For years, doctors have treated the Parkinson’s disease symptoms they could see: the shaking hands, the stumbling feet.

But one of the likely causes of Parkinson’s is almost invisible. It’s buried deep within brain cells, where tiny engines called mitochondria slowly are shutting down.

Now a team of researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a biotech company in Charlottesville, say they think they’ve found a way to rev up those engines once again, potentially reversing the disease.

Every cell in your brain is packed with mitochondria tiny engines that generate the energy cells need to function. But sometimes these brain cells do a curious thing. They turn off the signals to make mitochondria, depriving themselves of power. The tiny engines sputter and eventually cease to operate.

Essentially, “the brain is divorcing its mitochondria,” says Dr. James P. Bennett Jr., director of the university’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. This, scientists recently discovered, appears to be a likely root cause of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other heretofore mysterious brain disorders.

In 2004 one of Bennett’s graduate students, Shaharyar Khan, developed a way to deliver healthy mitochondrial DNA directly into mitochondria via a protein carrier. In mice and cultured human cells, this method of gene therapy has been shown to revive the mitochondria, restoring the cell to normal function.

“It’s novel,” Bennett says. “No one else has it.”

In January the researchers asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval to begin human clinical trials. The approval process may take a while, but Bennett’s optimistic the team will be able to begin the trials this year.

One of Bennett’s colleagues, Dr. Patricia A. Trimmer, is pursuing another promising therapy for Parkinson’s patients: near-infrared laser light. The laser beam painlessly penetrates a person’s skull, stimulating brain cells and rousing their sluggish mitochondria.

Trimmer shows speeded-up video clips of two sets of mitochondria, which look like tiny white rods traversing a long, narrow nerve cell. In the first video, they creep like rush-hour traffic. In the second video, after being treated with the laser light, they’re zipping around like go-karts.

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The Brain-Makers

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With recent remarks made by Republican Presidential nominee Rick Santorum on his stance on Stem Cell Research, people suffering from Parkinsons disease and other afflictions which can benefit from Stem Cell research have opened up Pandoras Box in their search for non-traditional methods to reduce symptoms. Recent medical studies as well as an in-depth report posted at BeWellBuzz.com have confirmed that the ancient martial art of Tai chi can significantly reduce some of the worst physical problems of Parkinson’s disease.

Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWEB) March 20, 2012

Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder which commonly develops in humans of age 50 and above, however, many people, such as Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox have been diagnosed with this affliction much earlier in life. Parkinsons carries certain specific symptoms such as constant blinking, lack of facial expressions, shaking, loss of balance and coordination, and other irregular bodily reactions, and is caused primarily by the destruction of the nerve cells in the brain which makes dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for the transfer of pleasure and reward feelings in the center of the brain.

Medications may help control some things, like tremors, but many drugs are not as good at helping the so-called axial symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, which include problems with balance and walking. It is for this reason that a recent study was completed at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore which showed significant improvements to these symptoms which have plagued Parkinsons patients for decades.

According to the study, doctors assigned 195 people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease to one of three groups: Tai Chi classes, Exercise with Weights and a third group which completed a program of seated stretching exercises. After six months, people who had been taking tai chi were able to lean farther forward or backward without stumbling or falling compared to those who had been doing resistance training or stretching. They were also better able to smoothly direct their movements. And they were able to take longer strides than people in the other two groups.

“The results from this study are quite impressive,” says Ray Dorsey, MD, MBA, a neurologist and associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. “It’s always difficult to compare results across studies, but the magnitude of the impact that they had is larger, in some cases, than what is seen with medications in Parkinson’s.”

“This is a very encouraging study,” says Chenchen Wang, MD, associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston who has studied the benefits of Tai Chi on Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia in the past. “Most of our previous studies have measured pain, depression, and anxiety, which are subjective measures. These results are very impressive because they used objective measurements,”

To learn more about the recent discovery and other ways that Tai Chi can improve other conditions, please visit the article posted at BeWellBuzz.com posted below.

http://www.bewellbuzz.com/wellness-buzz/tai-chi-and-parkinsons-disease

About BeWellBuzz.com

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Tai Chi Shown to Vastly Improve Parkinson’s Symptoms

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TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire -03/21/12)- Attention: Health and Lifestyle Editors

People with Parkinson’s disease have a new tool to help them identify the non-motor symptoms they are experiencing with their Parkinson’s disease.

A Guide to the Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, the first of its kind in Canada, is a user-friendly, educational booklet, designed to help people with Parkinson’s recognize non-motor symptoms such as cognitive impairment, sleep problems and compulsive behaviours and learn about treatments and strategies to manage them.

The 50-page booklet, available in English and French, is the result of a partnership between Parkinson Society Canada and the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction. The author, Dr. Ronald Postuma is a researcher in neurosciences at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal.

Citing a typical example, Dr. Postuma says a man with Parkinson’s may present with a urinary problem that is initially thought to be a prostate issue when, in fact, it may be related to Parkinson’s. “Many patients do not realize that urinary problems, constipation, insomnia and other symptoms are linked to Parkinson’s disease. As a result, they go untreated,” says Postuma who is also a neurologist at the MUHC and an Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. “The booklet is a simple, pragmatic tool that I hope will improve patient care,” he added.

Postuma says that the booklet is intended to help people with Parkinson’s identify their non-motor symptoms, record what they are experiencing using the Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire at the back of the booklet, and discuss these symptoms with their doctor. He cautions it is not intended to replace the advice or instruction of a professional healthcare practitioner, or to substitute medical care.

“This is an excellent example of the practical application of evidenced-based research that benefits clinical care,” says Joyce Gordon, President & CEO, Parkinson Society Canada.

A Guide to the Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease is available at http://www.parkinson.ca/NonMotorGuide.

Parkinson Society Canada’s national research program is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Canadians living with Parkinson’s. Its 10 regional partners and 240 chapters and support groups, have been providing education, support, and advocacy on behalf of over 100,000 Canadians living with Parkinson’s since 1965. To learn more visit http://www.parkinson.ca.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR’s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

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ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2012) Patients with relapsing onset Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who consumed alcohol, wine, coffee and fish on a regular basis took four to seven years longer to reach the point where they needed a walking aid than people who never consumed them. However the study, published in the April issue of the European Journal of Neurology, did not observe the same patterns in patients with progressive onset MS.

The authors say that the findings suggest that different mechanisms might be involved in how disability progresses in relapsing and progressive onset MS.

Researchers asked patients registered with the Flemish MS Society to take part in a survey, which included questions on themselves, their MS and their current consumption of alcohol, wine, coffee, tea, fish and cigarettes.

The 1,372 patients who agreed to take part were also asked to indicate whether they had reached stage six on the zero to ten stage Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and, if so, when this had happened.

“MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system” explains lead author Dr Marie D’hooghe from the National MS Center at Melsbroek, Belgium. “The clinical symptoms, progression of disability and severity of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.

“Two major MS onset types can be distinguished. Progressive onset MS is characterised by a gradual worsening of neurological function from the beginning, whereas patients with relapsing onset MS patients experience clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function with partial or full remission.

“EDSS 6 is an important milestone in the development of MS as it is the point at which patients need support to walk a reasonable distance.”

The patients who took part were aged between 17 and 89 years-of-age:

The researchers analysed how long it had taken people to reach EDSS 6 and compared those who reported moderate consumption of fish, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and cigarettes with those who reported occasional or no consumption. This showed that:

The time differences quoted above did not take into account gender, age at onset and treatment, which are known to affect disability progression in MS. But even after adjusting for these factors, the hazard risk analysis for time to sustained EDSS 6 (where 1.0 was the reference number for zero consumption) showed that:

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Lifestyle study highlights key differences in relapsing and progressive onset multiple sclerosis

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By Dr. Mark Tullman stltoday.com | Posted: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 5:45 am | (Loading) comments.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease that affects the brain, nerves that connect the eyes to the brain, and spinal cord. Approximately 400,000 people in the U.S. have MS, which typically begins between the ages of 20 and 40 and is the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults.

2011 was a remarkable year in MS. Here’s a glimpse at some of the latest discoveries:

Twenty-nine new genes that influence the risk of developing MS were identified.

New criteria were established that allow for an earlier MS diagnosis.

Researchers found that higher vitamin D levels in people with MS are associated with fewer new brain MRI lesions. * Another study concluded vitamin D supplementation in combination with interferon (an MS medication) may be more effective than interferon alone. Studies are ongoing to conclusively determine if vitamin D supplementation is beneficial in MS.

Research suggests individuals with MS who smoke may be more likely to develop disability. People with MS who smoke should definitely try to stop.

In 2008, a vascular surgeon, Dr. Paolo Zamboni, coined the phrase chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) to describe a state of impaired drainage of blood from the brain and spinal cord due to narrow veins in people with MS.

He has speculated CCSVI might contribute to the cause of MS and surgery to improve blood flow might be a treatment for MS. Numerous studies in the past year have yielded conflicting results regarding the frequency of CCSVI in MS.

Some revealed no evidence of CCSVI while others reported CCSVI in healthy individuals. Research is ongoing to determine if CCSVI is related to MS. If an association is confirmed, a study to determine if surgical treatment of blocked veins is safe and effective should begin later this year.

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FORT MYERS, FL –

Hank Graefen’s mother-in-law suffered from dementia. When he and his wife became caretakers in her final years, they studied up on the condition.

“The more you can learn the better you’re going to be and you better understand the disease.”

Often used interchangeably, both dementia and Alzheimer’s are forms of mental degradation. In many ways they seem the same but are actually two different medical terms.

“I tell people that its sort of like dementia is the team and Alzheimer’s is one of the players,” says Dr. Michael Raab, a geriatrician with Lee Memorial Health System.

Dementia covers a number of disorders; Alzheimer’s is most common.

“Depending on who you believe, between 60% and 80% are caused by Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Raab.

Alzheimer’s has physical characteristics in the brain, which most other forms of dementia don’t have.

“When you look at the brain, there are tangles and plaques. The Lewy Body dementias, the vascular dementias, the front dementias, none of them really have any plaques or tangles,” says Dr. Raab.

What’s more, Alzheimer’s involves a gradual progression that can begin in middle age. General dementia is usually found in advanced years, Hank’s mother-in-law was in her 90s.

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Health Matters: Differences between Alzheimer's and dementia

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Amid high-caliber research output and citation impact, analysis reveals region has unfilled potential to accelerate dementia cure

Philadelphia, PA, London, UK, March 20, 2012 – The Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters today announced findings that the quality of dementia research in the United Kingdom (UK) is second in the world only to the United States, despite the low number of scientists working in this field, and that finding a cure can be accelerated by increasing the number of dementia researchers and investment, according to work done using the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge(TM). The findings are featured in an Alzheimer`s UK Research Report “Defeating Dementia.”

The results from the analysis reveal the UK published more research on dementia than any other country except the United States and ranks second in the world after Sweden in citation impact, which is the number of times UK research is referenced in dementia studies around the globe. Despite its high performance and influence, dementia research capacity in the UK is low when compared to cancer, stroke and heart disease. For every dementia research scientist there are six who work on cancer.

“Research output and citation impact in scientific literature is an ideal way to measure the quality and capacity of dementia research,” said Karen Gurney, manager of bibliometric reporting at Thomson Reuters and analyst of this report. “This project illuminated an interesting dementia-research landscape in the UK, where this region is clearly playing an influential role despite its size.”

The research study was commissioned by the UK`s leading dementia research charity, Alzheimer`s Research UK, in an effort to raise awareness and increase investment for the underfunded field. The data measuring the quality and size of dementia research in the UK was compiled by Thomson Reuters. Issued by Alzheimer`s UK, the report, Defeating Dementia, also outlines 14 recommendations to the UK government based on feedback from scientists working in the field.

“The data provided by Thomson Reuters have been extremely valuable in allowing Alzheimer`s Research UK to uncover the facts about dementia research output and quality in the UK,” said Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer`s Research UK. “We wanted to dig deep into the issue of UK research capacity in this field. The work carried out by Thomson Reuters enabled us to do this and make a strong case for more investment in dementia research.”

Rebecca Wood, chief executive, Alzheimer`s Research UK, concurs. “Alzheimer`s Research UK relies on robust data to support its expertise. The data provided by Thomson Reuters allowed us to present an in-depth picture of UK dementia research in a global context over the last fifty years. It has been very well-received by a range of stakeholders, including government and other research funders.”

To view the Alzheimer`s Research UK report, Defeating Dementia, visit: http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org.

Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is the world`s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science, and media markets, powered by the world`s most trusted news organization.With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, go to http://www.thomsonreuters.com.

Alzheimer`s Research UK Alzheimer`s Research UK is the UK`s leading dementia research charity. As research experts, we fund world-class, pioneering scientists at leading universities to find preventions, treatments and a cure for dementia. Our findings improve the lives of everyone affected by dementia now and in the future. We forge partnerships with Government and other key organizations to make dementia research a national priority.

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Arcadia police are searching for a convicted sex offender with dementia who went missing last week.

James Randall McCain, 58, was last seen at his home on Huntington Drive in Arcadia on March 12, police said. He was reported missing the next day.

After visiting the residence this weekend, police do not believe he has returned there since his disappearance.

McCain has been registered in Arcadia as a sex offender for a long time, said Sgt. Dan Crowther, and has never been a problem. Police said he usually gets around by foot and is not known to drive. He has a conviction for lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14, KTLA-TV reported.

Police are asking anyone with more information about his whereabouts to contact the Arcadia Police Department at (626) 574-5156.

ALSO:

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Granada Hills Charter High to welcome back Academic Decathlon champs

–Anna Gorman

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Arcadia sex offender with dementia is reported missing

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Rachael Rettner MyHealthNewsDaily

Adriana Lara, a mother in Hutto, Texas, is not able to work because her 5-year old son Joshua has autism. Lara must stay home to give Joshua the care he needs, and to drive him to his therapy sessions five days a week.

“It’s just impossible for me to be able to hold a job and do all these things with Josh,” Lara, 31, said. The family depends on the salary of Lara’s husband, a psychologist at a Veteran’s Affairs hospital.

Joshua’s therapies, including speech, music and occupational therapy, cost about $5,000 a month. Eighty-five percent of the cost is currently covered by a government grant, but the grant will run out this summer, and the family’s insurance policy won’t cover Joshua’s therapies, Lara said.

“We dont know how we’re going to afford it,” Lara said. While public schools offer autism therapies, Joshua’s school does not offer the type of intensive therapies he needs, Lara said. For instance, the therapies provided by Joshua’s school are not one-on-one, Lara said.

A new study highlights the unique financial burden faced by families of children with autism, like Lara’s. The burden is particularly significant for mothers, the study finds.

On average, mothers of autistic children earn $14,755 less per year than mothers of healthy children, and $7,189 less per year than mothers of children with other health conditions (such as asthma and ADHD) that limit their ability to engage in childhood activities, according to the study.

Despite the fact that they tend to have completed more years of education, mothers of autistic children are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and they work on average 7 hours less weekly than mothers of healthy children, the researchers say.

“We don’t think that autism creates more of a strain on the family per se than other chronic conditions of childhood,” said study researcher David Mandell, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “I think the reason these mothers are leaving the workforce is because the service system for children with autism is so fragmented,” Mandell said.

Health care and workplace policies need to recognize the full impact of autism, and alleviate costs for the families with greatest needs, the researchers concluded, writing in the March 19 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

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Families of kids with autism earn less

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By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) — Mothers of children with autism and autism spectrum disorders earn significantly less than what mothers of children who have no health limitations earn, a new study has found.

These moms even earn less than mothers of children with other health limitations.

Mothers of children with autism earned, on average, less than $21,000 a year, the researchers found. That was 56 percent less than mothers whose children had no health limitations and 35 percent less than mothers whose children had other health limitations.

In addition, moms who have children with autism are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and work an average of seven hours less per week than mothers of children with no health limitations, the study found.

While the researchers did not find differences in fathers’ incomes, the overall income in families that have children with autism suffers, said lead researcher David Mandell, associate director of the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and associate director of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.

“Families of children with autism experience a 28 percent reduction in income compared to families with typically developing children,” he said. The family incomes of parents whose children have autism is also less, 21 percent, than those whose children have other health limitations, Mandell found.

The study is published online March 19 and in the April print issue of Pediatrics.

For the study, Mandell and his colleagues looked at data from the 2002-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. This ongoing survey of U.S. households collects detailed information on medical conditions, health services use and expenditure, and other data.

The researchers looked at 261 children with autism spectrum disorders, nearly 3,000 with other health limitations and more than 64,000 with no health limitations.

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Mothers of kids with autism earn less

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March 20, 2012

By Warren Kagarise

Dan Stachelski, CEO, director and a speech-language pathologist at Lakeside Center for Autism, stands at a mosaic of jigsaw puzzle pieces made by some of the youngsters in art class who attend the school. By Greg Farrar

The hustle and bustle at Lakeside Center for Autism is intentional.

Tucked in rooms outfitted in technology both tried-and-true and cutting-edge, children and therapists spend hours each day to overcome the obstacles put in place by autism. The commotion and laughter emanating from behind the closed doors come as signs of success.

Lakeside Center for Autism uses the popular Microsoft Kinect system and other tools to treat the complicated neural development disorder.

Its all about participation, company CEO, president and founder Dan Stachelski said. Technology can do that.

Stachelski, a Snoqualmie resident, founded and developed Lakeside Center for Autism after forming a sprawling in-home speech therapy practice across the Eastside. Now, Lakeside Center for Autism serves 100 families and conducts 1,700 appointments each month.

The company has earned local and national attention for using Kinect to treat autism.

Issaquah Chamber of Commerce leaders spotlighted Lakeside Center for Autism as a business innovator in the Innovation in Issaquah contest late last month.

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Lakeside Center for Autism uses technology as treatment tool

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Adriana Lara, a mother in Hutto, Texas, is not able to work because her 5-year old son Joshua has autism. Lara must stay home to give Joshua the care he needs, and to drive him to his therapy sessions five days a week.

“It’s just impossible for me to be able to hold a job and do all these things with Josh,” Lara, 31, said. The family depends on the salary of Lara’s husband, a psychologist at a Veteran’s Affairs hospital.

Joshua’s therapies, including speech, music and occupational therapy, cost about $5,000 a month. Eighty-five percent of the cost is currently covered by a government grant, but the grant will run out this summer, and the family’s insurance policy won’t cover Joshua’s therapies, Lara said.

“We dont know how we’re going to afford it,” Lara said. While public schools offer autism therapies, Joshua’s school does not offer the type of intensive therapies he needs, Lara said. For instance, the therapies provided by Joshua’s school are not one-on-one, Lara said.

A new study highlights the unique financial burden faced by families of children with autism, like Lara’s. The burden is particularly significant for mothers, the study finds.

On average, mothers of autistic children earn $14,755 less per year than mothers of healthy children, and $7,189 less per year than mothers of children with other health conditions (such as asthma and ADHD) that limit their ability to engage in childhood activities, according to the study.

Despite the fact that they tend to have completed more years of education, mothers of autistic children are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and they work on average 7 hours less weekly than mothers of healthy children, the researchers say.

“We don’t think that autism creates more of a strain on the family per se than other chronic conditions of childhood,” said study researcher David Mandell, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “I think the reason these mothers are leaving the workforce is because the service system for children with autism is so fragmented,” Mandell said.

Health care and workplace policies need to recognize the full impact of autism, and alleviate costs for the families with greatest needs, the researchers concluded, writing in the March 19 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Higher bills, lower salaries

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Parents of Kids with Autism Earn Less

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MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) — Mothers of children with autism and autism spectrum disorders earn significantly less than what mothers of children who have no health limitations earn, a new study has found.

These moms even earn less than mothers of children with other health limitations.

Mothers of children with autism earned, on average, less than $21,000 a year, the researchers found. That was 56 percent less than mothers whose children had no health limitations and 35 percent less than mothers whose children had other health limitations.

In addition, moms who have children with autism are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and work an average of seven hours less per week than mothers of children with no health limitations, the study found.

While the researchers did not find differences in fathers’ incomes, the overall income in families that have children with autism suffers, said lead researcher David Mandell, associate director of the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and associate director of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.

“Families of children with autism experience a 28 percent reduction in income compared to families with typically developing children,” he said. The family incomes of parents whose children have autism is also less, 21 percent, than those whose children have other health limitations, Mandell found.

The study is published online March 19 and in the April print issue of Pediatrics.

For the study, Mandell and his colleagues looked at data from the 2002-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. This ongoing survey of U.S. households collects detailed information on medical conditions, health services use and expenditure, and other data.

The researchers looked at 261 children with autism spectrum disorders, nearly 3,000 with other health limitations and more than 64,000 with no health limitations.

About 67 percent of the children with autism had mothers who worked outside the home. About 92 percent of the kids with autism had working fathers.

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Mothers of Kids With Autism Earn Less, Study Shows

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Cryo-Save Group N.V. (Euronext: CRYO, Cryo-Save, or the Group), the leading international stem cell storage brand and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe, has published its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2011.

Financial highlights

Revenue up 4% to EUR41.9 million (2010: EUR40.4 million) Operating expenses before depreciation and amortisation increased with EUR1.6 million mainly due to further investments in Cryo-Lip() (EUR0.8 million) and acquisition impact (EUR0.7 million) EBITDA(*): EUR6.3 million (2010: EUR7.3 million) EBITA(**): EUR4.5 million (2010: EUR5.8 million) Operating profit: EUR2.9 million (2010: EUR4.5 million) Profit before taxation: EUR3.0 million (2010: EUR3.9 million) Net profit: EUR2.3 million (2010: EUR2.6 million) Basic earnings per share 25.0 euro cents (2010: 27.6 euro cents) Robust net cash from operating activities EUR6.2 million (2010: EUR 2.8 million) Solid cash position of EUR7.0 million as at 31 December 2011 (2010: EUR6.0 million) Dividend per share of EUR0.08, up 14% (2010: EUR0.07) () (*) EBITDA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation Depreciation and Amortisation (**) EBITA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation and Amortisation of identified intangible assets

Operational highlights

39,900 new samples stored in 2011, up 4% compared to previous year (2010: 38,300). Of these, 25,200 were new cord blood samples and 14,700 new cord tissue samples 204,000 samples have been stored in total at 31 December 2011 67% of new customers opt for combined service of cord blood and cord tissue storage Acquisition of Serbian distributor Life R.F. for EUR2.3 million in cash and 30,000 Cryo-Save shares Cryo-Save USA founded, to commercialize and develop the Cryo-Lip() service in North America Cryo-Save South Africa joint venture established and stem cell processing and storage laboratory opened in Cape Town together with John Daniel Holdings and Lazaron Biotechnologies A six-year-old girl from Portugal with Cerebral Palsy was treated at Duke University in the US with her own cord blood stem cells, which were stored and released by Cryo-Save

Outlook

* Cryo-Save has a strong strategic position and product portfolio to further enhance its business * Cryo-Save will continue to collaborate with new partners and make acquisitions in line with its strategy to grow in current markets as well as in new geographies * Promising developments continue in the use of stem cell technology in the treatment of diseases. Thus enhancing the added value of Cryo-Saves high- tech storage solutions of stem cells * Fast growing fields of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine offer further attractive market potential for Cryo-Save * The Group is confident it will continue to maintain its market leading position as the leading international stem cell storage brand and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe

Revenue increased with EUR1.4 million to EUR41.9 million, largely due to increased sales volumes in several countries, acquisitions and increased number of new cord tissue samples, partly offset by lower business volume in mainly Southern Europe. The impact of the economic crisis also resulted in a significantly lower number of births in almost all countries. An increasing demand for discounts on the service fee and instalment plans to facilitate the payment of the service fee has been another factor affecting revenue growth.

The gross profit margin decreased with 1% to 66.6%, among others due to an increased demand for higher reimbursements of the collection of the umbilical cord blood and cord tissue in the hospitals. The gross profit margin remained at the same level compared to the second half of 2010 (66.5%).

Operational expenses increased with EUR1.6 million due to incremental expenses related to Cryo-Lip() (EUR0.8 million), and the impact of the acquisitions of Tissue Bank Cryo Center Bulgaria AD (“TBCCB”) and Life R.F. doo, Serbia (“Life”) (EUR0.7 million).

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