A team of Stony Brook University researchers have identified fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) as intracellular transporters for two ingredients in marijuana, THC and CBD (cannabidiol). The finding, published early online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is significant because it helps explain how CBD works within the cells. Recent clinical findings have shown that CBD may help reduce seizures and could be a potential new medicine to treat pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy. CBD differs from THC in that it is not psychoactive and does not bind to cannabinoid receptors. Some children who are resistant to conventional antiepileptic drugs have been reported to show improvement with oral CBD treatment. The Stony Brook research team found that three brain FABPs carry THC and CBD from the cell membrane to the interior of the cell. This action enabled them to conduct experiments inhibiting FABPs and thereby reducing anandamide breakdown inside the cells. "Anandamide, an endocannabinoid, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against seizures in basic research studies and this may turn out to be a key mechanism of seizure control," explained Dale Deutsch, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a faculty member of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug … Continue reading →

Stroke survivors have described a new treatment Australian doctors have spearheaded as a major breakthrough. Researchers at Royal Melbourne Hospital announced today they had proved the effectiveness of a new technique that almost doubles the chances patients will walk out of hospital The researchers combined two types of stroke treatment with new technology to improve the outcomes for people with the most severe form of stroke. William Lo said the development was a major breakthrough. The 21-year-old had a stroke just a week before sitting his final school exams. He lost movement in his left side, spent four months in hospital and a year regaining most movement. He could not walk, eat, drive, play basketball and was in a wheelchair for his 18th birthday. "My friends from high school had to think what was appropriate to involve me in, going to the beach, going to the city, it was hard." Three years after the stroke he is still going through rehabilitation. He said the new research would hopefully prevent as many people going through the same difficulties as him. The rest is here: Stroke treatment pioneered by Royal Melbourne Hospital researchers changing the way doctors approach condition … Continue reading →

Stroke survivors have described a new treatment Australian doctors have spearheaded as a major breakthrough. Researchers at Royal Melbourne Hospital announced today they had proved the effectiveness of a new technique that almost doubles the chances patients will walk out of hospital The researchers combined two types of stroke treatment with new technology to improve the outcomes for people with the most severe form of stroke. William Lo said the development was a major breakthrough. The 21-year-old had a stroke just a week before sitting his final school exams. He lost movement in his left side, spent four months in hospital and a year regaining most movement. He could not walk, eat, drive, play basketball and was in a wheelchair for his 18th birthday. "My friends from high school had to think what was appropriate to involve me in, going to the beach, going to the city, it was hard." Three years after the stroke he is still going through rehabilitation. He said the new research would hopefully prevent as many people going through the same difficulties as him. Continue reading here: Royal Melbourne Hospital researchers pioneer new stroke treatment, changing the way doctors approach condition … Continue reading →

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- More community hospitals are giving a powerful clot-busting medication to stroke victims, improving their chances of survival and recovery, new research shows. These local hospitals are becoming more comfortable using the clot-busting drug tPA (tissue-plasminogen activator) due to a new treatment scheme known as "drip and ship," said study author Dr. Kevin Sheth, chief of the neurocritical care and emergency neurology division at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. "Drip and ship" means that front-line hospitals quickly administer tPA to people suffering a stroke due to a blood clot in the brain, and then immediately transport them to a more advanced medical center with better stroke treatment facilities, Sheth explained. Sheth's study revealed that one in four stroke patients who received tPA did so under the "drip and ship" method, indicating that more local hospitals are now administering the clot-buster. "The real goal is to get tPA to every eligible patient," Sheth said. "Clearly, 'drip and ship' has become a common practice and one that is facilitating tPA use." The findings are to be presented Wednesday at the American Stroke Association annual meeting in Nashville, and … Continue reading →

EXTEND-IA, an Australian and New Zealand randomised clinical research study, led by The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), looked at the effectiveness of a new treatment for stroke. The study involved adding a minimally invasive clot removal procedure called stent thrombectomy to standard clot-dissolving therapy, known as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Royal Melbourne Hospital Neurologist and co-principal investigator, Dr Bruce Campbell, said the study showed a dramatic improvement in restoring blood flow back to the brain, which is critical in the recovery of stroke. "In 89 percent of patients blood flow to the brain was restored when the clot removal therapy was used compared with 34 percent of patients who had standard clot-dissolving therapy alone," Dr Campbell said. "The addition of stent thrombectomy to standard clot-dissolving treatment led to 71 percent of patients returning to independent living, compared with 40 percent in the standard treatment group. "This is an extremely impressive outcome given these patients had the most severe forms of stroke and dramatically reduces the burden of disability." The most common form of stroke is an ischemic stroke, caused by a clot blocking a blood vessel that supplies the brain. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults and … Continue reading →