I am sorry so as to not update this blog from last 2 days, I was just waiting for more people to come and visit this Blog. I hope you understand.
I apologise to all the viewers again.
But I am back with another post below and just waiting for your comment on this interesting topic.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Pheromones in Animals accepted, but Pheromones in Humans??
This is really Interesting!!!
Recent research at Howard Hughes Meidcal Institute has shown that Trpc2, an Ion channel expressed in Vomensoral Neurons in mice is responsible Sex-Determination.
Male mice that are deficient in this ion channel Trpc2 had impairement in sex-determination and male-male aggression. The focus of this study was on female mice. Mutant Trpc2 mice showed a reduction in female specific behaviour like lactation and maternal aggression.The most interesting feature observed was these mutant females showed unique characteristics of male sexual courtship behaviours like pelvic thrusts.The same behavorial phenotype was observed when Vomensoral Organs were surgically removed but the oestrous cycles and sex-hormones levels were not disrupted.
This showed that VNO(Vomensoral Organ) mediated pheromones input in Wild Type females represses male behaviour and increases female specific behaviour.
This study also proved another point and that there were functional neuronal circuits for male specific behaviours in normal female mouse brain.
This gets me to a very interesting question that has always been a controversy
Wether Human Olfactory Signals exist or not??
Though much has been talked and written about, has any Human Pheromone been isolated and has it's activity been demonstrated or not is the biggest question I have.Can I get an explanation for this.
Looking for your comments
Recent research at Howard Hughes Meidcal Institute has shown that Trpc2, an Ion channel expressed in Vomensoral Neurons in mice is responsible Sex-Determination.
Male mice that are deficient in this ion channel Trpc2 had impairement in sex-determination and male-male aggression. The focus of this study was on female mice. Mutant Trpc2 mice showed a reduction in female specific behaviour like lactation and maternal aggression.The most interesting feature observed was these mutant females showed unique characteristics of male sexual courtship behaviours like pelvic thrusts.The same behavorial phenotype was observed when Vomensoral Organs were surgically removed but the oestrous cycles and sex-hormones levels were not disrupted.
This showed that VNO(Vomensoral Organ) mediated pheromones input in Wild Type females represses male behaviour and increases female specific behaviour.
This study also proved another point and that there were functional neuronal circuits for male specific behaviours in normal female mouse brain.
This gets me to a very interesting question that has always been a controversy
Wether Human Olfactory Signals exist or not??
Though much has been talked and written about, has any Human Pheromone been isolated and has it's activity been demonstrated or not is the biggest question I have.Can I get an explanation for this.
Looking for your comments
Saturday, September 1, 2007
OK!!! I Have an Idea.
Hello Everyone.
1. Starting off next week I will have a new section called the "Drugs of the Week". In this we will have something written about a Drug treating any condition. Something that must be there is the name of the Drug/Molecule , the disease it treats and ofcourse its molecular targets and mode of action.Many more things can be written "if possible". The interesting thing here is that you as a reader will get an opportunity to post your drug of the week. You can send me your "Drug of the Week" to the following email address: dharani.burra@gmail.com . The best and the most interesting one will be selected and posted on this blog with the senders name. If you have observed in the first statement I have mentioned "Drugs of the Week". The other drug post would be made by me ( I donot want to leave this post empty if I donot get any response from you, I hope you all understand!!!). Your "Drug of the Week" should reach me by Thursday's of every week and the "Drugs of the Week" would be updated every Saturday.
2. The second interesting thing I have thought of is "BioTechnique of the Week". This post "for the start" would be posted by me and later you all preciuos readers will be given a chance. "Please donot loose Heart".
3. The third thing I am introducing is the"Interesting Post of the Week". You have a chance to vote. You can send me your entries to the following email address:dharani.burra@gmail.com by Friday evening.
THAT IS ALL I HAVE THOUGHT OF.IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THIS BLOG INTERESTING, PLEASE DO LEAVE A COMMENT. "AAPKA HUKUM SAR ANKHON PAR"
Now I am on a spree to make my blog most readable and Interesting.
For the "Starters", I have thought of 3 interesting things.
1. Starting off next week I will have a new section called the "Drugs of the Week". In this we will have something written about a Drug treating any condition. Something that must be there is the name of the Drug/Molecule , the disease it treats and ofcourse its molecular targets and mode of action.Many more things can be written "if possible". The interesting thing here is that you as a reader will get an opportunity to post your drug of the week. You can send me your "Drug of the Week" to the following email address: dharani.burra@gmail.com . The best and the most interesting one will be selected and posted on this blog with the senders name. If you have observed in the first statement I have mentioned "Drugs of the Week". The other drug post would be made by me ( I donot want to leave this post empty if I donot get any response from you, I hope you all understand!!!). Your "Drug of the Week" should reach me by Thursday's of every week and the "Drugs of the Week" would be updated every Saturday.
2. The second interesting thing I have thought of is "BioTechnique of the Week". This post "for the start" would be posted by me and later you all preciuos readers will be given a chance. "Please donot loose Heart".
3. The third thing I am introducing is the"Interesting Post of the Week". You have a chance to vote. You can send me your entries to the following email address:dharani.burra@gmail.com by Friday evening.
THAT IS ALL I HAVE THOUGHT OF.IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THIS BLOG INTERESTING, PLEASE DO LEAVE A COMMENT. "AAPKA HUKUM SAR ANKHON PAR"
Thanks
Interesting Cancer "Vaccine" soon!!!
Yes it is true.
This cancer "vaccine" is not unique because it targets Telomerase(An enzyme that maintains the length of telomeres in Cancer cells so that they divide continously) but it is unique because of the way it targets this enzyme.
This "vaccine" which works on basic Immunology Principles is being designed by Duke University Medical Centre and Geron has completed its phase 1 and 2 clinical trial on prostrate cancer patients. This is an ex vivo process where the patients dendritic cells(which act as Antigen Presenting cells) are isolated from the blood and pulsed with RNA of the Telomerase protein component (hTERT) and then injected back into the patients body which then instruct T cytotoxic cells to kill tumor cells that expressed telomerase.
I feel this is a very innovative cancer treatment.For more details go to the website: http://geron.com/
Now my question is wether this can be called a VACCINE.
From what I know a Vaccine is given in order to prevent a condition, not when a patient is already having that specific condition. But then if I am wrong then this will be the worlds first Vaccine which is killing Tumors rather than preventing them.
Tell me what do you think?
Waiting for your comments.
I have another question, but that will be after I find the answer for this one.
This cancer "vaccine" is not unique because it targets Telomerase(An enzyme that maintains the length of telomeres in Cancer cells so that they divide continously) but it is unique because of the way it targets this enzyme.
This "vaccine" which works on basic Immunology Principles is being designed by Duke University Medical Centre and Geron has completed its phase 1 and 2 clinical trial on prostrate cancer patients. This is an ex vivo process where the patients dendritic cells(which act as Antigen Presenting cells) are isolated from the blood and pulsed with RNA of the Telomerase protein component (hTERT) and then injected back into the patients body which then instruct T cytotoxic cells to kill tumor cells that expressed telomerase.
I feel this is a very innovative cancer treatment.For more details go to the website: http://geron.com/
Now my question is wether this can be called a VACCINE.
From what I know a Vaccine is given in order to prevent a condition, not when a patient is already having that specific condition. But then if I am wrong then this will be the worlds first Vaccine which is killing Tumors rather than preventing them.
Tell me what do you think?
Waiting for your comments.
I have another question, but that will be after I find the answer for this one.
PATIENCE IS THE KEY
Here is the timeline of Glivec:
As usual patience is the key here. If you see the timeline, you can observe the amount of time, money, hardwork that has gone into the making of this drug. 46 years is not a joke!!!
So according to me PATIENCE,PATIENCE AND PATIENCE IS THE KEY TO SUCESS FOR ALL THE ASPIRING FUTURE DRUG DEVELOPERS INCLUDING ME OFCOURSE!!!!
All the fuss about "Bechara" Glivec!!!
It happens only in India. Isnt it?
The fuss about Glivec is a hot topic at my-biopedia.
There was a petition given by the Association of Cancer Patients in India against the rights given by the Indian patent office to Novartis to have exclusive sales right of their drug Glivec(Imanitib) in India.
The reason for this petition was that Glivec's exclusive sales right to Novartis would disallow the sale of all the other cheaper generic drugs that are already existing. As a matter of fact a months dosage of Glivec would cost a minimum of Rs.1,20,000/patient whereas the generic drugs already being sold in the market come at a much cheaper price. This would prevent patients from having cheap cancer medication and this according to the Association is totally unfair. The petition is still in study. Till then let us wait and watch.
This is a common problem which arises in India everythime a drug enters Indian Pharma Market. Please tell what would you do if you were the judge hearing this case.
Looking forward for your comments
The fuss about Glivec is a hot topic at my-biopedia.
There was a petition given by the Association of Cancer Patients in India against the rights given by the Indian patent office to Novartis to have exclusive sales right of their drug Glivec(Imanitib) in India.
The reason for this petition was that Glivec's exclusive sales right to Novartis would disallow the sale of all the other cheaper generic drugs that are already existing. As a matter of fact a months dosage of Glivec would cost a minimum of Rs.1,20,000/patient whereas the generic drugs already being sold in the market come at a much cheaper price. This would prevent patients from having cheap cancer medication and this according to the Association is totally unfair. The petition is still in study. Till then let us wait and watch.
This is a common problem which arises in India everythime a drug enters Indian Pharma Market. Please tell what would you do if you were the judge hearing this case.
Looking forward for your comments
The birth and the existence of the drug Glivec
In other countries other than India, GLIVEC is a life saving drug for people who suffer with either Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) or Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GSTM). As usual there is this fuss about its sales in India, but I will come back to that later.
But let us see how was Glivec (Imanitib) born
Now when we talk about CML, scientists at University of Pennysylvania detected "Philadelphia Chromosomes" in almost 95% cases of CML, then it was at University of Chicago it was elucidated that this chromosome was a result of reciprocal translocation between chromosome No. 9 and 22. This is a fusion between ABL protoncogene on Chromosome No.9 and BCR(Break Point Cluster region) on chromosome No.22. Later scientists at Whitehead Institute showed that the the protein product of this fusion gene BCR-ABL was a 210 kd kinase phosphoprotein.This protein results in excess and uncontrolled production of White Blood Cells by either inhibiting apoptosis pathways or by increasing cytokine independent growth of cells. This is all mediated by ATP when ATP binds to its site on BCR-ABL kinase protein.
This is where scientists from Novartis came in and finally came out with this compund called Imanitib(Glivec) which binds at the BCR-ABL-ATP pocket preventing ATP's binding to BCR-ABL and so ensuring apoptosis.
Everything whatever I have written seems to be beautiful,short and sweet bed time story,but it isn't .The story of Glivec has not been so easy, its birth has gone through lot of twists and turns. Look down for the timeline of Glivec:
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