Smoking causes cancer. That may be enough for some people, but for those interested in what happens in between, what follows is one explanation. Upon inhalation of tobacco smoke, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and certain nitrosamines are deposited in body tissue. These are metabolized by cytochrome P450 and other enzymes, forming reactive metabolic intermediates that form… Read More »Explaining Illness The post Explaining Illness first appeared on Biomedical Odyssey.| Biomedical Odyssey
As a postdoctoral fellow who spends her days conducting basic science research, I have noticed mice unexpectedly become a familiarity within my daily life. However, the first mouse I ever encountered wore red shorts with white buttons and white gloves. Mickey Mouse, printed on matching shirts that my grandmother gave to my sister and me,… Read More »From Mickey to Morris – A Reflection on Mice, Metaphor and Medical Science The post From Mickey to Morris – A Reflection on Mice, Metapho...| Biomedical Odyssey
A toddler born with a severe neuromuscular disease takes their first steps. A woman born blind sees a sunset emblazoned across a mountain valley her friends used to have to describe to her. A child born deaf hears their mother sing a soothing lullaby for the first time. The advent of gene therapy has made… Read More »Restoring Hearing, Redefining Identity: New Therapeutics and Challenges The post Restoring Hearing, Redefining Identity: New Therapeutics and Challenges first appeared on Bio...| Biomedical Odyssey
I was surfing Amazon the other day when I came across the most peculiar thing. It was a brain stimulator, a research tool like the one we often use in the lab I work in to study the brain. Yet this wasn’t a device manufactured for research purposes; it was marketed to the average consumer as an all-in-one panacea to boost cognitive performance, treat mood disorders and accomplish who knows what else. Naturally, I was intrigued, a curiosity that led me down the rabbit hole of direct-to-consu...| Biomedical Odyssey
Each November, the American Medical Association (AMA) Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates is held. The House of Delegates is a policy and legislative body comprising nearly 500 elected physicians. The House of Delegates convenes under one roof with delegates from each state and specialty society to discuss the direction of medicine and medical advocacy for the coming six months. The following topics were at the forefront of negotiations at this meeting in November 2023.| Biomedical Odyssey
What steps are clinical teams responsible for to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) recommendations are accurate and unbiased before using them in patient care? If a care team member uses AI to automatically write a note in a patient’s chart, how should this be indicated in the electronic medical record? Once an AI has been shown to have largely accurate performance, is it necessary that a physician be able to explain the AI’s decision in an individual case?| Biomedical Odyssey
The incorporation of machine learning into daily living has exponentially increased in recent years after the release of ChatGPT for public use. From generating digital artwork and creating personalized playlists to predicting medical outcomes and election results, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken up an indispensable role in improving the efficiency of our recreational and professional| Biomedical Odyssey
