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- Berg von Linde, Maria Berg, et al.
(författare)
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Insights from the Den : How Hibernating Bears May Help Us Understand and Treat Human Disease
- 2015
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Ingår i: Clinical and Translational Science. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1752-8054 .- 1752-8062. ; 8:5, s. 601-605
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hibernating brown bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (Ursus americanus) spend half of the year in a physically inactive state inside their winter dens without food intake and defecating and no or little urination. Under similar extreme conditions, humans would suffer from loss of lean body mass, heart failure, thrombosis, azotemia, osteoporosis, and more. However, bears exit the den in the spring strong without organ injuries. Translational animal models are used in human medicine but traditional experimental animals have several shortcomings; thus, we believe that it is time to systematically explore new models. In this review paper, we describe physiological adaptations of hibernating bears and how similar adaptations in humans could theoretically alleviate medical conditions. The bear has solved most of the health challenges faced by humans, including heart and kidney disease, atherosclerosis and thrombosis, and muscle wasting and osteoporosis. Understanding and applying this library of information could lead to a number of major discoveries that could have implications for the understanding and treatment of human disease.
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| 2. |
- Berg von Linde, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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A Swedish nationwide forensic study of the manner of death in single stab injuries to the trunk
- 2024
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Ingår i: Forensic Science International. - 0379-0738. ; 354
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Forensic pathologists are frequently confronted with questions about whether an injury is likely to have been inflicted by an assault or be self-inflicted. However, little is known of the epidemiological variables that might be applicable to differentiate between homicides and suicides in deaths caused by single stab injuries to the trunk. Method Using the Swedish forensic autopsy register, we identified 94 homicides and 45 suicides between 2010 and 2021 in which death followed a single stab injury to the trunk. We extracted characteristics from the cases and performed statistical analyses using the Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test and logistic regression model. Results Victims of homicides were younger than suicide victims (median age 33 years vs. 52 years, p
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Berg von Linde, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of Paracrine Effectors in Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treated With Plasma From Brown Bears (Ursus arctos)
- 2021
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Ingår i: Clinical and Translational Science. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1752-8054 .- 1752-8062. ; 14:1, s. 317-325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are promising candidates for novel cell therapeutic applications. Hibernating brown bears sustain tissue integrity and function via unknown mechanisms, which might be plasma borne. We hypothesized that plasma from hibernating bears may increase the expression of favorable factors from human ADSCs. In an experimental study, ADSCs from patients with ischemic heart disease were treated with interventional media containing plasma from hibernating and active bears, respectively, and with control medium. Extracted RNA from the ADSCs was sequenced using next generation sequencing. Statistical analyses of differentially expressed genes were performed using fold change analysis, pathway analysis, and gene ontology. As a result, we found that genes associated with inflammation, such as IGF1, PGF, IL11, and TGFA, were downregulated by > 10-fold in ADSCs treated with winter plasma compared with control. Genes important for cardiovascular development, ADM, ANGPTL4, and APOL3, were upregulated in ADSCs when treated with winter plasma compared with summer plasma. ADSCs treated with bear plasma, regardless if it was from hibernating or active bears, showed downregulation of IGF1, PGF, IL11, INHBA, IER3, and HMOX1 compared with control, suggesting reduced cell growth and differentiation. This can be summarized in the conclusion that plasma from hibernating bears suppresses inflammatory genes and activates genes associated with cardiovascular development in human ADSCs. Identifying the involved regulator(s) holds therapeutic potential.
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| 5. |
- Berg von Linde, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Forensic assessment of single stab injuries to the trunk
- 2023
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- IntroductionForensic pathologists are frequently confronted with questions about the likelihood that an injury is inflicted by an assault or is self-inflicted. However, little is known of epidemiological variables applicable to differentiate between homicides and suicides in deaths caused by single stab injuries to the trunk. MethodUsing the Swedish forensic autopsy register we identified 94 homicides and 45 suicides between 2010 and 2021 that died following a single stab injury to the trunk. We extracted characteristics from the cases and performed statistical analyses using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square test.ResultVictims of homicides were younger than suicide victims (median age 33 years vs. 52 years, p < 0.05), and males were in majority in both groups (93% vs. 82%). Some homicidal stab wounds were placed on the posterior (12%) and axillar trunk (11%) unlike the suicidal stabs which were all placed on the anterior trunk. Most stab wounds of all examinations were placed on the left side of the anterior thorax (60%). In suicides, single stab injuries to the heart were more common than in homicides (67% vs. 48%, p < 0.05). Vasculature injuries were more common in homicides (51% vs. 9%, p < 0.05).DiscussionThe epidemiological variables could be used as a tool when assessing the manner of death in single stabs. Further research on variables associated with manner of death are needed and we suggest also including surviving victims in such analyses.
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| 6. |
- Berg von Linde, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Lethal injuries in single stabs to the trunk – A study on homicides and suicides in Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: Injury. - 0020-1383. ; 55:8, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IntroductionHomicides using knives or other sharp objects are the most common type of homicide in Europe, and the second most common type of homicide worldwide. In contrast, suicides using sharp objects are rarer, constituting only a few per cent of all suicides in western countries. We investigated single stab injuries to the trunk in both homicides and suicides to assess differences in extent of injuries and in medical care, which could be of value for trauma management, public health and forensic assessment.MethodsWe identified all cases in Sweden between 2010 and 2021 that died of a single stab to the trunk, in either a homicide (n = 94) or a suicide (n = 45), and that were the subject of a forensic autopsy. We obtained data on demographics, hospital care and injured structures. To assess the severity of injuries, we applied AIS (Abbreviated Injury Score) and NISS (New Injury Severity Score). The inter-rater reliability of NISS between two raters was evaluated with intra-class correlation (ICC), with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The data was analysed using Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression models.ResultsThe inter-rater reliability between the two NISS raters showed an ICC of 0.87 (95 % CI 0.68−0.95). We observed a larger variation of injuries in suicides, with a higher proportion of both unsurvivable (NISS 75) and minor injuries (NISS ≤ 8) (66.7 % and 8.9 % respectively) compared to in homicides (46.8 % and 0 % respectively). We observed a larger proportion of injuries to the heart in suicides (68.9% vs. 46.8 %, p = 0.018). In homicides, injuries involving vessels (52.1% vs. 13.3 %, p < 0.001) and hospital care (56.4 % vs. 8.9 %, p < 0.001) were significantly more common compared to suicides.Discussion and conclusionCausation (self-inflicted or assaults) seems to be associated with characteristics of injury and the likelihood of receiving hospital care. These findings could potentially be valuable for trauma management and forensic assessment of manner of death, however, determining the mortality of the injuries would require a comparison group comprising injured survivors.
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