Monthly Archives: February 2012

Multiple Sclerosis treatment a challenge in India? – Video

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

20-02-2012 23:55 One in a lakh Indians is thought to suffer from multiple sclerosis, a life-long disorder of the nervous system. Support groups are lobbying to bring the disease under the Disability Act, and are fighting for insurance cover. ibnlive.com See the article here: Multiple Sclerosis treatment a challenge in India? - Video … Continue reading →

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Cleveland Clinic physician receives prominent award for outstanding contributions to MS research

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Public release date: 21-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Dan Doron dorond@ccf.org 216-636-5874 Cleveland Clinic Tuesday, February 21, 2012, Cleveland: Richard Ransohoff, M.D., a Cleveland Clinic physician and a researcher in the Neurosciences Department of Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, has been awarded the 2012 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research. The award ? presented by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society since 1995 ? is given annually to one recipient, recognizing "outstanding contributions to research in the understanding, treatment, or prevention of multiple sclerosis" and "significant and exciting work that has influenced how we think about multiple sclerosis." Dr. Ransohoff's most recent contributions to the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) include the discovery that MS can progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its interior. Aiming to lower the risk/benefit ratio of multiple sclerosis therapy, he has also recently developed an experimental model that allowed his group to identify a novel mechanism for harmful infiltration of white blood cells into the central nervous system. With increased understanding of this process and how it is regulated, new therapeutic targets are possible. "It is an honor to receive this award, … Continue reading →

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Cognitive rehabilitation improves brain performance in patients with MS

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Public release date: 22-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America OAK BROOK, Ill. ? In a new study published in the March issue of Radiology, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that cognitive rehabilitation changes brain function and improves cognitive performance in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). "These results prompt the use of specific computer-based rehabilitation programs to treat deficits in selected neuropsychological domains in patients with relapsing-remitting MS," said the study's lead author, Massimo Filippi, M.D., professor of neurology at the San Raffaele Vita-Salute University and director of the "BrainMap" interdepartmental research program and the Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. "They also suggest that fMRI might provide useful metrics to monitor the effects of rehab in MS." MS is a nervous system disease affecting the brain and spinal cord. MS damages a material called the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve cells. This damage disrupts messages between the brain and other parts of the body, leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness, coordination and balance difficulties, numbness, problems with vision, memory loss and other cognitive issues. MS affects women more … Continue reading →

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Qatari students to present research on stem cells

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Research on the potential of stem cells in preventing ovarian cancer, obesity-related diseases and other serious illnesses affecting people in Qatar and the region is to be presented by three Qatari graduate students at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy next week. The conference is organised by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy. It will provide an international platform to discuss the latest discoveries in stem cell research and collaborate on new therapeutic approaches for the use of stem cells, within an acceptable ethics, cultural and religious framework. The students are part of QF’s Qatar Science Leadership Programme (QSLP), and their participation in the conference is considered an important part of their training.  With more than 400 registered participants, including key ethicists and scientists in stem cell research, the conference provides students invaluable opportunities for exchanging knowledge and building relationships with top figures and leading regional and international institutions in the field. QSLP, aims to equip rising Qatari generations for leading roles in the country’s scientific and research endeavours, with stem cell research as a national priority. Qatari QSLP trainee and PhD student from … Continue reading →

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Stem cell implants boost monkeys with Parkinson's

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Monkeys suffering from Parkinson's disease show a marked improvement when human embryonic stem cells are implanted in their brains, in what a Japanese researcher said Wednesday was a world first. A team of scientists transplanted the stem cells into four primates that were suffering from the debilitating disease. The monkeys all had violent shaking in their limbs -- a classic symptom of Parkinson's disease -- and were unable to control their bodies, but began to show improvements in their motor control after about three months, Kyoto University associate professor Jun Takahashi told AFP. About six months after the transplant, the creatures were able to walk around their cages, he said. "Clear improvements were confirmed in their movement," he said. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological illness linked to a decrease in dopamine production in the brain. There is currently no medical solution to this drop off in a key neurotransmitter. The condition, which generally affects older people, gained wider public recognition when Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox revealed he was a sufferer. Takahashi said at the time of the implant about 35 percent of the stem cells had already grown into dopamine neuron cells, with around 10 percent still alive … Continue reading →

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Doctors Revive the Simplest Genetic Test

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

By Christopher Weaver All the hype around genetic testing?has?doctors worried they’ve overlooked the most basic — and for now, the most effective — genomic tool at their disposal: A few questions about their patients? families. As the WSJ reports today, British researchers showed that by systematically collecting detailed family history from patients, they boosted the number of patients at high risk for heart disease detected by standard assessment tools from 12% to 18%. Catching more high-risk patients would mean doctors could better steer preventive care that could avert heart attacks. “In the genomic revolution, we?ve forgotten basic family history as a tool,” says Donna Arnett, a genetic epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the president-elect of the American Heart Association. “I practice genetic epidemiology and look for genetic markers, but by far, the most important thing we can do in the prevention of heart disease is to identify family history,” says Arnett, who was not involved in the latest research. The study, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, pushed patients to fill out detailed questionnaires — which asked, for instance, the age relatives suffered heart disease — and went far beyond the checked boxes most … Continue reading →

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A breakthrough in understanding the biology and treatment of ovarian cancer

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Public release date: 21-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Dr. Ian Zagon isz1@psu.edu Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have discovered that the presence and integrity of the opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr), which mediates the inhibitory action of opioid growth factor (OGF) on cell proliferation, is a key to understanding the progression and treatment of human ovarian cancer. Transplantation of human ovarian cancer cells that were molecularly engineered to have a reduced expression of OGFr, into immunocompromised mice resulted in ovarian tumors that grew rapidly. This discovery, reported in the February 2012 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides fresh new insights into the pathogenesis and therapy of a lethal cancer that is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in the USA, and has a death rate that is unchanged for over 75 years. The OGF (also-termed [Met5]-enkephalin)-OGFr axis plays a fundamental role in cancer, development, and cellular renewal by regulating cell proliferation. An important question addressed in this study relates to the requirement of this peptide-receptor system for the progression of carcinogenesis. Human ovarian cancer cell lines that were genetically modified to … Continue reading →

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Letters to the Editor Feb. 18, 2012

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Widely prescribed drug for dogs has potentially lethal side-effect We all know that the big drug companies are not always truly honest with us regarding the potential side effects of their medications, and this is true for medications for dogs also. There is one drug for arthritis in dogs, Rimadyl, that is being widely prescribed in Crescent City. But what you are not being told is that one potential side-effect could be the death of your dog. I’ve done a lot of research on this drug and I will not give it to my dog. I’d like to offer for all who might be interested some links that are providing information about the risks of using Rimadyl. There are  thepetguardian.com/html/kpho_phoenix_-_dog_drug_may_be.html  and srdogs.com/ Pages/rimadylfr.html (this site also included a link on the side panel that shares the stories of some horrible deaths of dogs that may have resulted from Rimadyl. Very difficult to read for any dog lover.) Another is pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ doghealth2/ (a yahoo group of over 1,400 dog lovers.) If you’d like more information, please feel free to e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Leah L. Ward … Continue reading →

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Drugs hope for memory improvement

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

Drugs that improve connections between nerve cells in the brain may be able to improve people's memory and help understand disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, scientists have revealed. A new study, published in the journal PLoS Biology, found that when a protein used to strengthen synapses in the brain was given to rats, it improved their ability to learn and retain information. The study, led by doctors Jose A Esteban, Shira Knafo and Cesar Venero, is the result of collaboration between researchers at The Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa at the Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED) in Spain; the Brain Mind Institute at the Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland; and the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Denmark. They looked at the connections, or synapses, which control cognitive function, and the way they change in strength and properties - known as synaptic plasticity. Alterations in synaptic plasticity, suggested to be the cellular basis for learning and memory, are thought to be responsible for multiple cognitive deficits such as autism and Alzheimer's disease. The new study looked at how synaptic plasticity can be manipulated to improve cognitive performance. Scientists … Continue reading →

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FDA Slows Shortages of Two Cancer Drugs

Posted: Published on February 22nd, 2012

The Food and Drug Administration, along with private manufacturers, announced efforts on Tuesday that they say will stave off shortages for two cancer drugs. The FDA sped up approval of a new formulation of methotrexate, a drug used to treat children’s cancer, made by  APP Pharmaceutical. It said another company that makes the drug, Hospira, had pushed out extra doses to address the ongoing shortage. The FDA also said it would temporarily allow imports of an Indian-made drug called Lipodox, which is not yet approved in the United States but can be used as a substitute to cover shortages of the cancer drug Doxil. “Temporary importation of unapproved foreign drugs is considered in rare cases when there is a shortage of an approved drug that is critical to patients and the shortage cannot be resolved in a timely fashion with FDA-approved drugs,” the FDA said in a statement. “We must aggressively address the often life-threatening challenge of drug shortages,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said at a news conference. “The FDA has been actively and aggressively working with industry … to ensure treatment and therapies get into the hand of those who need them, when they need them.” In an unusually coordinated … Continue reading →

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