Hand Transplant

After losing his hand 30 years ago, David F. Savage recieved a hand transplant, the third of such sugaries preformed in the world.
The shrinkage of the blood vessels leading to his hand had shrunk, which caused problems for the doctors. They were able to attach them though, and now the biggest problem is with the body rejecting the new hand. After three to six months it shouldn't be much of a problem though.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15976582/
http://www.handtransplant.org/patients/david_savage/

Doctors Conclude Reclining is Best for Back

Back pain is the number one cause of absentism at work. In fact, it's the leading cause of disability in Anmerica. Doctors at the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland conducted a study on 22 people with no previous history of back pain. They used positional MRI, which allows the patients to move from various positions during the test. They concluded that sitting upright at a 90 degree angle puts unwanted stress on the spinal cord. The optimal position to sit in was actually 135 degrees or a reclining position. The doctors suggest sitting in a reclined position can help prevent back problems in the future. Also, they feel companies could change their sitting situations to avoid the loss of work hours. I think it's funny to imagine people working in a reclined position.

http://www.rsna.org/rsna/media/pr2006-2/aching_back-2.cfm

Cancer Smart Bomb

Chemotherapy has always been seen as a way of fighting cancer, but now smart nanotechnology particles have been designed to battle cancer cells. They are actually attracted to the cancer cell by short strands of RNA on the nanoparticles that tells cancer cells apart from others due to what is on their surface. The chemo-loaded nanoparticles then latch onto the signature molecules on the cancer cell that tell it apart from others, and are absorbed into the cancer cell before releasing their load. Tests have been going on with mice to compare the results of chemotherapy to the nanoparticles, and safety trials to treat people with prostate cancer using the nanoparticles may be ready to go underway in two to three years.

http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?language=english&type=&article_id=218392789

Even More Dangers of Chemo

Chemotherapy has been shown to be helpful in curing or at least slowing cancer in patients that are strong enough to undergo the long and tiring process. Recently though, studies have shown that chemotherapy harms brain cells too. Chemotherapy isn't a particularly singular treatment, it generally affects most of the cells around the affected ones as well. This is a new study that should prompt more research into better treatment for cancer. Chemo kills neural stem cells and oligodendrocytes which cause long term brain damage. This damage continues to occur up to six weeks after chemotherapy ends.

http://health.msn.com/centers/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100149400

Bioengineers at Work

http://stemcells.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/abstract/2006-0360v1

I came across this article when doing research for our nano-bot project. In addition to using mesenchymal stem cells to cure ailments of the heart, scientists are also looking at many other potential uses for these non-controversial adult stem cells found in adult human bone marrow. One current investigation showed it is possible to generate certain types of dental tissue from mesenchymal cells, and organogenesis of an entire tooth may even be possible in the future. I find the topic of stem cells extremely interesting, and I believe that if we can gain a better understanding of how the stem cells differentiate into the various cells in the human body, the effects on modern medicine will be astounding.

Bioengineers at Work

Bioengineers at Work

Researchers at the University of California have found that GATA-3, a gene that guides development of stem cells into mature cells is needed for mature mammary cells to remain mature. Researchers also found that the absence of GATA-3 increases the characteristic of aggressive cancer. Findings suggest that maybe this gene may play an important role in the development of breast cancer. This finding serves for new research areas within the study of breast cancer.


sciencedaily.healthology.com/cancer/article3865.htm

Cancer In Children And The Need For Continued Progress

This article caught my eye because our device design project involved a child brain tumor. I never considered the long term side effects of treatment fully. The article talks about a Childhood Cancer Survivor Study that identifies a significant increase in health problems of patients who survived childhood cancer. It more specifically catalogues some of the complications of Lauren Mulholland who had a Wilms’ tumor. The article places emphasis on the lack of information patients who survive have and how they aren’t regularly checked up on. It makes one realize that despite all of our advancement in cancer treatment, we still have a way to go.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2553765&page=1

Stressful Sleep Loss may Impair Memory

Being that we are all college students and we do things which are not the greatest for our bodies. It should be known that the type and amount of sleep we get can affect our memory. According to this article, stressful sleep induces a stress hormone which then causes the hippocampus to not produce adequate amounts of brain cells. This can cause memory problems because the hippocampus is the learning center of the brain.
These may or may not apply to humans because the studies were done on rats. The researchers didnt allow the rats to sleep and had them in a stressful situation. The results showed high levels of a stress hormone with decreased brain cells in the hippocampus.
Being college students we have sleep loss but there may be a difference depending on the type of sleep loss. If it is due to stress, such as someone keeping us awake, then it could affect us much more if it is due to enjoyment however there can be different effects of which may not effect our memory.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_41872.html

The future of glucose meters

This article is a review of the different technologies being developed to painlessly monitor glucose levels. Currently, the finger prick method is the most effective. Engineers have developed glucose meters which require less blood, but they would really like to eleminate the blood sampling process all together. One solution is a color changing contact lense that measures the glucose levels of tears. Gerard Cote here at Texas A&M is developing fluorescent beads that are injected under the skin. The beads will fluoresce different colors when exposed to light from an LED. The different colors would reveal the approximate glucose level. These are just a few of the many future technologies for glucose meters.

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/107/108638.htm?pagenumber=1

HIV treatments for children

Former President Clinton announced a deal that will bring medications to HIV positive children worldwide for a mere $60 per year. An Indian pharmaceutical company will supply the drugs and financial support, about $50 milloin, comes from the US, Britain, France, Brazil, Chile, and Norway. The 19 different antiretroviral drugs will be distributed to different countries which will then use their own public health infrastructure to distribute the medication to infected children. Mr. Clinton is also trying to negotiate a similar deal for adults.

http://www.physorg.com/news84099691.html

Surgeons Perform First Robot-Assisted Procedures In Weight Loss, Colon And Gastric Fields

With a rise in gastric bypass surgeries, the scientific and the medical communities were trying to find a better way to perform surgeries with precision and accuracy. Surgeons from UT Southwestern Medical Center were the first in north Texas to perform such a surgery, using a four armed robot called DaVinci. This robot is controled by the surgeons through a joystick and can easily access some of the more inaccesible places such as the abdomen and the gastorintestinal areas. These Laparoscopic surgeries are done through tiny holes rather than the traditional open incision. This allows for a faster recovery time with the least post operative pain. Through these holes DaVinci offers high resolution imaging that allows the surgeons to see depth measurements while being easily maneuverable since it is easier to control than the traditional laparoscopic cameras. The incorporation of robots like DaVinci is not far from the future since the need for GI bypass is on the rise.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=57623

I found this article very interesting because although we often hear about surgeries done through use of robots, we never hear about the future use of the robots or their incorporation in the medical system. I think that through such great precision that the robot gives it is less straineous on the surgeons and the patients.

Prolonging Painkillers

Morphine and other opiates dull pain, but they don't stick around for long. Enzymes known as peptidases quickly degrade these painkillers. About three years ago Researchers have found a protein in rats that can block the opiate destroying enzymes. Scientist Catherine Rougeot has been searching to find a similar peptide in humans. She found that humans secrete a molecule in their mouths that could inhibit the opiate destroying enzymes. It was identified and called YQRFSR. This peptide was slightly modified and tested in rats. The results were compelling but more research needs to be done to rule out other possible painkilling mechanisms that might be at play. If YQRFSR does indeed block the opiate destroying enzymes it could revolutionize the way that we combat pain.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1113/3

Spinal Cord Repair

The Australian Stem Cell Centre is working on a new way to repair spinal cord damage. They will use a naturally occurring acellular matrices to support and facilitate regeneration of nervous tissue. This solves the problem of rejection associated with biosynthetic matrices or allograft material. These acellular matrices are made by taking donor tissue and putting them in tonic conditions to remove the cellular material while leaving the underlying collagen and basement membrane intact. This is then freeze-dried. When it is ready to be used, all one has to do is add water. Since the cellular material has been removed it is relatively non-immunogenic. This technology is already being used in the US for burns, mucosal tissue repair, abdominal wall reconstruction, and breast reconstruction. Researchers hope to start large animal models and combine this method with new technologies, such as seed stem cells. ~John Austin Mullins

http://www.biotechnews.com.au/index.php?id=1068034036&fp=16&fpid=0

Turning diseases off?

Researchers in Europe are now looking at ways to basically turn OFF genes that express certain diseases such as cancer, arthritis, HIV, and even the flu. The genes that produce proteins that cause these disease are to be intercepted by Small Intercepting RNA (siRNA). When the bad mRNAs are intercepted by siRNA, they are essentially turned off, and the bad mRNA's proteins are not expressed. The siRNA are injected into the body by placing them inside nano-sugar-crystals. The sugars are ingested by the body as a source of energy, and once they are digested, they release the siRNA which are then free to move about the body without running into problems with the immune system. Human trials are still years away, but it's a new interesting approach to creating new drugs to cure diseases. -Oliver Hunt

http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/news/article_06_11_29_en.html

'Switch' for Skeletal muscle atrophy

As we know, muscle weakness caused by atrophy during aging can lead to serious falls and bone loss. Exercise is the most beneficial strategy to treat atrophy, but for people who are too ill to participate in these physical activities, a chemical has been discovered that 'switches' the atrophy off! Astemizole is the chemical that inhibits atrophy in skeletal muscles in mice. Through drug treatment, researchers were able to retain 97% of their original fiber size. This method has been proven harmful in humans as it gives them cardiovascular problems but they have found the protein that is capable of sensing muscle disuse.

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html4ever/2006/060524.Pond.atrophy.html

Robotic Surgery Technology

A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University is trying to determine a way in which to provide doctors with a 'sense of touch' while using robotic tools during surgery. Using robots allows surgeons to perform their task with great precision; however they lose their dexterity and haptic (touch) information. Thus, to help prevent these important losses, the researchers are experimenting with several options. One option is attaching force sensors which indicate the amount of force being applied during surgery. The other option being explored consists of mathematically modeling moves made by the robotic tools which would send haptic feedback to the user. While these techniques are being developed, an interim process has been created that sends the touch information to the eyes through the computer based on color schemes of the tools' path. Once the haptic information is incorporated successfully into robotic surgical tools, doctors might have more successful surgeries.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128121916.htm

Biological Analysis of High Level Cognition

Researchers are attempting to use computer modeling of the brain to develop a more complete understanding of cognition. They are attempting to explain such phenomenun as decision making and problem solving. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been identified as the area of the brain involved with much of the high level cognition processes. The researchers goal in their analysis of the PFC is to identify the various aspects of this particular region of the brain that would allow for high level cognition. Numerous factors come into play as researchers attempt to narrow down the integral characteristics that are involved in the PFC and its relationship to cognition.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/314/5796/91

Doctors: Face transplant was successful

Doctors said that the first partial face transplant was a success a year after the operation. The woman is gaining better control over her face a year after doctors transplanted the lips, nose, and chin of a brain-dead woman onto her. Her immune system almost rejected the transplanted parts of her face two times. The doctors have "confirmed the anatomical and functional success of this first partial face transplant." They also said "Progress, in terms of sensitivity as much as mobility, is being noted month after month." The woman initially had trouble speaking. Recently, a London hospitol's plan was approved to carry out the first ever full face transplant. I found this news to be very fascinating and am interested to see how the full face transplant turns out.

Telekinesis?

Haha not quite. Scientists however have found a way to move objects without touching them. They believe this technology could be used to build artificial muscles that can perform specific tasks. It could also be used to make sure drugs get to where the need to in the body. Pretty cool take a look.

http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1903892005

Spindle Neurons Found in Several Large-Brained Species

This article talked about the findings of spindle neurons in whales, which have relatively large brain. Spindle neurons have been thought by researchers to boost cognitive power such consciousness and emotions. The scientists were surprised to find these neurons in several large brained species that include humpback whale and fin whale. Moreover, these were found to be concentrated in the same regions of the brains as in primates. However, the spindle neurons were not found in brains of dolphins. By comparing the history of the evolution of spindle neurons, scientists estimate that the whale evolved spindle neurons between 22 million and 30 million years ago. Researchers also believed that these neurons are linked to the formation of cohesive social groups and complex communication such as singing in whales. More researches are being done to make sure spindle neurons have the same functions in both primates and whales and that whether other large brain animals contain these neurons.

For more information, here is the article:
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1127/1

Neurogenesis During Sleep?

A team from Princeton University recently tested whether it is a lack of sleep that stops neurogenesis in the brain, or merely the stress as a result from the sleep deprivation. The rats were kept awake for 72 hours and cortisol measurements were recorded to assess the stress level of the rats. A second group of rats with adrenal glands removed were then subjected to the same experiment and artificially supplied with normal amounts of cortisol. These rats were tested for neurogenesis activity and found that those with normal amounts of cortisol, despite the amount of sleep deprivation, still maintained normal amounts of neurogenesis. This supports the conclusion that it is the stress that causes a disruption in neurogenesis, not the sleep itself.
This interests me because I am intensely interested in polyphasic sleep which subjects the human body to a temporary sleep deprivation state in order to change normal REM cycles to a more disperse pattern. It is important to know the exact benefits and consequences of this lifestyle before attempting it for an extended period.

New CT scan could do away with mammogram pain

A new breast scan using a CT scan may be more accurate and comfortable than a standard mammogram. The new scan produces three-dimensional pictures with more range, compared to the two dimensional pictures produced by mammograms. The scanner is called Cone Beam Breast Computed Tomography. Cases have shown the CT scan to detect some cancers that mammography misses, while no cases have shown the opposite. The radiation dosage is about the same as with a mammogram, so no extra risk is added. The main problem is that the scans are about five times as expensive. This is unappealing to insurance agencies. This is a pretty cool new machine and is the kind of project that real biomedical engineers work on. It may lead to earlier and more accurate detection. Again, the problem will be the unwillingness of insurance companies to pay for this scan.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-11-27T221153Z_01_N27469545_RTRUKOC_0_UK-CANCER-BREAST-MAMMOGRAMS.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2

Humans are not Homogeneous

Research by international scholar Stephen W. Scherer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute argues against the common belief that humans share 99.9 percent of the same genes. Scherer and colleagues found approximately 2,900 genes--more than 10 percent of the genes in the human genome--with variations in the number of copies of specific DNA segments, which leads to differences in gene activity and organism function. Also, there are also some nucleotides that some people have and some people don't. The increased genetic variety only makes the study of the human genome and associated genetic disorders even more difficult. I found this article to be interesting because I had learned the 99.9% statistic earlier this year in a different class, and I did not really believe it to be plausible.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/hhmi-gvw112006.php

Possible Cause of Heart Failure

This article deals with deceivingly small but largely powerful molecules that have recently been linked to heart failure. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are less than 0.2% the length of an average gene have been associated with the expression of genes that lead to defective hearts. In studies done on mice, overexpression of the miRNAs caused enlarged cardiac muscle cells, a characteristic of human heart failure. Although scientists have identified 186 miRNAs, they still have not been able to pinpoint which genes these miRNAs target. Further research on the matter may lead to a possible cure for preventing heart failure. If the miRNAs that code for these genes are erased, then the heart failure also could be prevented.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1114/4

Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy and Atrophy

Scientists have now discovered/been able to demonstrate which proteins were resposible for the processes of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and atrophy. It is with regulation of Akt and the downstream signalling pathways to GSK-3ß, mTOR, and Foxo1 that those involved have been able to study these processes. Tests had been run on rodents and on cell models, but in this article, they discuss the results in human quadriceps muscle biopsies taken after 8 weeks of both hypertrophy-stimulating resistance training and atrophy-stimulating de-training. I think it is quite fascinating that they are able to simulate these phenomenons and study them. The full text can be found at:

http://jp.physoc.org/cgi/content/full/576/3/923

Nanoparticles Home in on Brain Cancer

Researchers at the University of Michigan announced the testing of a drug delivery system that involves drug-toting nanoparticles and a guiding peptide to target cancerous cells in the brain. Their study finds that via this method more of the drug can be delivered to a tumor's general vicinity
To test the delivery method, researchers divided 34 rats into different groups and all received injections of cancerous cells into their brains. Those that received no treatment or got only the laser fared poorly, dying on average within 8.5 days. Those that got Photofrin either intravenously or encapsulated in nanoparticles had a median survival time of 13 days. The group that got F3 with the Photofrin-carrying nanoparticles came through the best: they lived for, on average, 33 days. By using iron oxide as a contrast agent the group determined that twice as much drug with the F3 peptide attached reached the tumor site compared with when nontargeted nanoparticles were injected.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa025&articleID=F81F74A8-E7F2-99DF-325025A7F2F3416A

Regenerate tissue

We are trying to think of the way of making tissue regenerate which normally does not regenerate.
The article is very impressive because of a method to regrow damaged wings in chicken embryos. That could give us the light on how to regenerate limbs in other species especially including humans.
I hope this blog would be interesting to you all.

http://www.technologyreview.com/BioTech/17821/

Could watching TV too much cause blindness?

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin recently linked inactivity to one type of macular degeneration. This disorder occurs when blood vessels in the eye leak fluid, which can lead to blindness. The study found that people who were active at least 3 times a week were less likely to develop the disease. I thought this article was interesting because it shows that even something like they eye, which we don't usually associate with physical activity, can be affected by exercise and cardiovascular health. As our book would say, the body is an integrated system!

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/061102/2health.htm

Retinal Cell Transplant Cure Blind Mice

Photoreceptor loss is a common cause for blindness in human being. Currently, treatments available are only able to either prevent the disease from happening or delay its progress. Fortunately, a recent success in stem cell transplant could prove as a solution in curing the disease. Researchers from the Institute of Ophthalmology and Child Health (University College London) and Moorfield's Eye Hospital in London managed to successfully restore vision to mice suffering from photoreceptor loss through retinal cell transplant.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=56231
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/NewsViewsAndEvents/News/MRC003363

Fish oils, vitamins, herbs helpful for depression

A number of nutrients, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, St. John's Wort and several B vitamins, have the potential to influence mood by increasing the absorption of chemical messengers in the brain. There is a wealth of epidemiological, experimental and circumstantial evidence to suggest that fish and the oils they contain, in particular omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, are protective against depression.Another candidate for dietary prevention of depression is the amino acid tryptophan. The body converts tryptophan to the neurotransmitter serotonin, suggesting the amino acid may have modest effects on mood.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061123/hl_nm/depression_dc

FINALLY!!!sumthin that is relevent for class!!!!

Researchers have discovered cardiac progenitor cells. They are basically of 2 types; one can go onto form cardiac, smooth and/ or endothelial cells whereas the second type can make cardiac and smooth cells. These cells can then be used to help repair several congenital defects if the threat of uncontrolled growth of these cells can be eradicated. However studies show that such progenitor cells are found in fewer numbers in elderly people and the relationship between the two types is yet unclear. Although it is known that one type controls structures on the left side of the heart and the other type controls the right side structures.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6173040.stm


Tanisha Sharma

Lifelike robots: Cool or creepy?

David Hanson, originally an artist working in Disney's Imagineering Lab, created his own skin-like material called Frubber. He has now created robots that have a human-like head, made of this Frubber, which look VERY realistic. Neck-down however, it is just another robot, no more advanced than a decade ago. He wants to create converation-making robots, not really "useful" robots. However, it is still pretty creepy, I think.


http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/23/robots.tooreal.ap/index.html

Old dogs may truly be incapable of learning new tricks...

Whose parents and grandparents haven't warned them about filling up their brains with useful (and maybe inappropriate) information? This article suggests that we listen up. Researchers are investigating "silent" synapses that don't respond to chemical stimuli. When a new memory is made, these silent synapses are changed to active synapses. Silent synapses are more prevalent in younger people and are "used up" as we age. This theory is easily supported just by looking at an infant compared to an elderly person. Learning is so much easier and occurs quickly at a young age but starts to diminish as we age. My question is, if there is a limited number of these "silent" synapses, then is there a physical limit to how much information we can cram into our brains in a lifetime?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6172048.stm

High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Boosts Disease Risk Later in Life

A new study found that women who experience high blood pressure during pregnancy have a higher risk of stroke, heart, and kidney disease. “The study, which included nearly 5,000 women, isn't the first to report the association, Garovic said. ‘But this is the largest study and the first study to include multiracial subjects,’ she said.” About 10 percent of pregnancies are affected by high blood pressure. Garovic and her colleagues analyzed data from 4,782 women who all had a high family risk of high blood pressure and were participating in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Blood Pressure Program study from 2000 to 2005. Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy had twice the risk of stroke as those who had normal pressure during pregnancy. Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy also had 1.5 times the risk of heart attack and 1.5 times the risk of developing high blood pressure after age 40, the researchers found.
The reason why the elevated blood pressure boosts risk later in life is not known, but Garvoic said the conditions may share risk factors such as obesity. I found this aspect of physiology interesting because Garovic’s research and other recent studies suggest the effects of pregnancy-related high blood pressure are more long-lasting and serious than believed.
From: http://health.msn.com/pregnancykids/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100148854

Genetic breakthrough that reveals the differences between humans

George Mendel, the "Father of Genetics", may be turning in his grave. Scientists from 13 different research centers simultaneously published revolutionary findings that far surpass Mendel's pea plant experiments. These studies show that instead of humanity being almost 99.9 percent similar, we are more likely to be only 96 percent similar; that is almost 10 times more different from one another than previously thought. Mendelian genetics says that differences between humans can be explained by a variation here and there in the 'letters' of the genome, the amino acids of the DNA. The new research has shown that differences may be more likely explained by variations in whole sentences of DNA instead of one or two amino acids. Instead of having two copies of each gene, one from each parent, researchers have found that a person can have multiple copies of genes. This difference will have astounding implications in the area of genetic study. The researchers have already listed at least 17 conditions of the nervous system alone that may be explained by gene multiplicity, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The scientists also claim that variation in mental ability could be explained through this new 'layer' of genetics. This find seems to set the area of genetics back to square one of research, but will ultimately lead to resounding discoveries and changes in medicine.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2007490.ece

Flu shot reduces heart attacks

A study in Poland proves that a flu shot reduces the risk of heart attacks in patients with coronary artery disease. The number one killer in the US, coranary artery disease is a huge risk to many people. The study 325 out 658 coronary artery disease patients flu shots while giving the other 333 patients a placebo. After almost a year, the patients who did not recieve a flu shot were almost twice as likely to have a heart attack or undergo an unplanned angioplasty because of significant growth of plaque. Though this study isn't ethical in the US, the results are extremely significant and the American Heart Association issued a scientific advisory asking heart doctors to administer flu shots to their patients annually.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15755608/

Scientists Regenerate Wing In Chick Embryo

Contrary to most animals when you cut off a salamander's leg a brand new one will sprout. Now a research team at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has been able to regenerate a wing in a chick embryo, suggesting that the potential for such regeneration exists in all vertebrates; including humans. Studies have demonstrated that vertebrate regeneration is controled by a powerful Wnt signaling system whose activation results in regeneration in animals that can't normally replace missing limbs while inactivating it in animals known to be able to regenerate their limbs (frogs, zebrafish, and salamanders) shuts down their ability to replace missing legs and tails. Manipulating Wnt signaling in humans is not possible at this point, but there are hopes that these findings may eventually offer insights into examining the ability of stem cells to build new human body tissues and parts.
This is truly amazing! Imaging losing an arm and just being able to grow back another one! Science has taken the first step and it is no longer impossible!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061119114814.htm

Increase Risk of Tumors Later in Life if Treated With Radiation in Childhood Years

Joseph Neglia, the lead researcher, has said that children who are survivors from cancer using radiation are at high risks for developing malignant brain tumors later on in their life. Researchers believe that a prolonged follow up for all childhood cancer survivors is important in the detection and should be considered apart of the therapy. They also believe that the increase of radiation used for treatment during childhood directly relates to the increase chance of a second tumor.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061101150958.htm

Stem Cells Help Dogs With Muscular Dystrophy

Researchers used stem cells to treat dogs with muscluar dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a disease caused by a missing gene, dystrophin. This causes weakening of muscles and loss of mobility. After the treatment the dogs' strength returned. This study first showed sucess in mice, and was repeated in the dogs. 6 dogs were treated. One was given the treatment early on, which prevented the disease from progressing. Three were treated in later stages and began to regain some ability. Two dogs showed no improvement and eventually died, however these two could have been given lerger doses.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=56842

Scientists build world's first artificial stomach

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15655255/wid/11915773?GT1=8717

This is an article about an artificial stomach. It is about the size of a desktop computer and it is constructed from "sophisticated plastics and metals able to withstand the corrosive acids and enzymes found in the human gut". Unlike prior stomach models, Wickham's model incorporates the physiological elements of digestion, including contractions that break up food and move it along the assembly line for digestion. Software sets the constraints. The artificial stomach can even vomit! Several companies have already showed interest in using the stomach to test different things.

Scientists design a PSA-activated protoxin that kills prostate cancer

Scientists based at John Hopkins University have discovered a protein made by cancerous prostate cells that has the potential to target and kill the prostate tissue itself. The protoxin, called PRX302, is made from an inactive molecule called proaerolysin.
Tests are still in their early stages but, in monkeys, have shown from 25-50% reduction of the prostate tissue when a sample of the protein was injected directly into the gland. Another important find of the tests is that the damage was limited to only the prostate and not the surrounding tissues.
This article is of interest to me because as a male, I am at an increased risk of getting prostate cancer as I age. Nearly 220,000 men die each year from prostate cancer. Any treatment that has the potential to reduce that number and save lives is a treatment that I am interested in.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/eofr-sda110906.php

Increase in Red Meat Consumption may be linked to Breast Cancer

A recent study may have found a link between red meat consumption and breast cancer incidence. Apparently, women who eat 1.5 servings of red meat daily have a 97% increase in breast cancer risks. This increase only applies to hormone receptor positive tumors. A healthey diet has always been encouraged by physicians and this new possible cancer factor adds another reason to the list. Although this link is not set in stone, researchers suggest women with other risk factors to cut down on red meat consumption. The research sample included only premenopause women but researchers believe that the results will hold true for older women as well.

The full article can be found at:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/129/117497

Stem Cell to Repair Heart Tissue After Heart Attack

According to this website http://www.emaxhealth.com/93/8199.html, doctors in the U.K. have been testing stem cells for possible heart tissue repair after a heart attack. This procedure uses the patients own stem cell extracted from his/her spine thus elimating the ethical complications common in today's stem cell research field. According to their prelimanary finds. Patients with the injected stem cells have a much healther life after a heart attack. I find this interesting in that doctors are able to extract the stem cell from the patient instead from other sources. I'm also curious as to how this procedure actually works. All the article talked about was that stem cells were injected to the patient's hear and that these patients have suffered far less complications afterwards. How does this actually work? Does the stem cell automatically intergrate into heart tissue and begin the repairing process? What side effect would this procedure have on the patient when extra stem cell are taken away from the spine? How is that going to affect the patients other bodily functions? There are still so much that we don't know yet. I really want to see the end conclusion of this study.

Brain stimulation can jolt memory

German researchers found that stimulating the brain with mild electric currents while a person sleeps can help improve memory. In the experiment, subjects were asked to memorize a list of words before going to sleep. The researchers then stimulated currents, increasing the brain's ability to go into slow-wave sleep. Intensifying slow-wave sleep improves memory. The researchers found that the subjects improved their memory of the words by 8 percent. They believe that the slow oscillations affect the hippocampus, which plays a vital part in memory. Using brain stimulation could alleviate the memory loss symptoms that Alzheimer's disease patients face.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/05/AR2006110500355.html

Artificial pancreas and implantable insulin pumps being tested

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6110472.stmChildren afflicted with type I diabetes in the UK are being recruited for a study involving continuous blood glucose sensors that calculates insulin requirements and controls an insulin pump. This device will not only automate blood glucose management and eliminate the need for routine finger-pricks, it will also provide improved blood glucose control because of its continuous sensing. Studies have found that even patients who measure their blood glucose an average of 9 times a day only spend 30% of the day in their normal glucose range. However, trials have show that continuous glucose sensors can increase the amount of time spent in the normal glucose range by 26%.

http://www.pnl.gov/energyscience/06-01/ws.htm
This article talks about artificial pancreas development in the United States. The information is dated (it's from 2001) but it provides more detail about the sensor mechanism, which uses a molecule that fluoresces when bound to glucose.

'Mediterranean' Diet May Cut Alzheimer's Risk

It is well postulated and known that a well-balanced diet will help a person out in avoiding certain diseases. Until recently, there were no links between diet and Alzheimer's disease. In a recent study, diet was linked to development of Alzheimer's. In this study, data was collected on almost 2000 people with an average age of 76. In this data, 194 had developed Alheimer's. By scoring their diet on a scale of 0 to 9 with its closeness to the Mediterranean diet, that people in the top third as compared with the bottom third had a 68% low risk of developing Alzheimer's.

In a different study in the same article, the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplements and decline in Alzheimer's patients was examined. For the most part, a small alleviation in decline was seen in a few of the patients. Some of the peatients did not see any decline. The interesting part of me was seeing that some of the patients who started on the placebo and changed to the omega-3 supplements ended up showed less cognitive decline.

http://health.msn.com/centers/alzheimers/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100146691

A New Test Has Been Designed to Test the Effectiveness of Possible Huntington's Disease Drugs

Huntington's disease is a terminal genetic disorder. It does not surface until adulthood. A person who had a parent with Huntington's disease has a 50% chance of contracting it. There is no cure, and more than 250,000 people in the United States either have the disease or are at high risk for it.

Huntington's, over time, causes certain brain cells to die. A patient with this disease may have uncontrolled movements, emotional problems and disturbances, and loss of general mental ability.

The test uses cultured cells as test subjects for various potential Huntington's Disease Drugs. The cultured cells are placed in an environment that simulates the conditions that real brain cells harmed by the disease suffer under. So far, two compounds, memantine and riluzole, have successfully kept cells alive at under theses conditions.

These compounds, among other compounds that successfully keep cells alive under simulated Huntington's Disease conditions, may prove effective in slowing down the progression of the disease or even prevent/treat it. Future treatments that spawn from this research can prevent the devastating consequences that befall the people and the people associated with the people who contract it.

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/325493.html