Bioengineers at Work

Bioengineers at Work
Device for Depression Criticized

The FDA is questioning the value of a new brain stimulating device for depression. The device called NeuroStar, stimulates the brain by sending a focused magnetic field into the brain from outside the skull. The device works the same as electroconclusive therapy. One of the advantages of the NeuroStar is that it does not require invasive surgery, unlike other treatments. Critics of NeuroStar suggest that treatment with the device does not have an affect on patients. The device has though shown some statistical advantage in treatig depression.
www.webmd.com/content/Article/131/118107.htm?pagenumber=2

Partial Liquid Ventilation

The article I read was about Partial Liquid Ventilation of PLV. In this process a liquid which has a very high concentration of oxygen is dripped into a person’s lung while they are under mechanical ventilation. The most common liquid is perflubron, which is excellent at carrying both oxygen and Carbon dioxide. PLV increases gas exchange, and allows the mechanical ventilator to operate at lower tidal volumes and pressures. PLV also helps to reopen collapsed aveoli. The perflubron is dripped into the trachea through a endotracheal tube. Perflubron also helps to relieve inflamation and hemorrhaging. This process is still under clinical trials to decide the optimal amounts of fluid needed. Perflubron also helps to clear debris from the airways. Over all this is a very interesting concept which offers quite a bit of promise, but still needs to be perfected.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3689/is_200306/ai_n9283560

Coated nanoparticles

The layers of mucus that protect sensitive tissue throughout the body have an undesirable side effect: they can also keep helpful medications away. To overcome this hurdle, Johns Hopkins researchers have found a way to coat nanoparticles with a chemical that helps them slip through this sticky barrier. To get its particles past the mucus, Hanes' team studied an unlikely model: viruses. Earlier research led by Richard Cone, a professor in the Department of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins, had established that some viruses are able to make their way through the human mucus barrier. Hanes and his colleagues decided to look for a chemical coating that might mimic the characteristics of a virus. Using high-resolution video microscopy and computer software, the researchers discovered that their PEG-coated 200-nanometer particles could slip through a barrier of human mucus.


http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/5797

Newborns benefit from PET scans

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=159681&TICK=CHOP&STORY=/www/story/01-30-2007/0004515688&EDATE=Jan+30,+2007

In this article, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) discusses their use of PET (positron-emission tomography) scans to diagnose and pinpoint a type of congenital hyperinsulinism, a rare imbalance of insulin in newborns. From looking for more information on this condition, I found that CHOP is the only center in the United States that can conduct tests for this condition and is foremost in its research to find ways to avoid a near or total pancreatectomy, the common treatment of the disease, which can lead to diabetes. Congenital hyperinsulinism is the over secretion of insulin by beta cells in the pancreas at the wrong time. It is an inherited condition. In the past to diagnose it, doctors had to measure insulin collected from different veins throughout the baby's body, which is extremely difficult and painful given the size and age of the patient. This new technique uses a PET scan to see if the disease is localized to lesions on the pancreas or spread throughout the organ. If it is localized, it saves the patient from having to undergo a pancreatectomy because the doctors can just remove the lesions. The PET scans uses 18F-fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine, or [18F]-DOPA which binds to these tiny lesions making them appear on the body scanner screen so surgeons can know what to remove. The initial findings of using this method are very promising in it diagnosed 23 out of 24 patients correctly, and of the 11 patients with the localized condition it was 100% accurate.

An Aid to Antibiotics

The widespread use of anitibiotics since the 1940's has caused strains of bacteria that are becoming ever more resistant to even the most new and powerful antibiotics that can be manufactured. However now there might be an aid as to which can increase the effectiveness of the medicine. The key is bacteriophages. These can bipass the normal way a bacteria absorbs antibiotics and deliver a more impacting punch. The ones which have mutated and developed ways to counteract the antibiotics will no longer be able to avoid the destructive power of the medicine.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61821

Florida Governor Allows Some Stem Cell Research

Florida's Governor, Charlie Crist has recommended that his state allocate some state money for stem cell research. He does have a restriction though, it must not destroy any embryos. He hopes to get $20 million approved for use in research on stem cells pulled from the umbilical cord or amniotic fluid. This way, he says, no embryos will be harmed. He has made this restriction in hopes that more people will stand behind him and help further stem cell research if he comes to a balance where no one's morals are compromised. As we know these stem cells have the ability to become any cell in the human body, which opens up countless opportunities to help people with fatal diseases that there is no cure to as of yet. This is a good step for scientists, because the federal government won't pay for stem cell research. The cells pulled from the amniotic fluid hold much promise in studies, but it is still too early in the research to know they're full potential. As a scientist, I think this could be a great step and open many doors for research and for cures. My religion on the other hand, makes me more cautious about using embryo parts for this. I am comforted by the fact that this bill seems to protect embryos from being harvested for science.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7094632

Human Proteins Produced in Hens' Eggs

Hens at the Roslin Institute in Scotland have been genetically modified so that complex biomolecules important in human health care are laid in their eggs. The hens produced the antibidy miR24, which is used to treat melanoma, intermixed with the main protein found in the egg white. This trait has been shown to carry on to at least three generations following the genetic modification, and it does not harm the chickens' health. Since each egg produces a rather large number of these biomolecules, commercial sale of this product would be possible based on quantity issues, although it still has to be approved for sale.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/January/15010701.asp

Damage to Area of the Brain Linked to Smoking Urge Reduction

A new understanding was given to smoking addiction, with the discovery of a samll spot in the brain linked to the habit itself. Those who have experienced damage in this porton of the brain have reported instentaneous loss in the urge to smoke. The discovery was stumbled upon in a case of a stroke victum who had somked for years, and suddenly had no desire to somke immediately following the incident. Researchers are focusing their efforts toward finding an effective means of implementing the knowledge they have gained.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/25/smoking.braindamage.ap/index.html

Nanodevice Monitors Hip Implant

Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a nano-scale microsensor that can monitor the healing process after hip implant surgery. Following joint replacement, bone attaches to pores on the implant during osseointegration. The microsensor is then able to monitor the amount of fixation of the bone tissue to the implant. Additionally, the porous surface of the device allows for greater stability of the joint after fixation. The device is permanent and powered by kinetic motion of the body. Furthermore, the device does not transmit data until prompted by a physician. Doctors hope that the device will reduce the rehabilitation time and possibly the wait time for hip replacement candidates.

http://www.physorg.com/news80386058.html

Potential Insomnia Aid Studied

As we all know insomniacs have a hard time trying to get some shut eye. Well, a group of researchers from Harvard have claimed to have found a way to regulate sleep in insomniacs. A blood peptide called Orexin plays an important role in maintaining wakefulness in people. By blocking the receptors to which orexin binds, researchers hope cause a sleepy effect in insomniac patients. However, there is a drawback to this solution. The scientists fear that by blocking Orexin receptors in the brain may lead to a situation similar to narcolepsy.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/29/sleep.study.ap/index.html

I found this article very interesting because this may as well be the new age sleeping pills that are more specific to cause. This drug may help those who cannot tolerate the current on market sleeping pills. However, the quality of sleep would be questionable since the study was done in a short period of time.

Highway Exhaust Stunts Lung Growth, Study Finds

A new study suggests that children who grow up within a third of a mile of a freeway may be sustaining permanent respiratory problems. Researchers found that the closer the children lived to a freeway, the more likely they were to experience reduced growth in lung function as measured by the standard tests. The findings were published online Friday by the British journal Lancet. Growth of lung strength and capacity, the researchers write, is largely complete by age 18, and this means that a child with a deficit at that age will probably suffer lifelong diminished lung function. To determine lung function, the scientists used standard tests that measure how much air a child can exhale during a forced expiration and how forcefully he can do so. Normally, these numbers gradually increase as children grow. The children were tested an average of six times over the eight years of the study.

full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/health/30lung.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

Virus scan for the body

This article is a fairly intriguing. It is about how researchers have put together a type of metal detector device for scanning viruses. They use nano-sized rods to detect what are known as "Raman Shifts" which is a signal that is emmited off viral DNA and RNA when a laser is applied to either one. Every virus has a unique frequency, like a "fingerprint." Scientists have known of the Raman shifts since 1928, but have not been able to amplify the signal enough till now. Today, researchers use nanotubes at a specific angle, made of specific materials to detect the small signal from the RNA. They claim it can detect a single virus and are developing a commercial model currently

http://www.physorg.com/news82816307.html

A Brain Controlled Wheelchair?

Patients with injuries or diseases that leave them unable to move have had little hope of independent mobility in the past. BCI's or brain computer interfaces hold some promise in changing this. Spanish researches are working to develop a thought controlled wheelchair in which a BCI will translate the thoughts of a patient into movements by the wheelchair. Currently, the use of BCI's is very limited because they are bulky and must be plugged into the brain. The researches are looking to develop a smaller interface that will translate brain patterns recieved from electrodes implanted into the scalp. Generally, electrode interfaces provide a crude signal that must be decoded; however with simple wheelchair movements such as left, right and stop, the researchers feel the idea will work. The current wheelchair design has two computers to process the readings and control the wheels. Also, there is a laser to detect obstacles in the path of the wheelchair, since patients may have limited neck mobility. The main obstacle for the researchers is to minimize the size of the BCI and to make it mobile. The team plans to have a working model in 2008 or 2009.link

I felt this article was interesting because last semester we had a snbal article that introduced brain computer interfaces, but it concentrated on prosthetics. This demonstrated another use that BCI's may provide in the future.

Turn That Smile Upsidedown?

According to a study done by Adam Anderson of the University of Toronto, being in a good mood doesn’t always help you work and focus better. The study showed that happy thoughts stimulated creativity, but if one is doing mundane work then being cranky or sad increases productivity. Anderson compares attention to a beam of a spotlight saying that a good mood broadens that beam and a sad mood and focus the beam of attention.

I found this study interesting because it is counterintuitive. I also often find myself sad or cranky when it comes to doing work. I find it ironic that being in a cranky mood might actually improve my productivity.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1218/1

Carbon Monoxide Protects Lung Cells Against Oxygen-Induced Damage

I thought this article was very interesting because it discusses ARDS, which we talked about for our last SNBAL. As Dr. Wasser told us, ARDS can be contracted after a trauma. It is treated by ventilating the patient with 95% pure oxygen. However, too much exposure to pure oxygen can also cause lung damage. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh believe that treating patients with small doses of carbon monoxide will stop the destruction of lung cells and help prevent cell apoptosis. The article can be found at
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61137

Tests confirm bird flu outbreak in Japan

The Japanese agriculture ministry confirmed that an outbreak of bird flu in southern Japan was caused by the virus H5N1. A state laboratory examined samples from 3.000 dead chickens from a poultry farm in Hyuga. It was determined that the birds were infected with H5N1. Over 100,000 chickens will be slaughtered as a precaution to prevent spread of the virus. According to the World Health Organization, “the H5N1 virus has killed or forced the slaughter of millions of birds across Asia since late 2003, and caused the deaths of at least 163 people worldwide.” In Japan, there have been no deaths from the virus and only one confirmed infection. The virus is hard for humans to catch, but experts are afraid that it could mutate and kill millions worldwide. I found this article interesting because bird flu was brought up during the SNBAL in class.

Traitorous protein helps Pneumonic Plague

The pneumonic plague is simply an infection. However, it is caused by extremely fast moving bacteria, Yersinia pestis, and the speed is deadly. Researches at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a protein, plasminogen activator, that helps Pneumonic Plague spread throughout the body. When the body identifies an infection, red blood cells cluster to the infected area and surround the infection with a clot. Scientists believe that the clot is a form of isolation for the infection. However, the Yersinia pestis utilize a protease protein, plasminogen activator, to break through the blood clot. Experiments have shown that in mice containing a low amount of plasminogen activators the plague, though still deadly, kills somewhat more slowly, allowing physicians enough time to administer the antibiotics. Knowledge of the role of plasminogen activators in pneumonic plague will lead to a treatment for the plague in its early stages, before it is too late to administer antibiotics.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070125142236.htm

Scientists Tie Part of Brain to Urge to Smoke

Scientists that were recently studying brain activity in stroke patients are now reporting that damage to the insula, part of the brain that is near the ear, can instantly and permanently stop a patient's urge to smoke cigarrettes. Scientists also believe that if this part of the brain involves maintaining smoking habits that it potentially could also effect alcoholism, and drug dependencies. Other habits, like eating, were still intact suggesting that the insula effects learned habits that the body views as pleasure. Dr. Domas a leading researcher in the insula area of the brain suggests that “[i]t is on this platform that we first anticipate pain and pleasure, not just smoking but eating chocolate, drinking a glass of wine, all of it.” All of these learned habits just like smoking and drug use are viewed as pleasurable to the body and "have taken hold in the visceral reaches of the body well before they are even conscious." This discovery of how the insula can effect habits could lead scientists to develop new strategies in overcoming the addiction of smoking. The researchers are not saying that ablation of the insula is the best way to quit, but that treatments that focus on affecting this part of the brain could aid in the battle against addiction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/science/25cnd-brain.html?em&ex=1170219600&en=bd948885d5abadba&ei=5087%0A

DNA Gets New Twist: Scientists Develop Ultra-bright Fluorescent 'DNA Nanotags'

A group of students and researchers associated with Carnegie Mellon University’s Molecular Biosensor and Imaging Center discovered a way to tag different types of cells using multi-color fluorescent nanotags. Basing their research on the structure of phycobiliproteins that are commonly found in algae and absorb light energy that is transferred to chlorophyll, Andrea Benvin was able to not only create a multiple colored image, but these tagged proteins can be simultaneously viewed using one experiment, one later, and one fluorescence-imaging machine. The Carnegie Mellon team was even able to create nanostructured DNA templates that bind multiple fluorescent dye molecules between base pairs in the DNA helix. This allows for a clear and more precise image with a separation of the dye colors that keep the dyes from canceling each other out. The brightness of the nanotags is said to be limitless because the 30 base pairs the team can tab 15 dyes but can simply add more nanotags by increasing the number of DNA pairs in the strand. The multicolor is produced by the dyes ability to harvest light but the dyes are only excited by one wavelength of light and emit the light to its surface creating different colors.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/release/2007/01/070126142051.html

Smoking And The Brain

Well, I thought my last post was nothing but trash talking about the current science trend. Here is a story that actually contributes health science. According to the article " For Some, Giving Up Smoking Is All In The Brain" from http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/for-some-giving-up-smoking-is-all-in-the-brain/2007/01/26/1169788693454.html, there is a specific part of the brain that controls the urge to smoke. It is well known that different part of the brain controls different part of a person's body. However, sciences have never pin pointed the region that is responsible for the urge to smoke. The article reports that a stroke patient with a history of smoking 40 cigarettes a day "forgot the urge to smoke" when the stroke destroyed the a part of his brain deep within the cerebral cortex called insula. This is a major break through in the battle against one major cause of lung cancer. With this knowledge, researchers can perhaps find a permanent solution for people to quit smoking. Finally, this discovery further uncovers the relationship between psychiatric disease and physical addiction. Additional research in this field will probably solve one of the greatest mysteries of physiology, emergent behavior of humans and animals.

Chinese Herbal against Malaria

Artemisia annua, which is a kind of shrub, is widely regarded by medical experts as the best cure for malaria, one of the world's leading killer diseases.

Artemisinin is the malaria-fighting compound extracted from the shrub and is used to treat the disease, which causes fever, vomiting, body aches, diarrhea, anemia, loss of concentration, delirium, convulsions, coma and eventually, death.

This article provides some details and facts regarding malaria.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/lf_nm/malaria_cure_shrub_dc_2

Bone breakage linked to antidepressant use

A recent Canadian study group reported that the use of SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants increased the risk of bone breaks and fractures from "minor events." These could include falling out of bed or slipping on the floor. The study was conducted with individuals over the age of 50. The results of the study showed that the individuals who were taking this type of antidepressant daily were twice as likely to receive a broken or fractured bone from a minor event. Other factors were taken into account when determining this information. This information is important because as people age, broken or fractured bones become increasingly problematic. The implications of this study will surely be studied in more detail.

The full article can be found here:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=61402

Functional Neurosurgery Could Help Cure Addictions

Addiction has been a problem in society for centuries. Alcohol, smoking, and other addictions have negatively affected families, individuals and communities and proposed ways to beat these addictions are many. A new discovery by US scientists suggests that the insula is the part of the brain that controls addiction and that damage to this area could quickly and successfully end addiction. Smokers who suffer damage to the insula in strokes have easily and quickly quit smoking with few (if any) cravings. Surgeons are now considering this an option to help smokers kick the habit. "Functional neurosurgery," or purposefully damaging an area of the brain, has been used to treat Parkinson's and depression and the field obviously has undiscovered potential in other areas. A surgical remedy for smoking seems quick and easy, considering most patients had no problem quitting, but is a dangerous and major surgery really the best solution to beat an addiction?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6298557.stm

Disabling Key Protein May Give Physicians Time To Treat Pneumonic Plague

Yersinia was the cause of the Black Death in the Middle Ages in Europe. This bacterium is a versatile pathogen that can modify itself to infect the lungs (pneumonic plague), the lymph glands (bubonic plague), or the bloodstream and organs. It is spread through droplets of moisture expelled by coughing and sneezing; killing in three to four days, this pneumonic plague could potentially be used in terrorist attacks. Recently researchers from the Midwest Regional Center for Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research have developed a mouse model of the plague and discovered that the aggressive pneumonia and rapid death of pneumonic plague is dependent on the activity of PLA; a protein that spreads the disease throughout the body.
With this information we once again have the means to treat a potentially devastating disease!It truly is amazing that such a tiny thing as a protein can be means of spreading such a terrible disease.

Magic Chicken Eggs

UK Scientists from The Roslin Institute have developed genetically modified chickens capable of laying eggs with cancer-fighting potentials. The team, at the institute that cloned Dolly the sheep has produced 5 generations of birds that can produce life-saving proteins in egg-white.


BBC Reports
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6261427.stm

Car Fumes Stunts Child Lung Growth

I chose this article since we are currently studying the respiratory system and this article is kind related to our topic. According to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6297701.stm, children living near major road ways are at a higher risk of having lung disease. In my opinion, it's another one of those pointless studies. Well, YEAH, car fumes are bad for human body, any kind of foreign chemical is bad. We don't need to spend money on studies like this. I am environmentally conscience but research like this does nothing but stating the obvious. There are already so many studies out there pointing out the dangers of this and that. How did our ancestors survive the past centuries under what we would consider today unsanitary and dangerous conditions. If we all follow what these researchers suggest, the safest thing out there is to be dead. I say, kid, don't put your face in the muffler and stay away from the roads. The cars will kill you before the chemicals do.

How Breast Milk protects New Borns

This article talks about how breast milk benefits the infants much more than artificial milk.
The breast milk supplied to the infants is free of bacteria, unlike artificial milk that can get contaminated easily. Along with that, the breast milk contains 5 different kinds of antibodies IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE. Also, immune cells are abundant in breast milk - they consist of white blood cells, or leukocytes, that fight infection themselves and activate other defense mechanisms.

Breast-fed babies produce higher levels of antibodies in response to immunizations. Also, certain hormones in milk (such as cortisol) and smaller proteins (including epidermal growth factor, nerve growth factor, insulinlike growth factor and somatomedin C) act to close up the leaky mucosal lining of the newborn, making it relatively impermeable to unwanted pathogens and other potentially harmful agents.

Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that the breast-fed infant has a lower risk of acquiring urinary tract infections. Finally, some evidence also suggests that an unknown factor in human milk may cause breast-fed infants to produce more fibronectin on their own than do bottle-fed babies. Researchers do not yet know how the mother's immune system knows to make antibodies against only pathogenic and not normal bacteria, but whatever the process may be, it favors the establishment of "good bacteria" in a baby's gut.

Day Dreaming

Neurologists and psychologists have taken a deeper look into day dreaming. We day dream when we are not given something to focus on. Other parts of our brain become active and causes the day dreams. The reason is not really known yet. It could be a way for the brain to stay active and alert in a sense. It could also create a sense of coherence to one's past, present and future. So instead of avoiding day dreaming maybe we need to do more of it.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/19/brain.daydreams.reut/index.html

Newly Discovered Breast Cancer Gene Mutation

A newly discovered breast cancer gene mutation doubles a woman's risk of breast cancer has been discovered in the United Kingdom. This mutation is known as BRIP1 carries the same risk as CHEK2 and ATM gene mutations which are not as dangerous as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations which increase the risk by 10 or 20 times.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,219302,00.html?sPage=fnc.health/cancer

Exploiting the Weakness of Cancer Cells

Neurobiologists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified a new possible approach to treating cancer. By comparing cancer stem cells to noncancerous stem cells, researchers determined that neural tissue precursors are mostly located in areas that contain many blood vessels. The endothelial cells that line the blood vessels secrete a chemical that facilitates cell survival. After analyzing human brain tumors, researchers ffound that cancer stem cell work in the same manner. By cutting off the capillary blood supply, there is a significant drop in cancer stem cells and in the growth of the cancerous tumor. This is an extremely exciting research opportunity because if applied as the new approach to treating cancer patients, it would spare the damage to health cells since it halts the source of growth.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/116/2

Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/22/pancreatic.cancer.vaccine.reut/index.html

Clinical trials for a vaccine for pancreatic cancer are looking promising. Instead of directly fighting the cancer, the vaccine boosts the patient's immune system in the areas around the tumor. The vaccine is composed of cells from the tumor that have been killed with radiation and then genetically engineered to produce GM-CSF, which attracts immune cells. Once in the area, the immune cells learn to recognize the cancer proteins. The cells then travel all over the body, destroying tumor cells.

Why Do Good? Brain Study Offers Clues

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/22/AR2007012200374.html

This was an interesting article that I found on a study done on why people act the way they do.
People were given tasks to do and their brains were monitored to see which areas of the brain were active in people who are known to be altruistic verses people who tend to be more selfish. Huettel's group defined altruistic acts as acts "that intentionally benefit another organism, incur no direct personal benefit, and sometimes bear a personal cost." They went into the experiment with the belief that altruism corresponded to the brain's reward systems, such as altruistic people would simply find it more rewarding. Instead, they discovered that a different part of the brain was involoved, the posterior superior temporal cortex (pSTC). As altruism levels rose, this part of the brain became more active. The pSTC is near the back of the brain and is not focused on reward, but on perceiving others' intentions and actions. So, some people are more in touch with others' needs and then inherently are more altruistic. It is not certain whether people with damage to this area would be more selfish.

latest face transplant

This is a recent news article which basically talks about a person getting a face transplant. Here they report the third face transplant to be ever carried out in the world but a complete face transplant is yet to be carried out though plans are underway to carry out such a transplant in October. I think it’s really amazing that if a person is dissatisfied with his appearance, in the future he could actually get Angelina Jolie’s lips and Brad Pitts face. Of course he would have to deal with acute immobility for a while. At present though the operation is only carried out for serious disfigurements and in the most recent case for a genetic defect.

Tanisha Sharma

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/23/face.transplant.ap/index.html

Maternal Stem Cells and Diabetes

UK and US researchers looking for a link between maternal stem cells and the cause of Type 1 Diabetes may have help found a cure. They were testing to see if the stem cells that sometime are shared between a mother and fetus were the cause of the damage to the fetus’s pancreas. It turned out that there are maternal stem cells in the fetus’s pancreas. However, they help to stimulate insulin production, not harm it. Now researchers are looking at using maternal stem cells to implant into kids with type 1 Diabetes, in hopes that these cells can repair some damage. It is also believed that because these cells are a half genetic match there is a greatly reduced chance of rejection.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6286997.stm

Study Findings Aren't What One Would Expect (But Don't Get Any Ideas)

This article at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2735562&page=1 , Alcohol May Be Protective from Head Injury, caught my eye over the holidays as I thougt about the safety of friends and family in their respected celebrations. The findings in the article were very different than I expected.
Apparently, patients suffering from head trauma had lower mortality rate than patients with no alcohol in their system. The study deals with statistics classifying individuals into three classes with no BAC, some BAC, and high BAC. The patients with high BAC had a higher mortality rate, and the differences between some and no BAC was 27.9% versus 36.3% respectively. Researchers believe that the effects of the alcohol may deal with the secondary brain injury and the body’s reaction to the trauma.
I tried to look for the complete report, but didn’t have a subscription to the journal. I did find the abstract and another article about the findings. Initially, the findings seemed a little hard to believe, but, when one considers that the presence of mild alcohol doesn’t stop initial brain trauma, it doesn't seem as hard to understand. Still, I would like to know what exactly the alcohol does to the brain to have such an effect on secondary trauma. The actual article was “Association between Alcohol and Mortality in Patients with Severe Traumatic Head Injury” published in Archives of Surgery.

Websites:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2735562&page=1
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=59405

Abstract
http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/141/12/1185

Transdermal Approach: Safe & Effective Alzheimer’s Treatment

Researchers from The University of South Florida have determined that a transdermal approach in clearing Beta-Amyloid Protein plaques in mice is both safe and effective. Previous attempts to clear the plaques through alternate means (injectable vaccines) have resulted in complications due to severe immune reactions such as brain inflammation and death in several patients.

This new vaccine works by applying the vaccine over a region of skin which then forces the immune system to recognize and attack beta-amyloid but does not trigger the toxicities that arose with past injection strategies. Thus, this technique is very beneficial to treating Alzheimer’s disease because it has shown to reduce certain cognitive deficits and other Alzheimer pathology without the severe effects of its predecessors.

I thought this was an interesting article because Alzheimer's disease was the issue that my nanobot from last semester was aimed at treating. At this time last semester, this information was not published and drug treatment was still being administered using the fatal injection technique. It was definitely good to see that progress is being made in Alzheimer's research.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070123-11474300-bc-us-alzheimers.xml

FDA finds that food from cloned animals is safe for consumption

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01541.html (summary)
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CloneRiskAssessment.htm (full report)
Late last month, the FDA announced that meat and milk from cloned cows, pigs and goats and the offspring of those cloned animals are as safe for consumption as meat and milk from conventionally bred animals. This conclusion supports a National Academies of Sciences report released in 2002. Among the issues addressed in the full report is the idea that epigenetic reprogramming errors (errors associated with inappropriate gene expression and differentiation of cells during embryological development), which is thought to be responsible for the low success rates associated with cloning, can pose health risks if the animal is then used for food. The report concluded that although "live and apparently healthy clones can exhibit some level of epigenetic differences", "many of these differences appear to resolve as the animals age."

A subsequent Slate opinion article by William Saletan (http://www.slate.com/id/2156931/fr/flyout) analyzed the political opposition to cloned food and some concerns and benefits associated with the practice. Saletan argues that animals with major reprogramming errors that may affect the safety of its milk or meat will die of the resultant defects before they come of age and that cloned animals are not likely to be used for food or milk themselves. Saletan points out that the price tag for a clone is in the range of tens of thousands of dollars and therefore those clones are used for breeding rather than butchering or milking. The offspring of clones, which will be used for meat and milk, do not carry the same risk of reprogramming errors and are therefore safe to eat. The article also points out the potential for improving the efficiency of meat and milk production, which can have positive consequences for both the consumer and the environment.

Scientists Create Heart Muscle With Built-In Blood Supply

Scientists in Israel have recently developed cardiac tissue using embryonic stem cells that comes complete with blood vessels. It has the potential to replace damaged heart muscle after a heart attack. The current problem with tissue transplanting is that the body and new tissue often do not work well together or reject each other. With the blood vessels already in the tissue, they hope the compatibility will be better and the tissue survival rate would increase.

The process of making the tissue involves using a sponge-like scaffold to provide support for the cardiac muscle cells and the blood vessel cells to grow together with another cell called embryonic fibroblasts. After enough time is aloud for the tissue to develop, it could then be transplanted into the body. The next step for the researchers is to transplant tissue into animals and test the outcome before trying it on humans.

As someone who is considering cardiology or cardiovascular surgery, the potential of this new treatment is huge. Hundreds of thousands of lives can be saved and extended with the help of new heart tissue. If I do end up in that particular area of medicine, I will probably become very familiar with the treatment and the surgery and its effects on my patients.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/526706/

Technology May Give Blind a Touch of Sight

This article is about a device called BrainPort that has the possibility of allowing the blind to "see." BrainPort uses cameras for eyes, and the images from the camera are then converted to mechanical impulses on the tongue. With time, the user will be able to identify what the different impulses mean in a way that will allow them to see the world around them. The process is compared to learning a new language. The inventor demonstrated the device's capabilities, and he was able to walk through their office without any guidance, navigate an obstacle course, pick out specific shapes, and even spot the logo on a football jersey.

I found this to be very interesting because it is such a new field that would change the lives of so many people. It presents an opportunity that the blind could only dream of in the past. With improvements to the device over time, the blind may someday be able to see just as well as any other person.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/technology-may-give-blind-a-touch-of/20070119070609990017?cid=2249

New Microscopy Technique for Tumor Diagnosis

A new imaging technique offers a breakthrough in the medical world. Currently, tumor biopsies require diagnoses under a microscope to obtain fine detail, thus a sample of the tumor must be removed. Using laser-lights, the new image analysis can possible be done using a catheter or needle-like object. Also, microscopes only offer great detail at the focal point, whereas the new image analysis offers a wider range of detail.

The process is performed using laser lights to cause reflections on out-of-focus images. The out-of-focus objects produce a frequency that is measured into a pattern that creates a 3-D image. Utilizing the new technique can create a more efficient, less invasive diagnosis of tumors.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa025&articleID=3C8DC0ED-E7F2-99DF-3042EF82AEC5F87D

Scientists identify Alzheimer's gene in study

Scientists have identified a new gene that may raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a discovery that may help scientists develop new treatments. After analyzing DNA from over 6,000 patients, researchers identified SORL1 as a candidate. It’s too soon, however, to make any conclusive decisions. Dr. Sam Gandy doubts that this new gene is as significant in Alzheimer’s development as the previous discovery of the gene APOE. After analyzing patient history, lab studies were also done. Researchers found that when they suppressed the activity of SORL1, cells made greater amounts of amyloid beta, a substance thought to play a key role in causing Alzheimer's. This is a promising development in Alzheimer’s research and may lead to a better understanding of the disease.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/01/14/alzheimers.gene.ap/index.html

Human Body Inspires Engineering Design

The chemical processing industry is aware of the complexity of the refineries and chemical processing plants that produce the multitude of chemicals that make our life easier. A chemical processing plant can have thousands of motors, hundreds of tanks, miles of piping, and tens of thousands of transmitters sending measurements back to a control room to allow operators to properly control a process for making just a few products. The computers that control these processes take thousands of hours to program. Imagine a chemical plant that is self maintaining, self repairing, self regulating, responds to a huge variety of conditions, uses a large variety of feedstock, and lasts for over 75 years! That chemical plant would be our bodies, of course.


http://www.controlglobal.com/articles/2006/248.

Creating babies with disabilities

This article was really interesting. It is about a bioethical debate whether parents should be allowed to screen babies for disabilities ... as in to choose babies with disabilities. The question focuses on in-vitro babies which usually get a preimplantation genetic diagnosis, to throw away embryos with disabilities. Parents who are deaf or dwarfs for example wish to have children who are "like them."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/parenting/01/18/designerd.disability.ap/index.html

Trans Fats May Increase Infertility

This article explains that the risk of infertility can be increased due to the amount of trans fats that one consumed. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston discovered that just two percent of a woman energy intake from trans fats could lead to a 70 percent greater risk of infertility due to the lack of ovulation. In order to reach the two percent levels, one only needs four grams of trans fat a day in a 2,000 calories diet. What is shocking is that people can reach that amount with just one doughnut or some chips. Moreover, those who has a poor diet could be eating a lot more than four grams a day. Scientists are not clear how fats affect ovulation, but they may affect the sensitivity to insulin, which play a role in fertility problems. The Food and Drink Federation stated that they are committing to reducing trans fats levels as low as possible. In addition, leading food manufacturers and retailers are cutting down on trans fats.

For more information about this article, please visit:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=430111&in_page_id=1774

Allergy Drug Slows Tumor Growth in Animal Testing Studies

An anti-allergy drug, Cromolyn, has been found to slow pancreatic tumor growth in pre-clinical animal testing studies. It significantly and consistently increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy used to treat live mice with malignant pancreatic tumors. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and overcomes approximately 95% of people diagnosed. Scientists hope that Cromolyn may be able to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy on humans who not only contract pancreatic cancer, but who contract many other types of cancer as well. If successful, these studies could not only directly improve the effectiveness of current cancer treatments and lengthen the lives of current cancer patients but forge a new path for future cancer research that could lead to even greater improvements.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=59498

Vitamin pill for prostate cancer

A vitamin D pill, called Asentar has been developed to treat advanced prostate cancer. From the preliminary phase two trials that were done for this new drug, Asentar, Professor James said that “patients taking the drug lived for an average of an extra nine months longer than those taking another chemotherapy drug-taxotere-alone.”
However, there is doubt that the phase three trials will have the same success as the earlier tests. From the laboratory work, there was evidence that the cancer cells were not able to respond in the normal way to vitamin D anymore, and kept on dividing in an uncontrolled fashion. The solution to this problem as from Dr. Julie Sharp’s perspective is through a much larger study to determine if Asentar is effective and safe. I found this aspect of physiology interesting enough to share with the class because prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6264533.stm

Pillow Angel Ethics

This article really caught my attention, because it is an idea that I have thought about before. It is about a severely brain-damaged girl, whose growth was stunted so that she would remain the size proportional to her mental capacity, so that she could be more easily cared for. Through high-dose estrogen treatment over the past two years, her growth plates were closed. Her parents argued that it was more for her well being than the fact that it would be easier for them. The treatment went further: doctors also removed her uterus so she wouldn't menstruate or get pregnant and her breast buds because of a family history of cancer and fibrocystic disease. The decision was easy for the parents, but for the 40-member ethics committee of Seattle Children's Hospital, "it took time to get past the initial response--Wow, this is bizarre--and think seriously about the reasons for the parents' request." The doctors concluded that since the girl would never be able to have a job or romance there was really no social consequences of her being small and she really had no concept of size. However, there is much controversy over whether or not they have stolen her rights. The ultimate question becomes "how far will it go?"
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1574851,00.html

Bioengineers at Work

Pillow Angel Ethics

This article really caught my attention, because it is an idea that I have thought about before. It is about a severely brain-damaged girl, whose growth was stunted so that she would remain the size proportional to her mental capacity, so that she could be more easily cared for. Through high-dose estrogen treatment over the past two years, her growth plates were closed. Her parents argued that it was more for her well being than the fact that it would be easier for them. The treatment went further: doctors also removed her uterus so she wouldn't menstruate or get pregnant and her breast buds because of a family history of cancer and fibrocystic disease. The decision was easy for the parents, but for the 40-member ethics committee of Seattle Children's Hospital, "it took time to get past the initial response--Wow, this is bizarre--and think seriously about the reasons for the parents' request." The doctors concluded that since the girl would never be able to have a job or romance there was really no social consequences of her being small and she really had no concept of size. However, there is much controversy over whether or not they have stolen her rights. The ultimate question becomes "how far will it go?"

6 lessons for handling stress

The article affirms my belief that Americans tend to cope with stress in all the wrong ways. A November survey by the advocacy group Mental Health America found that we frequently deal with chronic stress by watching television, skipping exercise and forgoing healthy foods. What many don't realize is that these coping mechanisms keep you from doing things that help relieve your stress load. Here's a summary of the 6 ways to deal with stress.

NO. 1

REMEMBER TO BREATHE

NO. 2

STRESS ALTERS YOUR BLOOD CHEMISTRY

NO. 3

YOU CAN'T AVOID STRESS

NO. 4

STRESS CAN AGE YOU BEFORE YOUR TIME

NO. 5

STRESS IS NOT AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER


NO. 6

THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO RELIEVE STRESS


The article also states that " Once a person's cortisol level gets completely blunted, it seems to stay that way for years. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones not to let that happen." So don't get finals get to you!


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580401-3,00.html

Researchers Find What Stops Sniffles After Common Colds

"During cold season, the slimy snot filling your nostrils can make you feel like a mucus pump."
This opening sentence of the article grabbed my attention; a 'mucus pump' is exactly how I felt for two weeks during the Christmas break while fighting a virus. I never want to feel that bad for that long again! And luckily, scientists may be on their way to conquering the annoyance of the perpetual runny nose during colds.
The article states that scientists at John Hopkins University have discovered the protein that ends the plague of the runny nose at the end of a cold. The protein, carabin, is responsible for signaling the end of the immune response to a foreign invader or virus. The runny nose associated with a cold is the body's efforts to expel viral particles that have been attacked by the white blood cells. If the increase in mucus and white blood cell attack were to continue after the virus has been taken care of, healthy cells could be damaged. Carabin tells the body when it's time to stop producing extra mucus and return to normal conditions. My 'mucus pump' days are over for now, and I hope science can use this new discovery to end runny noses for good!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244663,00.html

A Better Artificial Skin

In my opinion this article is very interesting because there is a better way to treat burn victims_ skins cells genetically engineered that can resistant to bacteria which can reduce infections. Basicly, scientists used the test tubes to grow the patient's skin cells. More recently, scientists have begun seeding the collagen scaffolds with skin cells to help the skin grow. They also grow epidermis cells on the collagen scaffold and then transplant the entire sheet. Moreover, Supp and colleagues genetically modified skin cells to produce higher levels of an antibacterial protein. Even, there is still some problems that haven't solved but the scientists also give us a hope of artifitial skin.
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/18059/

Aspirin may lower risk of asthma

A study conducted by The Physicians' Health Study found that taking low-dose aspirin every other day lowers the risk of being diagnosed with asthma by 22 percent.
The study dealt with 22,071 healthy male physicians from the ages 40 to 84, 11,037 who were given low-dose aspirin. After a period of five years, 113 physicians were diagnosed with asthma in the aspirin group, whereas 145 in the placebo group. The researchers stated that the 22-percent lower risk did not alter with participant characteristics, like age or BMI.
The researchers note that these results can only prove that aspirin reduces asthma development in adults, and not improve symptoms in asthma patients.

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