Michael Jackson’s ‘pioneer vision of cloning,’

After fielding numerous inquiries about the possible cloning of Michael Jackson, Dr. Brigitte Boisselier, head of Clonaid, today reaffirmed the company’s policy of strictly respecting the privacy of each of its patients.

“Clonaid prides itself on never releasing the identity of the numerous individuals who have been cloned in the past six years,” Boisselier said. “Even if that policy has been at the cost of my reputation, it’s important for us that the celebrities and other interested parties contacting us know they won’t be betrayed.”

Boisselier expressed admiration for Michael Jackson as an artist and also commended his courage in expressing support for human cloning at a time when it was getting much negative publicity in the press.

“Michael was a visionary who wasn’t afraid to embrace new technologies,” she said. “I’m glad his interest in cloning is being revealed now, since he was a pioneer in his views about it back in 2002 and his fans ought to know about it.”

“Human cloning is still making headlines six years after the birth of the first clone child,” Boisselier added. “But even if the media still present it as being too controversial, the public is much less afraid of it than it was initially. People have gotten used to the idea to the point where many see it as highly desirable. ”

She said that although the Clonaid team has received cloning requests from around the world, a surprisingly large number come from the Los Angeles/Hollywood area.

“Artists welcome our technology and have given us tremendous encouragement,” Boisselier noted. “Thanks to them, the public is getting more accustomed to the idea and hopefully the bans will soon be removed.”

She said Clonaid’s sister company, Stemaid, has launched an anti-aging program using stem cells derived from clone embryos.

“This development is also getting a good reception in the artists’ community,” she said.

Curing infection with megnetism

An exciting new development on the horizon uses iron oxide beads coated with antibodies to seek out and trap bacteria or fungi causing infections. The beads are very fine, having the thickness one-hundreth of that of the human hair, and they are injected into the blood stream of patients. A dialysis like machine employs an an electronic to pull out the beads, along with the disease causing bacteria or fungi stuck to the antibodies on the beads, from the blood into the saline solution

About 80% of the disease causing agents are thus removed, making it much easier to tackle the rest with drugs.

The treatment is thought to be particularly useful when wounds become septic, and organ failures can take place before the drugs have a chance to act. A large number of sepsis related deaths occur each year. Animals trial taking place currently under the supervision of "Prof. Don-Ingber" at the Harvard medical school and Children's Hospital will be followed by human trials. The technique also has the potential of removing cancer cells or harvesting stem cells.

'Immortal' human cells

Is it possible for cells that make up your body to continue to live and proliferate long after you have died? Indeed it is!

One striking example is that of Hela cells, so many named because they were taken from the cervix of a 31 year old African-American lady , Henrietta lacks in 1951 without her permission when she died of cervical cancer. These cells are still alive and kicking today. Some 50 millions metric tons (!) of the living cells have been produced in laboratories all over the world, and over 60,000 studies using them published on a wide range of such topics as ageing, cancer, cellular effects of working in sewers, mosquito mating.

What is so special about these cells is that they multiply abnormally rapidly as compare to other cancer cells, which make them very useful in research. The children of Henrietta Lacks first received the shocking news that their mother was 'alive' in form of these cells in 1973. By then the 'Hela' cells had been taken to outer space and spread worldwide, even contaminating many experiments as far as Russia, because of their extraordinary proliferation abilities.

Henrietta lacks live on in form of her living body cells. Her 'Hela' cells continue to benefit virology, biotechnology and medical research.

Dissolving heart Stents

Millions of people have a tiny meta mesh tube inserted into their coronary arteries each year to prop it open so that there is uninterrupted blood flow to the cardiac tissues. However, the blood vessel can harden over this metal tube in a few months, and cause problems. The metal blocks X-ray and MRI scan s, and it can also, in rare cases, lead to clot information.

Abbot has now developed a stent made of a biodegradable material (poly-lactic acid) which dissolves away in a couple of years, while the blood vessel retains its shape. Patient will have before long have a choice - have permanent metal stents or biodegradable stents which dissolve with time.

The Chemistry of Love

Can the opposite mate be attracted and sexual desires aroused chemically???, In the animal kingdom it is a very common. In humans too, there is a growing evidence that certain chemicals may serve as attractants to the opposite sex.

Bees have a very complex system of communicating through release of certain chemicals ("pheromones" or insects hormones) which convey special messages to other bees. Butterflies and the moos are so sensitive that if certain sex attractant chemicals are released, the butterflies and moths will sense the sex hormones several times away (10.6 Km recorded). This sensitivity of insects has been exploited by farmers to develop traps which attract all the females to the trap from miles around, thereby eliminating the possibility of breeding.

What about humans? are their chemicals that will sexually arouse men and women? The answer is yes, and much research is devoted to chemicals which can serve as sex attractants in human beings. Yohimbine, an alkaloid found in the bark of plants of genus Yohimbe, has been used for the treatment of impotence of thousand of years. The topic is of special interest to manufactures of Perfumes.

Design your own Babies

The front page story in New York Daily News related to a service being offered by an organization, fertility institute, which would allow parent to choose the color of their baby's hair, eyes and skin. Fear of negative public reaction forced the institute to cancel the project but this may be only temporary as the technology is here.

it involves the testing of embryos prior to fertilization in the womb, and is known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). it has already allowed thousand of parents to prevent genetic diseases being passed on their children.

A menu of traits can now be offered after examining the genetic structure of embryos and the horrible prospects of breeding the humans with special features, such as height, fighting character-sticks or intelligence may be around the corner. indeed, in certain defense establishment in advance countries, this may even happening today secretly.