The HFEA, which carried out the consultation, advised ministers that if they do legalise the therapy, donors and patients should remain anonymous and have no right to contact one another. At first patients should only be considered on a case by case basis but in future the treatment could be suitable for wider use in clinics, the watchdog added. Further tests are needed to ensure the therapy is safe and effective, but researchers are confident it could be available within a few years and up to 10 women at high risk of passing on the diseases to their children could be treated each year. Prof Lisa Jardine, chair of the HFEA, said: "We have found that there is broad support for permitting mitochondria replacement, to give families at risk of mitochondrial disease the chance of having a healthy child. She added that Britain is at a more advanced stage of legalising the treatment than any other nation, claiming that other countries are astounded that were this far on in the discussions. Dismissing fears that allowing the treatment could be the start of a slippery slope, she emphasised that the therapy - which could become the first treatment to alter the … Continue reading →

Conner Hammett / Staff photo -- From left; Plano East graduate Emily Penn prepares for her 25-mile cycling trek at Ride Ataxia, set for March 23 in Denton, with her trainer, Richard Wharton. The 20-year-old was diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia, a neurological disease that attacks the nerve tissue of the spinal cord, at age 15. At age 15, while taking a track class at Murphy Middle School, Emily began experiencing tendonitis in her knee. During treatment, however, an orthopedic surgeon honed in on Emily's scoliosis, a condition her pediatrician was already monitoring. The surgeon suggested Emily be taken to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital for a closer look at her spine. Emily underwent a series of tests, including a CT scan, an MRI and a walking analysis that revealed an unusual gait consistent with symptoms of a neurological disorder. After blood testing and a genetic screening, doctors came to the diagnosis of FA, a life-shortening disease that affects the nerve tissue of the spinal cord. Symptoms include muscle weakness, loss of coordination, difficulty walking and slowing or slurring of speech. Most patients become wheelchair-bound 15 to 20 years after diagnosis, and heart complications often arise from the disease, causing premature death. … Continue reading →

Released: 3/14/2013 4:00 PM EDT Embargo expired: 3/20/2013 5:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Mayo Clinic Study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology by NorthShore University HealthSystem and Mayo Clinic Newswise SAN DIEGO -- NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) and Mayo Clinic researchers have partnered on a study that shows genetic and clinical evidence that therapies targeting the expression of alpha-synuclein -- a gene whose function is involved in the development and progression of Parkinsons disease -- may accelerate disease progression and increase the risk of physical incapacitation and dementia. If replicated, the findings will have profound implications for therapies under development for Parkinsons disease. Our research suggests therapies that seek to suppress alpha-synuclein in Parkinsons disease may actually accelerate the disease process and increase the risk for developing severe physical disability and dementia, says lead author Demetrius Maraganore, M.D., Ruth Cain Ruggles Chairman, Department of Neurology at NorthShore. We believe it is our responsibility to release these data because this type of treatment may have long-term harmful effects. Alpha-synuclein is a major component of Lewy bodies -- a characteristic brain cell abnormality that occurs in all cases of Parkinsons disease. Since its discovery as … Continue reading →

The cold frozen north and south are pristine and innocent. Even the people who live there. People living in Arctic areas can be more sensitive to pollutants due to their genetics, says researcher Arja Rautio at the Center for Arctic Medicine in the University of Oulu, Finland. This is unfortunate since the northernmost areas of Europe are receiving more harmful chemicals. Scientists believe climate change may be a culprit as air and water mass movements push some of these undesirable chemicals towards the Arctic. "In real life, people are exposed to lots of chemicals," says Rautio, who leads studies into the human health effects from contaminants and the influence of climate change in a EU-funded project called ArcRisk, "and I think the people of the north are exposed to higher levels than for example the general population in Europe." The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, the United States (Alaska), Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost. Long-range transport of contaminants to the Arctic, the resulting exposures observed … Continue reading →

DUBLIN, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Personalized Medicine: Companies, Trends and World Market" report to their offering. This broad, high-level report analyzes the expanding Personalized Medicine market. This world market includes important core medical product areas that will continue to have a powerful impact on current and future healthcare delivery. This business report examines key market segments such as targeted drugs and key personalized medicine diagnostics, including companion diagnostic IVDs, LDTs, diagnostic services and related tools or technologies. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 ) Many people already know about DNA, genes and the human genome. The science driving personalized medicine includes pharmacogenetics, pharmacoproteomics and pharmacometabalomix. Personalized medicine uses a targeted drug that depends on the patient information identified by a companion diagnostic (genetic biomarker test). The companion diagnostic identifies which patients would likely benefit from a particular therapy or those who might suffer from a bad side effect. The test information enables doctors to select the drug therapy that would benefit the patient. Drug developers in clinical trials could use a companion diagnostic to select patents that would benefit from a targeted drug. The report discusses important technologies, including microarray, next-generation sequencing, PCR, bioinformatics, … Continue reading →

Baby'cured' of HIV: A breakthrough with limitations The news from Mississippi of an HIV-positive baby being'cured' has once again started discussions around the plausibility of a breakthrough. Dr. Satyajit Ra... By: NewsClickin … Continue reading →

Heart stem cell therapy after a major heart attack holds the promise of helping to repair severely damaged cells by encouraging the growth of new ones. However, the process which involves infusing healthy stem cells into the heart to replace the damaged tissue has had limited success in clinical trials. In order to get the most benefit from heart stem cell treatment, it is essential for doctors to properly place the cells in the heart. But, once the stem cells are injected, its difficult to determine exactly where they wind up, and many scientists believe faulty placement is ultimately the culprit of the therapys disappointing results. Now, that problem could be potentially solved with a new visualization technique developed by Dr. Sam Gambhir and fellow researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. Their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, details the invention of silica nanoparticles, which can be injected inside stem cells, acting as tiny tracking devices that allow doctors to see the stem cells path inside the body. According to the studys researchers, the most encouraging results from heart stem cell therapy have been seen after bypass surgery, which is done right after a patient has suffered … Continue reading →