SIKESTON, MO (KFVS) - Stem cell therapycan bea very controversial issue, but now some veterinarians are using new techniques to harvest those cells. The cutting edge procedure helps fight degenerative diseases and has only been performed a few times in Missouri. Experts say regenerative medicine using stem cells is a less invasive and more cost effective alternative for dogs suffering from osteoarthritis and cartilage injuries. Googus is an 8 year old Boxer mix diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. This terminal disease affects the spinal cord causing loss of control in the hind legs. "Even though they're unable to use their back legs they're still normal in their brain and they just don't understand why they can't walk," said Dr. Stephen Williams, Animal Health Center. "There's just not a good connection and transmission from the nerves to the back legs." But new technology could slow, if not stop, its progression. Dr. Williams is using stem cell therapy to counteract this and other degenerative diseases in dogs. "The stem cells from the patient are the ones that are going to benefit that same patient versus trying to take stem cells from a different dog and putting them in this dog," said Dr. Williams. … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Oct-2013 Contact: Cristy Lytal lytal@med.usc.edu University of Southern California - Health Sciences How do humans and other mammals get so brainy? USC researcher Wange Lu, PhD, and his colleagues shed new light on this question in a paper that will be published in Cell Reports on October 24. The researchers donned their thinking caps to explain how neural stem and progenitor cells differentiate into neurons and related cells called glia. Neurons transmit information through electrical and chemical signals; glia surround, support and protect neurons in the brain and throughout the nervous system. Glia do everything from holding neurons in place to supplying them with nutrients and oxygen to protecting them from pathogens. By studying early mouse embryo neural stem cells in a petri dish, Lu and his colleagues discovered that a protein called SMEK1 promotes the differentiation of neural stem and progenitor cells. At the same time, SMEK1 keeps these cells in check by suppressing their uncontrolled proliferation. The researchers also determined that SMEK1 doesn't act alone: it works in concert with Protein Phosphatase 4 to suppress the activity of a third protein called PAR3 that discourages neurogenesis, or the birth of new neurons. With PAR3 out … Continue reading →

Over 3 million people suffer from epilepsy in the United States, and past treatment options have been limited to medication or open brain surgery. Now, a technique called laser ablation is giving neurosurgeons a less-invasive way to eliminate seizures. Dr. Shabbar Danish, director of functional neurosurgery at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., is part of one of the few teams in the country that perform this cutting-edge procedure. "If you could achieve the same exact outcome without opening up your head, why would you? said Danish. In all of medicine we're looking for minimally invasive procedures." Neurosurgeons insert a fiber-optic cable into a small hole in the skull that is just 3 millimeters in diameter. Then, using guided imagery, they thread it past blood vessels and healthy gray matter into the targeted brain lesion without damaging any healthy brain tissue. The laser uses thermal energy to wipe-out problematic tissue, while the surgical team monitors temperature in real time through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). "By using a non-ionizing radiation source, we are able to deliver heat, kill what you want to destroy, and save what you … Continue reading →

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- Michigan football fans probably became more aware of epilepsy after the Minnesota coach missed a recent game due to the disorder. Now, one media outlet reports Coach Jerry Kill took medical leave to seek treatment in Grand Rapids. The University of Minnesota will not confirm the report, but aMinneapolis Star Tribune sports writer WZZM 13 he is confident through his source that Kill was in Grand Rapids. If there's one man who's become the face of a chronic brain disorder, it's Minnesota Football Coach Jerry Kill. He's suffered five game day seizures since taking the position at Minnesota including one on the day of the University of Michigan game. Kill's advocacy for the life-threatening, memory-robbing disorder has also inspired thousands. Now he's seeking the best treatment not at the Mayo Clinic or a Minneapolis Hospital, but at a "renowned epilepsy clinic in Grand Rapids," according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. HIPPA prevents us knowing if it's Saint Mary's Hauenstein Neuroscience Center or Spectrum Health's Epilepsy Center. Both are Level 4, the highest ranking centers. Dr. Brien Smith, Spectrum Health's Chief of Neurology, and board chair for the national Epilepsy Foundation says the clinic is attracting patients … Continue reading →

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- Michigan football fans probably became more aware of epilepsy after the Minnesota coach missed a recent game due to the disorder. Now, one media outlet reports Coach Jerry Kill took medical leave to seek treatment in Grand Rapids. The University of Minnesota will not confirm the report, but aMinneapolis Star Tribune sports writer WZZM 13 he is confident through his source that Kill was in Grand Rapids. If there's one man who's become the face of a chronic brain disorder, it's Minnesota Football Coach Jerry Kill. He's suffered five game day seizures since taking the position at Minnesota including one on the day of the University of Michigan game. Kill's advocacy for the life-threatening, memory-robbing disorder has also inspired thousands. Now he's seeking the best treatment not at the Mayo Clinic or a Minneapolis Hospital, but at a "renowned epilepsy clinic in Grand Rapids," according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. HIPPA prevents us knowing if it's Saint Mary's Hauenstein Neuroscience Center or Spectrum Health's Epilepsy Center. Both are Level 4, the highest ranking centers. Dr. Brien Smith, Spectrum Health's Chief of Neurology, and board chair for the national Epilepsy Foundation says the clinic is attracting patients … Continue reading →

By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism in the United States routinely take one or more prescription medications, even though little evidence exists regarding the drugs' safety or effectiveness for treating the neurodevelopmental condition, a new study finds. The study of almost 34,000 children with an autism spectrum disorder found nearly two-thirds were prescribed at least one medication. Within that group, more than one-third were given two medications, and one in seven took three drugs. "There are a lot of children who are being treated with psychotropic medications with unknown effects for benefits and harms," said the study's senior author, Dr. Anjali Jain, a managing consultant with the Falls Church, Va.-based Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm. "I hope everyone -- parents and providers -- will consider these medications with caution," she added. Children with autism have impaired communication and social skills, and often exhibit repetitive behaviors. In the United States, about one in 88 children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, which can range from mild, as in Asperger syndrome, to severe autism. The study, released online Oct. 21 in Pediatrics, looked at the use of psychotropic medications, which … Continue reading →