Wesleyan Blog
Copper serves as a signaling and regulatory molecule as well as a cofactor of important enzymes in the brain, and is thus required for proper brain development and functioning. Irregularities in copper metabolism can lead to several disorders, including Menkes disease and Wilson’s disease. Menkes disease is the result of genetic mutations altering ATP7A, a … Read more
Wilson’s Disease (WD) is a liver disease caused by mutations in a protein responsible for copper excretion. That protein, ATPase7B (ATP7B), is a pump that helps move copper in liver cells, and mutations in it cause it to lose its ability to function. The impaired excretion of copper from the liver leads to the accumulation … Read more
Chromium allergy is a type of allergic contact dermatitis characterized by rashes, inflammation, and scaling. Our innate immune response drives this inflammatory reaction when the surface of our skin comes in contact with chromium (hence, the term, “allergic contact dermatitis.”) The primary cause of chromium allergy is constant exposure to chromium-containing chemicals or compounds. The … Read more
The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major challenge in the clinical setting. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging gram-negative bacterium that produces Metallo-b-lactamase (MBL) L1. Metallo-beta-Lactamases (MBLs) is a class B β-lactamases that hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics. The β-lactam antibiotics, which include antibiotics such as penicillin, inhibit bacterial transpeptidases involved in cell-wall biosynthesis. Bacteria produce MBLs … Read more
In general, mitochondrial myopathies are neuromuscular disorders caused by dysfunctional mitochondria. When mitochondria function incorrectly, ATP is not produced, and the cell suffers. With enough cells suffering, an organism can have widespread problems, resulting in systemic failures. Unfortunately, mitochondrial diseases are very promiscuous, and individual mutations in many different proteins can cause each classified disease. … Read more
The plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Infected rats carry the disease and pass it to fleas, the disease vector. The bacteria grow in the fleas’ abdomen and are passed to humans through a flea bite. There are three types of the plague; bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic. The bubonic plague has an early … Read more
Hard metal lung disease (HMLD) is a rare illness caused by chronic exposure to cobalt and tungsten carbide. HMLD is most commonly developed by people who work in industries that use heavy metal tools that are ground down, heated, or both, releasing heavy metal particles into the air which can be inhaled. Cobalt is a … Read more
Manganism is a disease that arises as a direct result of long term exposure to high levels of Manganese. It is characterized by deposition of Manganese in the brain, and results in mitochondrial dysfunction. The most common treatment is removal from the area with high Manganese exposure, but this doesn’t work for everyone. Luckily, it’s … Read more
Of the metals we have been learning about in this course, Iron (Fe) is one of the most important metals that we all utilize in our everyday biological functions and our bodies need to keep a good balance in order for our bodies to function correctly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), iron deficiency … Read more
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are the second most common birth defect worldwide and can occur do to environmental factors like micronutrition. Deficiencies in folic acid concentrations have been heavily associated with human NTDs due to neurulation’s dependency on the methionine cycle and folate cycle. Neurulation is the formation of the nervous system from the ectoderm … Read more
