A Human Kidney Made from Stem Cells!

Scientists have found a way to create a kidney from stem cells, completely generated from the host's body. They start off as an unborn baby's size and then grow to a complete human size when they are inserted in the body. They are created using human amniotic fluid and animal fetal cells. The amniotic fluid is collected once a baby is born to be used for this process. The benefits of this sort of breakthrough is definitely the fact that chances of rejection would be eliminated, since the kidney would be generated from the person's own body.

This article was very interesting to me since stem cells have been so massively talked about in the SNBAL discussions we've had in class. Also, kidneys are very delicate organs and since dialysis is a very consuming and tiring process, the chance of having regrown kidneys in the body would be a very healthy and safer alternative. Therefore, this progress is a very good one towards helping people find alternatives to kidney failure.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8443740/Scientists-create-human-kidneys-from-stem-cells.html

AN ORGAN FOR TRANSPLANT? ANYONE?

An Oregon inmate, Christian Longon, 37, has been sentenced to death row has requested that his organs should be used for transplant after his death. He is campaigning from behind bars to donate his organs after he is executed. He wants to repay society for the three murders he committed. This inmate wants to take more of a responsibility for taking three lives of his family as he killed them more than a decade ago. He says he doesn’t want to waste his organs because it could potentially save six to twelve lives. Actually he offered to drop his appeals to his case in exchange for letting the state allow his to donate organs. This plea has been denied by the state correction officers because the organ donation officials and medical ethicists have denounced this would be “morally reprehensible.” Dr. Paul Helft, director Medical Ethics at Indiana University has said that society wouldn’t want organs from prisoners. He also is quoted,” To do so would be to use unfree prisoners as a means to an end.”

Longon has made Facebook pages as well as his own website questioning whether they could change the donation policies. The polices at organ donation centers prohibit accepting organs from executed inmates, but occasionally accept organs that die from natural causes. Longon would have a better chance of donating his organs if he were injured or suffered from a stroke. However, only once or twice in the past twenty years that inmates in custody have donated organs.

Organ transplant advocates have said they wouldn’t care who’s organ it is. They say this would increase the number of available organs. However, doctor and ethicists say there are more societal questions at stake than to change their policies. Longo has said he could donate his heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, as well as other tissues which could go towards the 768 organ weight list in Oregon. Living prisoners have been allowed to donate organs but typically only to immediate family members. The inmate or the recipient’s family must pay the bill. Another problem with organ donations from executed prisoners is the lethal injection which could make organs unsuitable for transplant, as well as the high rate of diseases these prisoners have. The main problem however is a physiological one because the United States has such a high and ethical moral standard. Currently, two-thirds of organ donations from China are from prisoners.

Longo has said he won’t drop the appeals. If he were to drop the appeals, he would be executed within 90 days. At this rate, he won’t be executed for another ten years. The correction officials still do not have any interests in negotiating with Longo.

I find this article interesting because organ shortage is a definite problem. Having willing prisoners donate their organs is an easy way to ease the shortage. The prisoners are typically younger and healthy. However, I agree with the doctors and ethicists in this situation. Yes, many lives could be saved, but I believe many lives would be incorrectly persecuted. If a jury stand knew the suspects organs could be used for transplant, their decision would have a bias. I believe the rate of death penalties would increase.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=16325325

3D Shape Analysis of Intracranial Aneurysms

This article discusses the development of a new index used for determining intracranial aneurysms' proximity to rupture. A 3-D application of a parameter called the Writhe number is used instead of mere shape observations to characterize the risk of individual aneurysms. This number is the measure of the amount of “twisting force” acting on an object. the twisting force is measured in points along the entire surface of an object, and symmetrical objects have zero writhe numbers and zero net twisting forces at all surface points. This parameter can be applied to aneurysms to determine how close the aneurysm is to equilibrium at each point on its surface. the larger the range of "twisting force" values, and the stronger the “twisting force" is on the surface, the greater the chances that the aneurysm will rupture. Randomness of the writhe number across an aneurysm surface is also a good indicator of rupture. This force is calculated with 3-D computer triangle mesh models, and will be an important tool to study the progression of aneurysms and predict their rupture more accurately.

This article was extremely interesting, because it describes the first application of a 3-D application of writhe's number to determine the danger of different aneurysms. There can be increased detection of incidental aneurysms by non-invasive imaging, which will improve patient's quality of life and reduce deaths by aneurysm rupture.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/237g20rh7545k83n/fulltext.html

Halo and Your Heart

When playing a simple video game, there are a range of emotions that come into place. The thrills that comes from a kill and the soothing relief that comes from escapes all have an effect on the heart.

Here is a graph one gamer did of his heart on Halo.

This front line data is the first of what may end up being many on the effects of video games on your health.

EDIT: Here is where I first found it.

German Laboratory Creates Pilot Automated Skin Factory

In 2009, the concept of a large-scale automated tissue factory was taken up and made into reality. The tissue laboratory, located at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart, is beginning to produce human skin on an industrial level.

While this is only a pilot program, the factory is able to produce roughly 5000 penny-sized disks of skin per month. The skin is grown in a completely sterile environment by automated machines. The skin comes from a broth of cells and nutrients, which are then taken and spread into shape. While many medical trials need to be run on animals before they can be applied to humans, positive results may not be that far off. The primary need lies in skin grafts for burn victims and other forms of traumatic injury, where sealing up the skin layer is a high priority for recovery.

But the tissue engineering aspects aren’t as paramount as the production process. For years, tissue engineering has been on the verge of a revolution, changing lives as tissues and organs are made to repair and replace failing biology. While there have been some great leaps, and some truly remarkable, isolated breakthroughs, the revolution is still very far away. Replacement tissue generally must be customized to the individual patient and cultivating and shaping the organ is incredibly delicate, slow, and tedious. While it is a potential option on the individual level, such a cumbersome process could never be able to create an industry, where engineered tissue is widely available.

The completely automated process here is the first step towards that industry. Unless computerized machines can be built and programmed to perform the delicate and tedious work, this area of medicine will always stay a special-but-inaccessible panacea. This skin factory is not just a pilot for skin, but one of the first motes of a long awaited healthcare industry.

Skynet has also shown interest in the project.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,756809-2,00.html

Elastin degradation and collagenous stiffening in aortic aging

Elastin degradation might be the set point to aortic stiffening, or it rather renders a good explanation to the phenomena of aortic stiffening. Vascular cells have the ability to produce new elastin in mature arterial walls in response to disease or injury, however, the process in not effective. Studies have suggested that elastin production and cross-linking during development provides a highly elastic material that remembers its biological preferred state, a set point. Degradation of elastin on the other hand, leads to an increase in vascular radius and decrease in passive wall stiffness, this triggers the systems to self adjustment. There is increased production of collagen, which increases stiffness. Aortic stiffness and elastin loss is a characteristic hypertension and aging.

The researchers have developed a computational model that predicts that the gradual removal of elastin and reduction in vasoactivity initiates a complex growth and remodeling sequence that results in differential growth within the arterial wall, that is, a loss of elastin when couple with the compensatory mechanism of increase collagen increase aortic stiffness and raise systolic and pulse pressure increase.

This was an interesting article as it gives a possible justification to a set point definition to vascular adaptative growth and remodeling.

Christine Otieno

VTPP 435-501

Robotic Solutions in Pediatric Rehabilitation

This paper explores the design and development of a robotic boot for the use of physical therapy for children with spastic cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of cerebral palsy in which high muscle tone (tightness) constrains the motion of the patient, most noticeably in the gastronemus muscle of the leg causing the to walk on their toes. At present, the most common forms of therapy for this are stretching, the use of an ankle foot orthosis and botox injections paired with serial casting. This paper suggests the use of a robotic rehabilitative boot in place of the three other common therapeutic methods which all have downsides. The boot incorporates all of the therapy techniques while facilitating automatic progression to keep the patient moving forward. The boot has integrated actuators and feedback sensors which measure the foot angle pressure being exerted on the boot which allows the boot to determine whether the patient is sitting or standing and, in turn, decide the proper brace flexibility and applied angle of inclination for the foot. Force sensors are located on the ball of the foot to ensure that the muscle is being stretched, not torn, and to monitor the progression of the therapy. In order to provide versatility for each individual patient, a programmable controller is embedded in the device which is equip with serial casting and therapeutic stretching modes that the boot automatically applies after determining whether the patient is walking or sitting. The robotic boot for the use of spastic cerebral palsy rehabilitation provides a potential new means of therapy for younger patients who may not be able to effectively follow direct therapy instructions. While the idea of this device is still in the developmental stages, there is great hope for this device.

http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/robotic_solutions_in_pediatric_rehabilitation

I thought this was a pretty neat device that someone created. A grad student at TU developed a very compact device for testing people for pancreatitis. It's roughly the size of a quarter, and it is made out of some very surprising materials. The heart of the device consists of a very simple circuit board made up of a cathode and anode that lights an LED when the circuit is completed. On the circuit is a chamber formed from Jell-O which contains milk protein. The blood sample is placed in this chamber where the magic then happens. If the blood contains high enough levels of trypsin (elevated levels are characteristic of pancreatitis patients), it will eat through the Jell-O/protein mix. Sodium hydroxide solution is added which will subsequently eat through a layer of aluminum foil below the Jell-O chamber (only if the gelatin/protein has been dissolved by the trypsin). When the gelatin/protein and aluminum are no longer in the way, the anode and cathode interact with the salt ions to complete the circuit, lighting the LED. If the LED lights up in less than an hour, the patient has pancreatitis. I thought it was really cool how somebody combined their knowledge of physiology, electric engineering, and chemistry to make a cheap, convenient diagnostic tool.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/less-buck-sensor-made-jell-o-and-foil-detects-acute-pancreatitis-one-hour

A diabetes drug, sitagliptin, also has a potential to prevent diabetes

In this article, researches were searching for a way to prevent diabetes 2. As we know, diabetes 2 isn't a disease that appears over-night or is inherited like type 1. Rather it develops over a period of time. Thus, the goal of these researchers was to prevent prediabetes, the condition that essentially leads to type 2 diabetes. Experimental animal trials on the SHROB rat, a prediabetes like rat, showed that a drug named Sitagliptin was effective in lowering glucose levels after a meal while also raising the total output of insulin secreted by the pancreas. Essentially, these affects correct the developement of type 2 diabetes. In addition, this drug showed the ability to redistribute fat in the body from the abdomen. This result favors treatment on prediabetes patients and should help reduce cardiovascular risk. I chose this article because while studying for our second exam, I was reviewing kidney function where diabetes was mentioned as an instance where the kidneys are unable to reabsorb all of the glucose filtrated in the Bowman's capsule. Interestingly, if this drug is able to work on pantients, which only a clinical trial can prove, it would be an amazing break through for medicine.


http://www.breakthroughdigest.com/medical-news/a-diabetes-drug-sitagliptin-also-has-a-potential-to-prevent-diabetes/

Starving Cancer

The current methods for cancer treatment (chemotherapy chief among them) tend to be painful, expensive, and overall almost as damaging to the body as helpful. Millions of dollars each year goes into newer treatments for cancer hoping for a cure, but some researchers in Vancouver have found a treatment for liver cancer that is very promising. They proposed to starve the cancer, thus killing it, by cutting off the blood flow to the tumor. They do this with plastic beads called QuadraSpheres. Synthesized from a sodium acrylate and vinyl alcohol polymer that soaks up drugs and has a time release, the QuadraSpheres are injected into the cancer patient in an artery near the tumor. Then, these beads diffuse down into the capillary beds and block them off, efficiently starving the tumor and keeping the drugs from moving elsewhere in the body where they arent needed. Still in the research phase, these beads could revolutionize cancer treatment.

I found this article extremely interesting because it was a mechanical and relatively simple solution to the extremely confusing and deadly problem that is cancer. Someday I could be designing the next QuadraSphere.

URL: www.popsci.com (article originally found in Popular Science magazine for iPad).

Bacterial Therapeutics might be treatment for HIV

Osel, a bacterial therapeutics company based in Santa Clara, CA, have bioengineered a new bacterium, that naturally occurs in the vaginal tract of a healthy woman, that will help deliver potent HIV blocking drug. The scientists of Osel used a MucoCept platform and adhere Lactobacillus to it. This lactobacillus, which as aforementioned thrives in a woman's vaginal tract, was genetically programmed to produce enough cyanovirin-N, an inhibitor of HIV, to block HIV infection. I find this case quit interesitng because we have an ever pressing rise of cases of HIV and AIDS and we need to move closer to a cure. I especially enjoyed the fact that they are manipulating already commonly occuring bacteria in the body to find a treatment so that risk of rejection or side-effects are reduced.





http://www.genengnews.com/gen-articles/bioengineering-bacteria-for-drug-delivery/2011/

Researchers Discover Mechanism That Could Convert Certain Cells Into Insulin-Making Cells

Typically, people develop diabetes because they lack sufficient numbers of pancreatic beta cells to produce the insulin necessary to regulate their blood sugar levels. However, with recent findings from UCLA, there may be hope for those stricken with this chronic disease. The current treatment for diabetics consists primarily of insulin treatment, to aid in the symptoms. However, with the research being conducted, there may be a more direct way to treat the disease. Using a method called methylation, DNA can be altered so that genes are turned "on" or "off" or even somewhere in between.

"Our work shows that beta cells and related endocrine cells can easily be converted into each other," states study co-author Anil Bhushan.

With progression of this research, there might one day be a way to permanently better the condition of or even cure people with diabetes.

I found this article interesting because Diabetes is not only rising rapidly in occurrence, but also because we have been studying the GI and renal systems in the past weeks. The potential to cure a disease as notorious as this would be a medical miracle.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110429162935.htm

Creating an Embolism to Destroy Liver-Cancer

Killing cancerous tumors with chemotherapy is a tricky and dangerous process for the patients undergoing the procedure. A typical chemo treatment requires a few days stay in the hospital while powerful chemicals are circulated through the patient’s body. While the tumor cells are the targets for the potent chemicals, they inevitably make their way into the entire circulation, making the procedure a painful and inefficient way of treatment. A company by the name of BioSphere Medical, Inc is doing their part to change the way tumors are destroyed. BioSphere Medical has developed a plastic bead that can be used to quickly and more efficiently destroy tumors.

These beads, called QuardaSpheres, are made of sodium acrylate and a vinyl alcohol polymer, which soak up the chemicals used for chemotherapy and slowly release the drugs at the site of the tumor. In the new procedure the QuardaSpheres are injected in to the artery that supplies the tumor with blood. The beads then make their way down stream to the targeted site where they then occlude the capillaries of the tumor, cutting of its blood and releasing the chemicals into the cells. This method effectively dumps a hundred percent of the medication into the cancer cells, preventing the powerful drugs from making their way into the rest of the circulation.

Right now the QuadraSpheres are being tested in rabbits with liver tumors, and the results are looking good. I find this new method of treatment to be very exciting having seen what the harsh effects of chemotherapy can do to a person. I hope the research can prove what it promises to do, for what it seems the company if very confident in their product and hope to get approval for liver-cancer treatment in 2015.

Video Games May Help Clear Airway of Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Children who have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis are required to perform breathing exercises 3-4 times every day. These children usually hate doing this and refuse, preferring to play video games instead. Researchers at the University of Vermont decided to capitalize on the children's stubborness by using medical instruments and current video game technology to combine the "huffing" with fun games. They created a system for children to blow into a digital spirometer, which measures the amount and speed of air exhalation, to do things like blow slime off an animal to earn treasure or fill a car up with gas. The medical goal was to increase repiratory exercises in hopes of keeping the airways clear. In cystic fibrosis, the SGLT transport is malfunctioning, causing a buildup of mucus in the respiratory and digestive tracts. It is believed that doing multiple breathing exercises helps keep the mucus from clogging up the tract.

Results showed that even after one game play, the patients had a better ability to take a deep breath. Most likely, this result occurred because the children were simply doing their breathing exercises more, but with children, often times they just need some sort of incentive to do something and these researchers seemed to have found a good one.

I found this article interesting because we are learning about the respiratory and digestive tracts this semester and so we already know what is happening in cystic fibrosis. Now that we know the underlying cause, it is easier to follow why the researchers would want to increase respiratory exercises. Also, I have a friend who has cystic fibrosis who would really enjoy this article, and who doesn't like medical treatments that involve video games?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110430133119.htm

Rachel Anthony
VTPP 435-501

Possible Cure for Diabetes?

Researchers from the Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center at UCLA may have discovered the mechanism by which certain cells convert into pancreatic beta cells, which are the cells that release insulin.
While diabetes is relatively treatable, if they are able to convert related endocrine cells into beta cells, we can replace the failing cells, and will have a more permanent solution to treatment. These researchers found that methylation of DNA turns the activity of certain genes up or down.
In particular, methylation keeps ARX, a gene that triggers formation of glucagon-secreting alpha cells in the embryonic pancreas, silent in beta cells.
Also, deletion of Dnmt1, the enzyme responsible for DNA methylation, in beta cells will convert them into alpha cells.
While these findings aren't the final step in producing these beta cells, they do suggest that a defect in the methylation process might interfere with what a cell differentiates into. Researchers think there may be a similar mechanism by which they can produce beta cells from a variety of different cells.


I chose this article because Diabetes affects so many people in the world, and while it may be relatively treatable, can lead to other medical complications. The fact that we are getting to the point where we can control cell growth is also interesting, and will be a huge part of curing disease in the future.


http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-mechanism-cells-insulin-making.html

Sexually Transmitted Infections: Transistors Used To Detect Fungus Candida Albicans

A nanosensor research group has recently been looking into testing for a certain STD (one that produces Candida albicans yeast) using transistors. They have been using field-effect transistors to that are based on carbon nano-tubes. The transistors are connected to biosensors that have certain antigens. Candida samples obtained from the patient are placed directly onto the the biosensor. The interaction between the antigens and antibodies causes changes in electrical activity. These changes are monitored, and from the data the researchers are able to get an immediate diagnosis. Currently doctors test for Candida albicans through microbial cultures, PCR, immunoassays, and serological tests. These tests usually causes patients to wait a long time for results, and many of these are false positives and negatives. This new method may will be able to act as a second test to check the current method, or in the future be able to become the main one.

The Candida albicans fungus is naturally occuring in humans. It exists in the skin, the digestive tract, and within the respiratory system. It is more commonly found in people who suffer from tumors, diabetes, lymphomas, and immunodeficiency's.

I decided to write about this article because I am currently in a circuit theory class. I found it interesting that doctors were able to use circuit components to test for biological substances. The URL for this article is http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507094308.htm.

Scientists Create Brain Cells From Skin Cells

Scientists at Stanford University's medical school have been able to turn skin cells from mice into fully functioning neurons. Previously, this process would require restoring the adult cells to their pleuripotent state using a mixture of genes and proteins before nurturing them into the desired cell type. However, the Stanford team was able to complete the conversion process in a single step by reprogramming three specific genes. The entire procedure took under a week and the completely functioning neurons were implanted back into the mice, this time as part of their brains. Though the conversion was only 20% successful, these results are still 10 times more efficient than current techniques that involve pleuripotent cells.

This groundbreaking procedure is important because one day, scientists will be able to apply this technology to human cells. The newly formed brain cells could be used to cure patients by replacing tissue that has been lost or damaged by trauma or diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. This process may also be able to convert cells to other tissue types such as heart or lung tissue.

Another advantage of using this technology would be that the implanted tissue is entirely biocompatible with the patient since the original skin cells could be harvested from his or her own body. The process also avoids any of the bioethical concerns of conventional stem cell methods since the harvested cells would not come from embryonic tissue.

The image shows the mouse neurons which have been generated from fibroblasts.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1815152/scientists_create_brain_cells_from_skin_cells/index.html

Kate Lowe; Section 502

Armadillos spreading Leprosy?

Recently, patients have been found with the same strain of bacteria, Mycrobacterium leprae, that is known to be carried by the nine-banded armadillo. For many years, doctors and researchers have thought that there was some animal-human passage of the disease, but until recently, there hasn't been much to back up the accusations.

It was reported that most people in the Deep South that contracted leprosy got it while they were close to home, where the disease is less prevalent. Some also had direct contact with armadillos.

In a study done by Richard Truman, a microbiologist at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, compared 50 strains of bacteria from patients and 33 strains from wild armadillo that live in five southern states. The strain, Mycrobacterium leprae, showed up in 28 of the 33 armadillo. And of the 29 patients that had never lived out of the United States or Mexico, 22 of them had the same strain.

In the United States, there is only the nine-banded armadillo. And anywhere from 6 - 20% of the wild population has leprosy. In South America, there are other kinds of armadillos. However, none of those are known for sure to have the leprosy bacteria.

I found this article interesting because I hadn't heard of this type of animal to human disease contraction before. Though it hasn't been confirmed, doctors are highly suspicious, and are waiting for more cases to prove the theory.

Fresh From Jeopardy, Artificial Intelligence Fights Infection in the ICU

International Business Machines (IBM) is using its super computer Watson, designed for competing against contestants on the popular game show Jeopardy, as model to build a new super computer Artemis to monitor neonatal intensive care units. Although machines in these ICU’s take data constantly, nurses only record information about the individual infants about once an hour. In other words, much data the machines collect to help the nurses make better decisions for what to do as far treating the babies. Artemis is designed to collect, analyze, and organize information gathered from the other machines that are running the incessant diagnostic test. Artemis will make decisions and present the most viable options for treatment as a preventative measure to fight risk of infection or other possible hazards. Artemis is set to go international within the next year.

Currently, I have five close friends that are getting married within the next year. One of which is already having a child this September. Though I do not know if I personally will have children or not, I would want them to have the best chance of survival. Artemis is greatly reducing the chance that infants will die while still in the hospital before coming home for the first time. Moreover, Artemis does not have to be restricted to the ICU for infants only. There is much potential to use the system in other areas as well. Machines can organize and keep track of data much better than humans which and by utilizing this technology we could greatly reduce the number of deaths in hospitals due to preventable causes such as infections.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/watson-computer-fights-infection-icu

Mayo Clinic Finds Robotic Surgery Effective For Removing Hard-to-Reach Throat Cancer

Surgeons from Mayo Clinic have found that robotic surgery is useful for removing tumors in difficult to reach areas in the larynx. This treatment was used on nine patients who had advanced-stage, cancerous tumors in the larynx above the vocal chords. All of the surgeries were successful and the patients quickly recovered their ability to normally eat, swallow, and speak. With this surgery (transoral robotic surgery (TORS)) the device consists of a camera, a robotic arm with a laser, and a robotic arm with a gripping tool. The surgeon sits at a console and watches the surgical field on a screen. The camera is able to more easily maneuver and fit into tight spaces than previous methods.

I found this article interesting because I find surgeries that consist of a surgeon remotely controlling a robot inside the patient fascinating. If this technique expands into other surgical treatments, surgeons could theoretically operate on a patient on the other side of the world by sitting at a remote console.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/223791.php

Scientist create human kidneys from stem cells

Scientists at Edinburgh University have used human amniotic fluid and animal fetal cells to create a functioning human kidney available for transplant. The technique is still under development and untested at this point, but the researchers are optimistic the kidneys grown in the lab will develop into full-size functional kidneys when transplanted into a human.

"Physiologist Jamie Davies, a professor of experimental anatomy at Edinburgh University, said the technology could be ready for use on humans in around 10 years."

The technique eliminates the threat of rejection by using the patient's own stem cells to develop the organ. This would remove the need for the patient to take powerful immunosuppressants after the transplant.

In the near future, the research team hopes that doctors can collect the amniotic fluid that surrounds the embryo in the womb when the baby is born. The fluid will then be frozen and stored for many years until it is needed. If that person then develops kidney disease at some point in their life, the fluid can be used to make a functioning kidney without the risk of rejection.

Another exciting aspect of this research is, while it's being tested to develop into a kidney by this team, the amniotic fluid that is stored might also be able to develop into other organs, using proper methods. And given the complexity of a kidney, it is not far fetched to believe that other organs can be grown using amniotic fluid. This is an incredibly exciting development not just for humans yet to be born who will someday have a freezer full of stem cells able to develop into their own organs, but for everyone else as this will reduce the number of people on future organ transplant waiting lists. So while humans alive now won't have a plethora of their own organs available for transplant in case they need them, they will have better chances of receiving organ transplants with the younger generations having their own source of organs.

Link:
Scientist create human kidneys from stem cells

New Peptide-Based Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer

Researchers from the University of Kent, UK are working of a new cancer treatment based of small peptides that target tumor proteins. The peptides used have an special three dimensional shape that enables then to bind and destroy cancerous proteins. Moreover, these peptides can be custom-made in order to target specific tumor proteins. The next step to make this treatment reliable and efficient would be to improve the current methods for cancer identification. If the doctors are certain about what type of cancer they need to treat, they would know exactly what peptide type and shape the patient needs. This would make treatment very side-specific, since the peptides will only attack the tumor, making it a suitable alternative for chemotherapy and radiation.

Other highly metastatic cancer head and neck cancer could use this new technology as well without the need to rely in the standard therapies.

I found the article really interesting because pancreatic cancer was a subject that came out during our lecture discussions. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deathliest types of cancer having very dim survival rates. A side-specific solution would at least improve the quality of life of the patients, while the peptides would attack only the tumors. The fact that this therapy could be custom to different types of cancer makes it a very promising alternative treatment.

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100326124917.htm

http://www.kent.ac.uk/stms/news/stories/2010/cancer.html

Bioengineered Urethras!

In the past few years, we have been witnessing an explosion of breakthroughs in the bioengineering field, namely the growth of bioartificial organs. We have read about artificially grown lungs, kidneys, livers, bladders, hearts (only non-human animal hearts have been successful so far) and now, urethras.
This article is important because it shows us the potential and power of future biotechnology. The list of bioartificial organs is growing, and it is just a matter of time before there are bioengineered organs more available and fully functioning.

In this lab experiment, scientists used the patient's own cells to grow the urethras. They lined these cells in a biodegradable mesh to give it the proper shape for the tube and then grew it in a moderated environment for one week. They were then introduced into the 5 boys who had suffered injury in accidents.

It can be said, without exaggeration, that these bioartificial organs saved the lives of these 5 boys, since the alternative "artificial graft that has up to a 50% chance of failure". 


I encourage you to read the article and to also think about what the future of health care will look like, as more and more bioartificial organs are being engineered.
The article is below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12666171

-Taraz Nosrat

Want to Sharpen Your Mind? Drop A Few Pounds

New research led by John Gunstad, professor at Kent State University showed that weight loss is not only good for your body but also for our mind.

In his study, he measured the attention and memory of a group of 150 overweight volunteers. The volunteers took a mental-skills test at the beginning of the study and another after 12 months. To begin with, “24% of the patients showed impaired learning and 23% showed signs of poor memory recall.” Those who had undergone bypass surgery within the 12 months scored average or above average on the second test and for those who did not undergo surgery, their scores dropped even more.

Gunstad mentions that obesity “affects a number of physiological mechanisms that can have an adverse effect on the brain.” For example, hypertensions, Type 2Diabetes, and sleep apnea are bad for the brain and are caused for being overweight.

I found this article very interesting because obesity is a big issue in the US and everyone always mentions the health risks and diseases that come with it, but the loss of abilities of recall and attention are rarely mentioned.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/14/want-to-sharpen-your-mind-drop-a-few-pounds/

New Clue Found for Fragile X Syndrome-Epilepsy Link

Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. Patients with FXS usually have a hyperexcitable nervous system, which causes anxiety, hyperactivity, increased sensory activity and about 20% of all patients with FXS develop epilepsy. Until recently, the causes have been unknown. Researchers have found variables that may contribute to the relationship between epilepsy and FXS. Patients with FXS are missing the FMRP protein. This gene regulates the production of a protein that controls electrical signals in the brain. In patients missing FMRP, the brain decreases production of a protein called Kv4.2. FMRP controls many genes, by acting as a stopping mechanism. It impedes with the step where RNA is made into protein. So in FMRP’s deficiency, there is a heightened protein production in synapses at the junctions between brain cells, where chemical communication takes place. However, protein Kv4.2 is different. Instead of producing more in FMRP’s absence, there is decreased production. This protein is an ion channel, and when neurons are stimulated it allows for the electrical charge to flow out of them. Kv4.2 is the major ion channel that regulates the excitability of neurons in the hippocampus. This region of the brain is important for learning and memorization. When there is a mutation of the gene that encodes Kv4.2, there result can be temporal lobe epilepsy. Testing done in laboratories suggest that drugs that decrease glutamate signaling could partly restore levels of Kv4.2, leading to reduced hyperexcitability in patients with FXS.

My student lecture assignment last semester was Fragile X Syndrome, and I think it’s great that research is still occurring and new theories are being made for this genetic syndrome. This affects approximately 1 in 3600 males and 1 in 4000 to 6000 females, and is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability, so it’s important that progress is being made.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412171202.htm

"Heart Plungers" Keep Air Flowing During CPR

More than 325,000 Americans die every year from sudden cardiac arrest, but two simple CPR devices could reduce that number by 10,000. According to a study published in The Lancet this winter, the ResQPump, which is used for chest compressions, and the ResQPOD, which prevents too much air from entering the lungs during CPR, could increase certain cardiac-arrest victims’ chances of survival by 50 percent.

The ResQPump works like a toilet plunger, but while decompressing it can draw air back into the lungs. The ResQPOD, cleared by the FDA in 2003, regulates airflow by creating suction in the chest, which draws blood up into the brain. Both tools are made by Advanced Circulatory Systems in Minnesota. The study, led by Tom Aufderheide, a professor of emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, had EMTs and doctors using the tools in combination in seven U.S. locations. Together the pump and “pod” increased patient survival from 6 percent to 9.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-04/device-modelled-after-toilet-plunger-improves-cpr-success

Minimally Invasive Cancer Treatments Highlighted

The treatment of cancer has in many cases been a very risky and blunt force process. Whether it is full on surgery to remove or chemotherapy to kill, both can cause significant damage to the patient. Even with these methods, there are some forms and stages that are inoperable or unfeasible to even try to eradicate. Thankfully there have been leaps and bounds in minimally invasive surgery that allow for more specific attacks on the cancer with smaller amounts of damage to the surrounding tissue. Within this article a multitude of examples of these methods and particularly dicey situations are given.

Liver cancer is infamous among the medical community for having both tumors that go too deep into the tissue, coming in contact with vital veins and or arteries, as well as small tumors being found in a plethora leaving no practical open surgery method to remove them. There are however minimally invasive methods in which radio frequency ablation is used to pin point cancer cell destruction. The article also goes on to list multiple other types of cancer that the use of radio frequency ablations has also made a significant impact on.

So for me the real reason for my interest in these procedures is two fold. One the doctors that perform these procedures are interventional radiologists which is the current goal of my collegeic carrier. Two these procedures are fascinating in the level of pinpoint accuracy involved as well as the minimal damage caused by the treatment. It can only be imagined how much farther along all of these minimally invasive procedures will get technologically and the number of patients they will aid that being said it has given me and even greater fascination in this field and hopefully one day I will be able to carry out some of the treatments in the years to come.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051128081619.htm

In One Hour, For Less Than a Buck, A Sensor Made of Jell-O and Foil Detects Acute Pancreatitis

Brian Zaccheo, a grad student at UT, developed a very cost efficient and effective method for detecting acute pancreatitis with just everyday materials that can be found at a local grocery store.

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to multiple complications, is often very painful, and can even be fatal. However, the clinical diagnosis of this condition is difficult to make and the result is frequent misdiagnoses. Presently, the serum tests for acute pancreatitis use amylase (the pancreatic enzyme responsible for carbohydrate digestion) or lipase (an enzyme that assists in the digestion of fat) levels as indicators of whether or not a person has the condition. The most commonly used of these two tests, the amylase test, while inexpensive and quick, lacks sensitivity and specificity. The lipase test is slightly more sensitive and specific than the former, but likewise, it is not the most effective way of detection that could be applied for diagnosis. In actuality, trypsin (an enzyme that digest proteins) levels are considered to be the most accurate serum indicator of acute pancreatitis. The only issue that currently exists is the lack of serum trypsin assays available for use. Zaccheo’s design therefore may be the technique that doctors have been waiting for. He has found the ideal solution for this problem by creating an original device out of aluminum foil, gelatin, milk protein, and a cheap LED that successfully tests for elevated trypsin levels (as occurs in acute pancreatitis) in just one hour’s time.

The way it works is a bit of the patient’s blood is placed on a layer of gelatin and milk protein. When elevated levels of trypsin are present in the blood, the blood eats through this layer. Following this step, sodium hydroxide is added on top of the gelatin-protein layer. If in fact the blood has eaten through the layer, the sodium hydroxide comes in contact with the layer of foil below and begins to eat at it as well until the foil dissolves completely. With both layers now dissolved, a circuit is able to form between the iron salt cathode and magnesium anode of the device. If this circuit is formed and the LED subsequently lights up within an hour of doing the test, the patient has acute pancreatitits.

Other additional benefits of the design include its small size and that it requires no external electricity source.

This article really appealed to me because I’ve always been fond of ingenuous and needed designs created from small means. I also like that the inventor was a grad student. While the article doesn’t specify the grad student’s age, I still like that he’s a student taking his acquired knowledge and applying it to create an innovative concept that has been kind of neglected by the industry.

Link to article: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/less-buck-sensor-made-jell-o-and-foil-detects-acute-pancreatitis-one-hour

Microscope with 50-nanometre resolution demonstrated

Researchers in the UK have created the highest-resolution optical microscope, capable of imaging objects down to 50nm!  The microscope is filled with tiny glass beads and takes “evanescent waves” that are emitted and lost very close to an objects and refocuses them.  This allows for insanely high optical resolutions.

The microscopes give people the ability to see what used to only be possible with atomic force and scanning electron microscopy.   The diffraction limit of visible light allows only resolutions to about 200nm, but the evanescent waves referred to in the article are not subject to that limit.  This means that incredibly small objects can be seen optically.

The tiny beads inside are called microspheres, and being only millionths of a meter in diameter, they are placed on the surfaces of a sample.  These beads then collect light being emitted and focus it so a standard microscope can pick them up.  As proof of its resolution, the team that invented it used it to view the nanometer-sized grooves on a Blu-Ray disc, among other things.  The coolest thing, though, is that the team expects to use it to view “cells, bacteria, and even viruses.”

I found this article to be interesting because when discussing things that are taking place at the microscopic level, I always wonder what we are talking about looks like.  The fact that a technique has been created to view things at that kind of resolution excited me because in a sense it is like looking into a whole other world that has thus far been hidden from our eyes.  The key to a potential wealth of knowledge that could benefit all of medicine may have just been discovered.  That’s just cool.

Article Link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12612209

Second-Chance Pads for AEDs

In case of an emergency when a victim's heart stops working, cardiac defibrillation can shock the victim's heart back to its proper rhythm. To administer the shock, the emergency response team must quickly shave and prep an area on the chest, apply the sticky pads in the correct place to send electrical current through the heart, and flip the switch. The problem with this method is that often a second shock is needed for success in bringing the patient back to life, but with time being so valuable, the thirty seconds that have to be spent repositioning the pads can make the difference between life and death. A team of biomedical engineering students at Rice University calculated that they could save 13,000 lives per year if they could design something to eliminate this time wasted with repositioning the pads. They developed a unique pad system for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) called the Second-Chance AED Pads that allow a second attempt without losing valuable time to remove the pads from the victim's chest. "The pads incorporate three electrodes, two in a single pad with an A/B switch attached, and a third in its own pad. If one shock doesn't restart the patient's heart, flipping the switch will change the jolt's path, just a little bit, for the second attempt." With their easy-to-use instructions, their design makes it possible for inexperienced rescuers to use the AED because they don't have to be knowledgeable about where to exactly position the pads. The five team members "hope an AED manufacturer will pick up the rights to the Second-Chance pads for clinical trials and ultimately FDA approval."

I thought this article was interesting because it's a successful device designed by senior bioengineering students.

Smartphones are being seen more and more as handheld computers with their larger interfaces, computing capabilities, and capacious memories. Operating systems have also seen major improvements for Android, Apple iOS, RIM Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows. Apps for these phones have begun tailoring towards the medical field more recently. These apps can be aimed for both layperson/patient and health professional use such as health and lifestlye education, assisted living assistance, continuing educational tools, etc. One app in particular is discussed: the eCAALYX (Enhanced Complete Ambient Assisted Living Experiment) which works together with a BAN (a patient garment that has wireless health sensors) and a GPS that allows healthcare professionals to monitor the patient (usually an elder patient with multiple chronic conditions) and possibly take further action.

This article really stood out to me as it not only brought to light the capabilities of smartphone apps in the medical field, but also highlighted several of them to better explain their potential. The eCAALYX for example has many possibilities for healthcare monitoring that focuses on "bringing the doctors to the patient." In my Design of Medical Devices class, we discussed this exact topic concerning how in rural areas, bringing the doctor to the patient, who may be less educated or less financially stable, is a strong initiative to ensure better care for those patients in these areas.

http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/10/1/24

Scientists Design a Nanoscale Vault to Hold Drug Nanodisks for Delivery to Cells

Scientists at UCLA have engineered a new way to make therapeutic drug delivery more specific. They have come up with a way to use nanoscale vaults to deliver nanodisks infused with drugs that have toxic side effects to ensure that only the target cells receive the medicine. Vault nanoparticles are barrel shaped ribonucleoprotein complexes found in the cytoplasm with large hollow spaces in the middle. They are some of the largest nanoparticles found in cells. Scientists have modified these proteins so that they can insert the nanodisks, and the vaults will slowly release the medicine through small openings in the complex. This mechanism works similar to a strainer. Because these nanoparticle vaults are found naturally in the body, they are nonimmunogenic. They have also been engineered to interact only with receptors on specific target cells, so the drug delivery can be very local. The researchers want to be able to package multiple disks within a single vault, so they can have more control over drug concentration. Right now they have engineered a nanoparticle vault for the highly toxic drug all-trans retnoic acid using lipoproteins to form a lipid bilayer nanodisk.

This has the potential to make drug treatments much more effective. Not only will drugs be much more concentrated at the site needed, but it will shield other organs from potentially toxic side effects. This could allow patients to stay on a drug longer without risk of major side effects. This is the aspect of the discovery that most interested me. I always hear long lists of side effects when medicines are advertised on TV, but to be able to increase effectiveness while limiting the body's exposure to the target tissue will help make some of those side effects less prominent. This will have many live saving effects if the technology is fully developed.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20110422/6190/scientists-engineer-nanoscale-vaults-to-encapsulate-nanodisks-for-drug-delivery.htm

Tyler Terrill

Novel Method of Decellularized Organ Scaffold Construction Using Electroporation

As technology continues to increase, a plethora of potential solutions, and with them, further complications, is arising in the realm of artificial organ construction. Researchers at Virginia Tech have made progress in the development of turning organs into decellularized scaffolds through irreversible electroporation and active mechanical perfusion. These scaffolds could theoretically be reseeded with cells from the recipient and develop into a fully functional organ.

The peculiar method used (electroporation) for decellularization is what makes the research done at Virginia Tech novel and potentially useful, if it ultimately proves superior to other methods of biological scaffold creation currently in place. Electroporation involves targeting surface tissue with electrodes and applying brief but intense electric pulses in order to destroy the cellular components of the tissue. Needle electrodes were used to actively perfuse the entire tissue. The experiments were done on porcine (pig) livers, freshly harvested specifically for this purpose. After 24 hours of treatment, legions of complete decellularization were present around the area the electrodes had been placed, and most importantly, bile ducts and vascular structures in the liver remained intact; a requirement for proper reseeding.

This article interested me as I am interested in organ construction in general, and had already seen the potential decellularized scaffolds could have in the development of rat lungs in an article for VTPP 435. As barring some great catastrophe, there will never be enough organs available for transplant from one human to another, the development of functional artificial or bioengineered organs will be crucial to the future of medical care.

John Gruetzner
VTPP 435 - 502

Link: Towards the Creation of Decellularized Organ Constructs Using Irreversible Electroporation and Active Mechanical Perfusion

"Retina in a Dish"

One of the most devastating disability is the lost of sight or blindness. Since most disease involving blindness are incurable and reversible, it is critical to develop ways to promote a future for those has have lost the ability to see. Researchers in Japan have developed the world’s first artificial retina using rat stem cells. To this day, this is the most complex bio-engineered tissue in existence consisting of not only the retina but a separate layer for pigmentation that covers it. Of course, the retinas created are for rats but if this same method can be translated to humans in the future, it could be a groundbreaking development in the area of ocular diseases. Even if these retinas cannot enter a phrase that allows for implantation, they can still be used to further the understanding of eye disease and lead to betters methods to tackle them. The retinas themselves are developed in the RIKEN Center of Developmental Biology. The retinas are made when rat embryonic stems are mixed with nutrients that promote them to develop not only into retina cells but to form together to make complete an optic cup. Even so, there are still many uncertainties on whether these retinas can be implanted, which is the ultimate goal. Restrictions such as whether these retinas can properly react with the brain and ethical problems such as using human embryonic stems cells.

Although the loss of sight isn’t a fatal disability, it can still severely cripple one’s way of life. The ability to cure eye diseases lies within the capacity to understand how they work and how they can be prevented. The idea of actual eye replacement is still too far off in the future for those who are suffering from illness today but the idea that we can use these retinas to actually develop alternative ways for cures while gaining knowledge of how to deal with it is the more exciting prospect and the reason why I found this article to be interesting.

Angdi Liu

Link - http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/retina-dish-most-complex-tissue-ever-engineered-lab

Engineering Malaria Resistant Mosquitoes

Earlier this month, a paper was published in Nature, showing proof of concept of a gene drive mechanism that could allow genetically engineered mosquitoes to take over natural populations.

In order for disease resistant mosquitoes to propagate in the natural populations and pass their genes on to offspring at high rates. So called gene-drive mechanisms provide methods for single copies of genes in the organism to be passed on to offspring at higher than normal rates. Without such a mechanism, the engineered genes would require a very long time to spread through the population, and may never become ubiquitous in a population.

The Nature paper demonstrated a gene-drive system using the homing-endonuclease gene (HEG). This gene inserts a copy of itself in the genome to ensure that all offspring get the gene. Researchers engineered an HEG gene to breakup a green fluorescent protein present in the test population. By placing a small number of HEG mosquitoes in a population of fluorescent mosquitoes, researchers could determine the number of mosquitoes with the HEG gene by counting the number of mosquitoes that were not fluorescent. In a population containing 1% HEG mosquitoes, within 12 generations, 60% of the mosquitoes were HEG mosquitoes.

Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, and engineered mosquitoes that could not carry malaria could potentially reduce this cause of death dramatically, as well as that of many other mosquito carried diseases.

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/04/disease-proof-mosquito-could-spr.html?ref=hp

"Rocking" Device could improve in-vitro fertilization rates

Though in vitro fertilization has proved to be successful, researchers have developed a device that could improve the pregnancy rates in mice up to 22 percent. University of Michigan researchers have built a device that “rocks” and mimics the movement an embryo experiences in the mother’s body as it makes its way to the uterus.

The early-stage embryos are housed in a funnel that has microscopic channels to flow nutrients in and waste product out. The funnel itself is on Braille pins that pulse up and down. The Braille pins simulate a naturally occurring muscle contraction that moves cilia in the oviducts. The purpose is to push fertilized eggs to the uterus and dispose of the waste products. 77% of the rocked embryos survived compared to 55% of the statically-grown embryos. In the control group of mice, the embryo was conceived naturally and led to 83% of pregnancies. This device does not only help improve pregnancy rates in-vitro, but essentially makes the embryo healthier since it is being exposed to movements that it would be naturally in the uterus.

I found this article interesting because in class we have discussed in-vitro fertilization, and this technology would greatly improve the statistics that a woman would have to carry a baby.

http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=8132

Artificial Pancreas May Improve Overnight Control of Diabetes in Adults

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have found evidence to suggest that closed loop insulin delivery may help reduce risks of hypoglycemia and may improve overnight blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes patients. As the number of adults with type 1 diabetes steadily climbs at a rate of 3% per year, issues associated with the conditions are also amplified for concern. In these patients, insulin therapy is needed throughout their lives to control glucose levels. Also, the risk of hypoglycemia during the night remains a large obstacle. Recently, the development of a closed loop insulin delivery system has been created to automatically administer insulin doses according to a glucose level sensor. This closed loop insulin delivery system is referred to as an “artificial pancreas.” The researchers of this article decided to explore this “pancreas.” They conducted two experiments of 12 participants each. In both studies, the patients were monitored twice during the night where half of the patients were using closed loop insulin delivery and the other half were using conventional insulin pump therapy. In one experiment, the participants were monitored after a 60g carbohydrate meal at 7pm, and in the other, the participants were monitored after a 100g carbohydrate meal at 8:30pm. They found that the time that glucose levels were at the desired range increased up to 28% in closed loop patients overnight. This therapy also showed to lower overnight variability of glucose blood levels and of hypoglycemic states.

I found this article and its promotion of the use of an “artificial pancreas” very interesting and also promising. Although the studies performed were very small, I believe they showed reason to believe that the closed loop insulin delivery system is potentially effective across a variety of patients. I have two grandparents with diabetes, so I know the importance of glucose monitoring/insulin administering. Because of this, I have also seen the effect of overnight glucose variability. I know that it is a huge problem and concern for these patients, and this study provides hope for future diabetes with hypoglycemic concerns. Once studied further, this therapy could be a solution to many problems for many diabetics.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415083200.htm

New Method to Induce Pluripotency in Cells

Researchers from John Hopkins Medical Institutions have devised a new method to induce pluripotency in cells and coax them to differentiate into functioning cardiomyocytes. They used plasmids, segments of DNA normally found in simple cells like bacteria, to introduce genes that are known to cause cells to revert to stem cells or other kinds of pluripotent cells. Traditional methods involved nutrient broths and/or incorporating genes directly into the cell's genetic material using a virus. These methods are unreliable, especially for cardiomyocytes, or could result in neoplasms. The introduction of plasmids allows genetic material to be introduced without incorporation, and degrades after the cells are induced to become pluripotent. This, combined with providing the proper mechanical signals and a special proprietary nutrient media, lead the cells to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

I found this article interesting because it revealed that the field of stem cell research is active and providing new avenues for treating various pathologies. The reliability of this method and the reduction of risks, especially carcinogenesis, could make it more viable than traditional methods to produce cardiomyocytes from cells of a different lineage. This can be important in the treatment of patients who need replacement tissue, such as those who have suffered myocardial infarctions. The long term effects for a method producing cardiomyocytes could be a reduction of demand for heart transplants due to utilizing cells from the patients themselves. In light of the shortage of organs and possibility of rejection, treatments like the one mentioned can be beneficial for many sufferers of heart disease.

Link: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-04/new-cell-building-method-turns-blood-cells-directly-beating-heart-cells-using-rings-dna

First Successful Transplant of Pulseless Artificial Heart

A pulseless artificial heart was successfully implanted into a Houston man, 55, last month. The man suffered from a rare buildup of amyloid proteins which impaired the function of his heart so severely that he was given roughly one more day to live at the time of transplant.

The device was engineering by heart specialists, surgeons, and inventors Dr. Bud Frazier and Dr. Billy Cohn of Texas Heart Institute. It consists of two continuous flow pumps (named Heartmate II) strapped together and powered by an external battery pack. "Continuous flow" means that
the patient's blood flow is nonpulsatile; the beating of the heart is no longer mimicked and the patient has no pulse. Interestingly, the device required nonconventional methods be used to monitor the patient's blood pressure. Because of the nonpulsatile flow, his blood pressure is a constant value and cannot be determined using a cuff, but must be measured using Doppler ultrasound.

Frazier and Cohn began building a prototype of the device more than 5 years ago, using supplies purchased at local stores like Home Depot. They promote continuous flow pumps because of their simplicity and reduced size and noise. Fewer moving parts are used in continuous flow pumps, which makes them potentially much longer-lasting as there is less friction between parts and thus less wear-and-tear between them. Additionally, continuous flow pumps automatically adjust output based on demand.

I looked up this article after hearing about this in a meeting with Texas Heart Institute, and found it fascinating as well as applicable to our semester project: a pediatric artificial heart. I thought it was interesting that it could finally be used as the man's condition had deteriorated so severely; it seems that finding patients on which to test new devices (particularly unorthodox ones) is a constant dilemma. The device is obviously in its younger stages and needs continued testing and development, but it would be interesting to see how this man fares.

http://www.texasmedicalcenter.org/root/en/TMCServices/News/2011/04-01/Houston+Man+First+in+World+to+be+Successfully+Implanted+with+Pulseless+Artificial+Heart.htm
April 21, 2011

GPS- and WiFi-Enabled Asthma Inhaler

Asthma is a common disease that affects about 3,000,000 people worldwide, with 500,000 asthma-related hospital admissions a year in the U.S. Despite this large occurrence, specific triggers of asthma attacks are unclear. This is because many people forget when they have attacks and there is not good enough data on where the attacks occur. Dr. David Van Sickle, CDC epidemiologist, has come up with a solution: the Spiroscout GPS-WiFi inhaler.

How does it work? Whenever the inhaler is used, the location is tracked using GPS and time information is sent via WiFi to a central computer that analyzes the data. This is really helpful on a person to person basis because it allows doctors and patients to better track inhaler usage. On a larger level, the processed information can help show trends in location. Then epidemiologists will be able to discover certain geographical or environmental factors that are triggering attacks.

I do not have asthma but know plenty of people that do. I think combining treatment for such a common disease with today’s GPS and WiFi technology is such a simple but awesome idea. I was wondering how it would be powered, and found another article that said it is battery powered and rechargeable using a wall charger or USB. Speaking of USB, the user can even download info from the device onto their computer. One can also have it send text message reminders!

http://www.economist.com/node/18526861