TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb 4, 2013) - Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SSS), a life sciences company developing stem cell-related technologies, today announced the execution of a Letter of Agreement with Trillium Therapeutics Inc. ("Trillium") of Toronto, under which Trillium would be merged into Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. ("SCT") by way of a three-cornered amalgamation or plan of arrangement with a newly-created SCT subsidiary. In addition, SCT announces that its Board of Directors has authorized the implementation of a share consolidation approved by its shareholders at the special meeting held on December 20, 2012 at a ratio of 1 post-consolidation common share for 10 pre-consolidation common shares. Proposed Merger Trillium specializes in immunotherapy and cancer stem cell research, with a particular focus on blocking the negative pathways that malignant cells exploit to suppress anti-tumor responses. Trillium is developing TTI-621, a novel SIRPaFc fusion protein that targets CD47, augmenting the ability of the immune system to destroy cancer stem cells. The project originated from leading researchers in the field, including Drs. John Dick and Jean Wang of the University Health Network and Dr. Jayne Danska of the Hospital for Sick Children, all of Toronto. TTI-621, which is expected to enter formal … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Epilepsy Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health Article Date: 04 Feb 2013 - 5:00 PST Current ratings for: Childhood Epilepsy In UK Has Fallen Sharply Senior author Ruth Gilbert, a professor in the MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, Institute of Child Health, at University College London, says in a BBC report of the study: "We're getting better at diagnosing and deciding who should be treated and then there is also probably an effect of factors like fewer cases of meningitis." Epilepsy is a tendency to have seizures (sometimes called fits) where sudden bursts of excess electrical activity in the brain temporarily disrupt the normal travel of messages between brain cells. For their study, Gilbert and colleagues examined records from the Health Improvement Network, which furnishes data on a representative sample of about 5% the UK population. The data they used in their analysis came from records of more than 344,000 children aged 0 to 14years who had variously been followed from 1994 to 2008. They found that overall, the number of children diagnosed with epilepsy who were born between 2003 and 2005, was 33% lower than those who were born between … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on February 4, 2013 Experts estimate that nearly 1 in 88 children are affected by autism spectrum disorders. Symptoms can range from mild personality traits to severe intellectual disability and seizures. Heredity plays a large role in autism, and professionals say an understanding of the altered genetic pathways is critical for diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, the complexities of the genetic variances responsible for disorders have challenged researchers. Autism is the most inheritable of neurodevelopmental disorders, said Rajini Rao, Ph.D.,of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., but identifying the underlying genes is difficult since no single gene contributes more than a tiny fraction of autism cases. Rather, she said, mutations in many different genes variably affect a few common pathways. In a new study, a team of scientists at Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University in Israel looked at genetic variations in DNA sequence in the ion transporter NHE9. They found that autism-associated variants in NHE9 result in a profound loss of transporter function. Altering levels of this transporter at the synapse may modulate critical proteins on the cell surface that bring in nutrients or neurotransmitters such as … Continue reading →

By Austin Robertson CREATED 5:34 PM Edited news release from Missouri Department of Insurance: Jefferson City, Mo. A new report from the Missouri Department of Insurance shows that the states autism insurance law continues to benefit families affected by autism while having minimal impact on health care costs. A 2010 law, signed by Gov. Nixon, requires health insurance companies to cover specific autism therapies, including applied behavior analysis. The departments report, released today, says demand for these treatments increased more than 50% in 2012. Using data supplied by health insurance companies, the report says total insurance claims for autism-related treatments were $6.6 million in 2012. That figure is 52% higher than claims paid in 2011. Still, the number accounts for a small fraction just .16% of total claims paid by health insurers during the year. In addition to claims for general autism treatment, demand specifically for applied behavior analysis jumped 183 percent from 2011 to 2012. Missouris new landmark autism insurance law continues to deliver benefits for families impacted by autism, said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. Especially encouraging is the extremely low impact on overall health insurance claims. Missouri law does not require health … Continue reading →

Public release date: 4-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Holly Korschun hkorsch@emory.edu 404-727-7709 Emory University Healthy eating not only promotes growth and development, but also provides important opportunities for children to socialize during meals. A new, comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) indicates that these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors. Researchers at Marcus Autism Center and the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of all published, peer-reviewed research relating to feeding problems and autism. Examination of dietary nutrients showed significantly lower intake of calcium and protein and a higher number of nutritional deficits overall among children with autism. The results are reported in the Feb. 1, 2013, online early edition of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. "The results of this study have broad implications for children with autism," says William Sharp, PhD, a behavioral pediatric psychologist in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program at Marcus Autism Center and assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine. "It not only highlights the importance of assessing mealtime concerns … Continue reading →

Jonathan Mitchell is autistic and wants to donate his brain to science when he dies. Research on autism is being hobbled by a shortage of brain tissue. The brain tissue comes from people with autism who have died, and it has allowed researchers to make key discoveries about how the disorder affects brain development. But there's not nearly enough tissue because most potential donors aren't identified, and their family members are never approached about the possibility of donation. The shortage has been especially bad since last summer, when a freezer at a Harvard brain bank failed, allowing dozens of autistic brains to thaw. This is the story of three people who are grappling with the shortage: one is a man who has autism, one is a scientist who studies the disorder, and one runs a tissue bank. The man with autism is Jonathan Mitchell. He's in his late 50s and describes his brain as "damaged." Here's how Mitchell describes life with an autistic brain: "It's prevented me from making a living or ever having a girlfriend. It's given me bad fine motor coordination problems where I can hardly write. I have an impaired ability to relate to people. I can't … Continue reading →

Newswise San Francisco, CA. (February 4, 2013) Patients undergoing major vascular surgery procedures are at increased risk of stroke, leading to a high mortality rate and prolonged hospitalization, according to a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS). But the risk factors for stroke associated with vascular surgerysuch as old age or a history of previous heart disease or strokeare not "readily modifiable," reports the study by Dr Milad Sharifpour and colleagues of University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor. Study Shows High Impact of Stroke after Vascular Surgery Using a large surgical databasethe American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP)the researchers identified nearly 46,000 patients undergoing vascular surgery at U.S. hospitals between 2005 and 2009. The study focused on specific types of procedures involving the major blood vessels: amputation or blood vessel reconstruction of the leg or aneurysm repair or other procedures on the aorta. The goal was to assess the risk of stroke associated with these major vascular procedures, and to identify patient characteristics and conditions associated with particularly high risk. Because many patients undergoing vascular surgery have atherosclerosis or other known risk … Continue reading →

People having an ischemic stroke -- which accounts for nine in 10 strokes -- should receive clot-dissolving therapy, if appropriate, within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital, according to new American Stroke Association guidelines published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot in the arteries leading to the brain. Calling 9-1-1 immediately after recognizing any of the warning signs of stroke -- and getting to a stroke center as fast as possible -- are still the most important steps for optimal stroke care. Rapid action a must During an acute stroke, physicians must evaluate and diagnose the patient as soon as possible to determine if the patient is eligible to receive the clot-dissolving drug recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which must be given 4.5 hours within hours of symptom onset. The goal is to minimize "door to needle" time which provides the patient with the best opportunity for benefit from the treatment. "tPA can now be considered for a larger group of patients, including some those who present up to 4.5 hours from stroke onset," said Edward Jauch, M.D., lead author of the guidelines and director of the Division of Emergency … Continue reading →