by Sahil Rawal (’19) Ovarian cancer is commonly treated by surgery to remove the tumor, but often, tumor tissue is still left behind after the surery. To remove the extra tumor tissues, surgeons have to go back and manually distinguish between malignant and benign tissue. This difficulty leads to malignant tumor tissue being left in the patient for long periods of time, which is a … Continue reading New Imaging System May Help Remove Tumor Tissue
by Sahil Rawal (’19) Blood clots, which prevent oxygen from reaching tissues, are the primary cause of heart attacks and strokes, and consequently lead to an enormous number of deaths each year. However, quick removal of blood clots can help prevent this. Currently, enzymatic formulations are the most efficient ways to treat blood clots, but they have many side effects that could be harmful to … Continue reading A New Treatment for Blood Clots
by Sahil Rawal (’19) Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease that has been connected with organ failures throughout the body. One example of this is kidney disease, which has been shown to develop in 35% of people with Type 2 diabetes. Current treatments for kidney disease involve glucose-controlling systems and RAAS-blocking agents, but these therapies still leave patients at a high risk for death. … Continue reading A New Drug For Kidney Disease
by Julia Newman (’19) A vaccine developed by a new technique at the University of Buffalo in New York has capabilities beyond any previously created vaccine. These new vaccines, unlike their predecessors, have both natural bacterial and man-made polymer components, which allow them to have multiple mechanisms for the delivery of antigens within the vaccine. They can now be delivered not only actively, as they … Continue reading New Vaccines Are Stronger Than Ever
by Jenna Mallon (’18) Although the dangers of tuberculosis (TB) are widely known, many people do not know that a large percent of tuberculosis patients are also HIV positive. This issue is especially prevalent in Africa, Ethiopia specifically, where TB has been a large public health issue for over fifty years. This large health epidemic prompted Mulugeta Dalbo of the Arba Minch Health Science College … Continue reading Predictors of Tuberculosis Found in HIV/AIDS Patients
by Sahil Rawal (’19) Alzheimer’s disease is a well-known neurodegenerative disease that commonly affects people of older age. Although scientists have been able to connect different lifestyle factors with the onset of Alzheimer’s, the basic molecular mechanisms are still not completely understood. Currently, there are many ongoing studies that aim to gain more information on Alzheimer’s disease and the etiologies behind the devastating disease. Studies … Continue reading Chromosomal Studies Lead to Advancements for Alzheimer’s Disease
by Lillian Pao (’18) There is no concrete definition of wisdom. However, there are some repetitive themes that encompass the idea of wisdom, such as the use of knowledge from an experience, careful decision-making, and lowered anxiety during complex situations. In a recent study, professors of the University of Chicago concluded that there may be a connection between somatic, or physical, practices and wisdom. Although … Continue reading The Secret Behind Increased Wisdom
by Sahil Rawal (’19) Potatoes have been a staple in our diet for a very long time; they were recently added to the US healthy meals program after they were shown to increase potassium levels and lower blood pressure. Despite this, the effect of increased consumption of potatoes on blood pressure is still unclear. As a result, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital decided … Continue reading The Health Consequences of Eating Potatoes
by Julia Newman ’19 New studies on the packing of DNA in viruses show that it sometimes behaves like a fluid and other times like a solid, similar to a tube of toothpaste or a cup of sand. For this reason, it was difficult in the past for scientists to determine how DNA is packed within a viral shell. However, it turns out that viruses actually have a … Continue reading DNA Packing Mechanisms in Viruses Revealed
By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective as bacteria rapidly develop resistance to them. Scientists once believed that antibiotics promote conjugation, a process in which the DNA of bacteria can be swapped for more helpful genes in order to develop a resistance. In a study led by Dr. Lingchong You of Duke University, researchers were able to determine that antibiotics actually do not increase … Continue reading Antibiotics Do Not Affect Gene Swapping In Bacteria
By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Fig. 1: To insert foreign DNA, electroporation is used to form pores on the cell membrane. Genetic engineering involves inserting foreign DNA into cells to perform new functions. In order for DNA to pass the cell membrane, cells are put in a specifically calibrated electric field that opens pores in the membrane in a process called electroporation. Each organism has a … Continue reading Breaking Barriers for DNA Insertion
By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Most scientists study live cancer cell samples by preparing them on a glass slide and coverslip. However, this method often compresses the sample. Since cancer cells are very sensitive to their surroundings, the compression of the slide affects their behavior and may interfere with the results and overall understanding of cancer cell interactions. Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have designed a … Continue reading A New View of Cancer Cells
Young Investigators Review 