The article, “Lost memories retrieved for mice with signs of Alzheimer’s," talks about how scientists have learned new information about how the brain handles memories all by studying mice with Alzheimer’s like traits. This new method of bringing back memories works by manipulating memories and tracking them. Scientists first mark a “lost memory” (by tagging the nerve cells containing the memory) to recover it, and the insert a virus to deliver a gene with a protein that allows the scientists to control this collection of nerve cells. The memory is then triggered with a blue laser light. This method was tested on mice, and the memory that scientists used was one of an electrically charged cage shocking the mice. The mice with the Alzheimer’s genes before the treatment did not remember that the cage would shock them, but after the treatment they remembered and scientists recorded a strong fear response from the mice.
While this new development in the science of memory is important, it certainly does not mean any immediate breakthroughs for those suffering from Alzheimer’s. Neuroscientist Susumu Tonegawa of MIT warns that the results are experimental: “We have not done anything to cure human Alzheimer’s patients,” he says. The methods used in this experiment are not currently feasible for humans because they rely on genetically engineered brain cells and optic fibers to be implanted in the brain. However, this information is important and could become very relevant to discover why Alzheimer’s occurs and how it can possibly be treated. Another neuroscientist, Christine Denny of Columbia University, says, “If we can understand how the process of memory retrieval is compromised and where it is impaired, then we can begin to develop treatments to target those processes or circuits.”
This article was relatively well-written, but the summary of the experiment was hard to understand and follow at points, so a clearer summary would have been better. However, the author did a good job of including quotes from the scientists behind the project, which was a strong addition that increased the credibility of the article and helped to make the main points clear. The science behind the writing was so interesting! Hopefully, this develops into an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.
Sanders, Laura. "Lost Memories Retrieved for Mice with Signs of Alzheimer's." Science News. N.p., 16 Mar. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lost-memories-retrieved-mice-signs-alzheimers
Mallory,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your review of the article, "Lost Memories Retrieved for Mice with Signs of Alzheimer's." I think you did a nice job summarizing the experiment, that made the overall procedure clear to the reader. I thought it was smart to address in your critique paragraph that you had trouble understanding the procedure yourself, to truly show how complex this experiment is and how developmental it is. I also liked how you related this experiment to today's world, because even though these tests aren't ready for humans, they can be soon enough, and it will help many in need.
Although, your review was very informative and concise, there are places that you can improve upon. I think that some more quotes from the direct source in your summary paragraph would have helped the reader understand the procedure a little more. I also think you could have added a little more information on the procedure of the experiment, like which gene is being altered by the protein.
Overall, you did a great job. I have always heard of experimental testing for Alzheimer's, however this is the first article that I have seen that actually has proven positives effects of an experiment. Hopefully, the research will continue to develop and will be beneficial to humans soon.
Sanders, Laura. "Lost Memories Retrieved for Mice with Signs of Alzheimer's." Science News. N.p., 16 Mar. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lost-memories-retrieved-mice-signs-alzheimers
Nick Saluti
ReplyDelete3/17/16
You did a good job describing the experiment. You did a good job linking the experiment to actual medical advances. It was important that you stated that the experiment will not lead to new treatment in the near future. You did a good job using quotes from the researchers.
You could have done better describing the parts of the brain that were tested on. You could have done better describing how the blue laser light triggered the memories.
I was surprised by the effectiveness of the treatment. As someone that has had personal experience with a family member who has Alzheimer’s, this research is exciting and hopeful.
Mal, nicely done! I loved reading your report. One thing that I think you did particularly well was giving a brief and clear summary of the article presented. This is important for readers because we are reading your report as a student so the clear explanations at the beginning of your report set the stage for the rest of the article. A second thing that you did a great job in your report was using the scientific language in the research. By using the scientific language the credibility of your report is raised to another level. A third aspect of your review you did a great job on is connecting the importance of the research to the real world. Alzheimer's is a devastating disease and any new information can change the lives of many. If research and developments can improve the quality of life for even one person than the research is a success.
ReplyDeleteWhile your article report had many great qualities, there are a few areas that can be improved. One addition that I think would add a lot of value to your report is using direct quotes from researchers and the article. Direct quotes always help to better explain things and are a way to elevate your report to higher scientific levels. A second change that I would make is by looking up statistics to strengthen the arguments even more.
I chose to read your article because both of my grandmas were diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I always am interested when new research is developed about the disease. This will change my perception because I will look at the disease with a new lense of hope. This research and article is important because the rates of Alzheimer’s is growing so any help is good help.
Mallory’s review on the article, “Lost memories retrieved for mice with signs of Alzheimer’s” was very clearly and concisely written. She did a fantastic job of explaining how the scientists study the mice with traits similar to those of Alzheimer’s. Also, her discussion of how this study is not the ultimate breakthrough to cure those currently suffering from Alzheimer’s; this made it clear that although this study was a small step in learning more information about Alzheimer’s and how it occurs, the study was not intended to find a cure. Lastly, I appreciated the overall simplicity of this review because the article was difficult to understand at points, yet she was able to give a comprehensive summary of the experiment that almost any student could understand.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this review was well written, there are a couple improvements that can be made. The summary paragraph was very descriptive, but it could be even better if a quote from a professional was mentioned. A few doctors involved in this study were discussed in the article, so I think she could benefit from directly quoting a statement made by one of the experts from the article. Also, the opening sentence of the review could have been more interesting. It states the main idea of the article, but a more intriguing statement would help to draw the reader in.
Both this article and Mallory’s review introduced me to a field of science that is solely dedicated to finding out more information on Alzheimer’s, rather than finding a cure. I found the experiment very intriguing, and I hope that this study eventually develops into a discovering cure for this disease or leads to another breakthrough regarding the treatment of it.
I think Mallory did an excellent job reviewing this article, and I enjoyed many aspects of it. Specifically, I think she did very well in keeping the review concise and getting right to the point. This made the review so much better because it did not include much useless information that could potentially bore the reader. Another thing I enjoyed about this review was how well Mallory gave background information about Alzheimer's itself. One final thing I enjoyed about this review was how she explained how complex the study is by stating that it confused her, as said in her critique paragraph.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this was a great review, I feel that there are a couple of things that could be improved upon. One thing that I think would make this review even better would be if maybe Mallory included some direct quotes from researchers of this topic, for this could add even more value to your review of this article. Another thing that would’ve been nice is if maybe Mallory brought in the reader a little more in the beginning of the review by possibly making a more interesting and grabbing initial statements.
Finally, I decided to choose this review because Alzheimer's is a very interesting disease, and I did not really know much about it, but this definitely helped me learn more about it. I thought this experiment was very interesting and I am curious to see where it goes.
Great job Mallory! You did a great job with the article! I thought that you summarized the article very well. It really helped me get a clear idea of the experiment. I also enjoyed how you used quotes from the researchers. I think that you also did a great job of connecting the article to real life. This help give me a better perspective on the research.
ReplyDeleteI think it would have been helpful if you explained where the tests were occurring. This would help give me a better understanding of the experiment. I think you could have also added some more data. This gives more legitimacy to you.
I am really glad that I chose this article. I have always wanted to learn more about this disease. I hope this disease one day gets cured as soon as possible.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review of the article, "Lost Memories Retrieved for Mice with Signs of Alzheimer's." I think you did a nice job summarizing the experiment, that made the overall procedure clear to the reader. You did a good job linking the experiment to actual medical advances. It was important that you stated that the experiment will not lead to new treatment in the near future. You did a good job using quotes from the researchers. By using the scientific language the credibility of your report is raised to another level. While your article report had many great qualities, there are a few areas that can be improved. One addition that I think would add a lot of value to your report is using direct quotes from researchers and the article. Also, the opening sentence of the review could have been more interesting. It states the main idea of the article, but a more intriguing statement would help to draw the reader in. inally, I decided to choose this review because Alzheimer's is a very interesting disease, and I did not really know much about it, but this definitely helped me learn more about it. I thought this experiment was very interesting and I am curious to see where it goes.
ReplyDeleteI liked how there was enough background information and the reader is not left unclear about any topics discussed. It explained the relevance in detail and all the specific reasons and pieces of evidence for the findings were included in a very easy to understand manner. I thought that the report was great. The report flows very smoothly. The order makes logical sense and it is very easy to read.The topic choice was also a good choice because it is very relevant and its importance is made very clear. It also provided the scientific reasoning and importance of the topic. I also did not see anything that could be changed other than stylistic personal choices.
ReplyDeleteThis article was a good choice because it is a very relevant issue in the modern world. Fighting back against alzheimer's is a huge topic amongst many people and influences the way we live and the things we use in our everyday lives. It also affects our future as human beings. This condition is a fact of life at the moment, but it is important to fight against this terrible disease by finding new and creative ways to stop alzheimer's from taking away so many good people and replacing them with a chassis of their former self .
For my current event review, I read Mallory’s review of the article “Lost Memories Retrieved for Mice with Signs of Alzheimer’s” by Laura Sanders. While reading, there were several things that I admired about her review. First, her summary was extremely concise and to the point. As a result, I did not feel overwhelmed by the information, and I was able to stay locked in throughout the reading. Next, her use of quotes in her analysis paragraph provided substantial backing to the points she was making. In essence, she managed to help her argument by adding in some of the expert opinions professed by the article. For example, her incorporation of “We have not done anything to cure human Alzheimer’s patients,” the words of an MIT neuroscientist, made the sentence she professed previously seem more viable and realistic. Finally, I thought her second paragraph was strong with regard to its stress of the importance of these mice and their application to human life. Because this affects humans directly with regard to a specific disease that is highly prevalent in our society, it made the review all the more appealing.
ReplyDeleteWhile Mallory’s review was strong and informative, there were two things that I would suggest as constructive criticism. First, I would stress the importance of incorporating sufficient quotes into the summary paragraph. While you did a great job utilizing them in the results paragraph, the summary felt a tad barren without the presence of directly referenced expert opinions. Also, an entrance into the ideas, philosophies, and procedures of the experiments done on mice would be helpful. As a biology student, lab procedures always introduce new concepts to me and my classmates, and thus are relatable in a unique, personable way.
Coming into this review, I had no clue that mice and Alzheimer’s could be connected. I had a preliminary understanding that mice were used in experiments and those results were extrapolated to humans, but I did not even begin to comprehend the scope to which they could indeed be related. Here, I learned about an application of mice testing that has the potential to help so many people across the world with Alzheimer’s. Great job, Mallory!