Gene therapy to treat HIV shows promise

This article gives a lot of hope for HIV patients or anyone related to or a friend of one. United states researchers announced this week that the success of a new gene therapy trial brings us one step closer to a 'functional cure' for HIV. This study involved copying the effects of a naturally occurring mutation that makes a the patient resistant to infection, this therapy aims to reduce or terminate the dependency of HIV patients on "anti-retroviral drugs".

The article says, "Out of the six HIV patients treated with the new therapy, which works by stopping the virus from getting inside the white blood cells it normally infects, one patient had completely cleared the virus and a further two saw a ten-fold drop in virus levels, despite not taking any antiretroviral drugs." This study can potentially change the lives of many and save many who are nearing their end after fighting the battle with HIV.

I chose to review this article because I find advancements in medical treatments interesting. The way we have discovered so much when it comes to medication is amazing, but we continue to keep advancing and finding more and more treatments. It was once thought that treating HIV was impossible, but this recent research has made scientists think otherwise.

Why Too Much Sugar Is No Good!

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average United States adult consumes 22 teaspoons more of added sugar per DAY! This becomes 154 more teaspoons per WEEK, and calculates to be over 150 pounds a YEAR! As for teenagers, they consume 34 more teaspoons per day than average. They say that this is more than twice the amount of sugar in our daily diet. There are many health effect that can become problems over time with an over consumption of sugar. Some include the following: 1. Sugar can increase the risk of diabetes, 2. may cause acne, 3. too much sugar can hurt your heart, 4. increases the canches of depression, 5. high blood sugar can increase the risk of a yeast infection, 6. can increase the risk of cancer, 7. and can change your mooods and emotions.



I chose to blog about this article because sugar is not only an important factor for how we funtion our body, but it can affect our lifestyle and how we choose to live it. Too much sugaer is obviously no good for our body, but the potential of putting it in health risk can be prevented. Cut down on sugars, and you won't have to worry about these problems.


http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/6-scary-side-effects-sugar?gt1=50002

Longevity Gene Debate Opens Trans-Atlantic Rift

This article is about the long lasting disputes about enhancing one's longevity, which is life expectancy.The dispute involves the gene that is responsible in making sirtuins, which is proteins that help control metabolism. Because of sirtuins' metabolic role, lab rats placed on a very low-calorie diet lived 40-percent longer lives. Humans will not function well on the same diet that the rats had; but if humans take drugs that activate sirtuins , they can live longer and healthier lives. Resveratrol is found in red wine and stimulates sirtuins production.

Researchers David Gems and Linda Patridge of University College of London, re-examined experiments where roundworms and fruit fly were genetically manipulated to produce more sirtuins and lived longer. They founded that the experiments were flawed because the control group were not genetically identical. When they repeated the experiments, they founded that organism with extra sirtuins do not live longer.

The genetic study of aging is a new field and has many common mistakes. In 2009,Stephen Helfand of Brown University conduct the same experiment as the two London researchers. Only Helfand founded that the flies with the extra sirtuins did live longer than the flies without the extra sirtunis.

London scientist believe that this field is filled with sloppy experiments. While the American scientist believe that there is still improvement to be made. Scientists no involved in the debate say that sirtuins remains a field of vast interests and is more complex than origanially suggested.

By:Christine Garbaravage

New Found Squid: Any Sex Will Do

New York Times - Sept. 20, 2011
 
   In this extremely interesting article, scientists have found a new creature in the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean. Octopoteuthis deletron, the newly discovered squid, carries similar characteristics to mammals such as bottlenose dolphins and bonobos. They all have no particular preference when it comes to mating.
     The mating process for this particular squid is interesting to say the least. Not much is known in great detail, but it is described as a male squid ejaculating a packet of sperm at the partner, male or female. The sperm is contained in a membrane that shoots into the flesh of the receiver. If the male happens to mate with a female, the sperm remains inside of the female until the female is fertile and able to produce eggs. The male however remains stuck with the sperm.
     This, by far, was the most intriguing article I found. I understand that there are millions of creatures that we have yet to discover, but yet I am still amazed when reading about each new finding.