Tag Archives: National Institutes of Health

Heart can be Regenerated Using Stem cells of Damaged Heart in Children

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Visionaries in the field of cardiac therapeutics have long looked to the future when a damaged heart could be rebuilt or repaired by using one’s own heart cells. A study published in the February issue of Circulation, a scientific journal of the American Heart Association, shows that heart stem cells from children with congenital heart disease were able to rebuild the damaged heart in the laboratory.

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ARTICLE ON PATIENT MONITORING FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS

Biomedical Engineers these days are mostly recruited in the hospitals around the globe. So other than the specific knowledge about the abc’s of electronics awareness about patient monitoring is also required for the Biomedical Engineers , So keeping in mind that fact here I have introduced a article which one of my friend contributed from his place. This article or document was prepared by Mahmoud faroug during his studies and must be appreciated for his contribution to BIOMEDIKAL.IN

you can view the document below and download if you want…. enjoy

[gview file=”http://biomedikal.in/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/PatientMonitoring.pdf“]

you can also read more Biomedical articles here

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Proceedings of the 4th Young Biomedical Engineers and Researchers Conference – YBERC 2010

THE VARIOUS TOPICS OF THE CONFERENCE ARE AS FOLLOWS WHOSE ABSTRACT CAN BE FOUND OUT IN THE DOWNLOAD FILE AT THE LAST

EYE TRACKING USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS FOR HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
WAVE PROPAGATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR MODEL OF HUMAN ARM
EXTERNAL FORCES IN CASE OF HUMAN DOWNFALL
KERATINOCYTES ON HYDROGEL SUPPORT – THE EXAMPLE OF TISSUE ENGINEERING IN MEDICAL USE
SKIN WOUND HEALING: FROM BIOMECHANICAL, HISTOLOGICAL, AND SPECTROFLUORIMETRIC EVALUA-
TION TO LOW-LEVEL LASER THERAPY IN A RAT MODEL
ATROPA BELLADONNA L. WATER EXTRACT:
MODULATOR OF EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX FORMATION IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

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16 FULLY FUNDED PhD POSITION IN BIOMEDICAL

Leuven International Doctoral School Biomedical Sciences offers up to 16 fully-funded PhD positions. Applications are invited from enthusiastic (under)graduates in any relevant biomedical area with an excellent study track record.

Information on the projects and the application procedure is available on our website: http://gbiomed.kuleuven.be/phd – International Call.

Deadline for application is January 31, 2011.

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IS USE OF ANIMALS FOR RESEARCH GOOD OR BAD!!!! A DEBATE

Why must we use animals for medical research?

Animal research is the foundation for virtually every medical breakthrough over the past century. From antibiotics to blood transfusions, from dialysis to organ transplantation, from vaccinations to chemotherapy, bypass surgery and joint replacement, practically every present-day protocol for the prevention, treatment, cure and control of disease, pain and suffering is based on knowledge attained through research with laboratory animals. Animal are used as research models only when necessary. Scientists are constantly trying to reduce the amount of animals used, refine their techniques so fewer animals are needed and replace certain animal tests with alternatives, when possible.

What types of animals are used in research?

Approximately 95% of all lab animals are rodents – bred specifically for research. Rodents are the animal model of choice for researchers because their physiology and genetic make-up closely resemble that of humans. For instance, the mouse genome contains essentially the same complement of genes found in the human genome, so studying how the genes work in mice is an effective way of discovering the role of a gene in human health and disease. Scientists are also able to breed mice with genetic alterations that mimic human diseases. This has revolutionized medical research and opened many doors to finding new cures for disease. To some extent, research on dogs, cats, and non-human primates is necessary to study certain diseases. Yet these animals account for less than .05% of the total number of lab animals used in research. Several additional species are proving to be increasingly important animal models, including zebrafish, C. Elegans (worms) and fruitflies.

Aren’t the animals in laboratories suffering and in pain?

The use of animals in research and testing is strictly controlled, particularly regarding potential pain. Federal laws, the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Act, regulate the alleviation and elimination of pain, as well as such aspects of animal care as caging, feeding, exercise of dogs and the psychological well-being of primates. Further, each institution must establish an animal care and use committee that includes an outside member of the public as well as a veterinarian. This committee oversees, inspects and monitors every potential experiment to help ensure optimal animal care. The scientific community advocates the highest quality of animal care and treatment for two key reasons. First, the use of animals in research is a privilege, and those animals that are helping us unlock the mysteries of disease deserve our respect and the best possible care. Second, a well-treated animal will provide more reliable scientific results, which is the goal of all researchers.

Is animal research regulated in any way?

Yes. All animal research is subject to strict federal regulations. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set forth federal regulations governing the care and use of animals in biomedical research that are considered more extensive than those covering human research subjects. The Animal Welfare Act sets these high standards of care for research animals.

Can we replace animal research with alternatives methods?

To date, there is no comprehensive substitute for animal models in research. Certainly, computer models and cell cultures, as well as other adjunct research methods, are excellent avenues for reducing the number of animals used. But the pathway to fully duplicating a whole, living system does not yet exist. Therefore, it is still necessary to conduct humane and responsible animal research in order for the research community to uncover, find and develop new cures for diseases. Over the past ten years, the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) has evaluated more than 185 non-animal methodologies and has approved several research alternatives, particularly in the realm of toxicity testing. When additional non-animal alternatives are developed, science will naturally reduce the need and use of animal models. This progression will only happen when viable alternatives exist and are scientifically verified. It is exciting to dream of the day when no animal research is needed and no human lives are ended by disease. Until that day comes, we need to continue using the method that works.

What are the recent achievements of animal research?

Most recently, scientists discovered spinal cord regeneration techniques because of rodent models. That may mean that some day in the foreseeable future, people will be able to get out of their wheelchairs. Non-human primates played key roles in the development of the hepatitis B vaccine and rabbits were an important model in the development of the Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) vaccine. People with Parkinson’s disease are benefiting from deep brain stimulation that was perfected on monkeys. Ferrets have been crucial in the development of the bird flu vaccine. Everyday, scientists are using animal research to find cures for the diseases affecting people and animals.

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NEW BIOMEDICAL INITIATIVES GETTING FUNDING AROUND THE WORLD……..

Artificial heart maker gets $7.5 million grant

SynCardia Systems, 1992 E. Silverlake Road, manufacturer of the world’s only FDA-approved total artificial heart, has received a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The grant was awarded to three of its researchers to optimize the design of cardiovascular devices.

The principal investigator on the project is Danny Bluestein, professor of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University in New York. His collaborators are Shmuel Einav, also of Stony Brook College, and Dr. Marvin Slepian, professor of cardiology and biomedical engineering medicine at the University of Arizona,

Local company gains biomedical funding

Medical technology company Glenveigh Medical in Chattanooga is getting nearly half a million dollars in federal grants to pay for research that officials expect will boost America‘s role in biomedical research.

The federal “therapeutic discovery” grants and tax credits, awarded under national health care reform legislation and announced this month, provide more than $6.7 million to Tennessee recipients whose projects show “significant potential to produce new and cost-saving therapies, support good jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The only Chattanooga-based company awarded the grant this year was Glenveigh, which specializes in maternal-fetal medicine products. The company moved from Research Triangle Park in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., to Chattanooga in 2007.

About $81,000 in grants will help Glenveigh create a device for measuring cervical dilation during labor, and an additional $156,000 will help the company develop treatment for pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition for pregnant women.

The company also received $244,479 for a device that can slow blood loss in women hemorrhaging after giving birth, said the company’s founders.

The “Ebb” device, developed by Salt Lake City-based maternal-fetal medicine specialists and licensed by Glenveigh, can reduce post-partum blood loss and prevent a hysterectomy or even death, said Richard Proctor, president and CEO of Glenveigh.

“This device is going to save lives,” he said.

Federal Grants Advance Local Biomedical Research

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