TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - For the first time in Canada, patients attending a family practice clinic will be offered genetic testing to see whether or how they will respond to psychiatric medication treatment, in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Thornhill Medical Centre, a clinic of family physicians, and CAMH are hosting an event to launch the first Canadian primary care centre to use this approach, known as personalized medicine. "These pharmacogenetic tests will allow physicians to use a patient's genetic makeup to help predict which medications are safe to prescribe, and which ones may be ineffective or cause side effects," said Dr. James Kennedy, head of CAMH's Neuroscience Research Department. The tests, which will prevent trial-and-error prescribing and reduce associated health-care costs, will be analyzed in the Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics at CAMH's Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute. This initiative is part of the provincewide IMPACT study (Individualized Medicine: Pharmacogenetic Assessment & Clinical Treatment). Any family doctor can access these tests through IMPACT, which was funded in part by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. *Photo opportunities within the clinic. Date: Wednesday, January 30 Time: 11 a.m. Location: Thornhill Medical … Continue reading →

27 January 2013| last updated at 11:36PM By R. Murali Rajaratenam, Kuala Lumpur "Science has attained so much power that its practical limits begin to be apparent. Largely through science, billions of us live in one small world, densely packed and intercommunicating. But science cannot help us decide what to do with that world, or how to live. Science can make a nuclear reactor, but it cannot tell us not to build it. And our world starts to seem polluted in fundamental ways -- air, water and land -- because of ungovernable science." It's been said that "all would be well if there were no 'buts'." Unfortunately, in genetics there are many "buts" and unwary traps for unsuspecting medical consumers. So, if you have the choice of getting genetic testing, be sure you know of the pros and cons. There's no doubt that genetic testing is a huge benefit under certain conditions. If a disease is caught early on, a patient has the best possible chance of survival. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of genetic testing is important in deciding whether or not to undergo a test. When this subject is discussed, most people think positively about genetic screening to … Continue reading →

Stem Cell Therapy for Moderate Mental Retardation with Behavioural Issues She is a known case of Mental Retardation with history of full term normal delivery, but mother had malaria during pregnancy. She had delayed motor milestones but achieved. She had delay mainly in speech. So she was tested and diagnosed to have MR. Gradually, she developed abnormal behavior and hyperactivity. Neurologically, she has near normal tone, reflexes and muscle power. On examination: She is hyperactive. She has poor social interaction and poor social skills. She has poor attention span. She has aggressive behavior. She is unable to read and write, but goes to a special school. She is unable to follow commands and has delayed speech. She needs assistance in all ADL. After Stem Cell Therapy OT assessment: 1) Hyperactivity has reduced by 30-40%. Now she can sit at one place if activity is of interest for 1-2 hours. She has calmed down a lot. 2) Attention and concentration has improved. Now she follows commands or instructions given. Does not need repetitions. 3) Concepts have improved, recognizes objects, matching colours, alphabets, numbers. 4) Speech is clearer and responses are relevant to questions asked. She sometimes still has repetitive speech or … Continue reading →

Jan. 25, 2013 A new study from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that tissues derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in an experimental model were not rejected when transplanted back into genetically identical recipients. The study, published online in Cell Stem Cell, demonstrates the potential of utilizing iPS cells to develop cell types that could offer treatment for a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, liver and lung diseases, without the barrier of immune rejection. Ashleigh Boyd, DPhil, and Neil Rodrigues, DPhil, the study's senior authors, are assistant professors of dermatology at BUSM and researchers at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University and Boston Medical Center (BMC). They also are lead investigators at the National Institutes of Health's Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) at Roger Williams Medical Center, a clinical and research affiliate of BUSM. iPS cells can be developed from adult cell types, such as skin or blood, by returning them to a stem cell state using genetic manipulation. iPS cells are capable of maturing (differentiating) into all the specific cell types in the body, making them a powerful tool for biological research and a source of tissues for transplantation based therapies. … Continue reading →

ORLANDO, Fla. Boca Raton, Fla., parents Gary and Judy Susser say they know the hope and promise of stem-cell therapy. Nine years ago they traveled to Mexico for stem cell injections for their son Adam, who has cerebral palsy. "Maybe it will do some good," Gary Susser said he and his wife thought at the time. They spent $25,000. But the Sussers stopped stem cell injections in 2005, after spending about $25,000 and seeing no improvement. Today, armed with more information, the Sussers are grateful the treatments didn't harm Adam, now 12. While they are advocates of "responsible" stem cell research, they warn other parents against making trips to Costa Rica, Mexico, Russia or other offshore clinics for experimental treatments. With promising breakthroughs making the news, as well as Internet hype, desperate parents and seriously ill patients may look to stem cell therapy as the modern miracle that could cure them. And one day, stem cells may be routinely used to repair damaged cells, improve the treatment of diseases and even cure paralysis. But there are hidden dangers to today's stem cell treatments, both in the U.S. and offshore, scientists said at the recent World Stem Cell Summit in West … Continue reading →

27 January 2013 Last updated at 20:06 ET Stem cells given in the vital period immediately after a stroke may aid recovery, suggest researchers. Rats injected with stem cells 30 minutes after a stroke had almost normal brain function restored within a fortnight. The Bolivian research team say the method has potential in human trials. Current best practice is to treat many patients with "clot-busting" drugs in the "golden hour" after a stroke has taken place. The research, published in the journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy, adds to others which have found that stem cells could aid stroke patients by boosting the body's ability to repair tissue damage. Stem cells are the body's "master cells", with the potential to become many different cell types, and theoretically replace cells lost through disease or injury. Recent tests in humans have show some promise, with stroke symptoms improving after an infusion of stem cells. Stem cells are an incredibly interesting area of stroke research. The Bolivian team, from La Paz University Hospital, extracted a certain type of stem cells from fat and bone marrow, then injected them into the blood vessels of rats shortly after they had suffered an artificially-induced stroke. Go … Continue reading →