8A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, FEB. 8, 2002
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Worm study may help kidney patients
By Mike Gilligan Kansan staff writer
A small roundworm might make all the difference in saving the lives of people with kidney disease.
Matthew Buechner, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, is studying the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans to learn more about polycystic kidney disease, or PKD.
Buechner is studying proteins found in the worms that may prevent PKD.
"It's a horrible disease," he said. "It affects over a million Americans and is more common than cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined."
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
"The swelling takes years, so people get the disease but they don't know they have it until years later," Buechner said.
People who have PKD have a genetic mutation that produces a faulty protein. The protein causes the blood-filtering tubes in the kidney to swell into fluid-filled cysts and eventually causes kidney failure. The only treatment is replacement of the damaged organ.
He said that normal proteins would keep the kidney's tubes from swelling up. But scientists are not sure why the mutated genes cause swelling in the kidneys of people who have the disease.
people with the roundworm C-elegans has the same mutation that causes its excretory tubes to swell, Buechner said.
These worms have only 959 cells compared to the trillions of cells in humans, making it easier to keep track of things.
he said.
"The great thing about worms is they're great for doing genetics because they're simple," Buechner said.
MICHAELLEONARD/KANSAN
The worms live about three
KU scientists are studying worms like this one to learn more about kidney disease. The green area represents the protein in the worm that may prevent the disease.
days, so scientists can see what occurs over the life span of a worm quickly, he said.
"If you want to look for the rare mutation,you need to look at large numbers of animals," Buechner said. "The worms have as many as 250 babies each generation."
Buechner said studying the proteins that worms and humans share in common was important for learning more about PKD.
"The proteins that work correctly must send a signal to make the tube wider or scrunch down as necessary," Buechner said. "If we can find out what this signal is, we might be able to replicate the signal."
Replicating the signal might be done by sending a chemical to the protein in the form of a pharmaceutical drug.
Matthew Buechner, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, peers at roundworms through a microscope. Buechner is researching certain proteins in these worms that may help cure human diseases.
"So maybe you'd be able to give people a dose of this drug once a month and cause all of their tubes to shrink down," Buechner said.
"You need to look at simple models and some more complex models like mice and people,"
The solution is a long way off, he said, and it's hard to predict a time frame.
Buechner said. "There are lots of similarities between organisms, but lots of differences, too."
Nancy Cohen, postdoctoral research associate in the molecular biosciences department, said she was excited about the work she was doing with Buechner.
study these interesting organisms," Cohen said. "And the results we come up with will eventually be applied to curing a disease."
"We're lucky because we get to
Contact Gilligan at
mgiligan@kansan.com. This story was edited by Jenna Goepfert.
CELL
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lar Wireless. She said she sometimes had to pay a $5 fee for roaring charges when she called from outside the Kansas City area.
The Better Business Bureau's Web site, www.bbb.org, warned consumers to make sure they understand fees for cell phone use. The bureau advises consumers to read cell phone contracts carefully and understand roaming, long distance and overtime charges.
Cheryl Bini, public relations manager for Verizon Wireless in St. Louis, said switching to cellular service had advantages for college students
"For people who live with roommates who don't want to share the phone bill or want to talk longer, it's perfect," she said.
Contact mshuman@kansan.com. This story was edited by Molly Gise.
Jonna Bredemeier, analyst for the Higuchi Biosciences Center at the University of Kansas, said she was glad that she canceled her home phone service.
"I never had less than a $50 phone bill from Southwestern Bell for local calls," Bredemeier said. "I always used a phone card for long distance and that cost me even more."
Bini said that students could keep the same phone number when they switched apartments or went home for break.
DESIGN
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"Going all wireless is a matter of pricing and lifestyle." Bini said.
ate it." Harris said.
The association also distributed a survey to fine arts students about the closing of the "Common Shop" on weekends and other changes in the Art and Design Building.
Brantman said the responses would help the association decide what it would fight to save from budget cuts.
The group members said
they thought part of the school's budget problem was the lack of an endowment fund and alumni contributions.
"We don't have a solid group like business does, who can sit together and cough up money." Brantman said. "We go through our four or five years of education completely separate from painting students and graphic students and all the others, and that's why we don't have a very solid alumni base."
Montgomery and two student senators have scheduled a meeting with students at 5:30 p.m. tuesday at 150 Murphy Hall. They will discuss how the money from the proposed tuition should be spent.
Students can e-mail their comments and suggestions to the group at savekudesign@hotmail.com.
Contact Boyer at cboyer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Kyle Ramsey.
GLOVER
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Glover finished the set of poems with "Let America be America Again," after which the audience gave a standing ovation.
After the readings, Glover opened the floor to questions from the audience and delved into issues of world poverty and race relations after Sept. 11. Glover said that the events of Sept. 11 had not brought Americans closer to dealing with real issues such as the death
penalty.
"I don't think Sept. 11 brought us closer to that reality." Glovers said. "What it has done is provide us with an enormous challenge."
Glover said that challenge was for people to listen and hear what was happening in their communities.
Mame Selbee, a graduate student from Senegal, said that learning about Glover's views on issues enhanced his performance of Hughes' work.
"It made poetry very accessible to the public."
she said.
Along with his work in movies such as Beloved and Lethal Weapon, Glover is active in social causes ranging from ending capital punishment to striving for better schools
The event was sponsored by Student Senate and was dedicated to the memory of Shyra McGee, a student senator who was killed in a car accident last February.
Contact Shaffer at Ishafter@kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Hennling.
WHAT IS OBJECTIVISM?
Dr. Andrew Bernstein provides an introduction to this controversial philosophy. Don't Miss It. Wed., February 13 at 7p.m. Centennial RM, KS Union STUDENT SENATE