Biomedical subjects

Garret L Yount

Publications and source records attributed to Garret L Yount.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Radiation-induced caspase-8 mediates p53-independent apoptosis in glioma cells.

Malignant gliomas are almost uniformly fatal and display exquisite radiation resistance. Glioma cells lacking wild-type (WT) p53 function are more susceptible to radiation-induced apoptosis than their isogenic counterparts expressing WT p53. We explored the mechanisms of such apoptosis and found that, in the absence of WT p53, radiation increases caspase-8 expression and activity. Inhibition of caspase-8 expression using caspase-8 antisense or small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotides partially blocks radiation-induced apoptosis. In contrast, inhibition of the mitochondrial death pathway by expression of Bcl-2 has no effect on radiation-induced caspase-8 activity or apoptosis. Our data indicate that, in contrast to commonly accepted models of p53-dependent radiation-induced apoptosis, in our cell system, radiation relies on caspase-8 activity to help mediate p53-independent cell death. In a system of inducible E2F1 activity, E2F1 activated caspase-8 and, accordingly, decreased cellular viability, effects that were abolished by caspase-8 siRNA. In this model, in the absence of WT p53, p21Cip1 is not induced, and E2F1 activity is sustained and allows transcription and activation of caspase-8. This model may explain why p53 mutations in adult gliomas paradoxically correlate with improved survival and enhanced response to radiation.

Apoptosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Bioenergy definitions and research guidelines.

A model for the functional and observable interrelation among the various components in a physical bioenergy system is presented. The analogy is made between electric circuits and electromagnetic interactions, and contact and noncontact bioenergy transfer. It is postulated that there exists some form of bioenergy that has the capacity to do work and that this energy behaves in a manner similar to electricity in that the physical concepts of electromotive force, current, and impedance have their equivalents in bioenergy. It is further postulated that these analogous components are related by an equivalent to Ohm's and other physical laws of electricity. This is extended to a conjecture that bioenergy healing is the transfer of information from a practitioner to a healee. Research guidelines for bioenergy measurements are presented, including basic measurement practices for electrical and electromagnetic systems through direct measurements and the use of indirect measurement experiments for detecting these or other forms of bioenergy transfer. The research guidelines are divided into 2 sections: those involving direct measurement of the physical electrical properties of a practitioner, in particular the difficulties associated with electrical measurements of extremely low-level signals outside of a Faraday shield or electromagnetic measurements outside of a radio frequency anechoic chamber; and those for conducting experiments in which the effects of bioenergy are being investigated on the healee or other target system without direct measurements of the means for bioenergy transfer.

Energy Metabolism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Distant healing intention: definitions and evolving guidelines for laboratory studies.

This paper provides definitions and a discussion of evolving guidelines for conducting research on the effects of distant healing intention (DHI) on living systems in the laboratory. We consider the relevance of DHI laboratory research to applied healing, special theoretical challenges, and other considerations that distinguish DHI research from other domains of laboratory science. Two sample protocols for investigating DHI are provided, one involving the human autonomic nervous system as the "target" of distant intention, and the other involving cell cultures. In essence, DHI differs from other alternative healing modalities because it postulates that mental intention alone can affect living systems at a distance, unbounded by the usual constraints of both space and time. This postulate challenges scientific assumptions that often go unexamined, including the nature of causality, the distinction between subjective and objective states, and the efficacy of double-blind protocols in controlling for experimenters' intentions. Previous laboratory research in this domain suggests that DHI effects warrant serious study, but most scientists and funding agencies are unaware of the evidence or the relevant literature. By following these evolving guidelines, researchers' designs and their ultimate publications will conform more closely to the quality standards expected by scientific journals, and such publications will in turn attract the attention of a broader range of scientists. This seems especially important for alternative healing research in general and for distant healing in particular; both realms enjoy broad public support but have largely eluded serious attention by mainstream science.

Brain↗