Autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells are safe for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy.

Achilles tendinopathy is a disabling condition that affects more than 50% of runners. Pre-clinical studies in a large animal model of naturally-occurring tendinopathy similar to human Achilles tendinopathy has shown benefits of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) implantation. However, MSCs are advanced therapies medicinal products (ATMPs), with strict regulatory requirements.

Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice (peer-reviewed expert opinion).

Background: Up-to-date recommendations for the safe practice of acupuncture in integrative oncology are overdue with new cancer treatments and an increase in survivors with late effects of disease; 17 years have elapsed since Filshie and Hester's 2006 guidelines. During 2022/2023 an expert panel assembled to produce updated recommendations aiming to facilitate safe and appropriate care by acupuncturists working with people with cancer.

Methods: A core development team comprising three integrative oncology professionals comprehensively updated pre-existing unpublished recommendations.

Enabling Adults With Severe Asthma to Exercise: A Qualitative Examination of the Challenges for Patients and Health Care Professionals.

Background: Adults living with severe asthma have lower physical activity levels, particularly high-intensity physical activity, compared with their healthy peers. Physical inactivity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Objective: To understand patient and health care professional attitudes toward exercise and physical activity to inform future strategies for the improvement of healthy lifestyle behaviors, including exercise.

An accessory iliotibial band insertion: a unique anatomical variant.

The iliotibial band (ITB) is considered an important anterolateral knee joint stabiliser. Its exact anatomy remains unclear with inconsistency owing to relative paucity of detailed cadaveric studies. Multiple ITB distal insertional sites have been reported, the most common and well known being a direct attachment onto Gerdy's tubercle of the anterolateral tibia.

Female Immunity Protects from Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: Cancer susceptibility and mortality are higher in males, and the mutational and transcriptomic landscape of cancer differs by sex. The current assumption is that men are at higher risk of epithelial cancers as they expose more to carcinogens and accumulate more damage than women. We present data showing women present with less aggressive primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and early strong immune activation.

A Feasibility Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Asthma-Tailored Pulmonary Rehabilitation Compared with Usual Care in Adults with Severe Asthma.

Background: Currently, the acceptability and efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation for adults with severe asthma is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of performing a randomized controlled trial of asthma-tailored pulmonary rehabilitation (AT-PR) versus usual care (UC).

Methods: Adults with severe asthma were recruited and randomized 2:1 to AT-PR and UC.

Transition for Adolescents and Young Adults With Asthma.

Asthma is a complex, heterogenous medical condition which is very common in children and adults. The transition process from pediatric to adult health care services can be a challenge for young people with chronic medical conditions. The significant changes in physical and mental health during this time, as well as the many unique developmental and psychosocial challenges that occur during adolescence can complicate and impede transition if not adequately addressed and managed.

Patient Perceptions of Living with Severe Asthma: Challenges to Effective Management.

Background: The management of severe asthma poses many challenges related to treatment, adherence, and psychosocial morbidity. There is little direct data from the patient perspective to understand and negotiate the complexities of managing severe asthma.

Objective: To explore the patient perceptions of living with severe asthma and the experience of managing severe asthma, in order to better understand the support that might promote more effective self-management for severe asthma.

Poikilodermatous plaque-like hemangioma: Case series of a newly defined entity.

Background: We present a distinctive type of acquired vascular proliferation, for which we propose the name of poikilodermatous plaque-like hemangioma.

Objective: The aim of this study was to summarize the clinical and histopathologic features in a case series of poikilodermatous plaque-like hemangioma.

Methods: Sixteen cases were identified from the routine clinical and referral practices of the authors.

Understanding the measurement properties of the incremental shuttle walk test in patients with severe asthma.

Background And Objective: We investigated the repeatability and validity of the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) distance compared to peak oxygen uptake (VO ) during maximal incremental cycle ergometer (ICE) and treadmill (ITM) tests in adults with severe asthma.

Methods: Adults with severe asthma, Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea ≥2, were recruited from specialists caring for patients with severe asthma. All participants performed three ISWT (familiarization and two subsequent tests on the same day), an ICE and an ITM in a randomized order, on separate days, to intolerance with expiratory gas analysis.

N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Current Evidence.

N-acetylcysteine, a sulphur-containing amino acid for the treatment of paracetamol overdose and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a widely available off-the-shelf oral antioxidant supplement in many countries. With the potential to modulate several neurological pathways, including glutamate dysregulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation that can be beneficial to the brain functions, N-acetylcysteine is being explored as an adjunctive therapy for many psychiatric conditions. This narrative review synthesises and presents the current evidence from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and latest clinical trials on N-acetylcysteine for addiction and substance abuse, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and mood disorders.

Autologous Stem Cells in Achilles Tendinopathy (ASCAT): protocol for a phase IIA, single-centre, proof-of-concept study.

Introduction: Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a cause of pain and disability affecting both athletes and sedentary individuals. More than 150 000 people in the UK every year suffer from AT.While there is much preclinical work on the use of stem cells in tendon pathology, there is a scarcity of clinical data looking at the use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat tendon disease and there does not appear to be any studies of the use of autologous cultured mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for AT.

A qualitative study of the perspectives of key stakeholders on the delivery of clinical academic training in the East Midlands.

Objective: Major changes in the design and delivery of clinical academic training in the United Kingdom have occurred yet there has been little exploration of the perceptions of integrated clinic academic trainees or educators. We obtained the views of a range of key stakeholders involved in clinical academic training in the East Midlands.

Design: A qualitative study with inductive iterative thematic content analysis of findings from trainee surveys and facilitated focus groups.

Survival following pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD: the effect of program completion and change in incremental shuttle walking test distance.

Rationale: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with COPD has consistently been shown to produce benefits in exercise capacity, symptoms, and health status. The data surrounding survival following PR are less clear. Our aims were to compare the long-term survival in two cohorts of patients referred for PR; those who successfully completed PR, and a comparator group constructed from patients who either did not complete PR or did not start the program.

Protocol for a feasibility study to inform the development of a multicentre randomised controlled trial of asthma-tailored pulmonary rehabilitation versus usual care for individuals with severe asthma.

Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation with core components of exercise training and multiprofessional education is an integral part of the management of patients with chronic lung disease. International guidelines for individuals with asthma recommend exercise as exercise improves symptoms, indices of cardiopulmonary efficiency, health status and psychosocial outcome. However, there is little published evidence evaluating safety and acceptability of exercise training for individuals with severe asthma and there are concerns regarding exercise-induced asthma.

Asthma in adults (acute): magnesium sulfate treatment.

Introduction: About 10% of adults have suffered an attack of asthma, and up to 5% of these have severe disease that responds poorly to treatment. Patients with severe disease have an increased risk of death, but patients with mild to moderate disease are also at risk of exacerbations. Most guidelines about the management of asthma follow stepwise protocols.

Primary cutaneous myxoid spindle cell squamous cell carcinoma: a rare skin cancer.

A 72-year-old woman presented to the plastic surgery outpatient department with a nodular lesion to her shin. This nodule had increased in size, but was slow growing. The patient had a history of sun-damaged skin.

Gout-mimicking sarcoma recurrence at a prosthesis bone interface remote from any joint.

Gout is known to occur in a variety of organs but most commonly presents as an inflammatory arthropathy. A few reported cases have documented its occurrence in prosthetic neo-joints or juxta-articular to this. We present the first reported case at a bone prosthesis interface remote from any joint and mimicking sarcoma recurrence because of its unusual location.

Lung function decline and variable airway inflammatory pattern: longitudinal analysis of severe asthma.

Background: Eosinophilic airway inflammation measured by using induced sputum is an important treatment stratification tool in patients with severe asthma. In addition, sputum eosinophilia has been shown to be associated with severe exacerbations and airflow limitation.

Objectives: We sought to identify whether eosinophilic inflammation in sputum is associated with FEV₁ decrease in patients with severe asthma and whether we could identify subgroups of decrease behavior based on the variation of eosinophilic airway inflammation over time.