Twitter (again)

First there was the ‘who to follow’ feature...

then I had no followers (Twitter fail)...

and then somebody went and tweeted a picture from outer space!

Speaking of pictures from outer space, a team decided to send a paper plane into space as a bit of a pet project – and it ended up costing £8,000. Ouch!

Would you dare to wear spray on clothes?

In one word – no! Personally I have normal clothes and they suit me just fine.

Also looking at the pictures in the article, I think the guy lab just looks a little bit TOO happy to be spraying the liquid fabric onto the nearly naked volunteer. I’m pretty sure the female writer (Laura Stott) just wanted to get her kit off, lol. Maybe she’s an aspiring model and thought this would be a great opportunity: P

Jokes aside, as a technological advance in textile technology, I have to say it is pretty interesting. The spray is a mix of short organic fibres that bind together to form a solid material, without the need for any stitching or weaving

Eventually when it will be put into production, costing about £10 a can, which is not bad. The material that you spray on can be to your own designs specifications and it will certainly be one of a kind. The texture of the fabric can be varied as well as the method of applying the spray to produce new styles. Once the material has dried it can be washed and it is removable, just like normal clothing. It is also ecologically viable as it can be dissolved and reused to make a new item.

But where would be see it fitting into our clothing habits? Would it even fit in here in the UK or would it be better off used abroad? Any ideas?

No more Windows live spaces?

I left those guys (Windows Live spaces) a long time ago when I moved to Blogger and the only thing I took with me was the blog name Saima’s Space. However the subsequent transition from Blogger to Wordpress seemed to take forever. My cousin emailed me the following link this morning – Windows Live Blogging comes to an end. Yep. Windows Live Spaces is shutting up shop and all members will be encourage to sign up with Wordpress. Hmm, do you think the universe is giving me a shove to get my backside into gear? I’m so sorry I’m such a lazy blogger!!!

Medical students given iphones

I’m pretty sure Leeds medical school hates us.

Why else would they start handing out iphones to medical students? I understand that they are trying to give us the best possible education by making key resources readily available to us and having all the tools and information we need at our fingertips. Furthermore it is a first for the University and allows them to gain publicity. But personally I feel that the money spent on iphones would be best spent elsewhere – somewhere where it is really needed. Past medical students have done just as well carrying pocket sized handbooks summarising most of the information we need. Any information that is not found those in those handy guides can be located online via the various computers that located in each nurses/ ward station, the doctor’s mess and even in GP surgeries. FY1’s can be easily be contacted via their bleeps and most of the students tend to have their own mobile phones with them anyway.

So to conclude, personally I believe that handing out iphones is a little unnecessary and also it does seem a tad extravagant in these difficult times of recession where precious funds and resources need to be well utilised. This is in addition to the negative press we would get from critics saying how the education system is wasteful, going soft and so forth. Does anyone think I am being overly critical? Please bear in mind that I am also a student in the school of medicine at the University of Leeds… and I am eligible to receive an iphone as well.

iphones

With the new iPhone4 being launched, the hordes of people queuing up to buy it is inevitable. These series of images I felt were appropriate for the occasion – how many can say hand on heart that these are applicable to them?

Apple at the Oatmeal

Science news that caught my eye

I am all for making health service more accessible for the public, I mean that the point of the NHS – to help people and it is one of the many reasons I decided to follow a career in medicine. However I am doubtful of this service – vending machines for medicine.

Okay, so I have A LOT of things that need to be done so just a short post. These two articles caught my eye and s

Decoding Heart Disease –

The human genome project was huge breakthrough for researchers everywhere and I’m glad that all research has started being put to good use. Hopefully it will make a big difference to both the lives of patients as well as the NHS.

Vending machines for medicine –

They are currently going on trail in five UK based hospitals but their end goal is to have them on high streets and shopping centres in the future. Part of me thinks this is a great idea for those that live in rural areas where such services are limited but then again a pharmacist does play an important role in the health service. People often have the notion that doctors and pharmacists clash, however they do in fact work very well together to provide the best care possible for the patient. A pharmacist can also provide additional advice and support for a patient after they have had a consultation with the doctor as well regulating medications and double checking prescribed medications. Most chemists/ pharmacies are situated near a doctor’s surgery and so chances are that more often than not a pharmacist will be able to spot an incorrect prescription as the will be familiar with many of the patients and their needs. Even in the most rural villages, they will always be some sort of health service setup that people can go and visit without any problems.

By introducing these vending machines, many patients will miss out on the one to one service that they would normally get and personally I feel this would be a loss. Also I don’t see many pharmacists being too happy about this development as it would weaken their role within the health service. Would they have to retrain as something else or would they be made redundant? Surely with the financial uncertainty we have hanging over our heads in the not to distant future, the less unemployed we have the better?

Diabetes: Interesting developments

Many people in the UK suffer from diabetes and its various complications. On these additional complications is Glaucoma – a progressive eye disease in the eye starts to accumulate excess fluid leading to a build up of pressure. The increased pressure causes damage to the optic nerve thus leading to an irreversible loss of vision.

Until now.

An operation for Glaucoma  

Previously the traditional operation for glaucoma involved creating a channel in the eye to remove the excess fluid, but the operation did have complications such as cataracts or extreme low eye pressure. However consultant ophthalmic surgeon, Mr Colin Willougby, was allowed to perform a new surgery (Trabecular Micro-Bypass Glaucoma Stent Surgery if you’re interested) in which a stent is insert into the eye to drain to drain excess fluid and decreases the risk of any blockages or cataracts.

On the whole, the operations have been successful so far, which is great news for the patients and the operations are cost effective, which is great news for the NHS as well. So it’s win-win situation all round then?

Brain scans to spot liars

I saw this in the news today and I thought that it was interesting – using MRI scans to observe brain patterns in order to determine if someone is lying or not. It sort of links back to my MSc project on cerebral blood flow patterns in the elderly and how they can be used to detect dementia and neurological changes. It’s a similar principle of detection and so forth :)

At the same time, the I am also aware of expensive these kind of tests are but like the article says, the process needs a lot more work on it before it can be used in a practical setting.

Professor Tobin

Remember him?! Today BBC Look North reported on the new burns unit which Professor Tobin is leading. Always nice to see a familiar face :)

He was a Dr, the last time I sat in on his lectures where he informed us about cell biology in that lovely Irish accent of his. I think I can safely say that I never once missed any of lectures or lab classes. Is it sad that I wish I had another lovely Irish lecturer here at university, possibly a senior medic? Also is it sad that I remember that lab and its layout? Is it sad that I am still a little besotted with man?

The answer to all the above is... yes of course I am. So people spare me the abuse. I should know better and yet I still can’t help myself :P

Dementia 2

A bit of background information about dementia specifics... and yes I do love my anatomy and physiology –

It’s a bit obvious but the brain needs to be looked after as it can’t be rewired when things go wrong.

Physically the weight of the human brain decreases by approximately 5% between 30 and 70 years, 10% at 80 years and 20% at 90 years of age. As we age, anatomically our brain structures change. Ventricles tend to enlarge, meninges being to thicken, there is a loss of nerve cells (which is minor and selective) and a general decline in quantity of nerve processes. The presence of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and granulovacuolar degeneration, increase with age and are present in 80% of healthy individuals that are aged 70 years and above. There is also a biochemical decline of neurotransmitter systems and ischemic lesions are present in half of normal people over 65 years of age.

The problem lies within the relationship between post mortem histology and brain function in life. In general as we age, there is a general decline in functional capacity and adaptability as well as the increased occurrence of chronic degeneration conditions such as Parkinson’s and so forth. Currently half of general hospital beds are occupied by the ageing elderly and the management of this population is riddled with problems such as; increased sensitivity to the possible side effects of treatment, most patients tend to have more than one disorder present as well as social and psychiatric complications.

These psychiatric complications arise as the elderly often unwell and have sensory impairments and so it is difficult to determine what is normal ageing and what is not. Standard tests such as the mini mental state examination (MMSE) measure intellectual intelligence and the diagnostic significance of these scores increases as these test scores tend to decline from mid life onwards. Tests like the MMSE focus on learning new tasks but do not fairly represent the value of experience. Clearly the short term memory does deteriorate and decreased motor function (changes in central nervous system) may help to explain the impaired performance in tests due to the slow response speed. However changes in attitude (i.e. increased rigidity, caution) and personality (disengagement from society) also need to be taken into account.

Demographics of the elderly population are dependent on their societies (i.e. traditions and customs in asian countries such as China vary significantly from the normal practices in western countries such as England). On the whole, we are seeing an ageing population and so the social structure has also changed compared to previous years. Usual destinations include care homes, living alone or with their partners (a significant majority do do this now) and very few live with their children. Some have very little family to help and with many middle aged women working, this means that there are less people to visit. A disturbingly large proportion of the elderly population are living dangerously close to the official definition of poverty what with poor accommodation and lower incomes compared to the younger population, which I find very disturbing. You only have to glance at the newspapers during the coming winter to months to see what kind of issues the elderly in this country have to contend with i.e. unable to pay the increased heating bills etc.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/millions-of-pensioners-will-go-cold-as-energy-prices-soar-1799289.html

Perhaps it is just my outlook on life and how I have been brought up, but the abandonment of the elderly does anger me. A lot. May be I am taking it too seriously, I mean it’s not like I am related to these people. In fact even familial ties do not hold a lot of water these days; they seem to have no importance as they did in previous times – a factor that is contributing to a ‘broken Britain’ as Cameron would say.

And yet I still feel a connection to these elderly people around me. I choose to care because I genuinely want to care for them and not because my intended profession asks me to do so; to care for all people equally regardless of age, creed or colour. When I assess these people and I take the time to sit and talk to them, I do it because I want to know more about them and how they got here and not use it as a method of impressing the senior clinicians or getting the best diagnosis – things that would further my career. I can’t say it is entirely altruistic because that would be untrue; I am put in those situations because I am here to do a job which will benefit me primarily in achieving my career aspirations – but at the same time I hope it benefits them personally as well as medically.

These people have worked hard in their lives, contributed to the society we live and yet when the time comes to reap the benefits they are cast aside like spare parts. I see their own family members short tempered and not willing to ‘waste their time’ with them. Often we hear familiar terms bandied about when discussing this section of society; ‘a dinosaur’, ‘stuck in the dark ages’, ‘not willing to adapt/ be flexible’, ‘reaching the end of their mortal coil’, ‘they’re not contributing to society so why waste precious resources on them?’ are just a few that I have heard. However I believe that is not true.

The elderly population that I see around me are a group of people, the majority of which did believe in working hard and providing for their families. Can we say the same for the current generation – those scrounging off benefits to the detriment of the hard working, tax-paying, law abiding citizens of society? I mean what sort of message is that sending to the younger generation? I may be a 20 something and I am aware of how this is making me sound but at the time how many of us can genuinely say that we take to the time to understand these people?

Dementia

It’s great it’s finally getting some good press and people are being made more aware of it. Cancer receives more funding that dementia and yet with an ageing population, this (dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders) is soon going to be a huge problem.

[TED talk] http://www.ted.com/talks/gregory_petsko_on_the_coming_neurological_epidemic.html

Following the above article, it was recently announced that a large sum of money was being allocated to dementia research. But my question is how is that divided (the money is NOT ring fenced, meaning that no specific points to focus on have been highlighted) and who is regulating what goes where. It’s great to have the money but a bit useless if you don’t know where it needs to be used. We need aims and objectives to be identified first, then appropriate funding allocated; a clearly organised and structured funding process.

But I suppose at least some headway is being made both in terms of funding and new treatments as shown in this second article.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1273924/Powerful-new-drugs-switch-memory-brain-giving-hope-Alzheimers-sufferers.html 
http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/704667?src=cmenews&uac=126316FT

Morag or is that Megan?

Morag apparently. But how would you know any different? Lol

I know how odd this looks but this stuffed sheep actually represents a very important piece of scientific history. Most people assume that Dolly was the world’s first cloned mammal in 1996 and this is true to some extent. Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult stem cell, however prior to this there had been other attempts. The world’s first successful attempt in 1995, gave us the twins Morag and Megan (shown above) produced from embryo cells, at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh.

The cloning of the sheep did allow us to witness numerous complications of cloning, most notably the premature ageing, severe lung disease and arthritis that Dolly encountered. However the fear of cloning humans and the issues associated with it (i.e. ‘the 6th day’ style)... well there is still a while to go.

Anyhow if anyone happened to be in around the area and did want to go see the sheep, (Dolly will be joining them later on, lol), they are on display at Edinburgh’s Royal Museum. Seriously I’m interested but I am not going to travel over 200 miles to see some sheep!

Game playing

In the past, there have been claims that playing video games excessively can lead to increased levels of violence in individuals, especially younger children. Fair enough. To some extent, I do I agree about how society is now becoming slowly desensitised to violence and what was once considered gross misconduct is now probably an everyday norm for most people. Violent games may encourage this but I don’t think they are the sole culprits as other factors need to be considered i.e. schooling, parenting, family and friends etc.

In addition to previous claims, there is now a new study which indicates that excessive game playing can create poor postures which can lead to rickets. Rickets is a disease in which bones become brittle and more susceptible to breakages due to a lack of vitamin D. Sounds bad right? After reading this article in the Metro newspaper, I thought I’d read up on the study online. To my surprise I found that this latest piece of research seems to have been misrepresented by the Metro newspaper. The original research states that more vitamin D is required in our diets to stop rickets, which seems to have increased over the last 50 years. This is partly to do with our diet and our lifestyle choices. The original research does make a passing reference to computers but does NOT state a direct link to rickets and video games. I’m guessing the paper wanted to make a big impact with eye catching headlines rather than report the actual findings, which may not have been so sensational and thereby manipulating the research to suit the newspapers objectives.

Initially after reading this article at University (and this is an insight into how my crazy brain works), an image popped into my head. I imagined an irate 10 year old rushing towards with filled with rage, after playing ‘Call of Duty’, raising his arm to attack me and we hear a sharp crack, signalling that he has well and truly broken something. I shared this notion with my fellow medics and we couldn’t help but giggle. And then the giggling spread. And spread. And well I guess you just had to be there. And please trust me when I say that we are NOT a sadistic bunch of people. It’s just that sometimes the tiniest things can set us off :P

Anyhow as someone suggested surely this could be a good thing for the community. Maybe when the rage filled younger members of society go out to cause mayhem, they find out that they physically can’t any longer for the fear of breaking something from even the slightest sudden movement.

Result? I think so. But still shame on the Metro for lazy journalism! Tut tut tut!

Coca cola phone

How cool is this little idea? I’ve drastically cut down on how much coca cola I drink since I started studying med and realised the awful state it leaves your teeth in! Yuck! But how about using coca cola as fuel for a mobile phone?

The basic idea is that the cylindrical shaped phone unscrews at one where the coca cola can be poured in. The phone essentially runs on a bio battery that produces energy as glucose molecules that are then digested by certain enzymes to produce hydrogen ions, which combine with oxygen to form water. The power for this conversion is produced by a flow of electrons between a cathode and an anode, a similar format in most other fuel cells.

It has to be said that this is NOT a working model, but I do believe it is a much better use for coca cola. What a quirky little idea! I love it, lol.

'Tired but wired' syndrome

'Tired but wired' - applies to so many people I know, including myself.

Sorry for cutting and pasting this article, I seem to be running short on time lately, lol. I thought I'd copy this article before I forget or the link disappears. Apologies once again!!!

ARTICLE:

Is sleep deprivation affecting your health?

We speak to sleep and energy coach Dr Nerina Ramlakhan about the growing number of 'tired and wired' twenty-somethings and get the lowdown on her top sleeping tips. Sleep is one of life's most simple pleasures and is vital for maintaining a healthy mind and body. Leading a hectic non-stop lifestyle endlessly juggling work, family and social commitments can easily take its toll when it is time for lights out. And with so much going on, the mind races excitedly from one thought to another ensuring a restless night's sleep prevails.

Our bodies are remarkably well-equipped to cope with the odd night of bad sleep but for those suffering from chronic insomnia and a nightly deprivation; the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual effects can have a devastating impact on health. Despite preconceptions that sleep deprivation is an older person's health condition, a growing number of high-flying fast-living twenty-somethings are finding that success in work and life can equate with problems sleeping.

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is a sleep and energy coach, who suffered extensively from sleep deprivation in her twenties due to being 'tired but wired' - feeling well but not sleeping well. This typically affects those who are climbing the career ladder and putting immense pressure on themselves to prove their worth in their profession. Nerina set up her consultancy Equilibrium Solutions almost a decade ago and now works alongside the Capio Nightingale Hospital providing a light at the end of the tunnel for those with chronic sleep problems.

Nerina's clients also include celebrities, musicians, Premier League footballers and stressed-out mums driven to distraction by their new bundle of joy and the sudden long-lasting impact on sleep.

"I was experiencing what I now call 'tired but wired' which typifies many of my twenty-something clients' symptoms," says Nerina. "I was going to bed with so much noise in my head, just not being able to switch off and wind down. I couldn't get to sleep and at times I couldn't stay asleep. It seemed to be the busier I got in my career, the more it seemed to have an impact on my sleep. My high-flying clients strive to push themselves harder and struggle to switch off at home. What I am seeing more of now is technology being abused and just how badly this is impacting on sleep. We have lost the art of boundaries and are just unable to switch off and relax."

Miranda*, 25, sought Nerina's help with a torrid sleep pattern she had developed due to waking one night to find her flat in flames. Two years ago, Miranda had woken to blaring smoke alarms ringing at 3 am, and though unhurt, the shock of waking so traumatically that night was deeply affecting her wellbeing. "After the fire I had difficulty sleeping over a period of 18 months. I had trouble getting to sleep, and would wake at 3 am every morning and be unable to get back to sleep. I felt constantly exhausted and unable to switch my brain off when I tried to sleep. I relied on caffeine to keep me going," says Miranda.

Though the traumatic event deeply affected Miranda and her ability to sleep, Nerina noticed a destructive pattern that had developed - technology had an immeasurable impact on Miranda's sleep. Miranda regularly worked on her laptop in bed at night and her ever faithful BlackBerry was constantly switched on at her side. When Miranda tried to sleep she relied on having the TV playing in the background to help her drift off which in turn meant she woke to switch it off. As Miranda struggled to sleep, she continuously checked the clock every time she woke while worrying about how she would cope the next day in her busy role in advertising.

Among the methods introduced to help Miranda overcome her sleep deprivation problems, a 15-minute power napping technique which Miranda incorporated into her working day helped to re-energise and attune her body to rest. Anything work-related was removed from the bedroom while watching TV was replaced with reading a light, uplifting book. Relaxation, setting boundaries and regaining control of the work/life balance resulted in Miranda successfully sleeping restfully and feeling well again.

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan has some quickfire tips for getting a good night's sleep:
1. Ensure you get the right nutrition

Eat regularly and healthily; do not skip breakfast. You should always eat breakfast within 30-45 minutes of getting up as there is a biochemical link back to your sleep.

2. Cut down on caffeine

You should not be drinking any caffeine after 2pm if you have a problem with sleep. Drink no more than two cups of tea or coffee per day and stay off the energy drinks.

3. Hydrate and keep hydrated

Being dehydrated causes sleep problems.

4. Keep work out of the bedroom

Practice good time management, write lists so that when you get home at the end of the day you can leave work behind you and learn how to switch your technology off. Healthy boundaries are really important.

5. Relax

Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, mindfulness, meditation or power napping. Learn how to live your life more restfully.

*Name changed to protect identity

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan will release a self-help guide to sleep deprivation 'Tired But Wired' in 2010. More information on Dr Ramlakhan can be found at www.equilibriumsolutions.com

Oooh the drama!!!

Oh my word! Why am I still surprised when stuff like this stuff happens to me?!

The start of the Christmas holidays and with the snow falling outside, I wasn’t too keen on going anywhere. I read some journals for uni (good intentions right?) and for a bit of a break, I decided to make a start on moving my posts across from Blogger to Wordpress (it is taking forever I know!). However me being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted to tweak everything so that it was just right etc. Seen as my usual family IT/computer-related help person was away for the hols, I enrolled an alternative helper (thank you helper person!). Basically at some stage, I did something wrong – what exactly, I’m still a little unclear – and just for future reference; 404 errors = bad news! With the wordpress stuff eventually corrected and I continued with other work. Except a new problem arose hence this post!

I decided to back up my data (luckily) a few days earlier as I remembered I hadn’t done a recent back up for a while and I wouldn’t have peace of mind until I had done so. And thank god I did because on the 2nd January my computer decided to have a fit! Urgh! But no worries because you know I backed up my data right? Phew! So I set about fixing my laptop, I tried data scanning for viruses – no good, recovery disc’s – no good and eventually after an hour of faffing around I though screw it, I’m going to wipe it clean and restore it back to factory settings. After informing my laptop of my intentions… but in a more threatening manner – yes, I was having a conversation my computer at this point. Peaceful reasoning had failed and drastic measures needed to be taken from here on in! So far I've spent the entire next day reinstalling all the various programs I needed, which was a tedious task. But I think what annoyed me the most was that the windows updates decided update themselves in huge chunk all at once. Prior to the meltdown, I used have a few updates every couple of weeks or something. This time I downloaded 113 updates over two days and I’m still counting!
Can I just say my one saving grace in all this drama has been my wonderful external hard drive! At least I was prepared, but what still confuses me is why my laptop had an attack in the first place? I even thought it might be dust build up and ended up taking the back cover off my laptop and giving the keyboard and ventilation a good clean with a soft brush. I’m amazed at the sheer amount of dust that could gather in such a small thing! Anyhow when trawling through various forums/ discussion boards of what/ how I should clean certain components(helpful hints can be found here) and I also came across this thing.

Cyber Clean - I think it’s pretty nifty and I want one!

The computer is all fine now thankfully! But some online stuff has also been a bit bizarre. For example Windows live alert tried to convince me that all these people has their birthdays on the 1st of January, which I know for certain is not true.Or the time when Wordpress wouldn’t let me sign out! What is up with techy stuff lately? Maybe it’s like a new version of the millennium bug?*

*(Remember all that hoo haa about the millennium bug back in the year 2000? Seems so funny now...)

Stem cells; from the beginning – yes? (Part 2)

Stem cells are unique in that they are unspecialised (blank cells if you like) and are able to proliferate which simply means that they can multiply and make exact copies of themselves. Stem cells are also pluripotent meaning that they have the potential to become any type of adult cell and this process of specialisation is known as differentiation. Stem cells can differentiate into one of three types which are collectively known as the germ layers. The three types are as follows;

Ectoderm – The outer layer. Gives rise to the epidermis (skin), hair, pigment cells, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), sensory neurons and facial bones/tissues.

Mesoderm – The middle layer. Gives rise to the circulatory system (heart, blood and vessels), kidneys, gonads (ovaries/testes), muscle, bone and connective tissue.
Endoderm – The inner layer. Gives rise to lungs, thyroid and digestive organs i.e. stomach, liver, intestines, pancreas etc.

The diagram below illustrates the process of how stem cells are produced.

The maturation of stem cells

After conception, a tiny cluster of cells is formed which is called a blastocyst aka outer layer trophoblast. Stem cells can be derived from one of the following four origins.

Embryonic – cells are taken from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst.
Fetal – the embryo changes into a fetus and cells are extracted at the fetus stage.

Cord Blood – Cells are taken from the umbilical cord and placenta after birth.

Adult – cells are taken from adult tissues and are found in a variety of locations such as; brain, eyes, liver, skin, muscle, bone marrow and blood (see diagram below). Research into other possible sources of adult stem cells is still ongoing.

On second thoughts, the stages of maturation may be a more appropriate description of where/how stem cells can be derived. And herein lies the crux of problem; the reason why stem cells cause so much uproar in the media…

The main focus of protestors is the use of embryonic stem cells. In order to obtain embryonic stem cells, the human embryo has to be destroyed. As the embryo is classed as a human being, the destruction of the embryo amounts to murder, which is morally wrong. Furthermore manipulation of embryos could lead to reproductive cloning which in turn would to human life being devalued.

The utilitarian argument is that it is not fair to assume that embryo’s have an equal value as human life as they cannot survive independently outside the womb. In the natural female cycle, a lot of zygotes do not get implanted in the womb and are lost due to natural causes. Therefore rationally it is fair to say that a lot more embryos are lost naturally as opposed to the number of embryo’s that are used in research. Also as the embryos have no distinguishable organs, this means that they are no more human than a skin cell and should not be treated any differently. So there you have both sides of the argument, but where does that leave us in practical terms?

Please note that reproductive cloning is a different issue compared to therapeutic cloning i.e. developing therapies for diseases – think Dolly the sheep.

• Therapeutic cloning – adult cells for use in medicine and is an active area of research (see diagram below)
• Reproductive cloning – Involves making cloned humans
• Replacement cloning – theoretical possibility; combines therapeutic and reproductive cloning. It would entail the replacement of an extensively damaged and failing body via cloning followed by whole or partial brain transplant.

Embryo research in Britain is controlled by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Agency (HFEA). Although there are no laws at present to stop human cloning, the manipulation of embryos does require a licence that has to be issued by the HFEA and the UK government are also looking into bringing in legislation to make human cloning illegal for reproductive purposes.

State of affairs to date in the UK

Quoted from Wikipedia:

On 14 January 2001 the British government passed the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001 to amend the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 by extending allowable reasons for embryo research to permit research around stem cells and cell nuclear replacement, thus allowing therapeutic cloning. However, on 15 November 2001, a pro-life group won a High Court legal challenge, which struck down the regulation and effectively left all forms of cloning unregulated in the UK. Their hope was that Parliament would fill this gap by passing prohibitive legislation. Parliament was quick to pass Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 which explicitly prohibited reproductive cloning. The remaining gap with regard to therapeutic cloning was closed when the appeals courts reversed the previous decision of the High Court.

The first licence was granted on August 11, 2004 to researchers at the University of Newcastle to allow them to investigate treatments for diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, a major review of fertility legislation, repealed the 2001 Cloning Act by making amendments of similar effect to the 1990 Act. The 2008 Act also allows experiments on hybrid human-animal embryos.

 Places where cloning is illegal:

• In Germany, for example, all embryo research is banned. Any attempt to clone a human would therefore be outlawed.

• Legislation is already in place that would prevent human cloning in Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and most of Europe and Australia.

• Guidelines are in place in Argentina, Canada, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Singapore and Korea.

• In the United States, there is no federal law specifically banning human cloning but some states, such as Michigan, have civil controls.

So which countries completely outlaw human cloning at this moment in time. Well it is a little confusing but I would think the answer quiet simply is none of them and what we really need is for all the countries to get together and produce an international set of rules that are applicable to all countries.

Stem cells; from the beginning – yes? (Part 1)

Transplants have been and still are a huge step forward in the improving the lives of people via surgery, but that’s only just the surface of it. The future now seems to be growing body parts and organs that are tailor made for the patient. This in turn would decrease the risk of rejection plus the patients would not have to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives, which inevitably weakens their immune system.

Bearing in mind that a lot of time, effort and money is required for further research, it seems that stem cells are a promising way forward, allowing the regeneration of the patient’s own bone and tissue either within their own bodies or within a lab environment and the transplanted.

An exciting new field it may be, however along with its’ vast treatment potential, stem cells also seem to bring about a lot of controversy; politicians, government, the public, even scientists themselves. Furthermore the media have this amazing ability to take something completely out of context and misrepresent it to the general public making the topic seem either very confusing or poorly/wrongly understood.

In one of my previous posts (on curing baldness) a lot of people seemed confused by the topic of stem cells and I ended up emailing them to explain certain details/concepts further (not that I am an expert in any way but I just have a general interest in the area).

I wanted to write a new blog post on some upcoming research but realised that it probably won’t make much sense unless I explain the basics first. My problem is I’m not sure where to start. If I was teaching a tutorial, basics principles for scientists would lead to talks on cell ultra structure and culturing methods etc. I’m pretty sure that’s NOT what we’re aiming for here. Well not yet anyway. It reminds me of what a professor once said to me – ‘Simplicity is key. Enquiring minds will follow, just believe in yourself’. Imagine a yoda-esque glow around him if you will :P

So this is my attempt at explaining the basics... :)

Stem cells – update

A further update on upcoming stem cell research:

Ethical stem cells approved - 2nd December 2009

Firstly the USA approved ethical stem cells – great news. They have proper guidelines to stick too, no gray areas, which makes conducting research a lot easier. I mean there will always be protestor’s, but then it would feel rather odd if there weren’t any! :)

The stem cell boob job - 26 November 2009

The stem cell boob job involves taking fat from your thighs to boost your bust, which sounds like every women's dream. Probably not considered a major life saving health intervention but for every medical advance there is usually a cosmetic process that also reaps the rewards; some good and some bad.

Part of me feels this process is safer compared to silicone implants, which are basically an unnatural foreign material being inserted into your body. Plus there are the dangers of the material leaking and causing unwanted chemical and immune reactions. But there are some issues with this new process i.e. is it safe? Does it work? Stem cells also run the risk of genetic changes, which may be detrimental and possibly permanent in the long term. There are always pros and cons; an element of risk for every procedure; cosmetic or otherwise. I suppose we should all be thankful for what we have and how we are but if someone is really that desperate to change something about them, then it goes without saying that every process should be well thought out and researched before signing up for it.

It’s all in your head…

It is stuff like this that makes me think that I am slowly turning into a hypochondriac. As you learn all the theory of the human body, you find yourself mentally ticking symptoms that you might have and possibly diagnosing others around you. Some people do become quite paranoid about this kind stuff and usually in ends up being nothing, which is great news.

I saw seven different GP’s and only one spotted my brain tumour - 24 November 2009

And yet when you hear stories like the one shown above, you can’t help but go into panic mode all over again. Can you even imagine being in that woman’s place, I means she saw seven different GP’s and yet not getting any closer to finding out what was wrong! And then to find out you have brain a tumour… I mean that is as big as it gets in terms of major illnesses! Those kind of stories strike fear into your heart and I hope no one ever has to go through that kind of ordeal. Or be turned away and told that you’re imagining it and then to only go and find out something is really wrong.

With regards to doctor’s who say that their patients imagine their symptoms, it reminds me of this rather weird story*. Most of us know about phantom limb pain – common phenomenon where people with missing limbs often state that they are still able to feel the limb even though it is no longer there. Previously it was assumed that this condition only existed in the patients and that it was all psychological changes with no physiological basis. However doctors have discovered in one particular women how it actually cause physical changes in her as the doctor’s can actually observe distinct biochemical and neurological changes in her via MRI scans etc. How weird is that?

*The date of the article was 1st April... I wonder if it was an April Fool's joke :P