Tag: stem cells

How CHF Patients can Take Advantage of Translational Research?

In nature every action spawns a separate and equal reaction. In the field of medicine, the reaction may not always be equal to the action. The performance of a particular treatment in the lab on test animals may not be the same as would be seen in a human subject; this is where the field of translational research comes in.

Translational research takes research from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside. This can be done in several forms. In its earliest stages a treatment will undergo controlled clinical trials with a voluntary group of test subjects. If these small, controlled tests meet the acceptable range of success the treatment is then taken to research hospitals such as St. Jude’s or Children’s Hospital of Boston. Here patients are given the opportunity to experience new methods of control and treatment of a disease with the understanding that it is still considered highly experimental; however, for many these treatments represent a chance for a cure that previously as out of reach for them as the moon.

Congestive heart failure is, at the moment, an incurable event, occurring when for whatever reason the cells of the heart muscle are destroyed and the heart can no longer adequately pump blood throughout the body. Once the cells in the heart tissue are non-functional the body is unable to replace them, making it impossible for the heart to regain full heart function on its own. The current mortality rate is high, and over fifty percent of patients with congestive heart failure will die within five years of being diagnosed. There are many treatment options currently being considered for congestive heart failure, however, and a number of new technologies being tested daily. For example, Montefiore Medical Center in New York City is currently doing clinical trials on a drug known as Lovosimendan, a calcium sensitizer that does not trigger cardiac arrhythmia, and research into the possibility of using stem cells to regrow cardiac tissue is ongoing.

For a patient to take advantage of these options they should discuss the possibility of being a subject for clinical testing with their physician to see if they would be a good candidate, then allow the physician to make a recommendation on a course of action from there. It may be suggested that the patient contact a research facility, or the physician may suggest their name for a clinical trial they know is occurring soon. If the patient lives in an area with a research hospital nearby, chances are there will be an opportunity for them to benefit from the hospital’s policy on translational research.

It should be understood that translational research is precisely what it sounds like; research. Scientists and doctors are often still learning about the treatment and its effect on the human body, and there is always a possibility that it will be unsuccessful or carry with it many hazardous side effects. These courses of treatments are unknowns to physician and researcher alike. For patients who have run out of options, however, even the possibility of a negative effect cannot stifle what the opportunity to be part of a translational research project provides: hope.

How Can Stem Cells Be Used to Treat Congestive Heart

How Can Stem Cells Be Used to Treat Congestive Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a devastating blow to the body system, and despite the best efforts of clinicians and researchers often results in permanent organ damage and eventual death. Researchers are fighting to put a stop to the high mortality rate of congestive heart failure, and believe stem cells may be the way to do it.

The possible uses for stem cells have made it a highly published topic in medical journals today. Stem cells are the precursors to every cell in the body, and are primarily produced in the bone marrow in adults. During times of crisis, such as when a patient suffers from leukemia, the spleen and other organs that possessed stem cells during fetal development will take over production. This is the body’s way of maintaining proper cell balances and replenishing itself as old cells die. For example, red blood cells in the circulation only have a lifespan of approximately four months; during that time the hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow are continuously producing new rubriblasts, the precursor cells that will over time become mature erythrocytes.

There are several forms of stem cells; for the sake of research scientists are currently focusing on the embryonic and adult varieties. Embryonic stem cells come from a blastocyst, a four to five day old human embryo. During gestation these pluripotent cells will divide and multiply, forming the body and internal organs of the fetus. Embryonic stem cells are highly valued for research for several reasons; they are able to provide large numbers of replenishing cells and have no limitations on what form of cells they can become. The use of embryonic stem cells is highly controversial, however, due to the fact that collection often requires the destruction of the embryo.

There are several methods that have been published in research journals regarding the application of stem cells in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure results when cells in the heart are dysfunctional or destroyed and the heart is unable to properly pump blood throughout the body. Some patients are able to be treated using mechanical aids or transplant, but this is not always the case. Several years ago a group of patients with no other available options for treatment agreed to be part of a test study regarding stem cells. Autologous stem cells were removed from the marrow and injected into the failing heart tissue through the chest wall. Patients who received this treatment showed marked improvement, presumably as a result of stem cell action. The precise means by which this occurs is still unknown; however, research scientists speculate that the stem cell is either growing new vessels or acting as a beacon to bring other cells in to repair the damaged tissue.

Another possibility regarding stem cells is the growth of tissue for transplant. Hearts available for an organ transplant are not as easily obtained as physicians would desire, and there are often waiting lists years long for every available organ. Stem cells grow readily in a laboratory environment, and if unstimulated to differentiate will reproduce pluripotent daughter cells. This results in a tissue that will essentially adapt to whatever environment it is placed in. Research scientists speculate that with the proper environment essentially grow heart tissue and transplant it to the patient who has suffered heart failure, replacing the dead and damaged tissues with live, vital tissue. This procedure would allow the heart to function more easily and hopefully give the patient a better chance for survival.

With current treatment the prognosis for sufferers of congestive heart failure is grim. At least fifty percent will die within five years of being diagnosed, and those who are not victims of this mortality rate will feel the effects of their heart failure for the rest of their lives. Stem cell research represents a chance for those patients to beat these odds.

How Can Continuing Medical Education Credits Be Obtained?

While physicians spend many, many years in school prior to receiving their MD, it is impossible for them to learn everything there is to know. The medical field is simply too vast, and it is constantly in motion; therefore, it is important that every physician complete continuing medical education.

Continuing medical education (CME) allows a physician to stay abreast of new discoveries, treatments, and other advancements in their chosen field. What worked thirty years ago is not usually the method of choice for today’s physicians, and clinicians who do not complete these continuing education credits may often be placing their patients at risk because of a lack of knowledge of treatments that have been deemed ineffective or hazardous. Unfortunately, often when a physician is wrong it is the patient‘s life that pays the price.

Due to this, every physician is required to complete a minimum number of CME credits every year; however, they are certainly not required to stop once that number is met. This does not necessarily mean returning to school, although this is certainly an option; however, for most physicians caring for their patients leaves them little time for the heavy workload of a secondary education institution. Many other more convenient options are available to them.

Across the nation hundreds of thousands of medical conventions, symposiums, workshops and conferences are available to healthcare professionals, covering topics from new surgical techniques to treat collapsed heart valves to the use of stem cells to treat congestive heart failure; all cutting edge technology not yet taught in the classroom. These often take place over the course of a weekend, often last more than one day and are held in various locations, so physicians from any location in the country may attend at their discretion.

In many rural areas there is only one doctor available, often with no one to see to their patients when they are unavailable. These are the physicians who are still on call twenty four hours a day, make their own hospital rounds and see patients from birth to death for everything from a toothache to a heart attack. Needless to say they are often unable to get away from their practice to attend weekend workshops. Another option is available for them so they can continue to provide their patients with around the clock care. The internet has opened up a whole new world to the field of continuing education. Many organizations, such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association for Continuing Medical Education (AACME) offer resources online for healthcare workers to complete their continuing medical education credits. Here clinicians will have the opportunity to complete coursework online, view online conferences and use the teleweb to attend lectures and symposiums.

These CME resources may be found free of charge or for a small fee per credit hour, depending on the situation; however, this is infinitely less expensive (and time consuming) than returning to a college or university, and offer greater benefits because attendees are able to stay apprised of new research and untried methods that are not taught to students.

It is true that no one ever stops learning, and this is especially true in the medical field. Continuing medical education allows clinicians to stay on top of their field and provide the best, most advanced care options available to their patients.

Continuing Medical Education for Cardiac Professionals

In a field that is constantly shifting and changing, where researchers are finding new information almost daily and new diseases and symptoms are discovered with each patient it is very important for doctors and nurses to stay abreast of changes in the field. They do this through a variety of means, one of which is continuing education.

A cardiologist can spend twelve years or more in school prior to receiving their degree between undergrad school, medical school, residency, then additional coursework and residency to specialize. It may seem ludicrous to have to return to school after that period of time; after all, after ten years wouldn’t they know all there is to know? The answer is no. The medical field is constantly open to new opportunities and knowledge; a cardiologist who graduated medical school thirty years would not have learned many of the new treatment and surgical options that are available today. They simply did not have the resources or technology then that they do now. Enter the field of continuing education.

Every clinician is required to complete a set number of continuing education credits on a regular basis, and to update these credits regularly. These credits do not have to be done by returning to an academic setting; most physicians would not have time to treat their patients and still take classes. Every year hundreds of symposiums, conferences and workshops are held throughout the world on a variety of topics. These each provide an established number of continuing education credits, and most clinicians will have to attend several of these to fulfill their continuing education requirement. Here cardiac professionals can learn about new techniques to treat a variety of diseases, such as the ongoing interest in using stem cells to strengthen the heart of patients with congestive heart failure, or the benefits of the newly released angiotensin II receptor blocker drugs. In this manner they are able to follow all of the advances in the field without having to abandon their practice and return to school.

The internet has also opened up a wonderful opportunity for health care professionals to complete their continuing education credits from the comfort of their homes. Many organizations offer online continuing education to healthcare professionals. They may complete coursework, watch online conferences, and virtually attend lectures. This is often the method of choice for physicians in rural areas who find it difficult to attend conferences due to their distance and the lack of other physicians to see their patients in their absence.

These continuing education credits may be available at no cost, or a reduced cost per credit hour, to physicians and group members. Continuing education is very important to healthcare professionals. A lack of continuing education will result in a clinician not being kept abreast of changes in the field, both positive and negative, and being unaware of which treatments have now been ruled ineffective or even hazardous. This will lead to being unable to properly treat their patients, and possibly endangering their lives in the process.