Stem Cell Treatment in Age-Related Macular Degeneration AMD

Stem Cell Treatment in Age-Related Macular Degeneration AMD Background: Age-Related Macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless disease that usually affects people over the age of 60. The Macular is the part of the fundus which is responsible for the patients central vision which allows them to see in fine detail and aids in facial object recognition. The patients peripheral vision is not affected so AMD does not result in complete blindness. The diagram shows the positions of the main structures inside a normal healthy eye such as the macula optic nerve. The general symptoms that a patient with AMD would experience are: Â   Â   Â   Blurred central vision distortion reduction in contrast sensitivity blind spots (scotomas) hallucinations (occasionally, more common in Wet AMD) (Symptoms taken from www.nhs.uk website) There are 2 types of AMD, Wet and Dry, the clinical presentations and the symptoms the patient experiences differ. Wet AMD occurs when the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) underneath the retina at the macula thickens and then breaks. The oxygen supply to the macula is disrupted and the body responds by abnormally growing new blood vessels through the RPE towards the macula to help increase oxygen supply, this can cause the macula to appear raised. The new vessels are fragile and poor quality so leak or bleed. This causes atrophy to the macula which results in rapid decline in central vision. Wet AMD is the most sight threatening of the 2 types as once the vision has be lost it cannot be regained again but there are treatments that can help slow the progression of the disease such as Anti-VEGF injections which stop/slow the growth of the new abnormal vessels. (www.nhs.uk) Dry AMD is the most common form of AMD, around 90% of cases. The clinical presentation of dry AMD is drusen appearing at or around the macula area. Drusen looks like white/yellow dots, they can be small and well defined or large and blurred margins. Drusen occurs as the eye may have a problem with disposing waste from the photoreceptors and so calcium and lipid deposits build up. The retinal pigment epithelium layer may thin and the drusen will push through. The drusen then causes photoreceptor death/degeneration causing atrophy of the retina. This is when the patients vision will start to reduce. It is a much slower disease process than wet AMD, it can be a couple of months before the patient experiences any symptoms relative to dry AMD. (www.AMD.org) Normal Fundus Wet AMD Dry AMD Stem Cells: Stem cells are undifferentiated cells which can differentiate into specialised cells such as muscle, skin and bone cells. In mammals there are 2 types of stem cells this depends on the source which they are taken from; these are embryos which are 4-5 days old in the blastocyst phase and in adult tissues throughout the body such as bone marrow, the brain and skeletal muscle tissue. (www.medicalnewstoday.com) The first trial was on 2 patients who were in late stage of AMD; they underwent immunosuppressive treatment to reduce a negative response to the new stem cells. The embryonic source is chosen for this treatment, the researchers used mouse skin cells to help the stem cells to differentiate into retinal cells. They are then purified so not contaminated by mouse cells. These purified retinal cells are then made into a 1ml solution and injected into only one eye (this is done in trials as they dont know if the treatment will have a damaging or successful effect on the eye). The general results from this trial were good; one patient had Stargardts macular dystrophy that before treatment could only see hand motions but 2 weeks after transplant was able to count fingers with only the eye that had the transplant carried out in it. Their vision continued to improve over the next 3 months. (www.nhs.uk, Bazian January 2012.) Structure Abstract/Intro -Short intro about what a stem cell and age related macular degeneration is. -Aim of dissertation; what I want to achieve through the dissertation as a whole. -Should be roughly 1 page. Stem cells -More detail on what they are. -Different types of stem cells; explain where they are found and when they would be used. -What type of AMD does this treat and why? Age-Related macular Degeneration -Background on both types (containing the anatomy of the eye, normal/abnormal) -Causes -Epidemiology -Pathogenesis -Pathology -Prevention -Treatments (current and new) Potential of stem cell -How do the stem cells differentiate to photoreceptors RPE cells? How well does it do this? -How well does the trials transfer from animals to humans? -What is the success of these trials? Discussion -Does this look like a viable treatment for AMD? -Could it be used for either wet/dry or just one? -What are the advantages/disadvantages? -Ethical argument in using stem cells from embryos. Conclusion Perspective -What I think of the whole argument for and against the treatment -Do I think it is a viable and effective treatment? -Do the results from trials back up the theory and argument for stem cells? New research -How have the trials been taken further? -Has any improvements or adjustments been made? E.g. Have administration methods or cell culturing methods changed? References Projected Timetable of Work 30/11/16 Sections 1, 2 ; Abstract, Stem cells What is AMD. 31/12/16 Section 4; Potential of stem cells in the treatment of AMD. 31/01/17 Section 5; Discussion. 28/02/17 Section 6 7; Conclusion/Perspective New research. 31/03/17 Section 8; References. Dissertation Complete, to be proof read and bound. 13/04/17 Final Hand in Date. References: www.amd.org/what-is-macular-degeneration/dry-amd/ www.cnib.ca www.medicalnewstoday.com www.nhs.uk/conditions/macular-degeneration/pages/introduction.aspx www.nhs.uk/news/2012/01January/Pages/embyonic-stem-cell-trial-macular-degeneration.aspx, Stem cell therapy safe for eye condition. January 24, 2012. Analysis by Bazian, edited by NHS Choices. rgw.com Webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu

William Blake :: essays research papers

To some people William Blake is just an ordinary man. To others, Blake is an English poet, painter, and engraver. Blake was born on November 28, 1757, in London, where he spent most of his life. He was the third of five children in his family. Blake's family was Nonconformists Protestant dissenters from the Church of England. They had Blake christened on December 11 at St. James's Church in Piccadilly. Blake's mother educated him in mere reading and writing, and he worked in a shop until the age of 14. His family ran this shop, and later his brother and he acquired the store through inheritance. Despite those misgivings, he taught himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, and Italian. His English was to be often strikingly original through other people's eyes. In 1767, he wanted to become an artist at the young age of 10. In pursuit of this dream, he attended the Henry Pars Engraving School in the Strand. By 1772, he was an apprentice to an engraver, James Basire, who taught him the secr ets of the trade very well. Basire sent him to make drawings of the sculptures in Westminster Abbey, which sparked his interest in Gothic art. Blake's father was a hosier, and sent him to the Royal Academy in 1779 as an engraving student. While at school, Blake absorbed the religious symbolism and linear design characteristic of Gothic style. While studying there, he rebelled against the academic conventions of Sir Joshua Reynolds, president of the academy. Contrary to modern standards, he decided to follow the footsteps of the world-renowned artist Michelangelo and Raphael instead. Throughout his life, Blake made his money engraving things, but lived in mass poverty. On August 18, 1782, Blake married a poor illiterate girl, Catherine Boucher. Some believe she turned out to be the best companion Blake could have chosen. Blake and Catherine never had children. In 1784, Blake’s father passed away after he started his own printing press. He took his brother Robert in to live with him as an assistant pupil to relieve him from the agonies of poverty. In Blake's eyes, Robert was his son. The establishing of the printing shop helped Blake and Catherine become financially secure for rest of their lives. From that point on, he lived as an engraver and illustrator with the help of his wife and brother Robert. Once again tragedy struck, and in 1787, only shortly after beginning work, his brother Robert fell ill and passed away.

Rhetorical Analysis of “A Modest Proposal” Essay

Since the first British colonization attempts of Ireland the island had been a place of tyrannical oppression and prejudicial mistreatment. This went on for centuries, with constant rebellion and resistance. In 1729 Jonathan Swift, an Irish clergyman living in England, denounced the cruel policies of England in a backwards manner. His use of verisimilitude in â€Å"A Modest Proposal exposes the corruption of British foreign policy towards the impoverished Irish people. He captures the minds and hearts of his audience, the British people, by posing a solution to apparent human issues of society, only to use ridiculously horrid ideas to show the true state of Irish treatment. To earn the audience of the British people, Swift had to play their heartstrings, as well as set up a logical basis for progression. He describes what he aims to solve as issues that would be â€Å"agreed by all parties† to be â€Å"great additional grievance[s].† Among these issues he addressed homeless beggars, especially children, â€Å"voluntary Abortions,† and the prominent act of thievery among the impoverished youth. His focus on the youth and poor conditions of life would most likely have drawn in the public to consider what he would later propose, as they are issues that were prevalent and of dire need of solution. The human tie to the wellbeing of children would inspire the British people to want to help them in whatever way possible. He also supports his ideas by claiming that the children shall not be a â€Å"charge upon their Parents, or the Parish,† but be a benefit to society by â€Å"contribut[ing] to the Feeding and partly to the Clothing of many Thousands† of people. This proposal not only solves the problems, but does so inexpensively and with an increased benefit of providing for the other impoverished. This logical appeal would most likely have make his audience more likely listen to his idea, as it thus would have seemed to be a convenient solution with no yet apparent drawbacks. Juxtaposed within these statements Swift began to dehumanize the impoverished people, describing the women as â€Å"Dams,† generally a term to describe cattle or other female beasts, and â€Å"Breeders.† He slipped in these  terms while stating the raw statistics of the cost of a child and the total number of impoverished children coming into Ireland annually. The use of terms of cattle during the hard facts gave Swift the ability to trick the people of Britain into considering, as was almost normal of the time, that these people were not actually people, but just a problem to be solved. By grabbing the attention of his audience and progressing to dehumanize the impoverished people of Ireland, Swift would potentially succeed in convincing, although he did not believe in it personally, that the people of Ireland were actually less than human. He then progressed to address his actual proposal: that the homeless and impoverished children of Ireland would make a â€Å"most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome Food.† He stated various manners of how to prepare the child, when the best time for preparation would be, and even that their skin would â€Å"make admirable Gloves and Summer Boots.† The absolute horror of doing this to human children, which is murder, would then have most likely dawned on the audience. The fact that they now view them as humans, would show the hypocrisy in their previous less-than-human views of the Irish people. Throughout the essay Swift addressed the lords and gentry specifically, having claimed that a child’s meat would be â€Å"very proper for Landlords, † and their skin good in the application of â€Å"Gloves for Lady’s, and Summer Boots for fine Gentlemen.† His focus on the profitability of the proposal was also intended to be an appeal to the wealthy controlling power. Having their attention, he then stated that there should be no â€Å"other expedients† on top of the profit of such a system. He was referring to harsh taxes, limiting production and export, forbidding importation of luxury items, and mistreatment of workers and tenets by landlords. By juxtaposing, yet again, this hyperbole of the potential of eating children with the actual treatment of Ireland, saying that the former was the preferable of the two, he would most likely make the British people aware of the harshness of their polices and abuses. He made it very clear that he was speakin g to the landlords and wealthy, then claimed that what they were doing was better than if they were eating their children. Such a claim is a harsh reality that would potentially have some reconsider their prejudice and ideals. It is hardly likely that anyone would actually believe that someone would propose such dastardly actions as an honest proposal. By exaggerating the horrors of the ridiculous proposition of eating children he makes it obvious that he doesn’t truly believe the British should eat Irish children. He shows that what it means to be human is being destroyed by the practices of the British as it is, just as if they were consuming and murdering their children. By forcing the two things into a juxtaposed parallel, he shows that they are of the same horror and despicable nature.

What Is Statistics - 1722 Words

Statistics can be defined as â€Å" the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and interpretation of numerical facts of data, and that, by use of mathematical theories of probability, imposes order and regularity on aggregates of more or less disparate elements† (Dictionary.com, LLC, 2008). Yet how do we use these specific elements in our everyday working lives? Many don’t realize the extent to which we as a culture base our decisions on statistics. We us them in something as small as predicting the outcome of a game or number of points that a team will score. Statistics surrounds us in many ways and in many forms. As the American Statistical Association president Jon Kettenring stated, I like to think of†¦show more content†¦Yet when it came closer and more information was pulled they realized that this statistical information was indeed inaccurate and did not provide enough data to see the true statistics on Clemens. They noted tha t to be accurate they needed to look at all of the athletes that have as successful as Clemens not just in the same age bracket. When looking at this particular information they noted that indeed Clemens was irregular and did not fit the mold of the normal athlete not using performance enhancing drugs. This shows that with inaccurate and inadequate information that the wrong conclusion can be made. (Knowledge@Wharton, 2008) Just seeing this information makes you realize the importance of collecting information for correct statistical analysis. When researching statistics you can also see that there is much relying on the statistical analysis’s that are made. With that we see that we must set standards for researching and making statistical analyses. First and foremost the information must be suited to its purpose. Going along with that there are a total of 5 more areas that one must check when submitting statistical information, info must be as accurate as possible, informati on must be as fresh as possible, information must be readily accessible, information must be comparable internationally and overtime, as well as statistics shall be consistent and as uniform as possible. (Statistics Finland, 2005) Going intoShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Statistics?742 Words   |  3 PagesFoundational Knowledge: At the beginning of the semester, I had some basic knowledge about statistics. I knew about bell curves, means and standard deviations. I did not know what a confidence interval or what a standard error of measurement was. Now many months later, I know that the standard error of measurement estimates how someones score will change over time. This is due to the fact that a person will probably not get the same score every time they retake a test. I also learned that the standardRead MoreWhat Are The Grants For Statistics2149 Words   |  9 Pages1. What are the grants for statistics calculations in 2015 Statistical research is wide and you can find a high-level overview of interests. You want to make sense of data around you and know how and when to use all this techniques and formulas of statistics. You have to remember that statistical research is worth doing for reaching personal goals and receiving grants. You can receive an opportunity for statistical research scholarship or thanks to statistical scholarships job offer you were waitingRead MoreWhat Are The Grants For Statistics3115 Words   |  13 Pages1. What are the grants for statistics calculations in 2015 Statistical research is wide and you can find a high-level overview of interests. You want to make sense of data around you and know how and when to use all this techniques and formulas of statistics. You have to remember that statistical research is worth doing for reaching personal goals and receiving grants. You can receive an opportunity for statistical research scholarship or thanks to statistical scholarships job offer you were waitingRead MoreWhat Is Statistic Ethical Practice?975 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is statistic ethical practice? One will have to explain what ethic means. It is a norm for conduct that differentiate between that which is acceptable and that which is unacceptable. It is the concept of knowing right from wrong. One must have a moral sense of value to do no harm and to remain fair and just. To maintain ethical practice, the problem should be stated and the question need to be asked is there a conflict of interest. The facts need to be checked and veri fied. Relevant informationRead MoreWhat are Descriptive Statistics? Essay1931 Words   |  8 PagesWHAT ARE DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS? Before we continue the discussion about the basic descriptive data elements that are needed to answer the question I previously posed, it is important to understand what we mean by descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics describe the features of the data collected. In other words, descriptive statistics describe â€Å"what† the data looks like, but it does not tell you why or how data elements interact or influence one another. Descriptive statistics provideRead More1. What Are Descriptive Statistics and How Do They Differ from Inferential Statistics?1000 Words   |  4 Pages1. What are descriptive statistics and how do they differ from inferential statistics? INTRODUCTION Statistical procedures can be divided into two major categories: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Typically, in most research conducted on groups of people, you will use both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse your results and draw conclusions. So what are descriptive and inferential statistics? And what are their differences?We have seen that descriptive statisticsRead MoreA Big Role In The World Of Statistics Is Played By What1162 Words   |  5 PagesA big role in the world of statistics is played by what is known as variables. For a clearer understanding Siddharth Kalla explains, â€Å"In statistics, variables are central to any analysis and they need to be understood well by the researcher†¦In statistics, variables can contain a value or description of what is being studied in the sample or population.† (Kalla, 2011, para. 1 2). Meaning, a variable can essentially be anything that can be analyzed because it has the ability to be cou nted. Take forRead MoreHistory Of Opioids And Statistics : What Drugs Are Considered Opioids?2951 Words   |  12 Pages13 Outline Thesis Statement History of Opioids Statistics What drugs are considered Opioids? What Oxycodone Is History of Oxycodone Americas usage with Opioids Estimated number of individuals in the U.S. who are addicted What Addiction Characteristics to Opioids Pain Killers and Pain Management Cancer Patients Chronic Pain Patients Treatment plan for Pain Changes and plans for Addiction Physical Therapy Support Groups Individual Support from Friends and Family Conclusion Donovan GreenfieldRead MoreAp Statistics Report: What Music Does to Memory1109 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Music Does to Memory... By: Denellea McIntosh and Nichole Pierce AP Statistics Period 1 Purpose Music, one of the many factors that enhance our lives, has been a widely ranged field. From Classical music to Hip Hop, there are listeners of all ages, each having their own preference of music. Through research, it has been discovered that memory can be affected by many different factors, including music. Music has been found to stimulate parts of the brain, alleviating stress and depressionRead MoreHistory Of Opioids And Statistics : What Drugs Are Considered Opioids?2948 Words   |  12 Pages12 Outline Thesis Statement History of Opioids Statistics What drugs are considered Opioids? What Oxycodone Is History of Oxycodone Americas usage with Opioids Estimated number of individuals in the U.S. who are addicted What Addiction Characteristics to Opioids Pain Killers and Pain Management Cancer Patients Chronic Pain Patients Treatment plan for Pain Changes and plans for Addiction Physical Therapy Support Groups Individual Support from Friends and Family Conclusion Donovan Greenfield