Clostridium difficile... An 'Interesting' Treatment

The final system we are covering is the digestive system. I want to point out that we do not digest what we eat on our own, we have many microorganisms within our digestive system, mainly bacteria, helping us out. These bacteria are called "flora" within the intestines and help to maintain healthy digestive tracts. However, recent outbreaks of Clostridium difficile have caused problems for patients over the years. The first link I have provided gives some details about what C. difficile is, so I won't say much here. Basically C. difficile is an antibiotic resistant "super bug" that invades the digestive system in recent hospital patients, or in patients that have taken antibiotics to the extent that their normal flora are reduced enough to allow C. difficile to invade. To counter this problem, a very unique treatment has been discovered to work... fecal transplants. Yes it is as disgusting as it sounds, but it works in restoring normal flora in the body while patients are treated for the removal of C. difficile. Details are discussed in the second link that I provide. Fecal transplants are typically prepared from family or close friends who live with the patient, because they would share the same environment and foods, therefore their flora would be very similar. Not many doctors perform this procedure, but as C. difficile becomes a bigger threat, the procedure is being used more and more.
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/what-is-c-difficile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15113440

Music Brings Patients Back To Life

So I found this touching article based on a documentary (Alive Inside) discussing how a patient with Alzheimer's, Henry, remains unresponsive and looks depressed due to his dementia... until he listens to his music. It is suggested that personal playlists "bring patients to life" because areas of the brain that are associated with music are still active despite dementia. So it is hoped that soon every patient experiencing dementia in a nursing home can have their own iPod that loved ones can load a personal playlist onto in order to make the patients more active. Even though the patients still may not recognize loved ones or speak, they become more aware and responsive when listening to music. As the article describes, Henry begins dancing and singing in his wheelchair to his favorite tunes. This is a rather heartwarming article whether you know someone suffering from dementia or not. I hope to live as my grandfather did, independent to the very end, but I know for certain that I will always have my music with me. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AlzheimersCommunity/alzheimers-disease-music-brings-patients-back-life/story?id=16117602#.T4i-JqyF9iE

Neuroaxonal Spheroids

Hey guys,
        So this week in class Dr. Hens mentioned that as we age the axons of our neurons can swell. I did a bit of research on this because I was very curious and never heard of such a thing. What I found is that axon swellings are referred to as spheroids. These spheroids can occur due to the buildup of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and glycogens. I found a few papers detailing mechanisms of how this happens by searching "neruoaxonal spheroids," but I don't want to post anything too difficult. Basically swelling occurs naturally as we age, but can also be linked to neurodegenertive diseases or simple head injuries (one little bump to us is one helluva whallop to a neuron). Along with my research I found this interesting article (1st Link Below) describing a case study in a male patient who was observed to have these axon spheroids (much more applicable and interesting than the papers I found of mice/dogs/rats with them). I don't want to give away anything so I'll let you read the article yourselves, its short but very interesting (at least I believe it is).
http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/75/7/1070.full.pdf+html (Case Study)
http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n11/fig_tab/nrn1788_F2.html (Image from here)

Alive, but NO PULSE?!

Hey guys,
       So this week we have discussed the heart and circulatory system. The article I have chosen to share with you guys is one I read in my Popular Science magazine that blew me away. I am not going to say much because this is a great read, but what I will say is that very soon the "heart shortage crisis" in the medical field may be permanently solved. How will this happen?... well nobody will have a pulse anymore!!! I hope you guys find this article to be as fascinating as I have, though it is a bit lengthy.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-02/no-pulse-how-doctors-reinvented-human-heart?page=all

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

This week my post is about Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). The meibomian glands are the glands within the eyelid that produce oils found in tears, in MGD the glands do not produce these oils as effectively. Without oil, tears mainly consist of water and evaporate quickly, causing dry eyes. MGD is also referred to as 'evaporative dry eye' for this very reason. While shadowing an optometrist over the summer I read in an optomology magazine (fun stuff I know) about a new treatment being proposed called Lipiflow, and now the treatment has obtained FDA approval and has been used for patient care. Basically the instrument (as shown in the above image) heats up the eyelid and massages at the same time, this allows any obstructions within the meibomian glands to break loose and allow the glands to produce oil once more. The procedure takes about 12 minutes per eye and the effects last for about a year (much cheaper than eye drops) according to the video (found on webpage below). However there is one caveat, this procedure cannot help those whose meibomian glands have atrophied, only those whose glands are not producing oils due to blockages.
http://medgadget.com/2011/07/lipiflow-for-meibomian-gland-dysfunction-and-evaporative-dry-eye-gets-cleared-in-u-s.html

Molecular Tweezers STOP Parkinson's in Animal Model

Scientists at UCLA have found a molecule called CRL01 that was found to stop Parkinson's disease both in cell cultures and in Zebrafish. CLR01 is known as a "molecular tweezer." Basically, a molecular tweezer is a "C" shaped molecular compound that is capable of binding proteins. In this research, it was found that CLR01 specifically binds to a-synuclein, a protein culprit of Parkinson's disease, and both prevent it from aggregating as well as breaking down already formed aggregates in cells and organisms. The most promising discovery is that CLR01 has not been found to be toxic or cause any side effects because it is so specifically efficient at binding only a-synuclein. They do not mention how far they are from human trials, but this is pretty "hot off the press"; hopefully we may see a cure for Parkinson's in the next few years. This link (below) simply gives an overview of the research discoveries, it does not discuss the experiment in great detail.
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/parkinson-s-disease-stopped-in-229436.aspx
The research, "A Novel 'Molecular Tweezer' Inhibitor of a-Synuclein Neurotoxicity in Vitro and in Vivo" appears in the current online edition (2012 February 29) of the journal Neurotherapeutics. (I could not find this article myself online, so this is more for Dr. Hens to see).

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy... Cure?

The article I chose this week discusses the posibility of improving the condition of people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or even one day curing the disease. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a inherited disease involving rapid muscle weakness. Tragically, this disease appears in children before age 6, and by age 12 they lose the ability to walk (confined to braces if they are lucky, or a wheelchair). As the article states, it is rare that children with Duchenne live past their mid-twenties. It is a horrible disease and as of yet there is no cure and little that can be done. I lost a friend to the disease in my childhood, and only now do I really understand what had happened (which is why I couldn't look for a picture of MD... but I would guess that the Google images would be saddening for anyone). This article discusses using a technique called "exon skipping" to repair the muscular RNA throughout the patient's body. It has been proven to be effective in dystrophic dogs, and test have shown an increase in some missing proteins within human muscle. Hopefully we will see a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy very soon.

http://www.fox23news.com/content/healthalert/story/Duchennes-Muscular-Dystrophy-A-dogs-solution/Pfx1BmJx8ESqrthd5OOGAQ.cspx

Cracking Down on Cracking Knucles and Arthritis

Hey guys,
        So after discussing arthritis in class I became interested in finding the truth about what Dr. Hens said about knuckle cracking leading to arthritis due to cartilage damage in the joints. I occasionally crack my knuckles, particularly after writing a lot of notes in a class or after playing a lot of tennis (both of which happen more frequently than would be expected), so I wanted to find out if I was doing my body harm. Based on my research the answer is... yes and no. It has been found that knuckle cracking does not lead to arthritis, however, it has been shown to be related to developed hand weakness. So what happens when we crack our knuckles? Joints are filled with what is called synovial fluid that acts as a lubricant in the joints, within this fluid are dissolved gases (oxygen, nitrogen, etc.), so when we crack our knuckles we create a bubble of these gases that then "pops". Once popped, it takes time for the gases to be re-dissolved in the synovial fluid, which is why you cannot crack your knuckles too frequently. But all is not lost! You can strengthen joints by exercise because building mucle will build the cartilage and tendons that are associated with them, so if you are a knuckle cracker it would be wise to also be a frequent exerciser. The link below is a short primary research article discussing knuckle cracking and arthritis... enjoy.
http://osteoarthritis.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=osteoarthritis&cdn=health&tm=30&f=20&tt=12&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi%3Fartid%3D1004074

Cancers Go Unnoticed

Hey guys,
        Lately we have been discussing skin cancers. Instead of finding something specifically on melanoma I searched for 'skin cancer' in the news and I found this article (1st link below). It isn't about skin cancer specifically, but I found it to be worth discussing (that and I didn't want to focus on a specific cancer to be redundant with any other posts). This article discusses how at least 7,000 patients may have been misdiagnosed at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI). An inquiry ensued and the figures about the mistakes were released. Now why is this relevant? Well even though I one day hope to become a doctor, I know better than to trust only one diagnosis from one person. People make mistakes, and doctors are people. With matters such as skin cancer it is much better to be self aware about your body and to do self-exams (2nd link below). If you find something, or even if a doctor finds something and it is thought to be something serious then you should get different opinions from different doctors. As Dr. Hens told us herself, she was almost misdiagnosed when she only had a bad case of poison ivy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9090525/Thousands-of-misdiagnoses-feared-in-cancer-scandal.html
http://skincancer.about.com/od/preventionandriskfactors/a/selfexam.htm

A Bloody Battle with Skin Cancer

Hey guys,
        So I found a great article (link below) about how researchers at UCLA have genetically engineered blood stem cells to fight specifically against melanoma. These melanoma-specific T-cells have been shown to reduce tumor size and completely eliminate the tumors. The human blood stem cells were genetically engineered from a T-cell receptor taken from a human cancer patient. These stem cells were put into a human thymus that was implanted into mice to test the immunological response to melanoma in a living organism. Over 6 weeks, the cells matured into melanoma-specific T-cells. The researchers introduced two types of melanomas into the mice, one that released the antigen that attracts the T-cells, and one that did not. The mice with the antigen releasing tumors were shown to have their tumors completely eliminated, and all mice shown reduced tumor size. Researchers are hopeful to begin trial tests soon. If this works, the war on cancer may come to a bloody victory. The article also discusses: the mechanism of resistance to a current melanoma drug (Vemurafenib); a protein (P-Rex1) that  plays an important role in the spread of melanoma; and how decreased levels of antioxidants in men can increase the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. The entire article is interesting, but the very first part dealing with the genetically engineered T-cells is by far one of the biggest breakthroughs I feel.

http://www.skinandaging.com/content/skin-cancer-review-1

Tall and Tan and Young and Lovely...

Hey guys,

       My original goal was to find some good articles on how proteasomes affect aging, but I was unseccessful for the most part. This article here (1st Link) discusses how tanning beds increase the chances of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and melanoma by as much as 75% in users no matter how many times they use tanning beds nor what age they start at. What really stuck out to me was the fact that "about 30 million Americans use tanning beds, which the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as a human carcinogen." Also, the increased chance of developing these two types of skin cancer is all BEFORE AGE 40. The odds of cancer increase enough with age as it is, why would people want to speed things up? Fortunately, measures are being taken (2nd Link) to reduce the use of tanning beds, especially by people (mostly females) under age 40. A federal 10% tax was issued, and states such as California are putting age limits on tanning bed use. I have a friend who tans all the damn time, and her skin is already starting to become leathery... she's only 21! Yes, I understand if you want to tan to look good for a special occasion or something, but to want to be tan all year round is ridiculous, your skin deserves a break. But being a guy I don't pretend to understand such things.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45656187/ns/health-cancer/t/tanning-beds-may-raise-common-skin-cancer-risk-percent/#.Tza5fLyF9CA

http://www.skinandaging.com/content/indoor-tanning-update-recent-legislation-research-and-news

Caloric Restriction (CR)

Hey guys,
        After reading over the review article in class I did some futher research into a CR diet. I found a website that reviews the topic fairly well (link below). Glancing through the website, the most interesting thing that I found was that the site said that research indicated that humans may only be able to handle a 15% CR diet without developing malnutrition problems. But the research indicated that mice on a 60% CR diet could live up to 55 months (about 4.5 years) as opposed to about 35 months (almost 3 years) of mice that are "fully fed". So although CR diets may extend longevity in humans, our metabolism and our bodies can only handle so much (which makes sense). So a CR diet and exercise alone will not let us live a lot longer, but they could add a few years if you are careful as to how you approach such a lifestyle. But a CR diet and exercise can also be beneficial for avoiding health issues later in life, so even if they may not let you live much longer they certainly will let you live a better life overall. It's certainly an interesting subject.
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/health/crondiet.html

Can We Live Forever?

 Hey guys,
      I was poking around Netflix and I found this video (1st link below). After watching the video I remembered an old articl from Popular Science that I read (2nd link below). Both the video and the article discuss the idea of extending the human lifespan, possibly indefinetly. I found it to be really interesting, hope you do too.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1754457671/
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-07/man-who-would-stop-time

Up and Running

Hey guys, welcome to my blog. This blog is dedicated to discussing the biology of aging (Bio 208). I'm so excited to start this blog for class. I can't wait to start reading everyone's blogs and I hope you all enjoy reading mine.

Naked Mole Rats

Hey guys,
        So Dr. Hens mentioned naked mole rats in our first class and I remembered reading this article in Popular Science (link below) magazine. They are actually very interesting creatures, albeit not so attractive. I'm surprised more people don't know about them considering they may help us to figure out cures to cancer and heart problems. Anyway just thought I would share the article if anyone would care to read it. Enjoy.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-07/hideous-rodent-genome-sequenced-researchers-search-keys-surviving-everything