STEM CELLS

please oh please read this article: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/10/ff_futureofbreasts/all/1


I have not felt so passionate in so long.


People on the left and right have argued about embryonic stem cells for years. The value from stem cell research could change our health care system for the better. If we could cure heart disease and diabetes, just two of the hundreds of conditions that stem cells could help with, our health care expenses would be cut down by about 75%.

Aside from a national point-of-view, this hits closer to home. The love of my life has Type One diabetes. His beta cells in his pancreas were killed by a virus, and he has to take insulin injections every night before bed, and with every meal. He's such a trooper, and I'm so proud of him.

To THINK....we could extract fat with liposuction (something I assist with weekly at work), put it through a machine that spins the fat and separates adipose (fat) cells from stem cells.....then inject those stem cells in a body area! STEM cells have the unique ability to turn into NERVE, MUSCLE, OR BONE CELLS. Embryos are full of stem cells. The mother's womb tells those cells to turn into nerves, muscles, and bones, and so grows a human. What scientists didn't know until recently is that stem cells can be extracted from fat in an out-patient procedure. They thought embryos or bone marrow were the two places they could be found. Well, there are over 100x more stem cells in FAT than in BONE MARROW. So let's all jump on the table and get liposuction. Insurance might even cover it as preventive medicine say, 25 years from now!

There are banks that you can pay monthly fees to that save and preserve stem cells. So, get liposuction now, and save those cells for later. Have a heart attack? Go get your stem cells. They will grow into cardiac tissue once they are surrounded by cardiac molecules in the heart. Need a hip replacement surgery? Go get your stem cells. Once surrounded by bone molecules, they will help regenerate bone growth.

From a plastic surgery standpoint (which, of course, interests me as it is my profession!), there is a huge market of women out there who do not like the 'artificial look' of implants. Many women would prefer having larger breasts but having a foreign silicone device implanted in their bodies is just not the right choice for them. However, having a little fat sucked from the thighs and having it injected to the breasts, then GROWING THEIR OWN NATURAL BREAST TISSUE from stem cells.......now that is appealing. I've had breast augmentation (implants) offered to me for free, and I'm one of those women who just didn't want the implants. Everybody has a different opinion of what "pretty" is, and I'm not knocking those knockers. Trust me, sometimes, I've thought about it! But the idea of growing my own natural breast tissue, while decreasing fat in an unwanted area, is definitely up my alley.

The article has way more science and information than this blog, so I encourage you to read it! Thanks :-)