Why do I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon?

"James, Why do you want to be a doctor, let alone a cardiothoracic surgeon? I am faced with this question on a regular basis, and every time I answer it I remember the day that I decided that I wanted to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.....

It all started in the year 2001 when I was eleven years old and my sister was 5 years old. We woke up one day and neither of our parents were home. I immediately called my mom, and asked her where she and my father were. Her response was, "Son I don't want you to be worried, but dad was admitted into the hospital this morning. He was complaining about some heart pain." (My father was 49 years old, and has had past hereditary cardiac issues (Angiogram and triple bypass heart surgery) Me, being young and optomistic just figured that dad would make it through again, and he will be home in no time! But that was far from the truth.....

That evening, my mother, sister, and I all went to visit my father at Fair Oaks Hospital. My sister and I had even made my dad some apple flavored JELLO. When we arrived to the hospital, we all sat around my dad and had a family prayer, during which we read Psalm 91 from the Bible, and just enjoyed each others company. We stayed at the hospital until my dad told my mom to go ahead and take my sister and I home so we could get some sleep. After saying that, my dad walked us to the elevator, handed me his cell phone and said, "Son don't turn it off, I will be calling you." Little did I know that those would be the last words I would hear from my father. After we arrived home we saw that had received a voicemail from the hospital asking us to come back to hospital. Upon arrival to the hospital we were informed that dad had went into cardiac arrest only minutes after we left, and that they were not able to resusitate him.....

....Our world had just been turn upside down...

It has been almost 9 years since the day, and the feelings are as fresh as they were the day we lost him. Life has had its ups, and its down but my God has seen me through it all. So the reason I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon is because I want to ensure that other families will not have to deal with the heart ache that my family and I have had to go through. God has put it on my heart to help people in this way, and I intend to do so!

15 - Study finds 231 new genes associated with head and neck cancer

"Study finds 231 new genes associated with head and neck cancer." EurekAlert! - Science News. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. .

Researchers in San Diego California have found 231 genes that are associated with head and neck cancer (also known as oral cancer). Head and neck cancer encompasses "cancers of the mouth, nose, sinuses, salivary glands, throat and lymph nodes in the neck". About 55,000 new cases of head and neck cancer will be diagnosed this year alone, and 13,000 of those diagnosed will die as a result of the cancer. Previously, only 33 genes were associated with head and neck cancer. This finding is huge in the development for possible treatments of head and neck cancer. It provides about 200 new genes that can be used as target genes for some type of medication.

All of these new genes can be used along side a new molecular strategy for detection of cancer - DNA Methylation. "DNA methylation is a type of chemical modification of DNA where a methyl group (CH3) can be added (hypermethylation) or removed (hypomethylation) – allows the researchers to look for genetic abnormalities within tumor samples." With DNA methylization researchers will be able to turn on silenced genes and off certain genes that are causing cancers. This is a powerful new tool which will be able to make huge breakthroughs in the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

14 - Fish-Killing Toxin Could Kill Cancer Cells

"Fish-Killing Toxin Could Kill Cancer Cells." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. .

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Paul V. Zimba and chemist Peter Moeller of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have found a fish killing toxin that has shown promise in prevent cancer growth and eventually killing cancer cells. The toxin is called euglenophycin which has a molecular structure similar to fire ant venom.

In 2002, it was reported that more than 21,000 striped bass, a $100,000 value, had died in a commercial aquaculture facility in North Carolina. Zimba and Moeller worked together to determine the cause of these deaths. They analyzed numerous samples of the pond water that these striped bass were in, and from this they were able to narrow down the cause to two organisms: Euglena sanguinea and E. granulata (two species of freshwater algae). This case was the first of many cases since then in which normally harmless freshwater algae have been found to be able to kill. It is not the algae themselves that are killing the fish, but rather a toxin that they produce, euglenophycin, that is doing the killing.

This type of toxin has also been tested on cancer cells, and has been able to slow down cancer cell replication and eventually causing cancer cells to die.

13 - New type of genetic change identified in inherited cancer

"New type of genetic change identified in inherited cancer." EurekAlert! - Science News. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. .

Many times physicians and researcher wonder exactly why some diseases such as particular types of cancer are hereditary. Many just speculated that is what just some type of mutation that is carried over from parents to offspring, when in fact is much more than just a mutation. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have been working on a very rare but very deadly type of cancer, chordoma. Chordoma is a cancer that is found in the bones and nervous system, and is thought to be caused by reminants of the notochord from embryonic development. It has been determine that only about one in one million people have chordoma. Unfortunately those who have the cancer have about a ten year lifespan after diagnosis.

As it can be seen, chrodoma is a very serious type of cancer. But how come it seems to be so hereditary? Researchers at Duke seems to have found the answer, gene duplication. Up to this point it was thought that it was a mutation of a certain gene, but in fact it was a complete duplication of the gene. The gene that seems to be the source of all the problems is the T (Brachyury) gene on chromosome 6. Brachyury is a transcription factor that helps in the development of the notochord during embryonic development, and has been found in large amount in biopsied chordomas.

12 - UNC study pinpoints gene controlling number of brain cells

"UNC study pinpoints gene controlling number of brain cells." EurekAlert! - Science News. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. .

Two processes are key to the development of a properly fully functional nervous system, proliferation and differentiation. Proliferation is when the cells multiply to provide the needed starting materials for a fully functional nervous system. Differentiation is when those starting materials develop into fully function neurons. The balance between both proliferation and differentiation is pivotal. If one develops too much starting material , proliferation, a tumor could form, and if one develops too little, he or she will not have a properly function nervous system. The gene GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3) is responsible for adequate proliferation and proper differentiation. Without this gene, the human body would not be able to develop a fully function nervous system.

It has been found that GSK-3 controls the signaling pathways that ultimately determine how many neurons the human brain will be comprised of. Researchers at University of North Carolina School of Medicine have studied this gene in depth and have proposed this idea that GSK-3 is responsible for the ultimate outcome of the brain. They determine this by what is called "conditional knock out". This is when a scientist decides on a gene of interest (in this case GSK-3), and knock out that gene from the genome of an animal, at various stages of development, to see what impact the absence of the gene has. It was shown that at all stages of development, the lack of the GSK-3 gene, led to complication and improper development of the nervous system.

11 - Protein reveals how insects smell

"BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Protein reveals how insects smell." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 1 Oct. 2009. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. .

Many times we as human beings wonder how an insect is able to find and bite us every time we go outdoors. This is a direct result of the pheromones our body exudes and the sensory organs that the insects uses to decode those pheromones we emit. REsearchers in UK's Rothamsted Research and the University of London carried out a study to determine what it is exactly that enables a insect to sense these pheromones and react accordingly. They were ables to determine this by means of the UK's Diamond Light Source synchrotron. The synchrotron is able to generate beams of electrons that are used to probe structures down to the molecular level.

The model organism for these pheromone studies was the silkworm moth. It is know that the silkworm moth has odor binding proteins to which the pheromones are able to bind, but exactly how do the pheromones bind? Answering this question could results in numerous ways that we can create proper pesticides/repellants that can bind and block this odor binding protein, therefore reducing the insects ability to bite someone.

The x-ray images showed that the structure of the odor binding protein changed when it was bound to a molecule of the moth pheromone, bombykol. Researchers then concluded that this protein-pheromone complex started the olfactory (or smell) receptor therefore allowing the moth to process the odor.

10 - Young adults 'anxiety overload'

"BBC NEWS | Health | Young adults 'anxiety overload'" BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. .

It seems as if economy has not only affect those who are well established in life, but it has also reach the college campuses. In a recent study it has been shown that many young adults between the ages of 18-24 years old, carry a very high stress level. The study show that 66% of young adults between the ages of 18-24 years old stress out at least once a week over financial issues and job worries. It seems as if those two, financial and job worries, are the top tow issues young adults between the ages of 18-24 years old face.

Stress is not good for anyone let alone young adults who have their whole lives ahead of them! A recent study has broken down the different anxiety causing problems: money worries 45%, job prospects 33%, and pressures from school or university 29%. What makes this a big issue is how the people are handling their issues. Rather than discussing their problems, they are keeping their feelings bottled up. Over 31% of individuals surveyed said that they keep all of their anxiety issues to themselves. The study also showed that women have been found to stress more often then men, one in three women feel stressed, compared to one in ten men.