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Ceria nanoparticles could lessen the damage from ischemic strokes
The most common form of strokes are caused by a sudden reduction in blood flow to the brain (ischemia) that leads to an inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients. These so-called ischemic strokes are one of the leading causes of death and disability in industrialized nations. If they are not immediately remedied by medical intervention, areas of the brain may die off. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Korean researchers have now proposed a new approach for supplemental treatment: Ceria nanoparticles could trap the reactive oxygen compounds that result from ischemia and cause cells to die.
When blood flow to areas of the brain is restricted, reactive oxygen compounds like superoxide radical anions (O2• –), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radicals (HO• –) form and accumulate. These species cause oxidative damage and are responsible for tissue damage and cell death during a stroke.
Nerve connections and neurovascular units are destroyed and the function of the brain in these areas stops. Despite various treatments that primarily combat the causes of reduced blood flow, such as thrombosis, there has been no way to protect nerves from oxidative damage after an acute ischemic stroke. Seung-Hoon Lee, Taeghwan Hyeon, and their team at Seoul National University hope that nanoparticles made of ceria may represent a new approach for treatment.
Cells contain enzymes that can break down reactive oxygen species: superoxide dismutases, which convert superoxide anions to hydrogen peroxide; and catalase, which splits hydrogen peroxide. Ceria nanoparticles can do both. How does this work?
The cerium in ceria crystals is present in the form of Ce4+. However, if the particle size is reduced to a few nanometers in diameter, some spots on the surface are missing oxygen atoms. These places have Ce3+ instead, which can easily be reduced back to Ce4+ and can reversibly bind oxygen. The researchers treated cell cultures with a substance that increases the concentrations of reactive oxygen species, which leads to increased cell death.
Treatment with cerium oxide nanoparticles drastically improved the cell survival rate. In animal trials, the researchers induced ischemic strokes in rats. Intravenously administered ceria nanoparticles considerably reduced the stroke volume and nerve damage. An optimized, carefully balanced dose is necessary, however.
Interestingly, the concentrations of ceria nanoparticles in the healthy areas of the brain were very low, while those in the ischemic areas were drastically elevated. The researchers speculate that the ceria nanoparticles can barely pass through the intact blood-brain barrier. However, the barrier is damaged in the ischemic areas, allowing the diseased areas of the brain to be reached and oxidative damage to be stopped.
Source: http://phys.org/news/2012-09-ceria-nanoparticles-lessen-ischemic.html
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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