Apoptosis

LITT (Laser interstitial thermal therapy) is a stereotactic-guided minimally invasive ablating technique that involves generating high temperatures thus leading to tissue coagulation, necrosis, and cellular apoptosis (1-3). LITT was initially described by Brown et al in 1983, for the treatment of tumors (5). Later, Sugiyama et al described the utility of this modality in the management of deep-seated brain tumors (6). The concept of using heat energy to treat tumors has evolved to a precise and…

What does the HIV virus do once inside the body? The HIV virus invades and kills certain types of cell that are crucial in the prevention of disease in the immune system. More specifically, they target T-helper cells, which are a type of lymphocyte. The T-helper cells act to produce and release cytokines, which stimulate various immune responses e.g. interleukins trigger B lymphocytes to differentiate into plasma cells which produce antibodies that are crucial in fighting disease. When the…

allow for the application of data to other model systems. Hobert (2000) believes, that the patterns of these LIM-homeodomain proteins is evident from studies about Drosophila to C. elegans. LIM proteins have their own transcription factors and cytoskeletal elements. Structurally, a LIM domain has cysteines with 2 zinc fingers. These LIM homeodomain (LIM-HD) proteins regulate the formation of cell line cells and influence differentiation. (Dawid et al., 1995) To control these proteins, it is…

Corynebacterium diphtheria targets cells of the mucosa membranes of the upper respiratory tract and cutaneous tissues of the skin. Rarely, infection can occur at other mucosal sites such as the eyes, ears, or genitals (CDC, 2016). C. diphtheria bacteria produce an exotoxin, diphtheria toxin, and release it to their external environment at the site of infection. From there, the toxin can travel through the bloodstream and affect different cells throughout the body, and block their protein…

. SIRT1 is one of the many vital genes that is highly controlled during caloric restriction, which leads to a number of biological variations to extend lifespan. Resveratrol’s activation of the SIRT1 gene affects a number of cellular processes. Resveratrol decreases nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) activation.The nuclear factor kappa B is located in the cellular cytoplasm and moves to the nucleus upon activation where it stimulates transcription of multiple pro- inflammatory genes such as TNFα,…

The wide field of biochemistry includes exploration in the use of gene therapy for the treatment of cancers such as lung cancer. Though gene therapy is still in early stages of development, many researchers have concluded that gene therapy in therapeutic cancer treatment seems to be very effective and efficient. Gene therapy is the replacement of defective genes to enable the production of normally functioning genes. This replacement of genes is an adolescent and risky procedure and is often…

Giardia intestinalis is a flagellated unicellular eukaryotic anaerobic organism that commonly causes diarrhoea disease throughout the world (Adam, 2001). Entamoeba histolytica is a non-flagellated unicellular eukaryotic (Petri, Singh, and and, 1999) with both aerobic and anaerobic capabilities (Montalvo, Reeves, and Warren, 1971), however it is generally considered to be anaerobic. Both are capable of motility, however the methods for this differ. G. intestinalis possesses flagella, which beat…

Historical uses The word "pomegranate" (Punica granatum) is Latin for "fruit of many seeds." The pomegranate is a little deciduous tree or big shrub that bears fruit, the Punica granatum. It is a superfood with much history. Pomegranates can be traced back as early as 4000 BC. Its red fruit sprouts from beautiful red flowers and is between a grapefruit and a lemon in size. The white flesh inside the thick skin is filled by hundreds of seeds. (Tohi, 2016) For thousands of years Ayurvedic…

Introduction: Herpes Labialis, also known as the cold sore, is characterized by painful clusters of clear blisters on or around the mouth, and is often accompanied with fever. The disease is usually caused by the virus HSV-1, or herpes simplex type 1, but can also be caused by HSV-2. In a previous study, it was found that 67.6% of Americans possessed antibodies for HSV-1, establishing HSV-1 as an exceptionally prevalent virus even in developed countries 9. The virus is spread through skin to…

Radiation Therapy What is Radiation Therapy? Radiation therapy is one of the most common, innovative and successful forms of cancer treatments of the modern world. It can successfully treat and cure approximately 50 unique forms of cancer1, utilizing alpha, beta and gamma radiation to destroy or damage cancer cells2. This helps prevent the rapid multiplication of the destructive cells, with minimal impact upon the somatic cells surrounding the cancerous area, and treats both primary, and…