Science fair and alopecia

Hello,

My name is Devyn Napier and I am a senior in high school. I am extremely interested in the medical field and I attend an all academy school in Concord, Ca. I am in the Medical and Biotechnology Academy and I absolutely love it. I get to wear scrubs to school (so comfortable!) and I was awarded the opportunity to work in the emergency room of John Muir.

In my biological science research class this year, our project is to develop our own science fair experiment. I will then present my research and findings to a panel of judges at the cccsef for the opportunity to win scholarship money for college.

I was diagnosed with alopecia areata when I was three years old and have had it ever since (I am seventeen now), I figured there is nothing in the entire world I would rather experiment with than alopecia.

My plan is to prevent two proteins found in individuals who have alopecia. One (ULBP3) is located on a hair follicle and works as a signal. Now this signal does not normally go off, but, in people with alopecia it does. By doing so, it attracts an immune cell accompanied by the NKG2D protein. What happens here is what we are all familiar with as the autoimmune response.

I was planning on creating a solution to prevent them from binding in the first place. I want to alter their environment and pH and hopefully by doing so, I can prevent them from binding.

I am reaching out because I am in need of advice, opinions, concerns...

I have also reached out to a few dermatologists and was curious if anyone knew any experts on alopecia I could contact?

Any thoughts?

 

Views: 1361

Comment by Akaslowpoke on December 9, 2013 at 11:55am
Angela Christiano out of Columbia University has done extensive research. On the home page of this site you can read/learn more.
Comment by Shannon on December 9, 2013 at 3:04pm

Hi Devyn,

My daughter, in grade 12, did a project on Alopecia. Here's the link to her prezi http://prezi.com/tvw_jprpfpv9/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=co... - sounds like you're on the right track!! She also has a report that she did; let me know if you'd like to have a look at it. Good luck!

 

Comment by AlyNYC on December 9, 2013 at 6:33pm

Good luck! I wanted echo what Losing_it said and ask how will you be demonstrating this process of inhibiting the protein's receptor? -animation would be very cool!  When is the science fair?

Looking forward to a video posting!

Comment by devyn on December 10, 2013 at 11:42am

Thank you all so much for your inspirational words. I cant express how greatful I am for all of the support! it means the world to me. I will keep everyone posted on my progress!

 

Thank you again for the support and contacts,

 

Devyn

Comment by Sunflower25 on December 10, 2013 at 7:03pm

Sounds like an awesome experiment and I wish you the best of luck (for all of our sakes!)  :)

Comment by Lisav on December 18, 2013 at 9:08am

Hi Devyn

My daughter Lola's endocrinologist says that the person who finds a cure for auto-immune disease will win a Nobel prize.  I hope it is you!  Here are some thoughts I wanted to share with you - I hope they help.

I recently heard that potassium ascorbate ribosium is being used in Italy to treat alopecia.  I can only information relating this product to cancer on the english speaking internet.  Perhaps this is something you could look into.

Also my daughter was diagnosed as having leaky gut syndrome, was extremely toxic and has high metal sensitivity.  She has done a detox and has repaired her leaky gut and reduced her toxic level.  She follows a strict wheat/spelt free, sugar free diet.  She was also treated with black walnut for a parasite and given 5000 iu of vitamin D a day to improve her levels.  She was diagnosed in October 2012 and very quickly became AT heading for AU but since doing the treatments she has had regrowth of patchy hair and eyebrows.

Other common factors I have noted are:

That many people with auto-immune diseases suffered from sore/strep throats on a regular basis.  Also I believe there is a link to AI diseases and antibiotic intolerance.

Often AI diseases affect perfectionists which implies a possible psychological co-trigger.

My daughter was diagnosed as a migraine sufferer 6 months before she got Alopecia.  Since having Alopecia her headaches are rare and less severe.

In chinese medicine she is diagnosed as being yin deficient which is what menopausal women are diagnosed as.  I also believe that hormones play a co-role.  My daughter is 10 but fast approaching puberty.  The chinese believe her blood is stagnated and needs to be helped to flow freely again.  The blood nourishes the immune system.

I hope this gives you some ideas for your research.  Good luck!

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