Medicine

Factors in the Onset of Obesity – An American Public Health Crisis

2021, Biology, Medicine • March 27, 2021

Figure 1: Obesity is typically diagnosed based on BMI. The different levels of obesity are shown here Source: Wikimedia Commons Introduction: Obesity is one of America’s greatest public health concerns. For both children and adults, rates of obesity have generally been on the rise since 1980 (Hales et al., 2018). In 1980, 4.8% of men …

Factors in the Onset of Obesity – An American Public Health Crisis Read More »

Anti-SLAMF7 Treatment for Multiple Myeloma by the Elimination of Immunosuppressive T Cells

2021, Biology, Medicine • March 25, 2021

Figure 1: Smear preparation of bone marrow from a patient with multiple myeloma, the cancer of plasma cells Source: Wikimedia Commons Activated B lymphocytes, or plasma cells, are the only cells capable of secreting antibodies and thus play a critical role in mediating immune response to pathogens (D’Souza & Bhattacharya, 2019). The production of an …

Anti-SLAMF7 Treatment for Multiple Myeloma by the Elimination of Immunosuppressive T Cells Read More »

Regulating Regulatory T Cells to Fight Cancer

2021, Biology, Medicine • March 24, 2021

Figure 1: The different ways a tumor can provide protection for itself through Treg (seen as circular, pink cells above) recruitment Source: Wikimedia Commons Researchers have discovered a potential new immunotherapy for certain tumors that involves downregulating a type of immune cell called Regulatory T Cells (or Tregs) in and around the target tumor. Tregs …

Regulating Regulatory T Cells to Fight Cancer Read More »

SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus living among us

2021, Biology, Medicine • March 21, 2021

Figure 1: The human gut is home to a rich ecosystem of microbes. Recent research has highlighted the extent of viral diversification within the gut microbiome that has wide potential implications for human health Source: Pixabay Despite the intense focus on SARS-CoV-2, the ubiquity and diversity of viruses is extraordinary; after all they are the …

SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus living among us Read More »

Exploring the Gut-Microbiota Hypothesis of Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis

2021, Biology, Medicine • March 19, 2021

First Author: Jillian Troth1 Co-Authors [Alphabetical Order]: Caroline Conway1, Allison Kifer2, Vincent Lai4, Grace Lee3, Varun Lindagal1, Callie Moody1, and Melanie Prakash1 Dartmouth College1, University of California San Diego2, Williams College3, Rice University4 Figure 1: Fluorescent microscope imaging of neuroinflammation in wild-type mice, AD-model mice, and AD patient. Aggregation of amyloid precursor protein (red) indicates …

Exploring the Gut-Microbiota Hypothesis of Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis Read More »

Bispecific Antibody Recruits Vγ9+ γδ T cells for Leukemia Treatment

2021, Biology, Medicine • March 1, 2021

Figure 1: The image is taken from an elderly woman who has a type of acute myeloid leukemia in which the accumulation of immature blood-forming cells (purple) interferes with the production of normal white blood cells (pink) Source: Wikimedia Commons Leukemia is a type of blood cancer generally characterized by the suppression of proper function …

Bispecific Antibody Recruits Vγ9+ γδ T cells for Leukemia Treatment Read More »

A Spoonful of (Modified) Sugar as an Antiviral Medicine

2021, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine • March 1, 2021

Figure 1: A negative stain transmission electron micrograph of Influenza virions Source: Wikimedia Commons Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a new sugar-based virucidal medicine that is effective against a broad array of viruses (Jones et al., 2020). Cyclodextrins (also called CDs) are non-toxic cyclic glucose oligosaccharides produced as a result of starch …

A Spoonful of (Modified) Sugar as an Antiviral Medicine Read More »

PANDAS––A Self-Destruction of the Mind

2021, Biology, Medicine • February 25, 2021

Figure 1: PANDAS, characterized by acute neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms, was systematically reviewed by Sigra et al (2018) in hopes of encouraging further investigation towards the etiology and treatments associated with PANDAS and related disorders Source: Flickr Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS), pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS), childhood acute neuropsychiatric symptoms …

PANDAS––A Self-Destruction of the Mind Read More »

The Next Source of Antibiotics: Viruses

2021, Biology, Medicine • February 22, 2021

Figure 1: A computer-generated image of a bacteriophage called a levivirus along with its mapped genome. The Lysis gene is also known as sgi and produces antibiotic proteins Source: Wikimedia Commons We have a crisis on our hands: bacteria are developing resistance to our most effective antibiotics. Many of these are inhibitors of proteins that …

The Next Source of Antibiotics: Viruses Read More »

Defective Mitochondria Lead to Exhausted T Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment

2021, Biology, Medicine • February 22, 2021

Figure 1: T cells (green, blue, and red) surround and prepare to kill a cancer cell (green and blue). Vesicles (shown in red) in the T cells contain perforin and granzymes, proteins that orchestrate the killing of target cells. This process of targeted cell destruction is compromised when mitochondria are rendered defective by excessive antigen …

Defective Mitochondria Lead to Exhausted T Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment Read More »