By Allan Mai ‘20 A sure sign of the progression of cancer occurs when tumor cells from the initial site of development breaks off and enters the bloodstream, invading other healthy tissue. A recently published study conducted by Barbara Szczerba and her team from the Cancer Metastasis Lab at the University of Basel found that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are associated with white blood cells, … Continue reading Cancer Cells Hijack Immune Cells
By Allan Mai ‘20 El Niño is a complex series of weather patterns that occurs off the coast of South America. While the last El Niño occurred three years ago, the unusually warm weather and nutrient-poor water caused a series of events that continues to affect plant and animal and life, especially those that are responsible for transmitting a disease from one organism to another. … Continue reading Global Disease Outbreaks Linked to El Niño
By Allan Mai ‘20 With the high selectivity of the blood-brain barrier, it appears unlikely that microorganisms in the stomach could ever be able to reach the brain. However, past studies that have suggested major correlation between depression and specific gut bacteria and even correlation between social behavior and the activities of certain gut bacteria have sparked intense research regarding the “gut-brain” axis. Among these … Continue reading The Unlikely Relation Between Gut and Brain
By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Genotoxic stress is defined as an agent that disrupts or impairs genetic information within a cell and leads to mutations. If not repaired, these mutations often develop into cancer. Within epithelial stem cells, for example, there is a pathway called the DNA damage response (DDR) that halts the cell cycle and induces DNA repair or destruction of impaired cells through apoptosis. … Continue reading Protecting You from Yourself: The Function of Interleukin-22 Against Genotoxic Stress
By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Human cells multiply at high speeds to maintain proper functioning of the human body. Even when occur and cancerous growths appear, the cell cycle does not cease; as a result, the number of malignant cells rapidly increases. One aspect in the chemistry of cell proliferation is clear: monovalent ions contribute to the cell cycle. The specifics of their role, however, are … Continue reading Potassium’s Role in Stem Cell Proliferation
By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Although recent advancements in the field of nanomedicine are elucidating potential novel therapies for cancer, researchers have uncovered one major drawback called gap growth. Under the leadership of principal investigator Fei Peng, a recent study at the National University of Singapore discovered that the introduction of nanomaterial into animal bodies may result in micro-sized gaps in the endothelial lining, which can … Continue reading Mind the Gap! Nanoparticles Increase Endothelial Leakiness
By Natalie Lo ‘21 Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by the formation of β-amyloid plaques Aβ, microglial activation, and inflammation in the brain. Microglia are immune cells found in the central nervous system (CNS). In AD, the blood-brain barrier is disrupted, which leads to bleeding, vascular damage, and an increase in blood proteins. Currently, there is an unknown relationship between vascular dysfunction, proteins like fibrinogen … Continue reading Fibrinogen Plays a Neurodegenerative Role in Alzheimer’s Disease
By Natalie Lo ‘21 Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of liver cancer and is possibly related to an infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) since it can result in cancer formation through activation of oncogenic proteins, inflammation, and cirrhosis. Through a symbiotic relationship, microorganisms in the gut interact with organs in humans, such as the liver, and play an important role in nutrition … Continue reading Different Gut Microbiota for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
By Natalie Lo ‘21 Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most prevalent type of dementia with links to memory impairment and behavioral issues in those diagnosed. Although the cause of AD is unknown, molecular characteristics of the disease include the growth of β-amyloid oligomers, which form plaques that result in brain atrophy. Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of … Continue reading Coenzyme Q10 Has Protective Effects in Alzheimer’s Disease
By Allan Mai ‘20 Ever see that probiotic label on the side of a container of yogurt or another dairy product and wonder what it means? Probiotic nutrition helps reduce pathogenic colonization of the intestines; however, until recently, researchers’ knowledge of the mechanism behind this process was ambiguous. Pipat Piewngam of Mahidol University in Thailand and his colleagues have discovered that the probiotic Bacillus works … Continue reading Elimination of Pathogens by Signaling Interference
By Allan Mai ‘20 After a traumatic spinal cord injury, a primary cause for concern is the threat of a dysfunctional respiratory system; a means by which to preserve respiratory functions is needed to decrease mortality rates in patients with spinal cord injuries. In a recent study, Dr. Kajana Satkunendrarajah of the Kembril Research Institute in Toronto discovered a potential solution to this problem which … Continue reading The Preservation of Respiratory Function After a Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
By Allan Mai ‘20 Wouldn’t it be convenient if researchers could tell how likely an individual is to have a certain disease just by looking at his or her genome? Researchers are doing exactly that by looking at over 6.6 million points of the human genome; according to Sekar Kathiresan, a geneticist at Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General), scientists now have the ability to calculate … Continue reading Using the Genome to Forecast Health
