Scientists in Germany recently
conducted a study on mice in which mice were raised to have multiple sclerosis
symptoms. MS is a disease in which the
body’s immune system attacks the myelin in the brain and spinal cord, and this
attack causes nerve damage which leads to the disease’s symptoms. Most scientists agree that a genetic
predisposition combined with environmental factors is what brings about this
disease in people, even though the exact causes are unknown. In the study, the mice that were never
colonized with bacteria found in the human intestine did not develop MS at
all. However, the mice that were
colonized with the disease had an 80% chance of developing MS. While it is impossible to stop the spread of
intestinal bacteria, since they are necessary for human life, scientists are
working on identifying the specific species which are believed to cause the
autoimmune response that then leads to MS.
Amy
Lovett-Racke, a neuroimmunologist at Ohio State University in Columbus points
out that gut bacteria help the immune system mature properly and interact with
the immune system all the time. “Most of the time, those immune responses are
very good and even protective,” she says. “We’re all colonized with bacteria in
our guts and most of us lead normal, healthy lives.”
In
response to this news, scientists have begun research on what specifically
about these bacteria causes the immune system to react as harmfully as it
does. Since everyone has bacteria, they
are also trying to establish what leads some people to react so poorly to the
bacteria while others are perfectly healthy.
Ultimately, this research could shed a lot of light on MS as well as
other autoimmune diseases like juvenile diabetes and arthritis. Also, while the effects of the bacteria were
very pronounced in the mice, they are much less so in people, and therefore narrowing
down the specific harmful bacteria will prove to be a difficult task
This
article was well written, and allowed the lay reader to understand what was a
very involved experiment. It made clear
the results and the implications this has for the link between MS and
intestinal bacteria. There could have been
further elaboration on why scientists where investigating the intestinal
bacteria to begin with, but otherwise the article made the experiment very easy
to understand. It was well-written,
succinct, and managed to inform me about both the possible causes and symptoms
of MS, and what this experiment means for future research.
Saey, Tina Hesman. "Gut Bacteria Linked To MS."
Science News. Science News Magazine, 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/335561/title/Gut_bacteria_linked_to_MS>.
Sawyer White reviewed the article "Gut Bacteria Linked to MS," written by Tina Hesman Saey. Mr. White did an excellent job in portraying an image of the incredibly harmful and dangerous effects of MS. Sawyer described how the nervous system and spinal cord are directly affected, but he also described how the true horrors of MS are that scientists are unsure of how such a disease can be extracted. Sawyer also discussed the gut bacteria, and how scientists, namely Amy Lovett-Racke of Ohio State University, have proven that gut bacteria may affect the immune system leading to the penetration of MS. Sawyer goes on to discuss how the mice reacted to positively to the injection of gut bacteria, making the evidence even more promising. Though Mr. White conducted a very thorough summary of the article, his review left some questions to be unanswered. Though the results are promising, what exactly have the scientists been finding when these mice are injected with gut bacteria? Are their reactions similar to that of humans suffering from MS? Another part of the review lacking in supporting information was the type of intestinal bacteria which causes MS. Though extracting MS is still a mystery to scientists, what part of the gut bacteria has been proven to be responsible for such symptoms in humans? Mr. White's review was full of interesting information, but what was most fascinating to me was that the intestinal bacteria can be processed as completely normal by some humans while leaving others with the autoimmune disease MS. No one can help but to wonder why some people have such a negative reaction to the gut bacteria while others can survive perfectly unharmed by the same exact bacteria.
ReplyDeleteSawyer White’s review of the article “Gut Bacteria Linked to MS” was both well presented and informative. I especially enjoyed how he was able to comprehensively outline the discovery and the method by which scientists made the discovery. This allowed the reader to more easily understand the breakthrough. Furthermore, I enjoyed Mr. White’s consideration of this development’s implications. He noted that while this was a significant breakthrough, it will be very difficult to narrow down the specific harmful bacteria, especially in humans. Finally, I appreciated the inclusion of a quotation from a neuroimmunologist. I felt that this gave the article a sense of validity and justified what Mr. White was saying.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, I felt that the review could still be enhanced by including additional information. Mr. White notes that the gut bacteria are involved in MS; however, he never expands upon this and describes how it contributes to the disorder. Additionally, I believe that mentioning a possible type of bacteria would help improve the review.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed Mr. White’s review and was fascinated to learn about this scientific breakthrough involving multiple sclerosis. I previously had no idea that a disorder primarily associated with the brain and the spine could be caused by something in the intestines.
Sawyer White did a great job reviewing the article “Gut Bacteria Linked to MS” by Tina Saey. I enjoyed that Sawyer succinctly described what the scientists did their in their experiment, and the results that were obtained. Additionally, it was nice to see a quote from a neuroimmunologist thrown in, and this excerpt specifically helps the reader better understand why scientists are intrigued by the MS bacteria. Another notable point was Sawyer’s critical review of the article. He offered constructive criticism and straightforward approval of the article, though I agree with him on the point that more background information on why scientists want to be so involved could have been included. Finally, Sawyer’s notes an important future consequence of these experiments, which may be better understanding other autoimmune diseases like diabetes and arthritis.
ReplyDelete` To improve upon his article, though, Sawyer could have refined a few areas. Though he mentions not much of the procedure of the experiment was mentioned in the original article, Sawyer could have included a bit more of a description, if possible. Further, some information could be provided about how multiple sclerosis affects humans, specifically the detrimental effects.
Sawyer’s review of the article “Gut Bacteria Linked to MS” contained many interesting facts, but one stood out in particular to me. The fact that some humans can successfully process some gut bacteria while others cannot astounds me and was something interesting to learn.
Sawyer White dexterously summarized the article “Gut Bacteria Linked to MS,” in this well presented and informative critique. Mr. White adeptly described a harmful disease known as multiple sclerosis, before discussing experiments showing a link between the disease and bacteria. Sawyer clearly and methodically chronicled the experiment, ensuring to note the various bacteria with which the mice were colonized. His informative breakdown of the experiment enabled readers to garner a better understanding of the significance of the breakthrough. Additionally, Sawyer’s strategic incorporation of a quote from a renowned neuroimmunologist enhanced the credibility of his critique. Lastly, his conjectures about what the implications of this research portend for the future were insightful and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteWhile Mr. White’s review was adroitly versed and exceedingly comprehensive, he could have elaborated on the research in several regards. First, Sawyer notes that intestinal bacteria are necessary for human life, however he does not back this claim with any evidence from the article. It would be interesting to learn why intestinal bacteria are vital to sustain human life. Second, Sawyer neglects to address how intestinal bacteria is actually linked to MS. The incorporation of such information would serve to augment his review.
Overall, Mr. White’s highly informative and organized review was compelling to read. The fact that intestinal bacteria could be the cause of MS, a disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, serves to remind us of the inter-connectedness of the human body. It will be interesting to see how this research can aid scientists in combating MS in the future.
Sawyer White reviewed the article "Gut Bacteria Linked to MS," written by Tina Saey. I think Sawyer did an excellent job at conveying the dangerous effects of MS and how scientists are unsure of how such a disease can be extracted. Sawyer also referenced specific individuals, like Amy Lovett-Racke, and how these individuals have proven that gut bacteria may affect the immune system. Lastly, Sawyer goes on talk about the experiments that have been taken and the results have shown that mice have reacted positively to the injection of gut bacteria.
ReplyDeleteWhile Sawyer provided a very well written summary, he could have incorporated more details. While scientists are receiving positive feedback from their experiments, why are the mice reacting this way?
I also would have liked to seen more information about humans and how we are linked to this bacteria. Sawyer did provide information on the intestinal bacteria but i wished to have read more on how this effects our lives.
Sawyer's review was very easy to read and made me learn something that i found very interesting. This was the fact that some people have such a negative reaction to the gut bacteria while others can survive perfectly unharmed by the same exact bacteria. It is something like this that makes people wonder how complex the human body is and how we are still studying it.