Author Archives: Gabriel Piña, MD

There have been recent case reports of children and adolescents experiencing suspected or proven cardiac arrhythmia during electronic gaming. Subsequent proarrhythmic cardiac diagnoses have had significant implications for these children and their families. The pathophysiological basis for this phenomenon is attributed to adrenergic stimulation related to the emotionally charged electronic gaming environment. While competitive sport […]

Many important drugs for treating microbial infections are derived from natural products produced by microorganisms. In an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance, there is an urgent need for discovery of new antibiotics for use in medicine and agriculture. Several antifungal drugs derived from natural products, or that mimic natural products, have been approved. Pathogenic fungi […]

Direct reprogramming has revolutionized the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. However, the common mechanisms governing how reprogramming cells undergo transcriptome and epigenome remodeling (i.e., regulatome remodeling) have not been investigated.  In a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discovered a […]

Iron is required for cellular biochemistry, supporting processes such as oxidative metabolism, DNA synthesis, and epigenetic remodeling. As an integral component of heme, iron must be supplied in adequate amounts to secure hemoglobin synthesis and prevent anemia. Anemia due to iron deficiency is highly prevalent. It is often due to insufficient dietary iron intake or […]

Low back pain is a leading cause of disabilities throughout the world and engenders a tremendous socioeconomic burden. It has been estimated that intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration accounts for 22–42% of patients with low back pain. IVD degeneration frequently leads to more debilitating conditions, such as lumbar disk herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and spinal deformity, […]