UCSF Sets Pace on Stem Cells(Expert Assessment)

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  • In San Francisco in 1981, at UCSF Gail Martin discovered stem cells from a mouse embryo. Today, a University of Wisconsin scientist has made Martin's techiniques for mice to humans.
  • This new discovery led to great ethical controversy and led to the Bush administration in 2001 to limit funding human stem cell research. UCSF has stepped forward and raised $13 million from private funds and over 60 scientists have been researching to see the potential of stem cells. They have tested to see how treatments could be for diabetes and strokes with stem cells.
  • the help of Prop. 71 has allowed a $3 billion stem cell initiative and UCSF is ready to lead the pack. They have now found a potential treatment for Parkinson's through stem cells. They also have studies that show that stem cells in bone marrow and bloodstream can give aid to the heart if it suffers a heart attack.
  • The readiness of therapies and treatments regarding stem cells are years away but because of the Prop. 71, UCSF has been able to trudge forward in their research and their dreams can come true.
  • This course has given me the opportunity to single out key information that relates to the main purpose of the article. I have looked at this article's purpose which is how UCSF hasled the way in stem cell research. From there I look at what UCSF has discovered and how they started off. The key conclusion is stated a tht end of the article, which was the reason why UCSF has been the leader of the pack was because of Prop. 71 that allowed them the funds to continue their research.
  • UCSF
  • Gail Martin
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Bush Administration
  • Intel Corp. chairman Andy Grove
  • Arnold Kriegstein
  • California Prop. 71
  • Susan Fisher
  • Renee Reijo Pera
  • Yerem Yeghiazarians
  • Michael German
  • This is a review article, new research development, has a topic of ethnical implacations because people believe an embryo is a living being, topic that has dealt with government/president because former Pres. Bush in 2001 did not fund stem cell research with federal money.

  • In one article here, we have the opposition of stem cell research to a certain degree. People in the University of Nebraska are considering limiting stem cell research. The article also refers to the Bush administration’s policy on having up to 21 cell lines for research. The supporters of stem cell research however feel that if restrictions are in place, then researchers may feel less inclined to go the University of Nebraska for regenerative medicines. The article also claims that the university would not all for the destruction of human embryos.

    In another article we have the support of stem cell research in California. The state granted $230 million to Californian universities, which is a giant step for stem cell research. This money can be used to take research to application for treatments in AIDs or cancer. This article refers back to the Prop 71 in California that allowed a 10 yr, $3 billion effort in 2004. This was used to get around the Bush administrations restrictions, which were set up in 2001. Another project that is associated with stem cell research, which was granted $20 million, was the research for stem cells to produce islet cells. These cells could produce insulin, which can help treat Type 1 diabetes. Funding has gone to Novocell, a San Diego biotechnology company and UCSF.

  • In my article I have detected some bias. First off when the author wrote out that UCSF was one of 2 centers federally approved for stem cell research. The placement of this makes it seem like UCSF is superior and the fact that they do not mention the other center’s name also adds onto the bias. This same section of the article has another bias, title. It claims that UCSF sets the pace for stem cells, but what about the other center that was federally permitted to do stem cell research? Do they not get credit for their work? I think that a lack of bias is evident for a certain section of my article, which says that the prop.71 gave UCs a $3 billion funding over 10 yrs. However they should have said not only were they the premier medical research institution, but also say they were the only institution federally allowed in California.

Mason, By Betsy. "Stem Cells - News - UCSF Sets Pace on Stem Cells." Stem Cell News - The Latest News and Information About Newborn Cord Blood Stem Cells. 12 July 2005. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"The New York Times Log In." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"The New York Times Log In." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 28 Oct. 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://www.labinfo.cn/customer/ucsf.jpg
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New Rules Proposed For GMOs

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  • Back in 1999, the Bush administration had been proposing new regulations for GM foods. The USDA also follows up with a voluntary program to separate GM and non GM seeds and crops.
  • There had been tests of GM crops by independent and partisan groups to see if there are anything harmful in them. The tests back then show that GM crops have no harm but they do question of long term effects for the people.
  • The trade of GM crops on Europe was also a big thing back in the day because European countries demanded labels of GM products. The big proposal of the time was to have all GM products and ingredients labeled back in 1999.
  • Article ties with Genetics because of GMOs. We watched videos on GMOs and how they have become the biggest thing in the food industry. One thing we talked about was the public reactions who did not know about GMOs in their daily food.
I chose this article because of it's date and it's topic. The proposition of labels for GM products has now become a demand. Many people now still do not know GM crops are everywhere and most people want to be informed of that. Labels are great to differentiate GM crops from natural crops. But since this article is in '99 and has the same issue of labeling, have we moved forward at all? I don't think so, I think the companies who own GM seeds are trying their best to cover up this whole deal. They do not want people to know what they are eating then and now, and they are committed to that. All the people want to know is what is being used to make their food, and if we do not prefer GM foods, organic is a lot more expensive and some people cannot afford it. This article to me just shows how powerful the food industry is and tells me how long they have kept their act going.
"New Rules Proposed For GMOs » Market to Market." Iowa Public Television. 9 Aug. 2002. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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New Clues to Treating Immune System Disorders

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  • Researchers have come out to say that they have been able to use 2 different types of noninvasive probes to define the roles played by different cell types in the immune system.
  • One probe called FDG is used in PET scans to observe how cells break down glucose. The other probe called FAC is sent to see the activity of cells in certain biochemical passages. These probes are hoped to help doctors determine how to treat specific cells in the immune system
  • The study shows that the probes target certain cells with high specificity. The FDG probe detects a macrophage for example while the FAC detects lymphocytes or cells that lead the immune response to kill infected or cancerous cells.
  • These probes are being used in mice and hopefully humans soon to evaluate how the immune system responds to diseases like arthritis, inflammatory bowl disease, and sclerosis.
  • This article relates to our Immune System unit because it talks about how scientists are trying to get a better understanding of the immune system specifically. We know in class how the immune system works to protect out bodies but we do not know how specifically the immune system responds to different diseases.
It is interesting of how far along technology has come to see that a probe can go inside a living being and detect specific cells. I think that if we can continue this research, we can be able to get a better learning experience on how the immune system works. We have a bird's eye view from class in which a pathogen is detected and the whole body acts upon it. If we covered the same topic 20 years from now, we can have an overview but we can also have a specific disease to focus on and see what cell reacts to the disease.

Wed May 19. "New Clues to Treating Immune System Disorders - Yahoo! News." The Top News Headlines on Current Events from Yahoo! News - Yahoo! News. 19 May 2010. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/img/health/immune060505.jpg
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New Hominid Species Discovered in South Africa

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  • A nine year old in South Africa had stumbled across fossils of a new hominid species that existed on Earth 2 million years ago.
  • The fossils found had a mix of primitive and advanced anatomy of humans. It has become a new species and is called Australopithecus sediba. Sediba means fountain in Sotho, and it walked on 2 legs, with human-shaped hips and pelvis. However it climbed trees with monkey like arms, small teeth, and a some what modern face but without the modern brain.
  • In a conference, the new species is said to be a possible ancestor of Homo erectus, the immediate predecessor to Homo sapiens.
  • I relate this article to evolution. This discovery gives mankind a new species and it has characteristics that represent modern and primitive ancestors. This fossil can further educate the world of how he became more human and less ape like.
This is very recent news, and I am happy to see that there are even more species of our ancestors. Discoveries like these give us all a better understanding on how we could have been, how we evolved, and how we grew smart. Sediba had a few human like characteristics, but still had some ape like traits. Could that mean that evolution was working but still had some time to go to develop into what we are today? Most likely in my opinion. I can infer that the fossil still retained ape like arms because of natural selection. Where it lived in Africa could have been full of trees and hard to reach places that required strong arms. It was still in the process of evolution and it learned to walk upright but natural pressures made the Sediba retain it's ape like arms because it was still useful. Discoveries like this is what makes paleontology interesting.
"World Image." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 08 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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Prostate Cancer Vaccine May Get FDA Approval

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  • The FDA are in the process of approving a new vaccine called Provenge, which can be used to give men with prostate cancer a greater chance of survival. It acts like chemotherapy, just without the side effects.
  • The vaccine is not a cure, a way to prevent prostate cancer, and doesn't slow the growth of the cancer. But if used on prostate cancer in it's early stages, it can be highly effective. Provenge is therapeutic and the way it works is it uses the patient's own white blood cells. It mixes with a drug and is inserted back into the patient. The cells once returned to the body trigger a immune response that kills the cancer cells and leaves the treated cells alone.
  • The drug is used primarily for men with advanced prostate cancer who failed with hormonal treatments. The use of Provenge has increased the life span of a patient from 2-3 months to 2-3 years. The price for this drug is not cheap, a whopping $75,000 bill has to be paid for treatment, which can have different results with each patient.
  • The side effects are minimal, showing only mild flu symptoms. However Provenge itself is flawed in it's own way. The process is on a daily basis, where the patient must donate his own white blood cells every day. It is cumbersome because of this and costs a lot. The rival of Provenge is Abiraterone, which stops the production of testosterone.
  • The relation of this article to our class is within the context of cancer and the immune system. This new drug Provenge is a new treatment option for men with Prostate cancer and it utilizes the patient's own immune system to fight cancer cells, where they couldn't previously. This is different from chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, and it has less severe side effects.
I am very concerned of prostate cancer because it is the second most common cancer amongst men. I fear for my family because cancer has affected us very much. I am glad to see this as an alternative to chemotherapy because if I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I wouldn't want to be spending my time in more pain than necessary. Even if though this is a new drug, I think that it is a step into a new type of treatment, allowing the immune system to act properly and kill cancer cells. My only complaint with this treatment is the fact that a patient has to donate white blood cells daily. It would be a real pain in the neck to drive to a hospital day after day when you may have plans set or you live a fair distance away from a hospital. I think think that over time, this treatment will evolve and become more effective and cheaper.
Reinberg, Steven. "Cancer Issues - Prostate Cancer Vaccine May Get FDA Approval." Cancer Issues - News and Information Related to Cancer. Read about Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin and Many Other Forms of Cancer. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MvPVq9gK2M
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Stress Hormone Affects Immune System

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  • UCLA study shows that the immune system can be hindered during chronic stress through a stress hormone called cortisol.
  • It has been found that cortisol suppresses immune cells' ability to use it's telomerase, which is an enzyme that keeps immune cells young and fit by keeping it's telomere length and the ability to divide continuously.
  • The telomere is a cell's "clock" which grows shorter each time the cell divides. Short telomeres are linked to diseases like HIV, aging, and heart diseases. Influences of cortisol on telomerase can explain how people under stress have their cells on short "clocks."
  • The study also claims that stress makes people more likely to fall ill. A specific drug can be used to prevent harm of the immune system for people under a lot of stress, like soldiers, astronauts, and caretakers.
  • Cortisol is injected into the bloodstream when under stress and prolonged presence of cortisol can harm the immune system. Scientists are working on a treatment and a pill to increase telomearse levels in cells and reducing the effect of cortisols on the body.
  • I find that this article ties with the immune system unit in our class discussions. We talk of how cells protect us but we did not talk of what hormones can do for the body. I think that talking about hormones can give us a better understanding of how our immune system can be weaker at times, even if we are healthy.
I was quite intrigued by this article. I understand that too much of anything in our body is bad, like to much adrenaline, which can kill. I am surprised of how this particular hormone, cartisol harms our body over time. But I guess that when people say stress isn't good for you, they were right all along. I suppose that cartisols are like kryptonite to Superman, it weakens him the longer he is near it. In regards to a pill that can improve our immune system, I feel like we shouldn't been trying to push to many buttons. The immune system is vital for people and I don't trust a pill to make it stronger without knowing the draw backs. If I am risking a little cold to a bad side effect, I'd rather be sick for a day.
"Stress Hormone Affects Immune System | Psych Central News." Psych Central - Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information. 15 July 2008. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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Mouse Experiment Suggests Quickly Evolving Bacteria Could Improve Digestive Health

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  • An experiment at Duke and NC state was derailed when bacteria evolved from it's original form into various forms. There original goals have been replaced with higher ideas.
  • Researchers put a group of mice in a sterile isolator and introduced a bacteria to them. The bacteria mutated into numerous types and this find was unexpected. The new bacteria were hardier in mice than it's original form.
  • The assistant professor said that this was the first time bacteria evolution has been seen in a complex environment. He also had another idea of experimenting with evolution that could use bacteria to do good for biotechnology and medicine.
  • Experimental evolution is used in labs to try to get bacteria to develop new strains, which could be used probriotic substances, which are organisms that are are seen within the digestive system.
  • Only problem is that engineered bacteria may not stay that way for long, the mutation of bacteria was so quick in the study, that newer forms of bacteria were more diverse and different than it's predecessors. The culprit to this diversity was evolution, even in a sterile, isolated environment.
  • This article relates to evolution in a different way then what we talk about in class. We talk about evolution happening in a non controlled environment but in this article the evolution takes place in a sterile, controlled environment. This means that even without selective pressures, the bacteria in the experiment continued to differentiate.
To me, I thought the bacteria in a controlled and sterile environment would stay the same because there were no selective pressures in their environment. However I was proven wrong in this article and evolution can still take place no matter the environment. I wonder if the bacteria evolves not because of pressures, but of interest in itself. I know we said that we cannot evolve into anything we want, but what if there are no pressures to evolve from? Would evolution just take course in any way it pleases? This article has broadened my thoughts on evolution and makes me think that nothing is impossible for evolution.
"Mouse Experiment Suggests Quickly Evolving Bacteria Could Improve Digestive Health." Medical News Today: Health News. 19 May 2010. Web. 20 May 2010. .

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Fighting the Evolution of Malaria in Cambodia

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  • Malaria has infected 250 million people in the world and has killed 1 million, mostly kids, because of it.
  • Malaria has grown stronger in resistance to drugs and may some day become incurable because the strongest drug, artemisinin has been ineffective in a strain of malaria in Western Cambodia.
  • If this strain grows and spreads to the rest of the world, a pandemic can arise. Scientists push for newer ways to combat malaria with drug combinations, which can halt the evolution of pathogens. The purpose of drug combos is to have the 2 or more drugs insure the other, in other words if one drug kills some but not all pathogens, the other drug(s) can kill them as well before they adapt and evolve.
  • The people of West Cambodia do not use the correct treatments to help stop malaria evolution. They prefer a single drug like artemisinin only. They do not take the second drug that should be used with artemisinin, called mefloquine, which can have some serious side effects.
  • The black market also gives below standard medications to people to fight malaria but instead they increase the disease's resistance to drugs. The global medical community has come together to stop this evolution in malaria and have committed themselves to make programs to provide proper treatment of malaria to stop its evolution.
  • This topic relates to evolution in our class. The evolution of malaria relates to our discussion of mosquitoes in a barn. The same drug is used repeatedly in Cambodia and newer strains come back stronger, making a drug less effective. If the strain continues to evolve, then the drug will become useless. The idea of drug combos to stop the evolution of malaria will give better odds of killing the entire pathogen, instead of leaving behind very few that can come back stronger.
Malaria is a very dangerous disease is left untreated. I am astounded at the amount of people infected and killed by malaria. I am lucky like many others in America to live where malaria is no real threat, especially here in San Francisco. I am fearful of the fact that malaria has been growing stronger and more resistant to drugs and I hope that drug combos can defeat malaria. I agree with the way the article talks about combating strong strains of malaria. We cannot use the best drug we have to destroy malaria because if we do that all the time, then the disease will simply come back stronger and stronger. Also, if we use the best drug, and the disease evolves, all drugs that are weaker to it will be less effective, or cease to be effective at all. The money for expensive drugs alone are futile, we must use drugs wisely. Instead of one, expensive drug, why not use 2-3 different drugs that cost much cheaper? In doing so we can reduce costs for medicine, improve chances of killing a pathogen completely, and halt the evolution of "super" malaria.
"Fighting the Evolution of Malaria in Cambodia." Understanding Evolution. Dec. 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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Treatment 'Slashes baby HIV Risk'

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  • Research results claim that a baby of a HIV infected mother can be born without HIV with the correct treatments.
  • 5,151 reported pregnancies within the UK and Ireland from 2000-2006 show that only 1.2% of the babies have been infected from HIV with preventive steps taken. In 1900s, the rate of infants being born with HIV without treatments were 20%.
  • The University of College London led this research and they never saw a low rate as these in history. HIV positive women in the UK have been takeing a combo of antiretroviral(ART) drugs when they are pregnant.
  • When giving birth, caesarean section reduces the risk of HIV infection in the baby but a new study shows that a particular drug is very effective in preventing infection, and normal delivery is possible.
  • The transmission of ART during the last 14 days of pregnancy was .8% no matter the type of delivery. The success of ART was in the women who chose to take screenings for HIV
  • ART is very limited in developing countries and only 10% of women are able to get the drug. They say that 1,800 babies are born every day with HIV because their mothers were unable to get the ART drug.
  • This article goes great with out Immune System Unit because this drug in a sense is like a vaccine. Although it doesn't explain if the ART drug is a vaccine or not, it assists the immune system in making sure a baby doesn't have HIV.
This news of HIV infection being spread to an offspring is new to me. I wasn't aware that HIV can be transmitted to babies and I wonder how. But with this ART drug, I am very pleased to know that HIV infection in babies is dramatically reduced. I can see by this article that ART drugs are very effective but I also wonder if there are any side effects or draw backs. However I think that the draw backs may be worth the cost because a child with HIV at such a young age, I fear my not last very long. If this drug is produced more and more I would like to see it go to developing countries, who need it most. Our needs are important but I do think that there are others that need it more than us.
"BBC NEWS | Health | Treatment 'slashes Baby HIV Risk'" BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 6 May 2008. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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Genetically Engineered Crops Have Led to Massive Increases in Pesticide Use

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  • Departments and centers like Center fr Food Safety released a report about the environmental hazards of farming with GMO crops.
  • herbicide tolerant GMOs also brought HT weeds that farmers counter with strong pesticides and super weeds form as they adapt and evolve.
  • GMO seeds are far more expensive than regular seeds and companies stand by it saying that farmers will require less pesticide usage. Ironically, the use of GMO seeds requires even stronger pesticides to kill the super weeds amongst the crops.
  • Industries responsible for the creation of GMO seeds have had their assertions proven fale by many scientific reports.
  • Saftey of GMOs are in question and one issue is pesticide residue in GMOs. These residues can lead to digestive problems, birth defects, and other side effects when digesting GMOs.
  • This particular department says that Americans should demand labeling for any GMO product.
  • This relates to curriculum because we saw a video about GMOs and a company called Mon Santo. This company has created GMOs and are selling it across the world. The creation of GMOs are by modifying the crop with chemicals and altering the genetics and cells of a certain crop.
I agree with this article because we have discussed and seen what GMOs can bring to the table. We see that there is significant benefits of GMOs but we may not be as aware of the consequences. Sure we can have a large tomoato or potato or what have you, but at what cost? The super weeds in this article caught my attention and I was very surprised that weeds can take in GMO ingredients. I have been informed that the amount of pesticide use is far more dangerous than what the benefits are. Birth defects, digestion problem, and other side effects from GMO residue does not make a healthy appetite to me and I feel that the entire population in America are buying tricked into thinking GMOs are natural. A label can go a long way and many Americans believe what they are seeing. I say that there should be a label telling people what GMO ingredients there are within a product

"Genetically Engineered Crops Have Led to Massive Increases in Pesticide Use." Independent News on Natural Health, Nutrition and More. 3 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. .

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Woman Dead After Son Died of Mad Cow Disease

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  • A Spanish mother in her 60s died of mad cow disease like her son who was 41 prior, making the Spanish death toll 4.
  • This was the first case ever in which two members of a family were killed by mad cow disease.
  • A ten-year gap between consuming contaminated foods can pass before it shows physical signs of affect on a person.
  • isolation of infected animals are the first steps to avoid the disease bean after the first signs of mad cow, however the family who had contracted the disease most likely have eaten the contaminated meat before the isolation began.
  • There are 3 separate reports of mad cow within the Province.
  • I find that this article links with our Cell Unit because we discussed Mad Cow disease for some time in class. We discussed how proteins manipulated neighboring proteins within the brain to become abnormal and cause damage to the brain. Overtime, this protein would spread and cause the brain to become spongy with holes in it.
I am surprised that mad cow disease cases are not reported as often. I think it is due to our location in the USA and that fact that we have already taken actions to reduce the disease. If I am wrong them perhaps the government is tying loose ends in order to keep the food industry alive. Beef is consumed by people everywhere and if we saw how much contaminated meat there really is, then we may be picky on what we eat. The result from eating less meat would in most cases weaken the economy because meat is a huge in America in particular. If the people saw how our beef is created, we can be revolted and the threat of mad cow disease would be known by everyone and more action would be taken to fix it.
"Woman Dead Months after Son Died of Mad Cow Disease - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 9 Dec. 2008. Web. 20 May 2010. .

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Obama Overturns Bush Policy on Stem Cells

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  • Obama overturned former Pres. Bush's policy he signed in 2001 restricting stem cell research.
  • Obama agrees with stem cell research for easing human suffering but has strict guidelines to insure that no cloning can be made possible.
  • He hopes that stem cell research can cure Parkinson's, cancer and spinal cord injuries.
  • Embryonic stem cells are highly valuable based on their ability to be transformed into any cell the body is in need of.
  • An embryo of 4-5 says of age is extracted from its stem cell, which can go up to 30. Then the embryo is destroyed, Bush's former policy limited funding and did not allow the destruction of human embryos.
  • Latest issue is the whether lift the ban on funding stem cell research.
  • This is in correspondence with our Cell unit because of the controversy over stem cell research. We know that stem cells can be used for anything needed in the body and is very valuable. Cancer cells can be treated if stem cells are implemented.
Despite the articles age, I am surprised that stem cell research was capped by the Bush administration. I was unaware of the fact that federal funding was limited and human embryos could not be destroyed. I personally think that destroying an embryo doesn't matter if the stem cells are taken out because without the stem cells, there can be no growth for organs. I'm happy that Obama overturned Bush's policy because medical research is essential for the future, to help people in any way. With the aid of stem cells, newer treatments can be implemented to decrease recovery times, and possible cure certain diseases that plague our world.
"Obama Overturns Bush Policy on Stem Cells - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 9 Mar. 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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Company Behind the Clones: Advanced Cell technology

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  • ACT was made for three purposes, cloning stem cells for medicine, cloning cows for making medicine through milk, and cloning animals for cell and tissue transplants.
  • The ACT's intentions are not to clone a human being, but to find cures for diseases such as AIDs and Alzheimer's.
  • When cloning 30 cows, 24 turned out to be "normal" and these results have stirred up a controversy for some time.
  • ACT claims that the 24 cows were clinically normal, being that the had no genetic defects or immune deficiencies.
  • ACT released another statement telling the public their goals and interests which were; gene manipulation in animals for the purpose of genetic therapy of humans.
  • This relates to our Cell Unit because it talks of cloning which to my knowledge would require stem cells. Stem cell research is a hot topic for cell research and I find it relevant to our units because of the vast capabilities of stem cells, which has lead to successful cloning.
Seeing this article makes me realize how long cloning has been going on. I thought for a long period of time that cloning was not existent. Hearing news of cloning makes me very intrigued in the matter, especially with all the protests that occur during these times in science research. This article tells me that ACT is using genetically engineered cows for the benefit of man kind, and I find that appropriate. However I feel doubtful because if we are cloning one cow, how do we know it is the best one? What if the host falls ill and all clones are susceptible? I do not think that cloning a single cow is very smart and I am positive that animal rights activists would step in and protest every way possible. If this cloning does work out and it does help cure terminal diseases, I will be sure to support its research if there are hard evidence of success.
Anderson||CNN, Porter. "CNN.com - Company behind the Clones: Advanced Cell Technology - November 25, 2001." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 25 Nov. 2001. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/725000/images/_726693_cows300.jpg
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Is There A Laziness Gene?

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  • J. Timothy Lightfoot thinks that genetics can determine if a person is lazy or not.
  • He cross bred active and inactive mice and found heredity is within 50% of mice that are active.
  • He found that active-promoting genes dominate traits in 75% of the exercises mice love.
  • Genes can control muscles differently so they are capable of burning more energy and reducing fatigue.
  • There is a discovery that there is an inherited drive to being active or not and a hypothesis has been drawn up that chemicals in the brain are responsible for it.
  • This relates to our genetics units because we discuss of how the activation of a gene can do something different in the body even if there is the same DNA.
I think that genes play a role in being active or not. However, for humans there are other factors that can determine laziness. Technology dominates our generation with computers, TV, video games, and the result is lack of or no exercise at all. The environment affects all of us and if we were once active and stop because of the exposure to technology, then that does not really prove that genes control laziness. Our mindset can change as well by deciding to be active or not. If we are lazy and there is prom coming up, then it is possible to make up your mind to get in shape, and that is not decided by genes. This article is thinking outside of the box and genes may affect our activeness to a certain degree. However I do think that other factors can determine laziness more than genes.
"Is There a Laziness Gene? - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. 30 July 2008. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://webhollis.com/albums/Funny-Forum/Laziness.jpg
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Penn Researchers Identify First Sex Chromosome Gene Involved in Meiosis and Male Infertility

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  • Scientists at Univ. Pennsylvania found a gene called TEX11 in the X chromosome that causes sterility in men.
  • Men receive one X chromosome from their mothers and any mutation can lead to sterility.
  • Mutations or defects during meiosis are the leading cause of infertility and birth defects. Some of these defects range from color blindness, genetic mutation, and muscle dystrophy.
  • Study shows that there is a role for sex chromosomes during meiosis during it's early stages in a male, not the later stages. With TEX11, homologous chromosome fail to pair during meiosis which can result in male infertility.
  • This failure during meiosis results in the elimination of spermatocytes in the later stages in meiosis.
  • This relates to genetics and our reproductive units. We see in the article the interaction of chromosomes and the mutations that can occur, resulting in infertility. The reference to our reproductive unit is the spermatocytes, the creation of sperm within the testicles.
I think that this information can help diagnose men who cannot bear children or may be having difficulties because of a birth defect. This gene, TEX11 can be scene before birth and information like that can help the parents think of "what if" their child cannot have kids. The news may be depressing but it does give the parents time to think and plan their future. Perhaps if more tests are done, gene therapy can be done to remove TEX11 so birth defects are reduced and infertlity is decreased.
"Penn Researchers Identify First Sex Chromosome Gene Involved in Meiosis and Male Infertility | Penn Communications." Penn: University of Pennsylvania. 14 Mar. 2008. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://eureka.ya.com/locomotorweb/chromosome.jpg
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Scientists Transform Embryonic and Skin-derived Stem Cells into Retinal Cells

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  • Scientists have been able to grow retinal cells from stem cells which can help repair a patient's retina with their own skin.
  • This accomplishment has taken the steps into the reconstruction of a retina closer to reality. The process is very complex to create retina cells. To do this one must reverse engineer a skin cell to make it resemble an embryonic stem cell and activate the process that would make the embryonic stem cell into a retinal cell.
  • The team from Wisconsin-Madison school of Medicine and Public Health hope their research can push forward and treat conditions that are caused genetically.
  • This article relates to our Cell section because it talks about the development of cells into an organ. Embryonic stem cells are the future in cell development for specific injuries, conditions, and other handicaps for a person.
This article tells me that there is hope for people who have blindness. I can personally relate to this because my late great aunt was blinded on one eye and was becoming blind in the other. If this research was available for clinical trials, and if my great aunt was healthier, maybe she would've participated in a trial because I believe her blindness was genetically caused. And now, if a retina can be reconstructed, it may only be a matter of time to a full organ can be reconstructed, which can be very helpful for people who may have a organ failure and needs a transplant fast. We have learned of immune system disorders and if a person's body doesn't have the right donor, then the body will reject it. But imagine if someone had a back up heart, or liver, they could live on past their "expiration date." This future may not be to far ahead and who knows, we may be able to reconstruct a failing body some day.

"Scientists Morph Human Skin Cells Into Retinal Cells | Popular Science." Popular Science | New Technology, Science News, The Future Now. 26 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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New Chemotherapy Agents Cut Advanced Breast Cancer Mortality in Half

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  • Mortality rate of advanced breast cancer has decreased 50% thanks too newer forms of chemotherapy.
  • An anthracycline drug has led to a 22% reduction in risks of death versus older technology that used nonanthracycline drugs. These drugs are similar to antibiotics and attack the genetic material of a cancer cell.
  • Another drug called taxanes have lowered chances of death by 33% and new combos of taxanes have reduced death risks by 51%. Taxanes interfere with the mitosis of cancer.
  • The analysis was comprised of 148 comparisons, 122 trials with 26,031 patients using 22 different types of therapy.
  • Incorporating these new treatments together can result with greater chances of survival with people with advanced breast cancer.
  • This article relates to our Cancer section and is relevant because of the new treatments that are available and how people can combat cancer.
My take on this article is very positive. if my grandmother was alive today and had these options to maintain her cancer, maybe she would still be around. Hearing these news is spectacular because treatments like taxanes can vastly increase a person's chance of survival. My concern on this is that it is a new treatment and most likely has a heavy bill to pay off. That and I am concerned if an advanced cancer can adapt to these newer treatments, making them immune, and the whole drug useless. I agree that instead of single treatments on one therapy is insufficient and multiple treatments must be used to have an effective regimen against cancer.
"New Chemotherapy Agents Cut Advanced Breast Cancer Mortality in Half." BreastCancer.org - Breast Cancer Treatment Information and Pictures. 12 Sept. 2008. Web. 20 May 2010. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_qKG_R9FHQ&feature=player_embedded
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Fighting Mutant Super Bugs Cost Billions

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  • Steve Palumbi has recorded the amount of money that has been spent on disease and pesticide treatment. The total amount ranges from $30-50 billion dollars a year.
  • Methods of battling these bugs(& bacteria) is by exposing them with a drug, and suddenly switching drugs to kill off the remaining bugs that maybe resistant to the previous drug.
  • Strong and expensive drugs have been available to doctors for some time now for certain illnesses. However if the bacteria grows immune to a certain drug, than the illness may become incurable.
  • This also applies to crops, weeds and insects that grow immunities too pesticides will need stronger pesticides to kill them=more money to pay for pesticides.
  • Plamubi suggests the use of drugs in a more effective and cost reductive way by hitting a disease/pest hard, but at the same time smartly.
  • This relates to our evolution unit because natural selection occurs. Bacteria that are immune to a particular drug had grown an immunity due to natural selection which weeded out those who did not have an immunity to that particular drug. Those bacterium that survived with a partial immunity to a single drug dominated and reproduced more, and the entire population would have an immunity to a particular drug over time.
I think that this article brings up a very important issue, especially in today's economy. Despite old news, the article tells us how much money is being used in the development of drugs/pesticides that in long term give little to no results. Med care is Obama's top priority and decided to spend billions on it. However, reading this article I do not feel that this particular sector in medical care will benefit. To have effective drugs and pesticides, we must use them smartly. We need to strike hard and fast, then either switch drugs or suspend treatment for sometime.
Science, Richard Stenger||CNN. "CNN.com - Report: Fighting Mutant Super Bugs Costs Billions - September 7, 2001." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 07 Sept. 2001. Web. 20 May 2010. .
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