Author: Marco

Marco Korcak

Professor Vejdemo-Johansson

MHC 223

November 22, 2021

Neurodegeneration and cognitive decline tied to western diet

The human body is constantly changing and developing as time goes on along with the medical field. New discoveries are constantly being made and previously known habits are starting to be replaced by new ones. What animals and humans eat can greatly impact their life in numerous ways. Depending on the environment a person was raised in their eating habits differ from others as well as their diets. Diets considered normal in certain regions can be foreign to others and studying the impacts of diets has been an area of research for scientists. A recent study done by scientists published in the Cell Press journal iScience examined how the western diet of over-refined sugars and many calories can be tied to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. This research was mentioned in an article published by the New York Post and when examining the published article with the research paper, it is evident there are similarities along with discrepancies present.

The New York Post published an article titled “Western diet tied to cognitive decline, neurodegeneration: mouse study” which was written by Julia Musto. The article based its reporting off a research paper published by the scientific journal “iScience – Cell Press”. The article stated that the cognitive decline impacts are created through increased Na,K-ATPase signaling in adipocytes. Adipocytes are fat cells which are the major energy storage sites in the body and Na,K-ATPase is a cellular sodium-potassium pump. A mouse model was used where some mice were given normal diets and other given a western diet for 12 weeks. Results showed that the mice eating the western diet increased their body weight while also having low energy and oxygen levels along with increased insulin resistance. Behavioral changes were also noticed which is similar to the changes in humans with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Researchers also found that when the Na,K-ATPase signal was obstructed through the use of NaKtide in fat cells, the adverse effects were stopped, specifically in the hippocampus region of the brain. This was significant because the hippocampus is the region of the brain associated with emotional responses and is principally involved in storing long-term memories. All of this information allowed scientists to conclude that if this was observed in humans, Na,K-ATPase would serve as a clinical target in the therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. Overall, the article summarized the findings of the research article while briefly explaining the significance.

“Role of adipocyte Na,K-ATP oxidant amplification loop in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration” is a research article published by a team of researchers from Marshall University. The authors include Komal Sodhi, Rebecca Pratt, Xiaoliang Wang, Sandrine Pierre, Thomas Nelson and Joseph I. Shapiro. The article was published after undergoing extensive peer review and has received large media coverage since its publishing. The study aimed to demonstrate a central role of adipocytes, specifically through adipocyte NKAL, in neurodegeneration since previous studies established a causal relationship between adipose tissue and the brain. The abstract stated that a western diet may contribute to clinical neurodegeneration and dementia. This was concluded since the diet caused increases in circulating inflammatory cytokines as well as behavioral, and brain biochemical changes consistent with neurodegeneration. The systemic oxidant stress along with evidence of activation of Na,K-ATPase signaling both murine brain and peripheral tissues were produced by a western diet. This experiment was done on mice where some were fed a normal diet while others were fed a western diet and the changes they experienced were recorded. The method included examining indirect calorimetry and locomotor activity, glucose tolerance test, measurement of plasma cytokines and much more. All data collected was tested for normality and then subjected to parametric analysis and total RNA was extracted from tissues. In essence, augmented Na,K-ATPase signaling along with antagonism of the pathway in adipocytes ameliorates the pathophysiology suggests that the western diet produces cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

After reading the New York Post article and research article itself, it is evident that there are numerous similarities, but many discrepancies present as well. In terms of the general concept and results the article matched up with the research paper. The article published mentioned the findings but failed to mention the numerous procedures done in order to properly understand the findings and their overall significance. The article mentioned that mice were used and one group was given a regular diet while the other was given a western diet but how differences were measured was not mentioned. The article mentioned that the western diet led to mice gaining weight but did not go in depth about the other experiments and variables that were measured. For instance, at the end of the 12-week period the mice underwent metabolic cages for measurement of energy expenditure, oxygen consumption and locomotor activity. The mice were also fasted for 8 hours after the 12-week period in order to do a glucose tolerance test. Open field tests were also performed in order to assess exploratory behavior, anxiety, general activity level and gross locomotor activity. In addition to these tests, RNA extraction and real-time PCR was done. These were only a few of many tests done in order to properly understand the results that were overlooked by the article. Moreover, the article failed to emphasize why adipokines were examined in mice when conducting this study. Neurons express receptors for various adipokines which indicates that factors released from adipose tissue have the potential to communicate directly with the brain. Increased inflammatory conditions and metabolic changes associated with obesity can cause damage to the central nervous system which can lead to neurodegenerative disorders. The research paper explained the very complex study that was done, and the numerous variables associated with the experiment. The article did mention results of the research paper but undermined the complexity of the experiment and did not give enough emphasis to the experiments that contributed to the findings. In essence, there were similarities between the research article and the New York Post article, but the article did fail to mention very important aspects of the research process.

Works Cited

Musto, Julia. “Western Diet Tied to Cognitive Decline, Neurodegeneration: Mouse       Study.” New York Post, New York Post, 29 Oct. 2021,                       nypost.com/2021/10/29/western-diet-tied-to-cognitive-decline-neurodegeneration-mouse-study/.

Sodhi, Komal, et al. “Role of Adipocyte Na,K-ATPase Oxidant Amplification Loop      in Cognitive Decline and Neurodegeneration.” iScience, vol. 24, no. 11, Elsevier     Inc, 2021, p. 103262–, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.103262.

Marco Korcak

Professor Vejdemo-Johansson

MHC 223

September 27, 2021

 Signs of Dementia can be detected in blood

           The human brain is very complex and changes as a person gets older in age. Some individuals develop age-associated cognitive diseases while some age without pathological memory impairments and this issue has been an area of study. An article posted by the New York Post addresses the new research conducted by scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases which reveals warning signs that could indicate impending dementia in blood. This was based on the peer reviewed research paper published and is significant because with the current state of medical knowledge, symptoms of dementia become noticeable when the brain is already massively damaged. Although age associated pathological memory impairments have been a large problem, new research can lead to medical professional’s being able to treat these issues in its early stages.                                                                                                         The New York Post published an article titled “New research suggests signs of dementia can be detected in blood” which was written by Julia Musto. The article based its reporting off a research paper published by the scientific journal “EMBO Molecular Medicine”. The article stated that certain levels of microRNAs could be harbingers of dementia. This was mentioned because microRNAs are molecules that regulate and influence the production of proteins. After conducting research through the analysis of human data and mechanistic studies in model systems, scientists have identified a circulating 3-microRNA signature that reflects key processes associated with the ability of a cell to detect perturbation. The researchers looked at both young and healthy humans with already diagnosed patients in addition to animal and cellular disease models. The results of the research showed that in healthy individuals, levels of microRNAs correlated with mental fitness and individuals with a lower blood count performed better in cognition testing. Patients with mild cognitive impairment were found to have an increased blood level of the three microRNAs and 90 percent developed Alzheimer’s disease within two years. Overall, the article summarized the findings of the research article while briefly explaining the significance.                                                               “A microRNA signature that correlates with cognition and is a target against cognitive decline” is a research article published by a team of researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. The authors include Rezaul Islam, Lalit Kaurani, Tea Berulava and many more. The article was published on October 11, 2021, after undergoing extensive peer review and has received large media coverage since its publishing. The abstract of the article states that the goal of the research was to find an inexpensive and minimal invasive approach that could be used for screening to identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline. The researchers used an integrative approach that combined the analysis of human data and mechanistic studies in model systems to identify a circulating 3-microRNA signature that reflects key processes linked to neural homeostasis and inform about cognitive status. The scientists identified that expression changes in this signature represent multiple mechanisms deregulated in aging and diseased brain. The researchers aimed at identifying a molecular marker that correlates with subtle differences in the cognitive status in healthy individuals since molecular changes often occur years before clinical symptoms manifest and the diagnosis is made. In essence, the results from this experiment prove to be very crucial and informative which can lead to further studies and experiments being done.                                                                                                                                                                  After reading the New York Post article and research article itself, it is evident that there are numerous similarities, but many discrepancies present as well. In terms of the general concept and results the article matched up with the research paper. The article published mentioned the findings but failed to accurately convey the process that was done in order to get the results. The article stated that MicroRNAs were examined but did not explain why. The researchers examined microRNAs and their signatures because the molecular markers show subtle differences well before clinical symptoms manifest and the diagnosis is made which can allow people to get treated earlier. When people get diagnosed, the brain is massively damaged and it is usually too late to have effective treatment so if it can be detected earlier, the chances of positively influencing the course of the disease increases. Moreover, the article mentioned the use of mice in the experiment but not the reasoning for this experiment. Mice were used to study the brain and blood, so the relevant model system was employed. Age-associated memory decline is a well-established and highly reproducible phenotype observed in laboratory rodents and in humans and affects similar brain regions. Additionally, circulating microRNAs common in mice and humans are comparable in expression and can reliably measure circulating microRNAs in living mice. The article published by the New York Post did not fully explain the significance of the experiments that were done or the reasoning behind them. In essence, there were similarities between the research article and the New York Post article, but the article did fail to mention very important aspects of the research process.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Islam, M. R., Kaurani, L., Berulava, T., Heilbronner, U., Budde, M., Centeno, T. P., Elerdashvili, V., Zafieriou, M.-P., Benito, E., Sertel, S. M., Goldberg, M., Senner, F., Kalman, J. L., Burkhardt, S., Oepen, A. S., Sakib, M. S., Kerimolgu, C., Wirths, O., Bickeböller, H., … Fischer, A. (2021, October 11). A microrna signature that correlates with cognition and is a target against cognitive decline. EMBO Molecular Medicine. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/emmm.202013659.

Musto, J. (2021, October 14). New research suggests signs of dementia can be detected in blood. New York Post. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://nypost.com/2021/10/14/new-research-suggests-signs-of-dementia-can-be-detected-in-blood/.

Marco Korcak

Professor Vejdemo-Johansson

MHC 223

October 18, 2021

Identifying Human Infecting Viruses

            Health is an important aspect of life that is constantly being observed and advanced as time goes on. The medical field relating to the human body is constantly changing and evolving with new information being discovered and published. With the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus, many people globally have been impacted, showing the world that dangers such as viral infections cannot be overlooked. Although the pandemic had numerous negative impacts on the world and its economies, it also resulted in new research being conducted and findings published.                                                                                                                                                                   The New York Post published an article titled “AI used to predict which animal viruses are likely to infect humans: study” which was written by Julia Musto. The article referred to the peer reviewed research article titled “Identifying and prioritizing potential human-infecting viruses from their genome sequences”. This article was published by a group of researchers based in Glasgow, Scotland. The article stated that the researchers developed machine learning models to single out candidate zoonotic viruses. A zoonosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans. The article stated that a dataset of 861 viral species was used to collect a single representative genome sequence from the hundreds of RNA and DNA virus species. The article reported that the findings from the research article was that 72% of the viruses that predominantly or exclusively infect humans were correctly identified. The article also stated that the research separated results by differing levels of zoonotic potential. 77.2% of the viruses were predicted to have a very high zoonotic potential. When examining a second set of data that was comprised of 645 animal-associated viruses data showed that “results are consistent with the expectation that the relatively close phylogenetic proximity of nonhuman primates may facilitate virus sharing with humans” (Mollentze, 11). Overall, this article summarized the study done and explained that this information will evolve as time passes and more viruses are characterized.

            “Identifying and prioritizing potential human-infecting viruses from their genome sequences” is a research article published by a team of researchers based in Glasgow, Scotland. The authors included Nardus Mollentze, Simon A. Babayan, Daniel G. Streicker and many more. The research article was published on September 28, 2021, after numerous peer reviews and has received media coverage from 53 news outlets and 2 blogs. The abstract of the research states that the goal was to determine which animal viruses may be capable of infecting humans to allow for outbreak preparedness and early investigation. The researchers developed a machine learning model to that can identify candidate zoonoses solely using signatures of host range encoded in viral genomes since there is an increasing use of genomics in virus discovery. The researchers collected a single representative genome sequence from 861 RNA and DNA virus species spanning 36 viral families. This was then used with three published datasets that reported human infectivity at the virus species level. Using a dataset of 861 viral species, the machine learning model outperformed other models based on the phylogenetic relatedness of viruses and the researchers also identified a new high-risk coronavirus strain. On a second set of data with 645 animal associated viruses the machine learning model was able to identify 272 high and 41 very-high risk candidate zoonoses. There were two additional cases studies done during this research to illustrate the utility of the prediction framework. In essence, this machine learning model was significant because it provides a rapid, low-cost approach to enable evidence-driven virus observation.

             After reading the New York Post article and research article itself, it is evident that there are numerous similarities, but many discrepancies present as well. In terms of statistics and data, the article matches up with the research paper and overall research. The article stated some of the results of the research paper but failed to explain the process taken to get to the results as well as other significant findings. In order to properly get results the researchers needed to account for the fact that viruses change over time and adapt. The research article greatly emphasized the process that was taken in order to account for this change which was done by reconstructing taxonomy more accurately. This was done because genome composition features only partly tracked evolutionary history so much more detail was needed than available. Once this was done the researchers also carried out two case studies to illustrate the utility of the prediction framework. This was done by using 758 virus species that were not present in the training data and they also used a beta regression model to explore how predictions of zoonotic potential varied among host and viral groups. This process was very significant in the research and should have been emphasized in the article published by the New York Post but it was not. The post also failed to mention other valuable statistics and processes such as the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) algorithm. This computed the Shapley value for each feature and is increasingly used to improve the interpretability for the decisions made by the machine learning models. This was also very influential to the research article and was not mentioned in the New York Post article. In essence, there were similarities between the research article and the New York Post article, but the article did fail to mention very important aspects of the research process.

 

 

Works Cited

Mollentze, Nardus, et al. “Identifying and Prioritizing Potential Human-Infecting Viruses from                         Their Genome Sequences.” PLoS Biology, vol. 19, no. 9, Sept. 2021, pp. 1–25.                                      EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001390.

News, F. (2021, October 4). AI used to predict which animal viruses are likely to infect humans:             Study. New York Post. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://nypost.com/2021/10                         /04/ai-used-to-predict-which-animal-viruses-are-likely-to-infect-humans-study/.

The source review is linked here: Marco_Korcak Source #1