A study from the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a DNA test will yield better and more accurate results in determining colon cancer. This means instead of blood in stool samples, doctors look at the DNA inside of those samples.  Dr. David A. Ahlquist, a professor of medicine, and a gastroenterology consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, explained that “blood as a marker for colon cancer has limitations.”  When looking at all precancerous polyps, Ahlquist explained that the polyps “shed cells that contain abnormal DNA.  So, a stool-based DNA test is a strategically more rational approach.”  This finding does not mean that going for a colonoscopy will be meaningless, because that test is still currently the most effective treatment in detecting colon cancer.  However, this new technique will make it less invasive and easier to be tested.

I found this article to be very interesting.  Both of my parents have had at least one colonoscopy, with my father just having one recently.  Both of them hated going for them because the procedure is relatively easy, but the preparation for the test is extremely awful.  As discussed in class, this is one of many new ways to screen for colon cancer.  I hope that more accurate and less invasive ways of screening for colon cancer will continue to be developed.  I say this because I know that in about thirty years from now, I will have to be tested and I dread the thought of having to go through the preparation that exists now to check for polyps.

Source of Article:
•http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,434946,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/men
•http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/149/7/441

by Karen G

Ron also suffered from diabetes, so when he fell, he slipped into a diabetic coma and although he could hear everything going on around him, he could not move. His kidneys also shut down while he was in the coma. A friend found him a few days later and rushed him to the hospital where he was told that he would have to have his foot amputated.

The diagnosis was made from muscle and skin biopsies: nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). The probable cause for the disease has been found in an unusual problem related to a combination of renal failure requiring dialysis and a certain radiology technique. No one knows, yet, how to soften all of the muscles so they can start working again. Having a kidney transplant has shown promise and Little is on the list.

      This article is a very sad story and it is hard to believe how quickly and unknowingly this disease affected Ron. With advancements in technology, we can hope that Ron will get the help he needs and could possibly obtain a high-tech device, like a reclining electric wheelchair to allow him to interact more in his environment. Hopefully, doctors can learn from Ron’s case and others with the same rare disease and find how to help others facing the same situation in the future.  

Source:
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_324003822.html

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Neuropsychologist Randulfo Romo and filmaker Kun Chang team up in this recent podcast to talk about somatosensory research, propioception and synesthesia.

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]]> http://biologyblog.edublogs.org/2008/11/30/hooked-on-a-feeling/feed/ 0 http://biologyblog.edublogs.org/2008/11/24/mystery-of-the-black-death/ http://biologyblog.edublogs.org/2008/11/24/mystery-of-the-black-death/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:26:06 +0000 biologyblog http://biologyblog.edublogs.org/?p=164 Not everyone who came in contact with the Black Plague bacteria, which ravaged medieval Europe, died. Geneticist Steven O’Brien is interested in  why some survived when so many others died. In a PBS special, O’Brien and filmaker Steve Crohn visit a small English town that was hit by the plague in 1665.  Using historical records, town archives and modern forensic techniques, O’Brien turns the town into a medical case study that reveals some startling information about the disease.  After proving that the scourge in the town really was plague and not some other disease, he discovers that the people who managed to survive were blessed with a genetic mutation that made them immune to the effects of the bacteria. Even more startling, that same genetic mutation has now been linked to some people immunity of another deadly disease — AIDS. This program tells the story of the survivors of the devastating plague and takes viewers on a journey of investigation into the world of a deadly pandemic. 
Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/previous_seasons/case_plague/interview.html

by
Karen Giardina

This article discusses the struggle a 71 year old diabetic man faces with an infected blister on his toe. Due to his diabetic condition, circulation to his feet slowed and caused nerve damage, allowing a blister to become infected and later amputated. Now doctors are trying to save his foot since the amputation did not heal correctly. In order to do this, the use of maggots has been suggested. Maggot therapy helps remove dead skin, allowing live skin to heal, and it has been found to be more effective than surgical removal. Since the patient, Begay’s, surgery, the condition of his foot has improved and he has been released from the hospital.
Healing processes that include the use of maggots and leaches have been a medical therapy that has been around for decades and is proven to still be effective. The use of maggots to remove dead skin and heal an infection is a fascinating concept. A situation like Begay’s is a good example for others to pay attention to small problems before they become out of control. Begay closed the article informing others to stay on top of their conditions. “Look at your feet every day, and if you can’t look at your foot, get your family to do it,” he said. “Everyone with diabetes should be seen annually by a foot specialist.”

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/96596.php