First Liberty Power Further Progress Towards Fencemaker Production

Posted on by

LAS VEGAS, April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- First Liberty Power Corp. (FLPC), an innovative and diversified mine exploration and development company focused on bringing to market "Mined in America" strategic industrial minerals, is pleased to announce additional progress towards achieving the goal of near term mining on the Fencemaker property.

This week's Pathways of Progress update has First Liberty Power's partner at Fencemaker, James Vogan, Director of Stockpile Reserves LLC (SRL), initiating the transition of the Fencemaker property's Notice of Intent to a Plan of Operations as required by the federal U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This is a crucial step towards launching the mining operation early this summer.

Mr. Vogan explained, "Reclamation work at the site from the drilling program last summer is nearly completed, pending final inspection. Together with the recent completion of our next stage funding, and upon approval of the Plan of Operations, we will then be in a position to bring in Small Mine Development (SMD - http://www.undergroundmining.com) as early as the 2nd week of May to begin the process of securing the existing mine adit and drift the precursor step for undertaking underground mining activities. Starting today, our emphasis will be on implementing the Plan of Operations with the BLM to ensure all safety as well as other requirements are in full compliance."

Bob Reynolds, FLPC VP Operation concluded, "First Liberty and SRL continue to work closely to identify the necessary work requirements as well as finalize the timetables and costs, with all energies are directed this week towards initiating mining activities at Fencemaker. With the closing today of our one half million financing, the Company and its shareholders are one step closer to that first blast of stibnite (Antimony) ore."

First Liberty Power will continue to use its Pathways of Progress program to inform and update on all operational advances on our mining and financial progress.

ABOUT FIRST LIBERTY POWER CORPORATION: First Liberty Power Corporation (FLPC) is an innovative and diversified mine exploration and development company focused on bringing to market "Mined in America" strategic industrial minerals. Our corporate philosophy is driven by a dedication to Pathways of Progress, our program of best corporate practices designed to drive us rapidly towards mine production & milling, to the greatest benefit of FLPC shareholders, investors and mining partners, while ensuring safety, environmental integrity, and good governance. Presently, FLPC has interests in four properties: the Fencemaker Antimony project in Nevada, the Lida Valley and Smoky Valley Lithium Brine projects in Nevada, and the San Juan Vanadium / Uranium project in Utah. http://www.firstlibertypower.com

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future plans of the company, the prospects for our mineral properties, and our ability to raise necessary working capital.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of metals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the SEC.

Contact: Robert Reynolds (800) 709-1196

View post:

First Liberty Power Further Progress Towards Fencemaker Production

WSJ Columnist Goes Bonkers On Rand Paul For ‘Loathsome,’ ‘Liberationist’ Streak Of Libertarianism

Posted on by

If the last week has made anything clear about the Wall Street Journal editorial board, its that they sure do not like Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and his libertarian-leaning views on civil liberties.

Last Monday, the paper ran an editorial column lashing Sen. Paul and other libertarian-ish legislators who keep insisting that the U.S. homeland is not part of the terror battlefield in the wake of the Boston bombings. The editorial board asserted that Paul, several GOP colleagues, and anti-antiterror types on the left were making the U.S. more vulnerable by defending the bombing suspects right to due process and to be tried as a citizen of the United States.

And then this Saturday, Journal editorial writer Dorothy Rabinowitz took to the papers web show to offer up what can only be described as a trashing of the Kentucky senator.

Discussing the recent question du jour of whether Paul contradicted himself by suggesting in the wake of the Boston attacks that hed be fine with police using domestic drones to defuse active shooter situations, Rabinowitz opted for a wholly cynical analysis over a simple yes or no:

What hes for is himself and his changes in the presidential sweepstake. But if you roll back the tape to that filibuster, that extraordinary performance where he is Mr. Smith goes to Washington [in a mock Southern drawl] Im just a po boy chewin ma Snickers bar here and remember that he draped himself in the Constitution and he kept presenting this utterly false picture of people being cut down by their swimming pools by American drones. Can this happen? None of this could conceivably ever happen. But its that slippery slope that people like Rand Paul and their liberationist, anti-government frenzy like to paint.

So, she believes, he changed his position after Boston because he realized hed better be on the side of protection and surveillance.

The host then changed the subject to fire off a loaded question about whether Sen. Paul and others who believe in this theory of libertarianism that we have to give [domestic terrorists] every protection are engaging in a dangerous point of view.

Surprise! Rabinowitz agreed. Not only is the view that the younger Tsarnaev brother shouldnt be tried as an enemy combatant dangerous, it is also loathsome, she said. Loathsome because it represents the streak of libertarianism that Rand Paul represents one that she fears will push him into contention.

The two then engaged in a little banter about how Rand Pauls immigration policy puts him at odds with libertarianism, willfully (and disdainfully) neglecting the fact that Rand Paul himself has shrugged the libertarian label. It really shouldnt surprise anyone that the senator is more of what wed call a conservatarian, given his socially conservative views on multiple issues, and the fact that, indeed, he is not for a much less restrictive immigration system like most libertarians are.

But, putting facts aside, this becomes a little bit of a punching-bag situation for the two WSJ talkers. Because Rand Paul doesnt conform 100-percent to what they believe is libertarianism, he is an opportunist and a hypocrite not just, you know, a politician who never once professed to be purely libertarian.

See the original post here:

WSJ Columnist Goes Bonkers On Rand Paul For ‘Loathsome,’ ‘Liberationist’ Streak Of Libertarianism

Rights group launches tourism boycott of Andaman Islands over 'human safaris'

Posted on by

The tribal rights groups, Survival International, on Tuesday launched a tourism boycott of Andaman Islands urging tourists not to visit the Islands until the ``degrading practice of ``human safaris was stopped.

It said that hundreds of tourists from India and around the world travelled along the illegal Andaman Trunk Road every day to ogle at members of the Jarawa tribe treating them like animals in a safari park.

The tours have been widely condemned both in India and around the world Earlier this year, the Supreme Court banned tourists from the road for seven weeks reducing the traffic along the Andaman Trunk Road by two-thirds. But the ban was lifted after the Islands authorities changed their own regulations in order to let the human safaris continue, the organisation said.

It said it was calling on the 200,000 tourists visiting the islands every year to stay away until an alternative sea route was put in place. It had also written to more than 200 international travel operators urging them to stop their tours to the Andaman Islands.

The Andaman Government is arguing that the road is a necessary lifeline for the north of the islands. It is nonsense: in fact, theres no reason for the road. The route by boat is faster, more convenientand cheaper for islanders, so providing an alternative sea route is better for locals, tourists, and the Jarawa alike. There will be no end to these degrading human safaris until tourists stop using the road, and well continue the boycott until that happens, Survivals director Stephen Corry said.

View original post here:

Rights group launches tourism boycott of Andaman Islands over 'human safaris'

Solomon Islands Govt Supports WPNCL Full Membership of MSG

Posted on by

The Government of Solomon Islands Supports WPNCL Full Membership of MSG

24th April 2013

During the meeting with Prime Minister of Solomon Island, Rt.Hon.Gordon Darcy Lilo MP on 24th April. It becomes apparent that the government of Solomon Islands will support to put West Papua on the agenda for the next MSG meeting in Noumea in June this year and Full Membership of the WPNCL to MSG.

West Papuan delegation consisted of Dr. Otto Ondawame, Vice Chairman of the WPNCL, Mr.Rex Rumakiek-Secretary General of the WPNCL and Mr. Andy Ayamiseba, Head WPNCL Mission to Vanuatu. But Mr. Barak T Sope Maautamate, the former Prime Minister of Vanuatu and adviser to the WPNCl could not come this time for technical reasons.

In his opening remarks, Dr Ondawame express his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Government and people of Solomon Islands for their endless support given to the aspiration of Independence of the people of West Papua. And also their support for full membership of WPNCL in the MSG.

On 25th April, the delegation met Speaker of the Parliament, Sir Allen Kemakeza. The speaker expressed his full support for the plight of the people of West Papua and committed to raising the issue in the Solomon Islands Parliament. At the meting, the delegation asked for Solomon Islands Parliament to support the call for West Papua becomes Melanesian issue.

Prime Minister Of The Solomon Islands Assured Wpncl Of Support For MSG Membeship. Rt. Hon. Prime Minister. Gordon Dalcy Lilo met a delegation from the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation on 24 April 3013. The leaders of WPNCL were in the country to seek Solomon Islands support for their application to become member of the MSG. The delegation is consisted of Dr. John Otto Ondawame, Vice Chairman, Mr. Rex Rumakiek, Secretary General and Mr. Andy Ayamiseba, Head of WPNCL Mission to Vanuatu. Two other members of the delegation, Ms. Paula Makabory, human rights activist and Mr. Barak T. Sope Maautamate, former Prime Minister and adviser to WPNCL could not join the delegation due to technical problems. The delegation was, accompanied by Mr. Ian Ronnie, President of Solomons for West Papua Group.

PM Lilo assured the visiting Papuan leaders of his support for West Papua to become a member of the MSG. He further stated that he will request the inclusion of West Papua on the agenda of next MSG summit in Noumea. PM. LIlo ALSO stressed the need for Melanesian countries to assist fellow Melanesians of West Papua to achieve their right of self-determination peacefully. He reiterated the fact that the West Papuan struggle has taken 50 yeas; it is time to resolve it he said.

On behalf of WPNCL and the people of West Papua Dr. John Otto Ondawame stated, I would like to express our gratitude and sincere appreciation to you and the people of the Solomon Islands for your continuing support to our struggle for self-determination and independence. Dr. Ondawame also stated that being a member with the support of MSG is crucial for WPNCL efforts to take the issue back to the United Nations.

PM Lilo agreed that the UN solution should be the ultimate agenda because self-determination for West Papua as stipulated in 1969 is incomplete. The International community must be made aware of this fact.

Read this article:

Solomon Islands Govt Supports WPNCL Full Membership of MSG

Islands facing fascinating poll

Posted on by

30 April 2013 Last updated at 04:51 ET By Denis Nightingale BBC Radio Cornwall

The election for the Council of the Isles of Scilly on 2 May is the most fascinating in the islands' history.

A year of political turmoil is ending on the main island of St Mary's, with 18 candidates battling it out for 13 seats.

And, for the first time, two of the candidates are tied to a political party, hoping to end the tradition of every councillor being an independent.

Another seven seats will be contested between the other populated islands - or off-islands, as they are known.

It has not been an easy 12 months for the council. The suspension of the head teacher of the Five Islands School - the only school on Scilly - brought accusations of the council overstepping its authority.

The accusations were strongly denied but inflamed passions among islanders - so much so that a number of new candidates have come forward with a declared aim of "ousting the old guard".

The early retirement of the council's long-serving chief executive, Philip Hygate, means an immediate and vital task for the new council will be to find his replacement.

The interim chief, former Plymouth City Council head Barry Keel, has been brought in for six months to see how the council should be changed.

Is it overloaded with personnel, as some critics claim? Is it too secretive, as others believe? Does it handle its budget effectively? What about the islands' airport, which has nearly run out of funds?

See the original post:

Islands facing fascinating poll

Disputed islands covered by US-Japan accord: Hagel

Posted on by

WASHINGTON - Islands at the center of a territorial row between Japan and China are covered by a military protection accord between Washington and Tokyo, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday.

"The United States does not take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands, but we do recognize they are under the administration of Japan and fall under our security treaty obligations," Hagel said at a news conference with his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera.

Hagel's comments came amid rising tension over the uninhabited islands known in Japan as the Senkakus and in China as the Diaoyus.

On April 23, Japan's prime minister vowed to "expel by force" any Chinese landing on the islands after a flotilla sailed into the disputed waters in the East China Sea.

The Chinese flotilla was the biggest to do so in a single day since Japan nationalized part of the island chain -- which is surrounded by rich fisheries and believed to harbor vast natural resources below the seabed -- in September.

Calling the dispute a key regional security challenge, Hagel said it "must be resolved peacefully and cooperatively between the parties involved."

Washington "opposes any unilateral or coercive action that seeks to undermine Japan's administrative control," he said, in reference to the recent Chinese actions.

"Any actions that could raise tensions or lead to miscalculations affect the stability of the entire region."

In the talks with Hagel, Onodera said he "explained Japan's basic position that the islands are clearly an inherent part of the territory of Japan in light of historical facts and based upon international law, and that Japan is determined to protect its land, water and air."

Turning to North Korea, the Pentagon chief said the isolated country's "provocative behavior" was "the most obvious threat to stability in the region."

Go here to see the original:

Disputed islands covered by US-Japan accord: Hagel

Islands Souvenirs opens in Dumaguete

Posted on by

ISLANDS Souvenirs has expanded its presence with the opening of its newest franchise outlet in Robinsons Place Dumaguete last April 18.

Islands Souvenirs, a subsidiary of The Islands Group, unveiled the new look of their kiosks showcasing the vibrant and fun appeal of the brand and at the same time initiating, through its design, the companys advocacy for love of place.

More than being a brand that is considered as a veritable force in various aspects of tourism, Islands Souvenirs is a brand that takes pride in being local," Raymond Migabon, franchise head of The Islands Group said.

"Dumaguete is a beautiful place not only because of its historical landmarks, great outdoor activities, and best restaurants, but most importantly, because of its famously friendly people. This is exactly why Islands Souvenirs would like to expand through franchising here. As soon as weve announced the opening of our branch in Dumaguete, we have received positive feedback especially from the locals," Migabon added.

Islands Souvenirs Dumaguete offers the phenomenal I Heart personalized shirts and Dumaguete destination designs which highlight the iconic spots and tourism activities in the area. Now, anyone can take a piece of Negros with them.

Opening this May is Islands Souvenirs Dipolog. For Islands Souvenirs franchise information visit http://www.theislandsgroup.com or e-mail franchise@theislandsgroup.com.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on May 01, 2013.

See more here:

Islands Souvenirs opens in Dumaguete

JCI Accredits 500th Health Care Organization

Posted on by

OAK BROOK, Ill., April 30, 2013 /CNW/ - With accreditation of its 500th health care organization, Joint Commission International has solidified its claim as a preeminent global accreditor of health care quality and patient safety.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130429/DC02732LOGO)

Through its accreditation and certification activities, JCI monitors and supports organizations in 53 countries speaking 28 languages.

"We are a community of the world's best health care organizations committed to delivering the best care possible," says Paula Wilson, president and CEO, Joint Commission International.

Since 2008, JCI has experienced an average of 20 percent annual growth in the number of health care organizations it accredits. JCI leadership sees this steady increase as evidence of an accelerating movement toward a worldwide standard of excellence in the delivery of health care services.

A voluntary process, JCI offers accreditation programs for hospitals, clinical laboratories, long term care, home care, medical transport, ambulatory care, primary care, and academic medical centers, and certification for 15 disease- or condition-specific clinical care programs.

Since its beginning in 1994, JCI accreditation has been accepted as a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization's commitment to doing the right things in the right way. JCI's thorough accreditation process focuses on determining whether a health care organization has the right systems and processes in place to support high quality and safe patient care. Accreditation and advisory services are supported by regional offices in Dubai and Singapore.

"Although local needs vary and diverse cultures present unique challenges, JCI stands alone as a beacon for patient safety and quality improvement in the global community," says Paul vanOstenberg, D.D.S., vice president, International Accreditation, Standards and Measurement, Joint Commission International.

JCI is accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), a designation that provides assurance that the standards, surveyor training, and accreditation processes used by JCI meet the highest international principles for accrediting bodies.

For more information about JCI, visit http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org or email jciaccreditation@jcrinc.com.

Read more:

JCI Accredits 500th Health Care Organization

Obama administration simplifies health care form

Posted on by

This April 10, 2013 file photo shows Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner speaking during a news conference at the Health and Humans Services (HHS) Department in Washington, Wednesday, April 10, 2013, to discuss the Health Department's fiscal 2014 budget.

Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press

Enlarge photo

WASHINGTON The first draft was as mind-numbing as a tax form. Tuesday the Obama administration unveiled simplified application forms for health insurance benefits coming next year under the federal health care overhaul.

The biggest change: a five-page short form that single people can fill out. That total includes a cover page with instructions, and an extra page to fill out if you want to designate someone to help you through the process.

But the application form for families still runs to 12 pages, although most households will not have to fill out each and every page.

The paperwork takes on added importance because Americans remain confused about what President Barack Obama's health care overhaul will mean for them. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Tuesday found that 4 in 10 are unaware it's the law of the land. Some think it's been repealed by Congress, but in fact, it's still on track.

At his news conference Tuesday, Obama hailed the simplified forms as an example of how his team listened to criticism from consumer groups and made a fix. The law's benefits will be available to all Americans, he emphasized, even if Republicans in Congress still insist on repeal, and many GOP governors won't help put it into place.

When the first draft of the application turned out to be a clunker, "immediately, everybody sat around the table and said, 'Well, this is too long, especially...in this age of the Internet,'" Obama recounted. "'People aren't going to have the patience to sit there for hours on end. Let's streamline this thing.'"

His administration is open to making improvements, Obama added: "Those kinds of refinements, we're going to be working on."

See original here:

Obama administration simplifies health care form

Examples Of Genetic Engineering: Bizarre Yet Beneficial Uses Of Modern Biotech

Posted on by

April 29, 2013

Rayshell Clapper for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

After learning about human genetic engineering, many readers might want to find out about some examples of genetic engineering. Both bizarre and beneficial, the following article highlights some truly fascinating and pragmatic examples of modern genetic engineering.

The Biotechnology Forums, a website for professionals and students in biotechnology (the area that studies genetic engineering) recently explained some of these examples. The first animal example of genetic engineering is the spider goat. Yes, you read that correctly. A spider goat is able to produce the strong, stretchable silk used by spiders to create their webs. This silk web is one of the strongest natural materials known to man, stronger even than steel.

Nexia Biotechnologies Company inserted the gene from a golden orb-weaver spider into the genome of goat in such a way that the goat secretes the protein of the spider web in its milk. The milk was then used to create a what Nexia called (and trademarked) BioSteel, a material with characteristics similar to spider webs.

Beyond goats capable of secreting spider webs in their milk, there are a number of other really cool examples of genetic engineering in animals. In one redOrbit blog, this author reported about a cat that glows in the dark. The glow-in-the-dark feline has a fluorescence gene that makes it glow under an ultraviolet light. As the Biotechnology Forum outlines, here is how South Korean scientists first created the glowing cat in 2007:

They took skin cells from Turkish Angora female cat (species that were originally tamed by Tatars, but was later transferred to Turkey and is now considered the countrys national treasure), and using the virus they inserted the genetic code for the production of red fluorescent protein. Then they put genetically modified nuclei into eggs for cloning and such cloned embryos are returned to the donor cat. It thus became the surrogate mothers own clones.

And why make a cat that glows in the dark? The researchers explained that this was no frivolous experiment and that potential benefits exist in medicine for treating and testing for human diseases caused by genetic disorders. And just today, researchers in Uruguay announced that they had successfully created a genetically modified glowing sheep. Though not directly applicable to medical technology, the researchers had this to say about the purpose of their research: Our focus is generating knowledge, make it public so the scientific community can be informed and help in the long run march to generate tools so humans can live better, but were not out in the market to sell technology.

Moving on, two other good example are the less-flatulent cow and the so-called Ecopig. As Mother Nature Network explains, cows produce a lot of methane gas, which is second only to carbon dioxide in contributing to the greenhouse effect. So scientists at the University of Alberta identified the bacteria responsible for producing methane and designed a breed of cows that create 25 percent less methane than the average cow. This is one genetic engineering example that directly and practically addresses one of the major problems facing modern man.

The Ecopig (aka enviropig or Frankenswine) is yet another of the many examples of genetic engineering that positively contribute to the environment. The Ecopig has been genetically altered to better digest and process phosphorus. The reason is that pig dung is high in phytate, a form of phosphorous that farmers use it as fertilizer but which over stimulates the growth of algae which can deplete oxygen in the watersheds and thus kill marine life. The Ecopig has been genetically modified by adding E. Coli and mouse DNA to the pig embryo, which reduce the pigs phosphorous output by about 70 percent.

Read this article:

Examples Of Genetic Engineering: Bizarre Yet Beneficial Uses Of Modern Biotech

Gene therapy to repair failing hearts starts trial

Posted on by

More than 200 people with heart failure are to receive a pioneering form of gene therapy to try to get their hearts beating properly again. "This is the first ever gene therapy trial to target heart failure," says lead investigator Alexander Lyon of Imperial College London.

Heart failure results after damage to the heart muscle causes it to deteriorate, which in turn progressively weakens cells that govern heartbeat. The result is serious fatigue due to the heart's inability to pump blood efficiently. Each year in the UK alone it affects 120,000 people who have never had the condition before, killing a third of them within 12 months.

Doctors will inject participants with harmless viruses that ferry a gene called SERCA2a into their heart muscle. The gene codes for a protein that recycles calcium within heart muscle cells, vital for driving each heartbeat and priming the next one.

In damaged cells, this recycling is impaired. By loading new copies of the gene the aim is to compensate for this decline. "The gene therapy will reset the calcium control," says Lyon.

A preliminary trial of the same therapy three years ago in 39 people demonstrated that it is safe and delivers benefits. Those who got the highest dose of the virus, for example, spent only a tenth as long in hospital as those given a placebo (Circulation, doi.org/bzvxst). The impending follow-up trial will recruit 200 people split equally between the US and Europe.

In a separate trial of the same therapy, doctors will treat 24 people who already have temporary mechanical implants to aid heartbeat while they await heart transplants.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

See the original post:

Gene therapy to repair failing hearts starts trial

Gene therapy to offer up to 1m heart patients new lease of life

Posted on by

The first attempt in Britain to treat heart failure patients with gene therapy is to begin within weeks, as part of study aimed at improving the lives of up to a million people in the UK who suffer the debilitating and potentially fatal condition.

Click HERE to view 'how to treat a failing heart' graphic

Two clinical trials are planned for a few dozen British patients who will be deliberately exposed to a virus carrying a synthetic copy of a human gene known to be involved in boosting heartbeat.

The first trial will be carried out at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Glasgow. The patients will be part of a group of 200 from around the world who will have the virus injected via a cardiac catheter inserted through a vein in the leg. A second trial at the Harefield and Papworth hospitals will be based entirely within the UK and involve 24 patients with chronic heart failure who are already fitted with an "artificial heart" known as a left ventricular assist device, which helps to pump blood around the body.

The aim in both trials is to inject additional copies of a healthy gene, known to be responsible for a key protein involved in regulating the rhythmic contraction of the heart muscle. It is hoped that the extra genes will remain active within a patient's heart for many months or even years.

Scientists believe the approach could lead to a significant improvement in the efficiency of the diseased heart to pump blood around the body so improving the quality of life of thousands of patients with progressive heart failure who develop serious ailments as well as severe fatigue.

Scientists warned that it will still be several years before the technique can be made widely available. They do not want to raise hopes unduly as many previous gene therapy trials on patients with a range of other illnesses have failed to live up to expectations.

However, the heart researchers said they are optimistic that the gene technique will improve the quality of life in at least some of the patients, who would otherwise suffer deteriorating health and life expectancy a third of patients die within a year of diagnosis.

"Once heart failure starts, it progresses into a vicious cycle where the pumping becomes weaker and weaker, as each heart cell simply cannot respond to the increased demand," said Alexander Lyon, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton.

"Our goal is to fight back against heart failure by targeting and reversing some of the critical molecular changes arising in the heart when it fails."

Follow this link:

Gene therapy to offer up to 1m heart patients new lease of life

Gene therapy to offer heart patients new lease of life

Posted on by

The first attempt in Britain to treat heart failure patients with gene therapy is to begin within weeks, as part of study aimed at improving the lives of up to a million people in the UK who suffer the debilitating and potentially fatal condition.

Click HERE to view 'how to treat a failing heart' graphic

Two clinical trials are planned for a few dozen British patients who will be deliberately exposed to a virus carrying a synthetic copy of a human gene known to be involved in boosting heartbeat.

The first trial will be carried out at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Glasgow. The patients will be part of a group of 200 from around the world who will have the virus injected via a cardiac catheter inserted through a vein in the leg. A second trial at the Harefield and Papworth hospitals will be based entirely within the UK and involve 24 patients with chronic heart failure who are already fitted with an "artificial heart" known as a left ventricular assist device, which helps to pump blood around the body.

The aim in both trials is to inject additional copies of a healthy gene, known to be responsible for a key protein involved in regulating the rhythmic contraction of the heart muscle. It is hoped that the extra genes will remain active within a patient's heart for many months or even years.

Scientists believe the approach could lead to a significant improvement in the efficiency of the diseased heart to pump blood around the body so improving the quality of life of thousands of patients with progressive heart failure who develop serious ailments as well as severe fatigue.

Scientists warned that it will still be several years before the technique can be made widely available. They do not want to raise hopes unduly as many previous gene therapy trials on patients with a range of other illnesses have failed to live up to expectations.

However, the heart researchers said they are optimistic that the gene technique will improve the quality of life in at least some of the patients, who would otherwise suffer deteriorating health and life expectancy a third of patients die within a year of diagnosis.

"Once heart failure starts, it progresses into a vicious cycle where the pumping becomes weaker and weaker, as each heart cell simply cannot respond to the increased demand," said Alexander Lyon, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton.

"Our goal is to fight back against heart failure by targeting and reversing some of the critical molecular changes arising in the heart when it fails."

Go here to read the rest:

Gene therapy to offer heart patients new lease of life