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New blood signature analysis may help diagnose Parkinsons disease earlier

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

A new blood test may more accurately identify blood signatures, or biomarkers, for Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study published in the journal Movement Disorders. The study, conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai and funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, applies a new approach to looking for blood biomarkers for both patients with and without a known genetic risk factor for PD. This paper is the fourth in a series that report new computational techniques to improve the identification of reliable blood biomarkers. While biomarkers -- such as bad cholesterol level in the case of heart disease -- hasten diagnoses by offering accurate measures of disease progression, there are currently no fully validated biomarkers for PD. The Mount Sinai study analyzed the blood of four groups of mice with genetic material (e.g. ribonucleic acids or RNA) predicted by researchers to form part of a PD signature. Researchers also examined the blood of a group of Ashkenazi Jewish patients living with PD, as well as a separate group of healthy controls. About half of the human subjects -- both symptomatic PD patients and healthy controls -- have small changes in their DNA code called mutations, … Continue reading →

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New Blood Signature Analysis May Help Diagnose Parkinson's Disease Earlier (PD)

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise (NEW YORK April 3, 2015) A new blood test may more accurately identify blood signatures, or biomarkers, for Parkinsons disease (PD), according to a new study published in the journal Movement Disorders. The study, conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai and funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research, applies a new approach to looking for blood biomarkers for both patients with and without a known genetic risk factor for PD. This paper is the fourth in a series that report new computational techniques to improve the identification of reliable blood biomarkers. While biomarkerssuch as bad cholesterol level in the case of heart diseasehasten diagnoses by offering accurate measures of disease progression, there are currently no fully validated biomarkers for PD. The Mount Sinai study analyzed the blood of four groups of mice with genetic material (e.g. ribonucleic acids or RNA) predicted by researchers to form part of a PD signature. Researchers also examined the blood of a group of Ashkenazi Jewish patients living with PD, as well as a separate group of healthy controls. About half of the human subjectsboth symptomatic PD patients and healthy controlshave small changes in … Continue reading →

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Deep Brain Stimulation To Help Dementia Patients

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University or NTU in Singapore discovered a new treatment method for memory retention in patients suffering from memory loss due to dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. Scientists Ajay Vyas of NTU's School of Biological Sciences and Lim Lee Wei of Sunway University, Malaysia used electrical impulses to specific areas for memory retention. NTU scientists said the new method has the potential to enhance growth of brain cells or neurons. When the front part of the brain is stimulated, with minute amounts of electricity, new brain cells are formed that help in memory retention. Increased number of neurons would result in reduction of anxiety and depression. Further, it helps in boosting overall memory formation, retention, and improved learning. The scientists said the regular treatment in dementia patients, using anti-depressants, do not respond in 60 per cent and the new research opens new doors for more effective treatment options. The study report was published in eLife journal. Dementia has been a disturbing and widespread issue to the modern world. Five million people in U.S. are suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, characterized by memory loss, speaking and writing issues, mood swings … Continue reading →

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New treatment for dementia discovered: Deep brain stimulation

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Pushing new frontiers in dementia research, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have found a new way to treat dementia by sending electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain to enhance the growth of new brain cells. Known as deep brain stimulation, it is a therapeutic procedure that is already used in some parts of the world to treat various neurological conditions such as tremors or Dystonia, which is characterised by involuntary muscle contractions and spasms. NTU scientists have discovered that deep brain stimulation could also be used to enhance the growth of brain cells which mitigates the harmful effects of dementia-related conditions and improves short and long-term memory. Their research has shown that new brain cells, or neurons, can be formed by stimulating the front part of the brain which is involved in memory retention using minute amounts of electricity. The increase in brain cells reduces anxiety and depression, and promotes improved learning, and boosts overall memory formation and retention. The research findings open new opportunities for developing novel treatment solutions for patients suffering from memory loss due to dementia-related conditions such as Alzheimer's and even Parkinson's disease. This discovery was published in eLife, a peer-reviewed open-access … Continue reading →

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Veterans, NFLers show similar brain injuries

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Story highlights The living brains of two ex-soldiers show damage similar to that of football players who have committed suicide Brain trauma is a "signature injury" of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has no cure "Your brain is throwing parties because you're home, you're alive," says Garcie. "So, it doesn't settle in right away." Now he's not sure what bothers him most: the fogginess of his brain, the anger that can erupt from nowhere or the deep, dark depressions he can't shake off. "One minute I'm in a good happy mood, everything is cool; the next minute I'm depressed," Garcie told CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. "I don't want to be around anybody, I want to isolate. Some days, I don't want to get out of bed." "We could walk around this town and everybody, 90% of these people, would say, 'Hey, Shane, hey,' " Garcie says about his hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana. "But it's not Shane. It looks like me, it walks like me, it talks like me, but it's not me because of the damage." Since 1984, Green Beret Tommy Shoemaker has served in many war theaters -- Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, … Continue reading →

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NTU scientists discover new treatment for dementia

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

New brain cells can be formed through deep brain stimulation, improving memory retention IMAGE:(from left) NTU scientists Dr Lee Wei Lim and Asst Prof Ajai Vyas discovers a new treatment for dementia by growing brain cells. view more Credit: NTU Singapore Pushing new frontiers in dementia research, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have found a new way to treat dementia by sending electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain to enhance the growth of new brain cells. Known as deep brain stimulation, it is a therapeutic procedure that is already used in some parts of the world to treat various neurological conditions such as tremors or Dystonia, which is characterised by involuntary muscle contractions and spasms. NTU scientists have discovered that deep brain stimulation could also be used to enhance the growth of brain cells which mitigates the harmful effects of dementia-related conditions and improves short and long-term memory. Their research has shown that new brain cells, or neurons, can be formed by stimulating the front part of the brain which is involved in memory retention using minute amounts of electricity. The increase in brain cells reduces anxiety and depression, and promotes improved learning, and boosts overall … Continue reading →

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Walk MS to be held April 11 at Texas Tech Memorial Circle

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Provided by Walk MS WHO & WHAT Hundreds of Lubbock residents and surrounding communities will step up to raise awareness and funds to support programs and services for over 68,000 Texans affected by multiple sclerosis, including more than 22,000 diagnosed with the disease, served by the National MS Society. The Society aims to raise $60,000 this year from Lubbock-area partners, donors and fundraisers to drive research for a cure and support programs and services that address the challenges of individuals living with MS. Walk MS: Lubbock 2015 features one mile and three mile route options as well as live entertainment and refreshments. For additional information, log on to walkms.org National MS Society representatives, volunteers and participants will be available for interviews preceding, during and after the event. WHEN & WHERE Sat., April 11, 2015 W. Memorial Circle Lubbock, TX 79409 Site opens at 9 a.m.; Walk begins at 10 a.m. Go here to see the original: Walk MS to be held April 11 at Texas Tech Memorial Circle … Continue reading →

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Stem cell research benefits Houston woman with multiple sclerosis

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

HOUSTON - It's a debate that puts many people's religious beliefs at odds with science. Medical breakthroughs have allowed doctors to use human stem cells to treat chronic diseases with incredible results, but even patients who benefit have reservations about how stem cells are harvested. Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating, progressive disease that typically only gets worse once a patient is diagnosed. But much to the surprise of many doctors, patient Debbie Bertrand's symptoms have improved instead of regressing. "The last time I walked into this building, I had to use the wheelchair," Bertrand said. "I couldn't even walk, so this is a big day for me." Bertrand uses a walker to visit Celltex -- a Houston company that has been preserving her stem cells since 2011. She was one of the first patients to receive breakthrough treatments using stem cells taken from fat cells, which are then reinjected into her body. "I had pretty high expectations, but I think they've exceeded anything I could've ever hoped for," Bertrand said. "My doctors are still blown away because you're never supposed to get better when you have MS. But my quality of life is just so much better." Bertrand's experience is … Continue reading →

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Research in the News: Tiny hair follicle offers big clues about the life and death of stem cells

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Inside the microscopic world of the mouse hair follicle, Yale Cancer Center researchers have discovered big clues about how stem cells regenerate and die. These findings, published April 6 in the journal Nature, could lead to a better understanding of how the stem cell pool is maintained or altered in tissues throughout the body. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that replenish themselves and, based on their tissue location, can become specialized cells such as blood or skin cells. The hair follicle is an ideal site for exploring stem cell behavior because it has distinct and predictable oscillations in the number and behavior of stem cells, said the studys lead author, Kailin R. Mesa, a third-year doctoral student in the lab of Valentina Greco, associate professor of genetics, cell biology, and dermatology. Using live microscopic imaging to track stem cell behavior in the skin of living mice, researchers observed that the stem cell niche, or surrounding area, plays a critical role in whether stem cells grow or die. Prior to this, it wasnt clear whether stem cell regulation was intrinsic or extrinsic, and now we know it is external in that the niche instructs the stem cells, Mesa said. In terms … Continue reading →

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Stem Cell Therapies on Mice Reduce Parkinson Symptoms

Posted: Published on April 6th, 2015

Brazilian researchers announced progress toward the use of implanted stem cells as a treatment for Parkinsons disease. Investigations at the DOR Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) report that their newly developed therapy reduced symptoms in mice. Using an FDA approved substance for treating stomach cancer, S.K. Rehen and colleagues were able to grow dopamine-producing neurons derived from embryonic stem cells. The cells remained healthy and functional for as long as 15 months after implantation into mice restoring motor function without forming tumors. Parkinsons, which affect as many 10 million people in the world, is caused by a depletion of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Current treatments include medications and electrical implants in the brain which causes severe adverse effects over time and fail to prevent disease progression. In the current study, researchers build upon past investigations that have indicated the transplantation of embryonic stem cells improves motor functions in animal models. However, until now, the procedure has shown to be unsafe, because of the risk of tumors upon transplantation. To address this issue, the researchers pre-treated undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells with mitomycin C a drug already prescribed to treat cancer. … Continue reading →

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