Metabolic Model for Flux Balance Analysis

Flux balance analysis is a mathematical approach for analyzing the flow of metabolites through a metabolic network.This approach can be used for insilico modelling so that we can get a first hand idea before we can proceed to our actual experiment .

Flux Balance Analysis computes theoretical performance limits, for example we want to calculate the rate of consumption and production of byproducts by a cell line we can  calculate theoretically optimal behavior of the system with respect to the objective and constraints we intend to apply on our system. 

Most common example is bacterial growth ,growing bacterial cells growing in culture evolve under selection pressure for biomass production, the theoretical limit on biomass production may indeed be approached

How closely other systems can be expected to approach optimal condition depends on the constraints should be realistic. In humans, you would for example expect that the physiology of the person would greatly affect the growth rate of any cancer cells.

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Unknown Monday, February 17, 2014  No comment

Resistant melanoma :Hypothesize a strategy towards an effective drug for the resistant melanoma

Two strategy to combat the resistant melanoma :

a)target the ras activity
b)MEK inhibitor

Let go first with ras target what are the pros and cons of targetting ras
So if we go for ras then they target the raf gene, via ras, altogether. Although this may nullify melanoma's resistance to the drug, it will initiate an onslaught of problems, since the activation of the ras protein, and consequently the raf gene, is tightly regulated and has overlaps with other essentially functions. For instance, in humans, those that have a faulty raf gene, whether by point mutation, or amino acid substitution, may have Noonan syndrome, where affected individuals are abnormally short in stature (limbs, especially) and have congenital heart defects. Also, humans with an inactive/mutated raf gene may experience LEOPARD syndrome, an acronym for Lentigo, Electrocardiographic abnormalities, Ocular hypertelorism, Pulmonary stenosis, Abnormal genitalia, Retarded growth, Deafness), and a slew of other complications.

On the other hand, MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase) inhibitor would be a good, and likely choice for a stock investment because they do not target the entire gene, itself, but rather serves as a "roadblock" in the signal pathways that have caused the mutation in the raf protein--the cause for the resistant properties that the cancer possesses. Essentially, and fortunately for the infected individual, the resistance to the cancer drugs does not happen immediately and must go through a long and complex list of cellular events/cascades called kinases. What the MEK does is block these pathways, where the enzyme that would catalyze the initiation of the next kinase (that would eventually activate the mutation in the raf gene, i.e. the resistance to the drug) no longer recognizes the active site of the normal substrate it would bind to, and thus the cascade is halted--hence the idea of a road block. With this road block in the MAPK (MEK)/ERK pathways (these are the major "players," the melanoma cannot become resistant since it never receives the message from the long domino-effect like cascade of kinases to become 

So if we want to make a drug against resistant melanoma the we should go for MEK inhibitor 

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Unknown Monday, December 23, 2013  No comment

Arsenic poisoning in Ganga-Brahmaputra plain

Arsenic is the 20th most abundant in the element in the earth crust,a group 15 element.Found as a component of more than 245 elements.mainly sulphide containing ores as well as other metals.Exposure to this toxic metalloid has been known to result in hazardous health outcomes including cancer.Arsenic toxicity,from usage of underground water,has been reported from different parts of the world spanning more than 21 countries.Arsenic enters into the water system by weathering of rocks,minerals where conversion of arsenic containing sulfide ores undergo redox reaction,small particles or by in form of solute by dissolution by water,which in turn enter into the drinking water source which poses a major health threat to the population around the world.Humans are exposed to the this deadly alkaloid through air,water and water.Sources are natural anthropogenic sources,industrial effluents and mining.Arsenic contamination caused by mining activities in Canada,Germany,Ghana, Greece,Mexico,South Africa,Thailand,UK,USA and Zimbabwe.Arsenic enters into the body and stays as monomethylarsonicacid,arsenobetaine(AsB),arsenite(As[III]),arsenate,methylarsenicacid,dimethylarsenic acid .Arsenic acts as carcinogen which acts through inhibition of DNA repair mechanism.Arsenic toxicity is fatal,epidermis,respiratory,pulmonary,cardiovascular,gastrointestinal,hematological,hepatic,renal,neurological,developmental,reproductive,and carcinogenic effect.Arsneic toxicity problem exist in developed as well as developing country.It is prevalent in North as well as South America,Europe,Australia,Asia,mostly the countries in South East Asia are the worst affected region and most notably is the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin region where million of people are getting affected.According to WHO population residing in the arsenic contaminated area are exposed more than 50 μgm/litre of arsenic which is beyond the safety limit of 10 μgm/litre.Bioaccumulation and biotransformation of arsenic in the food chain,and trophic transfer of arsenic in marine and freshwater food chains have been important concerns for human health,as many countries in the world rely on the marine source as one their source of food.The issue of arsenic contamination must be deal with utmost emergency as it will pose short as well as long term risk,which must be assessed and solution must be created to prevent human from severe health impacts.

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Unknown Saturday, November 23, 2013  No comment