Up until recently, people infected with the bacterium Clostridium difficile usually could only be cured by receiving the fecal matter of healthy individuals, usually family members, mainly through direct injection into the gut. This method made most individuals hesitant. I learned a little bit about this method in microbiology and thought it was interesting to read up on the new method.
First, I should start with a little bit of information about Clostridium difficile. When a person is on antibiotics, usually for a long period of time, their body starts to suffer from the effects of antibiotics. Antibiotics are made to sweep out the bacteria; however, antibiotics are not selective of only the bad bacteria. In return, bacteria like Clostridium difficile gets into the raw, bacteria-less gut and wrecks havoc.
The new approach that scientists are taking in order to cure patients with this sickness is different than mentioned above. Healthy individuals, usually family members again, are confiscated of their fecal matter. The feces is then filtered to only contain the good, intestinal bacteria. Then, this bacteria is put into a capsule and given to the sick patient. Sounds like a way better idea, right?!
Here comes the downside: About 25+ capsules must be ingested by the sick person... all in one day... all on an empty stomach...
If you were sick, which of the two ways would you prefer? Old, new, or neither?
Mining medicine from poop
Monday, December 2, 2013
Why it's a Good Thing That Your Parents Forced You to Eat Your Vegetables...!
If you had parents like mine, you were forced to eat your vegetables no matter how nasty they were. Research now shows that eating certain vegetables actually has a very positive benefit.
Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, etc., also known as cruciferous vegetables, all contain a compound that is converted to 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM). DIM helps repair healthy cells of chemical and radiation damage.
Studies are being done on rats to see if controlled dosages of DIM can help the lifespan of rats being treated of cancer via radiation. The results seem to be good so far! Also, DIM only benefits healthy cells; this allows the cancer cells to be penetrated the same without the fear of cancer cells getting stronger by ingesting DIM.
The researchers hope that in the future, dosages of DIM can help humans that are undergoing some kind of cancer radiation treatment or recovering from a nuclear explosion.
Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, etc., also known as cruciferous vegetables, all contain a compound that is converted to 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM). DIM helps repair healthy cells of chemical and radiation damage.
Studies are being done on rats to see if controlled dosages of DIM can help the lifespan of rats being treated of cancer via radiation. The results seem to be good so far! Also, DIM only benefits healthy cells; this allows the cancer cells to be penetrated the same without the fear of cancer cells getting stronger by ingesting DIM.
The researchers hope that in the future, dosages of DIM can help humans that are undergoing some kind of cancer radiation treatment or recovering from a nuclear explosion.
DIM is not going to be the miracle cure for cancer, but hopefully it can help the cancer patients' cells during their radiation treatments.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Your Brain's Rinse Cycle... While Sleeping
As we all know, your brain is filled with "trash" when you are awake and functioning throughout the day. The brain releases proteins and other small substances while a person is awake, and the longer the person is awake, the more "trash" that is released. One protein fragment that is released is amyloid-beta. This is the protein that is in excess in people who have Alzheimer's disease.
How does the brain release itself of all this litter in your brain, you ask? The glymphatic system is a system in your brain that essentially comes in and cleans out your brain of debris. Fluid, that comes from the brain and spinal cord, gets in between the brain cells and washes out any trash.
The significance of the study (and hence the title) is that the glymphatic system kicks into overdrive and works best while a person is sleeping. This is one of many reasons why getting adequate sleep is important. Your brain needs this time to get a proper cleansing more thoroughly than what is done throughout the day.
Sleeping brains take a bath
How does the brain release itself of all this litter in your brain, you ask? The glymphatic system is a system in your brain that essentially comes in and cleans out your brain of debris. Fluid, that comes from the brain and spinal cord, gets in between the brain cells and washes out any trash.
The significance of the study (and hence the title) is that the glymphatic system kicks into overdrive and works best while a person is sleeping. This is one of many reasons why getting adequate sleep is important. Your brain needs this time to get a proper cleansing more thoroughly than what is done throughout the day.
Sleeping brains take a bath
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
A New Type of Malaria is Making its Way to Africa
Researchers recently determined that a new form of malaria is making its way towards Africa from Asia and Latin America. The new malaria is Plasmodium vivax.
They have found signs of this new malaria in studies on the African population and under the microscope.
With common strains of malaria, the vivax protozoan takes over the Duffy protein to get access into the red blood cells (RBC). Africans do not have the Duffy protein in their genetic makeup, which puts them at an advantage to not contract malaria. The nonexistence of the Duffy protein means that the vivax protozoan has no way to enter the blood stream.
As we all know, uncommon strains of a virus/disease/bacteria can be detrimental. The researchers have noticed that this new strain may not necessarily be giving malaria to the population, but causing the population to become sick in a different way. This is all preliminary still, but it will be interesting to see what else is uncovered about this new finding...
Monday, November 11, 2013
Blood Clotting may be Traced to Genetics and Explain Differences in Racial Health
As we all know, blood clots can cause heart attacks and strokes. People take aspirin to help thin out blood or remove a clot. Like every medication, no two people will respond the same to it. But Paul Bray and his research group have figured out that clotting may be due to genetics and also explains why different people are going to need different blood-thining medications other than aspirin.
Bray conducted research on microRNA. microRNA is the RNA associated with protein regulation, to some extent. The study concluded that blacks tend to have a lower level of miR-376c, a type of microRNA, than whites. As levels of miR-376c get lower, an increase in production of the protein PAR4 happens. This protein is what tells the platelets to start clotting. From this data, Bray concluded that the platelets in blacks form clots more than the platelets in whites.
This is where the explanation of different medications that are going to be needed comes in. Aspirin may work well on whites, but may not be strong enough for blacks; or vice versa, aspirin may work well on blacks but may thin out whites blood too much. New medications may need to start having target groups based on ethnicities as it is seen that genetics cause different clotting amounts.
I found this interesting due to the fact that I am mixed (hence my other blogs talking about research associated with different races). I have donated blood plenty of times and noticed that my blot does not like to clot in the timely, 4-hour manner that the nurse tells you to keep your bandage on for. I can take the band aid off after four hours, and I'll still be bleeding a little bit for about four more hours. With that being said, it seems like my clotting factors favor the white side. I wonder what would make me more susceptible to one side's clotting tendencies versus the other? Why wouldn't I be in just a middle point?
Bray conducted research on microRNA. microRNA is the RNA associated with protein regulation, to some extent. The study concluded that blacks tend to have a lower level of miR-376c, a type of microRNA, than whites. As levels of miR-376c get lower, an increase in production of the protein PAR4 happens. This protein is what tells the platelets to start clotting. From this data, Bray concluded that the platelets in blacks form clots more than the platelets in whites.
This is where the explanation of different medications that are going to be needed comes in. Aspirin may work well on whites, but may not be strong enough for blacks; or vice versa, aspirin may work well on blacks but may thin out whites blood too much. New medications may need to start having target groups based on ethnicities as it is seen that genetics cause different clotting amounts.
I found this interesting due to the fact that I am mixed (hence my other blogs talking about research associated with different races). I have donated blood plenty of times and noticed that my blot does not like to clot in the timely, 4-hour manner that the nurse tells you to keep your bandage on for. I can take the band aid off after four hours, and I'll still be bleeding a little bit for about four more hours. With that being said, it seems like my clotting factors favor the white side. I wonder what would make me more susceptible to one side's clotting tendencies versus the other? Why wouldn't I be in just a middle point?
Using Fungi to Potentially Help Solve Crimes
Kelly Elkins along with her research team at Metropolitan State College of Denver are looking into forensic mycology as a means to adding evidence to or solving a crime. Forensic mycology is using fungi as means to help solve crimes.
She references to how entomology is commonly used in determining time of death, possible cause of death, whether the body has been moved, and possible links to suspects in criminal cases. This is possible because predictable growth patterns of insects have already been studied, or still currently are, which helps in crime scene investigation.
Her proposal is that maybe growth patterns of fungi after death can be established in a predictable manner to help with crime scene analysis, similar to entomology. She bases this off the fact that fungi present in or on a dead body is not the same fungi that is present in living tissue. She also explains that the role fungi plays in a decomposing body has not been studied.
This study seems like it could have many positive outcomes. If given the opportunity, would you take part in this research?
Crime-Solving Clues Can Be Found in Fungi
She references to how entomology is commonly used in determining time of death, possible cause of death, whether the body has been moved, and possible links to suspects in criminal cases. This is possible because predictable growth patterns of insects have already been studied, or still currently are, which helps in crime scene investigation.
Her proposal is that maybe growth patterns of fungi after death can be established in a predictable manner to help with crime scene analysis, similar to entomology. She bases this off the fact that fungi present in or on a dead body is not the same fungi that is present in living tissue. She also explains that the role fungi plays in a decomposing body has not been studied.
This study seems like it could have many positive outcomes. If given the opportunity, would you take part in this research?
Crime-Solving Clues Can Be Found in Fungi
Monday, November 4, 2013
Instead of Using Latent Print Identification, Try Using Touch DNA!
Recently, a string of church burglaries were happening in Florida. One of the scenes had a latent print left on a tile surface and a screwdriver left behind. The print was on a porous surface, which did not allow for the print to be lifted for analysis. Instead the CSI's took a DNA swab of the print and swabbed the screwdriver.
The used PCR to amplify the DNA to find a possible match. It did in fact come back to a suspect in the FBI database.
So what makes touch DNA a good source to use? Humans naturally sweat when under pressure (like committing a crime), which causes for DNA to be left behind on everything that is touched. When a sample of touch DNA is obtained, only about 30 cells are needed to do adequate analysis; this is a tiny number compared to the about 1 million cells that humans lose daily. From there, analysis is done on about 13 DNA locations that are quite specific to every human. This usually gives an accurate enough match of 1 suspect versus 330 million people.
Here is my question: If you had both a good latent print and good touch DNA, which would you rather do analysis on? Also, which do you think will give a stronger positive match?
Article in ABC News
The used PCR to amplify the DNA to find a possible match. It did in fact come back to a suspect in the FBI database.
So what makes touch DNA a good source to use? Humans naturally sweat when under pressure (like committing a crime), which causes for DNA to be left behind on everything that is touched. When a sample of touch DNA is obtained, only about 30 cells are needed to do adequate analysis; this is a tiny number compared to the about 1 million cells that humans lose daily. From there, analysis is done on about 13 DNA locations that are quite specific to every human. This usually gives an accurate enough match of 1 suspect versus 330 million people.
Here is my question: If you had both a good latent print and good touch DNA, which would you rather do analysis on? Also, which do you think will give a stronger positive match?
Article in ABC News
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