Can a Virus Shortage Stop Gene Therapy Forever? - Mariam Hafez
Gene therapy has hit a setback after the Food and Drug Administration decided to accelerate the process of approving the treatments. The FDA stated that they would like to get more treatments in the market, in hopes of helping those who benefit from gene therapy (Kolata). Unfortunately, this has put stress on companies who are clinically developing these therapies. A virus shortage has slowed down companies such as Novartis and MilliporeSigma from manufacturing disabled viruses (Kolata). These viruses are important for gene therapy research because they are used as a means of transporting appropriate genes to specific cells for a desired function. As evidenced by this, a shortage in disabled viruses complicates the development of gene therapies because the treatments profoundly depend on these viruses. The production of viruses has been sluggish because it is expensive and demanding. There are various viruses that can be made for each treatment, and this variety is what makes the production tedious. Thus, disabled viruses require extensive knowledge and resources to create. The virus production market has expanded tremendously over the years, but has yet to keep up with the rapidly growing field of gene therapy. Several companies have taken over the market, but only a few have been successful because of this halt in manufacture. One successful company, BioMarin, has created its own plant to produce viruses, but does not market them, rather it uses them for its own gene therapies (Kolata).
Reasons for the decline in disabled viruses for gene therapy vary from case to case. In most situations, there are federal standards that must be met for these viruses to be used with patients that companies are finding difficult to achieve. The paperwork required to market these viruses is tiresome and drawn-out, oftentimes taking longer than a year to complete (Kolata). The biggest burden for these manufacturing companies is cost. Biotechnology firms spend over a third of their budgets on viruses for their therapies, which are already costly to create (Kolata). Most companies rely on investors, but the more recent obstacle is convincing investors that they have a steady source of disabled viruses that can bring success to their treatments. Manufacturing costs consider many factors ranging from the number of patients to the number of cells that need to be modified by the treatment (Kolata). The question is, “Will the practice of gene therapy be halted until viruses can be produced or will the costs increase even more?” Sadly, both results have drawbacks, but research methods will continue to evolve regardless of the outcome.
Reasons for the decline in disabled viruses for gene therapy vary from case to case. In most situations, there are federal standards that must be met for these viruses to be used with patients that companies are finding difficult to achieve. The paperwork required to market these viruses is tiresome and drawn-out, oftentimes taking longer than a year to complete (Kolata). The biggest burden for these manufacturing companies is cost. Biotechnology firms spend over a third of their budgets on viruses for their therapies, which are already costly to create (Kolata). Most companies rely on investors, but the more recent obstacle is convincing investors that they have a steady source of disabled viruses that can bring success to their treatments. Manufacturing costs consider many factors ranging from the number of patients to the number of cells that need to be modified by the treatment (Kolata). The question is, “Will the practice of gene therapy be halted until viruses can be produced or will the costs increase even more?” Sadly, both results have drawbacks, but research methods will continue to evolve regardless of the outcome.
The Importance of Diversity - Yvette Oppong
An essential part of medicine is being able to communicate well with patients because it allows the physician to be able to attend to the needs of the patient as well as their concerns. In our ever changing world, it is becoming very clear that we need to have more and more physicians exposed to these different cultures and languages in order to better serve the diverse group of patients they care for. Being bilingual, “can help mitigate the challenges that patients and their families may face if they don’t speak English” (Vroomen Marijke Durning 1). Not everyone who goes into the doctor’s office can clearly communicate with the doctor in English to tell them what their problem is. Sometimes, there must be a family member present to translate in order to prevent the possibility of miscommunication.
A doctor has to be one of the most trusting people for a patient because a patient has to be able to talk to their doctor about sensitive and serious issues. The problem with having translators is that it is allowing one more ear to listen to personal information that should only be for the doctor. If a doctor is able to communicate effectively with their patient, it will create a much more effective relationship that will meet the needs of the patient in a better manner.
When my grandma came to America, she found it difficult to communicate with others about her problems, especially her doctor, so my mom has to be there during her appointments. I think it's important for doctors to be required to at least learn one other language apart from English. “Forty-two percent of physicians reported having fluency in at least one other language other than English” (Gerardo 1). This is important because everyone deserves to be attended to and they also deserve their privacy with information that has to do with their body.
A doctor has to be one of the most trusting people for a patient because a patient has to be able to talk to their doctor about sensitive and serious issues. The problem with having translators is that it is allowing one more ear to listen to personal information that should only be for the doctor. If a doctor is able to communicate effectively with their patient, it will create a much more effective relationship that will meet the needs of the patient in a better manner.
When my grandma came to America, she found it difficult to communicate with others about her problems, especially her doctor, so my mom has to be there during her appointments. I think it's important for doctors to be required to at least learn one other language apart from English. “Forty-two percent of physicians reported having fluency in at least one other language other than English” (Gerardo 1). This is important because everyone deserves to be attended to and they also deserve their privacy with information that has to do with their body.
The End of Mumps ... or is it the Beginning? - Mariam Hafez
Outbreaks of the mumps virus have returned, even among those who have been vaccinated. There have been incidents reported in several areas, adding up to more than 6,000 cases reported in the United States last year (Klass). The largest outbreak occurred in Arkansas, followed by several large college campus outbreaks. Surprisingly, most of these cases were from patients who were previously vaccinated (Klass).
The mumps vaccine is administered through the MMR vaccine, which includes measles, mumps and rubella. The recent outbreaks are concerning, since this vaccine has been in the market since 1967 after many trials and errors with other vaccines (Klass). Mumps is caused by a virus called rubulavirus, which results in inflammation of the salivary glands, specifically the parotid glands. This is painful and can result in discomfort in the neck area, leading to poor health habits such as a decrease in food consumption. Other symptoms include fever, rash and fatigue. Mumps are transmitted through bodily fluids, and symptoms occur about two weeks after the virus has entered the body. As evidenced, the outbreaks are worrying because there have not been many mumps outbreaks since the late 1960s. Currently, there is not a large outbreak, rather there have been many small outbreaks throughout the United States. These outbreaks have neared in on the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, to their surprise (Klass).
Most cases that have been reported have been from patients ages 18 to 22 years. This is significant because patients ranging in these ages have been vaccinated as children. So, what is the problem? The body’s immunity is susceptible to change at any time, a concept The New York Times characterizes as “waning immunity” (Klass). This term thoroughly describes the current mumps outbreaks because patients have waning immunity to it, even after their vaccination. A solution was presented for this issue: a third dose of mumps (Klass). Many patients who believe they may have a risk of contracting mumps have already had a third dose, but it is not common (Klass). This could potentially lower risks, since the virus has recently caused outbreaks. It is important to note that these outbreaks could be prevented, especially for mumps. By following healthy habits and looking out for signs and symptoms, the risks for mumps can be lowered. It is recommended to take a third dose of the vaccine if you believe you may be at a higher risk.
The mumps vaccine is administered through the MMR vaccine, which includes measles, mumps and rubella. The recent outbreaks are concerning, since this vaccine has been in the market since 1967 after many trials and errors with other vaccines (Klass). Mumps is caused by a virus called rubulavirus, which results in inflammation of the salivary glands, specifically the parotid glands. This is painful and can result in discomfort in the neck area, leading to poor health habits such as a decrease in food consumption. Other symptoms include fever, rash and fatigue. Mumps are transmitted through bodily fluids, and symptoms occur about two weeks after the virus has entered the body. As evidenced, the outbreaks are worrying because there have not been many mumps outbreaks since the late 1960s. Currently, there is not a large outbreak, rather there have been many small outbreaks throughout the United States. These outbreaks have neared in on the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, to their surprise (Klass).
Most cases that have been reported have been from patients ages 18 to 22 years. This is significant because patients ranging in these ages have been vaccinated as children. So, what is the problem? The body’s immunity is susceptible to change at any time, a concept The New York Times characterizes as “waning immunity” (Klass). This term thoroughly describes the current mumps outbreaks because patients have waning immunity to it, even after their vaccination. A solution was presented for this issue: a third dose of mumps (Klass). Many patients who believe they may have a risk of contracting mumps have already had a third dose, but it is not common (Klass). This could potentially lower risks, since the virus has recently caused outbreaks. It is important to note that these outbreaks could be prevented, especially for mumps. By following healthy habits and looking out for signs and symptoms, the risks for mumps can be lowered. It is recommended to take a third dose of the vaccine if you believe you may be at a higher risk.
Culture Shock: My Experiences Seeing the Differences in Indian and American Healthcare Systems - Abishek Arokiadoss
When you think of your experience going to see a doctor what comes to mind for you? Maybe going to see a general physician to have an initial diagnosis’s, or maybe having to fiddle around with insurance cards and paying premiums. Or maybe waiting for weeks, even months, to get a MRI or CT scan.
Over the course of the summer I had the wonderful opportunity to shadow multiple doctors in one of the best hospitals in Chennai, India. Over the course of two weeks I was able to get a background look into how the culture of healthcare in India is radically different from the culture of healthcare in the US. The first aspect that really leaped out to me as different is the lack of triage. In the US before you are able to see a specialist you must sit with a general physician before you can be referred to a specialist. But in India I have seen multiple patients come in directly to a specialist only to be referred to another specialist who can actually help them. For example a patient had come in to a neurologist with continuing headaches thinking it was a neurological problem. Over the course of a couple of days and a few tests, it was found that it was actually an inner ear problem, at which point they were referred to the doctor I was shadowing. What followed was the medical version of a game of telephone, where the patient tried to pass on the information given to them by the neurologist only to realize that they would need to run a whole new set of tests to acquire an accurate representation of what was wrong with them.
This experience also highlighted an aspect of the Indian healthcare system that I just noticed - the lack of digital records for patients. My experience in the past few years is that everything that I say to a doctor is meticulously inputted into their digital records. This makes things much easier to track illness and tests, and makes communicating between hospitals a much easier task. But in India for whatever reason, either due to cost or just lack of adoption, there were no digital records that doctors could access about their patients. Everything was done on paper stored in folders that were given to patients.
Over the course of my shadowing experience the most shocking thing that I saw were the number of patients that these doctors had to see on a daily basis. In the US, at least in my experience, most doctors won’t see more than a dozen patients throughout the day; maybe up to twenty if it’s a very busy day. But the pediatrician I was shadowing one week had said that it was common, almost expected, for him to see about sixty or more patients over the course of a working day. Granted, most of these were routine checkups and did not require an extensive write up, but it forced him to only spend around five minutes with a patient before sending them off.
While there are many differences between the Indian and US healthcare systems, the core message of helping and healing patients is still there. I was able to learn that these differences were caused by the differences in culture and demographics and have caused interesting solutions to be born from this environment.
Over the course of the summer I had the wonderful opportunity to shadow multiple doctors in one of the best hospitals in Chennai, India. Over the course of two weeks I was able to get a background look into how the culture of healthcare in India is radically different from the culture of healthcare in the US. The first aspect that really leaped out to me as different is the lack of triage. In the US before you are able to see a specialist you must sit with a general physician before you can be referred to a specialist. But in India I have seen multiple patients come in directly to a specialist only to be referred to another specialist who can actually help them. For example a patient had come in to a neurologist with continuing headaches thinking it was a neurological problem. Over the course of a couple of days and a few tests, it was found that it was actually an inner ear problem, at which point they were referred to the doctor I was shadowing. What followed was the medical version of a game of telephone, where the patient tried to pass on the information given to them by the neurologist only to realize that they would need to run a whole new set of tests to acquire an accurate representation of what was wrong with them.
This experience also highlighted an aspect of the Indian healthcare system that I just noticed - the lack of digital records for patients. My experience in the past few years is that everything that I say to a doctor is meticulously inputted into their digital records. This makes things much easier to track illness and tests, and makes communicating between hospitals a much easier task. But in India for whatever reason, either due to cost or just lack of adoption, there were no digital records that doctors could access about their patients. Everything was done on paper stored in folders that were given to patients.
Over the course of my shadowing experience the most shocking thing that I saw were the number of patients that these doctors had to see on a daily basis. In the US, at least in my experience, most doctors won’t see more than a dozen patients throughout the day; maybe up to twenty if it’s a very busy day. But the pediatrician I was shadowing one week had said that it was common, almost expected, for him to see about sixty or more patients over the course of a working day. Granted, most of these were routine checkups and did not require an extensive write up, but it forced him to only spend around five minutes with a patient before sending them off.
While there are many differences between the Indian and US healthcare systems, the core message of helping and healing patients is still there. I was able to learn that these differences were caused by the differences in culture and demographics and have caused interesting solutions to be born from this environment.
Cracking Cancer's Code - Tava DeQuattro
Cancer is increasingly prevalent and notorious for its relentless nature and uncontrollable characteristics. The search for a cure to this nasty disease has proposed a great challenge to many doctors and specialists across the world. We have developed chemotherapy, radiation, and many other advanced treatments to shrink tumors and combat the disease, but there is still no absolute cure. At all times, doctors are looking for any way to stop cancer from spreading and to kill the disease once and for all. Recently, studies that observe cancer cell’s chromatin have suggested an opportunity to target tumors.
Chromatin resides in the cell’s nucleus and plays a major part in housing and packing the cell’s DNA, or genetic code. “In cancer cells, however, chromatin helps them to evolve and adapt to cancer therapies, thereby allowing them to survive” under conditions of chemotherapy and radiation (Whiteman). Researchers from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University delved deeper into the chromatin of cancer cells in hopes of determining what about it enables these cells to adapt to treatment methods and continue to survive and spread. Through a new technique of monitoring chromatin, they found that “chromatin has a specific ‘packing density’ associated with gene expression that helps cancer cells to evade treatments” (Whiteman). They found that the more disorganized the chromatin was packed, the more likely it was to survive in response to treatment. With this knowledge, potential alternations could be made to chromatin to alter the cell’s ability to thrive under treatment.
Researchers applied changes to chromatin in cancer cells, making their packing density more ordered, and observed the changes in the cell’s response to chemotherapy. “Within 2 or 3 days, nearly every single cancer cell died because they could not respond,” due to their restructured chromatin (Backman). The cells ability to adapt to the treatment was weakened, so the cells were not able to survive. Although this research is still novel and has not been tested yet on human or animals, it could be a step in the right direction to cracking cancer’s code.
Chromatin resides in the cell’s nucleus and plays a major part in housing and packing the cell’s DNA, or genetic code. “In cancer cells, however, chromatin helps them to evolve and adapt to cancer therapies, thereby allowing them to survive” under conditions of chemotherapy and radiation (Whiteman). Researchers from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University delved deeper into the chromatin of cancer cells in hopes of determining what about it enables these cells to adapt to treatment methods and continue to survive and spread. Through a new technique of monitoring chromatin, they found that “chromatin has a specific ‘packing density’ associated with gene expression that helps cancer cells to evade treatments” (Whiteman). They found that the more disorganized the chromatin was packed, the more likely it was to survive in response to treatment. With this knowledge, potential alternations could be made to chromatin to alter the cell’s ability to thrive under treatment.
Researchers applied changes to chromatin in cancer cells, making their packing density more ordered, and observed the changes in the cell’s response to chemotherapy. “Within 2 or 3 days, nearly every single cancer cell died because they could not respond,” due to their restructured chromatin (Backman). The cells ability to adapt to the treatment was weakened, so the cells were not able to survive. Although this research is still novel and has not been tested yet on human or animals, it could be a step in the right direction to cracking cancer’s code.
The Effects of Stress: Is it All About Perception? - Yvette Oppong
Almost everyone has experienced stress at least once in their life - some more than others. Most people think of stress as a bad thing, the monster, the enemy. However, the way you think about stress does affect your health. A recent study that tracked 30,000 adults in the United States for 8 years revealed some surprising results that may completely change the way you perceive your stress.
The researchers started by asking the participants how much they stressed in the last year and whether or not they believed stress was harmful for their health. The researchers found out that, “people who experienced a lot of stress in the previous year and who believed stress was harmful for their health had a 43% risk of dying”(McGonigal 1:49). People who experienced a lot of stress but didn’t believe stress to be harmful were no more likely to die; they had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study even including people who had little stress.
Changing how you think about stress can make you healthier. When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body’s response to stress. You have to think of your body preparing you to meet the challenge you’re facing. When you do this, you perform better. For example, in a study conducted at Harvard University, participants in the social stress test were taught to reframe the way they thought about their stress response – instead seeing stress as something helpful before they started the test: your heart pounding is your body preparing you for action, breathing faster means your brain is getting more oxygen, etc. Participants who viewed their stress response as helpful for their performance were less stressed out, less anxious, more confident, and their physical stress response changed. In a typical stress response, your heart rate goes up and your blood vessels constrict. Participants who viewed the stress response as helpful had relaxed blood vessels; their blood vessels looked like, “what happens in moments of joy and courage” (McGonigal 5:55).
Our biological stress response also wants us to reduce our stress in any way, even by including other people if that is what it takes. One of the most underappreciated aspects of the stress response is that stress makes you social. A hormone called oxytocin (also known as the cuddle hormone) is released when you hug someone, but it is also a neurohormone that makes your brain’s social instincts better and makes you ready to do things that strengthen close relationships. However, most people do not know oxytocin is a stress hormone. The pituitary gland releases this hormone when you stress, and it motivates you to go get support. Oxytocin is also a natural anti-inflammatory that protects your cardiovascular system from the effects of stress - it relaxes your blood vessels, and helps your heart cells regenerate and heal from the effects of stress. What makes it better is that oxytocin is released more when you have social contact and support.
How you think about stress does matter. We need to get better at stress and think that this is our body’s way of helping to fight our stress. Our body has a mechanism built in that allows us to prevent the harmful damages of stress; all we have to do is harness and utilize it to our advantage. In the world today, there are a lot of problems that can cause a lot of stress. However, having a clear and relaxed mind is the first step to tackling the problem. The next step is using that sharp mind to become successful. For example, there a lot of college students, including me, that need to have this mindset on stress when trying to manage challenging work as well as having to balance responsibilities outside of the classroom and finances. “Seven out of 10 college students feel stressed about their personal finances” (Grabmeier). Having to maintain grades as well as be involved is difficult especially when money comes into play because it is sometimes difficult to find income and pay for bills. “32 percent of of students report neglecting their studies at least sometimes because of the money they owed” (Grabmeier). It is important for us college students to be taught how to think about the way we stress so that our responsibilities do not overwhelm and deteriorate us.
The researchers started by asking the participants how much they stressed in the last year and whether or not they believed stress was harmful for their health. The researchers found out that, “people who experienced a lot of stress in the previous year and who believed stress was harmful for their health had a 43% risk of dying”(McGonigal 1:49). People who experienced a lot of stress but didn’t believe stress to be harmful were no more likely to die; they had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study even including people who had little stress.
Changing how you think about stress can make you healthier. When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body’s response to stress. You have to think of your body preparing you to meet the challenge you’re facing. When you do this, you perform better. For example, in a study conducted at Harvard University, participants in the social stress test were taught to reframe the way they thought about their stress response – instead seeing stress as something helpful before they started the test: your heart pounding is your body preparing you for action, breathing faster means your brain is getting more oxygen, etc. Participants who viewed their stress response as helpful for their performance were less stressed out, less anxious, more confident, and their physical stress response changed. In a typical stress response, your heart rate goes up and your blood vessels constrict. Participants who viewed the stress response as helpful had relaxed blood vessels; their blood vessels looked like, “what happens in moments of joy and courage” (McGonigal 5:55).
Our biological stress response also wants us to reduce our stress in any way, even by including other people if that is what it takes. One of the most underappreciated aspects of the stress response is that stress makes you social. A hormone called oxytocin (also known as the cuddle hormone) is released when you hug someone, but it is also a neurohormone that makes your brain’s social instincts better and makes you ready to do things that strengthen close relationships. However, most people do not know oxytocin is a stress hormone. The pituitary gland releases this hormone when you stress, and it motivates you to go get support. Oxytocin is also a natural anti-inflammatory that protects your cardiovascular system from the effects of stress - it relaxes your blood vessels, and helps your heart cells regenerate and heal from the effects of stress. What makes it better is that oxytocin is released more when you have social contact and support.
How you think about stress does matter. We need to get better at stress and think that this is our body’s way of helping to fight our stress. Our body has a mechanism built in that allows us to prevent the harmful damages of stress; all we have to do is harness and utilize it to our advantage. In the world today, there are a lot of problems that can cause a lot of stress. However, having a clear and relaxed mind is the first step to tackling the problem. The next step is using that sharp mind to become successful. For example, there a lot of college students, including me, that need to have this mindset on stress when trying to manage challenging work as well as having to balance responsibilities outside of the classroom and finances. “Seven out of 10 college students feel stressed about their personal finances” (Grabmeier). Having to maintain grades as well as be involved is difficult especially when money comes into play because it is sometimes difficult to find income and pay for bills. “32 percent of of students report neglecting their studies at least sometimes because of the money they owed” (Grabmeier). It is important for us college students to be taught how to think about the way we stress so that our responsibilities do not overwhelm and deteriorate us.
Food and Mental Health - Tava DeQuattro
Eating healthy foods is often associated with a healthy, “in shape” body, but what about an “in shape” brain? Not only do the foods you eat affect your physical health, but your diet also heavily influences your mental health. A large part of mental health that is affected by diet is memory and mood. Neal Barnard, in “Power Foods for the Brain,” shines a light on many correlations between diet differences and the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment with age. A major part of Barnard’s results focused on the effects of saturated fat, which is found most abundantly in dairy products and meat. His findings show a strong correlation between a large consumption of saturated fat and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Interestingly, Dr. Eva Selhub, contributing editor for Harvard Medical School’s Health Blog, also shines a light on the effects of saturated fats, but in regards to mood. “Studies have…shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet [such as the traditional Mediterranean or Japanese diet, compared to a typical “Western” diet]. Scientists account for this difference because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and to contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy” (Selhub). From these findings, it could be assumed that our typical American diet, which contains high amounts of both meat and dairy, is strongly correlated with our high prevalence of depression. Both studies give insight into the fact that saturated fats can be detrimental to our mental health, potentially increasing our risk for depressive episodes and memory loss.
But how exactly do these foods affect the brain – in terms of memory and mood? We know that long-term memory is developed by the strengthening of connections between neurons at the synapses due to changes in the membranes of the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic cells. Dr. Selhub also tells us that “your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million neurons,” which have a direct pathway to the central nervous system (the brain) and are influenced by the foods and nutrients that enter your digestive system. In addition, “95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract” (Selhub); serotonin is the neurotransmitter that, if deficient, can be a biological contributor to depression. With this knowledge, it makes sense that what you put into your stomach can have great effects on your brain. The function of the neurons in your digestive tract, as well as the production of neurotransmitters, is influenced by the food you eat. If the neurons are functioning well, by eating more unprocessed foods and less saturated fat, neurotransmitters are being produced and the neuronal connections are strengthening, therefore greatly benefiting your mental health in terms of memory and mood.
But how exactly do these foods affect the brain – in terms of memory and mood? We know that long-term memory is developed by the strengthening of connections between neurons at the synapses due to changes in the membranes of the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic cells. Dr. Selhub also tells us that “your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million neurons,” which have a direct pathway to the central nervous system (the brain) and are influenced by the foods and nutrients that enter your digestive system. In addition, “95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract” (Selhub); serotonin is the neurotransmitter that, if deficient, can be a biological contributor to depression. With this knowledge, it makes sense that what you put into your stomach can have great effects on your brain. The function of the neurons in your digestive tract, as well as the production of neurotransmitters, is influenced by the food you eat. If the neurons are functioning well, by eating more unprocessed foods and less saturated fat, neurotransmitters are being produced and the neuronal connections are strengthening, therefore greatly benefiting your mental health in terms of memory and mood.
Regenerative Medicine: A Look Behind the Scenes - Mariam Hafez
Regenerative medicine has been a rapidly growing field of research study, and is valued because of the high potential that it has. But is this field promising for patients whose medical needs rely on it? Regenerative medicine is a broad term, which can range from stem cell therapy to everyday practices such as blood transfusions. The most common methods in practice are evidence that regenerative medicine can be used for other cures. This field differs from current methods of treatment, because it focuses on completely changing how medical treatments are provided by finding long-term solutions to solve the cause of a problem, rather than just treating it. The use of regenerative medicine is low; it is a field that is highly discussed but not regularly practiced throughout the nation. There clearly is good potential for this area, but what is the problem?
There are not enough efforts being made to follow up on research ideas that have been developed. The successes that are made are being halted by stepping-stones to regular medical practice, such as the FDA or financial expenses. However, there are a significant amount of treatments in progress, and they are still yet to join the market. Cost is a contributing factor, since techniques used in cell therapy require time and precision. Taking this into consideration, even if a device or implant is FDA approved, it cannot be commercialized for many patients. To overcome this, current programs are searching to lower costs to make cures accessible to patients in need (Hewings-Martin).
Patients are being promised huge breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, when only a handful of successful results have been made in the past. These techniques include new advances in stem cell therapy, tissue regeneration, or organ transplants. What patients are not aware of is how long these products take to reach the market. There is high talk about this field, but not enough practice, yielding low success rates.
As a result of low success rates in research practices, patients are being exploited by labs. Many researchers in clinics have been promising patients in desperate medical conditions with treatments that have not been FDA approved yet. Unfortunately, they are bringing up the hopes of patients and their families, with no tangible results. Even worse, some stem cell labs have been selling therapies that are not FDA approved. At a clinic in Florida, researchers illegally sold and implemented their treatments to patients. This was revealed after the clinic failed to prevent contamination, and patients became more ill. Evidently, there are many problems with giving treatments that are not FDA approved. As evidenced by this situation and others, it is illegal and can be harmful to patients. FDA approval is put in place to assess the possible results of a certain treatment, and given this, non-FDA-approved products have not been supported to show positive outcomes. Commercializing illegal medical treatments for patients is unfortunate, but promising them to live is tragic, because it undervalues their lives (Hewings-Martin).
There are not enough efforts being made to follow up on research ideas that have been developed. The successes that are made are being halted by stepping-stones to regular medical practice, such as the FDA or financial expenses. However, there are a significant amount of treatments in progress, and they are still yet to join the market. Cost is a contributing factor, since techniques used in cell therapy require time and precision. Taking this into consideration, even if a device or implant is FDA approved, it cannot be commercialized for many patients. To overcome this, current programs are searching to lower costs to make cures accessible to patients in need (Hewings-Martin).
Patients are being promised huge breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, when only a handful of successful results have been made in the past. These techniques include new advances in stem cell therapy, tissue regeneration, or organ transplants. What patients are not aware of is how long these products take to reach the market. There is high talk about this field, but not enough practice, yielding low success rates.
As a result of low success rates in research practices, patients are being exploited by labs. Many researchers in clinics have been promising patients in desperate medical conditions with treatments that have not been FDA approved yet. Unfortunately, they are bringing up the hopes of patients and their families, with no tangible results. Even worse, some stem cell labs have been selling therapies that are not FDA approved. At a clinic in Florida, researchers illegally sold and implemented their treatments to patients. This was revealed after the clinic failed to prevent contamination, and patients became more ill. Evidently, there are many problems with giving treatments that are not FDA approved. As evidenced by this situation and others, it is illegal and can be harmful to patients. FDA approval is put in place to assess the possible results of a certain treatment, and given this, non-FDA-approved products have not been supported to show positive outcomes. Commercializing illegal medical treatments for patients is unfortunate, but promising them to live is tragic, because it undervalues their lives (Hewings-Martin).
What Makes Us Sleep? Sleep-Promoting Neurons Discovered in the Zona Inserta - Yvette Oppong
When we sleep, we don’t just close our eyes and magically fall asleep. Rather, sleep is a complex process. There are 2 essential parts to normal sleep: rapid eye movement(REM) and nonrapid eye movement (non-REM). REM is where dreams occur while non-REM is characterized by less active sleep. However, in order for these processes to work, there are certain neurons that play a role in inhibiting wake-promoting neurons.
Researchers at John Hopkins were able to discover the gene that plays a key role in this regulation in mice. The scientists used artificial receptors to increase the activity of the neurons in the mice and observed their behavior. When the neurons were activated, there was an increase in REM and non-REM sleep for eight hours after the experiment.
They found a gene in the brain of mice that plays a role in promoting sleep located in a section of the hypothalamus called the zona incerta. The zone incerta is a region in the subthalamus that has connections that extend from cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. The subthalamus is a region of the brain located on the underside of the thalamus; a small structure located above the brainstem between the cerebral cortex and midbrain that contributes to our involuntary movements. According to News Medical Life Sciences, the thalamus “relays motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex”. The neurons in the zona incerta promote sleep by turning off the wake-promoting neurons. These neurons express the gene Lhx6, which is important for inhibiting wake-promoting cells. It also connects the zone incerta to the areas of the brain that control sleep and wakefulness. The Lhx6 gene is also essential to other areas of the brain as it helps them develop properly.
This discovery could be a breakthrough for insomniacs as well as people who suffer from neurological disorders as the information might be used to develop a drug to better treat these disorders. The hypothalamus is a section of the brain that scientists don’t know much about, so being able to understand the genetics and process in mice should advance our knowledge; the more we know about our brain, the better we are able to assess disorders and problems and come up with treatments. According to the UN News Centre, “up to 1 billion people, nearly one in six of the world’s population suffer from neurological disorders…” The brain is so complicated and may seem small, but the amount of intricate processes that go on within it are so important to life. For example, scientists were able to find out that not only does this Lxh6 gene connect to areas of the brain that control sleep and wakefulness, but that the gene is important for other areas of the brain to develop. The brain is a very intriguing part of science that has so much left to explore.
Researchers at John Hopkins were able to discover the gene that plays a key role in this regulation in mice. The scientists used artificial receptors to increase the activity of the neurons in the mice and observed their behavior. When the neurons were activated, there was an increase in REM and non-REM sleep for eight hours after the experiment.
They found a gene in the brain of mice that plays a role in promoting sleep located in a section of the hypothalamus called the zona incerta. The zone incerta is a region in the subthalamus that has connections that extend from cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. The subthalamus is a region of the brain located on the underside of the thalamus; a small structure located above the brainstem between the cerebral cortex and midbrain that contributes to our involuntary movements. According to News Medical Life Sciences, the thalamus “relays motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex”. The neurons in the zona incerta promote sleep by turning off the wake-promoting neurons. These neurons express the gene Lhx6, which is important for inhibiting wake-promoting cells. It also connects the zone incerta to the areas of the brain that control sleep and wakefulness. The Lhx6 gene is also essential to other areas of the brain as it helps them develop properly.
This discovery could be a breakthrough for insomniacs as well as people who suffer from neurological disorders as the information might be used to develop a drug to better treat these disorders. The hypothalamus is a section of the brain that scientists don’t know much about, so being able to understand the genetics and process in mice should advance our knowledge; the more we know about our brain, the better we are able to assess disorders and problems and come up with treatments. According to the UN News Centre, “up to 1 billion people, nearly one in six of the world’s population suffer from neurological disorders…” The brain is so complicated and may seem small, but the amount of intricate processes that go on within it are so important to life. For example, scientists were able to find out that not only does this Lxh6 gene connect to areas of the brain that control sleep and wakefulness, but that the gene is important for other areas of the brain to develop. The brain is a very intriguing part of science that has so much left to explore.