One of the most interesting articles I’ve read in quite a while is a piece by Dr. Konrad Hochedlinger, associate professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard Medical School.

The article appeared in the May 2010 issue of Scientific American.

In the article, Dr. Hochedlinger described the work of a number of researchers, including Shinya Yamanaka at the University of Kyoto.

Essentially, the issue that has hampered most of stem cell research is this: embryonic stem cells, while potent and capable of differentiation into any type of adult tissue, are fraught with ethical concerns.

What Drs Yamanaka and Hochedlinger have demonstrated is the ability to take adult cells that have fully differentiated into different organ systems and by using special techniques, returned these cells to the early embryonic stem cell phase. How cool is that!

The magnitude of the problem they have overcome cannot be underestimated. The normal sequence of events in the development of human beings is that as you grow in utero, your body is made up of early embryonic cells.

Early embryonic cells are pluripotential, meaning they can become any type of tissue, given the right set of circumstances. As you mature in utero, you reach the late embryo stage. At that point, your stem cells are transitioning from being pluripotential to becoming multipotential, which means they can become cells of a specific tissue type but not any tissue type.

And by the time you are ready to pop out of the womb, your stem cells have become adult stem cells, they are still multipotential but not pluripotential.

Now what these scientists have brilliantly done is to use nonpathogenic viruses (viruses that don’t cause disease) as delivery messengers to carry genes into fully differentiated adult cells and reprogram them so they become pluripotential stem cells. They are now called “induced pluripotential stem cells.” Unbelievable!

So how will this new technology be of use?

First, the author stated that they can use these induced pluripotential stem cells to study disease. If they take cells from a sick patient and convert them into pluripotential stem cells, they can get an insight into disease progression.

Second, by converting induced pluripotential stem cells taken from a sick person into healthy cells, they can deliver healthy cells back to that patient.

Obviously, the most exciting use is the possibility of taking these induced pluripotential stem cells and using them to generate new healthy tissue and replace damaged or diseased tissue. Another possibility is using these stem cells to correct genetic mutations.

The concerns regarding this research though are many. Not all induced pluripotential cells are effective. Some may not have received the entire proper genetic coding sequence.

Second, in some animal models, scientists have been able to get good control of disease but at the same time, unwanted side effects have appeared.

Much of the research is still being done in the lab where special culture plates, called petri dishes are being used to create models of disease. Hopefully, these models will aid in developing new medicines for disease. Dr. Hochedlinger raises other concerns about whether the process of creating induced pluripotential cells will ever be efficient enough to enable these cells to be used widely.

Also, there are concerns that some retained memory from before conversion into induced pluripotential stem cells might limit the use of these cells. And finally, induced pluripotential stem cells are capable of generating a new human embryo. This raises severe ethical concerns.

Nonetheless, the promise of this technology is such- particularly when it comes to arthritis- that I was thrilled to see it. Cartilage is difficult to grow because of lack of vascularity. There are no blood vessels to carry nutrients to damaged cartilage. It will be up to new technologies to repair and replace cartilage.

Still, our work at the Arthritis Treatment Center with autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells, and this new basic science with induced pluripotential stem cells look very promising. Stay tuned for more developments.

The mind is a crucial organ in the body, the purpose and function of the brain is very important in the day to day activities of the human being. The brain controls all functions of the body. It is important for an individual to maintain a healthy lifestyle that will work to better his brain capacity. Studies have it that the average man utilizes only a third of his overall brain capacity. This here shows how powerful the brain can be. Giving a boost to the brain can have many added advantage to any individual.

There are many methods people have used to boost their minds to perform certain tasks better. Some of these activities are the Yoga, listening to brainwave technology and use of drug. Just to explain what each method entails.

The Yoga

Yoga was invented by a Chinese monk, the art of meditation involves observing certain postures, and uttering soothing words to the soul. The practice has gained much popularity in western countries. This is as a result of its effectiveness in healing and suppressing depression. Training and practices advocated in Yoga are effective in the healing of the body and soul. However, as this may be the case negative responses from this meditation practice has evoked much debate.

Antidepressant Drugs

Use of antidepressants is the physician’s way of helping a patient boost his brain power. There a lots of antidepressant drugs in the market. They range from herbal to chemical based antidepressants. The use of these drugs can be very effective. However, reports of after effects are very often reported. The misuse of these drugs can also lead to brain diseases. The most common are schizophrenia; this comes from overdose of any serotonin antidepressants. Before any person engages in the use of these drugs proper medical advice should be first given.

Brainwave Technology Entertainment

This is the latest form of mind improvement products. The use of brainwave technology has been highly utilized among many individual today. The fact that you need no form of practice, or you need not to practice any words to achieve results makes this method an attraction to many people out there. Brainwave technology uses binaural beats to concur with brain frequencies. Frequencies from this beats are played in such a way that they enable the brain to slip in different brain states. Many people have attested to the positive attributes concerned with this method of mediation.

Consistence use of any of the above method will give results to a boost in your brain power. However, as discussed you need to be very particular if you are to use Yoga or drugs to attain your mind freedom. This method will not work to all of us. The best method so far is the brainwave technology. This method has no known side effects or after effects whatsoever. Engaging your research skills in getting the best of any of the mentioned products is highly recommended, however the effectiveness will vary with each and every of them.

Acne is something that cannot be avoided by everyone. Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of them. What a lot of individuals are doing to rid the problem involves the use of cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and daily washing of face with facial wash. Is this what you do?

The form of removing acne externally is just fine but you can do better if you will also try to solve the skin condition internally. This is because the problem or root of acne does not only come from external factor but from the inside as well. So instead of focusing too much on chemicals you put on your skin, take a moment to check some natural ways of avoiding acne. They might just help you when you are in an emergency situation, like meeting the love of your life.

One natural way to avoid acne is by cleaning your face twice a day, first is the morning when you wake up, and next before you go to bed. These are the best times to clean the face because these are crucial times. Everyday even if you are not outside dirt can accumulate on your face, aside from the fact that you need to be fresh for the day.

Next step, you need to clean your face before you sleep, because if you sleep without cleaning off the dirt that accumulated on your face, it will seep in and cause acne. Also, make sure that you use a clean towel, and it should be a towel that is used only for your face. That way, the dirt will not return to your face when you use the same towel for your body. It would be like putting dirt from your body into your towel and then into your face

Moreover, do not use your regular soap on your face. Soap is made for your body, and not the sensitive skin of your face. You might have tried it already, and I am sure you noticed how dry your skin became after you tried it. Soap washes away moisture from the skin and this can make the skin prone to acne. Always use soap that is made for your facial skin.
Avoid putting perfumes on your face. They have chemical contents that can possibly irritate your skin, causing rashes or something worse. Your facial tissues are very sensitive, so the face is not the proper place to put your perfumes. You have a lot of other places you can apply your perfumes on. Just avoid applying them on your face.

Furthermore, besides hygiene your diet can also increase your chance of acne if you continue to eat food that triggers this condition. So consider adding fresh fruits into your diet. Fruits have a lot of minerals that can help your body fight off stress, which will also help make you look younger.

Fruits and vegetables cleanse your body of toxins. The more colorful your fruit diet, the healthier you are. So do not be afraid to add some blue and red to your green and yellow diet. It can only help you look better. These are just a few of the many other natural ways of avoiding acne. When it comes to your skin, it is always better to be safe than sorry. As much as possible, do not put any foreign materials on your skin that is not made specifically for it.