StemCell Therapy

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the entire joint involving the cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and underlying bone. The breakdown of these tissues eventually leads to pain and joint stiffness. The joints most commonly affected are the knees, hips, and those in the hands and spine. The specific causes of OA are unknown, but are believed to be a result of both mechanical and molecular events in the affected joint. Disease onset is gradual and usually begins after the age of 40. There is currently no cure for OA. Treatment for OA focuses on relieving symptoms and improving function, and can include a combination of patient education, physical therapy, weight control, use of medications, and eventually total joint replacement.

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CDC - Arthritis - Basics - Definition - Osteoarthritis

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are stem cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo.

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they are able to grow (i.e. differentiate) into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.

In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body as long as they are specified to do so.

Embryonic stem cells are distinguished by two distinctive properties: their pluripotency, and their ability to replicate indefinitely.

ES cells are pluripotent, that is, they are able to differentiate into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm.

These include each of the more than 220 cell types in the adult body.

Pluripotency distinguishes embryonic stem cells from adult stem cells found in adults; while embryonic stem cells can generate all cell types in the body, adult stem cells are multipotent and can produce only a limited number of cell types.

Additionally, under defined conditions, embryonic stem cells are capable of propagating themselves indefinitely.

This allows embryonic stem cells to be employed as useful tools for both research and regenerative medicine, because they can produce limitless numbers of themselves for continued research or clinical use.

Because of their plasticity and potentially unlimited capacity for self-renewal, ES cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease.

Excerpt from:
Embryonic stem cell Science Daily

Featured Recipe from The Longevity Kitchen: Insanely Good Chocolate Brownies

Jumbo shrimp. Airline food. Boneless ribs. Fuzzy logic. Some words just dont seem to belong together. Im betting youd say healthy brownie falls into that category. Au contraire! How do I know that isnt the case? Because there was a lot of yumming in my kitchen as a gaggle of brownie aficionados devoured these. Refined white sugar out; Grade B maple syrup in. See ya white flour; hello almond flour and brown rice flour. Fare-thee-well butter; come-on-down olive oil! Add dark chocolate, walnuts, and cinnamon, and the result is a decadent culinary oxymoron for the ages.

Makes 16 brownies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

You can also use a 9 by 6-inch baking pan. If you do, the baking time will be only about 25 minutes.

Cacao content is the amount of pure cacao products (chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder) used in the chocolate; the higher the percentage, the more antioxidants the chocolate contains. And if youre into addition by subtraction, higher cacao percentages mean lower sugar content.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan (see note) with two pieces of foil long enough to overlap on all four sides. Lightly oil the foil.

Put the almond flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir with a whisk to combine.

Put half of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring often, just until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil.

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The Longevity Kitchen: Satisfying, Big-Flavor Recipes ...

Boston Medical Centers Division of Endocrinology is staffed by internationally renowned physicians in the fields of thyroid and metabolic bone disorders.

We are deeply devoted to our patients and to the evaluation, management and research of a multitude of endocrine disorders including: thyroid abnormalities, bone and calcium metabolism, disorders of growth hormone, complications of menopause, hirsutism, polycystic ovary, hypogonadism, sexual dysfunction, infertility, lipid metabolism, endocrine hypertension, adrenal and pituitary disorders.

BMCs mission is to provide exceptional care, without exception, and the Division of Endocrinology shares this mission. When you come here for evaluation and treatment of an endocrine disorder, you can rest assured that you will receive top-notch care from highly-trained, caring physicians and staff.

Our Androgen Clinical Research Unit (ACRU) at BMC in conjunction with Boston University is dedicated to conducting research that advances the understanding of the effects of testosterone administrationand various clinical outcomes.

Learn more about ourcurrent Androgen Clinical Trials on ACRU(http://www.androtrials.org) or call: 617.414.2968. They are still looking for men age 65 and older to participate.

In the following news stories, Shalender Bhasin, MD, from Endocrinology, Diabetes & Nutrition at BMC talks with WCVB TV, Channel 5, about the controversy over the use of testosterone, misconceptions and its risks. Fountain of Youth for Men?(http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/28643374/detail.html)

Off-label Use of Testosterone Therapy on the Rise(http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/28609897/detail.html)

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Endocrinology | Thyroid & Metabolic Bone Disorders ...

1 in 10 adults* has kidney disease. Are you the 1? Know your risk. Take the Risk Quiz

Understanding your kidneys is the first step in taking control of your health. Following a kidney-friendly diet, taking good care of diabetes, hypertension and other health conditions, and not smoking may help your kidneys function better and longer, even when you have kidney disease. Your kidneys two bean-shaped organs located in your lower back play a more important role in your overall health than you may realize. They are your bodys filtration system, cleaning wastes and extra fluids from your body and producing and balancing chemicals that are necessary for your body to function. The more you know about how kidneys work, the less you'll need to ask, "what is kidney disease?" Get the 411 on kidney disease

What is kidney disease? Well, one of the first things to know is that kidney disease comes in stages. Knowing your chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage is important for deciding your treatment. CKD has five stages, ranging from nearly normal kidney function (stage 1) to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or transplant (stage 5). Understanding your stage can help you learn how to take control and slow the progression of your condition. Discover the 5 stages of kidney disease

Get smart about two conditions that could secretly conspire against your kidneys. Diabetes and high blood pressure can work together as silent partners that cause damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys. Early detection, education, keeping blood sugar levels under control, eating healthy and exercising can put these two bad guys in their place while helping you achieve a better quality of life. Learn more about diabetes and hypertension

Could you or someone you care about have chronic kidney disease (CKD)?One in 10adults age 20 or older in the U.S. have CKD, and many others are at risk and dont even know it. Risk factors include:

If you may be at risk for kidney disease, consider scheduling a kidney screening with your primary care physician (PCP) for your next checkup. No cost screenings are offered in some areas as well. To learn more about screenings, you may want to contact The Kidney TRUST, an organization aimed at increasing awareness of kidney disease through public education and testing programs. Get started today

Finding out you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the earlier stages of CKD may allow you to take action to slow the progression of kidney disease and prevent kidney failure. By controlling blood pressure, and blood sugar levels for those with diabetes, and making other healthy lifestyle choices, it may be possible to keep kidneys working. Learn how you can help slow the progression of kidney disease.

Kidneys do a lot more than produce urine. These fist-sized, bean-shaped organs have a big responsibility in the body. Find out what they do and how they do their jobs.

Many medical professionals believe that diet plays a role in slowing the progression of kidney disease. Lower protein diets may help the kidneys because they wont have to work so hard. Because healthy kidneys are responsible for eliminating potassium and phosphorus, as kidney function slows, these minerals may need to be reduced in the diet. Find out what to eat when you have kidney disease.

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Kidney Aware - Kidney Disease Education - DaVita

What the Kidneys Do

You have two kidneys. They are bean-shaped and about the size of a fist. They are located in the middle of your back, on the left and right of your spine, just below your rib cage.

The kidneys filter your blood, removing wastes and extra water to make urine. They also help control blood pressure and make hormones that your body needs to stay healthy. When the kidneys are damaged, wastes can build up in the body.

Kidney function may be reduced with aging. As the kidneys age, the number of filtering units in the kidney may decrease, the overall amount of kidney tissue may decrease, and the blood vessels that supply the kidney may harden, causing the kidneys to filter blood more slowly.

If your kidneys begin to filter less well as you age, you may be more likely to have complications from certain medicines. There may be an unsafe buildup of medicines that are removed from your blood by your kidneys. Also, your kidneys may be more sensitive to certain medicines. For example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and some antibiotics may harm your kidneys in some situations. The next time you pick up a prescription or buy an over-the-counter medicine or supplement, ask your pharmacist how the product may affect your kidneys and interact with your other medicines.

(Watch the video to learn more about what the kidneys do. To enlarge the video, click the brackets in the lower right-hand corner. To reduce the video, press the Escape (Esc) button on your keyboard.)

Learn more about how the kidneys work.

Kidney disease means the kidneys are damaged and can no longer remove wastes and extra water from the blood as they should. Kidney disease is most often caused by diabetes or high blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20 million Americans may have kidney disease. Many more are at risk. The main risk factors for developing kidney disease are

Each kidney contains about one million tiny filtering units made up of blood vessels. These filters are called glomeruli. Diabetes and high blood pressure damage these blood vessels, so the kidneys are not able to filter the blood as well as they used to. Usually this damage happens slowly, over many years. This is called chronic kidney disease. As more and more filtering units are damaged, the kidneys eventually are unable to maintain health.

Early kidney disease usually has no symptoms, which means you will not feel different. Blood and urine tests are the only way to check for kidney damage or measure kidney function. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney failure, you should be tested for kidney disease.

Continued here:
NIHSeniorHealth: Kidney Disease - What is Kidney Disease?

Learn about kidney disease and what it means to you

Most people dont give their kidneys a second thought until they start to experience a loss of kidney function. In fact many people dont experience serious health problems until their kidney function has dropped to less than twenty five percent. Since kidney damage cannot be reversed, learning all that you can, as soon as you can, may help you keep your kidneys functioning longer. Read on to learn about how healthy kidneys function, chronic kidney disease, kidney failure and coping with kidney disease.

There are two main causes of kidney disease: hypertension and diabetes.

Learn More

The National Kidney Foundation has divided chronic kidney disease into 5 stages.

Learn More

The kidneys play an important role in your health by removing wastes, extra fluids, and releasing hormones.

Learn More

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is normally a long process where the kidneys slowly lose function over time. Find out more about the stages of CKD, causes, risk factors, and warning signs, and learn how you may be able to slow the progression of the disease.

Learn More

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What is Kidney Disease | Fresenius Medical Care

Back to TopReferences

Fogarty DG, Tall MW. A stepped are approach to the management of chronic kidney disease. In: Taal MW, Chertow GM, Marsden PA et al. eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 61.

Tonelli M, Pannu N, Manns B. Oral phosphate binders in patients with kidney failure. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:1312-1324.

Abboud H, Henrich WL. Clinical practice. Stage IV chronic kidney disease. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:56-65.

Upadhyay A, Earley A, Haynes SM, Uhlig K. Systematic review: blood pressure target in chronic kidney disease and proteinuria as an effect modifier. Ann Intern Med . 2011;154:541-548.

KDOQI. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline and Clinical Practice Recommendations for anemia in chronic kidney disease: 2007 update of hemoglobin target. Am J Kidney Dis . 2007; 50:471-530.

KDOQI; National Kidney Foundation II. Clinical practice guidelines and clinical practice recommendations for anemia in chronic kidney disease in adults. Am J Kidney Dis. 2006;47(5 Suppl 3):S16-S85.

Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI). K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines on hypertension and antihypertensive agents in chronic kidney disease. Am J Kidney Dis . 2004; 43(5 Suppl 1):S1-S290.

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Chronic Kidney Disease - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of ...

Kidney disease is a general term that includes any disease, disorder or condition of the kidneys. The kidneys are vital internal organs located in the upper abdomen. Normally people have two bean-shaped kidneys, which form a part of the urinary tract in the genitourinary system.

Healthy kidneys function continuously, and the bodys total blood supply passes through the kidneys several times each minute. The healthy body can continue to function with only one good kidney, as happens when someone volunteers to be a living kidney donor.

Kidney disease is due to a variety of conditions that lead to kidney damage and deterioration of kidney function. Kidney disease can make it difficult or impossible for the kidneys to perform functions that are critical to life and your overall health including:

Filtering waste products and excess water and salts from the blood, which are then eliminated from the body through the ureters, bladder and urethra in the form of urine

Producing certain hormones, such as renin, which helps regulate blood pressure

Producing the active form of vitamin D (calcitrol)

Regulating electrolytes and other vital substances, such as sodium, calcium and potassium

Regulating the level and quality of fluid in the body

Stimulating red blood cell production

There are two general types of serious kidney disease:

Link:
Kidney Disease | Healthgrades

One of the more common long-term complications of diabetes is diabetic renal disease ("renal" refers to the kidneys). Also known as diabetic nephropathy, this condition is a result of direct vascular abnormalities that accompany diabetes. Furthermore, diabetes mellitus is the main cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the most advanced stage of kidney disease.

Stages of ChronicKidney Disease (CKD)

There aresone of the progressivestages chronicof kidney disease.

Why does diabetes increase the risk for kidney disease?

Highblood sugar can overwork the kidneys, which over time damagethem. After many years, they start to leak small amounts of protein (albumin) into the urine, which indicates that the kidneys are damaged. Not everyone with diabetes develops kidney disease. Factors thatcan influence kidney disease development include genetics, blood sugarcontrol, and blood pressure. The better a person keeps diabetes and blood pressure undercontrol, the lower the chance of getting kidneydisease.

How are cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney disease related?

Chronic kidney disease can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Conversely, CVD can lead to kidney disease, so the two diseases are strongly intertwined. According to studies, CVD begins to have an effect on the body as early as the first stage of kidney disease, and most people with ESRD die as a result of cardiovascular complications.

Risks that are often associated with kidney disease also contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.

What should I do if I have diabetes?

Many of the risk factors for kidney disease and CVD are treatable. If you have diabetes, take these steps:

Originally posted here:
Kidney Disease & Diabetes - American Heart Association

Cats with kidney problems have a reduced ability to excrete waste products into their urine, leading to a potentially toxic build-up in the bloodstream. While some kidney problems occur suddenly, chronic kidney disease shows up more slowly over a period of time. Timely veterinary assessment with ongoing supportive care and dietary management can allow some cats with kidney problems to maintain an adequate quality of life.

The following are some causes of both chronic and acute kidney problems:

If your cat shows any of the following symptoms, please take her to see your veterinarian.

Kidney disease is most prevalent in older cats, but can occur in cats of any age. Cats can be born with abnormal kidneys that never function properly. Some breeds, like Persians, are predisposed to such hereditary kidney problems.

Additionally, outdoor cats run the risk of acute problems because they have more chance of exposure to toxins that can cause kidney failure, namely antifreeze.

There are various ways to determine if a cat has kidney disease. Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination and take blood and urine samples to see if there is a problem with your pets kidneys. Radiographs, ultrasound, blood pressure measurement or biopsy of the kidney may also be performed.

It may be difficult to determine a specific cause of kidney disease. Emergency treatment and hospitalized care may be needed depending on the stage of kidney failure a cat is in. Acute kidney disease can sometimes be caught early on, when there is minimal damage to the kidneys. In some cases, long-term supportive treatment is beneficial. The following are possible treatments:

Feeding your cat a special diet will not cure kidney disease, but managing your cats intake of protein, phosphorous and sodium can help diminish symptoms and add to your pets overall health and longevity. There are many commercially available veterinary diets for cats with chronic kidney disease.

Please remember, changes in your cats diet should not be made abruptly. Speak to your vet about gently transitioning your cat to a new food.

Be diligent with your cats eating regimen, keeping strictly to the diet your vet has prescribed. Always give her access to clean, fresh water, keep your home environment as calm as possible and make sure she has routine medical checkups and tests as advised by your vet.

Read more:
Kidney Disease | ASPCA

Kidney failure is when your kidneys stop working well enough for you to live without dialysis or a kidney transplant. Kidney failure can happen very suddenly (called acute renal failure) or slowly over time. In most cases, kidney failure is permanent. This is called end-stage renal disease or ESRD. How is kidney failure (ESRD) different from chronic kidney disease (CKD)? What causes kidney failure? How can I prevent kidney failure? What are the tests for kidney failure?

CKD means that your kidneys are damaged. With CKD, your kidneys may still be working some, but theyre not working as well as they should. Kidney failure is the most severe stage of CKD. Kidney failure is when your kidneys are no longer working well enough for you to live without dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Diabetes and high blood pressure cause most cases of ESRD. Other causes include:

The best way to prevent kidney failure is to prevent CKD. If you have CKD, work with your doctor to slow it down. You may not be able to fix the damage that is already done, but you might be able to keep the damage from getting worse. If you have diabetes and high blood pressure, it is very important for you to manage these. Work with your doctor to learn how.

Other ways to help protect your kidneys are to:

Get more healthy living tips here

The tests for kidney failure are the same as the tests for CKD. If you think that you may be at risk for kidney failure, ask your doctor about these tests:

eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)

Urine Test

Blood Pressure

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Kidney Failure Causes, Tests, and Preventions - American ...

If a kidney disease is suspected, the doctor will take a medical history, do a physical exam, and order urine tests, blood tests, imaging studies, or a biopsy to help make a diagnosis. These studies are usually suggested by a nephrologist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases.

With urinalysis (a type of urine test), the doctor can quickly detect abnormalities (such as too many red blood cells) that may signal inflammation or irritation in the urinary tract. Urinalysis can also detect an of excess white blood cells, which is most commonly associated with bladder and kidney infections.

Certain blood tests tell doctors how well the kidneys are filtering waste products and balancing the bloodstream's chemical makeup.

Two other important diagnostic tools doctors use are blood pressure and growth measurements. Along with the heart, the kidneys are crucial to determining blood pressure. High blood pressure in a child is an important sign that the kidneys need to be evaluated. Accurate growth measurements can provide a clue to diagnosing some kidney diseases because kids with chronic kidney disease often have growth problems.

The doctor may use a kidney biopsy to evaluate kidney function. A biopsy is a procedure in which a small piece of the kidney tissue is removed with a needle. Performed while a child is under anesthesia, it's a simple procedure that can help make an accurate diagnosis of the kidney problem in about 9 out of 10 cases. It's especially helpful in the diagnosis of nephritis and nephrosis.

In addition to standard X-rays, other imaging studies a doctor may use to help diagnose kidney diseases include:

The most commonly used imaging study, an ultrasound is painless and requires no X-ray exposure or special preparation. A renal ultrasound shows details of the anatomy of the kidneys and bladder. It can rule out or diagnose obstructions, developmental abnormalities, tumors, and stones in the kidneys and urinary tract.

A CAT scan is often helpful in revealing the anatomy of the kidneys or bladder and, in some cases, is better than ultrasound for finding kidney stones. It can show if the kidneys have developed properly or if the flow of urine is blocked by a stone or a developmental abnormality.

A renal nuclear scan involves having special radioactive material injected into a vein. The radiation dose is less than that of a simple X-ray. The scan shows how the kidneys compare with each other in size, shape, and function. It also can detect scarring or other evidence of recurrent or chronic kidney infection.

VCUG is commonly used to evaluate the bladder and the ureters. This procedure involves putting a dye into the bladder to see whether there's an obstruction or a reflux of urine from the bladder back up to the kidneys when the child urinates.

Continued here:
Kidney Diseases in Childhood - KidsHealth - the Web's most ...

Proceeds from website advertising help sustain Lab Tests Online. AACC is a not-for-profit organization and does not endorse non-AACC products and services.

Kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are damaged and cannot function properly. Numerous conditions and diseases can result in damage to the kidneys, thus affecting their ability to filter waste from the blood while reabsorbing important substances. Generally, kidney disease may present or develop in a few different ways:

Various factors can cause different patterns of injury to the kidneys and can affect kidney function. Some factors affect the blood-filtering units, the nephrons, or parts of the nephrons, such as the glomeruli or the tubules. Some factors affect the passage of urine from the kidney while others cause damage to the kidney(s) as a whole.

The most common causes of and main risk factors for kidney disease are:

Some other examples of factors affecting the kidneys or patterns of kidney disease include:

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Kidney Disease - Lab Tests Online

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THURSDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) Chronic kidney disease progresses faster in blacks than in other racial/ethnic groups in the United States, new research finds. The study also said that screening of blacks with chronic kidney disease is cost-effective and can help improve their care. The rate of chronic kidney disease among blacks is similar to that [...]

MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) Decreased kidney function leads to declines in thinking and memory, a new study says. Researchers looked at changes in kidney function and mental skills for five years in nearly 600 people. The greater the decrease in a persons kidney function during that time, the greater their decline in overall intellectual [...]

FRIDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) Some people with kidney disease can improve their health by adding fruits and vegetables to their diet, a new study indicates. A second study found that poor nutrition plays a role in the association between poverty and kidney disease, and a third study found that black kidney disease patients are [...]

By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Oct. 4 (HealthDay News) For patients suffering from chronic kidney disease, home hemodialysis offers considerable advantages over dialysis performed in a medical setting, a new study suggests. Home hemodialysis is a viable option for stable dialysis patients, said the studys lead researcher, Dr. Bessie Young, an associate professor at the [...]

TUESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) People with chronic kidney disease may have the same level of risk for coronary heart disease as people who have previously had a heart attack, a new study suggests. It has long been known that chronic kidney disease patients are at increased risk for heart attacks, but this is the [...]

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Chronic Kidney Disease Condition Center - Health.com

Glomerulonephritis (pronounced: glow-mare-you-lo-neh-fry-tiss), also called nephritis (pronounced: neh-fry-tiss), is an inflammation of the glomeruli, the kidney's filtering units. Nephritis may be caused by an infection, taking certain drugs or toxic chemicals, or by a reaction by the body's immune system that has damaged the kidneys.

When they are inflamed (swollen and irritated), the kidneys pass protein and red blood cells into the urine. Urine can turn brownish from the blood, almost the color of cola. Sometimes nephritis can cause pain in the side, back, or belly, but most of the time it doesn't.

Doctors aren't always sure what causes a person to get nephritis. Sometimes it follows a bacterial infection, such as a streptococcus (or strep) infection like strep throat. When nephritis comes on quickly as it often does following an infection, doctors refer to it as acute nephritis. Drugs are the most common cause of acute nephritis.

Most people who get nephritis get better. However, if it's not treated, the kidneys can sometimes be damaged or even stop working altogether. (Occasionally, the kidneys may stop working even if the nephritis is treated, but that's not common.)

With nephrotic syndrome, also called nephrosis (pronounced: neh-fro-siss), a person's glomeruli are damaged. Instead of filtering only wastes and excess water out of the blood to become urine, the glomeruli allow a lot of protein to come out of the blood and into the urine. Without sufficient protein in the blood, a person may develop edema (pronounced: ih-dee-muh). Edema is swelling in areas such as the feet and legs and the area around the eyes that is caused by excess fluid buildup in the tissues.

People with nephrotic syndrome may have swollen and puffy eyes, especially upon waking up. By the end of the day, their feet may be swollen and their shoes might not fit. They also will produce much less urine than usual and what urine is produced may look frothy. Other symptoms of nephrotic syndrome include feeling weak or ill and loss of appetite.

Nephrotic syndrome might develop as a part of another disease, such as lupus, or it can happen in some types of nephritis. But most of the time, doctors don't know exactly what causes it. If nephrotic syndrome is caused by another disease, the doctor will treat that disease, which may reduce the symptoms of nephrotic syndrome.

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Kidney Disease

Sometimes kidneys are no longer able to filter and clean blood. This can cause unsafe levels of waste products to build up. This is known as kidney (or renal) failure. Unless it is treated, this can cause death.

How the kidneys filter waste from your blood National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health

The kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are found in your back on either side of the spine. Healthy kidneys clean waste products from the blood by making urine. They also balance the amount of certain elements in your blood (such as sodium, potassium, and calcium), and make hormones that control blood pressure and red blood cells.

Kidney (renal) failure is when kidneys don't work as well as they should. The term "kidney failure" covers a lot of problems. These problems can result in kidney failure:

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Urology Care Foundation - What is Kidney (Renal) Failure?

What is Kidney Disease?

The kidneys are twin, fist-size organs located at the bottom of the rib cage on either side of the spine. They perform several functions, the most important of which is filtering waste products, excess water, and other impurities out of the blood. These waste products are stored in the bladder and later expelled from the body as urine.

In addition, the kidneys regulate pH, salt, and potassium levels in the body, and they produce hormones that regulate blood pressure and control the production of red blood cells. The kidneys are also responsible for activating a form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium to build bones and modulate muscle function.

The kidneys main function is to remove waste products from your blood through urine.

Kidneys are essential to having a healthy body.

Kidney disease occurs when one or more conditions damage your kidneys, keeping them from operating properly. This can lead to health problems including high blood pressure, weak bones, nerve damage, and poor nutritional health.

Illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and a host of other chronic conditions can cause kidney disease. Kidney disease that gets worse can cause your kidneys to completely fail, which ultimately will require dialysis (a medical procedure) to clean your blood.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults have kidney disease (NKF).

The most common form of kidney disease ischronic kidney disease, caused by high blood pressure. Because the kidneys are constantly processing the bodys blood supply, they are exposed to about 20 percent of the total blood volume of the body every minute.

High blood pressureis dangerous for the kidneys because it can lead to increased pressure on the glomeruli, which are the functional units of the kidney. In time, this high pressure compromises the filtering apparatus of the kidney, and kidney function begins to decline.

Link:
Kidney Health and Kidney Disease Basics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Biotechnology Portal

Welcome to the Biotechnology portal. Biotechnology is a technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine.

Of the many different definitions available, the one declared by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the broadest:

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Biotechnology subcategories:

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Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a species of bacteria that causes tumors (commonly known as 'galls' or 'crown galls') in dicots (Smith et al., 1907). This Gram-negative bacterium causes crown gall by inserting a small segment of DNA (known as the T-DNA, for 'transfer DNA') into the plant cell, which is incorporated at a semi-random location into the plant genome.

Agrobacterium is an alpha proteobacterium of the family Rhizobiaceae, which includes the nitrogen fixing legume symbionts. Unlike the nitrogen fixing symbionts, tumor producing Agrobacterium are parasitic and do not benefit the plant. The wide variety of plants affected by Agrobacterium makes it of great concern to the agriculture industry (Moore et al., 1997).

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Portal:Biotechnology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to manufacture products intended to improve the quality of human life. The earliest biotechnologists were farmers who developed improved species of plants and animals by cross pollenization or cross breeding. In recent years, biotechnology has expanded in sophistication, scope, and applicability.

The science of biotechnology can be broken down into subdisciplines called red, white, green, and blue. Red biotechnology involves medical processes such as getting organisms to produce new drugs, or using stem cells to regenerate damaged human tissues and perhaps re-grow entire organs. White (also called gray) biotechnology involves industrial processes such as the production of new chemicals or the development of new fuels for vehicles. Green biotechnology applies to agriculture and involves such processes as the development of pest-resistant grains or the accelerated evolution of disease-resistant animals. Blue biotechnology, rarely mentioned, encompasses processes in marine and aquatic environments, such as controlling the proliferation of noxious water-borne organisms.

Biotechnology, like other advanced technologies, has the potential for misuse. Concern about this has led to efforts by some groups to enact legislation restricting or banning certain processes or programs, such as human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research. There is also concern that if biotechnological processes are used by groups with nefarious intent, the end result could be biological warfare.

Also see nanotechnology and genetic engineering .

This was last updated in May 2007

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What is biotechnology? - Definition from WhatIs.com