Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello,

I am planning on creating a hyperthyroid treatment but am not sure how to start. I know what the base of the treatment will be of (rT3) and I have googled it to see if anyone has done it. There have so far been no articles about the study of what I am planning to do. So, I have two questions:
1. If there is no literature on exactly what I am planning to do, does that mean it is too unlikely to work that no one has bothered to look into it?
2. How do I start creating this serum treatment?

Thanks in advance for your response!

Hi,

A lack of published research on a certain treatment does not necessarily mean it is not possible. Scientists can only work on a small part of a problem at one time, so there is room for others to try new things.

If you could supply us with specific details on what you are proposing, your hypothesis and what experiments you are considering it would help us to answer your question. You will most likely need to find a lab to work in and a mentor because such research is pretty advanced.

Let us know what you are planning and we will try to help.

Sybee

Dear Sybee,

Thanks for your reply. I have been reading a ton of related thyroid studies on sites like pubmed but haven't found a good source that tells me how to start developing the treatment. Basically, hyperthyroidism is what happens when either too much T3/4 is made or too much of the signaling hormone for T3/t4 is made. The body naturally makes reverse T3 (rt3) to act as an agonist against excesses of t3 but it doesn't make enough in thyroid diseases (very simple concept, which is why I asked earlier if anyone knows why this treatment option has not been done). So, my proposed treatment would just be a rt3 imitator that will act as an agonist. I'm not sure where to start however. Please help! Thanks!

Your treatment idea is ok but my question would be how will the hyperthyroid patient know when to use the rT3 and how much? A person with diabetes measures blood glucose and adjusts insulin injection accordingly. Is there a simple blood test for thyroid hormones?

Research on cell biology, hormones and physiological responses is way beyond what a high school lab can do. Do you have access to a university lab and a mentor to help you?

I don't know much about thyroid research and treatment, but I think it is likely that scientists would have already thought of and tried the obvious solution to hyperthyroidism of using an antagonist. Keep checking PubMed. Pay attention to the methods. How do the researchers test their hypothesis? Do they use cells in a Petri dish, mice, humans? In order to propose a project you need to be thoroughly up to date on the methods. The evidence for your plan has to come from experiments, and these have to be done according to strict rules or other researchers will reject your results. Find a mentor to guide you in the lab.

Good luck!

Sybee