New Study Shows Aspirin can Dramatically Reduce Death by Cancer

New research suggests that long-term use of a daily low-dose aspirin can exponentially decrease the risk of dying from a wide array of cancers. In the report, coming from eight long term studies including some 25,000 patients, British researchers found that a small, 75 milligram dose of aspirin taken daily for at least five years reduces risk of dying from common cancers roughly 10 to 60 percent. The findings are as follows:

• After 5 years of daily aspirin, death due to gastrointestinal cancers decreased by 54%.
• After 20 years, death due to prostate cancer decreased by 10%
• After 20 years, death due to lung cancer decreased by 30% (among those with adenocarcinomas, typically seen in nonsmokers)
• After 20 years, death due to colorectal cancer decreased by 40%
• After 20 years, death due to esophageal cancer decreased by 60%

While this is great news for those who suffer from cancers, Professor Peter Rothwell of the University of Oxford and John Radcliffe Hospital says a daily aspirin regimen can cause complications such as bleeding. Still, it is surprising to know such an affective drug can easily be found in any household.

Source[Yahoo!News]

Healthcare and Web 2.0

Here's a fascinating video showing how Web 2.0 technologies can affect healthcare. With mobile and cloud-based computing taking off, how can pharmaceutical companies and large health systems improve? Tim O’Reilly answers these questions at this years Health 2.0 conference.

Source [The Healthcare Blog]

New Drug to Fight Sickle Cell Disease

AesRx, LLC has announced that it plant to enter into a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to take their new sickle cell therapeutic drug, Aes-103, through pre-clinical development and initial clinical trials. Sickle cell anemia is a potentially life threatening disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin* S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels. Aes-103 is still in its orphan stage, but it apparently targets and reduces blood cell sickling, and it the only drug of its kind to do so. This collaboration will give those afflicted with the disease a chance for a partial cure.

Source [OneMedSentinel]

New Drugs to Combat Breast Cancer

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is currently testing three new drugs meant to combat so-called triple negative breast cancers. Triple negative breast cancer refers to when woman lack estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor 2 ( also known as the three hormone receptors). The first drug, called Entinostat, claims to "blocks an enzyme that unfolds DNA, providing regulatory molecules access to genes within and also reactivates a gene called retinoic acid receptor-beta". The next drug called All Trans Retinoic Acid "binds a protein made by the reactivated RARβ gene". It is said that these two drugs combined can stop cancer growth in its tracks. They are hoping to start clinical trials next year. 

Looking Forward

As I reflect back on this semester and this blog, I'm left with mixed feelings. This was a new experience for me, and while I think I did achieve in bringing interesting medical tech related posts here, everything didn't go as planned. My posts became way too far apart, and there were long periods of time were nothing was updated. Unfortunately, it seems I can't actually create and stick to a schedule of posting articles(or doing anything, really). In that way, I don't think blogging is right for me. However, I did learn many new and fascinating things by writing articles and looking for source, as well as by reading the blogs of my fellow classmates. I think I also have some new found respect for bloggers.
Anyway, it was an interesting experience overall. I can't promise I will keep this blog going, but I don't think I'll just throw away something that I spent time on either.

The Future of Medicine - Megatrends in Healthcare

Here's a great video detailing the future trends of healthcare in the coming 5 to 15 years. These include personalized medicine [custom tailored medicine]; prevention; much improved repair, restoration; or replacement of damaged organs or tissues; the electronic medical record and better quality and safety.

New, Cheaper Way to Analyze DNA

Mapping the human genome in it's entirety for the first time was an enormous project seven years ago, costing about 3 billion US dollars in total. Today, researchers at the Delft University of Technology and Oxford University may have found a way to have your genome mapped for only a few hundred Euros. This involves the use of a new device called a nanopore, which is described as a "minute hole" which can "'read' information from a single molecule of DNA as it threads through the hole." Apparently it works by applying an electrical charge on it, which allows it to pull DNA molecules individually. It is then read similar to how "music is read from an old cassette tape as it is threaded through a player."
While this technology is obviously meant to improve lives by allowing for early treatment to any predisposed diseases or conditions a person may contract, there are consequences as well. Unfortunately, this information can be used against you if it's not kept completely confidential. For example, insurance companies can determine whether or not to provide coverage depending on how genetically predisposed you are to any kind of disease. Hopefully there will be a solution for this problem once this practice starts to take off in the future.

Source [The Science Daily]

Treating Depression Through Information Technology

Depression is on route to becoming the world leading cause of disability by 2020, according to Maja Hadzic, Fedja Hadzic and Tharam Dillon of the Digital Ecosystems and Business Intelligence Institute, at Curtin University of Technology. They say that unlike other epidemics such as the flu where there is a specific pathogen, there is not one single "source" of depression. Therefore, they say the best way to combat depression is through early diagnosis through the use of information technology.
The team of three have created a system which combines patient data with the data describing mental health of therapists and their interaction with the patients. They say that this data can easily be mined, revealing patterns in the onset, treatment and management of depression. These patterns can not only further increase our knowledge of depression, but also allow for far more personalized care, considering no two cases of depression are exactly the same.
This seems to be a far better approach to depression rather that prescribing the harsh antidepressants popular today. Considering depression can indirectly cause other conditions such as high blood pressure of diabetes, hopefully the use of information technology can allow for the early diagnosis and development of new treatments for depression.
Source [The Science Daily]

New Electronic Implants Give Blind Basic Vision

A German research group has developed electronic retinal implants which allow the blind to see shapes and objects. This is aimed at people who suffer from retinal dystrophy, which causes the degeneration of the retina which ultimately leads to blindness. About 15 million people suffer form this condition worldwide, with new cases every day. Theses implants work by replacing lost light receptors from retinal degeneration.
Three blind people were given these implants to test, and one was able to identify objects, walk around a room independently, and even read a clock face. This is a great step toward treatment for the blind, and hopefully the first step in developing a way to give them full vision.

Source[Science Daily]

Reviewing a Source

[Advances In Medical Technology: What Does The Future Hold?]


This is an article reprinted by the Science Daily which discusses what the future of medical technology holds for us. The article stresses that while many advanced systems are in place today, the field is still constantly advancing. The writer of this article believes that the future holds more personalized treatment, as well as treatments that promote regeneration. He says as the research of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine grow, many new opportunities to treat disease will arise. In fact, their goal is to create biomaterials that would be able to regenerate tissue where needed. However, it's said that much more research needs to go into this, and we probably wont see it for a while. In addition, the article writes of new ways to have medical check ups in the home, rather than going to the hospital. Research is being done now to have a way to check a patients vital signs in a more regular environment, which would be very helpful for the disabled or elderly. Finally, the article speaks of medical robots, which will apparently allow for more precise, safer surgeries.

I found this article to be extremely informative as well as very well organized. It starts off with a nice summary introduction, and separates into different parts, each with its own topic. The article also mentions many organizations, and incorporates quotes of the researchers that work in these organizations. Overall, this article gives you a great idea of whats to come in the field of healthcare, straight from the source of the researchers.

The only problem I have with this article is that it often uses medical jargon that one may not be familiar with, without any real explanation. For example, "...to measure forces on the humeral joint, according to the type of suture used after implanting prostheses. During the rehabilitation process, exercises are undertaken to prevent ankylosis of the bone." This could easily be remedied by a quick search, but i believe it would be helpful to include a brief explanation in the article itself.

Inside 1000c

Some other great blogs to note:
Technation
This is Nathan B's blog, and it's primary focus is technology. In it he describes "life with technology", as well as what the future of technology holds. This is quite relevant to my own blog as i also focus on technology, only in a more specific sense. If you're ever curious about other aspects of technology, this is a great place to go.

Effects of Drugs and Misuses
This is Mohammed's blog which focuses on the misuse and effect of drugs. I feel this is relevant to my blog because it can include prescription/OTC drugs, a part of medical technology, which are widely misused today. Perhaps there will be a new medical technology breakthrough that will allow us to combat the problem of misusing drugs.

 daily twitch
This is Mitch's blog, which discusses "substances which give you a rush of energy", such as energy drinks. I like to relate this to my blog thinking that perhaps there exists a way of easily delivering energy to one's system waiting to be discovered. Also, his blog discusses "study drugs" such as adderall, which makes me think if Medical Technology can create actual "study drugs", without the side effects.

Links

An explanation to the links in my sidebar:

Gizmodo
Gizmodo is pretty much your standard technology blog. It's the first tech blog I've ever followed, which is one of the reasons I've decided to post it here. It focuses mainly on consumer electronics, but once in a while you'll also find a post about new scientific breakthroughs or new medical technology. It definitely contributed to my interest in medical technology as well. I feel what sets Gizmodo apart is that it doesn't always take itself so seriously; you'll often find humorous posts right there in between the regular news stories. They also just don't report the news, the editors usually give their opinion as well. All in all, it's a fantastic blog if you're even slightly interested in technology.
Read more>>

Calculators: the Future of Healthcare?

 Thomas Goetz at The Healthcare Blog has written a post detailing how the next breakthrough in healthcare can be as simple as a calculator. Not a calculator like the physical device, but rather a program that automates algorithms. Called nomograms, they essentially calculate risk. An example given is the Framingham Risk Calculator, which calculates your risk of heart disease. In addition, they can also assess the risk in a surgical procedure, making the decision of whether or not to go through with a surgery much easier. The only problem with these nomograms lie with the fact that they must be made for one disease at a time, and enormous amounts of work and calculations go into each one. In addition, they must be kept up to date to remain accurate.  However, if these nomograms do take off to the point where there is one available for every disesase, they can prove to be invaluable in the healthcare field. By being able to predict ones risk of disease, those who are at high risk can take preventive measures immediately.

Some excellent points are made in the article:

“We need relevance, and the right information at the right time will help us make better choices for prevention, helping us stay healthier longer…”

I completely agree. I believe that the best way to combat disease is through prevention, rather than cures.  Lack of information certainly contributes to poor choices, which may in turn lead to disease.

“They’re brilliant and auspicious because the turn research around so that it faces the patient: An individual can interrogate medical science for how it applies to his specific circumstances, rather than having to navigate through stacks of research papers and findings for some wisp of relevance.”

Another great point. The beauty of nomograms is that they’re easily accessible, and can be applied specifically to you. You don’t need to be a doctor to use one, and they can be found free online.  Just enter some information, and you can see how at risk you are for a particular disease.

“But especially for conditions where we have some agency – where we can take actions today that can enhance our tomorrow – they are a terrific tool.”

Possibly the greatest aspect of these calculators are that they stress prevention- less diease for a better future.

source[The Healthcare Blog]

Situating

As you may know, there's no shortage of technology blogs out there. Blogs like Gizmodo, Engadget, and Ars Technica, just to name a few. However, they cover technology in a broad sense- meaning they focus on mainly consumer electronics and the like. A story related to medical tech will pop up once in a while, but it's obviously not their main focus. Then there's a blog like io9, in which you'll often find posts about the future in general. Once again, you'll find posts related to health care, but it's also not their main focus. I believe a good example of what I am trying to accomplish with this blog is seen in onemedsentinel. A place where i can focus on technology as it relates to healthcare, and perhaps how it can relate to my future career.

Welcome

The world of technology is ever-expanding. This includes the sometimes overlooked field of medical technology. Prosthetics, vaccinations, and other various breakthroughs have saved and improved many lives over the years. But what's next? What is the future of today's healthcare? What new technological discoveries will revolutionize the field as we know it? These are all questions I hope to answer with this blog. As a pharmacy student with a great passion for technology, I believe that this topic will not only be relevant to my interests, but my career as well. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for me, as well as anyone who reads.