Sunday, February 14, 2010

Bionics in medicine of the future

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 "Bionics in medicine of the future" - this is the title of a public lecture by Spanish transplantologist Paolo Macchiarini, which will be held on February 24, 2010 in the conference hall of the rector's building of the Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy.    The lecture is organized by Dmitry Zimin foundation  "Dynasty", in collaboration with research foundation "Science for life extension", at whose invitation Paolo Macchiarini  will visit Russia for the first time. 

Bionics - is a completely new approach in modern medicine, a symbiosis of biological and synthetic materials, which can help to build functional organs in the human body.

Paolo Macchiarini managed to achieve just this:  In 2008, Professor  Macchiarini led an international team of scientists who performed the transplantation of  patient trachea grown out of her own stem cells  on donor scaffold in bioreactor. 

Four days later the trachea has taken root so well, that it was difficult to distinguish it from adjacent sections of the respiratory tract.   Just a month later, this trachea brought up its own network of blood supply.

Another unique operation was held in October 2009 - this time the organ was formed inside the patient's body without the use of bioreactor. 

Professor Macchiarini  is  convinced that the regeneration of organs, the formation of an entire organ or a part of it inside the human body can solve almost all problems that modern medicine still can not resolve.  In his opinion, this will become possible very soon - within five years.  In order to do this, we must create an infrastructure that would integrate scientific research in this area with medical practice.  That is he is actively engaged in, promoting achievements and opportunities of regenerative medicine, as a scientist and a surgeon in one person. 

Macchiarini pace of life is immeasurable - he manages to visit several countries in a week, where h operates or makes presentations.  As recently as early this year, he received a new assignment - the post of head of the department of thoracic and regenerative surgery and biotransplantation at the University of Florence, where under his leadership the bionics is being born now - medicine of the future.

But it should be, at least pan-European system, so the professor continues to operate in Barcelona, and continues scientific work at University College London.  And now he drew his attention to Russia and is ready to cooperate with our clinics, so that this approach be developed here.   The first step - holding a master class in regenerative medicine for Russian specialists in cellular technology, transplantologists, which is organized by  Foundation "Science for Life Extension" on February 19,  in collaboration with Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.   Applications for participation are coming from dozens of institutes and laboratories of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Ekaterinburg.

And what tasks the bionics should accomplish in one, five or ten years - is a subject of upcoming discussion between Paolo Macchiarini and the staff of the Russian research  Foundation "Science for Life Extension."    The product of such discussion will be a section "Bionics", which will be included into a comprehensive interdisciplinary research program "Science against aging."


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