RCSprogram

Archive for August, 2010

One application of nanotechnology in medicine currently being developed involves employing nanoparticles to deliver drugs, heat, light or other substances to specific types of cells (such as cancer cells). Particles are engineered so that they are attracted to diseased cells, which allows direct treatment of those cells. This technique reduces damage to healthy cells in the body and allows for earlier detection of disease.
For example, nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells are under development. Tests are in progress for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs and their final approval for their use with cancer patients is pending, as explained on CytImmune Science’s website. CytImmune has published the preliminary results of a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of their first targeted chemotherapy drug.
If you hate getting shots, you’ll be glad to hear that oral administration of drugs that currently are delivered by injection may be possible in many cases. The drug is encapsulated in a nanoparticle which helps it pass through the stomach to deliver the drug into the bloodstream. There are efforts underway to develop oral administration of several different drugs using a variety of nanoparticles. A company which has progressed to the clinical testing stage with a drug for treating systemic fungal diseases is BioDelivery Sciences, which is using a nanoparticle called a cochleate.

This procedure is known as nuclear transplantation, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). It involves removing the nucleus, which contains a cell’s DNA, from an egg cell and transplanting the DNA from an adult cell into the enucleated egg. Under certain conditions, the egg then begins to replicate as though it were a fertilized embryo.

After the egg divides for several days, it produces embryonic stem cells, which are primitive cells that can theoretically develop into virtually any type of cells in the organism, from blood cells to skin cells. Scientists believe that research on human stem cells could lead to new cures for many diseases. The use of nuclear transplantation to produce human stem cells is often referred to as “research cloning” or “therapeutic cloning.”

If this entity is implanted into a uterus, it has the potential to develop into a full organism which would have the same DNA as the donor of the adult cell. In other words, the organism would be a “clone.” This procedure is known as “reproductive cloning.”

A major problem for many women today and which is still a taboo subject, is the difficulty to have children. It is true that there are more and more couples who are faced with these problems, which fortunately are often psychological. Indeed in most cases there is no obvious medical reason to stop a woman having a child.

Here are the 10 best tips to put the maximum chances in your favor:

1. To get pregnant, you should ensure that you are healthy, that means that you have significant levels of vitamins and minerals in your body. Eat non processed food, vegetables, fruits, drink water and stop your consumption of alcohol and stimulants (coffee, tea,…). The same for your partner remember that to make a child you need 2 people.

2. After a sexual relationship, don’t jump out of bed to smoke a cigarette (you should stop), Stay in bed for at least 5 minutes, so as to allow a maximum of sperm inside your vagina.

3. Allow some time for your buddy to “recharge his batteries” that will increase the amount of semen during ejaculation.

4. Do not make an obsession! Although the links between psychological and physiological factors are still difficult to prove they are indeed present. You must obviously want this child but not to think about constantly. Especially during the act, it is important that you let go and enjoy it.

5. Don’t try to calculate your ovulation time, it is far better to have relations with your partner every day or 2 days knowing that spermatozoids can stay alive for a few days in the woman’s body.

6. Some studies have shown that female orgasm was a beneficial effect on pregnancy. Yet one more reason to enjoy your sexual activities

7. Even if all conditions are here, you have to know that there are on average 1 chance on 4 to get pregnant. Do not despair and let nature take its course.

8. Do not take a shower directly after making love. You will take the risk to kill most of the spermatozoid and clean the liquid that help them to reach the ovule.

9. Stay patient. The average pregnancy time is four months. Some people take much longer, others much less. Be relax, you have one chance on for to have a child every ovulation cycle, that means the average is about 4 month in the best conditions.

10. Smoking, stress and overweight are factors that decrease your chances of getting pregnant. Doing some sports will help a lot to stay healthy and will take away your stress, start now!

Good luck and most importantly, do not despair-it!