Chaos in the Bay: Odd Phenomenon Amongst Shellfish

  Seafood, or specifically shellfish, is popular worldwide. When these delicacies living populations starts dwindling, concerns may arise. Especially when this happened to clams (soft-shell) in both the Chesapeake and Maine Bays in the 1970s and researchers could not find the cause. Not until now. Dr. Metzger and his team of researchers found that the cause is a form of cancer which is not only unstable but also contagious. Similar occurrences have been affecting other species of shellfish (cockles, mussels, etc.) as well. These cells go through unorthodox changes (which would normally destroy the cell) and survive anyway. 

  This isn't isolated from only shellfish either, this is also found in certain mammals (Tasmanian Devil and Dogs). The big question is, what if this happens to humans? The Tasmanian Devils are an endangered species because of it, but dogs' immune systems can destroy the cells with ease. Now we are facing an unknown that may be scary but at the same time, it opens a whole new door. Dr. Metzger expresses that this could be a way to uncover secrets about cancer which could help other animals and people as well. A potential breakthrough in medical technology would be astounding and may save numerous lives one day.

Links:

-    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/science/contagious-cancer-shellfish-dna.html

-    https://www.nature.com/articles/s43018-023-00643-7

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The Gene That May Have Made COVID-19 More Contagious

 

    With over a year since the rise of COVID-19, which has changed almost everyone's lives, there has been a constant effort by people all over the world to research and find a way to get ahead of this virus. In this article on The Scientist written by Abby Olena, there is a discussion about a specific mutation that has arisen within the virus and how it may be giving it higher transmissibility.

   The 614g variant is being researched and though it has not been definitively confirmed, there appears to be a relationship between the mutation and the virus's ability to spread more efficiently. While looking at many cases of the virus in the UK and also looking at animal testing, patterns were observed. When someone was infected with the virus that contained this mutation, they also typically had significantly more viral particles found in their respiratory tract. With more of the viral particles found in the respiratory tract, there would be a greater probability of spreading the virus to another person, giving it a new advantage. Though, reading articles like this one can be quite discouraging, the research that has been and that is still being done to understand the virus is crucial. Any and everything that we can learn about COVID-19 and how it functions gets us closer and closer to a solution.

Additional Links

 https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201113/study-new-coronavirus-mutation-accelerates-spread

Scientists Ponder the Prospect of Contagious Cancer

This article starts off by saying how everyone is aware that cancer cells die with the host. However, scientists are now wondering if cancer cells could press on to another body, in other words, contagious cancer. Even though it is not a huge threat right now, they believe that it can be a "medical possibility." There were two known stories in which one, a 19 year old laboratory worker, pricked herself with a syringe filled with colon cancer cells and developed a tumor in her hand. The second story involved a surgeon who got cancer from his patient, when he accidentally cut himself during an operation. Although this is very uncommon in humans, "contagious cancer" has been found in three kinds of animals: dogs, tasmanian devils, and soft shell clams. Cancer spreads through dogs during sexual intercourse since their intercourse involves a long period of time for cancer cells to easily cross over. In tasmanian devils, cancer is spread through wounds, when they try to "tear each other's faces off." 

All of this makes scientists ponder over the risk of such diseases happening to humans. Right now, it remains a curiosity, otherwise contagious cancer would be everywhere. 

This article was very interesting because I had no idea cancer was contagious in any kind of animal. I'm glad I came upon such an article because now I know how there actually is a such thing as contagious cancer and how it spreads to dogs and tasmanian devils. It is also good how scientists are researching the possibility for such diseases to happen in humans.