Author Archives: Fredricko

California Stem Cell Directors Open Meeting

Posted on by


Today's session of the governing board of the $3 billion California stem cell agency has begun. The major item on the agenda is a $243 million grant round that has triggered a record pace for appeals by rejected applicants. At the request of the California Stem Cell Report, the agency has provided the conflict of interest list used by the agency to determine which directors will not be allowed today to vote or participate in the discussion of specific applications.  The list can be found below. Conflict of Interest List  -- CIRM Directors Meeting 7-26-12ound below.  

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Read in

Posted on by

BOGOTA (Herald Malaysia): The testimony of a Colombian man who says he was miraculously cured of Parkinsons Disease through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II could allow for the canonization of the Polish pope.

According to the newspaper El Tiempo, the case involves Marco Fidel Rojas (pic), the former mayor of the town of Huila, whose testimony has been sent to the Vatican office heading the sainthood cause for the late pontiff.

Recounting his story to the Colombian paper, Fidel remembers experiencing the first symptoms of the disease in December of 2005. After a series of examinations, doctors determined he had suffered a stroke, which led to the development of Parkinsons.

Little by little the disease began to get worse. I felt like I could collapse at any moment. Various times I fell down outside on the street, he recalled, adding that once he was almost run over by a taxi.

As the years went by and his health continued to deteriorate, Fidel suddenly remembered on the evening of Dec. 27, 2010, that during a trip to Rome he had met Pope John Paul II after Mass and spoke with him for a few moments.

I have a friend up there, Fidel thought that night, amid his pain. And he had Parkinsons. Why didnt I pray to him before? Venerable Father John Paul II: come and heal me, put your hands on my head.

After praying, Fidel said he slept perfectly that night, and that the next morning he woke up with no symptoms of the illness.

Yes, John Paul II gave me the miracle of curing me, he said. My great promise to my healer is to spread devotion to him wherever I can.

El Tiempo reported that Dr. Antonio Schlesinger Piedrahita, a renowned neurologist in Colombia, has certified Fidels healing and says he is in good health.

The miraculous healing of a French nun, Sr Marie Simon-Pierre who also suffered from Parkinsons Disease paved the way for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, which took place in Rome in May 2011. --CNA

Original post:
Read in

Severe Flu Increases Risk Of Parkinson's

Posted on by

Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS Article Date: 28 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Severe Flu Increases Risk Of Parkinson's

1 (1 votes)

5 (1 votes)

British Columbia University researchers have discovered that the odds of developing Parkinson's disease later in life doubles with severe influenza, although the discovered that those who contracted a typical case of red measles as children have a 35% lower risk.

The findings of the collaboration between researchers from UBC's School of Population and Public Health and the Pacific Parkinson's Research Center are published online in the July issue of Movement Disorders.

The researchers led by Anne Harris surveyed 403 Canadian Parkinson's patients and 405 healthy Canadian controls to determine whether occupational exposure to vibrations, like operating construction equipment, had any impact on the risk of developing Parkinson's. Harris and her team demonstrated in an earlier study, which appeared online in this month's edition of American Journal of Epidemiology, that occupational exposure actually lowered the risk of developing Parkinson's by 33% in comparison with those who were not exposed to vibrations during their work.

The team discovered in the meantime that people exposed to high-intensity vibrations, as caused by driving snowmobiles, military tanks or high-speed boats, had a consistently higher risk of developing Parkinson's compared with those exposed to lower-intensity vibrations like operating road vehicles. Harris states that although the higher risk was statistically not significant to establish a correlation, it was nevertheless adequately strong enough and consistent to warrant further investigations.

Harris, who is working on her doctorate at UBC, concludes:

Written by Petra Rattue Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

See the rest here:
Severe Flu Increases Risk Of Parkinson's

Severe Flu Increases Risk Of Parkinson’s

Posted on by

Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS Article Date: 28 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Severe Flu Increases Risk Of Parkinson's

1 (1 votes)

5 (1 votes)

British Columbia University researchers have discovered that the odds of developing Parkinson's disease later in life doubles with severe influenza, although the discovered that those who contracted a typical case of red measles as children have a 35% lower risk.

The findings of the collaboration between researchers from UBC's School of Population and Public Health and the Pacific Parkinson's Research Center are published online in the July issue of Movement Disorders.

The researchers led by Anne Harris surveyed 403 Canadian Parkinson's patients and 405 healthy Canadian controls to determine whether occupational exposure to vibrations, like operating construction equipment, had any impact on the risk of developing Parkinson's. Harris and her team demonstrated in an earlier study, which appeared online in this month's edition of American Journal of Epidemiology, that occupational exposure actually lowered the risk of developing Parkinson's by 33% in comparison with those who were not exposed to vibrations during their work.

The team discovered in the meantime that people exposed to high-intensity vibrations, as caused by driving snowmobiles, military tanks or high-speed boats, had a consistently higher risk of developing Parkinson's compared with those exposed to lower-intensity vibrations like operating road vehicles. Harris states that although the higher risk was statistically not significant to establish a correlation, it was nevertheless adequately strong enough and consistent to warrant further investigations.

Harris, who is working on her doctorate at UBC, concludes:

Written by Petra Rattue Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

See the rest here:
Severe Flu Increases Risk Of Parkinson's

UAB biologist Gordon Meares given National Multiple Sclerosis Society grant

Posted on by

A researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has received a grant of more than $500,000 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for his study of the neurological disease, the organization announced this week.

Gordon Meares, a postdoctoral fellow in UAB's Department of Cell Biology, will study how cells in the brain and spinal cord may influence the immune system in MS for clues to stopping immune attacks, the organization said. The society this month committed up to $18.4 million to support 52 new research projects and training fellowships.

"Without the support of the National MS Society, we would not be able to pursue these critical leads," Meares said in a statement.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system degenerate. MS interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. There are theories on the causes of multiple sclerosis. MS may be an autoimmune disease, which happens when the body attacks itself. The disease often begins between the ages of 20 and 50.

Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak or walk. There is no cure for MS, but medicines may slow it down and help control symptoms. Physical and occupational therapy may also help.

In Alabama, MS affects more than 4,200 families. More than 2.1 million people live worldwide with the challenges of the disease, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Jan Bell, president of the society's Alabama-Mississippi chapter, said the society's research program constantly strives to find a cure for MS.

"Our long-standing investment has resulted in new treatments and better methods of diagnosis and disease management for people with MS, and we will continue to pursue all promising paths that lead to solutions for everyone affected by MS," Bell said in a statement.

The national organization reports there are therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration that can affect the underlying disease in people with the more common forms of MS. Those therapies cannot stop the progression or reverse the damage to restore function.

Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Walton at vwalton@bhamnews.com.

See the article here:
UAB biologist Gordon Meares given National Multiple Sclerosis Society grant

Care home worker jailed for raping dementia sufferer

Posted on by

Lord Turnull also placed Murray on the sex offenders register and told him that the sentence would have been nine years if he had not pleaded guilty.

At a hearing last month, Murray, of Larkhall in Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault charges at a care home between December 2010 and April 2012. The Lanarkshire home cannot be named for legal reasons.

The court previously heard that a female nightshift colleague went looking for Murray and found him standing at the bottom of the bed belonging to his victim, who was naked from the waist down.

An agitated Murray told his shocked colleague that his trousers had fallen down because the zip on his fly had broken but she telephoned the homes manager, who contacted the police.

While waiting for the officers to arrive, he stabbed himself in the neck with a pair of scissors and told his colleagues: "I'm so ashamed, people will think I'm a pervert."

Murray was detained overnight in hospital and had three stitches put in the wound. The next day he was interviewed at Hamilton police station and admitted the rape.

The court heard that the woman's DNA was found on Murray's underpants. He also admitted to officers sexually abusing his other two victims.

The court heard the womens severe dementia made it impossible to assess the impact of Murrays attacks, but their families were shocked, disgusted, devastated by the offences.

Murray had been employed as a carer since leaving school and had worked at the home for three years, mostly helping dementia patients.

Louise Arrol, defending, told the court that her client was a bullied loner he understood his actions were wrong and had displayed genuine remorse.

Read more here:
Care home worker jailed for raping dementia sufferer

WATE wins national award for autism coverage in East Tennessee

Posted on by

SAN DIEGO (WATE) - WATE is this year's co-winner of the National Autism Society's Media Excellence Award. Reporter Don Dare accepted the award in San Diego Friday on behalf of the station.

Brook Dickerson, president of the Autism Society of East Tennessee, submitted the entry for WATE, which included three stories that aired last year and early this year.

The first story aired on May 23, 2011 about an autistic girl named Autumn Martin. She was put in an isolation room at her Maryville elementary school. Her mother later moved the family from Maryville to Alcoa.

The second story centered around an adult who was losing some of his caregivers due to state budget cutbacks. 6 News talked with the state director of mental health and disabilities about the issue.

The third story, which aired on January 4, concerned Drew Roberts, an autistic teenager whose mother was evicted from their apartment in Powell because the boy made too much noise. The apartment owner reversed his immediate eviction order as a result of the story.

The media award is given for work that made a significant contribution to the autism community. It was given at the 43rd annual meeting and symposium for the National Autism Society.

Read more here:
WATE wins national award for autism coverage in East Tennessee

New preschool program for children with autism in Moonee Ponds

Posted on by

A PRESCHOOL program aimed at children with autism will start in Moonee Ponds next week.

The Little Learners Autism Program will provide children more than 20 hours of specialised therapy each week.

The program is a joint venture between Autism Partnership and Centre for Inclusive Schooling of Children With Autism.

Autism Partnership psychologist Karen McKinnon said children would receive one-on-one and small group care.

The program will be run at the All 4 Kids childcare centre so they would also be able to interact with other children.

"They can go into the typical childcare rooms with one of our staff and do inclusion as well," Ms McKinnon said.

"Our goal is to provide a program that is comprehensive and to do it in a childcare setting."

The program has six staff looking after five children enrolled so far and has three more places to fill.

Ms McKinnon said they had an open-door policy for parents, who are invited to watch the therapy.

Details: 9375 2469.

Excerpt from:
New preschool program for children with autism in Moonee Ponds

Tamara Browning: Cookbook benefits Autism Society

Posted on by

A cookbook fundraising project conducted by an area specialty mall has raised $600 for the AUTISM SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

NICKORBOBS HOME DECOR, located 10 minutes from Springfield off Interstate 55 at Exit 82, created, published and sold cookbooks that included recipes from the malls vendors.

The cookbooks have been for sale at Nickorbobs since October 2011, with profits earmarked for the Autism Society. Nickorbobs donated the funds in honor of friends who have autism, a complex developmental disability that affects a persons ability to communicate and interact with others.

My (ten-year-old) grandson has autism, said JAK HENTON, office manager at Nickorbobs.

(Autism) is something thats always been around, but nobody ever really knew what it was. Growing up as a kid, you knew that some of kids had a problem, but you just didnt know what it was. They really didnt diagnose it.

Henton said her grandson is getting help from the Autism Society.

Nickorbobs is considering doing specialized recipe sections of a cookbook for other fundraisers.

Like maybe one year doing like an appetizer section then maybe the next year we do main dishes and then one year do salads, Henton said.

Each year they can buy something and add to itthen put it in a three-ring binder.

NICK and BOB BRITZ own and operate Nickorbobs. Hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.

More:
Tamara Browning: Cookbook benefits Autism Society

Medical Megatrends – Stem Cells – Part II of III

Posted on by

Imagine a man with a recent severe heart attack who has the muscle repaired with stem cells or a child with a severe bladder defect repaired with stem cells grown on a biodegradable scaffold. Sounds like science fiction but these are actual clinical studies in progress today. Stem cell therapies promise to be one of those scientific breakthroughs that will have an enormous impact on health care in the future. Stem cells will bring us closer to the goal of personalized medicine, just as genomics is doing. The course of a disease will change once we have the technology to develop and then insert stem cells into the human body to actually create a tissue. For example, a person with a heart attack will not go on to live the rest of his or her life with damaged heart muscle and resultant heart failure. Instead, stem cells will repopulate the heart muscle and make it whole again. Similarly, a person with Parkinsons disease will recover full faculties thanks to the ability of stem cells to regenerate the damaged area of the brain. The person with type I diabetes will be free of the disease because of the formation of new pancreatic islet cells. The athlete will play again because new cartilage will be created for the worn knee. This is the promise of regenerative medicine. I have written the above as though each will definitely happen, a promise that will be kept. They probably will, but it may be a long time before the science of stem cells is sufficiently developed that these types of incredible results will be commonplace. Adult stem cells are being used today for treatment of a few diseases and there are studies ongoing and planned for many additional possibilities. Lets consider a few of them. Each of our tissues has a population of cells that can divide as needed to keep the organ or tissue functional as cells die or are injured. We see this with our skin as it constantly lays down new cells which make their way to the surface as the dead cells on the surface are rubbed off in the shower. We also see it when we cut ourselves and yet in a few days the wound is completely healed that was stem cells at work. It appears that essentially every organ has its own pool of such cells. There are cells in the bone marrow that can become stem cells for many different tissues. These cells circulate in the blood and can be called to assist a tissue or organ to rebuild itself after injury or damage. So for example, if a surgeon takes one half of a fathers liver for transplantation into his son, we know that the fathers liver will grow back to normal size within about 6 to 8 weeks. Some of the stem cells will have been those already in the liver but some will have come from the blood stream to assist. Of course, the liver is the exception to the rule that if a portion of an organ is removed by trauma or surgery, it will not grow back. Cut off your finger and stem cells will help it to heal but not to grow back to its original state. Adult stem cells are the ones used for treating leukemia, myeloma and other cancers and for correcting certain childhood immune deficiencies. Most often is the use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, meaning the use of stem cells obtained from a closely matched individual. An identical twin is ideal but few have such a potential donor. Only 25% of siblings will likely match completely. This leaves the use of the National Marrow Donor Registry to find as close a match as possible from unrelated individuals. The Registry has markedly improved the chances for a close match and thus for successful transplantation outcomes. Many parents are now having umbilical cord blood saved and frozen to have available in the unlikely event that their child requires a transplant many years later. Although these cells are identical they usually are not sufficient in numbers to lead to engraftment and often the white blood cells (neutrophils) recover only very slowly leaving a prolonged period of infection risk. Perhaps a technique will be found to get the umbilical stem cells to multiply in the laboratory so that a larger number would be available. Adult stem cells are being used in studies of myocardial infarction and heart failure. Current guidelines of immediate angioplasty and stent insertion as appropriate help protect the heart from permanent damage after an infarct. Still, about 400,000 new cases of heart failure are developing in the USA each year. Long term survival is limited once overt failure develops. Could the damaged heart muscle be fixed? The concept is to use stem cells to repopulate the muscle fibers and to have those cells divide over and over and differentiate into new muscle fibers or perhaps also the small vessels that carry blood to the muscle cells. So far there are some exciting animal studies and even some trials in patients that are encouraging enough to warrant further evaluations. For example, one study uses adult mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow and infused intravenously within 7 days after a heart attack. 42 centers are collaborating in this double blind, randomized trail in conjunction with Osiris Therapeutics. 220 patients will receive either the stem cells or a placebo and then be monitored with various imaging and functional studies. So, stay tuned. Another common albeit less lethal problem is loss of bladder control leading to incontinence. There are studies in progress to determine if stem cells placed into the bladders sphincter muscle will help it regain control. The adult stem cells are obtained from a leg muscle biopsy. Stem cells are isolated and allowed to grow in tissue culture. These are then injected into the weakened bladder sphincter muscle. Once again, these are studies just beginning but with intriguing early results. Here is another bladder repair concept. When the bladder muscle is weak or largely missing in children it may be possible to literally rebuild the bladder by tissue engineering. A biopsy of the bladder yields cells that can be grown in the laboratory to large numbers. They can then be placed on a biodegradable scaffold and grown further. In time they seem to create a new bladder muscle wall complete with blood vessels. This layer of cells can be implanted in the bladder of children with a defect. Once more I need to note that it is still early days in these studies but they do raise exciting possibilities. The message here is that adult stem cells are being used today for life threatening and life impairing diseases with excellent success and are being studied in other diseases with exciting prospects for the future.

Stephen C Schimpff, MD is an internist, professor of medicine and public policy, former CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center and is chair of the advisory committee for Sanovas, Inc. and senior advisor to Sage Growth Partners. He is the author of The Future of Medicine Megatrends in Healthcare and The Future of Health Care Delivery- Why It Must Change and How It Will Affect You from which this post is partially adapted. Updates are available at http://medicalmegatrends.blogspot.com

Follow this link:
Medical Megatrends – Stem Cells – Part II of III

Stem cell 'makeovers' provide a way to get rid of wrinkles

Posted on by

MIAMI (WTVJ/NBC) - It is widely known that stem cells can be used in life-saving treatments for deadly diseases.

Now they are being used in the fight against wrinkles.

Donna Pritchit recently had a "stem cell" makeover.

The 64-year-old headed into the operating room wanting to turn back the hands of time without it being totally obvious.

"I don't want someone to stop and go by and say Oh, she had a facelift.' I want to have someone say Donna went on vacation she must be having a great life,'" she said before the $5,000 procedure began.

Dr. Sharon McQuillan at the Ageless Institute in Aventura, FL marked the areas where she would take fat out of Pritchit's belly - and place it back into her face.

The retired teacher also hoped it would be her last step in getting rid of embarrassing acne scars.

The outpatient procedure began with traditional liposuction, and then McQuillan and her team processed that fat and concentrated the stem cells so they could be injected into Pritchit's wrinkles and in places where she has lost fullness.

"Stem cells in general are the cells in your body that regenerate tissue and heal tissue, and they make the skin look beautiful and younger," McQuillan explained.

While there are not many long-term studies on the procedure, McQuillan said the results are permanent.

Continued here:
Stem cell 'makeovers' provide a way to get rid of wrinkles

Stem cell ‘makeovers’ provide a way to get rid of wrinkles

Posted on by

MIAMI (WTVJ/NBC) - It is widely known that stem cells can be used in life-saving treatments for deadly diseases.

Now they are being used in the fight against wrinkles.

Donna Pritchit recently had a "stem cell" makeover.

The 64-year-old headed into the operating room wanting to turn back the hands of time without it being totally obvious.

"I don't want someone to stop and go by and say Oh, she had a facelift.' I want to have someone say Donna went on vacation she must be having a great life,'" she said before the $5,000 procedure began.

Dr. Sharon McQuillan at the Ageless Institute in Aventura, FL marked the areas where she would take fat out of Pritchit's belly - and place it back into her face.

The retired teacher also hoped it would be her last step in getting rid of embarrassing acne scars.

The outpatient procedure began with traditional liposuction, and then McQuillan and her team processed that fat and concentrated the stem cells so they could be injected into Pritchit's wrinkles and in places where she has lost fullness.

"Stem cells in general are the cells in your body that regenerate tissue and heal tissue, and they make the skin look beautiful and younger," McQuillan explained.

While there are not many long-term studies on the procedure, McQuillan said the results are permanent.

Continued here:
Stem cell 'makeovers' provide a way to get rid of wrinkles

UC Davis gets $53 million in stem cell funds to study Huntington's, other diseases

Posted on by

The University of California, Davis, scored a major coup in stem cell funding with a $53 million award Thursday for research into Huntington's disease, limb ischemia and osteoporosis.

The grants were approved Thursday afternoon by CIRM the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. They are a major milestone for the university, which had received $73 million in past funding from the state agency.

"We're here to bring this new era of medicine to patients," UC Davis stem cell program director Jan Nolta said.

For Melissa Biliardi of Santa Maria, the vote symbolizes hope. Her son, James Birdsall, 32, was diagnosed four years ago with Huntington's disease. The degenerative brain disorder could prove fatal over the next 10 to 15 years. There is currently no cure or treatment, but with the grant, UC Davis researchers hope to deliver an effective therapy in four years.

"This is the most hope we've ever had for a cure or treatment," Biliardi said.

Her son suffers from involuntary movement and fatigue, all symptoms of the disease, and relies on a wheelchair to get around. Birdsall is one of 30,000 Americans living with the genetic disorder, according to Nolta. Another 150,000 are at risk, but many aren't diagnosed until their early 30s.

Created by voters in 2004, CIRM is financed by state bonds. The agency started with a $3 billion fund in 2007. Since then, it has doled out a quarter of its money about $900 million to various universities and private companies doing stem cell work in the state.

"We're driving opportunity here," CIRM President Alan Trounson said.

Huntington's is caused by toxic proteins that kill nerves in the brain. Limb ischemia causes blood clots that eventually lead to amputation. Osteoporosis is characterized by a loss in bone mass.

Together, the diseases afflict millions of Americans each year. UC Davis researchers said they are on the cusp of a major breakthrough to treating all three.

Read more:
UC Davis gets $53 million in stem cell funds to study Huntington's, other diseases

California Stem Cell Agency Approves $150M In Grants To Fight Diseases

Posted on by

BURLINGAME (KCBS) The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine decided on Thursday to approve $150 million in grants for fighting deadly diseases.

According to the institute, eight grants were issued to researchers throughout the state. Three of the grants went to teams at UC Davis, while teams at Stanford University received two. Newark-based StemCells Inc. also received a grant. The remaining grants went to teams at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Awards from the institute ranged from $14.1 million to $20 million.

The grants will go towards researching therapies for several diseases and disorders, including Huntingtons disease, osteoporosis, spinal cord injury and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease.

KCBS Anna Duckworth Reports:

State Stem Cell Agency To Vote On Granting Research Funding At California Universities

Researchers, patients and parents addressed the 29-member governing board of the states stem cell agency before Thursdays vote at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Burlingame, voicing support for the grants.

UC Davis Stem Cell Program Director Dr. Jan Nolta said the money would allow them to start clinical trials for Huntingtons disease, which causes neurons in the brain to die slowly over the course of about 10 years.

At times the testimony was emotional with researchers speaking about patients that would most likely loose their ability to walk due to their disease.

Others spoke hopefully about the developing therapies that would hopefully keep the brain healthy.

Read this article:
California Stem Cell Agency Approves $150M In Grants To Fight Diseases

UC Davis gets $53 million in stem cell funds to study Huntington’s, other diseases

Posted on by

The University of California, Davis, scored a major coup in stem cell funding with a $53 million award Thursday for research into Huntington's disease, limb ischemia and osteoporosis.

The grants were approved Thursday afternoon by CIRM the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. They are a major milestone for the university, which had received $73 million in past funding from the state agency.

"We're here to bring this new era of medicine to patients," UC Davis stem cell program director Jan Nolta said.

For Melissa Biliardi of Santa Maria, the vote symbolizes hope. Her son, James Birdsall, 32, was diagnosed four years ago with Huntington's disease. The degenerative brain disorder could prove fatal over the next 10 to 15 years. There is currently no cure or treatment, but with the grant, UC Davis researchers hope to deliver an effective therapy in four years.

"This is the most hope we've ever had for a cure or treatment," Biliardi said.

Her son suffers from involuntary movement and fatigue, all symptoms of the disease, and relies on a wheelchair to get around. Birdsall is one of 30,000 Americans living with the genetic disorder, according to Nolta. Another 150,000 are at risk, but many aren't diagnosed until their early 30s.

Created by voters in 2004, CIRM is financed by state bonds. The agency started with a $3 billion fund in 2007. Since then, it has doled out a quarter of its money about $900 million to various universities and private companies doing stem cell work in the state.

"We're driving opportunity here," CIRM President Alan Trounson said.

Huntington's is caused by toxic proteins that kill nerves in the brain. Limb ischemia causes blood clots that eventually lead to amputation. Osteoporosis is characterized by a loss in bone mass.

Together, the diseases afflict millions of Americans each year. UC Davis researchers said they are on the cusp of a major breakthrough to treating all three.

Read more:
UC Davis gets $53 million in stem cell funds to study Huntington's, other diseases

State stem cell research funding agency awards $20 million to UCI, StemCells Inc.

Posted on by

Public release date: 27-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cathy Lawhon clawhon@uci.edu 949-824-1151 University of California - Irvine

Irvine, Calif., July 26, 2012 Efforts to begin human clinical trials using stem cells to treat cervical spinal cord injury in the U.S. received a $20 million boost Thursday, July 26, from the state's stem cell research funding agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The award will be shared by Aileen Anderson and Brian Cummings, associate professors of physical medicine & rehabilitation at UC Irvine's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, and Nobuko Uchida of StemCells Inc. in Newark, Calif. Anderson and Cummings proved that transplanting human neural stem cells discovered and developed by Stem Cells, Inc. into rodents with thoracic spinal cord injury could restore mobility. The CIRM award announced Thursday will fund the collection of data necessary to establish human clinical trials in the U.S.

"Our therapeutic approach is based on the hypothesis that transplanted human neural stem cells integrate into the injured spinal cord to repair the protective myelin sheath and spinal circuitry," Anderson said. "Any therapy that can partially reverse some of the effects of spinal cord injury could substantially change the quality of life for patients by altering their dependence on assisted living and medical care."

CIRM's governing board on Thursday gave authorized $150 million for eight teams at five institutions statewide. The projects backed are considered critical to the institute's mission of translating basic stem cell discoveries into clinical cures.

"CIRM's support for UC Irvine's efforts to advance novel stem cell-based therapies for a variety of diseases is extremely gratifying," said Peter Donovan, director of the university's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. "This latest award for spinal cord treatment holds great promise. We are delighted."

About 1.3 million Americans suffer chronically from spinal cord injuries. In California, nearly 147,000 individuals are living with such damage, which can severely impair the movement, sensation and autonomic function of otherwise healthy people. Recovery from spinal cord injury is often limited, even after aggressive emergency intervention with steroids and surgery, followed by rehabilitation.

"That's crushing for anyone," Anderson noted. "It's very tough for patients and their families. We believe stem cell therapies could provide significant functional recovery, improve quality of life and reduce the cost of care for those with spinal cord injury. That's our goal."

Anderson's and Cummings' laboratory has a long history of collaboration with StemCells Inc. in addressing spinal cord injury, including studies that led to the world's first clinical trial of a neural stem cell therapy for chronic spinal cord injury. This Phase I/II clinical trial, currently under way in Zurich, recently reported positive safety data from the first cohort of treated patients and continues to enroll subjects.

Continue reading here:
State stem cell research funding agency awards $20 million to UCI, StemCells Inc.

Say 'Ahhh': A Simpler Way To Detect Parkinson's

Posted on by

iStockphoto.com

Getting a diagnosis for Parkinson's disease might be as easy as placing a phone call.

There's currently no cure for Parkinson's, a debilitating neurological disease. There's also no blood test that can detect it, meaning early intervention is almost impossible.

But soon there might be a shockingly easy way to screen for Parkinson's disease. It would be as simple as picking up the telephone and saying "ahhh."

One of these voices tests positive for Parkinson's disease. Can you tell the difference? Find out if you're right at the bottom of this story.

"There's some evidence, admittedly weak, that voice disturbances may well be one of the first or early indicator of the disease," mathematician Max Little tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz.

Little is head of the Parkinson's Voice Initiative and he's created an algorithm that can determine whether or not a person has Parkinson's just by the sound of their voice.

Right now, the algorithm has a 99 percent success rate.

A Surprising Result

Little worked on this algorithm while he was getting his PhD at Oxford. It didn't occur to him that it could be used to detect Parkinson's disease until a chance encounter with a researcher from Intel.

Here is the original post:
Say 'Ahhh': A Simpler Way To Detect Parkinson's

Say ‘Ahhh’: A Simpler Way To Detect Parkinson’s

Posted on by

iStockphoto.com

Getting a diagnosis for Parkinson's disease might be as easy as placing a phone call.

There's currently no cure for Parkinson's, a debilitating neurological disease. There's also no blood test that can detect it, meaning early intervention is almost impossible.

But soon there might be a shockingly easy way to screen for Parkinson's disease. It would be as simple as picking up the telephone and saying "ahhh."

One of these voices tests positive for Parkinson's disease. Can you tell the difference? Find out if you're right at the bottom of this story.

"There's some evidence, admittedly weak, that voice disturbances may well be one of the first or early indicator of the disease," mathematician Max Little tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz.

Little is head of the Parkinson's Voice Initiative and he's created an algorithm that can determine whether or not a person has Parkinson's just by the sound of their voice.

Right now, the algorithm has a 99 percent success rate.

A Surprising Result

Little worked on this algorithm while he was getting his PhD at Oxford. It didn't occur to him that it could be used to detect Parkinson's disease until a chance encounter with a researcher from Intel.

Here is the original post:
Say 'Ahhh': A Simpler Way To Detect Parkinson's

Painting in park raises Parkinson's awareness

Posted on by

IRVINE Dozens gathered at Mason Regional Park on Saturday to paint pieces of what will be an art installment to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease.

The second annual Unity Barbecue featured artist Jack Knight, who will take the pieces of tubing, tiles and canvas and create a piece to hang on the walls of Aliso Viejo-based Parkinson's in Balance.

Visitors are shown a tile to be painted at the 2nd Annual Painting for Parkinson's and Parkinson's Unity BBQ event held at Mason Regional Park in Irvine on Saturday.

STUART PALLEY, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ADVERTISEMENT

The event drew those affected by the disease and offered an afternoon of escape.

"I try to pick something that is therapeutic," said Allison Conway, founder of Parkinson's in Balance. "I find it so calming to be able to sit here and create something."

Her painted tile read, "I make Parkinson's look good."

This is the second year Conway, 35, has held the Unity Barbecue in an effort to raise awareness for an illness she knows well.

Conway was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease at age 13, colon cancer at age 24 and young onset Parkinson's at age 32.

See the article here:
Painting in park raises Parkinson's awareness

Painting in park raises Parkinson’s awareness

Posted on by

IRVINE Dozens gathered at Mason Regional Park on Saturday to paint pieces of what will be an art installment to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease.

The second annual Unity Barbecue featured artist Jack Knight, who will take the pieces of tubing, tiles and canvas and create a piece to hang on the walls of Aliso Viejo-based Parkinson's in Balance.

Visitors are shown a tile to be painted at the 2nd Annual Painting for Parkinson's and Parkinson's Unity BBQ event held at Mason Regional Park in Irvine on Saturday.

STUART PALLEY, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ADVERTISEMENT

The event drew those affected by the disease and offered an afternoon of escape.

"I try to pick something that is therapeutic," said Allison Conway, founder of Parkinson's in Balance. "I find it so calming to be able to sit here and create something."

Her painted tile read, "I make Parkinson's look good."

This is the second year Conway, 35, has held the Unity Barbecue in an effort to raise awareness for an illness she knows well.

Conway was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease at age 13, colon cancer at age 24 and young onset Parkinson's at age 32.

See the article here:
Painting in park raises Parkinson's awareness