My thoughts are that we humans have the natural ability to not only cure disease, but also prevent disease, by learning more about our immune system. Learning how to stimulate our own bodies to prevent and/or cure diseases.

Since, the 70s while working as a nurse in the ICU, and taking care of Heart attack (myocardial infarction) patients. We were educated about preload and afterload and all sorts of indicators relating to the diagnosis of Cardiogenic shock -- I kept feeling it may be due to an 'over reaction' of the Immune System

During the 80s while working with cardiac patients and being involved in clinical trials for the use of Thrombolytic therapy specifically, being involved during the investigational trials using (t-PA) -- I always felt that the problem with Restenosis after undergoing Angioplasty was due to the immune response.

Additionally, I pondered whether the infusion of t-PA was akin to the human response to steroids. Where the normal production of ACTH and the negative feedback mechanism when the patient receives a high dose of steroids, must undergo a weaning process. The body receiving a high dose of steroids causes it to shut down production, and therefore requires the patient to be weaned off the steroid until the normal production gradually begins again. The immediate discontinuation of the administered steroid, could result in other diseases.

Using that Pathophysiology and clinical picture, I pondered what would happen if the patient who received the loading dose of t-PA, then an infusion over a period time should be weaned off the drug, rather than abruptly stopping and placing on anticoagulant therapies, such as Heparin.

When I voiced my ideas, the feedback was, that it would be cost prohibitive. However, if you ask me there should have at the very least been a study conducted and the PharmacoEconomics studied, and Actuarial science related to life table analyses, looking at Efficacy as well as patient longevity.

In the 90s while working in transplant research, learning about the immune response, and the role of Cytokines, I remained further convinced that we can prevent diseases from occurring by blocking 'bad cytokines' and stimulating 'good cytokines' (interleukins)

While learning about cytokines, and becoming more learned in the area of immunology, I began to think back to my days in the ICU and was able to correlate the signs and symptoms of caridiogenic shock likely being due to TNF (tumor necrosing factor)

While performing as the research nurse/study coordinator, involved in an NIH study where we were looking at the immune system of transplant patients, we were sending the urine, and blood samples, to a central lab, from patients who were undergoing transplant rejection. We, were looking for 'markers' as indicators -- meant to validate a rejection episode. And, also, with the goal to be able to predict which transplant patients would most likely to have problems with rejection.

This was being studied in order to find a less invasive method to diagnose rejection in transplant patients since the only available method was to have the patient undergo a biopsy of the transplanted organ, which was not only an invasive procedure, but also, presented the danger of hemorrhage, and/or injury to the transplanted organ. Not to mention the economics of a hospital admission. The costs of laboratory staff, and resources, including recovery time, pathology reports and diagnoses related to the biopsy itself.

Additionally, this information would provide information on how to best determine the best and least dose of anti rejection drugs. These necessary drugs result in their own unique problems, due to the effects of immunosuppressive drugs. Therefore, you want to use the lowest dose possible in order to avoid the adverse effects, such as infections, and malignancies, among other problems. Weaning Transplant Recipients from Immunosuppressive Drugs,

We felt that if we could establish 'markers' and be able to reliably predict who would reject, we could begin stimulating that patient's own immune system to block the rejection. The thinking being,  that if we could do that we  would then be able to stimulate our immune systems by blocking the rejection of the transplanted organ in the first place. Thinking about 'markers' that could be found in patients using routine screenings, of blood and/or urine to determine who was at risk and then stimulate their immune response to prevent expected problems. Possibly, being able to pre transplant, identify patients who would be more likely to reject a transplanted organ.

List of some Anti-rejection drugs. Consider that for over 30 years the transplant patient had available only three drugs to avoid rejection. Azathioprine, Prednisone, and Cyclosprine. It has only been since the 90s and the advent of research with HIV/AIDS, patients that the biomedical field has been able to learn far more about our immune response. Which, has resulted in more anti rejection drugs being developed, and more being studied in human clinical trials.

Just, think if we could get to the point where we could determine who might be of a higher likelihood to undergo organ failure and stimulate the good cytokines to prevent. Or, a the very least, to be able to find markers to establish which transplant patients are more likely to undergo a  rejection episode, and stimulate their immune system to block it. The idea to fine tune the anti rejection drug, to the specific patient due to their specifically identified markers. To administer only the dose necessary to avoid rejection, while avoiding the adverse effects of the anti rejection drugs themselves.

Another, study where I was in charge of logistics and protocols is where we were infusing the donor marrow cells into the transplant recipient split into two infusions. The first infusion given within 24 hours of transplant, and the second infusion given within 7-10 days post transplant. The goal was to induce  Briefly, chimerism is when the DNA of the donor and recipient coexist in the same cell. Thereby, negating the need for anti rejection drugs.

Addendum: There is now more publicity regarding individuals who are found to be Chimeras. Situation where the individual has two separate DNA

This idea of the immune response, and Risk Markers somewhat relates to my thoughts about and women who suffer from Postpartum psychosis . It all seems to fit together for me, how the human body has markers that would indicate a problem was occurring before it gets to the point of moms murdering their children.

Another area I would find interesting to pursue is the fact that so many mothers use water in the method of killing their kids.

Watch, for my hypotheses regarding Apoptosis and my reasons for not supporting embryonic Stem Cell Research or cloning --however I do support adult stem cell research and  Cord Blood research

more to follow....

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