BOSTON, June 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Scotland's standing as Europe's largest and most highly regarded stem cell research community has been reaffirmed recently by announcements of funding from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the British Heart Foundation to the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) based at the Edinburgh BioQuarter. As part of a major $25m boost for UK regenerative medicine, the Edinburgh center will play a key role in the development of new therapies. This and other recent news exemplify Scotland's strength and depth of expertise in this field. Developments at an academic level describing increased understanding of the mechanism of cellular reprogramming were recently reported by Dr. Keisuke Kaje from the MRC-CRM in Nature, whilst Scottish company Roslin Cells and the MRC-CRM have been actively collaborating on iPS cell line production ensuring a more quality-oriented perspective and generating more commercial opportunities. Elsewhere, exciting research at Heriot-Watt University has seen the use of 3D printing techniques to produce clusters of viable stem cells that could speed up progress towards creating artificial organs. In the immediate future, Professor Will Shu and his team hope the technique can be used to generate biopsy-like tissue samples for drug testing. At a … Continue reading →

In a perfect comeback tale, Jeff Klauk wouldnt be at Crestview Country Club this week preparing to play in his ninth Air Capital Classic. Klauk would be in Pennsylvania teeing it up at the U.S. Open. Or hed be home in Florida, getting some rest and relaxation for next weeks PGA Tour event. But the 35-year-old Klauks golf career has been all about patience. And as the 2003 Air Capital Classic champion continues his return from time off for epilepsy treatment, the site of his first Web.com Tour victory isnt a bad place to be. I missed playing everywhere last year, but Wichita holds a special place, Klauk said. With what people did for me here last year, its amazing all the support I have. During last years tournament, Klauk was two months removed from brain surgery that determined the location of his neurological disorder, which first surfaced in 2006. He was scheduled to have a second procedure last August to remove damaged tissue, but chose to forego it and treat his condition with medication. While Klauk was home recuperating, his host family during his tournament stays in Wichita took action. Rick and Vicky Heibsch organized an Epilepsy Awareness Day … Continue reading →

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) June 11, 2013 Flightlinez and the Fremont Street Experience invite supporters to zipline down Fremont Street and assist in raising funds in an effort to support Nevada Epilepsy. Volunteers from Nevada Epilepsy will be on site to provide more information about the organization, their upcoming activities and events and they will be selling cookies. Entertainment will be hosted by local dance, drill, drum and singing groups from around the area will be right in front of the Flightlinez Office near the take off tower. Who: Flightlinez Las Vegas zipline attraction, Fremont Street Experience, Nevada Epilepsy What: Flightlinez and the Fremont Street Experience will donate all net proceeds from zipline rides on Wednesday June 12, 2013 from noon to midnight to Nevada Epilepsy. Nevada Epilepsy Since 2004, Nevada Epilepsy has been dedicated to the welfare of people with epilepsy. With the continued support of Sunrise Hospital and Nevada Neurosciences Institute, they are able to meet our goals. The goals are to prevent and cure seizure disorders, promote public awareness, and the promotion of independence and optimal quality of life for people who have these disorders. Flightlinez is committed to serving the Las Vegas community by hosting charitable … Continue reading →

Carbamazepine, a drug used to treat epilepsy, could become an important tool in finding pollutants in sources of drinking water, according to a study conducted by Hebrew University for Israels Water Authority. The study examined the contents of effluent that had undergone treatment and the treatments effectiveness. The study, which was carried out by researchers at Hebrew Universitys laboratory of environmental chemistry, was headed by Professor Ovadia Lev. Last week, representatives of the Water Authority's water quality department presented its main findings, together with those of other researchers in the field, to Environmental Protection Ministry officials. The study found that effluent in Israel has hundreds of pollutants of various kinds that include pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, substances used in x-ray diagnoses, industrial substances and a wide variety of pesticides. After purification, the concentration of these substances in the reclaimed water, which is used to water crops, is very low. But one substance carbamazepine, which is used to treat epilepsy withstands the purification process and remains in the reclaimed water. Its absence in tests of drinking water suggests that no effluent has penetrated the water source, making its presence an indication that reclaimed water is leaking into drinking water a health hazard … Continue reading →

June 11, 2013 In the first prospective study of its kind, Seaver Autism Center researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provide new evidence of the severity of intellectual, motor, and speech impairments in a subtype of autism called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS). The data are published online in the June 11 issue of the journal Molecular Autism. Mutation or deletion of a gene known as SHANK3 is one of the more common single-gene causes of autism spectrum disorders and is critical to the development of PMS, a severe type of autism. To date, clinicians have relied on case studies and retrospective reviews of medical records to understand the features of this disorder and how the clinical presentation relates to the extent of the genetic changes in the SHANK3 region. In the first systematic and comprehensive prospective trial, researchers led by Alex Kolevzon, MD, Clinical Director of the Seaver Autism Center, under the direction of Joseph Buxbaum, PhD, Director of the Seaver Autism Center, enrolled 32 participants with SHANK3 deletions to comprehensively assess their clinical symptoms and examine how the size of the SHANK3 deletion correlated to those symptoms. "Previous studies have not utilized prospective assessments to understand … Continue reading →