Author Archives: Gabriel Piña, MD

Degenerative nerve diseases affect many of your body’s activities, such as balance, movement, talking, breathing, and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic. Sometimes the cause is a medical condition such as alcoholism, a tumor, or a stroke. Other causes may include toxins, chemicals, and viruses.  Degenerative nerve diseases can be serious or life-threatening. […]

Colorectal cancer remains a disease with high mortality rates in advanced stages. In recent years, numerous research findings have improved early diagnosis and therapy, although unfortunately not all patients respond adequately to novel therapeutic approaches. Current research suggests that one characteristic of tumor diseases is immune dysfunction: immune cells that are supposed to fight the […]

Reactive oxygen species are highly reactive chemicals formed from oxygen. They serve as prime signals of cellular dysfunction that contribute to diseases. Secretion of reactive oxygen species in the intestine is necessary for maintaining stem cell function and important for wound repair; however, it can cause inflammatory effects as well. The Mount Sinai team found […]

Pigmentation in our skin is caused in part by a group of substances known as melanin, which are produced by skin cells called melanocytes. When melanocytes are damaged or reduced in number, this leads to either increased or limited melanin production, resulting in pigmentation disorders. Typically, these melanin changes are long term, localized, and uneven […]