StemCell Therapy

There will be times during games, perhaps between pitches or during pitching changes, that Tommy Pham will give himself an impromptu eye test in the outfield.

Hell pinch one eye shut and make sure the signs around the ballpark are still as crisp as they were the day before, still as clear as they were a few innings ago. Then hell check the other eye. The Busch Stadium carved into the wall behind home plate offers a constant to focus on, but any of the advertisements or scoreboards can become a personal, daily eye chart. This past week, against Boston, Pham actually switched the contact lens in his left eye between innings because he didnt like what he saw or, rather, couldnt see.

To thrive at a game that can change in a blink, this is how vigilant the Cardinals resurfacing outfielder must be to avoid being betrayed by his vision, again.

I look at all of them Busch Stadium, KMOX, the scoreboard, all of that, Pham said. Ive got to make sure this is the best lens because the best lens gives me the best opportunity. If my left eye gets any worse, Im in trouble. If my right eye gets any worse, Im in trouble.

Pham, 29, returned to the majors two weeks ago, and before going on a tear with a .304 average and a .587 slugging percentage in his first 12 games, he warned people they were about to hear a familiar tale. After an aggravating spring, his offensive awakening came immediately after he got new contact lenses. Since first being diagnosed in 2008 with a degenerative eye condition, keratoconus, Pham has had a breakthrough surgery to halt the erosion and since cycled through a variety of contact lenses looking for the right fit, even if its just fit for right now.

Keratoconus causes structural abnormalities in the cornea, warping it and leaving it similar to the shape of a footballs tip. Instead of light bending toward the retina to be processed as an image, the light scatters, splinters. Halos or double images can appear. Pham said he is legally blind in his left eye due to keratoconus.

Its like driving a car with someone who is holding a jar of Vaseline, said Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based surgeon and ophthalmologist, and then they smear it all over your windshield.

Before Boxer Wachler pioneered a non-invasive treatment, the remedy for the keratoconus was a corneal transplant, and the combination of vanishing vision and that extreme correction has forced athletes from their games. It led one Olympic bobsledder, the late Steven Holcomb, to deep depression and a failed suicide attempt. Boxer Wachlers treatment allowed Holcomb to race again, for a Gold Medal. Keratoconus affects one in 500, Boxer Wachler said, and it was Holcombs recovery and Winter Olympics success that brought new attention to the disease.

Boxer Wachler said hes treated several elite athletes, including an NHL player, but few have a career based around striking a small, fast-moving object with a round stick. Pham is one.

What Tommy Pham sees is different than what we see, said Dr. Edward S. Bennett, a professor and assistant dean for student services and alumni relations at UMSLs College of Optometry. He has been Phams doctor in St. Louis. Its like looking through a window and there might be a smudge, there might be a crack, but there isnt that crisp clear view. If somebody would tell me an individual could play Major League Baseball with keratoconus, Id say, Absolutely not. Only Tommy Pham. I think Tommy is one in a million.

Pham was back at Dr. Bennetts office Friday to get another pair of contact lenses because his backup just wasnt right. Before the Cardinals played recently in Miami, Pham tore two left lenses and had to have a new one flown in from Las Vegas just to play. Most players have a guy who gets them bats, or a guy who can get them fly shoes, or, like Carlos Martinez, a guy they frequent for haircuts. Pham is considering flying home to Las Vegas on Monday, an off day, because hes got a guy who can sharpen my lenses.

His pursuit of better vision hasnt ended since it began, in Jupiter, Fla.

The Cardinals selected Pham in the 16th round of the 2006 draft, and they billed him as an athletically gifted shortstop with bat speed to create havoc. They saw it only in flashes those early years, but Pham mostly struggled. Teammates described seeing details in the spin of breaking pitches he never could and never has, he said Friday. He presumed as a young player that his talent, not his eyesight, was outmatched.

It was new to me, Pham said. Everyone was throwing harder. I was facing competition older than me. So, I just felt, man, this is what I have to do to catch up. I just thought I had to adjust.

In 2008, he hit .203 for the season but also slugged 18 home runs in 394 at-bats. He returned to Florida to pick up the car he left behind, and was greeted there by then-farm director Jeff Luhnow. Pham explained his average was the result of his swing. Luhnow suggested it was his sight. After a flight to St. Louis and a checkup there, Pham was diagnosed with keratoconus. Now he had an explanation.

To save his career, he needed a solution.

Vision is the most important thing (in baseball). Youve got to see it to hit it. Simple as that, said Dr. Don Tieg, a consultant for the New York Yankees who oversees a sports vision institute. Ive worked with (multiple) major-league teams and there was usually one player with some vision issue that youd think would not let them get to the top, and they won a Cy Young Award or are in the Hall of Fame. Athletes compensate. The question becomes how do you do that if youre impaired by keratoconus? More power to him.

During the 2011 offseason, Pham visited Boxer Wachler and had the treatment now named Holcomb C3-R Cross Linking System. The procedure uses a vitamin application and ultraviolet light to strengthen the cornea. Boxer Wachler said hes performed about 6,000 of the procedures, which gained FDA approval last year, and the success rate is 99.3 percent. In a video filmed shortly after he had Holcomb C3-R, Pham describes how hes had other surgeries that brought him to tears.

This one put something else in his eyes: relief.

If I never had it, who knows where I would be right now, Pham said.

Since LASIK was never an option, Pham had a set of contact lenses that improved his eyesight, from 2009 until he landed 52 games in the majors in 2015. He once experimented with a new type of lenses only to have them slide and shift and blot out his vision when he tracked fly balls. He experienced similar issues last season, even as he hit nine home runs. During the All-Star break, he, Dr. Bennett, and Phams handful of self-improvement books drove to Iowa to meet with a specialist for assistance. Another set of contacts came. The issues continued into the spring and undermined his bid for the opening-day roster. Nine years after he learned it wasnt his swing, it was his sight, he had the same lesson. Experimenting with new contacts had backfired on me.

With the help of his optometrist in Vegas and Dr. Bennett in St. Louis, Pham concluded that he needed to use a brand of contacts that uses a corneal topographer literally a map-maker for the eye to create curvatures that allow for a snugger fit on irregular corneas. One flaw can throw his vision off. This is why Pham does his daily check of the advertisements.

K-M-O-X spells clear.

Clear means his career.

With Tommy Pham a mild change can turn a home run into a strike out, said Dr. Bennett, who had Phams permission to speak with the Post-Dispatch. He is just so totally dedicated. He is consumed. Thats why hes been successful.

When Boxer Wachler first met Steven Holcomb, the U.S. bobsled driver had already been to the brink. As he recounted in his book, But Now I See, and elsewhere, Holcomb washed down 73 sleeping pills with whiskey in attempt to escape the blindness swallowing his eyes. Keratoconus was about to force him from his beloved sport, until Boxer Wachler told him about his procedure.

He was still skeptical, Boxer Wachler recalled this past week. All he had heard was this kind of prison sentence of corneal transplant.

What became known as Holcomb C3-R offered more than parole. It improved his vision from 20/1,000 to 20/20, according to reports, and he led the U.S. bobsledders to gold in Vancouver and won two Bronze Medals in Sochi 2014. Earlier this month, Holcomb was found dead in his room at the Olympic training facility in Lake Placid, N.Y. Boxer Wachler became close friends with Holcomb and relayed what the bobsledder often said about the role he came to play for others with keratoconus, now his legacy.

He saw it as a bigger purpose.

Gives them hope, Boxer Wachler said. Gives them hope that they can be helped. You dont have to just wait and wait and lose and then get a corneal transplant. Others see him succeed and know its possible. Tommys story, in that bigger purpose, can give hope, too.

Pham, who has hit his way into a larger role with the Cardinals, acknowledged that hes been asked to embrace a larger role as spokesperson. He noted its something he must consider. In the clubhouse Friday, Pham recounted details of his latest apportionment and during his answers he would close an eye, squint, and open it wide. He was trying to read the nameplate on his locker from the other side of the room. Asked what kept him chasing the game through all this, Pham opens both eyes wide.

Even as his vision failed, his focus remained.

I would regret quitting on my ability before I made it to the major leagues, Pham said. I saw other guys make it to the majors, and there were times I think I was better, that I was good enough.

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Goold: Working to save his vision, Pham never loses sight of goal - STLtoday.com

Julian Roberts, National Association of Vision Care Plans 5:32 a.m. CT May 23, 2017

Throughout the year many Texans make the time for a routine visit to their physician and dentist, and rightly so. But one fundamental area of our health that can unfortunately be overlooked is vision.

May is Healthy Vision Month and an excellent reminder that eye care should be a top priority for all Texans. Vision care is essential health care. And in my role as executive director of the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP), I am committed to furthering that notion by ensuring people throughout this great state have access to exceptional vision care at an affordable price.

This is an extremely important issue because virtually every age group from young children to the elderly, and everyone in between requires some form of vision care. Consider that more than 80 percent of adults in the U.S. need vision correction. An aging population means that even more Texans will in the coming years need vision correction and eye exams to ensure and protect their sight.

A number of experts have expressed concerns that the rise in use of digital devices with screens will result in the need for increased vision correction at even younger ages. This is concerning because approximately three-quarters of all childhood learning is visual. Proper eye care that commences at an early age is more important than ever.

It is also worth noting that regular eye exams are an affordable, noninvasive way to detect serious medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, neuromuscular disorders and cancer. Its staggering to think how much we could drive down healthcare costs and even save lives here in Texas and elsewhere if we are able to catch serious health issues earlier through routine eye exams.

The results of a recent study commissioned by NAVCP the most extensive review ever of available data indicate that consumers exhibit healthier eye care behavior when they have vision care benefits. The study found that nearly 90 percent of Americans with vision benefits planned on getting an eye exam within the next year, while 67 percent of those who did not have vision benefits had no intention of receiving an eye exam. Once the exam had been completed, almost twice as many people with a benefit planned to get new eyewear compared to those without a benefit. This data establishes a clear link between managed vision care plans and healthier vision habits. It also underscores the value of these plans for promoting better overall health.

Yet, even in the face of compelling data such as this, there have in recent years been legislative efforts in the Lone Star State that have increased consumers out-of-pocket costs and limited their eyewear choices. Texans deserve better.

I encourage you to observe Healthy Vision Month by getting an eye exam or accompanying a family member to the eye doctor. Take control of your vision. Now, see to it.

Julian Roberts is the Executive Director of the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP).

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Dogs are a lot more complicated than we give them credit for. As a result, sometimes things get lost in translation. Weve yet to invent a dog-to-English translator, but there are certain behaviors you can learn to read in order to better understand what your dog is trying to tell you. The more tuned-in you are to your dogs emotions, the better youll be able to respondwhether that means giving her some space or welcoming a wet, slobbery kiss.

1. What youll see: Your dog is standing with his legs and body relaxed and tail low. His ears are up, but not pointed forward. His mouth is slightly open, hes panting lightly, and his tongue is loose. His eyes? Soft or maybe slightly squinty from getting his smile on.

What it means: Hey there, friend! Your pup is in a calm, relaxed state. Hes open to mingling, which means you can feel comfortable letting friends say hi.

2. What youll see: Your dog is standing with her body leaning forward. Her ears are erect and angled forwardor have at least perked up if theyre floppyand her mouth is closed. Her tail might be sticking out horizontally or sticking straight up and wagging slightly.

What it means: Hark! Who goes there?! Something caught your pups attention and now shes on high alert, trying to discern whether or not the person, animal, or situation is a threat. Shell likely stay on guard until she feels safe or becomes distracted.

3. What youll see: Your dog is standing, leaning slightly forward. His body and legs are tense, and his hacklesthose hairs along his back and neckare raised. His tail is stiff and twitching, not swooping playfully. His mouth is open, teeth are exposed, and he may be snarling, snapping, or barking excessively.

What it means: Dont mess with me! This dog is asserting his social dominance and letting others know that he might attack if they dont defer accordingly. A dog in this stance could be either offensively aggressive or defensively aggressive. If you encounter a dog in this state, play it safe and back away slowly without making eye contact.

4. What youll see: As another dog approaches, your dog lies down on his back with his tail tucked in between his legs. His paws are tucked in too, his ears are flat, and he isnt making direct eye contact with the other dog standing over him.

What it means: I come in peace! Your pooch is displaying signs of submission to a more dominant dog, conveying total surrender to avoid physical confrontation. Other, less obvious, signs of submission include ears that are flattened back against the head, an avoidance of eye contact, a tongue flick, and bared teeth. Yupa dog might bare his teeth while still being submissive, but theyll likely be clenched together, the lips opened horizontally rather than curled up to show the front canines. A submissive dog will also slink backward or inward rather than forward, which would indicate more aggressive behavior.

5. What youll see: Your dog is crouching with her back hunched, tail tucked, and the corner of her mouth pulled back with lips slightly curled. Her shoulders, or hackles, are raised and her ears are flattened. Shes avoiding eye contact.

What it means: Im scared, but will fight you if I have to. This dogs fight or flight instincts have been activated. Its best to keep your distance from a dog in this emotional state because she could attack if she feels cornered.

6. What youll see: Youre staring at your dog, holding eye contact. Your dog looks away from you, tentatively looks back, then looks away again. After some time, he licks his chops and yawns.

What it means: I dont know whats going on and its weirding me out. Your dog doesnt know what to make of the situation, but rather than nipping or barking, hell stick to behaviors he knows are OK, like yawning, licking his chops, or shaking as if hes wet. Youll want to intervene by removing whatever it is causing him discomfortsuch as an overly grabby childand giving him some space to relax.

7. What youll see: Your dog has her front paws bent and lowered onto the ground with her rear in the air. Her body is relaxed, loose, and wiggly, and her tail is up and wagging from side to side. She might also let out a high-pitched or impatient bark.

What it means: Whats the hold up? Lets play! This classic stance, known to dog trainers and behaviorists as the play bow, is a sign shes ready to let the good times roll. Get ready for a round of fetch or tug of war, or for a good long outing at the dog park.

8. What youll see: Youve just gotten home from work and your dog rushes over. He cant stop wiggling his backside, and he may even lower himself into a giant stretch, like hes doing yoga.

What it means: OhmygoshImsohappytoseeyou I love you so much youre my best friend foreverandeverandever!!!! This ones easy: Your pup is overjoyed his BFF is back. That big stretch is something dogs dont pull out for just anyone; they save that for the people they truly love. Show him you feel the same way with a good belly rub and a handful of his favorite treats.

The best way to say I love you in dog? A monthly subscription to BarkBox. Your favorite pup will get a package filled with treats, toys, and other good stuff (and in return, youll probably get lots of sloppy kisses). Visit BarkBox to learn more.

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Scientists Use the Tweaked Genes of a Virus to Halt Vision Loss - Mental Floss

The Columbus Lions Club transports donor eye tissue two months out of the year, in May and October. Lion Linda Madsen and Lion Bob Groh act as the Columbus Lions eye coordinators. This year the Columbus Lions are celebrating their 30th anniversary as a club, and over these years have transported countless numbers of boxes containing donor eye tissue. Many of the clubs members and their family and friends drop what they are doing to transport eye tissue when they receive a call from Madsen or Groh, to ensure that the donor eye tissue is delivered in a timely manner. So far this month, 26 boxes of donor tissue have been transported (with 11 days left in May that might add to this total).

Lion Jack Sanderson was delivering three boxes of donor eye tissue to the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin on Saturday May 13 when Jimmy Cliffs song I Can See Clearly Now came on the radio. He said it was very inspirational to him since he knows that delivering donor eye tissue could lead to someone regaining their sense of sight. Sanderson transported a total of five boxes of tissue that day, because the Lions Eye Bank had processed tissue that was intended for transplantation that needed to be sent out.

The Columbus club is part of the Cornea Express, a statewide relay of Lions Club members who transport tissue throughout Wisconsin. The Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin uses this unique process of transporting donor eye tissue, and it makes a huge impact. When a donation occurs, local Lions clubs are called upon to transport the corneal tissue to the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin via a relay system. Volunteers use their own vehicles to transport the donor tissue.

The Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin needs eye and corneal tissue from donors of most ages. The eye tissue is used for more than just restoring vision: It can also be used to further research for certain diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. The Lions Club has a focus of helping people prevent blindness, and this is just one of the examples of what Lions do to serve their communities.

To read donor stories and learn more about Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin, go online to lebw.org.

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Columbus Lions help transport donor eye tissue - Columbus Journal

Eric Wildstein Gazette staff TheGazetteEric

Hes only 5 years old, but hes preparing to advocate for juvenile diabetes research before Congress.

Miles Bone spent Wednesday morning engaged in a wild, water war with his pre-kindergarten classmates at Gaston Day School to celebrate the end of the year. After toweling off, he readied to eat a chicken nuggets lunch from Chick-fil-A with everyone.

But first, he had to prick his finger with a needle to test his blood glucose level, a ritual he must repeat several times each day as a Type 1 diabetic. He entered his glucose number into an insulin pumpwhich he wears basically 24/7that injects him with the correct amount of insulin through a tube attached to his arm to keep his blood glucose stable after eating.

We talked about last night how he wants to show people what its like to have Type 1 diabetes because a lot of people dont know, said Sara Bone, Miless mother. A lot of people dont understand what Type 1 diabetes is and how much it affects his life and how hard he has to work to take care of himself.

Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which a persons pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. Children and adults can be diagnosed suddenly at any age. It cannot be prevented and there is no cure.

Miles, who lives in Dallas with his parents and older brother, will advocate for Type 1 diabetes research on Capitol Hill in late July. He applied and was selected to be part of a delegation of about 160 children from each U.S. state and several countries representing the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 2017 Childrens Congress, a bi-annual event.

The delegates will be lobbying their representatives of Congress to remind them of the vital need to continue supporting Type 1 diabetes research that could reduce the burden of the disease and ultimately find a cure.

CC 2015 Highlights from JDRF on Vimeo.

These childrenages 4 to 17will participate in a number of activities on the Hill, including a Congressional Committee hearing to share personal testimonies that highlight the daily struggles of living with Type 1 diabetes and the need for continued funding for research projects such as the Special Diabetes Program, which provides $150 million annually for Type 1 diabetes research at the National Institutes of Health.

I want Miles to one day be able to eat some pizza and not feel bad three hours later for doing it, said Sara Bone. I think that were almost there and I want him to actually know a day where he doesnt have to worry about it.

Miles was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just three days after his first birthday. His parents noticed he was feeling ill and scheduled a visit with his pediatrician. Miles was hospitalized with diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially-deadly result of extremely high blood glucose and remained there for three days before his release. It was a scary time for his parents and brother, who had no family history of Type 1 diabetes and were new to caring for the condition.

It was the scariest thing that first day we brought him home, said Sara Bone. You just think how am I ever going to do this.

They would learn to balance the high and low blood glucose fluctuations that result from diabetes and how to maintain them with a proper diet. That includes keeping a close eye on what Miles eats, delivering insulin at the proper times and boosting low blood glucose with juice boxes, glucose tablets or another form of carbohydrate.

At school, Miless teachers help him to keep track of his health, though hes already handling a lot of the heavy lifting on his own. Sara Bone says its a constant balancing act and it causes Miles to miss out on or delay certain activities so that he can care for his diabetes. But she feels its already made him a stronger person.

Its made him more compassionate, she said. Its made his brother a compassionate kid. He really cares about Miles and wants to see him OK and cares about his future.

And Miles will work toward that brighter future by joining a long list of other advocates with Type 1 diabetes, such as celebrities including the NHL Hall of Fame hockey player Bobby Clarke, musicians Bret Michaels and Nick Jonas, and the late actress Mary Tyler Moore.

NASCAR Xfinity series driver Ryan Reed, 23, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2011. He later began his nonprofit organization, Ryan's Mission, which advocates and raises money for Type 1 diabetes research.

Reed will host the Lilly Diabetes #DriveYourHealth Track Walk from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Lilly Diabetes will make a donation to the American Diabetes Association Charlotte Chapter for each participant who reaches the finish line.

Reed will also sport the Lilly Diabetes logo on his No. 16 Ford Mustang at the NASCAR Xfinity series events at the speedway this weekend.

Miles and his family have already been doing their part. The family has participated in five Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation One Walks and mentored several families who are new to Type 1 diabetes.

As for what Miles hopes his talks with Congress will yield for type 1 diabetes, he says optimistically a cure.

You can reach Eric Wildstein at 704-869-1828 or Twitter.com/TheGazetteEric.

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Gaston 5-year-old lobbying Congress for Type 1 diabetes cure - Gaston Gazette

The Sunday Dispatch

Nutrition Corner: Control diabetes with low-carbohydrate vegetable The Sunday Dispatch The number of people affected by diabetes and pre-diabetes continues to grow. In our area, 11 percent of the population more than one out of 10 people have diabetes. How many are undiagnosed? Nationwide, 9.3 million, or 21 percent of the ...

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Nutrition Corner: Control diabetes with low-carbohydrate vegetable - The Sunday Dispatch

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center Foundation was one of seven local nonprofit organizations awarded a grant by the Climax Area Community Investment Fund on May 3. The fund supports programs and projects that promote health and wellness.

The $41,500 grant will support a unique partnership between Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Chaffee County and St. Vincent Hospital in Lake County to implement the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a nationally recognized diabetes prevention program. Education and improved access to quality health care can help individuals at risk for diabetes. The funds will also be used to increase the availability of fitness, nutrition and other health education in the region.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program is the most effective intervention for lifestyle change that I've seen in my 20-year career, said HRRMC Wellness Supervisor Jon Fritz.The group class is led by a trained coach and encourages increased activity and decreased caloric intake. The answers are simple but the process is challenging and that's why trained coaches follow an evidence-based curriculum which has proven effective.

Chaffee County has had an NDPP program since 2013. Lake County and St. Vincent Hospital have identified diabetes prevention as a focus in their community. HRRMC will offer assistance in starting an NDPP program while expanding classes throughout Chaffee County.

HRRMC Foundation director Kimla Robinson accepted the award along with Fritz on behalf of the hospital. We are so honored to receive the Freeport-McMoRan Climax Area Community Investment Fund Grant and partner with St. Vincent Hospital to implement a diabetes prevention program, she said.

The Climax Area Community Investment Fund was established in 2011 to focus on programs and projects that help create sustainability and reduce dependency on any single industry. Eligible programs and projects include those in the areas of education, community and economic development, environmental stewardship, and health and wellness. A committee comprised of community leaders representing diverse organizations and two Freeport-McMoRan representatives governs the Fund.

For more information on the NDPP program, call the HRRMC Wellness Department at 530-2057.

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HRRMC receives grant for diabetes prevention outreach - Chaffee County Times

Joanne Schnurr, CTV Ottawa Published Thursday, May 25, 2017 3:33PM EDT Last Updated Thursday, May 25, 2017 6:55PM EDT

An Ottawa doctor and scientist has been awarded more than half a million dollars for ground-breaking research into using umbilical stem cells to fight chronic lung disease in premature babies.

It is research that Dr. Bernard Thbaud calls a game-changer. Right now, Dr. Thbauds work is in the early stages but there are indications that this could dramatically help the outcome for babies who are born weeks before they are due. And, the protective power of these stem cells may have multiple applications.

May 24th is the day that Olivia Eberts should have been born. But she and her twin brother Liam decided to come into the world 115 days early at just 23 weeks and 4 days gestation.

Liam passed away at 3 weeks, says his mother, Jamie Eberts, He unfortunately didn't make it; he was much sicker than Olivia.

Olivia has had her struggles, too. Born at just over one pound, she's had heart surgery, kidney problems and lung problems from the artificial help to keep her tiny lungs working.

Theres a lot of issues that come along with being born as young as they are, says Jamie, and it's going to be a lifelong battle for her and we don't know what the future will bring.

Dr. Bernard Thbaud is working on that future. Dr. Thbaud, a neonatologist and senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and CHEO, and professor at the University of Ottawa, is doing research into the possibility of using stem cells from the umbilical cord to combat lung disease in premature babies.

What we see in lab is very promising, he says, We think this will be a game changer, because the way these cells act is like something we have never seen before.

Right now, 40% of all premature babies have a lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia or BPD. It can cause a lifetime of problems, even death. And there is no treatment. With funds from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Thbaud hopes to find a treatment using these miracle stem cells.

We have harnessed the healing potential of stem cells that we can take out of the umbilical cord, Dr. Thbaud adds.

Thbaud is also examining the impact these stem cells can have on septic shock in premature babies and their potential for helping with brain functioning in the babies.

We think these cells will improve the overall outcome of these pre-term babies. Now we have to make sure this is happening in a proper way and allow them to fulfill their promise.

Treatment would have to start, about a week after birth. So while Olivia may not benefit, her parents are still on board with the research

Tim Eberts is her father, The thought that other kids that will come through here could be helped by it, that's encouraging for us and we'd like to be involved in it.

Olivia is getting stronger. She now weighs 6 and a half pounds but will still be in hospital for a while yet.

Dr. Thbaud hopes to start his clinical trials in two years time.

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A potential game-changer to battle lung disease in premature babies. - CTV News

Addison County Independent

Blindness no barrier to massage therapist Addison County Independent MASSAGE THERAPIST STEVEN Fidler has been running his own practice in Middlebury for the last three years. He believes his blindness has become an asset to providing his services. Independent photo/Trent Campbell. MIDDLEBURY Just another day ...

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Blindness no barrier to massage therapist - Addison County Independent

Thanks to a $40,320 grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, some hard-working Lakeland Community College biotechnology students will be eligible for scholarships to cover their tuition and fees.

The program is called Choose Ohio First and is aimed at helping students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine or STEMM, its associated web page shows.

In Lakelands case, the grant applies to biotechnology science students who meet certain criteria, a media release from the school confirms.

Students who receive this scholarship will have their tuition fully covered at Lakeland, said Joe Deak, chairman of the schools biotechnology science program.

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He added that two Lakeland Community College students are now using this funding.

The scholarship covers up to $4,000 in tuition and fees for biotechnology students who dont receive PELL grants, according to Lakelands release.

It goes on to explain that high school graduates who passed chemistry with a C or better are encouraged to apply if they fit the following criteria:

Have an interest in a career in the laboratory biological sciences or data/analysis management as it pertains to biological data

Have a 3.0 overall GPA

Place into college algebra

Reside in Ohio.

Lakelands recent investments in its science and health technology programs and facilities have been making headlines in recent years, especially with the 2015 passage of its capital improvement bond issue, which is being used to fund a $40 million renovation and expansion of the colleges 20-year-old Health Technologies Building, bring the science hallway renovation to completion and help with other infrastructure improvements.

This is the stuff of the future, confirmed Arts & Sciences Division Dean Steven Oluic, who was on hand at a Sept. 1 open house for the renovated, third-floor science wing, when students, teachers, staff and anyone interested could see it, tour the classrooms and labs and learn about all the new, cutting-edge technology there.

I will submit to you that our biology, chemistry and physical science labs are among the best in the area, Oluic said. Really, youd be hard-pressed to find better labs.

College President Morris W. Beverage agreed.

When I went to Lakeland in 1972 and 1973, in the original labs up there, they were new, he said. This is the sort of thing you do every 40 or 50 years and you do it right. And, to do it right, you make sure the equipment and technology the students will be using are the standard of what theyll be using when they leave here. We want our students to experience what theyre going to experience in the world when they move on from here.

For Deak, theres no question thats exactly what Lakelands students are getting.

Deak said that, in his 20 years with the schools program, hes always been able to find grant money to keep it at the cutting edge and, thanks to this latest round of funding, the department is able to offer an unprecedented level of training to students who will likely go on to hit the ground running in roles which may not even exist yet.

Our folks wind up in research and development, quality control and medical lab technology, he said, just naming a few, and he added that the lab in which he answered these questions would pretty much be the envy of anyone at Case Western Reserve or Cleveland State University.

There are numbers to prove it, too.

According to Lakelands statement about the Choose Ohio First grant, Lakelands biotechnology science program has more than a 95 percent placement rate into jobs or transfer to a four-year school.

Institutions where graduates matriculate include Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Indiana Wesleyan University, John Carroll University, Lake Erie College and Youngstown State University, the statement reads. Lakeland also has a 2+2 articulation with Ursuline College, which allows students to transfer all of their credits and graduate with a bachelors degree in two additional years or less.

Deak said some students are even fortunate enough to land jobs with employers who actually pay their tuition for them.

After graduating from Lakeland, many students are then able to receive tuition waivers or reimbursements from their employers to reduce, or eliminate, the cost of the bachelors degree, he said.

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Lakeland Community College biotechnology sciences students getting boost from grant - News-Herald.com

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Arthritis continues to be neglected in city: study The Hindu Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and thyroid conditions were identified as the risk factors for osteoarthritis among those in Delhi. The statistics show that more females are developing the disease, accounting for 55% of the patients. Incidentally, the ... Women At Higher Risk of Osteoarthritis Than Men, Says Arthritis Foundation of IndiaNDTV Food More and more younger people falling prey to arthritis in Delhi: StudyWeb India 123 Osteoarthritis is higher in women than men, says studyZee News all 4 news articles »

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Arthritis continues to be neglected in city: study - The Hindu

Vitamin D levels may have an important role in the relationship between pain and sleep

IANS | Sydney May 26, 2017 Last Updated at 04:40 IST

Vitamin D supplements, combined with good sleeping habits, could help manage pain-related conditions including fibromyalgia, arthritis, menstrual cramps and chronic back pain, says a study.

The findings, published in the Journal of Endocrinology, suggest that vitamin D supplements combined with good sleep quality could increase the effectiveness of pain management treatments.

Previously published studies have shown that vitamin D can affect the body's inflammatory response, which also alters pain sensation.

This simple approach, if effective, could reduce the burden on health services and improve the lives of patients, the researchers said.

"The research is very exciting and novel. We are unravelling the possible mechanisms of how vitamin D is involved in many complex processes, including what this review shows -- that a good night's sleep and normal levels of vitamin D could be an effective way to manage pain," said Sof Andrikopoulos, Assistant Professor at University of Melbourne in Australia.

For the study, the team conducted reviews of the most relevant studies that have examined the role of vitamin D in pain-related conditions or sleep disturbances.

The results indicate that vitamin D levels may have an important role in the relationship between pain and sleep.

"It is necessary to understand the possible mechanisms involved in this relationship, including immunological and neurobiological pathways related to inter-relationship among sleep, vitamin D and pain," added Monica Levy Andersen from Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Vitamin D supplements, combined with good sleeping habits, could help manage pain-related conditions including fibromyalgia, arthritis, menstrual cramps and chronic back pain, says a study.

The findings, published in the Journal of Endocrinology, suggest that vitamin D supplements combined with good sleep quality could increase the effectiveness of pain management treatments.

Previously published studies have shown that vitamin D can affect the body's inflammatory response, which also alters pain sensation.

This simple approach, if effective, could reduce the burden on health services and improve the lives of patients, the researchers said.

"The research is very exciting and novel. We are unravelling the possible mechanisms of how vitamin D is involved in many complex processes, including what this review shows -- that a good night's sleep and normal levels of vitamin D could be an effective way to manage pain," said Sof Andrikopoulos, Assistant Professor at University of Melbourne in Australia.

For the study, the team conducted reviews of the most relevant studies that have examined the role of vitamin D in pain-related conditions or sleep disturbances.

The results indicate that vitamin D levels may have an important role in the relationship between pain and sleep.

"It is necessary to understand the possible mechanisms involved in this relationship, including immunological and neurobiological pathways related to inter-relationship among sleep, vitamin D and pain," added Monica Levy Andersen from Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo in Brazil.

IANS

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Want to cure arthritis? Vitamin D supplements may help, suggests study - Business Standard

Gestational diabetes can also raise babies' risks of excessive birth weight, preterm birth, and type 2 diabetes later in life.

For this reason, it's been suggested that cold temperatures might protect against these conditions.

To study this potential connection in pregnant women, researchers looked at medical records of nearly 400,000 women living in the same urban area in Canada, in a region with wide temperature fluctuations throughout the year. Over a 12-year period, those women gave birth to more than 555,000 children.

When the researchers looked at average temperatures in the 30 days before these women gave birth, they found that the prevalence of gestational diabetes was 4.6% among those exposed to very cold temperatures (14 degrees Fahrenheit or lower), compared to 7.7% among those exposed to very hot temperatures (75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher).

That translates to a 6% to 9% relative increase in the risk of gestational diabetes for every increase of about 18 degrees Fahrenheit (or every 10 degrees Celsius), the researchers calculated.

The relationship held true even when the researchers compared two consecutive pregnancies in the same woman, which allowed them to cancel out factors such as income, ethnicity, and lifestyle habits that could also affect risk.

This may seem counterintuitive, says lead author Gillian Booth, MD, a researcher at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto, since people might think that pregnant women would spend more time outdoors and be more active during warmer months. But the findings fit a pattern of recent research on the potential protective effects of colder temperatures, she says.

And although the researchers only looked at a single geographic region in Canada, they say the results could likely apply to other parts of North American and the world.

"Based on the study's findings we would expect pregnancies in warmer climates to be at higher risk of gestational diabetes, although we weren't able to look at that directly," Dr. Booth told Health. "I think that's a great topic for future research."

The study also suggests that gestational diabetes -- and adult-onset diabetes, which shares the same risk factors -- could become increasingly prevalent worldwide as global temperatures continue to increase.

Because the study was not a randomized trial, it was unable to show a cause-and-effect relationship. The study also did not include information about body mass index, weight gain, physical activity, or diet of the women involved. But it does "offer fairly compelling evidence that air temperature may be a modifiable risk factor for gestational diabetes," says Dr. Booth.

Strategies like using air conditioning and avoiding excess layers in the summer might influence a pregnant woman's risk of gestational diabetes, says Dr. Booth.

These may be especially important for women who have strong non-modifiable risk factors for gestational diabetes, she adds, including non-European ethnicity, family history of type 2 diabetes, or a prior pregnancy with gestational diabetes.

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Temperature appears to have a smaller effect on gestational diabetes than these other risk factors, but "it is one factor that might be sufficient to push someone's risk over the edge," says Dr. Booth.

And while the number of women impacted globally by temperature fluctuations may be substantial, she says, the increased risk for individual women is likely small.

Staying cool during hot weather is probably a smart idea, says Dr. Booth, but women can also protect themselves from gestational diabetes by following strategies that have been proven to lower their risk -- like achieving a healthier body weight before they conceive, and avoiding excess weight gain during pregnancy by consuming a healthy diet and being physically active.

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Summer pregnancy may raise gestational diabetes risk - CNN

Racing enthusiast Walker Evans knows the toll diabetes can take.

I have relatives with it (diabetes), said Evans. I watched it when I was growing up.

So, the business entrepreneur has helped raise more than more than $60,000 to help fight the disease.

For these efforts, Evans was one of four men to be honored with a Father of the Year award at a banquet in Riverside on Wednesday.

Evans moved to Riverside in 1946. He initially worked in the construction business before discovering a passion for racing, from motorcycles to boats to off-road vehicles.

He is a member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Riverside California Sports Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. He launched Walker Evans Racing in 1977. The company employs 125 people. He retired from full-time racing in 2000.

The Father of the Year award, which recognizes men for community involvement, is a partnership between the Fathers Day Council and the American Diabetes Association. The event is held in 30 cities across the nation, with the first Inland Empire Father of the Year award being presented in 2010.

Dayna Murphy, manager of development at the American Diabetes Association, said her organization is appreciative of Evans work raising money for diabetes causes.

Having the opportunity to get to know the Evans family has been so much fun. Walker and Phyllis have built an empire together and it really shows by the incredible support the community has given them through Walker being honored, said Murphy. Walker is a legend and has passed on his drive and passion to all of his children. The American Diabetes Association and Fathers Day Council really appreciate the Evans commitment to our mission and to all people affected by diabetes.

Evans realizes the importance of raising money for diabetes research, but he admits it feels good to be recognized for his work.

Its nice to be noticed for our efforts to fight this disease, said Evans.

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Diabetes fundraising to the tune of $60,000 earns racing ... - Press-Enterprise

Aimee Chiavaroli achiavaroli@s-t.com

UMASS DARTMOUTH In her lab in the textiles building, Lamya Karim, assistant professor of bioengineering, showed a reporter a testing system used to break human bone samples.

The goal is to ... test how strong bone is, Karim said.

Karim received the largest National Institute of Health grant to UMass Dartmouth $616,170 to study how Type 2 diabetes weakens bones and increases risk of fractures. Also, this is the first NIH Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award to a principal investigator at the university, officials said.

According to a news release from UMass Dartmouth, people with Type 2 diabetes are about three times as likely to break a bone than those without it, including fractures with high mortality rates such as hip fractures.

People who have diabetes actually break their bones very often, Karim said, which can be problematic, especially for older people.

Your body isnt as capable of constantly repairing the skeletal system, when it gets older versus when it was younger, she explained.

She noted people often dont know they have weak bones until they break a bone and about a quarter of people who get hip fractures die within a year due to complications.

Type 2 diabetes adds up to $245 billion in annual health care costs in the United States. Diabetes rates in the U.S. are predicted to increase up to five times by the year 2050.

About 18 percent of adults over 65 have Type 2 diabetes in Massachusetts, and about 50 percent are pre-diabetic. Bristol County has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the state, according to the news release.

The bone samples Karim is using will come from cadaver banks or from patients who are getting surgery.

In graduate school at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, Karim worked mainly in bone mechanics and had an interest in molecular properties in bone.

Trying to get the grant was a process in the making, the professor said. Karim wrote the submission for the grant with the help of Mary Bouxsein, a mentor when Karim was a post-doctorate fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess in Boston.

She will continue to be a mentor on this project, she said.

Karim, 32, started brainstorming for the project around 2013 and went through two rounds or submissions on the grant, getting feedback on how to improve. She resubmitted it about a year ago, before she began teaching at UMass Dartmouth in September.

Student to senior investigator, everyone has a role in the project, Karim said. The bulk of it will be here at UMass.

Karims goal is to find out the underlying causes of diabetic skeletal fragility.

Itll answer a small part, Karim said about the project. There could be more questions, but Karim said she thinks thats a natural part of research.

I think for a researcher its exciting to have more unanswered questions, she said I enjoy trying to explore the unknown and figure out why things are happening the way they are.

Follow Aimee Chiavaroli on Twitter@AimeeC_SCT.

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Cutting (research) to the bone: UMD prof to study diabetes-related skeletal fragility - SouthCoastToday.com

ViaCyte picked up $10 milliontofund the clinical development of its stem cell-derived treatment for patients who have Type 1 diabetes and are at risk of complications.

Specifically, the funds will be used to develop the companys PEC-Direct candidate, which treats diabetes by administering stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitor cells in an implantable device, according to a statement. These cells are designed to mature into human pancreatic cells, including insulin-secreting beta cells.

This treatment is intended for high-risk Type 1 diabetes patientsthose who experience severe hypoglycemic episodes, who have brittle diabetes, where blood glucose levels swing up and down, or who are less able or unable to spot symptoms of low blood sugar. ViaCyte plans to deliver the therapy alongside immune-suppressive drugs to prevent rejection.

Highrisk type 1 diabetes has been successfully treated with cadaver islet transplants, but adoption of islet transplants has been limited, due in part to the insufficient supply of donor material, said ViaCyte CEO Paul Laikind, in a statement. Because ViaCytes PEC01 cells are manufactured from pluripotent cells with unlimited proliferative potential, they can be made in vast numbers and therefore may be capable of solving the cell supply issue.

The new fundingwill also support the development of ViaCytes other candidate, the PEC-Encap, for patients who require insulin to control their diabetes. It comprises the Encaptra Cell Delivery System and the companys pancreatic progenitor cells. In addition to delivering the cells, the Encaptra device also protects the cells from the host immune response, cutting the need for immunosuppression.

The funding comes from some undisclosed investors as well as from W.L. Gore, JDRF and Asset Management Partners. San Diego-based ViaCyte partnered with Gore in in March to improve the Encaptra device.

We believe that ViaCytes capabilities in cell therapy for diabetes are the most advanced in the industry, and we are pleased to bring our material and device expertise to the challenge of developing a functional cure for insulinrequiring diabetes, said Edward Gunzel, technical leader for Gore PharmBIO Products, in the statement.

JDRF recently established a $42 million fund for Type 1 diabetes research, which will be managed separately from JDRF. The diabetes nonprofit has supported a number of other projects, including Sernovas Cell Pouch System, an implant that secretes cells that help control blood sugar, and the University of Torontos skin patch, which detects low blood sugar and automatically delivers the hormone glucagon to convert glycogen back into glucose.

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ViaCyte bags $10M for diabetes cell therapies - FierceBiotech

Wednesday was a good day for stocks, and the Dow Jones Industrials and S&P 500 both climbed through milestone levels. Most market participants attributed the positive sentiment to the Federal Reserve, which released the minutes of its latest monetary policy meeting during the afternoon. The central bank revealed plans to clamp down on the size of its balance sheet, which it initially expanded in the aftermath of the financial crisis to provide liquidity to the bond market and additional stimulus to the U.S. economy. Investors were pleased that the Fed believes that it's no longer necessary to extend that level of monetary accommodation to the economy. In addition, some individual companies had extremely good news, and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF), Triumph Group (NYSE: TGI), and Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ: PBYI) were among the best performers on the day. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.

Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch climbed 6% in the wake of reports that the teen retailer might receive an acquisition bid from a consortium of investors. According to The Wall Street Journal(subscription required), industry peer American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) and private equity company Cerberus Capital Management are looking at putting together a potential buyout offer for Abercrombie & Fitch, following speculation that other players in the industry might also be interested in consolidation. A&F has been dealing with takeover speculation for a while, and it has typically noted that any discussions wouldn't necessary translate into actual offers. Yet with Abercrombie set to release its first-quarter financial results Thursday, investors will want to see signs that the company can take care of its challenges on its own -- or else they'll start clamoring more loudly for a buyout to take place.

Image source: Getty Images.

Triumph Group stock soared over 30% after the company announced its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results and resolved a dispute with aircraft manufacturer Bombardier. The aerospace components and systems specialist said that sales fell 13% from year-ago levels, and it posted a GAAP loss of $126.8 million. With challenges in its aerospace structures business, Triumph has focused on amending contracts and addressing operational and financial challenges, and the company's transformation plan has led to improving free cash flow and cost savings. Investors were also happy that Triumph reached a settlement of all of its disputes with Bombardier. Triumph said that the agreement "resets the commercial relationship between [Triumph] and Bombardier and allows each of them to better achieve their business objectives going forward."

Finally, shares of Puma Biotechnology jumped 30%. The biopharmaceutical company earned a hoped-for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel looking at its neratinib candidate treatment for breast cancer. The panel voted 12 to 4 in favor of recommending the drug to the FDA, and although panelists expressed some thoughts about potentially limiting the size of the group of women eligible to use the drug, investors nevertheless took the news as a positive. The FDA still needs to make its own decision about Puma's drug, and it isn't bound by the opinion of the advisory panel. Nevertheless, today's recommendation moves Puma one step further to getting a big win under its belt, and shareholders recognized that fact with the second big move in the stock this week.

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The two syndromes differ, though, in their constellation of symptoms. For example, psoriatic arthritis manifests most often in the lower extremities and is associated with the autoimmune skin condition called psoriasis, in which raised red, scaly patches appear on the skin. Although psoriatic rashes most often precede the onset of the arthritic stage, the reverse can also be the case.

Three of the 10 top-selling drugs in the United States in dollar sales adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab are biologics prescribed for psoriatic arthritis as well as for the more common rheumatoid arthritis. These three drugs share a common property: They block the action of a pro-inflammatory substance called tumor necrosis factor. Secreted by various immune cells, TNF stimulates the immune response and accompanying inflammation.

However, despite the availability of TNF inhibitors, only about half of psoriatic arthritis patients who are given TNF inhibitors get better, said Genovese.

Although the ultimate cause of the disease remains unknown, there was a good clinical rationale for hoping it might be responsive to ixekizumab. For the last decade or so, Genovese said, another pro-inflammatory substance called IL-17 has been drawing the attention of immunologists focusing on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Ixekizumab works by blocking IL-17. The drug, an injectable monoclonal antibody, is already commercially available for the treatment of psoriasis, for which it has been remarkably effective, said Genovese. And in an earlier Lilly-sponsored phase-3 trial, ixekizumab was shown to be effective for psoriatic arthritis patients who had not yet been treated with biological drugs such as TNF inhibitors. (Another approved monoclonal-antibody that targets IL-17, secukinumab, was approved in 2016 for psoriatic arthritis.)

Over the 24-week duration of the latest trial, 109 participants received ixekizumab every two weeks; 94 received placebo injections every two weeks; and 111 alternated every two weeks between getting injections of ixekizumab and the placebo. While 19.5 percent of patients who received only the placebo injections were judged to have met the trials specified clinical endpoint at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of tender and swollen joints the response rate among those getting the real drug every four weeks was 53.3 percent. Those getting the drug every two weeks didnt do any better and were slightly more prone to side effects, such as a mild reaction at the injection site.

Although any treatment that works by blocking the immune systems ability to mount an inflammatory response should be carefully monitored for its potential to render the body vulnerable to infectious disease, there were few observed differences in this category between recipients of placebo versus active drug given every four weeks, Genovese said.

Lilly has filed for approval of the drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Genovese has served as a consultant to Lilly.

Other co-authors of the study are affiliated with multiple institutions in diverse locations, including the University of Queensland, in Australia; Guys & Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, in London; St. Lukes International University, in Tokyo; Memorial University, in Newfoundland, Canada; Lapeyronie Hospital, in Montpelier, France; Charite University Medicine Berlin, in Germany; and Eli Lilly and Company, in Indianapolis.

Stanfords Department of Medicine also supported the work.

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Drug for refractory psoriatic arthritis shows promise in clinical trial ... - Stanford Medical Center Report

The US pharmaceuticals giant Merck & Co is accused of abusing its dominance of the market for an arthritis drug to block the NHS from using cheaper alternatives.

Competition authorities hit MSD, as Merck & Co is known outside the US, with formal charges that could lead to fines of tens of millions of pounds.

MSD allegedly attempted to prevent NHS doctors from using rival suppliers of a drug called infliximab, which it sells under the brand name Remicade, after its patent expired in 2015.

Infliximab is an antibody that suppresses part of the immune system and is used worldwide to treat a range of inflammatory conditions, including Crohns disease and psoriasis, as well as arthritis. About 100,000 NHS patients are treated with it at a cost of approximately 150m per year.

The drug is made by culturing genetically engineered cells. This complex process makes it difficult for MSDs new rivals to produce versions identical to Remicade.

Instead they produce so-called biosimilar treatments which are close facsimilies. Doctors have been cautious about switching to biosimilar infliximab, however, fearing theeffect on treatment of any tiny changes.

MSD allegedly exploited this caution by offering a discount on Remicade that would be withdrawn from buyers who tried alternatives. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had provisionally found that the discount scheme was a breach of competition law, likely to restrict competition from biosimilar versions of infliximab that were new to the market.

The watchdog issued a statement of objections to the company, a major step towards potentially heavy fines. The CMA has the power to issue fines of up to 10pc of global turnover, which for Merck & Cowould mean a maximum of more than 3bn. In practice, in similar cases the penalty has been in the tens of millions of pounds.

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US pharma giant Merck & Co. accused of blocking cheaper arthritis drugs for the NHS - Telegraph.co.uk

May 25, 2017 by Kristin Samuelson Killer T cells surround a cancer cell. Credit: NIH

A first-of-a-kind neural stem cell therapy that works with a common cold virus to seek out and attack a lethal and aggressive brain cancer is being tested at Northwestern Medicine in a Phase I clinical trial for patients newly diagnosed with malignant glioma.

The novel drug to treat malignant glioma, notorious for recurring after typical bouts of standard cancer treatment, was developed by a Northwestern scientist and has been approved as an investigational drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is only the second time the University has supported and filed an investigational new drug as a sponsor.

"We have discovered that combining stem cells with a virus causes the new drug to react like a cancer-seeking missile targeting cancerous cells in the brain" said principal investigator, Dr. Maciej Lesniak, the Michael J. Marchese Professor and chair of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a neuro-oncologist at Northwestern Medicine. "If it works in humans, it could be a powerful weapon against brain cancer and an option that our patients are desperate for."

One reason malignant glioma recurs so often is because a small subpopulation of cancer cells, often deep in the brain tissue, is highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation.

The pre-clinical work done by Lesniak and his team has shown that the approach being tested at Northwestern Medicine can target this population of therapy resistant cells, further delaying and sometimes even preventing tumor recurrence.

The stem cells used in the research came from a collaboration of researchers from City of Hope.

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"We haven't seen significant progress in the last decade for patients with a brain tumor, and that is why it's crucial to do everything we can to find a better treatment for brain tumors," said Dr. Roger Stupp, a co-investigator who is working alongside Lesniak on this clinical trial. "Combining novel therapy with medical expertise, we are able to get one step closer to eradicating this lethal disease."

Stupp, a world-renowned neuro-oncologist, recently joined Northwestern Medicine as director of neuro-oncology and associate director for strategic initiatives at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. He is best known for developing temozolomide in combination with radiation as the standard-of-care chemotherapy for patients with glioblastoma.

Lesniak and his team of scientists are starting to test the safety and dosage of the treatment in patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Lesniak began the research more than a decade ago while at the University of Chicago and completed it when he moved to Northwestern in 2015.

This investigational new drug contains neural stem cells to deliver a potent virus responsible for the common cold, oncolyotic adenovirus, which is engineered to kill brain cancer cells. The novel treatment works synergistically with chemotherapy and radiation to enhance the standard cancer treatments effectiveness.

Malignant gliomas are the most aggressive forms of cancer and are predicted to affect nearly 20,000 new patients this year, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. Sometimes called the "grow-and-go" tumors, gliomas can make their own blood supply, which fuels the tumors' rapid growth and helps them hatch satellite tumors. Each tumor sends out tentacles that infiltrate and dig deep into normal brain tissue, making complete removal of cancerous cells impossible. Any cancerous cells in the brain left over from standard of care can cause the tumor to recur.

Lesniak plans to enroll up to 36 newly diagnosed patients with glioma. These patients will be divided into two groups: those with tumors that can be removed and those where the tumors are not removable by surgery.

Next step, Northwestern Memorial will extend this research to the collaborating partners at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California.

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Marc Symons, PhD, professor in The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research's Karches Center for Oncology Research, is examining if a common medication administered to treat pinworms, could replace the current treatment used ...

A first-of-a-kind neural stem cell therapy that works with a common cold virus to seek out and attack a lethal and aggressive brain cancer is being tested at Northwestern Medicine in a Phase I clinical trial for patients ...

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Cold virus, stem cells tested to destroy deadly brain cancer - Medical Xpress