Research.
Every peer-reviewed study on fascia in one place — graded for strength of evidence, summarised in plain language for clinicians, researchers, and curious readers.
We grade studies from A to 1A+++ using the Fascia Research Database rubric — 1A+++ is the strongest.
Researchers behind the studies- A2017
The indeterminable resilience of the fascial system
Bruno Bordoni, Fabiola Marelli, Bruno Morabito, Beatrice SacconiThis commentary proposes a model of fascia not as layers, but as a network of polyhedral microvacuoles of connective tissue. These structures connect the body's systems and can change shape in response to tension, allow…
fasciafibroblastManual TherapyOsteopathicfascial continuum - A++2017
Decorin and biglycan are necessary for maintaining collagen fibril structure, fiber realignment, and mechanical properties of mature tendons
Kelsey A Robinson, Mei Sun, Carrie E Barnum, Stephanie N Weiss, Julianne Huegel, Snehal S Shetye, Linda Lin, Daniel Sae…This study on mice investigated the role of two molecules, decorin and biglycan, in maintaining healthy adult tendons. Researchers used a genetic model to remove these molecules from mature patellar tendons after they h…
Tendon; Decorin; Biglycan; Collagen fibril; Fiber realignment; Structure; Mechanical properties; Conditional knockout mice - B2017
Evidence of both systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation in fibromyalgia patients, as assessed by a multiplex protein panel applied to the cerebrospinal fluid and to plasma
Emmanuel Bäckryd, Lars Tanum, Anne-Li Lind, Anders Larsson, Torsten GordhThis study investigated signs of inflammation in people with fibromyalgia (FM). Researchers analyzed 92 different inflammation-related proteins in both blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid from 40 FM patients, comparing…
inflammationFibromyalgiacytokineschronic paincerebrospinal fluid - B2017
Fibromyalgia and microglial TNF-α: Translational research using human blood induced microglia-like cells
Masahiro Ohgidani, Takahiro A Kato, Masako Hosoi, Makoto Tsuda, Kohei Hayakawa, Chie Hayaki, Rie Iwaki, Noriaki Sagata,…Researchers are investigating the role of brain immune cells called microglia in fibromyalgia. This study used a new technique to create microglia-like cells from the blood of people with fibromyalgia and healthy indivi…
Fibromyalgiamikroglia - C2017
Concurrent validity of pain scales in individuals with myofascial pain and fibromyalgia
Scott W Cheatham, Morey J Kolber, Monique Mokha, William J HanneyResearchers investigated the reliability of two common tools for measuring pain: the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), where patients rate pain from 0 to 10, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The study included 60 part…
Myofascial painFibromyalgiapain scales - A++2017
Spontaneous ultra-weak photon emission in correlation to inflammatory metabolism and oxidative stress in a mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis
Min He, Eduard van Wijk, Herman van Wietmarschen, Mei Wang, Mengmeng Sun, Slavik Koval, Roeland van Wijk, Thomas Hankem…In this animal study, researchers investigated a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis using two techniques: metabolomics (the analysis of metabolic products) and ultra-weak photon emission (UPE), which measures extremely…
biophotonsUltra-weak photon emissionSystems biologyCollagen-induced arthritisCorrelation networks - A++2017
Measuring ultra-weak photon emission as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for detecting early-stage type 2 diabetes: A step toward personalized medicine
Mengmeng Sun, Eduard Van Wijk, Slavik Koval, Roeland Van Wijk, Min He, Mei Wang, Thomas Hankemeier, Jan van der GreefThis study investigated whether ultra-weak photon emission (UPE)—a very faint light emitted by the body—could help identify different subtypes of pre-diabetes. Researchers had practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medici…
biophotonsTraditional Chinese medicin-based diagnosticsPersonalized medicineType 2 diabetesUltra-weak photon emission (UPE) - A2017
Spontaneous photon emission: A promising non-invasive diagnostic tool for breast cancer
Xiaolei Zhao, Jingxiang Pang, Jialei Fu, Yong Wang, Meina Yang, Yanli Liu, Hua Fan, Liewei Zhang, Jinxiang HanIn this animal study, researchers investigated if ultra-weak light emission from the body, called spontaneous photon emission (SPE), could detect breast cancer. They measured light from the skin of mice with breast canc…
Breast cancerSpontaneous photon emission (SPE)Preliminary screeningCluster analysisOxidative metabolic - A++2017
Oscillations of ultra-weak photon emission from cancer and noncancer cells stressed by culture medium change and TNF-alfa
Pierre Madl, Thomas Verwanger, Mark Geppert, Felix ScholkmannAll cells spontaneously emit a very faint light, known as ultra-weak photon emission (UPE). This study investigated how this light emission changes when different types of human cells, both cancerous and non-cancerous,…
cancerBiophotonultraweak photon emission - C2017
Structural and functional analysis of two small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycans, fibromodulin and chondroadherin
Patricia Paracuellos, Sebastian Kalamajski, Arkadiusz Bonnac, Dominique Bihanc, Richard W. Farndale, Erhard HohenesterFibromodulin and chondroadherin are small proteins that help organize the extracellular matrix. This study examined their 3D structure and how they interact with collagen. Researchers found that while their overall shap…
Cell signalingfibromodulinchondroadherinextra cellular matrix - C2017
Fibronectin in cell adhesion and migration via N-glycosylation
Cheng-Te Hsiao, Hung-Wei Cheng, Chi-Ming Huang, Hao-Ru Li, Meng-Hsin Ou, Jie-Rong Huang, Kay-Hooi Khoo, Helen Wenshin Y…Fibronectin is a protein in blood plasma that helps cells stick together and move, a process essential for wound healing. This study investigated how a specific chemical modification, called N-glycosylation, affects fib…
wound healingcell migrationFibronectincell adhesion - B2017
Complex mechanics of the heterogeneous extracellular matrix in cancer
Andrea Malandrino, Michael Mak, Roger D Kammd, Emad MoeendarbaryThis narrative review explores the complex role of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the non-cellular network that provides structural support to tissues. In solid tumors, the ECM becomes highly altered and complex, as ca…
extracellular matrixCell signalingtumor microenvironment