La modelación matemática y los pedestales de las ciencias biomédicas / Mathematical Modeling and the Pedestals of Biomedical Sciences

En 2020 se cumplen 155 años de lo que Thomas Morgan llegó a llamar …en materia biológica, el más grande descubrimiento de los últimos quinientos años. Fue entonces cuando Gregor Mendel presentó, en la Sociedad de Brno para el Estudio de las Ciencias Naturales (el 8 de febrero y 8 de marzo de 1865) su afamado trabajo Experimentos sobre hibridación de plantas...(AU)

Prometeo: regeneración tisular: pifias de la naturaleza y esperanzas de la ciencia / Prometheus: tissue regeneration: natural errors and scientific hope

En el movisimo campo de las células troncales ("stem cell") y la medicina regenerativa, la búsqueda del Santo Grial de la investigación científica, es la recreacion o la inducción del renacimiento de un órgano funcional, llamese hígado, retina o riñon. En un extremo el hígado de Prometeo, de inherente capacidad para regenerarse, la demanda del órgano excede en mucho la disponibilidad de donantes. En Estados Unidos de America, 9% de los pacientes con insuficiencia hepática fallecen a la espera de un trasplante, así que la investigación en tratamientos regenerativos nunca ha tenido más fundamento y adquirido más énfasis que en estos tiempos. En el otro extremo, la retina, inexplicable olvido de la naturaleza, como otras neuronas del sistema nervioso incapaz de regenerarse a sí misma y hasta ahora, inmune a la neuroprotección y reparación después de una injuria. No obstante en un futuro no muy lejano será posible preservar y restaurar la visión en personas en las que se encuentre amenazada o se haya perdido por enfermedad o injuria del nervio óptico

In the newest field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, the quest for the Holy Grail of scientific research is the recreation or induction of rebirth of a functional organism, such as the liver, retina o kidney. At one end liver of Prometheus with its inherent capacity to regenerate, has a demand that greatly exceeds the availability of donors. In the United States of America, 9% of patients with liver failure die waiting for a transplant, so research in regenerative treatment has never had more importance or acquired greater emphasis than at this time. At the other end, the retina, inexplicable oblivion of nature, is, as other neurons of the central nervous system, unable to regenerate itself and so far, immune to neuroprotection and repair after an injury. Nevertheless, in the future it will be possible, however, to preserve and restore vision in people whose optic nerve are threatened or have been lost due to illness or injury

Além do mecanicismo e do vitalismo: a normatividade da vida em Georges Canguilhem / Beyond mechanism and vitalism: the normativity of life according to Georges Canguilhem

Discutimos a epistemologia das ciências da vida e das ciências da saúde de Georges Canguilhem, revendo sua crítica à concepção mecanicista da normalidade e da patologia e seu posicionamento frente ao vitalismo. Sugerimos que, enfatizando o conceito de "normatividade da vida", Canguilhem teria apontado para uma superação da oposição entre mecanicismo e vitalismo. Para tal, fazemos uma breve comparação da "normatividade da vida" com o conceito contemporâneo de auto-organização de Michel Debrun, argumentando que a emergência da norma vital se situa num estágio secundário de um processo de (auto-)organização da vida e, portanto, tal normatividade não teria a conotação vitalista, erroneamente atribuída a Canguilhem.

We discuss the epistemology of the sciences of life and health elaborated by Georges Canguilhem. First we review his criticism to mechanicist concepts of normality and pathology, and his position regarding vitalism. We suggest that, when emphasizing the concept of "normativity of life", Canguilhem goes beyond the dichotomy of mechanism and vitalism. We make a brief comparison of his concept of "normativity of life" with the contemporary concept of "self-organization" proposed by Michel Debrun, arguing that the emergency of the vital norm occurs on the second stage of the process of life self-organization and therefore such normativity does not have the vitalist connotation erroneously attributed to Canguilhem.

Reflexiones en torno al desarrollo histórico de las ciencias biomédicas en Chile y el rol que jugó la Revista Médica de Chile: un homenaje al cumplir 130 años / Reflections about the historical development of biomedical sciences in Chile and the role of Revista Médica de Chile: an homage on 130-years old

When Revista Médica de Chile turns to be 130 years old, the author reflects about the difficulties that scientific and technological creativity faces in Chile, considering that there was a 70 years gap between its historical origin in Chile compared to developed countries. The scientific progress erases the boundaries between Biomedicine and science and technology. This progress has resulted in an improvement in the quality of scientific publications in Revista Medica de Chile. The editorial work has also contributed to this improvement. Revista Medica de Chile has obtained international recognition and stands in a good position as a medical journal in Latin America and Chile.

Evocaçäo de Walter Oswaldo Cruz / Evocation of Walter Oswaldo Cruz

Evoca fatos marcantes da trajetória profissional de Walter Oswaldo Cruz, pesquisador respeitado mundialmente por seus trabalhos de pesquisa na área das Ciências Biológicas.(MAM)