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Melissa Menghini

Fact-Checking a Frozen Mammoth: Scientific American - 0 views

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    Although cloning a mammoth would be fascinating, it is not needed nor is it necessarily possible. Scientists have hopes to clone a mammoth because of the recent frozen mammoth find in Russia. This mammoth appears to have blood that does not freeze, increasing hopes to find live cells. However, some researchers argue that finding a living cell in the body of the mammoth is not possible. They say that at most, they will find a cell with DNA that is intact enough to use to clone the creature. However, ancient DNA is almost always fragmented, and would therefore, not be able to be used in the cloning process. Doubts also circulate around the idea that the mammoth's blood was able to withstand -17 degrees Celsius without freezing. The sample found may have been under special conditions to allow the blood to remain unfrozen. With the trouble it would take to clone a mammoth, it is not worth it. Scientists can learn more about mammoths through the fossil record rather than from a cloned animal. 
aburbridge017

The big lie of genetics exposed: human DNA incapable of storing complete blueprint of t... - 0 views

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    Materialists scientists have said that DNA stores all the information needed to create a human body. However, the Human Genome Project shows otherwise. The scientists working in the project found that humans have about 20,000 protein-coding genes. That is no where near enough storage to hold all the information needed to make a human being because people are so complex. This shows that genes alone can not fully explain inheritance. 
Nicholas Scholz

Types of Brain Tumors and Their Origins - 0 views

  • Primary brain tumors originate in the brain itself or in tissues close to it
    • Nicholas Scholz
       
      The Mayo website contains a vast amount of information regarding brain tumors
  • Primary brain tumors begin when normal cells acquire errors (mutations) in their DNA
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  • Secondary (metastatic) brain tumors are tumors that result from cancer that starts elsewhere in your body and then spreads (metastasizes) to your brain
  • Secondary brain tumors most often occur in people who have a history of cancer
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    This article goes on to explain two different types of tumors and then states how they start to spread. One of the types of tumors is the primary brain tumor which originates in the brain itself. This type of tumor begins as normal cells mutate their DNA and grow rapidly across the brain. The other type of brain tumor is the Secondary or Metastatic brain tumor. This type of tumor is generally caused by a metastasis of cancerous cells from other organs of the body. Most often this type of tumor originates in areas such as the breast and the colon. Of these two types of brain tumors the metastatic seems to be much more common than the primary tumors.
Elizabeth Bundschuh

Profile Somatic Genotyping Study - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - 0 views

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    Scientists at the Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as scientists at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute have been compiling and analyzing DNA from patients with tumors. The study using a program known as OncoMap, scanned for known mutations. In a new phase of the study, the program OncoPanel, is designed to recognize new mutations as well as previously known mutations. The goal of this study is to help locate these mutations which then could allow scientists to develop new forms of target therapy to combat cancer.
Elizabeth Bundschuh

Do we know what causes childhood leukemia? - 0 views

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    The cause of most cases of pediatric leukemia is not known, as most sufferers do not display any risk factors for the disease. However scientists have begun to understand how certain changes in DNA can cause leukemia. Cancer can be caused by mutation oncogenes, the genes that control when cells divide. A translocation between chromosomes 2 and 22 causes almost all cases of childhood chronic myeloid leukemia and childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia. Other genetic mutations can be inherited, however most of the mutations that cause leukemia develop after birth. Environmental factors, when combined with a genetic predisposition for leukemia, may trigger the disease. However the cause of most pediatric leukemia remains unknown.
Elizabeth Bundschuh

#Gene Silencing - 0 views

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    In cancer cells good genes are turned off, while bad ones are turned on through a process called DNA Methylation. The good genes could suppress the cancer if the methyl groups suppressing the genes were removed. Soy Isoflavones, antioxidants found in anything made of soy flour, have been shown to reverse Methylation. This allows the good genes to become activated. This can not only help prevent cancer, but help improve the efficiency of existing treatments, radiation and chemotherapy. The prevention of methylation may also help slow the progression and spreading of cancer. Soy Isoflavones have virtually no negative side affects making them another useful tool in finding better ways to fight and cure cancer.
Elizabeth Bundschuh

Medical advances hold promise for less-destructive cancer treatment by way of genetic m... - 0 views

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    If a mutation occurs in a person's genes it can cause cancer. The future of cancer therapy is identifying and targeting these mutations. A trial at the University of Florida, known as NSCABP-FC-7 takes the genetic fingerprint of a patients DNA and gives them a personalized treatment based on the information. The idea is to move away from the traditional cytotoxic treatment, and towards less toxic personalized medicine. However, the toxicity of cancer drugs is decreasing due to technology's increasing ability to target and destroy specific cells, and not healthy cells. Washington University St. Louis as well as other institutions have become part of the study. Overall, the future of cancer treatment lies in targeted therapies and personalized medicine.
Nicholas Scholz

The effects of the brain in reproduction - 1 views

  • Properly functioning FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) is needed to ensure fertility
  • Recently, the group of researchers at the University of Muenster (Germany) has analysed genetic variants in both the FSH gene and in the FSH receptor, which affect fertility in both males and females.
  • The group found that a distinct single nucleotide change in the DNA structure of FSHB gene (the FSH molecule has 2 subunits -- FSHB is the B subunit) caused significant effects in the functioning of the hormone in both men and women
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  • They found that males with the FSHB variation had significant drops in FSH levels and in testicular volume
  • However, the number of women with the combined variation so far studied was not high enough to draw significant conclusions.
  • We estimate that around 45% of infertile men would respond to FSH therapy
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    Reproduction is obviously a vital aspect of the human development. With a non-functioning fertility system future generations would be at a loss. Many problems could arise with infertility and ground-breaking research is finally being conducted. One of the important aspects of human reproduction is the use of hormones specifically FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone). This hormone is produced at the base of the brain stem and non-existing levels of FSH were recently associated with infertility. In order to regenerate these hormones a change has to be made in the FSHB subunit of the nucleotide. Infertility usually occurs after certain changes are made in the hormone levels and by redirecting the levels of hormones we may be able to alter the problems that arise during reproduction. It should also be noted that increases and decreases in the levels of FSH may have different effects depending on the gender of the patient. Current research estimates that the response of males to this therapy could positively effect nearly 45% of infertile men. Estimates could not be made for females as a result of insufficient research. 
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