By Marissa Stepler Stem cells have long been a source of controversy. Most of the concern related to the use of stem cells in medical research is rooted in the fact that stem cells have to be sourced from embryonic tissue, such as the umbilical cord. Because many religious groups oppose the use of embryos in stem-cell research, the topic has been hotly debated in recent years. However, recent research has produced what may be a viable medical alternative to embryonic stem cells. The stem cells being used - and showing a lot of promise - in many current research studies are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). iPSCs are made by “reprogramming” adult cells by treating them with a mixture of growth factors and other substances, provoking them to acquire some of the characteristics of embryonic cells. The most important feature of iPSCs for their use in medical research is their ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, including skin cells, muscle cells, and neurons. Because iPSCs can develop into skin, muscle, and nerve cells, the use of iPSCs to treat autoimmune diseases that affect the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, is currently being investigated. iPSCs injected into the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients have the potential to regenerate cartilage damaged or destroyed by the disease, and experimental treatment with iPSCs has allowed some patients crippled by this disease and others affected by severe systemic lupus to resume almost normal functioning. The greatest advantage of iPSC treatment, especially for patients with autoimmune diseases, is that a patient can be treated with cells sourced from his or her own body, reducing the likelihood of adverse reactions to iPSC treatment. As research on adult-derived stem cells continues to advance, the treatment options for autoimmune conditions - even those that we currently consider incurable - are expanding, offering new hope to individuals suffering from diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Sources: [1] http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics10.aspx [2] http://www.healthline.com/health-news/stem-cell-therapy-a-possible-treatment-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-010516#4 [3] http://www.americancatholic.org/News/StemCell/
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By Marissa SteplerMost of us listen to music frequently in our lives: on the radio, at concerts, and even in coffee shops. Although music has a much richer sound than the spoken word, it has always been thought to be perceived the same way that we perceive other noises. But what if a part of the brain was dedicated solely to the perception and processing of musical stimuli - a “musical cortex”? According to researchers at MIT, the “musical cortex,” or something like it, may actually exist. Dr. Josh McDermott and other scientists at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT believe that they have found a discrete population of neurons in the auditory cortex that respond solely to musical sounds. McDermott’s team used functional MRI (fMRI) imaging in a new way, using the image data to identify particular groups of neurons that responded to different stimuli. The researchers found six different populations of neurons that respond to unique types of sounds, one of which was music. One of the other populations they identified was responsive to speech and did not overlap with the music population, suggesting that music and speech are processed in different places and probably in different ways by the brain. But if all musical sounds are processed by the same set of neurons, how do we distinguish between Taylor Swift and Beethoven? There is still a lot that is unknown about how these music-specific neurons work, but McDermott and his team think that different subgroups of “music neurons” may respond to musical elements like rhythm and melody. It is also possible that these neurons may function differently in each individual, depending on their childhood exposure to music and musical training (or lack thereof).
So maybe part of the reason we as humans like music so much is because our brains are specially equipped to listen to it. As we learn more about the way the brain processes music, we may gain insight not only into the higher functioning of the auditory cortex, but also about the way that our brains have adapted to the prevalence of music as a dominant part of our culture. Sources: [1] http://news.mit.edu/2015/neural-population-music-brain-1216 [2] http://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(15)01071-5 By Amy MengHold up a piece of paper. What do you see? If you are a Buddhist Zen master, you will clearly see that there is a cloud floating in the sheet of paper. Without the cloud, there is no rain; without rain, there are no trees; without trees, there is no paper. If you look even closer, you will see the paper mill and the logger, and the logger’s daily bread. You will see the sunshine that nourishes wheat for the bread, and the sun that holds the world in perfect orbit. The cloud and the paper “inter-are.” [1]. This lesson in “interbeing” originates from Buddhist monk and peace activist Thích Nhất Hạnh. Whether we know it or not, Hanh's teachings permeate our world. In fact, his autobiographical documentary, “Walk with Me,” will be narrated by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch, who identifies as Buddhist –“at least philosophically" - and attributes much of his success to the teachings of Hạnh. Other prominent figures who claim to have been influenced by Hanh include comedian Garry Shandling and Alejandro Iñárritu, director of the Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant [2]. Hạnh teaches us that separateness is an illusion. To be is to inter-be. The impetus of this lesson is especially apparent in light of Earth’s warming climate. We have all heard that permafrost in the arctic is melting very quickly. More unfamiliar is that this permafrost harbors enormous stores of methane gas that, when released, will raise global temperatures at a catastrophic rate. Even more frightening is that some United States presidential candidates don’t accept this as fact.
And so, with election season in full-swing and Earth Day just around the corner, let us reflect on our responsibility as voters. In evaluating our candidates, let us dissect both their social and environmental policies. Yes, charisma and determination are necessary traits of great leaders, but what about open-mindedness and analytical thinking? Are they, so to speak, scientists? Let us hold our candidates up to scientific criticism and consider their attitudes toward our environment. In realizing our interbeing with nature, we realize that we are ever more alike, ever united. The universe does not care what God we worship, or what political party we support. The universe does not care that our beautiful, blue-marbled home is dying. We are the sole protectors of the only planet known to sustain life, and it is our duty to stand united for our common home. Let us vote not as citizens of America, but as citizens of Earth. For, in the wisdom of Thích Nhất Hạnh, to be is to inter-be. Sources [1] http://www.lionsroar.com/the-fullness-of-emptiness/ [2] http://www.lionsroar.com/benedict-cumberbatch-narrate-thich-nhat-hanh-documentary/ [3] https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/frozenground/methane.html |
AuthorsThe authors of these blog posts are staff writers of The Triple Helix at Georgetown University. Archives
November 2016
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