enBloom Goes to the Carnival

After spending last week focusing on cancer awareness among minorities, I decided to submit one of those articles to the Cancer Research Blog Carnival. It was accepted. (Yeeeesssss!) It’s been five quiet months of blogging and now I just might be starting to make a friend or two out there. Each month Cancer Research presents what’s new and now from cancer biology, cancer genetics, cancer therapeutics to cancer diagnostics and patient care. Head on over to Highlight HEALTH and check out the 21st edition of this blog carnival which is the standard for all things cancer. Be sure to read all the articles, the Health Advocate is in such excellent company.

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On the Subject of Science, Mr. Obama Gets It

“We will not just meet, but we will exceed the level achieved at the height of the space race, through policies that invest in basic and applied research, create new incentives for private innovation, promote breakthroughs in energy and medicine, and improve education in math and science,” he said. “This represents the largest commitment to scientific research and innovation in American history.” These were the words of the President in a speech delivered at the National Academy of Sciences earlier this week. He went on to state that the US should increase both government and private investment in scientific research. I have discussed this administration’s committment to sciene and science education. I’d like to include a presentation, I made a few years ago on the crisis in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and the importance of a robust science sector to a strong economy.

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Cancer Risk, Ethnicity & Race: Is It All in the Genes

Two recently published cancer studies reveal differences in the severity of cancer (specifically breast and colorectal) between black Americans and other racial or ethnic populations are based in genetic variations. I think we should pause a moment and recognize that today is National Day, an observance popular in K-12 education to recognize the day that the research scientists at NIH completed sequencing of the human genome. The knowledge gained from that tremendous endeavor has informed the physicians and scientists is countless labs since and the current findings in the disparities between the burden of illness suffered by blacks with breast or colorectal cancer tumors is no different.

Dr. Carol Rosenberg and her colleges at Boston University School of Medicine have discovered that cancer tumors lacking genetic expression for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and HER-2 (human epidermal growth factor), so called “triple-negative” tumors were more common among black women. Specifically, their study of 415 women (36% non-Hispanic white, 43% black, 10% Hispanic, and 10% other) revealed that black women have a three times greater risk of having triple-negative breast cancer tumors as compared to non-Hispanic whites. Triple-negative phenotype tumors (which make up 15% of all invasive breast cancers) have been associated with poor prognosis and low 5-year survival rates. The implications are significant to understanding the prevalence of an increased burden of illness and death suffered by black women developing breast cancer.

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15 Research Areas to Transform Health Care for the 21st Century

ARRA and You (Part IVb): Challenge Grant Research Priorities. Currently, science administrators at NIH are allocating grant funds favoring proposals that have a high impact in biomedical or behavioral science and/or public health. Invariably, the 15 areas of priority that NIH has identified will influence the heath sector for years, so I present and discuss them around the nature of this influence.

1. I’ll address Behavior, Behavioral Change and Prevention research first not only because it doesn’t fit neatly into the categories 1. that follow but also because prevention is the beginning of health care. The question: Which has the greatest impact on health and disease? Nature or nurture? Is an argument that may be as old as time, itself. (Okay, I exaggerate, but only a little). As scientist have forged ahead making great strides in their understanding of nature through the sequencing of the entire human genome and the burgeoning discipline of genomics which has sprung forth as a result. They continue to struggle to elucidate the factors that influence behavior. Since the main diseases that plague us today (think heart disease, diabetes and cancer) are exacerbated by our behavior, this path of inquiry is truly worthy. The aim of this research is to better understand the factors that influence behavior as well as the methods that have the most robust impact, changing behaviors to those that promote health and prevent disease. To date, prevention is still the most efficient and cost-effective option for alleviating the burden of suffering and disability brought on by disease. 1. We turn our attention to the highly debated Stem Cells. These are # simple, unspecialized cells in the embryo or adult which have the potential to become any specialized cell in a living organism under the chemical influence of specific compounds and hormones. The aim of this research is to better understand the abnormal structure or function that causes disease. Cells with normal structure and function can be generated to replace diseased cells, through the process of culturing or growing them in the laboratory.
# The area of Genomics aims to examine the entire DNA sequence (the instruction book, if you will, of all life processes) from the number of genes in a living organism to the function of specific genes. The goal is to see how they interact with one another and influence the biological processes of the body as a whole. Ultimately, genomics examines this genetic information to determine biological markers predisposing an individual to disease.

Prevention through biomedical interventions has progressed well through the first decade. In fact, these next six research disciplines operate in concert. I believe the application of these cutting-edge 21st century technologies will transform the way we diagnose and treat disease to a more personal and molecular level.

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Humpday Humor

This is another featured satire where I don’t necessarily agree with the politics but the image certainly made me laugh (out loud). You can find my opinion regarding a Brave New World in Friday’s post. Once you’ve read that let me know what you think. Will the biomedical science and technology of today bring us a bright future or a dark, brave new world?

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Three Ways the Recovery Act Will Influence Your Health Care Future

ARRA and You (Part IVa): Challenge Grant Research Priorities. The impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on the health sector is so broad ultimately, it will touch all our lives. From COBRA insurance premium assistance and funding to the states for Medicaid and SCHIP to improved funding for research in the health and biomedical sectors, there appears to be no area left unaffected by the comprehensive legislation. As part of the Recovery Act, NIH has designated no less than $200 million, in the upcoming fiscal year, to fund research in areas that “address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research.” Science administrators hope to take advantage of opportunities to fill gaps in knowledge, develop new technologies, refine research methods and generate data. These areas of priority to which challenge grant funds will be awarded will influence this sector for years to come in the following three ways.

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National Cancer Control Month

Featured Health Observance. April is Cancer Control Month. Since 1938, this annual proclamation has given Americans an opportunity to focus on advances against cancer, as well as, rededicate themselves to fighting the disease both through pioneering research and prevention. President Obama observed:

“As researchers work daily to better understand this disease, Americans can take steps to decrease their risk of developing cancer. Individuals of all ages should seek regular and appropriate check-ups.

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Humpday Humor

by Gary Markstein, originally uploaded by the Health Advocate.
Here’s your latest dose of laughs. While this piece by Markstein made me laugh, I really don’t agree with the politics behind it. Those of you who read Monday’s post will understand since that post was a response to this cartoon. After you’ve enjoyed [...]

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Economic Recovery, Science, and Earning a living

ARRA and You (Part II): Employment, Economic Recovery and the Research Sector. There are critics of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 who make light of the idea that one part of the American economy that the Act is stimulating is the science and research sector. Denying the significant contribution of this sector to the economy is simply a refusal to face facts. This is an observation also made in an previous post. There is serious labor economics at work here. The National Science Foundation’s biennial report Science and Engineering Indicators, 2006 (the most current available) concluded,

“Although workers with science and engineering skills still make up only a fraction of the total U.S. civilian labor force, their effect on society belies their numbers. These workers contribute enormously to technological innovation and economic growth, research, and increased knowledge. Workers with S&E skills include technicians and technologists, researchers, educators, and managers. In addition, many others with S&E training use their skills in a variety of nominally non-S&E occupations (such as writers, salesmen, financial managers, and legal consultants), and many niches in the labor market require them to interpret and use S&E knowledge.”

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Humpday Humor

Tell me me what you think. Was the previous administration antagonistic towards the science, research and development sectors of the American economy?

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