Page 1 of 2  |
| Investigation might open new scientific field |
| Cells mother testiculares: alternative to the embryonic ones |
| |
| Scientists managed to adapt cells testiculares such as the embryonic ones. AP |
For Seth Borenstein
ap
The cells extracted from human testicles seem so versatile as the cells mother derived from embryos, reports a group of investigators in what it can open the doors for a new scientific field.
The new type of cells mother might be useful to develop personalized textiles, according to a study that is published in the magazine Nature. But due to his origin, his biggest potential would be applied only to half of the world population: to the males.
The cells mother embryonic can develop practically in any human textile and the scientists believe that they can offer possibility of future treatments for illnesses like the Parkinson and the diabetes and for injuries of the spinal cord.
The advantages
The cells testiculares avoid the ethical problem of the cells mother embriónicas, that are extracted in a process that destroys the embryo. For this motive some persons, including the president George W. Bush, they are opposed to his use for ethical or religious motives.
“The advantage that these cells have compared to the cells mother embriónicas is that they are natural and that they do not present ethical problems”, said the principal author of the study Thomas Skutella, teacher in the Center of Biology and Medicine Regenerative in Tubingen, Germany.
The use of cells testiculares is not the only promissory method that avoids the use of embryos; there have been significant experiments to reschedule ordinary cells in cells mother inserting certain genes.
The new conclusions and the rescheduled cells — that still present some technical difficulties — “they remove pressure to the question of the cells mother”, there said the scientific adviser of the White House, Jack Marburger.
Previous studies revealed promises in the use of the cells espermatogonias of the mice's testicles.
The new study used cells extracted from textiles of 22 men submitted to different medical treatments. The subjects had between 17 and 81 years.
The investigators found that after a few weeks of growth, the cells can differ in several types of cells like extracted from the embryos.
Other scientists greeted the idea but they did not consider it to be a sufficient motive as to leave the investigation on the cells mother embriónicas.
“It is very interesting. We might do it for the males; that would leave the women without such an accessible method”, said the expert George Daley of the Children's Hospital of Boston and the Institute Harvard of Cells Mother, who did not take part in the study.
The cells mother embryonic “they have their own place in the biology”, said Daley.
Skutella said that a feminine equivalent might happen in the ova, but Daley considered it to be improbable due to his composition.
The application of the new conclusions in a treatment might stay on years. Pero Daley said that the work might benefit with a decade of investigations in the cells embriónicas to accelerate the process.
He added that the new investigation revealed the similarity between the cells testiculares and the cells embriónicas. Now the science must determine what his specific differences are, since they might be important.
| He interviews the coordiandora of the program Window of Health, Elcira Herrera: |
| “We think about how to face the persons in the navigation of the system of health” |
| |
| This program finds El Salvador available in the consulates of Mexico ty, says Elcira Herrera. Felipe Lagos/WH. |
For Felipe Lagos
Washington Hispanic
“These spaces deal because gentilmente the consulates have opened this first program for his connacionales, but they are opened for the whole community that wants to help”.
The program Window of the Health, which is available in the consulates of Mexico and El Salvador (similar program which name is a Station of Health and Services), thinks about how to go to the root of the barrier problem of access to medical services.
As his name indicates it, this service thinks about how to put at the disposal of the persons who are going to do his diverse consular steps preventive examinations. In the case that someone needs one more review in depth, it does the corresponding navigation to itself to find a place that could do the necessary pursuit, as it indicates the coordinating committee of the program, Elcira Herrera.
“The Window of Health takes as a general target to help to overcome the access barriers services, specially trying to give information to the persons in how establishing a medical hearth, this being understood like a clinic or community center, according to where the persons live and work, where to obtain primary and preventive health services, and education. Secondly, the health window tries to deliver information and facilitate the enrrolamiento of the persons who are eligible to the health programs public and or deprived of low cost, because it is a fact that many Latin children who have been born in this country and who are eligible to receive health insurance do not inscribe for the same barriers of access that we were speaking. Some of them are afraid, or the paperwork is complicated or they cannot read or write and do not see it like problem. Only they hope that they should be sick and set off to the emergency. Obviously that generates more costs not only to the person if not also to the country. The illnesses end up by being more difficult to treat”, says Farrier.
— Where is the program available?
“The consulate of El Salvador has a program that is called the station of health and services, which is the same concept, and that of Mexico has the Window of Health. Basically, both take as a target to diminish the barriers of access to health services and socially and specially to give them information about medical hearths, information about public or private insurances of health and third, to occupy this space to do education in excellent health topics. For example, the Window of Health has done an Association agreement with the American Society of the Cancer and offers an educational program and prevention of this illness. Other important topics are ViH/Sida, hypertension. Diabetes and chronic illnesses. In this sense, the program thinks about how to do preventive examinations in daily form for those who are waiting for his passport or other steps, there are offered them preventive examinations of vision, blood pressure, checkups of the blood sugar, VIH and others. To achieve this, we have done agreements of collaboration with about 40 agencies that go in a regular way to offer these services”.
— What happens if someone is not from El Salvador or Mexico and is looking for services?
“It is opened for all the public. These spaces deal because gentilmente the consulates have opened this first program for his connacionales, but of course it is opened for the whole community that wants to help. If someone has surely not even roles, it can go to these windows where they will deliver to him orientation and reference given the specific case in accordance with the resources that the community needs. It is like a station of information, education and references to navigate the health system”.
| To his health |
| Mamografías for persons without medical insurance |
For Maria Gómez
The president of Mary's Center
We are in the month of the Campaign to raise public awareness of the Cancer of Bosom and what better opportunity that this one to give information about the resources that exist in the community to help us to take care of this illness that affects million women in the entire world.
A healthy life that includes regular physical activity and a diet rich in vegetables and fruits is always the best recommendation to help to contract many illnesses in the human being and although it does not guarantee 100 % the prevention of the cancer of bosom yes is one of the best ways of reducing the risk of contracting it.
The bosom cancer affects especially the feminine population. One of the forms of early detection of this illness, is by means of the mamografía that it is a system of x-rays that is used to examine the breasts.
The mamografía is begun to do from 40 years with the exception of those women whose familiar history brings existence of this type of cancer and in this case, the control panel begins earlier.
Unfortunately any more than 13 million women older than 40 years in the United States have never become a mamografía and this increases the risk of not being able to treat the cancer on time in case of being diagnosed.
Those women who have medical insurance, have no problem in spite of becoming the mamografía since this one covers the examination to them. For those who do not have medical insurance and this annual checkup needs to be done, there are several resources or programs, especially this month in which all the efforts are directed to the education and prevention of this illness.
The University of George Washington has an outside broadcast unit that moves for several sectors of the District offering mamografías free for persons without insurance. 17 of this month that is when the National Day of the Mamografía is celebrated, the Mammovan - as there is called he to this outside broadcast unit - will be offering mamografías free at the head of the faculty of medicine of this university that is located in the sector of Foggy Bottom (2150 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW). It is necessary to do a previous appointment calling 202-741-3252.
It is important to bear in mind that if the person has no insurance but his income is higher than it is needed to qualify for a free mamografía, he will have to pay a value of $ 241 for doing the examination to him. If you are interested in this service but 17 of this month it is not possible to become the mamografía, the same way it can call to specify an appointment for another day. What yes it must bear in mind is that it must take a reference of his doctor.
The Hospital Sibley (5255 Loughboro Road, N.W). it will offer the same way mamografías free on October 24 as part of his program Operation 100 "Hugs". This program does not need an order of the doctor to take part. The only requisites are to be older than 40 years and not to have medical insurance. Also for this program, it is necessary to do previous appointment calling 202-537-4545.
The Center of Care of the Bosom of the Capital (Capital Breast Care Center) also offers mamografías free during the whole year but it does not have a special mamografías program for this month. The center is located in 650 Pennsylvania Bird., his phone is 202-675-2099 and to use this resource, the person does not need reference of his doctor.
In all these places there is personnel that speaks Spanish that it can help him. Also, remember that in the community centers also there is offered permanently education and information about the resources that exist in the community.
Finally, remember also that every woman from 20 years must begin to do to herself the car examination of the bosoms as a form of early detection of the cancer of bosom. It is recommended to practise it every month.
Do not put in risk his life with anything so simple of avoiding if it is done on time.
| Thoroughly |
| The multiple sclerosis, the illness of thousand faces |
For Felipe Lagos
Washington Hispanic
To the being a Central nervous system disease, the multiple sclerosis can hide after a big symptoms quantity. For the same, it is an important knowledge of what it is a question and the important advances that the science has achieved in his diagnosis and treatment.
| |
| Diagnoses can be done in early form thanks to the use of the magnetic resonance of skull, of cervical column and of marrow in its entirety. |
Known like the “illness of thousand faces”, the multiple sclerosis it is a neurological condition that, in simple terms, makes the connection difficult between the neurons.
To work correctly, the brain needs that the neurons (a type of cerebral cell) could communicate in fluid and constant form. What happens with the multiple sclerosis is that this illness, for causes that are still not understood perfectly, is mining the aptitude of the neurons to communicate in efficient form, what it makes difficult or disables the correct function of a series of corporal functions.
“ The multiple sclerosis affects especially to the white substance and in minor measurement, the gray matter. The white substance is the fibre formed by the nerve, which is the axón (extension of the neuron), and the layer of fat that surrounds it that it is the mielina, which protects it and nourishes it”, says the president of the Latin-American Committee for the treatment and investigation of the Multiple sclerosis (LACTRIMS) and also neurologist and Uruguayan teacher, Dr. Carlos Oehninger.
The expert indicates that this condition desmielinizante (because it attacks the mielina).
“ What happens after the mielina catches fire is that the axón who is born of the neuron remains naked and the nervous transmission cannot be done correctly, it becomes slower or for other places to come to the destination”.
The signs
The multiple sclerosis can be announced by a big symptoms quantity, and hence it receives his name of the “illness of thousand faces”.
“ Since it is a Central nervous system disease (SNC), it can prove to be a sinnúmero of clinical declarations that can change very much of one person to other one. It is very heterogeneous in his clinical expression. So many symptoms it can have that some of them call it the “illness of thousand faces”, the “big simuladora” or more “deceitful of the illnesses of the SNC”. Inside the SNC, there commit themselves some areas much more often than others, and hence the symptoms that appear. For example, one compromises the optical nerve often, there is a decrease of the visual keenness of the eye, which later it improves recovering completely, for later it can affect to another eye or to the same one. Also there falls ill the deep white substance of the brain, of the bone marrow, of the cerebral trunk and of the cerebellum. Therefore, according to the place that appears the injury will be the symptom that appears. For example, a symptom is the decrease of the vision of an eye, but another sign can be that the individual has loss of forces in two legs, in an arm or leg. Other persons have difficulty to walk, of the balance. Also there can be problems of coordination of the members, when it is going to seize a spoon for example, it passes and shows small coordination. Also there can be double vision, sensation of pins and needles that go up and down of the body, urinal disorders, where an imperious micturition is evident. Also there is a big weariness or dizziness”, says the expert.
The causes
Dr. Oehninger points out that the scientists believe that there are genetic and environmental components in the unleashing of the multiple sclerosis.
“ There is a genetic factor, but it is not inherited as they it do the color of the eyes or of the hair. It is a very complex, polygene heredity. There is an environmental factor also, since it is slightly frequent in the equatorial line, but increasing the latitude towards the north or towards the south the cases frequency increases, in such a way that in the north of Europe, Canada, the USA and England the predominance is maximum. In addition to the genetic and environmental factor, there is an immune factor, because there is a susceptibility of contracting the illness. But in fact the cause ultimately is not known”.
How is it diagnosed
At present, diagnoses can be done in early form thanks to the use of the magnetic resonance of skull, of cervical column and of marrow in its entirety.
This examination allows to observe the injuries to different SNC heights. Another way of diagnosing it is across a study to the liquid rockfish - raquídeo and finally there is done an evaluation of evoked potentials, which can detect injuries silentes. With these three types of examination (magnetic resonance, liquid brain - raquídeo and the evoked potentials allow to come to the diagnosis of the illness in a more precocious form”, says the neurologist.
Treatment
The principal form in which the multiple sclerosis talks each other is with inmunomoduladores. “Until a few years ago corticoids were used only, but now we have for the most frequent forms of multiple sclerosis the inmunomoduladores, which used precozmente it does that the illness they are less frequent, less intense, less severe and with minor aftermath, improving the quality of life”.
To know more
Dr. Carlos Oehninger says that a called book exists “Multiple sclerosis: a Latin-American look”, that relies on with 70 chapters for more than 130 authors of 19 countries written completely in Spanish.
The volume thinks about how to explain this illness from a Latin-American perspective. The book can be obtained across amazon.com.
| Nutrient can prepare a series of serious illnesses |
| They recommend to duplicate vitamin dose D to children |
| |
| The paediatrics Academy estimated to duplicate the vitamin dose D that one gives to the children. AP |
For Lindsay Tanner
ap
The principal pediatric group of the United States said that the children, from the newborn babies to the adolescents, should receive every day the double of the recommended dose of vitamin D because there are evidences with which he helps to provide serious illnesses.
To expire with the new recommendation of 400 daily units, million children will have to take supplements every day, it indicated the American Academy of Paediatrics. It includes breast children, even those who take enriched milk, and many adolescents who take little milk or flatly they do not do it.
Other recommendations
The milk prepared for babies has vitamin D, so in general those who consume it do not need supplements. Nevertheless, the academy recommends to give them breast during at least the first year of life and the maternal milk often does not have the content vitamínico necessarily.
Most of the available milk commercially are strengthened by vitamin D, but many children and adolescents do not take the sufficient thing — four daily valuations would be needed — to expire with the new requests, said the doctor Frank Greer, coauthor of the report.
The recommendation is based on investigations on the benefits of the vitamin D, that in addition to strengthening the bones, might reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and cardiac illnesses. But the evidences of it are not conclusive and there is no consensus on the dose of necessary vitamin to prepare illnesses.
The new recommendation replaces the one that presented the academy in 2003, of consuming 200 units every day.
This is the quantity that the government recommends for the children and adults of up to 50 years. 400 units the son for persons of between 51 and 70 years, and 600 for major than 71 years. The vitamin D offers itself in drops, for children, capsules and tablets.
The Institute of Medicine, group of consultancy of the government that fixes dietetic standards, is talking with the authorities to determine if these recommendations must be modified in accordance with the investigations in development, said the spokeswoman Christine Stencel.
Other sources
The vitamin D is in several nutritive sources, as fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod-liver oil.
The sun is also an important factor that he contributes significantly to the vitamin production D in our diet and one believes that to be only ten minutes under the solar exhibition is sufficient to avoid shortcomings.
The principal biological function of the vitamin D is to support in normal grades the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. The vitamin D helps in the absorption of the calcium, what he helps to form and support strong bones. An investigation that was realized recently indicated that the vitamin D can offer protection from the osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer and several illnesses of the immune system.
|
