Monthly Archives: July 2016

Symposium highlights new research by industry leaders seeking first treatment for Friedreichs ataxia Hosted by FARA and the USF Ataxia Research Center, the annual scientific symposium emphasizes a patient-centered approach to research For the first time in its seven-year history, the Friedreichs Ataxia Scientific Symposium brought together several pharmaceutical industry leaders to discuss preclinical and clinical studies. The companies are all attacking Friedreichs ataxia (FA) on different fronts with the same goal in mind: to get the first treatment for the rare, but devastating, neuromuscular disease approved and on the market as soon as possible. The Sept. 17 symposium, hosted by the Friedreichs Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) and the USF Ataxia Research Center, drew an audience totaling more than 500, both live at the USF Marshall Center Ballroom and viewing the event in real-time through Ustreams CureFA channel. The symposium featured a discussion by leading representatives of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies working with FARA and academia to conduct new research attacking Friedreichs ataxia on several fronts. Representatives and supporters of FARA, the research community, and patient and their families many whom attended FARAs Energy Ball gala on Saturday evening, Sept. 19 were welcomed by USF President Judy Genshaft. The translational … Continue reading →

Rating: Amazon Price: $35.99 $35.99 (as of November 13, 2015 2:48 pm Details). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Genetic engineering has become a polarizing issue for political parties as well as ordinary citizens. Some people think it is progressive science that will help humanity deal with such world-wide problems as famine and disease. Other people strongly disagree. They say the effects of genetic engineering on the environment and public health make it a danger. There is also an on-going debate about the ethics of manipulating nature to such a degree. Making sense of the issues involves looking at the facts, studying the statistics, examining the laws, and listening to views on all sides of the debate. It also means asking tough questions: * Does an individual actually own their DNA? * Is animal experimentation worthwhile if it potentially saves human lives? * Is genetic engineering `Playing God'? * Are there health risks to eating genetically modified foods? To answer these questions, this book looks at the … Continue reading →

Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in the US, with one person dying every 4 minutes as a result. Approximately 800,000 people have a stroke each year; about one every 40 seconds. Only heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases are more deadly.1-3 Strokes occur due to problems with the blood supply to the brain; either the blood supply is blocked or a blood vessel within the brain ruptures. A stroke is a medical emergency, and treatment must be sought as quickly as possible. There are three main kinds of stroke: You will also see introductions at the end of some sections to any recent developments that have been covered by MNT's news stories. Also look out for links to information about related conditions. Fast facts on stroke Here are some key points about stroke. More detail and supporting information is in the main article. Stroke occurs when the supply of blood to the brain is either interrupted or reduced. When this happens, the brain does not get enough oxygen or nutrients which causes brain cells to die. There are three main kinds of stroke; ischemic, hemorrhagic and TIA. This article will focus on ischemic and hemorrhagic … Continue reading →

Background and PurposeThe utility of computed tomographic perfusion (CTP)based patient selection for intra-arterial treatment of acute ischemic stroke has not been proven in randomized trials and requires further study in a cohort that was not selected based on CTP. Our objective was to study the relationship between CTP-derived parameters and outcome and treatment effect in patients with acute ischemic stroke because of a proximal intracranial arterial occlusion. MethodsWe included 175 patients who underwent CTP in the Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in The Netherlands (MR CLEAN). Association of CTP-derived parameters (ischemic-core volume, penumbra volume, and percentage ischemic core) with outcome was estimated with multivariable ordinal logistic regression as an adjusted odds ratio for a shift in the direction of a better outcome on the modified Rankin Scale. Interaction between CTP-derived parameters and treatment effect was determined using multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Interaction with treatment effect was also tested for mismatch (core 1.2; penumbra core >10 mL). ResultsThe adjusted odds ratio for improved functional outcome for ischemic core, percentage ischemic core, and penumbra were 0.79 per 10 mL (95% confidence interval: 0.710.89; P … Continue reading →

November 6, 2015 Micrograph showing cortical pseudolaminar necrosis, a finding seen in strokes on medical imaging and at autopsy. H&E-LFB stain. Credit: Nephron/Wikipedia A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) developed system for determining which patients with severe strokes are most likely to benefit from catheter-based systems for blood clot removal led to a greater percentage of screened patients receiving treatment and to outcomes similar to recent studies that found significant treatment benefits. In their paper published online in JAMA Neurology, the research team reports how the precision of their classification system, which combines diffusion MRI with key clinical characteristics, more than doubled the percentage of screened patients who were assigned to and probably benefited from treatment. "Endovascular therapy has been proven to be effective and superior to other approaches for the treatment of severe strokes caused by the blockage of large brain arteries," says Gilberto Gonzlez, MD, PhD, director of Neuroradiology in the MGH Department of Radiology and senior author of the JAMA Neurology paper. "The critical question has been how to optimize its use to benefit the most patients while minimizing any harm. It appears that the MGH approach to patient selection is superior to other approaches and may be … Continue reading →