header logo image


Page 1,113«..1020..1,1121,1131,1141,115..1,1201,130..»

Houston Texas Office of the American Diabetes Association

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

122

Share:

Texans are increasingly feeling the effects of diabetes as thousands of people suffer from the disease, and many others may have diabetes and not know it! It is estimated that one out of every three children born after 2000 in the United States will be directly affected by diabetes.

That is why the American Diabetes Association's Houston office is so committed to educating the public about how to stop diabetes and support those living with the disease.

We are here to help.

School Walk for Diabetes is an educational school fundraising program that promotes healthy living, school spirit and community involvement. While raising money for the American Diabetes Association, students learn about diabetes and the importance of making healthy choices including eating nutritional foods and exercising every day. The money raised through School Walk for Diabetes helps fund diabetes research, education and advocacy in support of the mission of the American Diabetes Association.

To get your school involved, please contact Mary Baumann at 713-977-7706 ext. 6093 or mbaumann@diabetes.org.

American Diabetes Association Sweethearts are young women from Houston area high schools who are invited by the Association to help in the fight against diabetes. Through this unique and rewarding program, Sweethearts gain valuable experience in fundraising, volunteerism, event planning and team work. The Association Sweetheart Program begins in August and concludes in May with the Sweetheart presentation at the Wine and Roses Gala.

For more information, please contact Ferrin Eddins at 713-977-7706 ext. 6065 or Feddins@diabetes.org.

We welcome your help.

Your involvement as an American Diabetes Association volunteer whether on a local or national level will help us expand our community outreach and impact, inspire healthy living, intensify our advocacy efforts, raise critical dollars to fund our mission, and uphold our reputation as the moving force and trusted leader in the diabetes community.

Find volunteer opportunities in our area through the Volunteer Center.

More here:
Houston Texas Office of the American Diabetes Association

Read More...

Bethlehem PA Rheumatologist Doctors – Arthritis: Facts on …

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

2

Jolanta Zelaznicka Jolanta Zelaznicka MD 41 Corporate Dr Ste 102 Easton, PA 18045 (610) 252-0515

3

Mark A. Durback Mark A Durback MD 21 Corporate Dr Ste 6B Easton, PA 18045 (610) 250-9605

4

Ellen M. Field Ellen M Field MD 1665 Valley Center Pkwy Ste 150 Bethlehem, PA 18017 (610) 868-8460

5

Kelly L. Sweeney Ellen M Field MD 1665 Valley Center Pkwy Ste 150 Bethlehem, PA 18017 (610) 868-8460

6

Nicole C. Chiappetta Coordinated Health Breast Care Specialists 2775 Schoenersville Rd Bethlehem, PA 18017 (610) 865-4880

7

Nancy N. Mcfadden East Penn Rheumatology Associates 701 Ostrum St Ste 402 Bethlehem, PA 18015 (610) 868-1336

8

Charles L. Ludivico East Penn Rheumatology Associates 701 Ostrum St Ste 402 Bethlehem, PA 18015 (610) 868-1336

9

Kerry B. Stone Rheumatology Associates 262 Bethlehem Pike Ste 100A Colmar, PA 18915 (215) 997-8530

10

Marzena L. Bieniek Marzena L Bieniek MD 352 5th St Ste B Whitehall, PA 18052 (610) 432-8185

11

Susan Lee Coordinated Health Breast Care Specialists 1503 N Cedar Crest Blvd Allentown, PA 18104 (610) 821-4848

12

Caroline Hahn Coordinated Health Breast Care Specialists 1503 N Cedar Crest Blvd Allentown, PA 18104 (610) 821-4848

13

Meghan Hoffner Coordinated Health Breast Care Specialists 1503 N Cedar Crest Blvd Allentown, PA 18104 (610) 821-4848

14

Susan Kim Lehigh Valley Infectious Disease Specialists 3080 Hamilton Blvd Ste 300 Allentown, PA 18103 (610) 776-5038

15

Kerry D. Miller Lehigh Valley Infectious Disease Specialists 3080 Hamilton Blvd Ste 300 Allentown, PA 18103 (610) 776-5038

16

Kristin M. Ingraham Lehigh Valley Infectious Disease Specialists 3080 Hamilton Blvd Ste 300 Allentown, PA 18103 (610) 776-5038

17

Marie S. O'brien Lehigh Valley Infectious Disease Specialists 3080 Hamilton Blvd Ste 300 Allentown, PA 18103 (610) 776-5038

18

James M. Ross Lehigh Valley Infectious Disease Specialists 3080 Hamilton Blvd Ste 300 Allentown, PA 18103 (610) 776-5038

19

Robert F. Mcevoy Robert F Mc Evoy MD 125 S 1st St Bangor, PA 18013 (610) 588-8282

20

Mythil Seetharaman OAA Orthopaedics Specialists 250 Cetronia Rd Ste 303 Allentown, PA 18104 (610) 973-6200

21

Timothy R. Howard Bucks-Mont Rheumatology 1534 Park Ave Ste 340 Quakertown, PA 18951 (215) 538-8132

22

Sylvan Brown Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates 300 E Brown St Ste B East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 (570) 476-7656

23

Marc I. Storch Central Jersey Rheumatology 1100 Wescott Dr Ste 106 Flemington, NJ 08822 (908) 284-9221

24

Ahmed Abdel-Megid Rheumatology Center Of New Jersey 281 Witherspoon St Ste 200 Princeton, NJ 08540 (908) 722-5380

25

Daniel K. Norden Rheumatology Associates 262 Bethlehem Pike Ste 100A Colmar, PA 18915 (215) 997-8530

26

Robert A. Moidel Rheumatology Associates 262 Bethlehem Pike Ste 100A Colmar, PA 18915 (215) 997-8530

27

Andrew L. Mermelstein Rheumatology Associates 262 Bethlehem Pike Ste 100A Colmar, PA 18915 (215) 997-8530

28

Terrence J. Forster Allergy Asthma & Arthritis Associates 4 Terry Dr Ste 10 Newtown, PA 18940 (215) 968-6000

29

Marguerite L. Mcgarvey Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

30

Charles M. Franklin Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

31

Dennis A. Jerdan Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

32

Robert A. Kimelheim Arthritis & Rheumatology Disease Consultants 1070 S Broad St Lansdale, PA 19446 (215) 361-9796

33

Dana Jacobs-kosmin Rheumatic Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

34

Charles H. Pritchard Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

35

Mark A. Lopatin Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

36

Wendolyn R. Grace Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

37

David J. Chesner Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

38

Sarah Coleman Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

39

Elana R. Eisner Rheumatology Disease Associates 599 W State St Ste 310 Doylestown, PA 18901 (267) 893-6780

40

Sucharitha Shanmugam PMA Medical Specialists LLC 826 Main St Ste 100 Phoenixville, PA 19460 (610) 933-8484

41

Sucharitha Shanmugam PMA Medical Specialists LLC Multi Specialty 13 Armand Hammer Blvd Ste 100 Pottstown, PA 19464 (610) 323-3100

42

Michael D. Perilstein Michael D Perilstein MD 13 Armand Hammer Blvd Ste 210 Pottstown, PA 19464 (610) 327-2405

43

Stacey L. Fitch Pottstown Medical Specialists Inc 1569 Medical Dr Ste 202 Pottstown, PA 19464 (484) 945-0075

44

Matthew B. Naegle PMA Medical Specialists LLC Multi Specialty 826 Main St Ste 100 Phoenixville, PA 19460 (610) 933-8484

45

Stephanie J. Morris Premiere Orthopedics Liberty Division 826 Main St Ste 202 Phoenixville, PA 19460 (610) 415-1600

46

Farhan Tahir Rheumatology Care Consultants 721 Arbor Way Ste 103 Blue Bell, PA 19422 (267) 685-6070

47

Jennifer G. Kwan-Morley Premiere Orthopedics Liberty Division 826 Main St Ste 202 Phoenixville, PA 19460 (610) 415-1600

48

Arati S. Karhadkar Rheumatology Associates 170 W Germantown Pike Ste C2 East Norriton, PA 19401 (610) 277-2750

49

Jason J. Wu JW Medical Center 781 47th St Brooklyn, NY 11220 (718) 435-5980

50

Jason J. Wu The Orthopedic Institute Of New Jersey 222 High St Ste 202 Newton, NJ 07860 (908) 684-3005

51

David M. Pugliese Geisinger Medical Group Knapper Clinic 125 Scranton Pocono Hwy Scranton, PA 18505 (570) 342-8500

Link:
Bethlehem PA Rheumatologist Doctors - Arthritis: Facts on ...

Read More...

Midtown Opthalmology – Midtown East – New York, NY – Yelp

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

2 check-ins

I've been under Dr. Lorenzo's care since 2006 and she is the best. Even when I was living outside the U.S. I would make it a point of scheduling my check ups when I was back in town. She is thorough in a way that gives you relief in that you know if there's an issue with your health, she will catch it early and faster than anyone else around. And everything she sees during the exam, she let's you know and takes the time to expound as much as you want. I never feel like she is rushing. And she makes for the best conversation - so smart. On one visit she put me onto Hawaii and the Hawaii Revealed guidebooks which made for the best honeymoon. And on this last visit we talked food. Seems weird to mention, but I find that the best doctors have a great manner that puts you at ease and help you trust them so they can do the best job they can.

And Corinne is just as wonderful when she gets the exam going and the conversation started. They make a great team.

Go here to read the rest:
Midtown Opthalmology - Midtown East - New York, NY - Yelp

Read More...

New York City Ophthalmology, P.C.

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

(reprinted with permission)

"The reason why I give Dr. Yim 5 rating. In 2005 I visit Dr. Yim for an eye appointment. I didn't realize that my life would change forever, during my eye examination Dr. Yim spotted hemorraging in the back my eyes, Dr. Yim checked my pressure and realized that it was tremedously high. He insisted that I immediately goto the hospital. I said to myself an eye doctor doesn't know anything. I took his advice and went to the hospital. Thank god I made that decision to go because when I reached the hospital my pressure elevator so high that I had 3 strokes and kidney failure I was in a coma for 6 months and I couldn't walk, talk for 3 years. Inever imagned an eye doctor saving ones life, but Dr. Yim did. I'm so grateful and thank Dr. Yim for saving my life. Dr Yim your the best opthalmogist. I reccomend anyone seeking an eye doctor will choose you. I'll never forget, Dr. Yim saved my life. Dr. Yim keep up the good work and god bless you. Stacey Atins - 4/7/13"

from rateMDs.com

"A Success Story"

I will always be greatful to God for working through the skilled hands and brilliant mind of Dr. Victor Joe Yim to restore my eyesight. My case looked very bleek and severe due to the blindness in my right eye. Dr. Yim could not see the back of my right eye. I know God heard our prayers for a miracle. Dr. Yim did the surgery on Thursday, June 18, 2013 and removed the (tape) bandages on the next day, June 19 and Ive been enjoying 20/20 vision ever since. Thank you, Dr. Yim for your gifts to the world!!

Love + blessings,

The rest is here:
New York City Ophthalmology, P.C.

Read More...

Stem Cell Therapy – medical tourism in India

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

"Stem Cell Cure Pvt. Ltd." is one of the most trusted and highlighted company in India which has expertise in providing best Stem Cell Services for all major degenerative diseases. We are providing stem cell therapy at affordable price in India and providing best treatment services for needed patients using stem cell solutions in more efficient way at top most hospitals of India.

It is the single channel that has comprehensive stem cell treatment protocols and employs stem cells in different form as per the requirement of best suite on the basis of degenerative disease application. With the help of our expertise we are successfully providing stem cell therapy for muscular dystrophy, spinal cord Injury, diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), cerebral palsy, autism, lung (COPD) disease and liver cirrhosis and our list of services doesn't end here.

"Stem Cell Cure (P) Ltd" company is working with some India's top stem cell therapy centers, cord blood stem cell preservation banks and stem cell research labs to explore and share their unique stem cell solutions with our best services via coordinating of our clinician and researcher and solving every type of patient queries regarding stem cell therapy .

Our Company is providing best stem cell therapy for the needed patients in all those application which can treat by stem cell therapy. We have stem cells in different forms to make the better recovery of patient and refer the best stem cell solutions after the evaluation of patient case study by our experts. Our experts in this field work together with patients though the collaborative patient experience to give you greater peace of mind to develop clear evidence based path. We have highly experts in our team and our experts are strong in research and clinical research from both points of view.

Our mission is to provide best stem cell therapy at reasonable price not only in India but also throughout the whole world so that every needed patients can get best stem cell therapy to improve his life.

Visit link:
Stem Cell Therapy - medical tourism in India

Read More...

Stem Cell Therapy in 2015 for Patients with Kidney Failure

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Home > Understanding Kidney Disease > Kidney Diseases > Kidney Failure > Kidney Failure Treatment > 2015-07-21 16:16| Font Size A A A

Along with the development of medical technology, Stem Cell Therapy has been widely used to control or even stop progression of illness condition for patients with Kidney Failure. Here we will introduce one of most popular kidney disease treatment in 2015--Newest Stem Cell Transplantation Therapy.

What is the treatment?

Stem cell therapy is also known as stem cell transplant which has tremendous promise to help us understand and treat a range of diseases. Stem cell is primitive cell that has the potential ability of self replication and multi-directional differentiation, that is to say, stem cell is the origin of the body. The therapy uses healthy stem cells to transplant into the patients, so as to repair damaged cells and rebuild organ structure.

How does it treat patients with renal failure?

Actually, in Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital-one of largest kidney disease hospitals in China, we make full use of abilities of stem cells like self-renewing, high proliferation and multiple-directional differentiation to create the completely new, normal or even much younger cells, tissues and organs. When stem cells are transplanted into the body, these new and younger cells will find and replace the damaged or necrotic cells and tissues. In the condition, the treatment can help improve renal function from the root for patients with different type of kidney diseases like Kidney Failure, IgA Nephropathy, Lupus Nephritis, Diabetic Nephrpathy and so on.

What are the characteristics of the treatment?

According to clinical practice, we find the treatment has the following features:

- Safety: nontoxicity

- This therapy can be used, even though the pathogenesis of the disease hasnt been detected fully

- For some symptoms, stem cell transplant has an obvious effect.

- The source of transplanted stem cells is sufficient.

- Stem cells are the best vectors of immune therapy and gene therapy.

- It brings brand new hope to treat incurable diseases.

If you still have other questions or have interest in the therapy, please contact with our Online Doctor or email to us at renal-disease@hotmail.com and we will do our best to help you.

Read this article:
Stem Cell Therapy in 2015 for Patients with Kidney Failure

Read More...

Organogenesis.com – Science – Regenerative Medicine

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Regenerative medicine is a multidisciplinary field involving biology, medicine and engineering. It combines the physical nature of a product with living cells.

"Tissue Regeneration," "Tissue Engineering" and "Regenerative Medicine" are related terms and are sometimes used interchangeably.

Where does regenerative medicine fit into modern medical practice? Current traditional approaches to treat medical diseases include:

These methods are all considered essential, but have their limitations. For example, drugs have unwanted side effects, prosthetics are not biologically active and do not integrate or remodel into the body, surgery is invasive, and organ transplantation is limited by donor availability and toxic immunosuppressive cocktails.

Regenerative medicine is an emerging approach in modern medicine as it delivers living tissue, stimulating the body's own natural healing process by activating the body's inherent ability to repair and regenerate. Innovative therapies are now available that aim to heal or reconstruct diseased tissue and support the regeneration of diseased or injured cells and organs.

Doctors use regenerative medicine to speed up healing and to help injuries that will not heal or repair on their own. Regenerative medicine may help heal broken bones, severe burns, chronic wounds, heart damage, nerve damage, and many other diseases.

Link:
Organogenesis.com - Science - Regenerative Medicine

Read More...

Center for Gene Therapy :: The Research Institute at …

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

The mission of the Center for Gene Therapy is to investigate and employ the use of gene and cell based therapeutics for prevention and treatment of human diseases including: neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases, lysosomal storage disorders, ischemia and re-perfusion injury, neonatal hypertension, cancer and infectious diseases.

Learn about our areas of focus and featured research projects.

The National Institutes of Health has designated the Center for Gene Therapy as a Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center (MDCRC). MDCRCs promote basic, translational and clinical research and provide important resources that can be shared within the national muscle biology and neuromuscular research communities.

The MDCRC will allow Nationwide Children's researchers to further develop methods to overcome immune barriers to gene correction for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

View the Nationwide Children's Wellstone Center page.

The Center for Gene Therapy and the Viral Vector Core are home to a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production facility for manufacture of clinical-grade rAAV vectors.

View the Viral Vector Core & Clinical Manufacturing Facility site.

TheOSU and Nationwide Children's Muscle Groupbrings together investigators with diverse research interests in skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and neuromuscular biology.

Hosted by Kevin Flanigan, MD,"This Month in Muscular Dystrophy" podcastshighlight the latest in muscular dystrophy and other inherited neuromuscular disease research.During each podcast, authors of recent publications discuss how their work improves our understanding of inherited neuromuscular diseases, and what their work might mean for treatment of these diseases.

Originally posted here:
Center for Gene Therapy :: The Research Institute at ...

Read More...

Whitehead Institute – News – 2004 – Life, death and stem cells

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

November 10, 2004

Tags: Jaenisch LabStem Cells + Therapeutic Cloning

Your doctor has some bad news. Turns out your heart isnt working right. In fact, due to deterioration in the muscle tissue, its only operating at 10 percent capacity. That explains your chest pains, difficulty breathing, and inability to exert yourself without getting winded. Unfortunately, you know what the diagnosis means: getting on a donor list, staying at home, and waiting for the hospital beeper to go off if a donor organ becomes available. And even if that does happenand the chances are slimyoull always be wondering how long the transplant will last, worrying that your immune system will wise up to this foreign mass of muscle and attack it with everything its got.

But your doctor has another idea. He will collect cells from the surface of your skin and put them in a dish. Youll go home, with orders to stay in bed and rest. About six weeks later, you will arrive at the hospital and be wheeled into the operating room. The last thing youll remember is the anesthesiologist placing a mask on your face and asking you to count backward from 10. When you wake up in recovery, groggy and achy, your doctor will say that youre going to be fine. Even as the two of you speak, your heart muscle will be renewing itself. Tissue will have been engrafted into your hearttissue created from your very own DNA. No red flags to alert your immune system. In a few weeks, youll be completely restored.

For now, the above scenario is speculative fictionhighly controversial speculative fiction. Politicians, lawyers, ethicists, religious leaders, United Nations delegates, and scientists are embroiled in a debate over whether the process used to heal your heart is morally flawed.

For that new heart tissue to be created, researchers would need to remove the nucleus from one of your skin cells and implant it into a donor egg cell from which the nucleus had been removed. They would coax the egg cell to divide into a blastocyst, a mass of about 100 cells. In the center of that mass theyd find the payloadembryonic stem cells, microscopic dots with nothing but pure potential. The cells are able to form any type of cell in the human body, including those from which scientists could conceivably grow your heart tissue. Or liver tissue. Or pancreatic tissue. Or brain tissue. Or spinal cord tissue. And so on. To do that, they would need to destroy the cloned blastocyst, and thats where it gets messy.

If, rather than harvesting it for stem cells, scientists instead placed that blastocyst, grown from your skin cells, inside a human uterus, it would have the potential to develop into a fetus. Nine months later, if all went well, a baby would be delivered. But not just any baby. It would be a carbon copy of you, cell for cell. It would be your clone, the twin you never had.

Just the prospect of creating a human being in this way is an ethical minefield in and of itself. But so is destroying the blastocyst. And so is creating it in the first place. To make matters worse, for researchers today to learn how to create your heart muscle tomorrow, they need to experiment on human embryonic stem cells. Until now, scientists in the field have used leftover blastocysts that stock the freezers of fertility clinics for their studies. These blastocysts are fertilized embryos that have the potential to develop into healthy babies.

Welcome to the ethical bouillabaisse known as embryonic stem cell research, where issues related to religion, abortion, cloning, and human disease are dumped together into a single scientific stew. Rarely has an issue of basic science been so hotly debated on every imaginable front, from family dinner tables to political platforms.

The Bush administration remains firmly behind the stem cell research policy announced in 2001, which restricted federally funded embryonic stem cell research to existing stem cell lines. But last May, Nancy Reagan, Republican icon and wife of the late President Ronald Reagan, asked the sitting president to change his policy on embryonic stem cell research, calling it the best hope for people with Alzheimers disease, the illness that plagued her husband in his final years. And in July, the Reagans son, Ron, carried the same message to the Democratic National Convention.

But behind all the political sparring, where is the science? Critics claim that embryonic stem cell advocates are inflating their case; advocates say it is the most exciting development in biology in decades. Still, fundamental questions remain: How advanced is the research? Can therapeutic cloning actually work, delivering on its promise to cure the incurable? And what of the arguments both camps cite to prove their points? Do the current findings somehow manage to achieve a weird combination of ambiguity and promise in such a way that both sides can claim science is on their side?

In 1953, cancer researcher Leroy Stevens discovered teeth and hair in mouse testicles, and the field of stem cell biology was born. A major tobacco company had awarded a grant to Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, where Stevens was a scientist, for a study the company hoped would prove that the paper in cigarettesnot tobaccocaused cancer. After exposing mice to large amounts of cigarette ingredients, Stevens noticed that a few were developing gigantic scrotums. When he dissected the scrotums, he was taken aback by what he found inside: a hodgepodge of random tissue, including cartilage, teeth, and hair.

This particular type of tumor is called a teratoma, taken from the Greek word teraton, which means monster. Its a tumor that originates from a germ cell (precursors for both egg and sperm cells), hence its ability to form such a bizarre array of tissue. Stevens quickly abandoned his tobacco research and spent the next few decades studying these teratomas, trying to get at their cellular roots. Eventually he came across what he called a pluripotent embryonic stem cell, that is, a cell that can give rise to a variety of tissues. Stevens work was limited in that the cell lines he discovered always maintained the potential to form these monster-like cancers.

Nearly 30 years after Stevens initial discovery, scientists in the United States and the United Kingdom iso-lated embryonic stem cells from a mouse blastocyst, a find that energized the field. Still, research in the area remained safely cloistered in the walls of academic study. Then, in 1998, two groups independently announced that they had isolated human embryonic stem cells. One group from the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center had used leftover blastocysts from a fertility clinic. The second team, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, harvested their stem cells from aborted fetuses.

For researchers, this was a watershed discovery. For opponents of embryonic stem cell research, it was a call to arms. The ethical and political question of should we find therapies this way? came head to head with the scientific question can we find therapies this way? The stew began to bubble.

Whitehead Institutes Rudolf Jaenisch knows a thing or two about mice. Years ago he was among the first scientists to incorporate foreign DNA into a mouses genome in such a way that the new genetic information could be passed down to subsequent generations. Called transgenics, this procedure is now commonplace in labs around the world. For well over a decade, Jaenisch, who also is a professor of biology at MIT, has cloned thousands of mice, trying to decipher all the factors involved in what he calls reprogrammingthe process by which the host egg cell reactivates the entire genome of the donor nucleus. While much of the basic biology of how cloning works remains a mystery, one thing is clear to Jaenisch: There is no such thing as a normal clone.

The vast majority of cloned embryos die in utero, he says. Others are stillbirths. The slim percentage that grow to adulthood are ridden with all sorts of genetic-related health conditions. Theyre obese; they die young. I suspect many have neurological damage which is hard for us to detect. Out of all the animals ever cloned, Im not sure whether any normal clone has yet been produced.

The problem, Jaenisch says, is that its impossible for an egg cell to reactivate every single gene in the donor nucleus. Something inevitably goes wrong. This isnt a technical issue, he maintains. Its not like the early days of in vitro fertilization, where we simply needed to improve the techniques. This is a principal biological issue. For this reason, he and most other scientists in the field believe that human reproductive cloning should be universallyand permanentlybanned. Human reproductive cloning would be the conscious and willful creation of a grossly malformed person. The very thought of doing it is reprehensible.

While the fetus created from a cloned blastocyst is not normal, the embryonic stem cells derived from it are. In 2002, Jaenisch collaborated with George Daley, then a Whitehead Fellow, on a study of a mouse that had no functional immune system due to a genetic defectfor all intents and purposes, a bubble boy. The team removed a cell from the tip of the mouses tail, extracted the nucleus, and placed it into a de-nucleated egg cell. It became a blastocyst from which they culled embryonic stem cells. The stem cells, because they were taken from the diseased mouse, contained that same genetic flaw. The scientists corrected the defect in the stem cells and grew them into mature blood stem cells, which they then injected into the mouse. It was, essentially, the same kind of procedure used in the hypothetical repair of your damaged heart. And it had the same outcome: The mouse was cured.

This study, published in the journal Cell, was the first proof-of-principle experiment proving that therapeutic cloning can work, says Jaenisch.

Last summer, Mayo Clinic scientists reported in the American Journal of Physiology that they used embryonic stem cells to repair damaged heart tissue in rats.

Obviously, neither mice nor rats are men. Still, Human cells are no more complex than mouse cells, says Lawrence Goldstein, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Its like a Cadillac versus a Volkswagen. The parts dont necessarily go in the same places, but the principles are the same.

But figuring out which parts go where requires a steep learning curve.

We know a tremendous amount about mouse embryonic stem cells and how to culture and differentiate them, says Daley, now a professor at Harvard Medical School. But for now, our understanding of how to do the same in human embryonic stem cells is much more primitive. There are issues of cell viability and engraftability that have yet to be explored in greater detail. Im sure there are challenges that we dont even know yet.

Still, researchers have begun to see some success in creating mature tissue from human embryonic stem cells. So far, theyve derived heart cells called cardiomyocytes, blood precursors (which can become either red or white blood cells), and certain classes of neurons. Goldstein is using human embryonic stem cells to create Alzheimers cells. Our goal is to make human embryonic stem cells that carry the mutations that cause hereditary Alzheimers disease and use those cells to test hypotheses that weve gotten from animal models of the disease, says Goldstein. Using funding from Howard Hughes Medical Institute allows him to take advantage of human embryonic stem cells outside the limited number approved for federal funding in 2001 by President Bush.

But what about human therapeutic cloning, performing in a person the same kind of procedure Jaenisch and Daley performed in a mouse?

The firstand so far onlybreakthrough here occurred earlier this year when Woo Suk Hwang and Shin Yong Moon of Seoul National University reported in the journal Science that they had successfully cloned a human blastocyst and removed viable embryonic stem cells from it. Notes Jaenisch, This paper proves that human therapeutic cloning is possible.

The American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, and such publications as the New England Journal of Medicine have issued statements supporting this work, creating the impression that all scientists stand united against those trying to prevent embryonic stem cell research on moral and religious grounds.

But first impressions can be deceiving.

James Sherley is blunt. I do not subscribe to the majority view at all, the MIT associate professor says. Im just one of many scientists who feels this way. Ask yourself, What are we destroying? It really is nonsensical to debate the whole question of when life begins. We know that embryos are alive. With therapeutic cloning, were talking about destroying one human being for another human beings gain. Thats something that we as a society must not do.

This argument essentially is the same as the one posed by the anti-therapeutic-cloning, anti-embryonic-stem-cell research faction: Whether the blastocyst is cloned or taken from a fertility clinic, they claim, acquiring embryonic stem cells destroys a human life. (Jaenisch counters by pointing out that a cloned blastocyst has little, if any, chance of ever developing into a normal baby.)

But Sherley has another problem with this area of research, one that his fellow critics seldom, if ever, mention.

A researcher at MITs Biological Engineering Division, Sherley works with adult stem cells. Unlike embry-onic stem cells, adult stem cells are generally thought to become only the type of tissue from which theyve been taken. A familiar example: bone marrow transplants in which the adult stem cells from the donor marrow help the cancer patient. Ideally, a persons own adult stem cells could be used in treatment. A cancer patient could have adult stem cells taken from his blood samples, multiplied in a dish, and administered without any danger of rejection.

Adult stem cell researchers have hit two significant roadblocks: These cells are hard to identify and difficult to grow. But according to Sherley, embryonic stem cell researchers soon will face the same obstacles.

You have to ask, What do you need in order to produce tissue for long-term replacement therapy? The answer is, You need adult stem cells, Sherley says. If these embryonic stem cell therapies will be successful, they must produce adult stem cells. So these researchers will soon have the same problems that we have. Theyll have to figure out ways to locate and then multiply the adult stem cells from the tissue cultures that they created using embryonic stem cells.

Sherley says that mature tissue alone wont suffice for long-term replacement therapy. Even with bone marrow transplants, if the marrow doesnt contain adult stem cells, the procedure fails.

The solution, as he sees it, is to bypass altogether the moral quagmire of experimenting with human blastocysts and focus exclusively on adult stem cells. Besides, I just cant accept that reproductive clones are unhealthy but stem cells from reproductive clones are fine, he says. The data arent convincing.

But many of his fellow scientists arent persuaded. The real issue, says Jaenisch, is that so far, its impossible to propagate and grow adult stem cells. And adult stem cells havent been shown to have therapeutic value, except for blood cells.

Whats more, Daley notes, not every tissue has adult stem cells. For the pancreas, the heart, and much of the brain, there does not appear to be active regeneration from adult stem cells. For these tissues, embryonic stem cells are likely to be the best source of replacement cells.

As for the moral question regarding when life begins, I just spent the other day working with a number of ethicists and philosophers discussing this very issue, says Goldstein, and very smart, experienced people with different viewpoints confront the issue differently and arrive at different answers. This sort of debate is a standard thing to happen when we have new technologies that test our conceptions of who we are and what were about.

In 2002, Bernard Siegel was channel surfing when he stumbled on a press conference in which spokespersons for the UFO cult the Raelians announced that they had cloned the first human baby. Siegel, an attorney, decided that the manner in which the cult members were manipulating this alleged baby was evidence for a child abuse investigation. So, he filed for guardianship.

Then came the media firestorm, he says. (Because of this case, the Raelians refused to do a DNA test on the childwho Siegel is certain does not exist.)

Even after the case was dropped, Siegel noticed how the Raelians had affected the world of stem cell research. Rael, their leader, had testified in a congressional hearing and appeared before the National Academy of Sciences to make his case in favor of human reproductive cloning. Conservatives seized on his testimony and used it as evidence that all forms of cloningincluding therapeutic cloningshould be banned.

There was no single, unified group of scientists that could answer to this, says Siegel. And so he founded the Genetics Policy Institute (GPI), a Coral Gables, Florida-based science advocacy group whose membership includes many top stem cell researchers.

This fall will mark the first real test of the groups effectiveness.

Toward the end of this year, delegates with the United Nations will renew a debate on two competing treaties that were tabled last year. The first, the Costa Rican treatywhich is supported by the U.S.bans all forms of cloning, including therapeutic. The second, the Belgium treaty, would allow therapeutic cloning while banning the procedure for reproduction.

It is too early to tell how the vote will go. If delegates adopted the Costa Rican treaty, it would cast a pall on the research, declaring it an affront to human dignity and morally reproachable, Siegel says. But what he fears most is that it would breathe life in the Brownback Bill, a bill authored by United States senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), that proposes to make the very process of nuclear transfer with human cells a criminal offense, punishable with mandatory jail time for any scientist who attempts it.

This fall, were heading straight toward a public-policy train wreck, says Siegel. Coming to a head are the U.N. vote, a U.S. presidential election in which embryonic stem cell research has been a key issue, and a California initiative that would provide up to $295 million annually for embryonic stem cell research. These will all, in one fell swoop, influence the landscape of stem cell research, he says.

Meanwhile, both scientists and the public must be patient. It will be many years before we see whether therapeutic cloning will ever treat, for example, your heart muscle. And there still is the possibility that researchers will find ways to cure myriad diseases in mice and rats, yet never apply those techniques successfully in people. Until someone does, in fact, make the transition to humans, the debate will rage on, forcing scientists to work under a cloud of public controversy.

But researchers push forward, confident that this field eventually will deliver on some of its promises.

Goldstein, for one, is optimistic that his efforts one day will yield treatments to rid the body of cancer, diabetes, and other ailments. Sure, its possible for this to be a huge failure, but I dont see that, he predicts. The science and the data are sound enough so that a guy like me, whos done this for 25 years and has a reasonably good scientific track record, is willing to put substantial resources and energy into this. Im willing to take risks, but I wouldnt do this if I thought there was a high likelihood it would fail.

Written by David Cameron.

View post:
Whitehead Institute - News - 2004 - Life, death and stem cells

Read More...

USC Institute for Genetic Medicine

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

USC Institute for Genetic Medicine

The USC Institute for Genetic Medicine (IGM) is a place where researchers work closely together in a shared space to approach problems of the highest impact to human health. The IGM houses the offices and laboratories of a group of leading faculty members from the University of Southern California (USC). IGM scientists, engineers and clinicians take a multidisciplinary approach using molecular, genetic, omics, and computational technologies in human and genetic models.

The IGM is administered as a department reporting to the Dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. It is part of the USC Health Sciences Campus, located on the east side of Los Angeles.

The IGM comprises 21 faculty members. The department is an important research training ground for USC, and typically supports about 50 trainees at any one time. Including scientific and administrative staff, the total number of people working within the IGM hovers around 110 individuals.

IGM research is funded by federal, state, and industry-sponsored grants, as well as gifts from donors and benefactors. The major sponsor is the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Center for Applied Molecular Medicine (CAMM) within the IGM holds a Physical Sciences in Oncology Center (PS-OC) grant from the NIHs National Cancer Institute.

Continued here:
USC Institute for Genetic Medicine

Read More...

International Conference on Clinical and Molecular Genetics

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

OMICS International welcomes all the attendees, speakers, sponsors and other research expertise from all over the world to theInternational conferenceon Clinical and Molecular Genetics (Clinical Genetics 2016)which is going to be held duringNovember 28-30,2016inChicago, USA.We are very much honored to invite you all to exchange and share your views and experience on theCurrent Advancements and Novel Research on Genetics at Clinical and Molecular level.

Clinical and molecular geneticsare involved in the diagnosis and management ofhereditary disorderswhich determines the safety and effectiveness ofmedications,devices,diagnostic productsandtreatment regimenswhich are intended for human use and also be used for prevention, treatment, diagnosis or for relieving symptoms of a disease. There is a rapid growth in the field of Clinical and Molecular Genetics because of the increased prevalence of infectious diseases, causative mutating organisms which led to the discovery of novel clinical and genetic testing methods. TheGenetic testingmarket sale is estimated to reach $25 billion annually by 2021 with a growth rate of 10% in the United States. The genetic testing market is believed to reach approximately $60 billion by 2020 globally. US represent the largest market for genetic testing worldwide.

Track -1:Mendelian Genetics: Past and the future

For thousands of years there were lot of questions about genetics and people followed different processes to produce hybrids of different plants and animals. But most of their trails failed as the actual mechanism behind it was unknown. ThereafterMendelwas the first to explain the concept of heredity after experimenting on pea plant (Pisum sativum)through his laws. He proposed Law of Segregation where only one allele pass from parent to offspring as the allele of parents gets separated ,Law of independent Assortment where different pairs of allele passes from parents independently, Law of Dominance where some alleles are dominant the remaining are recessive. Based on this, several hypotheses were proposed later.

Currently there are vast advancements in the field of genetics where researches are focusing on the different diseases caused by variations in genes and many institutions are investing in the research. For example, US government, along with NIH funded Human Genome project based onDNA sequencingtechnologies. Due to the development of new techniques in Bioinformatics there is a huge decrease in the price of genome sequencing, from $100 million to $1000.

The involvement of genetics in heart diseases, cancer and other implications remained far from clear. There are possibilities of practicing human cloning, eugenics apart from these genetic advancements.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-2:Clinical Genomics

Clinical genomics is the use ofgenomic sequencingin clinical basis like for diagnosis, treatment of disease caused in patients. It is a new and rapidly changing field. The diseases like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anaemia, which are caused by a single base pair change to DNA sequencing, these mutations can be corrected by CRISPR/ Cas technology.

Cas technologyis based on genome editing which is proposed by Editas Medicine with an investment of about $43million. Researchers adopted this technique as most of the microbes use protein and RNAs against invading viruses. The technique involves the editing of stretches in DNA and also to edit single base pairs of the human genome. It was also believed to cure untreatable diseases possibly.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-3:Oncogenomics and Therapeutics

Oncogenomics is the study of the relationship between cancer and the genome of an individual. Its goal is to identifyoncogenesfor the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Cancer is a genetic disease as it is caused by genetic variation in DNA.NIH offers about $7.4 billion on research related to genetics and about $5.8 on cancer related research. The various techniques used are DNA sequencing, microarray, digital karyotyping, bacterial artificial chromosome.

The American Cancer Society reported that among 1.5 million cases half a million die from the disease mostly of breast cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia. The expenditure on cancer care in 2010 was $125 billion and is estimated to reach $156 billion by 2020 in US.US occupies seventh place inbreast cancerworldwide.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track- 4:Clinical Epigenetics

Clinical epigenetics uses the techniques involved in molecular biology to detect the alterations in DNA methylation or histone modification to diagnose disorders produced by heritable defects in thegene expression. DNA methylation involves in the addition of methyl groups to adenine and guanine bases. DNA is useful for cell development and when methylation occurs on CpG dinucleotide where cytosine precedes guanine suppresses the gene regulation. The nucleosome consists of historians where the tails of histone protrude from nucleosome and therefore they can be modified. The chemical groups attract activating or suppressing complexes to chromatin, which affects its shape, making it more or less available for gene expression. Epigenetic enzyme marketing consists of DNA-modifying, RNA-modifying, Protein is modifying Enzymes which is expected to reach a high rate by 2019. Bisulfite conversion kits; ChIP- seq kits; RNA sequencing kits; whole genome amplification kits are some of the epigenetic kits among which ChIP-seq kits segment had the biggest share in 2014.The market value ofepigeneticswas $413.24 million in 2014, it is expected to reach a CAGR of 13.64% from 2014 to 2019 and it is estimated to grow $783.17 million by 2019 globally.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-5:Regenerative biology and Stem Cell research

Regenerative biology involves the restoration or renewal of damaged genes, cells, tissues, organisms or ecosystem that is produced by some natural fluctuations.Regenerationis mediated by gene regulation and it may be complete (same as old tissue) or incomplete (fibrosis). The market value for tissue engineering and regeneration products was $55.9 billion in 2010 and $59.8 billion in 2011, and is expected to reach $89.7 billion by 2016 at a CAGR of 8.4% globally. According to the reports, the market value of regenerative medicine was about $2.5 billion in the US.

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that undergo mitosis to produce more cells, which are found in multicellular organisms. They are of two types, embryonic and adult stem cells. The stem cell treatment was found to be a lifesaving treatment for the patients with solid tumors and blood disorders.Stem cellscan be obtained from the umbilical cord after babys birth. Possibly they can also be obtained from peripheral blood and bone marrow. According to the reports, in US the availability of stem cell therapy was $15.2 million in 2007 and $16.5 million in 2008 and it is estimated to reach $11 billion by 2020.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-6:Microbial and Human Genetics

There are millions of microorganisms that have a rapid impact on our health. They play a vital role in maintaining the health as well as in the onset of diseases.

Genomics applies DNA sequencing methods andBioinformaticsto analyze the structure and function of genomes. It started from bacteriophage but was overtaken by bacterial genomics. Its applications were included in the fields of medicine, biotechnology and social sciences.

Proteomics is the study of the structure and functions of proteins as they are the essential components of the various metabolic pathways of cells. It is more complicated when compared to genomic studies as it varies from cell to cell.Mass spectroscopyand microarray techniques are mostly used to study proteins presently.

The global market for DNA sequencing products and services in 2012 was $3.5 billion and $4.5 billion in 2013. It is expected to reach $11.7 billion by 2018 with a CAGR of 21.2%.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-7:Next Generation Sequencing

Next Generation Sequencing is a novel method for sequencing DNA and RNA more rapidly, which has made the study of genomics easy. It is the most versatile tool for medical and biological research. The techniques involved are Illumina sequencing, Roche 454 sequencing, Ion torrent: proton sequencing,Solid sequencing. Illumina sequencing is based on DNA colonies or clusters that involves in the clonal amplification of DNA on a surface.454 pyro sequencing amplifies DNA in side water droplets in an oily solution. Ion torrent sequencing is based on using sequencing chemistry with semiconductor based detection system. It is based on detection of hydrogen ions used during polymerisation of DNA whereas solid sequencing involves sequencing by ligation. The NGS market reached $231.7 million in 2012 and $510.7 million in 2013 and is expected to reach $7.6 billion by 2018 with a CAGR of 71.6% globally.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-8:Clinical metabolics and Lipidomics

Lipids are the major components of biological membranes as well as the metabolites of organisms. Lipids play crucial role in biology. Imbalance in the lipid molecules leads to numerous diseases like atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, andAlzheimer's disease. Lipidomics is a system-based study of all lipids, which aims at the analysis of lipids in the biological system. Lipidomics is the main tool for potential biomarker discovery, diagnosis the disease and to understand disease pathology mainly in the fields of neurodegeneration, psychiatry, oncology, metabolic diseases, and infectious diseases. The global biomarkers market was $29.3 billion in 2013 and is expected to grow $53.6 billion in 2018 at a CAGR of 12.8%.

Clinical metabolomics is the major and the most powerful tool to screen metabolites in the biological samples. These provide predictive and prognostic biomarkers which are useful to monitor disease states and to improve therapeutic levels. Discovery of biomarkers to differentiate diseases at molecular levels is a difficult task as the metabolite profile is related to the phenotype of an organism;metabolomicsprovide a better understanding of systemic diseases. Metabolomics is also practiced in crop breeding, toxicology, plant biotechnology. The market value for metabolomics was $712 million in 2012 and is expected to reach nearly $1.4 billion in 2017 at a CAGR of 14.2% globally.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-9:Medical and Developmental genetics

Right from the zygote to a developed individual every process is regulated by genes. Developmental genetics is concerned with the process in which genes regulate the development. It is the study of cell fate, cell determination and embryonic development. There are many theories proposed and among them differential gene expression is the most accepted one. The ability to produce an organism from cells is called totipotent, unipotent stem cells produce a family of related cells. Pluripotent and multipoint produce only few organs or tissues, but all these cells forms, acell lineagewhose differentiation can be done by a master control gene. Likewise immune cells are produced from bone marrow; B-cells are responsible for antibody production. By Invivo production of B-cells, antibody diversity can be achieved as process follows differential gene expression. The prenatal and newborngenetic testingmarket were $1.12 billionin 2012 and expected to grow $8.37 billionin 2019 at a CAGR of 26.9% from 2013 to 2019 globally.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-10:Genetic Syndromes and Related Disorders

Genetic disorder is a genetic problem which is associated with the abnormalities in the genome, it may or may not be heritable. For example, cancer can be caused by some inherited genes or by newmutationsor it may be environmental cause in some patients. There are many genetic disorders among them Single-gene disorder is the one which is the resultant of a single mutated gene. It includes diseases like Cystic fibrosis,Sickle-cell-anemia, Polycystic kidney disease, Hemophilia-A, Albinism. Multifactorial diseases include diabetes and heart diseases. Most of the genetic disorders can be identified at birth or in childhood like Huntingtons disease. Treatment for these genetic disorders is still a battle where around 1800 clinical trials have been completed. Presently Gene therapy is followed in which a new gene is introduced to a patient which is very complicated. The market value of products to treatgenetic disorderswas $12.8 billion in 2009 and $17.3 in 2014 globally.

The market value for cancer treatment was about $51.2 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach $66.4 billion by 2019, with a CAGR of 5.4% from 2014 to 2019 globally.The autism spectrum disorders(ASD) market was about $346.2 million in 2013 and $360.9 million in 2014. The market value is expected to grow to $412.7 million by 2019, with a CAGR of 2.7 %.

Related Conferences:

World congress on Human Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling and Genomics Medicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference on Cancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China; DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Track-11: Genetics Market:

While the evidence base is still growing, genetic services industry leaders strongly believe that emerging testing capabilities will have significant clinical impact in the future. Many expressed opinions that genetic services will make significant contributions to prediction, detection, and care selection, leading to better quality care and increased affordability. Available genetic tests and genomic applications, can be categorized according to their clinical method of use across prediction, detection, and care selection. The prenatal and newborngenetic testingmarket were $1.12 billionin 2012 and expected to grow $8.37 billionin 2019 at a CAGR of 26.9% from 2013 to 2019 globally.

Related Conferences:

World congress onHuman Genetics, October 31 - November 02, 2016 Valencia, Spain; International Conference on Genetics Counseling andGenomicsMedicine, Aug 11-12, 2016 Birmingham, UK; International conference on Histocompatibility andImmunogenetics, November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 6thInternational Conference on Genomics &Pharmacogenomics, September 12-14, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 5th International Conference onCancer Genomics, Aug 8-9, 2016 Las Vegas, USA; 5thGeneticsand Genomics Conference, June 1-3, 2016, Nanjing, China;DNA Damage, Mutation & Cancer, March 13-18, 2016, Ventura, USA; Chromatin andEpigenetics, 20 March 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatia; Chromatin,Non-coding RNAsand RNAP II Regulation in Development and Disease Conference, 29 March 2016, Austin, USA; Maintenance ofGenome Stability2016, March 7-10, 2016, Panama, Central America

Cell Therapy-2015

OMICS International Conferencessuccessfully hosted its premier4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapyduring August 10-12, 2015 at Crowne Plaza London-Heathrow, London, United Kingdom.

The conference brought together a comprehensive range of the cell and gene therapy researchers, educators from research universities as well as representatives from industry and professional cell and gene therapy societies.

Cell Therapy-2015is known for uplifting the future of cell and gene therapy and its allied areas by encouraging students and fellow researchers to present their work through poster presentations and young research forum. Students participated with great zeal and the best posters were awarded for their efforts and outstanding contribution to the cell and gene therapy research.

OMICS InternationalConferenceswishes to acknowledge with its deep sincere gratitude to all the supporters from the Editorial Board Members of our Open Access Journals, Keynote speakers, Honorable guests, valuable speakers, poster presenters, students, delegates and special thanks to the media partnersfor their promotion to make this event a huge success.

This4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapybased on the themeGenomic therapies from base pairs to bedsidewhich covered the below scientific sessions like Cell and Gene Therapy: Potential Applications, Plant Stem Cell Rejuvenation, Plant Stem Cells: Human Therapeutics, Stem Cell Therapies, Cellular Therapies, Advanced Gene Therapeutics, Molecular basis of epigenetics, Cancer Therapies, Nano-Therapy, Bioengineering Therapeutics, Clinical Trials and Research in Cell and Gene Therapies, Regulatory and Ethical Issues of Therapies.

The conference was greeted by the conference Moderator:Dr. Andrei Laikhter,Chemgenes Corporation, USA. The support was extended by the Keynote Speaker:Dr. James Koropatnic,Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University;Dr. Anelia Atanassova,BioGlobaX Inc., Canada;Dr. Noriyuki Kasahara,University of Miami, USA;Dr. Robert Hawkins,The Christie Hospital and University of Manchester, UK andDr. Paul L. Hermonat, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, USA

OMICSInternationalacknowledges the support of below Chairs and Co-chairs with whom we were able to run the scientific sessions smoothly it included:Dr. Ajan Reginald,Cell Therapy Limited, UK;Dr. Andrei Laikhter,Chemgenes Corporation, USA;Dr. Vasiliki Kalodimou,IASO Maternity Hospital, Greece;Dr. Geeta Shroff,Nutech Medicworld, India;Dr. Nady Golestaneh,Georgetown University School of Medicine, USA;Dr. James Koropatnick,Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, Canada;Dr. Robert Hawkins,Christie Hospital and University of Manchester, UK.

This4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapywas uplifted with more than 32 oral presentations by researchers, scientists, professors, industry delegates and more than 15 poster participants around the globe. OMICS International has taken the privilege of felicitating Cell Therapy-2015 Organizing Committee Members, Editorial Board Members of the supported Journals and Keynote Speakers who supported for the success of this event.

With the enormous feedback from the participants and supporters 4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapy,OMICS International Conferencesis glad to announce its5thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapy(Cell Therapy-2016) event from May 19-21, 2016 at San Antonio, USA

- See more at: http://cellgenetherapy.conferenceseries.com/#sthash.npJGo7Qv.dpuf

OMICS International Conferencessuccessfully hosted its premier4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapyduring August 10-12, 2015 at Crowne Plaza London-Heathrow, London, United Kingdom.

The conference brought together a comprehensive range of the cell and gene therapy researchers, educators from research universities as well as representatives from industry and professional cell and gene therapy societies.

Cell Therapy-2015is known for uplifting the future of cell and gene therapy and its allied areas by encouraging students and fellow researchers to present their work through poster presentations and young research forum. Students participated with great zeal and the best posters were awarded for their efforts and outstanding contribution to the cell and gene therapy research.

OMICS InternationalConferenceswishes to acknowledge with its deep sincere gratitude to all the supporters from the Editorial Board Members of our Open Access Journals, Keynote speakers, Honorable guests, valuable speakers, poster presenters, students, delegates and special thanks to the media partnersfor their promotion to make this event a huge success.

This4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapybased on the themeGenomic therapies from base pairs to bedsidewhich covered the below scientific sessions like Cell and Gene Therapy: Potential Applications, Plant Stem Cell Rejuvenation, Plant Stem Cells: Human Therapeutics, Stem Cell Therapies, Cellular Therapies, Advanced Gene Therapeutics, Molecular basis of epigenetics, Cancer Therapies, Nano-Therapy, Bioengineering Therapeutics, Clinical Trials and Research in Cell and Gene Therapies, Regulatory and Ethical Issues of Therapies.

The conference was greeted by the conference Moderator:Dr. Andrei Laikhter,Chemgenes Corporation, USA. The support was extended by the Keynote Speaker:Dr. James Koropatnic,Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University;Dr. Anelia Atanassova,BioGlobaX Inc., Canada;Dr. Noriyuki Kasahara,University of Miami, USA;Dr. Robert Hawkins,The Christie Hospital and University of Manchester, UK andDr. Paul L. Hermonat, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, USA

OMICSInternationalacknowledges the support of below Chairs and Co-chairs with whom we were able to run the scientific sessions smoothly it included:Dr. Ajan Reginald,Cell Therapy Limited, UK;Dr. Andrei Laikhter,Chemgenes Corporation, USA;Dr. Vasiliki Kalodimou,IASO Maternity Hospital, Greece;Dr. Geeta Shroff,Nutech Medicworld, India;Dr. Nady Golestaneh,Georgetown University School of Medicine, USA;Dr. James Koropatnick,Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, Canada;Dr. Robert Hawkins,Christie Hospital and University of Manchester, UK.

This4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapywas uplifted with more than 32 oral presentations by researchers, scientists, professors, industry delegates and more than 15 poster participants around the globe. OMICS International has taken the privilege of felicitating Cell Therapy-2015 Organizing Committee Members, Editorial Board Members of the supported Journals and Keynote Speakers who supported for the success of this event.

With the enormous feedback from the participants and supporters 4thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapy,OMICS International Conferencesis glad to announce its5thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapy(Cell Therapy-2016) event from May 19-21, 2016 at San Antonio, USA

Cell Therapy-2014

3rdInternationalConferenceand Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapywas held duringOctober 27-29, 2014 at Las Vegas, USAwith a theme Uncover the potential that lies within the cell brought together the International blend of people from Evolving Cell & Gene Therapies making it the largest endeavour from OMICS Group. All the papers presented at this conference were published in special issue ofJournal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy.

Cell Therapy-2014opened up new vistas and fostered collaborations in the industry and academia.

The conference was embarked with an opening ceremony followed by a series of lectures delivered by bothHonorable Guestsand members of theKeynote forum. The adepts who promulgated the theme with their exquisite talk were;

Dr. Paul L Hermonat,Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, USA Dr. Peter J Quesenberry, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, USA Dr. Rafael Gonzalez,DaVinci Biosciences, LLC USA Dr. Paul J Davis, Albany Medical College, USA Dr. Stephen Lin,Thermo Fisher Scientifi c, USA

OMICS Grouphas taken the privilege of felicitatingCell Therapy-2014Organizing Committee, Editorial Board Members, Keynote Speakers and business delegates who supported for the success of this event.

OMICS Group, on behalf of the conference, congratulates the Best Poster awardees for their outstanding performance in the field of Cell & Gene and appreciates all the participants who put their efforts in poster presentations and sincerely wishes them success in future endeavours.Our warm gratitude to our sponsors exhibitors & media partners for associating with the conference.

Cell Therapy-2013

2ndInternationalConferenceand Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapywas held duringOctober 23-25 2013,atOrlando-FL, USAwith a theme Innovative Strategies in Cell & Gene Therapies brought together the International blend of people from Evolving Cell & Gene Therapies making it the largest endeavour from OMICS Group. All the papers presented at this conference were published in special issue ofJournal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy.

Cell Therapy-2013opened up new vistas and fostered collaborations in the industry and academia.

Excerpt from:
International Conference on Clinical and Molecular Genetics

Read More...

Gene Therapy – Sumanas, Inc.

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

A few years ago, a clinical trial began in France in the hope of curing children with a type of genetic immune deficiency called SCID-X1. Children with this disease have a defective gene, called gamma-c, which prevents a subset of the cells of the immune system from forming, and predisposes the children to life-threatening infections. In an attempt to cure the childrenwho would otherwise die at a young agephysicians used gene therapy to provide them with normal gamma-c genes.

This particular trial has had striking success as well as tragedy. Eight of the eleven children are currently thriving. However, in two cases the therapy successfully introduced gamma-c genes, but these children have since developed leukemia. In both children, a gamma-c gene inserted next to another gene, called LMO2. The LMO2 gene has previously been linked to leukemia, and scientists speculate that the insertion of the gamma-c gene next to LMO2 may have overstimulated the gene, causing T cells to proliferate in excess. An LMO2 effect, in combination with the proliferation-inducing effects of the gamma-c gene itself, may be the cause of the leukemia in these two patients. Scientists are still investigating other possible causes.

From this single trial, it is clear that gene therapy holds significant promise, yet it is also clear that it poses significant risks. To learn more about the application of gene therapy in SCID, view the accompanying animation.

View original post here:
Gene Therapy - Sumanas, Inc.

Read More...

Genetics | Define Genetics at Dictionary.com

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Historical Examples

Eugenics is the science of reproducing better humans by applying the established laws of genetics or heredity.

It sprang from genetics and bears the mark of an implicit Darwinian mechanism.

They also opened new horizons for hypotheses in astronomy, genetics, anthropology.

If, then, progress was to be made in genetics, work of a different kind was required.

But a better definition, based on the results of genetics, looks at it as a mechanism, not as an external appearance.

British Dictionary definitions for genetics Expand

(functioning as sing) the branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and variation in organisms

the genetic features and constitution of a single organism, species, or group

Word Origin and History for genetics Expand

1872, "laws of origination;" see genetic + -ics. A coinage of English biologist William Bateson (1861-1926). Meaning "study of heredity" is from 1891.

genetics in Medicine Expand

genetics genetics (j-nt'ks) n. The branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmission and the variation of inherited traits among similar or related organisms.

genetics in Science Expand

genetics in Culture Expand

Continue reading here:
Genetics | Define Genetics at Dictionary.com

Read More...

Health Article – What causes blindness? 23 possible …

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Blindness is the inability to see anything, even light. If youre partially blind, you have limited vision. For example, you may have blurry vision or the inability to distinguish the shapes of objects. Complete blindness means that you cant see at all and are in total darkness. Legal blindness refers to vision thats highly compromised. What a person with healthy eyes can see from 200 feet away a legally blind person can see only from 20 feet away.

Seek medical attention right away if you suddenly lose the ability to see. Have someone bring you to the emergency room for treatment. Dont wait for your vision to return. Depending on the cause of your blindness, immediate treatment may increase your chances of restoring your vision. Treatment may involve surgery or medication.

If youre completely blind, you can see nothing. If youre partially blind, you might experience the following symptoms:

Your childs visual system begins to develop in the womb, but it wont be fully formed until about 2 years of age. By 6 to 8 weeks of age, your baby should be able to fix their gaze on an object and follow its movement. By 4 months of age, their eyes should be properly aligned and not turned inward or outward.

The symptoms of visual impairment in young children can include:

The following eye diseases and conditions can cause blindness:

Blindness is a potential complication if you have diabetes or have a stroke. Birth defects, eye injuries, and complications from eye surgery are other common causes of blindness.

The following conditions can impair vision or cause blindness in infants:

The following categories of people are at risk of blindness:

A thorough eye exam by an optometrist will help to determine the cause of your blindness or partial loss of vision. Your eye doctor will administer a series of tests that measure the clarity of your vision, the function of your eye muscles, and how your pupils react to light. Theyll examine the general health of your eyes using a slit lamp, which is a low-power microscope paired with a high-intensity light.

A pediatrician will screen your baby for eye problems shortly after birth. At 6 months of age, you should have an eye doctor or pediatrician check your child again for visual acuity, focus, and eye alignment. The doctor will look at your babys eye structures and see whether they can follow a light or colorful object with their eyes.

Your child should be able to pay attention to visual stimuli by 6 to 8 weeks of age. If your child doesnt react to light shining in their eyes or focus on colorful objects by 2 to 3 months of age, have their eyes examined right away. You should have their eyes examined if you notice crossed eyes or any other symptoms of impaired vision.

In some cases of vision impairment, one or more of the following may help to restore your vision:

If you experience partial blindness that cant be corrected, your doctor will provide guidance on how to function with limited vision. For example, you can use a magnifying glass to read, increase the text size on your computer, and use audio clocks and audiobooks.

Complete blindness requires approaching life in a new way and learning new skills. For example, you may need to learn how to:

You may also need to have handrails installed in your bathroom.

The long-term outlook for restoring vision and slowing vision loss is better when treatment is preventive and sought immediately. Cataracts can be treated effectively with surgery and dont necessarily result in blindness. Early diagnosis and treatment are also important in cases of glaucoma and macular degeneration to help slow down or stop your vision loss.

To detect eye diseases and help prevent vision loss, get regular eye examinations. If youre diagnosed with certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma, treatment with medication can help prevent blindness.

Have your childs eyes examined at 6 months of age, 3 years of age, and every two years between the ages of 6 and 18 years old to help prevent vision loss. If you notice symptoms of vision loss between routine visits, make an appointment with their eye doctor immediately.

Written by: Chitra Badii and Marijane Leonard Published on: Jul 25, 2012 Medically reviewed on: Mar 09, 2016: [Ljava.lang.Object;@691aed25

See more here:
Health Article - What causes blindness? 23 possible ...

Read More...

Biotechnology | Define Biotechnology at Dictionary.com

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

British Dictionary definitions for biotechnology Expand

/batknld/

(in industry) the technique of using microorganisms, such as bacteria, to perform chemical processing, such as waste recycling, or to produce other materials, such as beer and wine, cheese, antibiotics, and (using genetic engineering) hormones, vaccines, etc

Derived Forms

biotechnological (batknldkl) adjectivebiotechnologically, adverbbiotechnologist, noun

Word Origin and History for biotechnology Expand

also bio-technology, 1947, "use of machinery in relation to human needs;" 1972 in sense of "use of biological processes in industrial production," from bio- + technology.

biotechnology in Medicine Expand

biotechnology biotechnology (b'-tk-nl'-j) n.

The use of microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeasts, or biological substances, such as enzymes, to perform specific industrial or manufacturing processes. Applications include production of certain drugs, synthetic hormones, and bulk foodstuffs.

The application of the principles of engineering and technology to the life sciences.

biotechnology in Science Expand

The use of a living organism to solve an engineering problem or perform an industrial task. Using bacteria that feed on hydrocarbons to clean up an oil spill is one example of biotechnology.

The use of biological substances or techniques to engineer or manufacture a product or substance, as when cells that produce antibodies are cloned in order to study their effects on cancer cells. See more at genetic engineering.

Read more:
Biotechnology | Define Biotechnology at Dictionary.com

Read More...

Dr. Board Founded Atlanta Functional Medicine Of Alpharetta GA

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Dr. Elizabeth Board is thesecond Medical Doctor in Georgia to become board certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFMCP)!There are only three IFMCPs in the state of Georgia!! She is also the founder of Atlanta Functional Medicine located in Alpharetta, Georgia. Dr. Board is a highly trained physician, not only in Functional Medicine, but also in Pain Management, Medical Acupuncture, Anesthesiology, andNeuro-Endo-Immune Certified.

After practicing as a Pain Management Physician, Dr. Board developed an interest in alternative methods of bringing about pain relief without placing patients on large doses of drugs that lead to dependence or cause sedation. It was this common interest that led Dr. Board to join Dr. Christine Gustafson at Alpharetta Integrative Medicine.

BOARD CERTIFICATIONS:

CERTIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION:

AWARDS & SPECIAL HONORS:

MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:

What Patients Love About Dr. Board

Besides being a highly qualified Physician with extensive training in both mainstream and alternative medical disciplines, Dr. Board has a remarkable bedside manner. With empathy, Dr. Board takes the time to really hear each patient. She truly cares and tirelessly works to find solutions to the patients healthcare challenges.

By the time a patient walks through the doorway of an Integrative practice, he or she often has a long history of going from doctor to doctor in search of elusive solutions to chronic issues. Dr. Boards patients are instantly put at ease with her kind and gentle manner. Dr. Board engenders a confidence within her patients that the healing process will continue, and they look forward to coming back.

See more here:
Dr. Board Founded Atlanta Functional Medicine Of Alpharetta GA

Read More...

AIM Advanced Integrative Medicine Alpharetta, GA …

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Non-Surgical Orthopedics: Diseases and Injuries of the muscles and joints and spine is what we specialize in. Most of these problems can be treated without surgery. With a comprehensive team approach to evaluating and managing your orthopedic problems, surgery is rarely required. And in the event that we decide with you that a surgical consultation is needed, we will get you to the very best specialist for your problem . . .one who we know and trust and is committed to working with us and our conservative natural approach to health care.

Joint Injections:

Arthritis of the Knee

Medications

Our doctors will do all the procedures to resolve your issues without surgery. If necessary, they will help you regain your health after surgery.

Back to Top

Restoring and Maintaining Optimum Health

Chiropractors are healthcare providers who specialize in restoring joint function and freeing nerve pathways. Conditions treated by chiropractors are extremely varied. Care begins with a thorough examination and review of your history. X-ray, laboratory, or other diagnostic aids may be necessary depending on your needs.

An unhealthy spine causes a multitude of problems pain, arthritis, disc herniations, scoliosis, etc. All of these can occur because of joint and/or nerve impingement. A pinched nerve can cause pain as well as disturb and alter the nerve signal from the brain to the body, not unlike a bad radio signal. This can result in a malfunction, decreasing the bodys ability to perform.

Regular Chiropractic Care helps you maintain a healthy spine. And a healthy spine encourages the body toward optimum health. Chiropractic Care addresses these and many other issues:

Spinal Care Back Pain Acute Back Pain Spinal Arthritis Pinched Nerves Sciatica

Auto Accidents/Work Related Injuries

Have you or anyone you know been injured in an auto accident, motorcycle accident, slip or fall or hurt on the job? NOW WHAT?? We here at AIM fully understand the plight of those that have been injured especially if it wasnt your fault! The main question is; what to do about the injury, who is responsible for all of my medical bills, what if I cant work and who do I go see that can help coordinate all of these medical/legal issues? The Doctors and staff at AIM have had extensive training in this very arena and deal with these types of injuries on a daily basis. We have a Medical Doctor, Nurse Practitioner and Chiropractor on-site for your immediate care. We also have years of experience quarterbacking your case. Which means after assessing your situation, we make all of the appropriate referrals necessary to ensure that you get the absolute best treatment for your injuries and give you access to the best and most experienced attorneys in the field of personal injury.

This allows you to heal without worry.

Back to Top

Treatment of Disc Herniations & Degenerative Disc Disease

AIM offers a revolutionary new breakthrough in the treatment of back and neck pain!

AIM offers traditional medicine, chiropractic, physical therapy as well as the most advanced spinal decompression. Spinal decompression is much more effective than traditional traction. If you are living with back pain or unable to be as active as you would like this may be your answer.

Spinal decompression therapy relieves pain associated with:

Herniated discs Protruding discs Degenerative Disc Disease

Posterior Facet Syndrome Sciatica

Decompression therapy separates the vertebrae resulting in negative pressure pulling the hernia back inside the disc. After multiple treatments, the bulge can be pulled back into the disc.

Our doctors also offer traditional care including medication, trigger point injections, and spinal injections (epidurals).

Back to Top

Cholesterol It may surprise you to know that cholesterol itself isn't bad. In fact, cholesterol is just one of the many substances created and used by our bodies to keep us healthy. There are two types of cholesterol: good and bad. Its important to understand the difference, and to know the levels of good and bad cholesterol in your blood. Too much of one type or not enough of another can put you at risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Most people can make lifestyle changes to lower their cholesterol to prevent these risks. Some people may need medication but these may come at a price. The risks and side effects of these medications can cause permanent muscle damage and pain that can be debilitating. Healthy lifestyle changes can not only prevent you from having to be on these medications but can improve your overall health and quality of life. See how we can help you make healthy lifestyle changes.

Blood Pressure High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a widely misunderstood medical condition. Some people think that those with hypertension are tense, nervous or hyperactive, but hypertension has nothing to do with personality traits. The truth is, you can be a calm, relaxed person and still have high blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It's sometimes called "the silent killer" because high blood pressure has no symptoms, so you may not be aware that it's damaging your arteries, heart and other organs. Making healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your blood pressure without having to depend on medication. Stop by for a free blood pressure check today.

Back to Top

People who suffer from fibromyalgia are plagued by persistent pain and chronic fatigue. These symptoms can make it difficult to shop for, prepare, and eat wholesome and nutritious meals. Nevertheless, a healthy diet is very important in helping people with fibromyalgia counteract stress, detoxify the body, and restore nutrients to the areas that need them the most. Vitamin and mineral supplements are also beneficial for treatment. Specific exercises can help restore muscle balance and may reduce pain. Stretching techniques and the application of hot or cold also may help. There is no one treatment for Fibromyalgia. An all encompassing treatment protocol must be used in order to effectively reduce the pain associated with Fibromyalgia.

The ideal treatment would involve the following:

In conclusion...Fibromyalgia is a real condition, and it is treatable!

Back to Top

Our Doctors offer multiple weight loss programs matched to your specific needs; medically supervised HCG program, appetite suppressants, B-12 and MIC injections and our all natural Ideal Protein Weight Loss Program.

Advanced Integrative Medicine is the only clinic in the Alpharetta area to offer Ideal Protein. Ideal Protein is a medically designed protocol that results in fat loss while sparing muscle mass. It is an easy 4-phase program which helps stabilize the pancreas and blood sugar levels while burning fat and maintain muscle and other lean tissue. This protocol is also an excellent support for cellulite reduction. On average, women lose weight at the rate of 3 to 4 pounds per week and 4 to 7 pounds per week for men.

Based on over 25 years of experience and 5 million people in Europe, Canada and the United States, the program enables the following:

Ideal Proteins primary concerns are health, quick weight loss without loss of muscle mass. Additionally the protocol concentrates on metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome is the current tsunami that has and continues to take over our nation. Many of you are unfamiliar with this disease, but are very aware of its individual parts. Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X has 4 different parts: High Cholesterol (LDLs, Triglycerides), High Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar Issues (Type II Diabetes Primarily) and Central Obesity (where most of us carry our fat). As you know, these most often are treated with medications lots of them! Its not unheard of to have 2-3 medications for each aspect of the syndrome! The big white elephant in the corner is that most if not all of these issues are diet related. Unfortunately, there are so many diets and diet related products out there that confusion sets in and we tend to do nothing. Ideal Protein is the answer that you are looking for. This diet was created to battle metabolic syndrome. We have dieters everyday in our office (with the help of their primary care physicians) greatly reducing or eliminating their medications.

Interested in learning more about Ideal Protein? Attend one of our free workshops held in our waiting room. Here you can learn all about the protocol and also taste the food. You can also visit our Ideal Protein micro site.

Back to Top

Food & Chemcial Sensitivity Testing Wellness through Customized Nutrition

Do you have any of the following symptoms?

irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, belching, abdominal pain, indigestion, heartburn, or lactose/gluten sensitivity? cravings for sweets, bread, or alcohol? dieting without success? chronic sinus problems, drainage/post nasal drip, allergy symptoms, dry cough, throat clearing, or a frequent need for antibiotics? fatigue, lethargy or low energy? frequent headaches or migraines, inability to concentrate? unresolved health issues? unpleasant reactions to some foods but unable to identify?

Food Sensitivity May Be the Culprit! Our customized testing measures harmful immune reaction induced by common foods, additives and environmental chemicals. Using just a small amount of blood we can accurately detect a cellular reaction to over 250 different items. Now more than ever, diet plays a critical role in preventing a wide range of degenerative diseases and premature aging. This test will provide the information necessary to make changes in your diet that may well be life changing.

Back to Top

You have joint pain. Maybe its in your elbow or your knee. Youve seen the specialists, had the x-rays and the MRIs. The prescription pain medications, physical therapy, taping, splinting, and cortisone injections havent brought you the relief you are looking for. The possible need for surgery has been discussed with you, but of course there are no guarantees that it will solve the problem and take away the pain.

Ever wish there was something better?

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is a totally different concept in the treatment of muscle, tendon, and joint pain. There are no pills or pain medications in Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy. There is no cortisone or steroids. There are only the powerful natural regenerative properties of your own body concentrated, and focused on the area of injury and pain to bring about healing and relief.

The human body is an amazing thing. All of us contain within our bodies, circulating in our blood streams, an amazing array of completely natural and powerful healing substances that react in complex ways to bring about repair and to regenerate injured tissues. Everything from the scraped knee of a child on a play ground, to the most complicated brain or heart surgery in a critically ill patient is ultimately dependent on these natural and complex regenerative processes that are created only within the living tissues of the body.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapyharnesses these unique and powerful healing properties by going to the source of them in the patients own blood, concentrating them to increase their effectiveness, and delivering them back to the site of the patients specific injury.

The patient comes to our office and is brought back to the examination room. A small butterfly needle is inserted into a vein in the arm and one or two tubes of blood are drawn. Then using specialize equipment in our office, the portion of the blood that contains the natural healing substances is concentrated and separated from the other blood components. This portion of the blood, which contains concentrated healing and regenerative properties is known asPlatelet Rich Plasma. The Platelet Rich Plasma is placed in a special syringe and state of the art ultrasound imaging is then used to accurately guide the tip of the needle to the site of injury where the Platelet Rich Plasma is injected. The whole process takes less than thirty minutes in our office.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is particularly suited to the repair and regeneration of injured tendons, muscles and joints, where other therapies have failed to achieve adequate or long lasting healing. Chronic Tennis Elbow or Golfers Elbow, Back, Knee, Shoulder and Ankle injuries and tendonitis have all been successfully treated with Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy.

Back to Top

The termUltrasoundis one most of us have heard before. Ultrasound has many uses in medicine both for treatment and for taking pictures of or imaging structures inside the body. Perhaps the use of ultrasound many of us are most familiar with is to take pictures of the unborn fetus inside its mothers womb. In a similar way Ultrasound Guided Injections use the picture taking or imaging properties of ultrasound to allow the structures that are being injected to be seen or imaged in real time. This allows accurate placement of the needle tip during the injection, while staying away from other structures that need to be avoided during the injection procedure.

Safety.X-Ray, CT, and Fluoroscopy all involve the use of X-Ray radiation. X-Rays cause cancer and the cancer causing effect of x-rays is cumulative over a persons lifetime. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that a single chest x-ray exposes a person to about the same amount of radiation as they would receive in ten days naturally from the background radiation present around all of us every day. A single CT scan of the chest exposes a person to the same amount of radiation as100 to 800 chest x-rays.And, a singleFluoroscopyprocedure exposes a person to the same amount of radiation as250 to 3,500 chest x-rays!!!It would take 95 years for the average person to be exposed to that much background radiation naturally!!!

The amount of cancer causing radiation in an ultrasound: NONE

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm095505.htm

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20100331/faq-radiation-risk-from-medical-imaging

In addition to the cancer causing effects of radiation X-Rays, CT Scans, Fluoroscopy and MRI all carry the risk from the dye or contrast material that is sometimes used to allow a better image of the part of the body being studied. In addition to actual allergic reaction, these contrast materials can be toxic to many organs in the body. MRIs use strong magnets rather than x-rays to create pictures of structures inside the body. In addition to the use of contrast materials, the following are risk factors associated with the use of MRI:

Though rare, the overall rate of accidents associated with MRIs actually increased by almost 400% between 2004 and 2009. In fact the FDA was so concerned about this that they called a special conference to address MRI safety in October, 2011.

http://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=sup_n&sub=bai&pag=dis&itemId=96699

Ultrasound and Ultrasound Guided Injections carry none of these risks.

Comfort.CT scans, Fluoroscopy, and MRIs usually require patients to lie down. Most of our Ultrasound Guided Injection Procedures are done with the patient sitting up. And while we prefer our patients to lie down for some of our procedures, almost all of them can be done with the patient seated comfortably when needed.

Convenience.Because we maintain our own state of the art Ultrasound Imaging equipment, all of our imaging procedures can be done in our office often on the same day that it is determined that it is needed.

No Sedation.All of our Ultrasound Guided Injection procedures are relatively pain free and do not require sedation. Patients can usually drive themselves to our office and back home again when receiving an injection in our office.

No Contrast Material.When doing Ultrasound Guided Injections it is the sound itself that clarifies the contour of the joints, muscles, tendons, and nerves. No risk of allergic reaction or chemical side effects from Ultrasound . . . Ever.

See more here:
AIM Advanced Integrative Medicine Alpharetta, GA ...

Read More...

What are Stem Cells? – University of Nebraska Medical Center

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

What are Stem Cells?

Types of Stem Cells

Why are Stem Cells Important?

Can doctors use stem cells to treat patients?

Pros and Cons of Using Stem Cells

What are Stem Cells?

There are several different types of stem cells produced and maintained in our system throughout life. Depending on the circumstances and life cycle stages, these cells have different properties and functions. There are even stem cells that have been created in the laboratory that can help us learn more about how stem cells differentiate and function. A few key things to remember about stem cells before we venture into more detail:

Stem cells are the foundation cells for every organ and tissue in our bodies. The highly specialized cells that make up these tissues originally came from an initial pool of stem cells formed shortly after fertilization. Throughout our lives, we continue to rely on stem cells to replace injured tissues and cells that are lost every day, such as those in our skin, hair, blood and the lining of our gut.

Source ISSCR

Stem Cell History

Until recently, scientists primarily worked with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans: embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic "somatic" or "adult" stem cells. Scientists discovered ways to derive embryonic stem cells from early mouse embryos nearly 30 years ago, in 1981. The detailed study of the biology of mouse stem cells led to the discovery, in 1998, of a method to derive stem cells from human embryos and grow the cells in the laboratory. These cells are called human embryonic stem cells. The embryos used in these studies were created for reproductive purposes through in vitro fertilization procedures. When they were no longer needed for that purpose, they were donated for research with the informed consent of the donor. In 2006, researchers made another breakthrough by identifying conditions that would allow some specialized adult cells to be "reprogrammed" genetically to assume a stem cell-like state. This new type of stem cell is now known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Source NIH

Types of Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cells (ASCs):

ASCs are undifferentiated cells found living within specific differentiated tissues in our bodies that can renew themselves or generate new cells that can replenish dead or damaged tissue. You may also see the term somatic stem cell used to refer to adult stem cells. The term somatic refers to non-reproductive cells in the body (eggs or sperm). ASCs are typically scarce in native tissues which have rendered them difficult to study and extract for research purposes.

Resident in most tissues of the human body, discrete populations of ASCs generate cells to replace those that are lost through normal repair, disease, or injury. ASCs are found throughout ones lifetime in tissues such as the umbilical cord, placenta, bone marrow, muscle, brain, fat tissue, skin, gut, etc. The first ASCs were extracted and used for blood production in 1948. This procedure was expanded in 1968 when the first adult bone marrow cells were used in clinical therapies for blood disease.

Studies proving the specificity of developing ASCs are controversial; some showing that ASCs can only generate the cell types of their resident tissue whereas others have shown that ASCs may be able to generate other tissue types than those they reside in. More studies are necessary to confirm the dispute.

Types of Adult Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs):

During days 3-5 following fertilization and prior to implantation, the embryo (at this stage, called a blastocyst), contains an inner cell mass that is capable of generating all the specialized tissues that make up the human body. ESCs are derived from the inner cell mass of an embryo that has been fertilized in vitro and donated for research purposes following informed consent. ESCs are not derived from eggs fertilized in a womans body.

These pluripotent stem cells have the potential to become almost any cell type and are only found during the first stages of development. Scientists hope to understand how these cells differentiate during development. As we begin to understand these developmental processes we may be able to apply them to stem cells grown in vitro and potentially regrow cells such as nerve, skin, intestine, liver, etc for transplantation.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

Induced pluripotent stem cells are stem cells that are created in the laboratory, a happy medium between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. iPSCs are created through the introduction of embryonic genes into a somatic cell (a skin cell for example) that cause it to revert back to a stem cell like state. These cells, like ESCs are considered pluripotent Discovered in 2007, this method of genetic reprogramming to create embryonic like cells, is novel and needs many more years of research before use in clinical therapies.

NIH

Why are Stem Cells Important?

Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons. In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, the inner cells give rise to the entire body of the organism, including all of the many specialized cell types and organs such as the heart, lung, skin, sperm, eggs and other tissues. In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.

Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new potentials for treating diseases such as diabetes, and heart disease. However, much work remains to be done in the laboratory and the clinic to understand how to use these cells for cell-based therapies to treat disease, which is also referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine.

Laboratory studies of stem cells enable scientists to learn about the cells essential properties and what makes them different from specialized cell types. Scientists are already using stem cells in the laboratory to screen new drugs and to develop model systems to study normal growth and identify the causes of birth defects.

Research on stem cells continues to advance knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Stem cell research is one of the most fascinating areas of contemporary biology, but, as with many expanding fields of scientific inquiry, research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new discoveries.

Source NIH

Can doctors use stem cells to treat patients?

Some stem cells, such as the adult bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, have been used in clinical therapies for over 40 years. Other therapies utilizing stem cells include skin replacement from adult stem cells harvested from hair follicles that have been grown in culture to produce skin grafts. Other clinical trials for neuronal damage/disease have also been conducted using neural stem cells. There were side effects accompanying these studies and further investigation is warranted. Although there is much research to be conducted in the future, these studies give us hope for the future of therapeutics with stem cell research.

Potential Therapies using Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cell Therapies

Bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplants have been utilized for over 40 years as therapy for blood disorders such as leukemia and lymphoma, amongst many others. Scientists have also shown that stem cells reside in most tissues of the body and research continues to learn how to identify, extract, and proliferate these cells for further use in therapy. Scientists hope to yield therapies for diseases such as type I diabetes and repair of heart muscle following heart attack.

Scientists have also shown that there is potential in reprogramming ASCs to cause them to transdifferentiate (turn back into a different cell type than the resident tissue it was replenishing).

Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) Therapies

There is potential with ESCs to treat certain diseases in the future. Scientists continue to learn how ESCs differentiate and once this method is better understood, the hope is to apply the knowledge to get ESCs to differentiate into the cell of choice that is needed for patient therapy. Diseases that are being targeted with ESC therapy include diabetes, spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and vision/hearing loss.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies

Therapies using iPSCs are exciting because somatic cells of the recipient can be reprogrammed to en ESC like state. Then mechanisms to differentiate these cells may be applied to generate the cells in need. This is appealing to clinicians because this avoids the issue of histocompatibility and lifelong immunosuppression, which is needed if transplants use donor stem cells.

iPS cells mimic most ESC properties in that they are pluripotent cells, but do not currently carry the ethical baggage of ESC research and use because iPS cells have not been able to be manipulated to grow the outer layer of an embryonic cell required for the development of the cell into a human being.

Pros and Cons of Using Various Stem Cells

See the original post:
What are Stem Cells? - University of Nebraska Medical Center

Read More...

Welcome to Brooklyn Integrative Medicine Brooklyn, NY

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

Dr. Ilana Zablozki-Amir is a physician that uses Functional Medicine principles to help people identify the best, most natural ways of optimizing their health.

If you are someone who:

... has been struggling to make sense of the plethora of health information (often contradictory) that youve been told or read about ... is frustrated that your symptoms are being dismissed as in your head or due to aging... doesn't want to be dependent on medications and want to explore other more natural, effective and safer options that address the root of the problem ... wants to do more to protect your health rather than just watch and wait until things get worse ...

Then youve come to the right place.

Dr. Zablozki will spend a lot of time, gather lots of information, and help make sense of things. Her out of the box and 'big picture thinking, along with utilizing state of the art laboratory testing and diagnostic tools, help her to often find answers that havent come before, and to create very personalized, proactive health protection and rehabilitation plans.

Because Dr. Zablozki is committed to helping people accomplish things that help them thrive, her patients end up feeling healthier, more informed, and empowered! Contact her today to see how she can help you or someone you care about.

View post:
Welcome to Brooklyn Integrative Medicine Brooklyn, NY

Read More...

Immune System: Diseases, Disorders & Function

August 4th, 2016 9:40 am

The role of the immune system a collection of structures and processes within the body is to protect against disease or other potentially damaging foreign bodies. When functioning properly, the immune system identifies a variety of threats, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, and distinguishes them from the body's own healthy tissue, according toMerck Manuals.

Lymph nodes:Small, bean-shaped structures that produce and store cells that fight infection and disease and are part of the lymphatic system which consists of bone marrow, spleen, thymus and lymph nodes, according to "A Practical Guide To Clinical Medicine" from theUniversity of California San Diego(UCSD). Lymph nodes also contain lymph, the clear fluid that carries those cells to different parts of the body. When the body is fighting infection, lymph nodes can become enlarged and feel sore.

Spleen:The largest lymphatic organ in the body, which is on your left side, under your ribs and above your stomach, contains white blood cells that fight infection or disease. According to theNational Institutes of Health(NIH), the spleen also helps control the amount of blood in the body and disposes of old or damaged blood cells.

Bone marrow:The yellow tissue in the center of the bones produces white blood cells. This spongy tissue inside some bones, such as the hip and thigh bones, contains immature cells, called stem cells, according to the NIH. Stem cells, especially embryonic stem cells, which are derived from eggs fertilized in vitro (outside of the body), are prized for their flexibility in being able to morph into any human cell.

Lymphocytes: These small white blood cells play a large role in defending the body against disease, according to theMayo Clinic. The two types of lymphocytes are B-cells, which make antibodies that attack bacteria and toxins, and T-cells, which help destroy infected or cancerous cells. Killer T-cells are a subgroup of T-cells that kill cells that are infected with viruses and other pathogens or are otherwise damaged. Helper T-cells help determine which immune responses the body makes to a particular pathogen.

Thymus:This small organ is where T-cells mature. This often-overlooked part of the immune system, which is situated beneath the breastbone (and is shaped like a thyme leaf, hence the name), can trigger or maintain the production of antibodies that can result in muscle weakness, the Mayo Clinic said. Interestingly, the thymus is somewhat large in infants, grows until puberty, then starts to slowly shrink and become replaced by fat with age, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Leukocytes: These disease-fighting white blood cells identify and eliminate pathogens and are the second arm of the innate immune system. A high white blood cell count is referred to as leukocytosis, according to the Mayo Clinic. The innate leukocytes include phagocytes (macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells), mast cells, eosinophils and basophils.

If immune system-related diseases are defined very broadly, then allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema are very common. However, these actually represent a hyper-response to external allergens, according to Dr. Matthew Lau, chief, department of allergy and immunology atKaiser Permanente Hawaii. Asthma and allergies also involve the immune system. A normally harmless material, such as grass pollen, food particles, mold or pet dander, is mistaken for a severe threat and attacked.

Other dysregulation of the immune system includes autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. "Finally, some less common disease related to deficient immune system conditions are antibody deficiencies and cell mediated conditions that may show up congenitally," Lau told Live Science.

Disorders of the immune system can result in autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer, according to the NIH.

Immunodeficiency occurs when the immune system is not as strong as normal, resulting in recurring and life-threatening infections, according to theUniversity of Rochester Medical Center. In humans, immunodeficiency can either be the result of a genetic disease such as severe combined immunodeficiency, acquired conditions such as HIV/AIDS, or through the use of immunosuppressive medication.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, autoimmunity results from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign bodies, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1 and systemic lupus erythematosus. Another disease considered to be an autoimmune disorder is myasthenia gravis (pronounced my-us-THEE-nee-uh GRAY-vis).

Even though symptoms of immune diseases vary, fever and fatigue are common signs that the immune system is not functioning properly, the Mayo Clinic noted.

Most of the time, immune deficiencies are diagnosed with blood tests that either measure the level of immune elements or their functional activity, Lau said.

Allergic conditions may be evaluated using either blood tests or allergy skin testing to identify what allergens trigger symptoms.

In overactive or autoimmune conditions, medications that reduce the immune response, such as corticosteroids or other immune suppressive agents, can be very helpful. "In some immune deficiency conditions, the treatment may be replacement of missing or deficiency elements," Lau said. "This may be infusions of antibodies to fight infections."

Treatment may also include monoclonal antibodies, Lau said. A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein made in a lab that can bind to substances in the body. They can be used to regulate parts of the immune response that are causing inflammation, Lau said. According to the National Cancer Institute, monoclonal antibodies are being used to treat cancer. They can carry drugs, toxins or radioactive substances directly to cancer cells.

An allergist/immunologist is a physician specially trained to diagnose, treat and manage allergies, asthma and immunologic disorders, including primary immunodeficiency disorders, according to theAmerican College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology(ACAAI). These conditions range from common to extremely rare, spanning all ages and encompassing various organ systems.

To become an allergist/immunologist, physicians must undergo three years of training in internal medicine or pediatrics after completing medical school and graduating with a medical degree, according to the ACAAI. They must also pass the exam of either the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) or the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP).

Internists and pediatricians must undergo a two-year fellowship in an allergy/immunology training program to become an allergist/immunologist, the ACAAI said.

1718: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, observed the positive effects of variolation the deliberate infection with the smallpox disease on the native population and had the technique performed on her own children.

1796: Edward Jenner was the first to demonstrate the smallpox vaccine.

1840: Jakob Henle put forth the first modern proposal of the germ theory of disease.

1857-1870: The role of microbes in fermentation was confirmed by Louis Pasteur.

1880-1881: The theory that bacterial virulence could be used as vaccines was developed. Pasteur put this theory into practice by experimenting with chicken cholera and anthrax vaccines. On May 5, 1881, Pasteur vaccinated 24 sheep, one goat, and six cows with five drops of live attenuated anthrax bacillus.

1885: Joseph Meister, 9 years old, was injected with the attenuated rabies vaccine by Pasteur after being bitten by a rabid dog. He is the first known human to survive rabies.

1886: American microbiologist Theobold Smith demonstrated that heat-killed cultures of chicken cholera bacillus were effective in protecting against cholera.

1903: Maurice Arthus described the localizing allergic reaction that is now known as the Arthus response.

1949: John Enders, Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins experimented with the growth of polio virus in tissue culture, neutralization with immune sera, and demonstration of attenuation of neurovirulence with repetitive passage.

1951: Vaccine against yellow fever was developed.

1983: HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) was discovered by French virologist Luc Montagnier.

1986: Hepatitis B vaccine was produced by genetic engineering.

2005: Ian Frazer developed the human papillomavirus vaccine.

Editors Note: If youd like more information on this topic, we recommend the following book:

Systems of the human body

Parts of the human body

Continued here:
Immune System: Diseases, Disorders & Function

Read More...

Page 1,113«..1020..1,1121,1131,1141,115..1,1201,130..»


2025 © StemCell Therapy is proudly powered by WordPress
Entries (RSS) Comments (RSS) | Violinesth by Patrick