Ever wanted to read up on interesting developments in science and medicine but found the content too monotonous or difficult to comprehend?
These articles break down new studies into concise, easy-to-understand language.
These articles break down new studies into concise, easy-to-understand language.
New Approach Allows for Detailed Study of SchizophreniaJessica Lutz, July 23 2021
Schizophrenia, a disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally, affects approximately 3.2 million Americans, with 100,000 new diagnoses each year. Schizophrenia can present itself in many life-disrupting ways, including hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and delusions. The NIMH reports that individuals living with schizophrenia are at an increased risk of premature death, losing an estimated 28.5 years of potential life on average. Despite medical advances, the current understanding of the underlying causes of schizophrenia is still limited, largely due to the difficulty in examining the disorder in animal models. With these challenges in mind, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine developed an approach to detecting and manipulating schizophrenia in mice.
Vertical Divider
|
Child Malnutrition: New Food Prototypes and Broader IssuesJenny Forest Lee, July 23 2021
Moderate acute malnutrition, a type of undernutrition resulting from illness or insufficient amounts of food consumption, affects at least 30 million children worldwide, a number only increased by the COVID-19 pandemic. It can cause a decrease in growth and neural development, along with a decrease in the development of microorganisms in the gut. Current treatments for acute malnutrition often involve food supplements or diets that provide nutrients and energy. No current treatments have focused on targeting the gut microorganisms hurt by malnutrition, nor have any been able to fully treat the long-term effects of undernourishment. This may soon change though, thanks to recent research conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine on a newly developed food supplement called microbiota-directed complementary food.
|
Phage Therapy: The Solution to Antibiotic Resistance?Catherine Beaudin, July 23 2021
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 2.8 million cases of antibiotic-resistant infections result in over 35,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. Antibiotics, drugs that are designed to kill bacteria, were first discovered in 1928 and have since been used to effectively treat a variety of bacterial infections. Unfortunately, an increasing number of bacteria have naturally evolved antibiotic resistance mechanisms to avoid being killed by antibiotics. The scientific community is conducting extensive research on developing alternatives to antibiotics, such as phage therapy, in order to treat these bacteria that cannot be killed by antibiotics.
Vertical Divider
|
Using Sweat Stickers to Diagnose Cystic Fibrosis in NewbornsArthur Huang, July 23 2021
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder that affects nearly 30,000 individuals, most of whom are of European descent, in the United States. CF results in chronic health issues from birth and a life expectancy of only 46 years. The current standard for CF detection is through a strap-on device called the Macroduct Sweat Collection System (MSCS), which stimulates and collects sweat to be analyzed for chloride concentration. However, the MSCS has difficulty collecting the required volume of sweat, an issue termed “quantity not sufficient” (QNS). Consequently, a team of researchers from Northwestern University sought to create an all-in-one device for CF detection that would be a cheaper and more efficient alternative to the MSCS.
|
Studying Neural DNA Repair Gives Hope for Alzheimer’s PatientsAnjali Roy, July 23 2021
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that commonly affects those who are at least 65 years old. It is also the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. A neurodegenerative disease refers to a chronic condition in which the neurons—a type of brain cell responsible for motor function, sensory capabilities, and relaying information throughout the body—deteriorate over time. This process is detrimental to the patient, because unlike other cells, neurons have limited self-repair mechanisms. Once neurons are destroyed, they are often destroyed permanently. To better understand neural repair mechanisms, Dylan Reid and his research team at The Salk Institute developed a method they termed “Repair-seq.”
Vertical Divider
|
Bioenginereed Materials to Treat Heart DiseaseDiviya Khullar, July 23 2021
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and is expected to continue rising in prevalence. Many adults suffer from atherosclerosis, or a buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries, which can result in heart attacks or heart failure. Recent innovations in the bioengineering field aim to create biomaterials that can repair and restore proper cardiac function in adults suffering from heart disease. These biomaterials include vascular grafts, cardiac patches, and injectable hydrogels. These bioengineered materials have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people living with a wide range of heart problems.
|
Bioengineered In Vitro Lymphatic Model May Lead to New TherapiesOlivia Zhou, July 23 2021
The lymphatic system plays important roles in maintaining health, such as fluid drainage to remove toxins and prevent tissue swelling, fat transport to facilitate metabolism, and immune cell transport to promote immune defense. As a result, health conditions including cancer, infections, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases have been associated with a malfunctioning lymphatic system. Thus, regenerating the lymphatic system can help afflicted patients recover from such diseases. However, there is a lack of a suitable in vitro model to study how lymphangiogenesis, or formation of the lymphatic network, is regulated. So, researchers at the University of Notre Dame engineered a lymphatic tubule system using hydrogels, which act as support structures, to help stimulate lymphatic endothelial cells to form their networks.
Vertical Divider
|
What You Eat May Change How Your Body Wants to EatMenna Sun, July 23 2021
It is widely understood that consuming a high-calorie diet rich in fat and sugar can lead to obesity. Indeed, besides excessive body fat, obesity may also involve elevated blood pressure and increased levels of sugar, fat, and cholesterol in the blood. Moreover, obesity increases the risk of a number of other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, depression, and fatty liver disease, as well as heart attack and stroke. Although healthy eating is beneficial in preventing obesity, the physiological processes that regulate eating behaviors may be harder to control. Therefore, to understand the development of obesity, a study analyzed changes in signaling molecule levels and the gut microbiota in mice, as well as whether these factors may be correlated, when obesity was induced by a high-sugar and fat diet.
|
Potential Safer Administration of Insulin for DiabetesAnnie Liang, July 23 2021
With the worldwide prevalence of diabetes, advances in treatment options would have a global impact on hundreds of millions of people. Diabetes is a chronic disease that is divided into type 1 and type 2 diabetes; the former occurs when the pancreas does not create insulin, and the latter occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin. While there are many forms of insulin administration, including injection, pens, pumps, and inhaling, many of them have been met with patient reluctance. In order to address this, new research has shown potential to one day introduce a form of orally delivered insulin, allowing for more accessible treatment and eliminating the need for multiple daily self-injections.
Vertical Divider
|
The Human Microbiome and its Relationship with AutismLekha Yaramada, July 23 2021
The microbiome is the community of microorganisms, particularly bacteria, living in areas of the human body including the gut, mouth, nasal passages, and on the skin. The composition of bacteria in the microbiome can be affected by diet, environmental factors, and genetics. The vast majority of these bacteria are not harmful, and some are even beneficial to humans. Researchers are now finding that microbiome composition can strongly influence chronic disease susceptibility. A recent study done by the University of Colorado investigated the relationship between the microbiome and the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental condition marked by difficulty with communication and understanding social cues.
|
A New Potential Drug Target to Prevent OsteoporosisJessica Lutz, April 1 2021
In the US, osteoporosis, a severe weakening of bones, is one of the most common conditions affecting the aging population. Many people think of bones as permanent and unchanging. In fact, bones are constantly being remodeled. Old bone is regularly broken down by cells called osteoclasts so that new bone can be replaced by cells called osteoblasts. When osteoclasts degrade bone faster than osteoblasts make new bone, bone density can decrease to dangerously low levels, resulting in osteoporosis. Therefore, research in these two bone cells gives important insights into how medicine may be able to prevent osteoporosis. Considering this, the Qin Lab at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine recently made a key breakthrough about a potential explanation for the progression of osteoporosis.
Vertical Divider
|
A Cure for Cancer: Prevention and Early DiagnosisAnnie Liang, April 1 2021
With the current state of modern medicine, there is no cure for any forms of cancer—only treatments. However, there is compelling evidence to support that an earlier diagnosis results in a significantly lower rate of mortality, as patients with earlier stages of cancer can either undergo surgery to remove the tumor or be given milder drugs for treatment. The average survival rate after five years following diagnosis is 91% for early stages of cancer and 26% for late stages. Considering the significant difference in survival rates, early and accurate cancer detection has become imperative for the fight against cancer. As such, scientists have been developing the PanSeer assay, a non-invasive blood test for early cancer detection that focuses on cancer-specific methylation markers.
|
Mitochondrial Calcium Transfer: A Potential Target for Cancer Therapy?Catherine Beaudin, April 1 2021
On a global scale, one in six people die from cancer, which remains the second leading cause of death in the world despite significant advancements in the development of cancer therapeutics. The development of cancerous cells is generally thought to be driven by genetic mutations. However, there is growing evidence that cancer can also be characterized by important changes in metabolism that differentiate cancer cells from healthy cells. As such, researchers seek to better understand the metabolic processes that are specifically used for energy production in cancer cells. Disrupting such processes could potentially result in cancer cell death, while minimally affecting healthy cells given the differences in their metabolic processes.
Vertical Divider
|
Investigating Eczema: The Relationship Between Bacteria and LipidsJenny Forest Lee, April 1 2021
Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, affects 31.6 million people in the U.S. Eczema is an inflammatory condition in which the skin becomes red, itchy, and may form dark patches and bumps on the hands, wrists, face, feet, and other areas. A gene mutation called FLG is known to be a cause of atopic dermatitis, but it only accounts for approximately ⅔ of cases. Thus, despite the prevalence of eczema, many of the exact causes are still unknown and are being researched. There are two accepted observations that eczema conditions correlate to: decreased amounts of skin lipids and greater numbers of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus on the skin. Researchers at Binghamton University proposed that there was a relationship between these two outcomes.
|
Reversing the Age of Optic NeuronsArthur Huang, April 1 2021
Aging is an unrelenting and inevitable foe for everyone. The aging body is typically characterized by decreased strength, mobility, and immunity caused by the wear and tear of everyday life breaking down the bodies’ cellular and molecular functions. Scientists believe that the reason for these symptoms of old age lies in the realm of epigenetics, which is the study of how one’s behavior and environment can affect gene functions. Recently, a team from Harvard Medical School returned the epigenome of aged or damaged neurons back to their youthful methylation pattern, thereby improving their functionality and regenerative capability and introducing a new potential avenue to treat age-related diseases in humans.
Vertical Divider
|
Manipulating Cellular Communication in Cartilage to Treat OsteoarthritisAnjali Roy, April 1 2021
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease where the cartilage, the flexible tissue that protects the ends of bones, gets worn down, causing the bones to grind rather than slide against each other during movement. This results in difficulty moving and completing simple tasks, painful aches, and stiffness in several areas, especially in the knees, hips, lower back, and neck. Currently, it is the most common disorder in the United States. Although over-the-counter pain medication and surgeries may provide some relief, there is currently no specific treatment plan or cure. Scientist Yulong Wei and his team of researchers sought to solve this issue by examining an epidermal growth factor protein (EGF) cell signaling pathway in mice.
|
Light Therapy for Depressive Episodes in Bipolar DisorderAbi Hodgdon, April 1 2021
With an estimated 45 million people suffering from bipolar disorder (BD) globally, researchers are exploring alternatives to traditional therapy that can alleviate the effects of BD. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by intense mood shifts that can affect one’s ability to function. These changes can range from extreme depressive episodes to energized manic episodes that can each last for months. Most common are periods of hypomania, which are milder manic episodes. Recently, light therapy has risen in popularity as a mechanism for minimizing the effects of seasonal depression.
Vertical Divider
|
Alleviating Parkinson’s Motor Symptoms through MindfulnessAlondra Prado, April 1 2021
Affecting 10 million people worldwide, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders which usually affects older populations. Symptoms of Parkinson’s range from motor symptoms such as tremors and bradykinesia (slowness of movement), to non-motor symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and higher stress levels. Increased stress levels, especially for prolonged periods of time, can disrupt homeostasis, worsening PD motor-symptoms. Considering this, a study analyzed the effect of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) on non-motor and motor symptoms commonly associated with the disease.
|
A Novel Way to Assess Risk of Heart DiseaseLekha Yaramada, April 1 2021
As the prevalence of heart disease continues to rise in the United States, doctors have been looking for new treatment methods and risk factors that can inform an earlier diagnosis. Currently, heart disease is the most common cause of death among Americans. As a result, early diagnosis is important because it allows for a patient to make earlier interventions and lifestyle changes before the disease becomes more serious. To identify additional common predictors of heart disease, researchers from Edith Cowan University in Australia analyzed 53 previous heart disease studies with data from over 30,000 patients. The team found that calcium buildup in the abdominal aorta is a good predictor for the development of heart disease later in life.
Vertical Divider
|
Can CRISPR-cas9 Genome Editing Improve Cancer Immunotherapy?Menna Sun, April 1 2021
The human body’s immune system has natural antitumor activity that can be manipulated for higher efficiency and specificity. In fact, this is the idea behind cancer immunotherapy. There are immune cells called T cells that circulate in the bloodstream, detect toxins and foreign substances, and signal the immune system for an attack. Adoptive T cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy, uses T cells with genetically engineered, transgenic T cell receptors (TCRs). There has been progress in manufacturing T cells with transgenic TCRs specifically targeting the tumor antigen NY-ESO1, but recent research has explored CRISPR editing as a means to improve the safety and efficacy of this adoptive T cell therapy.
|
A New Dawn of Ischemic Stroke Therapies?Olivia Zhou, April 1 2021
Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the US, taking the lives of over 140,000 people each year while also being a leading cause of long-term disability. During a stroke, disruption of blood supply to parts of the brain deprives them of oxygen oxygen, which can damage and kill brain cells. Current therapeutic treatments are focused on removing the blockage but have disadvantages such as a narrow therapeutic window for maximized success or ineffectiveness in post-stroke rehabilitation. Thus, the current monotherapeutic drugs, which contain only one type of treatment, are not sufficient. Thus, researchers are proposing that combining multiple drugs would be more effective because it would address the multifaceted nature of ischemic stroke.
Vertical Divider
|
A Potential Target for Preventing Insulin Dependence in DiabetesArthur Huang, January 6 2021
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) plagues over 30 million Americans. The relationship between the body and the hormone insulin governs T2D. Patients with T2D are characterized by diminished insulin secretion by beta cells in the pancreas or increased insulin resistance, which is when cells stop responding to insulin. Loss of beta cell function drives T2D patients toward dependence on insulin, thus requiring expensive, daily insulin injections. In order to pinpoint potential targets for treating and preventing T2D, a joint team from Harvard University and Cornell University investigated adipsin, a protein that promotes insulin secretion from beta cells.
|
Activating the Killer in Stem Cells to Improve Cancer ImmunotherapyAnjali Roy, January 6 2021
“You have cancer” is one of the most frightening diagnoses one can hear today. Caused by uncontrolled cell growth leading to the formation of malignant tumors, cancers of various kinds are diagnosed in approximately 1.8 million people in the U.S alone every year, and millions more worldwide. Oncology researchers are working around the clock to develop better treatments, and one day perhaps even produce a cure. For now, one kind of treatment plan available involves cancer inhibition therapy, which works by manipulating the immune system response.
Vertical Divider
|
The Potential of Nanotubes in Immunotherapy for AtherosclerosisCatherine Beaudin, January 6 2021
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of arterial plaque over an extended period of time, which can lead to clogged arteries. Atherosclerosis may result in a heart attack or stroke if the accumulated plaque blocks an artery that supplies blood and oxygen to the heart or brain respectively. In the United States, someone suffers a heart attack every 40 seconds, and cardiovascular disease is currently the leading cause of death worldwide. Recently, a team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine investigated a potential therapeutic strategy to combat plaque buildup by decreasing the persistent inflammation in atherosclerotic arteries.
|
A Monoclonal Antibody Against SARS-CoV-2Olivia Zhou, January 6 2021
There is a dire need for powerful therapies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, researchers led by Dr. Wei Li from the University of Pittsburgh discovered IgG1 ab1, a monoclonal antibody that may be beneficial in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Antibodies are natural proteins produced by the body in response to antigens, or the immune-reacting parts of pathogens. They serve important defensive functions, such as binding antigens and activating other immune cells to neutralize pathogens. Scientists can improve these abilities by enhancing or engineering antibodies with amplified properties against a single antigen, producing what are called monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).
Vertical Divider
|
Hearts Revived: Avoiding Permanent Injury From Heart AttacksJenny Forest Lee, January 6 2021
Myocardial infarctions, otherwise known as heart attacks, affect approximately 805,000 Americans every year, with one occurring every 40 seconds within the United States. Heart attacks stem from plaque buildup in the coronary arteries. Breakage of the buildup initiates blood clot formation at the site, which in turn causes ischemia, a lack of oxygen and blood flow to body tissues. Although getting blood flow back to the affected tissue is the ideal method of treatment for myocardial infarctions, this may result in an even greater extent of tissue damage. Another method of reducing tissue injury caused by ischemia uses vascular endothelial cells, which are located in the inner lining of blood vessels.
|
The Importance of Sleep Quality On Preventing Heart Disease
Annie Liang, January 6 2021
In light of cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in the world, there has been an increasing demand for uncovering potential causes to decrease future mortality. Recently, one study discovered a relationship between sleep fragmentation and atherosclerosis, representing a critical step in the right direction for preventing further development of heart disease.
Vertical Divider
