Des Argonautes aux internautes

Il s’agit, modestement, de risquer une hypothèse à propos de l’unité et de la diversité dans les travaux de Gérald Berthoud. Comme cela est fréquent, à première vue, la diversité l’emporte sur l’unité. Il y eut d’abord les années passées à explorer l’échange et le don – de Mauss à Polanyi – et l’étude des pratiques « traditionnelles » pour retrouver « l’archaïque » (considéré comme un fondement toujours actuel et nécessaire) puis, plus récemment, l’intérêt pour les NTIC et la société de l’inf..

A dietary supplementation with leucine and antioxidants is capable to accelerate muscle mass recovery after immobilization in adult rats

Prolonged inactivity induces muscle loss due to an activation of proteolysis and decreased protein synthesis; the latter is also involved in the recovery of muscle mass. The aim of the present work was to explore the evolution of muscle mass and protein metabolism during immobilization and recovery and assess the effect of a nutritional strategy for counteracting muscle loss and facilitating recovery. Adult rats (6-8 months) were subjected to unilateral hindlimb casting for 8 days (10-18) and then permitted to recover for 10 to 40 days (R10-R40). They were fed a Control or Experimental diet supplemented with antioxidants/polyphenols (AOX) (10 to 18), AOX and leucine (AOX + LEU) (18 to R15) and LEU alone (R15 to R40). Muscle mass, absolute protein synthesis rate and proteasome activities were measured in gastrocnemius muscle in casted and non-casted legs in post prandial (PP) and post absorptive (PA) states at each time point. Immobilized gastrocnemius protein content was similarly reduced (-37%) in both diets compared to the non-casted leg. Muscle mass recovery was accelerated by the AOX and LEU supplementation (+6% AOX+LEU vs. Control, P<0.05 at R40) due to a higher protein synthesis both in PA and PP states (+23% and 31% respectively, Experimental vs. Control diets, P<0.05, R40) without difference in trypsin-and chymotrypsin-like activities between diets. Thus, this nutritional supplementation accelerated the recovery of muscle mass via a stimulation of protein synthesis throughout the entire day (in the PP and PA states) and could be a promising strategy to be tested during recovery from bed rest in humans

Drugs in early clinical development for the treatment of osteosarcoma

Introduction: Osteosarcomas are the main malignant primary bone tumours found in children and young adults. Conventional treatment is based on diagnosis and resection surgery, combined with polychemotherapy. This is a protocol that was established in the 1970s. Unfortunately, this therapeutic approach has reached a plateau of efficacy and the patient survival rate has not improved in the last four decades. New therapeutic approaches are thus required to improve the prognosis for osteosarcoma patients. Areas covered: From the databases available and published scientific literature, the present review gives an overview of the drugs currently in early clinical development for the treatment of osteosarcoma. For each drug, a short description is given of the relevant scientific data supporting its development. Expert opinion: Multidrug targeted approaches are set to emerge, given the heterogeneity of osteosarcoma subtypes and the multitude of therapeutic responses. The key role played by the microenvironment in the disease increases the number of therapeutic targets (such as macrophages or osteoclasts), as well as the master proteins that control cell proliferation or cell death. Ongoing phase I/II trials are important steps, not only for identifying new therapies with greater safety and efficacy, but also for better defining the role played by the microenvironment in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma

Safety Concern between Autologous Fat Graft, Mesenchymal Stem Cell and Osteosarcoma Recurrence

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant primary bone tumour in young adult treated by neo adjuvant chemotherapy, surgical tumor removal and adjuvant multidrug chemotherapy. For correction of soft tissue defect consecutive to surgery and/or tumor treatment, autologous fat graft has been proposed in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Principal Findings: We report here a case of a late local recurrence of osteosarcoma which occurred 13 years after the initial pathology and 18 months after a lipofilling procedure. Because such recurrence was highly unexpected, we investigated the possible relationship of tumor growth with fat injections and with mesenchymal stem/stromal cell like cells which are largely found in fatty tissue. Results obtained in osteosarcoma pre-clinical models show that fat grafts or progenitor cells promoted tumor growth. Significance: These observations and results raise the question of whether autologous fat grafting is a safe reconstructive procedure in a known post neoplasic context

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Sortir de l’impasse mondialitaire

Ne pas faire du « mondial » l’étalon de l’alternative : premier préalable Il s’agit ici de suggérer quelques préalables cognitifs, politiques ou pédagogiques qui pourraient éclairer un débat sur les alternatives et nous maintenir hors du courant dominant afin de considérer les choses autrement pour les transformer. Car si nous ne changeons pas notre regard, nous ne changerons rien du tout. Il n’y a pas de modèle, ni d’alternative. Tant mieux. Nous ne sommes même pas sortis de la métaphysique..

L’ingérence humanitaire ou l’évocation d’un non-concept

“Il est paradoxal et malsain d’organiser des opérations très voyantes de charité sous haute protection militaire alors que leur nécessité découle, en partie, d’injustices provenant de la non-application du droit par ceux-là mêmes qui s’approprient la charité. ”Monique Chemillier-Gendreau Dans la vie ordinaire des relations internationales, la non-ingérence au sein des affaires intérieures des Etats constitue la règle. L’ingérence humanitaire demeure l’exception ; elle ressemble à ces rituels ..

Du vrai/faux au virtuel : mondialisation culturelle et néo-utopie

Dessin : Miroslav Marsalek « Nous réduisons les problèmes immenses de la communication à pas grand-chose. Ce pas grand-chose pourrait se résumer ainsi : maîtriser les techniques et faire preuve de bonne volonté. Savoir faire + vouloir le Bien = garantir L’avenir meilleur, c’est-à-dire imaginer le monde et l’histoire (...) d’après les croyances aujourd’hui codifiées par le discours dans lequel nous prétendons enfermer l’avenir de l’humanité ». La mondialisation culturelle est un processus inac..

Les mécréants du développement

Puisque soit l’aide, soit la coopération sont censées stimuler, appuyer et encourager le développement, il importe de savoir en quoi consiste ce développement. Ce questionnement est d’autant plus important que la globalisation de l’économie et ses effets délétères sur les groupes ou les personnes vulnérables pourraient très bien avoir pour conséquence un renouveau de la confiance mise dans le développement et l’aide, faute de mieux. Celui-ci apparaîtrait alors comme une planche de salut, un j..

Entre non-ingérence et besoin d’aider : l’humanitaire d’Etat

La Suisse est un pays neutre ; c’est aussi un pays où la tradition humanitaire, avec notamment la Croix-Rouge, s’est constamment appuyée sur l’idée d’impartialité dans l’aide apportée aux victimes des catastrophes humaines ou naturelles. Le droit d’ingérence humanitaire, que les Etats les plus puissants s’accordent à eux-mêmes, a-t-il provoqué un débat parmi les responsables de l’humanitaire d’Etat en Suisse ? De ce point de vue, peut-on parler en Suisse d’un “avant” et d’un “après” l’introdu..