Layperson Version Blog Posts

Blog #16:Chronic inflammation (CI)- “Enemy #1” (Part 3: A multisystem pathology)

Other than my ad nauseum repetition of “CI being the basis of all diseases,” our discussions up to this point regarding CI have really...

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The enemy within us

Blog #17: Neuroimmunology

Contrary to previous beliefs, the brain is not an “immune-privileged” organ. The nervous system and the immune system share an intimate...

Blog #18:Autoimmune disease (Part 1) - Etiologies

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When "self" becomes villian

Blog #18:Autoimmune disease (Part 1) - Etiologies

When, for some unknown reason, the body incorrectly identifies itself (i.e., self) as foreign (i.e., non-self), effectively, the body...

Blog #19: Autoimmune disease (Part 2)- Female bias)

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When "self" becomes villian

Blog #19: Autoimmune disease (Part 2)- Female bias)

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases in females is an area of intense research and speculation as to its etiologies. This blog will...

Blog #20: Autoimmune disease (Part 3)- Clinical considerations)

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When "self" becomes villian

Blog #20: Autoimmune disease (Part 3)- Clinical considerations)

When discussing autoimmune diseases in the previous blog (#19), we identified the phenomenon of epitope spreading contributing to the...

Blog #21: Immunotherapeutics (Monoclonal antibodies, biosilimars biologics and small molecule drugs)

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When "self" becomes villian

Blog #21: Immunotherapeutics (Monoclonal antibodies, biosilimars biologics and small molecule drugs)

Among all the topics discussed in these blogs, the next three (immunotherapies, cancers, and infectious diseases) will probably be out of...

Blog #22: Immunotherapeutic procedures (PART 1: Stem cell transplantation therapy)

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Bioengineering

Blog #22: Immunotherapeutic procedures (PART 1: Stem cell transplantation therapy)

A rapidly increasing area of immunotherapy is the role of immunogenomic cellular and genetic editing and replacement procedures and cell...

Blog #23: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 2: Homograph transplantation)

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Bioengineering

Blog #23: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 2: Homograph transplantation)

A branch of immunotherapies of profound importance is that of organ, tissue, and cell transplantation. So too are the profound...

Blog #24: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 3: Genetic engineering/ modifications)

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Bioengineering

Blog #24: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 3: Genetic engineering/ modifications)

The use of the word “cure” in medicine always needs delicate consideration. If you recall, the only times I have used the word in earlier...

Blog #25: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 4: CAR-T & CAAR-T cell therapy)

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Bioengineering

Blog #25: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 4: CAR-T & CAAR-T cell therapy)

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) are T cells that have been genetically engineered to give them the new ability to target...

Blog #26: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 5: CRISPR-Cas9 therapy)

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Bioengineering

Blog #26: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 5: CRISPR-Cas9 therapy)

One of the effective ways of treating autoimmune disease is to identify the “signature” of offending genes (their “gene expression” or...

louiscatania

Cruelest enemy, greatest challenge

Blog #27: Cancer (Part 1)- Epidemiology

You have probably seen this popular sign by now with a red slash through the word "Cancer": You’ve just gotta love it. I doubt there are...

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Cruelest enemy, greatest challenge

Blog #28: Cancer (Part 2) - Etiologies

Inherited genetic disorders result in gene alterations in virtually every cell in our body. As a result, these disorders tend to affect...

Blog #29: Cancer (Part 3)- Microbiome, XCI, and microRNA

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Cruelest enemy, greatest challenge

Blog #29: Cancer (Part 3)- Microbiome, XCI, and microRNA

As mentioned in our discussion of infectious agents (in our last Blog #28), it is estimated that individual microbial pathogens...

Blog #30: Cancer (Part 4) -Clinical considerations & diagnosis

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Cruelest enemy, greatest challenge

Blog #30: Cancer (Part 4) -Clinical considerations & diagnosis

The pathological path for cancers is the abnormal proliferation of cells different in type, numbers, and actions of otherwise normal...

Blog #31: Cancer treatment (Part 1)- Chemotherapy, Radiation & Molecular targeted therapy

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Accepting the challenge

Blog #31: Cancer treatment (Part 1)- Chemotherapy, Radiation & Molecular targeted therapy

Combination strategies using immunotherapies and genetic procedures in conjunction with chemotherapies, radiation therapies, and surgery...

Blog #32: Cancer treatment (Part 2)-Immunotherapeutics, Cellular & Genetic procedures

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Accepting the challenge

Blog #32: Cancer treatment (Part 2)-Immunotherapeutics, Cellular & Genetic procedures

In a discussion on immunotherapies in the treatment of cancers, the most appropriate place to begin is with the monoclonal antibodies....

Blog #33: Cancer treatment (Part 3)- Idiotype-anti-idiotype Regulatory Circuit or Loop

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Accepting the challenge

Blog #33: Cancer treatment (Part 3)- Idiotype-anti-idiotype Regulatory Circuit or Loop

Way back in Blog #9, we referenced the Idiotype-anti-idiotype Regulatory Circuit (or Loop) and postponed its full discussion because of...

Blog #34: Cancer treatment (Part 4)- Combination strategies in cancer immunotherapy

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Accepting the challenge

Blog #34: Cancer treatment (Part 4)- Combination strategies in cancer immunotherapy

Back in Blog #9, I promised to return to this (yet another) complex topic, but I also promised to be brief. So, once again, let me take a...

Blog #35: Immunology’s role in infectious disease (Part 1: Pathogenesis)

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Attack on Humanity

Blog #35: Immunology’s role in infectious disease (Part 1: Pathogenesis)

Most microorganisms are based on a DNA genome. Some viruses, including the coronavirus, have RNA-based genomes instead. In general, viral...

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Blog #1: Introduction

Blog #1: Introduction (Lay Version)

Blog #2: Chronic Inflammation (CI): It's what it's all about (Lay Version)

Blog #3: Stress: The kind we have in us and the kind outside of us (Lay Version)

Blog #4: "Women are from Venus and men are from Mars" (Lay Version)

Blog #5: The innate immune system (The start of an amazing journey) (Lay Version)

Blog #6: The immune system millions of years ago (Part 1) (Lay Version)

Blog #7: The immune system millions of years ago (Part 2) (Lay Version)

Blog #8: "It's an immune system!" Embryology and pregnancy (Lay Version)

Blog #9: The adaptive immune system: (When a friend turns on us) (Lay Version)

Blog #10: Immunogenetics and Immunogenomics (What makes us who we are?) (Lay Version)

Blog #11: The Human Genome Project (HGP), Precision medicine, and "AIl of Us" (Lay Version)

Blog #12: XCI (lyonization) (Lay Version)

Blog #13:The Microbiome: "Gut-axis-du jour" (Lay Version)

Blog #14:Chronic inflammation (CI)- “Enemy #1” (Part 1: Etiologies and pathogenesis) (Lay Version)

Blog #15:Chronic inflammation “Enemy #1” (Part 2: Pharmacology and pharmacodynamics) (Lay Version)

Blog #16:Chronic inflammation (CI)- “Enemy #1” (Part 3: A multisystem pathology) (Lay Version)

Blog #17: Neuroimmunology (Lay Version)

Blog #18:Autoimmune disease (Part 1) – Causes (Lay Version)

Blog #19: Autoimmune disease (Part 2)- Female bias) (Lay Version)

Blog #20: Autoimmune disease (Part 3)- Clinical considerations) (Lay Version)

Blog #21: Immunotherapeutics (Monoclonal antibodies, biosimilars and biologics) (Lay Version)

Blog #22: Immunotherapeutic procedures (PART 1: Stem cell transplantation therapy) (Lay Version)

Blog #23: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 2: Homograph transplantation) (Lay Version)

Blog #24: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 3: Genetic engineering/modifications) (Lay Version)

Blog #25: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 4: CAR-T & CAAR-T cell therapy) (Lay Version)

Blog #26: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 5: CRISPR-Cas9 therapy) (Lay Version)

Blog #27: Cancer, Part 1: Immunology’s cruelest enemy and greatest challenge (Lay Version)

Blog #28: Cancer, Part 2: What is it, really? (Lay Version)

Blog #29: Cancer, Part 3: Microbiome, XCI and microRNA: We are beginning to find out (Lay Version)

Blog #30: Cancer, Part 4: Getting a handle on it early (Lay Version)

Blog #31: Cancer treatment, Part 1: Attacking from the outside and from the inside (Lay Version)

Blog #32: Cancer treatment, Part 2: Using our immune system to fight the fight (Lay Version)

Blog #33: Cancer treatment, Part 3: When our own immune system clones its way to care (Lay Version)

Blog #34: Cancer treatment, Part 4: Combining our discoveries, our greatest discovery (Lay Version)

Blog #35: Infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 1: Our immune system under attack (Lay Version)

Blog #36: Infectious disease and COVID-19,Part 2: Using our own genetics to fight back (Lay Version)

Blog #37: Immunology’s role in infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 3: Clinical (Lay Version)

Blog #38: Immunology’s role in infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 4: Therapy (Lay Version)

Blog #39: Immunology’s role in infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 5: Therapy cont. (Lay Version)

Blog #40: Immunology’s role in infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 6: Anti-virals (Lay Version)

Blog #41: Immunology’s role in infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 7: Vaccines (Lay Version)

Blog #42: Immunology’s role in infectious disease and COVID-19, Part 8: Vaccination (Lay Version)

Blog #43: Immunology’s role in Immunoinformatics controlling the beast (Lay Version)

Blog #44: Immunology’s role in public health considerations and recommendations (Saving ourselves)

SCIENCE VERSION

Full scientific terminology

with expert discussion

LAYPERSON VERSION

Lay audience version with limited scientific terminology and informal discussion

Science Version

Layperson Version