Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) March 28, 2015 Stem cells remain a fascination to the general public and to the medical profession as well. While millions of dollars are being spent by most States each year on stem cell research, and while the National Institute of Health (NIH) spends $1 Billion dollars per year on stem cell research (Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC); (2015, February 5); http://report.nih.gov/categorical_spending.aspx), both the lay public and medical professionals continue to wonder: Where are we? How much have we learned? Are we making progress introducing stem cell therapy to the public? Dr. Gionis will explore the many facets, intrigue and complexities of stem cells and stem cell therapy. Dr. Gionis will have a frank and open discussion on the type of progress being made in advancing stem cell biology and therapy from the bench to the bedside. He will explore the current law regarding stem cell practice; both state law and federal law. The doctor will also investigate how new therapies like stem cell therapies get approved and the role of the FDA, an IRB, and the role of the US Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) … Continue reading →

Index - 1.General - 2.Technical - 3.Ethical - 4.Spiritual 5.Financial - 6.Membership - 7.Misinformed See also Scientists' Cryonics FAQ Q: What are nanotechnology and nanomedicine? A: Molecular nanotechnology is an emerging technology for manufacturing and manipulating matter at the molecular level. The concept was first suggested by Richard Feynman in 1959. The theoretical foundations of molecular nanotechnology were developed by K. Eric Drexler, Ralph Merkle, and others in the 1980s and 1990s. More recently the future medical applications of nanotechnology have been explored in detail by Robert Freitas in his books, Nanomedicine Vol. I (Basic Capabilities) and Nanomedicine Vol. IIA (Biocompatibility). These scientists have concluded that the mid to late 21st century will bring an explosion of amazing capabilities for analyzing and repairing injured cells and tissues, similar to the information processing revolution that is now occurring. These capabilities will include means for repairing and regenerating tissue after almost any injury provided that certain basic information remains intact. A non-technical overview of nanotechnology, including an excellent chapter on cryonics ("biostasis"), is available in Eric Drexler's book, Engines of Creation. |top| Q: Won't memories be lost if brain electrical activity stops? A: Short-term memory depends on electrical activity. However long-term memory … Continue reading →

1. Introduction Neuromuscular disease is a very broad term that encompasses many diseases and aliments that either directly, via intrinsic muscle pathology, or indirectly, via nerve pathology, impair the functioning of the muscles. Neuromuscular diseases affect the muscles and/or their nervous control and lead to problems with movement. Many are genetic; sometimes, an immune system disorder can cause them. As they have no cure, the aim of clinical treatment is to improve symptoms, increase mobility and lengthen life. Some of them affect the anterior horn cell, and are classified as acquired (e.g. poliomyelitis) and hereditary (e.g. spinal muscular atrophy) diseases. SMA is a genetic disease that attacks nerve cells, called motor neurons, in the spinal cord. As a consequence of the lost of the neurons, muscles weakness becomes to be evident, affecting walking, crawling, breathing, swallowing and head and neck control. Neuropathies affect the peripheral nerve and are divided into demyelinating (e.g. leucodystrophies) and axonal (e.g. porphyria) diseases. Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is the most frequent hereditary form among the neuropathies and its characterized by a wide range of symptoms so that CMT-1a is classified as demyelinating and CMT-2 as axonal (Marchesi & Pareyson, 2010). Defects in neuromuscular junctions cause infantile and … Continue reading →