Drug #3 (so I didn’t do one yesterday, oops) and yes, I chose this one because of its silly name too.
Gefitinib
What it is: small molecule (aren’t they all?) antineoplastic
Indications: Cancer
Administration: Oral, intravenously
Mechanism of action: This small molecule inhibits the tyrosine kinase receptor domain of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Without EGF, there’s not a whole lot of signaling to grow, so the idea is that the cancer is stunted.
Interactions: Other lovely CYP3A4 enzyme substrates.
Adverse effects: All the nasty antineoplastic side effects. The tolerated “nasty effects” for cancer drugs are actually much higher than most, just because the disease will likely be deadly, so they figure you can put up with more discomfort than if you were taking a med for your headache.
I figure that this sort of counts as studying, just much more amusing (well, I suppose that would depend on who you talk to).
I’m going to start with Cisplatin, because I like the sound of it (contains the sound “splat,” making it just fun to say. Unfortunately the fun does not carry through to the drug).
Cisplatin
What it is: antineoplastic (anticancer)
Indications: Cancer (bladder, ovarian, testicular)
Administration: Intravenously
Mechanism of action: Binds covalently to DNA, causes little hitches, DNA can’t divide, cell thinks, “WTF?!” and there is a p53-mediated apoptosis (suicide). This mechanism is very similar to alkylating agents.
Interactions: Echinacea, taxane derivatives (such as paclitaxel, another antineoplastic), topotecan (yet another antineoplastic)
Adverse effects: Nausea, neurotixicity, myelosuppression, alopecia
The way our curriculum is set up, sometimes we need to know things that we won’t officially learn until next year. For example, right now we’re in pharm, but we’re talking about analgesics and how/where they work. It makes things a little bit more difficult when up until this point the brain has pretty much been a vacant circle at the top of a tube with neurons (ouuu). Since I actually have the benefit of knowing that the brain is further subdivided into at least a couple other blobs within that circle, I dug out the ole’ neuroanatomy textbook and redrew on of the pathways that was causing major headaches (myself included). Seriously, there are so many double/triple/quadruple negatives in this pathway it makes the head spin. Who knew that the activation of the inhibitory interneuron would inhibit the other inhibitory interneuron, releasing inhibition of another neuron only to inhibit pain?
So here’s the periaquaductal grey pathway in all of its cartoon glory. Yes, I realize that I didn’t really draw the medulla and totally left out the pons. No one like them anyways. For a printable version, here is the PDF.
P.S. I wrote the text, so it’s probably riddled with spelling errors and other typos. C’est la vie.
Just a friendly reminder that you can not only donate whole blood, but plasma and platelets too. These are just individual components of blood, so because it isn’t whole blood, you can donate more often! It doesn’t hurt any more than giving blood (just the one needle) and you are treated like royalty.
Just so, you know.
The Giant Microbes platelet (which I received from my parents for Easter, because nothing says Easter like blood’s ability to clot) is not affiliated with me, or Canadian Blood Services. But it’s cute. Terribly cute.
All year I’ve been doing a surgery elective, which means that once a week when I go to the OR I get to wear the most excellent “buffont hat”. The sort of disposable blue poofy hat that you’d imagine someone in the food industry wearing. For the most part I don’t mind, even though it makes my ears and forehead look huge, but everyone else (doctors, nurses, orderlys) has cool scrub caps. Most of the time I figured that this was a right of passage. A1 agreed (even though she really wanted one too).
So finally, when I went back toy parents’ house for Easter this past weekend I though, “screw it, I want a cool hat.” So I went to the fabric store and bought some fabric and then I made A1 and I both scrub caps, I even embroidered “A1″ and “A2″ on them (the other Allison being A1 and me being A2). I made the pattern up myself, using a guide I found on Craftster. I’m pretty proud of them. I even wore it in the OR today! Makes me want to get a sewing machine of my own.
Soon I will be a sewing (or should I say suturing) master!
Mike finally got around to getting a new computer, which was long, long overdue. He figured that a smart choice would to be to get a netbook (can’t beat a computer that’s twice as good as your old one on all of the computery specs at a price of $300). To make matters cooler, he got a Dell Mini 10v.
For those of you in the know, this is the posterboy computer of Hackintoshing (installing Mac OS onto a “windows” computer). Following this excellent guide, we installed Snow Leopard onto the cute little computer. It went unbelievably smoothly and completely without a hitch and now he has a 10″ mac (even its webcam works!). I must admit, I’m more than a little jealous. The funny thing is that this is his first “mac” computer, while I am a Mac geek, he’s never really come over to my side. But the computer came with XP and Windows 7 is no longer free, so this turned out to be the much more economical option.
Now back to learning about microbiology, immunology and pathology…
First off, I don’t know why I didn’t know about this site before, but let me say, Curbly is awesome (hip and cool DIY, I’m so in!).
While I’ve been perusing the archives, I came across these inkblot pillows (from Uniform Natural). The geek in me instantly lit up and though I don’t think you could make them by actually folding over the fabric, I don’t think it would be too hard just to paint such a design by hand. I think I’ll consider that the next time I’m thinking of getting some pillows.
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I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Pi Day (March 14 - 3/14).
Mike and I will be baking a pi(e) later today to celebrate, so I’ll post pictures later on.
We were both pretty proud of our lemon meringue pi, even though it was in a cake pan and not a proper pie plate. Unfortunately we didn’t get to taste it since it needed a long time to “set”, but I’m sure the people who came into the Family Room Monday morning enjoyed it!
The recipe we used was from a Canadian Living cookbook, the crust recipe along with the filling recipe are all out of it. Yup, that’s right we made our own crust and filling!
I was lucky enough to see Dr. James Orbinski speak tonight. For those of you who are thinking “Who?” he is the former president of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and started Dignitas International, an organization that helps provide treatment and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. He also happens to be a Noble Prize winner (1999). And not to mention an amazing speaker.
