Author Archives: rmrdrgez

May
02
2013

The Bioengineered Kidney

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The Bioengineered Kidney

The kidneys have many functions that enable us to continue living.  One function involves the filtering of the blood to remove all the waste products (1). The waste products are removed in the urine, which is released by the urethra (1). The kidneys also are involved in keeping our electrolyte balance, controlling our blood pressure, and they promote the production of red blood cells (1). Once the kidneys start to malfunction and or fail completely, the patient might have to get a kidney transplant (1).

Like all other organ transplants, the kidney transplant might not be compatible with the new body. However, there has been a recent breakthrough in the development on a new kidney using one’s own cells to bioengineer a new kidney (2). The discovery was made by Dr. Ott, an MD at the MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine whom has also created bioartificial hearts, lungs, and livers (2). The bioengineered kidney was transplanted into a rat and immediately started functioning by producing urine (2). Although at the moment this bioengineered kidney is functioning, it still does not work as good as a regular kidney (2). However, Dr. Ott and his team are just beginning and they have plans to continue their project; next time using a pig’s kidney, which is more like that of a human (2).

I believe this new bioengineered kidney is only the beginning of a new era and will impact society in a positive way. If Dr. Ott and his team are able to successfully bioengineer a human kidney, many lives will be changed. People will no longer have to wait forever for a kidney transplant. Also, the probability that the kidney will be rejected by the patient will decrease dramatically since the kidney will be specifically bioengineered from his or her own cells.

1). Wedro, Benjamin. “Kidney Failure.” MedicineNet.com. (2013): n. page. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.

2.) Massachusetts General Hospital. “Implantable, bioengineered rat kidney: Transplanted organ produces urine, but further refinement is needed.” ScienceDaily, 14 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.

 

Apr
25
2013

The Breathing Lung

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The Breathing Lung

            Thanks to a fascinating organ, called the lung, we are able to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood, which allows our body’s cells to carry on their daily functions. However, there are people whose lungs no longer function properly and therefore need a lung transplant. A lung transplant involves surgically removing the lungs of a deceased person onto that of the recipient (1). Lung transplants can be performed from newborns to adults under the age of sixty five (1).

Usually once the donor lungs are removed from the cadaver they are placed inside an icebox where they are carried to the recipient (2). However, there is no longer any need for the icebox when one can have a breathing lung transplant instead, which the lung transplant team at Ronald UCLA medical have successfully performed (2). The devise, known as the Organ Care System (OSC), works by keeping the lungs alive and functioning while being transported (2). As soon as the lungs are placed in the device they are warmed and start breathing using oxygen and a supplementary solution of red blood cells (2). Dr. Abbas Ardehali, a professor and director at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, believes the breathing lung transplant device will not only allow them to improve the function of the donor lungs, it also makes it easier to access the donor lungs and carry them safely across longer distances (2). The OCS device is still going through clinical trials in lung transplant centers in Europe, Australia and Canada (2).

I believe the OCS device will have a positive effect on society. With this new technology device, the donor lungs will be tested before they are put into the recipient, which can determine if the donor lungs are adequate for the recipient; something that cannot be done in the iced box method. Also with the OCS device, the donor lungs can travel across longer distances and are safer than if they were on the iced box. Overall, not only will the OCS device help improve the lung transplant process, it will also save lives.

 

1.) “Lung Transplantation Procedure.” Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Web. 27 Mar 2013.

2.) University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences. “First ‘breathing Lung’ transplant in United States.” ScienceDaily, 26                               Nov. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

 

Mar
23
2013

A New Look at Blood Transfusions

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A New Look at Blood Transfusions

There are many reasons why people sometimes need blood transfusions. Blood transfusion is a process where blood from a person is transferred into another person (1). The most common reason why people require a blood transfusion is because they have lost too much blood, whether the blood loss was from a trauma accident or surgery (1). However, blood transfusions can also be done if a person suffers from severe anemia (1). Although blood transfusions can potentially save a person’s life, there are several risks that can occur. For example, after a blood transfusion, a person may develop what is known as a febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction, which is a fever that resolves on its own (1).

Recently, the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow developed a way to reduce the blood lose in patients during surgery by using a devise known as the HemoSep devise (2). The HemoSep devise collects the blood lost during surgery by using a blood bag which employs a chemical sponge technology and using a mechanical agitator to concentrate the blood collected (2). Once the cells are separated, they are put back into the patient by intravenous transfusion (2). In the 100 open-heart surgery clinical trials operation carried out, not only did the HemoSep devise drastically reduced the need for blood transfusions, it also reduced inflammation, something normally seen after a surgery procedure (2). Furthermore, there are still many clinical trials planned (2).With the CE mark, the device will now be sold in all European territories and any other regions that recognize the CE mark, as well as Canada (2).

I believe this new technology device will impact society in a positive way. Thanks to this new device, people will not have to risk their lives by getting a blood transfusion.  The less transfusions people have, the safer they will be from getting infections, viruses, or other risk factors that come from blood transfusions. Furthermore, with less blood transfusions needed people will not have to donate as much blood as before.  In my opinion, it is a win-win situation.

 

1.)    “What is a Blood Transfusion?” News-Medical.Net . (2013): n. page. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

2.)    “New technology to transform blood processing.” strath.ac.uk. (2012): n. page. Web. 22         Feb. 2013.

 

Feb
12
2013

A Blind Solution

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There are many reasons as to why people go blind. For example, blindness can occur because the lens of the eye became cloudy, which prevents light from entering the eye, or because the retina got degraded and deteriorated, which affects the perception of images (1). Another cause of blindness could be caused by a change in eye shape, which alters the projection of an image, or because of damage to the optic nerve, which disrupts the flow of visual information to the brain (1).  Blindness can also occur because of an eye injury or trauma (1). However, the leading cause of blindness in the United States is caused by eye diseases (1).

Because technology has advanced so much in the past few years, people with failing vision can now get a corneal transplant. However, now there is an even better solution to improving eye vision. The University of Tuebingen in Germany has developed a chip that can be implemented into the eye which transforms images into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain, which allows the person to see (2). The clinical trials for the chip implant were done on people who suffered from retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition that destroys the retina (2). The results showed that out of the eleven people who received the surgery, five were able to see or distinguish objects (2).

Although this new chip implant discovery does not work a hundred percent, I believe it is only the beginning. With this new discovery, people who have suffered from blindness can now have the hope that they will be able to see once again. This new discovery will not only provide hope to the family of the victim, but it will also give the victim confidence and raise his or her self- esteem.  He or she will once again be able to live his or her life however he or she wishes. Furthermore, with technology improving every day, I am sure one day people will not have to suffer from blindness anymore.

1.)    Thompson, Dennis. “What Causes Blindness? .” EverydayHealth.com. (2010): n. page.      Web. 30 Jan. 2013.

2.)    Bukowski, Jack . “Let There Be Light: New Technology Enables Some Blind Patients to   See .” InsidersHealth.com. (2011): n. page. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.