By: Naomi Lenchner Background A study published in February 2023 by researchers at the University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center identified genetic markers that could aid in diagnosing Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Titled “PRNP expression predicts imaging findings in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease,” the study introduces a potential novel diagnostic technique for […]
First of its Kind: The New Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Seventy years ago, for the first time, humans saw the shape of the molecule containing each of our unique genetic information. The twisted, ladder-like structure of DNA is an image that many of us are familiar with today, but this discovery revolutionized molecular biology and continues to impact the world today. We now live in […]
A Look Into the Mysterious “Fever Effect”: Temporarily Reducing Symptoms in Autistic Children
A remarkable list of urban myths exists regarding the alleged benefits of falling ill with a fever, with some parents believing fever episodes will even help their children grow taller. Amongst the myriad of colourful ideas, there are many that seem less credible than others despite being demonstrated multiple times over the past few decades […]
Unveiling Silent Struggles: Women’s Health Challenges Behind Bars
Step into the world of “Orange is the New Black,” a cult favorite show where the complexities of life in an all women’s prison unfold before our eyes. While the show does a great job of combining drama, humor, and advocacy, it barely scratched the surface of the intricate healthcare issues faced by incarcerated individuals. […]
PERC: A Geneticist’s Cocktail for CRISPR Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) Delivery
There are three elements that make up a cocktail: the core (base spirit), the balance (sugar), and seasoning (bitters). In the relentless pursuit of a multiplex delivery method that deems possible many cell therapy features at once, the research led by Ross Wilson, Assistant Adjunct Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of […]
Cancer’s Identity Crisis: Becoming the Unlikely Heroes of the Body
Imagine a world where cancer cells, once harbingers of fear and despair, are ingeniously transformed into allies in the battle for life. This vision finds its roots in the groundbreaking concept of cancer vaccination, a paradigm-shifting approach that stands at the forefront of modern medicine. Just as a traditional vaccine empowers the immune system to […]
59 Years and Counting
By Maia Beaulieu “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” -Martin Luther King Jr. After decades of fighting, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation and granted rights to African Americans, yet nearly 60 years later, we still see explicit and implicit injustice embedded in our political, […]
A “Renaissance” in Research: Can Psychedelics be Used to Treat Chronic Pain?
By: Melina Bindra The healing powers of psychedelics have been used for centuries, from Amazonian healing to Native American ceremonies, where the ingestion of various plant preparations evokes an altered state of consciousness. But over the past two decades, the recreational and medicinal use of psychedelics within the U.S. has noticeably increased. Psychedelics could possibly […]
A Pathological Achilles’ Heel: Flaws in a Revolutionary Cancer Treatment
By: Yichen Zeng One of the fundamental problems of the human immune system lies in the question: “How many lives can one claim before one begins losing their own?” That is, how aggressive can the human immune system be towards pathogens and other invasive microorganisms before it begins to destroy the very being that depends […]
A Viral Twist on Current Brain Tumor Research: Associating Immunogenetics of Antigen Response with Glioma Risk and Survival
By Riya Arul In 1796, the concept of using viral antigen responses was first introduced to create vaccines that protect us from viruses such as smallpox; today, scientists at UCSF have been able to utilize the same concept to enhance our understanding of malignant brain tumors. Gliomas, or glioblastomas, are brain tumors characterized by the […]