shreddy_scientist

shreddy_scientist, 29 days ago

Cornel West is the best option available, the united states NEEDS an intellectual, philosopher, and social critic in office. It’s been an exceptional shit show more recently. Voting in someone with the ability to actually contemplate the consequences of their actions and not just listen to those with the most money is severely needed to get back on the path to being a functional country.

shreddy_scientist, 30 days ago

Toxoplasmosis is very intriguing, it has actually evolved alongside cats and humans for ages. While anyone with an immunodeficiency is at higher risk of severe side effects, like with any pathogen, it’s also associated with taking bigger risk. This is why a ton of motorcyclists and casino regulars test positive for the parasite. But when we were hunter gatherers, the infection was associated with bringing home bigger kills, which helped the entire tribe. Due to this, toxoplasmosis infections had sizable benefits and those with the infection often had positions of power in tribes!

shreddy_scientist, 30 days ago (edited 30 days ago)

Of course!

• This ones about the evolutionary benefits: The origin of risk aversion www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273387/
• Here’s one on fatal motorcycle accidents: Increased risk of traffic accidents in subjects with latent toxoplasmosis - a retrospective case-control study www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC117239/
• For good measure, here’s one on business owners and the parasite: Risky business - linking Toxoplasma gondii infection and entrepreneurship behaviours across individuals and countries www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6083268/

shreddy_scientist, 28 days ago

It’s no picnic, parasites are burly! The Th2 adaptive immune response for worms, our only parasite response, is only good with small initial infections. But since the side effects are relatively mild considering all parasites, it’s not a big area of focus.

Fun fact: The same response for parasites causes allergies. You can never be allergic when it’s your first exposure either. But a less hygenic environment as a kid greatly redices the risk of developing allergies.

shreddy_scientist, 27 days ago

Yep! Mast cells are activated when IgE antibodies bind to a mast cell receptor. When IgE then binds to the one object it was designed to find, you get mast cell degranulation. This releases histamines along with a few other chemicals. Degranulation is our immune defense against parasites, so you got a head start for parasite defense for sure! But desensitization can be achieved, which makes IgG antibodies bind to the foreign object before IgE has the chance. I’d think this could be a possible treatment for the syndrome.

Do you also have asthma? The same IgE’s also bind to eosinophil’s. Mast cell degranulation in the lungs leads to acute asthma, whereas when eosinophil’s join the party it causes airway remodeling, aka chronic asthma.

shreddy_scientist, 27 days ago (edited 26 days ago)

While there’s no free floating IgE in your system, to degranulate mast cells need IgE bound to their surface. Thats the activation aspect. Since you need mast cells, it’s not exactly something you can turn off. Glad you know the triggers at least, gives you the opportunity to make moves accordingly!

Here’s a great image of degranulation:

https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/0dbae507-c8f5-4284-bb38-59aedd082d04.png

You need two IgE’s to cross-link the same antigen as well, like what is shown above.