Scientists discover new organ spanning the ENTIRE human body that acts as a built-in 'shock absorber'

• Researchers have identified a new organ they've dubbed the 'interstitium'
• This is a network of interconnected, fluid-filled spaces all over the body
• It can be found beneath the skin's surface, and lining other organs and muscles
• These compartments may act as shock absorbers to protect our tissues
• The findings could also help to explain how cancer spreads through some areas 
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Humans have been studying the anatomy of our own bodies for thousands of years – but, to this day, scientists are still uncovering new secrets.

A team of researchers has identified what’s said to be a previously undiscovered organ, and may even be one of the largest in the body.

What was once thought to be dense, connective tissues running all throughout the body has now been found to be a network of fluid-filled compartments that may act as ‘shock absorbers.’

Not only could the finding reshape our understanding of the human body, but scientists say it could help to explain why cancer is more likely to spread when it invades certain areas.

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Dubbed the ‘interstitium,’ interconnected compartments act like a ‘highway of moving fluid’ that sits beneath the top layer of the skin (as shown above), lines the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounds the arteries, veins, and the fascia between muscle

The NYU-led team says the newly discovered organ is found all over the body – but somehow, it hasn’t been identified until now.

Dubbed the ‘interstitium,’ interconnected compartments act like a ‘highway of moving fluid’ that sits beneath the top layer of the skin, lines the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounds the arteries, veins, and the fascia between muscle.

The human body contains huge amounts of fluid.

More than half of this is found within the cells, and another seventh inside the heart, blood vessels, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels. The rest is known as interstitial.

Now, researchers say the network that carries this interstitial fluid is its own distinct organ.

And, it may even be one of the largest organs in the body.

The interstitium is made up of both strong (collagen) and flexible (elastin) connective tissue proteins, with interstitial fluid moving throughout.

The system drains into the lymphatic system, and is said to be the source of lymph, which is vital to the functioning of inflammation-causing immune cells.

It’s long remained undetected due to dependence the field’s dependence on the examination of fixed tissue on microscopic slides, according to the researhcers.

In this process, the tissue is sliced into thin strips and dyed to highlight certain features.

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Humans have been studying the anatomy of our own bodies for thousands of years – but, to this day, scientists are still uncovering new secrets. Researchers have identified what’s said to be a previously undiscovered organ, and may even be one of the largest in the body. File photo

While this may make certain structures more apparent, it drains away any existing fluid.

The new study also found that doing this causes the walls of the interstitium to collapse, dramatically changing its appearance and apparent function.

‘This fixation artifact of collapse has made a fluid-filled tissue type throughout the body appear solid in biopsy slides for decades, and our results correct for this to expand the anatomy of most tissues,’ says co-senior author Neil Theise, MD, professor in the Department of Pathology at NYU Langone Health.

Using a newer technology called probe-based confocal laser encomicroscopy, the researchers were able to view living tissues instead of fixed ones.

The instrument uses a camera probe to light up tissues, while sensors analyze the reflected patterns.

While studying a patient’s bile duct to examine the spread of cancer, endoscopists and study co-authors Dr David Carr-Locke and Dr Petros Benias noticed a series of unusual interconnective cavities.

WHAT IS THE NEWFOUND ORGAN?

A team of NYU-led researchers has identified what’s said to be a previously undiscovered organ, and may even be one of the largest in the body.

A team of NYU-led researchers has identified what’s said to be a previously undiscovered organ. File photo

What was once thought to be dense, connective tissues running all throughout the body has now been found to be a network of fluid-filled compartments.

Dubbed the ‘interstitium,’ interconnected compartments act like a ‘highway of moving fluid’ that sits beneath the top layer of the skin.

It also lines the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounds the arteries, veins, and the fascia between muscle.   

The interstitium is made up of both strong (collagen) and flexible (elastin) connective tissue proteins, with interstitial fluid moving throughout.

The system drains into the lymphatic system, and is said to be the source of lymph, which is vital to the functioning of inflammation-causing immune cells.

According to the team, the discovery of the fluid ‘highway’ could help to explain how cancer spreads in the body, and pave the way for new ways to detect and treat the disease. These did not appear to match any known structures.

But, when the team made slides of the tissue, the pattern disappeared.

Further study revealed the phenomenon was not isolated. The researchers examined tissue specimens of bile ducts from twelve cancer patients, and recognized the structure in each.

And, they found it exists all throughout the body, acting like a shock absorber in all places where tissues are moved or subjected to force.

According to the team, the discovery of the fluid ‘highway’ could help to explain how cancer spreads in the body, and pave the way for new ways to detect and treat the disease.

‘This finding has potential to drive dramatic advances in medicine, including the possibility that the direct sampling of interstitial fluid may become a powerful diagnostic tool,’ Dr Theise said.

Loneliness may raise the risk of a heart attack by more than 40 per cent.

A major study published today also suggests that social isolation can increase the chance of a stroke by 39 per cent and premature death by up to 50 per cent.

The analysis is based on the health records of 480,000 Britons – making it the largest study of its kind. Those who already had cardiovascular problems were far more likely to die early if they were isolated, suggesting the importance of family and friends in aiding recovery.

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Loneliness could raise the risk of a heart attack by more than 40 per cent

The research team, which included British academics, said lonely people had a higher rates of chronic diseases and smoking and showed more symptoms of depression.

Christian Hakulinen, the University of Helsinki expert who led the study, concluded that having few social contacts was a risk factor for early death, particularly among those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

'The message is that if we target the conventional risk factors then we could perhaps reduce the cardiovascular disease among those who are isolated or lonely,' said Dr Hakulinen. 'It is also important we show that those who are socially isolated might have a worse prognosis after a heart attack or stroke.' Scientists from University College London and Finland tracked the 480,000 Britons, aged 40 to 69, for seven years.

Social isolation was associated with a 43 per cent higher risk of first-time heart attack when age, gender and ethnicity were factored in.

Once lifestyle and socio-economic factors were taken into account, this explained 84 per cent of the increased risk, suggesting the lonely and isolated were most vulnerable to well-known risks.

Similarly, social isolation was associated with a 39 per cent heightened chance of a first-time stroke, but the other conventional risk factors accounted for 83 percent of it.

Sister of Jo Cox says loneliness epidemic can be tackled

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Social isolation was associated with a 43 per cent higher risk of first-time heart attack

The results were similar for loneliness and risk of first-time heart attack or stroke, according to the study in the medical journal Heart. Those who already had cardiovascular problems were 50 per cent more likely to die if socially isolated and still a quarter more likely to die once known risks had been accounted for.

More than half of all people aged 75 in Britain live alone and more than a million are believed to be suffering from chronic loneliness. Helen Stokes-Lampard, who chairs the Royal College of GPs, said loneliness could have a devastating impact on long-term health.

The professor said: 'The reality is that loneliness and social isolation, particularly for older people, can be on a par in terms of its impact on health with suffering from a chronic long-term condition and, as this study shows, increase the likelihood of developing serious conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes.

'On the front line, GPs and our teams report seeing patients on a daily basis whose underlying problems are not primarily medical, but who are feeling socially isolated or lonely.

'As well as being distressing for patients, loneliness can also have a real impact on general practice and the wider NHS, at a time when the whole system is facing intense resource and workload pressures.'

The college said it was working with charities, community and voluntary groups to draw up a manifesto to present to Government to tackle loneliness.

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Plant-based fats, like those found in avocados and olive oil, could extend your life by 25%, reveals study

• Diet with more plant fat than animal could cut risk of early death by a quarter 
• Harvard study found connection between lifespan and what types of eaten 
• Diets richer in plant-based fats saw a lower risk of early death by 16%, it said  

A diet that swaps fats found in meat for those in plants could reduce people's chances of dying early by 24-to-26 per cent, according to a recent study.

Plant-based fats, like those found in avocados and olive oil, significantly reduce a person’s risk of premature death, study from Harvard University found.

More broadly, a diet richer in plant-based, monounsaturated fats lowers the risk of early death by 16 per cent, compared with diets lacking in these nutrients.

The study, which analysed 22 years of research, shows the kinds of fats people eat might make a significant difference to their lifespans.

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Diets with more plant fats could cut risk of an early death by a quarter, study finds (stock)

How the research was carried out 

The researchers collected information from 93,000 men and women.

They used two data sources. The first took place between 1990–2012 and used information from 63,412 females in the Nurses' Health Study. 

The second data set of 29,966 men was taken from a Health Professionals Study and took place over 1990–2010. The records contained detailed information about participants' diets, which were collected every four years.

The scientists were interested in comparing the nutritional content of animal and plant-based monounsaturated fats, saying there was 'conflicting evidence' as whether one is better than the other. 

Animal fats are found in red meat, fish, eggs, and full-fat dairy. 

Plant sources include avocados, nuts, peanut butter, olive oil and sesame oil. 

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Foods like red meat, fish, eggs, and full-fat dairy contain animal-based fats (stock)

Plant-based fat better for you

Results further suggest a diet rich in plant-based monounsaturated fats reduces the risk of an early death by 16 per cent compared with diets low in these nutrients.

Furthermore, replacing two-to-five per cent of calories with plant-based fats is linked to a 10-to-15 per cent higher survival rate.

When the calculation was repeated with animal monounsaturated fats and plant-based sources, the risk of death is lowered by 24-to-26 per cent.

Yet, the researchers note that while these results show overall that a plant-based diet helps improve lifespan, the study does not directly compare the nutritional content of plant versus animal-based fats.

Property vs pension – what’s best for your retirement? The attractions of buy-to-let are waning, claims expert

‘My property is my pension’ is a popular notion, but what is the reality? Ian Dyall, head of estate planning at Tilney, thinks property fans are overlooking the drawbacks of giving buy-to-let investments too  big a role in retirement plans.

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Retirement planning: ‘My property is my pension’ is a popular notion, but what is the reality?

The British have a long love affair with the idea of owning property as a tangible evidence of wealth, but can a buy-to-let investment ever play a leading role in your retirement plan?

Owning a second property is regarded by many as a long term savings fund route, sometimes in preference to pension investing.

When used as part of an overall investment strategy, property certainly has a part to play.

People are attracted by the gains they have made on property in the past but a big part of the reason that property appears so profitable is that your investment is leveraged.

This means, for example, that on a £300,000 property you might put down a 10 per cent deposit of £30,000, but you get growth on the £300,000.

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Ian Dyall: 'While second properties were once seen as a crown jewel of an investment, they have become a lot less attractive in recent years'

That’s great when interest rates are low and things are going well financially, but it is a risk when things don’t go so well, particularly where some people have very large loans spread over multiple properties.

While second properties were once seen as a crown jewel of an investment, they have become a lot less attractive in recent years due to a series of tax changes.

There’s now an extra 3 per cent stamp duty on second properties and capital gains tax is payable at 28 per cent on property rather than 20 per cent for other assets for higher rate tax payers.

In addition to this, from April 2019 CGT will be payable within 30 days of sale whereas at present it is payable in the January following the end of the tax year of disposal.

The Government is also in the process of eliminating tax relief at higher rate on mortgage interest. From April 2020 there will only be basic rate relief available.

Wear and tear relief, where people could claim relief of 10 per cent of the rent on furnished rental properties whether they spent that amount or not, has been abolished. This is now limited to actual spending.

Finally, for properties you once lived in the period for which you could claim private residence relief after leaving the property was reduced from three years to 18 months.

Aside from the tax changes there are also the issues that have always applied to property. For example, property is illiquid which means that it can be difficult to realise in the short term and thus needs to be used in conjunction with other more liquid investments.

It is also notoriously difficult to sell in an emergency.

Rental income is a good source of funds but care needs to be taken if there is a potential for a period of non-rental, particularly if the rent is required to cover the mortgage.

There is also the hassle of maintenance to consider, the potential of poor tenants and the running costs - insurance, agents fees, replacements, decoration, repairs and so on.

You will also have to pay income tax at your highest rate on any rent collected.

Meanwhile, a pension has many tax advantages. You have tax relief at your highest rate on contributions, no CGT on gains and no income tax on income.

In addition, 25 per cent of the fund is tax free when taken and it the remaining fund is not subject to inheritance tax on death, whereas your property will form part of your estate.

The rest of the fund is tax-free if you die before the age of 75, and income tax is payable by your heirs as they with draw the funds if you die after that.

The funds are much more accessible after retirement and the obligation to buy an annuity has gone.

When assessing the returns made on property people often look purely at the rental yield and the gain in the property’s value.

Once they take into account expenses, periods that the property is empty and tax due the figures can look very different.

Property can have a role in a fully diversified investment strategy, but I would warn against it playing a major part in a retirement plan, particularly where large mortgages are involved.

As always, it is best to speak to a financial planner to fully understand all your options in this area.