Abstract This is a deep paper on genetics. The author delves into the scientific language of cell migration and organism development. Although apoptosis is an important mechanism in the development and homeostasis of many organisms, little is known about the mechanisms underlying apoptosis. Investigation into apoptotic genetics has yielded promising results, yet more research needs to be undertaken. This research may eventually yield insights into treatment of diseases linked to apoptosis, such as cancer and AIDS.
From the Paper "A developing organism undergoes many dramatic changes, including cell migration, proliferation and cell death. Apoptosis, a form of cell death, is characterised by nuclear condensation, plasma membrane alterations and the lack of an inflammatory response. Apoptosis is the fate of many cells in development and is necessary for normal development in a large number of organisms. The genes ced-3 and ced-4 regulate initiation of apoptosis in C. elegans. The mammalian homolog of ced-3, once thought to be Interleukin-1-Beta converting enzyme (ICE), is still under investigation. In C. elegans, ced-9 regulates genetic inhibition, while bcl-2 does the same in mammals."
Abstract At the beginning of the millennium life expectancy doubled to approximately 80 years of age, compared to what it was in 1900. This paper studies the new field of immunogerontology that explores the immune system in the aging adult. Recent research has indicated that the immune systems of aged people undergo characteristic changes, generally in the direction of decreased immune competence. As the research presented in this paper reveals, aging affects many aspects of the immune process, and since the immune system interacts with every system of the body it becomes important to have a well-developed understanding of the mechanisms related to the breakdown of this system in the later years of life.
From the Paper "Malnutrition in aging populations is another mechanism, which contributes to the decline in the efficiency of the signal transduction system and as a result leads to the degradation of the immune response. Calcium is an integral part of the signaling mechanism and the biochemical pathways that compose it. Enzymes necessary for T cell proliferation are rendered useless in the absence of calcium as shown by Miller et al (1996). Measurements made in the lab of IL-2 production were shown to be substantially lower than in T cells belonging to younger individuals. It is important to remember that IL-2 is produced after the antigen binds to the receptor-binding site and is responsible for promoting the proliferation of the T cell. Though these experiments are mainly carried out on mice, the biochemical pathways are very similar and results tend to indicate that immunodeficiency in the aging adult is due in part to the decline in calcium concentrations. Other nutrients such as zinc and vitamin E are also important in the proper functioning of the immune system affecting cytokine production and imparting a protective role from damage by free radicals respectively (Moriguchi, 1998)."
Abstract This paper examines how Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs) are mitogens whose functions are important in regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and how estrogen is another hormone that is involved in regulating a large array of cell processes. It looks at how both of these hormones are mitogens that act through receptor-mediated pathways. The MCF-7 cell line is a commonly used, breast cancer-derived cell line because it is easily replicable, and it differs from many others in that estradiol does not induce cell cycle progression. It looks at how recent research has found that synergistic action of Insulin-like Growth Factor-I, its receptor, and estrogen induce cell cycle progression, promote signal transduction of IGF, and, thereby, increase proliferation of MCF-7 cancer cells.
From the Paper "While the incidence of breast cancer as well as the recovery rate continues to rise, breast cancer is hardly a new problem. Breast cancer has been around for centuries however some researchers believe we are closer to a cure than ever before. Incidents of breast cancer have been documented back to the early Egyptians when the only treatment was surgical removal of the diseased tissue. Surgery was practiced but it was an extremely radical treatment considering there was no anesthesia available. During the mid 1800"s, surgeons first began to keep detailed records of breast cancer. Those statistics indicate that even those treated by mastectomy had a high rate of recurrence within eight years"especially when the glands or lymph nodes were affected."
Abstract This paper reports that one study looks at the tumor suppressor gene, maspin, and how it is deactivated in breast cancer. The author relates that a study looks at how uptake of cholesterol from HDL promotes cell growth, including the growth of breast cancer cells. The paper states that the third study looks at a new method of inducing apoptosis in cells through CD47-mediated Gi protein-dependent protein kinase A.
From the Paper "Abstract biochemical studies aimed at determining the factors causing the proliferation and the restriction of growth of breast cancer cells abound in the literature. In this paper, three such studies are analyzed. One looks at the tumor suppressor gene maspin ..."
Abstract The paper discusses enediyne antibiotics' potential as an anti-tumor treatment and as an inhibitor of aggressive cancer growth. The paper describes the function and structure of these antibiotics and lists some of the known enediynes and their derivation from microorganisms.
From the Paper "Enediyne antibiotics have garnered increasing interest from the fields of chemistry, biology, and chemical sciences because of their great potential as an anti-tumor treatment. It has been said that enediyne antibiotics are 1,000 times more potent than adriamycin, one of the most effective and clinically used antitumor antibiotics (Liu and Shen 382). Enediynes have also been demonstrated to inhibit the growth aggressive cancers such as of cervical carcinoma, leukemia, and melanoma (Shao 50). Enediynes are uniquely characterized by their molecular architectures, mechanism of action, as biological activities. Currently, there are three types of enediyne antibiotics: the calicheamicin-esperamicin type; the dynemicin type, and; the chromoprotoein type. The first group includes the calicheamicins, esperamicins, and nanenamicin. The chromoproteins are neocarzinostatin, kedarcidin, C-1027, and maduroprotein."
