Category: Health and Medicine

Medicine and Physiology

The Effect of Follistatin on the Browning of Fatty Tissue in Obese Mice

Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 A major myth in health and fitness circles is that all fat and fatty tissue is “bad” and contributes to obesity. While it is true that fatty tissues such as white adipose tissue play a major role in the development of obesity, diabetes, and related diseases, brown adipose tissue, another type of fatty tissue, can actually stimulate a decrease in body weight … Continue reading The Effect of Follistatin on the Browning of Fatty Tissue in Obese Mice

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Health

Comparing Nicotine Absorption During E-cigarette Use and Combustible Cigarette Use

 Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 Thanks to multiple ad campaigns and public awareness efforts, it is now known that cigarette use among people of all ages and health levels is highly dangerous and heightens one’s risk of contracting serious diseases such as lung cancer. Used as a preventative measure, e-cigarettes have been touted as an aid to quit using cigarettes as they are said to deliver similar … Continue reading Comparing Nicotine Absorption During E-cigarette Use and Combustible Cigarette Use

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Cancer

Sugary Drinks Increase Risk of Cancer

Ellie Teng ‘21 Added sugars were long known to have adverse health benefits, but sugary drinks were recently found to be linked to cancer. An increase in the consumption of sugary drinks the past decade is associated with the increase in obesity, which is a risk factor for various cancers. In France, a group of researchers assessed the connection between  the consumption of sugary drinks … Continue reading Sugary Drinks Increase Risk of Cancer

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Medicine and Physiology, Synthetic Biology

HIV Successfully Removed from Animal Genomes

Ellie Teng ‘21 The human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) is responsible for infecting millions worldwide. Currently, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is being used to slow HIV progression; however, as soon as this treatment is stopped, HIV-1 is reactivated and progresses to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The reactivation of HIV-1 following the cessation of ART is as a result of the virus’ ability to integrate its … Continue reading HIV Successfully Removed from Animal Genomes

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Cognition, Drug Discovery

Long-Term Use of These Drugs May Increase Risk for Dementia

Nicole Zhao ’20 A diagnosis of dementia is often accompanied by fear, anxiety and the need to fulfill a bucket list before the condition robs you of life. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning which includes thinking, remembering and reasoning (1). These losses then manifest in a change of behavior such as the inability to communicate, change in personality, and eventually the loss of … Continue reading Long-Term Use of These Drugs May Increase Risk for Dementia

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Drug Discovery, Microbiota

New Targeted Therapy May Prevent and Reverse Food Allergies

Nicole Zhao ’20 A food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs when exposed to a certain food (1). Symptoms resulting from an allergic reaction include digestive problems, hives, swollen airways and even anaphylaxis (1). Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction and encompasses a variety of symptoms with high severity (2). During an allergic reaction, the immune system recognizes that a specific food … Continue reading New Targeted Therapy May Prevent and Reverse Food Allergies

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Microbiota, Pharmacology

Our Gut’s Interference in Some Medications

Mariam Malik ‘22 A drug is characterized as any substance that may alter one’s psychology or physiology. Depending on its purpose, each drug takes a different path once inside the body, but researchers at Harvard University have determined the role of the gut in interfering  with a drug’s path and eventually, its effectiveness.  Professor Emily Blaskus and graduate student Vayu Maini Rekdal focused on Levodopa, … Continue reading Our Gut’s Interference in Some Medications

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Cancer

Cancer Cell Debris Generated by the Longstanding Chemotherapeutic 5-Fluorouracil is Linked to Oncogenic Inflammation

Shrey Thaker ‘22 The centerpiece of clinical struggle against cancer is the recurrence of the tumor following extensive chemotherapy. The most common chemotherapeutic agent dispatched to patients suffering from colon cancer is known as 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and its main mechanism of action includes inducing apoptosis by inflicting DNA damage and triggering the cell’s natural apoptotic pathways. While the initial effect of tumor cell death is … Continue reading Cancer Cell Debris Generated by the Longstanding Chemotherapeutic 5-Fluorouracil is Linked to Oncogenic Inflammation

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Medicine and Physiology

Pectus Excavatum: Comparing Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Computed Tomography

Nomrota Majumder ‘21 Pectus Excavatum (PE) is a structural deformity of the anterior thoracic wall, located along the thoracic artery, and causes the breastbone to essentially sink into the chest. As the most common thoracic wall deformity in children, this condition is often congenital and worsens during the adolescent growth years. In addition to the phenotypic difference associated with this connective tissue disease, other symptoms … Continue reading Pectus Excavatum: Comparing Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Computed Tomography

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Cancer, Drug Discovery

Costunolide: A Potential Drug Molecule for Fighting Gastric Cancer

Nomrota Majumder ‘21 Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone extracted from Radix Aucklandiae, is shown to have powerful activity against multiple cancer forms. However, the effects of costunolide has not yet been investigated with gastric cancer, or the formation and growth of malignant cancer cells lining the stomach. As the fifth most common cancer in the world, and the third leading cause of cancer related death in … Continue reading Costunolide: A Potential Drug Molecule for Fighting Gastric Cancer

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Health

The Comparison of the Lipid Profiles and Fatigue Levels of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 In patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue is a very common and debilitating symptom that differs greatly from the fatigue that is commonly associated with other diseases. This is because of the nature of MS, which results from a degradation of the central nervous system as well as a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. Drugs prescribed for MS-induced fatigue are limited … Continue reading The Comparison of the Lipid Profiles and Fatigue Levels of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

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Disease

Distinct Fibroblast Subsets Drive Inflammation and Damage in Arthritis

By Nicole Zhao ‘20  Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints with symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness (1). One common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease in which the immune system targets the synovial membrane of the joints and causes joint damage (1). The synovial membrane normally protects and lubricates the joints. Previous studies have found that the … Continue reading Distinct Fibroblast Subsets Drive Inflammation and Damage in Arthritis

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