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If man is not a reflection of the divine being, then he is in no sense sacred and final, and new forms of evolution may supersede him. ... In other words, the Divine Androgyne (a person whose appearance is neither clearly masculine nor feminine) is the substance and source (void) of the serpent powered energy field. The Divine Androgyne is also known as the serpent, Azazel, Goat of Mendes, Ba’al, Baphomet, Siva, the All Seeing Eye and Satan. When the European ruling class took part in the opening of the world’s longest tunnel under the Swiss Alps (2016), the ceremony...

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes the cartilage in the joints to break down, leading to pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving. It is a common condition that often affects the hands, knees, hips, and spine. Risk factors for developing osteoarthritis include aging, obesity, and a history of joint injuries. Two recent studies have shown that corticosteroid injections, which are commonly used to treat the pain associated with knee osteoarthritis, may actually contribute to the progression of the disease. These findings were recently presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Osteoarthritis is a...

A hydrogel-based implant could replace worn-out cartilage and alleviate knee pain without replacing the entire joint. Credit: Benjamin Wiley, Duke University. Over-the-counter pain relievers, physical therapy, steroid injections—some people have tried it all and are still dealing with knee pain. Often knee pain comes from the progressive wear and tear of cartilage known as osteoarthritis, which affects nearly one in six adults—867 million people—worldwide. For those who want to avoid replacing the entire knee joint, there may soon be another option that could help patients get back on their feet fast, pain-free, and stay that way. Writing in the journal...

Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear disorder marked by bone thickening and cartilage degeneration, an excruciatingly painful disability and a major cause of impaired mobility as people age. But scientists have begun viewing this form of arthritis differently with a deeper understanding of the disorder's causes and an eye toward personalized medicine as a treatment option. Although for decades medical experts have focused on problems such as the pain caused by bone thickening and the disappearance of cartilage, scientists say bone malalignment may play a critical role in osteoarthritis. In a novel clinical study, medical scientists demonstrate how the alignment problem can...

The interface between the hydrogel (left-hand side) and the PDMS (on the right-hand side). Engineers have developed a new material that mimics human cartilage—the body's shock absorbing and lubrication system, and it could herald the development of a new generation of lightweight bearings. Cartilage is a soft fibrous tissue found around joints which provides protection from the compressive loading generated by walking, running or lifting. It also provides a protective, lubricating layer allowing bones to pass over one another in a frictionless way. For years, scientists have been trying to create a synthetic material with the properties of cartilage....

Tissue engineering has seen a surge of interest in recent years. Traditionally, it involves seeding cells onto biocompatible “scaffolds”, which biodegrade once tissues have assembled themselves into 3D organs. However, more flexible, scaffold-free approaches are also emerging, which enable cells to assemble themselves without the need for structural biomaterials. To do this, researchers use techniques including removable supports, and guiding forces from acoustic and electrostatic fields. One particularly promising approach involves magnetic levitation, through which strong field gradients can precisely guide tissue cells into place. To achieve strong enough gradients, however, cells must be suspended within a paramagnetic medium containing...

Researcher Darryl D'Lima of Scripps Clinic with his "bioprinter" adapted from an HP inkjet printer that can produce cartilage. California’s stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, awarded him $3.1 million to research the use of embryonic stem cells and artificial embryonic stem cells to generate replacement cartilage. Stem cell researcher Jeanne Loring has collaborated with D’Lima on growing cartilage from stem cells. She described him as “unique” in the ability to incorporate many disciples of science and medicine. “He’s the only orthopedic surgeon I know who has the bandwidth to start thinking way outside the box,” said...

A retired military service dog is getting a new lease on life in Washington, D.C., after undergoing a revolutionary stem cell treatment. ... The cutting-edge treatment helps dogs grow new cartilage by injecting stem cells from their own fat, normally from the abdomen, into the affected joint. The treatment takes about three days and has an 80 percent success rate, MyFoxDC.com reported.

LONDON, March 29 - The day may be coming when stem cells help arthritis patients repair their own joints. Cultured adult human periosteal stem cells demonstrate mesenchymal multipotency, suggesting that they may be used to repair tissue and joint damage associated with arthritis, researchers here reported. Upon enzymatic release and culture expansion, cells harvested from the periosteum can "give rise to cartilage and bone," wrote Cosimo De Bari, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues at King's College London in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Moreover, the cells differentiated into chondrocyte, osteoblast, adipocyte and myocyte lineages regardless of donor age. Although...