AdultStemCell.com

John M Campbell asked:


The carotid arteries are 2 blood vessels, one either side of the neck, that each transport blood to the brain from the heart. These arteries can become partly or totally blocked resulting in the decrease of blood flow to the brain. This condition in turn is caused by atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is the outcome of a build up of cholesterol and calcium on the inner lining of the arteries. These deposits are referred to as plaques, which might eventually become so thick that they totally prevent the blood flow through the arteries. Those with untreated blocked carotid arteries are statistically likely to have a stroke.

Carotid artery occlusive disease is a permanent but treatable condition. Treatment is designed to stop further blockage and stroke. If there is some blockage devoid of symptoms, treatment will probably be limited to regular checkups, with ultrasound being used to monitor the condition along with medication that will cause the blood to thin to prevent the blood cells from clotting. Even if the arteries are severely narrowed, there is no guarantee of symptoms. If the blockage is severe, surgery might be recommended to reduce the possibility of stroke.

The most usual method of surgery, carotid endarterectomy, seeks to remove the plaque from the artery. For some patients, a balloon angioplasty (the inflating of a balloon to press the plaque to the artery wall), with the placement of a stent, may be recommended. If a carotid artery is 100% blocked, then it is unlikely anything would done to clear it because the risk of stroke is too high during or post operation.

Efforts are then concentrated on keeping the opposite carotid as open as possible. A person can live a good life with only one open carotid artery. The body is smart enough to reroute blood via a complex network to the side of the brain that would normally get blood via the blocked carotid. A dietitian (check with her MD) could help you devise an eating plan that is healthy & affordable.work).

If the brain is deprived of oxygen, it stops working — with potentially catastrophic effects. If the resulting impairment is permanent, we call the event a stroke. If it is temporary, it’s called a transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Every human has 4 carotid arteries through which blood moves from heart to brain. TIAs and strokes normally begin with an increase of cholesterol plaque in the carotid arteries — the large blood vessels on either side of the neck which supply blood to the head and brain.

Eric Schultz asked:


The Democratic Party is looking to regain the White House after eight years. Whether they succeed or not will depend on their stated positions on major issued affecting the lives of all Americans. If a majority of the electorates views match the Democratic candidate’s own opinions, the chances of occupying the White House are bright. So what is the Democratic Party’s stand on major issues. Here they are.

1. Economic Issues:

Democrats favor a higher minimum wage and more regular increases in order to assist the working poor. Democrats have opposed tax cuts and incentives to oil companies, favoring a policy of developing domestic renewable energy. Democrats believe that they always provide a balanced budget. They are in favor of higher taxes on the rich and businesses and better control on government spending to keep budget deficit under control. Democrats favor affordable and quality health care and more government intervention in this area. Democrats will strengthen environmental protection laws and impose stringent sanctions on polluters. Democrats aim to provide low-cost publicly funded college education with low tuition fees and increase availability of grants and scholarships. Democratic Party is in support of a progressive tax structure and has vowed to adjust the Alternate Minimum Tax (AMT) to give permanent AMT relief for those tax payers who were never meant to pay it.

2. Social Issues:
Democratic Party supports equal opportunity for all Americans and favors affirmative action as a way to redress past discrimination. Democratic believes that discrimination against persons because of their sexual orientation is wrong, support adoption rights for same-sex couples and opposes the military’s “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy. Democratic Party supports easy access to women for birth control and public funding of contraception for poor women. Democratic Party strongly supports all stem cell research.

3. Foreign Policy Issues:
Democrats believe in use of military force against those responsible for attacks against the United States and a majority voted for invasion of Afghanistan, while being divided (29 for and 21 against) on attacking Iraq. Democrats usually oppose the doctrine of unilateralism and believe that the United States should act in the international arena through strong alliances and international support.

4. Legal Issues:
Democrats oppose the use of torture as an instrument of interrogation of military prisoners. Democratic Party supports the right to individual privacy and supports legal restrictions on monitoring by law enforcement agencies. Democrats believe in preventive methods of crime control and emphasize improved community policing. Democratic Party favors gun control measures and introduced Gun Control Act of 1968, the Brady Bill of 1993 and Crime Control Act of 1994.

Now you know the Democrats position on various issues of national importance affecting the common citizen’s life. Did that help you make-up your mind? Hope so.

Mike Selvon asked:


The stem cell research debate has spanned numerous decades, with presidents like George HW Bush, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush rejecting funding science that tampered with human embryos, and presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama appropriating money toward an end that justifies the means. If a primitive bundle of cells can be used to save thousands or millions of lives and alleviate suffering, then is it worth it? Or does embryonic stem cell research cross the line between man and God?

When does human life begin? This is the quintessential theological question behind embryonic stem cell research. Devout Catholics and Protestants will tell you, “Human life begins at conception, at the very moment when sperm and egg come together. Development from there on out should be left up to God and God only.” They argue the problem is that embryos are killed in the process of harvesting stem cells, therefore aborting the developing embryo.

In a speech on August 9, 2001, former President George W. Bush explained, “While we must devote enormous energy to conquering disease, it is equally important that we pay attention to the moral concerns raised by the new frontier of human embryo stem cell research. Even the most noble ends do not justify any means.” Pope Benedict XVI went so far as to say human stem cell research was “not only devoid of the light of God but also devoid of humanity.”

The Iranian position on embryonic stem cell research is that it’s a necessary and common pathway to medical discovery. According to the Koran, human life begins at Day 120, when the embryo is blessed with a soul, so the fetal stem cells being derived when the embryo is less than two weeks’ old is of little moral concern to them. In a letter to a scientist, Ayatollah Khamenei commended the pursuit of “lofty objectives,” predicting “huge humanitarian wealth.” He did, however, caution against producing identical parts of human beings, which would be considered cloning, which is rejected in Iranian culture.

Lawyers may argue either for or against stem cell research. They can argue that stem cells cannot develop into humans outside of the uterus or that these spare embryos are routinely destroyed by flushing them down the drain, incineration or leaving them out to perish; so why not use these extra embryos to save lives?

Yet they may also argue that these embryos can be adopted, rather than destroyed, or that embryonic stem cell research is senseless murder. This complex argument may become null and void if adult stem cells can be effectively harvested and reverted back to their primal state, although it may take years before the process is fully perfected.

William Phoenix asked:


In my assigned surfing of the internet I come across a variety of topics and sites. Recently, I came across something regarding stem cell research and MS. Humor me just once and read about this important issue. (I am already 48 and we still aren’t cloning headless bodies to replace organs that wear out so naturally I am concerned. I want to be writing for you people when I am 100! I mean, it is 2009 and we don’t have all the things we should have. We don’t have flying cars. We don’t have Star Trek-level medical science. We don’t even have medical science on par with “Space:1999″. But I digress…)

Everyone is aware of the controversy. Even musicians such as Dream Theater are aware of the stem cell debate: “This embryonic clay wrapped in fierce debate; Would be thrown away or otherwise discarded, Some of us believe it may hold the key to treatment of disease and secrets highly guarded”. For now let us focus on one aspect of stem cell research: the cure for MS.

Recently, scientists discovered that they can prevent and even reverse the crippling condition of MS (multiple sclerosis). Specific findings at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois show that “17 out of 21″ people with (the most common) relapsing-remitting MS tested had their health improve as a result of aggressive stem cell treatment.

Past studies demonstrated that stem cell treatment could stabilize the condition but it had not yet shown that the same treatment was capable of reversing the condition. The leader of this study, Richard K Burnt, observed that this treatment is undoubtedly “a feasible procedure”. It is called autologous non-myeloablative haemopoietic stem cell transplantation. Not only does the treatment appear to stave off neurological progression but it also seems to reverse neurological disability.

The procedure causes the suppression of the immune system and revitalizes it with new cells. Medical experts think the new cells reset the immune system of the patient.

A three-year follow up was done and it revealed that 81% of MS sufferers saw an improvement of one point or more on a disability scale. No patient scored lower than before the operation. A spokesperson for the MS Society, Dr. Douglas Brown, said that research is increasingly demonstrating that these cells are showing “more… potential in the treatment of MS” and that now science needs to continue to show how effective they can be.

A serious issue worth serious consideration. I know when my time comes, I just plain won’t want to go yet. If this type of research can help then I say we support it. As always, I am waiting to hear what you all have to say.

My name is Phoenix and…that’s the bottom line.

Mike Selvon asked:


Imagine a world where a new liver or kidney can be grown from your own stemcells in a Petri dish and then transplanted into your body. A knee injury, a burn or a damaged heart can be fixed with a patch that regroups with surrounding tissues and repairs itself.

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s would become a thing of the past, as fresh stem cells work diligently to make new connections in the brain. Imagine a world where stem cells can be implanted into spinal cords or eyes to restore full functioning in the disabled. This world is not so distant, given recent advances. There are a number of places where you can research stem cell treatments.

One place to do some research on stem cells is the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Despite former President Bush’s ban on federal stem cell research funding, the rogue Californians approved a 2004 ballot initiative (Proposition 71) that set aside state funds for just that purpose.

As a result, $3 billion was appropriated to California research facilities, making the state an epicenter of stem cell news. On their site, you might like to read their comprehensive annual report, which reads much more like a magazine than a lofty scientific publication. You can read about awards, its therapy treatments, studies and stem cell research facilities at Cirm web site.

Another great place to research stem cells is Medical News Today (at Medicalnewstoday). Here you’ll read the latest articles on stem cell news adapted from press releases, reports, newspaper articles and medical journals. You can sign up for daily or weekly newsletters to keep you abreast of all trials, treatments and research being conducted. You can watch a Youtube video titled “Everything You Wanted To Know About Stem Cells.” You can learn all about “What Are Stem Cells,” in addition to looking up current news on this comprehensive site.

With the new allocation of federal stem cell research funding, a number of facilities across the country will be receiving money to research stem cell therapies. For instance, the University of Buffalo will receive $4.9 million for human stem cell research. The University of California at Irvine will receive $27.2 million to build a new stem cell research facility and the University of San Diego will get $2.8 million to improve their current facilities. It may take another 10 years to produce a widely recommended cure, but research has been promising.

Colum Fitzroy asked:


If you or a loved one are one of the millions of children and adults in the United States suffering from congestive heart failure, there is reason now to be hopeful. An effective treatment may be on the horizon, thanks to stem cell research being done by a company in Florida.

Heart failure doesn’t mean your heart stops working. It means your heart is not working as well as it should. It’s not pumping enough blood, perhaps because your heart doesn’t fill up with enough blood, or it doesn’t pump blood forcefully enough to the rest of your body. The main causes of heart failure are diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease is also one of the leading causes of heart attacks, which happen when plaque blocks the flow of blood (and oxygen) to an area of the heart. This causes damage and even the death of heart tissue. In adults, it takes time to develop heart failure, sometimes many years, as the pumping action of the heart gradually weakens. Sometimes only the right side of the heart can be affected. But most of the time both sides are affected. If the right side of your heart has the condition, then your lungs won’t get enough blood. That means your lungs won’t pass along enough oxygen to your blood. You may then notice a build-up of fluid in your feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen, and sometimes in the veins in the neck.

If the left side of your heart is affected, then the rest of your body will not get enough oxygen from the blood. In both kinds of heart failure, you can be short of breath and tired all of the time. Sometimes, heart failure can lead to a heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as many as five million people in the United States suffer from heart failure, and 300,000 of these die every year.

Although there are different kinds of treatment for heart failure, no one has come up with a cure. But progress is being made. One company is exploring the use of stem cells in heart failure patients to reverse the damage (scarring) in tissue after a heart attack. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead to Sunrise, Fla.-based Bioheart, Inc. (BHRT) to begin a Phase I clinical trial for the company’s proprietary stem cell mixture to treat congestive heart failure.

Because this is a so-called Phase I trial, it will involve only a small number of patients, in this case 15. The goal of any Phase I trial is to test both the safety and effectiveness of a new drug or treatment. Bioheart’s trial will be conducted at different locations and will assess the safety and cardiovascular effects of implanting its stem cell mixture in congestive heart failure patients who have experienced a heart attack.

The mixture consists of stem cells from a patient’s own thigh muscle that have been modified to over-express a certain protein. The stem cells are injected directly into the scar tissue in the heart using a needle-tipped catheter inserted into the groin. The company hopes to prove that its stem cell mixture can grow new heart muscle within the scar tissue that will in turn be able help the repair process.

Bioheart also hopes the procedure will improve the patient’s heart function, exercise capacity, and quality of life. When it tested the stem cell mixture in earlier preclinical studies, heart function in the tested animal improved 54 percent compared to 27 percent for an earlier version of the mixture. Meanwhile, heart function in animals treated with a placebo declined by 10 percent.

According to Bioheart, the preclinical studies also showed that its stem cell product candidate enhanced blood vessel formation in damaged hearts. The company says its clinical trial will begin sometime this year. So results won’t be available for awhile. But heart failure patients have at least a ray of hope that stem cell research will someday provide a viable treatment for their debilitating condition.