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How does drug injection into the eye save people from blindness?

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On May 24, 2022

In cardiovascular system, nervous system, special senses

TeachableMedicalNews article 05252022

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. special senses chapter – location of macula lutea in the retina of the eye
  2. special senses chapter – the photoreceptors rods and cones are in the retina
  3. hemodynamics chapter – capillaries are the thinnest blood vessels
  4. hemodynamics chapter – endothelial cell location in capillaries

The news item:  Recently a report appeared about a drug that restores eyesight:

New technology helps Georgetown veteran restore his eyesight

If you’re living with blurry vision, there’s a chance a new device can help you get your eyesight back without frequent visits to the doctor. The newly FDA-approved Susvimo implant helped one Georgetown veteran preserve his vision after being diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration.

The article states that AMD (wet, age-related macular degeneration) is the leading cause of blindness over the age 60, that this disorder is caused by growth and scarring of blood vessels under the retina, and that the drug-delivery implant has restored vision in 90% of the treated individuals.

So, Why Do I Care??  Blindness is a condition where a significant part of the eyesight is lost, and such loss has a severe negative impact on people’s lives. In the USA alone there are about a million patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, and without treatment most of them will go blind.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s talk about how the structure called macula plays a role in our vision. When we say we see something, the image of that something has to be turned into a nerve impulse so

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How can a new pharmaceutical treat severe sleep disturbance a new way?

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On January 30, 2022

In cellular basis of life, endocrine system, nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 01312022

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of one gene, one protein
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of gene mutation leading to protein malfunction
  3. nervous system chapter – functional roles of hypothalamus
  4. nervous system chapter – sleep and wakefulness
  5. endocrine system – receptor agonists enhance cellular response

The news item:  Recently a news item appeared about a new pharmaceutical to treat severe sleep disturbance disorders:

 

https://sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/pharmaceuticals/prescription-drugs/fda-approves-hetlioz-sleep-disturbances-smith-magenis-syndrome/

The article states that the pharmaceutical Hetlioz was approved to treat sleep disturbance disorders in adults and children, and also people suffering from Smith-Magenis syndrome.

So, Why Do I Care??  While loosing sleep hours is a common occurrence that comes with minor inconveniences in our daily lives, severe sleep disturbance, however, describes a disorder with significant health consequences. Millions of people suffer from such severe sleep disturbance in the US, and then there are over 15,000 people in the US who suffers from Smith-Magenis syndrome.

Plain English, Please!!! First let’s talk about sleep disturbances, in general. The action of going into sleep is the result of nerve signals from the hypothalamus part of the brain, and that signal decreases

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How does the nervous system grow into a hand transplant to make it functional?

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On December 17, 2021

In nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 12182021

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. nervous system chapter – neurons in sensory and motor nerves
  2. nervous system chapter – axons as extensions of neurons
  3. nervous system chapter – Schwann cells insulate axons, and create neurilemma

The news item:  Recently this report was published about a patient who received a double hand transplant:

First child to receive double hand transplant is thriving

At just 8 years old, Zion Harvey received two new hands, a surgery that has changed his life. According to previous reporting, the boy needed an amputation of both hands and feet when he was younge…

The article states that the patient received the transplant in 2015. The original hands of the recipient were amputated because of a spreading infection. The patient still receives ongoing physical therapy.

So, Why Do I Care??  Because successful hand transplants are examples of the regeneration of the nervous system, medical technology and treatments worked out for hand transplants may be helpful to stroke patients, or patients with physical trauma of the central nervous system where natural regeneration is very poor.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what is the major challenge with hand transplants. At first look it seems that all a successful hand transplant needs is the meticulous surgical connection of blood

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How can Zolgensma gene therapy help children with spinal muscular atrophy?

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On September 29, 2021

In cellular basis of life, muscular system, nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 09302021

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – role of mRNA in protein synthesis
  2. cellular basis of life chapter – concept of gene mutation leading to protein malfunction
  3. muscular system chapter – role of nerve impulses in directing muscle contraction
  4. nervous system chapter – functions of dendrites and axons of neurons

The news item:  Recently the following reporting was published by BBC news organization:

‘Gene therapy is a game changer for our son’

A five-month-old becomes the first person in England to get a drug with a list price of £1.79m.

The article describes the symptoms, such as loss of mobility in infants, of the spinal muscular atrophy.  The article also mentions the mutant SMN1 gene, and the Zolgensma treatment that replaces the mutated gene. The article states that the frequency of this disorder is 1 in 10,000 births.

So, Why Do I Care??  Most children whose symptoms begin after age 2 have a near normal life expectancy. However, newborns with the “infant-onset” form (about 400 newborns each year) have a very short life expectancy. That is devastating to parents, too, who are helpless while their child lays motionless, and not developing motor skills for movement or speech. Innovative treatments not only raise the hope for a more normal life for the affected infants, but also points to possible treatments of similar disorders.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about what is spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).  This disorder originates from damaged neurons in the spinal cord. The consequence of that damage is that skeletal

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Can Alzheimer’s disease be detected early from a blood test?

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On May 31, 2021

In nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 05312021

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. brain chapter – locations of storing short and long term memory in the brain
  2. nervous system chapter – functioning of neurons
  3. introduction to the human body chapter – basics of PET scan technology

The news item:  Recently the availability of a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease was reported:

First blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s goes on sale

How is Alzheimer’s diagnosed? New blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s is not approved by the FDA.

 

 

The article states that this test is the first commercially available blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, and that it is a more practical alternative to the PET scan, but the test is not officially approved by the FDA, and the accuracy is still under study. The article also states that the test, developed by the company C2N,  measures amyloid and other protein.

So, Why Do I Care??  There are more than 6 million people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease in the US. This number will increase as the proportion of older people increases in the US. Early detection of this disease could allow the implementation of preventative strategies such as changes in lifestyle, or even new medications.  Therefore the development of a blood test for early diagnosis is an exciting development, despite the fact that the accuracy of this test needs to be fully proven.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what Alzheimer’s disease is. Dementia type disorders result in the loss of memory, the ability of the patient to recall names or past events. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia disorders; most people with dementia suffer from Alzheimer’s. Because the storage

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How can an anti-wrinkle treatment help patients suffering from an overactive bladder?

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On December 26, 2020

In microbiology, muscular system, nervous system, urinary system

TeachableMedicalNews article 12262020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. muscular tissue chapter – neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junction
  2. autonomic nervous system chapter –  parasympathetic division and its neurotransmitters
  3. urinary system chapter – role of detrusor muscle in emptying of the bladder
  4. microbiology – Clostridium botulinum and its toxin

The news item:  Recently an unusual report appeared about the anti-wrinkle treatment, Botox:

https://westnewsmagazine.com/2019/11/13/117802/beyond-wrinkles-botox-offers-effective-treatment-for-common-bladder-condition

The article states that people suffering from an overactive bladder may find help for their symptoms from twice-a-year Botox injection.

So, Why Do I Care??  There are about 50 million people in the US suffering from overactive bladder symptoms. While this affliction is not life threatening, everyday life, ability to hold down a job are disrupted by it. There are several medical interventions to help patients, so Botox is the latest to join the remedies.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about the mechanics of urination. For urination to happen the muscle (called detrusor) inside the wall of the urinary

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Why eating Listeria-contaminated food can be life threatening?

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On October 22, 2020

In cellular basis of life, digestive system, lymphatic and immune system, nervous system, reproductive system

TeachableMedicalNews article 10222020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – cytosol
  2. nervous system chapter – location of meninges
  3. immune system chapter – vasodilation during inflammation
  4. immune system chapter – emigration by white blood cells
  5. microbiology – Listeria monocytogenes biology

The news item:  Recently a Listeria outbreak was reported to have started from contaminated mushrooms:

Enoki mushrooms tied to listeria outbreak that killed four people and hospitalized 31, CDC says | CNN

Enoki mushrooms are linked to four deaths and 31 hospitalizations in what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says was a multistate listeria outbreak that is now presumed to be over.

The article stated that Listeria outbreak is caused by a bacterium, and that the symptoms of infection are stiff neck, loss of balance, miscarriage, confusion and fever.

So, Why Do I Care??

Infection by Listeria bacterium is the third leading cause of food borne illness, and it is the most lethal food borne illness by killing about 15 – 20% of the infected individuals.  In the US each year about 1600 people get infected, and 260 die. The victims are the most vulnerable of society: elderly, pregnant women, and immunosuppressed people.

Plain English, Please!!!

First, let’s talk about what Listeria is. Listeria is a type of bacterium that infects human beings when they consume Listeria-contaminated food. The bacterium lives

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Could the electrical stimulation of the skin help pediatric ADHD sufferers?

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On September 16, 2020

In nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 09162020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. nervous system chapter – Na channel opening during nerve impulse
  2. nervous system chapter – neurotransmitters pass excitation from one neuron to another
  3. brain chapter – cranial nerves and their functions

The news item:  Recently a news article described a medical device to treat ADHD in children:

FDA signs off on first medical device for treating ADHD in children

As diagnosis rates of ADHD among children skyrocket, a new medical device for the treatment of ADHD could soon hit the market.

The article states that the device called Monarch eTNS is placed on the forehead to send electrical impulses to the brain through the trigeminal nerve.

So, Why Do I Care??  Over 7 million children and 8 million adults have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).  ADHD can severely disrupt learning, school activities, social interactions, and job performance, among others. While there are existing treatment options for people with ADHD, any new treatment with fewer side effects is welcome news.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about ADHD.  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a disorder of the nervous system.  Normally, small group of neurons in the brain actively keep behaviors like attention span, interactions with others, and executive function going.  When those groups of neurons have a lower

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What makes some hand sanitizers dangerously toxic?

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On August 28, 2020

In cellular basis of life, chemical basis of life, digestive system, metabolism, nervous system, Uncategorized

TeachableMedicalNews article 08282020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. chemical basis of life chapter – adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
  2. cellular basis of life chapter –sites of detoxification inside the cell
  3. cellular basis of life chapter – mitochondria as site of ATP production
  4. digestive system chapter – absorption through stomach mucosa
  5. metabolism chapter – electron transport chain as most efficient ATP producing process inside mitochondria
  6. special senses chapter – gross anatomy of optic nerve

The news item:  A recent news item described over a hundred hand sanitizer brands are being removed from store shelves because they may be dangerously toxic:

FDA says to avoid these 130 hand sanitizer products that may not work, or are toxic

Regulators say some of the products contain dangerous levels of methanol, which can lead to blindness, hospitalization and even death.

The article mentions that the toxic ingredient is methanol, and that it may cause blindness.

So, Why Do I Care??  Poisoning by methanol, also called wood alcohol, sickens over 20,000 people each year in the US.  These people may become blind in 24 hours, and suffer long-lasting damage to their kidneys and brain. The best prevention is not to consume methanol either by drinking or through contact with skin, such as through hand sanitizers.  So, taking hand sanitizers off the shelf is part of the prevention.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what methanol is. Methanol is chemically similar to ethanol, the alcohol in adult beverages. Methanol gets into hand sanitizers when the ethanol ingredient is contaminated with methanol. When ethanol is made by distilleries, sometimes inadvertently methanol is distilled into the product, so then it becomes part of the hand sanitizer.

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Can we relax an overactive bladder by enhancing the actions of the nervous system?

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On February 22, 2020

In nervous system, urinary system

TeachableMedicalNews article 02222020

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. Autonomic nervous system chapter —  examples for sympathetic and parasympathetic activities
  2. Autonomic nervous system chapter —  neurotransmitters acetylcholine and norepinephrine and their receptors
  3. urinary system chapter – layers and tissues of the urinary bladder wall
  4. urinary system chapter – nerve pathways for the micturition reflex

The news item:  A recent news item informs us that a drug to treat overactive bladder is effective in men as well:

Men Get Overactive Bladder, Too

Don’t always blame the prostate.

 

The article mentions the symptoms of overactive bladder, the fact that men get this disorder as much as women, and that one treatment, Myrbetriq, is acting through  beta 3 adrenoceptor agonists.

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