Introduction
Journalists read research papers and write articles about reporting the papers’ findings to the general public. Similarly, our task was to find a peer-review research article and write a general audience essay that is similar to one found in The New York Times. To accomplish this, different tones and diction were used to appeal to the audience.
Peer Review and Instructor Feedback
This is an in class exercise we did to gauge how much our peers knew about our selected topic
This is an in class exercise we did to improve our editing skills to improve cohesion throughout an essay
These two images above are the feedback I received from my instructor for this assignment.
This is my peer review sheet for this assignment
Final Draft
The Road to Clearer Skin
The immune system is responsible for protecting the body from diseases. It also allows all organisms to combat illnesses if they manage to spread throughout the body. However, what happens if the immune system is the source of the disease? How can an ailment be cured if the body’s self-defense is compromised? This is the challenge that researchers encounter while trying to find treatments and cures for autoimmune diseases.
One of the most common autoimmune diseases is psoriasis, which affects nearly 125 million people, or 3% of the world’s population (Psoriasis Is a Serious Deadly Disease Deserving Global Attention 2015). Psoriasis is a cureless dermatological condition whose cause is currently thought to be genetic. When the body suffers a cut in the skin, the immune system responds by regenerating skin cells to restore the lost skin. Once the skin has been recovered, the body stops producing the cells. In people with psoriasis, the immune system does not recognize the need to stop making skin cells. When the new skin arises, the skin that it is replacing becomes dead. This continuous buildup is what leads to the characteristic itchy plaques of psoriasis.
Although there is a lot of mystery surrounding psoriasis, it is certain that it has a tremendous impact on the lives of those who are affected. Jay Collar is a high school senior from Orlando, Florida. He was diagnosed with psoriasis when he was 15 years old, which was no surprise to him considering his late grandfather also had it. For Jay, it began at his scalp. Every day was constant itching and flaking from his head. His friends would always comment on his dandruff problem, which always made him uncomfortable. Hats became a staple in his wardrobe, which allowed Jay to avoid further confrontation regarding his head.
A few months after, Jay saw spots begin to appear on his elbows, knees, and shins. The white pustules looked like fungus was growing across his body. It made him very insecure because how would people come near him if he looked the way he did. Even he felt disgusted looking in the mirror. Unfortunately for Jay, covering the affected areas would mean wearing long sleeves and jeans in the scorching Orlando heat. At this point, Jay’s self-confidence and happiness reached an all-time low.
However, all hope for Jay is not lost. Psoriasis does not have a cure, but there are many treatment options available for those affected. One of these treatments that has undergone extensive research to help combat the disease and improve quality of life. The medication is called secukinumab, which is a monthly self-injection. A study conducted by Dr. Alice B. Gottlieb of the New York Medical College intended to further explore the relationship between the clinical severity of psoriasis and the patient’s perception of the illness. This relationship is the foundation for creating more effective psoriasis treatments.
In this study, Dr. Gottlieb was interested in both the patient’s quality life and the efficacy of the secukinumab. Therefore, she used a study conducted by Dr. Richard Langley of Dalhousie University to help her obtain data for secukinumab’s efficacy. Dr. Langley’s study was a phase III trial, which meant it focused on how well and safe the drug was for large groups of people. Patients were selected if they had chronic plaque psoriasis for at least 6 months, and at least 10% of their body was covered with psoriasis plaques. The study lasted one year, and patients were randomly assigned 300 mg of secukinumab, 150 mg of secukinumab, another psoriasis medication, or a placebo.
Dr. Gottlieb and her team reduced their test subjects to only those who received the 300 mg and 150 mg secukinumab dosages. This was done to focus their attention on the effects of a single medication. In the experiment, three patient evaluation scales were used: Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA), and PSD (Psoriasis Symptom Diary). All these scales are used to determine the severity of the patient’s psoriasis based on psoriasis coverage on the body, itching, and pain. PASI and IGA are used by clinicians, whereas PSD is a patient-reported measure. Usually, if PASI and IGA scores improve in a trial for a medication, the drug is considered effective. However, Dr. Gottlieb argues that the PSD score must also be considered because it reflects how the patient feels, not just what a physician observes.
Her study reported that generally as PASI and IGA scores improved, so did PSD scores. This correlation was expected by the research team because usually when a medication works, the patient generally feels better. However, there were cases where individuals with total skin clearance still felt itching and pain. Likewise, there were people who felt low itching and pain but had lesions on their body. In both cases, the patients’ PASI and PSD scores had a counterintuitive outcome. Dr. Gottlieb attributes these variances to unobservable plaques and lesions that led to inaccurate PASI scores. Through this study, Dr. Gottlieb was able to confirm that it is necessary to collect patient-reported results regarding the efficacy of the medication since clinician observations alone can lead to misconstrued data.
Dr. Gottlieb’s work demonstrates the significant progress that has been made in the testing and effectiveness of secukinumab. This drug is unique because it utilizes monoclonal antibodies, which are man-made antibodies that can target a specific type of cell in the body and block it. They are like homing missiles: given any target, they can attack it autonomously. The power of monoclonal antibodies is that if a certain cell is known to cause a disease, then a cure can be made for it. For example, if a specific type of cell is the cause of melanoma, monoclonal antibodies that suppress that cell can be produced, and melanoma is cured. In theory, it is very simple, but there is still a long way to go before this type of technology is mastered. More research must be conducted regarding how monoclonal antibodies work, and how they affect patients. The research conducted by Dr. Gottlieb demonstrates how scientists are taking steps to further understand the effects of monoclonal antibodies on humans and diseases.
Jay Collar’s psoriasis has improved since he started using secukinumab. People like him live in unfortunate circumstances, but their willingness to fight through and try new things are what give scientists the key to major discoveries. There is a lot of mystery behind diseases like psoriasis, but hopefully, through further research on monoclonal antibodies, a cure can be found.
References
Gottlieb AB, Strober B, Lebwohl M, Kaufmann R, Pariser D, Narbutas R, Nyirady J, Zhao Y, Herrera V, McLeod L, et al. 2017. Greater Efficacy with Secukinumab Treatment is Associated with Greater Psoriasis Symptom Relief: Results from Secukinumab Clinical Trial Data. Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. [Internet]. [cited 2018 February 28]; Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/247553031700200206
Psoriasis Is a Serious Deadly Disease Deserving Global Attention. 2015. International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. [Internet]. [cited 2018 February 28]; Available from: https://ifpa-pso.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Brochure-Psoriasis-is-a-serious-disease-deserving-global-attention.pdf
Self Assessment
One thing I felt I did well for this essay was connecting the research to its application. I thought I was able to convince my reader why the research I discussed was relevant. I used a universal problem, cancer, to appeal to my audience, which shows that I can communicate specialized ideas to a wide-range audience.
Something I felt I did poorly was explaining the research. I think that section of my writing became too technical and boring. This made it difficult for my audience to read.
I think the brainstorming portion of the assignment was crucial because it gave me insight regarding what my peers’ understanding of my topic was. This meant I was able to give appropriate and sufficient information in my essay. Also, it allowed me to reinforce the social aspects of writing that help me build as a writer.
Finally, the database assignment gave me a chance to explore CCNY’s database and led me to the world of specialized journals. I was able to use new resources to find journals, and hopefully, I can be more proficient with this tool in the future.
Farhan's Writing for the Sciences Portfolio 