Benefits of Biomedical Research

Epidemiological Studies Three types 1. Experimental epidemiology Providing or withholding a substance to determine its effects Limited by ethical and legal considerations

Epidemiological Studies Descriptive epidemiology Observational epidemiology Analyzes data on the distribution and extent of health problems Tries to find correlations among characteristics (diet, air quality, occupation) Such comparisons often made between countries and small geographic regions Date derived from individuals or small groups Data evaluated statistically to determine the strength of association between a particular variable and disease

Epidemiological Studies Information gathering occurs after the fact They do not demonstrate a direct cause and effect, but instead show a statistically significant association between exposure and disease

Strengths of Epidemiological Studies Direct opportunity to study the effects in humans exposed to chemicals and disease-causing organisms Useful in identifying patterns in disease or injury distribution

Limitations of Epidemiological Studies Human exposure can take place before a toxic effect is detectable Difficult to demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship Limited methodologies to measure individual’s prior exposure, route of exposure, or extent of exposure Difficulty identifying control group (unexposed populations) Privacy issues Expensive to conduct

Treatment for heart disease– heart-lung machine Revolutionized cardiac surgery BIOMED: RESEARCH METHODS:

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Treatment for heart disease Developed the heart-lung machine which allowed us to stop the heart and operate on it.

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Treatment for cancer New drugs to prevent spread Gene therapy

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Treatment for Diabetes 1. Genetic engineering creates insulin manufactured by bacteria 2. Development of oral medications 3. New sugar monitoring equipment – requires less blood

Genetic engineering creates insulin manufactured by bacteria A weakened strain of E - coli is the 'factory' used in the genetic engineering of insulin

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Treatment for Diabetes (continued) 4. Insulin pumps 5 Transplantation of pig pancreas cells

Transplantation of pig pancreas cells Embryonic Pig Cells Halt Rat Diabetes Compatible donor: Cells from pigs hold promise for diabetes because studies suggest that they're not rejected by the human immune system Xenotransplant requires no immune suppression and could work in humans

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Bone Marrow Transplants Treatment for leukemia Use of stem cells/umbilical cord blood

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Human vaccines developed through biomedical research Edward Jenner – smallpox Louis Pasteur – cholera anthrax, and rabies Diptheria

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Polio Vaccine Jonas Salk – in 1949, identified three strains of virus that cause polio and mad vaccine from killed polio virus

Polio Vaccine Albert Sabin – in 1954, worked on his own vaccine Administered orally Made from live virus that was attenuated (weak) but not killed Stimulated an immune response (but not enough to get sick) Administered on a sugar cube

Polio Success Story 1. Also known as the infantile paralysis 2. Virus attacks the spinal cord, destroying muscle nerve cells 3. Patients whose lungs are affected often spent years in iron lungs 4. 1952 – peak year, 58,000 cases, half were paralyzed 5. 1961 – Sabin Vaccine 6. Worldwide still a problem 7. Still have people in US suffering from effects of polio from 40 years ago.

Patients whose lungs affected often spent years in iron lungs BIOMED: RESEARCH METHODS:

Jenette’ Story

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Chicken Pox (Varicella) Vaccine available in 1995 Recommended for children 12 months and older who have not had the disease.

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Hepatitis Hepatitis A and B, serious liver disease caused by related virus Hepatitis B vaccine(1989) now given to babies Hepatitis A vaccine(1995) given to people traveling to developing countries and those as risk (work with blood products)

Hepatits Combined Hepatitis A/V vaccine approved in 2001

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Chemical and Pharmaceutical Treatments Fluoride – many countries add to water to decrease tooth decay Louis Pasteur uncovered the underlying principles of antibiotics Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Chemical and Pharmaceutical Treatments (continued) Cyclosporin – and other anti-rejection drugs Monoclonal antibodies used in the treatment of cancer

Biomedical Research Contributions to Human Health Surgical Procedure and Treatments Pacemakers and other artificial devices Angioplasty Organ transplantation

AIDS Research Began in early 1980’s Caused by a virus HIV infection progresses to AIDS when immune system is impaired and individual becomes susceptible to opportunistic infections

AIDS Research Animals are an important part of AIDS research Anti-HIV drugs available, however: 1. Infected person must take lots of pills at different times of the day 2. Medications are expensive, not always covered by health insurance

AIDS Research 3. There are side effects Number of possible vaccines have been developed and are being tested in humans Common sense preventive measures best way to prevent AIDS

The End