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Belimumab is a recently developed monoclonal antibody drug used to treat systemic lupus erythematosus, otherwise known as SLE or just lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that involves B-cell overactivation, causing patient’s own immune system to attack them and results in symptoms such as rash, fever, chest pain, hair loss, joint pain, and fatigue. Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies produced in a lab that will act against certain proteins in people with autoimmune disorders to inhibit a particular response. These manmade antibodies can be specifically designed to target different proteins in the human body that may be the source of permanent overactivation of the immune system. In the case of SLE, patients with B-cell protein markers are readily able to take belimumab because this marker allows for the monoclonal antibody to prevent autoimmune responses.

Monoclonal antibodies such as belimumab are an important method of treatment in patients with SLE because they block the action of B-cell stimulator protein, which B-cells require for survival. When the patient is introduced to belimumab, the drug inhibits the B-cell stimulator protein, which causes B-cell death and prevents an ongoing autoimmune adaptive response, including the release of inflammatory cytokines. This causes a depression in the activity of the acquired immune system and its responses, meaning patients with SLE will experience relief from autoimmune symptoms. The purpose of this drug it to prevent the painful symptoms that may arise from SLE flare-ups. Although this drug is designed to help prevent the signs and symptoms of SLE, there is a large list of side effects, including:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• stomach pain
• fever
• stuffy or runny nose
• cough (bronchitis)
• insomnia
• leg or arm pain
• migraine
• sore throat
• allergic or infusion-related reactions such as
  • itching
  • swelling of the face, lips, tongue, mouth, or throat
• difficulty breathing
• low blood pressure
• dizziness
• fainting
• rash
• redness
• swelling of the skin

When considering these side effects, there are quite a few differences between these and the symptoms of SLE. Belimumab seems to have more side effects than the symptoms of SLE itself, but these side effects are often temporary and not chronic. SLE has chronic, debilitating symptoms that may make it worth looking into a treatment such as belimumab. However, it is important to note that patients may experience more severe side effects from belimumab, such as infections, heart problems, depression, and elevated risk for cancer.

There are many different aspects of health that need to be considered before taking belimumab. Patients receiving this treatment may not receive live vaccinations because this drug decreases the adaptive immune response, making the exposure to live pathogens dangerous. Patients may also not be pregnant, because the effects of belimumab on an unborn baby have not yet been thoroughly studied. Additionally, patients with previous mental health issues may not be prescribed this medication because of the increased risk of depression associated with this drug. Overall, this monoclonal antibody treatment is an excellent way to prevent SLE flare-ups, but may lead to more serious side effects if patients are not responsive to the treatment.

As almost the entire world is aware, we are currently going through a global pandemic. Entire countries are shut down due to the threat of COVID-19, a novel strain of a corona virus that is causing hospitalizations for many at risk groups. With the increase of cases rising exponentially, there is an increase in testing for possible infections as well. However, there is a new potential way to determine if you had contracted COVID-19 and recovered, possibly without even showing symptoms. Testing for antibody response after an initial infection is a possible gateway for the development of drug treatments and vaccines.

When the body is under attack from pathogenic invaders, the human body has an extremely efficient system to identify, mark, and destroy the threat. Our main source of identification and targeting involves protein structures called antibodies, all of which have a unique antigen binding site that allows for a threat-specific response. When we have these immune responses, our levels of different antibodies vary. The antibodies IgM and IgG play a large role in determining what kind of response our body will create to eliminate the threat. When there is only an IgM response, the body has activated a primary response to the threat and actively defending against the threat. When there is both IgM and IgG responses, this indicates the end of an immune response, resulting in a build-up of long term memory that results in our immune system’s memory cells, which allow us to have a more prepared immune response if we encounter the same threat again. However, the presence of only IgG antibodies indicates that the immune response is complete and could very well indicate the immunity of the individual.

Testing to determine if a person has built an immune response to COVID-19 is an excellent way to identify what makes the virus unique and what its possible weaknesses are. In fact, there is already evidence that the antibody CR3022 is present in recovered COVID-19 patients, which is a promising discovery prompting the development of antivirals and possible vaccination. This antibody was previously found in SARs patients and shows cross-reactions with the COVID spike proteins, which quite possibly could be a weakness as it was in the SARs CoV virus. Using antibody responses from already recovered COVID-19 patients is not the final answer to solving this crisis, but it brings us one step closer. Everybody stay safe and be cautious please!

In the world of combating disease, it is important to consider two things: we can either destroy the threat or we can alter our soldiers to be stronger. Altering soldiers is exactly what CAR T-cell therapy does. In this method of cancer treatment, a patient’s T cells are removed from their body. Next, they are genetically altered to have more receptors on their surface. These receptors are known as chimeric antigen receptor cells, or CAR T cells. Following a brief bout of chemotherapy, these altered T cells are introduced back into the patient’s body and target CD19, a protein commonly found on the surface of cancer cells. This allows the CAR T cell to bind to the cancer cell and kill it with ease.

Although this seems like a full proof method of fighting cancer, there are many adverse side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, headache. These symptoms can escalate into more nasty conditions, such as cardiac arrest and renal insufficiency. Additionally, patients may develop tumor lysis syndrome, which is a metabolic complications that can occur and cause organ damage. Most of these side effects can be managed with drugs. When compared to the usual health risks of chemotherapy and other standard cancer treatments, these side effects are about the same level of severity.

This type of T cell therapy has a high success rate, with over 80% of patients experiencing a complete or partial response. Additionally, many young children tested with CAR T-cell therapy had their cancer go into remission. Early results of CAR T-cell therapy for treating lymphoma and other blood cancers are promising, with patients whose cancer was previously untreatable going into remission. However, these successes must be applied to larger numbers of patients to discover more side effects and how efficient the treatment really is. This therapy is promising, but is more expensive than standard cancer treatments and needs more testing.

Hello everyone, I hope you are all faring well during this global pandemic. In times of great strife like these, I find myself reading more and more to tune out the world around me. I just finished reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King, which I consumed in about 2 days. Yikes. Anyways, this blog is just to update you on my current situation, as well as discuss how I am handling this crisis. Let’s just say it is going to be a while before I see the outside world again.

I am currently residing in my hometown, as most college kids are currently. I have been in contact with my doctor and she has recommended I stay isolated as much as humanly possible due to my underlying condition: asthma. Because of this, I cannot go to my job at Lowe’s Home Improvement, where during the spring I work with the plants, help load people’s mulch, and drive a forklift. Needless to say, but I miss making money. I cannot see my boyfriend, who is conflicted between wanting to see me and wanting to keep me isolated from any germs he might pick up from the public. I cannot work in my research lab at school, which has been shut down because our research is considered “non-essential.” It feels like my life was finally going correctly, but now it is crashing down in flames. See meme below:

The most stressful part of this pandemic for me is the rushed remote learning classes. Some professors have done well with prepping materials to sustain us for the rest of the semester, while others have essentially given up on teaching a class and require us to fend for ourselves. I am grateful that I still have the opportunity to receive credit for these classes though, because if all classes had simply given “incompletes” for the semester, that would have resulted in a maelstrom of angry college students. Looking on the bright side of this pandemic deal, I get to spend a lot more time with my family, even though my parents are fortunate enough to be deemed “essential” workers and continue their jobs. I also get to play with my dog while attending online lectures, which is a great stress-reliever. I pray everyone in a bad situation right now can make it through the next couple of months. Well wishes to all!

Before having sexual with intercourse with someone, it is crucial that you know the state of their sexual health to protect yourself. This precaution is necessary because sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread through intimate contact between two people. These diseases have a wide variety of different symptoms, including sores/bumps on the genital area, painful urination, strange discharge, lower abdominal pain, and painful sex. Three of the most common STDs are syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, which are currently seeing an increase in cases. All of these diseases are curable by antibiotics, but continue to be spread by people recklessly. Why is this?

There are multiple factors that are causing the number of these STD cases to rise in the United States. One reason that there is an influx of these particular STD cases is partly because of the STDs left untreated are highly contagious and can produce severe complications such as infertility and increased HIV risk. Additionally, decreased condom usage among vulnerable groups drives a continued increase of STD cases. I believe that this pandemic is a problem that few people want to discuss, considering that the mere idea of STDs is a taboo subject in our culture. However, if we do not bring up the topic of the diseases, people will underestimate their severity and relent protective measures.

The best way to prevent the transmission of these common STDs is through abstinence, especially if the health status of your partner is unknown. Here is a great resource that instructs you on how to go about the potentially awkward situation of considering STD tests with your partner. Additionally, protective measures such as condoms are helpful, but be aware they may not fully protect you from any kinds of STD your partner may carry. Your sexual health is an important part of life and it must be preserved. STDs are not to be taken lightly, so make sure you prioritize your health by practicing safe sex.

Have you ever heard of the disease MRSA and how dangerous it is? MRSA stands for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which can potentially cause deadly infections in heart valves, bones, lungs, and the bones with their joints. MRSA is known as a “superbug,” meaning it is resistant to many different kinds of antibiotics, making this disease extremely hard to treat. Unfortunately for humankind, more and more antibiotic resistant organisms like MRSA are emerging, rendering our methods of treating the diseases they cause more and more futile.  According to the CDC, more people are dying from antibiotic resistant bacterial infections than previously estimated, including an emerging strain of antibiotic resistant strep throat. This discovery has forced researchers to try and create more effective antibiotics, which we are rapidly running out of.

With 2.8 million people dying from antibiotic resistant infections in the United States every year, it is clear to see that our antibiotics are beginning to lose their effectiveness. One of the main causes of the resistance is the over prescription of antibiotics, which allows resistant bacteria to continue living without competition when non-resistant bacteria are eliminated with antibiotics. In many countries, antibiotic prescription is largely unregulated, meaning that the chance of overuse and reduction of efficacy are probable. Additionally the use of antibiotics in raising livestock is a large contributor to emerging antibiotic resistance. Not only do we consume these antibiotics, but they are also excreted by livestock and contaminate our soil, agriculture, and water sources. The exposure of the natural flora to the antibiotics increases the ratio of the resistant strains to the non-resistant strains, increasing the amount of antibiotic strains that can propagate.

Although times may look tough right now, there is no need to fret yet! Researchers are working on both developing new antibiotics and discovering alternative methods of killing resistant bacteria.  Currently, there is a push to utilize bacteriophages to destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which would be an excellent replacement for antibiotics since many bacteria are susceptible to phages. However, this method may be problematic in that our body may already have antibodies to destroy the bacteriophage. Additionally, artificial intelligence machines are being used to discover new, stronger antibiotics! Even though there are rapidly emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains, educating the public on the importance of preventing antibiotic overuse and the use of new technologies may be enough to halt these pathogens.

When I was a child around the age of 4, I had a severe case of pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough. I would cough so hard I would pop blood vessels in my eyes and was gasping desperately for air. Now, imagine the severity of a disease like this on an even younger child, an infant even. The infant with pertussis would be completely unable to breathe on its own, due to its inability to regulate its breathing, leaving it helpless to suffocate without some sort of way to oxygenate the body’s tissues. Fortunately for us, there is an effective vaccine for this terrible disease, which prevents this horrendous pathogen from affecting our youngsters. Vaccinations are an excellent way of eradicating several diseases, including polio.

Polio is a life threatening disease caused by a virus that infects the spinal cord and may cause paralysis. This disease has been eradicated in the United States, but is still a large issue in third world countries, which still face outbreaks to this day. These outbreaks are caused by the lack of an effective vaccine being readily available for populations of children. Because of the lack of vaccination, there is nothing preventing this disease from being transmitted between people who share water/food sources! Fortunately, efforts are being made to increase the amounts of vaccines available in third world countries in order to prevent the spread of this terrifying disease.

There are two standard vaccination types for poliovirus: the oral poliovirus vaccination (OPV) and the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). The OPV is administered orally in small droplets, but is mainly used as a preventative measure to decrease the risk of contracting disease. OPV’s are also more commonly used on children to prevent polio. In comparison, the IPV’s are given through injection and are used to strengthen the child’s immune system to protect against polio. The disadvantage to this method is the need for a trained healthcare personnel to provide the injection. However, IPV’s are becoming more common in third world countries, often being coupled with OPV’s in order to build the strongest immune system possible. Thankfully, poliovirus is being combatted in the best way we humans know how!

As I am sure you are aware, bacteria are tiny organisms capable of growing in a multitude of various environments. However, what if I told you that there are trillions of bacteria present on and in the human body that aid in the continuation of life? This population of bacteria, commonly known as a microbiome, is a crucial part of the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis. The microbiome aids in digestion, immunomodulation, even the prevention of infections. Without these microbiota, there would be a significant public health problem with hostile microorganisms. In fact, without the development of a healthy microbiome, the human population would be much more susceptible to disease!

The healthy human microbiome is acquired at the ripe age of 3 years old. The microbiome can change its composition over time due to environmental and genetic factors, which can either be beneficial or detrimental for the human host. These changes can be caused by changes in available substrate and pH levels in the body. However, constant modulation of the microbiome can increase disease susceptibility and leave the body more vulnerable to attack by hostile microbes. The microbiome can affect the body’s inflammation response to attack, especially if the incorrect substrate is being provided for the healthy bacteria! Studies show that higher amounts of sugars in a diet can affect the inflammatory response by decreasing the magnitude of inflammatory agents released in response to a threat. In fact, microbiome disruption can lead to antimicrobial resistance, which makes antibiotics much less effective in treating microbial infections.

Currently, research is being conducted to see if the genes of the bacterial microbiome that exists within the mouth has anything to do with the sharply increasing amount of medication-resistant infections. The mouth’s importance as a portal of entry for many pathogens may be the underlying source of antibiotic-resistant genes found in microbes. Bacteria in the mouth are much different than the bacteria of the gut, so there is a greater chance that these microbiota may be transferring antibiotic resistant genes to pathogens. Even though this is detrimental for the human host, the microbiome is still a necessity for protecting people from disease and aiding in food digestion. These bacteria are quite literally keeping us alive, so take a moment to thank your gut!

Nobody enjoys catching the flu. If you are anything like me, the flu completely decommissions you for a week and you struggle to catch up with what you missed (I am currently experiencing this). For those who don’t know, The flu is a nasty upper respiratory infection that causes coughing, fevers, muscle aches, and a sore throat. The flu is spread through respiratory droplets, meaning that it is usually caught being around infected people shedding the virus. Influenza only has an incubation period of one to two days, meaning you more than likely will be able to tell where you contracted the disease if you are unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.

This year’s flu season has proven to be a doozy! According to the CDC, there have been 19 million cases worldwide, 180,000 hospitalizations, and an estimated 10,000 deaths from the flu for the 2019-2020 flu season. Additionally, a whopping 106,343 positive specimens have been received by the CDC from clinical laboratories that test for influenza. The flu is difficult to combat because it has the capability to antigenically drift, meaning the virus can mutant into different strands easily. Fortunately for us, the flu vaccines available have been matched to more accurately combat the current viruses circulating the United States.

Flu vaccine effectiveness is a crucial part of public health and safety. Even though getting a flu vaccine does not 100% protect you from contracting a strain of influenza, it offers some protection against the disease simply by boosting your immune system’s abilities to make antibodies to protect you against the virus. This year’s vaccine features a dose of either three or four influenza strains, all of which have been circulating the United States for the 2019-2020 flu season. This vaccine has been altered to be more accurate, meaning it is much more effective in preventing the flu! Getting this vaccine is highly recommended for pregnant women, children over the age of 6 months, and older adults. A high dose vaccine is available for older populations as well, as the flu can be devastating on elderly patients. If you haven’t yet, GET YOUR FLU SHOT!

Everyone has heard the infamous claim that vaccines cause autism. Millions around the world have taken this as an excuse to not vaccinate their children, resulting in serious preventable childhood diseases making a resurgence and the elimination of herd immunity. Andrew Wakefield, the man behind the myth, has affected millions of lives with this irrational claim. His research methods were not only questionable but also completely erroneous with his use of small sample sizes that were carefully selected. Looking at his conducted studies discussed in this article, Wakefield used a group of 12 carefully selected children that had shown signs of both serious enterocolitis and regressive developmental disorders. The cohort was found at Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine and each of the children had parents who claimed the Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) caused their children’s developmental disorders. Using this assumption, Wakefield decided to make the connection between the MMR vaccine and autism by claiming the gastrointestinal diseases the children suffered from were caused by the “environmental triggers” of receiving the vaccine. Not only is this assumption not founded on any kind of science, but it has been disproven by many other medical professionals.

Soon after Wakefield’s paper was published, epidemiological studies were conducted to refute the link between the MMR vaccine and autism, as seen in this article. Not only were his results unable to be verified, but there were also financial benefits for Wakefield with the publishing of his paper. According to this article, the Lancet soon admitted that Wakefield had been funded by lawyers who helped parents sue vaccine companies. As a result, Wakefield’s research was redacted in the Lancet and his medical license has been revoked. Embarrassing for sure, but his claims continue to be relevant for a large amount of people.

            Unfortunately, Wakefield’s discrediting has not been acknowledged by many people around the world. In the United Kingdom, there was a measles outbreak in 2008 that was accredited to the fewer amounts of children being vaccinated due to Wakefield’s claims. Additionally, autism advocacy groups around the world have refused to consider the retraction and continue to blindly support Wakefield. There are varying opinions on the MMR vaccine, with many people unsure about the science behind the vaccine. Distrust in vaccination production companies continues to fuel the anti-vaccination movement, with a large population of non-immunizers not realizing both how severe measles is and the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine according to Brieger. General public knowledge is crucial in determining opinions on vaccines, so efforts should be made to explain the process of vaccines more effectively. With more and more cases of preventable viral infections emerging every day, one must consider if giving a child a severe disease is more ethical than giving them a harmless vaccine.