Getty Images With no approved medications to treat autism, more parents are turning to alternative therapies to help their kids. A new study published in theJournal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatricsfound that among parents of nearly 600 children between ages 2 and 5 with autism (453 kids) and developmental delays (125 kids), 40% reported using homeopathic remedies, mind-body medicine, melatonin and probiotics in an attempt to relieve some of their childrens symptoms and even prevent some of the conditions behavioral problems from progressing. Such use ofcomplementary and alternative medicine (CAM)was 10% greater than that among nonautistic kids. About 7% of autistic kids were on a special diet such as gluten-free or casein-free, which parents believed could reduce inflammation that may aggravate autism symptoms. While most of the therapies were relatively harmless, a small number ofautistickids, 4%, were using treatments that the study classified as potentially unsafe or unfounded in science, like vitamin B-12 injections. The researchers therefore urge pediatricians to talk to parents about any complementary treatments they may be using on their kids, and educate well-intentioned parents about the potential risks and benefits of the therapies, including how the compounds mayinteractwith othertreatments. Last year, a study inPediatricsfound that CAM … Continue reading →

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Two new MRI systems delivered to Seton Medical Center Sunday won't only help Central Texans, but they will also help researchers advance stroke treatment across the U.S. One of the machines weighs more than seven tons and is valued at $2.5-million. The other is worth $2-million and weighs almost five tons. Seton says both machines provide the most advanced MRI technology available. The scanners use magnetic fields and radio waves to form images of the body. The new MRI machines will be used by researchers with the Seton/UT Southwestern Clinical Research Institute to improve stroke treatment. "We're going to be conducting research that will really advance the standard of accurate diagnosis and neurologic disorders and advance the theraputics... better treatements for these types of very serious illnesses," said Dr. Steven Warach with the Seton/UT Southwestern Clinical Research Institute. The MRI machines were unloaded off semi trucks using cranes and fork lifts. They were then moved through the hallways of Seton Medical Center, where they will be installed. Read the original here: New MRI machines delivered to Seton … Continue reading →

Jan. 13, 2014, 4 a.m. SHAKY handwriting on a birthday card seemed innocuous enough to Sheridan Jones, but it was the first sign of a rare disease that has robbed her of a previously active life. SHAKY handwriting on a birthday card seemed innocuous enough to Sheridan Jones, but it was the first sign of a rare disease that has robbed her of a previously active life. The Mortlake woman didnt dwell too long on her writing, putting it down to fatigue. It wasnt until a Tasmanian holiday two months later in March 2012 that she knew something was seriously wrong. Her right leg felt unusually heavy, like it was dragging against the will of the rest of her body. Sheridan went to see a neurologist, one of many, and a series of diagnoses failed to fully explain what was wrong with the once-healthy young woman. The explanation turned out to be more perplexing than the symptoms. Sheridan had contracted Lyme disease, a virus not officially recognised in Australia, yet she didnt even hold a passport at the time of contracting the rare infection. I remember calling up mum and saying my handwritings messy, my handwritings messy, the 26-year-old said. … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 13-Jan-2014 Contact: Haley Bridger hbridger@broadinstitute.org 617-714-7968 Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard The most comprehensive genetic study to date of the blood cancer multiple myeloma has revealed that the genetic landscape of the disease may be more complicated than previously thought. Through results published in Cancer Cell today, a team of Broad researchers has shown that an individual patient's tumor can harbor populations of cancer cells equipped with different mutations. These findings could have therapeutic implications for patients in the future. "What this new work shows us is that when we treat an individual patient with multiple myeloma, it's possible that we're not just looking at one disease, but at many in the same person, there could be cancer cells with different genetic make-ups," said co-senior author Todd Golub, the Broad Institute's Chief Scientific Officer and Charles A. Dana Investigator in Human Cancer Genetics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Golub is also a professor at Harvard Medical School and an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "These findings indicate a need to identify the extent of genetic diversity within a tumor as we move toward precision cancer medicine and genome-based diagnostics." In a detailed study of samples … Continue reading →

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) January 13, 2014 The Food and Drug Administrations new approach to personalized medicine was sent in motion on November 22, 2013 with its warning letter to 23andme regarding the provision of personal genetic information to customers. The FDA found that 23andmes offering to be a device that was intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and that in certain circumstances it could lead a patient to undergo prophylactic surgery, chemoprevention, intensive screening, or other morbidity-inducing action. Accordingly, the FDA found 23andme in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by marketing its product without acquiring prior approval from the FDA. Zecola explains that such an approach is misguided for several reasons: 1) The provision of personal genetic information is just that, an information service. The FTC, not the FDA, has jurisdiction over information services in determining whether they are fraudulent. 2) The action is paternalistic and impinges upon personal liberty. The personal genetics companies include disclaimers on their websites and materials saying that their customers should not take action on the personal genetic information but rather should consult with a certified … Continue reading →