Will Apple Inc’s iCar ever hit the road?

If you’re unhappy with your car’s design, you’re in august company.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs too was unhappy with modern car models, apparently to the extent that he wanted to design one of his own.

His dream – one of the few that went unfulfilled – was to launch a well-designed car, and he wanted to call it – you guessed it – the iCar.

Mickey Drexler, a board member at Apple Inc., recently revealed Jobs’ desire to add an automobile to the Cupertino-based technology company’s product lineup. He “Look at the car industry; it’s a tragedy in America. Who is designing the cars?” Drexler said. “Steve’s dream before he died was to design an iCar,” he added during an interview at the Fast Company Innovation Uncensored expo in New York.

Drexler said – and we agree – that had Jobs designed the iCar, it would have dominated the industry.

“It would’ve been probably 50 per cent of the market,” he has been quoted as saying. In fact, rumours were rife about five years ago when Steve Jobs met with Volkswagen Group head Martin Winterkorn in 2007, with the companies reportedly planning to team up to work on a car aimed at the youth market.

Rumours have it that Apple has been working on an iCar for years, but will the vehicle ever see the light of the day?

World’s ‘slimmest’ notebook now in UAE

Acer unveiled Aspire S5 – the world’s thinnest Ultrabook – that measures only 15mm at the maximal point and weighs less than 1.35kg. The ultra-slim device is built with a 13.3-inch LCD.

It features the unique Acer Green Instant-On technology for fast boot and resume, and Acer Always Connect, which lets users manage their multimedia and data on all their devices at anytime, anywhere.

“The Ultrabook is much more than just a product segment,” said Jim Wong, president of Acer Inc. “It’s a new trend that will become the mainstream for mobile PCs, and customers will see the unique features gradually extended across Acer’s notebook family.”

Ultra-fluid contours

Adorned with a delicately curved chassis in Onyx Black, the Aspire S5′s cover rim wraps around the system body like a protective shell. A magnesium-aluminium alloy cover and palmrest provide a slimmer and sturdier form, while the metallic brushed detail presents subtle elegance.

Performance and eco-friendly features

The Aspire S5 features an Intel® Core™ processor, SSD storage for speed and increased shock resistance, professionally-tuned Dolby® Home Theater® v4, long battery life via the PowerSmart battery pack (with a 3X longer life cycle than traditional batteries), and is equipped with a chiclet keyboard.

Hamdan bin Mohammed sets up Dubai Film & TV Commission

Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council has issued a decision setting up Dubai Film & TV Commission. The decision appoints the Head of Dubai Studio City as the chairman of the Commission, and the Commission shall include the following members from the following entities: Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Department of Economic Development, Dubai Police, Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai Media Office, Emirates Airlines and Jumeirah Group.

According to the decision, the Commission deliverables is to outline the strategy to increase local production and to attract international production in both Film & TV sectors; this shall be aligned with Dubai Strategy for 2015, and shall focus on GDP contribution, development of human resources and promoting Dubai as a premier location for the media production to contribute to the tourism sector.

In addition, one of the main Commission deliverables is to outline a process and policy to decrease the cost of media production in order to enhance Dubai position both regionally and internationally. This shall include developing and managing an incentive scheme to be used in attracting foreign Film & TV production as well as fostering local production. On the other hand, another area of focus will be ensuring efficient and smooth processing of permits throughout the city, for both private and public locations, which shall be achieved by enhancing the relationship and coordination with Government Entities and Private Companies to facilitate shooting processes.

At the level of Human Resources, the Commission shall develop and attract required Human Resources for Media Production sector as well as develop competencies in Science, Technology & Innovation.

In order to accelerate the implementation of the desired goals and monitor its deliverables, the Commission shall put in place clear indicators for assessing the performance of the deliverables specifically in the areas of tourism, GDP contributions, talent development and attraction, promotion of Dubai as a location and reduction of production.

The decision states that Dubai Film & TV Commission is the only entity authorized to issue shooting permits for all requests in Dubai for Media production, and shall coordinate and align with Government Entities and Private Developers in order to fulfill the objectives of the Commission. This decision should be executed from the date of issuance and shall be published in the Official newspapers.

Bryan Boy joins ANTM

Bryan Grey Yambao, more commonly known as Bryanboy, will join the cast of America’s Next Top Model. The 31-year-old fashion blogger, who launched his site in 2004, wrote on his Facebook: ‘Excited with my new role on cycle 19 of America’s Next Top Model’. It makes him the first fashion blogger to become a mainstream TV star.

It’s not clear what his role will be on the series, but according toWWD.com, the Filipino fashion blogger will join Tyra Banks, Kelly Cutrone, Rob Evans and Johnny Wujek in Los Angeles for the college-themed new season in some capacity.

‘Manila, you are f*cking free’ – Lady Gaga

lady gaga in moa arena

lady gaga wearing a filipiniana-inspired costume

Self-expression reigns at ‘The Born This Way Ball’

Since her arrival, it seemed everyone wanted to teach Lady Gaga a lesson. But after her two-day Born This Way Ball concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, it was the pop icon who taught her critics a thing or two about tolerance and self-expression, without shortchanging her fans to a truly unforgettable spectacle.

With two critically acclaimed and commercially accomplished world tours, Lady Gaga showcased her mastery in the “art” of live performances as she brought together her flair for drama and theater, and seamlessly integrated it into her song and dance numbers.

German electronic musician DJ Zedd opened the show with a house mix of popular songs, such as Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Gotye’s “Somebody that I Used to Know,” fusing them with what sounded like videogame theme songs.

A little past 9 p.m., the lights of the SM Arena dimmed out and the curtain was raised to reveal a three-story high medieval castle, which Lady Gaga would later introduce as her “Kingdom of Fame.”

The deafening beats and screams of thousands of fans in the sold out venue greeted a procession march of dancers before Mother Monster (as her little “monster fans” call her) made her grand entrance riding a “unicorn” to center stage for her opening song “Highway Unicorn (Road to Love).” From her high horse, she transitioned to a very provocative performance of “Government Hooker” clad in an alien-like costume gyrating and spreading her legs on top of a table.

With the audience now “hooked,” Gaga’s surprising follow up was the tour’s titular hit “Born This Way,” reenacting birth by emerging from between an enormous pair of inflatable legs—and as expected, it was one of the most applauded numbers.

Up next was “Black Jesus † Amen Fashion,” a pop song, which draws influences from electronic and club music, and also noted to contain elements of techno and New Wave. This time Gaga shared the spotlight with an African-American dancer who interpreted the lyrics, which may seem controversial, but actually refers to the fashion scene and New York City.

For her next song, Lady Gaga wore what many saw as a Filipiniana-looking gown, floating across the stage to sing “Bloody Mary,” before getting everyone up on their feet with “Bad Romance,” another one of her biggest hits.

Barely half an hour into the show, Lady Gaga, further heightened the excitement as she introduced the most controversial song of the tour. “Oh, you like this song. . . stay with me! Hands up—higher!” she screamed to the crowd as soon as the opening riffs of “Judas” began.

Hours before the second concert, Lady Gaga had tweeted about performing the song and acknowledged that the song may get her thrown in jail in Manila.

“Don’t worry, if I get thrown in jail in Manila, Beyonce will just bail me out. Sold out night, [two] in the Philippines. I love it here,” she tweeted.

Her performance of the song, however, made it clear, that while her antics were provocative and sexual, her mechanical dance movements somehow made sure it never bordered on being sacrilegious purely staged for entertainment.

The second act kicked off with “Fashion of his Love,” a musical tribute to the late Alexander McQueen—Gaga’s favorite designer—and turned the otherwise gothic feel of the show into a club scene. This was followed by her first hit singles “Just Dance, Love Game,” and “Telephone.”

Act III again slowed things up a bit with “Heavy Metal Lover” where Lady Gaga “transforms” into a motorcycle, (similar to the cover image of her Born This Way album) and accommodates a very eager female driver who gyrates her hips to start the “gagacycle.”

The images, again, are not for kids, but Gaga was able to eclipse any possible outrage after asking the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” to two of her dancers after singing “Bad Kids.”

Then came the most emotional part of the night as Lady Gaga reached out to the audience and spoke about the protests and her stance on homosexuality.

“People need to be free of who they are and to be proud, feel valued,” she said before segueing to a piano version of her song, “Hair,” which has become an anthem to many of her gay fans.

After a touching performance, which brought tears to a lot of “little monsters” in the audience, she transitioned to another new hit “You and I,” and began Act IV.

Just like the second act, Lady Gaga again changed the mood with a string of dance hits such as “Poker Face,” “Alejandro” and “Paparazzi,” followed by “Electric Chapel” and Americano, where she wore her infamous meat gown.

What followed next is a string of energetic performances of her biggest hits “Poker Face,” “Alejandro” eased in by a back-to-back number of “Born This Way” tracks “Electric Chapel” and “Americano,” where she donned her infamous meat dress; before ending the show with “Paparazzi” and “Scheiße.”

She ended the concert boldly declaring: “Manila, you f*cking are free!”

But as usual, fans clamored for an encore and they were not disappointed when Lady Gaga reappeared on stage to perform two of the biggest hits of her new album. She first showed her vocal prowess as she began with an acoustic version of “Edge of Glory,” before doing a dance duet with a male dancer near the very edge of her gothic castle. The final song was a very memorable rendition of “Marry the Night.”

Talent, passion, artistry
Although no one doubts the pop star’s abilities, many will agree that Lady Gaga is not the best singer/songwriter or dancer out there. But when it comes to her performances, the sheer talent and passion she brings—whether it is singing, dancing, playing the guitar or piano, is simply incomparable.

Lady Gaga sang a total of 22 songs, a feat made more impressive as most of the songs required her to keep up with her dancers, perform stunts and in one instance go head first into a “meat grinder.”

Throughout the almost two hour concert, Mother Monster also showed off her monstrous energy levels as she was never offstage long enough except for those quick and numerous costume change.

Filipinos are no strangers to grand set designs of international artists but nothing comes close to Gaga’s majestic Kingdom of Fame stage.

Designed by the Haus of Gaga, the three-story high Gothic castle is perhaps one of the biggest stages ever built and featured viewing towers, intricate carvings and several moving platforms. The castle also opened and closed like a dollhouse, with each room housing a member of her band.

In the past, Lady Gaga has helped a few Filipinos achieve international stardom either directly or through her song. Who could forget Charice, as she sang “Telephone” on Glee, or how Lady Gaga introduced Maria Aragon to the world?

In this tour, she proudly introduced Filipino guitarist Ricky Tillo, who has been with her since 2009.

Setting the standard
As the inaugural show of the newly constructed Mall of Asia Arena, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Tour has set a very high standard for succeeding performances in the venue.

The latest and biggest venture to rise at the MOA complex, the 64,085 sq. m. Arena is figuratively and quite literally an architectural “eyecon.” The distinctive eye-shaped façade symbolizes the MOA Arena’s promise of delivering top-notch entertainment to its audience.

According to Edgar C. Tejerero, senior vice president of West Avenue Theatres Corporation, the aesthetics of the MOA Arena were thoroughly conceptualized and the details of the construction, well studied. Apart from its vision to promote local talents, Tejerero added that with the MOA Arena in the complex grounds, it is a hope that Manila will soon become a choice of promoters and tourist destination for entertainment and sporting events.

The Arena is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and world-class facilities, and can accommodate a full-house capacity of 20,000. It is also the first events venue in Southeast Asia to introduce corporate suites —private deluxe rooms, furnished with its own restroom, a mini bar, comfortable furnishings and a glass-paneled viewing deck complete with plush theater seats.

After Lady Gaga’s concerts, boy band sensations the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block will grace the Arena in June followed by Billboard chart toppers Edwin McCaine, The Fray and Taylor Dayne, while world-renowned Cirque du Soleil will perform in August.

Introducing Philippines: Bonifacio High Street

Bonifacio High Street (BHS) can be found in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Manila, Philippines. It is one of the new establishments located in the center of Fort Bonifacio Global City that was developed by Ayala Land. Some simply call it High Street. BHS redefines the visitor’s perception to a touch of nature and a combination of the mall experience. It boasts of chic boutiques, a row of diverse cuisines, trendy bars and at the center a grass lawn park with interactive sculptures. The place is surrounded by residential condominiums, business offices, malls, and other buildings under constructions that will soon to be hotels and high end offices for business processing companies.

It’s almost like shopping within a park. The wide, clean roads of Bonifacio High Street make up the first “main street” retail concept in the country, with flagship stores and restaurants lining both sides of this dog-friendly park. It offers a one-of-a-kind dining and shopping experience with premium retail shops set in a uniquely refreshing environment. Flagship stores and popular brands are lined up on both sides of the park; themed zones celebrate fashion, health and wellness, home, sports, technology and special interests. A “kinetic” park with interactive art pieces is also set amid the high street.

BHS was inspired by the Main Street, U.S.A. concept that celebrates a work and play environment, as well as the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, and The Grove in Los Angeles.

PH leads way to stem cell therapy

MANILA, Philippines—In a 1962 experiment, microbiologist Dr. Leonard Hayflick made a grim discovery that human cells grown in tissue culture would only divide a certain number of times, presumably because the telomeres— special DNA sequences found at the tips of chromosomes located within the nucleus of the cells—shorten to a critical length.

In other words, if telomeres become too short to allow cell replication, the cell stops dividing and will ultimately die. This led Hayflick to realize that even if an individual gets through life without contracting a deadly disease or succumbing to a fatal accident, that person will still die when enough of his cells ceased dividing.

This phenomenon now known as the “Hayflick Limit,” sets an unsurpassable lifespan for our species at just over 120 years. Interestingly, this has not discouraged us from trying to challenge the Hayflick Limit, learning new ways to live a healthier life as well as using scientifically proven medication or procedure to fend off diseases or at least keep in check what already ails us. Should the necessity arise, we will not hesitate on getting our damaged tissue or organ “fixed” if not totally replaced so long as we achieve the quality of life we desire. Of course, there are experts and institutions to help us in our quest to enjoy longer, healthier, happier lives—using stem cell based therapy.

New concept

“Stem cell-based therapy is emerging as a new concept for the treatment of various diseases. Owing to the extraordinary advances taking place in the field of cellular and molecular  biology, we are slowly moving from just offering mechanical care to biological solutions,” said Dr. Dante Dator, deputy executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in East Avenue, Quezon City.

The NKTI is a tertiary medical center under the Department of Health which primarily specializes in kidney diseases and organ transplantations. It was the first government hospital in the country to earn an ISO certification and is currently considered as a leader in its field in Asia.

The NKTI, which pioneered stem cell transplantation in the country in 1990 (and has been performing peripheral blood stem cell transplant since 2001), has upgraded and modernized its facilities with equipment at par with those found in the United States: Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics lab, which has already been working on Dendritic Cell Vaccine therapy for cancers (prostate, kidney, breast, lung, liver, colon, gastric, pancreas, cervix, uterine, ovary, myeloma, and lymphoma) together with its sister hospital Lung Center of the Philippines. “A lot of people may not know this, but NKTI’s Stem Cell Transplantation Program has been performing blood and bone marrow transplantation procedures for years and had improved survival for a number of our patients who suffer from diseases like leukemias and lymphomas,” shared Dator.

Faculty capability

Dator reported that to further strengthen NKTI’s faculty’s capability to match the modernization drive, the hospital has been sending off staff to work with the world’s leading institutions. “The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is a leader in translating scientific discovery into clinical therapies and I had the privilege to work with world-renowned physicians and scientists whose goal is to find a cure, rather than merely to treat a disease.

The WFIRM was the first in the world to engineer laboratorygrown organs that were successfully implanted into humans and this was the tissueengineered bladder, which was pioneered by Dr. Anthony Atala, the institute’s director and chair of the Department of Urology of Wake Forest School of Medicine,” said Dr. Sigrid Agcaoili of NKTI’s Department of Urology.

Atala had been working to build bladders from patient’s own cells since 1990 and in 1999 implanted the first organ in a patient. In 2006, Atala reported the long-term results in seven children who had the surgery, which showed that the implanted bladders had improved function over time and are durable. She reported that her two- year training at the institute has given her the opportunity to learn the technology of tissue engineering, which involves growing replacement organs and tissues in the lab to replace damaged or diseased tissue.

“This process usually starts with a three-dimensional structure called a scaffold that is used to support cells as they develop. I was involved in a project, which aimed to create an implantable kidney that can restore normal renal function. Shortage of organs for kidney transplantation has been a problem worldwide—the Philippines included. We think that a regenerative medicine approach using patient’s own renal cells seeded onto a kidney scaffold can be an alternative to donor transplantation. In this case, there is no risk of rejection because the cells grew from patient’s own cells,” reported Agcaoili.

DR. SAMUEL Bernal, a worldrenowned Filipino-American cancer specialist and molecular biologist, UCLA Professor Emeritus in Medicine and consultant-adviser to The Medical City’s Regenerative Program at the TMC’s laboratory.

She said this is no longer science fiction considering the skin, blood vessels, bladder, trachea, esophagus, muscle and other types of tissues have been successfully engineered and in fact, been used in treating human diseases.

“Armed with the right training and competent personnel, I believe that we can  incorporate regenerative medicine and tissue engineering in the clinical armamentarium for the Filipino patients,” she said. The NKTI is set to collaborate a clinical trial with WFIRM using tissue-engineered bladders for children who have poorly functional urinary bladders (because of a congenital birth defect due to incomplete closure of the spine). “We do hope that with this collaboration, we can give the same value of care to Filipino patients,” hoped Agcaoili. NKTI is currently working on a hybrid project where the dendritic cell will be fused with a viral sector that attacks certain cancers specially head and neck tumors.

No longer impossible

“It is no longer impossible or beyond the realm of possibility that the few of us could now provide the expertise and best services that patients seek. The key word here is ‘personalized molecular medicine.’ We should realize that when it comes to treating patients, no two individuals and no two diseases are the same. Thus, doctors can now select a therapy or treatment protocol based on a patient’s molecular profile that may not only minimize harmful side effects and ensure a more successful outcome, but can also help contain costs compared with a ‘trial-and-error’ approach to disease treatment,” said Dr. Samuel Bernal, a world renowned Filipino-American cancer specialist and molecular biologist, UCLA Professor Emeritus in Medicine and consultant-adviser to The Medical City’s Regenerative Program.

STEM cells being processed at the NKTI’s Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory

Bernal passionately believes that personalized molecular medicine holds the key to revolutionizing the treatment of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, diseases of the liver, bones, heart, kidney and other degenerative diseases.

“The field has been spurred in recent years by rapid advances in molecular medicine—such as biochemistry, biophysics, nanotechnology, molecular genetics, molecular immunology,molecular pharmacology, biomaterials, biomedical engineering—new possibilities open up for what can be accomplished. The key to all these developments are our stem cells, which have the ability to become various types of cells or be sensitized to attack diseased cells, including malignant tumors,” he explained. The doctor thanks Dr. Alfredo Bengzon, president and CEO of The Medical City in Pasig for his vision to establish a center of excellence that would provide an end to end solution for stem cell research, clinical research and therapy here in the Philippines.Many years ago, the Philippines already conducted research in regenerative medicine, starting in 1986 when Dr. Alfredo Bengzon was Secretary of Health, and now president and CEO of The Medical City in Pasig.

The Regenerative Medicine Program has been expanded at The Medical City, as part of Dr. Bengzon’s vision to establish a center of excellence in the Philippines that would provide comprehensive range of clinical and laboratory services in molecular and cellular therapeutics, including stem cell therapies, for Filipino and international patients.

But with the Regenerative Medicine Program now established at the The Medical City (with the whole 12th floor devoted to this center), the hospital could now boast as being one of the most advanced in the world, with only a handful of institutions in the United  States and Europe that could rival the expertise and services it offers. The Medical City’s Regenerative Medicine Program offers cutting-edge procedures including Stem Cell Transplants wherein infused stem cells harvested from the patient’s bone marrow are processed and “coaxed” to become cells of a specific organ or tissue type and in turn, used to preserve, repair or enhance the functions of the patient’s target organ. Another service offered includes the Dentritic Cell Therapy, wherein the patient body’s own defense system (immune system) is utilized to effectively recognize and destroy cancer cells.

“A LOT of people may not know this, but NKTI’s Stem Cell Transplantation Program has been performing blood and bone marrow transplantation procedures for years and had improved survival for a number of our patients who suffer from diseases like leukemias and lymphomas,” shared NKTI deputy executive director Dr. Dante Dator.

The most effective and safest cells to use for treatments inhumans are human adult cells (especially the natural healing cells from the bone marrow) and human umbilical cord cells, according to Bernal. Human adult and umbilical cord stem cells are also morally, ethically and legally acceptable, unlike embryonic, aborted fetus, genetically altered, and animal stem cells.

Leader

“Many Filipinos may not realize this but the Philippines is now regarded as one of the leaders in regenerative medicine considering that a number of medical institutions here, The Medical City included, have spent not only hundreds of millions of dollars in acquiring the latest and most sophisticated equipment but also in acquiring personnel who trained under the watchful eye of world renowned experts if not pioneers in their respective fields,” Bernal said.

In fact, many patients from foreign countries, such as the US, Europe, Russia and Australia travel to avail of services at The Medical City. Some patients are foreign doctors with serious illnesses who already failed treatments at other medical centers including the US. But why would a foreign patient, say from New York, travel all the way to the Philippines when that person could go to Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan-Kettering or MD Anderson? At the same time, why would a Filipino seeking the very best care stay here in the Philippines and not fly to the United States?

The answer is Personalized Molecular Medicine—which is very labor intensive, requiring a large number of trained molecular biologists and biochemists who work closely with clinicians in customizing treatment according to the molecular characteristics of the patient’s condition, says Bernal.Aside from being a US Board Certified Internist and Medical Oncologist, Dr. Bernal himself is trained as a chemist and has a Ph.D. in Biochemical Pathology from the University of Chicago, where he worked with several Nobel Prize winners in Medicine and Chemistry.

Later, he was a Principal Investigator in Molecular Medicine at Harvard and UCLA, where he did molecular research and trained many molecular biologists from the US, Europe, Japan and Korea, as well as some scientists from the Philippines who are now working in various Philippine institutions. Dr. Bernal continues to train many biochemists, molecular biologists, and clinical specialists in the US, Europe and in the Philippines, particularly at the Ateneo School of Science and Engineering and the University of Santo Tomas.

Beefing up

Of course, other leading medical institutions in the country are also beefing up their facilities that involved stem cell-based therapy. In line with the 2015 mission of the Makati Medical Center, the hospital recently inaugurated the Cellular Therapeutics Lab (located at the 6th floor of Tower 2) that is set to give hope to those with cancer, diabetes Type 1, neurologic diseases and joints disorders. “Before we could even convince patients, we need to assure them that their cells will be processed by one of the most experienced staff and advanced facilities in the region.We offer ultraclean room facility (class 100) that can handle cell-based products and culture facility; sophisticated procedure to isolate stem cell (magneticactivated cell sorting); meticulous quality control and documentation; high-end equipment that are operated by experienced scientists; and established system to monitor the patient’s progress,” enumerated Dr. Eric Flores, head of MMC Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory.

Ensuring that the more than 170 sq.m. facility is free from biological and non-living contaminants is crucial considering that most of their patients suffers from a weakened immune system. “We put premium importance in the quality and sterility of the product.

Our laboratory is unmatched in terms of providing the best cellular product or quality.

In comparison with other laboratories, the lab is at least three notches better in providing a sterile environment. In fact, the Biosafety Level 5 instituted here is at least one or two notches higher than what is recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, as part of the routine procedure, the facility is continuously monitored for its sterility,” assured Dr. Francis Chung, scientific officer of the Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory’s Stem Cell Lab.

He related that in cases wherein the stem cells will be sourced out from a donor, the MMC Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory has the ability to identify a possible crossmatch— using 10-point DNA matching— for the recipient. “We have the technology to push this cellular transplantation process that will significantly minimize complications,” said Chung.

Stem cell transplant for eyes

In 2006, St. Luke’s Medical Center made history when the hospital’s International

Eye Institute successfully performed a conjuctival stem cell transplant on a 52-yearold

indigent male—harvesting healthy stem cells from his remaining good eye and

then transplanted to his injured eye, replacing the missing cells. Presently, the hospital’s Stem Cell Research and Biotechnology Division is busy doing a lot of work on stem cell-based therapy and at the same time working closely with cardiology, vascular medicine, cancer, neurology, ophthalmology and dermatology department in order to explore and document their experience in their respective field.

Dr. Mark Pierre Dimamay of St. Luke’s Medical Center Stem Cell Research and

Biotechnology Division reported that the hospital has also established collaborations

with leading institutions namely, Singapore’s Eye Research Institute, Korea’s

Hanyang University, United States’ University of Miami, and Germany’s TICEBA (a

highly innovative German life science company, working in the field of stem-cell research and regenerative medicine). Dimamay also shared that the hospital also completed its equipment and requirements for growing human cells.

“The entire process of collecting cells from the patient, processing and growing them can be done at SLMC. We have also applied for the Philippine Food and Drug Administration’s Good Manufacturing Practice certification to ensure that the cells that we generate are made in accordance to international standards. We also acquired a cell-sorting equipment—known as the Clini- MACS—and applied the standard cell culture techniques for growing the stem cells. To develop the technical skills in growing stem cells, we underwent training abroad like Singapore Eye Research Institute for growing ocular stem cells,” he explained.

Dimamay added that being able to grow stem cells and get pure stem cell populations

is helpful in treating a variety of degenerative diseases. “One should realize that adult stem cells are few in number and if these cells can be grown and allowed to multiply in the laboratory, more stem cells can be potentially used for treatment. The cell sorter that we acquired will ensure that the cells being given to the patient are pure stem cells, without any other cellular contaminants.” Dr. Joven Cuanang, St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) chief medical officer and SVP for medical affairs said that the hospital is conducting clinical trials as well as testing to gather evidence and data on a per disease basis to prove if such treatments really work.

Cuanang and Dimamay believe this will increase the credibility of the treatments offered here in the Philippines adding that in the absence of such clinical trials, anyone can offer stem cell therapy at a high premium, and just leave the results of the treatment by chance. “If the treatments don’t work, then the reputation of the institution and even the Philippines would be at stake,” Dimamay explained.

BSP: Business sentiment still upbeat in Q2

Business sentiment in the Philippines remains positive, bolstering government claims that the country can withstand the adverse effects of a prolonged debt crisis in the eurozone.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ latest Business Expectation Survey (BES), the business confidence index for the second quarter stood at +44.5 percent, better than the +40.5 percent registered in the previous quarter and the +31.8 percent in the second quarter of 2011.

Respondents said they remained optimistic about their income prospects because of their ability to secure additional business contracts, while citing a general expansion mode of businesses that is seen to drive future demand, said Teresita Deveza, acting deputy director for the statistics department of the BSP.

Respondents also cited favorable macroeconomic indicators, including benign inflation, low interest rates, increase in public spending, and steady growth in remittances from overseas Filipino workers, she added. All these indicators support potentially higher demand for goods and services in the months ahead.

A positive index means that the percentage of respondents who are optimistic about their profitability and the economy’s growth potentials is higher than the percentage of those who believe otherwise.

“Business sentiment edged even higher in the second quarter. This is the fourth consecutive quarter of an improving business sentiment,” BSP Assistant Governor Ma. Cyd Tuano-Amador said.

Amador said optimism among businesses would help the country attain its economic growth targets for the year.

This is because positive sentiment among enterprises leads to investments, she said, explaining that there is a significant correlation between business sentiment and actual growth of the economy.

The positive sentiment of businesses in the country came amid pronouncements from the government that the Philippines will be able to withstand the ill effects of the debt woes of Europe.

The central bank said the country would not be totally immune from the adverse impact of the crisis in the Western region, but the effect on the Philippines would be something it could absorb.

According to BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., the Philippine economy is still poised to grow even if the crisis in the eurozone were to persist over the short to medium term.

“For sure, there will be greater market volatility (arising from the eurozone crisis), but (the Philippines) will be able to absorb any shock because of our sources of resilience,” Tetangco said.

These sources of strength, he said, include the government’s ability to implement more stimulus measures if necessary given its improving debt burden and its ability to further cut key policy rates.

Even if the BSP’s policy rates, which influence commercial interest rates, are at historic lows of 4 and 6 percent for overnight borrowing and lending, the monetary policy can still be adjusted if the central bank deems it necessary to further boost growth of the economy, economists said.

Compared with the key interest rates of the United States that are already at near zero, interest rates in the Philippines are higher.

The government expects the Philippine economy to grow between 5 and 6 percent this year, faster than last year’s 3.7 percent.

The latest Business Expectation Survey of the BSP, which was conducted from April 2 to May 11, covered 1,587 enterprises nationwide. The survey had a response rate of 79.6 percent.