A team of researchers at Brown University grew a three-dimensional glioma tumor, including the supporting blood vessels, to experiment on it using nanomedicine ways to destroy growths. Not all cancers are created equal. While some are easy to study in the Petri dish, others don't do well in vitro. They often will not grow without a supporting framework of angiogenic blood vessels that supply their high metabolism with nutrients and oxygen. Performing experiments on tumors such as glioma is a difficult proposition because they only wish to reside in the body and normally don't survive when grown outside in a laboratory environment. Researchers at Brown University have now managed to grow a three-dimensional glioma tumor, including the supporting proximal blood vessels, and are already using it to perform experiments testing a nanomedicine approach to tumor destruction. From the announcement: In a series of experiments, the team showed that iron-oxide nanoparticles ferrying the chemical tumstatin penetrated the blood vessels that sustain the tumor with oxygen and nutrients. The iron-oxide nanoparticles are important, because they are readily taken up by endothelial cells and can be tracked by magnetic resonance imaging. Previous experiments have shown that tumstatin was effective at blocking endothelial cell … Continue reading →

Stem cell therapy is poised to become the next big thing in the treatment of major diseases. Even those extracted from dental pulp can be preserved for future use Watching his five-year-old pull at his loose tooth, dad Shekar remembered something he had read in a dental clinic. Stem cells from teeth, called dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) could be preserved and retrieved to treat his son if he had a major ailment in future. Stemade, a private company, would arrange to collect DPSCs through its Smile Clinics and store them in state-of-the-art labs in several cities across the country. His thought: Stem cell technology is the next big step in medical treatment. Banking SCs is medical bio-insurance for his kid. Stem cell therapy didn't jump out of a box yesterday. We've heard of it being used in treating leukaemia. Patients with spinal cord injury have spent huge sums on it hoping to get up and walk. Some ask: If a house lizard can grow back its tail, why can't we get our systems to re-start with a million multiplying stem cells? Kinds of cells The best cells for banking are embryonic cells which are programmed to develop and grow. … Continue reading →

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- South Korean pharmaceutical company SK Biopharmaceuticals announced that the lead drug, YKP3089, from its drug development program for the treatment of refractory epilepsy, has been awarded funding from the Korea Drug Development Fund to support clinical development for the next three years. An agreement between the two parties was signed on February 22. The Korea Drug Development Fund was established in September 2011 with assets of $1 billion to develop at least ten new drugs by 2019. A consortium of three health-related Korean ministries, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. YKP3089 is the lead molecule in SK Biopharmaceuticals pipeline. The funding support received will be used to support global late Phase 2 clinical trials in refractory epilepsy. Dr. Jeong Woo Cho, Vice President for SK Biopharmaceuticals Drug Development Business, said, The selection of YKP3089 by the Korean Drug Development Fund is an acknowledgement of its potential to become a global blockbuster. If our Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials go smoothly, we will be able to market the drug in 2017. Dr. Cho added, As the drug has shown marked efficacy in … Continue reading →

Order your Choose Blue shirts to support World Autism Awareness Month (April). Short-sleeve shirts are only $10 and long-sleeve shirts are $15. Join the Choose Blue campaign and order a blue shirt to wear during the month of April. Payment and order forms are due to Faith, Hope & Charity no later than Thursday, March 8th. The Choose Blue Shirts will be available for pick-up at Faith, Hope & Charity on Friday, March 30th. "Choose Blue: For Autism Awareness and Advocacy" during World Autism Awareness Month in April. Storm Lake is Choosing Blue as part of Autism Speaks' Light It Up Blue campaign to educate people on the disorder. Autism Speaks is an organization whose mission is to change the future for all who struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorders. For the second year, Faith, Hope & Charity has teamed up with the Riesenberg family, and Storm Lake Radio to promote for Autism Awareness in the community. Knowing how hard it is for an outsider to relate to Autism, as well the pain-staking process of finding information and treatment options, these groups want to make a difference in the community. With the Autism rates on the rise (Autism affects 1 in … Continue reading →

DECATUR When stroke symptoms strike, time is of the essence. In late January, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, 52, underwent surgery to relieve swelling around his brain stemming from a stroke caused by a tear in his carotid artery. There was much buzz about the busy, seemingly healthy senators sudden illness. Two physicians involved in the stroke program at Decatur Memorial Hospital, Drs. Oliver Dold, a neurosurgeon, and Howard Wiarda, an interventional radiologist, explained that stroke symptoms typically come on suddenly. Its important to recognize the signs of stroke and get the person to a hospital as quickly as possible, Dold said. Stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. Symptoms can include facial drooping, weakness, numbness or inability to move on one side of the body, speech troubles, difficulty seeing out of one or both eyes, unsteady gait and sudden onset of severe headache, dizziness or confusion. Symptoms can vary, depending on the type of stroke and the part of the brain affected, but an important thing to remember, Dold and Wiarda said, is not to wait if stroke is suspected. Call 911, and get the person to a hospital as soon as possible. Even if youre not … Continue reading →