Have you ever heard the expression “you are what you eat”? This is often said, but also overlooked. A lot of people understand that genetics play a role in cancer or that certain choices like smoking or not wearing sun screen can make a difference, but how much is diet considered? Your body is made up of the building blocks it is given. In order to function properly, you need to intake the nutrients necessary to maintain yourself, or the building blocks for them. For example, some amino acids your body can make while others you need to get from what you eat. In order to be healthy, you need a balance of the nutrients you need on a regular basis. Not getting the nutrients you need can have deleterious effects. Similarly, intaking toxins can have harmful effects. With how some foods are processed, our consumption of them increases the risk of developing cancers. Preservatives and artificial colorings are thought to be harmful for human consumption, but they are abundant in some societies. In order to best take care of yourself, look into what you are eating and the effects it may have on your health. Make educated decisions and find ways to make your health goals a priority and feasible in your life.
OHSU Breakthroughs
I tried to post about this during the summer but have been having some technical difficulties posting on the blog since moving. I think I have things fixed now though, we’ll see.
I’ve been looking into jobs at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and have noticed some interesting things. For more detailed information, go to: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/cancer/about-us/. Some of the highlights I have noticed are as follows.
The Knight Cancer Institute, a part of OHSU, funds at least 1,000 research projects and 400 clinical trials every year. They are world renowned for their research in such cancers as colon, prostrate, and leukemia. They even led the research that caused the widespread use of colonoscopies to detect colon cancer early in its development.
Although cancer is not “cured”, there has been a lot of progress in eventually making it no longer a large threat. Part of this has been because of the collaboration used in research. As previously mentioned, collaboration was a key factor in the success and timeliness of the Human Genome Project. It has likewise helped advance cancer research in ways unimaginable otherwise. OHSU not only brings researchers together from around the world to work for them, but also collaborates with researchers from other institutions. They appear to be community oriented and solution focused.
The National Institute for Health was one of the main leaders in the Human Genome Project, and also spear-heads many other health programs. They research a lot in diseases and vaccines, as well as cancers. They have recognized some of the work done by OHSU, and its successes with the work. Although it is by far not the only institution to achieve success with its research, OHSU is known for its successes.
If you are interested in helping in the fight against cancer, one of the many groups you can donate to (assuming you have the financial capacity to do so) is OHSU. They are currently working on raising $500,000,000. If this goal is met, Nike will match the half billion for a total of one million dollars going toward finding ways to overcome this obstacle. Go to https://onedown.org/#1 to donate money. At this point, they are up to $448,374,28. If this is something you are not interested in donating to, don’t. It’s just an option if you are looking for ways to help. OHSU is known for their successes, and part of why they have been able to succeed is support from the community. Being from Oregon, I know more about OHSU than I do about other successful organizations from other areas. I’m not saying that OHSU is the only institution that donating to would help with this fight, or that donating is the answer. It is merely an option.
If you go to the above link for donating, there is a video on the second page, or https://onedown.org/#2. It talks about advances in fighting chronic myeloid leukemia. Although people still contract this cancer, it is no longer “a death sentence” as the video states. In order to stop a chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis from meaning death, OHSU scientists created the first targeted cancer treatment. Breakthroughs such as this will change how we look at cancers in the future.
Part of the success with OHSU’s cancer research has been the approach they take. Rather than fighting the cancers after the diagnosis has been made, they work on diagnosing cancers earlier than people have before. The sooner a cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to win the fight against it. They do work with developing treatments to attack the cancers, but also with finding them early enough that patients are stronger when they start treatments and the cancers themselves are weaker.
Chromatography
Chromatography is a method for separating a sample. It tends to be coupled with mass spectrometry. There are several different chromatography types, including gas chromatography and paper chromatography. Tswett is recognized for developing the technique of chromatography. He used petroleum ether and the pigments in green leaves. Depending on the solubility of the pigments in the petroleum ether, they would separate from the solution at different rates.
Martin and Synge used the same concept to find “an alternative physical basis for chromatography.” Together they developed partition chromatography, a method using two solvents instead of one. Using two solvents allows for separating out some compounds with one solvent which may not work with all of the compounds, and then separating out other compounds with the second solvent.
Some of the other methods used today include ion-exchange chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography.
Ambose, D. and Ambrose, Barbara A. Gas Chromatography. George Newnes Limited: London, 1963.
Human Genome Project Background
Last week the glossary of terms page was updated to include more definitions. This week, the Human Genome Project page was updated to give more background information on the project itself.
Glossary
The glossary of terms page is new this week. I will be updating it more throughout the week, but in case you are reading and get stuck hopefully it will be beneficial.
Polymerase Chain Reaction
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) page has been updated. If you have not carried out any PCR reactions yourself and are interested in learning more about this technique, the page has a link to a tutorial. This walks you step by step through the process and involves interaction in several spots. There is also some explanation at the bottom of the page that you can refer to as you go through the tutorial. It is not very long but very informative. The method is relatively simple and straight-forward, as well as efficient.
Mass Spectrometry
The Mass Spectrometry page has been updated to include some pro and con information on this technique, as well as a link to a video which talks about a couple Mass Spectrometers. The video is fairly short, about 8 minutes, and informative. If you have interest in learning more about Mass Spectrometry, it does a good job explaining and utilizes diagrams to help.
Fluorescent in situ Hybridization
The Fluorescent in situ hybridization page is now more complete. The steps of this process are better described and accompanied by an image. Some of the techniques for increasing the signal to noise ratio are also included. This technique has not only had an impact in cancer research and the human genome project, but has also helped identify microorganisms.
Informed Consent and Resources
The informed consent page is now updated and is much more informative. Please take a look at it prior to leaving any comments.
The resources for patients and caregivers page (7a) is new. Cancer can seem very daunting, but there are options for what you can do when you or someone you care about are diagnosed. If you know of any other resources, feel free to add them! Besides camps as previously talked about, there are support groups and treatment options.
Microbiomes and Cancer
A human microbiome is the composition of microorganisms on and in a human. This microbiome can be assessed based on the genes of all of the microorganisms on and in the human, or based on the microorganisms themselves. In both cases, the human microbiomes vary person to person and even within the same person over their lifetimes. In a recent study, specific-pathogen-free mice were injected with Azoxymethane (AOM), a chemical carcinogen, to induce colon tumors.
One group of mice were given a cocktail of antibiotics, while another cohort were not. The ones treated with the antibiotics tended to not develop tumors, while the ones without the antibiotics developed a number of tumors. The colon microbiome, or composition of the microorganisms in the mice colons, varied throughout the study based on the treatment the mice were given. Not all mice who developed tumors had the same bacteria noticeable in their colons, but they all exhiubited a shift in the types and diversity of the bacteria in their colons.
Although more research is still needed to fully understand how the microorganisms interact with each other and the host, the concept of a shift in the microbiome based on the health of the individual is clear. The shift might help cause the health change, or it might be an effect of the change. Either way, knowing more about the microorganisms which we live with and need to survive will help us understand trends involving disease progression.
The Human Genome Project and Cancer 