Distraction Therapy Using Virtual Reality in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Rehabilitation: Effects on Cardiac Efficiency, Anxiety and Exercise Tolerance

The European Society of Cardiology has been putting forward the need for new adjuncts or models that optimise outcomes from CR programmes. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is one of the newest technologies whose input in CR is currently being investigated. It is a technology which helps simulate the real environment through a virtual one, allowing for interaction with the environment and to carry out exercise with variability, where intensity, repetition and feedback are key elements. It is reported that immersion in VR environments diverts the attention of the patient from unpleasant bodily sensations, thus delaying the onset of boredom and fatigue. This is reported to possibly incite higher participation. In addition, VR has some noticeable indirect benefits for postcardiac event patients. It is reported that when using head-mounted devices during stationary cycling, a reduction in sympathetic tone and thus increase blood flow to the muscles prolonging the exercise duration and enhancing fatigue resistance will result. The use of distraction therapy through VR, one which isolates the patients from the medical context and puts all the attention on the virtual experience, makes the patient be distracted from the unpleasant stimuli of the surrounding environment. Distraction therapy through VR is reported to provide positive emotions, reduce anxiety and lead to an underestimation of the treatment duration.

开始日期2024-09-01

申办/合作机构

University of Malta

NCT06395493

/ Not yet recruitingN/AIIT

A 12-week Pilates Programme for Low Back Pain: Perceived and Actual Outcomes

Pilates has emerged as a prominent exercise therapy gaining recognition among healthcare professionals for its potential benefits in managing low back pain (LBP). As healthcare practitioners increasingly incorporate Pilates into clinical practice, understanding its effects on LBP becomes crucial. This study explores the rationale behind Pilates as a therapeutic intervention for LBP, its diverse applications, varying programme durations, and the significance of long-term follow-ups. Through an examination of existing studies, the aim is to unravel the nuanced impact of Pilates on pain intensity, functional disability, and overall quality of life for individuals experiencing LBP. Furthermore, this study addresses gaps in current research, guiding the way for an extended exploration into the ideal duration of Pilates programmes and the implications of sustained, long-term engagement.
Throughout this research study, the following research question was adopted: What is the perception and actual outcomes of a Pilates programme in the management of LBP in the short and long term?
The null hypothesis (H0) for this study was that there is no significant difference following a 12 weeks Pilates programme in all outcome measures. The alternative hypothesis (H1) stated that there is significant difference in outcomes following a 12-week Pilates programme in the management of LBP.

开始日期2024-06-01

申办/合作机构

University of Malta

NCT06774066

/ CompletedN/AIIT

High Volume Image Guided Injection in Mid Portion Achilles Tendinopathy

This prospective randomised clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy in a real-world clinical setting, minimising the excessive control typically associated with explanatory studies. The primary focus is to assess the mechanical effects of high-volume image-guided injection in combination with rehabilitation exercises over three months. Additionally, the study will determine the overall clinical improvement in participants. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Is high-volume image-guided injection treatment superior to the usual care in treating mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy? Do mechanical and morphological properties of the tendon change after the treatment?

开始日期2023-11-01

申办/合作机构

University of Malta

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0 项与 University of Malta 相关的专利（医药）

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项与 University of Malta 相关的文献（医药）

2026-04-01·BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY

Green seaweed Ulva spp. bioprocessing: Bioactive molecules, emerging extraction technologies, and industrial applications in the circular bioeconomy

Review

作者: Barba, Francisco J ; Zammit, Gabrielle ; Unal, Dilek ; Guttman, Lior ; Domingues, Rosario ; Koseoglu-Yilmaz, Pelin ; Mapelli-Brahm, Paula ; Wichard, Thomas ; Loureiro, Joana A ; Hutarova, Lenka ; Meléndez Martínez, Antonio J

Ulva spp., commonly known as sea lettuce, are versatile green macroalgae that offer strong potential for integration into emerging blue and circular bioeconomies. Ulva is a fast-growing and nutrient-tolerant species that produces renewable biomass rich in bioactive compounds with economic potential. This review summarizes advances in the characterization, extraction, and industrial utilization of Ulva biomass, highlighting opportunities for scalable biorefinery approaches. Key bioactive classes include sulfated polysaccharides (ulvans), proteins and peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, and phenolic compounds, which exhibit diverse antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent developments in green extraction technologies, such as ultrasound-, microwave-, and enzyme-assisted methods, as well as supercritical fluids and deep eutectic solvents, have improved yields in processing Ulva biomass while reducing environmental impact. Beyond laboratory studies, industrial applications are expanding across the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biomaterial sectors, supported by growing interest in sustainable marine ingredients. However, challenges remain in biomass standardization, taxonomy, large-scale cultivation, and regulatory approval. Integrating Ulva within a circular bioeconomy requires harmonized methodologies and life-cycle assessments to ensure economic and environmental sustainability. Ulva spp. combine rapid growth, carbon capture, and a unique spectrum of bioactive compounds, making them a versatile and scalable marine feedstock for sustainable, circular biorefineries across food, health, and material applications.

2026-02-01·IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics

Prediction Consistency and Confidence-Based Proxy Domain Construction for Privacy-Preserving in Cross-Subject EEG Classification

Article

作者: Cichocki, Andrzej ; Kong, Wanzeng ; Lu, Bao-Liang ; Li, Junhua ; Peng, Yong ; Liu, Honggang ; Liu, Jiangchuan ; Padfield, Natasha

Domainadaptation has proven effective for suppressing the inter-subject variability problem in cross-subject EEG classification tasks in which labeled data is available for source subjects while only unlabeled data is provided for target subjects. Existing domain adaptation methods typically reduced the distribution discrepancy between source and target domains by directly utilizing source domain samples or features. To safeguard the privacy of source domain data, we propose to construct a Proxy Domain by simultaneously considering the prediction Consistency and Confidence (PDCC) of locally trained source models on target EEG samples, serving as the substitute to the source domain. The framework commences with the augmentation and alignment of the source domain data to enhance feature generalizability, after which source models are trained independently on each source subject's data in a decentralized manner. Knowledge transfer from source to target domains is achieved exclusively through accessing to the source domain model, enabling the PDCC-based proxy domain construction that encapsulates the source knowledge. Finally, domain adaptation is performed using the proxy domain and target domain. As a result, PDCC eliminates the need to access source domain data while effectively leveraging source knowledge. Experimental results on four benchmark EEG datasets demonstrate that PDCC consistently outperforms eleven existing methods, including several advanced transfer learning and source-free methods. Especially, the effectiveness of the proxy domain is extensively investigated.

2026-02-01·Blood vessels, thrombosis & hemostasis

Exploring blood transcriptional signatures for thrombosis diagnosis in critically ill patients with COVID-19

Article

作者: de Jong, Menno D ; Cristella, Cosimo ; Aynekulu Mersha, Daniel G ; Dalibor, Niculina ; van Willigen, Hugo D G ; Endeman, Henrik ; Raadsen, Matthijs P ; Gommers, Diederik A M P J ; Hofstra, Jorrit J ; van Leeuwen, Sarah ; van Gorp, Eric C M ; Juffermans, Nicole P ; Koopmans, Marion P G ; Fraaij, Pieter L A ; Toliat, Mohammad R ; de Haan, Karen ; van den Akker, Johannes P C ; Scicluna, Brendon P

COVID-19 has revealed novel pathological mechanisms, particularly hypercoagulability, which leads to increased thrombotic risk in critically ill patients. This study investigates transcriptional signatures associated with thrombosis development in patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit and evaluates their predictive potential. We performed whole-blood transcriptional profiling of 57 mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19, comparing those with thrombotic complications (TC; n = 36) with those without (non-TC, n = 21) using differential gene expression and machine learning approaches. Patients with TC showed greater transcriptome disruption and 283 differentially expressed genes compared with patients without TC. Key features included enhanced neutrophil activation, inflammatory responses, and monocyte activation alongside suppressed lymphocyte function. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis model achieved excellent classification performance (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.961; 95% confidence interval, 0.905-0.997). The maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM) gene was the top discriminatory biomarker outperforming traditional clinical markers such as D-dimer and C-reactive protein (AUC, 0.94). TC in critically ill patients with COVID-19 are characterized by distinct transcriptional signatures reflecting heightened neutrophil activation and inflammatory dysregulation. MGAM represents a novel potential biomarker that outperforms traditional clinical markers for identifying patients at high thrombotic risk, offering new opportunities for personalized risk stratification and management in severe COVID-19.

项与 University of Malta 相关的新闻（医药）

2026-02-12

·泰合智造

诺奖加持的"生物界GPT"：DeepMind如何用AI颠覆10年26亿的传统制药？

引言：一场价值1.7万亿美元的革命 "蛋白质折叠问题困扰了生物学界50年。" 这不是小说开篇，而是科学界公认的难题。直到2020年，DeepMind的AlphaFold2横空出世，以原子级精度（GDT_TS平均92.4分）彻底改写了历史。 2024年，创始人Demis Hassabis和John Jumper因此荣获诺贝尔化学奖。但AlphaFold的意义远不止于此。它正在悄悄颠覆一个每年1.7万亿美元、耗时10年、投入26亿美元的产业——新药研发。今天，我们就来聊聊这个"生物界GPT"背后的产业革命。一、双十定律：制药业的"死亡之谷" 传统药物研发有个魔咒，叫"双十定律"：时间平均10-15年从靶点发现到上市资金 26亿美元（波士顿咨询数据）成功率仅10%-20%的临床药物开发成功率更残酷的是，即使药物成功上市，平均回报周期也只有5-8年。也就是说，你可能还没收回成本，专利就到期了。这就是为什么创新药如此昂贵，也是为什么全球只有少数大型药企玩得起这个游戏。但AlphaFold正在改变这一切。二、从"猜谜"到"设计"：AI如何重塑药物发现传统模式：大海捞针传统药物发现就像在黑暗中摸索：靶点发现 6-24个月，靠科学家经验和文献挖掘先导化合物筛选 2-5年，要在数百万化合物中盲筛结构优化反复实验，失败率高整个过程就像大海捞针，效率极低。AlphaFold模式：精准制导 AlphaFold2的核心突破在于：它能从氨基酸序列直接预测蛋白质的三维结构，精度堪比实验方法。这意味着什么？靶点发现周期从6-24个月缩短至7-30天（效率提升10-30倍）先导化合物优化从2-5年压缩至1-6个月临床前成本从4.2亿美元降至0.8亿美元（降低80%）这不仅是加速，更是范式的革命——从"筛选"到"设计"。三、真实案例：那些被AI拯救的药物案例1：中科院的HEAL-116 2025年6月，中国科学院团队利用AlphaFold2预测3βHSD1结构，设计出新型前列腺癌抑制剂HEAL-116：体外抑制活性 IC₅₀=12.7 nM（纳摩尔级别，极强）口服生物利用度提升3.2倍动物实验联合ARPI治疗使肿瘤体积缩小78% 关键突破：解决了传统药物的耐药问题。案例2：Isomorphic Labs的30天奇迹 DeepMind孵化的Isomorphic Labs团队使用AlphaFold3预测小分子-蛋白相互作用，将肝癌CDK20抑制剂的先导化合物发现周期从传统12-18个月压缩至30天。更惊人的是：他们只合成了7个化合物就获得了纳摩尔级活性分子。传统方式可能需要合成数千个化合物。案例3：英矽智能的里程碑 Insilico Medicine的ISM001-055（Rentosertib）是首个端到端生成式AI辅助设计的药物：研发时间从靶点发现到PCC仅18个月研发成本 260万美元（传统方法需4-5年、数亿美元）临床效果 Phase IIa显示肺功能改善率达42% 2025年3月，该药物获得美国通用名委员会正式命名，成为首个获得正式命名的AI生成药物。四、AlphaFold3：从"蛋白质"到"全生命分子" 2024年5月，DeepMind发布AlphaFold3，再次震惊科学界。核心突破维度 AlphaFold2 AlphaFold3 预测范围蛋白质蛋白质、DNA、RNA、小分子配体、离子架构 Evoformer Pairformer + 扩散模型精度原子级蛋白质-配体预测提升50% 开源 2021年7月 2024年11月真实世界影响上海药物研究所2025年7月研究显示： GPCR-配体复合物整体骨架RMSD平均0.98 Å（极优）识别出海参肽通过变构机制封闭活性口袋，结合能达-39.32 kcal/mol 为美白剂开发提供全新机制 Isomorphic Labs与诺华的合作：虚拟筛选效率提升20倍已推进2个候选药物至临床前阶段预计2026年进入临床试验五、商业爆发：谁能抓住这波浪潮？Isomorphic Labs：诺奖团队的野心 2025年4月，Isomorphic Labs完成6亿美元首轮外部融资（Thrive Capital领投）。商业合作：与诺华、礼来签订总价值近30亿美元战略合作与强生达成多靶点合作（2025年12月），预计超15亿美元诺华支付1.2亿美元预付款，里程碑付款可达18亿美元进展：2025年7月，首款AI设计药物进入I期临床。中国的追赶与创新 2023年AI设计药物临床申请数量占全球43% （药智数据）。 "AI新药创制2030"专项投入超50亿元。典型企业：英矽智能全流程AI药物发现领军者药明康德全球最大的药物研发外包平台之一晶泰科技 AI驱动的药物晶型预测数据显示：国内企业利用AlphaFold技术开发的候选药物平均研发成本降低67%，临床前周期压缩至12个月。六、开源的力量：科研民主化 AlphaFold最震撼的不是技术，而是开源。 2024年11月，DeepMind宣布全面开源AlphaFold3，兑现6个月承诺。全球影响： AlphaFold数据库包含2.4亿个蛋白质结构预测服务190个国家、330万研究者低收入国家研究者占比超30% 真实案例：土耳其本科生利用AlphaFold完成15篇研究论文马耳他大学解析早发性骨质疏松症致病突变机制牛津大学预测疟疾蛋白Pfs48/45结构指导疫苗设计这就是开源的力量——让顶尖技术成为全人类的共同财富。七、未来已来：AI制药的下一个十年市场预测《2025年AI制药市场分析及未来发展趋势报告》： 2025年全球AI制药市场规模预计达200亿美元年复合增长率超30% 麦肯锡分析：到2035年，AlphaFold3及其衍生技术将影响全球价值1.7万亿美元的产业格局。技术演进2025年预计将有更多AI设计药物获得FDA批准2026年 "自动驾驶实验室"将成为行业标配2027年 AI药物发现将从小分子扩展至抗体、细胞疗法等更复杂治疗模式监管创新 2025年4月，FDA批准新规：允许使用AI计算模型结合人体类器官实验室替代传统动物实验新设AI审评通道，加速AI设计药物上市结语：一场改变每个人的革命你可能不是科学家，也不是投资人。但AlphaFold的革命将影响到每一个人：患者更快获得创新药，降低医疗费用科研工作者不再需要昂贵的设备，就能进行顶级研究创业者 AI制药门槛大幅降低，创新机会更多这不是科幻小说，这是正在发生的现实。 2020年，AlphaFold2解决了50年的科学难题。 2024年，AlphaFold3扩展到全生命分子。 2025年，首批AI设计药物进入临床试验。未来已来，你准备好了吗？延伸阅读如果你想深入了解，我推荐：AlphaFold官方网站 https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/Isomorphic Labs官网 https://www.isomorphiclabs.com/Nature论文《Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold 3》文末互动：你如何看待AI在医疗领域的应用？欢迎在评论区分享你的看法。图表说明本文配图来自： AlphaFold2蛋白质结构预测对比图（绿色：实验结果，蓝色：AF2预测，黄色：AF2 AK预测）数据来源：DeepMind官方、Nature期刊、药智数据、波士顿咨询报告声明：本文内容仅供信息参考，不构成投资建议。医疗决策请遵医嘱。作者简介：生命科学产业观察者，聚焦AI+生物医药领域的创新与投资。免责声明：本文基于公开资料整理，未经允许不得转载。

2023-04-28

·PRNewswire

ISS Collaboration - Singleron Biotechnologies GmbH joined the pursuit of "Reaching for the Stars"

MSIDA, Malta, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the celebrations for the MALETH project took place with a special keynote presentation from Dr. James Green, NASA's Former Chief Scientist. From Singleron, Dr. Samuel Kerr joined to present the yeast research studies aboard the International Space Station. The MALETH Project, which was led by Professor Joseph Borg from the University of Malta brought internationally excelling scientists together to analyze samples of human skin tissue and yeast cells that were sent into space to understand how the conditions of the harsh environment in space and at the International Space Station ISS affected the samples. Professor Borg commented: "This international collaboration, to which Singleron contributed with their expertise on single cell analysis, is opening the window into profiling the microbiome in the context of space and the microgravity environment. Collectively, we are improving precision medicine and overall research in life and health sciences. Looking forward to more exciting projects that allow us to look and even reach the stars yet with feet on the ground to deliver applied science where it matters most." This is where the scientist, who feels at home in space, speaks our mind: "Enhancing health and quality of life is our mission at Singleron! We were very proud to join this project and thankful for the opportunity!", concludes Dr. Bruno Monschau, GM at Singleron Biotechnologies GmbH. About Singleron: Founded in 2018, Singleron develops and commercializes single cell multi-omics products that can be used in both research and clinical settings. Its current product portfolio includes instruments, microfluidic devices, reagents, software analysis and database solutions that facilitate high-throughput single cell analysis. Singleron's sample services offer expert execution and generation of high-quality results for academia, clinics, and biotech. The company currently has offices, laboratories, and manufacturing facilities in Germany, Singapore, China, and the US. Its products are used in over 2,000 laboratories in hospitals, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies. Public Relations Contact: Email: [email protected] SOURCE Singleron Biotechnologies GmbH

2023-04-17

·生物探索

发现“渐冻症”用药潜在新靶点，可遏制蛋白质错误折叠！

曾经风行一时的“冰桶挑战”旨在唤起人们对“渐冻症”的关注。这种罕见病全名肌萎缩性脊髓侧索硬化症（Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis，ALS），属于神经退行性疾病。患者早期表现为肌肉萎缩、肌肉抽搐、肢体无力和语言不清，发病3-5年后常因全身肌肉无力导致瘫痪，以及因呼吸衰竭而死亡，只有10%的患者生存期超过10年，极少数生存期可超过50年，如著名的物理学家霍金。图1 冰桶挑战（图源：unsplash）导致ALS的大部分病因尚不明确，仅大约10%的病例是遗传性的。目前认为，多种相互关联的分子机制，包括蛋白质平衡、折叠和运输功能障碍，过度的神经元刺激，氧化应激，神经炎症等，导致了该疾病的发生。这些功能障碍导致了运动神经元的退化和死亡，引起逐渐蔓延至全身的肌肉萎缩。目前，已发现超过25个与ALS相关的基因。其中，C9ORF72、SOD1、TARDBP和FUS基因突变为最常见的遗传性ALS病因。其他已发现的还有ANG、VAPB、VCP、SQSTM1、DCTN1、DAO、SETX、ATXN2、OPTN、SCFD1、NEK1、C21ORF2等基因突变。利鲁唑是FDA批准的首个用于治疗ALS的药物。尽管在临床试验中，利鲁唑可以延长患者3-5个月的生存期，但对于已有的运动神经元损伤并不能修复。依达拉奉（Radicava）于2017年5月经FDA批准用于治疗ALS，其抗氧化作用被认为能够缓解氧化应激的影响，可延缓疾病发展或限制额外伤害。此外，还有一些对症治疗的药物可用于缓解ALS的症状。图2 利鲁唑和依达拉奉近日，根据发表于Neurobiology of Aging杂志上的一项新研究“Loss of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk factor SCFD1 causes motor dysfunction in Drosophila”，马耳他大学的研究人员关闭了果蝇的SCFD1基因，通过观察造成的后果，研究人员揭示了SCFD1功能丧失是如何引发ALS症状的，并提出了一个潜在的ALS新药靶点。图3 研究成果（图源：[1]）在一项招募了超过十万ALS患者和健康志愿者的国际性大型研究计划MinE项目中，SCFD1被识别为ALS的相关风险位点。马耳他大学神经遗传学副教授、最新研究的席研究员Ruben J. Cauchi博士解释说：“SCFD1基因是全球ALS患者最强的风险因素之一。然而，SCFD1与疾病之间联系的重要性仍然未知。这项大型研究能够发现那些ALS患者相对于健康志愿者而言突变频率更高的基因，但同时，他们所找到的基因与ALS的具体联系并不明确。”而在最新的研究中，马耳他大学的研究人员观察到，当果蝇的SCFD1基因被敲低时，成年果蝇出现了运动障碍，SCFD1基因的强烈敲低则导致果蝇幼虫出现了肌肉收缩障碍和神经肌肉接头障碍，化蛹时显得更加僵硬和伸长。图4 SCFD1基因强烈敲低影响果蝇幼虫化蛹（图源：[1]）对SCFD1基因强烈敲低的幼虫进行RNA测序，发现了585个差异表达基因。分析失调通路发现，围绕着蛋白质折叠或再折叠的通路下调最为显著。在过去的研究中，已经明确错误折叠和蛋白质聚集是ALS的标志性特征。抑制运动神经元正确折叠蛋白的能力将会增加对于ALS的易感性，因此，修复或激活患者的SCFD1将有望减缓或阻止他们的疾病。研究团队相信他们的方向是正确的。去年9月，在患者群体的强烈游说下，已在加拿大获得有条件批准的新药AMX0035，在美国以商品名Relyvrio获得了类似的批准。AMX0035就对蛋白质折叠错误有所针对。AMX0035是两种已在使用药物苯丁酸钠（PB）和牛磺熊去氧胆酸（TUDCA）的专有口服组合，PB能够抑制内质网应激反应和由蛋白错误折叠或突变引起的神经元细胞死亡。TUDCA具有抗细胞凋亡和神经保护作用。但与单独使用PB或TUDCA相比，组合用药能够改变更多的基因表达。责编|风立宵校对|风立宵End参考资料： [1]Rebecca Borg, Angie Purkiss, Rebecca Cacciottolo, et al, Loss of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk factor SCFD1 causes motor dysfunction in Drosophila, Neurobiology of Aging, 2023, ISSN 0197-4580, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.02.005.[2]van Rheenen, W., Shatunov, A., Dekker, A. et al. Genome-wide association analyses identify new risk variants and the genetic architecture of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Genet 48, 1043–1048 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.3622[3]https://www.biostock.se/en/2022/12/new-drugs-bring-hope-to-als-patients/ [4]https://www.alzforum.org/therapeutics/relyvrio 本文系生物探索原创，欢迎个人转发分享。其他任何媒体、网站如需转载，须在正文前注明来源生物探索。往期精选围观 ‍清洁用品中的这种常见化学物质，会使患上帕金森病的风险高出5倍！热文女性更要控盐！所有种族、年龄的女性更容易因盐得高血压，且绝经后风险更高！热文发现表观遗传学新机制，向战胜癌症和衰老更进一步！热文详解 “类器官智能”愿景路线图，用人脑细胞搭建生物计算机的未来会是怎样？热文克服免疫系统限制：工程细菌引领新型癌症治疗策略点击“阅读原文”，了解更多~

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