Fibroblast matrix implants-a better alternative for incisional hernia repair?

The standard surgical procedure for abdominal hernia repair with conventional prosthetic mesh still results in a high recurrence rate. In the present study, we propose a fibroblast matrix implant (FMI), which is a three-dimensional (3D) poly-L-lactic acid scaffold coated with collagen (matrix) and seeded with fibroblasts, as an alternative mesh for hernia repair. The matrix was seeded with fibroblasts (cellularized) and treated with a conditioned medium (CM) of human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hUC-MSC).

Wound healing potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium: An and study in diabetes-induced rats.

Background And Aim: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) and its conditioned medium (CM) promote wound healing. This study investigated the wound healing potential of hUC-MSC CM and using diabetic animal models.

Materials And Methods: The CM from hUC-MSC CM prepared under hypoxic conditions (hypoxic hUC-MSC) was evaluated for stimulating rat fibroblast growth, collagen production (), and wound healing in animal models ().

Hepatocyte and Islet Cell Cotransplantation on Poly-L-Lactide Matrix for the Treatment of Liver Cirrhosis.

The human autologous hepatocyte matrix implant is a promising alternative procedure to counter liver damage. We assessed the outcome of human hepatocytes isolation from cirrhotic liver compared to the clinical and histological scores of disease severity. A total of 11 patients with various clinical scores (CTP and MELD) and histological score (Metavir, fibrosis) of liver cirrhosis were included in the hepatocyte matrix implant clinical phase I study.

International humanitarian law: an introduction.

War is the ultimate form of human relations. From a Christian and Jewish point of view, it negates the most important of the Ten Commandments: "Thou shallt not kill." Is it pure illusion to believe that war may be subject to legal rules? Was Cicero possibly right when he wrote inter arma silent leges (in war, the law is silent)? The horrors of wars in the last decades have made it clear that Cicero's approach would lead us to the ultimate catastrophe, simply because the destructive potential of modern weaponry is so overwhelming that we need rules governing warfare.

Aims of the 3rd international course on the Law of Armed Conflict of the International Committee for Military Medicine.

The International Committee for Military Medicine (ICMM) decided at the 32nd Congress in Vienna in 1998 to give the Surgeon General of the Swiss Armed Forces the mandate to organize its international courses on the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). The Swiss Federal Government fully honored and endorsed its obligation to organize these important international courses. It is in the continuing tradition of Switzerland, as a small neutral state, to support humanitarian help and all efforts to prevent war.

Experiences of the course. International Course on the Law of Armed Conflict.

This article reflects the experiences the commander and the chief medical officer of the course made. Creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding helped to made participants at ease to discuss difficult issues openly. They learned that the most important problem for the participants was the issue of obeying orders, following medical ethical issues, and the simultaneous observance of Law of Armed Conflict.

Teaching the International Law of Armed Conflict to a wide military community.

The rules governing armed conflict are numerous and in many respects complex. In areas that are very complex, experts such as lawyers may be called in to assist, especially in the planning of military action. But the nature and tempo of warfare rarely allows a person in the field to enjoy such a luxury.

History of the International Committee of Military Medicine.

Founded in 1921, after World War I had revealed the importance of a closer cooperation among the Armed Forces Medical Services worldwide, the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) is today an international intergovernmental organization including over 100 States and recognized by the World Health Organization as specialized in medico-military matters. Besides maintaining and strengthening the bonds among all medical services of member states, the ICMM promotes medico-military scientific activities, participates in the development of the medico-military setting of humanitarian operations in peace time, and organizes various training courses in International Humanitarian Law and Law on Armed Conflict. This article gives an overview of the historical milestones of the ICMM from 1921 until today.

Military necessity versus the protection of the wounded and sick: a critical balance.

A realistic approach to humanitarian principles in the field of the Law of Armed Conflict should take into account "military necessity." Does military necessity also play a role in the medical field? The provisions regarding the treatment of the wounded and sick seem definite because they are at the core of International Humanitarian Law. The conduct of military medical personnel, the attention to be paid to the wounded and sick, as well as to medical equipment or facilities are provisions that derive from unyielding principles of care, respect, protection, and equality of treatment.

Caring for civilians during peace keeping missions: priorities and decisions.

Humanitarian assistance is increasingly being offered by the military in operations other than war. Balancing issues of resources, priorities, and security is important but complicated. Sometimes errors are made that are costly, either in terms of public relations, morale, or lives.