Shockwave Therapy Calgary

01/11/2026

High Dose Vitamin D May Turn Extra Calories Into Muscle

New research suggests that high doses of vitamin D could do more than support bone health—it may help your body convert extra calories into muscle instead of storing them as fat. This discovery reveals how a simple nutrient can influence the way our bodies use energy at a cellular level.

Vitamin D plays a key role in muscle function and metabolism. When levels are sufficient, it helps activate certain genes and pathways that promote muscle growth while limiting fat storage. In practical terms this means that with the right amount of vitamin D, your body might use the calories from food to strengthen muscles rather than accumulate unwanted fat.

This finding could have significant implications for fitness, weight management, and overall health. Unlike extreme diets or supplements with unproven effects, vitamin D is a natural, accessible nutrient that could enhance the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet. Scientists hope this research will inspire new strategies to support lean muscle growth, improve metabolic health, and combat obesity-related complications.

Imagine a world where the right nutrients not only protect your bones but also help sculpt your body efficiently. It’s a reminder that small, evidence-based changes can have a big impact on health and physical performance.

12/14/2025

Merry Christmas 2025 and Happy New Year from your family at Sundance Wellness!

12/14/2025

A groundbreaking study from Wuhan University is turning everything we thought we knew about Parkinson’s disease upside down. Researchers now believe the disease may not start in the brain at all, but in the kidneys.
The study found abnormal clusters of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) proteins, the same ones heavily linked to Parkinson’s, inside the kidneys of affected patients. These proteins are known to trigger neurological damage when they build up in the brain. However, in animal experiments, healthy kidneys successfully cleared these proteins. When kidney function was impaired, the α-Syn proteins began to travel to the brain, setting the stage for Parkinson’s.
Shockingly, even people with chronic kidney disease but no neurological symptoms were found to have α-Syn buildup. This discovery suggests the kidneys might act as an early “reservoir” for toxic proteins, which could later spread through the bloodstream or nerves and affect the brain.
Though early and based on limited data, this research could completely change how we understand and treat Parkinson’s. It raises the possibility that monitoring and protecting kidney health might one day help prevent or delay the onset of this devastating condition.

10/15/2025

‘Unconventional’ immune cells to tackle inflammation in the gut

The gut is particularly rich in T cells—immune cells which can recognize different antigens, i.e., molecules that may trigger an immune response.

One such set of T cells are known as double negative T (DNT) cells—these are ‘unconventional’ cells that lack the usual markers (proteins found on the surface of a cell) that are present on the other ‘conventional’ T cells such as CD4+ T cells. DNT cells lack CD4 and CD8αβ markers but contain TCRαβ marker on their surface. DNT cells are also particularly abundant in the intestine as compared to other organs; however, their function has remained a mystery till date.

T cells can only recognize and react to antigens when they are ‘presented’ to them on the surface of other cells, and this process is known as antigen presentation. Antigen presentation leads to the activation of previously inactivated ‘naïve’ T cells, which can then lead to an immune response.

The author says, “This study is the first in the world to discover that DNT cells, which are abundant in the intestine, possess a novel immune function—DNT cells can act as antigen-presenting cells.” In this case, it was observed that DNT cells took on the role of antigen-presenting cells; their motility meant that they were able to directly take up antigens in the intestine and subsequently migrate to lymphoid tissues in order to present these antigens to naïve CD4+ T cells. There is one last twist in this process; while DNT cells do present antigens to CD4+ T cells, they do not express the ‘co-stimulatory’ molecules that are necessary for actually activating the T cells.

The author explains about the relevancy, “Because of the lack of co-stimulatory molecules, when DNT cells present antigens, CD4+ T cells are not activated but instead enter a state of non-responsiveness or anergy.” The implications of these findings are enormous: through their role in antigen presentation, DNT cells actually play a key role in suppressing inflammation.

This was confirmed through studies in mice with intestinal inflammation, more importantly, however; it was also found that DNT cells from patients with Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel condition) also showed impaired antigen uptake and presentation. The author explains, “These findings suggest that dysfunction of DNT cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease.”

https://sciencemission.com/%E2%80%98Unconventional%E2%80%99-immune-cells

10/15/2025

How pathogens build protein machinery for survival in the gut

Ethanolamine, a by-product of cell membrane breakdown, is an abundant nutrient in the gut and an important carbon and nitrogen source for many pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella.

Using a combination of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, genetic engineering, structural biology, biochemical assays, and computational modelling, the team mapped the roles of individual proteins that make up the Eut microcompartment in Salmonella.

By studying bacteria with mutations in specific proteins, the researchers identified, for the first time, the key players and step-by-step processes involved in compartment assembly. They showed that construction begins with the protein shell, into which enzymes needed for ethanolamine breakdown are subsequently packed.

A protein called EutQ was found to play a critical role in this process, acting as a molecular link that ensures enzymes are correctly captured inside the shell. Without EutQ, compartment assembly fails and bacterial growth is severely impaired.

The study also revealed that the enzymes inside the compartment behave like a liquid droplet, dynamically moving and interacting in ways that enhance metabolic efficiency.

https://sciencemission.com/protein-machinery-for-survival-in-the-gut

10/11/2025

Molecular mechanisms of endometriosis and comorbidities

Endometriosis, traditionally classified as a gynecological condition, is increasingly recognized as a chronic systemic disease or syndrome, frequently associated with inflammatory and autoimmune comorbidities.

Shared genetic and molecular pathways may underlie the link between endometriosis and its associated comorbid conditions.

Pain centralization, neuroimmune crosstalk, and chronic stress mechanisms contribute significantly to reduced quality of life and are often accompanied by overlapping pain syndromes.

The presence of inflammatory and autoimmune comorbidities has important implications for diagnosis and treatment, underscoring the need for a comprehensive diagnostic work-up and a personalized therapeutic strategy.

Effective management of endometriosis requires a multidisciplinary approach that goes beyond traditional hormonal or surgical interventions and incorporates physical, psychological, and immune-modulating support.

https://www.cell.com/trends/molecular-medicine/fulltext/S1471-4914(25)00211-4
https://sciencemission.com/Endometriosis-and-comorbidities

10/11/2025

Gut microbiota–prostate cancer crosstalk

Recent studies emphasize the crucial influence of gut microbiota dysbiosis on prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression.

Specific bacteria and derived functions impact treatment outcomes. Western dietary habits are identified as significant risk factors for PCa, possibly by altering gut microbiota composition and function.

Key gut-derived metabolites, such as the short-chain fatty acid butyrate and microbial-derived androgens, are linked to PCa aggressiveness and tumor growth.

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate gut microbiota, reduce PCa tumor growth in mouse models, and are associated with tumor downgrade at radical prostatectomy in patients with PCa.

The gut–PCa axis presents promising opportunities for novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for PCa management.

https://www.cell.com/trends/molecular-medicine/fulltext/S1471-4914(25)00087-5
https://sciencemission.com/gut-microbiota%E2%80%93prostate-cancer

09/10/2025

This is the reason why NAD is a good anti-aging supplement

The Wnt–NAD+ axis in cancer, aging, and tissue regeneration

The Wnt–NAD+ axis is a fundamental regulatory hub in which metabolic state meets developmental signaling and it acts as a metabolic sensor that coordinates tissue regeneration with cellular energy status through compartment specific NAD+ pools.

Wnt signaling regulates NAD+ metabolism by controlling the expression of key biosynthetic enzymes and NAD+ consumers, while NAD+ -dependent proteins modulate Wnt activity through direct interactions and epigenetic modifications.

Sirtuins exhibit tissue-specific and subcellular compartment-dependent roles in Wnt regulation where they function as activators or suppressors depending on the cellular bioenergetic state.

The Wnt–NAD+ axis maintains stem cell function and self-renewal capacity through metabolic/signaling integration, and its disruption during aging leads to declining regenerative capacity.

The progressive dysregulation of compartment-specific Wnt–NAD+ coordination contributes to stem cell exhaustion and multiple pathological conditions, indicating that therapeutic strategies must consider tissue-specific and subcellular targeting.

https://www.cell.com/trends/cell-biology/fulltext/S0962-8924(25)00172-2
https://sciencemission.com/Wnt%E2%80%93NAD-axis-in-cancer

08/18/2025

MASLD has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Giovanni Targher, MD, Luca Valenti, MD, and Christopher D. Byrne, MB, ChB, review the features of the disease as well as pharmacotherapies targeting the associated liver and cardiovascular–renal–metabolic issues.

08/18/2025

Cysteinyl leukotrienes stimulate gut absorption of food allergens to promote anaphylaxis

A drug already FDA-approved for asthma was found to nearly eliminate life-threatening allergic reactions to food allergens in mice — a breakthrough that could lead to new protection for millions of people living with food allergies, reports a new study.

The findings will be published in the journal Science.

The discovery came after the scientists identified, in mice, a previously unknown role for a gene called DPEP1, which they found is essential in regulating anaphylaxis, a rapid and potentially fatal allergic reaction.

By using the asthma drug Zileuton to block the pathway involving this gene, the scientists nearly eliminated allergic responses in mice that were previously highly susceptible to food-induced anaphylaxis. The mice were given peanut extract orally shortly after receiving Zileuton while the team monitored for symptoms.

“It was actually shocking how well Zileuton worked,” said co-senior study author.

“After treatment with Zileuton, 95% of the mice showed almost no symptoms of anaphylaxis. The treatment reversed their risk from 95% susceptible to 95% protected,” added the co-senior author.

Once the scientists found that the DPEP1 gene controlled leukotrienes in the gut — inflammatory molecules already targeted by asthma drugs — they tested Zileuton, an FDA-approved drug that blocks their production.

The authors show that reduced DPEP1 activity causes leukotriene (LTC4 and LTD4) accumulation in the gut, acting on the CysLT receptors 1 and 2 (CysLTR1 and CysLTR2).

This promotes food allergen transport through goblet cells to the submucosa and bloodstream, where IgE-loaded mast cells are activated to trigger anaphylaxis.

https://sciencemission.com/leukotrienes-stimulate-gut-absorption-of-food-allergens

08/18/2025

Nature Reviews Neuroscience: Adverse experiences in early life affect brain development across species. In this Review, the authors discuss neuroimaging evidence for how these adversity-induced changes to human brain architecture alter developmental trajectories that may underpin adult psychopathology.

Link to the Review in the comments.

08/18/2025

Keto for Alzheimers

The ketogenic diet might be the most powerful tool we have against dementia. But 90% of people do it wrong for brain health. Here's what the science shows and what I've learned from patients who've used keto to protect their brains. Your brain has two fuel sources: Glucose (from carbohydrates) Keton...