Tag: inflammation

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Sensitization: Why everything might hurt when it looks like nothing is wrong

by Beatrice Awasthifigures by Allie Elchert Millions of Americans struggle with chronic pain. While the pain sometimes has a clear source—for instance, an arthritic joint or a damaged tendon—oftentimes, people feel pain without any obvious signs of damage at all. This can be extremely distressing, as such patients may deal with stigmatization or invalidation of their pain by others who suggest that the pain is … Continue reading Sensitization: Why everything might hurt when it looks like nothing is wrong

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When Cells Die a Fiery Death: Pyroptosis as a cell’s response to damage and infection

by Haim Mooregraphics by MacKenzie Mauger When you get sick or injured, you will usually notice redness, heat, swelling, and pain. These symptoms are, interestingly, not the result of the pathogen or damage themselves, but rather of the reaction of your own immune system to them. These are typical manifestations of inflammation, the coordinated rush of many different immune cells to the site of injury … Continue reading When Cells Die a Fiery Death: Pyroptosis as a cell’s response to damage and infection

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How Proper Dieting Can Restrict the Clock of Aging

by Aditya Misra and Shreya Mathurfigures by Wei Wu and Jovana Andrejevic 117 million U.S. adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases related to diet, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. In an effort to prevent this outcome for themselves, an estimated 45 million Americans try to be healthier by taking up a diet and spending upwards of a … Continue reading How Proper Dieting Can Restrict the Clock of Aging

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CHIP-ping Away at the Heart

by Sangrag Ganguli and Uche C. Ezeh figures by Rebecca Clements Every year, thousands of people are rushed into hospitals with crushing chest pain and shortness of breath. While some recognize these signs of a heart attack in time to receive proper treatment, over half a million others are not so fortunate. To combat these fatalities, doctors often warn patients about the common risk factors of … Continue reading CHIP-ping Away at the Heart

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Liverwort as an alternative to medical cannabis

Cannabinoids are a family of chemical compounds that bind to cannabinoid receptors found on various cell types in the body, and alter the release of neurotransmitters. Endocannabinoids are produced naturally in our bodies (e.g. anandamide is associated with the euphoria of a “runner’s high”). On the other hand, phytocannabinoids are found in plants – of course, the most well-known phytocannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and is responsible … Continue reading Liverwort as an alternative to medical cannabis

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Regeneration: What the axolotl can teach us about regrowing human limbs

by Garrett Dunlap figures by Rebecca Senft Limb loss affects nearly 2 million people in the United States alone. While many instances are related to traumatic events like car accidents, the majority of limb loss cases are caused by diseases that affect the body’s blood vessels. One such disease is diabetes, in which gradual declines in blood flow to a patient’s lower extremities can eventually … Continue reading Regeneration: What the axolotl can teach us about regrowing human limbs

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