Sequencing the whole genome of a fetus could provide a medical early warning on a previously unknown scale - but it also brings dilemmas, says Harriet A. Washington BOY or girl? This you can easily discover, but wouldn't you like to know more? If you could peer into your baby's medical future, what traits would you most want assurance about? Most parents wouldn't hesitate: a healthy child. Soon science will be able to help them with that more quickly, completely - and safely - than ever before. In June, a team at the University of Washington in Seattle announced a new technique that enables the construction of a comprehensive genome sequence - a genetic "blueprint", as they described it - of the developing fetus from as early as the first trimester (Science Translational Medicine, vol 4, p 137ra76). The test could be available in clinics in as little as five years. Then, in July, a team at Stanford University in California announced a slightly different technique for obtaining the same information (Nature, vol 487, p 320). Both techniques rely on the fact that fetal DNA circulates in the mother's bloodstream and can be isolated and sequenced. The Seattle test needs … Continue reading →

Isasagawa umano ang ika-apat na intravenous treatment ni dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa Lunes bilang bahagi ng kanyang alternatibong pagpapagamot para sa kanyang sakit sa buto. Sa kanyang official Twitter account, inihayag ni Arroyo, kongresista na ngayon ng Pampanga, This Monday I will have my fourth stem cell intravenous treatment with my alternative medicine doctor." "It's cultured stem cell and much more modest in price than the one coming from sheep or one's own body," dagdag pa niya. Hindi binanggit ng dating pangulo ang halaga ng naturang pagpapagamot. Ang stem cell therapy ay sumisikat na alternatibong pagpapagamot ngayon. Sinasabing kinukumpuni ng ipinapasok na bagong cell sa katawan ang mga damaged tissue upang gamutin ang sakit. Ilang kilalang celebrity ang sumailalim na rin sa naturang uri ng alternatibong pagpapagamot tulad ni Alma Moreno na mayroong multiple sclerosis. Kamakailan ay inihayag ni Albert Martinez na naniniwala siya ang stem cell therapy ang nakagamot sa breast cancer ng kanyang misis na Liezl. Noong nakaraang linggo, sinabi ni Arroyo na patuloy siyang naghahanap ng alternatibong lunas sa kanyang sakit. Mula sa inoperahang buto sa kanyang leeg, idinadaing na rin ng dating pangulo na hirap siyang lumunok ng pagkain. Ipinaalam din niya na mayroon siyang … Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo joins the growing list of public personalities turning to stem cell treatment. In her official Twitter account, Arroyo said: "This Monday I will have my 4th stem cell intravenous treatment with my alternative medicine doctorIt's cultured stem cell and much more modest in price than the one coming from sheep or one's own body." Arroyo did not give any more details. In previous Twitter posts, Arroyo said she has turned to alternative medicine for treatment of complications from her cervical spine surgery, On Thursday, September 6, Arroyo tweeted: "I just came from my thrice weekly therapy at Veterans. This week I also saw two alternative medicine practitioners as part of my search for a second opinion while initiating my communication with an opinion with a neurovervical spine purist who does repeat surgery daily, as recommended by Dr. Anastacio. " Arroyo has been in and out of the hospital since she was first operated to address a pinched nerve last year. A recent medical finding by attending physician Roberto Anastacio indicated that Arroyo risks sudden death for the complications from the dislodging of the titanium implanted during her cervical spine … Continue reading →

A COMMON dietary supplement could treat a rare form of autism which has been found to be linked to an amino acid deficiency, a study published Thursday in the journal Science has found. US researchers were able to isolate a genetic mutation in some autism patients which speeds up metabolism of certain amino acids. These essential amino acids - branched chain amino acids or BCAAs - are not produced naturally in the human body and must be acquired through food. Because of the speeded up metabolism, the patients with this mutation burned through their stores of the amino acid more quickly than normal, creating an imbalance the researchers think may be linked to the neuro-behavioural symptoms of autism. "It was very surprising to find mutations in a potentially treatable metabolic pathway specific for autism," said co-author Joseph Gleeson of the University of California, San Diego. "What was most exciting was that the potential treatment is obvious and simple: Just give affected patients the naturally occurring amino acids their bodies lack." The genetic mutations were identified after researchers studied the genomes of several autistic children who also suffered epileptic seizures. Gleeson's team then genetically engineered mice to test the impact of … Continue reading →