StemCell Therapy

This article is about the ageing of living things. For ageing specifically in humans, see ageing. For the study of ageing in humans, see gerontology. For the science of the care of the elderly, see geriatrics. For experimental gerontology, see life extension. For premature ageing disorders, see Progeroid syndromes.

Senescence () (from Latin: senescere, meaning "to grow old", from senex) or biological aging (also spelled biological ageing) is the gradual deterioration of function characteristic of most complex lifeforms, arguably found in all biological kingdoms, that on the level of the organism increases mortality after maturation. The word "senescence" can refer either to cellular senescence or to senescence of the whole organism. It is commonly believed that cellular senescence underlies organismal senescence. The science of biological aging is biogerontology.

Senescence is not the inevitable fate of all organisms. Organisms of some taxonomic groups (taxa), including some animals, even experience chronological decrease in mortality, for all or part of their life cycle.[1] On the other extreme are accelerated aging diseases, rare in humans. There is also the extremely rare and poorly understood "Syndrome X", whereby a person remains physically and mentally an infant or child throughout one's life.[2][3]

Even if environmental factors do not cause aging, they may affect it; in such a way, for example, overexposure to ultraviolet radiation accelerates skin aging. Different parts of the body may age at different rates. Two organisms of the same species can also age at different rates, so that biological aging and chronological aging are quite distinct concepts.

Albeit indirectly, senescence is by far the leading cause of death (other than in the trivially accurate sense that cerebral hypoxia, i.e., lack of oxygen to the brain, is the immediate cause of all human death). Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two thirds100,000 per daydie of age-related causes; in industrialized nations, moreover, the proportion is much higher, reaching 90%.[4]

There are a number of hypotheses as to why senescence occurs; for example, some posit it is programmed by gene expression changes, others that it is the cumulative damage caused by biological processes. Whether senescence as a biological process itself can be slowed down, halted or even reversed, is a subject of current scientific speculation and research.[5]

Cellular senescence is the phenomenon by which normal diploid cells cease to divide. In cell culture, fibroblasts can reach a maximum of 50 cell divisions before becoming senescent. This phenomenon is known as "replicative senescence", or the Hayflick limit in honour of Dr.Leonard Hayflick, co-author with Paul Moorhead, of the first paper describing it in 1961.[6] Replicative senescence is the result of telomere shortening that ultimately triggers a DNA damage response. Cells can also be induced to senesce via DNA damage in response to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of oncogenes and cell-cell fusion, independent of telomere length. As such, cellular senescence represents a change in "cell state" rather than a cell becoming "aged" as the name confusingly suggests. Although senescent cells can no longer replicate, they remain metabolically active and commonly adopt an immunogenic phenotype consisting of a pro-inflammatory secretome, the up-regulation of immune ligands, a pro-survival response, promiscuous gene expression (pGE) and stain positive for senescence-associated -galactosidase activity.[7] The nucleus of senescent cells is characterized by senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) and DNA segments with chromatin alterations reinforcing senescence (DNA-SCARS).[8] Senescent cells are known to play important physiological functions in tumour suppression, wound healing and possibly embryonic/placental development and paradoxically play a pathological role in age-related diseases.[9] The elimination of senescent cells using a transgenic mouse model led to greater resistance against aging-associated diseases,[10] suggesting that cellular senescence is a major driving force of ageing and its associated diseases.

Organismal senescence is the aging of whole organisms. In general, aging is characterized by the declining ability to respond to stress, increased homeostatic imbalance, and increased risk of aging-associated diseases. Death is the ultimate consequence of aging, though "old age" is not a scientifically recognized cause of death because there is always a specific proximal cause, such as cancer, heart disease, or liver failure. Aging of whole organisms is therefore a complex process that can be defined as "a progressive deterioration of physiological function, an intrinsic age-related process of loss of viability and increase in vulnerability".[11]

Differences in maximum life span among species correspond to different "rates of aging". For example, inherited differences in the rate of aging make a mouse elderly at 3 years and a human elderly at 80 years.[12] These genetic differences affect a variety of physiological processes, including the efficiency of DNA repair, antioxidant enzymes, and rates of free radical production.

Senescence of the organism gives rise to the GompertzMakeham law of mortality, which says that mortality rate accelerates rapidly with age.

Continued here:
Senescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also known as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss in renal function over a period of months or years. The symptoms of worsening kidney function are not specific, and might include feeling generally unwell and experiencing a reduced appetite. Often, chronic kidney disease is diagnosed as a result of screening of people known to be at risk of kidney problems, such as those with high blood pressure or diabetes and those with a blood relative with CKD. This disease may also be identified when it leads to one of its recognized complications, such as cardiovascular disease, anemia, or pericarditis.[1] It is differentiated from acute kidney disease in that the reduction in kidney function must be present for over 3 months.

Chronic kidney disease is identified by a blood test for creatinine, which is a breakdown product of muscle metabolism. Higher levels of creatinine indicate a lower glomerular filtration rate and as a result a decreased capability of the kidneys to excrete waste products. Creatinine levels may be normal in the early stages of CKD, and the condition is discovered if urinalysis (testing of a urine sample) shows the kidney is allowing the loss of protein or red blood cells into the urine. To fully investigate the underlying cause of kidney damage, various forms of medical imaging, blood tests, and sometimes a renal biopsy (removing a small sample of kidney tissue) are employed to find out if a reversible cause for the kidney malfunction is present.[1]

Recent professional guidelines classify the severity of CKD in five stages, with stage 1 being the mildest and usually causing few symptoms and stage 5 being a severe illness with poor life expectancy if untreated. Stage 5 CKD is often called end-stage kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, or end-stage kidney failure, and is largely synonymous with the now outdated terms chronic renal failure or chronic kidney failure; and usually means the patient requires renal replacement therapy, which may involve a form of dialysis, but ideally constitutes a kidney transplant.

No specific treatment has been unequivocally shown to slow the worsening of CKD. If an underlying cause of CKD, such as vasculitis, or obstructive nephropathy (blockage to the drainage system of the kidneys) is found, it may be treated directly to slow the damage. In more advanced stages, treatments may be required for anemia and renal bone disease (also called renal osteodystrophy, secondary hyperparathyroidism or chronic kidney disease - mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD)). Chronic kidney disease resulted in 956,000 deaths in 2013 up from 409,000 deaths in 1990.[2]

CKD is initially without specific symptoms and is generally only detected as an increase in serum creatinine or protein in the urine. As the kidney function decreases:

People with CKD suffer from accelerated atherosclerosis and are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than the general population. Patients afflicted with CKD and cardiovascular disease tend to have significantly worse prognoses than those suffering only from the latter.[citation needed]

Sexual dysfunction is very common in both men and women with CKD. A majority of men have a reduced sex drive, difficulty obtaining an erection, and reaching orgasm, and the problems get worse with age. A majority of women have trouble with sexual arousal, and painful menstruation and problems with performing and enjoying sex are common.[8]

The most common recognised cause of CKD is diabetes mellitus. Others include idiopathic (ie unknown cause, often associated with small kidneys on renal ultrasound), hypertension, and glomerulonephritis.[9] Together, these cause about 75% of all adult cases.

Historically, kidney disease has been classified according to the part of the renal anatomy involved.[citation needed]

Diagnosis of CKD is largely based on the clinical picture combined with the measurement of the serum creatinine level (see above). In many CKD patients, previous renal disease or other underlying diseases are already known. A significant number present with CKD of unknown cause. In these patients, a cause is occasionally identified retrospectively.[citation needed]

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Chronic kidney disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In biology, a mutation is a permanent change of the nucleotide sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA or other genetic elements. Mutations result from damage to DNA which is not repaired or to RNA genomes (typically caused by radiation or chemical mutagens), errors in the process of replication, or from the insertion or deletion of segments of DNA by mobile genetic elements.[1][2][3] Mutations may or may not produce discernible changes in the observable characteristics (phenotype) of an organism. Mutations play a part in both normal and abnormal biological processes including: evolution, cancer, and the development of the immune system, including junctional diversity.

Mutation can result in several different types of change in sequences. Mutations in genes can either have no effect, alter the product of a gene, or prevent the gene from functioning properly or completely. Mutations can also occur in nongenic regions. One study on genetic variations between different species of Drosophila suggests that, if a mutation changes a protein produced by a gene, the result is likely to be harmful, with an estimated 70 percent of amino acid polymorphisms that have damaging effects, and the remainder being either neutral or weakly beneficial.[4] Due to the damaging effects that mutations can have on genes, organisms have mechanisms such as DNA repair to prevent or correct (revert the mutated sequence back to its original state) mutations.[1]

Mutations can involve the duplication of large sections of DNA, usually through genetic recombination.[5] These duplications are a major source of raw material for evolving new genes, with tens to hundreds of genes duplicated in animal genomes every million years.[6] Most genes belong to larger families of genes of shared ancestry.[7] Novel genes are produced by several methods, commonly through the duplication and mutation of an ancestral gene, or by recombining parts of different genes to form new combinations with new functions.[8][9]

Here, domains act as modules, each with a particular and independent function, that can be mixed together to produce genes encoding new proteins with novel properties.[10] For example, the human eye uses four genes to make structures that sense light: three for color vision and one for night vision; all four arose from a single ancestral gene.[11] Another advantage of duplicating a gene (or even an entire genome) is that this increases redundancy; this allows one gene in the pair to acquire a new function while the other copy performs the original function.[12][13] Other types of mutation occasionally create new genes from previously noncoding DNA.[14][15]

Changes in chromosome number may involve even larger mutations, where segments of the DNA within chromosomes break and then rearrange. For example, in the Homininae, two chromosomes fused to produce human chromosome 2; this fusion did not occur in the lineage of the other apes, and they retain these separate chromosomes.[16] In evolution, the most important role of such chromosomal rearrangements may be to accelerate the divergence of a population into new species by making populations less likely to interbreed, thereby preserving genetic differences between these populations.[17]

Sequences of DNA that can move about the genome, such as transposons, make up a major fraction of the genetic material of plants and animals, and may have been important in the evolution of genomes.[18] For example, more than a million copies of the Alu sequence are present in the human genome, and these sequences have now been recruited to perform functions such as regulating gene expression.[19] Another effect of these mobile DNA sequences is that when they move within a genome, they can mutate or delete existing genes and thereby produce genetic diversity.[2]

Nonlethal mutations accumulate within the gene pool and increase the amount of genetic variation.[20] The abundance of some genetic changes within the gene pool can be reduced by natural selection, while other "more favorable" mutations may accumulate and result in adaptive changes.

For example, a butterfly may produce offspring with new mutations. The majority of these mutations will have no effect; but one might change the color of one of the butterfly's offspring, making it harder (or easier) for predators to see. If this color change is advantageous, the chance of this butterfly's surviving and producing its own offspring are a little better, and over time the number of butterflies with this mutation may form a larger percentage of the population.

Neutral mutations are defined as mutations whose effects do not influence the fitness of an individual. These can accumulate over time due to genetic drift. It is believed that the overwhelming majority of mutations have no significant effect on an organism's fitness.[citation needed] Also, DNA repair mechanisms are able to mend most changes before they become permanent mutations, and many organisms have mechanisms for eliminating otherwise-permanently mutated somatic cells.

Beneficial mutations can improve reproductive success.

Continue reading here:
Mutation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which people have problems regulating their blood sugar. People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their bodies:

Type 2 diabetes is extremely common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 29 million children and adults in the United States have some form of diabetes. That is about 9 percent of the population. The vast majority of these people have type 2 diabetes.

When you eat food, the body digests the carbohydrates in into a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for cells. Cells rely on the hormone insulin to absorb and use glucose as a form of energy. Insulin is produced by the pancreas.

People usually develop type 2 diabetes because their cells have become resistant to insulin. Then, over time, their body may stop making sufficient insulin as well. These problems lead to blood sugar, or glucose, building up in the blood

There are several different types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes used to be known as juvenile onset diabetes because it is usually first diagnosed in childhood, though it can be diagnosed later in life as well.. People with type 1 diabetes cannot make insulin and are insulin dependent. They must use insulin injections to control their blood sugar.

According to the CDC, only about five percent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes (CDC).

There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, and was once known as adult onset diabetes. However, in recent years, the rate of type 2 diagnoses in children has been growing.

Type 2 diabetes usually starts as insulin resistance. Cells stop responding properly to insulin and sugar is unable to get from the blood into the cells. Over time, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to keep blood sugars in the normal range and the body becomes progressively less able to regulate blood sugar.

The rest is here:
Type 2 Diabetes: Everything You Need to Know

The stem cell controversy is the consideration of the ethics of research involving the development, usage, and destruction of human embryos. Most commonly, this controversy focuses on embryonic stem cells. Not all stem cell research involves the creation, usage and destruction of human embryos. For example, adult stem cells, amniotic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells do not involve creating, using or destroying human embryos and thus are minimally, if at all, controversial.

The use of stem cells has been happening for decades. In 1998, scientists discovered how to extract stem cells from human embryos. This discovery led to moral ethics questions concerning research involving embryo cells, such as what restrictions should be made on studies using these types of cells? At what point does one consider life to begin? Is it just to destroy an embryo cell if it has the potential to cure countless numbers of patients? Political leaders are debating how to regulate and fund research studies that involve the techniques used to remove the embryo cells. No clear consensus has emerged. Other recent discoveries may extinguish the need for embryonic stem cells.[1]

Since stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any type of cell, they offer something in the development of medical treatments for a wide range of conditions. Treatments that have been proposed include treatment for physical trauma, degenerative conditions, and genetic diseases (in combination with gene therapy). Yet further treatments using stem cells could potentially be developed thanks to their ability to repair extensive tissue damage.[2]

Great levels of success and potential have been shown from research using adult stem cells. In early 2009, the FDA approved the first human clinical trials using embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can become all cell types of the body which is called totipotent. Adult stem cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin. However, some evidence suggests that adult stem cell plasticity may exist, increasing the number of cell types a given adult stem cell can become. In addition, embryonic stem cells are considered more useful for nervous system therapies, because researchers have struggled to identify and isolate neural progenitors from adult tissues[citation needed]. Embryonic stem cells, however, might be rejected by the immune system - a problem which wouldn't occur if the patient received his or her own stem cells.

Some stem cell researchers are working to develop techniques of isolating stem cells that are as potent as embryonic stem cells, but do not require a human embryo.

Some believe that human skin cells can be coaxed to "de-differentiate" and revert to an embryonic state. Researchers at Harvard University, led by Kevin Eggan, have attempted to transfer the nucleus of a somatic cell into an existing embryonic stem cell, thus creating a new stem cell line.[3] Another study published in August 2006 also indicates that differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state by introducing four specific factors, resulting in induced pluripotent stem cells.[4]

Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology, led by Robert Lanza, reported the successful derivation of a stem cell line using a process similar to preimplantation genetic diagnosis, in which a single blastomere is extracted from a blastocyst.[5] At the 2007 meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR),[6] Lanza announced that his team had succeeded in producing three new stem cell lines without destroying the parent embryos. "These are the first human embryonic cell lines in existence that didn't result from the destruction of an embryo." Lanza is currently in discussions with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine whether the new technique sidesteps U.S. restrictions on federal funding for ES cell research.[7]

Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University says that the fluid surrounding the fetus has been found to contain stem cells that, when utilized correctly, "can be differentiated towards cell types such as fat, bone, muscle, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells". The extraction of this fluid is not thought to harm the fetus in any way. He hopes "that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs as well".[8]

The status of the human embryo and human embryonic stem cell research is a controversial issue as, with the present state of technology, the creation of a human embryonic stem cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo. Stem cell debates have motivated and reinvigorated the pro-life movement, whose members are concerned with the rights and status of the embryo as an early-aged human life. They believe that embryonic stem cell research instrumentalizes and violates the sanctity of life and is tantamount to murder.[9] The fundamental assertion of those who oppose embryonic stem cell research is the belief that human life is inviolable, combined with the belief that human life begins when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell to form a single cell.

A portion of stem cell researchers use embryos that were created but not used in in vitro fertility treatments to derive new stem cell lines. Most of these embryos are to be destroyed, or stored for long periods of time, long past their viable storage life. In the United States alone, there have been estimates of at least 400,000 such embryos.[10] This has led some opponents of abortion, such as Senator Orrin Hatch, to support human embryonic stem cell research.[11] See Also Embryo donation.

More here:
Stem cell controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Regenerative medicine is a branch of translational research[1] in tissue engineering and molecular biology which deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function".[2] This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs via stimulating the body's own repair mechanisms to functionally heal previously irreparable tissues or organs.[3]

Regenerative medicine also includes the possibility of growing tissues and organs in the laboratory and safely implanting them when the body cannot heal itself. If a regenerated organ's cells would be derived from the patient's own tissue or cells, this would potentially solve the problem of the shortage of organs available for donation, and the problem of organ transplant rejection.[4][5][6]

Attributed to William Haseltine (founder of Human Genome Sciences),[7] the term "regenerative medicine" was first found in a 1992 article on hospital administration by Leland Kaiser. Kaisers paper closes with a series of short paragraphs on future technologies that will impact hospitals. One paragraph had Regenerative Medicine as a bold print title and stated, A new branch of medicine will develop that attempts to change the course of chronic disease and in many instances will regenerate tired and failing organ systems.[8][9]

Regenerative medicine refers to a group of biomedical approaches to clinical therapies that may involve the use of stem cells.[10] Examples include the injection of stem cells or progenitor cells obtained through Directed differentiation (cell therapies); the induction of regeneration by biologically active molecules administered alone or as a secretion by infused cells (immunomodulation therapy); and transplantation of in vitro grown organs and tissues (tissue engineering).[11][12]

From 1995 to 1998 Michael D. West, PhD, organized and managed the research between Geron Corporation and its academic collaborators James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University that led to the first isolation of human embryonic stem and human embryonic germ cells.[13]

Dr. Stephen Badylak, a Research Professor in the Department of Surgery and director of Tissue Engineering at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, developed a process for scraping cells from the lining of a pig's bladder, decellularizing (removing cells to leave a clean extracellular structure) the tissue and then drying it to become a sheet or a powder. This extracellular matrix powder was used to regrow the finger of Lee Spievak, who had severed half an inch of his finger after getting it caught in a propeller of a model plane.[14][15][16][dubious discuss] As of 2011, this new technology is being employed by the military on U.S. war veterans in Texas, as well as for some civilian patients. Nicknamed "pixie-dust," the powdered extracellular matrix is being used to successfully regenerate tissue lost and damaged due to traumatic injuries.[17]

In June 2008, at the Hospital Clnic de Barcelona, Professor Paolo Macchiarini and his team, of the University of Barcelona, performed the first tissue engineered trachea (wind pipe) transplantation. Adult stem cells were extracted from the patient's bone marrow, grown into a large population, and matured into cartilage cells, or chondrocytes, using an adaptive method originally devised for treating osteoarthritis. The team then seeded the newly grown chondrocytes, as well as epithileal cells, into a decellularised (free of donor cells) tracheal segment that was donated from a 51 year old transplant donor who had died of cerebral hemorrhage. After four days of seeding, the graft was used to replace the patient's left main bronchus. After one month, a biopsy elicited local bleeding, indicating that the blood vessels had already grown back successfully.[18][19]

In 2009 the SENS Foundation was launched, with its stated aim as "the application of regenerative medicine defined to include the repair of living cells and extracellular material in situ to the diseases and disabilities of ageing." [20]

In 2012, Professor Paolo Macchiarini and his team improved upon the 2008 implant by transplanting a laboratory-made trachea seeded with the patient's own cells.[21]

On Sep 12, 2014, surgeons at the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital in Kobe, Japan, transplanted a 1.3 by 3.0 millimeter sheet of retinal pigment epithelium cells, which were differentiated from iPS cells through Directed differentiation, into an eye of an elderly woman, who suffers from age-related macular degeneration.[22]

More here:
Regenerative medicine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Genetics includes the study of heredity, or how traits are passed from parents to offspring. The topics of genetics vary and are constantly changing as we learn more about the genome and how we are influenced by our genes.

Mendel & Inheritance powerpoint presentation covering basics of genetics

Heredity Simulation use popsicle sticks to show how alleles are inherited Penny Genetics flip a coin to compare actual outcomes versus predicted outcomes from a punnett square Heredity Wordsearch fill in the blank, find words

Simple Genetics Practice using mendelian genetics and punnett squares

Genetic Crosses with two traits basic crosses, uses Punnet squares Genetic Crosses with two traits II basic crossses, uses Punnett squares Dihybrid Crosses in Guinea Pigs(pdf) step through on how to do a 44 punnett square

Codominance & Incomplete Dominance basic crosses involving codominance

Genetics Practice Problems includes codominance, multiple allele traits, polygenic traits, for AP Biology Genetics Practice Problems II for advanced biology students, includes both single allele and dihybrid crosses, intended for practice after students have learned multiplicative properties of statistics and mathematical analysis of genetic crosses

X-Linked Traits practice crosses that involve sex-linkage, mainly in fruitflies

X Linked Genetics in Calico Cats more practice with sex-linked traits Multiple Allele Traits practice with blood type crosses and other ABO type alleles Multiple Allele Traits in Chickens shows how combs are inherited (rrpp x RRpp) Inheritance and Eye Color uses a simulation to show how multiple alleles can influence a single trait (eye color)

The Genetics of Blood Disorders a worksheet with genetics problems that relate to specific disorders: sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, and Von Willebrand disease.

See more here:
Genetics | The Biology Corner

Description of Services

The Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Consultation provides diagnostic and therapeutic services for children with diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia and disorders of physical growth, sexual maturation, thyroid function, pituitary function, and calcium and phosphorous metabolism.

The Pediatric Endocrine Testing Center provides diagnostic endocrine tests for patients (both children and adults) in areas of endocrinology and carbohydrate, amino acid, and mineral and lipid metabolism. The center addresses growth abnormalities and the range of conditions that can cause them.

The Nutrition Consultation Service provides consultative and follow-up service by a physician and dietitian for children up to 18 years of age with obesity problems and associated disorders.

Referrals are required from primary care physicians or other Childrens Hospital specialty services. These should be accompanied by a written reason for the referral together with related patient records and growth charts. Referrals for patients enrolled in managed care insurance plans also require authorization from the primary care physician and sometimes from the insurance provider. All necessary referral and authorization forms must be received before the patients visit and include separate authorization for each physician, diabetes nurse educator, dietitian, laboratory and X-ray services. For accurate provider numbers or more information, please call the office number listed.

205 Millers Run Road

Contact Information: 412-692-7337

4055 Monroeville Blvd., Building One

Contact Information: 412-692-7337

2599 Wexford Bayne Rd.

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Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism - CHP

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Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine is dedicated to addressing the increasing demand for integrative healthcare by researching and providing access to practices that address the physical as well as lifestyle, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients.

As the body of evidence for alternative medicine grows, we remain at the forefront providing the most updated education and practices to patients. Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine sees more than 5,000 patients per year for a variety of services.

Learn about our wide range of services and treatments including acupuncture, massage and lifestyle management programs.

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Treat someone you love to a gift certificate good for any Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine service even physician consults and holistic psychotherapy.

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Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine - Cleveland Clinic

Fine-Tuning Your Longevity Genes

By Bryant Villeponteau, Ph.D.

Introduction

The nearly universal human desire to preserve youth can often motivate people to make major lifestyle changes or try the latest wonder supplement. But is it really possible to slow the rate of aging with current knowledge and technology? I argue herein that aging can be significantly slowed by fine tuning your longevity genes. Indeed, scientific research carried out in the last 20 years has shown that lifespan can be readily modulated by a variety of genetic or dietary strategies. In this article, I describe our efforts at Genescient LLC in Irvine, CA, to develop strategies to delay aging and age-related disease. Genescients primary business focus is on the development of pharmaceuticals for age-related diseases, but in conjunction with its spinoff firm Life Code LLC, it has provided testing services for the development of nutraceuticals based on its unique genomics platform. Our findings can be summarized as follows:

What Are the Main Effects of Aging?

Fig. 1: Aging causes an exponential increase in the annual mortality rate.

The actual declines in function with age occur at the cell, organ, and systemic levels, but the impacts of this decline can differ with the individuals genes and environment. The net result of aging is a progressive increase in all-cause mortality and morbidity. In the case of humans, all-cause mortality is known to double every eight years after sexual maturity until it reaches an annual mortality rate plateau of about 50% over 105 years of age.

All grafted data under 110 years are from the Social Security Administration Death Master File, while data on 110 to 119 year olds are from validated human super-centenarians from the website http://www.grg.org.

Read more from the original source:
Fine-Tuning Your Longevity Genes | Life Code

Rapid developments in the medical field in the last century have revolutionized the field of medical practice. It is now possible to diagnose diseases faster and more accurately using advanced diagnostic techniques. Medical management has become more effective with refined medications having more specific actions and fewer side effects. Surgical treatment has moved towards less invasive modes of management with lesser morbidity and faster recovery. Among all these developments, the medical profession in India is at crossroads facing many ethical and legal challenges in the practice of the profession. The medical fraternity is becoming more and more dependent on technology and market forces tend to influence decision making by the doctors. The fundamental values of medicine insist that the doctor's obligation is to keep the patients interest above everything else. The important issues of autonomy, confidentiality, justice, beneficence, and non malefecience are key factors that should guide the daily decision making by the doctor. These decisions may be involving a simple choice of antibiotics for an infection or the best medication for hypertension or hypercholestrolemia. It becomes more complex involving major ethical concerns in organ transplantation, clinical trials, genetic manipulations, end of life issues, or assisted reproductive techniques. However, the principles of ethics remain the same for all the above situations. The ethical guidelines of medical practice provided by The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 is aimed at strengthening the ethical standards among registered medical practitioners in India.

The health sector in India has seen a major transformation with health care becoming a profitable sector attracting investors from diverse and varied backgrounds with profitable motives. There is also an allegation that the practice of modern medicine is becoming more impersonal, and with the increasing dependence on technology, the cost of treatment also rises. It is a fact that cannot be ignored that there is increasing dissatisfaction on the part of the patients who are expecting more and more from the doctors, leading to increasing incidence of litigation. The Medical Council of India has a redressal mechanism that can give punishment to the erring doctor after proper investigative procedures. The unnecessary harassment of doctors who are falsely implicated in criminal negligence issues has been curtailed by the Supreme Court, which has issued guidelines for the criminal charging of a doctor for negligence.

The medical profession that was once considered noble is now considered along with other professions in the liability of paying for damages. The patients who wanted monetary compensation for the alleged medical negligence used to resort to the civil courts. This was the only avenue earlier that used to be a lengthy process with its detailed procedural formalities. The confusion about the inclusion of doctors under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 has been laid to rest by the landmark decision of the Supreme Court in 1996 that puts the services of doctors for consideration under the purview of the Consumer Protection Act. This resulted in an increasing incidence of consumer cases where doctors were implicated for all types of allegations by patients. The recent Supreme Court guidelines that call for stricter evaluation by the Consumer Courts before proceeding with alleged medical negligence cases by the patients will be a boon to the doctors who will not be pulled into unnecessary litigation. However it has to be noted that the judicial bodies favour the patient who has suffered due to the negligent action of the doctors as reiterated by another Supreme Court decision recently confirming the decision of the State Commisison and giving a much higher compensation.

It is imperative that the present day medical doctors have continuing medico-legal education. Doctors have a legal duty to comply with the applicable ethical and legal regulations in their daily practice. Ignorance of law and its implications will be detrimental to the doctor even though he treats the patient in good faith for the alleviation of the patient's suffering. All actions that are done in good faith may not stand legal testing. With the increasing number of cases filed by aggrieved patients seeking legal remedy from doctors and medical establishments, it is no longer a matter of choice, but a context-driven legal mandate and necessity for the doctors to be conversant with basic legal issues involved in medical practice. This symposium aims at giving a basic insight into two main areas of medical practice:

The ethical issues in medical practice including changing doctor-patient relationships, the need for introducing ethical training in the undergraduate and postgraduate medical training, the modern challenges in urological practice, and the ethical and legal issues in kidney transplantation covered from an Indian perspective.

The legal issues covered include the basics of medical negligence, changing concepts of informed consent, and the practical issues of medical negligence cases with representative case decisions from the Indian Courts.

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Ethical and legal issues in medical practice

Kidney symptoms are signs of abnormalities in kidney function. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste out of the bloodstream. Healthy kidneys function continuously and the bodys total blood supply passes through the kidneys several times each minute. The healthy body can continue to function with only one good kidney, as happens when a person volunteers to be a living kidney donor.

When the kidneys become damaged, infected or inflamed, they can lose some of that filtering ability. This can lead to changes in urination and a buildup of waste products in the blood, which can affect the entire body.

Kidney symptoms can be either systemic or kidney specific. Common kidney symptoms include changes in urine output; pain or burning with urination; changes in the color, smell, or appearance of urine; or pain in the sides or abdomen. Systemic (whole body) kidney symptoms include fatigue, weakness, a general ill feeling, confusion, swelling (edema), or changes in consciousness. Kidney symptoms range from very mild to very severe and even life threatening.

Kidney symptoms and their treatment will depend on the underlying disease or disorder. Common disorders of the kidneys include glomerulonephritis (kidney inflammation), pyelonephritis (kidney infection), and kidney cysts. In many cases, kidney symptoms will resolve once the underlying disorder has been treated.

One of the most successful techniques for preventing kidney symptoms is to consume an adequate amount of fluid. For mild kidney symptoms, over-the-counter medications or home remedies, such as hot pads, may be useful.

Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for serious kidney symptoms, including loss of consciousness, even for a brief moment; confusion; severe side or flank pain; inability to urinate; or high fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit).

If your kidney symptoms are persistent or cause you concern, seek prompt medical care.

Excerpt from:
Kidney Symptoms - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Boston, MA (May 9, 2011) A joint task force of the two leading plastic surgery associations, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), today released a position statement on the use of stem cells in aesthetic surgery during The Aesthetic Meeting 2011, the annual meeting of ASAPS. Based on a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, the task force concluded that while there is tremendous potential for the future use of stem cells in aesthetic surgical procedures, the scientific evidence and other data are very limited in terms of assessing the safety or efficacy of stem cell therapies in aesthetic medicine. The task force, led by plastic surgeon and noted expert on fat-derived stem cells, J. Peter Rubin, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, was convened to address the growing concerns emerging from the plastic surgery community over advertising claims and clinical practices using stem cells that have not been substantiated by scientific evidence.

There are encouraging data from laboratory and clinical studies to suggest that the use of adult stem cells is a very promising field, said Dr. Rubin, but as our comprehensive review of the current scientific literature shows, the data available today do not substantiate the marketing claims being made to patients seeking aesthetic surgery and aesthetic medical treatments.

Based on the current state of knowledge, the task force made the following recommendations to ASAPS/ASPS members and their patients:

While we remain enthusiastic about the future potential of stem cell therapies in aesthetic surgical procedures, unsubstantiated claims for such therapies will harm patients and tarnish the reputation of the industry, said Felmont F. Eaves III, MD, ASAPS President. This joint position statement will provide guidance for our members, the public and the media.

This systematic review brings into sharp focus the fact that the marketing for stem cell therapies in aesthetic surgery is pushing far ahead of the current science," added Phil Haeck, MD, ASPS President. Understandably, there is considerable public enthusiasm over the potential for stem cell treatments in plastic surgery. However, we need to keep our patients best interests in mind, which means being committed to supporting evidence-based medicine, not unsubstantiated claims. We eagerly await the evidence showing that stem cells treatments are safe and effective in this field.

About the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), is recognized as the worlds leading organization devoted entirely to aesthetic plastic surgery and cosmetic medicine of the face and body. ASAPS is comprised of over 2,600 Plastic Surgeons; active members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (USA) or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and have extensive training in the complete spectrum of surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures. International active members are certified by equivalent boards of their respective countries. All members worldwide adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and must meet stringent membership requirements. http://www.surgery.org.

About the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 7,000 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. http://www.plasticsurgery.org

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ASAPS and ASPS Issue Joint Position Statement on Stem ...

A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian (American English, Australian English) or veterinary surgeon (British English), is a professional who practices veterinary medicine by treating disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals.

In many countries, the local nomenclature for a veterinarian is a regulated and protected term, meaning that members of the public without the prerequisite qualifications and/or licensure are not able to use the title. In many cases, the activities that may be undertaken by a veterinarian (such as treatment of illness or surgery in animals) are restricted only to those professionals who are registered as a veterinarian. For instance, in the United Kingdom, as in other jurisdictions, animal treatment may only be performed by registered veterinary physicians (with a few designated exceptions, such as paraveterinary workers), and it is illegal for any person who is not registered to call themselves a veterinarian or prescribe any treatment.

Most veterinary physicians work in clinical settings, treating animals directly. These veterinarians may be involved in a general practice, treating animals of all types; they may be specialized in a specific group of animals such as companion animals, livestock, zoo animals or equines; or may specialize in a narrow medical discipline such as surgery, dermatology or internal medicine.

As with other healthcare professionals, veterinarians face ethical decisions about the care of their patients. Current debates within the profession include the ethics of certain procedures believed to be purely cosmetic or unnecessary for behavioral issues, such as declawing of cats, docking of tails, cropping of ears and debarking on dogs.

The word veterinary comes from the Latin veterinae meaning "working animals". "Veterinarian" was first used in print by Thomas Browne in 1646.[1]

The term "veterinarian" is used in North America and other countries using predominantly American English, whereas in the United Kingdom, and countries which are formerly part of the British Empire or are part of the Commonwealth of Nations tend to use the term veterinary surgeon.[citation needed]

The first veterinary college was founded in Lyon, France in 1762 by Claude Bourgelat.[2] According to Lupton, after observing the devastation being caused by cattle plague to the French herds, Bourgelat devoted his time to seeking out a remedy. This resulted in his founding a veterinary college in Lyon in 1761, from which establishment he dispatched students to combat the disease; in a short time, the plague was stayed and the health of stock restored, through the assistance rendered to agriculture by veterinary science and art."[3]

The Odiham Agricultural Society was founded in 1783 in England to promote agriculture and industry,[4] and played an important role in the foundation of the veterinary profession in Britain.[5] A 1785 Society meeting resolved to "promote the study of Farriery upon rational scientific principles.

The professionalization of the veterinary trade was finally achieved in 1790, through the campaigning of Granville Penn, who persuaded the Frenchman, Benoit Vial de St. Bel to accept the professorship of the newly established Veterinary College in London.[4] The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons was established by royal charter in 1844.

Veterinary science came of age in the late 19th century, with notable contributions from Sir John McFadyean, credited by many as having been the founder of modern Veterinary research.[6]

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Veterinary physician - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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1. What are Stem Cells?

Stem cells is a kind of self-renewing cells, which are immature and do not fully differentiate, and have the potential function of regenerating all kinds of tissues and organs. So they are called "universal cells".

According to the different original sources, stem cells can be divided into embryonic stem cells, somatic stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, neural stem cells and muscle stem cells etc. According to the development potential, stem cells can be divided into totipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells and unipotent stem cells.

2. The Characteristics and Advantages of Stem Cells

a. Stem cells have the strong abilities of proliferation and multi-direction differentiation, so a lot of descendants are generated.

b. Through intercellular interactions and generating cell factors to inhibit the proliferation and immune reaction of T cells, thus rebuilding the immune function.

c. Stem cells are widely available, which are easy to separate, culture, proliferate and purify, daughter cells still remain the same characteristics as mother cells after proliferating many times.

d. Low immunogenicity. Stem cells dont have the character of immunological rejection and the problem of blood matching because stem cells are in the initial state and can not be identified easily.

e. Stem cells have the unique ability of homing. Through the function of homing, the traumatic signal can stimulate stem cells to differentiate new cells to replace the damaged organs and tissues so as to repair and rebuild the damaged cells.

Excerpt from:
Stem Cells - Kidney Disease Treatment

Dear Holistic, Alternative and Integrated Health Practitioners, and all persons interested in Integrative Medicine,

We cordially invite you to join our Association for Integrative Medicine.

We believe that the combined knowledge of old and new healing modalities is ultimately superior to a single-model approach to health and wellness.

It is our philosophy that diverse modalities such as Massage, Counseling, Reiki, Yoga, Shiatsu, Biofeedback, Chiropractic, Hypnosis, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, the Arts Therapies, Western Medicine and many others can work in conjunction with each other as part of a unified team rather than in competition. This integrated approach ultimately will lead to safer, faster and more effective healthcare.

If you would like to be considered for a position on our Board of directors or advisory Board, please send a written statement as to how you are qualified for the position, why you would make an effective Board member, how you bring diversity or representation of the general public to the Board, and why you are interested in the post, your vision for AIM and how you would be able to assist in achieving it.

For any additional information, questions or comments, please don't hesitate to write or call us.

Sincerely Yours,

Peter Redmond, D.C. and Eric Miller, Ph.D.

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Home | Association for Integrative Medicine

Research shows that integrative medical care improves mood, promotes relaxation, optimizes overall health and reduces pain, fatigue, insomnia and the risk of chronic conditions. At the Ohio State University Integrative Medicine Clinic, our specially trained physicians and practitioners blend complementary and conventional treatments and therapies to heal the mind, body and spirit. Clinical services include:

Acupuncture is a 3,000-year-old Chinese stimulation technique that relieves a variety of medical conditions.

Learn more

Ayurveda (the science of life) is a natural, prevention-oriented medical system that started in the ancient Vedic times of India.

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Chiropractic care focuses on the relationship between the bodys structuremainly spineand how it functions.

Learn more

Guided imagery can help patients relax, improve sleep, prepare for surgery, experience greater clarity, compassion and gratitude and feel more calm, confident and comfortable.

Learn more

Heart-centered practices can help you become more compassionate, forgiving, grateful and loving.

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Integrative Medicine Services | OSU Wexner Medical Center

VISION 2020 is the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, a joint programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) with an international membership of NGOs, professional associations, eye care institutions and corporations.

The many successes of VISION 2020 have been achieved through a unique, cross-sector collaboration, which enables public, private and non-profit interests to work together, helping people to see, all over the world. VISION 2020's principles, targets and milestones come from the 'VISION 2020 Action Plan' (See the original Action Plan and its update in 2006), they have since been updated and replaced by the WHO Global Action Plan 2014-19: Towards Universal Eye Health.

VISION

A world in which no one is needlessly blind and where those with unavoidable vision loss can achieve their full potential.

The goal of eliminating avoidable blindness would best be achieved by integrating an equitable, sustainable, comprehensive eye-care system into every national health system. The VISION 2020 initiative is intended to strengthen national health-care systems and facilitate national capacity-building.

OBJECTIVES

National programmes have three main elements:

VISION 2020 is built on a foundation of community participation. Overarching issues, such as equity, quality of services, visual outcomes and access - the components of Universal Eye Health - are addressed as part of national programmes.

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VISION 2020 | International Agency for the Prevention of ...

PHOTOGRAPH ISSUE 13

PHOTOGRAPH 13 features the elegant drama of being underwater, heart-stopping heights, exploring the Dowrog, and the sport of finding just the right light.

Photography is about seeing. Learning to see in new waysto perceive things differentlyis the single best thing you can do to improve your photographs.

If you like what Lightroom 5 does for your workflow, wait til you see what Lightroom 6 can do. Get the scoop on how to use the new features.

Issue 12 celebrates diversity of expression, from imaginative portraiture, to the sensual canals of Venice, the solitude of dales in snow, and the joy of telling stories about oneself.

Learn the stuff that sets compelling and iconic photographs apart from the usual tourist stuff. This 210-page eBook includes interviews with Art Wolfe and Bob Krist.

Issue 13 of PHOTOGRAPH magazine highlights a variety of photographic adventures, including the strength and elegance of being underwater, climbing to heart-stopping heights, hiking through the mystery of the Dowrog, and the sport of finding just the right light in a place you know like the back of your hand. Portfolios and interviews include Mallory Morrison (interviewed in our latest C&V iTunes Podcast), who flows into the feeling of summer with a unique and graceful combination of fashion and danceunderwater; photographer/videographer Jordan Manley, who makes his craft a physical art; rural documentary photographer Chris Tancock, whose numerous collections...

Magazine $8.00 (excl. tax)

Vision 365: Mastering the Everyday Practice of Seeing is not tips and tricks; rather, this eBook is a diligent reminder that its the practice of photography that trains your eye to see not only the spectacular and obvious, but the small, ordinary, and every day things that you might not necessarily think about as being photo-worthy. In the scheme of grand and the search for praise, we often miss the obvious . . . without recognizing that we have done so. Henry Fernando has a quiet, peaceful way of showing how the practice of seeingthrough 365 days of simple, repetitive...

eBooks $8.00 (excl. tax)

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Craft & Vision

Overview Stem cell treatment in India Stem cells are cells that retain the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and can differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues. Stem Cell Therapy in India Stem cells are the master cells of the human body. They can divide to produce copies of themselves and many other types of cell. They are found in various parts of the human body at every stage of development from embryo to adult.

Because stem cells are so versatile, they could potentially be used to repair and replace damaged human tissue.

The stem cells used in our experimental therapy are Mesenchymal stem cells, which are derived from your own bone marrow. These are multipotent stem cells that can transform into a variety of cell types, and thereby help in regeneration and repair of the diseased tissues.

For more information, medical assessment and medical quote send your detailed medical history and medical reports as email attachment to Email : - info@wecareindia.com Call: +91 9029304141 (10 am. To 8 pm. IST) (Only for international patients seeking treatment in India)

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