Trauma May Play a Role in Endometriosis Pathogenesis

 Childhood and Adult trauma May Play a Role in Endometriosis Pathogenesis

    The article right away dives into the many possibilities that childhood and adult trauma is linked to endometriosis. The University of Barcelona has participated in the study and found very important information that there is linkage between trauma and this condition. Endometriosis is defined as a "chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus." More so, the type of trauma most women have been seen with the linkage of endometriosis is physical abuse or sexual assault. 17% of women in the study found to have witnessed a sudden death, 16% experienced sexual assault, and lastly 36% have received news on having a life threatening diagnosis. Early endometriosis screening programs are becoming more known in order to try and get ahead of this condition. 

    

    After coming across and reading this article, I would have never even have imagine trauma could be related to endometriosis. I find it kind of fascinating in a sense and wonder what else other than early screening could be done to help women. I haven't even really heard of endometriosis until reading this article, and I hope no woman has to go through this. 

Sources:

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250206/Childhood-and-adult-trauma-may-play-a-role-in-endometriosis-pathogenesis.aspx

https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2018/07/endometriosis-linked-to-childhood-abuse.html

Synthetic Blood Development Could Be a Breakthrough for Trauma Patients 

Whales and other deep sea diving mammals can hold their breath and keep active for extended amounts of time on just one breath.  This is due to the vast amounts of myoglobin (a protein that helps to hold oxygen in the body) stored in the large mammals’ muscles.

Researchers from Rice University have done studies for quite some time on the myoglobin in the bodies of whales and other marine mammals to hopefully be able to come up with synthetic blood for human trauma patients.  Because the myoglobin in whales can hold so much oxygen, this in turn could be beneficial to humans.  “Whales and other deep-diving marine mammals can pack 10-20 times more myoglobin into their cells than humans can, and that allows them to ‘download’ oxygen directly into their skeletal muscles and stay active even when they are holding their breath” said biochemist, John Olson in a statement.

Whales have a large amount of myoglobin in their muscles which is why they can stay under water for so long.  Humans have less myoglobin in their bodies which is why it is difficult to hold their breath for extended amounts of time.  If synthetic blood were to be developed for trauma patients, it would provide hospitals with a larger blood supply.  This in turn would allow patients to receive blood quicker as well as have that blood “take up” oxygen more efficiently. 

I found this article very interesting.  Although there are many people that donate blood, having synthetic blood on hand could make it easier for patients to be matched for a specific blood type as well as make more blood if needed instead of waiting for a donation. 

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