http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/22/first-european-embryonic-stem-cell-trial-gets-green-light/
This article is about how stem cells have gotten a green light in Europe to cure patients with macular dystrophy (a disease that causes blindness in many young people). The cells will be injected directly into the eye in which the stem cells will begin to differentiate and replace all the old dead eye cells, hopefully restoring vision to the patient. The reason that stem cells are stuck in a "medical limbo" is because of ethical and experimental reasons. Stem cells originate from embryos (non-fertilized) which have cells that have no differentiated and can potentially turn into anything. Stem cells are ethically debatable because of theological reasons and because embryos are being used and the potential applications for stem cells can be very good (curing paralysis, curing diseases, reducing amputations, etc.) and also very bad (cloning, artificial humans, etc.). They are also scientifically debatable because the long term effects of having stem cells injected into an organism are not fully known.
If these experiments go well, and stem cell research becomes less taboo, the benefits are innumerable. Countless diseases and physical handicaps will soon be able to be cured. A whole new area of study will be created. As the technology becomes more normalized and techniques of harvesting, or even creating, stem cells become refined; it will become cheaper and cheaper to utilize them. They will be able to be used throughout the world where they are desperately needed: developing nations.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Saving HPV....... vaccines.
http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/12/with-the-hpv-vaccine-less-may-be-more/
According to studies based in Costa Rica, those who, for some unknown reason, took only two out of the three of the doses for their HPV vaccinations are doing just as well as those who got all three. So far, the study only shows results for Costa Rican women from the ages of 18-25 (as those are the only ones who got the vaccine). At this point, no further studies have been, or even can be, done; as you can't refuse to give children the last dose of a vaccination because it is ethically wrong. Another problem is that there is no long-term study as of yet.
If this theory proves true, it could help developing countries all over the world, because there would be a 33.333% increase in how many people could receive HPV vaccinations. That could potentially be hundreds if not thousands of lives saved. It also means that less HPV vaccinations need to be made which would save NGOs and countries that provide them some money (though the pharmaceutical sector would take a hit); which overall, would save us a bunch of resources and laboratory space that can be used for production of other vaccinations.
According to studies based in Costa Rica, those who, for some unknown reason, took only two out of the three of the doses for their HPV vaccinations are doing just as well as those who got all three. So far, the study only shows results for Costa Rican women from the ages of 18-25 (as those are the only ones who got the vaccine). At this point, no further studies have been, or even can be, done; as you can't refuse to give children the last dose of a vaccination because it is ethically wrong. Another problem is that there is no long-term study as of yet.
If this theory proves true, it could help developing countries all over the world, because there would be a 33.333% increase in how many people could receive HPV vaccinations. That could potentially be hundreds if not thousands of lives saved. It also means that less HPV vaccinations need to be made which would save NGOs and countries that provide them some money (though the pharmaceutical sector would take a hit); which overall, would save us a bunch of resources and laboratory space that can be used for production of other vaccinations.
However, at this point, there is still a LOT of research left to be done before the last dose can be left out. At least 20-30 years are probably going to be devoted to this before it can be deemed true or false. As for now, nothing changes.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
H5N1 Bird Flu
http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/30/its-back-bird-flu-returns-and-this-time-its-mutated/
The Avian Flu is back and more dangerous than ever..... apparently.
This article described new cases that showed that the bird flu (now known as H5N1) has begun to mutate into new strains. Of course, these strains haven't been significantly deadly to humans as of yet; though regular strains of bird flu are capable of jumping to humans, it's quite rare (mostly happening in China). It usually happens when the infected chicken is improperly prepared and fed to humans; and having visited China a year ago, I can say, that happens quite frequently (though it is quite delicious).
To combat the spread of H5N1, hoards of chickens have been culled since the discovery of the bird flu. Now that new strains have been found, the CDC has begun stockpiling virus strains (including H5N1 strains similar to the newly discovered mutants) in order to start research and development of vaccines.
It seems like the CDC has begun a very preemptive strike of sorts; perhaps to avoid another epidemic/panic like the whole swine flu ordeal. Or perhaps it may be because this new strain of bird flu seems to be targeting highly migratory birds which have flown to places where bird flu was never seen. This could turn into a huge problem if the strain mutates into something that can readily infect humans because the CDC, even with all its power, cannot contain the skies. The virus will be impossible to contain unless every bird had its wings chopped off. Though a vaccine should be on the way soon, it may need to get here sooner.
The Avian Flu is back and more dangerous than ever..... apparently.
This article described new cases that showed that the bird flu (now known as H5N1) has begun to mutate into new strains. Of course, these strains haven't been significantly deadly to humans as of yet; though regular strains of bird flu are capable of jumping to humans, it's quite rare (mostly happening in China). It usually happens when the infected chicken is improperly prepared and fed to humans; and having visited China a year ago, I can say, that happens quite frequently (though it is quite delicious).
To combat the spread of H5N1, hoards of chickens have been culled since the discovery of the bird flu. Now that new strains have been found, the CDC has begun stockpiling virus strains (including H5N1 strains similar to the newly discovered mutants) in order to start research and development of vaccines.
It seems like the CDC has begun a very preemptive strike of sorts; perhaps to avoid another epidemic/panic like the whole swine flu ordeal. Or perhaps it may be because this new strain of bird flu seems to be targeting highly migratory birds which have flown to places where bird flu was never seen. This could turn into a huge problem if the strain mutates into something that can readily infect humans because the CDC, even with all its power, cannot contain the skies. The virus will be impossible to contain unless every bird had its wings chopped off. Though a vaccine should be on the way soon, it may need to get here sooner.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
"Heart Attack Proof" Diet
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/19/heart.attack.proof.diet/index.html?npt=NP1
This article is about Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.'s new "revolutionary" diet plan for people so they become "immune" to heart disease. Really, she doesn't provide any new insight, per se. Most of her new diet just eliminates things from our regular diet that we already know we shouldn't eat (or eat much of); such as added fats and excess meats. Her diet just consists of cutting out meat, eggs, dairy, or added oils. This article is very interesting because this diet was based off the diets from developing areas such as rural China and central Africa. It's just ironic to me that people in developing countries are eating much healthier than people in developed countries are eating; and it's not because they choose to eat that way, it's because that's what is available to them.
Heart disease is the Western Worlds #1 killer followed by strokes at #2, and really, these diseases are something that we brought upon ourselves through our high fat foods (though they are delicious). Strokes can be caused by a lack of blood to the brain; it can be caused by a blood clot or high blood pressure causing a hemorrhage in the brain. The latter can be caused by stress or build up of plaque or cholesterol in the blood. Ischaemic heart disease is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart due to build-up of plaque in the arteries. Both are/can be caused by high fat diets. I find it shocking that the two main causes of death in the western world can be cured with just a SLIGHT change in diet. If people just went half way and reduced (instead of completely eliminating) their intake of meat, dairy, eggs, and fats, we could all be dying of cigarettes and lung cancer instead.
This article is about Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.'s new "revolutionary" diet plan for people so they become "immune" to heart disease. Really, she doesn't provide any new insight, per se. Most of her new diet just eliminates things from our regular diet that we already know we shouldn't eat (or eat much of); such as added fats and excess meats. Her diet just consists of cutting out meat, eggs, dairy, or added oils. This article is very interesting because this diet was based off the diets from developing areas such as rural China and central Africa. It's just ironic to me that people in developing countries are eating much healthier than people in developed countries are eating; and it's not because they choose to eat that way, it's because that's what is available to them.
Heart disease is the Western Worlds #1 killer followed by strokes at #2, and really, these diseases are something that we brought upon ourselves through our high fat foods (though they are delicious). Strokes can be caused by a lack of blood to the brain; it can be caused by a blood clot or high blood pressure causing a hemorrhage in the brain. The latter can be caused by stress or build up of plaque or cholesterol in the blood. Ischaemic heart disease is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart due to build-up of plaque in the arteries. Both are/can be caused by high fat diets. I find it shocking that the two main causes of death in the western world can be cured with just a SLIGHT change in diet. If people just went half way and reduced (instead of completely eliminating) their intake of meat, dairy, eggs, and fats, we could all be dying of cigarettes and lung cancer instead.
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