GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Luoxis Diagnostics (a subsidiary of Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: AMPE), today announced results from a recently completed clinical study of patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI). This study demonstrated statistically significant correlations between oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and the severity of injury among iTBI patients. ORP is measured using the company's proprietary RedoxSYS diagnostic system, a point-of-care diagnostic system enabling rapid analysis of multiple markers of oxidative stress. (Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/MM09116LOGO) Increases in plasma static oxidation-reduction potential (spot measurement, sORP) levels were consistently shown to closely correlate with increases in iTBI severity as measured by the Abbreviated Injury Score (p=0.02). This prospective observational cohort study of 645 iTBI patients was conducted at two level-one trauma centers in the US over five years, and the analysis was completed in September of 2013. This is the second clinical study demonstrating the correlation between injury severity in iTBI and oxidation-reduction potential [Rael LT, Bar-Or R, Mains CW, Slone DS, Levy AS, Bar-Or D. Plasma oxidation-reduction potential and protein oxidation in traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2009;26:1203-1211]. Importantly, this is the first study to show that negative changes in sORP and cORP (a novel measure of patient antioxidant … Continue reading →

Brains grown from biopsies can be implanted back to cure disease (wellcome images/Flickr) Brain cells grown from small biopsies can be implanted back into a patient to treat a range of neurological conditions. Scientists from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, believe their method could be used to treat incurable diseases because the new tissue is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain by blocking foreign material from getting in but also renders many therapies ineffective. The research, published in the FASEB Journal, suggests that healthy lab-grown cells can help protect against injury, toxins and diseases. Researchers enrolled patients suffering from Parkinson's disease who were scheduled to have deep-brain stimulation surgery, which involves placing electrodes into the brain. Before the electrodes were implanted, the team took small biopsies from the surface of the brain and multiplied them in culture to generate millions of cells specific to the patient. Devastating disorders These cells were analysed and found to exhibit regeneration as well as characteristics of a fundamental class of brain cells that provide support and protection of neurons and the peripheral nervous system. The cells expressed a broad array of natural and potent protective agents, which the scientists … Continue reading →

Washington, Oct 01 (ANI): A new study has revealed that brain cells from a small biopsy can be used to grow large numbers of new personalized cells that are not only "healthy," but also possess powerful attributes to preserve and protect the brain from future injury, toxins and diseases. Researchers have moved closer to growing "therapeutic" brain cells in the laboratory that can be re-integrated back into patients' brains to treat a wide range of neurological conditions. Scientists are hopeful that ultimately these cells could be transformed in the laboratory to yield specific cell types needed for a particular treatment, or to cross the "blood-brain barrier" by expressing specific therapeutic agents that are released directly into the brain. Matthew O. Hebb, M.D., Ph.D., FRCSC, a researcher involved in the work from the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences (Neurosurgery), Oncology and Otolaryngology at the University of Western Ontario in Ontario, Canada said that they hope that the results of this study provide a footing for further advancement of personalized, cell-based treatments for currently incurable and devastating neurological disorders. Scientists enrolled patients with Parkinson's disease who were scheduled to have deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, a commonly used procedure that involves placing … Continue reading →

Sep. 30, 2013 A group of really brainy scientists have moved closer to growing "therapeutic" brain cells in the laboratory that can be re-integrated back into patients' brains to treat a wide range of neurological conditions. According to new research published online in The FASEB Journal, brain cells from a small biopsy can be used to grow large numbers of new personalized cells that are not only "healthy," but also possess powerful attributes to preserve and protect the brain from future injury, toxins and diseases. Scientists are hopeful that ultimately these cells could be transformed in the laboratory to yield specific cell types needed for a particular treatment, or to cross the "blood-brain barrier" by expressing specific therapeutic agents that are released directly into the brain. "This work is an example of how integrating basic science and clinical care may reveal privileged opportunities for biomedical research," said Matthew O. Hebb, M.D., Ph.D., FRCSC, a researcher involved in the work from the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences (Neurosurgery), Oncology and Otolaryngology at the University of Western Ontario in Ontario, Canada. "It is our hope that the results of this study provide a footing for further advancement of personalized, cell-based treatments for … Continue reading →