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Quilotoa@lemmy.ca to science@lemmy.worldEnglish · 9 days ago

Sunlight Might Hold the Key to Treating Autoimmune Diseases

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sunlight Might Hold the Key to Treating Autoimmune Diseases

www.scientificamerican.com

Quilotoa@lemmy.ca to science@lemmy.worldEnglish · 9 days ago
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Sunshine may hold healing rays for a variety of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Scientists are turning this surprising discovery into treatments
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  • FauxPseudo @lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Scientific American offering up one data point as a miracle cure for a whole range of conditions. But it’s not even selling sunlight as the cure, which is implied by the title, but artificial light paid for by your insurance.

    This is trash.

  • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Well this is certainly shocking since most of the drugs given to autoimmune patients are in classes that raise cancer risks by multitudes, and prohibit patients from exposure to direct sunlight. Same with chemo patients.

    • ignirtoq@fedia.io
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      9 days ago

      The article talks about “Ultraviolet (UV) light boxes, which emit only a narrow bandwidth of light that is not linked to skin cancer,” so it’s possible the UV treatment and the drugs can be combined.

    • CameronDev@programming.dev
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      9 days ago

      Is sun sensitivity just a sideeffect or how the drug intrinsically works?

      • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        The drugs every autoimmune patient are given for the most part have very specific warnings about staying out of the sun. That’s the irony.

        • CameronDev@programming.dev
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          9 days ago

          Yeah, I know, I’ve tried many of them :).

          Its a a pretty common side effect for lots of meds though, so I didn’t really see the irony. I was wondering if it was more than just a side effect.

          • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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            9 days ago

            No, it’s specific to classes of drugs that are prescribed to autoimmune patients because they work by embedding themselves in the renal system for long termeasueed release. It’s not a general think for most medications at all.

            • CameronDev@programming.dev
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              9 days ago

              Okay, good to know. Doxycycline and some antibiotics have sun sensitivity, same reason?

              Edit: list of a bunch of medicines with sun sensitivity effects: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/sun-and-your-medicine

              • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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                9 days ago

                No. Not even close.

                https://www.arthritisresearch.ca/sun-exposure-medications-and-rheumatoid-arthritis/

                https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/methotrexate-advise-patients-to-take-precautions-in-the-sun-to-avoid-photosensitivity-reactions

                https://www.drugs.com/sfx/leflunomide-side-effects.html

                https://www.drugs.com/sfx/sulfasalazine-side-effects.html

                These are the top 3 drugs immediately prescribed to any patients that are thought to need immunotherapy. MS, RA, PA…etc. Everything from Lupus to Alopecia. These drugs increase cancer risk of any soft tissue type by 200% at a minimum individually, and more so for dermal types by sun exposure.

                The irony is in prescribing such drugs and then having a study that says the thing that will accelerate your cancer risk may be beneficial.

                Doxycycline is taken by a large portion of the human population, and I believe the worst they may expect is less melanin production. They’ll get a sunburn faster than expected.

  • krashmo@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    So we’re back to sticking UV flashlights up our asses? Nice

    • SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de
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      9 days ago

      I never stopped. my colon is tanned as fuck now

      • hakunawazo@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        Maybe it’s like a fridge? You open the door and the light shines. You close the door and, well, cavity goes dark again.

      • krashmo@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        Speed running colon cancer

        • SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de
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          9 days ago

          you mean “reinforcing my colon with extra tissue”

  • afk_strats@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    That’s a really promising idea but the article only presents one use case…

    Also it’s hard not to meme this. Like “what else will they think of? Touching grass…”

    • FauxPseudo @lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      Artificial grass. The headline says sunlight but the contents are all about artificial light. So it would need to be fake grass to be consistent

  • Sneq@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Natural sun exposure is good for our health in many ways and it was proven years ago. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.12496

    • Krudler@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      I am actually so happy that you posted this information!

      I have been a lifetime sufferer of really bad psoriasis… I’ve worked heavily with my dermatologist, who is wonderful!

      We’ve had the very frank conversation that yes technically no sun exposure is the right move from a skin cancer standpoint… But that requires you to ignore all the deleterious effects of getting insufficient sun in other aspects of our body health.

      That is to say, it’s being shown that humans need a shitload of sun to stay healthy! The whole “no amount of sun is healthy” concept is a massive lie at worst, and a phenomenally myopic view at best

      • Sneq@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        There are some risks involved. But there are much more benefits. I found this study from this video, where all of it is explained in details:

        https://youtu.be/MLBmO5LJqmA

    • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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      7 days ago

      The natural sun isnt the same as it once was. We fucked up the atmosphere.

      Edit: downvoted? On the science Lemmy? Wow, .world really is anti science trash now?

      • Krudler@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        It’s because of your pointless off topic attempt at getting virtue points.

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