5 February 2011 - Cancer.

I went ahead and changed the Tue-Thur-Sun Schedule on the site header because...well we all know how dependable I am!  So yes.  I sure do wish blogging was all I did all day!  Instead, here is a picture of a kitten:

That's in my office.  Only a few days older.  Lookitthelittlenose.

Anyhoo.

Today, I'd like to talk about a couple of stories I very recently tweeted regarding cancer.  Oh, by the way - I noticed that twitter gadget was a little bit of fail, so to make it easier for you guys to use from the site I've switched to the Twitter-created version.  Stories should now open in a new tab or window, making it easier for you to read each and come back to the list.  :)  Okay, anyways, CANCER.


First, something called "Cornell dots."  Earlier today I was ranting and raving about how nutty the FDA could get, but here, we see they've graciously permitted the testing of something really nifty - inorganic, tiny dye beads inside a small silica ball.  The little balls are small enough to safely pass from the body, as well as being coated with "don't-destroy-me" chemicals.  Organic binding bits are stuck to the little dye nanoparticles, making them seek out and stick to tumor cells.  Once exposed to "near-infrared" light, they fluoresce brightly, allowing examiners to spot problem sites very easily.  They're using radioactivity to double-check results, and will be looking for how long it takes the particles to reach and tag different organ systems, and the length of time needed to leave the body.

Next, most people recognize that sun damage ups your risk for skin cancer, specifically melanoma, but exactly HOW that occurs is still a bit foggy.  Well, new research based on previous findings (that a certain kind of interferon moving when exposed to UVB radiation can actually lead to cancerous growth) shows that adding a drug that may block that interferon's activity enough to prevent or halt cancer growth.  I don't think there are results on that yet, but it'll be interesting to see where this goes, fo sho.


Mmkay, I know this one was brief, but there was a kitten, so you can't blame me.  :)  Keep reading the twitter feed, and I'll be around!

-Miss Mouse



References and Links:
Cancer Dots
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110205162831.htm

More "we're-at-least-onto-something" Science
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110205141314.htm

17 December 2010 - HIV

I can't do a full blog post today (which counts as Thursday's...sorry if my posts are late, being nocturnal messes with your days a bit), but I can do a partial one.  I'm packing up and getting ready to go out of state on Saturday, so I've missed a lot on Twitter and don't have a bunch of time to blog.

I'll be heading out Saturday, and I'm not yet sure if I'll be blogging there or not.  It kind of just depends on how much time I have and how frustrated I get trying to type out an entire post with links in my cell phone (no internet where I'm headed).  Perhaps just blurbs when something particularly interesting finds its way to my screen.  I WILL still tweet articles, though, and I'll be back in town on the 28th or 29th.



The biggest thing I've seen since last post was a story about a man who is tentatively being announced as cured of HIV.  He underwent a bone marrow transplant four years ago from someone with a genetic immunity (resistance?) to the virus.  Since then, his tissues have been tested for the virus and he's been clear so far.  The two big concerns about his case are first, that it's tough to really be sure he's done with HIV.  The virus can hide out undetected, occurring years down the road.  The second concern is that this treatment is not practical to be performed on anyone else.  Bone marrow transplants are dangerous and not approved for HIV, but if it proved anything, it proved that the gene can make a difference in an already-infected individual.  The case points to gene therapy in future research.

Here's the article at Reuters.



Heh, the comments are kind of amazing:

"If we stop paying “research scientists?” we may just find the correct cure. If you cannot do the job, get another source of income. that goes for all research institutes."

Nice!

Oh, of course!  *doh!*  If we don't PAY them, an answer will just fall into our laps!  Geniuses with expensive degrees work for free!  XD  I don't see you working OT in a lab, buddy.

Okay okay, enough with the sarcasm.  HIV has become sort of the ultimate task over the years, so it's nice to see a mark of progress amongst the reports of leads.  Suspicious comments or no.  Have a great one, and I'll see you guys sooner/later!

Later gators,

-Miss Mouse

15 December 2010 - O What a Slacker I Be (Gene Machines and Zombie-Food)

Or maybe there just hasn't been much Science in the news lately.  I'm hoping to make the switch in the near(ish) future from relying wholly on news sources for my info to actually reading *gasp* the papers.  Wouldn't that be sweet?  One of these days I'm going to have to get back to big-people college.  I miss micro.  Hell, I kind of even miss genetics.  Having a huge library of mouse papers to peruse for the cost of tuition was pretty damned enviable, for that matter.

Okay, I really should not hate on my current college (which I adore).  I'm being tested on a surprising pleasant amount of micro and pathology in my vet tech degree.  ;)

Sorry if I'm missing big stories - feel free to point them out if you don't spot them on the twitter feed or here.  I work nights now, and unfortunately, most of the big stuff gets posted during the daylight hours when I'm fast asleep!  I do my best, though.  :)  Follow me on Twitter if you don't want to mess with the tweetish widget.

Onward!



First today isn't really Science, but...for Science.  A company (surely they aren't the only one with the goal!) is pushing gene sequencers down the same path as computers took way back when - making them smaller, faster, and more affordable.  They don't seem to pack a lot of oomph yet, but for those of us interested in genomes that are not as big as our own, they seem pretty darn flashy.  They seem aimed more at...well...me, than people with their own labs, but perhaps they can take a little outta the grant budget and let more dinero go to other equipment?  Check out the link at the end of the post for more info.

Oh, and a study out of the University of South Florida took a peek at how umbilical cord blood cells (the same cells mentioned over and over again in stem cell debates) affect the hippocampal neurons of the aging brain - rat, in this case.  Normally, this is the first area of the brain to show the effects of aging, especially in cases with Alzheimer's or other cognitive age-related disorders.  However, when HUBCs were given, the neurons appeared to be both protected and stimulated to actually grow.  Just how they helped is still speculation, but for now it's exciting to note that HUBCs may be part of the answer to disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and others!

That's all you get today.  Told you there hasn't been a whole lot to write about!  At least I'm writing, right?  Right?



See ya!
-Miss Mouse



References and Links:
Big Talk, Little Machine
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BD1KN20101214
Young Cells vs. Old Brain Bits
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101214142741.htm