Consistency of in vitro drug sensitivities within pharmacological classes

Multiple comparative analyses between the common drugs and cell lines of the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) and the Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal (CTRP) have previously shown low consistency between the in vitro phenotypic measures of a drug in one study with the other. While several potential sources of inconsistency have been tested, the similar targets of tested compounds has yet to be tested as a contributing factor of discrepancy. This analysis includes two methods of reclassifying drugs into classes based on their targets to identify the truer set of consistent cell lines, showing an increased correlation between the two pharmacogenomic studies.

Role of Antioxidant Vitamins in Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is vital in the preservation of cognition. Previous studies have reported antioxidant vitamins as a key regulatory factor in neurogenesis. However, current research investigating their role is inconclusive due to the limited number of studies that have been conducted and conflicting results. This review evaluates the scientific evidence behind the potential roles of antioxidant vitamins in neurogenesis. Observations concerned with the mechanistic and functional aspects of how antioxidant vitamins modulate neurogenesis are both assessed. Vitamin A is evidently involved in cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation; vitamin C reportedly promotes neural differentiation and maturation while inhibiting neurite outgrowth; vitamin E is identified to inhibit cell proliferation while improving cell viability. Varying antioxidant vitamin concentrations have been implicated in facilitating cognition in terms of attention, memory, language, and executive function. Moreover, this review suggests a threshold antioxidant vitamin concentration that should be maintained to promote optimal levels of adult neurogenesis.

COVID-19: A Viral Phenomenon - The Insider Report

On January 9th, 2021, the Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology Students Union (LMPSU) hosted their annual scientific conference online, focusing on the theme: “COVID-19: A viral phenomena”. The department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology (LMP) at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto is home to world-class research in the area of pathobiology, from cancer to immunopathology to neuropathology. The conference began with opening remarks from LMPSU executives Karen Mao and Ziqi Liu, followed by Dr. Rita Kandel, the chair of the department of LMP. The topic of COVID-19 research was timely, to say the least! Invited speakers were asked to share their research and knowledge about various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic from basic virology to treatment options, and epidemiology. The keynote speakers were Dr. Samira Mubareka and Dr. Robert Kozak; notably members of the team that was among the first to isolate the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Mice, Models, Microbiota: How Can We More Accurately Reflect Human Disease?

With growing evidence that human disease is affected by the microbiota, many researchers have sought to modulate the microbiomes of mice to improve translational research. Altering their microbiomes, which are usually germ-free or specific pathogen-free, might allow mice to more accurately model human disease and hence produce more applicable findings. However, this has been difficult to apply to individual projects due to the disparity of explained methods and results. In this review, we first describe the immunological functions of the gut microbiota and the methods of altering mice microbiota, from transplantation route to age of transplantation to microbiota source. We then present an approach for how the gut microbiota might be considered when modelling human disease in mice. By organizing findings by type of disease - neurological, immunological, chronic inflammatory, and cancer - we propose that mouse models can be improved by considering the source of the microbiota, the presence or absence of certain microbial phyla, and by timing the transplantation during a physiologically relevant stage of development, such as the first five weeks of life.

The Effects of Commercial Freezing on Vitamin Concentrations in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Commercial food processing has had a significant impact on reducing food spoilage and increasing accessibility to nutrient-dense vegetables. The commercial freezing process, in particular, has given producers the ability to store vegetables with minimized risk of microbial and enzymatic spoilage. Despite the effectiveness of freezing as a preservation method, there is evidence that pre-freezing procedures and prolonged storage can reduce the concentration of vitamins present within certain vegetables. Spinach, one of the most widely produced and consumed vegetables, is particularly susceptible to nutrient loss during the commercial freezing process due to its large surface area and high mineral content. This review summarizes the known effects of the freezing process on hydrophilic and lipophilic vitamins including vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol. There are two key mechanisms that lead to decreased vitamin concentrations, with the first being attributed to pre-freezing processes including washing and blanching which favours the leaching of hydrophilic vitamins. The second mechanism of vitamin loss is attributed to residual enzymatic activity during storage, where the degree of residual activity can be partially attributed to differences in blanching protocols and freezing practices. Understanding the mechanisms and extent of vitamin loss that the commercial freezing process imparts on leafy green vegetables can help inform future research on improved food processing methods that minimize nutrient loss. Implementing procedures that maintain nutrient retention in frozen vegetables has the potential to assist individuals in achieving their recommended daily intakes of micronutrients.

A New Dimension of Health Care: The Benefits, Limitations and Implications of Virtual Medicine

Background: Virtual medicine has been rapidly evolving over the past several decades. However, obstacles such as data security, inadequate funding and limited technological resources have hindered its seamless incorporation into the health care system. The recent pandemic has induced a widespread adoption of virtual care practices to remove the need for physical meetings between patients and health care practitioners. Purpose: This literature review aims to examine the current state of virtual medicine amid the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate the benefits, limitations and implications of continuing technological advancements in the future. Findings: Most of the available literature suggests that the recent adoption of virtual medicine has allowed practitioners to cut down on costs and secondary expenses while maintaining the quality of medical care services. Due to the growing consumer demand, researchers predict that virtual medicine may be a viable modality for patient care post-pandemic. However, concerns surrounding patient security and digital infrastructure threaten the ability of virtual medicine to provide quality and effective health care. Additionally, rural virtual medicine programs face challenges in expanding services due to the scarcity of information and communication technology specialists and inadequate funding. Comprehensive legislation and governance standards must be implemented to ensure proper data security and privacy. Additional funds may also be required to train staff, reform current digital software and improve the quality of service. The proliferation of advanced technologies and improvements in current platforms will enable more providers to render virtual medical care services.

Inconsistent trends regarding the association between ABO blood groups and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infections

ABO antigens, produced from the ABO gene, are known to impact host interactions with various viruses. One characteristic is the host’s susceptibility to viral infections. Host interaction with viral particles is altered by the blood type-determined combination of ABO antigens on the cellular surface. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel strain of the coronavirus family known to have structural similarities with SARS-CoV. Considering ABO antigens’ association with SARS-CoV, studies have examined their relationship with SARS-CoV-2 as well. We reviewed current perspectives on the relationship between host susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infections and ABO antigens by examining cohort studies observing proportional differences between patients of varying blood types. While many studies indicated a higher risk of type A patients and a lower risk for type O patients, trends tended to vary per population. Consequently, we investigated the differences in study design between cohort studies that produced the variation in trends. Additionally, we examined genome-wide association studies that indicate a genetic association between the variables. We present the need for a standardized calculation method determining the significance of each blood group in its relationship with SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility per cohort.

Integrating Cultural Expression with Universal Emotions: How Cultural Differences in Expression Do Not Refute the Universal Hypothesis

The universal hypothesis of emotions argues that due to the functionality that emotions and their behavioural components provide, they show similar patterns across all cultures. Though there is substantive evidence supporting this theory, there are several cases were emotional expression does differ between cultures. This paper argues that such differences in expression are not necessarily evidence against the universal hypothesis as they are not due to innate biological differences in the emotional experience. Instead, differences in expression are the result of culture-specific learning and act to modify the expression of emotion to meet social norms. Since differences in expression are not innate, individuals are capable of experiencing emotions in an evolutionary adaptive way, regardless of culture. This has implications for better understanding individuals across cultures and why some individuals may act differently than others, despite having a similar emotional experience.

Recapping The Latest Vaccine Developments

Since the first case was identified in Wuhan, China in November 2019, there have been 84.5 million cases of COVID-19 and 1.8 million deaths from this virus globally as of January 5, 20211. To combat this virus’ spread, various strategies have been employed, such as mask mandates, social distancing, increased COVID-19 testing, and contact tracing. Since December 2020, another strategy has been made available: vaccines. This is because three vaccines that showed promising Phase 3 results are currently in use to help curb COVID-19.