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May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Grow your own body parts? The future is now
By
Karen Youso
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An ear implant is seeded with cartilage cells. The implant technology could make replacement organs readily available, with no risk of rejection |
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Amid all the noise of health care reform, a real revolution is happening.
Medical advancements that sound like science fiction — growing your own organs, being cared for by robotic nurses, popping anti-aging pills — are either at or near reality already. No matter what is decided about how we deliver and pay for health care in the future, the manner in which bodies and diseases are treated is about to change dramatically.
At least that's the opinion of the innovators in medicine and technology — scientists, doctors, engineers and philosophers — who gathered last month at a TEDMED, (that's Technology, Entertainment, Design Medicine) conference in San Diego to unveil solutions to some stubborn health care problems. These innovations are likely to be embraced not only because they could save money, but also because a large, vocal group is going to want them — the baby boomers.
Don't wait for an organ donation — grow your own. Here's how.
Cells from an organ to be replaced are put into nutrients, where they multiply and create a "soup," explained Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in North Carolina. The "soup" of cells is "painted" on a form or scaffolding in the shape of the organ, say a bladder, and placed into an incubator. A new bladder grows in about six weeks.
"It used to be that the patient's pelvis was extensively X-rayed to get the right-sized bladder," Atala said, "but now (scientists are doing so many that) bladders come in three sizes: small, medium and large."
Ears, arteries, heart valves, fingers and toes are being grown in this manner. Recent news stories have described the successful growing of new penises in lab animals. Atala's group is experimenting with the ink-jet technology of a printer/scanner that will be able to "print out" a copy of skin, or even a heart, for replacement.
This could spell the end of transplant organ shortages and, because they use the patient's own tissue, make organ rejection a thing of the past.
How soon will you be able to grow your own parts? Lab-grown bladders have already been transplanted into patients in the United States, a precursor to FDA approval, said a Wake Forest Institute spokeswoman. In 10 years, it could be out with the old and in with the new, at least with some organs. And they'll be your own organs.
An age wave is about to hit health care. Baby boomers are graying, developing chronic diseases, disabilities and just plain wearing out. About 70 million aging boomers could mean bulging nursing homes and depleted resources.
It doesn't have to be that way, said Eric Dishman, director of Health Innovation at Intel's Digital Health Group. Put smart phone technology to work in medicine and people stay independent longer, he said. Intel's Health Guide, a laptop-like device already in use in some parts of the country, monitors patients' health from home.
With a touch screen and side ports for attachments, the device uses a friendly female voice to prompt users to measure blood pressure, blood sugar, lung function and more. Results go directly to a health care provider. If a follow-up call is necessary, a camera allows the patient and care provider to see each other as they talk. Closer supervision means better results for the patient, who can avoid trips to the doctor, hospitalizations and nursing home stays.
Other smart, button-sized devices can be worn on the body to sense gait, tremors and other vital signs, telling doctors if medication is working or if patient's condition is changing, without having to wait for a crisis.
"It's about aging gracefully in the home," said Greg Hooper, with Intel Digital Health Group.
Look for more medical home-monitoring products and services to hit the market soon.
How about an in-home helper who never gets tired?
The iRobot company, the one that put robotic vacuum cleaners into homes, is working on creating Grandma's little helper — a robot nurse. Just getting underway, the idea is a helper strong enough to carry Grandma up a flight of stairs, but gentle enough to hand her the proper medicine at the right time. If Grandma doesn't answer the phone, the robot could roam the house, looking for her.
Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot, said a family caregiver can easily put in three hours a day caring for an elderly person, and more than six if the person is frail. "Elder care and a full-time job are not compatible," he said.
Robotic help in the home could add years to independent living. Development of the robot nurse might come in stages, with a robotic arm or other devices debuting before the full-fledged robot.
"Aging is a disease and it's mainly treatable," says David Sinclair, a Harvard professor and a leading researcher on aging who discovered resveratrol, the anti-aging ingredient in red wine, in 2002. Now, a newer compound, many thousands of times stronger than resveratrol, is being studied. It works on genes that regulate aging.
The substance, in pill form, is being studied as a treatment for the diseases of aging: diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cardiovascular disease and many cancers. The results are promising, Sinclair said, and there appear to be no side effects.
More will be known in the next two years. If current results are any indication of the outcome, "anti-aging drugs will permeate the public," he said. "Aging is a set of diseases. If we can slow them down or cure them, we will live longer healthier lives."
It may well be that the boomer generation will be the last generation with a "natural" life span. It's the children and grandchildren of boomers who are likely to reap the most benefits.
Living well is the best revenge, it's said — and what could be better than living well longer?
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