Tattoos To Help Treat Multiple Sclerosis?

A temporary tattoo containing antioxidant nanoparticles may help treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis in the future. The study shows that nanoparticles modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) are conveniently choosy as they are taken up by cells in the immune system. That could be a plus for patients with autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Placed just under the skin, the carbon based particles form a dark spot that fades over about one week as they are slowly released into the circulation. T and B lymphocyte cells and macrophages are key components of the immune system. However in many autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, T cells are the key players. One suspected cause is that T cells lose their ability to distinguish between invaders and healthy tissue and attack both. The ability to selectively inhibit one type of cell over others in the same environment may help doctors gain more control over autoimmune diseases.

Prolonged Sitting Tied To 4% Of Deaths Worldwide

Nearly four percent of all deaths worldwide – or 433,000 per year – are due to the fact that people spend more than three hours a day sitting. Researchers, including those from Spain’s San Jorge University, estimated the proportion of deaths attributable to the “chair effect” using data from 2002 to 2011. It is important to minimize sedentary behavior in order to prevent premature deaths. Researcher noted reducing the amount of time we sit by about two hours (50%) would mean a 2.3% decrease in mortality. The results show that over 60% of people worldwide spend more than three hours a day sitting down – the average in adults is 4.7 hours per day. Among the territories studied, there were more deaths in the regions of the Western Pacific, followed by European countries, the Eastern Mediterranean, America and Southeast Asia. The highest rates were found in Lebanon (11.6%) and the Netherlands (7.6%) while the lowest rates were in Mexico (0.6%) and Myanmar (1.3%).