My Final and Controversial Prophecy

I actually touched on this a while back and I got quite a response.  I understand that people have very strong views and I welcome them.  If you have something I say I am more than happy to hear it.  But last time I did get a reasonably nasty and aggressive comment (which I deleted).  So if you wish to comment please keep it civilised.

Personally I understand and respect people have religious views when it comes to this subject but I didn't start this blog to debate theology so from my part, like I always intended, I am going to keep this medical.  And now for the controversial topic.  Embryonic stem cell transplantation and research.

It has been a hotly debated topic not only in medical and research circles but also in the media and politics as well as the wider community in general.  The research has for various reasons taken a long time to yield results.  There are a variety of reasons for this but I think the most simple reason is the complexity of what scientists are trying to achieve.  We're not baking muffins here.  This is the most cutting edge and complicated research ever undertaken.

However, it is moving forward, and recently the first person was treated with embryonic stem cells.  The following report demonstrates that we are probably on the precipice of something huge.  This happened over a year ago and the aim of the study was to test the safety of using Embryonic Stem Cells to treat macular degeneration.  The study showed that the procedure was not only safe but stopped further progression of the disease and even improved it.  Check out the links:-

http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2012/01/23/first-results-of-human-embryonic-stem-cell-trials-for-blindness/
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60028-2/abstract

I believe that in the future research such as this will become more common place and as people see more of the success its popularity will grow.  And as this happens it will command more research and clinical dollars.

Lets face it, the possibilities are endless.  In the early stages the science could be used to grow new simple cells for people like the macula or skin for burn victims.  As the technology advances it could be used to regrow nerves for people with spinal trauma or even a new pancreas for diabetics or brain cells for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.  Eventually we could see the growth of new limbs for amputees or entire organs eliminating the need for transplantations.THe possibilities are almost endless......  Stay well:)

Update on my last prophecy

A couple of days after I published my last post, Australian current affairs show "Sixty Minutes" published this story about superbugs.  Stay Well:)

Check out this great MSN video - Superbugs

Another prophecy

This is not a great prophecy.  In fact I hope it doesn't come true.  If it does it could spell disaster of a pandemic proportion.  I am of course talking about the super bug.

Tiny little microscopic lifeforms that are resistant to all our attempts to destroy them.  And why do they exist?  Simple, we have unwittingly made them through the misuse of antibiotics that were created to vanquish these unwanted creatures.

So, how does this work?  Simply, if a bacteria comes into contact with an antibiotic, normally the antibiotic will kill the bacteria and that will be it.  But if antibiotic is unsuccessful in destroying all the bacteria, it will evolve and gain a resistance to that particular antibiotic.  Now if this happens a number of times with different antibiotics, the bug will become very hard to kill and become a superbug.

As patients we can perpetuate this problem by mistreating antibiotics.  For example, if we decide to self medicate and take the wrong antibiotic the bug will evolve to combat that strain of antibiotic and we will have created a smarter bug.  If we fail to finish a course of antibiotics we may find that we have failed to eradicate all the bugs and the remainder will become resistant to the antibiotic.  It is why it is important to follow the instructions of your doctor and be disciplined about taking your medication.

However, this is not the only reason why a superbug maybe created.  Doctors can share some of the blame too as some of them prescribe antibiotics needlessly.  Doctors need to be more frugal with their prescriptions and only prescribing the right antibiotic when it is needed.

We also need to put tighter controls on agriculture.  Many farmers feed antibiotics to their livestock prophylactically to prevent them from getting sick.  Research has shown this to be a very ineffective strategy as livestock that is not fed antibiotics has a similar level of health and is much easier to treat if they do get sick.  These antibiotics are also ingested by us when we eat the livestock.  Realistically, the practice of giving antibiotics to livestock doesn't even make sense on a financial level either.

It is also very worrying in nations with little controls on the use of antibiotics.  In certain countries with poor regulatory rules regarding antibiotics, it is not just possible to purchase a course of antibiotics without a script but it is also possible to buy a single tablet.  Creating the perfect breeding ground for superbugs.  The pharmaceutical companies in these countries have also been found guilty of emptying their antibiotic waste into waterways.

So should we not be taking antibiotics?  Of course not.  We just need to be responsible with them.  And hopefully with proper regulations from the powers that be antibiotics will be our number one defence against unwanted bacteria for a long time to come.  Until next time, stay well:)

Prophecy coming true?

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate for HSCT for AIDs.  After all, I'm living proof that it works.  But in my first prophecy I did say that eventually HSCT would b superseded by a better, less invasive treatment.  I believe it is only a matter of time, and when that time comes we should embrace it and promote it.  You can read all about my first prophecy here:

http://shakesandstones.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/my-first-prophercy.html

And this next article points to research that may show that we maybe closer than I first thought.  Although that still maybe some time away.  Now I maybe a geeky little medical nerd because I really get quit excited by this, but I think it is worth getting excited about.  Have a read, the article is here.  Stay well:)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/

Second Prophecy

Ok, ok, ok.  This one probably isn't really a prophecy as it is already happening.  I am of course referring to the proliferation of social media and the role that it has in medicine.

I guess the part that hasn't happened yet is that certain members of the medical fraternity still refuse to acknowledge the influence that it has and will continue to have in an increasing manner.  They seem to think of it as a tool for teenage girls to enhance their narcissism and spread gossip.  But it is far more than that.

Inside the world of medicine social media is increasingly being used by professionals to let others know of what they have done, what they are doing and share new ideas and their experiences.  It has been used for doctors to put live updates on an operation to the world via twitter.  Procedures have even been videoed.

And if doctors still decide not to embrace social media they need to understand it.  Why? Because their patients are using it.  Never before have individuals and patients been so informed about the ailments which afflict them and the treatments that are available.  If a doctor cannot talk candidly about the information a patient has found on the internet, the doctor will loose the confidence of that individual and patient care will be compromised.

One also has to be aware that for all the wonderful information there is to be found on the internet there is also nearly just as much bogus information and it will become the doctors job to assist the patient in deciphering the difference between quality information and bogus offerings by the snake oil salesmen.

Socialmedia is going to become more prevalent.  As it stands there is a forum some where to do with any disease and or treatment.  If doctors decide to ignore it they will essentially be disadvantaging themselves by keeping themselves from the latest information.

In short, social media and the internet is going to be a fantastic tool for both doctors and patients alike.  But make sure that you are wary about what you read and check everything as there is a great deal of bogus info on the net.  Until next time, stay well:)

My First Prophercy

Well, I am no Nostradamus but I do think that common sense does dictate that my prophecy may come true.  So I thought I'd start off with an easy one and work up from there.  It is also close to my heart as where the technology has come from so far has changed my life.  I want to write about the evolution of HSCT for autoimmune diseases.

Now I have to say that I am mildly disappointed at how far the technology has come at present but that is another post for another day.  However, it is here now and that is a great thing.  Especially for me.  So how is this a prophecy?

Well the first thing that is really important to know is that even with what we do know about the human body and medicine there is a whole lot more we don't know.  With HSCT for AIDs we basically destroy the immune system in what is quite an aggressive process in order to be able to regrow an immune system that does not have a defect.

I believe in the future we will be able to look deeper into the immune system and instead of destroying the whole immune system, just destroy the defective part.  There is two parts to this.  First, being able to identifying exactly where the defect is, and then having the right drugs and or tools to simply attack that
specific point.  The technology will eventually be good enough that there will be no need for stem cells or hospitalisations.

I believe that it is just a matter of time.  I would love to know what you think.  Until next time, stay well:)

Time for some fun

Mostly, my blog has recently been biographical in nature, so I was thinking it was time to do something a little fun.  I have not been talking much about medical news and advancements but I was inspired a couple of weeks ago by a show I watched on television called "The Prophets of Science Fiction".  It peeked my interest as it basically followed the work of some very prominent science fiction writers.  Isaac Asimov and his literature on robots, Arthur C Clark talking about the space elevator and Robert Heinlein and his theories on the internet.

So how did it inspire me?  Well in keeping with the subject matter of my blog I thought I'd have a go at propheteering some advancements in the field of medicine.  After all, through my own health problems and doing research for this blog I have found that ideas swimming around in my head about what one day might be possible.

I also think it is important for people to use their imagination.  As Albert Einstein said "Imagination is more important than knowledge".  I also disagree with necessity being the mother of invention.  It is sometimes true but not always.  When the Wright brothers built the first aeroplane the didn't do it out of necessity they did it because they wanted to.  Seriously there was not much practical application for that plane made out of plywood and old motorcycle parts but they built it anyway and now it is one of the most famous machines ever built.

So if we do not proceed we do not move forward and even the most outlandish ideas may sometime become fact.  I mean some people said man would never fly, we would never break the sound barrier, we will never make it into space, it is impossible to fly to the moon.  Need I say more?

I think that probably the best example we have working at the moment is the space elevator.  Arthur C Clark prophesied this contraption which basically consists of a 100,000km rope anchored to the ground and used to lift cargo into space.  The rope is kept taught and upright by the centrifugal force created by the rotation of the earth.  Now will it ever be built?  Personally I think so.  Arthur C Clarke was once asked the same question and he said it would be built 50 years after everyone stops laughing.  Well I think the scientific community has stopped laughing.  The science is sound and there are people out there conceptualising how it would work.  So fifty years from now I hope I am around to see it.

Anyway I thought that I, Andrew Price in my supreme clairvoyant wisdom would throw this prophetic exercise upon the science of medicine and see where it takes me.  I have some ideas and I hope to develop them.  But medicine needs to challenge its advancement as does all science.  An incurable disease in only incurable until someone has figured out a way to cure it.  And if we get stuck with traditional thinking we will have our heads buried so deeply in the sand that we will fail to see any advancement.

A good example is with heart stem cells.  Conventional thinking is that it is impossible to grow new heart muscle.  Well, it has been done yet there are still experts who refuse to acknowledge the breakthrough.  And sure, it is only in trial stages but if I had a cardiac problem I would be busting a gut to get in on the trial.  Click here to see what I wrote about earlier.

So from time to time, in among the updates etc I will post my premonitions.  Alas, I am not a fortune teller, I will be relying on science and logical progression to point me in the right direction.  Until next time, stay well:)