Such treatments could overcome problems with current cell replacement therapies for diabetes, which are hindered by limited availability of donor tissue and the need for immune suppression.
Instead, test tube tests on embryonic stem cells are more effective at detecting toxicity than animal tests, says the study's principal author, Jarrod Bailey of the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
"It is time to admit that animal-based testing is an abject failure," he says. "An estimated 50,000 to 70,000 new chemicals and up to 400 new drugs are introduced to the market every year. Every year we delay, every year we continue to rely on animal testing, brings us that much closer to another tragedy like thalidomide."
A 60-year-old man went to a doctor for a check-up. The doctor told him, "You're in terrific shape. There's nothing wrong with you. Why, you might live forever; you have the body of a 35-year-old. By the way, how old was your father when he died?"
The 60-year-old responded, "Did I say he was dead?"
The doctor was surprised and asked, "How old is he and is he very active?"
The 60-year-old responded, "Well, he is 82 years old and he still goes skiing three times a season and surfing three times a week during the summer."
The doctor couldn't believe it. So, he asked, "Well, how old was your grandfather when he died?"
The 60-year-old responded again, "Did I say he was dead?"
The doctor was astonished. He said, "You mean to tell me you are 60 years old and both your father and your grandfather are alive? Is your grandfather very active?"
The 60-year-old said, "He goes skiing at least once a season and surfing once a week during the summer. Not only that," said the patient, "my grandfather is 106 years old, and next week he is getting married again."
The doctor said, "At 106-years, why on earth would your grandfather want to get married?"
His patient looked up at the doctor and said, "Did I say he wanted to?"
Conservation Promote wildlife and habitat conservation through partnerships with the scientific and academic communities, and organizations committed to preserving the earth's biodiversity. Integrate natural resource conservation in all Disney's planning, development and operations activities. Effectively plan and manage conservation lands for the preservation of native plant and animal species.
There's a good reason why she called me that, but that's strictly between us. :p
In her words, "she is very brave, and controls the underworld. Pickpocket n stuff, n smuggling is her turf and she protects it well. She fights man!" LOL :D I don't do the pickpocketing or smuggling though.
To free his family from charges of treason, Rafe Fletcher infiltrates the Southwark underworld of Elizabethan England. There he meets the Queen of the Clink, beautiful and dangerous Vivian Swift, a woman full of contradictions, a woman he cannot help but love. Loaded with intrigue, HEART OF DECEPTION is intelligent, dark, and sexy.
(Source: Circulation, journal of the American Heart Association)
Abstract:
Background— Insulin resistance predisposes to cardiovascular disease and shortens human lifespan. We therefore tested the hypothesis that a rise in insulin resistance in concert with gain in body mass is associated with accelerated white blood cell telomere attrition.
Methods and Results— We measured white blood cell telomere dynamics and age-related changes in insulin resistance and body mass index in young adults of the Bogalusa Heart Study. Over 10.1 to 12.8 years, the relative changes in telomere length were correlated with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r=–0.531, P<0.001) and changes in the body mass index (r=–0.423, P<0.001).
Conclusions— These findings provide the first tangible nexus of telomere biology with insulin resistance and adiposity in humans.
The authors speculate that “oxidative stress, by enhancing telomere erosion per replication, and inflammation, through increasing WBC [white blood cell] turnover, are responsible for the increase in telomere erosion with a rise in insulin resistance in the present study cohort.” They conclude that “Insulin resistance and obesity accelerate aging because they are states of increased oxidative stress and inflammation, which bring about a shorter lifespan. In biological terms, an accelerated WBC telomere attrition rate in insulin resistance and obese states is an affirmation of this concept.”
S. Korea Takes Admirable Lead in Stem Cell Science
Hope for my Dad and others who suffer similar maladies that can be cured by stem cell science. Asia will most likely take the lead in stem cell research, with S. Korea and China charging forward.
Woo-Suk Hwang, the head of a team of South Korean scientists who cloned the first human embryo to use for research said in an interview with Reuters that stem cell science will advance because of its enormous potential, and will not be halted by political interests.
"The scientific effort to resolve the pain of patients with incurable conditions is very honourable, and I believe no mere individual politician or party can stop the historic trend," Hwang said at his laboratory at Seoul National University.
"Solving these problems is a common responsibility of humanity," he said.
Earlier this month, Hwang's team made news around the world for its research that fulfilled one of the basic promises of cloning technology in stem cell research -- that a piece of skin could be taken from a patient to grow stem cells with that patient's specific genetic material.
Researchers believe that the cells one day could be used to provide individually tailored tissue and organ transplants, as well as curing maladies such as juvenile diabetes and Parkinson's disease, or to repair severe spinal cord injuries.
Hwang would like to keep the science on stem cell research open and global, saying that greater international cooperation will lead to more effective results, more quickly.
For him, the ethical consideration should weigh heavily in favour of a patient suffering from a disease or malady now considered incurable -- as opposed to the stem cells he creates in the lab.
"Let's say we have a microproduct just 100 micrometers long, made through nuclear transfer technology, and let's say we have a human being who has lived in pain all his life," Hwang said. "To argue that there is a balance (in considering the humanity of the two) would not be ethical."
Hwang thinks his work could help open a new chapter in medical treatment by potentially creating individualised cells to treat maladies for which they may be no cure today.
"I dare believe this breakthrough will be a factor that will bring in a new era in medical history," Hwang said.
I've been feeling very tired lately. I can't quite explain why. Could be the gastroenteritis Z is passing to me, or simply something else. I vote for something else.
Anyhow, a fairly restful day although I got up when Boy howled dismally. I leapt out of bed to see what was wrong. He was rather disturbed his Dad locked him out accidentally and happily jumped back onto the bed to lie down beside me after I opened the door. (Even as I type this, he is beside me.)
I am deeply touched by how close my boys are to me. Boy follows me everywhere and lets me hug him when he's lying down. Tuxie and Sam sat with me almost throughout Buffy. They even talked to me some when I asked them, "How are my sons?" Sam replied, "Mrow ow" and Tuxie, "Mrow!" in a higher pitch.
Even Kaku appeared and played with the fishing toy her Dad bought for her. He told me, "Look!" as he swung the toy and Kaku sat by the door swatting at it. She'd never played with it before, usually runs away. We were very delighted and proud.
At one point, their Dad said, "Look, all 5 cats are in this room!" It was a wondrous sight. :D And then Kaku scurried behind the bamboo screen and ran past her Dad.
Watched Buffy most of the day and eve till Z began hankering to go out. I was really tired and wanted to just stay home and finish Season 3. However, after extensive negotiations, I agreed to go. But before that, I insisted on finishing The Prom, which was half-way done.
I'd heard of Wala Wala from someone who said the band is really good. Since Han Jin upped and left the Fat Frog there hasn't been anyone really worth listening to (save for the band at Bala but that's intermittent). Friday nights were just never the same after that. It was depressing. Used to be we'd head to Fat Frog after work and chill with a glass of white wine, high on U2 and alcohol. But he was so good that he quit to write songs for Jacky Cheung. Ah well...
The plan was to visit Wala someday, and today Yan messaged to say they might be heading there tonight. So we said alright and hooked up with Jeff for a late dinner and Wala Wala. (I suspect Bala and Wala are both owned by the same dude: the bouncers dress the same way, prices of non-beer (Beer Bad!) drinks are the same, similar sounding names, and same band!)
The posse didn't show for some arcane reason but we met a bunch of nice folk who offered up a chair for me. The band was playing when we got there and they sounded way better than they did last night at Bala. Yep it was the same band. Better acoustics the place did have but it was packed with teenagers largely and had no nice comfy seats.
The red wine made me rather dizzy and the standing got to the guys (feet hurt, gotta work tomorrow, yadda yadda). We all agreed the excursion was worthwhile and enlightening, the place was nice, but not quite our cuppa and we resolved to meet up again soon under different circumstances, i.e. familiar stomping grounds.
Got home, had a hot shower, and reassumed my position as couch commando, finishing Graduation Day Part One and Part Two. Sweet. :D
"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness." -- Bertrand Russell
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."
-- Thomas Edison (Harper's Magazine, 1890)
A woman's romance with motherhood, green living, finance, and this heady thing called life.
