Researchers at University of California San Diego have created a Teflon-coated pouch to encase harvested insulin-producing cells, known as islet cells, for possible transplant into patients with diabetes.
Teflon is widely used in surgical implants due to its compatibility with human tissue. The pouch, made of a fine membrane, allows insulin to escape, but does not permit the attack of immune system cells. As a result, the transplanted cells are able to continue producing insulin, potentially eliminating the need for diabetic patients to inject insulin.
Laboratory tests were conducted in mice and indicate progress in the risk of transplant rejection. In it’s early stages, the technology will require further development to provide a real and lasting treatment for diabetes.
Surgeons at Spire Hospital in Southampton England have pioneered a new surgical technique in which stem cells are used to repair damaged bones. Using purified stem cells from bone marrow of the patient and donated bone, affected bone in the hip joint was rejeuvenated.
Because bone is living tissue, the stem cells help generate new tissue by driving new blood vessel formation. The procedure prevents bone collapse and avoids the need for arificial hip joint surgery. Thus far, six patients have had the innonvative treatment, with only one case failing.
Professor Richard Oreffo of Southampton University hopes to improve the technique by using an artificial chemical material in lieu of donated bone to help the stem cells grow.
A report in “The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal” describes a new gene therapy vector which can transfer DNA to a cell’s nucleus far more efficiently than in the past. The development raises hopes for more effective treatment of genetic disorders and some types of cancers.
Gene therapy vectors deliver therapeutic DNA to a cell’s nucleus, where it reprograms a cell to function properly. “Effective gene therapy is clearly the best way to treat heritable diseases. It’s also an approach to other diseases where the environment or infection messes up our genes,” states Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of “The FASEB Journal”.
The research conducted at the Nuclear Signaling Laboratory at Monash University in Victoria, Australia used proteins that mimic key functions of viruses for the packaging and transport of therapeutic DNA. “This work opens up a new era of pharmaceutical development,” according to Weissmann.
Teams of doctors at Harvard Medical School, Cambridge University in England and elsewhere are studying the effect of Ateronon, a compound which provides the antioxidant properties of a Mediterranean diet. It is believed that Ateronon will provide a supplement formula free from side-effects.
Lycopene, the key ingredient in Ateronon, is a well-know antioxidant derived from tomatoes. Antioxidants block the breakdown of fats in the blood which leads to fat deposits on artery walls. By combining lycopene with a lactose-based milk protein, Ateronon has lycopene molecules small enough to be easily absorbed by humans.
A bio-technology spin-off company of Cambridge University, CTL, states that treatment with Ateronon can not only halt, but also reverse the build up of arterial fat in as little as eight weeks. “We are confident that Ateronon will show quite dramatic benefits in patients with heart and circulatory disorders…,” says Dr. Gunter Schmidt, the chief executive of CTL.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kindney failure. New research shows that it is also linked to memory problems and cognitive impairment. A study in the journal “Neurology” is the largest of its kind to look at the connection between memory problems and high blood pressure.
People with high diastolic blood pressure are more likely than those with normal readings to have memory issues. For every 10 point increase in the diastolic reading, there was a 7 percent increase in the odds of a person having congnitive problems. The results remained unchanged with adjustment for other factors in cognitive function such as smoking, exercise, education, cholesterol levels and diabetes.
Dr. Walter Koroshetz of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders which funded the study states, “These latest data suggest that higher blood pressure may be a risk factor for cognitive decline, but further studies will be necessary to understand the cause-effect relationship.”
The drug methotrexate, first used in the 1940′s, has been found to destroy the damaged MSH2 gene prevelant in people with the genetic condition HNPCC. HNPCC contributes to bowel cancer, tumors of the stomach, womb, ovaries and kidneys.
MSH2 usually plays an essential role in repairing DNA damage. When the gene is damaged, mistakes in the genetic code of cells increase the risk of cancer. Methotrexate selectively destroys cells lacking the MSH2 function, providing a targeted therapy for patients with bowel cancer caused by MSH2 mutation.
The research, funded by Cancer Research UK, is welcomed by independent experts. Professor Will Steward of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer says, “This is good news from one of our oldest chemotherapy drugs. It won’t be for everyone, but it does hold out hope of a tailored treatment for those affected – a form of personalized chemotherapy.”
Highlights from a presentation given by Robert Goldman, MD, PhD, FAASP, DO, FAOASM at the 2007 Anti-Aging London Conference entitled, New Science of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine
Dr. Robert M. Goldman has spearheaded the development of numerous international medical organizations and corporations. Robert Goldman. M.D., Ph.D., D.O., FAASP has served as a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University, and as an Affiliate at the Philosophy of Education Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University. Dr. Goldman is a Clinical Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea Medical University. He also serves as Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Central America Health Sciences (Belize). In addition, Goldman presently holds the position of Visiting Professor at Udayana Medical University (Indonesia). Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine.
Dr. Goldman received his Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.) from Brooklyn College in New York, then conducted three years of independent research in steroid biochemistry and attended the State University of New York. He received the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) Degree from the Central America Health Sciences University, School of Medicine in Belize, a government-sanctioned, Ministry of Health-approved, and World Health Organization-listed medical university. He received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery (D.O.) degree from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at MidWestern University. His Ph.D. work was in the field of androgenic anabolic steroid biochemistry.
He co-founded and serves as Chairman of the Board of Life Science Holdings, a biomedical research company with over 150 medical patents under development in the areas of brain resuscitation, trauma and emergency medicine, organ transplant and blood preservation technologies. He has overseen cooperative research agreement development programs in conjunction with such prominent institutions as the American National Red Cross, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, and the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health. Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the ‘Gold Medal for Science (1993), the Grand Prize for Medicine (1994), the Humanitarian Award (1995), and the Business Development Award (1996).
During the late l990s, Dr. Goldman received honors from Minister of Sports and government Health officials of numerous nations. In 2001, Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Dr. Goldman the International Olympic Committee Tribute Diploma for contributions to the development of sport & Olympism. In addition, Dr. Goldman is a black belt in karate, Chinese weapons expert, and world champion athlete with over 20 world strength records, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of his past performance records include 13,500 consecutive situps and 321 consecutive handstand pushups.
Dr. Goldman was an All-College athlete in four sports, a three time winner of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Physical Fitness Award, was voted Athlete of the Year, was the recipient of the Champions Award, and was inducted into the World Hall of Fame of Physical Fitness. In 1995, Dr. Goldman was awarded the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goldman is Chairman of the International Medical Commission overseeing sports medicine committees in over 176 nations. He has served as a Special Advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. He is founder and international President Emeritis of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Goldman visits an average of 20 countries annually to promote brain research and sports medicine programs.
A study from The John Hopkins University School of Medicine links a diarrhea-causing bacteria to a type of colon cancer. In a study conducted on mice, the bacteria Bacteroides fragilis was identified as possibly setting the stage for malignancy in the colon.
The bacteria may trick immune cells into allowing colon tissue to be continuously inflamed, setting the stage for cancer. Leader of the study, Dr. Cynthia Sears, states “This could be the H. pylori of colon cancer.” H. pylori is a bacteria proven to cause stomach ulcers and perhaps the majority of stomach cancers.
Bacteria widely known to cause diarrhea have been linked to 40 percent of colon cancers in a Turkish study. Some peple experience no symptoms and others develop diarrhea and colon inflammation.
Many people without any diagnosed risk for heart problems take low-dose aspirin in the hope that it will help prevent heart attacks and strokes. A trial lead by the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis has found there is no preventive aspect in such routine use for healthy individuals.
“The findings of this study agree with our current advice that people who do not have symptomatic or diagnosed artery or heart disease should not take aspirin, because the risks of bleeding may outwiegh the benefits,” states Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation which part-funded the latest research.
There is strong existing evidence which supports the use of low-dose aspirin to help prevent vascular problems in appropriate patients – those identified by their doctors to be at special risk due to factors such as familial history, stress and lifestyle.
Melanoma tumors with particular genetic mutations might respond to the drug lapatinib, already licensed for treating breast cancer tumors. Such a therapy would treat malignant melanoma in advanced stages with the common mutation called ERBB4 or HER4.
The study, conducted by the US National Human Genome Research Institute opens the door to pursuing specific therapies that may prove useful for the treatment of melanoma with ERBB4 mutations. It also highlights a new approach to cancer research and treatment in which cancers are categorized according to the pattern of genetic mutations present.
Drugs that can target precise mutations could then be selected to personalize treatment to a tumor’s genetic characteristics. Tumors occuring in different parts of the body might sometimes be amenable to similar treatment strategies if they share similar genetic mutations, such as the breast and the skin.
