Tag Archives: Medicine

Stem Cells Remember Past Injuries of Tissues

Posted on November 19, 2018 by | 2 comments
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“What are stem cells? – Craig A. Kohn”  Video Source: TED-Ed Youtube Channel

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are your body’s internal repair system and seemingly remember past injuries of tissues by retaining memories of old injuries for improvement of  healing in the future. Studies have indicated that stem cells also have behavioral roles of responding to the environment and sensing it.

As living beings, there are times we encounter various kinds of injuries through some traumatic events. These can be simple from paper cuts to serious injuries like the loss of limbs infarction. The body has a mechanism of healing these damaged tissues. Some organisms like earthworms have the ability of regrowth of complete body parts after an injury but human beings have no such ability. Stem cells are known to replenish such types of injuries by focusing on the healing of other cell types.

” What is a Stem Cell“ Source:Relievus

How can stem cells repair injuries？

In the healing context, repair refers to restoring tissue function and architecture after an injury. This is based on the processes of replacement and regeneration. Research has indicated that these stem cells also have the ability of remembering past inflammation and wounds. The suggestion from studies of the gut, airways and the skin is that together with the immune system, stem cells use the memories for the improvement of tissue responses to later assaults by pathogens which are bacteriums, viruses that can cause disease.

“VESC system in the liver” Source: MedicalExpress

The repair of tissues can lead to restoration of some of the original structures of the tissue damaged like epithelial layers but in complex healing of organ functions. Additionally, when the responses of the stem cells fail to go in the right way, they can lead to various enduring health problems based on chronic inflammation. It thus means that stem cells directly communicate with the immune system to facilitate healing but the stem cells have a central role of making tissues adapt to preservation.

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Wenyu Zhao

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science Communication, Science in the News

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The Americanization of Gut Bacteria in Immigrants

Posted on November 5, 2018 by | 3 comments

When immigrating to America everything becomes westernized, including the bacteria in your gut.

The green highlights the large intestines where the majority of the gut bacteria lies. Image credit: Mikael Haggstrom

Previous studies showed that living in the United states increase the risk of obesity and chronic disease among immigrants to the US relative to those who stayed in their country of birth. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, Dan Knights and Pajau Vangay, thinks that this increase in obesity and chronic diseases may be caused by the decrease in biodiversity in the gut of immigrants.

People in developing countries have more diverse microbiomes, while people living in industrialized countries like the United States have lower microbiome diversity. However the study found that when moving from a developing country to an industrialized nation would actually cause the biodiversity of the gut bacteria to decrease.

The Effect of Immigration on Gut Bacteria

The study focused on the Hmong and the Karen who are the most at risk for Obesity in Asian populations in Minnesota. The study studied the immigrants of different residency length and second generation immigrants and compared the biodiversity of the gut bacteria in these populations.

When immigrants move to the United States, their gut microbiome rapidly Americanizes within 6 to 9 months and becomes less diverse. The gut is invaded by with a rise in the population of bacteria of the genus Bacteroides which is associated with an American diet, while replacing the hey began to replace those of the genus Prevotella from the immigrants home countries diet.

When studying immigrants who have been in the US for years, they found the bacteria in the gut has become less diverse also the American genus Bacteroides have become more prevalent. The change of Bacteria is a long process and it starts immediately but it continues for many decades after and  those who have immigrated longer much more at risk for obesity and other chronic diseases.

As Immigrants reside in the US longer, the chances of obesity increases. Image Credit: Pharos

Bacteria Diversity Change with Long Term effects

The researchers also observed the second generation immigrant who have very similar diet as their parents with ten times the amount of rice as the average American. However even with a different diet the diversity of gut microbiome in these second generation immigrants very closely resemble the average American. Meaning the decrease in gut bacteria diversity does not only compound over time but across generations.

Know this decrease in gut bacteria diversity increases obesity and chronic illnesses, maybe it is worthwhile to find how to maintain or increase gut bacteria diversity to maybe help fight obesity and chronic illnesses.

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science Communication

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Slow and Steady: New Research Claims That Removing The Appendix Decreases Risk of Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on November 5, 2018 by | 3 comments

Many people have a friend or family member who is afflicted by Parkinson’s Disease, a long-term degenerative disease affecting the brain’s central nervous system. Seemingly unrelated, many people also have removed their appendix, a small finger-like length of intestine that is widely removed due to appendicitis. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, a recent study analyzing more than 1 million people in Sweden has concluded that an appendix removal done decades ago may reduce the chances of developing Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Scientists speculate that the removal of the appendix affects the development of an abnormally formed protein, named α-synuclein (alpha-synuclein), which is present in PD patients.

What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s Disease is a genetic neurological (brain) disorder that can have significant impact on the physical and mental state of patients, with more than 55,000 Canadians diagnosed with PD. The onset of PD is slow, often alongside symptoms such as hand tremors and body stiffness.

Parkinson’s encompasses a wide subset of symptoms and related complications: restricting the movement of a patient gradually, eventually initiating other symptoms such as difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, and development of depression.

Prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in household population, by age group and sex, population aged 45 or older, Canada excluding territories, 2010/2011 Source: StatCan

Presence of α-synuclein In PD Patients

A protein called α-synuclein, in its misfolded (mutated) form, is fairly abundant in the appendix of both healthy people and PD patients. The mutated version of α-synuclein has the same structure as the version of α-synuclein that is found in the brains of patients afflicted by PD, which scientists have suggested causes PD by damaging the brain cells which control bodily movement.

Highly magnified image of mutated α-synuclein.
Source: Van Andel Research Institute

α-synuclein tends to travel from the appendix, leading scientists to investigate whether the protein present in the appendix is the same as the protein in the brain of PD patients.

Study on More than 1 Million Swedes Found…

Knowing this information about α-synuclein, Viviane Labrie (the first author of the study) and her team at the Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan analyzed 1.6 million Swedish medical records to find that appendix removal showed almost a 20% decrease in chances of developing PD.

The data analysis also showed that an appendix removal also delays the diagnosis of PD for the people in the data set who did go on to develop PD for more than 3 years.

Why Is This Important? 

Parkinson’s Disease is not only a devastating and debilitating disorder, but also it is increasingly common as the general population begins to age. In recent years, PD is affecting more than 60,000 people each year in the United States. As PD is the second most common neurodegenerative (brain disorder) disease in Canada, it is with hope that these findings will inspire investigations into the pursuit of a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.

See below for a video posted by Parkinson Society of BC, showcasing a young patient and her goals despite her disorder.

An instalment of Parkinson Society of BC’s This Is Parkinson’s Disease campaign, sharing Hilary’s story: a real-life British Columbian living with PD.
Source: Parkinson Society of BC

-Allison Chiang

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Posted in Science in the News

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One small fragment to bind a protein, one leap for celiacs!

Posted on October 8, 2018 by | 1 comment

In cities such as our own, gluten-free products are becoming increasingly available throughout grocery stores and restaurants. With exception of the health-conscious members of society, who is the primary consumer of these products? One such group is the portion of the population affected by the disorder known as celiac disease.

Rather eating gluten-free for health benefits, celiacs depend on these foods daily to avoid painful illness. In the United States, researchers estimated a prevalence of 1 in 141 peoples affected by celiac disease. Among the people affected many had been undiagnosed leading the researchers to conclude that celiac disease is not as rare as believed in previous years.

What is celiac disease?

What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is a disorder that inhibits those affected from consuming foods with gluten-containing ingredients such as wheat, barley, and rye. Celiac disease harms the small intestine making it incapable of absorbing nutrients during the digestion process which leads to illness. Celiac disease means an abnormal self-defence response is triggered within the body when gluten is consumed causing damage to the small intestine. If celiac disease is left undetected or untreated, common adverse health effects associated include anaemia (iron deficiency caused by iron loss) and osteoporosis (reduced density of bone material that increases chance of fracture). For example, anaemia as an adverse health effect from celiac disease can result because anaemia can be caused by a Vitamin B12 and iron deficiency. Because Vitamin B12 and iron are absorbed in the small intestine, this poses a problem for celiacs whose small intestines are damaged, leading to anaemia that will cause fatigue, weakness, and additional categorical anaemic symptoms.

Figure 1. Image outlining the causes of celiac disease. Source: Kim Moss Electronic Publishing Services Inc. 

Figure 2. Simplified diagram outlining the pathway of inflammation (swelling) for celiac disease caused by gluten antigens (foreign substance that induces a reaction). Source: Nature Genetics

https://youtu.be/nXzBApAx5lY

Video: Celiac disease – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and pathology. Osmosis YouTube channel.

Why is gluten triggering this disease and how is this discovery a leap forward for the celiac community?

Why is gluten causing these symptoms in people around North America? Gluten is composed of proteins called prolamins that are storage proteins (store key survival components for cells such as amino acids or metals). Prolamins are found in wheat, rye, barley, and corn which are common food ingredients. In a recent study conducted in Austria, a research team has discovered a method that provides the possibility of future treatments for celiac patients. The researchers utilized antibodies (proteins that neutralize invaders such as bacteria) to create fragments that bind and neutralize prolamins. Celiac disease currently requires a gluten-free diet that is expectedly followed religiously. The fragments created bind grains containing prolamin in everyday ingredients and has provided future studies the potential to revolutionize clinical treatments that improve quality of life. Discovered treatments can eventually be used to mask the prolamin, preventing it from being displayed to immune cells so an autoimmune response (self-immune response) is not triggered.

Before believing that you are affected by celiac disease, please be aware that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and intolerances to foods such as dairy are similar in symptoms. No need to panic yet, but always be sure to check with a physician if you are experiencing symptoms! With the prevalence of celiac disease in the United States being 1 in 141 people, a treatment to reduce gluten sensitivity or inhibit it completely would improve many lives. The production of the antibody fragment that targets prolamin is a leap for the celiac community.

– Vanessa Niedzielski

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News, Uncategorized

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