STEM CELLS - Stem cells have the ability to change into other types of cells. Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. Stem cells are already being used to treat leukemia and some joint repairs. Stem cells are unprogrammed cells in the human body that can be described as "shape shifters." These cells have the ability to change into other types of cells. Stem cells are at the center of a new field of science called regenerative medicine. Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. They may also be used to regenerate organs, reducing the need for organ transplants and related surgeries. Stem cells are like little kids who, when they grow up, can enter a variety of professions. A child might become a fireman, a doctor or a plumber, depending on the influences in their life -- or environment. In the same way, these stem cells can become many tissues by making certain changes in their environment. Embryonic and fetal stem cells have the potential to morph into a greater variety of cells than adult stem cells do. Stem cells from fat have the ability to mature into other types of specific cells, including muscle, bone and cartilage.

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Stem Cells

What are stem cells and what are they used for?

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Stem cells have the ability to change into other types of cells. Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. Stem cells are already being used to treat leukemia and some joint repairs.

HowStuffWorks

  

Stem cells are unprogrammed cells in the human body that can be described as "shape shifters."

These cells have the ability to change into other types of cells.

Stem cells are at the center of a new field of science called regenerative medicine.

Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer.

Eventually, they may also be used to regenerate organs, reducing the need for organ transplants and related surgeries.

"Stem cells are like little kids who, when they grow up, can enter a variety of professions," Dr. Marc Hedrick of the UCLA School of Medicine says.

"A child might become a fireman, a doctor or a plumber, depending on the influences in their life -- or environment. In the same way, these stem cells can become many tissues by making certain changes in their environment."

Stem cells can typically be broken into four types:

·      Embryonic stem cells - Stem cells taken from human embryos

·      Fetal stem cells- Stem cells taken from aborted fetal tissue

·      Umbilical stem cells - Stem cells take from umbilical cords

·      Adult stem cells - Stem cells taken from adult tissue

Embryonic and fetal stem cells have the potential to morph into a greater variety of cells than adult stem cells do.

In April 2001, researchers at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh found stem cells in fat sucked out of liposuction patients. Previously, stem cells were found only in bone marrow, brain tissue and fetal tissue -- sources that have caused both logistical and ethical problems.

Stem cells from fat have the ability to mature into other types of specific cells, including muscle, bone and cartilage, but how many other types is still unknown.

Prior to being transplanted into a person's tissue to begin regeneration of that tissue, stem cells have to go through differentiation.

Differentiation is the process by which scientists pre-specialize the stem cells, almost like preprogramming the stem cells to become specific cells.

These cells are then injected into the area of the body being targeted for tissue regeneration.

When stem cells come into contact with growth chemicals in the body, the chemicals program the stem cells to grow into the tissue surrounding it.

Stem cells are already being used to treat leukemia and some joint repairs.

For example, a bone-marrow transplant is accomplished by injecting stem cells from a donor into the bloodstream of the patient.

Stem cells from bone marrow also have the ability to repair the liver. Researchers are studying stem cells to find out if they could correct brain damage resulting from Parkinson's disease.

The next step will be to learn what influences stem cells to change into particular types of cells.

Once that's known, it will be possible to grow cells that perfectly match those of the patients.

HowStuffWorks got its start in 1998 at a college professor's kitchen table. From there, we quickly grew into an award-winning source of unbiased, reliable, easy-to-understand answers and explanations of how the world actually works. Today, our writers, editors, podcasters and video hosts share all the things we're most excited to learn about with nearly 30 million visitors to the site each month. Learn more about our authors, and maybe even become one yourself. You can learn more about us in our FAQ.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/question621.htm

HEALTH EFFECTS OF AIRPORT NOISE AND POLLUTION – The European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies. The E.U. estimates that 20% of Europe’s population (about 80 million people) are exposed to airport noise levels it considers unhealthy and unacceptable. Airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development. A 1980 study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away. A 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby. A 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland, and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five-decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings. The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered. Living near an airport also means facing significant exposure to air pollution.

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Health Effects of Airport Noise and Pollution

By Larry West

Researchers have known for years that exposure to excessively loud noise can cause changes in blood pressure as well as changes in sleep and digestive patterns, all signs of stress on the human body.

The very word “noise” itself derives from the Latin word “noxia,” which means injury or hurt.

Airport Noise and Pollution Increase Risk for Illness

On a 1997 questionnaire distributed to two groups (one living near a major airport, and the other in a quiet neighborhood), two-thirds of those living near the airport indicated they were bothered by aircraft noise, and most said that it interfered with their daily activities.

The same two-thirds complained more than the other group of sleep difficulties, and also perceived themselves as being in poorer health.

Perhaps even more alarming, the European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies.

The E.U. estimates that 20% of Europe’s population (about 80 million people) are exposed to airport noise levels it considers unhealthy and unacceptable.

Airport Noise Affects Children

Airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development.

A 1980 study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away.

A 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby.

A 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland, and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five-decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings.

The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered.

Citizen Groups Concerned About Effects of Airport Noise and Pollution

Living near an airport also means facing significant exposure to air pollution.

Jack Saporito of the U.S. Citizens Aviation Watch Association (CAW), a coalition of concerned municipalities and advocacy groups, cites several studies linking pollutants common around airports (such as diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide and leaked chemicals) to cancer, asthma, liver damage, lung disease, lymphoma, myeloid leukemia, and even depression.

A recent study pinpointed ground taxiing by planes at busy airports as the source of large amounts of carbon monoxide, which in turn appears to increase the prevalence of asthma within 10 kilometers of the airport.

CAW is lobbying for the clean- up of jet engine exhaust as well as the scrapping or modification of airport expansion plans across the country.

Another group working on this issue is Chicago’s Alliance of Residents Concerning O’Hare, which lobbies and conducts extensive public education campaigns in an effort to cut noise and pollution and rein in expansion plans at the world’s busiest airport.

According to the group, five million area residents may be suffering adverse health effects as a result of O’Hare, only one of four major airports in the region.

Larry West

Environmental Journalist

Education

B.A., Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Washington

Introduction

Environmental journalist with 20+ years of experience

Winner, Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting

Writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications since 2002

Experience

Larry West is a former writer for ThoughtCo who contributed articles for five years. He is a principal and professional writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications. He has written about environmental issues for leading newspapers, magazines, and online publications. 

During his 20-year career in newspapers, Larry was part of an investigative team whose work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He also received the Meeman Award for national environmental reporting from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Later, Larry served as press secretary and deputy chief of staff for a U.S. Representative and served as communications director for a U.S. Senator. He also managed public affairs for organizations including the Federal Aviation Administration, a global technology company, and one of the largest ports in the United States. In each of those positions, Larry was involved in environmental strategy, policy, and communications. 

Education

Larry studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He also taught research and writing courses in continuing education programs at the University of Washington and the University of Alaska. 

Awards and Publications

While working as a journalist for "The Seattle Times," Larry's work was awarded the Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting by Scripps Howard, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.thoughtco.com/health-effects-of-airport-noise-and-pollution-1204091

TOXIC BENZENE AND PARKED CARS - Benzene is a toxic chemical known to produce a variety of ill health effects, including anemia and cancer (specifically leukemia) in humans. The substance occurs both naturally and as a byproduct of human activities, e.g. as a component of petroleum-based products and products manufactured using benzene as a solvent (such as plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes, glues, detergents, and drugs). It's also a constituent of tobacco smoke. Low levels of benzene are typically present in outdoor air due to automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Thanks to vapors emitted by household products such as glues, paints, and furniture wax, even higher levels of benzene can sometimes be found in indoor air, especially in new buildings. In most cars, these items are made from plastics, synthetic fabrics, and glues, some of which are manufactured using benzene. Such items may "off-gas" trace amounts of benzene, especially under hot weather conditions. As to car air fresheners, there's precious little information available about the ingredients, though one European study found that some household air fresheners emit measurable amounts of benzene. It's not inconceivable that some car air fresheners do, too. The crucial question is how much. Might all of these potential emitters cumulatively give off enough benzene to harm your health? Most of the published studies wherein benzene levels were measured inside passenger vehicles have been done in traffic. So, while such studies have indeed found that in-vehicle benzene levels can significantly exceed those outside the vehicle, and could pose a human health hazard, this is mainly attributed to the presence of exhaust fumes.

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Toxic Benzene and Parked Cars

by David Emery

This viral message claims car interiors contain toxic levels of cancer-causing benzene emitted by dashboards, car seats, and air fresheners, and recommends opening windows to expel trapped benzene gas before turning on the car air conditioner.

True or false?

·      Description: Online rumor

·      Circulating since May 2009

·      Status: Grain of truth / Overblown (see details below)

·      Example: Email text contributed by Glennis A., May 11, 2009:

Car A/C (Air Conditioning) MUST READ!!!

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.
Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the air-conditioning after a couple of minutes.

Here's why:

According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).

In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells.

Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft.

A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level...

People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession excessive amounts of the toxin.

Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver. What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff. So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out - dispel the deadly stuff - before you enter.

Our Analysis

While it isn't one hundred percent false, the above text is a font of misinformation. Don't let it scare you.

Starting with the basics, it's true that benzene is a toxic chemical known to produce a variety of ill health effects, including anemia and cancer (specifically leukemia) in humans.

The substance occurs both naturally (mainly as a component of crude oil) and as a byproduct of human activities, e.g. as a component of petroleum-based products (such as gasoline) and products manufactured using benzene as a solvent (such as plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes, glues, detergents, and drugs).

It's also a constituent of tobacco smoke.

Low levels of benzene are typically present in outdoor air due to automobile exhaust and industrial emissions.

Thanks to vapors emitted by household products such as glues, paints, and furniture wax, even higher levels of benzene can sometimes be found in indoor air, especially in new buildings.

Benzene in Cars

Do automobile dashboards, door panels, seats, and other interior components emit benzene, as claimed in the email?

Most likely.

In most cars, these items are made from plastics, synthetic fabrics, and glues, some of which are manufactured using benzene.

According to scientists, such items may "off-gas" trace amounts of benzene, especially under hot weather conditions.

As to car air fresheners, there's precious little information available about the ingredients, though one European study found that some household air fresheners emit measurable amounts of benzene.

It's not inconceivable that some car air fresheners do, too.

The crucial question is how much.

Might all of these potential emitters cumulatively give off enough benzene to harm your health?

What the Scientists Say

Most of the published studies wherein benzene levels were measured inside passenger vehicles have been done under driving conditions, in traffic.

So, while such studies have indeed found that in-vehicle benzene levels can significantly exceed those outside the vehicle, and could pose a human health hazard, this is mainly attributed to the presence of exhaust fumes.

Also, the amounts of benzene actually detected by researchers, albeit statistically significant, were much, much smaller than the amounts stated in the email.

A 2006 study summarizing all the data collected to date reported in-vehicle benzene levels from exhaust fumes ranging from .013 mg to .56 mg per cubic meter — a far cry from the 400 mg to 4,000 mg per square foot (do they mean cubic foot?) reported in the email.

Benzene Levels in Parked Cars

In the one study, we were able to find that measured benzene levels inside parked cars with their engines turned off.

The results were more benign.

Toxicologists took samples of the air inside both a new and a used vehicle under simulated hot-sunlight conditions, measuring the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including C3- and C4-alkylbenzenes, and exposing human and animal cells to the samples to determine their toxicity.

Despite the detectable presence of VOCs (a total of 10.9 mg per cubic meter in the new car and 1.2 mg per cubic meter in the old car), no toxic effects were observed.

Apart from noting the slight possibility that allergy-prone individuals might find their condition exacerbated by exposure to such compounds, the study concluded there is "no apparent health hazard of parked motor vehicle indoor air."

When in Doubt, Ventilate

Despite this finding, some drivers may still be concerned about the presence of any benzene vapors inside their car, especially given the World Health Organization's stated position that there is "no safe level of exposure" to the carcinogen.

They may also worry, per the email warning above, that turning on the vehicle's air conditioner might exacerbate their exposure to trapped toxins by recirculating contaminated air.

If that's the case, there's no harm done — and much peace of mind to be gained — by simply opening the windows and ventilating the car before turning it on.

David Emery is a freelance writer and avid chronicler of folklore and popular culture, with a special interest in the quick-fire folklife of the digital age.

Experience

Dubbed About.com's "urban legend guru" by Salon magazine and cited in the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post, the BBC and USA Today, David Emery has more than 18 years' experience as an Internet folklore expert and debunker of urban legends, hoaxes, and popular misconceptions. Other professional credits include stints as a newsroom librarian, staff writer for a TV sitcom, freelance journalist, and contributing editor of a satirical newspaper. Mr. Emery first won recognition in the online universe as an arch commentator on the outer limits of Net culture with Iron Skillet Magazine, "a compendium of offbeat views run through the blender of the author's savage sense of humor ... [with] on-target skewerings of strange ideas" (Houston Chronicle, 1997).

Testimonials

“[Emery is] a strong writer with a bright, amusing style. This fun, informative, and concise site is extremely easy to navigate and a good first step for those new to the subject.” – Brandon Toropov, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Legends (Alpha Books, 2001)

“The best place to track urban legends is the About.com section run by guide David Emery. In addition to his usual smart debunking of various urban legends, he has been tracking rumors about the attacks since Sept. 11. “ – Sree Sreenivasan, “Keeping Track of Rumors and Hoaxes” (Poynter.org, 2002)

“This About.com subsite has been hosted for ten years by David Emery and frankly, he has done a great job. He is passionate about finding and debunking all those rumors, myths, pranks and odd stories. “ – Tim Malone, “Top 10 Sites to Debunk Urban Legends" (Tech Republic, 2008)

"David Emery's urban legend site at About.com has been a reliable source of information for years." – Jan Harold Brunvand, Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, Updated and Expanded Edition (ABC-CLIO, 2012)

Education

Mr. Emery holds a BA in Philosophy.

David Emery

Please join me in what promises to be a constantly entertaining, ever-enlightening exploration into the urban legends and folklore of the digital age.

https://www.thoughtco.com/is-there-toxic-benzene-in-parked-cars-3298894

CHILDREN AND LEUKEMIA - Leukemia, which disrupts normal cell growth in the blood and bone marrow, accounts for nearly one-third of all childhood cancer cases. Certain forms of leukemia tend to strike early in life and affect far more children than adults. The disease manifests in various forms, and the subtypes that mostly affect children typically progress quickly and require immediate, aggressive treatment. Although similarities exist between childhood and adult leukemias, evidence suggests that the cancers don't share the same genetic roots. What has been known for some time is that there are clear genetic differences between childhood cancer and adult cancer. Important distinctions between childhood and adult leukemia may lie in how the bone marrow functions in people of different ages and how cancer commandeers that tissue for its own purposes.

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Children And Leukemia

Why Do Some Forms of Leukemia Affect Mostly Children?

By Nicoletta Lanese - Staff Writer 

Childhood leukemias may exploit specific vulnerabilities found only in immature cells.

Certain forms of leukemia tend to strike early in life and affect far more children than adults.          

Leukemia, which disrupts normal cell growth in the blood and bone marrow, accounts for nearly one-third of all childhood cancer cases, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The disease manifests in various forms, and the subtypes that mostly affect children typically progress quickly and require immediate, aggressive treatment.

Although similarities exist between childhood and adult leukemias, evidence suggests that the cancers don't share the same genetic roots.                   

"What has been known for some time is that there are clear genetic differences between childhood cancer and adult cancer," said Dr. Thomas Mercher, a director of hematology-oncology research for the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research and the Gustave Roussy research institute in Villejuif, France.

Studies suggest that the specific genetic quirks seen in childhood leukemia cells may arise very early in life, or even in the womb, but how this happens step by step "is generally very unclear," Mercher said. 

Now, new research hints that childhood leukemia may be able to hijack only young, developing cells — like those found in fetuses and children — not the mature cells of full-grown adults. 
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To investigate why certain leukemias may prey on immature cells, Mercher and his colleagues gathered genetic samples from young patients with a particularly aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and replicated the disease in mouse models.

The team's study, published Oct. 29 in the journal Cancer Discovery, hints at why the cancer appears early in life, often before the affected child reaches 2 years old.

"The genetic alterations that we studied here are only found in childhood leukemia," Mercher added. 

In general, AML is more prevalent in adults than children; the disease accounts for fewer than 25% of all childhood leukemia cases, according to the American Cancer Society.

However, a rare subtype called "acute myeloblastic leukemia type 7" (AML-M7) predominantly appears in infants under the age of 2.

Children with other forms of AML develop the disease later in life, around age 6, and show better survival rates than individuals with the more-aggressive subtype, the authors noted in a statement. 

Could the children's ages at the time of disease onset offer clues as to why these cancers have such different outcomes? To find out, the researchers looked to the children's genes.     

Frankenstein-style mutations 

Back in 2012, the team gathered leukemia cells from both children and adults who had AML-M7, discovering a key difference between the genetic material in the children versus the adults.

Many of the children's cells contained genes that had merged together, Frankenstein-style, to form new, hybrid genes.

Individually, the genes play important roles in blood cell development, but once stuck together, those genes may direct cells to build unusual proteins and ultimately transform into cancerous cells, the researchers theorized.

None of these "fusion genes" appeared in a single adult leukemia cell, which hinted that the team might be onto something.      

After the researchers published this initial finding, they and other scientists found ample evidence of fusion genes in AML-M7 leukemia.

But no one knew exactly what these hybrid genes did or why they appeared only in children. 

So, Mercher and his colleagues continued to investigate, focusing their research on a fusion gene known as ETO2–GLIS2.

Welding together two normally separate genes, ETO2 and GLIS2, the mutation appears in about 30% of children with AML-M7 and seems linked to poor responses to cancer treatment and low survival rates, the researchers wrote.

To learn how this mutation drives cancer, the team observed how the fusion gene seized control of hematopoietic stem cells, cells that normally give rise to healthy blood cells but can get hijacked by leukemia.          

The scientists developed a mouse model in which they could turn the ETO2–GLIS2 mutation "on" or "off" in a given tissue inside the mouse.

They ran their experiment in both fetal and adult-age mice to see if the fusion gene would affect cells differently depending on the cells' stage of development.

Turns out, that's exactly what happened. When the team activated ETO2–GLIS2 in fetal stem cells, the resulting proteins seemed to tamper with cellular pathways that normally turn the cells into healthy blood cells.

Basically, the fusion gene flipped a "molecular switch" that rapidly transformed the stem cells into aggressive leukemia.

Blocking ETO2–GLIS2 activation in the same fetal mice flipped the switch back, curbed the cancer growth and allowed stem cells to turn into normal blood once more. 

By comparison, the adult stem cells appeared "much less prone to give rise to leukemia" when ETO2–GLIS2 was activated, Mercher said.

In fact, the fusion gene did not appear to be a key driver of leukemia progression in adult mice. 

"The developmental stage of the cells in which the mutation arises determines the aggressiveness and the type of leukemia that you get," Mercher said. 
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The results "show that more people should be paying attention to the fetal bone marrow environment," where hematopoietic stem cells can be found, said Dr. Mignon Loh, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study.

The immediate environment, or niche, where a fetal stem cell develops looks very different from the environment surrounding an adult cell, she said. 

"When you're a baby and have been incubating for 9 months, that niche is pretty pure," Loh said. Important distinctions between childhood and adult leukemia may lie in how the bone marrow functions in people of different ages and how cancer commandeers that tissue for its own purposes, she said. 

Research into ETO2–GLIS2 may also shed light on how other forms of childhood leukemia rely on fusion genes, provided that the team's findings in mice hold true in humans, Loh said.

More broadly, further research into the nature of fetal stem cells in general could reveal other avenues by which leukemia exploits developing cells, she said.

"There may be something permissive about a fetal-like stem cell" that allows it to transform into malignant cancer, Loh said.

If future research could pinpoint how child-specific mutations cause leukemia, drugs could be developed to stall or stop the disease, Mercher added. 

"That would be like [finding] the holy grail," Loh said.

Nicoletta Lanese is a science journalist and dancer who aims to bring science to new audiences, whether in print or on stage. She holds degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Brains are her beat. Follow her on Twitter @NicolettaML. 

https://www.livescience.com/why-some-leukemia-mostly-affects-children.html?utm_source=notification