“Human Skin Wound Dressings”

The skin is a very complex organ, consisting of several layers the epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous layer. The skin maintains our body temperature, protects and provides sensory information. The researchers in Canada have been working on vitro skin culture, used as a biological wound dressing. This study will help many patients suffering from bad ulcers in their legs; which are slow to heal especially in patients with diabetes.

The research that they have been working on, creating the skin wound dressing, is a very complex and takes many steps to grow. And is a last recourse when other treatments are not working. First thing they do is remove about 1cm of the patients’ skin, and after isolating the appropriate cells, grow them in vitro. This process creates skin substitute for the dermis an epidermis layer of skin, which takes about 8 weeks to grow. This then can be used on the patients wound. Also helping speed up the skin’s healing process. The study has been successful in treating 14 ulcers in 5 patients.

With this newly found treatment for wound healing, the researches are going to work toward ways to help even patients suffering from serious burns. It’s good that there are researchers working on other ways to heal skin wounds that won’t heal on their own.

Kethanne K. Colich

Universite Laval. “Human skin wound dressing to treat cutaneous ulcers.” ScienceDaily, 2 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013

Tortora,Gerard J and Derrickson, B. Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. 13^th. 2011.Print.

As we age we know that not all things will be as they use to be. We expect our skin to have wrinkles. We expect to gain “wisdom”, also known as pesky gray hair. We know that naturally our bodies will breakdown. Our bones will be come more brittle. Tasks that were simple during youth would become difficult. It has come to be known as a natural part of life, and for the most part we have accepted it. For years we have all dreamed of a magic cure, or a fountain of youth. Although we dream of younger days could we be doing something in our youth and adulthood to increase our chances of aging quickly.

Studies found that good and poor sleepers show statistically significant differences in skin aging (University). The participants in which poor sleep occurred, showed increased signs of skin aging. Which included but is not limited to fine lines, uneven pigmentation and reduced elasticity of the skin (University). All of these are classic signs of aging. Usually the pronounced effects of skin aging do not become noticeable until people are in their late forties (Tortora). The women who participated in this study were between the ages of 30 and 49, and still showed a significant appearance of aging due to the lack of good sleep (University).

Although this research shows how sleep affects aging skin, it also gives us some insight on how to help with aging. Aging skin is a popular topic in our lives, no one wants to age quickly and most don’t want to age at all. This study shows us one area we can improve on. This just one solution we can implement into our lives to help with the dreadful process of aging.

Tortora G.J. and B. Derrickson. 2012. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 13^th ed., John Wiley and Sons

University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “Sleep deprivation linked to aging skin, study suggests.” ScienceDaily, 23 Jul. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.

Bone Marrow Transplants

A bone marrow transplant is a way of transplanting bone marrow by using a high dose of chemotherapy.  The process from the donor to the patient is referred to as a bone marrow harvest.  Through much research doctors have said it helps cure cancer such as leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma. At the Johns Hopkins Research Center doctors researched different ways that were effective to treat bone marrow failure disorders.

In this article doctors became interested in using radiation to kill off bad bone marrow.  Their research was in a controlled setting but lung problems began to arise as a result of the radiation exposure.  George Santos, a researcher under the Johns Hopkins Center, studied a different approach to treat diseased bone marrow. The treatment he researched was a chemotherapeutic cocktail drug; unlike the radiation treatment it did not result in any other medical complications.

His approach became widely accepted.  Santos’s research helped pave the way for modern bone marrow transplants.  Improvements in the marrow transplants would in turn save many lives for future patients. I believe this study from Johns Hopkins has revolutionized the former attempts to treat bone marrow failures.

Rachel Smith

Gupta, Sujata. “Human Stem Cells at Johns Hopkins: A forty Year History.” Johns Hopkins Medicine. 6 Oct. 2013. 6 Oct. 2013 <http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/stem_cell_research/cell_therapy/human_stem_cells_johns_hopkins.html>.

“Bone marrow transplants.” Cancer Research UK. 6 Oct. 2013. 6 Oct. 2013

<http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/transplant/bone-marrow-transplants>.

Metabolism is process involving a set of chemical reaction that modifies a molecule into another for storage, basically for immediate use in another reaction or as a by product. Our metabolism works around the clock, by the use of our calories and by shedding fat. Basically metabolism sums up everything that your body does for you. However, many people suffer from slow, sluggish metabolisms and blame other things such as genetics. Genetics do play a key role in the efficiency of your metabolism; there are several different options that you yourself can control that can boost your metabolic rate and give you more energy.

First, you have to always eat a healthy breakfast; it is the most important meal of the day. You sleep usually close to 8 hours a night. That means that you go at least 8 hours without a meal. When you wake up your body is in starvation mode, so that means that your metabolism level is not working very fast. Eating breakfast revs up your body for that day. Your body has to receive food in the morning; it tells your brain that you’re going to need to start working to digest it. When this happens it wakes up the system, which warms up the metabolism, so that makes it ready for the long day ahead. Not eating breakfast in the mornings, your body thinks that it needs to conserve the energy it has because it is not getting new nutrition.

Secondly, your body needs plenty of sleep to maintain a healthy metabolism. The University of Colorado sleep researchers did a study with 16 different healthy students for a two-week experiment tracking sleep, metabolism and eating habits. Kenneth Wrightdirector of the University of Colorado University’s sleep and chronobiology laboratory, said part of the change was behavioral. Staying up late and skimping on sleep led to not only more eating, but also a shift in the type of foods a person consumed. So we see that sleep is needed to maintain the better metabolism.

Our Metabolism is very important for our everyday living. Having a great metabolism is not only genetic; you can control this by many of your own actions everyday.  As college students, we must get plenty of sleep and we always need to eat a healthy breakfast, so we can get our bodies digesting and working early in the mornings. Remember it is the MOST important meal of the day.

Citations : (URLS)

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/lost-sleep-can-lead-to-weight-gain/?_r=0

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/08/26/habits-for-faster-metabolism/

“Metabolism .” Fox news. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <www.foxnews.com/health/2013/08/26/habits-for-faster-metabolism/ >.

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/fact-or-fiction-breakfast-is-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day.html#b

James Ganier

September 13, 2013

Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder that has three,  instead of two, copies of chromosome 21. Down Syndrome is categorized by cognitive impairment. One in nine hundred infants are born with Down Syndrome. Older women are more prone to having a Down Syndrome baby than younger women.  Down Syndrome is characterized my mental retardation, abnormal physical development and abnormal facial structures. However scientists at UMass Medical School have discovered that the extra chromosome can be neutralized or silenced. This extra chromosome is responsible for trisomy 21, also referred to as Down Syndrome.

Scientists have begun a research project in an induced pluripotent stem cells originated from fibroblasts cells given by a down syndrome patient. The scientists are inserting the XIST RNA gene at a specified location in the chromosome using Zinc finger nuclease technology.  RNA, derived from the XIST gene, was effectual in repressing genes across the extra chromosome. This allowed gene expression to normal levels and successfully neutralizing or silencing the chromosome.

Neutralizing or silencing the extra chromosome, which is responsible for Down Syndrome, will allow researchers to study cell pathologies. It will also allow researchers to find genome-wide pathways involved in the disorders. The scientists will be able to focus on abnormal gene expression in cells that entail an unusual number  of chromosomes. Scientists will be better able to comprehend the basic biology of Down Syndrome and will help develop new therapies for Down Syndrome.

Works Cited:

University of Massachusetts Medical School. “ Scientists show proof-of-principle for silencing extra chromosome responsible for Down Syndrome.” Science Daily, 17. Jul. 2013. Web 13 Sep 2013.

Tortora, Gerald J and Bryan Derrickson.  Principles of Anatomy and Physiology.  Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc 2012. Print.

Proteins putting up a fight!

  Cancer has become more than a disease in today’s world.  It has become the life taker of innocent people all over the world.  Something has been thrown in that may be a sudden game changer for this life taker.  Researchers have been looking at a group of proteins used in the process of mitosis that can possibly kill cancerous cells; the only predicament is learning how exactly to control them!

  The Journal of Cell Biology published an article explaining this group of proteins and what exactly happens in the process.  This protein, TACC3, forms inter-microtubule links that stabilize the K-fibers used in mitosis.  In mitosis if cells don’t divide equally it can lead to far too many cells and it puts a higher risk in place for more cancerous cells.  When other proteins work with TACC3 it makes this worse, but researches have found that when TACC3 is removed it kills these bad cells.  This killing of a cell isn’t bad because it shuts down mitosis in cells that are no longer dividing.  They have found this to be an important step in getting rid of cancerous cells.

Although this method isn’t a guarantee treatment for cancer, neither are most of the current treatments.  By finding ways to quickly remove these proteins, it is a step in the right direction to finding a cure.  This is important to almost everyone.  Further research will show the overflow of benefits for getting rid of TACC3, which will ultimately result in proteins being the hero of killing the destroyer!

Works Cited

“TACC3 Gene.” – GeneCards. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.

University of Warwick. “Team of proteins could have implications for fight against cancer.”ScienceDaily, 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Sep. 2013.

Blog 1:  HIV and the Immune system.

Through the process of Mitosis, cells divide.  During this process, the cell replicates its DNA and forms new cells.  This process is the cell’s way of reproducing itself and ensuring that it can continue to carry out the function it is specified for.  What could happen when a virus interferes with this vital life process?  That virus could have devastating effects on the cell and every other process dependent upon it.  A prime example of this is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Research has shown that HIV invades and hosts itself in the cells of our immune system.  For some reason, unknown until now, the human immune system is powerless to stop the virus from spreading and taking over.  Recent research has shown that HIV is able to gain control over the cells during their time of mitosis.  When the cell is attempting to replicate its DNA, the HIV virus is blocking the cell’s information from being transcribed and coding itself into the cell’s DNA.  With itself coded into the cell’s DNA, the virus can simply initiate an order and instantly terminate the immune cell.

With this research and insight into the cellular level of infection, new treatments can now be developed.  It has been theorized that early medication for HIV can decrease or even stop the virus taking over the cell’s DNA.  By stopping this, it is hoped that it will allow for a higher immune system of HIV infected individuals.  This research will likely provide a much deeper understanding of how the virus functions and how it rapidly progresses.  Ultimately, it may be possible to vaccinate or even cure HIV in the future.

Sources:

Tortora, Gerard J.  Bryan Derrickson.  A&P; principles of anatomy & physiology 13^th edition.  John Wiley & Sons, inc.  2011.  Chapter 3.7 Cell Division.

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.  “Scientists discover how HIV kills immune cells; findings have implications for HIV treatment.”  ScienceDaily, 5 Jun. 2013. Web. 12 Sep. 2013.

Organ Shortage and Proposed Solutions

A whole or partial transplantation of an organ from a person, donor, to another person, recipient, is known as an organ transplant.  Kidney, liver, skin grafting, bone marrow, face, and heart are just some organs being transplanted today.  Statistics show that in 2000 there were 22,854 organs transplanted successfully. However, more than fifty-eight hundred patients died while waiting for a transplant.  This is equivalent to more than fifteen a day. This waiting list has increased drastically since then.

There are different factors causing organ shortage. One factor is that doctors are more willing to recommend transplants since the success rate is so good, therefore placing more people on the donor waiting list.  According to statistics in 1998, the successfulness of organ transplants was seventy to ninety-five percent. This success rate is due to the drug, cyclosporine, which helps the patient’s body to not reject the new organ.  Another factor is many organs have to be removed surgically quickly after the donor’s death. This sometimes isn’t possible due to the circumstances of the death. The last factor is people are not willing to become donors.

Different proposals are being suggested, but most all are controversial.  Changing the policy to “presumed consent” instead of having to receive consent from the patient or a family member is one proposal.  Another proposal is “mandated choice” where people have to state their preference when getting their driver’s licenses or maybe when filing their tax returns.  Getting paid for organ donation is another proposal. Xenotransplantation, the transplant of an animal’s organ into a human’s body, is yet another proposal. Two final proposals are creating artificial organs and growing human organs.  For now, willing organ donors is the main source for organ transplants, but in the future artificial organs, lab grown organs, and animal transplants are a possibility.

Rachel Smith

“Organ Transplants,” eNotes. 2003. 1 Oct. 2013 <http://www.enotes.com/topics/organ-transplant-article>.

“Organ transplant,” ScienceDaily. 2013. 1 Oct. 2013 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/o/organ_transplant.htm>.

Without DNA, or deoxyribonucliec acid, the human body wouldn’t exist. The double helix is a model that has two strands of DNA that intertwine to resemble a ladder (Tortora, 56). Each strand  of DNA depends on the other one when replicated, or when it makes a new strand. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the energy required for DNA to be replicated. However, this ATP can be helpful, but sometimes harmful (University of Bristol). What can cause ATP to be helpful?

In this study, a team monitored a helicase found in a strand of DNA. It was discovered that this specific helicase used ATP to change its shape at the beginning of unzipping DNA. The rest of the process proceeds to without further ATP consumption after the enzymes changes shape.

They were studying how the helicase operates in bacteria, which is likely how they operate in our cells, since all cells use helicases to unzip DNA for repair or replication. This a way natural selection has optimized cellular machinery to conserve energy.

DNA repair is an example of this. This study has pushed science in the right direction of microscopic improvements. I think this article is important for everyone to know since every human being is made up of DNA. Everyone should know how the body is made, functions, and what makes you special because each person has a different set of DNA.

University of Bristol. “Random walks in DNA bacterial enzyme has evolved an energy-efficient method to move long distances along DNA.” Science Daily, 19 Apr 2013. Web. 13 Sept 2013

Tortora G.J. and B. Derrickson, 2012. Principals of Anatomy and Physiology. 13th ed., John Wiley and Sons

Hereditary breast cancer is extremely rare and is caused by a mutant gene passed from parents to their children. People who carry the mutant gene have a very high increased risk of developing breast cancer at some point in their lives. Hereditary breast cancer can come from a strong family history of breast cancer. For example, if your mother, sister and aunts had breast cancer, their offspring have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the gene.

In 1994, the first gene associated with breast cancer was found on chromosome 17. Two years later in 1996 another gene was identified on chromosome 13. In 1995 and 1996, there were studies done that sampled DNA. The samples revealed that Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews are 10 times more likely to have the mutated genes. This means, that approximately 2.65 percent of Ashkenazi Jewish population has one of these mutated genes.  But did you know that only 0.2 percent of the general population carries these mutation?

The only test for hereditary breast cancer is the DNA test. It will determine whether an individual is in a high-risk family that has this genetic mutation. However, the test will not tell if and when the cancer might develop. Most causes of breast cancer are not hereditary; it is possible to develop breast cancer whether or not a genetic mutation is present.

Works Cited:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1247/

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/breast-cancer#inheritance