Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise Angelina Jolies decision to undergo a double mastectomy inspired many other women to seek genetic counseling, too. But for women in rural areas, getting a genetic test can impose its own set of barriers, like multiple long trips for counseling, testing and follow-up. New research by Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, offers some hope. The research showed that telephone counseling was just as effective as in-person counseling in many respects. Dr. Kinney, now at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center, and her colleagues published the work in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The research team identified the 988 women in the study as being at-risk for hereditary breast or ovarian cancer or both. They gave each a personalized brochure and other materials about genetic testing. A board-certified genetic counselor reviewed the materials with each woman. The research team assigned about half of the women to meet with the genetic counselor in person; they assigned the other half to talk with the counselor over the phone. They surveyed the women one week after initial counseling. If a woman chose to have genetic testing after talking with the counselor, the researchers gave … Continue reading →

David C P. Chen, MD., MHP - Stem Cell Therapy Q A1 David C P. Chen, MD., MHP - Stem Cell Therapy Q A1. By: advanced anti aging center … Continue reading →

David C P. Chen, MD., MHP - Stem Cell Therapy Q A2 By: advanced anti aging center … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 6-Nov-2014 Contact: David McKeon dmckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation @nyscf New York, NY (November 6, 2014) - A team of scientists led by The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute successfully created a human stem cell disease model of Parkinson's disease in a dish. Studying a pair of identical (monozygotic) twins, one affected and one unaffected with Parkinson's disease, another unrelated Parkinson's patient, and four healthy control subjects, the scientists were able to observe key features of the disease in the laboratory, specifically differences in the patients' neurons' ability to produce dopamine, the molecule that is deficient in Parkinson's disease. In addition, the scientists also identified a potential strategy for developing novel therapies for Parkinson's disease. Attributed to a combination of genetic and nongenetic factors, Parkinson's disease has no completely effective therapy or cure. Parkinson's disease is moderately heritable, but the mechanisms of this inheritance are not well understood. While genetic forms of the disease exist, sporadic forms are far more common. "The unique scenario of identical twins, one with this disease and one without, allowed our scientists an unprecedented look into the mechanisms of Parkinson's disease," said Susan L. Solomon, NYSCF Chief … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (November 6, 2014) Induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) created from adult cells hold promise for therapeutic transplantation, but their potential in this capacity has been limited by failed efforts to maintain such cells in the desirable multi-potent NSC state without continuous expression of the transcription factors used initially to reprogram them. Now, Whitehead Institute scientists have created iNSCs that remain in the multi-potent state without ongoing expression of reprogramming factors. This allows the iNSCs to divide repeatedly to generate cells in quantities sufficient for therapy. Therapeutically, its important to make neural stem cells because they can self-renew and make lots of cells, says Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch, who is also a professor of biology at MIT. If you just make mature neurons, which has been done by others, you never get enough cells. To make iNSCs via direct lineage conversion researchers use viruses to insert a cocktail of transcription factors into the genome of mouse adult skin cells. A drug triggers these transcription factors to turn on genes active in neural stem cells. This direct conversion, known as transdifferentiation, bypasses the step of pushing the cells first through … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 6-Nov-2014 Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary moleary@cell.com 617-397-2802 Cell Press @CellPressNews Parkinson's disease is an incurable movement disorder that affects millions of people around the world, but current treatment options can cause severe side effects and lose effectiveness over time. In a study published by Cell Press November 6th in Cell Stem Cell, researchers showed that transplantation of neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can restore motor function in a rat model of Parkinson's disease, paving the way for the use of cell replacement therapy in human clinical trials. "Our study represents an important milestone in the preclinical assessment of hESC-derived dopamine neurons and provides essential support for their usefulness in treating Parkinson's disease," says senior study author Malin Parmar of Lund University. Parkinson's disease is caused, in part, by the death of neurons that release a brain chemical called dopamine, leading to the progressive loss of control over dexterity and the speed of movement. Currently available drug and surgical treatment options can lose effectiveness over time and cause serious side effects such as involuntary movements and psychiatric problems. Meanwhile, another approach involving the transplantation of human fetal cells has produced long-lasting clinical benefits; however, the … Continue reading →