Washington As Oregon scientists announced Wednesday they had successfully converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells, the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities warned that the technique is morally troubling on many levels. Scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center announced they had successfully reprogrammed human skin cells to become embryonic stem cells, which are capable of transforming into other types of cells that could replace those damaged by illness or injury. Many news reports on the announcement referred to the research as human cloning, but the university's release and a full report on the work in Cell magazine carefully avoided the term, except to say taking the work in the direction of reproductive cloning is unlikely. The Oregon research team developed the unfertilized embryonic cells to seven days' growth in a lab. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, who chairs the bishops' committee, said the process created and destroyed more than 120 human embryos, which the church considers human life that must be protected. "Creating new human lives in the laboratory solely to destroy them is an abuse denounced even by many who do not share the Catholic … Continue reading →

GAITHERSBURG, MD--(Marketwired - May 17, 2013) - Cytomedix, Inc. (OTCQX: CMXI), a regenerative therapies company commercializing and developing innovative platelet and adult stem cell technologies, announced today that Edward Field, the Company's Chief Operating Officer, has been invited to make a presentation on Partnering & Collaboration at the World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013, which will be held May 21-23, 2013 in London, United Kingdom. Presentation Details Time: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 @ 11:55am BST (6:55 am EST) Track Title: Commercialisation through Collaboration: What Does Partnering In This Industry Actually Look Like? Location: Victoria Park Plaza Hotel, London, UK During the presentation, Mr. Field will highlight Cytomedix's two collaborations that are advancing clinical stage therapies.The first is a collaboration with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN) for conduct of the PACE study, an 80 patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to look at the safety and efficacy of ALD-301 in peripheral artery disease patients diagnosed with intermittent claudication.This is the first ever randomized clinical trial to look at the benefits of autologous stem cell therapy in this indication.The second collaboration is with Duke University Medical Center, which is conducting a … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Main Category: Epilepsy Also Included In: Autism Article Date: 16 May 2013 - 10:00 PDT Current ratings for: Link Between Epilepsy And Autism Found The finding was discovered by Dr. SallyAnn Wakeford, a PhD student from the University's Department of Psychology, and revealed a previously unknown link between epileptic seizures and the signs of autism in adults. Traits of autism, such as impaired communication and social interaction and restricted and repetitive interests, can be serious and go undetected for several years - creating a lasting impact on the lives of those who endure them. The investigators found that epileptic seizures interfere with the neurological function that affects social functioning in the brain - causing the same characteristics that depict autism. Dr Wakeford said: The researchers revealed that having elevated autistic traits was standard to all types of epilepsy, however, it was more evident for adults with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE). The authors believe one reason may be because anti-epileptic medications are many times less effective for TLE. These drugs may cause an impact because they are significantly related to the severity of autistic characteristics. Dr. Wakeford and her colleagues conducted a comprehensive range of studies with participants who … Continue reading →

MIAMI, May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Epilepsy Foundation today announced the 2013 winner of the Epilepsy Therapy Project Second Annual "Shark Tank" competition for the most innovative new product idea for people with epilepsy. Utkan Demirci, Ph.D. and Steven C. Schachter, MD designed a novel point of care disposable microfluidic chip that can immediately detect the levels of antiepileptic drugs based on a finger-prick sample of blood. The Shark Tank featured live interactive voting by an expert panel of judges and audience members. The winners received a $100,000 grant to accelerate this product to the next phase of development and closer to benefitting patients. The Shark Tank competition took place during the annual Antiepileptic Drug and Device Trials (AED) XII Conference in Miami. The Pipeline Session, which occurs today, will highlight significant advancements in therapeutics and technologies to treat epilepsy. Judges presiding over this year's Shark Tank represented a breadth of perspectives and personal interests in innovative product development. Six finalists competed on concept, design, originality, cost to market and, most importantly, how their visionary idea would improve the lives of people living with seizures. Judges included actor and Epilepsy Foundation spokesperson Greg Grunberg, leading philanthropists, national experts and … Continue reading →

MIAMI, May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Insero Health, Inc., a company developing natural compounds to address unmet medical needs in epilepsy and related neurological disorders, is today reporting top-line results from a Phase Ib trial of its lead compound INS001 in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The data are being presented at the AntiEplileptic Drug and Device Trials (AED) Xll meeting by Dr. Steven Schachter, Harvard Medical School epileptologist and Chairman of Insero's Scientific Advisory Board. In this study, INS001 appeared safe and well tolerated. INS001 is a naturally occurring compound that has shown promising activity in multiple preclinical epilepsy models. Insero researchers believe that INS001 exerts its anti-epileptic effects through a unique combination of mechanisms: it is both a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and an NMDA-receptor antagonist. The compound has previously demonstrated good safety and signs of therapeutic activity in a Phase II trial in Alzheimer's disease, as well as in preclinical models of multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain. The Phase I trial was a single-center, inpatient, open-label, rapid dose escalation study in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. INS001 was safe and well tolerated at doses expected to be therapeutic, and increased cardiac parasympathetic tone and electrical stability were observed. Dr. Schachter noted, … Continue reading →

ARMONK, N.Y. and BRUSSELS, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- regulated information-- UCB and IBM (IBM) today announced the completion of the initial phase of a project designed to harness the power of analytics to help healthcare providers deliver more highly personalized care to people living with epilepsy. The milestone marks the critical first step in the path towards eventually harnessing the transformative power of cognitive computing capabilities, such as IBM Watson, for epilepsy care. The goal of the project is to deliver an interactive system that translates massive amounts of patient data and scientific literature into insights that healthcare providers can consult at the point of care to inform their treatment decisions. Together, UCB and IBM scientists are working to create the healthcare industry's most comprehensive corpus of data on epilepsy. Upon completion of this project, healthcare providers would be able to combine their own clinical patient assessment with the system's predictive analytics to determine the probability that specific approaches to care will be successful. Dr. Iris Low-Friedrich, Executive Vice-President Global Projects and Development and Chief Medical Officer, UCB said: "UCB focuses on the creation of innovative networks because we recognize that delivering best-in-class solutions to patients requires collaboration with … Continue reading →

For many cash-strapped North Carolina families, getting therapy for their children with autism is not affordable because insurance providers are not required to cover it. But Wednesday, the NC House passed a bill requiring private insurance companies, as well as the state health plan, to cover costs of diagnosis and treatment of autism up to age 23. Twelve-year-old JP is autistic. He leads the family in prayer before dinner. However, that simple task did not always come so easy. He was non-verbal until age five until we introduced applied behavior analysis, says Patti Young, JPs mother. Hes come a long way. Im proud of him. Hes a good little boy. Its really big, Young says. I mean, weve been waiting for this for years. Young works as a therapist for autistic children. She says treatment, starting at a young age, is vital. It allows people that could possibly end up institutionalized stay in the society, stay in the community with their families. Nationally, 1 in 88 are diagnosed with autism. In North Carolina, 1 in 70 are diagnosed. But despite the prevalence, the state lags behind 32 other states, including Virginia, that cover autism treatment. I applaud Virginia, Young says. … Continue reading →

Posted on: 11:18 pm, May 16, 2013, by Chad Tucker, updated on: 07:52am, May 17, 2013 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. A bill requiring employee-based insurance plans to cover treatment and therapy for patients with autism disorders passed the state House Wednesday night. Weve been working for about five years to try to get coverage for children with autism, said Selene Johnson, executive director of ABC of N.C. Child Development in Winston-Salem. With therapy, the non-profit school helps children with communication and social skills in addition to dealing with some of the behaviors that often accompany autism. We rely on grants and private donations to help families but that can only go so far, Johnson said. The bill, if passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. Pat McCrory, would require insurance plans to cover children and adults up to age 23 and provide up to $36,000 in annual coverage. You get that diagnoses of autism, you are very crest fall and then what really hits you that you turn to your insurance carrier and realize they are not going to help you at all, said Darryl Marsch, whose 14-year-old son Harrison was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. Marsch and … Continue reading →

By Gabriel Cardinoza Inquirer Northern Luzon DAGUPAN CITY, PhilippinesVice Mayor Belen Fernandez took over as acting mayor of this city on Thursday, after Mayor Benjamin Lim suffered a stroke and was brought to Metro Manila for treatment. Lims condition was confirmed by his son in a public announcement here. In a memorandum issued to city department heads, Fernandez invoked a provision of the Local Government Code assigning the vice mayor the powers, duties, and functions of the city mayor on the fourth day of the absence of the mayor. In order that public service will not be disrupted, the undersigned is mandated by law to assume the functions of the city mayor effective today, until Mayor Benjamin Lim shall have reported back to the office, Fernandez said in her memorandum on Thursday. Lim sought reelection under the Nacionalista Party but lost to Fernandez, a Liberal Party candidate, in a hotly contested mayoral race here. Every day since Monday, Lims whereabouts was the topic of social media, text messages, local radio stations and coffee shop talks here. The question did not stop, even after Lims son, Vice Mayor-elect and Councilor Marc Brian Lim, issued a statement on Tuesday saying that his … Continue reading →