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Gene therapy for Parkinson’s produces promising results in first patient trial

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

The ProSavin treatment uses an inert virus to carry corrective genes directly into the striatum region of the brain that controls movement. It is designed to convert ordinary nerve cells into factories for making dopamine, the signalling chemical that is lost in Parkinson's patients. Loading article content Lack of dopamine activity leads to the common Parkinson's symptoms of tremor, slow movement and rigidity. The trial tested the safety, tolerability and effectiveness of three different doses of ProSavin in 15 patients aged 48 to 65 with advanced Parkinson's disease who were not responding to conventional treatments. A standard system of rating motor functions was used, covering speech, tremors, rigidity, finger taps, posture, gait, and slow movement. Lower scores indicated better muscle control and co-ordination. Significant score improvements were seen after six months and a year in all patients not taking medication. Reporting their findings in The Lancet medical journal, the researchers led by Professor Stephane Palfi, from Les Hopitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor in Creteil, France, wrote: "ProSavin was safe and well tolerated in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Improvement in motor behaviour was observed in all patients." They stressed that, while promising, the results at this stage were still limited and should … Continue reading →

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Experimental gene therapy for Parkinson’s clears safety hurdle

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

By: Agence France-Presse January 10, 2014 8:15 AM Singer Linda Ronstadt says Parkinson's Disease stole her voice (AFP file) InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5 PARIS -- A closely watched prototype therapy to inject corrective genes into the brain to treat Parkinson's disease has cleared an important safety hurdle, doctors said Friday. Tested on 15 volunteers with an advanced form of the degenerative nerve disease, the technique proved safe and the results were encouraging, they said. The experiment aims to reverse the lack of a brain chemical called dopamine, which is essential for motor skills. It entails tucking three genes into a disabled horse virus of the family lentiviruses. The modified virus is then injected directly into a specialized area of the brain, where it infiltrates cells. In doing so, it delivers corrective pieces of DNA, prompting defective brain cells to once again start producing dopamine. Called ProSavin, the British-designed treatment was authorized for tests on humans after it was tried on lab monkeys. It is being closely watched by specialists to see if it works better than conventional therapies -- the veteran drug levodopa or electrical stimulation of the brain -- or another experimental gene technique, which uses … Continue reading →

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Veterans’ Brain Injury Examined By Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise January 9, 2013 (BRONX, NY) Roadside bombs and other blasts have made head injury the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Most combat veterans recover from mild traumatic brain injury, also known as concussion, but a small minority experience significant and long-term side effects. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, in cooperation with Resurrecting Lives Foundation, are investigating the effect of repeated combat-related blast exposures on the brains of veterans with the goal of improving diagnostics and treatment. Mild traumatic brain injury can cause problems with cognition, concentration, memory and emotional control as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Einstein scientists are using advanced MRI technology and psychological tests to investigate the structural and biological impact of repeated head injury on the brain and to assess how these injuries affect cognitive function. Right now, doctors diagnose concussion purely on the basis of someones symptoms, said Michael Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of Einsteins Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center. We hope that our research will lead to a more scientifically valid diagnostic techniqueone that uses imaging to not only detect the underlying brain injury but reveal … Continue reading →

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Children’s Brain Image Bank Could Become a ‘Google’ Tool for Doctors

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise When an MRI scan uncovers an unusual architecture or shape in a childs brain, its cause for concern: The malformation may be a sign of disease. But deciding whether that odd-looking anatomy is worrisome or harmless can be difficult. To help doctors reach the right decision, Johns Hopkins researchers are building a detailed digital library of MRI scans collected from children with normal and abnormal brains. The goal, the researchers say, is to give physicians a Google-like search system that will enhance the way they diagnose and treat young patients with brain disorders. This cloud-computing project, being developed by a team of engineers and radiologists, should allow physicians to access thousands of pediatric scans to look for some that resemble their own patients images. The project is supported by a three-year $600,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. Were creating a pediatric brain data bank that will let doctors look at MRI brain scans of children who have already been diagnosed with illnesses like epilepsy or psychiatric disorders, said Michael I. Miller, a lead investigator on the project. It will provide a way to share important new discoveries about how changes … Continue reading →

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India asks US to withdraw diplomat as row escalates

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

The row could escalate further next week when Ms Khobragade was due to appear in court and India had set a deadline for the American Embassy in New Delhi to close its popular social club, which India said was operating illegally. A planned visit by US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz was cancelled as the relationship President Barack Obama had called the defining partnership of the 21st Century deteriorated further. A spokesman for Indias Ministry of External Affairs said it would take the restoration of its formerly good relationship with the United States one day at a time. We will decide things after we talk to her [Ms Khobragade]. Were all committed to a better relationship with the United States. Our concern was how this happened. This is not the way partners treat one another, she was arrested and handcuffed without conversations, he said. Ms Khobragade, who returned to India last night, has yet to make a statement since she left rhe United States, but her father, a former senior civil servant, said she had done nothing wrong but had stood up for Indias sovereignty. The indictment paints a picture of Ms Khobragade as a harsh employer who refused to allow … Continue reading →

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Stem cells injected into nerve guide tubes repair injured peripheral nerve

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 9-Jan-2014 Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair Putnam Valley, NY. (Jan. 9, 2014) Using skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) and a previously developed collagen tube designed to successfully bridge gaps in injured nerves in rat models, the research team in Milan, Italy that established and tested the procedure has successfully rescued peripheral nerves in the upper arms of a patient suffering peripheral nerve damage who would have otherwise had to undergo amputations. The study will be published in a future issue of Cell Transplantation but is currently freely available on-line as an unedited early e-pub at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/content-ct1096. "Peripheral nerve repair with satisfactory functional recovery remains a great surgical challenge, especially for severe nerve injuries resulting in extended nerve defects," said study corresponding author Dr. Yvan Torrente, of the Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation at the University of Milan. "However, we hypothesized that the combination of autologous (self-donated) SDSCs placed in collagen tubes to bridge gaps in the damaged nerves would restore the continuity of injured nerves and save from amputation the upper arms of a patient with poly-injury to motor and sensory nerves." Although autologous nerve grafting has been the … Continue reading →

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USC TREET Seminar Series: Eric Hoffman – Molecular and Clinical Outcome Measures in Rehab Medicine – Video

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

USC TREET Seminar Series: Eric Hoffman - Molecular and Clinical Outcome Measures in Rehab Medicine Eric Hoffman, PhD presents "Molecular and Clinical Outcome Measures in Rehabilitation Medicine: The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research in Wa... By: USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy … Continue reading →

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Discussion Podcast – Video

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

Discussion Podcast Discussion of the paper'Development of a Performance of Upper Limb module for Duchenne muscular dystrophy'. The contributors in the podcast are as follows: ... By: DMCNvideos … Continue reading →

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Genetic testing to produce more offspring

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

Jan. 9, 2014 The Fleckvieh is a breed of cattle that originated in the Alpine region. A robust animal, it is now found on every continent, with an estimated worldwide population of around 40 million. In Germany, there are approximately 1 million Fleckvieh dairy cows: "Their genomes can be traced back to a small number of key ancestors," explains Prof. Ruedi Fries, Chair of Animal Breeding at TUM. "With artificial insemination, male breeding animals can produce more than one hundred thousand offspring." Infertility caused by a single gene This practice is fraught with risk, however: If the genetic make-up of any animal contains an unidentified defect, this characteristic will be passed on to future generations. TUM researchers have now discovered that a mutation in the TMEM95 gene on cattle chromosome 19 makes bulls effectively infertile, with a success rate for insemination of less than 2 percent. "Otherwise, the animals are perfectly healthy and normal," points out Dr. Hubert Pausch, lead author of the study. "The characteristic only manifests itself if bulls inherit the mutation from both the male and female side, i.e. they are homozygous for the defective gene. It is only in this case that the animals should be … Continue reading →

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Stem Cell Treatment for Arthritis

Posted: Published on January 10th, 2014

Stem Cell Treatment for Arthritis Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown in recent studies to have significant effects on a variety of conditions including both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. As the mechanisms behind these two forms of arthritic degeneration differ, the potential stem cell treatment for arthritis is likely to be administered differently and make use of a variety of properties of stem cells, such as their regenerative abilities, and the capacity for some stem cell types to help regulate immune function. Patients undergoing stem cell treatments for unrelated conditions have reported significant relief from their arthritis after such therapy even though this was not the reason for them obtaining treatment initially; these stories are anecdotal however, and do not constitute evidence for applying treatment more widely. Intravenous stem cell therapy using haematopoietic stem cells has been used extensively in veterinary medicine for a number of years. Often, stem cell treatment for arthritis in companion animals and race horses with signs of the condition (both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis) direct injections of stem cells into the damaged joint have proven effective at inhibiting the autoimmune attacks consistent with RA, reducing inflammation and pain in the joint, and supporting active tissue regeneration. … Continue reading →

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