Popular Articles

For America's Aged, Surgery At Any Price?
When doctors decide whether or not to go ahead with an expensive surgery, "age is no longer the deciding factor, even for invasive treatment such as open-heart surgery," The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. One question is "whether this never-too-old approach is an example of U.S. medical progress, or an example of why Medicare -- federal health insurance for people over 64 -- is headed for insolvency. The answer, experts say, is both. Which is why the current debate over expanding federal coverage to all uninsured Americans is an ethical and economic minefield. "Forty years ago, it was taken for granted that the elderly were not good candidates for organ transplantation, dialysis, or advanced surgical procedures. That has changed," Daniel Callahan, cofounder of the Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute in Garrison, N.Y., wrote recently. "Under the best of circumstances, age should be irrelevant in the Medicare program. But so far, the cost of care has not been considered, and it can hardly remain irrelevant in a program strapped for money.""

Prostate Cancer Screening And Trust Of Physician Evaluated
Trusted health care s and continuity of care may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer deaths in African-American men, according to a study published in the current issue of the journal Cancer. James Mohler, MD, Chair of the Department of Urology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), and William R. Carpenter, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina, are lead investigators.
News of the day
Analyses: CBO Director Elmendorf Becomes Center Of Attention
Several analyses today on the Congressional Budget Office, and its director, Douglas Elmendorf, who has been at the center of increasing debate over health care reform after the recent release of the CBO"s "score" of health system overhaul legislation. President Barack Obama met with him Monday in a move that has spurred Republican criticism.
Oncology

Printing New Organs: Foundation Funds Medical Technology That Replicates Human Tissue

Methuselah Foundation has identified Organovo, Inc. as a leader in the extraordinary science of bio-printing. The US Department of Health and Human Services predicts: "Within 20 years regenerative medicine will be the standard of care for replacing all tissue/organ systems in the body." Organovo, with the support of Methuselah Foundation, is applying its breakthrough organ printing technologies to make that prediction a reality. "Methuselah Foundation, through the generosity of its donors, funds multiple strategies designed to extend healthy human life," according to Dave Gobel, Founder and CEO. The MLife Sciences program of Methuselah Foundation seeks long-term strategies to combat the progressive, degenerative process of biological aging. What is accepted as "aging" is a wide range of damage that occurs at the cellular level. Our bodies show and feel the results: functionality is lost and age-related frailty, disability and disease take over. Organovo is developing a very promising solution. Their 3-dimensional bio-printer lays down bio-ink that fuses into complex tissue, creating new tissue to replace diseased tissue. Rejection of transplanted tissue is not a concern; the cells that are used can be taken from youthful progenitor cells from the patient to replace the older diseased cells. Keith Murphy, CEO of Organovo, looks ahead, "Organovo has an exciting technology platform that has attracted broad investment at a time when capital is not free flowing. The technology has immediate applications in cardiovascular therapeutics, and as the platform of choice for three dimensional tissue development. In the future Organovo hopes to provide "Tissue on Demand" for surgical applications." Organovo, Inc. is a seed-stage regenerative medicine company that applies proprietary organ printing technology to solve critical problems in transplant medicine, cardiovascular medicine, tissue repair, and medical research. Keith Murphy, CEO of Organovo, looks ahead, "Organovo has an exciting technology platform that has attracted broad investment at a time when capital is not free flowing. The technology has immediate applications in cardiovascular therapeutics, and as the platform of choice for three dimensional tissue development. In the future Organovo hopes to provide "Tissue on Demand" for surgical applications." Organovo, Inc. is a seed-stage regenerative medicine company that applies proprietary organ printing technology to solve critical problems in transplant medicine, cardiovascular medicine, tissue repair, and medical research. Methuselah Foundation is a non-profit medical charity dedicated to extending healthy human life. The Foundation supports strategies that accelerate progress toward a comprehensive cure for age-related disease, disability, and suffering. Supported by the donations of individuals and organizations, the Foundation replaces resignation with an understanding of what is possible. Methuselah Foundation"s programs include near, mid-and long-term strategies that advance the mission of ending age-related disease through awareness, education, scientific research and direct community outreach Methuselah Foundation


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