Aurora magazine

For the first time in Italy, doctors at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan implanted an artificial retina on a blind patient. The operation lasted 11 hours and was conducted by a team of specialists in ophthalmological surgery. The patient is fine, but the outcome of the intervention is still unknown.

The subretinal prosthesis contains a microchip of about 3 millimeters and contains 1600 sensors. The doctors have placed it at the macula, from where it should stimulate the nerves that connect the eye and the brain. In this way it should replace the cells now unable to do this work due to diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. Together with the microchip, the doctors also implanted a connection circuit behind the ear.

The patient has retinitis pigmentosa from a young age and has lost sight gradually over the years. If all goes well, when the microchip is turned on it will again be able to perceive lights and shapes. While not fully restoring sight, the mechanism should still greatly improve the quality of a woman's life. It will also be a gradual process.
The artificial retina is an absolute novelty in Italy. However, there are very few cases in Europe: only two European centers have carried out this intervention to date.

Source: corriere.it

Researchers at the University of Washington in St. Louis have discovered a molecular factor that causes Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. Those suffering from this disease have a genetic abnormality that causes the malfunctions of the vibratile cilia of the respiratory mucosa to malfunction. Until now, however, it was unclear how this anomaly translates into the symptoms of the disease.

The vibrating cilia of the respiratory mucosa serves to free the respiratory tract from excess of mucus. In those suffering from Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, the eyelashes do not work. In fact, a genetic mutation prevents the proper production of the lily-forming proteins. It would all seem very simple, if it were not for some people to have flaws in proteins untied by eyelashes. In these cases, it was not clear how the genetic anomaly and defective proteins translated into symptoms.

According to the study, the three apparently unconnected non-functioning proteins are actually fundamental. They are in fact the elements that hold together the whole mechanism of eyelashes. When all is well, they form a scaffold on which the molecular motor of the eyelashes is installed. When they do not work they do not even work the eyelashes, although apparently everything is fine.

The researchers observed the eyelashes of some patients with this type of anomaly. The malfunctioning of the three "scaffolding" proteins made the structure unstable and hindered the development of eyelashes.

Source: medicine.wustl.edu

Non-invasive prenatal screening is spreading more and more in Japan. Soon, the medical institutions authorized to perform fetal DNA tests will increase. The decision comes after an exponential increase in requests in the country, also in relation to the rise in the average age of the first pregnancy.

The non-invasive prenatal screening tests were introduced in Japan in 2013, but were immediately debated. The guidelines of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology have restricted the use of these tests to a few facilities. In addition, tests can only be performed on women 35 years of age or older with a history of chromosomal abnormalities. However, the increase in demand has pushed many unauthorized structures to offer the test anyway.

The situation made it necessary to stop unauthorized testing, in favor of certified fetal DNA tests. For this reason, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology has decided to expand the authorization to new medical institutions. The goal is to incorporate non-invasive prenatal screening tests into routine medical checks.

Since the introduction of fetal DNA tests in 2013, the increase in facilities offering this type of service has been limited. We started with 15 certified facilities all over Japan and reached 89 in 2017. Maybe too little for the requests of a whole country.

Source: japantimes.co.jp

According to a study published in the journal Human Reproduction, those who follow the Mediterranean diet have more chances of success with IVF. The researchers analyzed the diet of a group of women who were about to undergo in vitro fertilization. They found that those who ate vegetables, legumes and fish had 65-68% more chance of becoming pregnant.

The study focused more on diet as a whole than on the consumption of individual nutrients. Scholars examined the diet of 244 Greek women in the last 6 months by means of a questionnaire. All women were between 22 and 41 years old, were healthy and had a body mass index below 30. The researchers evaluated the degree of "Mediterraneanity" of the diets, giving a score from 0 to 55.

The team of Professor Nikos Yiannakouris divided the women into 3 groups, based on the degree of Mediterraneanness of their diet. The first group included women who did not follow a Mediterranean diet. The second group included those who followed a not entirely Mediterranean diet. The third group included women who followed a Mediterranean diet.

The 86 women who followed a Mediterranean diet had a pregnancy rate of 50%, against 29% of the other groups. This means that a healthy diet like the Mediterranean one significantly increases the chances of success of IVF, especially under 35 years. Moreover, even if the study focused on women, the Mediterranean diet is also decisive for the quality of the seed.

Source: eshre.eu