NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In a promising step against a genetic disease that causes deafness and gradual loss of vision, scientists have partly restored hearing with a single injection to young mice. Experts praised the study on Usher syndrome, published online last week by the journal Nature Medicine, but the results are still a long way from preventing the disease. Children with Usher _ an estimated one in 6,000 to 7,500 babies worldwide _ are born deaf. The visual component of the disease, called retinitis pigmentosa, often starts in childhood, but severe problems are more likely in adolescence and young adulthood. About half of adults with Usher can still read a newspaper into their 50s. Some groups, such as Louisianas Cajuns and Canadas Acadians, have an unusually high prevalence of the disease. In the study, Michelle Hastings of Chicago Medical School and Jennifer Lentz of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center found that one injection allowed affected mice to hear for months. The injection, or patch, is a laboratory-created fragment of RNA, which is a chemical cousin of DNA. The patch was designed to interfere with the effects of a faulty gene. Its a very promising and striking finding, … Continue reading →

Genetic trigger for heart ailment (AFP) / 9 February 2013 A genetic variation doubles the risk of developing calcium deposits in the heart, a common condition that, in severe cases, can narrow or block the aorta, according to a study. The genetic variation, found in seven per cent of the population, provides important clues about how to treat the disease, researchers said in the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is an important step forward in understanding the biology of the development of aortic stenosis, said senior author Wendy Post, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She added that the latest findings could lead to the development of targeted medications to slow the progression of the disease, which can cause chest pain and shortness of breath, and can in some cases require surgery. The gene in question is involved in the production of a type of cholesterol particle called lipoprotein (a), which circulates in the blood. Increased levels of lipoprotein (a) have been previously associated with aortic valve disease. However, prior studies could not differentiate whether it was simply a marker or a causal factor, said lead author Catherine Campbell, of Kaiser Permanente. Our … Continue reading →

Stem Cell Therapy Webinar with Dr. Kamau Kokayi at Patients Medical Join us as Dr. Kamau Kokayi, Director of Cell Technologies at the New York Stem Cell Treatment Center at Patients Medical in NYC explains what Adipose Derived Stem Cell Therapy is and what types of medical conditions Dr. Kokayi and his team of researchers are enrolling for the clinical trial. By: PatientsMedicalNYC1 … Continue reading →

BONITA SPRINGS The defense for Bonita Springs doctor Zannos Grekos says a state complaint that he committed medical malpractice should be dismissed because prosecutors failed to show how his stem-cell therapy was below a standard of care or responsible for a patient's death, according to new court filings. Prosecutors with the Florida Department of Health also ignored a state law that patients have the right to seek out alternative medicine, said Richard Ozelie, the Boca Raton attorney for Grekos. That's what occurred with 69-year-old Domenica Fitzgerald, he said. "The Florida Legislature authorized its citizenry to seek out, as patients, either complementary or alternative modalities of treatment," he said Friday. Late Thursday, Ozelie filed a proposed order for Administrative Law Judge J. Lawrence Johnston to consider. The state submitted its proposed order this past Tuesday. The judge has 30 days to issue a recommendation to the Board of Medicine on potential discipline against Grekos, following a four-day hearing in October in Naples. The state wants Grekos' license revoked, a $40,000 fine imposed and $200,000 assessed for the state's costs. In 2010, Fitzgerald sought out stem-cell therapy with Grekos for numbness in her feet that was a side-effect several years earlier from … Continue reading →

Stem cells taken from ALS patients may have the same capacity to develop into mature neuron-like cells as those collected from healthy donors, according to a new study released this month in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. These findings could open doors to a possible new treatment option while also reducing the chance for rejection and other side effects often seen when someone other than the patient is the cell donor. Durham, NC (PRWEB) February 08, 2013 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrigs Disease, is a rapidly deteriorating neurological condition affecting five out of every 100,000 people worldwide, mainly after the age of 50. The average survival time is only three years. While no effective treatment exists, preliminary studies suggest that the quality of life and even life expectancy itself could be improved in patients who receive stem cell infusions. However, questions remain about the capacity of these cells to take hold and turn into neurons. The study involved stem cells that bear the surface antigen CD133+, which have been shown to have a very low association with creating cancers. These cells can be isolated from a wide range of sources including bone marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord. A … Continue reading →