4 ms·

https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/final-donation-for-man-whose-blood-helped-save-2-4-million-babies-20180511-p4zerp.html https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/final

https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/final-donation-for-man-whose-blood-helped-save-2-4-million-babies-20180511-p4zerp.html https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/final-donation-for-man-who... > The 81-year-old's plasma contains a potent antibody used to create a remarkable treatment known as Anti-D that protects unborn babies from the potentially deadly Rhesus D Haemolytic Disease (HDN). ... > But he has already surpassed the donor age limit and the Blood Service made decision to protect his health. ^ He has to stop soon for health reasons. Here's a thought experiment, if we hypothetically have access to medicinal records, details etc. of all humans on the earth - would it mean we'd have a treatment for all diseases?

sytelus 8y ago
About thought experiment... if you had N random dots on a board and randomly threw M arrows at it, would it hit all dots? I would expect N >> M for your thought experiment because such diversity is rare, not a rule.
tobylane 8y ago
No, this is a disease like few others. When a mother and father's blood type only varies by the positive or negative part there's a chance that from the second pregnancy onwards the mother can react to the fetus's blood. Compare that to the cold, a virus; mad cow diseaase, a prion; strap throat/etc, a bacteria, huntingdon's disease, a genetic flaw. Nothing could work on all of them. CRISPR shows that some solutions are only a method to a personalised treatment.
OliverJones 8y ago
To your thought experiment: No. Why not? Making the connections between medical records and treatments is called "medical research." There's a vast amount of research left to do. Medical records aren't complete or accurate, even if it was OK to share them all. People who donate blood in the 21st century sign a release granting permission to analyze their blood to search for factors needed, like particular antibodies, and to send their blood where it matches the need. (They got a specific hit on my blood once, for a particular patient I guess. They asked me to come and donate every three days for about three weeks.)
- stochastic_monk 8y ago
  There’s no shortage of startups hoping for this, but it looks like more hype than hope. The one that first comes to mind is Arivale, which seems like it was named right out of Silicon Valley season 1.

sytelus 8y ago

About thought experiment... if you had N random dots on a board and randomly threw M arrows at it, would it hit all dots? I would expect N >> M for your thought experiment because such diversity is rare, not a rule.

tobylane 8y ago

No, this is a disease like few others. When a mother and father's blood type only varies by the positive or negative part there's a chance that from the second pregnancy onwards the mother can react to the fetus's blood. Compare that to the cold, a virus; mad cow diseaase, a prion; strap throat/etc, a bacteria, huntingdon's disease, a genetic flaw. Nothing could work on all of them. CRISPR shows that some solutions are only a method to a personalised treatment.

OliverJones 8y ago

To your thought experiment: No. Why not? Making the connections between medical records and treatments is called "medical research." There's a vast amount of research left to do. Medical records aren't complete or accurate, even if it was OK to share them all. People who donate blood in the 21st century sign a release granting permission to analyze their blood to search for factors needed, like particular antibodies, and to send their blood where it matches the need. (They got a specific hit on my blood once, for a particular patient I guess. They asked me to come and donate every three days for about three weeks.)

stochastic_monk 8y ago
There’s no shortage of startups hoping for this, but it looks like more hype than hope. The one that first comes to mind is Arivale, which seems like it was named right out of Silicon Valley season 1.