Cancer Fight: Unclear Tests for New Drug

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48VSU4AZ-L0&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• Dr. Griffith had a test to see whether her tumor had extra copies of a protein, HER2 and if it did, it would respond to a drug, Herceptin, which blocks the protein and stymies the tumor’s growth.
• Drugs aimed at disabling proteins that spur cancer are the future of cancer therapies.
• Herceptin, costing $42,000 a year wholesale, causes flulike symptoms and also has a rare, serious side effect: severe heart damage that can be fatal.
• HER2 tests, can give false-positives up to 20 percent of the time, the tests can tell women they need the drug when they do not, and 5 to 10 percent of the time, the tests can tell a woman that she should not take the drug, when she should.
• Medical experts's best advice is for women to ask that their breast cancer tissue be sent to experienced labs that follow certain procedures

Reflection

I think this story jumped out at me because it has to do with breast cancer. Breast cancer jumped out at me because breast cancer has been genetically passed down through generations on my dad's side of the family. I really hope I do not get it, but if I do feel a lump, I know to get tested as soon as possible. I am now better educated on which decision to make. I now know that taking the Herceptin can cause great harm to my body, and that it most likely isn't the way to go, especially if the tests are very inconsistent. The woman in the story made an educated decision by not taking the drug and going with an alternative route: chemotherapy. This article was interesting to read about, and I hope that medical advances are made to help with the fight against breast cancer. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied cancer.

MLA: Kolata, Gina. "Cancer Fight: Unclear Tests for New Drug." New York Times. 20 Apr. 2010. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/health/research/20cancer.html.

Genetic Breast Cancer Testing Brings Controversy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fd5DPW8U9U&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• NewsCenter 5's medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson reported that testing positive for the BRCA 1 or 2 gene can be devastating news
• A positive test result can force women to make terribly difficult decisions. Some choose to have a prophylactic double mastectomy and remove their ovaries to significantly lower their risk.
• Judy Garber, a genetics specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said not all patients should have BRACAnalysis.
• Even if the test comes back negative, women are not off the hook because only a small percentage of cancers have a genetic cause.
• Even if the test is positive, the chance that your child will also be a carrier is 50/50.

Reflection

I chose this story because breast cancer has been passed on from generation to generation on my dad’s side of the family, so it has a special meaning to me. It was interesting to learn about because I now know to talk to a specialist in breast cancer if I am ever diagnosed with it when I get older. This story was about a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer and how she reacted to it. She felt the lump when she was breastfeeding her son, and she was devastated by the news. If a person was diagnosed with breast cancer, this says that they should talk to a specialist about having a genetic test. If they follow through with the testing, they should be informed about the risks that go along with it. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied cancer.

MLA: "Genetic Breast Cancer Testing Brings Controversy - Health News Story - WCVB Boston." Boston News, Massachusetts News, Weather & Sports, Channel 5 TV - WCVB TheBostonChannel.com. 9 & 10 Oct. 2007. Web. http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/14300655/detail.html.

Monsanto's Legal Wins Are Just the Beginning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7bF0UXg2X4&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• Monsanto got a favorable ruling in its dispute with rival DuPont on Friday when a judge ruled that DuPont's new line of seeds violates its licensing contract with Monsanto.
• DuPont licensed Monsanto's Roundup Ready trait, but the terms of the contract preclude DuPont from combining the trait with herbicide-resistant.
• Monsanto is developing a super corn but doesn't want rivals combining their herbicide-resistant traits with Roundup Ready.
• Monsanto's other win on Friday came when the Supreme Court agreed to review a case in which a lower court ruled that the U.S. government couldn't approve Monsanto's genetically modified alfalfa without conducting an environmental review.
• A win in front of the Supreme Court could help Monsanto get its products on the market sooner, but it could also help rivals if environmental requirements are relaxed.

Reflection

I chose this particular story because I recognized the name Monsanto from the “Harvest of Fear” video, and I wanted to see what has been happening to Monsanto recently. This story can imply that Monsanto has plans for the future, and that genetically modified foods might become more prevalent in the world. The Supreme Court was a part of this issue, and I found that interesting because I didn’t know that genetic modifications were that big of a deal until I watched the video and read this article. I’m kind of surprised because this topic fascinates me more than I expected, and it makes me think twice before buying certain foods. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied GMOs and Monsanto is one of the leading companies in GM crops and foods.

MLA: Orelli, Brian. "Monsanto's Legal Wins Are Just The Beginning." Latest Top Stories ./news.nabou.com. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. http://news.nabou.com/cgi-bin/newsframe/437892yks4328903Dnabou2BInews421789994asgw3798etys6787/18A8047A97056E4D9B2CDA039BFF5E58backheadline3DHow2Bdo2BI2Bcut2Ba2Boout3Fnews26o3D0/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r2480645174.

Can Evolution Run in Reverse? A Study Says It’s a One-Way Street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEdm1GoUo-o&feature=player_embedded

KEY IDEAS:

· Evolutionary biologists have long wondered if history can run backward.

· So far, they say that it cannot happen because mutations make it practically impossible for evolution to reverse direction.

· Some scientists took a close look at the possibility of reverse evolution at a molecular level by studying a protein called a glucocorticoid receptor that helps humans cope with stress.

· Evolution is not ever reversible, but it may go backward when the evolution of the trait is simple, like when a single mutation is involved. (From Dr. Thorton)

· Evolution cannot be reversed.

REFLECTION:

This article really jumped out at me. This is a question that seemed really interesting and showed that advancements in science are truly remarkable. Before I read it, I somewhat knew the answer: that evolution can’t be reversed. The evolutionary scientists in this article preformed an experiment involving proteins to see if they could reverse genetic mutations caused by evolution. They came to the conclusion that evolution really can’t be reversed, but there is a chance that the mutation may go backwards if the evolution of the trait is simple. I think it would be interesting to learn more about this subject. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied evolution.

MLA: Zimmer, Carl. "Can Evolution Run in Reverse? A Study Says It’s a One-Way Street." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 28 Sept. 2009. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/science/29evol.html.

Extinction nears for whales and dolphins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBi2tZGsg0E&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• Some whales, dolphins and porpoises are now so endangered they could vanish within a decade, scientists say.
• The warning comes from an international group of cetacean experts at IUCN-The World Conservation Union.
• It lists the 86 recognized cetacean species, from the whales to the small and seldom-seen freshwater species in southern Asia and Latin America. The Group focuses on smaller species that are particularly threatened with extinction.
• The baiji, a freshwater dolphin now limited to the main channel of the Yangtze river in China, is considered the most endangered cetacean.
• Threats to cetaceans include the deliberate killing of some species for food and predator control.
• The plan includes recommendations for action to protect some of the most threatened species.

Reflection

I thought this story was really interesting to learn about. I chose to read this story because it jumped out at me. I also think dolphins are fascinating. This story kind of hit me hard because it really showed me that animals are going extinct because of humans’ actions. Why should they suffer for our behavior? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Some of the future implications that arise from this story are that some species dolphins, whales, and porpoises will go extinct if we don’t change our way of life and that some scientists are working on a plan to protect endangered species. I was interested in this story because it is completely relevant to what’s happening in the world around me. Science is developing, but on the down side, some species of animals have the possibility of going extinct. I think that we can change things in out world if we try to. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied extinction during the evolution unit.

MLA: Kirby, Alex. "Extinction Nears for Whales and Dolphins." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 14 May 2003. Web. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3024785.stm.

Agency Proposed U.S.-Paid Research on Stem Cells

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Uqp9VcCq4&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas

• The National Institutes of Health is proposing to enable researchers to work with cells taken from an early human egg.
• If the proposal gets approved, it would be among the first clinical tests of embryonic stem cells.
• The N.I.H. proposes to approve the cell lines created from blastomeres, the cells generated after the fertilized egg’s first few divisions.
• Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology have learned how to convert embryonic stem cells from blastomeres into the special cells that form the basement of the retina.
• Another company, Geron, received F.D.A. approval for a clinical trial to test human embryonic stem cells to treat spinal cord injury.

Reflection

I don’t really know much about stem cell research. This article gave me a sense of what was going on. This story implies that stem cell research is becoming more accepted by people in our country. I don’t have an opinion about stem cell research yet, but I think that once I learn more about it, I’ll be able to share my views about it. I think that the people who want the proposal mentioned in the article to be passed will profit from it if it ends up being passed. The trial for this case should be an interesting one because there are different viewpoints involved in this issue, both moral and economical. This article was kind of boring for me to read, but it helped me understand the stem cells a little bit better. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied stem cells and stem cell research.

MLA: Wade, Nicholas. "Agency Proposes U.S.-Paid Research on Stem Cells - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 19 Feb. 2010. Web. .

Jackson research team finds protein controlling chromosome recombination “hotspots”

http://caml.inria.fr/pub/old_caml_site/icfp00-contest/images/protein.jpeg

Key Ideas:

• Jackson Laboratory scientists have found that a protein, Prdm9, turns certain locations on chromosomes into "hotspots" of recombination activity during reproduction.
• Genetic recombination is a fundamental part of sexual reproduction because it ensures greater genetic diversity and helps with the separation of chromosomes.
• The gene is expressed during early meiosis, and its absence causes sterility in both sexes. Its "job" is adding methyl groups to histones in a specific way within the DNA.
• Prmd9 is the first protein to be identified in the mammalian recombination hotspot control system.
• Further research will investigate whether Prmd9 controls the activation of all recombination hotspots or whether it is a member of a family of regular proteins and only regulates a subset of proteins.

Reflection

This story was about a new function of the function of the protein, Prmd9. Its function is to turn certain locations on chromosomes into "hotspots" of recombination activity during reproduction. This story tells us that there are different functions of this particular protein. I don't know that a protein could have multiple functions in the body, so I think its interesting to find out these types of things. This process is taking place inside all of us, but we can't feel the process happening inside our bodies, which shows how amazing the human body is. The scientists who had to do this research on this protein must've felt proud when they came to this discovery. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied proteins.

MLA: "Jackson Research Team Finds Protein Controlling Chromosome Recombination "hotspots" - Insciences." Insciences.org|anisation. 1 Jan. 2010. Web. http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=8053.

Extravagant Results of Nature’s Arms Race

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt5HniNUN_Y&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• Douglas J. Emlen, a biologist at the University of Montana, has assembled ideas on evolutionary forces that have made animal weapons so diverse.
• Darwin proposed both armaments and ornaments are shaped by competition for mates (struggle between males and females): sexual selection.
• The cost of developing and carrying weapons was outweighed by the greater access to females gained by owning some prized possession.
• Weapons started out small and then grew, but the bigger the weapons, the less they seem to cause the loss of life–acquired a “signaling” role in some species.
• Humans have small physical weapons (teeth and claws), but that is because we manufacture weapons.

Reflection

It’s amazing that humans have so much in common with dung beetles. We all seem to want to find a mate who can take care of us and/or give us what we want. The article talks about how organisms, usually males, have developed weapons to gain something like food and to impress the opposite gender. The other creatures only develop physical attributes that they can use as weapons. And as humans, we create weapons. We have evolved into developing weapons that could destroy the whole many times over. Let’s hope that we don’t use our weapons for that purpose, and only use them to impress the other gender. The article seems to imply that we just have them for posturing, but who can really be sure about how far we will go? This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied evolution and the evolutionary arms race between species.

MLA: Wade, Nicholas. "Extravagant Results of Nature's Arms Race." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 23 Mar. 2009. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/science/24armo.html.

Mad Cow Disease Kills Mother and Son

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZK7N8WymgU&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• In Madrid, the mother of a Spanish man who died from the human form of mad cow disease has also died from the illness.
• It is the first case in the world where two members of the same family have died from mad cow disease.
• The mom was 60 when she died, and the son was 41 when he died.
• The steps to avoid the disease included isolating infected animals and prohibiting cattle feed of animal origin or with animal proteins.
• Researchers will try to determine whether the mother and son shared a genetic structure that might have been more prone to contracting the illness.

Reflection

This story was about a mother and her son dying form mad cow disease, and I found it an interesting article. I thought it was interesting because two people from the same family have never died from mad cow disease. I chose this story because I saw “mother and son die from…” as the title of the article, and I thought it would be interesting to see what the story was about. There are future implications that arise from this story. This story implies that this incident could happen again, but to another family. Also, it implies that the mad cow disease might be evolving. It is important for researchers to find this information out because it will help future generations prevent this disease. I would not want the mad cow disease to spread to the USA and infect my children when I am older. This course helped me to understand this topic because we watched a movie CJD and BSE and studied them.

MLA: Goodman, Al. "Mad Cow Disease Kills Mother and Son." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Web. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/09/25/mad.cow.spain/index.html.

The Microbes: Fighting Mosquito-Transmitted Viruses With Bacteria That Infect Many Insects

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiSOeOCe-zM&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

· A type of bacteria that infects many insects (Wolbachia) may make mosquitoes more resistant to viruses that can be dangerous to humans.

· The discovery could be helpful in the battles against the diseases of dengue and chikungunya.

· The Wolbachia infection makes a certain mosquito more resistant to some diseases.

· The bacteria strengthen the mosquito’s immune system and may use up some fatty acids that the viruses need to reproduce.

· Infecting mosquitoes with bacteria is tedious, but the bacteria then pass on to succeeding generations, and can prevent uninfected embryos from surviving.

Reflection:

This story was about a type of mosquito that could be injected with bacteria that prevents humans from getting diseases of dengue (hemorrhagic fever) and chikungunya (an insct-borne virus that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes). I chose this story because I don’t like mosquitoes. They are bothersome and I don’t think that they do anything good in their habitat. Some implications of this story are that disease can be prevented by cutting the lifespan of mosquitoes in half and that through evolution, these mosquitoes will pass on these traits when they reproduce. This could lead to breakthroughs in science. Bacteria being injected into insects is like the processes taken to create genetically modified foods. I think that this is very interesting. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied bacteria and viruses.

MLA: McNeil, Donald G. "Microbes: Fighting Mosquito-Transmitted Viruses With Bacteria That Infect Many Insects." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 4 Jan. 2010. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/health/05glob.html?scp=3&sq=viruses&st=cse.

Plant's Ability to Identify, Block Invading Bacteria Examined

http://www.rikenresearch.riken.jp/images/figures/hi_3936.jpg

Key Ideas:

• How plants defend themselves from infections may help researchers understand how people and other animals could be better protected from such pathogens.
• Dr. Hisashi Koiwa worked with colleagues in Germany and Switzerland to examine the immunities of different mutations of the arabidopsis plant.
• They wanted to know how a plant defends itself and what it uses for protection.
• Koiwa said that many researchers are studying the “molecular road” that a pathogen takes on its way to infect another organism.
• Developing new plant varieties through using this pathway would be better than breeding plants that are resistant to diseases.

Reflection:

I chose this story because when I typed in “immune system in the news” into Google, I clicked on a link and there were stories about plants. I didn’t know that plants had an immune system, and I thought that only humans and animals had one. I was really surprised to find that out. Now that I know this, I think that plants are much more interesting because they are more relatable to me, as a human. I think that this study will help find immunities for certain diseases. It could contribute to the finding of cures, and it could prevent future diseases from spreading. Because these researchers are finding ways to make plants immune to sickness, they could easily find ways for humans to form immunities to sickness as well. I hope that someday scientists will have found ways to keep people from getting sick. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied the immune system.

MLA: Science Daily. "Plant's Ability to Identify, Block Invading Bacteria Examined." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. 21 Mar. 2010. Web. .