Being able to see is an important thing. However, there are several causes for blindness. One in particular, which I am going to discuss, is a very common one where there is a loss of transparency of the lens called cataract. Cataracts occur when the lens crystalline protein structure changes and your vision becomes blurry because the lens has become less transparent. Several things can cause cataracts like aging, long exposure to ultraviolet light, or even a disease such as diabetes. Yes, there are ways to fix this like replacing the old lens with a new artificial one. However, I looked up ways to prevent cataracts, and I came across an article about statins that prevent cataracts.

            Statins are cholesterol– lowering drugs, usually for fighting heart disease; however, researchers have found they help decrease the risk of cataracts as well.  In this article, Dr. Gabriel Chodick explains that these drugs can help prevent inflammation in the eye and stop the process of oxidation on the ocular nerve celss. Dr. Chodick did a study of 180,000 patients from 1998-2007 to observe the effect statins had on cataracts. His study showed a strong association with a large population. Also, what he found was that the daily intake of statins in men from the age 45-54 decreased their risk of developing cataracts by 38%, and although statins were not as effective in women, they still had an 18% decrease in the risk of developing cataracts. The article also states that 10% of people who are prescribed statins rarely take them; however, the doctor says now they have reason to continue taking this drug. This article has also helped me understand the importance of finding a prevention for cataracts for our society.

            The article also explains that in the U.S., cataracts affect about 60%- of  men and women over the age of 60. The use of statin drugs could help to lower the number of men and women in society who have blindness due to cataracts. Also, blindness doesn’t only affect the person with the loss of sight but also the people close to the person. Preventing blindness is not just helping someone to see, but also it is helping someone keep contact with the environment around them. As well as contact with the environment around them, people who are affected with blindness tend to have a low self-esteem due to the need for help and emptiness because the sight is a major sense to any human. However, the prevention of cataracts by this drug will benefit someone as well. For instance, the person would have an increased ability to work, a decreased disability cost, longer independence for individuals, and prolonged vision. Blindness affects ones everyday life. Therefore, this drug, known as statin, could help individuals with his or her life in general.

Tel Aviv University. “Common cholesterol drugs, statins, fight cataracts, too.”       ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 February 2010.

Tortora, Gerard J and Derrickson, Bryan. Princciples of Anatomy and Physiology 13^th       Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2011. 30 Jan. 2014.

Oral cancer is a growing disease among people, and it is battled everyday. This disease not only affects your body in many ways, but it can be deadly as well. Oral cancer has the ability to affect the whole inside of the mouth, but it is more dangerous when the cancer affects the tongue. One main concern occurs when the tongue tissues are removed. When the tissues are removed the individual  has less tongue mass, and they are more vulnerable to letting food and liquids into their lungs.  Researches have yet to find a cure but continue to search for what causes the disease, how to prevent it, and how to improve treatments.

Most research that has been done toward oral cancer has focused on the DNA of the cells to see what might be causing the cancer. Research has shown that a mutation in the p53 gene is related to the cause of oral cancer. The p53 gene is linked to controlling the cells from growing to much. When there is a mutation in this gene growth of the cells is not controlled and the cancerous cells can grow rapidly.

Oral cancer affects a great amount of people a year. Studies and research show that about 34,000 people a year are diagnosed with oral cancer. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis worked hard In the past years to help those who suffer from oral cancer. The surgeons developed new and improved ways of reconstructing the tongue after the cancerous areas were removed. This new development has helped patients feel more normal by helping them with their speech as well as their swallowing ability.

Citations
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/oralcavityandoropharyngealcancer/detailedguide/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer-new-research

http://oralcancerguide.org/?p=262

http://www.siteman.wustl.edu/ContentPage.aspx?id=561#sthash.8h6ZjieX.dpuf

                Sickle cell disease is a disorder that affects a person’s red blood cells (erythrocytes). Sickle cell is a red blood cell that does not have the appearance of a normal, healthy red blood cell. Abnormal hemoglobin molecules (the molecules inside of erythrocytes that carry oxygen) of people who suffer from sickle cell disease cause the characteristic crescent moon shape seen in their erythrocytes. The abnormal shape of sickle cells tends to form blockages in the blood vessels, which in turn halts oxygen from traveling to the affected tissues. Also, the abnormal hemoglobin forms fibers causing stiffness, which makes them stick together and does not allow for the normal, free mobility that normal red blood cells have.

                Dr. Frank Ferrone, from Drexel University in Philadelphia, and Dr. Yihua Wang, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, along with many other researchers came up with an extraordinary discovery on sickle cells and why they stick together in sickle cell disease. The researchers experimented with different techniques involving light scattering, and they found that light rays are drastically affected by the arrangement of the hemoglobin fibers that form in sickled red blood cells. They found that areas of the hemoglobin molecules that should repel each other instead stick together resulting in the abnormal shape. The light patterns are reflecting on how the fibers are arranged and what causes sickle cell disease. Their discovery on how they can use light to determine how the fibers were arranged made it possible to compare and contrast sickle cells vs. normal red blood cells. 

This research has brought insight into the formation of the fibers in the sickle cells and it can further research on how to correct the abnormal fibers. What the researchers have discovered can lead to future cures using drugs that can possibly alter and change what is the source of the issue involving the fibers. The experiment gives insight to the researchers because they were able to study the structures of sickle cells based on how the light refracted. They were also able to determine how the abnormal shape leads to the abnormal formation of the fibers in these sickle cells. It is incredible how they were able to use light as a source to determine the difference in the structure of hemoglobin fibers in sickle cells in comparison to the fibers in normal, healthy hemoglobin. This research can greatly impact those that suffer from sickle cell disease by possibly finding a cure, and also giving answers to questions that have been wondered about.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131105121413.htm

http://edugen.wileyplus.com/edugen/student/mainfr.uni

One vision problem that people suffer from is hyperopia, in which a person can see things at a distance clearly but not when the objects are up close. The correction of eyesight is done by orthokeratology or ortho-K; which is the reshaping of the cornea. The technique is done with the use of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses over night that will reshape the cornea. The contact lens can also help correct myopia and stigmatism.

In the research Jaume Paume used ten test subjects all suffering from vision problems. With the use of the patient in the trial Jaume Paune developed a lens that was worn at nighttime that corrected the patients with hyperopia. The lens actively applies pressure on the outside of the cornea; which works by reshaping the cornea. Unfortunately the effect is only temporary. The lens must be worn every night to reshape the cornea. The correction to the cornea however will not have lasting affects. The treatment shows promise as an ongoing therapy and an alternative to corrective laser surgery.

The research that Mr. Paune discovered is amazing. It offers patients suffering from vision problems another alternative option then having surgery. The risk with the contact lens is less risky then the patients who undergo surgery. With using the contact lens there is no recovery period or missed work. The lens however is not very cost effective especially since they must be worn every night and replaced from time to time. Personally I feel that this lens still gives patients more options other then surgery.

Kethanne K. Colich

Tortora, Gerard J and Derrickson, Bryan. Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. 13th. 2011.Print.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100420161224.htm

The average female is born with two small sex organs called ovaries.  They are located in the pelvic area on either side of the body.  These small organs produce many hormones that allow females to function and grow properly such as estrogens and progesterone.  They also allow for pregnancy (Tortora).  However, sometimes the ovaries don’t do the jobs they are assigned.  This usually happens as women age into their forties, but it can happen before then if complications arise (Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center).  So, if these organs are so important, then how do we fix the problem of hormones going crazy in individuals?

A team from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has been conducting research to find a way to substitute estrogen and progesterone in aging women.   Their main goal is to find a safer way other than drugs, which can cause health problems when used long termed, to replace sex hormones. The research began with the use of 21-day-old rats.  The team took two types of ovarian cells and placed them inside a sac of tissue that resembles the rats’ body tissue.  The sac allows for growth new working cells that will replace old nonworking cells.  The tissue allowed for the new cells to not be rejected. It took many attempts of rearranging the different cells until the right amount of sex hormones were being produced.  This may seem like just another experiment, but it is a giant leap for medicine because… (Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center).

The Wake Forest team has come one step closer to help reduce the use of hormone drugs in women who have lost the ability to produce sex hormones.  The team is now in the process of studying other animals’ body tissues in order to find the perfect combination for humans (Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center).  This discovery has given a glimpse of hope for women who are dealing with these issues.  It has been an improvement in the medical field because the plan is for it to cut back on health problems caused by the use of hormone drugs.

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

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. “Functional ovarian tissue engineered in lab.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 March 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com//releases/2013/03/130326151131.htm>.

Diabetes in the United States is not a rare disease anymore. The definition of diabetes mellitus is the lack of insulin, which causes high glucose in the bloodstream. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, Diabetes affects 8.3 of the United States’ population. That’s 25.8 million people! People with diabetes mellitus have trouble with keeping their blood glucose levels in the normal range, causing them to have to prick their fingers and take shots of insulin. The question is: how can you help to control your diabetes?

The simplest way to keep your diabetes under control is to check you glucose levels often, and keep a daily log of the readings. But, who wants to prick their finger all day long? Nobody! Therefore, in an article “Google Working on Smart Contact Lens to Monitor Diabetes” posted on January 17, 2014, Google stated that one of their labs is developing a “smart” contact that is able to measure your glucose levels just by using your tears! This means no more finger-pricking if they are successful. The contact lens uses a tiny chip with a glucose sensor that are placed in between two sheets of the normal contact. They have constructed a prototype that can produce a new reading every second. The only part they do not have figured out yet, is how to let the person know if their glucose level is too high or too low. The Google team is looking into LED lights that would flash to let the wearer know. They say that this is only the beginning for this type of technology, and they are not the only ones who are creating something like this. In Europe, a Swiss company called “Sensimed” has already invented a contact lens to measure the pressure of the eyes for the disease glaucoma. Although this contact lens hasn’t been released in the United States yet, Google knows that there is a major want and need for wearable technology such as the glucose measuring contact lens.

This invention will, one day, be a great addition to the diabetes patients’ options. This will impact the whole diabetes community because of the fact that taking your glucose measurement in public will no longer exist, or at least other people won’t know about it or even see it! They won’t have to worry about people staring at them while they prick their finger, and putting their own blood on a strip of paper. Diabetics will feel more comfortable with this invention, I believe, and be able to more accurately regulate their blood glucose levels resulting in a longer and healthier life with less complications. This could also lower the costs to the diabetic community and insurance companies effecting society as a whole.

Citations:

Tweed, Katherine. “Google Working on Smart Contact Lens to Monitor Diabetes.” IEE Spectrum (2014). Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/google-working-on-smart-contact-lens-to-monitor-diabetes

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Fact Sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011.

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics/

Do you know what the most common cause of blindness is in the United States? The answer is glaucoma. Glaucoma has had an effect on about two percent of people in the population over forty years old. Glaucoma occurs usually when someone has abnormally high intraocular pressure, which causes the aqueous humor to build up within the inside of the eye cavity, putting pressure on the neurons of the retina. If pressure stays constant, it then leads to damage of the optic nerve and causes blindness. This is painless and a person can have damage long before the condition is found and diagnosed. Because it is more prevalent with aging people, regular checkups with the optometrist is important. The risk factors to glaucoma include race, family history, past injuries, and any type of disorders that you have been diagnosed with (Totora).
Researchers found that females who have consumed any type of oral contraceptives for three or more years are more likely to suffer from glaucoma than anyone else. Gynecologists and ophthalmologists need to be aware that these contraceptives could make this disease worse. Doctors should have their patients eyes screened at least every 2 years. The University of California, Duke University School of Medicine, and Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (Nanchang China) were the first to conduct this research (AAO). They gathered data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and used a little over three thousand females over forty years old and had been taking contraceptives for three plus years. One of the researchers stated that women who have been taking contraceptives that long should follow up with an ophthalmologist (American).
I feel people should know about glaucoma because it is a serious disease. Before reading this article, I had no idea that oral contraceptives could increase the chances of blindness. I take 2 medicines daily and have taken both of them for more than three years now. It makes me think about how this could be harming my eyes and I not know it. It really makes you think about what you are putting into your body; it could be a good thing, but also harmful.

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). “Long-term oral contraceptive users twice as likely to have serious eye disease.” ScienceDaily. Science Daily, 18 November 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131118091418.htm>.
Totora, Gerard J., And Derrickson, Bryan. Principals of Anatomy & Physiology. 13th ed. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014. Print.

Vision is the act of seeing.   The eye contains over fifty percent of the receptors in the body.  Therefore, vision is an extremely important to our daily lives. The eye has many neurons that are involved in the development and use of the eye (Tortora). The proper development of these neurons is key to proper functioning of the eyes, especially in children.

Scientists at UC Irvine and UCLA have come up with a new approach to correcting visual disorders in children. The two visual disorders that they looked at in children were early cataract development, and amblyopia. Amblyopia is a condition known as lazy eye (University).

The problem was that even after children would have surgery to correct these visual impairments,their  vision was not corrected. They found that vision was not corrected because of improper brain development due to problems with vision during childhood. Assistant professor of anatomy and neurobiology at UC Irvine, Xiangmin Xu and Josh Trachtenberg, associate proffer of neurobiology at UCLA, found that vision not returning after surgery is caused by a specific type of inhibitory neurons that control the “critical period” in development of early vision. This “critical period” is usually before age 7 (University).

They discovered that the cause of the vision defects in these children were due to improper functioning of inhibitory nerons. They did tests on mice in which they used an experimental drug compound that would treat the neuronal defects that were causing vision loss. Their work suggests that the drugs would target the neurons and help correct the vision disorders, in these children (University).

This research is important for children and families who have a child or even children who suffer from these vision disorders. This is hopeful information for these parents, which could prevent vision loss in children or help the children who are affected by these visual impairments. The hope is that more advancements will be made in this field so that even more vision disabilities can be corrected.

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

University of California – Irvine. “New approach to remedying childhood visual disorders.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130826123145.htm>.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in over 40,000 American adults. Most patients with this disease are a diabetic, but premature babies can also have this disease. The development of an abnormal vasculature in the eyes is a reaction from ischemia, which is a restriction in blood vessels and insufficient oxygen in tissue that can lead to the forming of extra blood vessels in the back of the eye. Unlike in the heart where extra blood vessels that form can have a benefit, the new vessels that form in the eye can lead to the leaking of fluid and blood that can ultimately lead to vision loss.

A study at Scripps Research Institute used a method of repairing damaged blood vessels in the eye through the use of stem cells that came from bone marrow. They injected the white blood cells into the eyes of a mouse model. They found that when the stem cells moved into the avascular areas of the retina, and the parent cell started to change into microglia that supported vascular repair. This was the first time that microglia has been shown to support vascular repair in any organ.

Current treatments for these eye diseases—such as thermal lasers and anti-antigenic drugs—are designed to prevent the growth of new vessels or to close, ablate, or remove abnormal vessels. Using preventative measures such as having yearly eye exams, can help slow the place of complete vision loss. Also having better control of your blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels can slow the onset and the progression of retinopathy and protect your vision. Also in the 1^st three stages of diabetic retinopathy there is no treatment needed. If the disease escalates into proliferative retinopathy, it is usually treated with a laser treatment.

Heather Mundlin

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp#4a

http://www.scripps.edu/newsandviews/e_20061120/friedlander.html

Glaucoma is a disorder that causes blindness. It is caused from unusually high pressure from aqueous humor accumulation in the anterior cavity of the eyeball. According to Gerard Tortora and Bryan Derrickson, “the aqueous fluid compresses the lens of the eye into the vitreous body and applies pressure to the neurons of the retina” (Tortora and Derrickson 674). The disorder itself is painless and tends to be more prominent in the older generation.

Glaucoma has affected more than 2.7 million people in the U.S. alone that are aged 40 years or older. Researchers believe that advances in technology uses for diagnosis and therapy have caused the number of blindness from glaucoma to half since 1980. The study was conducted by a team from the MayoClinic where the researched reviewed 857 cases of open-angle glaucoma from 1965-2009 in Olmsted County, Minnisota. They found that the population of blindness in people within 10 years of diagnosis decreased from 8.7 per 100,000 to 5.5 per 100,000 [American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)]

Arthur J. Sit,M.D. said that these results are promising to those suffering from glaucoma and their doctors. I have to agree with him on the outcome of the research conducted. I can’t imagine being blind and not being able to see what is going on in my everyday life. I feel that this could possibly lead to even a cure for the disease since they have found a way to decrease the number of cases by half.

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). “Probability of blindness from glaucoma has nearly halved.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 January 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140121104107.htm>.

Tortora, Gerard J., and Derrickson, Bryan. Principles of Anatomy & Phisiology .13th ed.  Hoboken: John  Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011. Print.