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Japan responds: stem-cell therapy justified – nature.com

Posted: May 5, 2019 at 10:56 pm

As director-general of the Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health Bureau of Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, I cannot accept your criticism of our approval of stem-cell treatment for spinal-cord injuries (see Nature 565, 535536; 2019 and Nature 565, 544545; 2019).

Your criticism is based on the absence of double-blind studies for this treatment. But in this therapy, known as Stemirac, stem cells from the patients bone marrow are cultured externally and then returned to the patient. A double-blind study is therefore structurally impossible, and performing a sham operation on a control group would raise ethical issues.

In such cases, properly designed clinical studies can still test efficacy as demonstrated for drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as in Japan. Given the convincing response to Stemirac by the group of paralysed people under discussion, it could be unethical to withhold approval and deny treatment. The rationale for the safety, efficacy and quality of the product, and for the ethics of its approval, is given in the evaluation report by Japans Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (see go.nature.com/2uzyqk9; in Japanese).

You also criticize Japan for marketing products with questionable efficacy and for making patients bear the costs of clinical studies. However, under the terms of the countrys conditional and time-limited approval for regenerative medical products, such products are granted marketing authorization only when efficacy can be demonstrated in post-marketing studies within a specified period. And, because Stemirac is covered by national health insurance, patient payments are fixed at a feasible level.

S.M. is employed by Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which administers the countrys approval system for regenerative-medicine products.

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HOW DOES STEM CELL THERAPY WORK?: SoCal Regenerative …

Posted: May 5, 2019 at 10:56 pm

Stem cell therapy is becoming an extremely popular medical treatment, with many doctors recommending it and many patients reaping the benefits. Doctors are even recommending stem cell therapyfor medical issues that once seemed as if they had no option for treatment other than surgery.

But how does stem cell therapy work? To help you answer that question, we'regoing to take a look at what stem cell therapy is, how it works and how it could helpyou.

Stem cells are the bodys own repair kit. When you receive an injury, your bodys stem cells rush to the injured area and start the healing process.

But sometimes, your own stem cells cannot get through to the injured area due to the amount of damage from the injury or surgery.

The net result is an injury that never heals properly or an injury that persists and takes a long time to heal.

Modern stem cell therapy techniques harvest stem cells directly from the patient's own body.This is a quick and safe process that only involves the gathering of fat cells --also known as adipose tissue --from a patient, which are loaded with stem cells.

Once the adipose tissuehas been gathered, the stem cells are separated by spinning them in a centrifuge. They are then injectedback into the injured part of the body.It is important not to confuse these types of stem cells with embryonic stem cells.

Stem cell therapy is the process of using the aforementioned cells to help patients' bodies repair damaged tissue. It can either accelerate an otherwise slow healing process or allow the body to heal tissue that would have otherwise remained damaged permanently because stem cells couldn't get to it.

The medical advancements in stem cell therapy have been remarkable for the advancement of non-invasive medical treatments. Instead of opting for surgery, which is usually the only option many doctors present, patients now have safe, natural and effective alternatives for joint disorders and beyond.

It is also possible to combinePRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapywith Stem Cell Therapy, in certain situations, to provide an additional element that helps in the healing process.

Stem cell therapy is being used for a variety of ailments, from virtuallyuntreatablediseasesto joint injuries. Here is a list of a few of the medical problems being successfully treated with stem cell therapy:

There are many other medical issues that stem cell therapy can treat and this list is expanding every single day. For example, one of the newest stem cell therapies issuccessfully treating osteoarthritis.

Despite the advanced nature of stem cell therapy, the process has a surprisingly short lead time. In most cases, a single treatment will only take about four hours. Depending on the injury, other treatments may be performed in conjunction with stem cell therapy, such as PRP.

As with any medical procedure, stem cell therapy does come with risks. However, advances in stem cell treatment have nullified many of the risks. For example, there was once a high level of concern that a patient's immune system would reject stem cells. The fact that stem cells now come directly from the patient's own body make this, in addition to many otherrisks, either negligible or nonexistent.

The biggest risk most patients undergoing stem cell therapy face is aninfection from the removal of adipose tissue or the injection of stem cells.

The recovery time from a stem cell therapy treatment is virtually nonexistent. A stem cell therapy treatment is an outpatient procedure. Other than some minor discomfort at the injection site for a short time after the treatment, patients can returnto work the next day.

This makes stem cell therapy a great treatment alternative for those who are concerned about the long recovery timeassociated with a surgical procedure.

Stem cell therapy usually costs between 20 and 50 percent less than surgery for treatments of the same ailment; this doesn't even account for the need for surgery revisions. The range of cost is between $4,000 and $6,000, depending on your injury.

If you have a medicalissue that you need resolved, then you should seriously consider stem cell therapy as a treatment option. It is much less invasive than most other types of treatments and it allows your body to heal the way that it was meant to.

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Home | EMBO Molecular Medicine

Posted: May 5, 2019 at 6:50 am

Open Access

Research Article

These authors contributed equally to this work

This study provides molecular insights into the anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) mode of action in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with an emphasis on the regulation of AGR2 dimers. Dysregulation of AGR2 dimer formation leads to inflammation as seen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease.

This study provides molecular insights into the anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) mode of action in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with an emphasis on the regulation of AGR2 dimers. Dysregulation of AGR2 dimer formation leads to inflammation as seen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease.

AGR2 is a chaperone involved in the regulation of protein quality control in the ER. We have developed and used a novel cellular proteinprotein interaction screen to identify cellular regulators of AGR2 dimerization.

We identify specific enhancers, including TMED2, and inhibitors of AGR2 dimerization, that control AGR2 functions.

Modulation of AGR2 dimer formation, whether enhancing or inhibiting the process, yields proinflammatory phenotypes, through either autophagydependent processes or secretion of AGR2, respectively.

In IBD and specifically in Crohn's disease, the levels of AGR2 dimerization modulators are selectively deregulated, and this correlates with severity of disease.

AGR2 dimers act as sensors of ER homeostasis which are disrupted upon ER stress and promote the secretion of AGR2 monomers. The latter might represent systemic alarm signals for proinflammatory responses.

EMBO Mol Med (2019) e10120

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Marion Maurel, Joanna Obacz, Tony Avril, YongPing Ding, Olga Papadodima, Xavier Treton, Fanny Daniel, Eleftherios Pilalis, Johanna Hrberg, Wenyang Hou, MarieClaude Beauchamp, Julien TourneurMarsille, Dominique CazalsHatem, Lucia Sommerova, Afshin Samali, Jan Tavernier, Roman Hrstka, Aurlien Dupont, Delphine Fessart, Frdric Delom, Martin E FernandezZapico, Gregor Jansen, Leif A Eriksson, David Y Thomas, Loydie JeromeMajewska, Ted Hupp, Aristotelis Chatziioannou, Eric Chevet, Eric OgierDenis

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Bone Marrow & Blood Stem Cell Transplant | IU Health

Posted: May 5, 2019 at 6:48 am

What are Bone Marrow and Stem Cells?

Bone marrow is a sponge-like tissue found inside bones. Within bone marrow, stem cells grow and develop into the three main types of blood cells:

Stem cells also grow many other cell types of the immune system.

At IU Health, we offer many types of bone marrow transplant, including:

For this type of transplant, we use your own stem cells. We collect the stem cells and then place them back into your body.

We use this method to treat blood-related cancers like multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphomas and Hodgkin disease, as well as certain germ-cell cancers.

CAR T-cell therapy is an emerging form of cancer immunotherapy. This therapy involves supercharging a patients T cells, a subtype of white blood cell, to recognize and attack cancer cells.

IU Health is the first healthcare system in Indiana to offer CAR T-cell therapy to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

For this type of transplant, the stem cells of another person are used. The donor can be a relative or a nonrelative whose blood cells are a close match.

The stem cells can come from peripheral (circulating) blood, bone marrow or umbilical cord blood (the blood in the cord connecting a fetus to a placenta).

This method is used to treat blood-related cancers like leukemias and some lymphomas or multiple myeloma. It is also used to treat bone marrow failure disorders like myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and aplastic anemia.

If you have an acute leukemia or lymphoma, IU Health Medical Center conducts haploidentical (half-matched) stem cell transplantation. This procedure also greatly expands the potential donor pool, making more patients eligible for the transplant.

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Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology

Posted: May 4, 2019 at 2:54 am

operates within the Division of Biological Sciences. Its faculty investigate molecular aspects of biological phenomena that operate on a cellular scale. The Department currently represents research on a wide range of biological problems and systems - its internationally recognized strengths include:

- invertebrate and vertebrate development - plant development and plant pathogen interactions- molecular biology - immunology - microbiology - cellular structure and function - yeast genetics

The department administers the Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate program in the Molecular Biosciences Graduate Training Program Cluster. The cluster combines five programs: Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), Human Genetics (HG), Genetics, Genomics & Systems Biology (GGSB), and Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology (DRSB). MGCB also plays key roles in the undergraduate biology curricula at the University.

Prof. Heng-Chi Lee is featured in the Faculty Spotlight.

Mike Rust was featured in an article that was also picked up by NOVA. https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/biological-sciences-articles/2018/november/twitter-use-influenced-by-social-schedules https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/track-social-jet-lag-twitter

Please welcome David Pincus, who joined the Department of MGCB as an Assistant Professor October 1, 2018.

David Pincus from the Whitehead Institute at MIT has accepted an offer to start as an Assistant Professor in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and in the Institute for the Physics of Evolving Matter. He studies protein homeostasis.

Congratulations to Mike Rust who recently published in Nature Communications and in eLife. See also a commentary in UChicago News.

Congratulations to a CMB student Cody Hernandez in Jonathan Staley's lab who received a 2018 HHMI/Gilliam Award.

Congratulations to Jean Greenberg who was awarded a 2018 Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists.

Congratulations to CMB student DeQuantarius Speed of Jean Greenberg's lab who received 2017 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship.

(News archives)

Administrative Information (on-campus-only)

MGCB THURSDAY EVENTS: WINTER/SPRING 2019

All seminars are on Thursdays at 4pm in CLSC 101 (*unless indicated).

1/10/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Desai, *CLSC 119

1/17/19 Arshad Desai, Ludwig Cancer Research

1/24/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Kuhlman, *CLSC 119

1/31/19Thomas Kuhlman, University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign

2/7/19Sandy Simon, Rockefeller University

2/14/19 MGCB Student Talks, University of Chicago

2/21/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Blythe, *CLSC 119

2/28/19 Shelby Blythe, Northwestern University

3/6/19 SPECIAL SEMINAR Alex Ruthenburg, University of Chicago, *NOTE DAY: Wednesday, 4:00pm, CLSC 101

3/7/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Griffin, *CLSC 119

3/14/19 Erik Griffin, Dartmouth College

4/2/19 SPECIAL SEMINAR Guy Tanentzapf, University of British Columbia

4/11/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Rosenblatt, *CLSC 119

4/18/19 Jody Rosenblatt, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah

5/2/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Haselkorn, *CLSC 119

5/8/19 Haselkorn Scientific Seminar

5/9/19 Haselkorn Lecture: David Baker, Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, *BSLC 109

5/30/19 JOURNAL CLUB - Shi, *CLSC 119

6/6/19 Songhai Shi, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

6/14/19SPECIAL SEMINAREric Wieschaus, Princeton University

For more information about MGCB Thursdays CLICK HERE.

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Research Paper Transhumanism – Middlebury College

Posted: May 4, 2019 at 2:53 am

Sophie Robart

Professor Tom Beyer

FYSE 1286

11 November 2013

What is a Society of Posthumans?

Transhumanism is a field of philosophy that aspires to further the abilities of humans by utilizing opportunities of science and technology to enhance human life. Transhumanists see the human condition today as less than what it could or should be, and strive for society to become full of posthumans. These philosophers believe that the next few generations will belong to those who want to advance human life conditions, rather than act skeptically towards the idea of change. These Transhumanists hope that this change in society will stem from a generation that will have been raised and assimilated with the ideas of Transhumanism. While for Transhumanists the concept of changing mankind in order to eliminate disease and enhance intellectual capacity is solely to better the world, their concept of change has sparked uproar among bio-conservatives throughout the world. These bio-conservatives, religious ethicists and philosophical ethicists, agree on two major principles regarding Transhumanism: that boundaries were set to keep humans as humans, and to try and pass those boundaries is greedy.

Max More, one philosopher and futurist, defines Transhumanism as a class of philosophies of life that seek the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its currently human form and human limitations by means of science and technology, guided by life-promoting principles and values.[1] Max More, the Chief Executive Officer of Alcor Life Extension Foundation, a world leading company in cryonics, proposed this definition of transhumanism in his essay: Transhumanism: Toward a Futurist Philosophy. He also proclaims that we have achieved two of the three alchemists dreams: We have transmuted the elements and learned to fly. Immortality is next.

Three names, including Max More, stand out as leaders and innovators within the Transhumanist and post human movement. Fereidoun M. Esfandiary, more commonly known as FM-2030, distinguished himself inside of Transhumanism with Are You a Transhuman.[2] When asked about his name and identification, Esfandiary explained that In 2030 we will be ageless and everyone will have an excellent chance to live forever. 2030 is a dream and a goal. FM-2030 died in 2000 and was placed in cryonic suspension at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Natasha Vita-More, often considered the first female philosopher of transhumanism, founded the Transhumanist Arts and Extropic Arts Movement in 1982: designed to provide insight into the future directions of art and creativity of the 21st Century as well as a brief history of Transhumanity, Transhumanist Arts, and Extropic Art.

The leaders of the Transhumanism movement claim that the idea and goal of enhancement are not new to the twenty-first centurythere are many texts written about the ideas of enhancement from before the 1800s. The French philosopher, Marquis de Condorcet, wrote in 1794 that no bounds have been fixed to the improvement of facultiesthe perfectibility of man is unlimited (Encyclopedia of Bioethics, p.2517). Kevin Warwicks claims in 2000 that, [he] was born a human. But this was an accident of fatea condition merely of time and place (Encyclopedia of Bioethics 2518).

Current Transhumanists express their beliefs in multiple different ways. Some people do not openly live a life supporting Transhumanism due to the social stigma that may be associated with the movement, but they do their part. Others actively fund and investigate the science that might eventually lead to a reality full of posthumans. One of the major goals of that Transhumanists is to advance the human nervous system to enhance the capability of intelligence, and subsequently strengthen the defense system against disease. Through the processes of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and cognitive science, Transhumanist scientists are attempting to further life span, eradicate diseases, and enhance intelligence.

Nanotechnology is a process in which scientists manipulate matter on a molecular level. A new piece of technology called the Nano-Bio Processor mimics responses of the human body and aids the development of corresponding treatments. Professor Nick Bostrom, director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, believes that this technology offers the potential to alleviate human suffering. Professor Bostrom claims that the Nano-Bio Processor will improve human condition, and that humans have a fundamental right to develop this technology or many preventable deaths might occur as a result of not developing NBIC.

Scientists are also using biotechnology to investigate and further the Transhumanism movement. Biotechnology is the direct or indirect use of living organisms, or parts or products of living organisms, in their natural or modified forms. Biotechnology is one of the processes more apparent in society, which bio-conservatives happily feel limits some of the risky actions by lend[ing] credence to visions of transcendence and transformation (Lilley Part 1). Meanwhile, biotechnology is a technology that is backed by well financed research programs while corporations and nation states compete fiercely over them (Lilley Part 1). One of the current uses of biotechnology that Transhumanists use is DNA and related genetic structure manipulation (Lilley Part 1). Currently, stem cells are being coaxed from embryos, placentas, and skin and are being primed to promote regeneration (Lilley Part 1). Transhumanists see the completion of the rough draft of the human genome project, published in 2000, as a scientific milestone, and research is now focused on decoding the functions and interactions of all these different genes (Humanity+, Answer 23).

Other Transhumanist scientists are studying cognitive sciencehow information is processed in different ways including perception, language, and emotion. It is apparent that scientists hope this research will lead to the elimination of mental diseases, as well as a faster processing speed. These different technologies are quite controversial; Nancy Campbell claims that these different technologies in their development, deployment, and effects are unevenly distributed, differential, and more likely to be socially unjust than not (Lilley Part 1).

Transhumanists often argue with bio-conservatives about the ethics of these practices. Transhumanists maintain that changing the genetics and human practices will not change the humanity of people:

[we] read and write; we wear clothes; we live in cities; we earn money and buy food from the supermarket; we call people on the telephone, watch television, read newspapers, drive cars, file taxes, vote in national elections; women give birth in hospitals; life-expectancy is three times longer than in the Pleistocene[3]. (Bostrom Ethics)

Bostrom, a prominent Transhumanist, explains in the quote above that nothing about everyday life will change due to the changes that Transhumanists bring about. This idea that nothing will change is hard for bio-conservatives to understand because of the fear of unfair advantages that certain citizens will have over one another.

Transhumanists understand that bio-conservatives argue that these actions will change the dignity of moral status, as well as the quality of being worthy and honorable. In Stephen Lilleys book Transhumanism and Society, he claims that the difference in a transhumanist definition might be man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature (Lilley Part 2). Lilley supplements the argument for Transhumanism by claiming that, science can contribute greatly to making the world and mankind more human (Lilley Part 2). While there is a line that bio-conservatives feel must not be crossed, because that line is not specifically defined, transhumanists often take this uncertainty into consideration when starting a new type of research (Chadwick 32).

Bio-conservatives believe in two major theories: there are some boundaries that keep humans the way they were made; and to try and pass these boundaries is greedy. One theorist claims that, to bring about such radical changes in humankindcan only be described as the death of the species(Goffi 8). They also believe that while medicine can be used for legitimate or illegitimate aims (Goffi 9), to enhance human life is an illegitimate use of medicine. Even Professor Goffi, however, understands that it is difficult to draw a sharp line between therapeutic and enhancing procedures (Goffi 10). Many theorists agree with M. Sandel that, although more health is better than less, at least within a certain range, it is not the kind of good than that can be maximized (Goffi 10). Ruth Chadwick, a distinguished research professor at Cardiff School of English, Communication, and Philosophy, claims that if intervention restores a person species-typical normal functioning it falls within the therapy category; otherwise it counts as enhancement (Chadwick 28). Most bio-conservatives believe that human enhancement will eventually dehumanize (Bostrom 2) people. Leon Kass, a prominent bio-conservative, claims that while biotechnology can produce better children, superior performance, ageless bodies, and happy souls, it might eventually be used as a substitute for virtue, hard work, study, or love in order to fulfill our deepest human desires. Overall, bio-conservatives believe that people have a common genetic endowmentand this implies, of course, a common set of genetic limitationsthat they have a common nature and a common set of rights (Goffi 11). Stephen Lilley warns against transgression, or a point of no return from which humanity will suffer a most grievous, irretrievable loss (Lilley Part 2).

While Transhumanists believe that they are advancing humans to a better point in life, one also might claim that advancing beyond a point can become dangerous to society. Paul Ramsey, author of Fabricated Man: The Ethics of Genetic Control, explains in his book that techno-theologians (Goffi 8) and supporters of neo-eugenics (Goffi 9) are willing to manipulate genetics, and reconstruct mankind, yet through this process they are subsequently putting the humanity of man (Goffi 9) at stake. Alan Padgett has a pessimistic view on this movement as well, claiming:

The dream of a happy and harmonious techno-secular future is based on false hopes in infinite energy, infinite human potential, infinite human progress, and complete human good will. Such a techno-secular dream, even if it comes about, will self-destruct after a few centuries, inevitably smashing on the rocks of our finitude and sin. (Lilley, Part 2)

Paul Ramsey explains that he sees transhumanist dreams as well-meaning but all the more dangerous attempt to raise human beings above their own condition. Both George Annas, chair of Bioethics and Human Rights at the Boston University School of Public Health, and Rosario Isasi, a health and human rights attorney, understand and explain that human cloning and genetic modification are both considered crimes against humanity (Bostrom, Ethics). Some scientists even argue that this genetic manipulation will cause a GATTACA-like society, or even the emergence of old fashioned eugenics (Goffi 11).

Not only do people criticize Transhumanism because of its threats to science and humanity, but there are also many religious objections that people find with the transhumanist movement. John Jefferson Davis, a Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, claims that, all of Gods creation, including the human body, is good (Gen. 1:31; Tim. 4:4) and as such is worth of care and respect (Lilley Part 2). Often Christians disapprove of Transhumanism because of the stance that most transhumanists take on cloning. Ironically, Transhumanism itself has been classified as a religion, and some of the rhetoric is often compared to Christian apologetics.

Transhumanism is a larger part of the media than most people usually notice. Gattaca, the 1997 film staring Ethan Hawke and Jude Law, is a movie, based in a time where eugenics are common, about a genetically inferior man who assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel. This movie includes genetic manipulation, genetic discrimination, and unfair advantages due to these manipulations. This movie is a prime example of bio-conservatives fear for human society. Another example of transhumanism in the media is Dan Browns 2013 novel Inferno. This trilling fast pace novel incorporates the Zobrist, an active Transhumanist, who threatens an unknown plague upon the world. Finally, I am Legend is another movie with transhumanist values etched into it. A genetically engineered vaccine is created and distributed to people in order to cure cancer, and ends up spreading through the air and killing 90% of the population. This movie then turns into a post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film, in which the 588 million survivors become Darkseerers that prey on people immune to the virus. Clearly this movie shows some of the issues that bio-conservatives fearthe worry of creating viruses that manipulate human genes to a point of no return. Overall, these three examples show that Transhumanism is in our culture more than we notice or even understandsoon transhumanism will be completely immersed in our society without us even noticing.

Overall it is evident that there are multiple different opinions and views someone may have concerning the debate of Transhumanism and genetic manipulation. One may accept in part of the Transhumanist movement, some of its scientific methods but not others. Or one might reject any and all manipulation. Some people think that a genetically manipulated society will cause large differences in out society; but one might become more accepting, such enhancement as eradicating diseases. As the technology continues to develop even more areas of concern and disengagement are sure to arise between Transhumanists and bio-conservatives. But the fact that bio-engineering from vaccinations and flu shots to the potential eradication of aids is likely to find multiple points where one draws his or her No Trespassing Line!

Works Cited

Alcors Mission. Cryonics: Alcor Life Extension Foundation. 25 Sept. 2013 <http://www.alcor.org/>.

Cardiff School of English Communication and Philosophy. Professor Ruth Chadwick. 02 Nov. 2013 <http://cardiff.ac.uk/encap/contactsandpeople/profiles/chadwick-ruth.html>.

John Jefferson Davis. Wikipedia. 29 Nov. 2012. Wikimedia Foundation. 02 Nov. 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jefferson_Davis>.

Leon Kass. Wikipedia. 24 Sept. 2013. Wikimedia Foundation. Oct. 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Kass>.

Max More. Wikipedia. 23 July 2013. Wikimedia Foundation. 26 Sept. 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_More>.

Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno: Paradigm for the Future. H+ Magazine. 12 Feb. 2010. Oct. 2013 <http://hplusmagazine.com/2010/02/12/nano-bio-info-cogno-paradigm-future/>.

Nanotechnology. Credo Reference. 2005. Nov. 2013 <http://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/nanotechnology>.

Nanotechnology. Wikipedia. 25 Oct. 2013. Wikimedia Foundation. 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology>.

Outline of transhumanism. Wikipedia. 23 Oct. 2013. Wikimedia Foundation. Oct. 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_transhumanism>.

Rosario Isasi. Wikipedia. 22 Feb. 2013. Wikimedia Foundation. Oct. 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosario_Isasi>.

School of Public Health. Boston University. Sept. 2013 <http://www.bu.edu/sph/?option=com_sphdir>.

Transhumanist FAQ. Humanity +. 22 Sept. 2013 <http://humanityplus.org/philsophy/transhumanist-faq/>.

Berger, Michael. Nanotechnology, Transhumanism and the Bionic Man. NanoWerk. 28 May 2008. Oct. 2013 <http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=5848.php>.

Bostrom, Nick. Home Page. Nick Bostrom. Oct. 2013 <http://www.nickbostrom.com/>.

Bostrom, Nick. In Defense of Posthuman Dignity. In Defense of Posthuman Dignity. 8 May 2007. Oct. 2013 <http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/dignity.html>.

Bostrom, Nick. Transhumanist Values. Transhumanist Values. May 2005. Oct. 2013 <http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.html>.

Goffi. Transhumanism & Bioconservatives. Transhumanism & Bioconservatives. Sept. 2013 <http://philosophie.ens.fr/IMG/GOFFI JEUD HPS ENS ULM S2 2012 2013.pdf>.

Gordijn, Bert, and Ruth F. Chadwick. Medical Enhancement and Posthumanity. [Dordrecht]: Springer, 2008.

Hook, Christopher. Transhumanism and Posthumanism. Yumpu. 1 Oct. 2013 <http://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/13072648/transhumanism-

and-posthumanism-gale>.

Lilley, Stephen. Transhumanism and society: The social debate over human enhancement. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013.

More, Max. The Extropian Principles 2.5. The Extropian Principles 2.5. July 1993. <http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Cultural/Philosophy/princip.html>.

Sandberg, Anders. Definitions of Transhumanism. Definitions of Transhumanism. 22 Sept. 2013 <http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Intro/definitions.html>.

[2] Are You a Transhuman?: Monitoring and Stimulating Your Personal Growth in a Rapidly Changing World (1989)

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Research Paper Transhumanism - Middlebury College

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Genetic Medicine Isn’t Moving Faster Than the Speed of …

Posted: May 3, 2019 at 10:48 am

Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology.

Weve had plenty of time to ponder the medical ethics.

Source: Hulton Archive, via Getty Images

Source: Hulton Archive, via Getty Images

The news that scientists may have finally used gene therapy to cure the bubble boy immune disorder, SCID-X1, came as a surprise not because it happened so fast, but because it took so long that it had begun to seem impossible.

Scientists were talking about revolutionizing medicine with gene therapy back in the 1980s, and the first child with a different form of the disease, called SCID-ADA, was given gene therapy in 1992. By 2000, doctors were treating the first kids with SCID-X1. But there were problems. Some of them developed leukemia.

Theres a belief that became pervasive in the 1990s that medicine is moving so fast that ethics cant keep up. Science stories in the news would refer toBrave New World or Frankensteins monster. But now that were living in that long-imagined future, it looks like science isnt keeping pace with the hype, which over the years has included promises of cures tied to the human genome project, the expectation that gene therapy would be commonplace, and even the weird belief that cloning would replace sex as the preferred method of human reproduction.

Things havent quite panned out that way. To better understand why, I talked with Jonathan Kimmelman, a medical ethicist at McGill University in Canada, and an expert in human experimentation. He said that despite all the hype, medical technology doesnt leap forward with every new idea the way other kinds of tech can. The ethics of human research slows things down.

Not that medical ethics is easy. The challenge for ethicists, and for society, is to judge research decisions based on what the scientists knew at the time, not the outcome. Unethical researchers might get lucky, and good ones might get very unlucky. By those standards, he said, the researchers who accidentally caused some SCID patients to get leukemia were still taking an ethically acceptable risk, given the scale of the potential benefits, but researchers at the University of Pennsylvania whose experiment killed an 18-year-old subject were not.

In that 1999 case, Jesse Gelsinger died from an experimental gene therapy aimed at curing a different genetic disorder one less life-threatening than SCID. His immune system mounted a deadly reaction to the virus used to insert the gene into his cells a deactivated cold virus called an adenovirus.

In retrospect, there were problems with that trial financial conflicts of interest, worrisome signs in animal studies that were ignored, and some irregularities in the way the human subjects were treated, said Kimmelman, who has written a book about the case. After the death, lots of people claimed to have seen these problems, but, sadly, none of them took the initiative to blow the whistle.

SCID gene therapy trials progressed more carefully, even though the disease was claiming lives with each passing year. A defective gene prevents the bone marrow from creating working immune cells, so kids with the disease have essentially no immune system. This came to public attention in the 1970s, when doctors found a way to keep the famous bubble boy, David Vetter, alive until the age of 12 by sealing him into a sterile plastic enclosure.

Gene therapy seemed like a promising solution. Doctors knew which genes were damaged, and they knew that they need to get working copies into the patients bone marrow.

But theres another layer of precision needed: It can matter where newly introduced genes get incorporated into the persons chromosomes. Viruses cant be programmed to put them in any specific place. Scientists knew, said Kimmelman, that getting the working versions of these genes into the wrong places might trigger leukemia. They thought it was very unlikely, but realized only after the fact that the viruses tended to preferentially place the genes in locations where they increased risk. In 2002, the SCID-X1 trial was stopped after the disease affected four children.

Over the years, scientists have examined other, safer vectors, and, counterintuitively, found that for SCID-X1, their best bet was a deactivated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These latest experiments, done in St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, took steps to prevent leukemia. Its still early, but the researchers say that so far the results look promising.

A similar standard should apply to the claimed gene-edited babies allegedly born in China late last year. The ethics has to be judged on the risks that were taken at the time, not the outcome, which may never be known given the secrecy surrounding the research. The babies - twin girls - were essentially human guinea pigs. The only disease involved was the fathers HIV-positive status, but there are safe ways to make sure a fathers virus isnt passed to his offspring.

The risks of this are still relatively unknown, and the fact that the SCID researchers misjudged the risk of giving their subjects leukemia should serve as a warning. Once again, in the case of the Crispr babies, the ethical principles were there, but they were broken maybe by a rogue scientist but possibly by one whose experiments were known and fundedby the Chinese government. Kimmelman points out that people have been debating the ethics of genetic engineering on unborn children since the 1970s, soon after the debut of genetic engineering.

In the medical community, there was almost universal agreement that the experiment was unethical because the twin girls were subject to unnecessary risk. The main problem with genetic technology isnt the need to prevent the birth ofFrankensteins monster, but to follow the ethical principles that Hippocrates wrote about more than 2,000 years ago. The needs of patients have to come first, even if it slows down the pace of progress.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story:Faye Flam at fflam1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:Philip Gray at philipgray@bloomberg.net

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Stem Cell Therapy in Little Rock – Chiropractor Little Rock AR

Posted: May 3, 2019 at 10:48 am

What is Stem Cell Therapy?

Stem cell therapy is the administration of umbilical cord stem cells (UCSC) into a patients body based on the recommendation from your medical provider or nurse practitioner. The cells can be administered through injection or IV infusion to maximize the therapys reach.

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Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type. They have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body and serve as what can be accurately described as an internal repair system, replenishing other cells. Each divided cell has the potential to become another type of cell with a specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Umbilical Cord Stem Cells are derived exclusively from the umbilical cord tissue of healthy birthed babies & healthy mothers, which is the safest and least-invasive method of extraction available.

Seek out degeneration: They build, repair, and grow new tissue

Anti-inflammatory: They are effective in reducing inflammation

Immunomodulatory: They help modulate the bodys immune responses

Its the future of medicine. A search of http://www.clinicaltrials.gov provides information on more than 4,000 clinical trials being conducted worldwide.

Pluripotent: A pluripotent cell has the capability of developing into various types of cells or tissues

self-renewal: Stem cells replicate themselves every 28 hours for 65 generations, giving rise to millions of undifferentiated cells

If possible, stop or reduce all aspirin products, non-steroidals, Vitamin E supplementation, and the use of fish oil at least five days before the therapy. Be sure to stay hydrated prior to the procedure.

The duration of the therapy is short, simple, and can take between ten to twenty minutes depending on the amount administered and the procedure chosen. This time will include cleaning and prepping the injection points.

If possible, stop or reduce anti-inflammatory medication for at least one to two weeks. Remember: Stem cells replicate every 28 hours through 65 cycles of replication.

At 3-4 Weeks Post-Therapy: Light exercises and stretching; no high-impact activities.

One Month Post-Therapy: Aggressive stretching, light-weight training; as tolerated by joints

Second Month-Post Therapy: Increase workout regiment and sport-specific activities

Yes! The use of Umbilical Cord Stem Cells is FDA cleared and our provider abides by all of the most stringent medical guidelines. Your comfort, safety, and recovery are the top concern.

The cells are rigorously tested and screened under NIH, FDA, AATB, and AABB guidelines.

Because UCSC are less mature than other cells, the bodys immune system is unable to recognize them as foreign and therefore, they are not rejected. There has never been a documented instance of rejection in graft vs. host.

Journal of Translational Medicine 2007, Stem Cell Therapy for Autism. Thomas E. Ichim, Fabio Solano, Eduardo Glenn, Frank Morales, Leonard Smith, George Zabrecky, and Neil H. Riordan

See this testimonial about how Stem Cell Therapy in Little Rock is helping our patients. Natural State Integrative Health is one of the few locations in Central Arkansas offering this cutting edge treatment for pain management.

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Low T & Testosterone Replacement Therapy in San Diego …

Posted: May 3, 2019 at 10:46 am

If you ask anybody from my inner circle, they would all say that Im athletic, handsome, and energetic. I didnt feel like any of those a little after turning 43. I gained a little over 15 pounds, lost patches of hair over my body, and couldnt get good sleep so I was always tired. I did some research and they were all symptoms of low testosterone. I spoke to my wife and she mentioned that her brother-in-law went through the same thing and went through a TRT protocol with GameDay. I did the same and couldnt be happier. The icing on the cake is the fact that GameDay worked with my insurance plan!

-- Todd A., Carlsbad

Words you never want to hear when having sex: Is everything okay? My wife noticed the lackluster sex and Im glad she said something because if not I would have never found out about GameDay and their treatment for low testosterone levels. After just a couple of months, TRT is rocking my life and rejuvenated my sex life. My wife and I are forever thankful that GameDay was able to help me with their dedicated support and expert knowledge. We spoke to a few other clinics and we didnt feel comfortable with the way they were just trying to push us towards a payment.

-- Mike R., Carlsbad

I have noticed from start to finish that my energy levels have been much better with the help of GameDays TRT treatment. Prior to it, my mind was foggy and I couldnt get any deep sleep which made working in sales extremely difficult. With all of the traveling and constant relationship building that is expected of me, I just couldnt keep up and underperformed which never happens. My boss took me aside and suggested I take some time off to get things aligned. With the time off, I was able to find a solution through GameDay. Im now back at work and hitting my performance goals again.

-- Bill M., San Marcos

Things in my life werent getting much worse in the past year. I was tired but I felt like who wasnt? I gained weight but I also worked a sedentary job. What really got me was that when I was out with my friends and an attractive person passed me, I had no reaction. That was a wake up call for me. My friend actually got treatment at GameDay and highly recommended reaching out. Best decision ever. The staff had such an expertise and were straightforward about what was possible and what should be expected. Within 3 months, I feel overall more alive and I gained more confidence. 10/10 awesome experience.

-- Andrew K., San Diego

GameDay has greatly improved my life and I highly recommend everybody to go give them a visit. Theyre professional and, more importantly, attentive to what I was saying. I was so relieved after meeting with the GameDay team - the search for a treatment was finally over and things can only move up from here! My girlfriend was also glad that GameDay was able to provide a treatment that not only was effective, but also reassuring knowing that each visit was getting me back to my normal self. Im not longer lethargic throughout the day and Ive even been told that I was glowing haha!

-- Nick W., Carlsbad

No dude likes to go to a clinic, let alone a mens health clinic. It's uncomfortable to talk about especially in regards to something below the belt being wonky. In addition, mentally I felt off and my energy was non-existent. Things like this, I usually just avoid but things got to a point where I had to reach out to GameDay. Hands down, this experience was as comfortable as it could have possibly bee. The staff were awesome. They were all positive vibes and its clear that they pull out all the stops for every patient. If youre looking for discreet, professional, and quick service reach out to GameDay. Theyll no doubt care for you.

-- Rick T., Carlsbad

When I reached out to GameDay, I had so many hands in all sorts of problem buckets. My sleeping was horrible and had this permanent brain fog. Even when I did manage to get a good amount of sleep, I was exhausted and empty. After going to the clinic and starting my treatment plan, I slept like a baby. When I wake up now, Im a different person. I feel like I can take on whatever is in my way. On top of that, my facial hair is coming in more fully. Its crazy to think that all my problems were stemmed from this one deficiency in my life, thank you GameDay!!!

-- William W., Carlsbad

I knew something was wrong when my sex drive dropped. Docs were so willing to write viagra scripts but stonewalled any indication that hormone levels were off. GameDay evaluated my case without any judgement or discrimination. I got a treatment plan quickly and it was affordable since they accept insurance. 1.5 months in, I can say that my sex drive is steadily increasing. I feel like the loss of confidence and vigor is slowly being repaired which is more than I can ask for. Happy that I reached out, would recommend.

-- Steve K., San Marcos

I truly feel blessed that my insurance covered services at GameDay. I reached out interested in improving what I had suspected to be low T levels. As I know many go through, my local PCP didnt want anything to do with that. I sought out another provider they actually recommended GameDay. The treatment plant they made me, I felt a difference within weeks. They even worked with my insurance and kept me in the loop despite my may questions. So happy that I ended up at GameDay and wouldnt change it for anything.

-- Daniel A., Carlsbad

GameDay gave me back the vigor of life as I call it. I came into GameDay because they accept insurance but I was a little skeptical. Ive been working with my physician for years, but he recently moved away. Within a month, joint pain was close to zero, I recovered quicker, and when I worked out I could progressively do more weight almost every time I came back. Being on the treatment plan let me experience working out and moving around like I was 20 again, They make the world of difference to my quality of life and I will never stop recommending them.

-- Steven B., Carlsbad

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Skin stem cells: where do they live and what can they do …

Posted: May 1, 2019 at 11:53 pm

One of the current challenges for stem cell researchers is to understand how all the skin appendages are regenerated. This could lead to improved treatments for burn patients, or others with severe skin damage.

Researchers are also working to identify new ways to grow skin cells in the lab. Epidermal stem cells are currently cultivated on a layer of cells from rodents, called feeder cells. These cell culture conditions have been proved safe, but it would be preferable to avoid using animal products when cultivating cells that will be transplanted into patients. So, researchers are searching for effective cell culture conditions that will not require the use of rodent cells.

Scientists are also working to treat genetic diseases affecting the skin. Since skin stem cells can be cultivated in laboratories, researchers can genetically modify the cells, for example by inserting a missing gene. The correctly modified cells can be selected, grown and multiplied in the lab, then transplanted back onto the patient. Epidermolysis Bullosa is one example of a genetic skin disease, where patients can benefit from this approach. Work is underway to test the technique.

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