Breakthrough in Prenatal Diagnosis

FYI: Down Syndrome is caused by 3 copies of chromosome 21 as opposed to 2 copies. It results in altered facial features and intellectual problems. It may also result in heart problems. 

For about 100 years, doctors have been able to determine whether a baby will have down syndrome by undergoing a choice of two procedures. Currently, these procedures are: Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). The first takes a sample from the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby by inserting a needle through the uterus at about 15 weeks into the pregnancy. The latter is done at about 11 weeks into the pregnancy and retrieves a piece of the placenta by poking a needle through the cervix. While these tests are fairly accurate, 1% of women that choose to take this test will have a miscarriage. This is why only 10% of pregnant women take these tests. But now, thanks to advances in science, doctors believe they have an alternative to CVS and amniocentesis that will NOT come with any possibility of a miscarriage.  This new alternative will be cheaper and less invasive; it just involves a simple blood test that can be taken early on. With further studies, this process could possibly be implemented  into practice about 2 years. Now, I am enthralled that the avoidance of a miscarriage will allow more babies to be born. The emotional devastation and loss of a life must be unbearable and parents should not be punished by simply taking a test to find out more about their baby.  While prenatal diagnosis is a controversial issue(90% of women will abort if they find out their baby is affected), I believe the testing is a good idea. People affected with down syndromes are not self-sufficient and are prone to: heart problems, sleep apnea, obesity, dementia, diseases in general, and leukemia. I acknowledge the fact that many down syndrome kids may thrive, sometimes, parents will choose abortion. The baggage that comes that comes with caring for such a child is unimaginable; the time, effort, and money will sometimes be too overwhelming for a parent. The problems that down syndrome people have to go through simply might be too painful for the parents to put their children through. Also, knowing whether your baby has down syndrome can help you prepare to care for your child. I am no medical expert, but prenatal diagnosis is good in my eyes. Your thoughts?
 

Sources: 

Family Doctor. "Prenatal Diagnosis: Amniocentesis and CVS." Family Doctor . N.p., Aug. 2010. Web. 7 Mar. 2011.

Harmon, Amy. "Prenatal Test Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus ." New York Times 9 May 2007: n. pag. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/us/09down.html>.

Reinberg, Steven. "Infomark Noninvasive Test May Identify Down Syndrome Early On; Simple blood draw might someday become routine practice in pregnancy, researchers say. ." HealthDay A250784418 (2011): n. pag. Health and Wellness Resource Center. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://puffin.harker.org:2069/servlet/HWRC/hits?r=d&bucket=healthnews&n=10&searchTerm=2NTA&l=d&index=BA&c=3&docNum=A250784418&s=16>.

Save Babies . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.savebabies.org/images/babies-1.jpg>.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Down Syndrome ." Mayo Clinic. N.p., 7 Apr. 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/down-syndrome/DS00182>.  

Science Behind Sleeping

Definitions:
melatotin- chemical produced that makes one sleepy and helps with prevention of infection

Summary: Did you know humans spend one-third of their life simply sleeping? Now you know. Sleeping is vital to functioning in daily activities; without it, we would be "walking zombies" in the words of Andrew T. McPhee, a leading sleep researcher. Your body's energy level is restored when you sleep. Also, people that get less than the recommended hours of sleep tend to be more prone to infections and such. That is because the body produces a chemical called melatotin when we sleep that helps fight disease and during the day, the production of melatotin is stifled. Now, while we sleep, we pass the sleep cycle that contains several stages . During the first stage, we enter sleepy mode. Bodily functions slow down, such as body temperature and activity in the brain. You become extremely relaxed and then go into the second stage. Your body continues to slow down and soon enough, you will be entering the stage called deep sleep. This part is critical because during this period, growth hormones are generated and, as the name suggests, we get a chance to fully rest.  Following this period comes the one you are probably dying to read about, the dream stage. Also known as REM sleep ( rapid eye movement, called this because while we dream, our eyes move in quick, sudden movements), we experience dreams. Dreams are thought to be interrelated with one's life, but there are a few researchers who believe that dreams are just random thoughts. Now, there is so much more fun information to know about sleeping, but unfortunately, I will not be discussing all of them. If you have any questions about anything regarding sleeping, just ask me and I will most likely know the answer (the book contained everything you have to know about sleeping).

Discussion: While I read the book, I constantly thought about how many people are sleep deprived. Not getting enough sleep disables you; many car accidents happen because of people that are not fully awake. Sleepy people are very similar to drunk people as they both are not completely aware of their surroundings and their motor skills are impaired. I know that some nights when I am not able to fit in those eight hours, the next day I tend to forget information easily, I am more irritable, and I sometimes I get sick if it goes on for a few days. What about you? This book also got me thinking about the start time of school. For most high schools, classes begin at about 7: 45 on a typical day. That's ridiculous considering that teenagers start getting tired at around 12:00, it's a scientific fact. For teenagers, melatotin production begins later than other age groups, which means they do not feel the effect of sleep until later into the night. And considering they are supposed to sleep for nine hours, they are cutting it short by two full hours. As I mentioned earlier, sleep helps one do better in general, so why does it make sense to impair high schoolers from doing their very best? It doesn't. I think that school should start later so everyone is fully rested and end earlier so people have more time to do their homework. What is your opinion on this matter? '

More questions:

Have you or anyone you know ever experienced a sleeping disorder?
How much do you typically sleep a night?

Citations:

McPhee, Andrew T. Sleep and Dreams. N.p.: Grolier Publishing, 2001. Print.
http://www.bustachange.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/sleep-replacement-drug.jpg

CSB #3: A Cure For All Cardiovascular Problems?

ABOVE: clogged up artery vs. normal artery


Definitions: 


HDL- good cholesterol
LDL- bad cholesterol
CETP- cholesteryl ester transfer protein, helps increase amount of good cholesterol 


Summary: 
Could we finally have a way to reduce high cholesterol? Well, scientists are working on a solution called anacetrapib that promises many positive effects. It works by increasing the number of HDL and eliminating some LDL by speeding up the reaction of CETP. When the drug was tested, patients experienced a 138% increase in HDL and decrease in LDL. Merck, a drug company, is investing $150 million in this project and if all goes well, anacetrapib is projected to yield one billion dollars in revenue. However, they must do two things. One, this drug must prove to not only reduce cholesterol levels, but reduce risk for cardiovascular problems. Two, no negative side effects may come out of this. Before it can be sold on the market, Merck must prove that  anacetrapib is completely safe. A similar product called Pfizer lowered cholesterol levels as well, but it was shown that death risk is raised when Pfizer is used. More studies will be conducted to ensure nothing of this sort will happen. 


Discussion: 
I think it would be great if scientists discovered how to lower cholesterol levels. Many people suffer from high cholesterol( to be exact, 1 out of three people in the US). High cholesterol can interfere with everyday life and even lead to fatal outcomes. However, I do believe it to be a little skeptical that there will be no side effects whatsoever. Raising your good cholesterol and lowering the bad, basically altering with the regular bodily functions is bound to not be that great for you. Hopefully, they will find a way around this; after all, they are scientists. 


Questions: 
What types of studies will be performed to learn more about this topic? 
How much will this product be sold for if put on the market? 


Sources: 
Singer, Natasha. "Merck Drug to Raise Good Cholesterol and Lower Bad Shows
     Promise." New York TImes. N.p., 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
     <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/health/research/18merck.html>.
Merck. "In Phase III Study Merck's Investigational CETP Inhibitor Anacetrapib
     Met Safety and Efficacy Endpoints in Patients with CHD." Merck. Merck, 17
     Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.merck.com/newsroom/
     news-release-archive/research-and-development/
     2010_1117.html?WT.svl=content&WT.pi=content+Views>.

Gabi Gupta's CSB #2 Salt: Good Addition to Food or a Cell Repairer?

definitions:
tadpoles- baby frogs
regeneration- regrowth of bodily organs
NaV1.2- protein that create sodium channel
sodium channel- integral membrane proteins (connected to membrane) form together is selectively permeable in letting sodium ions pass through the plasma membrane
sodium transports-

Summary:

Scientists in Massachusetts studying regeneration conducted an experiment on the Xenopus laevis, or African Claw Frog, to help them better understand how cells can be repaired. They first amputated the tadpoles tails, and then injected a rush of salt into the area where the tail was. The salt inrush proved to have helped the rate of regrowth. Usually, the NaV1.2 is prevented from entering the cell, therefore deterring or completely stopping the rate of regeneration. The reason that the salt never reaches the cell and helps it rejuvenate is because it is stopped by sodium transports. NaV1.2 is associated with one of the main components needed to help regeneration, so when it is not able to get through, the chances of the cell revitalizing are slim. But if scientists find a way to regulate sodium transports, that would allow the sodium ions to enter the cell, allowing the cell to undergo changes.



Discussion:
I think this is really interesting because this brings us one step closer to solving medical problems, such as spine problems or limb loss. But, we should look further into this idea because we would not want any negative side effects, which might be impossible. If scientists can get this to work, we would be able to help soldiers and maybe even handicapped people who undergo loss of arms and legs. That would be a huge accomplishment and a pioneer the idea of generation. New discoveries always lead to discoveries that build on previous discoveries, so if these Massachusetts scientists can overcome this challenge and find a way to make it work, that would be SO impressive.


Questions:
What future studies will be conducted and what kind of experiments to further expand on this concept?
What other information is there on mutation that can help them? Are there any other experiments that they can learn from?

Sources:
http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/39/13192
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/science/12obsalt.html
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/SCN5A
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/SCN2A

CSB # 1: Hybrids Tend to Have Traits Parents Lack

Definitions: 
Hybrid: offspring of when two different species mate 
animal kingdom: group comprising of all animals


Summary: 


Hybrids are often thought to be rarities in nature and viewed as very special. But contrary to popular belief, research has shown that at one time or another, at least 10% of animals and 25% of plants will mate with another species. They may not always generate offspring, but that is still a high number. Now, most people are under the impression that the offspring contains qualities of both parents, but the studies conducted by Loren H. Rieseberg of the University of British Columbia show that hybrids may contain completely different attributes than those of their parents. Rieseberg found that when the common sunflower and praire sunflower reproduce, the offspring can only live in "extreme habitats", unlike their producers. The hybrid sunflowers tend to have traits that have no connection to their parents. This pattern also occurred in the Lonicera fly. Its parents, two variations of the maggot fly, preferred a certain type of honeysuckle opposed to the ones its parents were attracted to. In both cases, we see that hybrids contain different traits from those of their parents. This is an interesting find and led scientist to discover more.
Discussion: 
Now, I myself was appalled at the findings. I used to think that species, hybrid or not, contained the same genes as their parents. For example , I thought the zorse had a combination of the traits of  a horse and a zebra. This article dissproved previous thinkings. Now we know that, yes, the hybrid offspring often are dissimlar to their parents. From this information, many more studies can come out of this
Questions:
Do hybrids often share the same qualities as their parents or different?
Why do hybrids have different qualities?
Link to picture: http://www.geekologie.com/2007/06/28/zorse.jpg
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/science/14creatures.html?_r=1
Citations: Carrol, Sean B. "Hybrids May Thrive Where Parents Fear to Tread." Ny Times. 
     N.p., 15 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Sept. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/
     14/science/14creatures.html?_r=1>.