Author Archives: AnnaKwon

Alzheimer’s and research on a possible cure?

Alzheimer’s is a disease that has been distraught on families for decades. It starts by damaging the brain cells, eventually killing them off, and causing dementia (memory loss) as a result. Current medical resources can slow down symptoms but no cure has been found yet.

Source: https://drjockers.com/alzheimers-disease/

Recent research that points to decreasing levels of steroids in the brain (neurosteroids) and the risk of Alzheimer’s with increasing age suggests that Alzheimer’s might be related to the decreasing neurosteroids. In response to this, Dr. Daniel Tobiansky has found that the brain likely produces its own testosterone, and testosterone has been found to decrease inflammation of cells in male rat brains.

The Research of Dr. Daniel Tobiansky:

The human brain has always been thought to be a passive recipient of steroids such as testosterone and estrogen from our body. However, researchers may have found recent evidence that suggests otherwise. In particular, Daniel Tobiansky, a postgraduate doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia performed an experiment, with gonadectomized (removal of testes or ovaries) rodents to observe the difference in sex-steroid levels of the brain in contrast to the control animals (not gonadectomized). If the brain indeed does not produce its own steroids, then, control animals should observe regular levels of steroids in the blood while others have none due to the lack of sexual organs.

What They Found:

The results of the experiment came just as hypothesized, with no signs of testosterone in the blood. Interestingly, parts of the brain such as the mesocorticolimbic system that functions as the “reward system” of the body, were found to have the same levels testosterone as it was in the control animals. This incredible in the context that further understandings to this simple discovery that the brain produces its own steroids can suggest potential cures to diseases and disorders such as depression and Alzheimer’s.

Source: https://slideplayer.com/slide/5724554/

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Conclusion:

There is currently strong evidence suggesting that brain damage is related to the regression of neurosteroids. If Alzheimer’s is indeed associated with decreasing neurosteroid levels in the brain, then ramping up those steroid levels might help with slowing down the disease or even curing it.

Super Glue Which Saved Wounded Soldiers in The Battlefield

Everyone has used for super glue at least once when fixing a broken object. This plastic glue was not only used for the quick fix but also a medical product that saved lots of patients on the battlefield. Moreover, the interesting fact that reported by The Newyork Times, is that today professional athletes also use the super glue to seal their shallow cuts.

Great accidental invention: “Super glue”

Credit: cbsnews.org

Super glue, that is a chemical compound, was accidentally invented by Dr Harry Coover in 1942. During World war 2, he was working on making clear plastic lenses to precise gun sights for soldiers. Unfortunately, cyanoacrylate(CA) was excluded as a material since it was extremely sticky. However, after 6 years, he realized that this chemical permanently glues anything. This chemical, CA, is what we know as super glue.

 

Fast way to stop bleeding: “Super glue”

Credit: Simple History

Dr Coover studied how to hold human muscle tissue together with the possibility of CA being used for medical purpose, and in 1964 he applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the CA for medical use.  While not yet approved because of potential toxicity, spray type of CA was used as a temporary treatment in the Vietnam War, to seal soldiers’ wounds to preventing bleeding, and many lives were saved.

Properties of  “Super Glue”

Credit: Wikipedia

The main ingredient in super glue is cyanoacrylate which is clear gel-like liquid. CA is acrylic resin rapidly polymerized when it reacts with hydrogen that is represented as ‘Nu+’ in the picture. When its exposure in presence of water, then it makes stronger and longer chain which is called poly-cyanoacrylate. Through this reaction, it transforms from liquid to solid, from the surface to deep inside. Due to humidity in the air, it can also explain why the glue harden when you forget to close the cap after use it.

Safe medical glue for surgery

Super glue is considered dangerous to use on serious wounds such as deep cuts to two main side effects:

  1. Curing is an exothermic reaction which releases heat; it could cause damage to surrounding tissues.
  2. This curing process creates CA and formaldehyde, which irritate eye, skin and respiratory.

The original super glue is not allowed to use to heal the cuts officially. But there is an alternative that was invented for a medical purpose. In 1998, FDA approved a 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate, an improved medical adhesive that was less irritating. As commercializing this new safer medical adhesive,  we can expect fast recovery without stitching.

 

Written by Anna Kwon