#biol4272

You may or may not have heard of prions. Understandably so, as little is known about the neurodegenerative disease-causing proteins, despite 30 years of research. While we know that prions are responsible for mad cow disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease, we do not know how to treat prion-related diseases. Prion diseases begin with a cellular prion protein (PrPC) which becomes a scrapie associated prion protein (PrPSc). While the PrPC takes on the shape of a normal protein, the PrPSc is an abnormal protein because it becomes misfolded through a process called conversion (see Figure 1 below). The misfolded form of a protein will infect other proteins around them, eventually leaving the brain full of holes. The victim is left with memory impairment, personality changes, movement difficulty, and eventually, death. The solution to any disease is treatment though, and that is where the field of prion diseases is heading.

Figure 1 - Prion Development

Despite researcher's best efforts, there are no medical drugs or therapies to treat prion diseases. The lack of treatment for prion diseases is due to challenges faced when developing a therapy for prion diseases. One challenge is how to get antibodies to cross the blood brain barrier, which prevents substances from entering the brain. Another challenge is selecting the right choice of drug and antibodies to elicit a correct and effective response to the prion proteins. The prevalence of prion diseases is also a challenge. Since they are not extremely prevalent, it can be difficult to test new treatments and set up clinical trials. Much of the research in this field has been conducted on individuals with Alzheimer's disease because it is more prevalent. Many effective treatments for other diseases, such as small molecules, vaccination, antibodies, peptide aptamers, and nucleic acid-based agents, have been tried and have failed to treat prion diseases. Despite this, there is still hope for new advancements in the field.

Immunotherapy is arguably the most promising treatment solution. Prions cannot be destroyed by our immune system unaided. Since prion proteins are composed of a portion of normal proteins, the prion proteins do not activate an immune response. Prions also do not activate B cells, which are immune response cells that play a crucial role in an immune response. However, if an immune response could be triggered, the prion proteins could be destroyed. Immunotherapy does this by activating an immune response as a treatment. This tactic has been used for other diseases, such as cancer, and has promising outcomes. Immunotherapy is very effective in identifying diseased areas of the body with relatively few side effects. In the context of prion diseases, monoclonal antibodies are being used to target the misfolded portion of the prion protein.

Immunotherapy can target prion diseases for two reasons. One reason is that the shape of the misfolded prion proteins is a well-known disease-causing agent. This makes the misfolded protein easily identifiable by therapeutic agents, which are drugs that aim to have curative or preventative properties targeted towards a disease, because the therapeutic agents can target the disease-causing agent. The second reason is that the misfolding of a protein occurs on the cell's surface. Since the protein is found on the cell surface and not within the cell, this makes the protein easily accessible to therapeutic agents. Active immunization and passive immunization are two types of immunotherapies that could be used for prion diseases.

Active immunization is when the immune system produces antibodies for a disease. It is seen as the most practical approach for animal prion diseases. This type of immunization can take days or weeks to develop, but the effects are longer-lasting. Previous research has shown that active immunization is not as safe as passive immunization because it can cause an inflammatory response in the brain. One study used an AN1792 vaccine on mice with Alzheimer's disease to eliminate the misfolding proteins in the brain but had to be stopped due to negative side effects, such as meningo encephalitis and vasogenic edema, which are infections of the brain. After the clinical trial, though, the mice treated with a vaccine showed a reduction in the abnormal proteins. Active immunization is also tricky because the immune system does not recognize the abnormal protein as foreign. Therefore, no immune response is activated. Current research uses drugs to stimulate immune cells, hoping to induce a response.

Passive immunization is giving antibodies to a person for a disease instead of the antibodies being produced by the person immune system. Unlike active immunization, passive immunization develops immediately, but the effects may only last a few weeks or months. The effects only last a short time because the body does not develop memory for what you are immunized against. Therefore, there is a risk of being reinfected by the same pathogen. It is the most practical approach for human prion diseases, but most of the research currently utilizes animal models. One study used antibodies to target different forms of abnormal proteins in Alzheimer's disease but found negative results. Although the experiment failed, the research still contributed to future methods of prion disease clinical trials. For example, it provided insight into future treatments that may be more effective.

Much of the research talked about has ultimately failed in clinical trials for one reason or another. Without these failures, progress towards a treatment could not be made. Research into immunotherapies for prion diseases are ongoing, as an effective treatment solution has not been found. While much of the research done so far has utilized Alzheimer's disease, the similarities to other prion-related diseases will also benefit from this research. All work in neurodegenerative diseases will advance the therapeutic strategies of prions diseases. Many of the challenges faced will be resolved with advancements in technology and new methods for delivering antibodies to the brain. Until then, science will move forward until an effective treatment for prion diseases has been discovered.

If you are interested in learning more about the treatment of prion diseases, I have conveniently linked some awesome websites below!

https://www.mindsunderground.com/muarticles/prions-disease

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/prions-are-fascinating-terrifying-and-still-mysterious-180965125/

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya… please prepare to be amazed by a science blog like no other. Kidding, well not about the fantastic blog you are only a mere introductory post away from diving into. Unfortunately, my name is not Indigo Montoya, it is Kalli, or Kallista if you are my mom, a substitute teacher, or a Government Agency. I am a fourth-year science student at the University of New Brunswick studying Biology with a concentration in Environmental Management (now say that 5 times fast). I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia but spent most of my awkward adolescent years in Victoria, BC with the hopes of finally being able to put an end to timeless ‘west coast best coast’ debate that us North Americans are constantly in the midst of. Let’s just say, I decided to go to university on the East Coast for a reason.

 Enough about me though, let’s talk about the reason you are really here, to indulge in a science blog like no other. My goal for these upcoming posts is to start exploring the relatively uncharted waters of the scientific community and begin unearthing some bizarre research findings that we often don’t stumble across in our daily science news feeds. Throughout university, we spend the majority of our time clustered into boxes moulded to fit a certain area of research. These boxes are then given a label whether it be ecology, virology, microbiology etc. Everything within these boxes aligns perfectly together and aids scientists in forming a clearer picture of the mechanisms powering life on our planet. For my blog, I decided to take a less conventional approach starting with using these categorical ‘boxes’ as kindling to fuel the fire burning inside the mind of curious scientists. No clear predictions, no central topic, and no overarching theme, just a bunch of oddball and interesting corners of recent science research and literature that I believe need to have some light shed on them.

 As it stands, the blog itinerary includes exploring subjects such as the power of the placebo effect, bringing back species through de-extinction, and the discovery of the new mysterious colour known as ultra-black. Due to the crude nature of these topics, the published, peer reviewed literature on them is still few and far between, hence why I have taken it upon myself to help you sort through the rift raft and dig out the real gems in recent research on these mind-boggling topics. You’re welcome.

 So please, put a leg up (or two), sit back, relax, and behold the some of the wonders that the strange science world has to offer.

  Until next time,

-KW

Under the Species at Risk Act, the inner Bay of Fundy (iBoF) population of Atlantic Salmon were categorized as endangered in 2001. Over the past 20 years since this announcement, New Brunswick is continuing to take drastic steps to avoid the total extinction of this fish, which is ecologically, economically, and culturally of high importance in Atlantic Canada.

I’ve chosen to share a link to a video produced by the Fundy Salmon Recovery Project which highlights the significance of the iBoF Atlantic Salmon population, and the countless interventions being done in New Brunswick with the help of several partnerships and collaborations in our area. Despite being such a large movement in our province which is the first of this kind, I believe it is still highly unrecognized in our communities.

Although original conservation initiatives showed little progress, there has been a steady increase in the amount of spawning salmon returning to our rivers since the implementation of the Fundy Salmon Recovery Project. Having a first-hand opportunity to participate in the collection, care, and release of this species, I believe human intervention is our last chance to the save the small population that remains, and I am hopeful that one day they will become prosperous and flourishing in future years. I hope this video helps to share the initiatives being done in our area but also provide a basis to future, more depth topics I will cover on the threats and mediations to save our Atlantic Salmon.

1983. Michael Jackson’s Thriller tops the US 200 Billboard album charts for 37 weeks. Alice Walker wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple. And Kary Mullis develops Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). PCR works by replicating short DNA segments. Amplifying them and producing a sample that is large enough to study, allowing scientists to produce DNA profiles from a single segment of DNA for the first time.

Just a year later Sir Alex Jeffreys introduces DNA fingerprinting, discovering a method that shows some regions in DNA contain repetitive sequences which are unique to individuals. This same year Rafael Ruiz is arrested and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first and second-degree robbery, first-degree sexual abuse. His conviction in 1985 is based on an inconsistent story, misidentification, and his blood type, which he shares with roughly 40% of the population.

Since Jeffery’s discovery there have been many advances in molecular biology and many methods of DNA analysis have been developed. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis, and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis to name two important ones. At this point you may be asking yourself, “Why does this matter?” To answer that I have a simple answer, Rafael Ruiz.

After his conviction in 1985 Rafael served 24 years in prison, during which time he was refused early parole because he would not confess to the crimes, they had charged him with. He was eventually released at the end of his sentence in 2009 and continued to maintain his innocence. It wasn’t until 2020, 35 years after his conviction that he was able to be fully exonerated utilizing DNA evidence.

The story of Rafael Ruiz is just one example highlighting the use of molecular forensics, and the importance of its development. If you are interested in learning more about its development and its applications, click on the link below. I also suggest checking out Rafael’s story, and other related work being done by the innocence project are also linked below.

Until next time,

Alanna

Rafael Ruiz’s Story: https://abcnews.go.com/US/dna-evidence-exonerates-york-city-man-1985-sex/story?id=68592919

Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Employment? Routine? For the collective common principles that govern our society? How do you remember to go to the grocery store on the way home from work? Why do you know every lyric to Take Me Home-Country Road? I’m a 21-year-old budding pupil that wakes up frustrated to an erect mind of questions like these. I am in lust and hopeful of beginning an expedition of obtaining a Ph.D. Neuroscience within the coming years.

I started an undergraduate degree in Psychology Neuroscience at the University of New Brunswick eons ago, hopeful, and excited to learn about the inner mechanistic circuitry of the mind. Soon, I found the brain’s unsolved directional map to be an ever-lasting itch. I wake up and my mind hums an off-tune beat; snippets from readings and research that so often taunt me. I am regularly undecided whether this drive is cultivated by my inverted sanity or my stubbornness to want to shape out the landscape of the world’s most unsolvable puzzle, the brain. Regardless, I’ve been given the conquest from one of my professors to delve into the agonizing pinches of persistent curiosity, within the field of my scope.

Across the fields of Neuroscience, I thought it foolish to discuss any other discipline other than the one that starts with the first piece to the puzzle. You must place pieces of puzzles systematically just like you would for telling a story. With my unwillingness to start in the middle, I fell in desire for Developmental Neuroscience. Developmental Neuroscience is an investigation of neuronal development across the life span. Even the additional factors to neuronal development that come about before there is a single neuron are viciously fascinating. This blog will direct focus to the unremitting subject of a not yet commonly definable area of Developmental Neuroscience, executive function: memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, you name it! How do these functions arise through human brain development? A question that keeps my nose ruffled and me studying day after day.

Executive functions are the abilities that innately make us human. How do these come to be from a salivating youth of cells to a well-organized functioning thinker of the natural world? Speaking of nature, I am going to foster the debate about how nurturing can change our nature through the interrogation of epigenetics on executive functions.

Beware for this blog now will hold the brutal suspicions that taunt my mind concerning executive functions and will nearly taunt yours!

Sincerely,

Wannabe Doctor Deranged

Welcome to my blog; my name is Ali Abu Zeid. I am currently a fourth-year Biology-chemistry student at the University of New Brunswick Fredericton, UNB. The biology-chemistry allowed me to understand how the human body works. My degree also allowed me to understand every critical and complex interaction and the mechanisms used within the human body. During my time at UNB, I had the opportunity to work in microbiology labs, organic and inorganic chemistry labs, biology labs, and physics labs. Also, I had a chance to present some topics of interest, such as the study of mRNA vaccines and SARS-Cov 2. My dream has always been to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, but as I am finishing my degree, I realize that I am more interested in microbiology and laboratory work. Therefore, currently, I am fascinated and interested in becoming a clinical pathologist.

With this blog, I am aiming to achieve a few different goals. I want to communicate some scientific papers more straightforwardly using more accessible language and diagrams if needed. Also, I would like to provide the utmost accuracy about my topic, which is nanoparticles.

My blog will introduce you to nanoparticles, their functions, uses, and more. Nanoparticles have received intensive attention and are classified as the most studied topic regarding therapeutics and diagnosis. This is due to their unique physicochemical properties that make medical treatments more potent and less toxic. COVID-19 outbreak involved the use of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were used to develop vaccines and cures throughout multiple studies and research. Another significant benefit of the nanoparticles is creating fluorescent biological labels for necessary biological markers and molecules in research. At the end of this term, my goal is to provide a deeper understanding of nanoparticles and their use in medicine and the human body.

I am looking forward to sharing my blogs about nanoparticles with you!

Hello everyone, I’m Kathleen and welcome to my ramblings on autoimmunity! A little background about me and why I chose to focus on autoimmunity. I am in my final year of a biochemistry degree here on the east coast of Canada. Outside of academics I enjoy the outdoors and adventure sports such as rock climbing, mountain biking, and skiing. During my time in university, I have found a passion for the microscopic systems inside our body that allow us to function. Autoimmunity interests me because it is a case where a normally helpful system goes rogue. It should also be noted that the irony of my interest in immunology developing over the course of a global pandemic does not escape me.

The immune system is one of the bodies greatest defence systems but when it malfunctions the results can be catastrophic. An autoimmune response is when the immune system, our body’s means of protecting us from infection, attacks itself.  This betrayal can have many different results, many of which are diseases we lack cures for or struggle to treat. These diseases are also more common than some may think. Most of us know someone with type I diabetes, what you may not know is that it is an autoimmune disorder. In the case of type I diabetes the immune system attacks pancreatic beta cells leading to an inability to produce insulin. This is only one example of the prevalence of autoimmune disease. As such, research in autoimmunity has the potential to benefit numerous people and at the very least gives us a better understanding of the mechanisms that define these diseases.

My hope is that I can spark your curiosity in this area and share my passion about what happens when the body becomes our own worst enemy. I also aspire to translate research that may otherwise not be easily available or understandable. At the very least I hope this blog provides entertainment and a couple of laughs!

Your friend in science,

Kathleen