Lung diseases like emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis are common among people with malfunctioning telomeres, the "caps" or ends of chromosomes. Now, researchers from Johns Hopkins say they have discovered what goes wrong and why. Mary Armanios, M.D., an associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine., and her colleagues report that some stem cells vital to lung cell oxygenation undergo premature aging -- and stop dividing and proliferating -- when their telomeres are defective. The stem cells are those in the alveoli, the tiny air exchange sacs where blood takes up oxygen. In studies of these isolated stem cells and in mice, Armanios' team discovered that dormant or senescent stem cells send out signals that recruit immune molecules to the lungs and cause the severe inflammation that is also a hallmark of emphysema and related lung diseases. Until now, Armanios says, researchers and clinicians have thought that "inflammation alone is what drives these lung diseases and have based therapy on anti-inflammatory drugs for the last 30 years." But the new discoveries, reported March 30 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest instead that "if it's premature aging of the stem cells driving this, nothing … Continue reading →

AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) March 31, 2015 Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) today announced the opening of its new treatment center at 4800 Bee Caves Rd. in Austin to help treat individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders.CARD specializes in applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for individuals diagnosed with ASD, offering vital services to many families living in the Austin community. A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Attendees will meet with the staff, tour the facility and learn more about the services available. To attend the grand opening, email s.price@centerforautism.com. The opening of our new treatment center will increase access to services for a growing population in this community, said CARD operations manager in Austin, Jessica Scott. We are excited to expand our top-quality, evidence-based autism treatment to the area. CARD provides ABA therapy, which is widely regarded as the most effective treatment for people with ASD. Over the past 40 years, thousands of research studies have documented its effectiveness, and today ABA is the only treatment with empirical evidence that has been shown to produce significant long-term improvement and, in some cases, recovery. CARD offers center-based services, … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES, March 31,2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Good Samaritan Hospital's Stroke Program has attained The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Heart-Check mark as a certified primary stroke center. The recognition means the Stroke Program has met The Joint Commission's standards for providing stroke care. Good Samaritan Hospital's Emergency Department also received designation from Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services as a receiving center for stroke patients. Good Samaritan Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in December of 2014 when the Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and patient follow-up. In addition to programmatic capabilities commensurate with a Primary Stroke Center, Good Samaritan Hospital is going further by establishing a neurointerventional program for stroke patients.The neurointerventional team will assist in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke patients, as well as the management of patients with hemorrhagic strokes due to ruptured aneurysms and other vascular malformations. This program will be staffed by skilled physicians from the USC/Keck School of Medicine as part of an overall neurosciences affiliation between the two hospitals. Depending on a patient's diagnosis, a neurointerventional procedure may be considered less invasive … Continue reading →