Pacemaker cells from the lab

Tian Xue and Ronald Li from Johns-Hopkins-University in Baltimore/ Maryland presented an alternative to artificial pacemakers.
They introduced kardiomyocytes gained from human stem cells into mice and knocked out the mice pacemaker cells.
Although the mice's pulse slowed down it remained stable for a longer period.
Further tests are still needed before the method can be used for humans.

Read more at:
FAZ
25 January 2005
www.faz.net


Harmful combination of warfarin and Cox-2 drugs

A Canadian study showed, that older patients who are on the blood-thinner warfarin can risk stomach-bleeding if they also take anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis.
Until now Cox-2 drugs were considered as more harmless than the traditional NSAIDs but this assumption was falsified in the recent study from the ICES.

Collected from
Medline plus
24 January 2005
www.nlm.nih.gov


Artificial blood from stem cells

In order to avoid the typical problems with blood transplantation (infections, wrong blood groups…), scientists in Paris found a way to grow red blood cells in cell culture.
Just like in nature, stem cells were stimulated with growth factors and formed erythrocytes after 18 days.
The cells were fully functionally and remained active as long as natural cells after injection in mice.

Read more at
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
26 January 2005
www.sueddeutsche.de

New hope after spinal cord injury

Scientists at Indiana University School of Medicine studied the effects of an oscillating field stimulator on 10 patients with complete motor and sensory spinal cord injury.
All of them showed varying degrees of improvement, which gives hope for patients suffering from spinal cord injury.

collected from
Health On the Net Foundation
www.hon.ch


Lotus effect for normal glasses

After using the so called lotus effect for their best lenses Zeiss also wants to offer coatings for normal glasses.
In order to achieve the effect, the surface of the glasses are coated with nanometer seized structures like those on Lotus leaves.
Particles can be washed away easily so that glasses become easier to clean and more transparent.

Collected from:
Wirtschaftswoche
12 January 2005
www.wiwo.de


Microchip can help blind

Within this year a group of scientists wants to test the function of a microchip which might help people suffering from Retinis pigmentosa.