Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Extremely Vulgar Language, But Funny: Latest Study Finds Cancer Cells Now Cruelly Mocking Researchers


Thanks to Nick for this amusing read:
ROCHESTER, MN—Stating that cancer cells are now “laughing in our fucking faces,” a new Mayo Clinic study with widespread implications for the treatment and potential cure of the disease has found that the malignant growths have begun cruelly mocking researchers. 

The findings—published this week in a rambling, expletive-laden 8,000-word article in The Journal Of The American Medical Association—provides the strongest evidence yet that abnormal cells targeted with cutting-edge cancer treatments are basically flipping off scientists left and right, and get a huge kick out of making oncologists feel like a bunch of bumbling dipshit chumps.
“By mounting comprehensive and systematic attacks on malignancies with emerging technologies such as low-cost genetic sequencing, artificial intelligence, and monoclonal antibody treatments, what we’ve discovered is that cancer cells are little pricks that think they’re the king of the fucking world,” lead author Dr. Charles Sepkowitz said of the study, which found that most leading cancers are pretty goddamn proud of themselves, especially when exasperated oncologists feel like their research is going nowhere. “Our data indicate that while it’s frustrating that cancer cells metastasize so fast, they don’t have to be such huge assholes about it.”
“You can almost hear them cackling at us while they spread to the lymph nodes,” he added.
According to the study, researchers now have a much better sense of the molecular and cellular basis of tumor growth, including the ingrained sense of entitlement that reportedly drives cancer cells to grow irregularly until they become one big fuck-you to scientists.
The report confirmed that while all types of carcinomas are beginning to make researchers feel like garbage, myeloma cancer cells in particular think they’re God’s gift just because they’re resistant to the frontline drug Velcade.
Researchers found that in addition to those toxic cells, basal cell carcinomas also get a “certain sick joy out of smacking researchers around like a bunch of little bitches.”
“Several years ago, when you looked at cancer cells under a microscope, they weren’t such huge jerks,” said Dr. Karen Phillips, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. “But now they are playing with us—taunting us even. For example, one minute, ovarian granulosa cell tumors and other stromal malignancies are being successfully destroyed with a cisplatin and etoposide combination chemotherapy. But the next minute, those shit-eaters are overexpressing the BRCA1 locus protein and triggering the expression of the antiapoptotic protein survivin, thus protecting ovarian cells from cisplatin-induced survivin down-regulation and making them completely chemo-resistant.”
“The bottom line is that cancer wants to do two things now,” she continued. “Spread rampantly throughout the body, and make everyone in the cancer research community feel like complete shit.”
In addition to finding that malignant neoplasms enjoyed mocking scientists by jauntily waving their stupid little flagella around during even the most intense radiation treatments, the study also confirmed that pancreatic cancer is a sick fuck that basically gets off on researcher frustration.
Moreover, abnormally growing cells consistently made the “complete dick move” of producing false-positive signals in exome sequencing, leading researchers to conclude that cancer is a disease defined not by gene mutations or chromosomal aberrations, but by its desire to make cancer specialists question whether or not their life’s work is completely meaningless.
The study, which projected that in 10 years cancer cells would more than likely mutate into even cockier pissants, was not without some bright spots, however.
“The one experiment that didn’t necessarily lead to a breakthrough, but was certainly enlightening, was when we hurled test tubes against the wall and pushed a cryogenic freezer filled with non-Hodgkin lymphoma samples out an eight-story window,” oncologist Dr. Ben Vincent said. “We’re no closer to curing cancer, but that made us feel better for at least a little while.”

Pediatricians OK Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Citing its potential for use in pediatric diseases, the American Academy of Pediatrics has thrown its support behind human embryonic stem cell research.

-SNIP-


*Restrictions on stem cell research supported by the academy included the following:
*Human embryonic stem cells used for research should be derived from excess embryos created through in vitro fertilization for reproductive purposes and no longer needed for that purpose.
*The individuals who sought reproductive treatment must give consent for the embryos to be used for research.
*No payments should be offered for donated embryos used to obtain human embryonic stem cells.
*There should be a clear separation between the prospective embryo donor's decision to create human embryos for reproductive purposes and the donor's decision to donate human embryos for research purposes.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Anti-GMO Labeling Campaign Accused of Fraudulent Claims

Monsanto has been working overtime to salvage its increasingly poor image as the state of California is fighting to ensure that GMO (genetically modified organism) products are labeled. The California Right to Know campaign has fought on behalf of California’s proposition 37, set to be voted on by voters on Election Day that mandates all GMO products be labeled. But Monsanto has fought to counter Proposition 37 through the "No on 37" campaign, which is now beingaccused of fabricating a quote by the FDA that implies the agency is opposed to GMO labeling.

-SNIP-


According to data collected by California’s Department of Campaign Finance, the largest donors to the "No on 37" campaign are Monsanto, at $4,208,000 and DuPont, at $4,025,200, since the ballot initiative was first approved in May. Others include Pepsico, Nestlé, Coca Cola, Kellogg’s, General Mills, J.M. Smucker, Ocean Spray, and Hormel Foods.
The quote in question is as follows: "The US Food and Drug Administration says a labeling policy like Prop 37 would be 'inherently misleading.' "
According to the California Right to Know campaign, the FDA never issued such a statement. Natural News reports, “The FDA never actually issued such a statement, of course, as the law prohibits the agency from taking an official position on the matter. But for its own malicious purposes, the No on 37 campaign decided to affix both the quote and the FDA seal on its campaign propaganda in an attempt to sway public opinion against the measure.”

Some Neat Recent Pictures

 Dom took the pic of this neat spiderweb yesterday morning
 Neat Full Moon
 Looking to the WEST during an seemingly ordinary Sunset
Looking to the EAST during the same sunset..... Those are PINE TREES, but they appear to be hardwoods in their Fall colorful glory!

Monsanto's Lies and the GMO Labeling Battle

You may have never heard of Henry I. Miller, but right now he is attempting to determine the future of food in this country. And he has enormous financial backing.

Mr. Miller is the primary face and voice of the “No on Prop 37” campaign in California. At this very moment, Monsanto and other pesticide companies are spending more than $1 million a day to convince California voters that it’s not in their best interest to know whether the food they eat is genetically engineered. And Henry I. Miller is their guy.

-SNIP-

These are good points. There is no food movement if Monsanto has its way with us. And there is no democracy without an informed citizenry.

The question now is whether we are going to allow special interests to dictate what we are allowed to know about the food they sell us.

In this case, ignorance is not bliss. It’s subservience to the agenda of Monsanto and the other pesticide companies. Without labeling, we are eating in the dark, with potentially disastrous consequences.

What remains to be seen is whether Californians will, come November 6th, allow Monsanto and its allies to control what you are allowed to know about the food you eat.

Find out more and get involved here.

Sign a petition to Congress calling for labeling of genetically engineered foods here.

JUMP HERE

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A List of GMO CANDY.....


Lead and GMO Sugar in Halloween Candy?

Urban legends of harmful products in Halloween candy and fruit have caused parents to greet Halloween suspiciously. However, a hidden threat is real in some of the candy on the shelves today – lead and GMO’s.
With Halloween coming, every parent wonders what sugary treats their kids will find in their trick-or-treat bags. But did you know that sugar from genetically modified (GMO) beets is now in widespread use, despite worldwide scientific concern about the potential health and environmental hazards that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops may create?

Genetically modified corn kills rats 2-3 times more often and more quickly


Researchers in France have found that feeding rats corn which has been genetically modified to be Roundup-resistant increases the number of rats who die and the rate at which they die in comparison to a control group fed non-GMO corn. This study is the first long-term GMO study of its kind having taken two years to complete, giving the rats a lifespan equivalent to 60 human years. The research will be published in the upcoming November issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology, available today Oct. 25.
In the two-year study, researchers fed rats a diet that consisted of either 11 per cent, 22 per cent or 33 per cent corn which had been genetically modified to be resistant to theMonsanto herbicide Roundup. They found that the rats who were fed the GMO diet died earlier and in greater numbers than the rats who were fed a normal, non-GMO diet.
The GMO corn appears to induce significant hormonal disruption in the rats.

Stem Cell Transplants: What to Know


(NewsUSA) - Approximately every four minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer or disorder such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma or myelodysplastic syndromes.
Stem cell transplantation -- which replaces diseased or damage stems cells in the patient's bone marrow with healthy ones -- is commonly used to treat various forms of blood cancers and disorders and is one of the most important medical advances in the last 50 years.
It is important for people with blood cancers and disorders to be aware of the two major types of stem cell transplants -- autologous and allogeneic -- and to know which type of transplant may be right for them.

Monsanto Timeline: Innovation and Contamination


As the leading herbicide “Roundup” producer in the world, Monsanto now is responsible for 90% of the worlds genetically modified (GMO) seeds. Founded in 1901 by John Francis Queery, Monsanto has taken many forms, some good and some evil, all for profit.
Recently they have become controversial in their fight against GMO labeling in California (Prop 37). This is not their first battle in terms of legislation. In fact, their first every product (Saccharin) was sold to Coca-Cola and they were sued by the government (they won the lawsuit).
Since then they’ve managed to capitalize off of World Wars, Vietnam, the ban on hemp, herbicides and much more.
The strategy is simple: invent new products and then present a flood of scientific research to gain approval. If this does not work, buy Washington D.C. The timeline below does not document the legal battles and political corruption too much because that graphic will be released tomorrow. Rather, this just shows some of their innovations and the contamination that followed.
Odds are we have all used or consumed Monsanto products in the past, whether you know it or not. Some of their invention are cool (AstroTurf), while others not-so-cool. Through it all they’ve managed to takeover the herbicide business and GMO seeds. If we have omitted anything let us know, there is only so much room!
Many people who support organic growers are of the opinion that they don’t want to eat anything invented is a science lab. When looking at the graph below, this opinion seems reasonable. For those who defend Monsanto, take a look at the past in predicting the safety of their products in the future.

Robin Roberts Tells Oprah She's 'Incredibly Blessed' In First Live Interview Since Transplant



Robin Roberts called into Good Morning America Thursday to update viewers -- and special guest Oprah Winfrey -- on her recovery from her bone-marrow transplant last month.
"It's Day 35," the inspirational 51-year-old said about the procedure in her battle with MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome), a blood and bone marrow disorder. "Thirty-five days ago, I had my bone marrow transplant. It is a journey."

Robin said she's "incredibly blessed to be doing as well as I am.
"Some days I do feel like I am 35 days old and can't get my head off the pillow," Roberts conceded, "but those days are becoming fewer and fewer."

She said while "it would be a whole lot easier not to be so public when you're going through something like this… it's a privilege to be a messenger."

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Environmental groups win challenge to gene-altered crops on National Wildlife Refuges in South

A federal judge sided on Tuesday with environmental groups that challenged the planting of genetically-modified crops on National Wildlife Refuges in the South.

-snip-

In their lawsuit, Center for Food Safety, Beyond Pesticides and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said that there are several ongoing environmental effects of using the genetically-modified crops, including harm to beneficial insects, an increase in herbicide-resistant weeds, altered soil ecology and genetic contamination of natural plants.

MONSANTO KILLS

Canadian Pomalidomide Study looks promising


Aldo Del Col, Executive Director of Myeloma Canada, noted, “Pomalidomide is promising because it demonstrates these positive results even when multiple previous treatments have stopped working. This is significant because seven new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed each day in Canada. It cannot yet be cured but newer drugs means it can be treated for increasingly longer periods of time.”
Pomalidomide is an investigational oral medication called an immunomodulator that attacks the cancer directly while also stimulating the body’s own defense mechanisms to attack. It is a relative of the approved drug lenalidomide (Revlimid) but studies show pomalidomide is effective even where disease has become resistant to lenalidomide as well as to drugs called proteasome inhibitors.
This past summer carfilzomib (Kyprolis), a second generation proteasome inhibitor, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. A decision on pomalidomide is expected early next year in the United States and later in 2013 in Europe. Neither has been scheduled for submission to Health Canada.

Doctor touts education about symptoms, treatment of multiple myeloma


“Twenty years ago, there were only two treatments for multiple myeloma,” he said. “There are so many choices now and so much information that it is critical for you to know what your doctor knows.”
Cole stressed the importance of taking an active role in treatment decisions. He encouraged patients to seek out a doctor who specializes in myeloma (hematologist/oncologist), to ask lots of questions, and to bring someone with them to appointments to write everything down.
And, if you aren’t sure what to ask, feel free to say to your doctor “What should I be asking of you?,” Cole said.
“You are your own best advocate,” he said.
Common multiple myeloma symptoms
Common symptoms of multiple myeloma include:
• Bone pain, usually in the back and ribs
• Broken bones, usually in the spine
• Feeling weak and very tired
• Feeling very thirsty
• Frequent infections and fevers
• Weight loss
• Nausea or constipation
• Frequent urination
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer, as other health problems may also cause them. Only a doctor can tell for sure. Anyone with these symptoms should tell the doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Source: National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health,www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/myeloma.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

An Anti Thalidomide Story

I happen to disagree with this, as Dom's treatment was Thalidomide.  Other than slight peripheral neuropathy,  and occasional hand cramps, he was fine with it.  AND he's been in complete remission for 40 months!

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/thalidomide/thalidomide

"Thalidomide "was a terrible invention that caused untold amounts of physical and emotional damage," Berrisford said. "... While I understand the desperation and need of those afflicted with cancer, I will never be able to accept that a drug with Thalidomide's record is still a viable solution to anything."

It sure solved our problem!

Stem Cell Bodyguards


Hiding deep inside the bone marrow are special cells. They wait patiently 
for the hour of need, at which point these blood-forming stem cells can 
proliferate and differentiate into billions of mature blood immune cells to 
help the body cope with infection, for example, or extra red blood cells for 
low oxygen levels at high altitudes. Even in emergencies, however, the 
body keeps to a long-term plan: It maintains a reserve of undifferentiated 
stem cells for future needs and crises. A research team headed by Prof. 
Tsvee Lapidot of the Institute’s immunology Department recently 
discovered a new type of bodyguard that protects stem cells from over-
differentiation. In a paper that appeared in Nature Immunology, they 
revealed how this rare, previously unknown sub-group of activated immune 
cells keeps the stem cells in the bone marrow “forever young.”

Forum: GMOs are not 'proven safe'


As California and a dozen other states prepare to allow their citizens to decide whether they have the right to know if their food is from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), agribusiness giants such as Monsanto, Dupont, Pioneer and Cargill have contributed nearly $25 million to defeat the California "Right to Know" proposal.
Closer to home, Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson contributes to the misinformation by stating that current biotech products have been "proven safe" by USDA, FDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academy of Sciences. ("Medical group affirms general GMO safety," FarmWeek, June 25).
This astonishing claim of "proven safe" is unjustified. First, I have not seen "proven safe" used for any GMO by any of these three federal agencies or the National Academy of Sciences.

HAYRIDE!!!!









Dom took us for a nice hayride back in our woods.... we have about 40 acres of trails in the back.  At one point, I had him stop the tractor and climb in the back with us for a cold beer.

After about 10 minutes, Simone said, "Hey, Uncle Dom..... I thought that this was going to be a hay RIDE!".

He promptly finished his beer and hopped back on the tractor.

Returned back to our tents where Chris had lit the tiki torches and started the bonfire.   Had a wonderful day and night.  This is the end of the pictures!

Pumpkin Carving Time








While the girls carved their pumpkin, I roasted the seeds in butter and kosher salt...yummy!

Boys Making Noise on Saturday






It sounded like WWIII around here on Saturday afternoon.  The guys had great fun.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Boat Rides and Fishing on Saturday











The little gals are looking forward to swimming in the pond this summer.... Aunt Nan will be right along with 'em!

What a FUN Weekend! (Chris, Christy, Tony and the Gals)


This weekend will go down into the memory books for all involved!

I'm posting these pics in batches, much for Christy and Tony.

Background....  Dom and I have had a warm relationship with "Chris and Linda" for nearly 30 years.  He remains one of Dom's dearest friends.

Their daughter, Christy, was here often as a young child..... clambakes, weekend parties, etc.  I've always love the gal and considered her a surrogate daughter.

She's now a grown woman with a wonderful husband, Tony and 3 little girls.... Simone (7), Olivia (9) and Sadie (14).

Christy and I have maintained a warm relationship over these years, and we thought it would be fun for her girls to see "the country".  We had a blast!  Little Simone (the CHARMER) said that it was "the best day of her life".  Their 4 month old puppy, Pepper, stole our hearts.  What a little doll!  She had a blast running around the property, swimming, hay-riding and protecting the family from the howling coyotes at around 3am.  We loved that puppy!  (She can SPEAK, SIT, ROLL OVER and CRAWL ON HER BELLY already!)

Anyway, Chris arrived on Friday morning.  He and Dom went out for the day.  Meanwhile, I made homemade Corn Meal Mush, boiled some wheat-berries for scrambled eggs, made some pasta salad for dinner, and just relaxed.

Christy, Tony and the girls arrived on Saturday.  During the day, my boys had fun with their guns.  (Think WWIII)

We had a camp-out, the gals went fishing, played pool, shot darts, played foos-ball, went for boat rides, took rides with Tony on the 4-wheeler back in the woods, carved a pumpkin, loved the roasted seeds, went on a hayride, returned to lit tiki torches and a big bonfire, made 'smores, then were treated to a great fireworks display from "Uncle Dominic".  It delighted us that they were comfortable referring to us in that manner, as their maw had always done so!










Had a pleasant barbeque..... chicken, sweet corn and pasta salad.  Actually, it started as a BBQ, but after a fire, ended up in the oven.... long story.  LOL

Had a cold night in the tents, but the gals were troopers.... and enjoyed their breakfasts!  (Had never had corn meal mush or boiled wheat, something that I grew up on in Ohio)

They hit the road by noon on Sunday after a long walk in the woods.  Dom and I enjoyed an EXCITING Saints game and relaxed for the rest of the day.

You might grow bored of the pics, but these are basically for the family and our memories.  (With this painfully slow dial up, I can't entertain the thought of emailing photos.... plus, I want them to last!)

We love you guys!  Looking forward to your next visit..... and seeing my Pepper again!  (And getting the girls to PCB next summer!)



Friday, October 19, 2012

What Veterans Should Know


What every present day Veteran Should Know
Most of the veterans around today are of the Korean war, Vietnam war and Gulf war. In the past 10 to 11 years, Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Those of past wars and those who served in peace time need to explain to their sons, daughters, grand kids and maybe for some great grand kids, who may be serving their Country. How important it is to maintain records.
Upon discharge from any branch of the Armed Forces, the service member receives a
DD-214, release of service discharge. A very important document. Sometimes on that discharge document it might state medals earned and duty stations served at. It is not always the case. Often times the person typing up the DD-214 does not go through the members service record to record medals and duty stations.
Upon discharge from any branch of service along with receiving a DD-214, they should ask for copies of their medical records, record of medals earned and duty stations and or commands served under. Also they should keep copies of all transfer orders and travel orders. These are important documents.
You may ask why keep those documents? It can be very likely they may be needed at some point in time years after discharge from military service.
An old injury creeps up on you that might be service connected or an illness that could be service connected. So you submit a VA claim. The VA asks for evidence of your service that may have caused an injury or illness. They will want to know what medals you earned, especially combat medals. They will want you to prove what duty stations and or commands you were attached to. Injury’s that may be service connect you have to prove with your medical records as well as medical records from a health care provider. Illness’s that may be service connected and prove where you were that could attest to a location.
If you don’t have these records or did have them and threw them away or misplaced them, good luck. It is a nightmare to get those records of service, that holds true to all branches of service. I could take mountains of paperwork on your part to find what you need as evidence for a VA claim. It could take several months even a year or more to find the documents needed. Any documents relative to the above should be kept in a safe place. A family member, wife, child, father, mother, etc. should now where you keep those documents for any event. By having these documents, it will be so much easier to submit a VA claim if and when needed for disability. The VA will not search for these documents for you, you are on your own to present them.
I am a Vietnam war veteran and I had saved all of my service documents over my 22 years of service. When I came down with Agent Orange exposure, those documents I saved were like gold. I had every thing the VA asked for and then some. It only took me a year to be rated disabled. On the other hand, if I did not have those documents, it conceivably could have taken several years to be rated disabled, that is if I were able to find what was needed by the VA.
Another important thing a veteran upon discharge should do is register with the VA to be in the system. This can be done by a phone call or on-line to get a form of registration and sending it in with a copy of your DD-214. Also all documents you collect must show your SS#, just write it on the top of each page. There is the possibility you may one day need to submit a VA claim. Safe guard your service documents, they may one day be important to you. Don’t cause yourself a nightmare later in life when you find you need help.
This advice is given by: John J. Bury, US Navy, retired, Vietnam War veteran
Author for the COVVHA

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Blood or Bone Marrow Better for Stem Cell Transplants?


Study found no survival differences, but blood cells may be associated with more chronic side effects

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For people whose bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy, radiation or disease, stem cell transplants offer a potential lifeline back to health.
But a key question has remained unanswered: Is it better to get the stem cells from a donor's blood or from bone marrow?
Now, a new study evaluates the pros and cons of harvesting stem cells from bone marrow rather than blood and suggests there are benefits to both approaches, but no survival differences between the two methods. The research was published Oct. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Our Fall Dining Room

We had a major freak-out..... Dom couldn't find my Fall decorations.... after much fretting and nagging on my part, the lost was found.


Now, just need to polish mom's silver and wash the turkey plates.  We love this time of year!

Labeling GMO food


Where there’s an important election or debate there are polls, and the Prop. 37 polls give the non-trusting public a whopping majority. Why is this measure so popular? Maybe it’s the creepiness of alien genes being inserted into our food. Who wants to eat a tomato whose grandmother was a halibut? The fact that inserted genes enable some corn seeds to carry their own pesticides, and others to resist the herbicide sprayed on them, does not fuel the appetite.
The well-documented news that those genes don’t, in the end, increase yields, that bugs and weeds become resistant to them, and that they contaminate non-GMO crops, does not inspire confidence in the Agriculture Department’s regulation of them.

Popular Mobile Food App Adds GMO Feature


"Fooducate, a mobile app launched last year to help grocery store shoppers quickly look up nutrition and other product info via bar code scans, has added a GMO feature, the developers announced Monday."

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Monsanto, Genetic Engineering and Food

MONSANTO KILLS!!!!!!!!!!!
If genetically modified (GM) foods and genetically engineered (GE) agricultural products are as “safe” as manufacturers Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences claim, why go to such great lengths to block efforts to label them?

Why have these chemical companies — along with DuPont, Syngenta, BASF, Bayer, Pepsi, Nestle and Coca-Cola — spent nearly $33 million to block passage of Propo­sition 37, the California Right to Know ­Genetically Engineered Food Act? Mon­santo has declared that crushing this ballot initiative is its “single highest priority.”­
Over 50 countries, including China, Russia, Australia, France and Spain, all require GM organisms to be labeled. Efforts to pass labeling laws in 19 U.S. states have all been blocked by the pesticide companies.
From super seeds to super weeds
The increased use of Roundup Ready seeds has led to a 20-fold increase in the use of Monsanto herbicides. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 1994, farmers applied 4.9 million pounds of glyphosate on soybean crops. By 2006 (last available data), they used 96.7 million pounds. (Mother Jones, July 18)
Planting GMO seeds hasn’t always produced the crop yields promised by Monsanto, but farmers are increasingly “harvesting” something they never planned for — super weeds!

Detecting Bone Disease in Multiple Myeloma Patients


With approximately 80% to 90% of multiple myeloma patients developing osteolytic bone lesions at some point during the course of their disease, it is important for oncologists to monitor these patients, and to design and administer appropriate bone health treatments at the earliest stages, in an effort to prevent or minimize the effects of skeletal-related events (SREs).

For many years, the standard method of assessing the extent of bone disease in multiple myeloma patients has been a skeletal survey, which consists of a series of x-rays across the whole skeletal system that can detect “punched out” lesions caused by multiple myeloma. This method detects approximately 80% of cases of myeloma that have metastasized to the bone.

However, not only does this method not catch every case of bone disease, it only detects them if lytic bone disease has caused at least 30% of the trabecular bone to be lost. Likewise, it is not sensitive enough to assess how patients respond to therapies designed to prevent SREs or maintain bone mass.

Stem Cells From Cadavers? Pluripotent Cells Can Be Derived From Dead Bodies, Research Shows

We live in amazing times, folks!  


Death will come for us all one day, but life will not fade from our bodies all at once. After our lungs stop breathing, our hearts stop beating, our minds stop racing, our bodies cool, and long after our vital signs cease, little pockets of cells can live for days, even weeks. Now scientists have harvested such cells from the scalps and brain linings of human corpses and reprogrammed them into stem cells.
In other words, dead people can yield living cells that can be converted into any cell or tissue in the body.
As such, this work could help lead to novel stem cell therapies and shed light on a variety of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, which may stem from problems with development, researchers say.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Robin Roberts’ Emotional Goodbye At Hospital: ‘There’s No Place Like Home’

SHE's HOME!!!!!!!


Robin Roberts woke up in her own bed Thursday morning after being released from the hospital after undergoing a bone marrow transplant in September to treat a rare blood disorder.

"There's no place like home," the Good Morning America anchor tweeted Thursday morning. "After 30 days in the hospital I'm home. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank YOU and bless YOU. XO"

Roberts ,51, went home Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday’s GMA aired video of her emotional goodbye to the hospital staff and welling up as she saw the sky and felt the fresh air for the first time in a month.


Despite being back home, Roberts writes on her GMA blog that her battle with myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS, isn't over yet.
"Far from it," she notes.

"I am considered 21 days old. That's how long it has been since my transplant. Remember when you broughtyour baby home for the first time? Your precious bundle didn't leave the house much and you were careful that anyone who came in contact with your child was healthy.

"So I will still be resting away from GMA until I'm given the all clear, but sleeping in my own bed again feels like a big victory. My doctors will be monitoring me closely and I will still be at the hospital regularly to make sure we're on the right track. I cannot thank my amazing medical team enough. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for how they treat all their patients with such passion and compassion.

“Most of all, I know it is your prayers and warm thoughts that have gotten me this far.  I truly feel them each and every day.  I humbly ask that you please continue to send them until you see me back at the GMA anchor desk and I promise to send them right back at ya.

“Each day I get stronger and stronger.  I am fond of saying, “This Too Shall Pass.”  And even in some dark moments, of which there are still a few, I now see that light at the end of the tunnel. This too really shall pass.
“Light love power presence… and blessings to you all, XO”

Roberts' doctor, Gail Roboz, said on Thursday’s GMA that it has not been an easy journey for the veteran journalist."There were very hard days, and a lot of unpleasantness," Roboz said, adding that the days ahead are important. "She's got to get her hair back, get her strength back, rebuild in every sense." Roboz said Roberts will have to wear masks and gloves to protect her fragile immune system. "The bugs of the world are the terrorists." Roboz also said Roberts' first bone marrow biopsy, "coming up soon," will give an even better idea of how she's doing.