Rituxan is an FDA approved drug that belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies. According to MedNet, monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies that are produced from cloned immune cells. The antibodies are produced in mice where human genes have been introduced into so that they can produce the desired antibody after being exposed to the specific antigen. Rituxan utilizes these monoclonal antibodies to treat rheumatoid arthritis and B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It functions by reducing the number of B cells when treating rheumatoid arthritis and reducing tumor growth when treating B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

For treating rheumatoid arthritis, Rituxan is used when other medications are no longer effective and it works by reducing the production of B cells which are responsible for causing inflammation in the body. When treating B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Rituxan binds to a receptor called CD20, which is present on the majority of tumor cells. By binding to CD20 it affects the production of more tumor cells and is thought to lyse the tumor cells in some instances. Despite the benefits of this drug, there is a long list of side affects that are present in many people who take it. These side affects include:

• infusion-related reactions
• infections (may include fever, chills)
• body aches
• tiredness
• nausea
• low white and red blood cells
• swelling
• diarrhea
• muscle spasms
• upper respiratory tract infections
• more joint pain
• kidney and heart problems
• tumor lysis syndrome

Tumor lysis syndrome occurs in a few patients out of 10000 and it is where tumor cells are lysed too quickly where the body cannot eliminate them fast enough leading to kidney damage. Having an underlying heart disease or serious infection can also make it dangerous to take this drug because Rituxan suppresses the immune system to a certain extent leading to irregularities in heart rhythm and being more prone to infection. Since B cells are significantly reduced by this drug, antibody production is limited, therefore making the patient more prone to infections. These severe problems rarely happen but can be life threatening if they are present. Overall, I think the synthetic production of antibodies is an opening to a world of new treatments.

As of today, the 2019 coronavirus is rampaging throughout the United States and the rest of the world. There are currently over 1.7 million cases worldwide with 500,000 of them being in the United States. A large factor to the high spread of this disease is the lack of testing but a new test involving antibodies is on the way to help ease this problem. The CDC is currently working on a test to look for the presence of antibodies that would be present if an individual was exposed to COVID-19. This test along with the RNA test will help determine how much of the world population is infected or was infected at some point.

The Nature states that the specific IgM and IgG antibodies that respond to COVID-19 were used as a basis for developing this test. The initial antibody response begins with solely IgM due to B cells still being activated and have not undergone class switching to produce IgG. Therefore, those with just IgM are at the beginning stages of the infection and have only just begun to fight it off. After millions of B cells have become plasma cells or memory cells and have class switched, IgG will begin to be produced to provide a strong immune response to the infection. Those with both IgM and IgG antibodies are actively fighting off the virus and if no symptoms are present, they are asymptomatic.

On the other hand, if the antibody test detects only IgG is present, that means the patient has recovered from the infection. However, this could also mean that this person may have spread the virus unknowingly if they were asymptomatic. Therefore, it is very important that these antibody response tests become more available to prevent further spread because it can detect those who have already recovered but could have spread it further. Overall, I believe having widespread testing to determine asymptomatic carriers is key to ending this pandemic. If we want to go back to our normal lives, this antibody test will be very important for letting this happen.

An interesting field of studying is the use of T cells and dendritic cells in fighting cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, T cells are taken from a patient’s blood and then are modified in the laboratory. A special receptor is added to the patient’s T cells that will recognize and bind to proteins on the specific cancer cells in their body and attack them. The name of this receptor is chimeric antigen receptor and a large number of CAR T cells are grown as a possible therapy for certain types of cancer. This is still an ongoing study and has much more progress to go.

As or right now, the FDA has only approved of two CAR T cell therapies, and both are for blood cancers. The two blood cancers are Tisagenlecleucel and Axicabtagene ciloleucel. The development of CAR T cell therapy was originally for metastatic melanoma because they cause a strong immune response. Promising results were shown with therapy on melanoma patients as well as those with cervical cancers. New studies are focusing on using the therapy on solid tumors such as breast cancer and brain cancers, but this has yet to be approved by the FDA for regular use.

Despite the promising results shown so far, there are still side effects to this treatment. The side effects largely depend on the health of the patient, their type of cancer, and how far the cancer has progressed. A serious side effect of this treatment is cytokine release syndrome, which causes a large release of cytokines into the blood resulting in side effects such as fever, irregular heartbeat, nausea, trouble breathing, and more. Overall, I think this is a great step towards fighting cancer and I look forward to seeing greater advancements in the future. As a person who has had a relative with cancer, I hope this will become a breakthrough in treatment.

My whole lifestyle has changed ever since COVID-19 as swept the world. Only a few weeks ago I was a normal college student enjoying his youth, but now I am stuck at home with the last few months of my sophomore year cancelled. My life has gone from being able to enjoy the outdoors and hanging out with my college buddies to being stuck at home with no social interaction. Luckily I am able to still talk with my friends through texting and video call, which is helping with my sanity. Despite all the strict social distancing measures placed in by the government, I am still grateful they are taking this virus seriously instead of allowing it to become a bigger problem.

This week, online classes started for us UNC students and it has been an interesting experience so far. Being alone in my room listening to my professor is very odd and different from the usual interactive classroom I am used to. However, I have tried to bring some norm to my day by taking a shower and getting ready before class like I would on campus instead of just waking up right before class. However, I do admit being at home has provided me with a lot more time to study and do work because I don’t have to worry about walking back and forth from class to my dorm. The downside is that I have no social interacting during this time of isolation.

Since I have more time now, I have taken this opportunity to start doing calisthenics daily since there is no more gym to go to. Also, exercising will help me maintain my health while I am isolated at home. In addition, I have watched a lot of youtube and picked up videogames again since there is nothing else to do these days. Overall, this new lifestyle is definitely different from my usual one but it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. It has given me a new appreciation for how privileged I was before all of this and I hope this all flies by soon.

Sexually transmitted diseases is a major problem and occurrence in todays society. The most common sexually transmitted infection is the human papillomavirus or HPV for short. According to the CDC, around 79 million Americans are infected with HPV, with most of them being in their late teens or early 20s. HPV has infected millions by spreading via oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Furthermore, the virus can be spread when the carrier is asymptomatic, meaning they don’t express any signs and symptoms.

HPV goes away on its own most of the times and does not cause any major health problems in infected individuals. However, people have been infected are at risk for developing cervical cancer or cancer in the vagina, penis, or anus many years later. Luckily, there is an HPV vaccine that is safe and very effective at reducing the risk of contracting the infection. Furthermore, using condoms is another great way of reducing the risk of contracting it. Gonorrhea is another sexually transmitted disease that causes the infection of the throat, vagina, and anus.

Gonorrhea is also transmitted through oral, anal, or vaginal sex according to the CDC. The only way to prevent transmission is through sexual abstinence, but if infected, there are treatments that can cure the infection. However, according the World Health Organization, antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is on the rise and new drugs are needed to combat it. I believe if sexual partners were to be tested for these sexual transmitted diseases and be more aware if they had it, the spread of these diseases could be significantly reduced. Overall, I believe sexually transmitted diseases will be a major problem for years to come unless people start being more aware of the situation at hand.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria gain the ability to fight off drugs designed to kill them. The body itself does not become resistant to antibiotics but the strain of the microorganism infecting the body is what becomes resistant. According to the CDC, this growing problem is making it much more difficult to treat bacterial infections and other resistant microbes, and sometimes impossible to treat them. Around 2.8 million people in the US are infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria and are forced to have longer hospital stays and resort to toxic alternatives. Due to this, I believe it would be best for restrictions to be placed on antibiotic use to help slow down the development of antibiotic resistant microbes.

On the Biggest Threats and Data list of the CDC, Clostridioides difficile is one of the most concerning antibiotic resistant bacteria and is on the most urgent threats category. More than 220,000 cases of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections is a result of this bacteria. Furthermore, 12,800 deaths of the 35,000 reported on average each year are caused by Clostridioides difficile. This is an astonishing number for one bacteria to cause and could have been prevented if antibiotics were properly used from the time it was discovered. Furthermore, I believe the number of infections and deaths can be significantly reduced if everyone used proper sanitization techniques and washed their hands properly.

Antibiotic resistance is occurring because of the improper use of antibiotics. Many people are misinformed on the uses of antibiotic and are using them inappropriately such as for viral infections. Using antibiotics on viral infections has no effect and only negatively impacts your microbiome leading to antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Furthermore, people prescribed antibiotics sometimes don’t follow the instructions of the doctor and take them at random times, which gives the bacteria gaps to where antibiotic resistance to develop. Overall, antibiotic resistance is a growing problem that could potentially lead to an era where antibiotics will no longer be effective.

Polio is a disease caused by the poliovirus that causes paralysis and be potentially life threatening. However, many people may never experience any symptoms and know they are carriers of the poliovirus. Luckily, the poliovirus has been eradicated from the US for many years according to the CDC. I am very thankful for the existence of the inactivated poliovirus vaccine and the oral poliovirus vaccine. Thanks to these vaccines, residents of the US won’t have to worry about the risk of contracting the life-threatening disease unless someone unvaccinated brings it into the country.

The IPV is the only polio vaccine that is being used since 2000 in the US. It it usually given in the leg or arm at ages 2 months, 4 months, between 6 and 18 months, and between 4 to 6 years old for a total of 4 doses. The OPV is no longer used because of the risk of polio-derived poliovirus form this method of vaccination. I believe with the current status seen in the US revolving the poliovirus, the world may soon be able to also be poliovirus as vaccinations become more widespread. However, with current anti-vaccination movements, it may be difficult because people are believing their false claims.

According to the Polio Global Eradication Initiative, there have been 12 cases of the WPV strain and 6 cases of the cVDPV strain this week. All 12 cases of the WPV strain come from Pakistan while the other 6 cases come from either Africa or the Philippines. Pakistan has been a hotspot for the poliovirus for the last few years but their government is working closely with the United Nations to reduce the number of cases. There have been no reported cases in countries with regular vaccinations such as European countries. Overall, I think the World Health Organizations are related groups are doing a great job eradicating the poliovirus and hopefully they will achieve this goal soon.

Inside our gut, there are trillions of microorganisms that far outnumber the cells in our body. These microorganisms are collectively known as the microbiome. There is much about the microbiome that is still unknown, but as studies progress, more and more associations between the microbiome and disease are being discovered. According to Herb Brody, a CDC supported source, disruptions in the microbiome are being linked to diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and autism. With this growing evidence that the microbiome is beneficial to the human body, scientists are attempting to synthetically create a microbiome while others are trying to use it to influence their health.

According to Ortega, another CDC supported source, the microbiome is now thought to predict the onset of disease better than our own genes. In one study conducted by researches, 47 studies were reviewed for associations between the genome and the gut microbiome in comparison to 13 common diseases. This study revealed the the genetic signature of the microbiome was 20% more efficient distinguishing between a healthy and ill individual in comparison to our own genome. The only condition our own genome was better at predicting than the microbiome was type 1 diabetes. However, this is still the beginning stages of this research according to these scientists and that there is much more to learn.

Branden Tierney, one of the authors of this study, believes the further study into the microbiome could significantly improve the quality of life for patients. Key markers in both our own genome and the microbiome can be linked to help identify the onset of disease. The fact that the microbiome is influenced by environmental factors such as what we eat and how much we exercise could prove it to be a better predictor of diseases like type 2 diabetes than our genes. However, the functions microbiome is nowhere nearly as studied as our genes, therefore, it could be dangerous to link the two. Overall, the microbiome has a high potential to help medical providers assess our health as well as improve it.

As of now, the biggest worry on everyones minds is the coronavirus, but what about the flu? The flu at the moment has been rampaging through the US and the rest of the world posing a threat just as great as the coronavirus. According to the CDC, there have already been over 22 million cases of the flu with 210,100 of them resulting in hospitalizations. Furthermore, there have already been 12,000 deaths as a result of the flu illness. Currently, the mortality rate is only 0.1% below the epidemic threshold for this flu season, indicating the unusually high rate of flu illnesses this year.

For majority of the season, the influenza B/Victoria viruses has been reported higher than the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses but for the last few weeks has been the opposite. The major concern of this season is that dangerously high rates of flu illnesses in children, which has already resulted in 78 pediatric deaths. The effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine has not been released yet, but will be available later this month according to the CDC. However, the CDC still recommends getting the flu vaccines and states that it is still the best to prevent it and serious complications. Even when infected, obtaining antiviral medications is an effective way to help you fight off the virus.

The rest of the world is also facing the affects of this years flu season. According to the World Health Organization, influenza A has accounted for majority of flu illnesses around the world with the influenza B/Victoria strain also having a major impact. Europe has had increased levels of flu cases over the last few weeks, however, some northern countries have experienced decreased levels. Central Asia has faced predominately the influenza B strain and East Asia, the epicenter of the coronavirus, has faced flu-like illnesses as well. Overall, with the world focused on the growing threat of the coronavirus, the flu has been secretly wreaking havoc in the dark.

Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues were researchers who claimed the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could cause autism in young children. According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information, this claim was based on a study performed on 12 children that were chosen from a pediatric clinic. This claim caused the rate of MMR vaccinations to drop significantly due to the wide publicity of this research paper. However, many studies were immediately performed afterward that contradicted this claim, which also brought to light the many flaws of Wakefield’s study. Many studies also questioned his claim due to the fact that receiving an MMR vaccination and the development of autism happen early in life.

Furthermore, many ethical violations as well as deliberate research fraud were revealed over time. The Wakefield paper was completely retracted after several elements of the paper were discovered to be incorrect. For example, Wakefield and his colleagues falsified facts in their study by picking and choosing evidence that would support their claim. They reported that their sample was consecutively chosen, however, it was in fact selective and specific children were selected that would best support their claim. Also, Wakefield was also held guilty of ethical violations for performing invasive testing on the children without the proper ethical measures and clearance. In the end, they were found guilty of deliberate fraud and that their research was performed for financial gain rather than scientific discovery.

Despite all the confusion caused by this false claim, the MMR vaccine is a very effective way to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. The CDC recommend children to receive two doses of this vaccine with the first dose being after the first birthday and the second between ages four and six. The MMR vaccine is about 97% effective against measles and rubella and 88% effective against mumps after two doses. Even if infected with these conditions, the vaccine can still provide some protection and have milder symptoms than without the vaccine. Overall, the occurrence of measles, mumps, and rubella has significantly been reduced around the world as a result of the MMR vaccine and does not cause autism.