Stephen C Schimpff's Blog – September 2010 Archive (4)

More on Transplanted Pig Organs – Xenotransplantation

Although xenotransplantation has not progressed far enough to allow transplanting a pig organ to a human, there are other exciting opportunities in the works for xenotransplantation in the not to distant future.

Individuals that develop liver failure often die before a suitable donor can be found or before the damaged liver can heal on its own. There is no artificial liver comparable to the dialysis machine for kidney failure. But using a specially develop pig liver outside the body… Continue

Added by Stephen C Schimpff on September 27, 2010 at 4:52pm — No Comments

Transplanted Organs From A Pig?

There are many more individuals with end stage kidney failure, heart failure, chronic lung disease, or liver failure who would benefit from a transplanted kidney, heart, lung or liver than are available. Similarly, there are many people with unstable, difficult to control diabetes that could benefit from a ready source of pancreatic insulin-producing islet cells.

Today the only option for more organs available for transplant is to encourage more individuals to pre-certify their… Continue

Added by Stephen C Schimpff on September 22, 2010 at 11:03am — No Comments

Thought Controlled Artificial Limbs

I wrote about the possibility of brain-controlled artificial limbs in “The Future of Medicine” but now there has been real progress. At Johns Hopkins Applied Physics laboratory, scientists have progressed with their design of an artificial limb that will have a brain controlled interface. The model came about through a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which has been looking for a prosthetic arm that would be many leagues… Continue

Added by Stephen C Schimpff on September 14, 2010 at 4:10pm — No Comments

Are Physicians Knights, Knaves or Pawns?

An interesting article in JAMA [Sept 1, 2010] by Drs. Jain and Cassel referred to the British economist Julian Le Grand who suggested that public policy “is grounded in a conception of humans as knights, knaves or pawns.” Basically, are we motivated by virtue, by self interest or are we just passive victims? The authors suggest that this is a good question not only for physicians to contemplate but for our politicians and the general public to consider as well along with the implications of the… Continue

Added by Stephen C Schimpff on September 13, 2010 at 10:24am — No Comments