StemCell Therapy

Julissa Marquez, 35, gazes through her ESight headset, which has helps dramatically improve her eyesight. View Full Caption

DNAinfo/Noah Hurowitz

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT More than three years after she lost her eyesight in a brutal stabbing attack in her home, Julissa Marquez is getting her life back.

With the help of a high-tech sight aid, the 35-year-old Bed-Stuy resident who was rendered totally blind in the Dec. 2013 attack is now able to take care of tasks such as laundry, cooking, and grocery shopping, despite doctors once believing that she might never even be able to see again.

Marquez was left in total darkness in the wake of the attack, but exceeded the expectations of doctors by regaining much of her vision in her right eye. But even as her recovery raced ahead of doctors predictions, Marquez still suffered from severe blurriness and slanted vision in her left eye.

She's still legally blind, and needs a walking stick to navigate outside. But now, with the help of ESight, a sight-aid headset that uses lenses to automatically correct her eyesight, magnify her field of vision, and adjust the contrast, shes approaching 20/20 vision. That means with the deviceshes able to watch television, read, and most importantly, see her 16-year-old son clearly.

Im able to wash clothes, I can shop, when Im outside Im actually able to walk on my own, she said at a checkup Tuesday. I can help my son with homework, and take care of my bills. Believe it or not, even without the glasses I am seeing better.

At another recent checkup, Marquez managed to score 20/20 vision in one test using the headset, according to her Ronald Gentile, retina surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai who has been instrumental in Marquezs ongoing recovery.

We were shocked, he said. With the severity of her injuries, the chances of her getting to this point were less than three percent.

Even I was shocked! Marquez chimed in.

Ronald Gentile examines JulissaMarquez.

Its the latest unexpected development in a road to recovery that has included many joyful surprises.

Marquezs ordeal began on Dec. 10 when her boyfriend, Miguel Cordero, whom she had been dating for about three months, showed up at her apartment naked, confused and dazed, Marquez said. She tried to calm him down, but he became more agitated and began ranting and threatening to harm her son, who was 12 at the time, in the next room.

Marquez, who had met Cordero at church about two years prior, tried to calm him down and used her body to block him from getting to her son in the next room, but he grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and began stabbing her repeatedly. By the time the altercation was over she had stab wounds to her head, face, neck, and thigh, and her left eye had been nearly split in two.

During the attack, Marquez cried out her forgiveness of Cordero, even as he was choking the life out of her. But before he could finish what he started, police burst into the apartment behind Marquezs pastor, whom she had called when Cordero first arrived.

Cordero eventually pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness in 2014, and he continues to be held at a secure facility indefinitely, according to a spokesman for the Brooklyn District Attorneys office.

Marquez was grateful to be alive, but the attack left her completely blind. In the months that followed she lived in darkness, unable to see anything, even the difference between light and dark. As her son grew older, she had to feel his face for changes, feeling his first scruffs of facial hair instead of seeing it, she said.

She had to learn how to get around and get by without sight, and doctors warned her she would likely not be able to see again. But ever so gradually, as she underwent about 12 surgeries between 2013 and 2015, her sight became to return, slowly at first, and she began to pick up light and shadows once more.

The first time her bandages came off to reveal a slight improvement, she said she wept and thanked God.

Because they told me I was never going to see again, it was a beautiful surprise, she said.

By August of 2016, she was able to watch television, use her iPad, and read letters, but sight out of her left eye, which bore the brunt of the damage, was still slanted and she had to hold items close to her face in order to see them.

In October, she began using the ESight headset, which allows her to magnify objects in the distance and change the color and contrast of her field of vision, eliminating glare and maximize her vision using video screens inside the device. It made an immediate difference, she said.

Me and my son have a very strong bond, and when I was in the darkness I couldnt see how my son was growing up, trying to feel his face and imagine what he looked like, she said. Now I know that when my son gets married Ill be able to see it. When he has his children Ill be able to see them.

Now, doctors are carefully watching her progress, according to Gentile, who said much of his patients progress can be chalked up to her own perseverance.

Shes had a lot of procedures done to rehabilitate her eyesight, so now were making sure nothing happens to jeopardize her vision, he said. Shes achieving at the top percentile of patients with similar issues, and I think a lot of this has to do with her and her ability to maximize the vision she has.

Ronald Gentile and Julissa Marquez

The headset has its limitations. It takes about a minute for Marquez and her health aid, Albina Marte, to attach it, and when she moves her head Marquez said the device has a brief lag, making it so her vision doesnt track the movement of her head seamlessly.

But shes practicing walking around using the headset, and Gentile said her abilities will improve as technology advances.

Shes able to watch TV, shes able to see her son, and these are things she wasn't able to do using our conventional treatment. Without using this technology we couldnt get to that point, and I think this is just a glimpse into her future and what shes going to be able to do.

Marquez said shes looking forward to her life expanding along with her vision, including an upcoming visit to her mother in Puerto Rico.

I will be able to see fully again, she said. Little by little Im getting better.

View post:
Mom Blinded in Stabbing Nears 20/20 Vision With New Technology - DNAinfo

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- In the land of the Derby, might the one-eyed horse be king on Saturday?

That is what those associated with Patch are hoping for, as Patch, who had his left eye removed before he ever raced, attempts to become the first horse with just one eye to win the Kentucky Derby.

There have been a handful of horses that competed in the Derby while missing an eye, such as Patch, or were blind in an eye, such as 2004 Derby participant Pollard's Vision. Imperialism, who had compromised vision in his right eye, did the best of those known to have sight issues when he finished third in the 2004 Derby.

Patch is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also trained Pollard's Vision. The way the horses lost their sight differed, but Pletcher said Patch, like Pollard's Vision, does not appear to be hindered. He is especially impressed by how far Patch has progressed since he lost his eye in July after commencing training last year at age 2 and working up to a half-mile in workouts.

After the eye was removed, "I thought he'd need to be rebroken," Pletcher said. Patch was sent to the Ocala, Florida, training center run by Pletcher's father, J.J.

"He said, 'You'd never know he's lost an eye.' He sent him back to me on Sept. 27," Pletcher said of his father and his horse. "I'm amazed at how well he's adapted. I always let him know I'm coming. I'll whistle or something. I don't want to startle him. But he acts like any other horse around the barn. And in his racing and training, you can put him inside or outside, and he's comfortable. He doesn't carry his head funny.

"Most horses who have lost an eye have lost one early on and don't have to adjust. Pollard's Vision, his eye didn't function early on. When I bought him as a 2-year-old, a lot of people were afraid of that eye. It was misshapen, like a miniature eye, not fully developed."

Patch earned his way into the Derby by finishing second last time out in the Louisiana Derby. As if he didn't have enough to overcome compared to his rivals, he is the least experienced horse in this year's field, with just three starts, all since Jan. 15. If not for the setback last summer, he probably would've raced sooner and had more starts.

Just how Patch initially damaged the eye remains a mystery to Pletcher. On the morning of June 19, three days after the horse worked a half-mile at Saratoga, "we found him in his stall with the eye swollen, almost shut, heavy tearing," Pletcher said.

"There was no indication he had been cast, no scratches around the eye. We called the vet and treated him right away."

After initially being treated at the barn, Patch was sent to the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs, New York.

"They decided they couldn't save the eye," said Pletcher, who said his veterinarian, Bill Yarborough, "said it looked like there was inflammation in the globe of the eye."

"No one knows what happened," Pletcher said. "There wasn't a pathology done. It was very, very odd. I've had a lot of horses come through the barn, and this is something I'd never seen."

Cassaleria, who ran in the 1982 Kentucky Derby, might've been the most accomplished one-eyed horse ever to enter the race. He had won two stakes, including the El Camino Real Derby, prior to the Derby. His co-owner was Tom Gentry, a natural-born showman who produced T-shirts and bumper stickers promoting Cassaleria, as well as big, gold souvenir buttons that had an etching of an eye, under which was written, "Cassaleria: thine eye has seen the glory."

"You would think with only half his vision, it would be a handicap, but it wasn't for him," Darrel McHargue, who rode Cassaleria in many of his races, including the El Camino Real Derby and the Kentucky Derby, recalled last weekend.

"There was one race at Bay Meadows. He's going along very kind, sitting where I want to sit, I'm ready to ask him," McHargue said. "There's a small opening along the rail. It wasn't wide enough that I thought we should go through, but he accelerated right through that hole. He wasn't timid at all. It must have looked bigger to him than to me.

"He was never shy. He had a big heart. He was truly a courageous little horse."

Cassaleria finished 13th in the Derby. Pollard's Vision finished 17th.

The odds are against Patch in this Derby, but considering the handicap he has overcome, he has already outrun them to get here.

More here:
Patch enters Derby with one eye, high hopes - ESPN

wbur Whenever they're on the same commuter rail train, David Hill, right, meets Blair Wong on the platform at Back Bay station and walks him to Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Like this story?Sign up for Kind World's newsletter and subscribe to the podcast.

In high school back in the 1970s, Blair Wongrecalls he oftenhad trouble staying awake during physics class, but one day was different: the day he learned how light passes through a lens. Blair became obsessed with understanding how a transparent curve could focus light.

I didnt really care for the other chapters in my physics textbook in high school, Blair says, but I read the optics chapter probably about 20 times.

The lens he loved most was the human eye.

"Romantically, its the window to the soul."

Blairs passion never went away. He got his degree in opticianry, and by his early 20s, he was a practicing optician at Cambridge Eye Doctors, his dream job. It was around this time, though, that something unsettled him.

My friends and I were going to see a movie, and my friends, boom, went right to a row of seats, and I had no idea where they went, Blair says. One of my friends came back to get me and said, You can't see in here?

With his optical training, Blair sensed something was off. He ticked through all the possible reasons for his difficulty seeing in the dark, and then he remembered that his brother Bruce had mentioned something similar. Blair knew they should see a specialist.

He remembers sitting on the floor outside the doctors office, waiting for news, and then they got their diagnosis: retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that slowly robs you of your eyesight. Blair and his brothers vision would cloud over and narrow more and more each year until they were completely blind.

It was devastating. I remember sleeping for [what]felt like three months, and thinking, how I was going to overcome this?

The irony wasnt lost on Blair. He who had studied the mechanics of vision was now losing his. What hit him harder was his fear that he would become a burden to any future partner. Blair was 26 and single, and for the next three years, he just didnt date.

Finally, he did meet someone, a woman named Jean who managed one of the stores of the company he worked for. From the beginning, Blair felt the two of them could talk about anything, but he dreaded telling her about his future blindness. It was early enough in the progression of his disease that Blair didnt appear to othersto have anything wrong with his eyes.

It was tough, because I knew that I was falling in love with Jean," Blair says."I do remember the night I called her and we talked about it. It was scary for us both, but she convinced me that it would be all OK.

Jean and Blair got marriedand had a son, and Blair found a way to stay in optics: He got his master's in education and became a professor. As his vision worsened, he and Jean found ways to relish the sight that remained.

She would be standing in our living room, and Id be coming home, walk into the living room, and hunt around and try to find her eyes through the tunnel of my vision. She can always tell when Im looking so, Over here! Little bit left! Shed kind of guide me over. And then when I would finally lock my eyes onto hers, wed both smile. Id say, Hi.

Blair knew each of these moments might be his last. Then one night, he sat across from Jean at the dinner table.

I looked at her, and I realized I couldnt see her features of her face anymore.

Looking into peoples eyes is what Blair misses most.

Now in his 50s, Blair has entered what he calls profound blindness. He takes the commuter rail into Boston, where he works at the New England College of Optometry and the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, and he relies on a white cane to find his way.

Blair wasnt thrilled about the cane at first, but once he had to use it, he noticed something: Complete strangers would ask to help him.

Theres the store manager who led him through snowdrifts after a blizzard; the homeless man who helped him find a shop on Boylston Street; and the woman who brought Blair through a garden he never knew existed, pausing to describe each flower for him.

Over the years, some have become regular helpers, even friends.

"I kind of bring out the best in Bostonians. I have met so many different people simply because I have a cane. Its probably hundreds, but to me it feels like thousands."

Blair gets an offer of help at least once a day. Some interactions are fleeting, others profound.

Take Deneb Scott. Deneb was 14 and struggling with high school when he helped Blair find a seat on the train. The second time they met, the two started talking.

He has this look about him that just prompts you to spill your guts out, Deneb says.

Deneb and Blair started sitting together on theirevening train rides home, and they continue to run into each other now, three years later. Deneb says those conversations gave him confidence when he needed it.

I wonder if he has a better sense of me as a person without the labor of eyesight, Deneb says.

Blair cant look people in the eye, but hes found a different window into their inner lives.

I see the goodness in people," he says."I dont know, I have this weird thought that if everybody in the world saw one another being kind to one another, it would just grow, and that's kind of what Ive seen.

Its by losing sight that he was able to see it at all.

Find Kind World on Facebook or Twitter, or email kindworld@wbur.orgto share your story.

You can alsosubscribe to the podcast.

This segment aired on May 2, 2017.

Erika Lantz iLab Associate Producer Erika Lantz is an associate producer in the iLab, where she leads WBUR's Kind World project.

More

Go here to read the rest:
Support the news - WBUR

A 5-year old peeked inside a big van. Volunteers in yellow vests welcomed her and asked her dad to stand aside, giving her a big spoon to cover one eye. As they pointed to images on an eye chart, the girl rapidly listed off apple, circle and square, stumbling with word pronunciation but seeing perfectly.

The Anacortes Lions Club provided free vision and hearing screenings to more than 130 pre-k students last week at the Anacortes School Districts Kindergarten Roundup.

Joe Kantor, an Anacortes Lion of 16 years, helped run the screenings with his wife Linda Kantor, a Lion of 10 years, and Colette Arvidson, a Lion of one year.

In their signature yellow vests, the Lions guided children through the vans four sight and hearing stations. They placed oversized headphones on small heads and played sounds of varying frequencies.

The vision portion included more than just eye charts. At the end of the screening, a Lion held up in front of each kid a portable device called a Spot Vision Screener, which provides instant feedback on astigmatisms, nearsightedness and farsightedness in left and right eyes.

The van also features a sound-proof room for advanced hearing testing for older children.

Since they personally became involved with the screenings, the Kantors have seen fewer students who need eyeglasses and hearing aids as older students, they said.

I think weve been very successful in improving hearing and vision problems, Joe Kantor said.

The particular van belongs to the Northwest Lions Foundation and serves more than 35,000 students and several thousand adults in Washington and Northern Idaho each year. The Anacortes group makes a special effort to raise the funds and volunteers to bring the van back each year, testing a total of 1,200 first, second, third, fifth and seventh graders, special needs children and pre-kindergarten students.

Its an amazing gift, said Whitney School Principal Kevin Schwartz at the Roundup.

The Lions Club International is the largest community service organization in the world with 1.4 million members.

In 1927, Helen Keller challenged the Lions to do something for the blind community. Since then, the clubs emphasis has been on improving vision and preventing blindness.

The Anacortes club has 21 dues-paying members, the smallest service club in town. Each year the club pays for eyeglasses and hearing aids for local residents who cant afford them, provides two $1,500 scholarships to Anacortes High School graduates, runs a concession program, sponsors the annual downtown Christmas Parade and more.

Lions sell 300 flags a year to local businesses to be displayed on eight flag holidays, which is the clubs major source of funding. All funds raised go toward Lions causes, and members pay administrative costs out of their dues.

Last year, the Anacortes Lions Club celebrated its 80th anniversary.

Colette Arvidson joined the Lions last year because her husband is legally blind.

Its a natural fit, Arvidson said.

Every May, the Lions host a White Cane Days drive to raise funds for cornea surgery worldwide. The club hands out small white canes to help inform the public that white canes are typically used by those who are visually impaired.

For 20 years, Lions Mike and Pat Parker of Longview have traveled around the Northwest with the van, coordinating with local Lions volunteers to adminster the screenings. After last weeks Roundup, the van headed to Yakima.

One thing we would certainty like to get is more members, because we just have too small a group, Joe Kantor said.

The Lions meet at 6:30 p.m. the second the fourth Thursdays of each month at San Juan Lanes, 2821 Commercial Ave.

The rest is here:
Lions sponsor sight-and-hearing van for students - goanacortes

Possible cures routinely pop up only to fade from view, their benefits never quite surpassing the simple efficacy of an insulin injection.

Lev Dolgachov/Thinkstock

Type 1 diabetes is a discouraging disease. Despite the availability of synthetic insulin and increasingly sophisticated monitoring technology, its still a condition that requires incessant vigilance: Diabetics must constantly track their blood sugar levels and carefully use that information to calibrate drug doses. Even if you manage to do all of that well, bad days remain almost inevitable. Take too much insulin, and you can spiral into a hypoglycemic delirium. Take too little, and your glucose levels will rise, filling the body with dangerous levels of ketones.

Less immediately frustratingbut no less familiar for diabeticsis the state of diabetes research. Possible cures routinely pop up only to fade from view, their benefits never quite surpassing the simple efficacy of an insulin injection. More recently, though, the field of synthetic biologya hybrid discipline that aims to construct or redesign biological components and systemshas shown the potential to produce a novel set of treatments. The solutions remain speculative, but they do offer cautious reasons for hope.

Type 1 diabetes, in theory, should be relatively easy to solve. That has been the mantra of researchers for the last 30 years. And I still take insulin every day.

John Glass, a researcher working on one such new effort, knows how maddening false hope can be, having lived with the disease for decades. Type 1 diabetes, in theory, should be relatively easy to solve, he told me over the phone. That has been the mantra of type 1 diabetes researchers for the last 30 years. And I still take insulin every day.

I had originally called Glass, a synthetic biologist with the J. Craig Venter Institute, in the hopes of better understanding how his burgeoning field was contributing to the search for a cure. Id been drawn to the topic through a seemingly promising synthetic biology study led by researchers at ETH Zurich and East China Normal University. I came away from our call fascinated instead by the promise of new research that Glass himself has recently begun to pursue. He believes it might be possible to re-engineer the genomes of skin bacteria in ways that would allow them to perform some of the functions that diabetics bodies no longer can. Whether or not that ultimately works, it exemplifies the promise of synthetic biology to provide a way around problems that have long been insurmountable for researchers.

My own interest in this topic is far from academic. Im a type 1 diabetic, and I read the study I called Glass aboutdauntingly titled -CellMimetic Designer Cells Provide Closed-Loop Glycemic Controlfrom a hospital bed where Id regained consciousness after a sudden and unexpected seizure, likely brought on by a low blood sugar episode. Though my own condition is generally well-managed, I cant help but long for a better way.

To understand the promise of the Closed Loop paper, you first have to understand what Type 1 diabetes entails. At core, its an autoimmune disease, one that results from a biological glitch that leads the body to attack the insulin-producing beta cells of its own pancreas. Beta cellsthe -cells of the papers titleserve two primary functions in a healthy organism: First, they detect blood glucose levels within the body. Second, when those levels begin to rise, the cells secrete insulin. The diabetic autoimmune assault kills off the beta cells, leaving the body with no way to process the carbohydrates it consumes.

In essence, the researchers behind this paper sought to re-engineer human embryonic kidney cells to mimic the functions of the pancreatic beta cells (the mimetic of the papers title) that immune systems of those with diabetes destroy. They then implanted these designer cells into diabetic mice, where, according to the paper, they successfully and autonomously stabilized their hosts blood sugar levels.

Your Cheat-Sheet Guide to Synthetic Biology

What Exactly Is Synthetic Biology? Its Complicated.

Can You Patent an Organism? The Synthetic Biology Community Is Divided.

The U.S. Regulations for Biotechnology Are Woefully Out of Date

Synthetic Biology and Queer Theory Are Cutting Down the Tree of Life You Learned About in School

Being Skeptical About Biotechnology Doesnt Make You Anti-Science

Can Synthetic Biology Finally Cure Diabetes?

How the U.S. Militarys Synthetic Biology Initiatives Could Change the Entire Research Field

Its the autonomous, or closed loop, quality thats most exciting hereoffering the potential to stabilize the body without regular injections and blood sugar checks. True closed-loops recreate the healthy bodys natural processes, much as these modified kidney cells seem to do by automatically distributing insulin in response to blood sugar fluctuations. Such systems have long been the holy grail for diabetic researchers, since they would allow diabetics to go about their liveseating and exercising as they wantedwithout having to check glucose readings and juggle dosing regimens.

Medical technologists have long been at work on devices that would achieve similar results by more mechanical means: MedTronic recently received FDA approval for what it calls a closed loop combination of a digital glucose sensor and an insulin pump that it plans to roll out later this year. Its a potentially powerful device, but it still demands substantial involvement from the user, who must feed it information about carbohydrate intake, regularly recalibrate the sensor, and, of course, attach the sensors and insulin pump to their body. By comparison, synthetic biology promises a truly hands-off solution, one that wouldat least in theorysimply work.

I dont want to overstate things here. While projects working to synthesize replacements for beta cells are impressive (and have produced exciting results elsewhere), they still exhibit a fundamental problem: the diabetic bodys seemingly irreversible autoimmune response. Because the mimetic replacements resemble natural beta cells, the immune system still recognizes them as targets and eventually kills them off. Even if they work under experimental conditions for a few weeks, their effectiveness fades in time, as Glass and other researchers explained to me. Its not immediately obvious how or if the new research would overcome that hurdle, and the researchers did not respond to requests for comment.

Chad Cowan, director of the diabetes program at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, told me that the issue has been extremely difficult to resolve. Over the course of the last two years, weve tried to talk to every immunologist and every person who works on autoimmunity, particularly if they have any focus on type 1 diabetes, he said. Our overall assessment is that there isnt an easy solution, at least in terms of modulating the immune system. Various attempts to work around the immune systems response, he said, havent done more than slightly ameliorate the disease in experimental mice or clinical trials. A Californian company called ViaCyte thinks it has found a possible solution, sheathing cells in what it calls a retrievable and immune-protective encapsulation medical device. But the results of that approach remain uncertain.

Its here that the real promise of Glass proposal reveals itself: He thinks hes found a workaround for the autoimmune problem, one that would allow the body to autonomously produce insulin as needed and without risk of disruption.

Glass own professional involvement in the field began a few years ago when Alberto Hayek, a diabetes researcher and emeritus professor from University of CaliforniaSan Diego, reached out. Hayek was curious about a project Glass had worked on in 2010, in which JCVI had created a fully synthetic bacterial organism. Wondering if the same techniques might be applicable elsewhere, Hayek called Glass attention to the work of one of his UCSD colleagues, a dermatologist named Richard Gallo, who discovered a beneficial bacteria living deep in the layers of our skin that seem to be overlooked by the immune system. Would it be possibleGlass says Hayek wonderedto harvest and modify these microbes so that they function like beta cells. Instead of making new beta cells, which the body would simply reject, they would be taking something that the body still accepts and lead it to act like a beta cell.

It seemed feasible to Glass. The idea is that hed introduce new features to the bacteria, genetically re-engineering them so that theyd be able to perform the feats that diabetics bodies no longer can. He might, as he explained to me, be able to take those cells from any given person [and] put in the machinery that would allow those cells now to sense blood glucose, there in and amongst the capillaries that are in our skin. And since the immune system usually passes over these particular microbes, it might just let the newly engineered cells go about their business. Further, he said, We also know that if you put bacteria on your skin, they very quickly make it into the deep layers, meaning it could potentially be delivered via a nonintrusive application, such as personalized skin cream.

At present, Glass work is still in its earliest stages. He and his colleagues at JCVI are currently seeking funding to conduct experiments in mice. He also freely acknowledges that the re-engineered microbes might not work in practice. For one, bacteria arent great at building the structures that constitute insulin, which means Glass and his team would have to get them to produce an experimental variant. Then, of course, there are the safety concerns: They need to build a kill switch into the engineered bacteria, lest they start producing dangerously excessive amounts of the hormone. On top of that, its also unclear how many microbes they would need to apply and whether they can make enough to do the job. Its even possible, Cowan said, that the T-cells in some diabetics would attack the modified insulin.

As any longtime diabetic will tell you, the most likely outcome is that we simply wont see results soon, if ever. Even when you have a good, workable idea, the process of medical science tends to be slow: According to Cowan, it took 15 years just to get from the idea of making beta cells out of stem cells to actually producing them.

Nevertheless, Glass enthusiasmboth for synthetic biologys broader role in diabetes research and for his own work in the fieldis infectious. When I first got into science, I used to go to seminars about trying to solve diabetes. And I found them so depressing. I was convinced I was not going to live to be 30, he says. Hes survivedas have I and so many other diabeticsthanks to powerful, but largely incremental steps forward in medical technology. Now, he thinks, he may be ready to help us make a larger leap.

Im convinced that Ive reached the point in my career where I have just the right set of skills to take this completely different approach to the problem, he told me. And Im thrilled about it.

This article is part of the synthetic biology installment of Futurography, a series in which Future Tense introduces readers to the technologies that will define tomorrow. Each month, well choose a new technology and break it down. Future Tense is a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, and Slate.

Original post:
Can Synthetic Biology Finally Cure Diabetes? - Slate Magazine

BBC News

Health of children with diabetes improving, report shows BBC News The health of children with diabetes in Wales is improving, a report has shown. Those with type 1 diabetes whose blood glucose is in the target range increased from 17.8% in 2014-15 to 27.2% in 2015-16. Diabetes affects the body's ability to produce ... Take time to learn about, manage diabetesPlattsburgh Press Republican Doctor presents patient with diabetes awardJournal Gazette and Times-Courier Time put into managing diabetes is well worth effortPoughkeepsie Journal Netdoctor -Walker Pilot Independent -Medical News Bulletin all 25 news articles »

Read the original post:
Health of children with diabetes improving, report shows - BBC News

Q: My doctor suggested I join a pre-diabetes program, but my schedule just doesnt allow it. Is there something I can do on my own? J.R., Winterville

A: If you have pre-diabetes, it is really important to make lifestyle changes that will help you remain in the pre-diabetic state rather than progressing to diabetes. If I were you, I would take a hard look at the schedule and see if you cant try to attend. But if you cant, Taylor White, a third-year Brody medical student, has suggestions for you to try on your own.

Up to 35 percent of American adults have pre-diabetes and dont even know it. Pre-diabetes means that your blood sugar is higher than it should be, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. You can walk around for months without any symptoms while your blood sugar is starting to rise and cause damage to your body, especially to your blood vessels.

Pre-diabetes increases your risk of stroke and heart disease. If you or someone you love has recently been told you have the beginning stages of diabetes, it is especially important to watch what you eat. You can take action to slow or prevent developing diabetes. Here are a few suggestions.

Limit your intake of carbohydrates, the starchy and sugary foods we eat. These foods raise our blood sugar to unhealthy levels, which leads to diabetes over time. Some people are successful in following a lower glycemic index diet. You would want to have an appointment with a registered dietitian nutritionist to plan an approach to eating that is right for you.

There are several types of meal plans that will help you keep your blood sugar in check. And you will then make some substitutions like having a sweet potato instead of white potato to reduce inflammation and fight against diabetes due to its lower glycemic index. This means that it takes longer for the same amount of sweet potato to raise your blood sugar and doesn't cause as high of a spike as a white potato might.

You can use zucchini or squash noodles instead of pasta to reduce the calories and carbs. Read the label on your yogurt. Some unsweetened Greek yogurts, a great source of protein, have as much as 10 grams less sugar than some traditional low-fat yogurt. Look for cauliflower rice in the frozen vegetable section, or make your own by grating raw cauliflower in a food processor. Eat this in place of white rice to reduce the carbohydrates by 40 grams in a one-cup serving.

Regardless of the dietary approach you select, eat more fiber. Fiber is the part of plants that is not readily digested by humans. It helps keep blood sugar in check, reduces constipation and helps us maintain a healthy weight. Foods like beans, whole-grain breads and quinoa will keep you feeling full for longer. Try to make half your plate full of vegetables and fruits.

Other ways to increase your fiber intake are replacing meats that have almost no fiber with one-half cup of beans with 10 grams of fiber, two nights a week. Choose cereals with whole grain as the first ingredient, and eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.

Limit sugary beverages. These include drinks like soda, fruit juice, sweet tea and many sweetened coffees, vinegar drinks and smoothies. Try replacing those drinks with more water. Water improves your metabolism, helps your bodys cells work more efficiently, and has zero calories or sugar, which is great for your waistline too. Even limiting the number of sweetened beverages to one 8-ounce glass per day is a big improvement for many folks.

Increase your physical activity to 30 minutes on most days of the week. Regular, moderate exercise where your heart rate stays elevated throughout the session improves the way your body handles the sugar in your bloodstream. It burns calories, improves your mood and prevents heart disease. This is an easy way to prevent progression to diabetes. Try walking, jogging, biking, dancing, swimming, climbing the stairs or any other activity that keeps you moving for 30 minutes at a time.

And if you are overweight, it is important to work toward a healthy weight.

For more information about pre-diabetes and to take a quiz to see if you have it, check out this website: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/prediabetes.html.

Professor emeritus Kathy Kolasa, a registered dietitian nutritionist and Ph.D., is an Affiliate Professor in the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. Contact her at kolasaka@ecu.edu.

Read the original post:
Don't let pre-diabetes become diabetes - Greenville Daily Reflector

Eastport, Maine University of Maine Cooperative Extensions free, four-week Dining with Diabetes Down East series will be offered in Eastport in June. The Eastport session begins Thursday, June 1, 3-5 p.m., at Labor of Love Nutrition Center & Food Pantry, 137 County Road in Eastport. Remaining dates are June 8, 15 and 22.

The program complements medical care by teaching people with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, along with their family members and caregivers, what they can do to help control blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. UMaine Extension registered dietitian and nutritionist Alan Majka will provide presentations, lead discussions and demonstrate preparation of nutritious recipes that participants can sample.

Register online extension.umaine.edu/register/product/dining-with-diabetes-down-east-eastport. For more information or to request a disability accommodation, contact Tara Wood, tara.a.wood@maine.edu, 207.255.3345; 800.287.1542 (Maine only). Classes are limited to 20 participants.

This course is being offered in collaboration with Eastport Health Care. Food and supplies for this program are provided with support from Hannaford Supermarkets.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension:

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaines land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. It is the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, processing, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. UMaine Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H.

This post was contributed by a community member. Submit your news

Link:
Dining with Diabetes Down East Eastport - Bangor Daily News

It would seem artificial organs are quickly becoming the new norm where scientific research is considered. The University of Virginia successfully developed and trialed an artificial pancreas to help children control Type 1 diabetes. This is a major breakthrough in scientific research that will send shockwaves throughout the community moving forward.

Scientists from all over the world have tried to come up with a tangible solution to combat diabetes. Unfortunately, the challenge has been a very steep one so far. That being said, there appears to be a light at the end of this long tunnel right now. To be more precise, the University of Virginia developed an artificial pancreas that will help young children control their Type 1 diabetes.

On paper, creating an artificial pancreas sounds like something worth checking out, even though there is never a guarantee for success. What this organ does is actively monitor and regulate the blood-sugar levels of its host. This means people who suffer from Type 1 diabetes will no longer need to manually inject insulin nor prick their fingers to check blood sugar levels. The fact this pancreas works as advertised, and is quite significant for the medical sector as a whole.

All of the data generated by the artificial pancreas is sent back to a reconfigured smartphone which runs algorithms to process the data. This smartphone then sends the information to a blood-sugar monitor and insulin pump worn by the person suffering from Type 1 diabetes. Moreover, all information is also broadcasted to a remote monitoring site, where the data is collected on behalf of the patient.

There is another major benefit to this artificial pancreas beyond automatic insulin injections and actively monitoring blood-sugar levels. It can also prevent hypoglycemic events, which is always a major concern for children with Type 1 diabetes. A field trial was conducted among 12 children, all of whom were perfectly capable of controlling their diabetes using this new method. In fact, the children wearing this artificial pancreas saw lower average blood-sugar levels and did not increase hypoglycemia during the trial period.

Although this was only a small test, it goes to show the artificial pancreas is of great benefit to Type 1 diabetes patients. It is designed for children between the age of 5 and 8, although it is not unlikely similar technology will be devised to support other age categories in the future. There are many people who are suffering from Type 1 diabetes, regardless of their age.

For now, the plan is to monitor children for an extended period of time and see if the artificial pancreas is as effective at school as well. The first test was conducted during a 68-hour window both with and without the pancreas, which only provides a brief glimpse of how this organ will hold up. Additionally, there is a plan on the table to provide an artificial pancreas to children aged 14 and older suffering from Type 1 diabetes as well.

If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and technology news.

Read the original:
University of Virginia Researchers Develop Artificial Pancreas to Control Type 1 Diabetes - The Merkle

Dr. Randy Hansbrough, YourNews contributor 11:12 a.m. ET May 2, 2017

Dr. Randy Hansbrough: Natural News(Photo: submitted)

STUART A powerful connection between your diet and your risk of Alzheimer's disease via similar pathways that cause type 2 diabetes has been increasingly recognized as a legitimate contributor to neurodegeneration.

Over a decade ago, a published medical paper introduced a new disease called "type 3 diabetes."Researchers learned that your brain also produces insulin, like your pancreas does.

Without insulin your brain cells will die, and a drop in insulin production in your brain may contribute to the degeneration of your brain cells. Studies have found that people with lower levels of insulin and insulin receptors in their brains often have Alzheimer's disease. Since 2005, mounting studies have documented that insulin has a much greater role in the brain than previously expected. (J Diabetes Sci Technolv.2(6); 2008)

Insulin is directly responsible for brain cell sugar usage, affecting neurotransmitters that are critical for memory, learning and many other functions. Neuroscientists have shown that cognition is impaired when insulin levels are reduced. Clinical findings have shown that the same pathological process that leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes also apply to your brain.

It is clear from these studies that the over-consumption of sugars, and grains, which also convert to sugars and have added hazardous effects, contribute significantly to the the development of diabetes and may also result in type 3 diabetes (brain diabetes). Grains in general are major causes of runaway autoimmunity, including thyroid disease, especially in the U.S., where they are consumed heavily.

When the brain becomes overwhelmed by the consistently high levels of glucose, the insulin receptors eventually become numb and desensitized. This will lead to impairments in thinking and memory abilities, eventually causing permanent brain damage. And if that isn't enough, the autoimmune condition set up by the use of grains can lead to autoimmune brain disease (ABD), as a result of antibodies attacking your neurons.

Health practitioners trained in functional medicine have the training and experience to find out what is at the root of the progression that ultimately causes, or at the very least contributes to type 3 diabetes and ABD, which is often certain foods, and different per individual. Those on that path are at risk for Parkinson's, dementia, ALS, MS and Alzheimer's.

For those whose insulin receptor status has failed, are type 1 insulin dependent for survival and managed by an endocrinologist, removing sugars and grains from the diet still holds value. It is better to be a step or two ahead of that though, and that is done by not waiting for any kind of diabetes to gain hold, whether type 1, 2, or 3. This is done by unconventional functional medicine testing and a sound cooperative approach.

For more information on autoimmune brain disease and type 3 diabetes, and how you or someone you know may benefit from this effective approach while your MD manages your medications, contact Dr. Randy Hansbrough, DC, DPsc at 772-287-7701 in Stuart, or 561-277-6612 in Jupiter and Palm Beach. Visit http://www.hcfn.org

Read or Share this story: http://www.tcpalm.com/story/specialty-publications/your-news/martin-county/reader-submitted/2017/05/02/natural-news-type-3-diabetes-and-alzheimers/101194606/

Link:
Natural News: 'Type 3' diabetes and Alzheimer's - TCPalm.com - TCPalm

Home Health News Mouse teeth shown to hold insight into future stem cell tissue regeneration

The use of stem cells throughout the years has been both a decisive topic and one that holds a lot of promise for potential medical therapy. They are essentially undifferentiated biological cells that havent yet been specialized for a specific purpose. The cells of your heart, stomach, and even your brain have all started out as stem cells, and it wasnt until some point during human development that biological processes channeled them to permanently becoming one type of cell. Scientists and researchers around the globe are always in search of the best way to learn about and harvest these valuable cells, and the latest reports suggest the teeth of rodents are an abundant source.

There are considered two main stem cell types in the body: one is from embryonic development when in the womb, and the other are adult stem cells that exist throughout the body. Harvesting embryonic stem cells has been controversial, as it often seen as unethical, but adult stem cellsfound in organs such as the bone marrow, blood vessel, and liver in mammalsis easier to obtain. Stomach linings, for example, require the constant shedding of their cell linings as the acid wears away at them, and having adult stems cells allows for quick replacement of these sloughed off cells.

Weve all seen mice before, and one of their defining characteristics are their front teeth. What most people arent aware of is that their front teeth, or incisors, constantly grow, as they rely on them to be consistently sharp for burrowing and self-defense, and of course, for eating away at your pantry food. As we grow older our teeth start to wear out, and in nature, once you dont have your teeth anymore, you die. As a result, mice and many other animals from elephants to some primates can grow their teeth continuously. Our labs objective is to learn the rules that let mouse incisors grow continuously to help us one day grow teeth in the lab, but also to help us identify general principles that could enable us to understand the processes of tissue renewal much more broadly, said UC San Franciscos Ophir Klein, MD, Ph.D., a professor of orofacial sciences in UCSFs School of Dentistry and of pediatrics in the School of Medicine.

While not all aspects of this process are fully understood just yet, as the exact signals triggering this process have yet to be identified. It, however, marks an advancement of knowledge in the field, and one that bodes well for the future of stem cell therapy. It may prove beneficial for tissue regeneration to treat everything from severe burns to growing entire organs from scratch.

Related:Stem cells from fat may be useful to prevent aging

Related Reading:

Stem cell technique may aid in bone repair

Osteoporosis can be reversed by stem cell therapy, new potential treatment

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2017/04/406836/mouse-teeth-providing-new-insights-tissue-regeneration http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934590917300942 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/stem_cell

Follow this link:
Mouse teeth shown to hold insight into future stem cell tissue regeneration - Bel Marra Health

by: Clark Howard Updated: Apr 28, 2017 - 7:53 PM

Channel 2 consumer adviser Clark Howard says new research shows there may be a way to fill cavities by re-growing part of the tooth itself.

Fillings are one of the most common and least expensive dental procedures in America.

John Sieweke is the dental director at Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta. He says while common, fillings are also technique-sensitive.

If you do not follow that technique, then you are gonna get leakage between the tooth and the filling and that's gonna lead to more decay and more breakdown and potential pain, Sieweke explained. Depending on how far that is allowed to go could lead to the loss of the tooth.

Now a team of researchers at Kings College in London think theyve found a way to fill cavities, by stimulating a process that already takes place naturally when a tooth is damaged.

Teeth are a mineralized organ. Highly complex, they contain two different types of mineral: the enamel, which is the stuff on the outside that you see, and underneath they have another mineral called dentine, and right in the middle they have a soft tissue which has got blood supply and nerves, Paul Sharpe, a member of the King's College team, said.

Sharpe explained that when damage occurs, stem cells in the pulp are activated and begin the process of producing dentine to repair the tooth, but it only works when the damage is small.

When the damage is big, it just can't cope; the process is not robust enough to repair big holes... i.e., when a dentist has drilled out decay, he said.

Thats where Tideglusib comes in. Sharpe and his team used the drug to stimulate the process of dentine production in mice.

They placed a small amount of the drug on a sponge and inserted it in the tooth of a mouse where a hole was drilled. The result, Sharpe said, was a massive stimulation of the natural process.

So you get dentine formed and it completely fills the tooth, Sharp said. So the hole that's drilled is now filled with the natural material that's been removed that the tooth has created itself.

It took two to four weeks for the dentine to grow back. Sharpe says its a strong natural repair that could prevent more damage down the road.

Failure with the conventional treatment where you are using cement is that the cement can crack, Sharpe explained. You can get fissures and that can lead to a reinfection of the tooth and there you have to go back to the dentist and have a new one put in.

TRENDING STORIES:

According to the National Association of Dental Plans, 114 million in the U.S. had no dental coverage at the end of 2016, so making sure new treatments are affordable is key.

Thats one of the reasons Sharpe and his team chose Tideglusib.

It had already been used in patients for treatments in neurological disorders such as Alzheimers, he said. So that means this drug has been used systemically into the bloodstream at high concentrations ... and there is safety data ... so all the costs of drug development -- safety trials and everything else -- we don't have those. That's why I think among other things it could be cost-effective treatment.

Its also a relatively simple process, which also helps to keep cost down.

It's very uncomplicated, Sharpe said. Dentistry is massively high volume/low cost treatment -- so anything that's really over-complicated and expensive is never going to make the market.

It will still be about two years before there are human trials, but Sharpe stresses that even if this treatment goes mainstream, the drug is only meant to repair damage.

Sieweke agrees and says prevention is the best way to keep your dental costs down.

I think a lot of times that is getting lost in the real day-to-day treatment world. The focus is, What's broken? How do we fix it? And unfortunately too often also, What's the cost? And the cheapest way to bring down the cost of dental care is to prevent it, Sieweke said.

Clark says hes excited for the future.

You never know with science, but I think this one is the real deal for your mouth and mine, Clark said.

The best way to keep your dental bill down is to brush your teeth. Do you know how to do it correctly? Clark reecntly learned that he did not.

Here's a tutorial from a dentist on how to brush correctly.

2017 Cox Media Group.

Continue reading here:
Never get another filling? Drug helps regrow your teeth - WSB Atlanta

New research is constantly going on and studies in the world of medicine are rapid and profound. In dentistry, new research has come in that show promising results. It has been deduced that baby teeth contain stem cells and when used to make medicines they can be used to treat quite a few degenerative diseases like leukemia etc. This is the reason why many people in developed countries are banking baby teeth so that regenerative medicine can be produced and then used more frequently.

This practice of preserving baby teeth of children or young adults is known as cryopreserving of wisdom teeth and has been around for some 10 years or so. Even though it is as yet not too common, it is becoming more popular because of its many uses. The reason why this practice is becoming widespread is that research shows that stem cells in baby teeth can help to save lives in the future, be it for dental usage or other medicinal causes.

Stem cell treatment is the future. It can potentially be the difference of life and death for any people going through adverse conditions or diseases. But is it really as advantageous as it is hyped u to be? Some scientists and researchers dont believe so. According to Ben Scheven senior lecturer in oral cell biology in the school of dentistry at the University of Birmingham Research is still mostly in the experimental (preclinical) phase. He went on to say, Dental stem cells may provide an advantageous cell therapy for repair and regeneration of tissues someday.

Dr. Pamela Robey of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research agrees that research is very progressive and promising but, she believes that there is still very little concrete evidence. She points out that there is still a long way to go before major breakthrough can be made.

Colleague of Dr. Robey, Songtao Shi conducted lots of research on wisdom teeth as well as baby teeth. They discovered that when there was a cavity, the tooth produced a substance known as dentin that filled up the hole in order to protect it. Below this is the pulp where lies nerve tissues and blood supply that provide nourishment to the tooth and gums. Shi deduced from his work that it was the molars that made dentin, not the baby teeth. They had different kind of properties. They not only made dentin, but none like structure too.

The process of stem cell extraction from the pulp is very critical and needs to be cautiously done. The people doing the process need to be very careful to make sure that no infection is mixed in. the stem cells are extracted with the aid of a drill. Scientists claim that small amounts of dental pulp can be used for millions of stem cells.

As per the instructions of the president of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Jade Miller its critical that the nerve tissue in pulp tissue, the nerve supply and blood supply, still remain intact and alive. He also said that, Typically, the best baby teeth to harvest are the upper front six or lower front six incisors and cuspids.

If parents want to harvest their childrens teeth, they need to make their decision early on and enough their pediatrician so that proper measures can be taken in advance.

Even though the end decision is that of the parents and their children, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry encourages dentists to follow future evidence-based literature in order to educate parents about the collection, storage, viability, and use of dental stem cells with respect to autologous regenerative therapies.

Read more:
Baby teeth can be used to make medicines! - Dental News Pakistan

Monsters and Critics.com

Stem cells to fight Alzheimer's disease on Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman Monsters and Critics.com Tonight's Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman looks at the exciting subject of reversing Alzheimer's disease and the magic of stem cells. The episode, titled Can We Cheat Death?, sees Freeman looks at how we can unlock the secrets of certain cells ... and more »

Read more:
Stem cells to fight Alzheimer's disease on Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman - Monsters and Critics.com

Combination therapy could provide new treatment option for ovarian cancer Science Daily In 2015, Memarzadeh and her team uncovered and isolated carboplatin-resistant ovarian cancer stem cells. These cells have high levels of proteins called cIAPs, which prevent cell death after chemotherapy. Since the cancer stem cells survive carboplatin ...

View original post here:
Combination therapy could provide new treatment option for ovarian cancer - Science Daily

Brooklyn Berry has seen and done many things in her three seasons on the West Forsyth girls soccer team.

Berry, however, is limited in what she can see. The Titans talented junior forward has been blind in her left eye since eighth grade.

I tore half my retina, but the half that I tore is the half that we dont use. So I never knew it, Berry said. One day I couldnt see anything. I started losing vision, so I went to the doctor, and they told me that I had torn the half that I didnt use. And they told me it had been torn for months or years.

They told me that couldnt tell how long or what caused it because it had been so long.

Despite playing a majority of the time on the right side of the field, the lack of vision has not slowed her down.

She broke one of Alison Prices records on Tuesday and is on pace to break another. Berry broke the single-season school record of 43 goals, which was held by Price, a rising senior at Louisville, on Tuesday at Reynolds. She scored three times and now has 44 for the season.

Berry, who has verbally committed to UNC Wilmington, now has 104 career goals, 10 short of tying Prices all-time record of 114 at West Forsyth.

The cause of the injury to Berrys eye was never figured out.

Ive had so many concussions, so they told me it could really be anything, Berry said. And they told me it was just a matter of time until the rest of it (retina) fell off. So I had to get retina surgery.

The doctors inserted a new lens, but it didnt take.

I had surgery, and I had to wear an eye patch. I could only sleep on my left side. There were a bunch of things I was supposed to do. The lens shifted after, like, two days, and I went blind again, Berry said.

Some people, the lens just doesnt take. Your body just rejects it. My body just didnt take it right.

Coach Scott Bilton knew of Berrys blindness before she came to West Forsyth.

Its just been such a driving force for her, Bilton said. Shes compensated for that with the way that shell position her body so that shes able to see everything she needs to and things of that nature.

Adjusting to being able to see in just one eye has been difficult.

The first season, I had to play on the left side. Its been three or four years, so its still kind of hard, Berry said. I sometimes run into people and I dont really notice it. Ill be running and therell be somebody on my left side, and I cant really tell.

A lot of people on my team, they forget. Ive definitely gotten used to it a lot better than I used to.

Berry is not immune to injuries breaking her elbow her freshman year, pulling both hamstrings last season, and she is currently playing with a stress fracture in her foot.

In his 10th season coaching the Titans, Bilton has never seen anything like this.

Its definitely different, I guess, Bilton said. And its, obviously, something thats shocking to do what shes able to do. Shes had broken bones, just a bunch of stuff. Shes just found a way to be successful.

The Titans just clinched their seventh straight Central Piedmont 4-A conference championship and have won eight of the last 10. Before the Reynolds game, they were 18-1-1 and 10-0 with just a 4-1 loss to Cornelius Hough on April 21.

Berry has been there for the past three championships, scoring 27 goals her freshman season and 33 last season.

If the Titans make a deep run in the NCHSAA Class 4-A tournament, which starts next week, she could threaten Prices school scoring record this season. The team reached the state semifinals last season, losing 1-0 to Charlotte Providence.

The all-time state record, according to the NCHSAA, is 217 set bet Carolyn Lindsay of Hope Mills South View from 2000-03. It is possible for Berry to reach the top 15 on the list next season. Elizabeth Spencer, who played at Wilson Fike from 1996-99, has 152 goals.

The Forsyth County record set by Leigh Murray, who played at East Forsyth 1986-89, is 169 goals.

Berry said she hasnt spoken to Price about the record.

Shes a competitor, first and foremost, Bilton said of Berry. And competitors, when they set a goal, thats something that they want to go for.

Read the original post:
Field of vision: Despite blindness in left eye, West Forsyth's Brooklyn ... - Winston-Salem Journal

Boston, MA May 2, 2017 New England College of Optometry and PlatformQ Health to host three live, online sessions in May and July, covering new insights into age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy. Optometrist, ophthalmologist, and retina specialists can interact with leading medical faculty and earn COPE-accredited continuing education (CE).

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic disease and the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly of industrialized countries. The advanced form of dry AMD is geographic atrophy (GA) or atrophic AMD, a progressive, irreversible and blinding disease for which effective treatment remains a significant unmet medical need.

Optometrists play a crucial role in the ongoing eye care of patients with AMD and GA, from screening to combining imaging or functional data with a careful patient history to determining the need for subsequent care. They readily assess recognized risk factors with advanced AMD and provide disease management in the early stages, as well as prompt referral and follow up after treatment.

However, as a practical consideration for delivering eye care, the historic methodology of optometric practice may not keep pace with population aging, which leads to a corresponding increase in the prevalence of several macular diseases,and there are proportionally fewer eye care providers to care for older patients.

To help close this gap, New England College of Optometry (NECO) and PlatformQ Health are partnering to launch a free online Continuing Edseries on ClinicalSeriesLive, one of PlatformQ Healths virtual learning channels. PlatformQ Health is honored to partner with NECO on this innovative series for optometry health care professionals, says Robert Rosenbloom, CEO of PlatformQ Health. We look forward to helping bring much needed attention to the most prevalent cause of blindness inour aging population.

Clinicians can engage live with two top optometry faculty:

Age related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual loss in older adults. Thus far, diagnosis and treatment have been limited to the wet or exudative form of this disease.New emerging insights in the dry or non-exudative form have added a significant understanding to the mechanisms of this disease, says Rishi P. Singh, MD. This online series will educate those on the front line optometrist, ophthalmologist, and retina specialists on screening, diagnosis, as well as future treatments which might be available."

This program intends to improve awareness, knowledge, and competency of optometrists about AMD and GA. The three-part series will cover screening, how to interpret results, underlying pathophysiology, the importance of referral to specialists, the crucial role of follow up, monitoring of therapeutic response in patients receiving treatment, and more. All three programs will be available on- demand following the live broadcasts.

Details on the series:

New Insights into Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Geographic Atrophy

Session I - Geographic Atrophy: Causes and Consequences Thursday, May 18, 2017 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET

Session II - The Referral to the Ophthalmologist and Treatment Options for Patients with Geographic Atrophy Thursday, May 18, 2017 from 4:00-5:00 PM ET

Session III - Focus on the Patient: Empowering Communication for Improved Outcomes Wednesday, July 12, 2017 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET

Learn more and register today.

About New England College of Optometry

New England College of Optometry, NECO,is an independent graduate college of optometry that educates students for careers in eye care delivery, research, and education. For over 120 years, New England College of Optometry has been educating optometrists and leaders in the field. Originally founded in 1894 as the Klein School of Optics, NECO prepares the next generation of eye care providers, educators, leaders, and innovators through a rigorous curriculum and extensive clinical experiences. http://www.neco.edu

Media Contact:Ingrid Hoogendoorn, Director of Communications phone:617-587-5722 email:hoogendoorni@neco.edu

About PlatformQ Health PlatformQ Health is the leading provider of live online medical education events, with 15 websites dedicated to different therapeutic areas. Their unique education platform allows physicians and other healthcare professionals to connect online from any computer, learn about the latest treatments options, and engage in real-time Q&A with top faculty. http://www.platformqhealth.com

Media Contact:Megan Cater phone:617-938-6031

See the article here:
Online Continuing Education Series Tackles Leading Cause of ... - New England College of Optometry (press release) (blog)

To the Editor:

About 400 years ago, in 1609, Henry Hudson explored the Hudson River.

Though long ago, his trip is still of great local interest:

The source of the Hudson is smack in the middle of the 21st Congressional District. A year later, he set about to find the Northwest Passage.

His search was sponsored by financial interests that could have benefited immensely from its discovery (think Suez Canal, Panama Canal) because it shortened the commercial trade routes between Europe and China. He didnt find it, because it didnt exist - at the time.

Observations show that ice coverage of the arctic has systematically decreased during the last half century.

Political blindness in the U.S. refuses to acknowledge this trend. At the same time, political pragmatism has prepared Russia to take advantage of this trend. Russia has a far larger fleet of icebreakers than the U.S. and has just launched the largest nuclear-powered icebreaker of all, the Arctika, on June 16, 2016.

While American politicians are debating the reality of global warming, the Russians are set to profit from it. They have opened up the long-sought Northwest Passage and are preparing to benefit from it twice over: from the trade it will enable and from the mineral resources that are now accessible under the Arctic Sea.

Our political blindness is redirecting a large source of income from the U.S. Treasury to the treasuries of other countries.

Robert Gilmore

Tupper Lake

Originally posted here:
Political blindness is nothing new - Sun Community News

14:46 Tuesday 02 May 2017

A determined dad has overcome his blindness to become an acclaimed chess player once again.

In fact Graham Pennington is so good that he is one of only four British people now selected to compete in the International Braille Chess Association Championships in Macedonia next month.

Former plasterer Graham started playing chess at just 12 years old after his brother Stephen taught him all the moves.

It was relatively easy to learn at this time because Graham was fully sighted and he used to play in the chess club in the Tamar pub, on Wigan Road, then began playing competitively around the age of 20.

But in 2006, when in his early 50s Graham lost his sight due to the diabetes he had been battling for years.

Facing these life-changing circumstances the father of one thought his chess-playing days were over and announced that he was giving up the game he loved so much.

But it was only after two of his good friends who recognized his skill and knew how much he loved chess encouraged him to continue playing that he took up his favourite interest again.

The now 61-year-old of Parkedge Close, has a Braille chess board where the black squares are raised and one set of pieces have raised dots on the top to help him identify them from his opponents pieces.

He has a speaking clock so he can time his moves and he uses an abacus to keep track of the number of moves made.

Graham has previously played for Lancashire and is now a member of the Atherton Chess Club and plays with sighted people here and in the Warrington League.

The Atherton Club were winners of the league this season and now Graham is getting ready for his trip to the Balkans with wife Kathleen next month.

He said: When I lost my sight I thought that was it for playing chess, but my friends persuaded me otherwise and I am so glad that they did because I love it.

I feel my way around the board and then visualise where I can next place a piece and I reckon now I am up to the standard I was before I lost my vision. Its a battle of wits more than anything else.

I do play sighted competitors and have claimed my share of scalps and I am so proud to be representing the Braille Chess Association.

There will be representatives from probably 20 other countries in Macedonia and I am so looking forward to the trip.

I am so glad that I didnt give up my main hobby and I guess it shows what you can do in the face of adversity if you put your mind to it.

See the original post:
Chess ace's comeback in the face of blindness - Wigan Today

May 2, 2017By Joel Hans

Researchers are using AI and other deep learning methods to create an algorithm thats capable of detecting DR with an accuracy rate of 94 percent

When we talk about artificial intelligence here at RTInsights, we typically cover topics like recommendation engines, such as selling houses on Trulia, or implementing some kind of predictive analysis to make CRM or marketing more effective.

But artificial intelligence can be used for actually improving the lives of ordinary peopleaccording to a new study conducted by researchers from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, AI could soon be used to fight vision loss due to a complication that stems from diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)affects the blood vessels at the back of the eye while a patient has diabetes, and its known to cause preventable blindness. The researchers are using AI and other deep learning methods to create an algorithm thats capable of detecting DR with an accuracy rate of 94 percent. That number applies to all the disease stagesmild to severeso its not only beneficial to those who are dealing with severe vision issues due to DR. Those in the earliest stages, when treatment can be successful at preventing vision loss, could then seek out the right specialist to mitigate any further damage.

Theodore Leng, M.D., the lead author of the report, says that this algorithm is actually quite accessibleit can be run on an ordinary personal computer, or even a smartphone, with a current average-grade processor. In order to develop the algorithm, the team used a training network of 75,000 images from patients across a range of ethnicities, to ensure the algorithm was universal. These images were then used to differentiate between a healthy patient and those with any stage of the disease.

Why use AI for the detection of DR? Diabetes affects in every 11 adults worldwide, and 45 percent of those will have some level of DR in their lifetime. Simply put, thats a lot of people, and DR is currently diagnosed by first examining the eye and then evaluating color photographs. Its a time-consuming process, even for specialists. According to Dr. Leng, doctors in areas with fewer resources are disproportionate affected, and have the most to gain from any boost in diagnostic ability.

According to Dr. Leng, fewer than half of diabetic patients are aware about how DR might be affecting them. If the algorithm could be used to detect even a portion of those patients, it could make significant inroads in helping stop preventative blindness around the world. Pilot trials will hopefully be started in the near future, followed by approval from the FDA.

Dr. Leng says, If properly implemented on a worldwide basis, this algorithm has the potential to reduce the workload on doctors and increase the efficiency of limited healthcare resources. We hope that this technology will have the greatest impact in parts of the world where ophthalmologists are in short supply.

Weve seen this trend before, with overworked radiologists who could benefit from an algorithm capable of making their work more manageable and accurate. Its not about outsourcing or replacing a doctors expertise on diagnosis, but rather giving them more tools to work from.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have also recently been hard at work on an algorithm that can detect breast cancer with 92 percent accuracy. When paired with a trained human pathologist, the accuracy of detection rose to 99.5 percentan impressive figure that will likely save lives when rolled out widely.

Aside from analysis of diagnostic imagery, AI is being used in hospitals, along with IoT and other connectivity technology, to help seal up communication gaps and ensure that every doctor on a particular patents team is fully up-to-date on the latest progress. Even the devices used in day-to-day hospital workflows are being upgraded with networking capabilities and smart design. The AdhereTech pill bottle detects when the bottle is open, transmits information to the patients doctor, and reminds patients to take the medication. The company claims a 20 percent boost in medication adherence.

Thats a big number, but even small percentages make a big impact when it comes to peoples health. If Dr. Lengs new algorithm only improves DR detection by a single percentage point, that could still affect millions of people. And when it comes to ending preventable blindness, every correct diagnosis counts.

Here is the original post:
The Next Challenge for AI: Fighting Blindness - RTInsights (press release) (blog)