Advancements in methodologies for studying the brain

The brain is an organ located inside the skull and is part of the nervous system (Colman, 2009). The brain absorbs 70% of the body’s glucose and around 20% of the body’s oxygen (Holt, Bremner, Sutherland, Vliek, Passer & Smith, 2015) as the brain sends and receives electrical signals from around the body. The mind … Read more

Insulin Levemir

Insulin Levemir is indicated to regulate blood glucose levels in patients that require long acting insulin. Patients that are using Levemir have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 1 (adults and children), or type 2 (adults only) (4). Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an endocrine problem that results on increased levels of blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, … Read more

Triple antibiotic paste & calcium hydroxide against enterococcus faecalis

Antimicrobial efficacy of triple antibiotic paste and calcium hydroxide mixed 2% chlorhexidine or saline against enterococcus faecalis: an in vitro study. Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy of triple antibiotic paste and calcium hydroxide when mixed with either 2% chlorhexidine or saline against Enterococcus faecalis (E. Faecalis). Material and … Read more

Human subject experimentation – moral ambiguities

Perhaps one of the most intensely debated bioethical questions in human subject research is if the ends justify the means. In the lecture on human subject experimentation, we considered a case in the late 1980’s where two French researchers performed what can be understood as morally questionable and non-therapeutic research on a vulnerable population of … Read more

Vancomycin

Introduction: Vancomycin is an antibiotic. It can either be injected or taken orally. When taken orally it is used to treat “colitis (inflammation of the intestine caused by certain bacteria)” along with other bacterial infections. It works by inhibiting the growth of the bacterium. However, the Vancomycin injection is more widely used to treat infections … Read more

Personalised Medicine is the future of medicine

Current medicine relies on a trial and error approach to treat disease and illness faced by the general population. Now however researchers and health care professionals are becoming increasing interested in the idea of treating patients based on their genetic code integrated with environmental and lifestyle factors; it is now widely believed this will be … Read more

Prevention of β cell destruction in Diabetes using verapamil to decease TXNIP expression

Abstract Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a fast growing problem worldwide. It is a chronic metabolic disorder that continues to worsen over time. Current treatment focuses on lowering blood glucose levels but it does not prevent the progression of the disease. TXNIP has been identified as an important factor contributing to the β cell death associated … Read more

Comparing the Dutch, Danish and Spanish antibiotic policies for companion animals

Introduction Antibiotic resistance problem Antimicrobial resistance is the resistance of micro-organism to antimicrobial preparations, through which these preparations become ineffective as treatment for microbial infections. The consequences of antimicrobial resistance can be increased mortality, prolonged hospital stays, longer illnesses and higher costs (Smith & Coast, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) antibiotic resistance … Read more

How is the study of non-model organisms such as mole rats advancing medical research?

Abstract The study of model organisms such as Mus have proven to be insufficient in unlocking mechanisms by which biological functions cope with the complexity of environmental conditions in which life develops.  Thus, scientists have turned to organisms that are not well characterized and cultivated as stable species in controlled laboratory conditions. These organisms are … Read more

Review of paper on ‘Epigraph’

Weekly Summary: Epigraph: A Vaccine Design Tool Applied to an HIV Therapeutic Vaccine and a Pan-Filovirus Vaccine, Sci Rep 2016. The development of vaccines that are effective against diseases such as HIV and viruses belonging to the Filoviradae family as well as individually tailored therapeutic strategies for treatment of these diseases provides a difficult challenge. … Read more

Human clinical trials and the NIEHS Institutional Review Board

As research progresses it may reach the stage where human clinical trials are needed in order to study the effect on the human body and to determine a product’s usefulness to society.  It’s at this stage where The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Institutional Review Board comes into play to ensure the safety … Read more

Racial Bias in Medicine and Segregation: Implications on Life and Death

While calculations and statistics can estimate the life expectancy of the population as a whole or for any individual, the only definite conclusion that has arisen from the seemingly endless desire to know when life will end is that death is impending and inevitable. There are clear correlations between certain decisions made throughout life, such … Read more

Is stem cell therapy the answer for patients with MS?

Is stem cell therapy the answer for patients with MS? A question playing on the minds of every person effected by the debilitating disease, whether diagnosed or not. With new research into the part that stem cells can play in resetting the immune systems of patients with MS, different procedures and treatments are being trialled … Read more

Benzodiazepines and overdose deaths

Upon reading Roni Caryn Rabin’s article in The New York Times, most would agree Americans are significantly susceptible to yet another treatment turned deathly by abuse. It has been common knowledge for several decades that certain opioids used for painkillers are extremely addictive leading to fatalities. However, drug overdose deaths from anti-anxiety drugs specifically, have … Read more