StemCell Therapy

(CNN)

It's well-known that type 2 diabetes can cause medical complications in certain organs, including the brain. But overweight and obese people with early-stage type 2 diabetes have more severe abnormalities in brain structure and cognition than normal-weight people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

Having type 2 diabetes and being overweight, then, can combine to have a greater effect on brain structures.

"There's a general agreement that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for various types of both structural and functional abnormalities in the brain," said Dr. Donald C. Simonson, a co-author of the study and an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes. "Simple obesity also shows the same type of abnormalities ... in a milder stage. You can see where it's not quite exactly normal but not quite as bad as someone with diabetes.

"So, if you have both, will it be worse than if you have them alone? That's what we looked at in this particular study," said Simonson, who teaches at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. In Kyoon Lyoo, lead author and a professor at the Ewha Brain Institute at Ewha Womens University in Seoul, South Korea, wrote in an email, "As obesity has been known to be associated with metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and brain changes independently of diabetes, we expected that brain alterations might be more pronounced in overweight/obese participants with type 2 diabetes."

Effects on the brain

Lyoo, Simonson and their colleagues designed a study around 50 overweight or obese people age 30 to 60 who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Fifty normal-weight people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 50 normal-weight people without diabetes also participated. These additional participants were age and sex matched to the original group. Those diagnosed with diabetes were also matched for disease duration. Standard body mass index ranges defined "overweight" (having a BMI of 25 to 29.9), "obese" (greater than 30) and "normal weight" (18.5 to 25).

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to examine each participant's brain structure, including the thickness of the cerebral cortex and white matter connectivity. Gray matter in the brain contains the neuron cell bodies, whereas white matter contains bundles of nerve fibers and its job is to process and send signals along the spinal cord.

The researchers chose to study thickness and connectivity "because these could be sensitive markers of diabetes-related brain changes, and could be reliably quantified by using magnetic resonance imaging," Lyoo explained.

Participants also were tested for memory, psychomotor speed and executive function, since these are known to be affected in people with type 2 diabetes.

The results aligned with the researchers' initial assumptions, Lyoo said.

Clusters of gray matter were significantly thinner in the temporal, prefrontoparietal, motor and occipital cortices in the brains of diabetic participants than in the non-diabetic group, the study found. More thinning of the temporal and motor cortices could be seen in the overweight/obese diabetic group compared with normal-weight diabetics. Separately and collectively, these areas of the brain impact motor control, executive function, body awareness, concentration and other cognitive functions.

"Most of the things we looked at, you could see that there was a progression, and the obese patients with diabetes were worse than the lean patients with diabetes, and they were both worse than the age-matched controls," Simonson said.

In particular, the temporal lobe appears vulnerable to the combined effects of type 2 diabetes and being overweight or obese, the researchers say. The temporal lobe is implicated in language comprehension and long-term memory.

The brain has been the last frontier in the study of complications of diabetes, Simonson said.

Similarities to Alzheimer's disease

"Diabetic retinopathy, eye disease, is reasonably well-understood," he said. "The same is true of kidney disease, amputations -- we understand much better what causes them and how to prevent them.

"But the brain has been the proverbial black box. It's incredibly complicated, and you can't directly study it. You can't go in and take samples," he said. "The last several years, the techniques of MRI got good enough that we could really look carefully at the brain."

Most of the initial work in the very late 1990s was done in Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, depression and other classic psychiatric diseases, but then scientists began to look at other diseases including diabetes, explained Simonson. At this point, researchers around the world began to see connections.

"You can see a person with depression has thinning of the surface of the brain in certain areas, and you go in and do the same study with somebody with diabetes, and they have thinning in the exact same areas," Simonson said. And diabetes may be a predisposing or risk factor for developing Alzheimer's, he said.

"You see the same types of abnormalities in a milder form in the brain in people with diabetes that you see in people with Alzheimer's disease," Simonson said.

According to Dr. William T. Cefalu, chief scientific, medical and mission officer of the American Diabetes Association, the study is consistent with previous research.

"The presence of overweight and obesity have been shown in other studies to be associated with early structural changes in the brain, and may contribute to cognitive issues," said Cefalu, who was not involved in the new study. "The current study implies that obesity/overweight status in individuals with diabetes may also contribute."

That said, longer-term and more definitive studies are needed to evaluate that aspect.

In the end, Simonson said, another question is more important: "What can you do to prevent it? That's the big question."

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Diabetes, weight gain can alter your brain, says study - WLWT Cincinnati

wtkr.com

Are baby, wisdom teeth the next wave in stem cell treatment? wtkr.com Alison Bassetto's voice is steady and brisk as she explains why her husband's untimely death prompted her to have her 19-year-old son's wisdom teeth banked. The practice of cryopreserving children's baby or wisdom teeth is one that's been around for a ...

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Are baby, wisdom teeth the next wave in stem cell treatment? - wtkr.com

A woman who feigned blindness to receive veterans benefits has been sentenced to serve nine months in prison and repay hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Veronica Dale Hahn, 60, was sentenced Friday in the Panama City federal court. She pleaded guilty during her jury trial on charges of defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairsfor years in order to receive about $400,000 in benefits. Hahn now will have to repay that amount after serving nine months in federal prison.

The U.S. Attorneys Office reported Hahn lied from November 2001 to February 2016 about being rendered blind in both eyes, which she claimed to be directly connected to her service in the military.

However, within a year of receiving her disability benefits for loss of vision, she obtained drivers licenses in New Mexico, Alabama and Florida with no vision restrictions, after passing vision exams in each state with at least 20/40 vision. During this time, Hahn also was observed driving her personal automobile on numerous occasions. Further, she worked full time as a case manager and transition counselor at several state correctional facilities, all of which required normal eyesight to perform her duties.

In the course of Hahns jury trial in January, several government witnesses took the stand before she abruptly decided to enter a guilty plea to the charges on the second day of trial.

Instead of providing benefits and assistance to worthy veterans who are justifiably in need, significant resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs were diverted to uncover an extensive and persistent fraud by Ms. Hahn, who repeatedly gave dishonest information and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to which she was not entitled, said U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova. This case sends the message that you cannot make false disability claims and just walk away from such a crime.

2017 The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Woman Sentenced To Prison For Feigning Blindness To Defraud The VA - Task & Purpose

The Indian Express

Project to prevent blindness in premature infants launched The Indian Express Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the leading causes of blindness in premature infants in India. The Public Health Foundation of India, in association with the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, UK, is spearheading the project to address ...

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Project to prevent blindness in premature infants launched - The Indian Express

Florida woman admits faking blindness to get veterans benefits WNCN PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) A 60-year-old Florida woman was sentenced to nine months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $400,000 dollars in restitution after she pleaded guilty to faking blindness in order to receive veterans benefits. Federal ... and more »

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Florida woman admits faking blindness to get veterans benefits - WNCN

Advances in science, many of them from scientists at USDA or through research funded by USDA, have opened up new options for farmers responding to market needs and environmental challenges. Many new plant varieties being developed or grown by farmers have been produced using genetic engineering, which involves manipulating the plant's genes through techniques of modern molecular biology often referred to as recombinant DNA technology. These techniques are included in what is often referred to as "biotechnology" or "modern biotechnology."

USDA supports the safe and appropriate use of science and technology, including biotechnology, to help meet agricultural challenges and consumer needs of the 21st century. USDA plays a key role in assuring that biotechnology plants and products derived from these plants are safe to be grown and used in the United States. Once these plants and products enter commerce, USDA supports bringing these and other products to the worldwide marketplace.

Three federal agencies are involved in ensuring that plants produced using biotechnology and the many products derived from them are safe for farmers to use, safe to consume as food or feed, and safe for the environment. These are USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The three agencies regulate these products based on the characteristics of the actual products and their intended uses, and they operate under the existing laws passed by Congress to ensure the safety of plants used in agriculture, the safety of pesticides used in agriculture, and the safety of foods we eat and feeds given to animals. Many other USDA agencies have roles in the development, use, and marketing of these products as well.

Learn more about How the U.S. Government Regulates Biotech Plants.

Since the first successful commercialization of a biotechnology-derived crop in the 1990s, many new crop varieties have been developed and made available to U.S. farmers and farmers worldwide. U.S. farmers have rapidly adopted many of these new GE varieties, so that in 2012, 88 percent of the corn, 94 percent of the cotton, and 93 percent of the soybeans planted in the U.S. were varieties produced through genetic engineering. A large proportion of the production of other crops, such as alfalfa, and papaya, and sugar beet, is also biotech-derived.

Read more about the reasons behind this trend and about how farming practices and the marketplace have changed on USDA's Economic Research Service Biotechnology page.

The United States is the largest exporter of agricultural products, which helps feed the world's population, and our export markets are critical to the health of U.S. farm communities around the country. Most of the corn and soybeans we export are biotechnology-derived, and this means that working with our trading partners is critical to help them understand the technical aspects of new products and how we have determined that they meet our high safety standards, to open up new markets, and to ensure that our products are treated fairly in the global marketplace.

The increasing use of biotechnology in agriculture has changed, and will continue to change, farming and the work of USDA in the long-term. To help understand and address these changes, USDA established the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21). One critical area where the committee has focused its attention is how farmers who produce different crops intended for different customers-biotechnology-derived, conventional, or organic-can best co-exist and produce the crops that meet their customers' needs. The AC21 has provided a report to USDA, with recommendations, on this subject.

Visit the AC21 page to learn more.

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Biotechnology | USDA

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Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Expected to Announce Earnings of -$2.08 Per Share The Cerbat Gem Puma Biotechnology logo Equities analysts expect that Puma Biotechnology Inc (NYSE:PBYI) will announce earnings per share (EPS) of ($2.08) for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Zero analysts have made estimates for Puma ... Focusing the Lens on Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBYI)Rives Journal Stock Jumping Abnormally High: Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI)HugoPress Brokerage Firm Analysts Consensus on Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE:PBYI) SharpSpring, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHSP)Midway Monitor Concord Register -Post Analyst -The USA Commerce all 8 news articles »

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Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Expected to Announce Earnings of -$2.08 Per Share - The Cerbat Gem

By Isabella Zhong

Shenyang-based 3SBio (1530.HK) is a biopharmaceutical pioneer that offers a unique play on Chinas rising demand for healthcare.

The company is best known for its rheumatoid arthritis drug YSP, which accounts for 33% of revenues, and TPIAO, a hormone used in the treatment of platelet deficiencies.

While YSP and TPIAO are expected to deliver strong sales growth in coming years, a recent price cut for anemia drug EPIAO and limited R&D upside in the near term could weigh on 3SBio. Jefferies analyst Eugene Huang initiated coverage of the stock today with a hold rating and an HKD11.50 a share target price, which implies 11% upside.

Huang has more on 3SBios drugs pipeline:

3SBios HER2 (breast cancer) and CD20 (lymphoma) candidates were withdrawn, leaving peers like Fosun potentially to become FTM generics. Besides, we factored in Rmb20/50/110m 17/18/19E sales from Bydureon (exenatide ER, GLP-1, diabetes), which is pending NDA approval. We are concerned there might be a lack of synergy between 3SBio and AstraZenecas diabetes team as well as integration risks.

Shares of 3SBio are up 37% this year and trade at 23 times forward earnings, which is in line with its five year average. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect 3SBio to grow earnings at a 28.3% average annual pace over the next three to five years. While the stocks scarcity value and long-term growth potential look appealing, investors may want to wait for a better entry point.

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3SBio: Is this Chinese Biotechnology Stock a Buy? - Barron's (blog)

People who see dermatologists for the skin condition psoriasis should not take the presence of joint aches and pains lightly, as the two things might be connected. The National Psoriasis Foundation notes that psoriasis is a precursor to psoriatic arthritis in 30 percent of patients.

What is psoriatic arthritis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that affects the rate of skin cell reproduction. People with psoriasis may experience redness, itchiness and raised bumps (plaques) of skin on various areas of their bodies. Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis that typically occurs in people with skin psoriasis, but also can be present in those without the skin condition, but particularly among those who have relatives with psoriasis.

The American College of Rheumatology says that psoriatic arthritis typically affects the large joints, especially the lower extremities, distal joints of the fingers and toes and the back and sacroiliac joints of the pelvis. Early recognition, diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic arthritis are crucial to relieving inflammation and preventing permanent joint damage.

Symptoms

Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can develop gradually or quickly, and some symptoms can be severe. NPF indicates that common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include

morning stiffness and tiredness;

tenderness, pain and swelling over tendons;

swollen fingers and toes;

reduced range of motion;

nail changes, including pitting, and

redness and pain in the eyes.

Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are similar to rheumatoid arthritis, gout and reactive arthritis. Doctors will rule out other symptoms that may be indicative of those conditions. The American College of Rheumatology also indicates that psoriatic arthritis is typically blood test negative. The diagnosis is typically made by a rheumatologist after reviewing a clinical history and performing a physical exam.

Treatment

Doctors will need to assess symptoms before deciding on a course of treatment. Mild cases may respond to over-the-counter, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. However, antirheumatic drugs and newer biologic drugs may be prescribed to treat more aggressive cases of psoriatic arthritis.

Corticosteroid injections can be useful for swollen joints, and surgery may be necessary to repair badly damaged joints.

Individuals who suspect their arthritis may be linked to psoriasis can first speak with a dermatologist or primary care physician. The NPF also offers a screening tool at http://www.psoriasis.org/psa-screening. TF175007

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Arthritis linked to another condition | News | thesnaponline.com - Stanly News & Press

I saw my Doctor about my shoulder pain. He took an X-ray and told me nothing is wrong.

A more appropriate response would have been, theres nothing broken. Most sources of shoulder pain are not obvious on an X-ray. The shoulder is a remarkable joint with more movement than any other joint in our body. Thus, diagnosis of the specific cause of pain in the shoulder can be difficult.

The earliest signs of arthritis in the shoulder typically appear in the joint connecting the collar bone to the shoulder blade (acromio-clavicular or AC joint). In the absence of injury, this joint can show signs of arthritis on x-ray as early as age twenty-five. Pain associated with this joint is increased with lying on the side, using the arm at shoulder height or higher, pulling things toward you or away from your body. The pain does not make motion impossible but the use of the shoulder increases the pain.

Rotator cuff tears may be partial or complete. Risk factors for rotator cuff problems include male gender, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Trauma is also a major cause, fall on shoulder or outstretched hand, shoulder dislocation, lifting or pulling heavy objects. Partial tears are more painful, full thickness tears result in loss of motion and weakness. Many partial tears do not require surgery. Full thickness tears will not heal without surgery. But with therapy, the patient may regain an acceptable motion and use, depending on the patients needs.

A cartilage ring surrounds the socket of the shoulder. This cartilage ring, the rotator cuff and the joint capsule provide a stable joint with an extensive range of motion. Tears of this cartilage ring cause pain and mechanical symptoms. They usually result from shoulder dislocation or an unexpected pulling injury to the arm. The bicipital tendon, one of two tendons to the bicep muscle is attached to this cartilage ring. Tears of the bicipital tendon are common. Usually the result of lifting heavy objects. Tears of this tendon usually do not require surgery. The patient will lose ten to fifteen percent of strength bending the elbow. A cosmetic deformity of the bicep contour will occur, but does not contribute to significant weakness.

The shoulder joint contains cartilage and is prone to developing arthritis. The onset is gradual. Primary complaint is pain. As the arthritis becomes more severe the patient will eventually lose motion. The pain is described as constant, increased with use and many times associated with painful catching and grinding.

Another frequent source of shoulder pain is actually referred from the neck. The patients neck may not hurt! The pain is typically in the back of the shoulder blade. The majority of time, the pain will go below the elbow sometimes causing numbness and tingling in the fingers. Pain that is solely due to a shoulder problem may go to the elbow but not below. Unfortunately, having an injured shoulder does not mean you dont also have a neck problem, and vice versa.

The key to minimizing shoulder pain lies in maintaining muscle fitness not only the rotator cuff, but the muscles that stabilize your shoulder blade. The shoulder allows us an incredible ability to perform complex tasks. Shoulder pain consequently can be a source of severe dysfunction.

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MEDICAL MATTERS: Shoulder pain can be early sign of arthritis or other injury - Odessa American

Five years ago, Bronnie Ware was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

The then 45-year-old decided to take a "natural" approach to healing.

For two and a half years, Ware tried a variety of alternative remedies, including herbs from naturopaths and an alkaline-based diet, to manage the autoimmune disease that causes pain and swelling of the joints.

Her well-intentioned approach only saw her deteriorate.

"It got to the point where my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter was helping me get dressed," explains the single mother and internationally best-selling author of Five Regrets of the Dying.

She struggled to walk more than 30 metres at a time and couldn't get up and down from the floor.

"I was in horrific pain," Ware says. "I was exhausted."

Eventually she was forced to admit that her rigid resistance to conventional medicine was backfiring. She went to a GP who also practised alternative therapies including acupuncture and Ayurveda (India's traditional medicine system which incorporates nutrition, yoga, acupuncture, massage and herbal medicine).

"He said, 'OK, I understand where you're coming from but your body is in too much trauma to come back on its own now it's too far gone, you really need to try these immuno-suppressant drugs'," Ware recalls. "Reluctantly I did."

Despite her reluctance, the medicine helped.

"They gave me a lot of mobility back and freedom and it gave me a sense of hope again," she says.

"It's been a huge journey of surrendering my very rigid beliefs that this is the only way to go. The pharmaceutical medicines did have a lot of side effects but they also had a lot of other benefits that brought me back to a place where I could actually heal from."

Up to 70 per cent of Australians use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and about 24 per cent of adults with a chronic health condition regularly use complementary medicines to help them treat their condition, in particular for arthritis and osteoporosis.

With each year, the $4 billion industry grows. In fact, the number of people visiting a complementary health professional (most commonly a chiropractor, naturopath or acupuncturist) has increased more than 51 per cent in 10 years.

"There are some conditions where medical treatment is, in my view as a GP, non-negotiable. I think rheumatoid arthritis is one of those examples," says Dr Kerryn Phelps, who adds that delaying treatment can cause irreparable joint damage.

"Cancer treatments are another situation where I quite often have people saying 'I'm just going to battle this with the power of my mind and diet' when they've literally got no chance of surviving without chemotherapy."

Phelps, the author of The Cancer Recovery Guide, adds that there is a place for 'adjunctive therapies' as she prefers to call them. "There are many instances where recovery can be enhanced by adjunctive treatments."

There are also instances where pharmaceuticals are not the best option.

"There are lots of conditions where pharmaceutical treatments can be minimised or even eliminated if people take the right lifestyle measures," Phelps says, pointing to Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors and osteoarthritis.

"The thoughts around pharmaceutical and medical treatments changes with time and as we understand more about side effects."

Those wanting to explore different treatments should find a doctor who has an understanding of "a broad range" of options, Phelps advises.

"Someone who can direct them to appropriately trained allied health practitioners ... and who has an understanding of when medicine is the most appropriate treatment and how to combine those things."

Along with conventional treatment, Ware continued to care for her diet and use CAM, including a "prescription" from an Ayurvedic doctor to do something "really fun" each week.

"She said that stress is far more detrimental to our body than anything we can do with our diet so it's much better to eat a chocolate when you're happy than have a green juice every day when you're stressed," Ware says. "We have so much pressure and stress we sometimes lose the fact that life is to be enjoyed. We need joy and lightness to balance the stress and pressure on ourselves."

Ware, who details her journey in her new book Bloom, says she now has a very different attitude to health, one that embraces both the conventional and CAM.

"I was very rigid that 'I'm going to find the natural path to this' and it was just causing me so much stress so I've let go of all that nonsense now," says Ware, who is now off the meds.

"I went to some pretty low places with RA and I still live with RA but I'm jumping on a trampoline now and riding a pushbike and travelling and I've got my life back."

To launch Bloom, Ware will be touring Australia in May. For more information and tickets, go to talkingsticks.com.au

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'I was in horrific pain': Alternative remedies for rheumatoid arthritis backfire - The Sydney Morning Herald

By David Ikudayisi

In recently published papers in the New England Journal of Medicine about the use of Stem Cell Therapy for Macular Degeneration, one report showed that 3 partially blind women became blind after the treatment with stem cells and the other report showed that an inevitable loss of vision was halted by use of stem cells in another patient. The stem cells used in these two reports were from two different sources fat and skin cells.

First of all, we need to remember or understand that Macular Degeneration is caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, known as the macula, and it is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye, and it controls our ability to read, drive a car, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail. In America, it affects more than 10 million people more than cataracts and glaucoma combined.

Caucasians are more likely to develop the disease than African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos or Africans. At present, Macular Degeneration is considered an incurable eye disease, and the closest hope for cure seems to be via Stem Cell Therapy. As shown in the reports, there is still a lot to be understood about stem cells in terms of dosing, frequency, source to be used for different disorders, etc; especially when talking about very sensitive organs of the body like the eyes.

The Florida Company that treated the three patients that went from partial blindness to total blindness have treated over 7,000 patients and have had very few adverse events reported. The scientific director of the company believes the safety track record is very strong and feels very confident about the procedures that they do as it has shown great success in many different health problems.

However, the rarity of the procedure causing harm draws me to see the many benefits and potential Adult Stem Cell Therapy could have on people. Examples of its effectiveness has been seen in so many patients in different studies and even in my own practice in the United States of America. There are already beneficiaries of Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Nigeria. I can say that my experience using stem cells have been great.

In fact, of all the patients that I have treated, only one did not respond positively after just 1 treatment. This was not even done with Adult Stem Cell Therapy but Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy using the patients own blood. Nevertheless, there was no adverse event. The patient is recommended to do Adult Stem Cell Therapy which will increase his chance of success. Many of the other patients showed improvements after the first treatment, and the few that needed second treatment went on to see amazing results after more treatment was done; needless to say that they were elated with the results.

Generally, Adult Stem Cell Therapy and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy are safe as shown by many published research reports and clinical trials done already. However, this does not guarantee that adverse effects cant occur as seen in the case of the 3 women who had accelerated blindness 2 years ago (as with any other treatments in the scope of medicine).

Another recent report in March 2017 from Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in USA highlighted one of the benefits of Adult Stem Cell Therapy in stroke patients. The multicenter trial shows that not only was it safe, but if Adult Stem Cell Therapy is given within two days of an ischemic stroke, it could reduce the death of cells around the strokes core that were also injured. The Nigerian government should get involved more and invest more in Regenerative Medicine as it will help improve the health status of the nation.

Link:
Stem cell therapy 'magic' for stroke, eye ailments - Vanguard

New Delhi: A 20-year-old man named Aditya Bhatia was suffering from Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) -- a condition which slowly weakens and degenerates all the muscles of the body leading to disability was treated using stem cell therapy.

Aditya was diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) in 2012. It started after he found it difficult to lift his arms over the head -- one of the main and strongest symptoms. Consultations with several doctors did not find Bhatia any solution, and his condition grew severe and started affecting other parts of the body such as face.

FSHD usually begins before age 20, with weakness and atrophy of the muscles around the eyes and mouth, shoulders, upper arms and lower legs. Later, weakness can spread to abdominal muscles and sometimes hip muscles.

Experts says that FSHD can be divided into adult-onset and infantile-onset forms.

Bhatia's parents had heard about the stem cell treatment which had proved effective in many diseases such as spinal diseases.

Accordingly, they consulted doctors on stem cell therapy and decided to give it a try.

All the procedures were followed and he was tested for hyper sensitivity reactions with stem cells, also known as Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy.

Doctors said that during the treatment procedure, Bhatia was injected with 0.05 ml stem cells.

(With IANS inputs)

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Stem cell therapy treats man with muscle degeneration | Zee News - Zee News

The Darc test enabled labelled cells to be identified up to six hours after injection.

A positive test result was significantly correlated with a diagnosis of glaucoma and later loss of vision.

The fluorescent marker, known as ANX776, was found to be safe and well-tolerated with no adverse side effects.

Chief investigator Professor Philip Bloom, from Western Eye Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "Treatment is much more successful when it is begun in early stages of the disease, when sight loss is minimal.

"Our developments mean we could diagnose patients 10 years earlier than was previously possible."

The scientists believe the test may have wider applications because the nerves that help us see are essentially an extension of the brain.

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, at the back of the eye could therefore provide an early indication of neurodegenerative disease.

The research is funded by the Wellcome Trust charity.

Bethan Hughes, from Wellcome's Innovation team, said: "This innovation has the potential to transform lives for those who suffer loss of sight through glaucoma, and offers hope of a breakthrough in early diagnosis of other neurodegenerative diseases.

"Loss of sight as you age is an incredibly difficult disability, impacting quality of life and independence."

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New glaucoma test 'means treatment can start before sight loss ... - Telegraph.co.uk

HILLTOWN >> Having a genetic degenerative eye disease that is taking away his central vision hasnt stopped Faith Christian Academy seventh-grader A. J. (Andrew) Lowe from becoming a wrestler.

Its a sport with touch more than sight, he said recently during a session with the after-school wrestling club he takes part in at Renzo Gracie PA MMA in Hilltown.

Its a contact sport, so it plays to his strengths, A. J.s mother, Julie Lowe, said.

Coach Ben Clymer and A. J.s fellow-wrestlers treat him the same as the other members of the club, Julie Lowe said.

I bark at him just like I would any other guy and compliment him just like I would any other guy, Clymer said.

Lowe has a lot of drive and focus, Clymer said, along with some advantages as a wrestler that may have come about through dealing with the vision loss a heightened sense of transitioning and keeping his balance.

Clymer said his coaching focuses not on the visual impairment, but that, Life is still good. Weve got a lot to be thankful for and God-given strengths, so well play to those and work hard.

A. J. has Stargardts disease, Julie Lowe said.

It is genetic and progressive, she said. It will degenerate until eventually he loses his central vision.

Since A. J. is one of five adopted children in the family, his genetic history is not known and its impossible to say how fast the disease will progress, she said.

He adapts amazingly well. If somebodys watching him, they wouldnt know hes legally blind, she said, but said he cannot see a lot of things around him and that his peripheral vision is stronger than his central vision.

He is learning to use a cane to help get around, she said.

A. J., who has a pet dog that is blind and was trained as a therapy dog, jokes that its the blind leading the blind when he walks with the dog, Julie Lowe said.

Asked who is leading on those walks, A. J. joked that, probably my dogs leading me, actually.

His lifeline is technology. Hes able to go to a regular school because he can do everything on his iPad and blow it up, Julie Lowe said.

When he was tested for eSight electronic glasses, he was again able to see normally, which he wasnt able to do for about the past three years, A. J. said.

The glasses re-format what the eyes should be seeing, said Scott Roltsch, president of the Perkasie Lions.

A message gets sent to his brain and he sees like he normally would, Roltsch said. Theyre phenomenal glasses, but they are expensive.

It will take $15,000 plus a trip to Ohio for fitting to get the glasses, he said.

The Perkasie Lions will make a $2,000 contribution as a matching donation, he said.

Donations may be made at http://www.giving.esighteyewear.com by scrolling through the childrens photos until you get to A.J. Lowe or by using the explore button and searching for Lowe.

With $3,205 having been donated thus far, plus the Lions $2,000 contribution, $9,795 still has to be raised, Roltsch said.

All I want is to see the world as it sees me, A. J. Lowe wrote on giving.esighteyewear.com.

To be honest with you, I dont even want eSight so I can go on some extravagant adventures or witness a special event. But, that would be a nice little added bonus, he wrote. Truthfully, I need eSight so I can again begin living life the way it was meant to be lived. I just want to be able to experience the things we all take for granted. To watch a movie with my family and friends, read a book, see the faces of all you amazing people reading this and thinking about donating, or just see my own smile again.

The Lions Club has a particular interest in vision-related matters, but that is not its only function, Roltsch said.

We like to help anybody in our community if were able, he said. Thats what were all about.

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Perkasie Lions assisting with fundraising for electronic glasses to restore seventh-grader's eyesight - Montgomery Newspapers

(CNN)

It's well-known that type 2 diabetes can cause medical complications in certain organs, including the brain. But overweight and obese people with early-stage type 2 diabetes have more severe abnormalities in brain structure and cognition than normal-weight people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

Having type 2 diabetes and being overweight, then, can combine to have a greater effect on brain structures.

"There's a general agreement that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for various types of both structural and functional abnormalities in the brain," said Dr. Donald C. Simonson, a co-author of the study and an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes. "Simple obesity also shows the same type of abnormalities ... in a milder stage. You can see where it's not quite exactly normal but not quite as bad as someone with diabetes.

"So, if you have both, will it be worse than if you have them alone? That's what we looked at in this particular study," said Simonson, who teaches at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. In Kyoon Lyoo, lead author and a professor at the Ewha Brain Institute at Ewha Womens University in Seoul, South Korea, wrote in an email, "As obesity has been known to be associated with metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and brain changes independently of diabetes, we expected that brain alterations might be more pronounced in overweight/obese participants with type 2 diabetes."

Effects on the brain

Lyoo, Simonson and their colleagues designed a study around 50 overweight or obese people age 30 to 60 who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Fifty normal-weight people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 50 normal-weight people without diabetes also participated. These additional participants were age and sex matched to the original group. Those diagnosed with diabetes were also matched for disease duration. Standard body mass index ranges defined "overweight" (having a BMI of 25 to 29.9), "obese" (greater than 30) and "normal weight" (18.5 to 25).

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to examine each participant's brain structure, including the thickness of the cerebral cortex and white matter connectivity. Gray matter in the brain contains the neuron cell bodies, whereas white matter contains bundles of nerve fibers and its job is to process and send signals along the spinal cord.

The researchers chose to study thickness and connectivity "because these could be sensitive markers of diabetes-related brain changes, and could be reliably quantified by using magnetic resonance imaging," Lyoo explained.

Participants also were tested for memory, psychomotor speed and executive function, since these are known to be affected in people with type 2 diabetes.

The results aligned with the researchers' initial assumptions, Lyoo said.

Clusters of gray matter were significantly thinner in the temporal, prefrontoparietal, motor and occipital cortices in the brains of diabetic participants than in the non-diabetic group, the study found. More thinning of the temporal and motor cortices could be seen in the overweight/obese diabetic group compared with normal-weight diabetics. Separately and collectively, these areas of the brain impact motor control, executive function, body awareness, concentration and other cognitive functions.

"Most of the things we looked at, you could see that there was a progression, and the obese patients with diabetes were worse than the lean patients with diabetes, and they were both worse than the age-matched controls," Simonson said.

In particular, the temporal lobe appears vulnerable to the combined effects of type 2 diabetes and being overweight or obese, the researchers say. The temporal lobe is implicated in language comprehension and long-term memory.

The brain has been the last frontier in the study of complications of diabetes, Simonson said.

Similarities to Alzheimer's disease

"Diabetic retinopathy, eye disease, is reasonably well-understood," he said. "The same is true of kidney disease, amputations -- we understand much better what causes them and how to prevent them.

"But the brain has been the proverbial black box. It's incredibly complicated, and you can't directly study it. You can't go in and take samples," he said. "The last several years, the techniques of MRI got good enough that we could really look carefully at the brain."

Most of the initial work in the very late 1990s was done in Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, depression and other classic psychiatric diseases, but then scientists began to look at other diseases including diabetes, explained Simonson. At this point, researchers around the world began to see connections.

"You can see a person with depression has thinning of the surface of the brain in certain areas, and you go in and do the same study with somebody with diabetes, and they have thinning in the exact same areas," Simonson said. And diabetes may be a predisposing or risk factor for developing Alzheimer's, he said.

"You see the same types of abnormalities in a milder form in the brain in people with diabetes that you see in people with Alzheimer's disease," Simonson said.

According to Dr. William T. Cefalu, chief scientific, medical and mission officer of the American Diabetes Association, the study is consistent with previous research.

"The presence of overweight and obesity have been shown in other studies to be associated with early structural changes in the brain, and may contribute to cognitive issues," said Cefalu, who was not involved in the new study. "The current study implies that obesity/overweight status in individuals with diabetes may also contribute."

That said, longer-term and more definitive studies are needed to evaluate that aspect.

In the end, Simonson said, another question is more important: "What can you do to prevent it? That's the big question."

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Diabetes, weight gain can alter your brain, says study - WTAE Pittsburgh

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Smartphone 'orders' body to treat diabetes - BBC News

Question: My cat is suddenly making a mess in his litter box. It is full of pee spots and really large-sized ones. He used to only pee in one small spot a day; now it is several large spots.

He acts fine and is eating good. He has always been a chunky cat, but I think he has lost a little weight recently.

Answer: I am glad that you are monitoring your kittys litter box so well. It is important to know what is normal for your cat. Most cats only urinate once or twice a day. When the amount in the litter box suddenly increases, it is a good indication that there is a problem. Please monitor his water and food intake as well. He is probably drinking a good bit more water.

Your kitty will need a trip to his veterinarian to check a urine sample and do a thorough physical examination. Many times, blood testing will be necessary to fully diagnose the problem. Things that can cause increased urination are: diabetes, kidney disease, infection, tumor, crystals or stones in the bladder, and thyroid disease. All of these can be serious, if left untreated.

Diabetes is most often seen in indoor cats that are overweight. The sooner they are diagnosed and treated, the better they tend to do. Diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels get too high and the body cannot utilize it. Insulin is needed to help absorb blood sugar and get nutrition to the cells that need it. When too much glucose (sugar) is in the bloodstream, it is flushed out in the urine and takes excess water with it this causes your cat to drink larger amounts of water and urinate at larger volumes. Diabetes in cats can be treated with insulin injections and a special diet high in protein, with little or no carbohydrates.

Cats are true carnivores, so too much carbohydrates in the diet are not tolerated well. Diabetes in cats can be reversed if caught quickly, however, changes must be made to control blood sugar, weight and diet.

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Messy litter box could mean diabetes for indoor cats - Palm Beach Post

The local University of Illinois Extension is giving people a chance to become more educated about diabetes. (WJBC File Photo)

By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

EUREKA The local University of Illinois Extension is providing information to get a handle on diabetes.

The Extension is offering I on Diabetes, a four-part series beginning May 1 in Eureka.

Jenna Smith, nutrition and wellness educator and registered dietician for the Extension, explained how the class works.

It is really designed to help you manage diabetes, and if you dont have diabetes, its really a good program to help you think about ways to prevent diabetes, because no one wants that. Its a great program that usually costs money, and this year, it is absolutely free, because we got a grant. So Im super excited about that, Smith said.

To register, call 309-467-3789 or visit go.illinois.edu/lmw.

Cynthia Grau can be reached at cynthia.grau@cumulus.com

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Extension offering free diabetes education - WJBC News

Written by Abantika Ghosh | New Delhi | Updated: April 29, 2017 8:36 am Treatment is given in the medical college or the teaching hospital. (Representational image)

The governments move to bar Public Health Foundation of India from accepting foreign funding has put a question mark on two blindness prevention programmes that PHFI was implementing in partnership with the Ministry of Health and state health departments.

The four-year programmes for diabetic retinopathy (blindness caused by diabetes) and retinopathy of prematurity (blindness in premature babies because of overexposure to oxygen inside incubators) were supported by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust of UK through a 7 million grant, of which 4.3 million has been paid. But the rest cannot be processed because of the restrictions on PHFI.

Speaking to The Indian Express, chief executive of the trust, Dr Astrid Bonfield, said: It was very impressive to see that the programme has been integrated into the national governmets health system because unless that was done, there was no point really. It (the support) will continue for the next two years. I would not like to talk about Indian government business but at the moment, clearly, there are no payments being made (to PHFI).

Dr Bonfield is on her first review tour of India since the grant was approved.

Ironically, one of the reasons why PHFI was selected, she says, was because of its excellent links with the government; the grant was approved during the previous UPA regime.

With an estimated 69.2 million diabetes patients in India, ballpark estimates suggest that if the proportion of diabetics whose sight is threatened remains constant, an additional 10 million would be added by 2035.

As more premature babies survive in middle income countries like India, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a condition about which awareness levels are low. A 2015 study published in the journal Indian Paediatrics found incidence in premature babies to be as high as 44 per cent.

Sources say work on the two programmes are in suspended animation not just because fresh funds cannot come in but also due to the curbs placed on PHFI by the Ministry of Home Affairs from accepting foreign contribution with retrospective effect for alleged violation of norms. There is no clarity on whether funds that have already come in can be spent, they said.

The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust was set up in 2011 at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting as a five-year charitable programme. The target in India was to integrate eyecare for people living with diabetes and newborns. India was the only country where ROP was taken up while the project to prevent blindness due to diabetes (DR) was taken up in 13 countries.

The DR project is currently under implementation across ten states spearheaded by a task force set up by the health ministry in 2014 and headed by deputy commissioner in the ministry, Dr Damodar Bachani. Its first meeting was held in July that year. It has representation from both government and non-government sectors. The district level models are pilots that are expected to be scaled up across states.

Following the national ROP summit in October 2013, a national task force headed by a joint secretary was constituted by the health ministry. Using the government of India database, 10 states, where sick newborn care units (SNCUs) had been functioning for at least two years, were identified for the programme.

The ROP prevention model includes a cluster of one medical college or teaching hospital and three-five district hospitals. Screening for retinopathy happens in SNCUs of these hospitals on a fixed day in a week. Treatment is given in the medical college or the teaching hospital.

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Govt ban puts question mark over blindness prevention programme - The Indian Express