Skip to main content

Stem Cells Failure To Launch

Riley Rowberry
Stem Cells Failure To Launch
As I was scanning through the articles on Biology News Net, I saw the word microcephaly, and had no choice but to click the link and start reading. The reason that my interest was sparked was due to my friend’s brother, Logan, who has this condition. His brother, although he is two years older than myself, has the mental capacity of an eight-year-old. His appearance is significantly different than most people because his head is much smaller and he also has speech issues. I have never quite understood how microcephaly was caused on a genetic level but it has always intrigued me because of the effects it has had on Logan and his family.
            The study, published in Nature Communications, was investigating the connection of the Zika virus and the development of the brain, specifically microcephaly. Microcephaly is a rare disease caused by mutation in many genes. However, in this article the main focus is on the NDE1 gene. The researchers found that when they interfered with the NDE1 gene expression it decreased and even stopped the reproduction of radial glial progenitors, which are stem cells. These stem cells normally undergo many divisions for weeks or months while the brain is developing. The Zika virus has studies that show it can target the radial glial progenitors causing a similar issue to NDE1 mutations. While the research isn’t definitive, there are plans to do more testing by a few experts in the Columbia Department of Biology on the similarities between the effects of the Zika virus and NDE1 mutations on the radial glial progenitors. The Zika virus is creating an epidemic of microcephaly, which is causing many undergo the same problems in development that Logan has had throughout his life.
I found this article extremely interesting because it shows how a virus can directly attack the development of the brain similar to a natural genetic mutation. The reason scientific research is so important to me is because it can help people who struggle with issues like this and it can also lead to cures for epidemics. Hopefully future research on this topic can not only help find out how the Zika virus is correlated with the NDE1 mutation, but also help find a cure.
Source:
Biology news Net. Nature Communications. Aug 24 2016.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2016/08/24/in_some_genetic_cases_of_microcephaly_stem_cells_fail_to_launch.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 23, 2018 at 12:57 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMarch 23, 2018 at 12:58 PM

    Last semester I took a communications course, and one of the major assignments required was a fifteen minute speech on a debatable topic. I chose the topic of stem cells versus embryonic stem cells. In this speech I debated the morality of using embryonic stem cell research. During my research, I realized that all embryonic stem cell research is for the good of human kind and is only allowed if the embryonic stem cells are donated willingly. My question from reading this article is if using embryonic stem cells to replace the dying stem cells would work, and cure this terrible disease?

    SL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownApril 10, 2018 at 7:30 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. UnknownApril 10, 2018 at 7:44 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. UnknownApril 10, 2018 at 7:45 PM

      Although I did not find evidence of this exact case we are discussing here I did find some research on the topic of utilizing stem cells to help us as a human race to improve the quality of our lives. In the article I read they were specifically studying the idea of utilizing stem cells in the heart. The idea was that if they could do stem cell transplants instead of a complete heart transplant then that would obviously be a large improvement for the receiver of the treatment for many reasons. Most of their studies in this article were conducted on mice and rats after they had caused a heart attack to take place within their body. From what I could understand they do not have the complete answer that stem cell transplants will or will not work, but from their research they are optimistic that they are making progress towards eventually being able to use this method to improve the quality of life for those humans who could use this type of treatment. The quality information that I did find was slightly old, and I am sure we are discovering more each year in a field such as this.

      Hayden G.

      https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/2001report/chapter9.htm

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Orcas (and Friends) can Imitate Human Speech

Savannah Peterson 2/5/2018 A recent study involving a young orca named Wikie has concluded that orcas can imitate human speech. This study came about to explore the complex societies that are orca pods. It has been shown in the past that orca pods are capable of intraspecies communication at a level that even includes different dialects. This raises questions like, if the communication is complex enough to be distinguishable from pod to pod, what is the level of complex thought behind it? And if there is a rudimentary language of sorts, do orcas also possess culture? The fact that families of orcas communicate in ways unique to their upbringing suggests some sort of "vocal tradition" as the article puts it.  Wikie was tasked with explaining this behavior by copying sounds of her trainer and sounds played for her like a creaky door and laughter for a reward of fish. Her ability to quickly mimic the sounds in a few tries was impressive and enlightening for the scientist...
6 comments
Read more

Household chemicals rival vehicles as smog source- Sarah Quist

Household chemicals rival vehicles as smog source Sarah Quist BIOL 1610 2/17/18 This article was of particular interest to me as I have been keenly aware, for many years now, the dangers of toxic household products, personal products and chemicals used on lawns and gardens. Although regulations have made some progress in reducing vehicle emissions, smog remains a huge problem in US cities. A group of researchers set out to find what other sources could be contributing to the continuation of polluted air. The research was led by Brian McDonald, an air-pollution researcher at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Bolder, Colorado. Brian stated that he was surprised to find that the products he used in the morning to get ready for work are comparable to the emissions coming from the tailpipe of his car. What they found was that chemical products are different than vehicle emissions in that they are designed to evaporate. "Once in the air, the compoun...
Post a Comment
Read more

Getting the Inside Dope on Ketamine’s Mysterious Ability to Rapidly Relieve Depression

In the article Getting the Inside Dope on Ketamine’s Mysterious Ability to Rapidly Relieve Depression by Simon Makin, he opens with, “Ketamine has been called the biggest thing to happen to psychiatry in 50 years…” The article discusses how researches don’t yet completely understand how the drug Ketamine can improve depression symptoms in as little as 30 minutes, but other known anti-depressants take weeks or even months. The article goes on about how ketamine early on started being abused like most drugs and it is known to cause hallucinations, out-of-body experiences and other effects and its anti-depressant properties weren’t discovered until about 20 years later. Researchers have found that ketamine does not influence mood like other ant-depressants, but it actually affects the brain by blocking depression from entering the lateral habenula (LHb). LHb is what activates when your expectations are not met or you are disappointed. Tests were ran on lab rats that showed depre...
1 comment
Read more