Subhendu Bandopadhayay & Srijan Haldar, Author at Adamas University

#BiochemistryPlus: Biochemistry and Medical Science-Two Mutually Linked Subjects

Contributors:

Subhendu Bandopadhayay (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Biotechnology).
Srijan Haldar (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Biotechnology).
Arnab K Ghosh (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Biotechnology).

A career in medicine is always like a dream for a student after HS (10+2) results as it provides the opportunity to serve the society and at the same time brings huge financial stability and honor. At the same time, we all know that cracking the medical entrance is not easy at all and sometimes students with very good preparations falter. But what we don’t know is that there are several other options which are also good or even better in scope and opportunities. One such option is graduation in Biochemistry followed by a research career that is closely related to medical sciences. Even a graduate in Biochemistry can serve the healthcare industry with other roles i.e increasing in demand day by day. Let’s find out what is common between Biochemistry and Medical Science and why it is worth studying as an alternative option.

The total health care system starting from diagnostics, drug development, and prescribing medicines by a doctor heavily depends on medical research data. It is a fact that a battery of biomedical scientists is always working on these aspects of medical sciences and coming out with valuable inputs which are implemented by front line medical practitioners. As an example, we can simply think about the development of Covid-19 test kits which have been developed by research scientists working in different laboratories. Likewise, the total effort going on for the development of a Covid-19 vaccine is also undergoing in a laboratory set up performed by biomedical scientists. Therefore, it can be rightly said that medical research is the backbone of medical science. Here comes the scope of studying biochemistry and ensuring a career in medical research.

Biochemistry is the study of chemical aspects of life. Life on earth is nothing but a bunch of biochemical reactions and pathways. The goal of medical science indeed is not only to expand our knowledge of the nature of life but also it exists in the practical application in the clinical field. Biochemical analysis is the key thing to facilitate and understand the molecular phenomena and the data collected from these researches provide strong support to the health workers to serve mankind in a better way. The advancement occurred in the field of genomics like the discovery of artificial gene silencing techniques through RNA interference, artificial induction of pluripotent embryonic stem cells for the creation of transgenic animals opened up the strategies to treat diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many more. Shortly with the help of patient genetic data doctors will treat patients so that he or she can be supported with an individual specific medicine. The path of medicine in the upcoming years lies in the outcome provided by biochemists in the laboratory environment. The cumulative effect of scientific wisdom and practical application strategies help to increase the life span by understanding the molecular cause of different disease and potential treatment possibilities. Biochemistry students in their curriculum learn different papers like cell biology, immunology, microbiology, clinical biochemistry, cancer biology, etc. which give them wholesome knowledge to understand modern biological research. They perform hands-on practice using sophisticated instruments like microscopes, centrifuges, PCR machines, spectrophotometers, colorimeters, etc. which help them to grow the analytical mind. All these learning and training modules help them to become future medical scientists.

In developed countries, there is a greater focus on medical research which resulted in excellent medical expertise. Developing countries like India have now focused on this area and more funding is also available to develop our medical systems. The present pandemic situation has increased this aspect many folds and there is a greater need both in academic and professional terms of studying biochemistry as a stepping stone to become medical scientists. Apart from being a scientist, a biochemistry post-graduate and Ph.D. holder can also choose a career in academics where he/she can guide and encourage young minds.

Biochemistry postgraduates can also find a career in clinical diagnosis and pathology. In clinical diagnosis, they have to identify the disease based on the signs, symptoms, and medical history. A pathologist on the other hand works in hospital labs or pathology groups to analyze different samples and assist diagnosis and treatment for patients. A medical transcriptionist is another very upcoming career choice for biochemistry graduates nowadays. It is an allied health profession in which professionals transcribe voice messages dictated by health practitioners and make clinical reports. They not only write medical reports based on voice messages but also review and edit these messages to create new medical reports. Hence people with knowledge in biochemistry can opt for this profession which is related to medical science.

The clinical coordinator is another very promising career aspect for young biochemistry graduates where they have to oversee the daily operations of a healthcare program. Big healthcare groups are now hiring people from bioscience background for clinical coordinator post where they act as a liaison between patient families and healthcare professionals. These professionals also oversee budgets, hire people, and train staff to implement company policies.

Each year medical device manufacturing companies hire lots of people with bioscience background as marketing executives to market their products, they need people who understand the science behind instruments. All these marketing executives go to scientists or doctors to promote their products and maximize profit by developing sales strategies. In this way, they play an integral role in brand making and success.

A biochemistry graduate or postgraduate can also serve the healthcare system after getting into government health systems through different posts like pathologists, epidemiologists, medical officers, scientific officers, patent officers, etc. Post-COVID era will see an increase in all these jobs and a biochemistry degree will certainly help a student to acquire all these jobs easily as the knowledge of biochemistry will give them an extra edge over other bioscience people as it provides in-depth knowhow of all the life processes.

Adamas University, the best private university in eastern India, provides both graduation, post-graduation, and five-year Integrated (BSc. + MSc.) courses in Biochemistry. The department has an array of highly qualified faculties and state of the art lab infrastructure to guide young minds. Therefore, it is the right time to pursue Biochemistry for a better future in medical sciences.

Pathophysiology and biochemical condition in multi-organ failure due to SARS –COV-2 attacks

Student Contributors: Ria Sen and Jibitesh Sarkar (BSc 3^rd year Student, Department of Biochemistry

The primary organ infected by SARS-CoV 2 is the upper respiratory tract. COVID-19 is characterized by viral pneumonia symptoms anorexia, fever, sore throat, fatigue, dry cough, dyspnoea, malaise, muscle pain, nasal congestion or headache, lymphopenia, etc. Within one week of the incubation period the clinical symptoms become severe. Mostly it leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. However according to the worldwide case reports its time worried about comorbidities in COVID-19. It was reported that in several cases Covid-19 outbreak is highly influenced by multi-organ involvement.

Pulmonary embolism and cardiovascular damage

In Brescia, Italy, it was reported that a woman had a heart attack with a weak left ventricle that it could pump only 1/3 its regular amount of blood. However there was no blockage found in the heart. The disruption seems to extend to blood itself. It was further reported huge no of COVID-19 patients had blood clotting abnormally. Fragments of blood clot can and reach the lungs, blocking major arteries which are termed as pulmonary embolism, which could kill patients instantly. Clotted fragments from arteries can also accumulate in the brain, which can cause a stroke. Blood vessel constriction also resulted in infection. Many reports have shown that there have been ischemias in the digits of hand and leg which is a decrease in blood flow that causes swollen, digit pain, and tissue death.

Diabetic and high blood pressure patients face a higher risk of COVID19. With the available data at present it is quite difficult to understand exactly what causes cardiovascular damage. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) also found in COVID-19 patients. Heart and blood vessel linings are highly susceptible to viral attack as they are rich in ACE2 receptors. As a whole, if lungs are affected, then its effects can extend too many other different organs.

Renal failure:

According to reported data Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is one of the major reasons for the higher mortality rate in Wuhan, China COVID-19 patients. Presence of protein and blood in patient urine reported in quite a high number (>40%) of infected folks. the scenario worsens when a minute fraction of the virus infects the kidney along with the lung. In electron microgram of the kidney from autopsies identified viral particles that suggest a direct viral attack. However, there is the possibility that the kidney damage can be collateral damage. The use of ventilators or antiviral drugs like remdesivir with experimental dosage may increase the risk of kidney damage. Cytokine storms can reduce the flow of blood to the kidney resulting in irreversible damage. Also the presence of different other comorbid situations like diabetes can magnify the risk of AKI.

Brain damage:

In addition to their presence in the lungs the ACE2 receptors are also present in the neural cortex and brain stem. Symptoms found in the COVID-19 patients also focuses on the brain and Central Nervous System(CNS). Due to the use of sedative and ventilator it is difficult to monitor the brain activity in a major population of the COVID-19 patients. Certain reports of the infected patients indicate having brain inflammation encephalitis, along with seizures, and “sympathetic storm,” (cytokine storm occurs in the brain). Viral infection causes oxygen starvation which reduces the brain stem reflex and finally leads to stroke. However, the underlying mechanism of brain penetration and receptor interaction by the virus is still unknown. Traces of the new virus have also been found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of an infected patient in Japan who was reported to later develop meningitis and encephalitis which suggests that it can invade the brain. But there are a lot of other factors that must be taken into consideration like a cytokine storm that causes brain swelling, and the blood’s exaggerated tendency to clot could trigger strokes. A possible way of entry into the human body can be via the nose then upward via the olfactory bulb which is connected with the brain. This possible route also explains the reason for the loss of smell in COVID-19 patients.

Gastrointestinal infection:

The abundant presence of the ACE2 receptor located in the outer epithelial lining of the lower digestive tract makes it vulnerable against SARS-COV2. Lots of COVID-19 patients are primarily developed symptoms of gastrointestinal infection (such as bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain) which turns positive for coronavirus. In around half of sampled patient stool samples viral RNA has been found. According to a report by a Chinese team, the protein shell of the virus was found in gastric cells, duodenal cells, and rectal cells in biopsies from a COVID-19 patient, raising the chances that it probably replicates in the gastrointestinal tract. GI infections are not on the list so if an individual has fever and diarrhea he/she won’t be tested for COVID-19. Viral existence in the GI tract raises the possibility that it can be present in feces. However it’s unclear whether stool contains a live infectious virus, not just viral fragments. To date there is no strong evidence that fecal transmission is a high-risk factor and also its probability is very low.

The disease doesn’t stop at the intestine and marches further down the body. There have been reports of hospitalized patients developing conjunctivitis—pink, watery eyes but it is not definite whether the virus directly invades the eyes. Also, some reports suggest that more than half of the COVID-19 hospitalized had elevated levels of enzymes indicating liver injury or the bile ducts injury, but the liver injury is not caused due to direct viral invasion rather the application of drugs or an immune system working in overdrive is more likely driving the liver damage.

How COVID-19 situation can boost a student’s career in Biochemistry?

Considering the present global scenario of Covid-19 pandemic students who are going to enter their graduation and post-graduation courses, a BSc and MSc degree in Biochemistry will give them immense opportunity to not only get great jobs related to private and government health sectors but also in research and development section to generate vaccine and test kit development. Biochemistry provides the knowledge of chemical reactions of substances in living organisms. As a biochemist, you have to study biomolecules and the respective biochemical reactions that are controlled by enzymes and many other regulatory biomolecules. The in-depth knowledge of a biochemist in enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and other numerous processes related to the metabolism of mankind provides immense opportunity to build carriers in the health sector.

A student who is interested in a career in vaccines can start with an undergraduate degree i.e Bachelor of Science (BSc) in fields of Biochemistry and then pursue MSc and Ph.D. As an interdisciplinary subject, biochemistry students get ample knowledge and training in subjects like clinical biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology, etc. which gives them a cutting edge over other bioscience students. Moreover, through the study of the bioinformatics course (as a part of Biochemistry course curriculum) students are enlightened regarding the in-silico analysis of different databases (like epitope mapping, etc.) which have immense importance in current vaccine designing approach called vaccinomics. Students get a thorough knowledge of structural intricacies of protein molecules along with immunology; these two subjects in combination provide the foundation of vaccine development.

Because of the present scenario and the aftermath of the outbreak, the pharmaceutical industry especially the drug discovery sector is going to face a big challenge which in turn will need a huge number of young professionals. After the discovery of the corona drug/vaccine, it needs to reproduce on a huge scale to meet the demand of the worldwide market, not only the R&D sector but also the quality control and quality assessment sector need to recruit lots of industry-ready fresh biochemists. Besides, after the discovery of a lead molecule as a potential drug/vaccine, a series of biochemical tests are required where diverse skills of biochemistry could become handy. Young people with knowledge in biochemistry will certainly hold an advantage at this time. Drug discovery studies nowadays need strong background knowledge of bio-molecular interactions, the structure of target proteins which can be easily acquired through undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in biochemistry.

Having a basic degree in biochemistry will also help one to serve in the fields of clinical and medical biochemistry which will need a battery of human resources in a very recent future due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak. As a part of the medical team in a hospital, the responsibility of a clinical biochemist is to test patient samples and interpret the data for a medical personal. Mainly they have to analyze blood, tissues, or urine samples through computer-aided and automated testing procedures. They also have to design experiments in search of different chemical functions in our bodies in search of different abnormal biochemical conditions. Along with doctors they have to work in close association with scientists, chemists, pharmacologists, and toxicologists. Biochemistry students can easily consider themselves as future health professionals.

In the history of drug development phytochemicals always played an important role. Currently, various plant-derived drugs used throughout the world. Moreover, in recent years interest developed in the secondary metabolite or the ‘natural drug’ production. In many cases, it is very difficult to study the biosynthetic pathway of these metabolites. Through the plant tissue, culture techniques production of specific medically important secondary metabolites like alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, volatile oils, tannins, resins is also possible. Thus these traditional systems of medicine become a hot favorite for many scientists as well as industrialists. In the fight against COVID-19, this industry may play a vital role through their photoproducts. An expert biochemist is always in the top priority list of these industries.

With the increase in worldwide population size study of virology became more important, as in the last few decades human races are threatened several times by none other than different viruses. Virus related research always the most favourite area for any biochemists. The unique nature of the virus has placed it in a focus of the questions asked at the molecular level since the biological nature of viruses can be seen most directly to be the expression of molecular attributes and chemical reactivities. A properly trained biochemist can become a virologist as the solution of viral problems lies within the core of the biochemistry of the proteins and nucleic acids. Thus, after completion of M.Sc. A biochemistry degree, a student can pursue his/her doctoral and post-doctoral research carrier in virology which is a very promising field in the current scenario. An academically-minded student can easily fulfill his/her dream of becoming Faculty of Biosciences by cracking national/state level teaching eligibility tests like SSC, NET, SET, etc.

Therefore, time demands to study Biochemistry in BSc and MSc so that they can serve humanity shortly.