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Teflon-coated donor cells fight diabetes

Posted on Sept. 1, 2009, 12:44 p.m. in Diabetes Immune System Longevity and Age Management Organ Transplant Stem Cell Research Stem Cell Research

Researchers at University of California San Diego have created a Teflon-coated pouch to encase harvested insulin-producing cells, known as islet cells, for possible transplant into patients with diabetes.

Teflon is widely used in surgical implants due to its compatibility with human tissue. The pouch, made of a fine membrane, allows insulin to escape, but does not permit the attack of immune system cells. As a result, the transplanted cells are able to continue producing insulin, potentially eliminating the need for diabetic patients to inject insulin.


Laboratory tests were conducted in mice and indicate progress in the risk of transplant rejection. In it's early stages, the technology will require further development to provide a real and lasting treatment for diabetes.

News source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1210346/Teflon-coated-cells-beat-diabetes.html

  

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ANTI-AGING TIP OF THE DAY

Tip #177 - Easy Does It
An easy-going personality may help to forestall cognitive decline as we age. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) studied 506 older Swedes and found that those men and women who were socially outgoing and not easily distressed by circumstances were 49% less likely to develop dementia over time, as compared to those who were extroverted and neurotic. In addition, a calm personality was also associated with a 49% reduced dementia risk in those who were not socially active compared with those who were stay-at-homes but prone to distress.
Generally speaking, people with relaxed personalities tend to have a more stable mood and are better able to handle stressful situations with little anxiety. Try to take challenging situations in stride.
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