TOKYO: Japan's government on Friday gave its seal of approval to the world's first clinical trials using stem cells harvested from a patient's own body. Health minister Norihisa Tamura signed off on a proposal by two research institutes that will allow them to begin tests aimed at treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common medical condition that causes blindness in older people, using "induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells". Stem cell research is a pioneering field that may offer a cure for conditions that are presently incurable, and scientists hope these clinical trials on a treatment for AMD may offer hope to millions of people robbed of their sight. A government committee last month approved proposals for the tests, which will be jointly conducted by the Riken Center for Developmental Biology and the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation (IBRI) Hospital in the western city of Kobe. Riken will harvest stem cells, using skin cells taken from patients, a spokesman said. The trial treatment will attempt to create retinal cells that can be transplanted into the eyes of six patients suffering from AMD, replacing the damaged part of the eye. The transplant may be conducted as early as the middle of … Continue reading →

Kaitlyn Pogson has lived through more seizures than calendar months. The 9-month-olds epilepsy sends her tiny body into convulsions that last up to an hour. Right now they happen every three days, but as she grows the seizures will become more frequent potentially topping 300 per week. Thats one every 34 minutes. Every time she has a seizure, Kaitlyns parents, Barry and Shannon, call 911 and take her to the emergency room, where doctors give her antiseizure drugs that dont work. Its a frighteningly repetitive routine. Kaitlyns condition is so severe they have a special name for it: Dravet syndrome. Not only does it grow worse over time, its notoriously resistant to traditional medication. But a growing number of doctors and families with Dravet say theyve stumbled upon a miracle drug: marijuana. Kate is on morphine and three other drugs not normally given to children, and theyre not working, Barry said. Rules are already being broken. So why not this one? Dravet syndrome, also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), is a catastrophic form of epilepsy that occurs in one in every 30,000 births. Besides leading to developmental delays, the syndrome is also associated with higher rates of … Continue reading →

Newswise PHILADELPHIA--The drug topiramate, typically used to treat epilepsy and more recently weight loss, may also help people addicted to both cocaine and alcohol use less cocaine, particularly heavy users, researchers in the department of Psychiatry at Penn Medicine report in a new study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Results from the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial adds to the growing body of evidence supporting topiramate as a promising medication to treat addiction. Past, separate studies have shown that topiramate can reduce alcohol dependence, as well as reduce relapse to cocaine; however, its use to treat both alcohol and cocaine dependent people has not been explored in a clinical trial. Cocaine and alcohol addictions often go hand in hand, so therapies targeting both may be the best strategy to treat individuals. Results of the 13-week clinical trial of 170 alcohol and cocaine dependent people produced mixed results: The drug reduced alcohol cravings, but did not reduce drinking, and was not better at reducing cocaine cravings. Addicts on topiramate, however, versus those on a placebo were more likely to stay in treatment and abstain from cocaine during the last three weeks of the trial. People with more severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms agitation, … Continue reading →

Public release date: 18-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Steve Graff stephen.graff@uphs.upenn.edu 215-349-5653 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine PHILADELPHIAThe drug topiramate, typically used to treat epilepsy and more recently weight loss, may also help people addicted to both cocaine and alcohol use less cocaine, particularly heavy users, researchers in the department of Psychiatry at Penn Medicine report in a new study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Results from the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial adds to the growing body of evidence supporting topiramate as a promising medication to treat addiction. Past, separate studies have shown that topiramate can reduce alcohol dependence, as well as reduce relapse to cocaine; however, its use to treat both alcohol and cocaine dependent people has not been explored in a clinical trial. Cocaine and alcohol addictions often go hand in hand, so therapies targeting both may be the best strategy to treat individuals. Results of the 13-week clinical trial of 170 alcohol and cocaine dependent people produced mixed results: The drug reduced alcohol cravings, but did not reduce drinking, and was not better at reducing cocaine cravings. Addicts on topiramate, however, versus those on a placebo were more likely to stay in treatment … Continue reading →

CTVNews.ca Staff Published Thursday, July 18, 2013 1:48PM EDT Last Updated Thursday, July 18, 2013 10:31PM EDT Desperate parents of children with severe forms of epilepsy are starting to demand access to an unusual and experimental treatment made from marijuana. But many doctors in Canada are saying that until there is more evidence that the treatment is actually helpful, theyre not going to be recommending it to patients. Fifteen-year-old Teigan Janfield has suffered from severe epileptic seizures her whole life. She has a rare genetic disorder called Dravet Syndrome, also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), which causes her to have several seizures a day. "It's horrible and heartbreaking to see this repeatedly, her mother Paula Janfield told CTV News. None of the 14 medications that have been prescribed to Teigan over her lifetime have stopped the seizures. Now, her mother is hoping to get her an experimental treatment called CBD, or cannabidiol. The drug is a liquid marijuana extract that many say helps to stop the seizures. CBD comes from a strain of cannabis that is high in cannabidiol but low in THC, the compound in marijuana that brings on the high of pot-smoking. Advocates of the … Continue reading →

CHAPEL HILL Preschoolers with autism benefit from high-quality classrooms, a new study shows, whether or not teachers employ popular treatment models used for decades. The study followed 198 children for one school year and measured changes in communication skills and autism symptoms, said researcher Bryan Boyd, a fellow at UNCs Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. The study looked at two established models Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and their Parents, and TEACCH, which was originally Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children but is now known only by its acronym, as well as high-quality control classrooms. LEAP classrooms are inclusive by design, Boyd said. Kids with autism share a classroom with their typically developing peers, who are trained to help kids with autism in social interaction. The TEACCH classrooms in the study separated children into their own classrooms, though the TEACCH model doesnt say children with autism need to be in such classrooms. The idea you can have one classroom thats LEAP and one thats TEACCH is a little artificial, said Laura Klinger, executive director of the TEACCH program in Chapel Hill. In their real-world life, (a teacher) uses many different approaches. Their classrooms … Continue reading →

Public release date: 17-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Deborah Smith deborah.smith@unsw.edu.au 61-293-857-307 University of New South Wales SYDNEY -- The so-called trust hormone, oxytocin, may not improve the symptoms of children with autism, a large study led by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has found. Professor Mark Dadds, of the UNSW School of Psychology, says previous research suggested that oxytocin -- a hormone with powerful effects on brain activity linked to the formation of social bonds -- could have benefits for children with the disorder. "Many parents of children with autism are already obtaining and using oxytocin nasal spray with their child, and clinical trials of the spray's effects are underway all over the world. Oxytocin has been touted as a possible new treatment, but its effects may be limited," Professor Dadds says. Autism is a complex condition of unknown cause in which children exhibit reduced interest in other people, impaired social communication skills and repetitive behaviours. To determine its suitability as a general treatment Professor Dadds' team conducted a randomised controlled clinical trial of 38 boys aged between seven and 16 years of age with autism. Half were given a nasal spray … Continue reading →