stemcell – BioQuakes

Have you ever wondered what “gut health” really means? What keeps your gut microbiome functioning properly, maintaining homeostasis, and preventing inflammation? Originating from oxygen, reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are highly reactive function as central indicators of cellular flaws and issues in the body, such as inflammation. Nai-Yun Hsu of Mount Sinai has stated that “Reactive oxygen species released by stem cells are critical in maintaining a heathy gut via maintaining proper balance of intestine barrier cell types.”

A team of researchers from the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have gone in depth about the importance of these oxygen species for stem cell function, avoiding inflammation, and repairing wounds in a recent study. Using mice as models, the researchers were also able to conclude that microfold cells, called “m cells” regulate an organism’s gut immune response, and emerged from a loss of ROS in mice and humans.

The experiment was conducted in vino and in vitro conditions with the mice cells, and ex vivo conditions with human intestinal biopsies post-colonoscopy. Both the human intestinal biopsies and mouse cells were utilized to determine the amount of ROS in the body to support a finding. In addition to determining the amount of the oxygen species, the biopsies and mice were used to analyze the “gene expression profile” of barrier cells in intestines of mice and humans that are diagnosed with a “subtype of IBD known as ulcerative colitis.”

A decrease in these oxygen species can lead to TNF’s emergence in the body, which is a substance that attempts to maintain homeostasis in the body and avoid inflammatory diseases, like IBD and ulcerative colitis. They have concluded that losing species like NOX1, a protein that creates these species, is directly linked with inflammatory diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Judy H. Cho, MD, has stated that the study is a breakthrough “in defining the key role of oxygen species in maintaining a healthy epithelial barrier for IBD.” These reactive oxygen species are relevant to AP Bio considering the information we have learned about general biological systems and cells, which function to maintain homeostasis in the body. The mitochondria, which is an organelle of the cell covered in AP Bio, receives signals from gut bacteria that reveals inflammation. While the mitochondria is typically known as the site of cell respiration and performing reactions, new evidence has shown a relationship between the gut microbiota and mitochondria to trigger immune responses and activate barrier cell function. These processes relate to changes to the mitochondria that occur from gut-related issues in IBD patients, meaning that there is a connection to ROS.

Gut Microbiota

As a conclusion to proving the direct link between the highly reactive oxygen species and treating inflammation, these researchers encourage and plan to conduct further study on this topic, but for using “oxygen species-stem cell modulation therapy” to potentially treat IBD patients.

Today, America faces what can be considered an “obesity epidemic”. An estimated 69 million americans are considered obese, and obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in America. Obesity can lead to a number of dangerous conditions and even life threatening conditions. Consequences of obesity include coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, different types of cancers, stroke, live disease, sleep apnea, arthritis and more! In addition to health consequences, the epidemic of obesity in america also includes severe economic consequences. In 2002, the estimated health care expenditure for obesity-related issues was $147 billion.

taken from WikiMedia

The statistics concerning obesity, childhood obesity, money lost due to obesity etc. are shocking. America is deeply affected by a preventable issue affecting roughly 35% of adult americans and 20% of youth americans. Scientists and doctors have long explored ways to address this issue medically. Until recently, it was believed that the part of the brain controlling appetite is fully developed before birth, and therefore, cannot be altered. As genetics play a big role in weight and appetite control, the ability to alter the appetite control center (the hypothalamus) would be a huge step in “curing” obesity.

However, “research published in theJournal of Neuroscience has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents”. This information suggests that altering the appetite regulation system in humans is a possibility.

There is now hope that “the neural circuitry that controls appetite is not fixed in number and could possibly be manipulated numerically to tackle eating disorders.

Link to Main Article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130405064253.htm

Link to Additional Articles:

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes/index.html

http://obesityinamerica.org/statistics/

http://www.getamericafit.org/statistics-obesity-in-america.html

Link to Photo:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Medical_Complications_of_Obesity.svg

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: stemcell

Can Reactive Oxygen Species Maintain Stem Cell Function and Prevent Inflammation?

Can we fix the expensive problem of obesity??

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