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Collagen Medical Uses

Collagens are the most abundant tissues in nature and due to several properties they are considered for various applications in biomedical sciences.

18 Jan 2011

Collagen Uses

Collagen is one of the most abundant forms of animal tissues. Collagen products find numerous medical and bioengineering uses.

18 Jan 2011

Collagen Types and Linked Disorders

There are 29 genetically distinct collagens present in animal tissues. Collagen types I, II, III, V and XI self-assemble into D-periodic cross-striated fibrils. Here the D is approximately 67 nm and there is characteristic axial periodicity of collagen. These form the most abundant collagens in vertebrates.

18 Jan 2011

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a protein made up of amino-acids, which are in turn built of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Collagen contains specific amino acids – Glycine, Proline, Hydroxyproline and Arginine.

18 Jan 2011

Metastasis Treatment

Metastasis denotes distant spread of cancer from the primary organ. Treatment of any form of cancer is dependent on whether or not it has spread to distant organs. If the cancer spreads to other tissues and organs, it may decrease a patient's likelihood of survival. Cancer of the testes and thyroid however when metastasized may still be curable.

18 Jan 2011

What is Metastasis?

Metastasis is a complex process that involves the spread of a tumor or cancer to distant parts of the body from its original site. However, this is a difficult process. To successfully colonize a distant area in the body a cancer cell must complete a series of steps before it becomes a clinically detectable lesion.

18 Jan 2011

Types of Fibrosis

The term fibrosis refers to the formation of fibrous tissue that may or may not be associated with tissue healing.

18 Jan 2011

What is Fibrosis?

The term fibrosis describes the development of fibrous connective tissue as a reparative response to injury or damage.

18 Jan 2011

Antibody History

The earliest reference to antibodies was from Emil von Behring along with Kitasato Shibasaburo in 1890 who found the presence of a neutralizing substance in the blood that could counter infections. They developed the serum against diphtheria. This they did by transferring serum produced from animals immunized against diphtheria to animals suffering from it. This serum could cure the infected animals. Behring was awarded the Nobel Prize for this work in 1901.

18 Jan 2011

Antibodies in Medicine

Use of antibodies in disease diagnosis and therapy

18 Jan 2011

Antibody Immunoglobulin Diversity

All microbes trigger an antibody response. Due to diversity in microbes, the antibody needs to adopt variations to allow their interactions with many different antigens.

18 Jan 2011

Antibody Function

Antibodies play an important role in the immune system. The immunoglobulins present on the B-lymphocyte surface send in signals to the cytoplasmic and nuclear electors.

18 Jan 2011

Antibody Structure

Antibodies are proteins with around 150 kDa molecular weight. They have a similar basic structure comprising of four polypeptide chains held together by disulfide bonds. These four polypeptide chains form a symmetrical molecular structure. There is a hinge in the center between heavy chains to allow flexibility to the protein. There are:

18 Jan 2011

Antibody Forms

Five classes of antibody

18 Jan 2011

What is an Antibody?

Antibodies are large Y-shaped proteins. They are recruited by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses.

18 Jan 2011

Hypophosphatasia Inheritance

Hypophosphatasia is an inherited metabolic disorder that affects the bones and teeth.

16 Dec 2010

Hypophosphatasia Treatments

Hypophosphatasia is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder that affects the mineralization of teeth and bones. Mineralization involves the deposition of calcium and phosphorus into bones and teeth to ensure they are hard, strong and stable. Defective mineralization can lead to skeletal defects and contribute to other pathologies that affect the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract and organs such as the kidneys.

16 Dec 2010