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Biomedical subjects

R Lincoln

Publications and source records attributed to R Lincoln.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Modulation of human hemopoietic progenitor cell growth in vitro by recombinant human beta-interferon.

Interferons are known to have modulatory effects on hemopoiesis. Human bone marrow mononuclear cells were employed to test the effects of human recombinant beta-interferon on myeloid and erythroid hemopoietic stem cell growth. Results demonstrated that 1,000 U/ml of beta-interferon significantly inhibited myeloid growth [colony-forming unit (CFU)-granulocyte macrophage] by 40-50%, whereas a higher concentration (10,000 U/ml) abolished CFU-granulocyte macrophage growth by 80-100%. The inhibitory effects of beta-interferon were partially reversible by increasing the concentrations of colony stimulating activity in the culture and could not be abrogated by addition of toxic oxygen radical scavengers such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. The inhibitory effect of interferon was found to be partially dependent on the presence of accessory cells, since less inhibition was seen using T-cell and monocyte depleted bone marrow cells. Lower concentrations of beta-interferon (10-100 units/ml) were without effect. In contrast to myeloid cells, the human erythroid progenitors (CFU-erythroid, burst-forming unit-erythroid) appear to be more sensitive to the inhibitory effects of beta-interferon. In this regard it was found that 100 U/ml of beta-interferon suppressed erythroid growth by 40-50%. These results suggest that human recombinant beta-interferon is capable of suppressing hemopoietic colony growth.

Cell Division↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The next contraceptive revolution.

The availability of modern birth control methods has wrought a veritable contraceptive revolution in both developed and developing countries over the past two decades. But concerns about safety, costly lawsuits involving current methods, as well as diverse and changing life-styles, have left the current array of contraceptives grossly inadequate to meet growing world-wide needs. Steroid implants and improved injectables, IUDs, barrier methods and sterilization devices should be widely available in the next few years. But the long-sought-after radically new methods that will constitute the next contraceptive revolution--like vaccines, a male contraceptive and a once-a-month pill--will not be developed in the foreseeable future without a massive infusion of new funds. The eight contraceptive research and development (R&D) programs that are responsible for more than half of all current product development efforts now spend about $30 million a year on contraceptive research. With an additional $23 million annually, they could considerably accelerate current research efforts and begin new ones on products that have become possible only as the result of recent scientific discoveries. Even this level of investment--representing a 75 percent increase over current expenditures by the eight groups--would probably not be sufficient to make optimum progress in the development of radically new methods. Since the pharmaceutical industry can no longer be depended upon to take the leading role that it did 20 years ago, current public-sector R&D organizations may need to expand their efforts to include most aspects of the process of contraceptive development and introduction, and new dedicated R&D centers will probably have to be established.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Contraception↗