Joga Somatic Arts

10/18/2025

In a discovery that could change the future of medicine, scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine for finding how our immune system knows when to fight... and when to stop. Their research revealed regulatory T cells (or “T-regs”)... special cells that act like the body’s peacekeepers, stopping our immune system from attacking healthy organs.

This breakthrough also unlocked the key gene FOXP3, which controls these cells. When this gene fails, the immune system turns on itself... leading to autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes. Now, new treatments could teach the immune system to calm down and protect rather than destroy.

Isn’t it amazing that the secret to healing so many diseases was inside us all along?

Source: NobelPrizeorg – Official announcement of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine, awarded to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discovering how regulatory T cells (T-regs) maintain immune balance and prevent autoimmune diseases.

Source: Reuters – Immune System Breakthrough Wins Nobel Medicine Prize for US, Japan Scientists... details how this discovery could help stop the immune system from attacking the body, offering new hope for autoimmune disease treatments.

Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus... How Does Your Immune System Stay Balanced? A Nobel Prize-Winning Answer... explains the role of the FOXP3 gene in controlling immune cells and its link to diseases like lupus and Type 1 diabetes.

10/03/2025

New research from University of Toledo, funded by Dysautonomia International, found that a majority of pre-COVID POTS patients and Long COVID POTS patients have platelet dense (delta) storage pool deficiency (deltaSPD)

DeltaSPD is associated with increased tendencies for bruising and bleeding, and is characterized by a deficiency in the dense granules (delta granules) within platelets. These granules contain essential clotting factors, such as adenosine diphosphate, serotonin, and calcium. Platelets are an important mediator of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, and when there is a vascular injury, the delta granules are released from the "activated" platelet to help with coagulation and healing of the vascular injury.

Paradoxically, while deltaSPD is considered a bleeding disorder, it can also be associated with an increased risk of blood clots in some patients. Importantly, there has been prior research in POTS and in Long COVID documenting an increased risk of blood clots, and an increased in pro-thrombotic and inflammatory proteins in the blood that contribute to blood clot risk.

DeltaSPD can present as a rare genetic disorder, or as an acquired form that is associated with chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Since deltaSPD is so common in POTS and there is abundant other research documenting inflammation and autoimmunity in POTS patients, researchers believe the deltaSPD seen in POTS is the more common acquired form associated with inflammation and autoimmunity.

The University of Toledo researchers note that one of the treatments for deltaSPD, desmopressin, is also used to treat POTS. Desmopressin is a synthetic form of the natural hormone vasopressin (also known as antidiuretic hormone or ADH). It acts on the kidneys to help regulate the amount of water and salt in the body to expand blood volume, and is also used to treat deltaSPD and other bleeding disorders because it increases certain coagulation factors. Other POTS clinics have noted, anecdotally, that vasopressin is often low in POTS patients, and they have had success in reducing POTS symptoms by treating those patients with desmopressin.

A link to the journal article is in the comments.

We need additional research to explore whether desmopressin can safely be used to treat deltaSPD and low blood volume in POTS patients, and a lot of other research on coagulation factors and inflammation in POTS.

This research was funded by Dysautonomia International, thanks to contributions from our community. You can support more POTS, other dysautonomia, and Long COVID research by making a contribution at CureDys.org

09/22/2025

06/16/2025

Does anyone have a recommendation for commercial HVAC repair?

05/21/2025

05/18/2025

We're hosting the first ever Zebra-Con on May 31st! No registration or tickets needed! Come be a part of the dazzle, meet professionals, gain insights, build community and join in free demos!

05/16/2025

Join us for a good cause and some fun this Saturday!

05/16/2025

05/12/2025

Happy Mother's Day from the hardworking moms at Joga!

02/20/2025

It's cold out, but we're cozy doing puzzles here.