Category: Health and Medicine

Health, Molecular Biology

Metabolic Reactions Activated During 58-hour Fasting

By Ellie Teng ‘21 Fasting is an ancient component in numerous religions and cultures. Individuals seeking weight loss often practice fasting, making it a prominent topic in the nutrition field. A team of scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University and Kyoto University recently found that fasting comes with innumerable health benefits. Blood samples from four healthy individuals who fasted for … Continue reading Metabolic Reactions Activated During 58-hour Fasting

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Health

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Well-being

By Ellie Teng ‘21 Fruits and vegetables have always been linked to good physical health, but results from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey demonstrate a positive association between fruits and vegetables, and psychological well being. Controlling for diet, health, and lifestyle, researchers found a clear relationship between the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed and mental state. In conducting the survey, researchers identified the three … Continue reading Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Well-being

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Cancer, Pharmacology

Protein WTp53: Fights Tumors or Boosts Cancer?

By Ellie Teng ‘21 A prominent protein in cancer research, p53, is known for its cancer fighting abilities. p53 suppresses the initiation of tumor growth by inhibiting the cancer metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. Glycolysis is attributed to cancer metabolism and is required for tumorigenesis, or the formation of tumors. Essentially, p53 protects the genome against mutations and prevents the mutations from being … Continue reading Protein WTp53: Fights Tumors or Boosts Cancer?

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Cancer, Cell Cycle

BH4’s Role in T- Cell Proliferation in Autoimmunity and Cancer

By Allan Mai ‘20 BH4 is an important regulator of many bodily functions. Among its most important functions are its involvement in the production of monoamine neurotransmitters, its generation of nitric oxide, and its role in pain. However, Shane Cronin and his team recently uncovered another important function of this cofactor: proliferation of T cells, which are an integral part of the immune response. Inhibitions … Continue reading BH4’s Role in T- Cell Proliferation in Autoimmunity and Cancer

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Cell Cycle, Disease

Inducing Leukemia Cell Death Through the Inhibition of Amino Acids

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Thanks to chemotherapy, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not the most fatal kind of cancer. However, the same chemotherapy that treats the disease may also revitalize leukemia stem cell populations, thereby increasing the probability of relapse. As such, scientists are still actively researching alternative treatments and cures. Most recently, researchers looked into the importance of amino acids for preventing the growth … Continue reading Inducing Leukemia Cell Death Through the Inhibition of Amino Acids

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Cell Cycle, Disease

Expression of Transcription Factor TP63 Reprograms Squamous Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Although pancreatic cancer is not the most common type of cancer, the prognosis for those diagnosed with the disease is very poor. Much like any other cancer, pancreatic cancer develops when cells in the organ multiply at an uncontrollable rate. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, garnered the attention of researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory … Continue reading Expression of Transcription Factor TP63 Reprograms Squamous Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells

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Cancer, Cell Cycle

Inducing Tumor Cell Death by RIG-I: The Future of Breast Cancer?

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 In recent years cancer therapy – especially cancer immunotherapy – has gained momentum and scientists’ interest has turned to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICIs aid in the suppression of checkpoint receptors to produce powerful immune responses against tumors. Although such a procedure is gaining momentum in clinical settings, much research must be done to legitimize this treatment for breast cancer. Under … Continue reading Inducing Tumor Cell Death by RIG-I: The Future of Breast Cancer?

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Cancer, Embryonic Development

Investigating the Link Between Cancer Cells and Embryonic Cells to Treat Cancer

By Snigdha Kanadibhotla ‘21 Fundamentally rooted in a lack of cell cycle control, cancer is predicted to affect 38.4% of Americans within their lifetimes (1). While most healthy cells are regulated by three cell cycle checkpoints, cancerous cells can bypass these regulatory systems, which leads to uncontrolled division and metastasis (the spread of cancer through the body). Considered to be a unique characteristic of cancer, … Continue reading Investigating the Link Between Cancer Cells and Embryonic Cells to Treat Cancer

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Cancer, Cell Cycle

From Colon Cancer Cells to Cancer Stem Cells: The Value of Reprogramming Cells

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 The location of cancer stem cells in tumors has opened the door to the development of a variety of therapeutic applications. These cells are the future of oncology, and scientists still have much to uncover regarding their various uses in medical treatment. While cancer stem cells are treasure chests of opportunity and have wide scientific application, they are difficult to obtain. … Continue reading From Colon Cancer Cells to Cancer Stem Cells: The Value of Reprogramming Cells

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Cancer, Molecular Biology

In Situ Administration of Cytokine Combinations Could Be the Future of Immunotherapy

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Rather than look outwards for new cancer treatments, scientists are beginning to look inwards – that is, inside the human body – for advanced therapeutic treatments. Although the use of cytokines, biomolecules that direct an immune response,in cancer therapy has been attempted for decades, there is still room for much improvement. In a recent study on cytokines, researchers under the guidance … Continue reading In Situ Administration of Cytokine Combinations Could Be the Future of Immunotherapy

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Figure 1. Lutein is a naturally occurring pigment found within foods such as kiwifruits. A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that an intake of lutein can reduce cognitive decline in adults.
2016-17, Health, Neuroscience

The Effects of Carotenoids on Cognitive Ability

By Caleb Sooknanan ’20 Lutein — a carotenoid or pigment from green foods such as spinach and kiwifruit — can be quantified in central nervous system tissue, making it a useful way of evaluating diet’s effect on the brain. However, scientists are still determining whether higher lutein amounts yield cognitive ability improvements. Doctor Naiman A. Khan and researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign … Continue reading The Effects of Carotenoids on Cognitive Ability

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Figure 1. Scientists strive to create wearable smart devices that can detect physiological phenomena in real time. According to a study from UC Berkeley, new ear devices can be 3D printed and used to indicate patients’ true body temperatures.
2016-17, Engineering, Health

3D-Printed Ear Devices Detect Core Body Temperature

By Caleb Sooknanan ’20 Healthcare sensors are frequently used to detect skin temperature, but more research is needed to design a device that can pinpoint core body temperature levels and help doctors predict the likelihood of fever, fatigue, and other physiological phenomena. Professor Ali Javey and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley designed a printable smart device that — when placed on a patient’s … Continue reading 3D-Printed Ear Devices Detect Core Body Temperature

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