.
