Dick Mora knew something was happening, but he didn’t want to think about it. Whole conversations would vanish from memory as though they never took place. It was frightening. “We’d gone through quite a bit with my mother who had Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “She wouldn’t know who I was. So when things started happening to me, I was very, very nervous. I really kind of kept it to myself.” When he was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003, the Laguna Niguel man thought it was the beginning of his personal fade to black. “I really believed I was going to be going down like Mother, that I wouldn’t know my children, and I wouldn’t know my wife.” But Mora, who retired from the pharmaceutical industry, was lucky. His doctor told him about an off-label use of an existing drug to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Now, five years after his diagnosis — an amount of time normally marked by steep cognitive decline — Mora’s disease has barely progressed. “He can still drive a car,” said his wife Nancy. “He is very self-sufficient.” “Without aggressive treatment, my life would have been much different,” Mora said. “That’s why I’m a very strong supporter of research and anything that could bring about a cure for this cruel and unforgiving illness (“Quotes”). In the past century humans have become very dependent on technology, especially in the area of medicine. The question here is, "How much technology is too much?" (Ghadially 799). Technological advances are constantly being made in all areas of medicine. Scientists can now manipulate chemical compounds to create new drugs and even have robotic surgery, but this technological manipulation is most notable in genetic and stem cell research. The potential benefits offered by... ... middle of paper ... ...urce. Web. 22 Nov. 2013 Podberezin, MarkWen, JianguoChang, Chung-Che (Jeff). "Cancer Stem Cells." Archives Of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 137.8 (2013): 1111. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. "Quotes on Stem Cell Research." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. West, Michael D. "How Engineered Stem Cells May Enable Youthful Immortality."LifeExtension.com. Life Extension Magazine, Feb. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Young-Mo Kim, TacGhee Yi, Jeong-Seok Choi, Songyi Lee, Yun Ho Jang, Chul-Ho Kim, Sun U. Song, Jae-Yol, Lim. "Bone Marrow-Derived Clonal Mesenchymal Stem Cells As A Source Of Cell Therapy For Promoting Vocal Fold Wound Healing." Annals Of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 122.2 (2013): 121. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning signs of Alzheimer’s can be beneficial to both the patient and his family. Finally, once the patient has been diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s, a plan for treatment as well as providing the family and caregivers with a support system can help ease those involved through a very challenging, heartbreaking time.
Lisa Genova, the author of Still Alice, a heartbreaking book about a 50-year-old woman's sudden diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and Dementia USA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association. Genova's work with Alzheimer's patients has given her an understanding of the disorder and its affect not only on the patient, but on their friends and family as well (Simon and Schuster, n.d.).
The age of genetic technology has arrived. Thanks to genetic technological advancements, medical practitioners, with the help of genetic profiling, will be able to better diagnose patients and design individual tailored treatments; doctors will be able to discern which medications and treatments will be most beneficial and produce the fewest adverse side effects. Rationally designed vaccines have been created to provide optimal protection against infections. Food scientists have hopes of genetically altering crops to increase food production, and therefore mitigate global hunger. Law enforcement officers find that their job is made easier through the advancement of forensics; forensics is yet another contribution of genetic technology. Doctors have the ability to identify “high-risk” babies before they are born, which enables them to be better prepared in the delivery room. Additionally, oncologists are able to improve survival rates of cancer patients by administering genetically engineered changes in malignant tumors; these changes result in an increased immune response by the individual. With more than fifty years of research, and billions of dollars, scientists have uncovered methods to improve and prolong human life and the possibilities offered by gene therapy and genetic technology are increasing daily.
In September 14, 1990, an operation, which is called gene therapy, was performed successfully at the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The operation was only a temporary success because many problems have emerged since then. Gene therapy is a remedy that introduces genes to target cells and replaces defective genes in order to cure the diseases which cannot be cured by traditional medicines. Although gene therapy gives someone who is born with a genetic disease or who suffers cancer a permanent chance of being cured, it is high-risk and sometimes unethical because the failure rate is extremely high and issues like how “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy can be distinguished still haven’t been answered satisfactorily.
Alzheimer’s disease was first postulated by the Bavarian psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer in 1906, however very little was known about the illness (Selkoe). Today, it is well documented that Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of the mental disorder known as dementia. Furthermore, dementia affects an estimated 25 million people in the world (Dalvi). The National Institute of Aging, under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines Alzheimer’s disease as “an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.” Alzheimer’s disease, like most diseases, has levels of severity and get worse of the course of time. In early or “mild” stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the person might start exhibiting issues that could include “wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking...
Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that becomes more prevalent with age. Discovered by German psychologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, it is associated with a memory loss, speech impediment, and dementia. In Canada alone, 500,000 people suffer from this terrible disease and the number of cases is predicted to double by 2031[7]. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people are believed to be experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and every 68 seconds, someone in the United States of America develops Alzheimer’s [8]. Alzheimer’s disease is also the sixth leading cause of death in North America. Furthermore, it is the only leading cause of death that is still increasing in prevalence. Not only fatal, Alzheimer’s is also severely crippling for all the friends and family that are affected by the patient. The memory loss and dementia that is directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease can cause the patient to forget the identity of their loved ones. For the people that have known the patient for many years, this can be very devastating. The long and terrible journey from an able-bodied and functioning member of society to a barely self-sufficient person is not a pleasant one. Undoubtedly, Alzheimer’s disease needs to be cured not only for those suffering from the affliction, but for their loved ones who have to endure the fateful journey as well.
Meyers Leonard, an NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers, helped his team beat the Memphis Grizzlies by scoring 13 points and collecting 13 rebounds in one game, but he would have given it all back to have overcome Alzheimer’s and the effect it has had on his family. In a recent visit to watch Meyers play live, he and his grandmother Rita Douma sat down to talk with Lesley Yanak, Director of Marketing for Koelsch Senior Communities and Chrissy Hall, Executive Director of Silver Creek Inn Memory Care Community in Mesa Arizona, about the disease that took the life of his grandfather Butch in January 2016.
Maurer, K., and Maurer, U. “Alzheimer: The Life of a Physician and the Career of a Disease.” Journal of the American Medical Association. February 2005: 293-6. Health Source. EBSCOhost. Utica College Lib. 15 Apr 2005. .
Although humans have altered the genomes of species for thousands of years through artificial selection and other non-scientific means, the field of genetic engineering as we now know it did not begin until 1944 when DNA was first identified as the carrier of genetic information by Oswald Avery Colin McLeod and Maclyn McCarty (Stem Cell Research). In the following decades two more important discoveries occurred, first the 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA, by Watson and Crick, and next the 1973 discovery by Cohen and Boyer of a recombinant DNA technique which allowed the successful transfer of DNA into another organism. A year later Rudolf Jaenisch created the world’s first transgenic animal by introducing foreign DNA into a mouse embryo, an experiment that would set the stage for modern genetic engineering (Stem Cell Research). The commercialization of genetic engineering began largely in 1976 wh...
Since the 1800s medical technology as made remarkable advances. The most basic instrument for a surgeon, which was a field in which Dr. Frankenstein was a pioneer, is the scalpel. There have been no drastic changes in the scalpel since it was first constructed. What has occurred are the refinements to the instrument. When Dr. Frankenstein wielded the instrument it was a simple steel blade with an ivory handle. Although the instrument was adequate it was not completely sterile because of the ivory handle. The fact that it was also kept in a velvet lined case did also prevented the scalpel from being 100% sterile.
Genetic Engineering in humans is a highly controversial topic of discussion. The possibilities that it offers to new medical worlds is groundbreaking, but what are the risks? This is a frequently asked question, presenting valid arguments from both perspectives. Like many Biological predicaments, ethical issues tend to clash with that of unseen medical possibilities, resulting in debates and discussions continuously unfolding on the controversial issue.
Genome engineering is a technology that has the potential to change the world as we know it. Recent developments have changed the face of genetic engineering and have opened up many new possibilities that simply did not exist in the past. One of these possibilities is precision medicine or the ability to treat a medical condition by taking into account genetics, environment and behaviors. Precision medicine has huge potential to change lives for the better. However, the technology used to provide precision medicine could prove to be a “slippery slope” (par. 6) that plummets from benefitting humankind to creating unanticipated outcomes or even sinister applications. “A Prudent Path Forward for Genomic Engineering
It address the questions that are at the center of the medical field, such as what it means to be human, the role of technology in health care, and the boundaries of treatments involving advances in technology. Although human enhancement appears to have several positive affects, the negative affects are also great in number. Neither can be overlooked since this technology has the power to not only improve humanity, but also bring it to an all time low. By considering the factors that play into the outcomes of biotechnology, it is possible to answer the pressing questions at hand and to determine the circumstances in which biotechnology could result in beneficial
The controversy of these issues stems from the immense potential in genetic sciences for both positive use and harmful misuse. Though the questions and fears of critics reflect the wisdom of caution, the potentially unlimited benefits mandate that we pursue these technologies.
Technology has had a great impact on society when it comes to medicine. Medical technology has been around since the cave man began using rocks as tools to perform trephening. Since then there has been many new advancements in medicine due to technology. From painless needles to robots used for surgeries technology is around to stay.