In organ transplants, patients need to take anti-rejection drugs after the operation. Otherwise, their body’s immune system shall reject the organ because it recognizes that the transplanted organ is a foreign one. The patient has to take the medicine for an undetermined length of time and it could be for the rest of his life including its side effects.
One way of avoiding the need for anti-rejection drugs, which is currently undergoing extensive study, is to infuse the donor’s marrow to the patient such that the latter’s immune system can recognize the new organ as its own. This approach had its initial taste of success but it’s not yet perfected. Patients who have undergone this treatment need to take the anti-rejection drugs for less than a year and have not needed to take them again.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of babies aged one month to one year even if they appear to be healthy. It is also known as cot or crib death. The causes of SIDS cannot be determined with certainty although some have might have been identified as risk factors. The same thing goes for its prevention.
One way of preventing SIDS is by giving the baby a pacifier as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). A study conducted in relation to the use of pacifiers showed that there is a 90% reduction of the occurrence of SIDS when babies are offered pacifiers. One reason attributed for the risk reduction is that the pacifier keeps the face of the infant away from the mattress thus suffocation is avoided.
Recent studies were able to associate autism and muscle weakness among children. It was found out that children suffering from autism disorders might have genetic defects which results into mitochondrial disease.
Mitochondrial disease relates to the mitochondria which convert the energy molecules of food taken by higher-order life forms for cellular functions. This lack of energy conversion is the cause of muscle weakness.
The study found out that sixty-five percent of the thirty-seven children evaluated have problems in their bodies when it comes to the conversion and production of energy in their muscles. All of the evaluated children have autism spectrum disorders.
Gene therapy is a method of curing diseases in the cells and tissues of an individual by inserting genes to replace defective ones (known as mutant alleles). This technology could prove to be very useful in treating cancerous cells and malignant tumors.
Functional genes carried by human cells aimed to cure the mutant alleles are inserted with tiny magnets for easier navigation of such cells. The cells can accurately reach the cancerous cells or malignant tumors by placing another magnet in the tumor to attract the “curative” cells. This technique is still on its birth stage but if it can it be fully developed its full potential, curing disease through gene therapy can be very effective and efficient.
The recent application of brain implants now includes connecting a person’s brain to devices around him. A paralyzed man was fitted with brain implants in able to link him to a computer. And the computer is connected to other devices around him. He was able to operate the computer by simply imagining the movement of his arms, and consequently, the devices linked to the computer.
Also known as neuron implant, this device is placed in the person’s brain, ordinarily on the surface. Commonly used for biomedical prosthesis, this recent development shows that the application of brain implants might have no boundaries and only time can tell how far this technology can alleviate the lives of people with physiological problems.
CX717 is a breakthrough drug which enhances memory and activities of the brain especially for people who lack sleep. CX717 is an ampakine compound created by Cortex Pharmaceuticals. Ampakines are known to stimulate brain activities improving learning and memory. The intake of these compounds is known to directly influence alertness and attention span of a person.
Tests conducted on CX717 for Cortex in Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey, showed improved performance test scores for those who took the drug. Aside from being used as memory enhancer, CX717 is also looked at as possible cure for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), jet lag, narcolepsy, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
The drug is still undergoing further testing to determine its application and/or other potential uses.
Recent studies involving the use of radiofrequency ablation in treating liver cancer have yielded positive results. Radiofrequency ablation is the removal of unwanted tissue from the body using radiofrequency energy. This method is also used in treating coronary diseases, varicose veins and in somnoplasty.
Although the study was limited to tumors less than four centimeters, the application of radiofrequency ablation was effective on patients with liver cancer where surgery was not possible.
In the said study conducted in Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany complete destruction of tumors occurred in 66 out of 67 cases where multipolar radiofrequency ablation was used to treat liver cancer. Fifty-two percent of the patients are tumor free, while seventy-eight percent are still living after four years. Only in eight cases that reablation was needed from the 67 cases.
Vitamin D is significant when it comes to the development of our organs. This vitamin is the regulator of calcium and phosphorous which is essential for the development of our bones. Vitamin D is also been said to be able to play a role in preventing diabetes and coronary diseases. The most recent findings on the benefits of vitamin D, though not yet extensively identified, is its ability to prevent the development of cancerous cells.
Calcitriol, a hormone of vitamin D is said to cause the death of cancerous cells. Several studies show that regular intake of vitamin D can deter the development of colon, breast, ovarian cancer and even prostate cancer. The link between vitamin D and colon cancer has produced the most interest among scientists and those in the medical field because it has shown a great potential.