Sunday, October 03, 2010

Frozen Flies May Yield Secrets for Human Organ Transplants

With more than 100,000 Americans currently on the organ transplant waiting list, the 24 hour window that donated organs have for optimum use might not be enough.

A team of Rugters-Cadmen biologists found that several organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae are able to survive in extreme cold temperatures. More importantly, they found that several types of worms don’t just survive but are able to thrive in glaciers. These worms can tolerate extreme cold temperatures by manipulating an enzyme called AMP phophatase that is in charge of regulating body energy levels. By shutting the enzyme off, organisms have a greater cold tolerance.

Knowing this, the researchers were able to create cold-tolerant fruit flies and are now planning to test and manipulate enzymes on much larger organisms. They hope to apply their findings to donated organs in order to increase their optimum lifespan.

I found this article very interesting because it seems absurd patients should die waiting for organs knowing that they would have survived had the organs been there. It is not that there was not a cure but that the cure never arrived. By increasing the length of time organs can be stored in freezers, organs would not rot and more people would be able to use them. Also, the biologists were able to do their research with a grant of $385,419, a relatively cheap cost taking into account all the lives their findings could save.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198458.php

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