Health Talk

Did you know that brain tumors are the second leading cause of death in people under age 20?

May is Brain Tumor Awareness month, and at the University of Minnesota we are dedicated to tackling this serious disease, particularly through our innovative Brain Tumor Program.

The third Cancer Prevention Study by the American Cancer Society is a longitudinal study aimed at finding root causes of cancer.

But you don’t have to be a neuroscientist to make a difference in the life of patients battling brain tumors. This year our community has a unique opportunity to impact the lives of many.

The third Cancer Prevention Study of the American Cancer Society will be enrolling participants at the University of Minnesota on June 19, 2013, and in several places around the Twin Cities around the same time.

Researchers from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, and the University’s Brain Tumor Program, have developed a new mouse model of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) that allow them to discover new genes and gene pathways driving this type of cancer.

MPNST is a genetically diverse, aggressive form of sarcoma impacting connective tissue surrounding nerves that occurs sporadically or in association with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) syndrome. The exact cause of MPNST is not known, but symptoms include swelling in the arms and legs, soreness and stiffness at the site of the tumor.  MPNSTs are the most common malignancy in adults with NF1 syndrome and leading cause of NF1-related mortality.

Winter is over, the sun is shining and across the country and it’s pleasant enough to roll down the windows, break out your favorite pair of shorts and sandals and get outside.

But before you head out for a day of fun in the sun, you may want to take note of some recent changes to the label on your sunscreen bottle…

For some couples, arriving at the miracle of birth is more complex than sperm + egg = embryo = pregnant. The human body is incredibly complex, and few processes are as complicated as human reproduction.

For example, consider the first five days in the reproduction process:

Day 0 – Egg meets sperm in the fallopian tube. Sperm penetrates egg.
Day 1 – Fertilization occurs and a zygote forms, which includes DNA from both the male and female.
Day 2 – The zygote has evolved into an embryo. Cell count is now four.
Days 3 to 5 – Even more growing as the cells split. There are now eight cells. The embryo leaves the fallopian tube and enters the uterus.
Day 5– Embryo hatches, blastocyst embryo erupts and implants into the uterine wall, and a woman is deemed pregnant.

Two adult bald eagles recently “talon-locked” during a mid-air battle in Duluth, Minn. and crash-landed on the Duluth International Airport tarmac. While one bird was able to fly away, the other was severely injured and was taken to The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota for care.

Talon-locking is known to occur among eagles of the same sex during breeding territory battles and among male and female eagles during courtship.

The eagle cared for at The Raptor Center sustained puncture wounds from the second bird’s talons and is expected to recover.

Watch a KARE 11 video featuring The Raptor Center executive director Julia Ponder, D.V.M., and the bald eagle patient here.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system which can lead to blurred vision, balance issues, tremors and even paralysis amongst other issues.

An estimated 2.1 million people have MS but it is believed to be much higher because the CDC does not require U.S. physicians to report new cases.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota neuroscientist Wensheng Lin, M.D., Ph.D., took a closer look at the relationship of myelin and oligodendrocytes (cells responsible for the formation of myelin in the central nervous system) in mice with MS.