Some new research from an ongoing study has produced interesting results. Duke University has been conducting studies on cells to find out what really happens when stress occurs. The answer is pretty complex. When cells do not detect stress, their function is to produce protein. These proteins have a very specific shape, so in order for them to function properly, they must be “folded” perfectly. When these protein producing cells detect stress, their priorities shift. Instead of making sure these proteins are folded perfectly, they are trying to fight off the stress while folding proteins at the same time, much like multitasking. As we all know, multitasking doesn’t always work well. In this case, the busy cells will mis-fold the the proteins causing them to build up. This build up of mis-folded proteins has a similar structure of common diseases like Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s and Type 2 Diabetes.

Now, there are many causes for these diseases, but a new common link through them all is stress. I talked about healthy ways to reduce and cope with stress in an earlier blog post, but if we use those resources and find healthy ways to decrease our stress levels, we should have a much lesser chance of getting these diseases.

I don’t find this article because of the website it was posted on, but I believe that the researchers involved with the experiment were all very knowledgable in their field and conducted the necessary studies in order to come to this conclusion. I believe that as technology grows, we are constantly finding new links and causes of diseases.

Works Cited:

Duke University. “Cells put off protein production during times of stress.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 September 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140911125815.htm>.