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Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
Dr. Gilbert studies microbes and recently examined an element of the bat microbiome. In this podcast, he explains
Dr. Jack Gilbert is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego. He specializes in microbial ecology and recently published a paper specific to the bat microbiome. He explains what is significant and interesting about the ecology of the bat and bacteria, namely that unlike human animals, their short gut disallowed for coevolution with bacteria in the same manner as humans. Rather the microbes that live on bats depends on their external environment. He explains more about how this is similar to birds and what the implications are.
He carries this into a larger picture of what goal scientists may have when studying microbial ecology. Dr. Gilbert and his colleagues would like to gain a closer understanding of how we can shape bacterial proportions by altering their food. They are trying to understand how we can selectively choose the growth of certain organisms by what we feed them—how we can change the course of a human infection by selectively promoting the growth of specific microbes that might make the human host less susceptible to the harm the infection causes.
For more, search research collections such as Google Scholar for his name and see his laboratory web site at http://www.gilbertlaboratory.com/
Nicholas P. Money is a professor, author, and expert on mycology and microbes. He joins the podcast today to discuss a number of fascinating topics. Tune in to learn about them all, including the following:
As a first-year undergraduate attending the University of Bristol in the UK, Nicholas P. Money was captivated by descriptions of a vast group of organisms he'd hardly even heard of: fungi. Since then, he's passionately pursued a knowledge and understanding of how these organisms work, and has authored a number of books on microbes in general. His area of expertise is in the biomechanics of fungi, which deal with the ways in which fungi move, grow, and reproduce. He dives into the details of his expertise on fungi and shares insights he's gained from a variety of research he's carried out in the field. This includes the distance and hydrostatic pressure with which spores are released by fungi, how microscopic filaments on fungi manage to penetrate some of the toughest material that exists, and so much more.
Learn more at https://www.themycologist.com/.
Professor and author of Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are, joins the show for a second time today to discuss parasites, focusing on one in particular that affects a significant number of people: Toxoplasma gondii.
By tuning in, you'll discover the following:
As a graduate student at University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sullivan had already had a longstanding interest in microbiology when he began doing lab rotations that would ultimately help him develop his PhD thesis.
It was during that time that he discovered toxoplasma gondii, microscopic banana-shaped organisms squirming their way through fibroblast cells and growing exponentially until blowing apart the host cell.
At the time, Dr. Sullivan was absolutely fascinated by these organisms, and decided to pursue research on them from there on out. He wanted to know the details of how Toxoplasma gondii functions and how it could be impacting human health, so he was particularly excited to learn that a professor in the lab was working on turning Toxoplasma gondii into one of the first model systems for all of parasitology.
This would allow for modern-day cell and molecular genetic techniques to be employed—a feat impossible for most other parasites. This would pave the way for avenues of unprecedented research in parasitology.
"Toxoplasma gondii is pretty remarkable…many people call it the most successful parasite on the planet because it can infect any nucleated cell in virtually any warm-blooded vertebrate…most parasites have a single host, maybe two hosts," he explains.
Among many topics, Dr. Sullivan explains what type of evidence suggests that Toxoplasma gondii is able to recognize what type of host cell it is in, how the active invasion process works, how long it takes before a host immune response is initiated by the presence of Toxoplasma gondii, how this parasite can affect host behavior and personality, how long the latent stages of the infection can last, and what's being done to address human health concerns posed by this parasite.
Check out www.sullivanlab.com for more information.
David Mulligan, MD from Yale University joins the show to discuss organ transplantations. Tune in to learn the following:
Aside from trying to develop technologies and techniques for successful transplantations, Dr. Mulligan has helped implement robotic transplantation programs for kidney transplants, which have shown great success in reducing the risk of post-surgical infections that impede the healing process and overall success of the transplant. He is also working on research involving normothermic and hyperthermic perfusion of solid human organs on ex vivo machines to assess their function and determine whether they can be sufficiently repaired or rejuvenated for use as transplants for human patients in need.
"Transplantation…is truly a field that embodies almost every aspect of healthcare," says Dr. Mulligan. He discusses details about kidney and liver transplants, how immunosuppression works and what's being done in an attempt to mitigate its negative consequences, as well as what type of research is being done to determine what type of patients may actually do well without the use of side effect-inducing immunosuppressive medications. He talks about the differences between acute and chronic rejection of transplants, the extent to which the liver and gut microbiome may be related to immune system performance, how the choice of which antibiotic to use could be affecting the microbiome and immune system's ability to recover post-transplantation, and what he believes will happen in the near and long-term future of organ transplantation.
Learn more about the work being done at Yale University by visiting https://medicine.yale.edu/surgery/transplantation/about/ and visit https://unos.org/ for more general information about transplants.
Dr. Paula Barreras and her colleagues create spheres of living brain cell tissue from skin cells. They are proving that these brain organoids can offer testing and research platforms normally reserved for animals.
This podcast explores
Pursuing a postdoc at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Paula Barreras talks about the research involved in creating BrainSpheres. Their mission is to create approximations of the brain to use for testing to predict how a real brain might work.
They create small sphere of human cells that they then manage to convert to neurons and glial cells in a cold culture in vitro process, an extremely challenging process to uphold. Applications for this breakthrough include studies into neurotoxicity and neurological disorders treatment.
Most brain studies are on animal models, which is an inherently problematic model because of the different biology. Because the organoids are human-based models, they can improve scientists' understanding of brain function and treatment. Dr. Barreras explains that these models have shown evidence of synapses (neurons are talking to each other), myelination, and spontaneous electrical activity.
She explains the creation process to listeners, including the move from adult skin cells to stem cells and then to neuro progenitor cells. These then develop into neurons and other brains cells. After explaining additional technical nuances, she articulates some of the most pivotal aspects of this work.
For example, because these organoids produce myelin, scientists may use this research to make inroads into treating diseases like multiple sclerosis, which is a demyelination disease. There's also potential for virus treatmenst, such as the Zika virus and a better understanding of the JC virus, which as a human-only virus, has no animal model study possibility.
For more, see this Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health web page, which includes a video about the mini-brain: https://www.jhsph.edu/yearlook/2016/mini-brains-made-to-order/
Dr. Lee Bartel is a leading researcher and expert on how our cells are affected by sound. In this podcast, he discusses
Lee Bartel is a Professor Emeritus of Music and a former Associate Dean of Research with the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. He's also Founding Director of the Music and Health Research Collaboratory.
He begins by telling listeners about his road to this point in his career. His graduate work explored the basics of music therapy. As he moved into clinical work, he interacted with kids who'd undergone brain injuries, using music to rehabilitate various cognitive functions. He became more interested in music in relationship to brain circuits and functions.
He then began working with Summerset Entertainment, using specific rhythmic structures for brain training, entering further into neuroscience music therapy. These steps in his career expanded his own ideas of how music affected people. He intensified this concept of music as a sound vibration or a pulse stimulus that might affect states like Delta brain waves (our deepest sleep state).
In fact, researchers found they could document brain cells firing at the frequency of the stimulus. Therefore, they could use a stimulus to bring about desired brain states like Delta sleep, which measures at about 40 hertz.
Dr. Bartel and fellow researchers explored other cell reactions. They found that when blood vessels were exposed to a certain stimulus rates, the vessels would repeat that rate, which had implications for more medical conditions.
He explains how these stimulus pulses affect multiples levels of bodily functions and brain patterns, even to the point of intra brain communication, helping one side of the brain synchronize with the other. Such neuroscience music therapy was shown to help kids who'd gone through cancer treatments help renew gamma activity.
As the conversation continues, Dr. Bartel gets more specific about the various ways music therapy treats sleep disorders. He notes that typical sleep studies focus on oxygen levels and less on brain cell frequency.
But when Dr. Bartel and researchers worked with people who had reported not sleeping well, they found that patients rated their sleep as deeply improved after playing them recordings of pulse rates conducive to brain waves for deep sleep.
Dr. Bartel says, however, that what he's most excited about and what's most newsworthy are the studies in pain alleviation and sleep with fibromyalgia patients. They used a pulse stimulus of 40 hertz and saw a dramatic change in sleep, pain, depression, and quality of life ratings for these patients. The implications are substantial: he says this means that we can reregulate brain circuits and cellular function rather than just brain states.
He goes on to explain how these studies and methods are also applied to patients who experience depression with satisfying results as well as Alzheimer's patients. He describes the methods for each and includes details about longevity, how the results are cumulative yet need consistent exposure to the pulse stimulus for the treatment to continue holding.
Finally, he points listeners to resources, including his website at http://www.bartelcameronassoc.com/, which has a link to his popular Tedtalk, a link to buy four of his soundtracks, and a link to buy the tactile and sound device called The Sound Oasis VTS1000, which was used in his research.
He notes that his CDs are available on ITunes and Amazon.
In this podcast, Svetlana Lutsenko, PhD, Professor of Physiology, Associate Director for Basic Science and Clinical Relations, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses monogenic human diseases, Wilson's disease diagnosis, and copper's effects on the body.
Podcast Points:
Dr. Lutsenko talks about her interest in human disorders that are associated with copper metabolism. Copper plays a vital role in the production of neurotransmitters as well as in the maintenance of bones, nerves, and blood vessels. Dr. Lutsenko discusses imbalances in the body, genetic disorders, and copper's role.
The PhD continues her discussion of copper deficiency disease and the treatment of genetic disease, with an emphasis on drugs that can remove copper from the body. Dr. Lutsenko's research has delved into many important areas of science, such as Menkes disease; animal models for Wilson's disease; proteomics; metal biology (iron, zinc and copper); as well as membrane proteins biochemistry, etc.
Dr. Lutsenko discusses the many things they have observed in animals that exist on a high copper diet. As the PhD states, these animals absorb more fat. She goes on to explain that more copper in the diet can actually end up producing less fat in the body. Additionally, Dr. Lutsenko discusses various treatments and therapies, and the balance that the body needs overall, discussing drugs for treatment, and improvements that could benefit the liver.
Dr. Scott A. Johnson, a health and wellness advocate, and author of Beating Ankylosing Spondylitis Naturally, discusses his personal battle and ankylosing spondylitis causes.
Podcast Points:
Dr. Johnson discusses his personal journey and he explains in detail the symptoms and issues that come from the condition known as, ankylosing spondylitis, such as significant neck and back pain, especially after resting. The condition can also affect the heart, lungs, and eyes, and reduce overall quality of life.
Dr. Johnson is a bestselling author, natural health expert, and naturopath. Dr. Johnson's book provides valuable information on the connections that link AS, eating, and gut health. Additionally, it teaches sufferers how this knowledge can help reduce their AS symptoms. The doctor's book looks at evidence-based natural remedies as a means to quiet inflammation, combat and ease pain, as well as manage the difficult complications typically associated with AS.
The doctor explains that ankylosing spondylitis is considered to be an autoinflammatory condition, slightly different than autoimmune diseases. He discusses the genetic pathways, and modern treatment techniques, as well as some negative effects of various medicines used to treat the condition. He talks about drugs, injections, and surgery, and how each treatment can be used to help people maintain a higher quality of life. Dr. Johnson explains how he came to the current methods that he utilized to heal his own ankylosing spondylitis condition. He talks about the published papers that he studied, as well as clinical trials for essential oils and what he learned about the significance of them. Engaging in an informative conversation about lavender specifically, he extols the virtues of it, discussing physical and emotional improvement possibilities. As he states, most natural solutions are not designed to stop something as much as they are designed to simply promote natural health balance. Wrapping up, Dr. Johnson talks about case studies and how essential oils have been shown to improve conditions for many, but not necessarily all, patients.
Dr. Abramson is a dentist who specializes in sleep apnea and created a specific oral appliance called the Oasys. In this discussion, he explains
As someone who has researched and applied various techniques to treat sleep apnea through dentistry, Dr. Mark Abramson is able to discuss the process and benefits of oral appliances with effective clarity. In this conversation he explains first why it is important to seek solutions to sleep apnea, from general health issues to a correlation between lack of deep sleeping and dementia.
He then describes the blocking that causes apnea and the mechanics for different treatment approaches. He highlights the success rate of oral appliances for several reasons, including the rates at which people stop using or won't even try CPAP machines because of the discomfort and difficulty of wearing the device.
He then articulates the approach through dentistry in more detail, describing how oral appliances bring the jaw forward and can also treat other areas that may need addressing such as nasal dilation and small pads that reposition the tongue. His Oasys system is able to mechanically treat all three issues with one device. Finally, he answers additional questions about oral appliances and dentistry such as effects on TMJ, the efficacy of over-the-counter products, and more.
For more information, see his practice website: Dr. Mark Abramson DDS in Redwood City, CA, at https://www.drtmjsleepapnea.com/.
You can learn more about the Oasys device at Dream Systems Dental Lab in Rosewood, CA: https://www.dreamsystemsdentallab.com/ and at http://www.oasyssleep.com/.
Dr. Abramsons' office can also help locate dentists in your area that offer oral appliance treatment.
Dr. Tobias Carling performs more adrenal gland surgeries than any other surgeon in America. In this podcast, he offers
Dr. Tobias Carling left his position as Chief of Endocrine Surgery at Yale in 2020 to open the Carling Adrenal Center in Florida. Early in his medical schooling he found the endocrine system worthy of advanced study. Eventually the challenges and diverse array of tumors the adrenal gland presents kept his interest and he made it his specialty.
After being at Yale for almost 18 years, he started the Carling Adrenal Center in Tampa to continue giving patients exceptional care. In this podcast he begins by explaining the biology of the glands, such as the three hormones they produce: aldosterone, cortisol and catecholamines. He explains how common it is for tumors to form in the glands and what risks they pose. Primarily, different tumors produce different degrees of hormone levels in the body in excess, which can be toxic. This, he adds, is why adrenal tumor diagnosis is important and sometimes tricky. Some cases, like Conn's Syndrome, can be a silent disease hidden by the presentation of symptoms attributed to high blood pressure.
Finally, he explains various issues related to adrenal gland surgery such as when cortical-sparing surgery is advisable and when it's not. Such decisions take into account issues such as the risk of spilling tumors into the body as well as the state of the other gland. He comments that the surgery must be done as quickly as possible yet as precisely as possible because of the vital nature of the surrounding area.
To learn more, see the Carling Adrenal Center Website at https://www.adrenal.com/, which includes a lot of information to help readers better understand everything from lab numbers to different issues to consider. They've made a concerted effort to help patients educate themselves.
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