Mini nutritional assessment short form as a predictor of mortality among older adults with dementia residing in group homes: A 5-year longitudinal study.

Background & Aims: Many people with dementia frequently experience various health-related problems and are known to have poor nutritional status. However, very few studies have examined the nutritional status of dementia residents in group homes, which play an important role in a society-wide system of support for people with dementia, or the relationship between nutritional status and long-term prognosis. This study was conducted to determine the nutritional status of group-home residents and to examine the relationship between nutritional status and the 5-year survival rate.

Association between grip strength and electrical properties measured by bioimpedance spectroscopy in women with dementia aged 77 to 97 years living in group homes.

Electrical properties estimated from the electrical resistance of the human body can serve as indicators of muscle tissue status and the risk of developing sarcopenia; however, to date, at least to the best of our knowledge, no studies have performed such an assessment in older individuals with advanced dementia. The present study examined the associations between grip strength, body composition and electrical properties using bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) in women aged 77-97 years residing in dementia group homes. A total of 33 participants were enrolled with an average age of 88.

Hepatocyte growth factor pretreatment boosts functional recovery after spinal cord injury through human iPSC-derived neural stem/progenitor cell transplantation.

Background: Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cell (hiPSC-NS/PC)-based cell transplantation has emerged as a groundbreaking method for replacing damaged neural cells and stimulating functional recovery, but its efficacy is strongly influenced by the state of the injured spinal microenvironment. This study evaluates the impact of a dual therapeutic intervention utilizing hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and hiPSC-NS/PC transplantation on motor function restoration following spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Severe contusive SCI was induced in immunocompromised rats, followed by continuous administration of recombinant human HGF protein into the subarachnoid space immediately after SCI for two weeks.

Microenvironmental modulation in tandem with human stem cell transplantation enhances functional recovery after chronic complete spinal cord injury.

While rapid advancements in regenerative medicine strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI) have been made, most research in this field has focused on the early stages of incomplete injury. However, the majority of patients experience chronic severe injury; therefore, treatments for these situations are fundamentally important. Here, we hypothesized that environmental modulation via a clinically relevant hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-releasing scaffold and human iPS cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (hNS/PCs) transplantation contributes to functional recovery after chronic complete transection SCI.