Landmark Discoveries in Healthcare: An Overview

• Cynthia Lane

1. Newborn cured of HIV:

A woman from Mississippi gave birth to a child that contacted HIV from its mother. The woman was not aware she had HIV and doctors did not take precautions to test her for it. Just after the infant was born it showed signs of being infected with the virus. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a Dr. Hannah Gay and her staff decided to take a big chance by giving the infant a three anti-HIV combination drug cocktail. To their surprise the infant has been HIV free for two years after birth. The infant does not show any signs of the infection in its body even though the child is not on any medications after the fact (Subramanian, Oct. 2013).

2. New Changes on Cholesterol Treatments more People on Statins:

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, feels if people were to take statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs this would prevent the first heart attack or stroke events. The outcome would benefit if the patient does not have heart problem history, with factors on gender, sex, age, smoking history, blood pressure cholesterol levels or is a diabetic (LaRosa, 2001).

3. A Home Pregnancy Test for the first time that Tells How Pregnant You Are

Approved by Food and Drug Administration, the Clearblue Advanced Pregnancy Test can tell you in estimate weeks how far you are in your pregnancy (Gallagher, May, 2013; Shoukhrat, 2001-2014).

4. Embryonic stem cells: Advance in medical human cloning

A professor Shoukhrat Mitalipov at the Oregon Health & Science University, who cloned Dolly the sheep back in 1996. Professor Mitalipov used the same process but this time he used human skin cells he were hollowed out, he successfully stimulated the egg to electrically and chemically the egg divided and produced an embryonic stem cells. The embryonic stem cells would be used to create body tissues and organs that may be used to treat Alzehimer’s, diabetes and heart disease (Gallagher, May, 2013; Shoukhrat, 2001-2014).

5. One Dose instead of Three Doses of Vaccine May be Plenty to Protect Against HPV

The HPV-human papillomavirus vaccine is given to girls and boys between 11 and 12 years old to protect them against genital warts and cervical cancer. At first the children would have to have three shots (immunizations) of the vaccine to be effective; half of the children are not returning to their physician or clinic to complete the series. A group of international researchers confirmed that one dose of the vaccine can generate an increase of 24 times of antibodies in the body which would be enough to protect them from HPV and the risk of cancer would be lower (Sifferlin, Nov. 2014).

6. New Hair Growth Research

Columbia University, researchers says transplanting hair follicles upside down can produce new hair growth. Patches of foreskin from circumcised babies are used because they do not have hair follicles. The foreskin is inverted and takes root to produce hair (CU Researchers, 2013).

7. Poop Pill

Dr. Thomas Louie of the University of Calgary, created a gel capsule that is made of bacteria found in poop. Our bodies have microbes in our gut that help digest our food and fight other disease-causing microbes. The gel capsule is best used to cure Clostridium difficile infection, which is called for short C diff, this is a very contagious intestinal infection which causes diarrhea and deadly inflammation of the colon. Less than 30 patients were tested with this gel capsule and have not experienced any recurrent symptoms of the C diff infection (Marchione, Oct. 2013).

8. Changing Poor Quality Eggs to Healthy Eggs

Stanford University researches elaborated a technique for women with poor quality eggs to make healthy, mature eggs from their own eggs. The researchers would remove a piece of ovarian tissue or an ovary and treat it with proteins and other factors in the lab. The tissue would be recharged then re-implanted close to the fallopian tubes. Five out of 27 women produced healthy eggs, one gave birth to a healthy baby, and one woman became pregnant (Sifferlin, Sept. 2013).

9. New Genes Linked to Alzeheimer’s

There are 24 genes now known associated with Alzheimer’s, the discovery involves inflammation and the body’s immune responses. They are associated with the brain changes of Alzheimer’s researchers will target drugs that would potentially treat memory loss symptoms and dementia which is a mark of brain disorder (Paddock, Oct. 2013).

10. Parkinson’s Disease Detected Early

Scientists feel by detecting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as early as possible this would identify their disease and be able to intercept with treatments. Panel of proteins of spinal fluid can help scientists identify the first stage of the disease. By controlling the symptoms in their early stage of the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, experts hope to launch new studies to make drugs that failed obsolete (SpiritIndia, 2006).

References

Gallagher, James; Health and science reporter, BBC News (15 May 2013)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22540374

Mitalipov, Shoukhrat (2001-2014 Oregon Health & Science University) Oregon National Primate Research Center Oregon Stem Cell Center Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Molecular & Medical Genetics Oregon Health & Science University

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/stem-cell-center/mitalipov-lab/

LaRosa, MD, John C; From the State University of New York-Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York (Circulation. (2001);104:1688-1692doi: 10.1161/​hc3901.096665).

Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease: Who Benefits?

Circulation is published by the American Heart Association

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/104/14/1688

Marchione, Marilynn —Oct. 3, 2013; PILLS MADE FROM POOP CURE SERIOUS GUT INFECTIONS

AP News: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pills-made-poop-cure-serious-gut-infections

Laird Harrison (October03,2013)

Fecal Transplant Pills Effective for C difficile.Medscape.Oct03,2013.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/812079

One Dose of HPV Vaccine May Protect Against Cervical Cancer | TIME.comhttp://healthland.time.com/2013/11/04/less-is-more-one-instead-of-three-doses-of-hpv-vaccine-may-protect-against-cervical-cancer/#ixzz2r9isNIYr

Paddock PhD, Catherine; Monday 28 October 2013- Scientists discover 11 new Alzheimer’s risk genes; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267998.php

Researchers transplant human hair onto mice using infant foreskins PUBLISHED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2013, 5:28 AM

UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2013, 10:29 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researchers-transplant-human-hair-mice-article-1.1492475#ixzz2r9kVxUHl

Sifferlin, Alexandra(Nov. 04, 2013)

http://healthland.time.com/2013/11/04/less-is-more-one-instead-of-three-doses-of-hpv-vaccine-may-protect-against-cervical-cancer/

Sifferlin, Alexandra (Sept. 30, 2013- New Hope for Infertile Women: Healthy Eggs

http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/30/new-hope-for-infertile-women-healthy-eggs/

New Procedure to Induce Egg Growth Gives Fresh Hope to Infertile Women | TIME.comhttp://healthland.time.com/2013/09/30/new-hope-for-infertile-women-healthy-eggs/#ixzz2r9o9nOPw

Subramanian, Courtney; Oct. 23, 2013; Newborn ‘Functionally Cured’ of HIV Remains in Remission. The revelation comes 18 months after all treatment ceased

Newborn ‘Functionally Cured’ of HIV Remains in Remission | TIME.comhttp://healthland.time.com/2013/10/23/newborn-functionally-cured-of-hiv-remains-in-remission/#ixzz2r9RG4A7W