An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a
stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and almost everyone is
crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two
rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There’s Max,
a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind
following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos.
And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to
survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to
her childhood homeland.
INTRODUCTION:
Over a million cases of skin
cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. More than 95 percent of
these are non-melanoma skin cancer, which is typically caused by overexposure
to the sun's UV rays. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer that
starts in the pigment-producing skin cells, called melanocytes. [B]
Researchers
now report on a potential new role for some bacteria on the skin: protecting
against cancer. Science continues to peel away layers of the skin micro-biome to
reveal its protective properties. In a study published in Science
Advances on February 28, University of California San Diego School
of Medicine researchers report a potential new role for some bacteria on the
skin: protecting against cancer.
Researchers have discovered a strain of bacteria commonly located on healthy human skin called, 'Staphylococcus
epidermidis'. This bacteria has the ability to selectively inhibit growth of certain cancers. This bacteria strain produces a chemical capable of killing several cancer cell types and is non-toxic to normal healthy cells.
RESEARCH:
The chemical produced by S. epidermidis strain
is a compound, '6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP)'. Mice with S.
epidermidis on their skin that did not make 6-HAP had many skin
tumors after being exposed to cancer-causing ultraviolet rays (UV), but mice
with the S. epidermidis strain producing 6-HAP did not. The molecule '6-HAP' impairs the
creation of DNA or "DNA synthesis". It also prevents transformed tumor cells from spreading and can suppress the development of UV-induced skin
tumors.
Mice that received intravenous
injections of 6-HAP every 48 hours over a two-week period experienced no
apparent toxic effects, but when transplanted with melanoma cells, their tumor
size was suppressed by more than 50 percent compared to controls. Proof of skin micro-biome's importance to human health keeps increasing. Some bacteria on human skin actually produces antimicrobial peptides that defend against pathogenic bacteria (i.e. Staph aureus).
S. epidermidis adds a layer of protection against some forms of cancer. More studies are needed to really understand how 6-HAP is
produced, whether its effective in the prevention of cancer, or if missing "6-HAP" on the skin increases
the risk of cancer. With previous research revealed that chemicals produced by Staphylococcus
species commonly found on healthy human skin can kill off certain harmful
bacteria, the team looked at numerous strains to explore their antimicrobial
powers. [A]
Writing in the journal "Science Advances",
Gallo and colleagues discovered a strain
of Staphylococcus epidermidis that produced a substance which kills off a harmful bacteria responsible for infections like that of 'strep throat'. Although, this is not the only strain that has this effect. The chemical produced was unusual in nature having a structure similar to a key part of DNA, the 'Adenine'. At first the strain was detected during a normal screening for antimicrobial activity. When the team discovered the nature of the chemical produced by this strain, they conducted experiments to determine if it might have any effects or activity against tumors. [A]
The results revealed the chemical, '6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP)' hindered the production of
DNA. Work conducted in cell cultures showed '6-HAP's' ability to prevent several tumor cells from growing or multiplying. The team injected this substance in mice and observed that '6-HAP' is not toxic. However, when melanoma cells
were introduced to mice, animals which had received 6-HAP intravenously ended
up with tumors that were more than 60% smaller than those that had not received
the substance. [A]
They also discovered that the ;6-HAP-producing strain' of Staphylococcus epidermidis on the skin of
mice greatly reduced both the number of pre-malignant skin tumors
formed when the creatures were exposed to ultraviolet light. While Staphylococcus epidermidis is
commonly found on human skin, the team say about 20% of the healthy population
is likely to have a strain which produces 6-HAP. Although the strain is common not everyone may have it. [A]
CONCLUSION:
These observations are helping scientists to better understand how important human micro-biota is and now, how important skin micro-biome is to human health. Time has evolved our bodies to need these microbes, so understanding these components are crucial to having a better grasp of human biology. Future human clinical trials will be focusing on this bacterial produced chemical which functions to protect its host from skin
cancers. [A]
[B] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180301103701.htm
*Please note! These images are not mine. They were found
on various tumblr, pinterest, google image sites! If any are yours please let
me know so that I can give you credit for them! Also the people in the images
have no relation to the diseases, illnesses, or cancers I write about. Thanks
so much & enjoy~ *Screen caps by: https://movie-screencaps.com/mad-max-fury-road-2015/
