Mouse heart 're-grows when cut'

It's been discovered that heart tissue can regrow in fish and amphibians, but this recent study with mice is the first time this phenomena has been seen in mammals. In this study, scientists removed the left ventricular apex of the heart from mice that were just days old. The heart them began to regrow and after just three weeks the heart had restored itself. The experiment failed with mice that were one week old. This is most likely because there is thought to be only a short 3-day period after birth when the heart tissue is still replicating and repairing.
The team has a goal to develop a way to "reawaken" the self-repair cells present at birth in older mice. they have identified a micro-RNA that regulates the process and also are researching drugs to accomplish this.
These scientists speculate that the same short period of the heart repairing exists in humans also. Understanding how this mechanism happens can help researches one day be able to heal adult human hearts.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12573922

Over 4,000 Blood Components Listed

After three long years of analysis, researchers, led by biochemist David Wishart at the University of Alberta, have composed a list of over 4,000 known compounds in human blood. This is an enormous increase from the previously believed amount. The researchers have found 4,229 blood chemicals that will enable doctors to be able to potentially look at and diagnose and treat health problems. The researchers have found all of the normal values of detectable chemicals in the blood enabling doctors to quickly use these measurements as a reference point for monitoring a patient’s current and possibly future health. It is known that the first thing to change when a patient is developing a dangerous condition is their blood chemistry. Wishart has created a database where doctors as well as the public can access the expanded list of blood chemicals as well as hundreds of blood-research projects done throughout the world. As hospitals slowly begin to adapt new search protocols and gain new equipment, doctors will be able to use the database to “link a specific abnormality in hundreds of different blood chemicals with a patient’s specific medical problem”.

I found this article interesting because I believe that the new blood chemicals will lead to earlier detection of diseases including high cholesterol as well perhaps the prevention of disease. I thought it was amazing that so few of the bloods chemicals had been identified until now. Hopefully the new database will be used to the fullest extent and patients will receive more accurate diagnosis.

Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110224145609.htm

Newborn Mice’s Hearts can Heal Themselves.

Researchers from university of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are investigating mammalian hearts that can fully heal themselves. It had first been noted in fish ad amphibians. But research on mice has discovered that they can regenerate a damaged heart. Researchers removed the 15 Percent of the lowest portion of the heart of a one day old mice and within three weeks it had regrown.

It was noted that mice lost this regenerative capability after seven days, similar to how humans loss the ability to repair damaged heart tissue after a few months.

If researchers are able to fully understand this mechanism, we could possibly be able to reactivate the genes responsible for heart tissue repair and a possible solution to heart failure and other heart conditions.

source:http://www.sciencemag.org/content/331/6020/1078.short

Christine Otieno VTPP 435-501

Enzyme Replacement Therapy Success in Treating Hypophosphatasia

There has been a success in enzyme replacement therapy which shows promise for the future. Researchers at the St. Louis Shriners Hospital for Children and Washington University School of Medicine have used ENB-40 to improve bone health, muscle strength, and mobility in subjects with hypophosphatasia. Hypophosphatasia is an inherited disease which causes very low levels of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase. This leads to improper mineralization and weak bones. The researchers used a treatment known as ENB-40 in which they injected a form of purified alkaline phosphatase in children with hypophosphatasia three times a week for six months. Similar studies had been done earlier by others on mice genetically designed to not have the gene which codes for alkaline phosphatase. Levels of alkaline phosphatase increased to normal in the blood as well as parathyroid hormone levels which are responsible for bone mineralization. Bones were visibly healthier on x-rays and muscle strength had increased improving the children's mobility. The study reported that at the beginning the children could barely walk and due to the treatment they were significantly more active like other normal children.

I thought it was interesting that there were such successful results, especially since there haven't been any effective treatments despite our knowledge of the disease for quite some time now. This means great things for not only treating hypophosphatasia but also for enzyme replacement therapy in general.

Source:

http://www.biomedicalblog.com/a-success-for-enzyme-replacement-therapy/40900/

New, Non-invasive Melanoma Scanner Shows Positive Results.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that often goes undiagnosed until long after the opportune moment. Why? Because the patient mentality of “it’s just a mole” (it almost always is) mixed with the pain, cost, and resource demands of a biopsy make detecting cancerous and skin spots a difficulty. This problem gains context with life expectancy dropping below 1 year, for people with melanoma who do not detect it early.

To help with this problem, researchers from the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) have developed a laser scanner which relies on Ramen spectroscopy to detect cancerous moles. Ramen spectroscopy determines properties about a substance by vibrations. The laser excites skin cells into vibrating and then measures the vibrations of the patch of skin, and looks for vibration signatures consistent with known samples of melanoma.

Results from initial trials are positive, with the scanner yielding accurate detection in a matter of seconds. FDA approval will take some time however, depending on the accuracy of the scanner; too many false-positives and false-negatives could incapacitate this new diagnostic tool with doubt. However, should it prove accurate enough, we will be one step closer to Dr. McCoy’s medical scanner (minus dispensing salt). Quick, non-invasive diagnostic tools are the holy grails of disease detection and prevention.

On a personal level, I’m excited to be in an age where these kinds of devices are coming into existence. Instrumentation may be where I track in Biomedical Engineering, because of the efficiency and prognosis of treatment offered by early detection. My father has had small bits of melanoma removed from his forehead. This is most likely due to him getting too much sun as a kid, but that means the capacity to develop it is there for me as well. And if not, there are a myriad of other things racing to kill me; every diagnostic tool is another weapon against the reaper.

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/32236/?p1=A3

Compound used to induce Heterotaxia may be link to new anti-tumor drug

North Carolina State biologist, Dr. Nanette Nascone-Yoder, began her research by trying to find the genes responsible for the proper development of the intestinal tract in frog embryos. She used a compound, heterotaxin, that induced hetertaxia, the mirror-image flipping of the internal organs. During her research, she found that the compound inhibits normal blood vessel development. It also impedes cellular movement, causing cells to adhere to one another. As her research progressed to find the genetic pathways that would cause this other affects to happen, the found the most likely candidate - the TGF-beta pathway. This pathways is known for its part in the progression of cancerous tumors. Other studies showed that heterotaxin slowed the growth of canine tumors.

Since cancerous tumors need the ability to migrate to cause harm, hetertoxin has the potential to inhibit this spreading. I found this article particularly interesting because of the potential that this compound could have in the drug industry. In areas like the lungs, where cancer tends to spread more quickly, this drug could stop the tumors in their tracks.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228121454.htm

Willingness to Listen to Music Is Biological, Study of Gene Variants Suggests

Have you ever wondered why some people just love music and others not as much? Well this study shows that there appears to be a genetic link to music and humans.

In the study of University of Helsinki and Sibelius-Academy, Helsinki, they did a study with a range of participants, varying over age, profession, and general knowledge level on music. These families were told to report the number of hours of "active listening" they did, including concerts or singing along and also how many hours they spent listening to music in the background under the category of "passive listening". The participants had their blood taken for DNA analysis.

The correlation between the number of hours of active listening had a strong link to musical aptitude and creativity. Other recent genetic studies show that tone deafness, absolute pitch, musical aptitude, and creativeness all "run in the family". The families with these pedigrees tended to listen to a larger quantity of music actively.

When this was explored on the molecular level, a correlation appeared between listening to music and the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) gene variants. This gene has been shown to be associated with musical aptitude as well as forms of social communication and attachment behaviors. These results suggest biological contribution to sound perception and indicate that there is molecular evidence for music's role in social communication.

I find this article interesting because I love to listen to music but I would not say that I have any sort of musical abilities. After reading this article, I know that the presence of AVPR1A is an important aspect of musical aptitude and I must not have that particular gene in my body!

Rituximab and Fludarabine Produce Long-Term Remissions in Some Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients, Study Suggests

A multi-institutional study led by Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center tracked the progress of 104 people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, treated with the targeted agent rituximab and the drug fludarabine. This study produced several interesting results, especially when contrasted with current methods and schools of thinking. Using this drug combination it is possible to forgo the use of cyclophosphamide, the toxic chemical used in chemotherapy. Despite not using this chemical, the outcomes are very good for low-risk disease patients. And it can do all this without increasing the risk of secondary leukemias. Long-term remission was very promising.

The study found that 13 percent of patients had at least seven year remissions and some did so when some of the disease remained after initial treatment.

The thing that impressed me the most about this study was the performance of the targeted-drug treatment when compared to the traditional approach using chemotherapy. The toxic side effects of the traditional chemotherapy can be very taxing on patients and have unwanted side effects. This becomes especially pointed when it comes to older patients, such as my grandfather, for whom the chemotherapy can be a health risk. The outcomes of initial studies suggest to me that using this or similar treatments it would be possible for them to not need to use chemotherapy and because of the long-term outcomes they probably wouldn't need to go in for more invasive procedures at a later time to remove the disease either.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225094938.htm

Snake inspired robot for heart surgery

Heart surgery is often a major, invasive procedure, but this may be coming that an end. Engineers at Carnegie Mellon university are designing a device called the Cardio Arm that slithers like a snake to assist with cardiac surgery. The device is inserted through a small opening in the solar plexus and snakes its way through the chest to the heart. Its 120 joints enable the device to perform complicated maneuvers, and its small camera allows the surgeon to see what he is doing. This device was used successfully in a human patient for the first time last February. In the future this device and devices like it may shorten hospital stays and speed recovery times for heart surgery patients.

This article intrigued me because of the implications of more non-invasive treatments entering mainstream medical practice. Non-invasive procedures have numerous benefits, not limited to reduced cost, reduced risk of infection, reduced trauma, and shorter hospital stays.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/nov/29-ready-for-heart-surgery-meet-dr-snake-bot

Breakthrough in Biomechanics of Cellular Self-Organization by UCSD

UC San Diego researchers have recently made new discoveries in the biomechanical aspect of cellular self-organization. The basic chemical and biological aspects of this field have been studied, but these UC San Diego scientists have mapped out the biomechanical effects of density of cells in a colony. The study was done on rod-shaped Escheria coli. They ran fluid across different density of cell colonies and then allowed them to realign themselves. They saw that after flow stopped the bacteria was able to return back to near perfect realignment. This discovery helped them make a general model of cell ordering and biomechanics role within it. The research revealed how cell growth and colony expansion affect cellular orientation and how the orientation affects the biomechanical properties of the colony.

I really enjoyed this article and the paper published by the researchers because biomechanics is one of the two tracks in our major that I'm considering of going into and these discoveries could possibly be the new breaking material that we will learn as I delve farther into my education. Also, I am looking at UCSD for my Masters in Bioengineering so reading into their research has been a bit of a hobby for me these last two years.


http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/10/06/uc.san.diego.bioengineers.fill.holes.science.cellular.self.organization

Tissue Engineering Used To Treat Congenital Heart Disease

Texas Children's Hospital in Houston recently announced that its Pediatric Cardiac Bioengineering Lab has been awarded almost a half a million dollars for their research in the causes of congenital heart disease and heart defects. They have been working on and researching the development of tissue engineering therapies using stem cells derived from human amniotic fluid. Dr. Jacot has studied the effects of substrate stiffness on maturing heart cells, the mechanical environment of cardiovascular tissues, and the development of the heart tissue grown from stem cells taken from the amniotic fluid of the patients' mothers. Their work is promising due to the fact that the regenerative therapies are grown from amniotic fluid-derived stem cells and are genetically identical to the child and have the potential to grow with the patient with minimal immune response. It is a hope that in the near future there will be living heart tissue available to reconstruct hearts with congenital defects.

I found this article interesting because it relates to the material we just finished covering in class as well as to our device design projects.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216978.php

Aubrey Hildebrandt

Binge Eating May be linked to Elevated Dopamine Levels

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory has shown that the sight or smell of a patient’s favorite foods elevates dopamine levels. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked to reward. In another study, normal healthy people were deprived food for 16 hours. The researchers observed that the levels of dopamine were found to be in parallel with hunger. In their current study, they are observing that binge eating obese subjects have stronger responses for foods versus non-binge eaters. In order to observe the binge eaters brains, a radiotracer was injected to bind to dopamine receptors while sending of transmissions recorded on a positron emission tomography scanner. The patients were given either the drug methylphenidate (dopamine reuptake inhibitor) or a placebo. All patients then had their favorite food in front of them. The researchers found out that the methylphenidate increased dopamine levels in the binge eaters only. To be more specific, the dopamine levels in the caudate and putamen increased only in the binge eaters with the methylphenidate. However, in the other parts of the brain, dopamine levels did not rise significantly. Binge eaters had an elevated response to the dopamine. Binge eating has its parallels with drug addition because drug addicts have dopamine spikes when its gets drug related cures.

This article is of interest because America has an eating problem. As a young adult, I wonder why some people eat more than others. For myself, I typically only when I am hungry and don’t have a strong desire to snack a lot. For others, I know people enjoy eating. This may be the explanation of why their desire to eat is more than my own. A dopamine blocker could be the answer to binge eating.

Automatic Heart Sound Analysis

Researchers in Tokyo have proposed a new method of interpreting heart sounds that does not rely on any degree of segmentation for analysis. While is it relatively easy to determine the presence of a severe heart murmur, traditional heart sound analysis requires segmentation to properly analyze and classify the murmur. Severe murmurs often distort fundamental heart sounds and prevent their segmentation, impeding any analysis. The method proposed in the article circumvents this problem by eliminating the need for segmentation of heart sounds, instead down-sampling and running an entire segment of raw heart sounds through a complex computational system, which returns a list of individual heart sounds each with either a normal or abnormal classification. The method was primed with a set of “training” sounds acquired over the internet. In addition to not requiring sound segmentation of any kind, the result is a form of automated auscultation. Auscultation performed by medical personnel requires a vast amount of training and experience, and the number of people skilled in auscultation is slowly declining. Such proposed automated auscultation would rectify this problem. Shortcomings of the method include its current ability only to pinpoint exactly when the normal and abnormal sounds appear in the cardio cycle, but I feel that with a much larger sample size the ability of the proposed method to classify and analyze heart issues can only exponentially improve.

This article was of interest to me because we have just reviewed the cardiovascular system in VTPP 435, and complications involving the heart are a major cause of death worldwide. A childhood friend of mine has a slight heart murmur and had a pacemaker implanted a few years back, so any novel research that may improve our understanding or interpretation of heart complications is of particular interest to me.

Link: "http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/10/1/13"

John Gruetzner

VTPP 435 - 502

Telemedicine Practice in Biomedical Engineering

Telemedicine Practice in Biomedical Engineering

The use of telemedicine in biomedical research is becoming widespread in order to effectively and efficiently treat people who are distant from immediate emergency medical care, and yet have access to the internet in some way shape or form. In this article, it notes how communication between rural areas, onboard ships at sea, or even ambulances in travel is necessary and yet difficult to achieve in an emergency situation. By using telemedicine, these locations will be able to contact a “base” doctor’s office or camp where they can be treated or diagnosed from afar. Biosignal monitors, as well as video capabilities are necessary so that all vital information is passed on to the specialist who is not physically there. After processing this information the base is able to search through a database of medical knowledge and give immediate advice on the patient’s previous health, and also what steps are immediately necessary to help them. I think that this article is interesting due to the fact that it drastically decreases response time in situations of need. There are many cases in which people are hindered in receiving immediate medical attention simply because they live in a rural area. With telemedicine, although a medical professional is not physically there to assist someone in need, they are able to give a fair amount of attention to the patient, and possibly give advice to save their life.

http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/2/1/7

Drew Bedgood

Telemedicine Practice in Biomedical Engineering

Telemedicine Practice in Biomedical Engineering

The use of telemedicine in biomedical research is becoming widespread in order to effectively and efficiently treat people who are distant from immediate emergency medical care, and yet have access to the internet in some way shape or form. In this article, it notes how communication between rural areas, onboard ships at sea, or even ambulances in travel is necessary and yet difficult to achieve in an emergency situation. By using telemedicine, these locations will be able to contact a “base” doctor’s office or camp where they can be treated or diagnosed from afar. Biosignal monitors, as well as video capabilities are necessary so that all vital information is passed on to the specialist who is not physically there. After processing this information the base is able to search through a database of medical knowledge and give immediate advice on the patient’s previous health, and also what steps are immediately necessary to help them. I think that this article is interesting due to the fact that it drastically decreases response time in situations of need. There are many cases in which people are hindered in receiving immediate medical attention simply because they live in a rural area. With telemedicine, although a medical professional is not physically there to assist someone in need, they are able to give a fair amount of attention to the patient, and possibly give advice to save their life.

http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/2/1/7

Drew Bedgood

Mind-Controlled Wheelchairs!

Toyota has teamed up with a Japanese Research Lab to create an electric wheelchair that is controlled by thought. This breakthrough could be used to help severely disabled people, and those with debilitating musculature diseases.

A cap is used to scan brain waves which then turn that thought into an action for the chair. The subject would think of images produced on the computer screen that corresponded to actions such as turn right or left.

Early in the development of the wheelchair, it is already 95% accurate, and with practice it becomes almost perfect. Further research could possibly lead to the subject being able to think letters and be able to spell out a word on the computer screen.

This is such a great article because it demonstrates the incredible capabilities of the brain, which are still beyond our technological grasp. A Mind-Controlled wheelchair could be one of the greatest motor vehicles of all time.

The full article can be found at: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/05/2wheelchairmay09.jpg

Magnet Mini-Mover Device

The magnet mini-mover device is used to gradually correct the structural affects of pectus excavatum. Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital deformity of the anterior chest wall in which several ribs as well as the sternum grow abnormally creating a caved-in or sunken chest appearance. Surgery using the Ravitch technique or Nuss procedure uses a temporary steel bar(s) placed horizontally across the chest beneath the sternum to correct the deformity. These surgeries which greatly alter the structural aspects of the body within an extremely small time frame have harsh impacts on the body, even more so on younger patients. The magnet mini-mover procedure uses two magnets, one attached to a removable breast plate worn on the outside of the body and one implanted on the sternum, to gradually move the chest wall out. This procedure takes up to a year to correct the deformity and then the implanted magnet is removed in an outpatient procedure. This method is geared towards children because of its flexible qualities. The surgical implantation takes about a half hour with the patient under brief general anesthesia and is also an outpatient procedure. The child can resume normal activity the next day. The breast plate can also be removed when bathing or sleeping or if otherwise needed (but should be worn as much as possible).

http://pedsurg.ucsf.edu/research/magnetic-mini-mover-trial-study.aspx#a1

Human Stem Cells from Fat Tissue Fuse With Rat Heart Cells and Beat

Researchers at the University of Texas in Houston have published findings which may be the first step to eliminating the need for heart transplants. Using human subcutaneous adipose tissue, the researchers fused stem cells derived from the fatty tissue with cardiomyocytes from rats in an effort to form new heart tissue. Not only did this occur, the tissues fused together forming new heart muscle cells with several nuclei, which actually beat normally when kept in a cultured environment. "Recovery of regenerative cells located in the stromal vascular fraction of a patient's own subcutaneous tissue is relatively simple and can be used for self-healing," said Christopher Alt, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Molecular Pathology at the University of Texas in Houston. "A patient's quality of life can be improved by application of those recovered regenerative cells to the heart, as well as to bone, tendons, non-healing wounds and joints."

This article is interesting not only because we just covered the cardiovascular system in class, but also because thousands of people each year die due to heart failure, many due to the inability to receive heart transplants. With continued research, the findings may progress into methods of repairing heart muscle cells in humans using differentiable stem cells, which at the time there is very limited knowledge about.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228151907.htm

Universal Flu Vaccine Study Yields Success in Mice

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have successfully tested a universal flu vaccine on mice. This vaccine was administered through a nasal spray and consisted of certain peptides that trigger the immune system against a small region that is supposedly the same in all influenza A and B viruses. The vaccine gave the mice complete protection against a strain of the flu known as H3N2 and 20% protection from the bird flu. A universal flu vaccine would have many advantages over the current vaccine. The production cost for the current vaccine is very high because it has to be redesigned each year. With a universal vaccine, this cost could be greatly reduced. In addition, the universal vaccine is completely synthetic and wouldn't be a problem for those who are hypersensitive to components of the current vaccine. I found this article interesting because I recently got over the flu and really wish that I had gotten the vaccine.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110218092541.htm

Applying a tumor drug to influenza

This articles explains how an anti-tumor drug called DMXAA can help fight influenza. The drug was originally used to help prevent the growth of tumors, but scientists have observed that it increases the production of interferons by the immune system. The interferons aid the immune system in fighting the flu and other viruses. The researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine infected mice with the flu and administered DMXAA. The drug greatly reduced the severity of the infection. It also worked on strains of the flu that were resistant to Tamiflu. The also tested it on knockout mice with no interferon producing gene to confirm that interferon production was the method used to combat the viruses. The researchers hope that this drug will able to supplement flu vaccines that are often ineffective, and to help lessen the severity of infections for which there is no vaccine. They believe that this drug will be very effective in combating newly emerging strains of influenza.

This article meant a great deal to me because I have gotten the flu several times, and usually if one person in my family gets it several of us get it. It can last for a couple of weeks, and be very disruptive to schedules and plans. It would be great to have a medicine that could lessen the severity of flu, because even though it is considered a common, routine, disease, each year thousands of people die from it. This would especially help children, the elderly, and those with asthma and allergies. The applications it could have to other infections could make it much easier on doctors to fight infections, and if this discovery lives up to its expectations, it would greatly enhance the quality of life for millions of people, and help get rid of much of the uncertainty that comes with dealing with influenza.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228104312.htm

Bone Drug Zoledronic Acid May Help Prevent Spread of Early Lung Cancer

Italian researchers have found that zoledronic acid, a drug being used to treat bone metastases in lung cancer patients, might actually be an effective therapy to prevent metastasis from occurring in the first place. They believe that the drug has the potential to have an anti-angiogenic effect on the lung cancer metastases, preventing the growths from acquiring the blood vessels that they need to survive. The experiment that they performed by administering zoledronic acid to advanced lung cancer patients showed a reduction in two particular markers of angiogenesis, revealing a likely connection between the drug and anti-angiogenic effects.

Having just studied the respiratory system and some of its related pathologies, I found this article very interesting. One of the largest complications with cancer (especially lung cancer) is its ability to spread throughout the body. So, if this treatment ends up truly preventing that, it could be huge. I believe this treatment could also have applications in treating many other diseases in their early stages.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225082926.htm

Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Mouse Embryonic and Adult Fibroblast Cultures by Defined Factors

Differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state by transfer of nuclear contents into oocytes or by fusion with embryonic stem (ES) cells. Little is known about factors that induce this reprogramming. Induced pluripotent stem cells have only been in the stem cell relm since early in 2010. The advantages to using iPsc's is that you have a gentic match to the donor because the cells come from within the host. Gentic Equivelence is the attribute that allows for this to occur in stem cell differentiation. Theoretically if proven successful any cell in the body will be able to be derrived.

Article : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WSN-4KM3YVR-1&_user=952835&_coverDate=08%2F25%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1659163768&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000049198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=952835&md5=362587e5c13482d4fb55f3ad38e3ccf3&searchtype=a

Human stem cells from fat tissue fuse with rat heart cells and beat

At the molecular pathology department at the University of Texas in Houston, scientists were able to use stem cells from fat tissue of humans on heart muscle cells in rats. When the fat stem cells were fused they were able to regenerate into heart tissue and actually beat with the rest of the rat heart. The adipose tissue was able able to form into muscle cells. These cells were able to replace heart cells that were lost in myocardial infarction. The adipose cells did not have to be genetically modified in order to complete the procedure.

This is interesting because the scientists were able to use human stem cells to regenerate other cells. Not only did they do that, but then they were able to use the human stem cells on a rat. The adipose stem cells from humans may have the potential to regenerate human heart muscle cells and other diseased cells in the body. This could be a major break through in stem cell technology. This also might be a better choice than embrionic stem cells because these stem cells can be taken from adult human adipose cells and fused with other cells in the body.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/foas-hsc02281.php

Nanoparticles as Vaccines

Today, there are several vaccines that people get routinely; small pox, yellow fever, bacterial meningitis, and the flu vaccine are just a few that have marked, in most cases, the widespread elimination of some of the world's most devastating diseases. While they are extremely effective, it is not entirely known why the vaccines work for as long as they do.
Specifically, the yellow fever vaccine protects someone from yellow fever for up to 10 years. While it is not required at birth, it is necessary for people traveling to South America and Africa. After that time period, a booster is needed to maintain its effectiveness. But researchers at Emory University believed that vaccines work by constantly stimulating Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the immune system. TLRs are molecules in the immune system that sense minute amounts of viruses or bacteria in the immune system, and thereby stimulate the body's defense system.
With this idea in mind, the researchers created nanoparticles that will continuously stimulate the TLRs in the body, thereby keeping the immune system strong and fighting against yellow fever. They are made of the same synthetic polymer that is used for sutures and grafts, and they have shown great progress in in vivo studies in rats.


Sources
Article: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/02/23/virusmimicking_nanoparticles_can_stimulate_long_lasting_immunity.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/yellowfever/vaccine/index.html

Stroke Stopper

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease, or ICAD, is a disease that causes strokes in more than 700,000 people in the United States annually. Until now, this disease has been treated with medicine, such as an aspirin regiment or anti-platelet agent, or by using heart stents in the brain. However, these stents are too stiff to be used in the brain and they injure the arteries. Also, it is difficult to get the cardio stents into the brain because of all the curvy arteries. Neuroradiologists have solved this problem by creating the new wingspan stent, specifically designed for patients with ICAD. The Wingspan Stent System is different from regular stents because it is flexible, and instead of being made of steel, as some stents are, it is instead made of a combination of an alloy of nickel and titanium, which puts less pressure on the blood vessel when it expands. The new stent will not help high cholesterol or high blood pressure, but it will extensively decrease the risk of stroke.

I found it very interesting how the doctors used existing technology, modified it, and have now come up with a new way to save hundreds of thousands of lives. I am very interested in neurology, and and the fact that these neuroradiologists discovered this great new way to help people really caught my attention.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0407-stroke_stopper.htm

Potential Discovery for Targeted Cancer Therapies

Researchers in Trinity College Dublin (in Ireland) have made substantial progress towards figuring out how cancer cells self destruct, which can create an impact on cancer therapies in the future. A cellular process called "autophagy" which literally means "self eating" is the emphasis on this finding - a killer protein called Noxa is what triggers cancer ridden cells to basically eat themselves to death. This process is only imminent however when cells are starved.
Another factor is a mutation of a gene called Ras. This gene also triggers autophagy to self destruction of the tumor cells, by increasing the production of Noxa. Therefore, autophagy could be an "important safeguard" that hinders cancer development. Another gene was also discovered for the use of the drugs that can be delivered for this therapy treatment - to reactivate the self destruction pathway and maybe hinder tumor growth. Professor Martin, one of the leaders in this research discovery, stated "This discovery is an important step forward in our understanding of how cells in the early stages of cancer hit the autodestruct button and suggests new ways in which we may be able to re-activate this process in cancers that do manage to establish..."

I found this article to be particularly illuminating because of the fact that cancer research is one of the biggest tasks in our time - discovering the cure to cancer is a huge goal especially when more and more people become affected with this disease. Any progress or discovery made is obviously a good mark, and hopefully will piece the puzzle to what can be done to hinder cancer growth and cure/treat someone affected. This field is very interesting to me and I hope that more discoveries can lead to more progress for curing this disease.


Trinity College Dublin. "Discovery of killer cells has potential for targeted cancer therapies." ScienceDaily 25 February 2011. 27 February 2011 .

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225091017.htm

Alternative to Open Heart Surgery: Interventional Cardiologists Help the Faint of Heart without Surgery

Today in the United States, heart problems are one of the leading causes of death and affect millions of people’s daily routines and lifestyles. These problems include mitral regurgitation and one in five people over the age of 55 has a problem with their mitral valve. Mitral regurgitation is a condition in which the heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward into the heart. The heart will leak fluid and cause weakening of the heart. Many patients with this problem experience fatigue, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath and swelling. In order to avoid the dangers of open heart surgery and long recovery times, a noninvasive technique has been created to get patients back on their feet and blood flowing properly.

Interventional cardiologists created an alternative to open heart surgery by developing a mitral valve clip. To alleviate mitral valve regurgitation cardiologists insert a catheter into the patient's groin into the femoral artery that travels up into the mitral valve. The clip is fed through this catheter, where it finally grasps and tightens the valves' leaflets, effectively preventing blood from leaking. The clip remains in place while the catheter is removed, the entire procedure taking approximately two hours and recovery a few weeks. The procedure is good for the elderly and those with weaker hearts, when traditional surgery is more dangerous.

The mitral valve clip has been inserted into several patients with promising results. Josephine Herndon, age 77, was one of the first people to undergo this operation. Before the placement of the mitral valve clip into her heart, she was unable to walk around supermarkets and complete essential daily tasks without having a shortness of breath and having to sit down and rest. After only a few weeks, Herndon was able to move around almost as good as new. With the positive outcomes, this procedure is currently being investigated in clinical trials in 38 hospitals across the country.

This article is of particular interest to me because of studies of the cardiovascular system we have done in class, as well as this medical device being so important and useful. Being in biomedical engineering, new medical devices hold certain significance to us all. With the breakthrough of any device, more knowledge of the biomedical engineering field is gained and can be built upon to build even more elaborate and complex systems that have the potential to help millions of people in the future!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2009/0105-alternative_to_open_heart_surgery.htm

Katherine Wright
VTPP 435-502

New Pacemaker Design Allows Patients to Undergo MRI Procedures

On Wednesday Feb. 16, the SureScanTM Pacing System, the first pacemaker capable of safely withstanding the effects an MRI, was implanted into an 80 year-old man at St. Mary Hospital in Langhorne PA. Patients with traditional pacemakers are instructed to avoid getting an MRI. Doing so can cause serious complications and damage to themselves and the pacemaker. Among these damaging effects are: heating of the leads, and circuitry malfunction which can cause the pacemaker to no longer keep a proper rhythm. The SureScanTM Pacing System’s design includes new circuitry which is unaffected by the powerful magnetic field, leads that will not overheat during the imaging process and also a dramatic decrease in the total amount of magnetic material.

What is so fantastic about this new device is what it unlocks for the patients and their doctors. Most people who get pacemakers implanted are 65 and older and are commonly diagnosed with more health problems than just an arrhythmia. Being able to use medical imaging techniques like MRIs to catch and diagnosis those other health problems is a huge improvement in medicine. New devices likes the SureScanTM are making significant impact and opening up so many doors for doctors and patients.


http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/262/2011/february/17/st-mary-among-first-to-implant-new-mri-safe-pacemaker.html
Picture from http://www.stmaryhealthcare.org

Newborn heart muscle can grow back by itself

Researchers at UT Southwestern have found that the heart of a newborn mouse can grow parts of itself back by itself. They took a piece of the heart out within the first week of life, and

the heart regenerated as if nothing had happened to it. This is a huge breakthrough in the treatment of heart disease; if we can find out what makes this possible for young hearts, we may be able to coax older hearts into "remembering" how to repair themselves.

In the experiment, 15% of the heart was removed, and it grew back in 3 weeks. The researchers believe that most of the regeneration came from the remaining cardiomyocytes, which stopped beating long enough to divide into a new cell. The next step in this line of research is finding out why the heart turns off its ability to regrow, and what we can do to turn it back on, when needed.

I found this article interesting because the research involved went along with last weeks SNBAL, where they found that the lung tissue of a neonatal mouse was much more likely to regenerate, than that of an older mouse, and shows more and more that young mammals seem to have many safeguards built in against disease and injury, and may aid us in treating diseases in older mammals.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-newborn-heart-muscle.html

Organs-on-a-Chip

Medical companies and scientists have always struggled with methods for testing drugs, observing pathological substances, and other various medical procedures. The methods used currently all have their drawbacks, such as animal testing effects that may differ in human beings, etc. However, recent developers have developed new methods called organs-on-a-chip, which mimic organ systems. These chips contain cells and pathways that mimic actual systems in humans. For example, Harvard University has developed a chip that mimics a lung, which even has immune responses. Japanese researchers also developed a chip that simultaneously tests how breast, intestine, and liver cells react to cancer cells. Another company is attempting to view the complete life cycle of hepatitis c, the life cycle of which is difficult to view in cell cultures. Different organizations and companies have come out with different systems, and hope to advance the process even further. However, one of the key issues is that they may not closely enough mimic actual humans, and could potentially leave out important reactions.

I found this article to be incredibly interesting as it combines modern technology with humans, for an almost cyborg on a stick potential. The uses for both cures and pathological observance are astounding.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=organs-on-a-chip

The Curious Case of the Backwardly Aging Mouse

This article basically looks at how telomeres and telomerase levels can play a role in life. Telomeres are short pieces of DNA on the ends of chromosomes, that help protect the integrity of the genetic material. Each time the cell divides, some of the telomere is lost. As the telomere shrinks there start to be more problems which division of cells, which can lead to many problems. It says that people with longer telomeres seem to live longer healthier lives, and that the enzyme telomerase is an important part of regulating telomeres. The telomerase activity decrease with aging which leads to telomere degradation. A research team in Boston showed this by running tests on mice. First they genetically engineered a mouse so that it did not have a working telomerase gene. This mouse lived a very unhealthy life, and died after only 6 months. This is significantly less than the average 3 year life span. Early on their livers and spleens started to wither, they became infertile, and their brains shrank. They said that these characteristics are similar to those that would be seen in an 80 year old man. To check the role of telomerase the team genetically engineered a rat so that the telomerase gene would only become active when a certain drug was administered. This mouse started out the same as the first, but when they turned the telomerase gene on it led to nearly complete recovery. The liver and spleen increased in size, new neurons were present in the brain, and they were once again fertile. They said that this showed that once telomeres are nearly fully degraded the cells don't necessarily die. They lay dormant and can become active again in the presence of telomerase.

I found this article very interesting, because I work in a biochemistry lap where we look at how different proteins interact with telomeres and telomerase activity. Understanding how all these work together could play huge roles in many different fields.

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/11/the-curious-case-of-the-backward.html?ref=hp

Trey Young

Your Nose Could Use Quantum Tunneling To Distinguish Between Similar Molecules

MIT researchers and their Greek colleagues have begun to explore the possibility that the human nose distinguishes molecule based on a process known as quantum tunneling. In short, quantum tunneling lets a particle "tunnel" through a barrier when its kinetic energy is less than the potential energy of the barrier. For electrons, in electron tunneling microscopes, this means moving through non-conducting zones they should not normally be able to move through. In the nose, a process by which current is passed through molecules entering the nose may be able to distinguish between two molecules of similar size and shape. Without being in close proximity to the molecule, current may still be able to pass through the molecule by the electron tunneling method just discussed. Thus far, research has pertained to fruit flies as nearly identical molecules, dueterated variants, were introduced into the nose of these fruit flies. The success in distinguishing the difference between these molecules was staggering. As the key distinguishing component resides in the vibration of the electron current supplied to the molecules, research suggests that artificial noses and engineered scents may be sooner than once thought. Perhaps even in the future, medical diagnostics may utilize this research to better understand the inner workings of nasal passages and molecular distinction within the nose.

This article was of interest to me as I am interested in pursuing the biomaterials and tissue engineering track of biomedical engineering, and the research put forth by the MIT researchers may be useful in the creation of the aforementioned artificial noses. To bring a sense of smell to damaged olfactory senses would be insurmountable and allow engineers to better understand how the sense of smell works in its entirety. Additionally, the concept of using current to produce vibrations in molecules for identification may lead to some electrical engineering concepts that may be present in medical devices for those with damaged olfactory senses.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-02/your-nose-could-leverage-quantum-tools-distinguish-between-similar-molecules

Andrew Wagner

VTPP 435-502

Seaweed a Source of Potential Antimalarial Drug

This article is about the discovery of a seaweed found in Fiji that is suspected to have the capability of killing the malarial parasite. Currently, we have developed multiple drugs aimed at killing this parasite which have proved effective, but the problem is it just finds a way to adapt to the drug every few years. In the article it states that there has already been signs of resistance of the most current antimalarial drug in Cambodia. However, with this new compound found in this red alga, there appears to be hope. It's discovery first originated back in 2005 by Julia Kubanek, a chemical ecologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, during her search for how marine plants and animals defend against infection bacteria of the sea. Four years later, the biomedical screening revealed that a compound classified as a bromophycolide had strong antimalarial properties. Then two days ago, Kubanek claimed to have determined the underlying mechanism to this compounds ability to kill the malarial parasite. Apparently, the way this parasite works is by binding to the body's oxygen-carrying molecules, meaning hemoglobin. Usually, during the process the parasite crystallizes the heme because it is toxic and would otherwise kill the parasite. Somehow though, this bromophycolide disrupts the parasites ability to do this and ultimately leads to its death. More tests will continue to be run on mice to determine whether this process is effective but overall I just found this article to be extremely interesting. I mean I've heard about stuff like this but this is really the first time I've actually read about it. I also choose this article because we just learned a lot about hemoglobin in lecture 1 day ago. Hope you enjoy reading the article as much as I did.

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/seaweed-a-source-of-potential.html?ref=hp

Engineers Develop Cancer-Targeting Nanoprobe Sensors

Scientists at Berkeley have created a nanoprobe that can find target cancer cells, destroy them, then report the status back to the scientists. Even though it is only the beginning of a possibly life-changing nanoprobe, it is an amazing feat of engineering. The scientists call the multi-functioning probe the nanocoral. This name came from natural sea corals, which uses their rough surfaces to capture food and light. The probe consists of roughened gold on one side, and smooth polystyrene on the other side. The roughened side of the probe is designed to trap cells. The nanocoral then reports information back to the researchers if the cell is reacting to the new drug being delivered. The smooth polystyrene side of the probe uses a technique called the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The electromagnetic excitations that occur as the molecules attach to the rough side creates oscillations. These oscillations resonate at frequencies so that the researchers can detect their presence. The nanocoral can target specific cells by using the capability of antibodies to attach to polymer surfaces. By attaching the correct antibodies to the polystyrene surface, the nanocoral can attach to target cells.

I found this article interesting because it is a new design that may help the detection of cancer more efficient in the futre. Also, not only can it help in the detection of cancer cells, but it can also destroy the cells and relay the status of the cancer cells back to the researchers. The probe can also help researchers confirm whether or not a delivered drug is efficient or not in destroying malignant cells.

http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=8261

Moderate Consumption of Alcohol Helps Prevent Heart Disease

This article talks about how drinking alcohol in moderation can help to prevent heart disease. Research from professor William Ghali from the University of Calgary, says that individuals who drink alcohol and have one drink a day or less are 14-25% less likely to develop heart disease, when compared to those who don’t drink alcohol at all. In addition, Dr Susan Brien, also from the University of Calgary, found that moderate consumption of alcohol (up to one drink or 15 g alcohol per day for women and up to two drinks or 30 g alcohol per day for men) is good for health. Moderate consumption of alcohol increases amounts of good cholesterol circulating through the body, which has a protective effect against heart disease.

In addition professor Ghali conducted research and stated that it was the most comprehensive research to date. Ghali and colleagues reviewed 84 studies of alcohol consumption and heart disease. They compared alcohol drinkers with non-drinkers and their outcomes in relation to heart disease, death from heart disease, incidences of stroke and death from having a stroke.

In a companion study, Dr. Brien and colleagues reviewed 63 studies and investigated alcohol consumption with known physical markers for heart disease such as cholesterol, levels of inflammation, fat cells and the condition of blood vessels. They also assessed the impact of the type of alcohol consumed (wine, beer and spirits). Brien’s research found that it is the alcohol that provides the health benefits and not the type of alcohol that is consumed.

Lastly in the article professor Ghali said “ ‘with respect to public health messages there may now be an impetus to better communicate to the public that alcohol, in moderation, may have overall health benefits that outweigh the risks in selected subsets of patients.’”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/217078.php

Andrew Janicki - VTPP 435 - Section 501

Personalized Medicine

A group of Norwegian scientists is attempting to discover as much detail on the specific types of breast cancer. They are researching this in attempt to create personalized medicine. The epidemiology and outcome of the different forms of breast cancer vary widely. There are up to 15 different subtypes of breast cancer. Currently there are only a few different methods of treatment for breast cancer. Patients are receiving the same treatment even through their tumors are very different. Therefore the treatment of breast cancer should vary depending on the specific case of cancer. In their research they have also developed better methods of diagnosing the specific types of breast cancer. They implanted different severity and forms of tumors into lab rats in order to test different forms of treatment. By genetically isolating specific subgroups they hope to engineer medicine that will be specific to the breast cancer subtype. By making the medicine so specific, it will allow less error. The more specific the medicine is to the cancer, the less noncancerous cells die. They hope to customize an antibody drug, Avastin. The customized Avastin will be based on the individual’s tumor genes.

The reason I choose this article is because accomplishing this goal will have a large implication to medical and cancer treatment. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Also if they can accomplish this with breast cancer then other types of cancers can soon follow suit. Personalized medicine is a growing feed with a lot of funding from pharmaceutical companies.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225090852.htm

Moderate Consumption of Alcohol Helps Prevent Heart Disease

This article talks about how drinking alcohol in moderation can help to prevent heart disease. Research from professor William Ghali from the University of Calgary, says that individuals who drink alcohol and have one drink a day or less are 14-25% less likely to develop heart disease, when compared to those who don’t drink alcohol at all. In addition, Dr Susan Brien, also from the University of Calgary, found that moderate consumption of alcohol (up to one drink or 15 g alcohol per day for women and up to two drinks or 30 g alcohol per day for men) is good for health. Moderate consumption of alcohol increases amounts of good cholesterol circulating through the body, which has a protective effect against heart disease.

In addition professor Ghali conducted research and stated that it was the most comprehensive research to date. Ghali and colleagues reviewed 84 studies of alcohol consumption and heart disease. They compared alcohol drinkers with non-drinkers and their outcomes in relation to heart disease, death from heart disease, incidences of stroke and death from having a stroke.

In a companion study, Dr. Brien and colleagues reviewed 63 studies and investigated alcohol consumption with known physical markers for heart disease such as cholesterol, levels of inflammation, fat cells and the condition of blood vessels. They also assessed the impact of the type of alcohol consumed (wine, beer and spirits). Brien’s research found that it is the alcohol that provides the health benefits and not the type of alcohol that is consumed.

Lastly in the article professor Ghali said “ ‘with respect to public health messages there may now be an impetus to better communicate to the public that alcohol, in moderation, may have overall health benefits that outweigh the risks in selected subsets of patients.’”

Andrew Janicki - VTPP 435 - Section 501

Going Wireless

Over 5.8 million Americans face chronic heart failure and it’s not always the direct impact of the failure that can be dangerous but the aftermath. People who experienced heart failure undoubtedly have a weaken heart and trips to the hospital are frequent. These trips can be time consuming, costly and sometimes dangerous as invasive maneuvers can be needed sometimes to measure arterial pressure. However, a recent development has tried to amend this problem though wireless technology. A wireless heart monitor has been put to the test and results have been promising. The device relays heart information directly to the hospital eliminating trips and invasive operations. A study over 6 months had shown a 30% decrease in hospital visit of patient with the wireless monitor. This device also greatly improves the unlikelihood of a second relapse with the patient so carefully checked so frequently. However, one of the best features of this device is the lack of an external power source making it more hassle free and more available to a wider array of patients. Instead the device uses a microelectromechanical system, eliminating the need of a power source that requires changing and electrical leads that can break.

Overall, I found this article to be very groundbreaking. The ability for doctors to monitor patients without the visits greatly improve a patient’s recovery from a life-threatening problem by giving the doctors and the patients a forewarning of complications down the line. In addition, the lack of an external power supply reduces equipment failures that can be dangerous.

Link: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=wireless-heart-monitor

Angdi Liu