Diabetes and the Stem Cell Promise

We certainly live in amazing times!

"Another approach to the autoimmune problem is being tested by ViaCyte. The company is working on an embryonic stem cell-based therapy that will enclose beta-cell precursors inside a membrane envelope, then implant them under a diabetic patient's skin. The pouch will allow insulin to flow out of it, into a patient's bloodstream, but won't allow cells of the immune system to get in and attack the implant (or allow rogue cancers from the transplant, should they arise, to escape into the recipient's body).

Finally, diabetes researchers face the same challenges as any other scientists working with stem cells: They need to figure out how to produce large numbers of the beta cells and make sure they're safe and stable.
Over the long term, the best solution would probably be to study how stem cells generate beta cells to figure out how to teach a patient's body to regrow islets for itself from stem cells, and possibly even other types of cells, already in the body, Firpo says. "We could have stem cell therapies that don't actually involve a stem cell being transplanted into a person."

FULL STORY HERE

Multiple Myeloma: A Clinical Overview

By Kenneth C. Anderson, MD¹ | November 7, 2011

ABSTRACT: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the United States, affecting slightly more men than women and twice as many African Americans as Caucasians. Older age is the primary risk factor for MM, but obesity also increases risk. MM is incurable, but treatment advances in the past decade have more than doubled the duration of survival. MM is a progressive plasma cell tumor in which an initially stable clone becomes malignant via a multistep process. Causative factors implicated in this process include radiation, environmental toxins, chronic antigen stimulation, and genetics. The malignant plasma cells interact with other hematopoietic and stromal cells within the bone marrow microenvironment to disrupt homeostasis among cells and within the extracellular matrix. These tumor-host interactions lead to MM cell proliferation and migration, angiogenesis, osteolysis, immunodeficiency, and anemia. As a result, patients often present with osteolytic bone lesions, recurrent infections, renal insufficiency, and fatigue. The Durie-Salmon and International Staging Systems are used to stage MM, with the latter providing prognostic information based on readily available laboratory data. However, a number of cytogenetic markers are emerging as prognostic indicators, introducing the possibility of more refined disease staging systems and tailored treatment strategies based on genetic profiles.

http://www.cancernetwork.com/multiple-myeloma/content/article/10165/1983377?pageNumber=1

MORE AFTER THE JUMP-  SEE ABOVE LINK

This was Fun!

You'll be surprised at how this works. BE HONEST and don't look at the movie list till you have done the math!

Try this test and find out what movie is your favorite. This amazing math quiz can likely predict which of 18 films you would enjoy the most. GUARANTEED!!

Movie Test:

Pick a number from 1-9.

Multiply by 3.

Add 3.

Multiply by 3 again.

Now add the two digits together to find your predicted favorite movie in the list of 18 movies below.

Movie List:

1. Gone With The Wind

2. E.T.

3. Beverly Hills Cop

4. Star Wars

5. Forrest Gump

6. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

7. Jaws

8. Grease

9. The Defeat of Obama in 2012

10. Casablanca

11. Jurassic Park

12. Shrek

13. Pirates of the Caribbean

14. Titanic

15. Raiders Of The Lost Ark

16. Home Alone

17. Mrs. Doubtfire

18. Toy Story

Dom's New Project- His '72 Corvette

Well, I can't seem to slow this guy down.  (And couldn't be any happier that he's feeling so well!)

Dom has a '72 Corvette that he loved.  About 6 years ago, a lightning strike caused a fire in his barn.  (shown in the distance of one of these pictures).  The insurance company declared this car a "Total Loss", and allowed Dom to buy it back from them.

He rubbed out most of the smoke damage himself.  The rag-top wasn't damaged, thankfully. He tried working on his brakes numerous times.  Even trailered it to a local mechanic.  He couldn't do anything, either.

Now that he's got his new garage, he moved it up here.  Presently talking to a guy who's showing interest in coming over on weekends to work on it.  (brakes, headlights, etc.)

Was hoping this would be my car, but nope.  Once it's fixed, getting that car will be MY NEW PROJECT!

(Looks like I need to fix the date on his camera!)

My LIPID PANEL came back..... "GREAT" !!!!

Hey gang....

Got a great phone call a little while ago.  My latest blood work was EXCELLENT!

Total Cholesterol:  248   (not too hot)  but......

HDL (Good Cholesterol):  152  "Great"  (optimal HDL more than 60)

LDL (Bad Cholesterol):  81  "Great"  (optimal LDL less than 100)

Triglycerides:  73 "WOWIE ZOWIE!"  (optimal Triglycerides less than 150)

That's down from a whopping 331 a few months ago!

I am absolutely giddy, guys!

The nurse said, "Wow... you really HAVE been busting your ass, Nan!"   

So, the 3 months of not smoking, walking 1.5 miles 5 days a week, working out at the condo, and going heavy on the Omega 3 through diet and fish oil worked!

I'm going to celebrate tonite with a BIG ASS CHEESEBURGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (no bun!)