Undergraduate biology majors Yousif and Hallman publish review paper

Two undergraduate biology majors, Marvin Yousif and Allison Hallman, are coauthors on a review paper published in the December 2012 issue of Frontiers in Biology. Their paper is titled Oxidative Stress, Respiratory Muscle Dysfunction, and Potential Therapeutics in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Volume 7, Pages 506-513). The introduction to the paper nicely summarizes the importance of this research.

"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined by the progressive airflow obstruction of the peripheral airways and displays symptoms including lung inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and emphysema. According to a 2012 report by the World HealthOrganization, approximately one person dies of COPD every ten seconds. It is also anticipated to become the world’s third leading cause of death by 2020. Besides its devastating morbidity rates, COPD places a substantial burden on the economy. Estimated direct and indirect costs of COPD in the United States are $29.5 billion and $20.4 billion, respectively. Risk levels of COPD are measured by the Global Initiative forChronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) on a numeric scale: GOLD 1 identifies mild COPD symptoms, GOLD 2 moderate, GOLD 3 severe, and GOLD 4 very severe. Noxious inhalants such as tobacco smoke and sulfur dioxide are factors that can prompt COPD development and progressive damage to the respiratory system . Due to the lack of oxygen and the subsequent overexertion on the respiratory system, reactiveoxygen species (ROS) formation is constantly triggered. Excessive ROS are primarily responsible for degradation of intracellular proteins, rupturing of cellular membranes, intracellular Ca2+ overload, cellular necrosis, and apoptosis….

This review presents a synopsis of the physiologic and anatomical changes that occur in patients with COPD as well as its current and potential therapeutic strategies."

Yousif is President of the Diagnostics Association, Vice President of PATCH, Vice President of the Neurology Club, and one of Oakland University’s four nominees for the Goldwater Scholarship this year. Hallman is a Presidential Scholar, a member of the Honors College, treasurer of the Premedical Society, and an Orientation Assistant. Both worked in the laboratory of former OU Assistant Professor Zuo, of the Department of Biological Sciences.