StemCell Therapy

PELHAM The father-and-son duo display good humor with their bicycle team's name the Mustache Guys and serious dedication to beating a formidable disease that a family member has had for 46 years.

Paul Dadak and his son, Zachary, will push off from the Topsfield Fairgrounds on May 21 and bike 62 miles for Ann Dadak, Paul's wife and Zachary's step-mother.

Ann, a Type 1 diabetic, is touched by their dedication.

"I feel incredible loved and supported that they are willing to do this year after year, and that they are committed as I am to finding a cure," she said.

Paul, 69, and Zachary, 34, will ride in the North Shore Tour de Cure, the largest fundraising event for American Diabetes Association in New England.

Paul, a Pelham resident since 1981, has biked the ride at least 18 years, raising more than $10,000 in total.

The father and son want everyone to know the hardship and health hazards that diabetes poses, especially the Type 1 variety, which affects about 5 percent, or 1.25 million, of the more than 29 million Americans with diabetes.

Diabetes can be deadly, or lead to blindness, circulation problems, amputations or heart disease.

Paul Dadak is no stranger to heart disease.

Ten days after the Tour de Cure he rode in spring 2015, Dadak felt a slight pressure in his chest, like a bite from a peanut butter sandwich was lodged in his chest.

He had it checked and learned he had significant blockage and a weakened coronary artery.

He underwent double by-pass heart surgery.

He slowly got back on his feet and resumed biking.

"I will ride until I can't ride anymore or until it is cured," he said.

It irks Paul to hear people talk on television about how diabetes is a lifestyle disease, implying that it is people's fault that they got the disease.

The immune system in people with Type 1 diabetes destroys pancreatic beta cells that make insulin.

"When you have Type 1 your pancreas doesn't work," he says.

Money raised in the Tour de Cure will primarily go to research to find a cure for disease, says Tara Greeley, who manages the Tour de Cure New England.

It also funds programming and advocacy including summer camps for children with diabetes.

The Tour de Cure, which includes live music and lunch and education tents, celebrates everyone's efforts, not the least of which are the riders wearing red jerseys, known as Red Riders. They are people with diabetes.

Red Riders lead each race and speak before the group pedals off. There will be about 120 of them in this year's ride.

"If you see a Red Rider you should yell 'Go, Red Rider,'" Greeley said.

Dadak, who grew up on a chicken farm in Dracut, and became an engineer working for companies including Hewlett-Packard, now works at the Lowell National Historical Park for the Tsongas Industrial History Center.

Ann Dadak works for Road Scholar, which organizes educational tours throughout the country and world.

Paul Dadak and his son enjoy biking together, riding side-by-side, and chatting over the miles, talking politics or wherever the conversation leads.

When it came time to brainstorm a name for their bike team, Paul thought of mustaches.

He has had one ever since his son was born, and Paul wears it in the style of his hero, Mark Twain.

Meanwhile, his son, Zachary, does not have mustache but will wear a party store variety glued under his nose.

Their goals remains the same. Inform more people about the disease, and, most importantly, find a cure.

To donate to Paul's ride: main.diabetes.org/goto/pdadak

For more information: diabetes.org/northshoretour

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Mustache Guys ride to leave diabetes behind - Eagle-Tribune

Tawnya Galland can hold a ruler perpendicular from her hip to demonstrate how much her waistline has shrunk.

"There's a ruler less of me," she quipped.

The process began almost four years ago when a co-worker invited her to come along to a nutrition class at the YMCA. Galland figured she had nothing to lose, so she tagged along.

It was fortuitous. The nutrition class they attended was the Diabetes Prevention Program, a joint project between St. Vincent Healthcare and the YMCA.

Heavy and not very active, Galland was pre-diabetic, and she likely would have ended up with type 2 diabetes had she not followed her friend to the class and begun to change her life.

"We give people some broad guidelines," said Bev McHugh, the YMCA's registered dietitian and lifestyle coach for the diabetes prevention program.

In the class, she teaches participants about the importance of diet and exercise, helps them to create food journals where they track everything they eat and talks to them about the importance of finding balance in their lives. And then a relatively intensive exercise portion kicks in after the first month.

In other words, she said, she gives them some tools and teaches participants how to use them. But it's those in the class who have to make it work.

"To sustain a healthy lifestyle, people have to take ownership," McHugh said.

Galland was on board from the start, although she admits when she learned there was an exercise component she got a little nervous. She was all too aware of what it would look like for someone her size to saunter into a fitness center.

"Walking into a gym can be overwhelming," she said. "But you're all starting pretty much at the same level. So that was the benefit to doing it in a group."

And rather than starting straight out on exercise equipment, Galland was able to use the pool and work out in a water aerobics class.

"When you weigh as much as a linebacker, your joints don't like the land classes," she said with a laugh.

The biggest surprise was that she enjoyed it. She meticulously kept up her food diary, exercised multiple times a week and eventually lost 44 inches from her waistline.

These days, she's doing a spin class three times a week, a two-hour swim class twice a week and one group aerobics class on Saturdays. She finds genuine pleasure from the workouts, saying they're as good for her head as they are for her heart.

"I'm not happy when I haven't made it to the gym," she said.

McHugh talks to her class about the myriad ways there are to mark success. It's not just about pounds lost or physical endurance gained.

"There's many measures of progress," she said.

Most important, she said, is giving class participants tools that will help them keep in place the lifestyle changes they make when they finish the course.

McHugh likes to tell her class that she can't motivate them but that she can help them find their motivation.

ForGalland, that motivation comes from a desire not to lose the progress she's made and from the positive changes she's experienced in her life. Her mood has improved along with her health. She's more energetic throughout the day, and she has more confidence.

"I don't want to go backwards," she said. "It scares me to go backwards."

The diabetes prevention program lasts a year. It starts with 16 weekly classes, then moves to classes every other week. Then, for the last six months of the class, participants meet once a month. Through it all, there's the exercise regimen.

The best way to prevent diabetes is to improve diet and get active, McHugh said. Those improvements can be charted through weight loss.

"The goal of the program is moderate weight loss," she said, which is defined as a 5 percent to 10 percent loss from a person's starting weight.

Galland has dropped 103 pounds over the last three years, and she's happy with the balance she's struck in her life. Had she tried to do this 10 years ago, she wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Her life simply wasn't in the right place at the time.

"You have to find that place in your life when it'll work," she said. "I'm content with where I'm at."

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'I don't want to go backwards': Woman beats diabetes before she gets it with help of YMCA class - Billings Gazette

As per a new study, a new gene-delivery system can help deal with cases of an inherited form of blindness.

According to a new study, a new gene-delivery system for an inherited form of blindness shows promise. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed gene-carrying nanoparticles that home in on target cells and prevent vision loss in mice with a human form of Leber congenital amaurosis.

The condition is one of the most common causes of blindness in children, according to the National Institutes of Health, affecting two to three of every 100,000 newborns.

Though this research focused on the form of the disease called Leber congenital amaurosis 2, or LCA2, the scientists and engineers involved in the study believe the technology holds promise for other forms of LCA as well as other inherited diseases that lead to severe vision loss or blindness.

Leader Zheng-Rong Lu said that they believe this technology can deliver almost any type of gene to tackle inherited visual disorders.

Those with LAC2 carry a mutated RPE65 gene and suffer from profound vision loss from birth. The mutated gene fails to produce RPE65 protein in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a cell layer critical for protecting photoreceptors (rods and cones). The protein is an essential constituent of the visual cycle that converts light to electrical signals to the brain.

Lu and colleagues designed a lipid-based nanoparticle called ECO to deliver healthy RPE65 genes to RPE cells.

The promise of this technology is it localizes the drug to the photoreceptor cells, sparing the liver and kidney from exposure, said researcher Krzysztof Palczewski.

While other researchers focus on using modified viruses to deliver genes for therapy, sometimes the genes are too large for viruses to carry, Lu said. The ECO can be tailored to fit the cargo.

The exterior of the nanoparticle is coated with nucleic acids that act as targeting agents, drawing the delivery system to the retina and facilitating uptake by RPE cells. To track activity, Lus team included a fluorescent marker

Following injection into the retina of mice, the researchers could see fluorescent green concentrating in RPE cells. Testing showed a significant increase in light-induced electrical activity from the eyes to the brain, indicating the rods and cones were operating as they should in the visual cycle.

The therapeutic effect lasted 120 days in treated mice. No improvements were observed in untreated mice.

The researchers are now investigating whether the ECO system is effective against other visual disorders, including Stargardt disease, which is a form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration, primarily affecting the central portion of the visual field. They are also studying whether the nanoparticles can be used with the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to treat genetic lesions related to retinal degenerative diseases.

The study appears in the journal Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

Originally posted here:
New gene-delivery system can stop hereditary blindness, says study - Hindustan Times

Increasing laser pointer attacks have Havasus ferry captains concerned.

The ferry between Lake Havasu City and Havasu Landing has been struck three times by green laser pointers in the past month, from locations including Windsor Beach, Crazy Horse Campground and from further within mainland Havasu. When directed into the pilots cabin, these lasers can cause temporary blindness or difficulty seeing, according to ferry Captain Greg Erkes. Laser pointers can put the crew, the ship and its passengers in jeopardy.

It can blind someone if its intense enough, Erkes said. We run our ships at night with the lights off so we can see other lights on the water. If (laser pointer owners) are doing it intentionally, then its malicious.

In Arizona, deliberately shining a laser-pointer at another person in such a way that requires medical treatment qualifies as an act of misdemeanor assault, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Ferries arent the only recent targets of laser pointers, and the devices have proven a constant hazard for aircraft pilots as well.

Havasu-based Air Methods operates emergency medical helicopters throughout the state, and serves Havasu Regional Medical Center. While laser flashes are more common in major cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, they are still a threat.

Pilots have been warned, dont look at them, said Air Methods spokeswoman Karey Madsen. One past crew member got hit in the eye with a lasershe was out for a while. It can cause eye damage, and it can be a distraction for the pilot. It could definitely put crews and patients in jeopardy. If a pilot cant see, they cant land or maneuver the aircraft.

Deliberately aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a felony in Arizona, punishable by a prison sentence up to 18 months. Federal penalties for doing so include a $250,000 fine and up to five years in prison.

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Laser pointer 'attacks' are putting boaters, pilots at risk of temporary blindness - Today's News-Herald

CHANGLANG, May 11: Dapkhu, Namleng, Galenja Ponthai, Podumoni and Mohong Christian under Bordumsa were declared Avoidable Blindness Free. With the declaration, Arunachal Pradesh, and Bordumsa in particular has created a niche in the national arena in regards to Avoidable Blindness Free villages. Speaking at an event to mark the day at Bordumsa CHC on Thursday, Deputy Director General of Health Services (NPCB), New Delhi Dr Promila Gupta informed about the centres modified schemes under the national programme for Control of Blindness and committed to help the state. She later handed over certificates of avoidable blindness free to the goan burahs and Certificate of Appreciations to five ASHA workers for their tireless efforts in making their villages Avoidable Blindness Free. Global Director, Programmes, Operation Eye Sight Universal, Hyderabad Kashinath Bhoosnurmath appreciated the effort made by the NPCB team and ASHA workers in achieving the milestone. He pledged continuous support to the ongoing project and assured to come back in September with more packages for the Community Eye Care development in the state. State Programme Officer, NPCB Dr Taba Khanna outlined the road map for developing more eye-based hospitals in the state in the next two years, for which he sought liberal funding from the Government of India and help of more philanthropic non-governmental organizations. He also highlighted the challenges faced by health care workers and eye care team in Arunachal Pradesh. Franklin Daniel gave a presentation on the Avoidable Blindness Free Arunachal (ABFAR) project. He described in detail about the beginning of project implementation to declaration of avoidable blindness free. He thanked the government of Arunachal Pradesh, District Health Authority, staff of Bordumsa CHC and ASHA workers for continuous support. Chairman RDO Trust, Nilgiris Dr N K Perumal, ADC Bordumsa, Mika Nyori, DMOs Dr Dondu Wange and Dr Nani Rika, ZPM Tongroi Singpho, Head Gaon Burah Sikhet Tang Singpho and Anchal Chairperson Sindu Nong Singpho also spoke on the occasion. Earlier in the day, the Eye Department was established and the renovated Eye OT was inaugurated. With the establishment of the eye department with state of the art OT and sophisticated equipment, the Bordumsa CHC is one of the best eye care centres in the state, said Dr Khanna.

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Five Arunachal villages declared avoidable blindness free - The Arunachal Times

(WXYZ) - The videos have gone viral. People who are red-green colorblind are seen trying on glasses and then, all of a sudden, they're able to see colors they've never seen before.

Jake Gutenberg remembers being in kindergarten, looking at drawings and realizing he didn't see the same as his classmates.

"They were like 'no everything looks dull boring and dead to me'. I was like, 'it looks normal to me..I don't know what's wrong with your guys' eyes, but my eyes are perfect'," says Jake.

He's 17 years old now and about to graduate from Stevenson High School in Sterling Heights. Being red-green color blind is all he's known.

Jake says, "Everything looks similar. Some colors will stand out like blue against red, but if you put green next to it, it's hard to tell the difference between them."

He says he's adapted well since it's all he's known, but when he started seeing those online videos, he wanted to try the glasses.

"I've been wanting to try it ever since. I wanna see what everyone else sees," he says.

We were there as Jake tried the Vino Optics red-green color blindness correction glasses. After 17 years of seeing the world one way, Jake felt like the glasses changed his view. He said the glasses make everything more vivid and bright.

"You can tell the contrast. Everything doesn't look like one straight color. Everything's now spread apart and different," he says.

Dr. Nitin Kumar is an opthalmologist with Henry Ford Health Systems. He says red-green color blindness is the most common form of color blindness - with about 5 percent of the population having the genetic condition.

"People who have trouble with their reds and their greens will see the color, but they don't see the color like somebody who does not have a color vision anomaly will see them," says Dr. Kumar.

Jake really noticed a difference when he went outside.

"The leaves are green, instead of brown and almost dead looking," he says.

For Jake's parents, this has made their world brighter, too.

"It's just an amazing feeling - knowing he can see what we see and see how vibrant colors are," says Jennifer Gutenberg.

Jake's dad, WIlliam, says "His wow moment was a wow moment for us, too. It was overly exciting to see what happened. It was awesome".

There are a variety of these kinds of glasses on the market, but they don't work for every kind of color deficiency.

To learn more about the Vino Optics glasses and prices, go to http://www.vino.vi/colorblindglasses.

If you'd like to see what it's like to be color blind, you can check out this simulator http://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/

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Amazing technology allows the color blind to see a whole new world - WXYZ

Arthritis of the knee is very common, and isn't helped by arthroscopic surgery, a study finds. BSIP/UIG via Getty Images hide caption

An international panel of surgeons and patients has challenged the effectiveness of one of the most common orthopedic procedures and recommended strongly against the use of arthroscopic surgery for patients with degenerative knee problems.

The guidelines, published Wednesday in the journal BMJ, reviewed 13 studies involving nearly 1,700 patients and found the surgery did not provide lasting pain relief or improve function for most of them. Those studies compared the surgery with a variety of options, including physical therapy, exercise and even placebo surgery.

Fewer than 15 percent of patients felt an improvement in pain and function three months after the procedure, and that those effects disappeared after one year, the review found. In addition, the surgery exposed patients to "rare but important harms," such as infection.

Casey Quinlan, 64, who had the surgery in 2003 and was on the panel issuing the guidelines, said her orthopedist told her the procedure would not only help restore mobility in her knee after a nasty ski accident but also improve her arthritis.

Quinlan, of Richmond, Va., said the procedure did not deliver, since her arthritis remained unchanged. "It was not what I was told to expect," she says.

In an arthroscopic knee surgery, physicians make several small incisions around the joint and insert a tiny camera that allows them to see inside the knee as well as insert small instruments to correct problems they identify. Often the surgery is performed to remove part of a damaged meniscus, a disc of cartilage that helps cushion the knee.

The panel said meniscal tears "are common, usually incidental findings, and unlikely to be the cause of knee pain, aching or stiffness."

The panel said the surgery is performed more than 2 million times a year across the globe, and in the United States alone costs more than $3 billion annually.

The panel's recommendations are counter to guidelines from a number of medical groups. Most of those organizations have recommendations against arthroscopy for patients solely with arthritis that can be seen through an X-ray. But many still promote the procedure for people with ailments such as meniscal tears, which are frequently present in arthritic patients.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons does not recommend the treatment for patients with arthritis, said David Jevsevar, chairman of orthopedics at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine and chair of the AAOS Council on Research and Quality. He said the BMJ assessment is in line with current evidence, but he also cautioned that generalizing a variety of randomized trials does not necessarily take into account the circumstances of individual patients.

"Guidelines don't apply to every patient," Jevsevar says. "There's always going to be an exception."

Reed Siemieniuk, a physician in Ontario, Canada, and the lead author of the panel's statement, said he understands the frustration some people may have about the guideline especially those who have seen an improvement with surgery.

The strongest evidence of a procedure's benefit is a randomized controlled trial, Siemieniuk notes, "Despite those personal experiences that say it might be doing good, the evidence suggests that it might not be doing any good."

Siemieniuk said that the panel's reading of the studies suggests that "on average, the pain relief that you're getting is not going to be important to you at all."

The BMJ assessment is the latest in a string of studies that have raised concerns about the surgery. The journal also published a study in 2015 by researchers in Denmark showing that arthroscopic repair of the meniscus for middle-aged people was not much better than exercise in relieving pain and carried a risk of rare but debilitating side effects.

The surgery was questioned in 2002 after researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine that in a randomized trial of older veterans with osteoarthritis in their knees, arthroscopic surgery was no more effective in treating pain than a placebo surgery in which patients had incisions made but no instruments were inserted into the knee. At least three other studies in that journal since then have also found arthroscopy is not better than sham surgery or physical therapy in relieving arthritis pain in the knees of older adults.

Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization.

Read this article:
Arthroscopic Surgery Doesn't Help With Arthritis Knee Pain - NPR

Grating, cracking or popping sounds around joints may predict future arthritis, especially in the knees, according to a recent U.S. study.

Among thousands of people with no knee pain who were followed for three years, one quarter had noisy knees yet they made up three quarters of the cases of symptomatic knee arthritis that emerged by the end of the study period, researchers found.

"Many people who have signs of osteoarthritis on X-rays do not necessarily complain about pain. Presently, there are no known strategies for preventing the development of pain in this group," said lead study author Grace Lo of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

Especially when people have joint space loss or other arthritis-related changes visible on X-rays, their also having noisy knees can be considered a sign of higher risk for developing pain within the next year, she said.

HOSPITAL HEROES: KNITTERS MAKE THOUSANDS OF HATS FOR CHEMO PATIENTS

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting more than 30 million adults in the United States, Lo and colleagues write in Arthritis Care and Research. Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, which means X-ray evidence of arthritis plus pain or stiffness, affects about 16 percent of adults older than 60, they note.

Lo and colleagues analyzed data from 3,495 participants ranging in age from about 50 to 70 in a long-term study conducted in hospitals in Rhode Island, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. None had symptomatic knee arthritis at the start.

The researchers looked at how often people experienced knee pain, stiffness and "crepitus," or noises and scraping feelings in their knees.

During clinic visits, people were asked questions like, "Do you feel grinding, hear clicking or any other type of noise when your right knee moves?" and "During the past 12 months, have you had pain, aching or stiffness in or around your right knee on most days for at least one month?" The patients were evaluated at the beginning of the study and again at 12, 24 and 36 months. X-rays were also taken once a year.

At the start, 65 percent of participants said they had no crepitus, 11 percent experienced it "rarely," 15 percent had it "sometimes" and 9 percent had it "often" or "always."

Overall, 635 participants, 18 percent, developed symptomatic arthritis of the knee during the study period.

LOOKING FOR A SPERM DONOR? SWIPE RIGHT

Even after adjusting for weight and other factors, researchers found that odds of developing symptomatic arthritis rose along with the frequency of crepitus. Those who reported it "rarely" had 50 percent higher risk than those who never had it, and those with crepitus "sometimes" or "often" had about double the odds.

People with crepitus "always" were three times more likely to develop arthritis over four years than those who never had it.

Older age and having crepitus also increased the likelihood of developing arthritis, and men with crepitus were more likely than women with noisy knees to go on to develop arthritis.

"Differences across genders is interesting and unexplained. This may tell us about differences in symptom reporting or the biology of osteoarthritis," said Daniel Solomon, the chair of arthritis and population health at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"Knowing how to predict who will develop symptomatic osteoarthritis may give patients and providers clues to who should receive earlier treatment or even prevention," Solomon, who wasn't involved in the study, told Reuters Health by email.

"It would be helpful to look at the MRIs of the people who had X-ray evidence, no pain and always had crepitus to understand what is happening in their knees," Lo said. "This could help identify ways to decrease the risk for developing knee pain."

Since MRI scans are more sensitive than X-rays, Lo added, researchers for future studies may be able to see osteophyte formations or other symptoms around the knee that they can't usually see.

"Not all noises coming from a knee are a bad sign," she said. "It might be helpful to ask your doctor for an X-ray to see if you have evidence of osteoarthritis and then take precautions from there."

Read more:
Cracking, popping joints may foretell arthritis - Fox News

"Keyhole" arthroscopic surgery should rarely be used to repair arthritic knee joints, a panel of international experts says in new clinical guidelines.

Clinical trials have shown that keyhole surgery doesn't help people suffering from arthritis of the knees any more than mild painkillers, physical therapy or weight loss, said lead author Dr. Reed Siemieniuk. He is a health researcher with McMaster University in Toronto, Canada.

"You can make a pretty strong statement saying that from a long-term perspective, it really doesn't help at all," Siemieniuk said. "If they knew all the evidence, almost nobody would choose to have this surgery."

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More than 300,000 Americans get hip replacement surgery each year. A growing number of patients can be in and out of the hospital faster than eve...

Keyhole surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures in the world, with more than 2 million performed each year, Siemieniuk said. The United States alone spends about $3 billion a year on the procedure.

The new guidelines -- published online May 10 in theBMJ-- were issued as part of the journal's initiative to provide up-to-date recommendations based on the latest evidence. The guidelines make a strong recommendation against arthroscopy for nearly all cases of degenerative knee disease.

This includes osteoarthritis as well as tears of the meniscus, the padding between the two leg bones in the knee, Siemieniuk said.

"With age and with use, the grinding of the two bones together can break down that padding," he said. "It's very common to see little rips and tears in that padding in patients with arthritis."

Siemieniuk and his colleagues noted that a trial published in 2016 showed that surgery was no better than exercise therapy in patients with a meniscus tear.

Despite this and other medical evidence, most guidelines still recommend keyhole surgery for people with meniscus tears, sudden onset of symptoms like pain or swelling, or mild to moderate difficulties with knee movement.

Arthroscopic surgery relies on small incisions through which a tiny camera and miniature instruments are inserted. Doctors can remove or repair damaged tissue without having to cut the knee open.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons currently advises against performing arthroscopic surgery in patients with full-fledged knee osteoarthritis, said Dr. Kevin Shea, an academy spokesman.

"Most orthopedic surgeons have dramatically reduced arthroscopic surgery in patients with degenerative arthritis," Shea said. "Most I know have abandoned it over the last 10 to 15 years."

However, arthroscopic surgery still can help people with joint movement problems caused by meniscus tears who have not developed moderate or severe knee osteoarthritis, said Shea.

Those patients should be treated first with mild painkillers and exercise therapy, but keyhole surgery should remain an option for them, he added. Shea is an orthopedic surgeon based in Boise, Idaho.

"Not that long ago, I operated on a 67-year-old retired schoolteacher who's an avid skier," Shea said. "She had no arthritis in her knee but a huge meniscus tear that kept locking, catching and popping. Not offering treatment to her would not have been fair."

Under theBMJguidelines, patients with meniscus tears should be treated with painkillers and physical therapy, as well as weight loss if they are overweight, Siemieniuk said. Knee replacement surgery is the last treatment option, done once degeneration has progressed to the point where all other therapies don't work.

There is a financial incentive for doctors and hospitals to perform unnecessary keyhole surgeries, but Siemieniuk said these surgeries also might be prompted by the desire to treat a painful medical condition.

"It's hard to take away one of the options from people when chronic knee pain and arthritis can be very debilitating," he said. "And there's an expectation from patients that by the time they see a surgeon, the surgeon is going to have something to be able to offer them."

Inertia might also play a role. "It's a lot easier to introduce a new treatment into clinical care than to de-implement one that we later find out doesn't work," Siemieniuk said. "That's what we're seeing here."

Keyhole surgery has its downsides. Recovery can last anywhere from 3 days to 6 weeks, Siemieniuk said, and there is a risk of blood clots or infection in the knee.

Patients should go through a shared decision-making process with their surgeon, questioning whether this surgery would truly help them, he said.

The surgery still can be useful to fix torn ligaments or repair damage caused by severe trauma, Siemieniuk said. But in most cases, he said, given the evidence, insurers "may choose not to fund it, which I think would be appropriate."

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"Keyhole" surgery not helpful for knee arthritis, experts say - CBS News

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Things as simple as standing, walking and moving your hands can inflict serious pain on people suffering from arthritis.

"We have treatments for inflammatory arthritis that actually modify the disease, [with] what we call disease-modifying-agents, that actually change the course of the disease and can prevent joint destruction, said Dr. Siegel.

Since the completion of the human genome, combating arthritis can involve a more articulated strategy, where researchers can target specific molecules.

"Now that we know who the players are, we can then try to figure out exactly what they do in different diseases, said Dr. John O'Shea, Scientific Director at NIAMS, NIH. Then you can take a strategy, saying, I think this guy is a bad actor, and so we can make a drug that targets that guy."

Not only can you make a drug that targets specific molecules, but you can repurpose one for it, which is what the NIH is currently trying to do with tofacitinib, a drug initially approved for rheumatoid arthritis and now being tested to treat lupus.

"As serious as these problems are, we should be optimistic that if we keep investing in trying to cure and treat these diseases, that we will succeed, said Dr. OShea.

The CDC projects that by 2025, 67 million people in the U.S. will have arthritis.

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Debunking common myths about arthritis - WHAG

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects over 300,000 children across the country, according to the America College of Rheumatology. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is caused by the bodys immune system attacking its own healthy tissue and can be linked to genetics. Persistent joint pain, swollen joints, limping or preference of one leg or arm are just a few of the everyday battles these children take on every day.

Mitchell Briningstool has taken on the disease for most of his young life. He was diagnosed with JRA at the age of two. Mitchell, a junior at Clarksville Academy, does not let his current condition dictate his daily routines. Hes currently a member of the varsity football team, and has played high school baseball and basketball since his freshman year.

In addition to being a member of the football team, Mitchell is also the leader and the face of Team Mitch, and hell be leading his team on Sunday, May 21 to Walk to Cure Arthritis at Centennial Park in Nashville. Not only will he be leading his team to raise money and awareness, Mitchell was selected as the Team Champion for this event.

The Briningstool family asks that you consider a financial donation, or taking part in the event and day of fun on May 21. There are also some events here in town leading up to the Walk to Cure Arthritis. On Thursday, May 11, Chic Fil a on Wilma Rudolph Blvd. will host Team Mitch night from 5-8 p.m. where a portion of the the sales will be donated to Team Mitch for everyone who mentions they are there for his event. The money will help fund The Arthritis Foundation for research and education.

There will also be a charity basketball game on May 19 at the Clarksville Academy gym. The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. and will consist of free basketball training, a three point shooting contest, free throw contest, and capped off with Team Mitch taking on Team RTG. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.

Come out and support Mitchell and The Arthritis Foundation during one of these three events. If you cant make it, you can also make a donation online.

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Local high school football player takes on rheumatoid arthritis - Clarksville Now

Laura E Straub,1,2 Miriam G Cisternas3

1Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 2Immune Tolerance Network, San Francisco, CA, 3MGC Data Services, Carlsbad, CA, USA

Purpose: Mental health conditions can increase the risk of disability among adults with arthritis. The objective of this analysis was to compare the prevalence of serious psychological distress (SPD), depression, and anxiety among US adults with arthritis vs. those without; characterize adults with arthritis with and without SPD; and determine correlates of seeing a mental health professional during the year for adults with arthritis and SPD. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional analysis of adults in the 20112013 National Health Interview Survey. Results: Higher proportions of adults with arthritis had SPD (6.8% vs. 2.4%), depression (19.4% vs. 7.3%), and anxiety (29.3% vs. 16.3%) compared to those without. Of the estimated 3.5 million adults with arthritis and SPD, only 39% saw a mental health professional during the year. Adjusted analyses identified the following statistically significant relationships: those who were older (4564 and 65 [vs.1844], prevalence ratio [PR]=0.8 and 0.4, respectively), less educated (PR=0.5 and 0.7 for high school or less vs. college degree, respectively), and without health insurance coverage (vs. any private, PR=0.7), were less likely to see a mental health professional, whereas the disabled or unemployed (vs. employed, PR=1.6 and 1.5, respectively), and those unable to afford mental health care throughout the year (PR=1.3) were more likely. Conclusion: The high prevalence of SPD, anxiety, and depression in adults with arthritis suggests the need for increased mental health screening, with subsequent referral to mental health professionals or other treatment programs, in that population.

Keywords: serious psychological distress, anxiety, depression, access to mental health care, rheumatoid arthritis

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Psychological well-being among US adults with arthritis and the unmet need for mental health care - Dove Medical Press

Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Miss Washington's Journey to Miss USA KCTS 9 Doctors eventually diagnosed her with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). She was told that she may never walk again. Although Alex appears to be the picture of health, dealing with the chronic pain of RA is a constant struggle. The term 'invisible illness ...

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Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Miss Washington's Journey to Miss USA - KCTS 9

May 04, 2017 08:30 ET | Source: International Stem Cell Corporation

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB:ISCO), a California-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, today announced that its Chief Scientific Officer, Russell Kern, PhD, will deliver an oral presentation on the Company's Parkinson's disease clinical trial at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 20th Annual Meeting at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC.

Session Information

Session Date/Time:Thursday May 11, 2017 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM Session title:Clinical Trials for Neurologic and Neurosensory Disorders Room:Marriott Salon 1 Presentation Time:5:00pm - 5:15pm Presentation title: Update on the First-in-Human Clinical Study Evaluating Neural Stem Cells in Patients with Parkinsons Disease

Session Date/Time:Thursday May 11, 2017 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM Session title:Pharmacology, Toxicology and Assay Development Room:Maryland ABC Presentation Time:3:45pm - 4:00pm Presentation title: Pharmacology and Toxicology Studies Conducted for the First-in-Human Clinical Study of Neural Stem Cells in Parkinsons Disease

About the clinical study

The Phase I clinical study is a dose escalation safety and preliminary efficacy study of ISC-hpNSC, intracranially transplanted into patients with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease. The open-label, single center, uncontrolled clinical trial will evaluate three different dose regimens of 30,000,000 to 70,000,000 neural cells. A total of 12 participants with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease will be treated. Following transplantation, the patients will be monitored for 12 months at specified intervals, to evaluate the safety and biologic activity of ISC-hpNSC. PET scan will be performed at baseline, as part of the screening assessment, and at 6 and 12 months after surgical intervention. Clinical responses compared to baseline after the administration of ISC-hpNSC will be evaluated using various neurological assessments such as Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr and other rating scales.

About Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related; these symptoms include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Later, thinking and behavioral problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease, and depression is the most common psychiatric symptom. Parkinson's disease is more common in older people, with most cases occurring after the age of 50.

Currently, medications typically used in the treatment of Parkinson's, L-DOPA and dopamine agonists, improve the early symptoms of the disease. As the disease progresses and dopaminergic neurons continue to be lost, the drugs eventually become ineffective while at the same time frequently producing a complication marked by involuntary writhing movements. In 2013 PD resulted in about 103,000 deaths globally, up from 44,000 deaths in 1990.

About ISC-hpNSC

International Stem Cell Corporation's proprietary ISC-hpNSC consists of a highly pure population of neural stem cells derived from human parthenogenetic stem cells. ISC-hpNSC is a suspension of clinical grade cells manufactured under cGMP conditions that have undergone stringent quality control measures and are clear of any microbial and viral contaminants. Preclinical studies in rodents and non-human primates have shown improvement in Parkinson's disease symptoms and increase in brain dopamine levels following the intracranial administration of ISC-hpNSC. ISC-hpNSC provides neurotrophic support and cell replacement to the dying dopaminergic neurons of the recipient PD brain. Additionally, ISC-hpNSC is safe, well tolerated and does not cause adverse events such as dyskinesia, systemic toxicity or tumors in preclinical models. International Stem Cell Corporation believes that ISC-hpNSC may have broad therapeutic applications for many neurological diseases affecting the brain, the spinal cord and the eye.

About International Stem Cell Corporation International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available atwww.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications, please click on the following link:http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0 To like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for company updates and industry related news, visit:www.facebook.com/InternationalStemCellCorporationandwww.twitter.com/intlstemcell

Safe harbor statement Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, expected results and timing of clinical studies, potential applications of ISC-hpNSC to other diseases, progress of research and development initiatives, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products (including clinical trial results that differ from expectations based on earlier studies), regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.

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International Stem Cell Corporation to Present Results of Neural Stem Cell Transplantation for Parkinson's Disease ... - GlobeNewswire (press release)

WNCN

New Durham detention director aims to stem suicides WNCN In March, Uniece Fennell, 17, died in her cell. The Sheriff's Office says she was found hanging from a bed sheet attached to a window. In the cells, if you would, there was an opportunity to use certain parts of that cell to assist in suicides, said ... and more »

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New Durham detention director aims to stem suicides - WNCN

Chances are, you or a loved one will develop cancer at some point during your lives. Worldwide, cancer is one of the leading causes of death, with one in six deaths attributable to the disease. There were over 8.8 million cancer-related deaths in 2015 alone, and the number of new cancer cases each year tallies in the tens of millions.

We have state-of-the-art facilities to treat cancer, such as the Rush University Cancer Center in Chicago, which specializes in oncology research, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which ranks as one of the best treatment centers in the United States. Were also funneling millions of dollars into cancer research, and have known about the disease in some capacity since the days of Hippocrates, stretching back 2300 years.

In that time, weve identified and cured countless diseases with much lower risks and mortality rates, so why havent we been able to eradicate cancer yet?

There are several reasons why cancer remains such an elusive disease:

1. There are many types of cancer.

First off, cancer isnt a disease; its a collective term for hundreds of diseases. Lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and brain cancer, for example, all have different risk factors, pathologies, and symptoms, and must be treated very differently. Even within one branch of cancer, there can be dozens to hundreds of different variants. For example, cancer cells are categorized, and certain types (such as cancer stem cells) can transform into further different types. This makes it nearly impossible to comprehensively study cancer as a whole. Instead, we must divide our focus to each individual iteration of the disease, and attempt to solve those problems one at a time.

2. Carcinogenesis is ridiculously complex.

Carcinogenesis, the mutation of otherwise healthy cells into cancer cells, is an enormously complicated process. Theres no simple trigger point that converts a healthy cell into a cancer cell; even the earliest estimations of the process reduced it to no fewer than six individual steps. Today, thanks to advanced computer models, we know there are hundreds to thousands of different genes collectively responsible for that conversion process, making it extraordinarily hard to understand, prevent, and/or reverse.

3. Cancer is produced from the bodys own cells.

Its also important to remember that cancer comes from the bodys own cells. Cancerous cells are still part of youtherefore, they are exceedingly hard to target without also targeting other parts of you. Cancer treatments often focus on trying to destroy cancer cells, but in the process, this approach can do more harm than good. The bodys immune system is unable to identify and fight cancer on its own (in many cases), though recent progress has been made in attempting to use the immune system against cancer.

4. Theres no virus or bacteria to target.

Cures and treatments for conventional diseases focus on targeting and exploiting a structural weakness in the prime cause for the disease. For example, with bacterial infections, most antibiotics attempt to puncture the cells lining to kill the bacterial cell. Since cancer cells arent easy to destroy, and dont share qualities with killable bacteria or viruses, its hard to come up with a treatment that eradicates the disease entirely.

5. Individuals respond differently to different treatments.

There are dozens of different cancer treatments already, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgeries, immunotherapy, and stem cell therapy. However, these treatments may have different levels of effectiveness and different levels of tolerance, depending on the individual responding to them. When researchers discover a new potential treatment for a specific type of cancer, it may only be applicable to a portion of cancer sufferers.

Because these factors cant be addressed with simple advancements in technology, and because we cant change the nature of cancer, its impossible to ever develop a once-size-fits-all cure for cancerat least not in the conventional sense.

Is this reason to despair? Not necessarily. Instead of pooling our efforts to curing cancer, were focusing on treating cancer. Were developing technology that can mitigate the pain and weakness associated with the disease, were inventing new treatment options that can potentially help more individuals, and were finding new ways to eradicate certain manifestations of the disease.

Cancer mortality rates are falling and life expectancies are risingand thats the best we can hope for.

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Why Don't We Have the Technology to Cure Cancer Yet? - Huffington post (press release) (blog)

The state Biotechnology department has decided to set up a state-of-the-art plant tissue culture laboratory at the Kolkata Biotech Park to enhance production and quality of plants and vegetables.

There will be scientists and research fellows who will carry out various kinds of research on plants and bio-fertilizers and how they can be used to increase the production of vegetables in the state. Various medicinal plants will be conserved in the Biotech Park for research purposes. It has been learnt that the department is in the process of formulating the Biotech Policy for Bengal.

The state government has already taken the initiative to upgrade the infrastructure of Kolkata Biotech Park, apart from setting up new Biotechnology hubs in Burdwan and Kalimpong. The department has been focusing on the modernisation and expansion of the Common Instrument Facility Centre in the Biotech Park in the city. The department of Biotechnology will obtain all the necessary approvals and clearances to secure funding for the augmentation of the 'Bioincubator Facility' in Kolkata.

The department has a plan to conduct research on tissue culture to increase the yield and quality of various products but also to provide germ-free food to the common people. The Biotechnology department will tie up with other departments like Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing to strengthen organisational collaboration.

Better co-ordination with other departments will help the Biotechnology department to successfully implement the schemes. The department will help the Agriculture department to improve the quality of various fertilizers. It is also working to increase the production of fishes for the Fisheries department.

Tissue culture will be of immense help in increasing the productivity of land by enhancing crop quality, developing crops resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, developing bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.

Bengal is rich in the biodiversity of crops, vegetables, fruits, flowers and other plant resources. The main objectives of the department are to provide better facilities to the common people and to improve the quality of life. It will also promote the overall development of both traditional and modern biotechnology in the state including various livelihood development programmes. It will also strengthen biotechnology-based aspects that will help in the development of the state economy from the grass-root level.

The Biotechnology department is applying specialised knowledge, skills and management to develop a viable and vibrant biotechnology-based industry in the state. It stresses on equitable and inclusive development through scientific means.

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Biotechnology dept to set up tissue culture lab - Millennium Post

New York Times

Noisy Knees? Arthritis May Be in Your Future New York Times If your knees creak and pop, the noises could be an indicator of early arthritis, even if the joint does not hurt, according to one of the first long-term studies of the association between noisy knees and joint disease. But not every creaky knee is ...

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Noisy Knees? Arthritis May Be in Your Future - New York Times

GETTY

A study claims arthroscopies should not be performed on those suffering painful degenerative knee disease because it rarely works.

In fact, a collaboration of international experts said the keyhole procedure to relieve pain and improve movement should be avoided in almost all patients.

Their recommendation is based on evidence that it does not result in lasting improvement in pain or function.

The panel said: Knee arthroscopy has been oversold as a cure-all for knee pain.

We make a strong recommendation against the use of arthroscopy in nearly all patients with degenerative knee disease.

"Further research is unlikely to alter this recommendation.

Degenerative knee disease is a chronic condition in which symptoms fluctuate.

Each year around two million people go under the knife but the procedure is no better than traditional exercise or physiotherapy.

Knee arthroscopy has been oversold as a cure-all for knee pain

Research panel

Around a quarter of those aged over 50 years experience pain from degenerative knee disease with weight loss, exercise and anti-infammatory drugs and surgery options to combat the debilitating pain.

Knee replacement is the only definitive therapy, but it is usually reserved for patients with the severest form of the disease.

The review by bone surgeons, physiotherapists, clinicians and patients with experience of degenerative knee disease suggests arthroscopic surgery offers little benefit and is not cost effective.

GETTY

The assessment comes after the panel carried out a detailed analysis of the available evidence.

A linked review of 13 random control trials and 12 observational studies concluded the treatment did not reap important benefits in pain or function.

Researchers found that when compared with conservative management surgery resulted in a very small reduction in pain up to three months following the procedure and very small or no pain reduction up to two years later.

Getty

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They also found knee arthroscopy results in a very small improvement in the short term and very small or no improved function up to two years after the operation.

Patient Casey Quinlan said: Knee arthroscopy has been oversold as a cure-all for knee pain.

"Mine was nowhere near what I had been told it would be, function and pain level were only marginally improved.

Degenerative arthritis is a group of conditions where the main problem is damage to the cartilage which covers the ends of the bones.

Painful and debilitating degenerative knee arthritis affects around 4 million people in the UK.

Mark Wilkinson, Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Sheffield and Arthritis Research UK spokesman, said: Previous studies have shown knee arthroscopy is not recommended for the symptoms of pain and loss of function for people with degenerative knee arthritis.

"People with mechanical symptoms, such as locked knee, are more likely to benefit for this type of surgery. Current guidelines support this.

GETTY

Anyone with pain and loss of function in their knee joints will find benefit from lifestyle modification, exercise, physiotherapy, suitable pain medication, or joint replacement when non-surgical treatment becomes no longer effective.

Publishing their findings in the BMJ the experts said: We make a strong recommendation against the use of arthroscopy in nearly all patients with degenerative knee disease, based on linked systematic reviews.

"Further research is unlikely to alter this recommendation.

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Arthritis pain: Exercise 'could be JUST as effective as surgery at managing knee agony' - Express.co.uk

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Walk to Cure Arthritis(Photo: Submitted)

The Arthritis Foundation is set to host its annual Walk to Cure Arthritis in Nashville.

The walk features a three-mile and one-milenoncompetitive course along with family-friendly activities. Dogs are welcome.

Funds will go to help speed up the cure for arthritis, a common cause of disability.

The walk is1:30 p.m.Sunday, May 21,at the Centennial Park band shell, 2500 West End Ave., in Nashville.

Registration is free and donations are encouraged. Visit walktocurearthritis.org/Nashville.

Reach Alex Hubbard at dhubbard@tennessean.com.

Read or Share this story: http://tnne.ws/2pxZ8Uh

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Arthritis Foundation set for Nashville walk - The Tennessean