Newsletter April 2009

	CEO WRITES
		Dear Friends of CMA, We’ve just turned 25 years old! The question is now what to say; “With age comes beauty” or “Beauty before age”? How is age really defined in the corporate world? The average life expectancy of a multinational Fortune-500 corporation is said to be between 40 and 50 years. Other studies indicate that the average life expectancy of all European firms, regardless of size, is only 12,5 years. The STORA company, a leading Swedish paper and pulp manufacturer, actually has a history of over 700 years, starting as a copper mine in central Sweden. With a 25-year track record and a never ending demand for microdialysis products and solutions, CMAs corporate life has merely started. Following more than 12.000 publications, almost 1.000.000 probe deliveries and our strong and long-term owners, I am confident we’ll continue to age with beauty. To celebrate our past and kick-off our beautiful future, we’ll start our anniversary with an open house and party on the 3rd of April. Throughout the year, CMA will continue to celebrate with promotions and special offers. Keep your eyes open, and remember what Kafka once said: “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old”. Best regards, Philip Siberg CEO
	Product info	New Microdialysis folder
		"Microdialysis in Basic Research. The principle, the system and the Applications" Can be ordered from CMA order@microdialysis.se Also available on our website as PDF
	Easter/spring 2009	Limited opening hours at CMA Microdialysis
	April 9-13 April 30-May 1 May 20-22	Office closed due to public holiday Office closed due to public holiday Office closed due to public holiday
		Order
		As always you can place your order with us any time of the day using e-mail or fax. Telephone: + 46 8 470 10 10 E-mail: order@microdialysis.se Fax: +46 8 470 10 55
		Service
		Telephone: +46 8 470 10 33 E-mail: service@microdialysis.se
	INTERVIEW with	Urban Ungerstedt, founder of CMA
		Q: CMA is celebrating its 25:th anniversary. Microdialysis has become a worldwide technique for studies of the metabolism in almost all living tissues. How did you get the idea of such a revolutionary invention. A: Scientific and practical experience combined with curiosity and patience opens your eyes for new possibilities. 1970, while looking at brain in a microscope I saw a cross section of a small blood vessel and got the idea of using a dialysis tube as an “artificial blood capillary". Having an open mind and telling everyone about your idea you receive knowledge from everywhere. I happened to meet a scientist, (comment: you must also have good luck), who had a bunch of so called “hollow fibres” in his pocket and said "maybe this is what you want". Now I had everything I needed and were able to start building the first microdialysis probes. Q: This leeds obviously to my second question. How did it start, I mean the start of CMA? A: It started in my basement. I inherited some money from my grandfather and was able to invest in a watchmakers lathe. It was used for almost 10 years to manufacture microdialysis probes and the prototypes of our microdialysis pumps. Being lucky again the 80s was a decade when “everyone” seemed to look for an opportunity to invest in Medical technology. Johan Björkman at Carnegie Investment got enthusiastic and saw a great potential in the technique and in 1984, April 4, Carnegie Medicin AB was founded, which was later to become CMA Microdialysis. Q: Who is Johan Björkman and what has he meant to CMA? A: Johan Björkman was the chairman of the board of CMA for many years and the person who supported us in all situations. He understood the future potential of the technique in basic research and clinical use. He found the necessary funds, took part in heated discussions about scientific priorities as well as marketing strategies. Q: Can you mention four milestones in you Microdialysis career. A: 1) The day when I got the idea to mimic the function of a blood vessel with a dialysis tube. 2) When it became possible to measure endogenous substances with advanced HPLC 3) When we got the possibility to finance CMA in order to develop instruments for microdialysis. 4) Last but not least, when Ulla Ungerstedt quit her career as a dentist to start working with CMA. Q: As the inventor of the technique, how do you feel seeing 12000 articles published using the Microdialysis? A: I feel truly happy that Microdialysis has made it possible for so many scientists to make new discoveries within both basic science and clinical research. Q: Microdialysis is a clinical diagnostic tool – where will it be most important in the future? A: Probably in diagnosing inflammatory states and states of anabolism and catabolism. Q: Give me a few thoughts about the future of the MD technique? A: I believe that in the future it will be as natural for doctors to monitor organ chemistry as they monitor blood chemistry today. I am also convinced that more and more medicines will be developed using the Microdialysis technique.