Cervical Spondylomyelopathy, also known as wobbler syndrome, is a neurological condition in dogs that affects their cervical spine, or neck region. A compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots, wobbler syndrome gets its name from the characteristic wobbly walk that affected dogs typically display from the disease. There are two forms of cervical spondylomyelopathy, said Dr. Megan Steele, a veterinary resident at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. There is a disc-associated form that causes ventral spinal cord compression and dorsal, lateral bone and joint proliferation causing dorsolateral spinal cord compression. Wobbler syndrome is typically a progressive disease most commonly found in larger dog breeds, such as Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes and Mastiffs. Symptoms can vary widely from mild neck pain to an inability to walk in all four limbs, said Dr. Steele. Often, pelvic limb weakness and ataxia, or weakness, is more severe than in the thoracic limbs. A classic, two-engine gait is seen in dogs with low cervical lesions causing a short, choppy gait in the thoracic limbs and a long, sweeping gait in the pelvic limbs. Other symptoms often include weakness, difficulty getting up from a lying position, and possible muscle loss. … Continue reading →

Patients who years ago breathed a sigh of relief because their genetic tests showed they were not at increased risk of developing cancer are not necessarily home free, said Suzanne Mahon, DNSc, genetic counselor for Saint Louis University Cancer Center. "There is this group of people who think they don't need to worry about getting cancer and believe they don't have a high family risk of getting cancer, but unfortunately do," said Mahon, a professor in internal medicine at Saint Louis University. Mahon says her requests for genetic testing for breast cancer have more than tripled since 2013, when actress Angelina Jolie announced she had a double mastectomy because she was at genetic risk of developing breast cancer. Older genetic screenings were for the BRCA 1 and 2 genes, which are linked to the development of breast, ovarian, prostate, melanoma, pancreatic and other cancers. However a new generation of genetic tests can detect as many as 25 other, less common genes that show a familial predisposition to cancer. "It's important for people to understand what genetic test they were given and how complete they were," Mahon said. "Many people have tested negative for BRCA 1 or 2 and mistakenly think … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 18-Sep-2014 Contact: Louise Walsh louise.walsh@admin.cam.ac.uk 44-012-237-65443 University of Cambridge @Cambridge_Uni Stem cells hold great promise as a means of repairing cells in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, stroke or injuries of the spinal cord because they have the ability to develop into almost any cell type. Now, new research shows that stem cell therapy can also work through a mechanism other than cell replacement. In a study published today in Molecular Cell, a team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge has shown that stem cells "communicate" with cells by transferring molecules via fluid filled bags called vesicles, helping other cells to modify the damaging immune response around them. Although scientists have speculated that stem cells might act rather like drugs in sensing signals, moving to specific areas of the body and executing complex reactions this is the first time that a molecular mechanism for this process has been demonstrated. By understanding this process better, researchers can identify ways of maximising the efficiency of stem-cell-based therapies. Dr Stefano Pluchino from the Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, who led the study, said: "These tiny vesicles in stem cells contain molecules like proteins and nucleic … Continue reading →

Edgar Irastorza was just 31 when his heart stopped beating in October 2008. A Miami property manager, Irastorza had recently gained weight as his wife's third pregnancy progressed. "I kind of got pregnant, too," he said. During a workout one day, he felt short of breath and insisted that friends rush him to the hospital. Minutes later, his pulse flatlined. He survived the heart attack, but the scar tissue that resulted cut his heart's pumping ability by a third. He couldn't pick up his children. He fell asleep every night wondering if he would wake up in the morning. Desperation motivated Irastorza to volunteer for a highly unusual medical research trial: getting stem cells injected directly into his heart. "I just trusted my doctors and the science behind it, and said, 'This is my only chance,' " he said recently. Over the last five years, by studying stem cells in lab dishes, test animals and intrepid patients like Irastorza, researchers have brought the vague, grandiose promises of stem cell therapies closer to reality. Stem cells broke into the public consciousness in the early 1990s, alluring for their potential to help the body beat back diseases of degeneration like Alzheimer's, and … Continue reading →