StemCell Therapy

Science Documentary: Stem Cells,Regenerative Medicine,Artificial Heart,a future medicine documentary

Science Documentary: Stem Cells,Regenerative Medicine,Artificial Heart,a future medicine documentary In each and every one of our organs and tissue, we have stem cells. These stem cells can develop into many different kinds of cells. They can continue to divide in order to replace damaged cell tissue. As we grow older, we loose some of our stem cells, as well as the ability of those stem cells to repair organs and tissue. The function and ability of the stem cells varies greatly between men and women. Each stem cell can become a specific type of cell that has its own function, or it can remain a stem cell. The two main differences between normal cells and stem cells are that stem cells have the potential for self renewal. The second difference is that stem cells can be manipulated to become a specific organ or tissue cell, like muscle cells, bone marrow cells, brain cells, blood cells, and other cells of the central nervous system. The future of medicine will see a huge increase in the use of stem cells to treat various health problems, such as, heart disease, birth defects, paralysis, diabetes and many more. In the field of regenerative medicine, scientist are now able to regenerate whole organs and tissue, and in the future, they will be able to regenerate an entire human heart with the use of stem cells. In the meantime, the development of artificial hearts for transplanting into human patients has grown exponentially. In the early stages of artificial heart development, the heart pumps were a lot larger and a lot bulkier, and were used by doctors to replace just one side of the heart. But now, there are patients that have had heart transplant surgery, in which the entire heart was replaced by a much smaller and completely artificial heart. In the future, doctors may have all the tools readily available to them to treat and cure any form of cardiovascular disease, as well as the ability to treat and cure spinal cord injury. Science Documentary: Graphene , a documentary on nanotechnology and nanomaterials http://youtu.be/IUrqyuw-6Iw Science Documentary: Nanotechnology,Quantum Computers, Cyborg Anthropology a future tech documentary http://youtu.be/sCLnHKl0GT4 Science Documentary: Cognitive science , a documentary on mind processes, artificial intelligence http://youtu.be/0T_nOzpBYxU Science Documentary: Planet formation, a documentary on elements, early earth and plate tectonics http://youtu.be/yQexV341t-E Science documentary : Expansion of the Universe , a science documentary on expanding space http://youtu.be/nxsOVYmwSOk Science Documentary: The Sun, a science documentary on star life cycles, star formation http://youtu.be/VJ9fmAGShvs Science Documentary: Cosmic Microwave Background the oldest light in the universe http://youtu.be/fSPQbrxD75w Science Documentary : Electromagnetic Spectrum , a science documentary on forms of light http://youtu.be/41Q6FeO-_8I ScienceRound on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102384224840004876140/102384224840004876140/posts

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Stem cell Wild West takes root amid lack of US ...

The Stem Cell Institute http://www.cellmedicine.com/

The Stem Cell Institute lists academic publications of stem cell research on its website, some of which are in peer-reviewed journals, and some which are not. Although it is difficult to assess the level of potential bias of any scientific research funded by self-interested parties or clinicians, it appears that collaboration with researchers in the US, Europe, and across the world at major universities and other well-respected institutions lends an air of credibility to these publications. Research so far has looked at stem cells in cases of autism, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, and critical limb ischaemia among other conditions. Another interesting aspect to the work done at the Stem Cell Institute is that which is being advanced by Dr. Paul Cheney, who became involved with Medistem Inc. in order to promote a cream he had created that purports to change Cell Signalling Factors (CSFs). This cream, which is sourced from the organs of bison (an animal which has been falsely attributed as never suffering from cancer), uses CSFs to compel the body to alter gene expression which is impacting on illness (Sieverling, 2009).

Dr. Cheneys theory is that by re-booting the gene expression prior to stem cell treatment the patient will see more of an effect from the treatment as the stem cells will not be corrupted by faulty, diseased, gene expression. The evidence for this is shaky at best, and the use of the CSFs with stem cells remains untested clinically. Patients should be wary of spending a significant amount of money on treatments which may exacerbate their conditions, particularly those with fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome who can be extremely sensitive to the thymus extract and adrenal extract that may be present in some of these treatments. Cheney himself has sounded the alert about this potential issue, and is, rather sensibly, limiting the CSF therapy to specific patients only (Sieverling, 2009).

The Stem Cell Institute has eight doctors, who appear to be operating out of the Punta Pacifica Hospital, and currently accepts patients with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Type 2 Diabetes, cardiomyopathy, osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and spinal cord injury. The Stem Cell Institutes website claims that no long term side effects have been reported with this type of treatment. This does not seem exactly true considering the recent complications highlighted in treatment at the XCell Center in Germany, and with a child recently at a clinic in Israel. Prospective patients can contact the institute through their website.

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Stem Cell Clinics Panama | Stem Cell Institute

Download Ten Problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research PDF

Embryonic stem cells are the basic building blocks for some 260 types of cells in the body and can become anything: heart, muscle, brain, skin, blood. Researchers hope that by guiding stem cells in the laboratory into specific cell types, they can be used to treat diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, or other disorders. The primary clinical source is the aborted fetus and unused embryos currently housed in frozen storage at IVF facilities. A developed stem cell line comes from a single embryo, becoming a colony of cells that reproduces indefinitely. Consider now the following ten problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR).

1. The issue of who or what

As the nation sits embroiled over the battle of where to draw the line on ESCR, the real issue that truly divides us is whether embryonic stems represent a who or a what. In other words, are we talking about people or property?

Since Roe v. Wade we have not been willing or able as a nation to address the issue. As a result, those who oppose ESCR and those who support it will never reach an acceptable point of compromise. Still, in the midst of the flurry of all this biotechnology and all the problems it presents, there is some very good news that has been overlooked by almost everyone. Ready? Cloning proves scientifically that life begins at conceptiona position to which the author and most Christians philosophically already adhere.

Additionally, the insights provided by cloning technology destroy the scientific and legal basis of distinguishing a preembryo from an embryo, the popular distinction made at 14 days after conception. This is significant because this distinction determines the handling and treatment of human life less than 14 days old, which is so basic to all ESCR.

In short, our understanding of embryonic development as provided by cloning technology could force not only those who participate in ESCR specifically, but also those who participate in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures generally, to recognize there is no real preembryoembryo distinction and that all human life begins at conception. Therefore, as a nation, we should rightly adjust the moral and legal treatment and status of all embryos to people not property from the point of conception.

2. The deliberate misuse of terminology in defining stem cells

Proponents of ESCR often use the term pluripotent. This word intends to imply that the ESC cannot make or reform the outer layer of the embryo called the trophoblast. The trophoblast is required for implantation of the embryo into the uterus. This is a distinction used by proponents of ESCR to imply a fully formed implantable embryo cannot and does not reform after the original embryo is sacrificed. This is significant because to isolate the stem cells, scientists peel away the trophoblast or skin of the embryo much like the peel of an orange. They then discharge the contents of the embryo into a petri dish.

At this stage of development, the stem cells that comprise almost the entire inner body of the early embryo look and function very similar to one another. Once put into the petri dish, the un-programmed cells can be manipulated to multiply and divide endlessly into specific cell types. The question regarding use of the term pluripotent is whether stem cells emptied into the petri dish can reform the trophoblast creating an implantable embryo of the originally sacrificed embryo?

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Ten Problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research | The ...

Stephen Barrett, M.D.

Stem cell therapy is certainly a promising area for research. Stem cells have the ability to give rise to many specialized cells in an organism. Certain types of stem cells are already used to restore blood-forming and immune system function after high-dose chemotherapy for some types of cancer, and several other restorative uses have been demonstrated. The broadest potential application is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used to repair or replace damaged organs. If scientists can learn how to control stem cell conversion into new, functionally mature cells, doctors might be able to cure many diseases for which therapy is currently inadequate [1,2]. However, the claims made by commercial promoters go way beyond what is now likely and should be regarded with extreme skepticism. The main commercial sources have included Embryonic Tissues Center in the Ukraine; Stem Cell of America (formerly called Medra, Inc) in Mexico; the Brain Therapeutics Medical Clinic (formerly called the Health Restoration Medical Center and the Brain Cell Therapeutic Clinic) in Mission Viejo, California; the Vita Nova Clinic in Barbados; and the Beijing Xishan Institute for Neuroregeneration and Functional Recovery in Beijing, China.

The Embryonic Tissues Center (EmCell) appears to be the oldest commercial source of embryonic stem cell therapy. Its proprietors, Alexander Smikodub, M.D., Ph.D., and Alexey Karpenko, M.D., Ph.D., are described as professors at National Medical University. The EmCell Web site claims:

How credible are these claims? How are the cells prepared? Are steps taken to ensure that they are not infectious? How was it determined that patients have no side effects? Does the clinic follow its patients and keep score? Have enough cancer patients to determine 5-year survival rates? Have Smikodub and Karpenko published their results? Do their theories and methodology make sense?

The ALS Therapy Development Foundation has been monitoring claims that fetal stem cell infusions might be effective against amyotropic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). Its Web site states that two American physicians (Mitchell Ghen, D.O., and Dan Cosgrove, M.D.) have treated patients in a "new and untested way," but so far no conclusions could be drawn about effectiveness. Foundation documents also note that (a) some patients have experienced flu-like symptoms, (b) three patients have had dark-colored urine that may signify hemolytic anemia and/or kidney damage, and (c) it is not clear whether the stem cells are actually surviving long enough to have an effect [10,11]. In March 2003, the FDA seized records at Ghen's clinic and Cosgrove said he had stopped offering the treatment [12]. Cryobanks International, which had supplied the cells to Ghen and Cosgrove, stopped doing so after the FDA contacted them [13].

The ALS Foundation has also investigated the Cell Therapy Clinic by talking with a staff physician, sending a detailed follow-up questionnaire, and talking with several former patients. The Foundation's report states:

In August 2003, I did Medline searches to see whether Smikodub or Karpenko had published any reports about their patients in peer-reviewed medical journals. I found none that appeared relevant to the curative claims described above.

The chief American commercializer of embryonic stem cell therapy is William C. Rader, M.D., a psychiatrist in Malibu, California, who used to run Rader Institute clinics that specialized in treating eating disorders. For $25,000 (wired in advance), Rader will arrange for treatment at his Mexican clinic. In the past, he has also done business under the names Mediquest Ltd., Czech Foundation, Dulcinea Institute, Ltd., and Medra, Inc. A message posted to the Yahoo StemCells group indicates that before he opened his own clinic (in 1997 in the Bahamas), Rader escorted patients to the Ukraine clinic. Like EmCell, Rader has claimed that his fetal stem cell treatment is not antigenic and has no side effects. In a 1997 document, he stated:

Because fetal cells uniquely do not have antigenicity, they can be given to anyone with no reaction, no rejection, immunusuppressive drug therapy, or any side effects whatsoever. When a patient receives fetal fresh cell therapy (usually given intravenously over a few hours. . . ), the first action of cells is to stimulate the cells already present in the recipient's system, making them more potent. Then they actually replace the recipient's immune cells and, eventually engraft, which means they actually continually grow more fetal cells, resulting in a new and stronger immune system [15].

With respect to cancer, Rader has claimed that his treatment enables chemotherapy and radiation to continue longer and virtually eliminate their side effects [15]. Medra's "Factsheet" claimed:

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The Shady Side of Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy

The primary function of the kidney is to remove excess water and waste from the body. Acute kidney failure occurs when the kidneys are suddenly unable to remove waste and concentrate urine without the loss of electrolytes. Chronic kidney failure is the gradual loss of kidney function over time.

The causes of kidney damage can include acute tubular necrosis, a kidney disorder, autoimmune kidney diseases, extremely low blood pressure, clotting disorders of the blood vessels in the kidneys, certain infections that affect the kidney including septicemia, pregnancy complications and urinary tract obstruction.

There are many possible kidney failure symptoms: bloody stools, bruising easily, bad breath, mood changes, reduced appetite, fatigue, hand tremors, decreased sensation, flank pain, high blood pressure, nosebleeds, nausea, vomiting, metallic taste in the mouth, seizures, fluid retention, bleeding longer than usual, persistent hiccups and urination changes.

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated and can morph into the cells of countless tissues, organs and structures within our bodies. Used in many treatments, they restore damaged fibers and rejuvenate impaired cells through cell division, a process in which they multiply indefinitely. Stem cell science has seen much progress in recent years with many new discoveries being made.

Angeles Healths Stem Cell Therapy program can be applied to a variety of conditions including kidney failure. Like many other procedures treatment for kidney failure uses autologous adult stem cells. These are harnessed from the kidney failure patient themselves so there is very little chance of a patients body rejecting them.

Stem cells are taken from the patients bone marrow and adipose tissue, or fat. Adipose tissue extraction tends to be more worthwhile than bone marrow extraction, due to the tissue producing up to ten times more stem cells. It is therefore much more widely used. It is also a much easier process to carry out.

The therapeutic endovascular placement of adipose-derived stem cells that makes up the Stem Cell Therapy treatment program at Hospital Angeles enables organs and structures to be targeted directly.

The specialized non-invasive catheterization process is manageable for the patient. Stem cells can be easily distributed around the body, there is no need for an anesthetic and the procedure is over in less than an hour.

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Treatment for Kidney failure with Stem Cell Therapy | Stem ...

Poway, CA (PRWEB) February 06, 2014

Stem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease is a special interest piece produced by Nicky Sims, the owner of Kitters, who recently had Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for his Feline Kidney Disease. Nicky highlights Kitters journey through diagnosis of the disease and his recent stem cell therapy, as well as educating about stem cells and their benefits.

Nickys film explains that Kitters began showing signs of kidney failure at the age of 15, exhibiting classic symptoms. Lack of appetite, excessive thirst, nausea and lethargy. In 2012, Kitters was officially diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure. Kidney disease. He was prescribed a low protein diet and subcutaneous fluids for rehydration. This has been the standard treatment for decades although it's only been shown to slow the progression of the disease. Not reverse it.

Dr. Richter at Montclair Veterinary Hospital thinks that there is something else that can help. In recent years, his hospital has begun using stem cells to treat animals for various orthopedic conditions such as pain from arthritis and dysplasia. In October 2013, Kitters would be the first cat he'd treated with stem cell therapy for Feline Kidney Disease.

Dr. Richter explains why this could work for Kitters, Stem cells are cells within your body that are able to turn into any other cell in the body. Kitters has kidney issues. What weve done is harvested some fat from his abdomen and sent that fat to Vet-Stem in San Diego. What they do is isolate the stem cells from the fatty tissue. They concentrate them and send them back to us. In the case of an animal with kidney disease, we just give the stem cells intravenously. What that's going to do is begin the healing and rebuilding process.

Nickys film explores the importance of kidneys stating they play a vital role, ridding the body of toxins. As kidney disease progresses scar tissue develops making it harder to filter toxins. Damage to the kidneys makes the animal vulnerable to a number of other health conditions. Unfortunately the disease usually goes undiagnosed given that the symptoms of the disease often don't show until 2/3 of the kidneys are damaged.

Kitters own stem cells were used with the hope of repairing his damaged tissue Dr. Richter goes on, The nice thing about stem cells is that there is no issue of tissue rejection, since it's Kitters own stem cells. Additionally, if there is anything else going on in his body beyond the kidneys its going to address that as well. So, it's a really wonderful systemic treatment.

To find out more or view the special interest piece by Nicky Sims, Stem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease, visit this link.

About Vet-Stem, Inc.

Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services. Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease, a Video ...

Submitted By:JasonWaterman, M.D.

Published online: January 2009

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is now commonly used to treat a variety of illnesses including multiple myeloma, Hodgkins lymphoma, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma (see Stem Cell Transplant by Dr. Matt Kalaycio http://www.cancernews.com/data/Article/258.asp). The transplant process has multiple steps including preparation prior to transplant, the transplant with post-transplant hospital observation, and long-term observation. Each step in the process has its own complications, and thus requires close monitoring to quickly identify and treat any problems. This article focuses specifically on the identification and management of complications of ASCT.

Prior to autologous transplantation a thorough evaluation will take place by an oncologist including a history and physical examination, lab testing, imaging, bone marrow biopsy, and a social work consultation to determine a patients readiness for transplantation. Once a decision to pursue transplantation is made, a sufficient number of the patients stem cells are collected in order to have enough stem cells to reestablish the immune system after transplantation.

To make the collection of stem cells easier, the patient is given a medication called granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for 4-5 days prior to collection to stimulate the bone marrow to produce and release more stem cells into the blood stream. Certain chemotherapy agents may also be used in this process to ensure that the highest possible number of stem cells are collected. The stem cells can be taken from the bone marrow or from the peripheral blood.

Collection of stem cells from the bone marrow proceeds just like a bone marrow biopsy and the extracted liquid marrow then undergoes processing to isolate the stem cells needed for transplantation. The process used to collect the stem cells from the blood is called leukopheresis. Leukopheresis involves taking blood from a patients vein and passing it through a machine that will remove the stem cells needed for transplant before returning the blood back to the patient through the vein. Either process takes a few hours and may need to be repeated in order to collect enough stem cells.

Stem cell collection is most often done as an outpatient procedure and generally results in few complications, which are mostly mild and easily reversible. The most common complications of leukopheresis include a drop in blood pressure (hypotension), dizziness, numbness and tingling, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Bone marrow collection can also be complicated by soreness and bleeding at the site of collection, which rarely requires blood transfusion. Treatment for hypotension and dizziness is usually accomplished by giving the patient intravenous fluids to bolster the blood pressure during the collection. Calcium is infused if numbness and tingling occur. Nausea and vomiting are common and multiple medications are available for treatment. Fevers are common, generally mild, and most often short-lived. Fevers associated with stem cell collection frequently respond to acetaminophen, although a small number of patients may need to have their blood evaluated to make sure there is no underlying blood stream infection.

When enough stem cells have been collected and it is time for transplantation, the patient is admitted to the hospital and begins a process called conditioning, or myeloablation. The goal of conditioning is to destroy the cancer cells in the body by administering high doses of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. The most dangerous side effect of conditioning is that the patients natural immune system is destroyed in the process. This is the portion of the transplant process which is the most important in terms of outcome for the patient, because complications at this stage of transplant are potentially fatal. The next step is then the infusion of stored stem cells back into the patients blood stream to regenerate the patients natural immune system.

Short-term side effects from the actual transplantation of stem cells include fever, chills, hives, chest tightness, hypotension, and coughing. Usually these are mild, and the transplant is rarely stopped because of these symptoms. Once in the blood stream, the stem cells travel to the bone marrow where they will stay and begin to produce all the bodys different blood cells in a process called engraftment. The process of engraftment can take 2-4 weeks, and full reestablishment of the immune system may take several months. The common complications during engraftment revolve around the lack of appropriate numbers of blood cells from the conditioning process, as well as toxicities from the conditioning agents themselves.

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Complications of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, and Tissue Engineering

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Treatments classed as regenerative medicine help our natural healing processes work more rapidly and more effectively. These technologies can enable regeneration in missing or damaged tissue that would not ordinarily regrow, producing at least partial regeneration, and in some promising animal studies complete regeneration.

Strategies presently either under development, in clinical trials, or available via medical tourism include stem cell transplants, manipulation of a patient's own stem cells, and the use of implanted scaffold materials that emit biochemical signals to spur stem cells into action. In the field of tissue engineering, researchers have generated sections of tissue outside the body for transplant, using the patient's own cells to minimize the possibility of transplant rejection. Regenerative therapies have been demonstrated in the laboratory to at least partially heal broken bones, bad burns, blindness, deafness, heart damage, worn joints, nerve damage, the lost brain cells of Parkinson's disease, and a range of other conditions. Less complex organs such as the bladder and the trachea have been constructed from a patient's cells and scaffolds and successfully transplanted.

Work continues to bring these advances to patients. Many forms of treatment are offered outside the US and have been for a decade or more in some cases, while within the US just a few of the simple forms of stem cell transplant have managed to pass the gauntlet of the FDA in the past few years.

What Are Stem Cells?

Some of the most impressive demonstrations of regenerative medicine since the turn of the century have used varying forms of stem cells - embryonic, adult, and most recently induced pluripotent stem cells - to trigger healing in the patient. Most of the earlier successful clinical applications were aimed at the alleviation of life-threatening heart conditions. However, varying degrees of effectiveness have also been demonstrated for the repair of damage in other organs, such as joints, the liver, kidneys, nerves, and so forth.

Stem cells are unprogrammed cells in the human body that can continue dividing forever and can change into other types of cells. Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. They are found in embryos at very early stages of development (embyonic stem cells) and in some adult organs, such as bone marrow and brain (adult stem cells). You can find more information on stem cells at the following sites:

Embryonic and adult stem cells appear to have different effects, limitations and abilities. The current scientific consensus is that adult stem cells are limited in their utility, and that both embryonic and adult stem cell research will be required to develop cures for severe and degenerative diseases. Researchers are also making rapid progress in reprogramming stem cells and creating embryonic-like stem cells from ordinary cells.

Progress in Stem Cell Research

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Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, and Tissue Engineering

The American health-care industrys pivot to personalized medicine has attracted the interest of an unlikely group of companies government contractors.

As health-care providers explore this new model of treatment, which involves the study of the human genome to provide personalized care, they face a problem with which many in government are familiar: analyzing an overwhelming amount of data.

Were literally drowning in data, said Norman Sharpless, an oncologist and director of the University of North Carolinas Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The amount of information generated from sequencing human genes is growing at a rapid clip, and it has triggered a rush of clinical trials aimed at linking that knowledge to medical treatment. Cataloguing all this new information requires computational power and sophisticated analysis, Sharpless said.

For IT contractors, many of which are based in the Washington region, the flood of information presents a simple business opportunity: The same skills used to crunch massive amounts of data for cyberthreats or warfare intelligence can be applied to personalized medicine.

The governments growing interest in this field also is a factor.

In his State of the Union speech this year, President Obama outlined an initiative to explore the uses of precision medicine. His budget includes a request for $215million to fund research in this area. The White House also hired its first chief data scientist, DJ Patil, who has made precision medicine one of his priorities.

Many contractors, especially those in information technology, have been eager to pursue opportunities in precision medicine as they look to add lines of business to make up for cuts in other parts of the federal budget as overall spending slows.

That is why so many different kinds of businesses including defense giants Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, and cloud storage providers such as Amazon Web Services and Google are getting in on the game.

Lockheed Martin announced a partnership this year with Illumina, a San Diego company that provides relatively inexpensive genome sequencing technology, to study the DNA of populations and develop personalized health-care solutions. For Illumina, the partnership offered access to Lockheeds experience in managing large-scale information systems, Alex Dickinson, Illuminas senior vice president of strategic initiatives, said at the time.

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A lot of patients suffering from colon cancer might well present no symptoms or signs during the earliest stages of the condition. When symptoms do eventually present, they can be many and varied, and can very much depend upon the size of the affliction, how far it has spread and also its actual location. It might be that some symptoms that present are as a result of a condition other than cancer itself, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and occasionally diverticulosis. Also, such problems as abdominal pain or swelling can be symptomatic of colon problems and may well require further investigation.

You may also notice that, upon going to the lavatory, you have some blood in your stools, and this can be a symptom of cancer. Of course, having black poop doesnt ultimately mean that cancer is present. It can, however, also be indicative of other conditions and problems. For example, the kind of bright red blood that you may see on your toilet tissue could be as a result of hemorrhoids or anal fissures. It should also be remembered that various food items can also result in red poop, and these include beetroot and red liquorice. Some medications can also be culprits, and some can also turn the stools black-including iron supplements. Irrespective, any sign of blood or change in your stools should prompt you to seek advice from your GP, as it is always best to be sure that it is not a sign of a more serious condition, and with any cancer,early detection and treatment is essential to a successful recovery.

You should also note-if you are currently concerned-any change in the regularity of your stools-including whether or not they are more thin or irregular than usual-especially over a period of several weeks. Also, be mindful if you have diarrhea for several days in a row or, conversely, constipation.

You might also experience pain in your lower abdomen-including a feeling of hardness. You may also experience persistent pain or discomfort in your abdominal region, and this can include wind and cramps. You may also get the sensation that, when evacuating your bowels, that the bowel doesnt empty fully. Another symptom that you might recognize is colored stool mainly black stool, but could be green stool too. Also, if you have an iron deficiency (or anemia), it may be an indication that there is bleeding in your colon. Also, as in most cases and types of cancer, you should seek medical advice immediately if you experience any sudden and unexpected or unexplained weight loss, as this is one of the principal red flags. Also be aware of more vague, seemingly incidental symptoms, such as fatigue. IF you have a couple of symptoms and also feel fatigued for days in a row inexplicably, then this is also another warning sign and you should seek medical advice. It is important not to panic, but just to be aware of what might be going on.

Remember, cases of colon cancer account for around 90% of all cases of intestinal cancers, and also account for more deaths every year of men and women from cancer. Early treatment is an absolute must.

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Table of Contents

The physical carrier of inheritance | The structure of DNA | DNA Replication

While the period from the early 1900s to World War II has been considered the "golden age" of genetics, scientists still had not determined that DNA, and not protein, was the hereditary material. However, during this time a great many genetic discoveries were made and the link between genetics and evolution was made.

Friedrich Meischer in 1869 isolated DNA from fish sperm and the pus of open wounds. Since it came from nuclei, Meischer named this new chemical, nuclein. Subsequently the name was changed to nucleic acid and lastly to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Robert Feulgen, in 1914, discovered that fuchsin dye stained DNA. DNA was then found in the nucleusof all eukaryoticcells.

During the 1920s, biochemist P.A. Levene analyzed the components of the DNA molecule. He found it contained four nitrogenous bases: cytosine, thymine, adenine, and guanine; deoxyribose sugar; and a phosphate group. He concluded that the basic unit (nucleotide) was composed of a base attached to a sugar and that the phosphate also attached to the sugar. He (unfortunately) also erroneously concluded that the proportions of bases were equal and that there was a tetranucleotide that was the repeating structure of the molecule. The nucleotide, however, remains as the fundemantal unit (monomer) of the nucleic acid polymer. There are four nucleotides: those with cytosine (C), those with guanine (G), those with adenine (A), and those with thymine (T).

Molecular structure of three nirogenous bases. In this diagram there are three phosphates instead of the single phosphate found in the normal nucleotide. Images from Purves et al., Life: The Science of Biology, 4th Edition, by Sinauer Associates (www.sinauer.com) and WH Freeman (www.whfreeman.com), used with permission.

During the early 1900s, the study of genetics began in earnest: the link between Mendel's work and that of cell biologists resulted in the chromosomal theory of inheritance; Garrod proposed the link between genes and "inborn errors of metabolism"; and the question was formed: what is a gene? The answer came from the study of a deadly infectious disease: pneumonia. During the 1920s Frederick Griffith studied the difference between a disease-causing strain of the pneumonia causing bacteria (Streptococcus peumoniae) and a strain that did not cause pneumonia. The pneumonia-causing strain (the S strain) was surrounded by a capsule. The other strain (the R strain) did not have a capsule and also did not cause pneumonia. Frederick Griffith (1928) was able to induce a nonpathogenic strain of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae to become pathogenic. Griffith referred to a transforming factor that caused the non-pathogenic bacteria to become pathogenic. Griffith injected the different strains of bacteria into mice. The S strain killed the mice; the R strain did not. He further noted that if heat killed S strain was injected into a mouse, it did not cause pneumonia. When he combined heat-killed S with Live R and injected the mixture into a mouse (remember neither alone will kill the mouse) that the mouse developed pneumonia and died. Bacteria recovered from the mouse had a capsule and killed other mice when injected into them!

Hypotheses:

1. The dead S strain had been reanimated/resurrected.

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DNA and Molecular Genetics - Estrella Mountain Community ...

Genetics of Human Longevity: New Ideas & Findings

Natalia Gavrilova

Center on Aging, NORC at the University of Chicago

(Abstract of presentation at the International Conference on Longevity, Sydney, Australia, March 5-7, 2004)

In contrast to the remarkable progress in the genetics of yeast and nematode aging, little is known about genes that control human longevity. What is behind the records of extreme human longevity: just lucky chance, favorable environment, or 'good' genes? How to resolve the apparent controversy between strong familial clustering of human longevity, and poor resemblance in lifespan among blood relatives?

We applied methods of genetic epidemiology and survival analysis to family-linked data on human lifespan. Special efforts were undertaken to collect detailed and reliable human genealogies an important data source for genetic studies of human longevity. We found that the dependence of offspring lifespan on parental lifespan is essentially non-linear, with very weak resemblance before parental lifespan of 80 years and very steep offspring-parent dependence (high narrow-sense heritability) for longer lived parents. There is no correlation between lifespan of spouses, who share familial environment. These observations suggest that chances to survive beyond age 80 are significantly influenced by genetic factors rather than shared familial environment. These findings explain the existing longevity paradox: although the heritability estimates for lifespan are rather low, the exceptional longevity has a strong familial association.

We also tested the prediction of mutation theory of aging that accumulation of mutations in parental germ cells may affect progeny lifespan when progeny was conceived to older parents. We found that daughters conceived to older fathers live shorter lives, while sons are not affected. Maternal age effects on lifespan of adult progeny are negligible compared to effects of paternal age, which is consistent with the notion of higher rates of DNA copy-errors in paternal germ cells caused by more intensive cell divisions during spermatogenesis.

Genealogical data also are useful for testing the prediction of the disposable soma theory that human longevity comes with the cost of impaired reproductive success. We found that in contrast to previous reports by other authors, woman's exceptional longevity is not associated with infertility. Thus, the concept of heavy infertility cost for human longevity is not supported by data, when these data are carefully cross-checked, cleaned and reanalyzed. These results demonstrate the importance of high quality genealogical data for genetic studies of human longevity.

Relevant Publications:

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Early-life factors modulating lifespan. In: Rattan, S.I.S. (Ed.).Modulating Aging and Longevity. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2003, 27-50.

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Genetics of Human Longevity - Longevity Science

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In July last year I wrote about some fairly glaring flaws in a paper published in Science on the genetics of extreme longevity. At the time, potential problems with the paper had been flagged in an excellent Newsweek piece by Mary Carmichael.

Today, after a year in advance online limbo without ever progressing to the print edition of the journal, and a formal Expression of Concern last November, the paper was fully retracted. Theres solid coverage of the announcement at the Boston Globe (including quotes from my Genomes Unzipped colleague Jeff Barrett), Nature, and of course the superb Retraction Watch.

Heres the retraction notice in full:

After online publication of our Report Genetic signatures of exceptional longevity in humans (1), we discovered that technical errors in the Illumina 610 array and an inadequate quality control protocol introduced false-positive single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in our findings. An independent laboratory subsequently performed stringent quality control measures, ambiguous SNPs were then removed, and resultant genotype data were validated using an independent platform. We then reanalyzed the reduced data set using the same methodology as in the published paper. We feel the main scientific findings remain supported by the available data: (i) A model consisting of multiple specific SNPs accurately differentiates between centenarians and controls; (ii) genetic profiles cluster into specific signatures; and (iii) signatures are associated with ages of onset of specific age-related diseases and subjects with the oldest ages. However, the specific details of the new analysis change substantially from those originally published online to the point of becoming a new report. Therefore, we retract the original manuscript and will pursue alternative publication of the new findings.

In a statement quoted over at Retraction Watch, the journal makes it more clear how the retraction decision was actually reached:

Sebastiani and colleagues submitted the corrected data to Science in December 2010, where the work underwent careful peer-review. Although the authors remain confident about their findings, Science has concluded on the basis of peer-review that a paper built on the corrected data would not meet the journals standards for genome-wide association studies. One such standard, for example, is the inclusion of a reliable replication sample that shows comparable results to those in the initial experiments.

The authors have therefore agreed to retract their paper.

In other words, the authors were still willing to stand by their results, but the journal wasnt.

Questions remain about how the study managed to pass through peer review in the first place virtually every complex trait geneticist I spoke to was immediately, massively skeptical about the articles findings from the moment of publication but it appears that Science has conducted a thorough investigation of the authors amended manuscript and made an appropriate decision. It will be intriguing to see if, when and in what form the studys authors manage to republish their results.

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Longevity genetics study retracted from Science | WIRED

Stem Cells

A stem cell is essentially a blank cell, capable of becoming another more differentiated cell type in the body, such as a skin cell, a muscle cell, or a nerve cell. Microscopic in size, stem cells are big news in medical and science circles because they can be used to replace or even heal damaged tissues and cells in the body. They can serve as a built-in repair system for the human body, replenishing other cells as long as a person is still alive.

Adult stem cells are a natural solution. They naturally exist in our bodies, and they provide a natural repair mechanism for many tissues of our bodies. They belong in the microenvironment of an adult body, while embryonic stem cells belong in the microenvironment of the early embryo, not in an adult body, where they tend to cause tumors and immune system reactions.

Most importantly, adult stem cells have already been successfully used in human therapies for many years. As of this moment, no therapies in humans have ever been successfully carried out using embryonic stem cells. New therapies using adult type stem cells, on the other hand, are being developed all the time.

Source: 2010 Stemcellresearchfacts.org

Cloning-to-produce-children Production of a cloned human embryo, formed for the (proximate) purpose of initiating a pregnancy, with the (ultimate) goal of producing a child who will be genetically virtually identical to a currently existing or previously existing individual.

Cloning-for-biomedical-research - Production of a cloned human embryo, formed for the (proximate) purpose of using it in research or for extracting its stem cells, with the (ultimate) goals of gaining scientific knowledge of normal and abnormal development and of developing cures for human diseases.

Human cloning The asexual reproduction of a new human organism that is, at all stages of development, genetically virtually identical to a currently existing, or previously existing, human being. (CR)

Cloned embryo: An embryo arising from the somatic cell nuclear transfer process as contrasted with an embryo arising from the union of an egg and sperm. (CR)

Source: White Paper: Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells The Presidents Council on Bioethics Washington, D.C., May 2005

Read more:
Stem Cells and Cloning | New Jersey Right to Life ...

Stem cell laws are the law rules, and policy governance concerning the sources, research, and uses in treatment of stem cells in humans. These laws have been the source of much controversy and vary significantly by country.[1] In the European Union, stem cell research using the human embryo is permitted in Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands; however, it is illegal in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal. The issue has similarly divided the United States, with several states enforcing a complete ban and others giving financial support.[2] Elsewhere, Japan, India, Iran, Israel, South Korea, China, and Australia are supportive. However, New Zealand, most of Africa (except South Africa), and most of South America (except Brazil) are restrictive.

The information presented here covers the legal implications of embryonic stem cells (ES), rather than induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The laws surrounding the two differ because while both have similar capacities in differentiation, their modes of derivation are not. While embryonic stem cells are taken from embryoblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells are undifferentiated from somatic adult cells.[3]

Stem cell are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. A common example of a stem cell is the Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) which are multipotent stem cells that give rise to cells of the blood lineage. In contrast to multipotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and are thought to be able to give rise to all cells of the body. Embryonic stem cells were isolated in mice in 1981, and in humans in 1998.[4]

Stem cell treatments are a type of cell therapy that introduce new cells into adult bodies for possible treatment of cancer, Somatic cell nuclear transfer, diabetes, and other medical conditions. Cloning also might be done with stem cells. Stem cells have been used to repair tissue damaged by disease.[5]

Because Embryonic Stem (ES) cells are cultured from the embryoblast 45 days after fertilization, harvesting them is most often done from donated embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. In January 2007, researchers at Wake Forest University reported that "stem cells drawn from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much of the same promise as embryonic stem cells."[4]

In 2000, the NIH, under the administration of President Bill Clinton, issued guidelines that allow federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.[4]

The European Union has yet to issue consistent regulations with respect to stem cell research in member states. Whereas Germany, Austria, Italy, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands prohibit or severely restrict the use of embryonic stem cells, Sweden and the United Kingdom have created the legal basis to support this research.[6]Belgium bans reproductive cloning but allows therapeutic cloning of embryos.[1]France prohibits reproductive cloning and embryo creation for research purposes, but enacted laws (with a sunset provision expiring in 2009) to allow scientists to conduct stem cell research on imported a large amount of embryos from in vitro fertilization treatments.[1]Germany has restrictive policies for stem cell research, but a 2008 law authorizes "the use of imported stem cell lines produced before May 1, 2007."[1]Italy has a 2004 law that forbids all sperm or egg donations and the freezing of embryos, but allows, in effect, using existing stem cell lines that have been imported.[1]Sweden forbids reproductive cloning, but allows therapeutic cloning and authorized a stem cell bank.[1][6]

In 2001, the British Parliament amended the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (since amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008) to permit the destruction of embryos for hESC harvests but only if the research satisfies one of the following requirements:

The United Kingdom is one of the leaders in stem cell research, in the opinion of Lord Sainsbury, Science and Innovation Minister for the UK.[7] A new 10 million stem cell research centre has been announced at the University of Cambridge.[8]

The primary legislation in South Africa that deals with embryo research is the Human Tissue Act, which is set to be replaced by Chapter 8 of the National Health Act. The NHA Chapter 8 has been enacted by parliament, but not yet signed into force by the president. The process of finalising these regulations is still underway. The NHA Chapter 8 allows the Minister of Health to give permission for research on embryos not older than 14 days. The legislation on embryo research is complemented by the South African Medical Research Council's Ethics Guidelines. These Guidelines advise against the creation of embryos for the sole purpose of research. In the case of Christian Lawyers Association of South Africa & others v Minister of Health & others[9] the court ruled that the Bill of Rights is not applicable to the unborn. It has therefore been argued based on constitutional grounds (the right to human dignity, and the right to freedom of scientific research) that the above limitations on embryo research are overly inhibitive of the autonomy of scientists, and hence unconstitutional.[10]

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Stem cell laws - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andrew Weil, M.D., is the world's leading proponent of alternative medicine, right?

Wrong.

Although this is how the popular media often portrays him, Dr. Weil is actually the world's leading proponent of integrative medicine, a philosophy that is considerably different from a blanket endorsement of alternative medicine. To fully understand Dr. Weil's advice - presented in his Web sites, bestselling books and lectures, and reflected in the daily practice of thousands of physicians worldwide - it's important to grasp what integrative medicine is, and is not.

The first step is mastering some basic terms.

Using synthetic drugs and surgery to treat health conditions was known just a few decades ago as, simply, "medicine." Today, this system is increasingly being termed "conventional medicine." This is the kind of medicine most Americans still encounter in hospitals and clinics. Often both expensive and invasive, it is also very good at some things; for example, handling emergency conditions such as massive injury or a life-threatening stroke. Dr. Weil is unstinting in his appreciation for conventional medicine's strengths. "If I were hit by a bus," he says, "I'd want to be taken immediately to a high-tech emergency room." Some conventional medicine is scientifically validated, some is not.

Any therapy that is typically excluded by conventional medicine, and that patients use instead of conventional medicine, is known as "alternative medicine." It's a catch-all term that includes hundreds of old and new practices ranging from acupuncture to homeopathy to iridology. Generally alternative therapies are closer to nature, cheaper and less invasive than conventional therapies, although there are exceptions. Some alternative therapies are scientifically validated, some are not. An alternative medicine practice that is used in conjunction with a conventional one is known as a "complementary" medicine. Example: using ginger syrup to prevent nausea during chemotherapy. Together, complementary and alternative medicines are often referred to by the acronym CAM.

Enter integrative medicine. As defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, integrative medicine "combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness."

In other words, integrative medicine "cherry picks" the very best, scientifically validated therapies from both conventional and CAM systems. In his New York Times review of Dr. Weil's latest book, "Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being," Abraham Verghese, M.D., summed up this orientation well, stating that Dr. Weil, "doesn't seem wedded to a particular dogma, Western or Eastern, only to the get-the-patient-better philosophy."

So this is a basic definition of integrative medicine. What follows is the complete one, which serves to guide both Dr. Weil's work and that of integrative medicine physicians and teachers around the world:

See more here:
What is Integrative Medicine? - Andrew Weil, M.D.

Without it, we would all be forced to live in sterile environments, never touching each other, never feeling a spring breeze, never tasting rain. The immune system is that complex operation within our bodies that keeps us healthy and disease-free.

Few systems in nature are as complicated as the human immune system. It exists apart from, and works in concert with, every other system in the body. When it works, people stay healthy. When it malfunctions, terrible things happen.

The main component of the system is the lymphatic system. Small organs called lymph nodes help carry lymph fluid throughout the body. These nodes are located most prominently in the throat, armpit and groin. Lymph fluid contains lymphocytes and other white blood cells and circulates throughout the body.

The white blood cells are the main fighting soldiers in the body's immune system. They destroy foreign or diseased cells in an effort to clear them from the body. This is why a raised white blood cell count is often an indication of infection. The worse the infection, the more white blood cells the body sends out to fight it.

White and red blood cells are produced in the spongy tissue called bone marrow. This substance, rich in nutrients, is crucial for properly functioning immunity. Leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow, causes greatly increased production of abnormal white blood cells and allows immature red blood cells to be released into the body. Other features, such as the lowly nose hair and mucus lining in the lungs, help trap bacteria before it gets into the bloodstream to cause an infection.

B cells and T cells are the main kinds of lymphocytes that attack foreign cells. B cells produce antibodies tailored to different cells at the command of the T cells, the regulators of the body's immune response. T cells also destroy diseased cells.

Many diseases that plague mankind are a result of insufficient immunity or inappropriate immune response. A cold, for instance, is caused by a virus. The body doesn't recognize some viruses as being harmful, so the T cell response is, "Pass, friend," and the sneezing begins.

Allergies are examples of inappropriate immune response. The body is hyper-vigilant, seeing that evil pollen as a dangerous invader instead of a harmless yellow powder. Other diseases, such as diabetes and AIDS, suppress the immune system, reducing the body's ability to fight infection.

Vaccines are vital in helping the body fend off certain diseases. The body is injected with a weakened or dead form of the virus or bacteria and produces the appropriate antibodies, giving complete protection against the full-strength form of the disease. This is the reason such disorders as diphtheria, mumps, tetanus and pertussis are so rarely seen today. Children have been vaccinated against them, and the immune system is on the alert. Vaccines have also been instrumental in eradicating plagues such as smallpox and polio.

Antibiotics help the body fight disease as well, but doctors are more cautious about prescribing the broad-spectrum variety, since certain bacteria are starting to show resistance to them. The next time you hug a loved one or smell a rose, thank your immune system.

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What Is the Immune System? (with pictures)

genetics,study of heredity in general and of genes in particular. Genetics forms one of the central pillars of biology and overlaps with many other areas such as agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology.

Since the dawn of civilization, humankind has recognized the influence of heredity and has applied its principles to the improvement of cultivated crops and domestic animals. A Babylonian tablet more than 6,000 years old, for example, shows pedigrees of horses and indicates possible inherited characteristics. Other old carvings show cross-pollination of date palm trees. Most of the mechanisms of heredity, however, remained a mystery until the 19th century, when genetics as a systematic science began.

Genetics arose out of the identification of genes, the fundamental units responsible for heredity. Genetics may be defined as the study of genes at all levels, including the ways in which they act in the cell and the ways in which they are transmitted from parents to offspring. Modern genetics focuses on the chemical substance that genes are made of, called deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, and the ways in which it affects the chemical reactions that constitute the living processes within the cell. Gene action depends on interaction with the environment. Green plants, for example, have genes containing the information necessary to synthesize the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll that gives them their green colour. Chlorophyll is synthesized in an environment containing light because the gene for chlorophyll is expressed only when it interacts with light. If a plant is placed in a dark environment, chlorophyll synthesis stops because the gene is no longer expressed.

Genetics as a scientific discipline stemmed from the work of Gregor Mendel in the middle of the 19th century. Mendel suspected that traits were inherited as discrete units, and, although he knew nothing of the physical or chemical nature of genes at the time, his units became the basis for the development of the present understanding of heredity. All present research in genetics can be traced back to Mendels discovery of the laws governing the inheritance of traits. The word genetics was introduced in 1905 by English biologist William Bateson, who was one of the discoverers of Mendels work and who became a champion of Mendels principles of inheritance.

Although scientific evidence for patterns of genetic inheritance did not appear until Mendels work, history shows that humankind must have been interested in heredity long before the dawn of civilization. Curiosity must first have been based on human family resemblances, such as similarity in body structure, voice, gait, and gestures. Such notions were instrumental in the establishment of family and royal dynasties. Early nomadic tribes were interested in the qualities of the animals that they herded and domesticated and, undoubtedly, bred selectively. The first human settlements that practiced farming appear to have selected crop plants with favourable qualities. Ancient tomb paintings show racehorse breeding pedigrees containing clear depictions of the inheritance of several distinct physical traits in the horses. Despite this interest, the first recorded speculations on heredity did not exist until the time of the ancient Greeks; some aspects of their ideas are still considered relevant today.

Hippocrates (c. 460c. 375 bce), known as the father of medicine, believed in the inheritance of acquired characteristics, and, to account for this, he devised the hypothesis known as pangenesis. He postulated that all organs of the body of a parent gave off invisible seeds, which were like miniaturized building components and were transmitted during sexual intercourse, reassembling themselves in the mothers womb to form a baby.

Aristotle (384322 bce) emphasized the importance of blood in heredity. He thought that the blood supplied generative material for building all parts of the adult body, and he reasoned that blood was the basis for passing on this generative power to the next generation. In fact, he believed that the males semen was purified blood and that a womans menstrual blood was her equivalent of semen. These male and female contributions united in the womb to produce a baby. The blood contained some type of hereditary essences, but he believed that the baby would develop under the influence of these essences, rather than being built from the essences themselves.

Aristotles ideas about the role of blood in procreation were probably the origin of the still prevalent notion that somehow the blood is involved in heredity. Today people still speak of certain traits as being in the blood and of blood lines and blood ties. The Greek model of inheritance, in which a teeming multitude of substances was invoked, differed from that of the Mendelian model. Mendels idea was that distinct differences between individuals are determined by differences in single yet powerful hereditary factors. These single hereditary factors were identified as genes. Copies of genes are transmitted through sperm and egg and guide the development of the offspring. Genes are also responsible for reproducing the distinct features of both parents that are visible in their children.

In the two millennia between the lives of Aristotle and Mendel, few new ideas were recorded on the nature of heredity. In the 17th and 18th centuries the idea of preformation was introduced. Scientists using the newly developed microscopes imagined that they could see miniature replicas of human beings inside sperm heads. French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck invoked the idea of the inheritance of acquired characters, not as an explanation for heredity but as a model for evolution. He lived at a time when the fixity of species was taken for granted, yet he maintained that this fixity was only found in a constant environment. He enunciated the law of use and disuse, which states that when certain organs become specially developed as a result of some environmental need, then that state of development is hereditary and can be passed on to progeny. He believed that in this way, over many generations, giraffes could arise from deerlike animals that had to keep stretching their necks to reach high leaves on trees.

British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace originally postulated the theory of evolution by natural selection. However, Charles Darwins observations during his circumnavigation of the globe aboard the HMS Beagle (183136) provided evidence for natural selection and his suggestion that humans and animals shared a common ancestry. Many scientists at the time believed in a hereditary mechanism that was a version of the ancient Greek idea of pangenesis, and Darwins ideas did not appear to fit with the theory of heredity that sprang from the experiments of Mendel.

Read more:
genetics | Britannica.com

Genetic engineering is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including thetransfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. The techniques involve sophisticated manipulations of genetic material and other biologically important chemicals.

Genes are the chemical blueprints that determine an organism's traits. Moving genes from one organism to another transfers those traits. Through genetic engineering, organisms can be given targeted combinations of new genesand therefore new combinations of traitsthat do not occur in nature and, indeed, cannot be developed by natural means. Such an approach is different from classical plant and animal breeding, which operates through selection across many generations for traits of interest. Classical breeding operates on traits, only indirectly selecting genes, whereas biotechnology targets genes, attempting to influence traits. The potential of biotechnology is to rapidly accelerate the rate of progress and efficiency of breeding.

Novel organisms

Nature can produce organisms with new gene combinations through sexual reproduction. A brown cow bred to a yellow cow may produce a calf of a completely new color. But reproductive mechanisms limit the number of new combinations. Cows must breed with other cows (or very near relatives). A breeder who wants a purple cow would be able to breed toward one only if the necessary purple genes were available somewhere in a cow or a near relative to cows. A genetic engineer has no such restriction. If purple genes are available anywhere in naturein a sea urchin or an iristhose genes could be used in attempts to produce purple cows. This unprecedented ability to shuffle genes means that genetic engineers can concoct gene combinations that would never be found in nature.

New risks

Genetic engineering is therefore qualitatively different from existing breeding technologies. It is a set of technologies for altering the traits of living organisms by inserting genetic material that has been manipulated to extract it from its source and successfully insert it in functioning order in target organisms. Because of this, genetic engineering may one day lead to the routine addition of novel genes that have been wholly synthesized in the laboratory.

In addition to desired benefits, novel organisms may bring novel risks as well. These risks must be carefully assessed to make sure that all effectsboth desired and unintendedare benign. UCS advocates caution, examination of alternatives, and careful, contextual, case-by-case evaluation of genetic enginering applications within an overall framework that moves agricultural systems of food production toward sustainability.

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What Is Genetic Engineering? | Union of Concerned Scientists

Fat Stem Cell Therapy: The Impacts of Aging, Disease, and Weight on Cells

Fat stem cell therapy continues to explode, with literally 20 new clinics popping up every week. I blogged awhile back that fat stem cells taken from overweight patients are not as potent as fat taken from thinner patients. Three new studies published this past few months add to that discussion. The focus of the recent investigations are how disease, aging, and weight impacts fat stem cells.

The first study looked at fat stem cells from patients with cardiovascular disease. First the good news, when fat stem cells from older patients with heart disease were compared to those from older patients without heart disease, there wasnt a difference in the ability of the fat stem cells to make new blood vessels. Now the bad news, fat stem cells from older patients in both categories were less able to make new blood vessels when compared to fat stem cells from younger patients.

The second study also looked at fat stem cells and aging. The money shot graph from that paper is above. Regrettably this study wasnt very sophisticated and made little effort to look at stem cell quality like the first. They also only looked at the nucleated cell count in the fat, which is a very rough metric of the stem cells in the fat (only a very small portion of the nucleated cells are stem cells). For more information on what these numbers mean, see my Doctor-Patient Guide to what stem cell numbers mean. What did they find? This rough metric of a fat stem cell count declined substantially after age 40. After that age, it dropped to a bit more than half of the value that they found in women under 40.

Finally, a third interesting study looked at the lifespan of fat stem cells from normal weight, obese, and post bariatric surgery patients. Interestingly, the stem cells from obese patients had a shorter lifespan and were less healthy than either the stem cells from the normal weight or post weight loss surgery patients. Basically, being overweight hurt the DNA of the fat stem cells.

The upshot? Fat stem cells are impacted by aging and being overweight. Being older and heavy is likely a double whammy for your cells. While some of these issues can be dealt with via dosing (administer more fat stem cells), the third study showed that cellular DNA damage was accumulating in the fat stem cells of patients who were overweight. Therefore solving the issue in some patients may not be as easy as just increasing the dose.

If you liked this post, you may really enjoy this book by the same author - Dr. Chris Centeno

Written by Regenexx Founder, Dr. Chris Centeno, this 150 page book explains the Regenexx approach to patients and orthopedic conditions. Whether youre are an existing patient or simply interested in the human body and how everything in the body ties together, you will enjoy exploring this book in-depth. With hyperlinks to more detailed information, related studies and commentary, this book condenses a huge amount of data and resources into an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Chris Centeno, M.D. is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics.

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Fat Stem Cell Therapy: The Impacts of Aging, Disease, and ...