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Monday, November 20, 2017

Neutrophils - Fix the broken

     We live longer and longer nowadays, but more and more of that time is spent in pain. Arthritis, cancer, and back pain creep up on us as we age. But scientists are now working on not increasing lifespan, but health-span. The period of time in a persons life in which they are not plagued by chronic pain, illness, or otherwise. One of the keystones in this process are neutrophils. Neutrophils are a cell created by your body in the bone marrow that clear out debris from cells after they take damage to allow them to heal however they decrease in number as you age. Scientists are working on creating neutrophils for your body to use.
Image result for neutrophils
A neutrophil cell
In a study done by doctor Richard Zigmond at the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists found that when nerve cells become damaged they send molecular signals that cause neutrophils to flood the site and clear out debris that prevents cell regeneration. This is done using two different chemicals naturally created within the body, Cxcl1 and Cxcl2. However this study was conducted on mice which have been proven to be unreliable test subjects for what a human could experience under the same conditions. 

 Neutrophils could be an amazing medicinal treatment to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's if combined with immunostimulants. And could also help repair severe nerve damage from reattachment of ligaments, injury, or otherwise. 

 I would reckon this invention akin to the renaissance invention of laudanum in that it reduces pain and is a highly lucrative business. Imagine being able to pay for your chronic pain, your migraines or nerve damage, to be cured, or at least alleviated. Although where laudanum had severe side affects neutrophils are likely not to as they are naturally made within your body. 

 All in all the creation and influence of neutrophils on the world is very likely to be positive as there are no possible dangers to be had within them, they provide alleviation of pain and illness, and even if they are capitalized and become inordinately expensive one may still have the consolation that the invention is bringing good to those who need it.

Lindborg, Jane A., et al. “Neutrophils Are Critical for Myelin Removal in a Peripheral Nerve Injury Model of Wallerian Degeneration.” Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, 25 Oct. 2017, www.jneurosci.org/content/37/43/10258.
Hill, Steve. “Neutrophils Are a Key Player in Nerve Regeneration |.” LEAF, Life Extension Advocacy Foundation, 30 Oct. 2017, www.leafscience.org/neutrophils-are-a-key-player-in-nerve-regeneration/.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 21, 2017 at 5:51 AM

    "Neutrophils could be an amazing medicinal treatment to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's if combined with immunostimulants." Because this invention cold be used as a medical treatment for brain diseases, could it possibly change a person's personality? Are there possible side affects to the treatment?

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  2. AnonymousNovember 21, 2017 at 5:58 AM

    There is a possibility that it could change ones personality however due to the fact that the cells are not interacting directly with the cells and rather clearing dead debris there is a very small chance of it doing so. However that is not to say that irreparable damage has not been done, but rather that no more damage shall be with the treatment.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 21, 2017 at 5:59 AM

    You said that since the studies and tests were done on mice, (which are semi unreliable), scientists didn't know if they would have the same results with humans. Later you said that "there are no possible danger to be had within them". If this is true, what's stopping scientists to move on to testing humans?

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 21, 2017 at 6:12 AM

      The reason that I had told this was because mice have very different immune systems and nerve patterns throughout the body, and due to this we cannot be certain that the findings that we have can be accurate without further testing on humans or otherwise. As for the "no possible danger" I was referring to using the neutrophils themselves. Implementing a new cell within the body especially from an artificial source is incredibly hard to do without causing the immune system from going haywire and possibly killing off a limb or even the subject in an attempt to protect it. Take liver transplants for instance. Cells created by the human body and for the specific purpose and even containing matching blood cells and genome types are rejected about 20-30 of the time. If this were to happen with neutrophils then the sites at which they are deployed could become engorged with pus as the immune system tries to kill them off. If this were to occur in the brain then there could be internal hemorrhaging and pressure on the brain that could cause long term problems.

      TL:DR
      Scientists do not want to test on humans for fear of setting off the immune system and causing immense damage or death.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousNovember 21, 2017 at 5:59 AM

    dangers*

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  5. AnonymousNovember 21, 2017 at 6:20 AM

    if this were to work on humans but would the body reject the cells and would it change a persons? and if it did take the new cells would it know how to use the reserves

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