Cell Cycle Research 2015

Cell Cycle Research

Nina Johnson and Leighton McAlpin

Cancer:

1. uncontrolled growth of cells, invasive, forms tumors
2. occurs in the cell cycle (Phase G1) when a cell goes unidentified and continues to produce uncontrollably. The uncontrollable production then forms a tumor when the cells build up. This occurs when Tumor Suppressor cells have a mutation of some sort and cannot stop the production of this cell. They divide in the GO phase but cannot sense when they are being overcrowded, and do not stop reproducing when there has been DNA damage.
3. There is no cure, but there are treatments. Cannabis (marijuana) is one of the newest treatments to relieve cancer symptoms and pain. It is currently being debated upon in State level legislature.

Spinal Cord Injuries

1. Damage to the spinal tissue, typically during activities or sports related injuries. Cuts off nerve signals to the brain or from the brain.
2. Days following the injury, cells may undergo apoptosis, this is due to the activation of mitotic cells. There are delays to cell division between G1 to S and G2 to M. This happens at these checkpoints because the body does not want to reproduce a damaged cell.
3. Therapeutic Hypothermia- form of neuroprotection aimed to protect cells from stroke, cardiac arrest, and reduce brain injury by decreasing the swelling of an SCI. It is being studied on animals and few Human studies.

Apoptosis

1. Apoptosis is processed cell death. This process is predictable and controlled. These cells commit suicide in response to the body.
2. When a cell is triggered by the body, the cell shrinks and activates proteins called caspases. These caspases break down parts of the cell that are necessary to life and begin the production of DNases that destroy the DNA. The cell continues to shrink and then sends out distress signals to macrophages which remove any pieces of the remaining cell.
3. How does apoptosis relate to ALS? Scientists are currently researching how the shutting down of cells through apoptosis and similar processes may relate to the shutting down of the body and its processes.

Stem Cells

1. Multicellular organisms have undifferentiated cells that have the potential to reproduce indefinitely.  The reproduction can be of the same type of cell, but sometimes new cells can be produced and reproduced through cell differentiation.
2. In the case of the mammalian embryonic stem cell, Murine, a unique cell cycle occurs.  Typically it can be distinguished as having a short G1 phase followed by a considerably long S phase.  But in the case of embryonic cell differentiation the cell cycle is manipulated and changed to have a longer G1 phase and eventually begins to process as a normal mammalian cell.
3. Currently, research is being done with stem cells regarding replication of human tissue via 3D printing.  This process begins with neural cells that are differentiated to create new tissue, possibly resulting in organ creation.  After extensive research, someday scientists hope to use these organs to help treat patients and potentially cure diseases.

Aging/Longevity

1. The process of getting older, and aging.  As time goes on, organisms lose elasticity, strength, and overall body control.  This is a natural process in living organisms and eventually results in death.
2. Telomeres play a large role in the aging of a cell. Telomeres are the enclosing exterior that contains the DNA of a cell. When cell division occurs, these structures shrink. When the structure becomes too small, it is not able to reproduce. When a cell is no longer able to reproduce, it will eventually die.
3. As of now scientists are trying to solve the problem of shortened telomeres.  But in the mean time, humans are attempting to perfect the art of living healthier lives, therefore naturally increasing the longevity of their cells.