STEM CELL DONATION

If you are passionate about stem cells and would like to make a real difference and change someone's life join the ANTHONY NOLAN register for stem cell donation!

http://www.anthonynolan.org/

If you are not eligible you can still help in many ways like fundraising or simply putting up some of their posters around your area.

Stem cells - New hope for facial injuries

http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/diseases/stem-cell-therapy-could-offer-new-hope-for-oral-and-facial-injuries_18132.html

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated the blog for a while...I've been up to my neck in exams. In my next post I will go over some of the most recent developments of these past weeks.

:)

GAP YEAR 2012!

As many of you already know I have received 4 rejections for medicine which means I have two options now:
1. Study a "medical related degree" like biochem or biomed
2. Go on a gap year, re-apply and persue my dream to be a doctor!

I was surprised to hear from my rejection feedback that my interview was a success: The letter says that I scored the highest score possible in all three areas assessed at interview :) My UKCAT was what ultimately let me down (avg.640)....also my personal statement wasn't as strong as it could've been mainly due to lack of work experience.

Although I am extremely disappointed, I'm going to try to make the most of this gap year and do everything I possibly can to secure my place next year (hopefully at St Andrews!!)

Any suggestions are welcomed :)

Stem cell therapy against HIV in mice

Sorry I haven't posted in while.... I've had quite an intense week of exams! I recently finished an immunology module in biology, so this article particulary caught my attention:

Stem cell therapy effective against HIV (in mice)!

The way it works is by replacing the mouse's immune system with stem cells engineered with a triple combination of HIV-resistant genes.

The scientists running the trial, were able to block HIV infection, maintain a normal immune system in the mice, even though the virus was still there. The resistant immune cells were able to maintain a normal immune cell level and maintain a functional immune system.

If in the future these trials in humans proved successful, it could allow patients to stop taking antiretroviral drugs as the genetically resistant stem cells wiould be able to fight off the virus in the body.

A step too far?

“The first human egg cells that have been grown entirely in the laboratory from stem cells could be fertilised later this year in a development that will revolutionise fertility treatment.” - Reading this first line in an article in The Independent today has made me feel a mixture of emotions.

Great it could lead to a reversal of the menopause in older women allowing them not to suffer the age-related health problems associated with the menopause such as osteoporosis and heart disease, and of course this “breakthrough” could help infertile women to have babies as well as making women as fertile in later life as men. BUT….. If scientists were to go through with this they obviously haven't thought of the potential IMPLICATIONS. Imagine an 80 year old woman giving birth.

Scientists are near to being granted a license from the UK fertility watchdog to fertilise the eggs as part of a series of tests to generate an unlimited supply of human eggs. The scientists want to fertilise the laboratory-grown egg cells with human sperm to prove that they are viable. Any resulting embryos will be studied for up to 14 days - the legal limit - to see if they are normal. These embryos will either be frozen or allowed to perish as they are considered “experimental” material and therefore legally cannot be transplanted into a woman's womb.

Who defines the limits of modern science and where are those limits? How far is too far?

Please comment and share your views!!

A step forward in treating coronary artery disease

Chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD) otherwise known as coronary artery disease is one of the major causes of death worldwide, most common with the passing of years. It usually occurs due to a partial blockage of blood flow to the heart. At times, the heart fails to get essential blood to work normally, in this situation it has no other way except to work harder which leads it to become starved for oxygen. The complete blockage of blood flow to the heart is what can cause a myocardial infarction.

The pharmaceutical giant, Baxter, is developing a treatment which uses patients' own stem cells to repair damage to the heart. Were this phase III trial to be successful it would represent the last step in the clinical development process before submission by the regulatory authorities and, hopefully, approval and commercialisation. Unlike some of the other recent stem cell trials to repair heart this procedure uses stem cells from a patient's bone marrow that are normally involved in the creation of new blood vessels.

In the procedure these CD34+ cells are stimulated to grow and multiply, before being induced to enter the bloodstream. The cells are then collected, processed and injected into targeted areas of the heart.

Around 450 patients will be enrolled in the trial and split into three treatment groups:

·         one group who will receive the therapy,

·         one group who will receive placebo

·         third group who will receive standard medical care

Ability to exercise one year after therapy will be a key indicator of the treatment's effectiveness. Doctors will also collect safety data for two years following the start of the therapy. The current trial follows on from a phase II study, where the CD34+ stem cell treatment improved exercise capacity and reduced chest pain.

http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_131543.asp