As for the bladder suspension success…I chose not to use the mesh also because of the bad press at the last minute. I had full pelvic reconstruction which included the rectocele and cystocele and suspension. Pretty much everything was dropping out of me. This was not a pleasant surgery and I had mismanaged pain issues after surgery. I was told my ligaments were in good shape to attach and hold it all up. This may depend on how stretched out your ligaments are and I imagine the severity of the hEds. I did chose to lose about 25 lbs prior to surgery as I had put on over the past 5 years which wasnt my normal weight anyways. I felt that I needed to do this to support a successful surgery. I had alot of stretch marks and sagging skin from have 5 pregnancies. I asked about a tummy tuck but that was a no go unless I wanted to pay for it out of pocket. I went to a new urogynolcologist who suggested I might need mesh at a future date. I have had a little more bladder leakage recently but I also have put on COVID weight. Personally I think staying on the thin side helps with this. The more weight you got on you, the more it will sag. After my bad experience with the surgery, I doubt I will go back in and get mesh unless the bladder leakage worsens. I would consider the mesh if the situation warranted it.
CRISPR is a gene editing system being used to modify genes to correct gene mutations. Its in its early days and somewhat controversial about safety but I do think it is the future of medicine.
Here is some info on the POTS drug: if you just google New POTS drugs, it will show up. My daughters POTS specialist really don’t have much comment on this just yet as it is a small study. Often these studies dont pan out when it is applied to a larger population. I do believe in the theory of genes getting switched on and off.
Drug discovered for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
A novel therapy, tested ex vivo , has been successful at correcting the dysfunctional body mechanism in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Researchers have discovered how genes that protect against Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) become silent or ‘switched off’ and have identified a drug to switch them on again.
POTS is one of a group of disorders that have orthostatic intolerance as their primary symptom, in which a reduced volume of blood returns to the heart after the person stands up from a lying-down position. A main symptom in a third of POTS patients is fainting.
The researchers were from Monash University and led by Professor Sam El-Osta who said that while the gene implicated in POTS – norepinephrine transporter (NET) – had been known for several decades, past research had failed to find a genetic mutation responsible for the symptoms. This latest study revealed that the enzyme EZH2 is responsible for silencing this gene.
“We predicted that inhibiting this epigenetic condition could reactivate NET gene function and used a pharmacological drug called GSK-126 that could specifically inhibit EZH2 activity with dramatic results,” Professor Sam El-Osta said. “This is the first description of NET reactivation using a drug. The beauty is that it allows us to target very specifically the enzyme to reactivate gene function.”
Currently there is no specific pharmacological treatment available for POTS, which affects mainly people aged 18 to 50 years, 80 percent of whom are women. “We’re far from it now and clinical trials would need to be conducted, but the new drug could lead to better management of POTS,” he continued.
Professor El-Osta’s team conducted ex vivo studies isolating blood cells from patients with POTS who failed to respond to current treatments and cells from healthy donors. He said the sample group was relatively small: “Ideally, we’d like to see the work expanded in Australia and overseas and to have our findings validated.”
The study was published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation Research.
