StemCell Therapy

The first Central Superior Services (CSS) examination under revised syllabus was conducted earlier this year. Only 202 out of 9643 candidates qualified the written examination. These successful few will now undergo medical and psychological tests which are likely to cause further screening. In terms of percentage, the success rate in written examination shows a depressing 2.09. While the result puts the countrys education system in poor light, the purpose of this discourse is the want of a crucial yet missing aspect in revised curriculum of the CSS examination which is the National Maritime Sector.

For instance, the national maritime sector encompassing both, economic and military dimension and developments in the Asia-Pacific region are little known subjects across Pakistan. Had it not been for CPEC, the name Gawadar may not have found even a mention in the mainstream political discourse much less in electronic media. The country still does not have a maritime vision while the subject is all together missing from the manifestos of every major political party. Terms like CPEC, Gawadar, Arabian Sea, maritime security etc have frequently appeared in the print media over the past one year or so. Even then, a great percentage of public office holders would surely be found less than familiar with what sea or maritime commerce means for Pakistan.

Despite being a current issue of discussion in most world capitals, the geopolitical trends in the Asia-Pacific find only a fleeting reference in the syllabus of CSS (IR contemporary issues). There is no gainsaying that the region of Asia-Pacific has, and continues to fuel economic growth in larger Asia. It has precipitated a shift in the global economic centre of gravity from Atlantic to this region. The critical need to protect sea lines of communication and scamper to grab sea based resources through claims and counter claims over wider sea expanse has concurrently given rise to friction. It has drawn in more naval and maritime forces than at any other time in contemporary history. The US, China, India, Australia and Pakistan are all understandably concentrating their naval power and focusing strategies in the region.

A new era of geo-politics, cooperation and contest is underway in the region. This is manifest in flexing of naval muscle, expanding alliances and establishing a toehold in the Indian Ocean Islands in furtherance of strategic maritime interests. An ever expanding network of joint USN-IN operations in Indo-Pacific, operational integration of Arihant, Indias first nuclear submarine with Indian navy, establishment of first overseas military base by India in the Island of Seychelles, a New Delhis first tri-services command in Andaman-Nicobar Island are only some of the striking developments. These will have a definitive and cumulative impact in shaping the regions maritime security environment and larger world in future.

On November 14, the first Chinese cargo ship docked at Gawadar. A day earlier, the prime minister, accompanied by chief of the army staff and chief of the naval staff inaugurated the port of Gawadar. The inauguration marked the operationalisation and opening of commercial activities at the port. As CPEC matures, the national maritime security will increasingly define the economic fate of Pakistan. The success of CPEC will hinge on a fully functional port of Gawadar, the hub of all commercial activity. It will as much depend on safety and security provided to the maritime commerce of China, Pakistan and other countries travelling through sea lines of the Indian Ocean. Needless to mention, CPEC will add up to the predominant part of Pakistans trade already shipped through the sea.

The unraveling geo-politics and maritime security, the impact of maritime sector on Pakistans national economy as well as significance of Gawadar-CPEC are all too important issues to be ignored in any major prospective national decision making process. Yet like several other countries, Pakistan remains mired in what is termed as, sea blindness- also maritime blindness. It refers to a state where large segments of population are ignorant or unmindful of oceans and attendant matters. For reasons some of which are cited here, most of Asia is turning towards sea.

Both India and United States view CPEC as inimical to their strategic interests in the region. Wary of Chinas presence in the Indian Ocean, the US and India have already reached a momentous accord, the Logistic Sharing Agreement (LSA) which virtually amounts to war pact. The agreement will provide ease of operations and improve sustainability of the US navy. With CPEC advancing, China is also tipped to become a two ocean navy. It has already set a foothold in the Arabian Sea.

Adding to such developments is the change of guard in Washington. The newly elected US President Trump has already declared that Hindus and India will be Americas best friends. Just what the duo of two extreme right wing leaders in Trump-Modi could do to undermine Pakistans interests and security cannot be over-emphasised. Indias far-right ultra-nationalist Hindu Sena outfit is jubilant over the success of Mr. Trump. An emboldened government in New Delhi is meanwhile aggressively shifting to war mode with Pakistan.

Over the past two decades and as part of its corporate responsibility, Pakistan Navy has made concerted efforts to expand its national outreach. This has included consequential initiatives like moving Pakistan Navy War College from Karachi to Lahore, holding large-scale multinational naval exercises, increased interaction with academia, especially in Punjab, instituting joint seminars in collaboration with public sector universities etc. A revised National Maritime Policy and Strategy is understood to have been finalized by the Naval Headquarters/Ministry of Defence. The first Maritime Doctrine of Pakistan is also anticipated to be published in due course. The doctrine will provide an overarching view of Pakistans maritime sector, maritime security and peace/war time roles expected of Pakistan Navy.

Given the progressing developments and its importance for Pakistan, the present and future public office bearers owe a responsibility to the nation. They must ensure that maritime domain does not escape their attention. Its inclusion in the CSS examination syllabus and institution of appropriate module in the training at the civil services academy is an indispensable and urgent national need. It is time to adopt novel approach and inject new thinking in our national psyche that has for long remained land centric. It can gain considerable momentum if juvenile brains are prepared in time for what is going to be the real battle ground in twenty first century-the Indo-Pacific region. The verse of national poet Iqbal resonates fittingly:

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The CSS and Sea Blindness - Pakistan Today

After opening the Dublin Film Festival, director Aisling Walsh hopes to bring her story of an artist battling arthritis to the world, writes Esther McCarthy.

Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins in Maudie, the true story of artist Maud Lewis, directed by Irish filmmaker Aisling Walsh, left.

She was the low-key, quirky artist whose paintings, sublime in their simplicity, made her beloved in her native Canada.

Now an Irish filmmaker is hopeful that she can help make the work of Maud Lewis celebrated throughout the world.

Lewis, who sold painted cards out of her remote home in Nova Scotia, defied crippling rheumatoid arthritis, which she developed in childhood and suffered from throughout her life, to become one of Canadas most loved folk artists.

Irish director Aisling Walsh is bringing Lewiss story to the big screen in an intimate drama, Maudie, starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, that will open this years Audi Dublin International Film Festival. The film also focuses on Mauds difficult marriage to her husband, Everett.

ADIFF, which will feature scores of anticipated Irish and international features and shorts, and Walsh, for one, is looking forward to bringing her film home for the opening night.

Its a couple of years since I screened a film in Ireland, so its rather special for me. Im looking forward to it very much, said the London-based filmmaker, whose credits include acclaimed Irish film Song For a Raggy Boy and the award-winning TV series Fingersmith and Room at the Top.

Its interesting, you spend so long making a film, a long time putting it together in the cutting room and trying to get it up to its flying best as I call it, then you try to bring it out into the world.

The response has been kind of universal. Its amazing how people respond to it. They laugh, they cry, they go on that journey. Thats really satisfying.

Walsh hopes that the film will help bring Mauds story and work to a wider audience.

Shes well known in Nova Scotia where shes from, in Toronto, Vancouver and in America as well because people travelled and holidayed quite a lot in that part of the world, would have stopped outside the house and bought her work.

But otherwise, like a lot of women artists she isnt terribly recognised. Its amazing that shes not. Its nice that this will hopefully make her a little more well known in the world.

Walsh, whod trained as a painter before forging a career in film, had been interested in making a film about an artist for almost a decade and was watching out for the right project.

When Sherry Whites script landed on her desk, she was hooked. Id looked at making a film about a painter, there were one or two stories I was interested in. I did know her work, Id seen these pictures.

Then I thought of Sally and thought it could be a really good opportunity for us to work together again, wed been trying to find something to do together (since collaborating on the mini-series Fingersmith).

This just seemed to be right. And that story I was just fascinated by the portrait of that marriage, that love story. I thought that I could bring something to it, that if youre lucky could be kind of magical.

As well as her art, the film focuses on Mauds complicated marriage to Everett Lewis, a temperamental man with whom she had a loving but often-fraught relationship.

There are dark details within their union, and in the wrong hands this tale of an imperfect romance could have rung less true. A lot of it is two people in a room, in a landscape together. Would I have done it ten years ago? No, Id probably have run for the hills. That (the relationship) is quite complex in its own way because youve got nowhere to hide. It just really spoke to me, so much that I thought I really want to make this film.

Maud had severe arthritis that impacted greatly on her movement, but Walsh and Hawkins never characterise this in a way that feels mawkish or manipulative.

People who have disabilities have disabilities, says Walsh. They live with them. They dont think of them as disabilities. Thats what youve got in life and you get on with it. Apart from the pain she had, which apparently got quite bad in later life, that was how she was and who she was.

Its really important that you dont think about it, but that its there, thats who Maud is. Shes lived with it all her life. I thought that was an interesting way to play it, and Sally really wanted to do that too.

Though Walsh has lived in London since moving to the city to study three decades ago, she still considers Dublin to be home and spent almost six months here last year, largely working on post-production on the film.

I came here originally for three years as a student and never thought Id be here this long. I always consider Dublin home, she observes.

If youve lived in London like I have for thirty years, you get used to that scale and size and there are a lot of things there that I love.

Though she considers the recent Brexit vote a shame she doesnt see herself leaving London permanently. Theres a point where you realise that its going to happen. Its interesting, I know people who voted to come out and people who desperately wanted to stay.

"Maybe they have to be out for a while to remember why it would have been good to stay. I think its a shame because theyre a very strong voice in Europe.

The cast is almost entirely made up of actors with intellectual disabilities.

Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

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Putting Maud and arthritis into the frame | Irish Examiner - Irish Examiner

A service helping patients with arthritis and joint pain looks set to be axed from Walsall Manor Hospital because it is unsustainable, according to a report.

The boroughs Rheumatology service, which is run by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, may close due to its size with plans being drawn up to have a service covering the whole of the Black Country.

Health bosses behind the Black Countrys Strategic Transformation Plan (STP), have said it is difficult to recruit and keep consultant rheumatologists for the service.

It is currently made up of two consultants and clinical nurse specialists. Arthritis and back pain are among the conditions treated.

The STP states: We already have well advanced discussions regarding the Rheumatology service, which is unsustainable in Walsall due to the small size of the service making recruitment and retention of consultant rheumatologists really difficult.

As a result of our network approach, we have collectively made available short-term resources to sustain the service, and have been successful in recruiting three consultants who will join later this year.

This will lead to a reduction in locum spend in the second half of the year.

Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust already provides rheumatology services for a large part of Staffordshire as well as Wolverhampton.

Councillor Ian Robertson, Walsall Councils health boss, said he thought the change to a Black Country-led service makes sense.

He added: I think when you have a specialist service it is easier to recruit if you can tell them you will be looking after a series of hospitals rather than just one.

"It makes sense to have a large group sharing some specialist services to save money.

The service in Walsall is offered Monday to Friday at the Manor and the Outpatient and Day Case Centre.

It offers specialist clinics, including early arthritis, and a range of treatments, including infusions and injections.

The rheumatology team has strong links with primary care providers and services such as the falls prevention programme based at Dartmouth House in the town.

The team also provides an expert patient programme, which can be accessed by people with long-term conditions, and works alongside voluntary services.

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Walsall Manor Hospital-based arthritis unit set for the axe - expressandstar.com

Endocrinology Advisor

How Does Psoriatic Arthritis Affect Diabetes Risk? Endocrinology Advisor The prevalence of diabetes is higher in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with greater PsA activity correlating with a higher risk of developing the disease, according to recent research published in The Journal of Rheumatology. Psoriatic ...

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How Does Psoriatic Arthritis Affect Diabetes Risk? - Endocrinology Advisor

Marion Morrissey from Co Limerick was diagnosed with psoriasis at 15.

Living with a chronic skin condition can be very difficult as although it may not be life threatening, treatment can be all-consuming and the anxiety caused by such a visible disorder can take its toll.

Up to 140,000 people in Ireland suffer from psoriasis, an auto-immune disorder which causes the skin to reproduce at a rapid pace resulting in itchy, painful scales all over the body, including the scalp and nails.

And if this discomfort wasnt enough, 40,000 will go on to develop psoriatic arthritis which affects the back and joints causing severe pain and immobility.

This month, Arthritis Ireland has launched a campaign entitled More than Skin Deep, which provides expert information on the condition and advice for sufferers.

There is a lot of research going on in Ireland into psoriatic arthritis and its causes, says consultant rheumatologist Prof David Kane.

These are mainly looking at the genes that cause the condition in families and using ultrasound imaging and synovial tissue biopsy of the joints to study patients who have the disease in order to find new targets for treatments.

For immediate pain relief there are a range of painkillers but these do not deal with the underlying inflammation which will ultimately lead to permanent joint damage.

But fortunately there are now a lot of specific treatment options for psoriatic arthritis that will reverse the joint inflammation, reduce pain and prevent joint damage.

Marion Morrissey from Co Limerick knows only too well what it is like to have the condition as she has suffered with it since she was a teenager.

I was diagnosed with psoriasis at 15 so have lived with the condition for more years than I have lived without it and it has affected absolutely everything in my life, says the 39 year old.

My initial diagnosis was of a very dry flaky scalp at the hairdressers. I then went to my GP who diagnosed psoriasis. But that GP (and many others since), didnt have much time or empathy as psoriasis wasnt perceived to be serious as its not usually life threatening.

But my condition got progressively worse until I had almost 75 per cent body coverage. Then when I was 24 I got nail psoriasis which looks like a fungal infection there was no treatment for this but luckily, being female, I could paint my nails. Over the years I have tried every treatment available from conventional to alternative creams, lotions, ointments, sprays, moisturisers, shampoos and PUVA light treatment anything that offered even a glimmer of hope, but none really worked.

Morrissey, who is married with three children and runs her own healthcare training company, http://www.safeaid.ie, was dealt a further blow when the skin condition transferred to her joints.

I developed psoriatic arthritis aged 32 and became really worried about my quality of life, she admits. The pain and stiffness started in my fingers and toes it was really severe especially in the mornings, really affecting my ability to carry out normal daily activities.

My fingers and toes would be hot and throbbing and had a sausage-like appearance so this along with the stiffness and pain made many tasks difficult. Driving was affected as getting a grasp on the steering wheel and pressing on the pedals was hard due to the pain in my toes. Even brushing my daughters hair was a problem as I couldnt hold the brush and this really took its toll emotionally.

The pain and stiffness spread to her knees, ankles, elbows and neck until eventually Morrissey sought help. She was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and put on medication and while it took several different drugs to discover which would work best for her condition, her current medication is keeping the pain under control and for the first time in years, she is living life to the full.

I got my official diagnosis from a rheumatologist who gave me steroid injections in my fingers and toes, says Morrissey. But this only worked for a month or so before the symptoms came back. Then I was put on many different types of anti-inflammatory drugs which also just kept things at bay for a while before I got significantly worse.

The pain was so bad at one point that I had to set my alarm for 4am in order to take a cocktail of medication so I could function and get downstairs by 7am. With a new baby and two older children, this was incredibly difficult, particularly as I was also trying to keep my business going.

But 4 years ago I was started on a different drug and I havent looked back since. I have been given my life back and cannot even begin to compare it now to what it was before.

I am totally symptom-free and to date, havent experienced any side effects. I live a very full and busy life both at home and in work and I am very thankful.

My advice for anyone who has just been diagnosed with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis is to be assertive and keep going until you find the right treatment as the results can be life changing.

Kane says lifestyle changes can also help ease the often crippling symptoms of this condition.

Medication is the cornerstone of treatment for psoriatic arthritis, he says. But patients can also help manage their condition by having a healthy diet, managing their weight to reduce the strain on their lower limb joints, exercising to keep joints and muscles healthy, managing stress levels and seeking help for anxiety and depression.

Anyone who is concerned they may have the condition should raise this with their GP or dermatologist both should be able to spot early signs of psoriatic arthritis.

For more information visit http://www.arthritisireland.ie

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Psoriasis has affected absolutely everything in my life - Irish Times

USA TODAY

A.J. Foyt planning to undergo stem cell therapy | USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Auto racing legend A.J. Foyt is hoping to find the fountain of youth for a body that has taken quite a beating over the years. And like a handful of athletes before ... and more »

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A.J. Foyt planning to undergo stem cell therapy | USA TODAY Sports - USA TODAY

From left are Dr. Oz, researcher Sally Temple, patient Patricia Holman, television personality Montel Williams and Dr. Elisabeth Leamy. (Courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

From left are Dr. Oz, researcher Sally Temple, patient Patricia Holman, television personality Montel Williams and Dr. Elisabeth Leamy. (Courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

From left are Dr. Oz, researchers Sally Temple, patient Patricia Holman, Dr. Elisabeth Leamy and television personality Montel Williams. (Courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

From left are Dr. Oz, researchers Sally Temple, patient Patricia Holman, Dr. Elisabeth Leamy and television personality Montel Williams. (Courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

Dr. Oz with Sally Temple, scientific director and co-founder of the Neural Stem Cell Institute. (Courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

Dr. Oz with Sally Temple, scientific director and co-founder of the Neural Stem Cell Institute. (Courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

Local stem cell researcher to appear on Dr. Oz today

Sally Temple has a plea for people considering stem cell therapy to cope with a chronic illness or life-threatening disease: Don't. Not yet.

Temple, co-founder of the Neural Stem Cell Institute in Rensselaer and president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, has spent her career studying stem cells. Her pre-taped appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show" airs Tuesday, Feb. 14, where she talks about the difference between stem cell research and what she calls the "snake oil" promises of clinics that haven't been approved by the FDA but promise miracle cures for scourges like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Stem cells hold promise for treatment because they are the foundation from which all parts of the human body grow.

There are more than 500 clinics in the country offering unproven therapies, including some in New York state and a lot in Florida. "We know it's going on all around the world," Temple said.

Patients lured by false promises spend a lot of money. Temple said people have taken out second mortgages to cover the costs. But they are also at medical risk, Temple said, because injecting stem cells even the patient's own cells can have unpredictable results.

On TV

The Dr. Oz Show airs at 2 p.m. weekdays on NewsChannel 13 WNYT. Learn more about stem cell research at http://neuralsci.org.

"We're now hearing of people getting dreadful outcomes, tumors and blindness," she said.

It's because, without FDA approval and the long process of testing a new drug, there's no way to know for sure what's in the syringe, Temple said. "It may sound good to take stem cells from your own fat and inject them into your eye, but injecting stem cells that were good at making fat into another part of the body where they were never supposed to be can be disastrous."

Dr. Mehmet Oz said he chose this subject because there are stem cell clinics using the potential of legitimate research to take advantage of patients desperate for help.

"These physicians are violating not only the trust of their patients but also the law and hopefully our show will push the FDA to use its authority to shut them down," Oz said.

Temple said she was impressed by how informed Oz was during the taping for the show in New York City last month, and said it was clear the researchers and producers on the show had done their homework. Montel Williams, a former show host himself, also appeared on the segment. Williams suffers from multiple sclerosis and said he's been approached by clinics who want his celebrity endorsement.

"He was fully aware of lack of research and knew that when you dig for scientific rationale, it's not there," Temple said. "True stem cell therapy is coming, but we have to go through the proper channels and know it's safe."

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Local stem cell researcher to appear on Dr. Oz today - Albany Times Union

EASTON, Conn. --Hope is a big word in the Standen household in Easton these days.

Through a procedure at the Cell Medicine Institute in Panama, there is a 60 percent to 70 percent chance that Zach Standen a 17-year-old who became paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident last summer may regain some feeling and movement in his legs.

In the procedure, The stem cells are taken from your own bone marrow and human umbilical cords and are re-injected into your body," Zachs mother, Christine Standen, said in a phone interview.

The ultimate goal is for the stem cells from Zach's body to regenerate the nerves and neural connections for him to regain some feeling and function in his legs.

It's extremely important that Zach gets the treatment as soon as possible, his mother said. "He should get the stem cell therapy within a year of the accident since this is when the most healing occurs and before scar tissue is laid down," Christine Standen said. Once this happens, she said, muscle mass is lost and muscles begin to atrophy.

Related story: Easton teen is left paralyzed after car crash.

Zach's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the nearly $40,000 needed to pay for the treatment. So far, the page has been shared 687 times. With 313 donations, it has raised $18,194 out of a $100,000 goal.

The family is hoping to raise enough money to get Zach two stem cell treatments, which would greatly increase his chances for recovery.

In addition, a fundraiser has been established to benefit the cause for Zach. Through Feb. 28, a total of 15 percent of the cost of the Arbonne products from this page will be donated to Zach Standens Stem Cell Therapy Fund.

Zach and his mother, as well as Zachs girlfriend, Constance Rude, plan on taking the month-long trip to Panama.

We are hoping that Zach [who attends Joel Barlow High School in Redding] will get his homework assignments ahead of time," she said, adding that he will most likely have to take summer classes or make up some timein the fall.

In a post on Zachs GoFundMe Page, his mother wrote, As of right now, there has been very little progress physically and I can't see him being like this for the rest of his life. No walking, no bowel or bladder control, no sexual function, no feeling. This is no way to live if we can help it, especially for a 17 year old."

She said Zach's spirits are waning. "He is finding it difficult to study and is trying to maintain hope."

Aside from his medical issues, Zach has the life of a typical teenager he goes to school and hangs out with his friends.

Related story: A family seeks support for treatment for paralyzed son.

Zach goes twice a week to physical therapy at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. "He is working really hard, every day," said his mother.

Another fundraiser for Zachwill be a concert by the Grayson Hugh & The Moon Hawks & The Bobby Paltauf Band on March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfield Theatre Company. A total of 25 percent of ticket sales will go toward Zach's Stem Cell Therapy Fund.

Christine Standen said she feels extreme gratitude toward for the support the family has received through this tough time. "We are so grateful to the entire community," she said.

For previous Daily Voice articles on Zach Standen, click here and here .

See original here:
Paralyzed Easton Teen Seeking Stem Cell Treatment In Bid To ... - Wilton Daily Voice

EASTON, Conn. --Hope is a big word in the Standen household in Easton these days.

Through a procedure at the Cell Medicine Institute in Panama, there is a 60 percent to 70 percent chance that Zach Standen a 17-year-old who became paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident last summer may regain some feeling and movement in his legs.

In the procedure, The stem cells are taken from your own bone marrow and human umbilical cords and are re-injected into your body," Zachs mother, Christine Standen, said in a phone interview.

The ultimate goal is for the stem cells from Zach's body to regenerate the nerves and neural connections for him to regain some feeling and function in his legs.

It's extremely important that Zach gets the treatment as soon as possible, his mother said. "He should get the stem cell therapy within a year of the accident since this is when the most healing occurs and before scar tissue is laid down," Christine Standen said. Once this happens, she said, muscle mass is lost and muscles begin to atrophy.

Related story: Easton teen is left paralyzed after car crash.

Zach's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the nearly $40,000 needed to pay for the treatment. So far, the page has been shared 687 times. With 313 donations, it has raised $18,194 out of a $100,000 goal.

The family is hoping to raise enough money to get Zach two stem cell treatments, which would greatly increase his chances for recovery.

In addition, a fundraiser has been established to benefit the cause for Zach. Through Feb. 28, a total of 15 percent of the cost of the Arbonne products from this page will be donated to Zach Standens Stem Cell Therapy Fund.

Zach and his mother, as well as Zachs girlfriend, Constance Rude, plan on taking the month-long trip to Panama.

We are hoping that Zach [who attends Joel Barlow High School in Redding] will get his homework assignments ahead of time," she said, adding that he will most likely have to take summer classes or make up some timein the fall.

In a post on Zachs GoFundMe Page, his mother wrote, As of right now, there has been very little progress physically and I can't see him being like this for the rest of his life. No walking, no bowel or bladder control, no sexual function, no feeling. This is no way to live if we can help it, especially for a 17 year old."

She said Zach's spirits are waning. "He is finding it difficult to study and is trying to maintain hope."

Aside from his medical issues, Zach has the life of a typical teenager he goes to school and hangs out with his friends.

Related story: A family seeks support for treatment for paralyzed son.

Zach goes twice a week to physical therapy at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. "He is working really hard, every day," said his mother.

Another fundraiser for Zachwill be a concert by the Grayson Hugh & The Moon Hawks & The Bobby Paltauf Band on March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfield Theatre Company. A total of 25 percent of ticket sales will go toward Zach's Stem Cell Therapy Fund.

Christine Standen said she feels extreme gratitude toward for the support the family has received through this tough time. "We are so grateful to the entire community," she said.

For previous Daily Voice articles on Zach Standen, click here and here .

See the article here:
Paralyzed Easton Teen Seeking Stem Cell Treatment In Bid To Move Legs Again - Brookfield Daily Voice

Some new technologies can be tuned to our personal characteristics, like the voice recognition on smartphones trained to recognize how we speak. But that isnt possible with todays virtual reality headsets. They cant account for differences in vision, which can make watching VR less enjoyable or even cause headaches or nausea.

Stanford researchers are trying to personalize virtual reality headsets to take eyesight into account. (Image credit: iStock/AleksandarNakic)

Now researchers at Stanfords Computational Imaging Lab, working with a Dartmouth College scientist, are developing VR headsets that can adapt how they display images to account for factors like eyesight and age that affect how we actually see.

Every person needs a different optical mode to get the best possible experience in VR, said Gordon Wetzstein, assistant professor of electrical engineering and senior author of research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Though the work is still in its prototype stage, the research shows how VR headsets could one day offer the sort of personalization that users have come to expect from other technologies.

We hope our research findings will guide these developments in the industry, Wetzstein said.

The problem that the researchers set out to solve is that the display screens on VR headsets dont let our eyes focus naturally. In real life, once our eyes focus on a point everything else blurs into the background. VR makes focusing more difficult because the display is fixed at a certain point relative to our eyes. This eyestrain can cause discomfort or headaches.

Over a 30- to 40-minute period, your eyes may start hurting, you might have a headache, said Nitish Padmanaban, a PhD student in electrical engineering at Stanford and member of the research team. You might not know exactly why something is wrong but youll feel it. We think thats going to be a negative thing for people as they start to have longer and better VR content.

Importantly, the effects of visual conflicts in VR may affect younger and older people differently. For example, people over the age of 45 commonly experience presbyopia a difficulty focusing on objects close up. Younger people dont generally have presbyopia but they may have vision issues that require them to wear glasses. In either case, current VR headsets dont take these vision difficulties into account.

One insight in our paper is to consider age as a factor, rather than focusing only on young users, and to show that the best solution for older users is likely different than for younger users, said Emily Cooper, a research assistant professor in Dartmouths Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

The researchers are testing hardware and software fixes designed to change the focal plane of a VR display. They call this technology adaptive focus display.

The group tested two different hardware options. One relies on focus-tunable liquid lenses. Twisting a dial squeezes the liquid lenses inside the headset to change the screen display even though the lens itself remains in place. The other option involves mechanically moving the display screen back or forth, like adjusting a pair of binoculars. The system also incorporates eye-tracking technology to determine where on the screen the user is looking.

In conjunction with the eye-tracking technology, software ascertains where the person is trying to look and controls the hardware to deliver the most comfortable visual display. The software can account for whether a person is nearsighted or farsighted but cannot yet correct for another vision issue called astigmatism. With these displays, VR users would not need glasses or contacts to have a good visual experience.

Its important because people who are nearsighted, farsighted or presbyopic these three groups alone they account for more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, said Robert Konrad, one of the researchers and a PhD candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford. The point is that we can essentially try to tune this in to every individual person to give each person the best experience.

The researchers tested prototypes of these personalized VR displays at last years SIGGRAPH conference. Tal Stramer, a Stanford graduate student in computer science, was involved in this phase. The team tested their adaptive focus display on 173 participants aged 21 to 64 and found that the technology provided improved viewing experiences across a wide range of vision characteristics.

This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, a Terman Faculty Fellowship and grants from Okawa Research, Intel Corporation and Samsung.

Link:
Stanford researchers personalize virtual reality displays to match a user's eyesight - Stanford University News

PH

Despite regular eye examinations, clinicians missed the warning signs that led to the loss but with more thorough testing Leifs condition would have been detected and he would likely have retained his vision.

So medical technology designer Douglas set about inventing a fast, non-intrusive whole-retina scanner, which was patient-friendly enough for a five-year-old but would give examiners a full view of the eye, unlike the partial glimpse which most machines provided at the time.

The result was Optos, which uses laser technology to monitor any changes in the eye that would otherwise go undetected using traditional examination techniques and equipment.

Not only is the scanner now used in hospitals across the country, the machine also helped save the vision in Leifs other eye after it detected a new retina problem several years later.

The technological innovation is now celebrating 11 years since it was recognised with the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award, the UKs most prestigious prize in the field and known as the Oscars of the engineering world.

GETTY

There are about 11,000 devices worldwide and a staggering 70-100 million people have been imaged using the scanner, potentially saving the sight of millions globally.

What was needed was a device that could image the entire eye in a very patient-friendly way and could be used by a non-expert practitioner

Douglas Anderson

It was an achievement Douglas, 66, could have not imagined when he was reeling from the news that Leif had irrecoverably lost his vision in one eye.

It was a very emotional time, admits Douglas, from Fife in Scotland, who was running his own design consultancy developing medical products.

I reflected on the reason my son lost his left eye he had a top-rated clinician and you dont get in front of one of them unless youre already advanced with some kind of symptomatic disease.

PH

"The people who tend to do standard eye examinations on children are opticians or junior doctors and because of the uncooperative nature of many young children, the chances of a full retina examination were about 20 per cent. So chances were that lots of problems went undiagnosed until it was too late.

Although Leifs right eye was being monitored, Douglas worried it could suffer the same fate as the left.

Our clinician tried to reassure me about what he could see but I became progressively less convinced about his ability to do a full retinal examination on a small child.

From this point, Douglas decided that there was a need for a device which gave a high-quality retina examination, particularly for difficult patients.

I thought the manual examination being used was out of date. When I thought of other disciplines such as cardiology and orthopaedics, they had much better imaging systems available to do comprehensive examinations.

GETTY

Ophthalmology, on the other hand, was a backwater which was using devices that had been developed 50 or even 100 years before.

What was needed was a device that could image the entire eye in a very patient-friendly way and could be used by a non-expert practitioner.

Douglas started working on his ambitious plan back in 1992 after securing investment 20million over the past 20 years and unveiled his first devices back in 2000.

It took another 10 years to go from the first machines we had in the marketplace to the level of refinement we have today. We are now on the third generation of machines, he says.

Obviously my background in making medical products was useful but it has been a big challenge and was and still is very much a team effort. In 2007 Optos received a Queens Award For Enterprise and the following year Douglas was named European Inventor Of The Year.

Last year an Optos display was installed in the National Museum Of Scotland. The device was instrumental in saving Leifs second eye when he had another retinal detachment aged 20.

1 of 10

Douglas rushed him to hospital during a weekend only to find there were no consultants available.

Fortunately there was an Optos machine but there were no clinical operators. So Leif and I convinced the staff to let us image his eye and he was scheduled for urgent and immediate attention the next day, says Douglas, who also has a daughter Orea, 35.

Leifs eye was saved but without the immediate diagnosis it was at risk.

The machine played a big role with that. Leif is now 31 and his right eye is in good health although he does require continuous monitoring.

He has sight that is capable of reading and driving a car so his vision is very good. Im amazed weve managed to get so far. We make the product today that I hoped for 25 years ago. It means there are many parents out there who wont have to go through what we did all those years ago.

For more information visit optos.com

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Douglas Anderson: My invention saved my son's eyesight - Express.co.uk

At first glance Ajay Kumar Reddy is no different from the average guy you meet walking down the street.

All is not what it seems

Twitter

However, a closer look reveals that the man has problems with his sight. The left eye is completely blind and he can't see beyond two metres with his right one.

Nonetheless, this lad from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh is know the skipper of the Blind Indian cricket team and has just led the country to victory in the World T20 title clash.

He lost his vision as a child due to an eye infection and that hampered him for most part of the pre-teen years. But it did not dampen his determination to take up the sport.

Defiance in the face of adversity

Twitter

He would play cricket 'all night' under lights in childhood, to pursue the sport professionally. Cricket equipment, especially a bat (a good one can cost a few thousand rupees) can be expensive.

Life was one big ordeal for Ajay as he had to push himself much harder to compete with others till he joined the Lutheran High School for the Blind in Narsaraopet, in the seventh standard. The school was known for promoting cricketers and Ajay started playing the game.

As a farmer's son, he faced opposition from his own father to taking up the game, but it did not deter him from his goal.

When things got better

Twitter

Then came the turning point. A senior blind cricketer, G Nageshwar Rao told him about the selections for the Blind Andhra Pradesh team was on.

Ajay was selected for the AP team in 2006 and since then there has been no looking back.

This paved his way into the Indian team in 2010. In his very first tour to England in 2010 he won two man of the match awards.

Glory for the country

Twitter

More success was to follow Ajay as he was rewarded with the vice-captaincy for his efforts. He was part of the team that won the first ever World T20 for the Blind the same year. His 33-ball hundred against England is ranked right up there as one of the best knocks ever.

In 2014, Ajay had a big role in India winning the ODI World Cup. His aggressive batting helped India chase down 141 in 11 overs against Pakistan in the final.

During the latter part of last year, he was appointed the skipper and led the team to victory in the Asia Cup. The icing on the cake, however, was when the team defeated Pakistan to win the World T20 on February 12.

Decline in vision but still going strong

PTI

However, the man has admitted that it all comes at a price.

"All my leaves expire due to cricket, so I've no leaves left for personal life-say for example taking my wife out for a holiday!"

Also his vision is fading slowly and that has not helped matters.

Ajay has always campaigned for more support for visually impaired cricketers as he feels they should get their dues.

His story is one of inspiration. It shows that if you are willing to defy the odds, you can achieve greatness no matter what life throws at you.

He is certainly a benchmark for those visually impaired people who want to take up the game and prove that they are no less.

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The Story Of Ajay Kumar Reddy - From Losing His Vision As A Child To Leading India To The Blind World T20 Title - Indiatimes.com

Our reporter asked Dr David Keegan, consultant ophthalmologist at the Mater Hospital, what we can do to reduce and even halt the effects of many serious sight complaints

1 HAVE YOUR EYES TESTED REGULARLY

Having regular eye tests (recommended every two years) will identify early indications of diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which are treatable when caught early. An eye test can also identify other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

"Don't ignore poor vision or just put it down to old age," says Dr Keegan. "Have it seen to by an eye doctor or another eye-care professional. A lot of people ignore poor vision even though much of what causes it is preventable. So have regular eye check-ups to keep on top of things."

2 EAT WELL

Maintaining a healthy weight and eating well can have enormous benefits for your eyes.

Some foods can even help to protect against certain eye conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration due to the specific nutrients they contain called lutein or zeaxanthin, which are found in many fruits and vegetables, including mango, broccoli, green beans and spinach.

"Having a diet rich in anti-oxidants, in fruit and vegetables and low in fats, particularly saturated fats, will prevent against macular degeneration, cataract and diabetic retinopathy - three of the main causes of vision impairment worldwide," says Dr Keegan.

3 DON'T SMOKE

It is well documented that smoking is bad for your general health, but it can also cause direct damage to your sight by lessening the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream available to your eyes. The results of this 'oxidative stress' can lead to retina damage and even cell death in the area.

Smoking is also a risk factor in the development of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. However, in many cases, one can stop or even reverse damage to the eyes - depending on the severity of the condition - by quitting.

4 DON'T IGNORE CHANGES IN YOUR VISION

From the moment you notice a problem with your vision, the clock is ticking on your treatment options.

"The biggest mistake people can make is to ignore progressive vision loss, either out of denial or not thinking it is a big problem because then, when they eventually do present, it may be too late," says Dr Keegan.

"Every eye doctor has multiple stories like that, unfortunately, where if the patient had just come in a few months earlier, they may have been able to do something for them. So don't ignore your symptoms. Do your bit by presenting to a health professional and looking for onwards referral."

5 wear quality-assured glasses

Not all sunglasses will protect against ultraviolet light from the sun, which can cause damage to eyes. So be sure your sunglasses have a UV factor rating and block 100pc of UV rays.

Fighting Blindness, an Irish patient-led charity, advises people to check the sunglasses they buy carry the 'CE' mark. The 'CE' mark indicates that the sunglasses in question meet European safety standards.

6 KNOW YOUR FAMILY'S HISTORY

Many of the eye conditions which cause sight loss are hereditary, so it is particularly important to be aware of any eye issues that may run in your family.

"It is important to know your family's eye history," says Dr Keegan. "There are some genetic conditions or partly genetic conditions which you can modify such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetes.

"These are things we can do something about. There are also conditions which will run in families and we don't have effective treatments for just yet, so they would be the inherited retinal degenerations for example, but these sorts of cases would fall into the 25pc of non-preventable causes of blindness currently.

"It is important that if an eye condition is in your family, you get assessed and checked yourself and you have a genetic test done, which is available through the Target 5000 Project run by Fighting Blindness."

For more information about Target 5000 or to register your interest, telephone 01 6789 004 or email target5000@fightingblindness.ie

7 GIVE YOUR EYES A BREAK

Your eyes are constantly on their 'A' game, so it is important to avoid eye strain by getting adequate rest periods. If you work at a computer, it is a good idea to take frequent screen breaks and enable you eyes to relax by looking into the distance briefly.

"Eye strain is a combination of muscle strain and your eyes drying out, and it can be very uncomfortable," explains Dr Keegan. "Eye strain relates to an intensive accommodative effort where you might be looking at something up close for long periods of time and that has all the muscles in the eye switched on.

"The best way to give your eyes a break is to look into the distance. So if you are setting up your computer, for example, don't set it up in the corner of a room, set it up by a window if you can instead, so you can look into the distance every 10 or 15 minutes.

"It is also important to be careful about working in very dry conditions or heated environments because your eyes may go dry. Be sure to blink regularly and you can take artificial tear supplements too if your eyes are very dry. These measures will eliminate 90pc of the symptoms of eye strain."

8 TAKE CARE WITH COSMETICS AND CHEMICALS

Your eyes are incredibly delicate, so take care and use common sense when using make-up removers or any other products around your eyes.

Make sure to close your eyes when spraying hairspray or perfumes and if you get dye or any other chemicals in your eye, rinse with water immediately.

"Be sensible. If you are getting things like false lashes for example, it is important to use reputable people," says Dr Keegan. "When something that is used to put on false lashes, or to dye the lashes, falls into the eye, it can be very sore, so if you get any sort of chemical products in your eye, wash it out with copious amounts of water and if it is still very sore, then present to the hospital to have somebody look at it."

9 GET SCREENED

Screening is a good idea for everyone, but for those with existing conditions such as diabetes, which could impact on their vision, it is a must. If you have diabetes, you should register with The National Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme. For full details, see: http://www.diabeticretinascreen.ie.

"There are a lot of manageable eye conditions - a lot of vision impairment is managed just with glasses and then there are other conditions like cataract, which is treated with a surgery, glaucoma, which is managed with drops, or retina conditions like retinal detachment or macular hole, which is treated with surgery," says Dr Keegan. "So screening for eye disease is very important."

10 KEEP IT CLEAN

Washing your hands thoroughly will help avoid the risk of eye infection (and is particularly important if you wear contact lenses).

* For more information, visit retina.ie.

Health & Living

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10 ways to keep your eyes healthy - Irish Independent

CLARKSBURG Lions clubs across Harrison County are providing free vision screenings for students in third and sixth grades.

Thirty-five students at Wilsonburg Elementary School were screened Thursday, and approximately 1,600 county students are to be screened by the end of March.

The local initiative to help detect vision issues among children is part of a worldwide effort started by Lions Club International about two years ago, said Clarksburg Lions Club member Al Cox.

Since the preschool and kindergarten students are required to have this done for school, we decided to target age groups each three years apart, Cox said. Most children dont have vision screenings until they start having problems, and by that time, it might be too late.

Using state-of-the-art devices called Welsh Allyn SPOT and Plusoptix vision screeners, club members are able to check for farsightedness, nearsightedness, blurred vision, unequal refractive power, unequal pupil size and eye misalignment.

Dr. Craig Liebig, an optometrist, has served as eye equipment coordinator, training Lions on how to use the screeners, Cox said.

Eighty percent of learning is visual, and if we can help correct it before a students education is affected, then this is worth it, Cox said. Over the past two years, the Lions Club has been doing childrens eye screenings at different organizations and schools in the area.

Cox explained that Lions Club members provide vision screenings, not vision tests. If a screening finds any vision issues, children and their parents are referred to a professional.

Frank Barberio and Gary Bakers of the Wilsonburg Lions Club and Mickey Knight and David Lantz of the Adamston Lions Club took part in the vision screenings at Wilsonburg Elementary on Thursday.

They said they enjoy being able to provide the free service to students of Harrison County.

Its part of what we do, Bakers said. We serve, and were really involved in wanting to preserve the eyesight of children, catching any problems at an early age.

Knight agreed.

All of the local Lions clubs are involved, he said. This is free for the students, and its something that needs to be monitored as students get older and their vision begins to change.

Harrison County Schools Nursing Coordinator Jody Sperry praised the Lions and their work.

We like to collaborate with the Lions clubs because we need the extra manpower, and they are really tremendous individuals, Sperry said. By collaborating, it allows us to reach a greater number of students and gets students in to see professionals if needed.

Sixth-grade students at each of the countys middle schools have already been screened, and screenings at elementary schools are underway, Sperry said. Students at St. Marys, Heritage Christian and Emmanuel Christian schools also will be screened.

Sperry said the screenings are optional, but if parents would like their children of any age to be screened, they can contact a school nurse and set up a free appointment.

Cox said day cares, church groups and other organizations are also welcome to contact a Lions Club if theyre interested in vision screenings, Cox said.

Our motto is, We serve, and thats just what we will continue to do, Cox said.

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Lions club provides free eye screenings for elementary, middle school students - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

A recent study reported that diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the United States, up from seventh in 2010.

This study also reported that life expectancy has slowed down or even decreased, mainly due to the rise of diabetes and obesity in our country. Per recent Centers for Disease Control statistics, 21.95 million people in the United States, or 9.3 percent of the population, in 2014 had diabetes. In those 65 years old and older, more than 25 percent have diabetes, and that percentage is expected to double by 2050 if current trends continue.

If glucose levels are high over long periods of time, heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage and other complications can result. But prevention of these complications is possible. The American Diabetes Association recommends that most non-pregnant adults with diabetes maintain a hemoglobin A1c (a 3-month blood sugar average) less than 7 percent, with daily blood sugars less than 130 mg/dl after fasting and less than 180 mg/dl two hours after eating.

Diabetes costs $245 billion a year; $69 billion of those costs are indirect, such as lost productivity and increased absenteeism from work. Patients with diabetes have medical costs twice as much as those without diabetes. The risk of death in adults with diabetes is 50 percent higher than for adults without diabetes. Prediabetes (often a precursor to type 2 diabetes) currently has a prevalence of 86 million, or 30 percent of the population, and nine out of 10 of those folks are unaware they have it. In the Medicare population, more than half have prediabetes, based on estimates from the Centers for Disease Control.

Recent statistics estimate that 90 percent of the cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle change, specifically Diabetes Prevention Programs. Structured DPPs are effective interventions lasting one year and taught by a lifestyle coach. Participants in the DPP learn about healthy eating, ways to incorporate exercise, how to manage stress and set up their environment and life for success.

The goal of the DPP is to have participants lose 7 percent of their body weight over the course of a year through nutrition interventions and exercising at least 150 minutes per week. The results from the DPP suggest over a 50 percent reduction in acquiring type 2 diabetes for those at risk. In 2018, Medicare will pay for the DPP as long as the program goes through the CDC accreditation process.

The potential is there to slow the rate of type 2 diabetes in our country. If you or someone you love is concerned about having prediabetes, ask your doctor to do a simple blood test such as a hemoglobin A1C or take the CDC risk test found at cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/pdf/prediabetestest.pdf.

We can turn the tide of diabetes in our country by screening all people with risk factors for diabetes and getting them into a DPP. Such opportunities exist in Missoula and Western Montana. As Robert Ratner, M.D., chief scientific officer for the American Diabetes Association once said, We must prevent diabetes or our health system will be consumed by it. Now is the time!

Jennifer Troupe, MS, RD, is the manager of Providence Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition Center

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Nurse's Notes: The state of diabetes in America - The Missoulian

ANN ARBOR, MI Why do some people get Type 2 diabetes, while others who live the same lifestyle never do?

For decades, scientists have tried to solve this mystery and have found more than 80 tiny DNA differences that seem to raise the risk of the disease in some people, or protect others from the damagingly high levels of blood sugar that are its hallmark.

But no one Type 2 diabetes signature has emerged from this search.

Now, a team of scientists has reported a discovery that might explain how multiple genetic flaws can lead to the same disease.

Theyve identified something that some of those diabetes-linked genetic defects have in common: they seem to change the way certain cells in the pancreas read their genes.

The discovery could eventually help lead to more personalized treatments for diabetes. But for now, its the first demonstration that many Type 2 diabetes-linked DNA changes have to do with the same DNA-reading molecule. Called Regulatory Factor X, or RFX, its a master regulator for a number of genes.

The team reporting the findings in a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences comes from the University of Michigan, National Institutes of Health, Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, University of North Carolina, and the University of Southern California.

They report that many diabetes-linked DNA changes affect the ability of RFX to bind to specific locations in the genomes of pancreas cell clusters called islets. And that in turn changes the cells ability to carry out important functions.

Islets contain the cells that make hormones, including insulin and glucagon, which keep blood sugar balanced in healthy people. In people with diabetes, that regulation goes awry leading to a range of health problems that can develop over many years.

We have found that many of the subtle DNA spelling differences that increase risk of Type 2 diabetes appear to disrupt a common regulatory grammar in islet cells, says Stephen C.J. Parker, Ph.D., an assistant professor of computational medicine and bioinformatics, and of human genetics, at the U-M Medical School. RFX is probably unable to read the misspelled words, and this disruption of regulatory grammar plays a significant role in the genetic risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Parker is one of four co-senior authors on the paper, which also includes Michael Boehnke, Ph.D., of the U-M School of Public Healths Department of Biostatistics, Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health, and Michael L. Stitzel, Ph.D. of the Jackson Laboratory.

Prior to their current faculty positions Parker and Stitzel worked in Collins lab at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Parkers graduate student, Arushi Varshney, is one of the papers co-first authors with Laura Scott, Ph.D., and Ryan Welch, Ph.D., of the U-M School of Public Healths Department of Biostatistics and Michael Erdos, Ph.D., of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

They performed an extensive examination of DNA from islet samples isolated from 112 people. They characterized differences not just in DNA sequences, but also in the way DNA was packaged and modified by epigenetic factors, and the levels of gene expression products that indicated how often the genes had been read and transcribed.

This allowed them to track the footprints that RFX and other transcription factors leave on packaged DNA after they have done their job.

RFX and other factors dont bind directly to the part of a gene that encodes a protein that does a cellular job. Rather, they bind to a stretch of DNA near the gene a runway of sorts.

But when genetic changes linked to Type 2 diabetes are present, that runway gets disrupted, and RFX cant bind as it should.

Each DNA change might alter this binding in a different way, leading to a slightly different effect on Type 2 diabetes risk or blood sugar regulation. But the common factor for many of these changes was its effect on the area where RFX is predicted to bind, in the cells of pancreatic islets.

So, says Parker, this shows how the genome the actual sequence of DNA -- can influence the epigenome, or the factors that influence gene expression.

The researchers note that a deadly form of diabetes seen in a handful of babies born each year may be related to RFX mutations. That condition, called Mitchell-Riley syndrome, involves neonatal diabetes and malformed pancreas, and is known to be caused by a rare autosomal recessive mutation of one form of RFX.

In addition to co-senior and co-first authors listed above, the studys authors include a range of researchers from several institutions. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (HL127984, DK062370, HG000024, DK099240, DK092251, DK093757, DK105561, DK072193, ZIA HG000024).Parker is a 2014 recipient of the American Diabetes Associations Pathway to Stop Diabetes grant, a type of grant awarded annually by the American Diabetes Association to provide up to $1.625 million to each scientist over a five- to seven-year grant term to spur breakthroughs in clinical science, technology, diabetes care and potential cures. Since launching in 2013 Pathway has awarded more than $36 million to 23 leading scientists.

Reference: PNAS, http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1621192114

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Diabetes in your DNA? Scientists zero in on the genetic signature of risk - University of Michigan Health System News (press release)

When she was just 11 months old, Billie Sue Wozniaks daughter Juno was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that affects 1.25 million people and approximately 200,000 children under age 20 in the United States.

The disease had affected several members of Billie Sues family, including her uncle, who passed away at the age of 30.

My first thought was, Her life is going to be short, the 38-year-old from Reno, Nevada recalled. The more that I learned, the more I found that many people with type 1 live longer and the treatment advances are really exciting.

While looking for treatments, Wozniak learned about encapsulation therapy, in which an encapsulated device containing insulin-producing islet cells derived from stem cells is implanted under the skin. The encapsulation device is designed to protect the cells from an autoimmune attack and may help people produce their own insulin.

After learning of the therapy through JDRF, Wozniak saw an ad on Facebook for Store-A-Tooth, a company that offers dental stem cell banking. She decided to move forward with the stem cell banking, just in case the encapsulation device became an option for Juno.

In March 2016, a dentist extracted four of Junos teeth, and sent them to a lab so her stem cells could be cryopreserved. Wozniak plans to bank the stem cells from Junos molars as well.

Its a riskI dont know for sure if it will work out, Wozniak said.

Dental stem cells: a future of possibilities

For years, stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow have been used to treat blood and bone marrow diseases, blood cancers and metabolic and immune disorders.

Although there is the potential for dental stem cells to be used in the same way, researchers are only beginning to delve into the possibilities.

Dental stem cells are not science fiction, said Dr. Jade Miller, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. I think at some point in time, were going to see dental stem cells used by dentistson a daily practice.

Dental stem cells have the potential to produce dental tissue, bone, cartilage and muscle. They may be used to repair cavities, fix a tooth damaged from periodontal disease or bone loss, or even grow a tooth instead of using dental implants.

In fact, stem cells can be used to repair cracks in teeth and cavities, according to a recent mouse study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Theres also some evidence that dental stem cells can produce nerve tissue, which might eliminate the need for root canals. A recent study out of Tufts University found that a collagen-based biomaterial used to deliver stem cells to the inside of damaged teeth can regenerate dental pulp-like tissues.

Dental stem cells may even be able to treat neurological disorders, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

I believe those are the kinds of applications that will be the first uses of these cells, said Dr. Peter Verlander, Chief Scientific Officer for Store-A-Tooth.

When it comes to treating diseases like type 1 diabetes, dental stem cells also show promise. In fact, a study in the Journal of Dental Research found that dental stem cells were able to form islet-like aggregates that produce insulin.

Unlike umbilical cord blood where theres one chance to collect stem cells, dental stem cells can be collected from several teeth. Also, gathering stem cells from bone marrow requires invasive surgery and risk, and it can be painful and costly.

The stem cells found in baby teeth, known as mesenchymal cells, are similar to those found in other parts of the body, but not identical.

There are differences in these cells, depending on where they come from, Verlander said.

Whats more, mesenchymal stem cells themselves differ from hematopoietic, or blood-forming stem cells. Unlike hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells can expand.

From one tooth, we expect to generate hundreds of billions of cells, Verlander said.

Yet the use of dental stem cells is not without risks. For example, theres evidence that tumors can develop when stem cells are transplanted. Theres also a chance of an immune rejection, but this is less likely if a person uses his own stem cells, Miller said.

The process for banking stem cells from baby teeth is relatively simple. A dentist extracts the childs teeth when one-third of the root remains and the stem cells are still viable. Once the teeth are shipped and received, the cells are extracted, grown and cryopreserved.

Store-A-Tooths fees include a one-time payment of $1,749 and $120 per year for storage, in addition to the dentists fees for extraction.

For families who are interested in banking dental stem cells, they should know that theyre not necessarily a replacement for cord blood banking or bone marrow stem cells.

Theyre not interchangeable, we think of them as complementary, Verlander said.

Although the future is unclear for Junowho was born in 2008her mom is optimistic that shell be able to use the stem cells for herself and if not, someone else.

Ultimately, however, Wozniak hopes that if dental stem cells arent the answer, there will be a biological cure for type 1 diabetes.

I hold out hope that somewhere, someone is going to crack the code, she said.

Julie Revelant is a health journalist and a consultant who provides content marketing and copywriting services for the healthcare industry. She's also a mom of two. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.com.

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Can banking baby teeth treat diabetes? - Fox News

The End of Diabetes Is within Reach

By Satesh Bidaisee

The Food and Drug Administration just approved what could be one of the biggest breakthroughs in the treatment of type 1 diabetes in decades.

Dubbed an "artificial pancreas," the MiniMed 670G is an implantable pump that senses blood glucose levels and delivers precise insulin doses to diabetic patients. Devices like these could make syringes for injecting insulin and manual blood monitors obsolete.

Unfortunately, victories like this in the battle against diabetes remain rare. Even though the condition is one of the top causes of death in the United States, research into it is grossly underfunded. Just as troubling, public awareness of how to prevent diabetes -- and how to manage it effectively -- remains inadequate.

The medical community has the power to stop the diabetes epidemic in its tracks -- but only if it makes diabetes research and education a bigger priority.

About one in 10 Americans currently suffers from diabetes. Worse, incidence of the disease has been rising for years. The number of cases in the United States shot up 44 percent between 2004 and 2014.

Diabetes takes a toll not just on the health of millions of Americans but on the economy, too. The disease costs Florida over $24 billion a year -- and the entire country about $250 billion annually. That's bigger than the yearly economic output of most states.

Compared to these staggering treatment costs, research funding for diabetes is a pittance.

Consider that the disease kills 28 times more Americans each year than HIV/AIDS. Yet the National Institutes of Health spend nearly three times as much annually on HIV/AIDS research as on diabetes research.

Given the enormous promise of today's diabetes research, this lack of funding is a missed opportunity.

Researchers at Harvard and MIT, for instance, are exploring a technique for making large numbers of insulin-creating cells that, once delivered to type 1 diabetes patients, could keep the disease at bay for years at a time. Johnson & Johnson, together with biotech firm Viacyte, is currently developing the first-ever stem-cell treatment for diabetes.

In short, we've never been closer to curing diabetes. But meeting that goal will take far longer if research funding remains as sparse as it is today.

Halting the epidemic will also require a more aggressive effort to prevent and diagnose the disease. More than one-third of American adults have pre-diabetes -- the kinds of elevated blood sugar levels that often lead to diabetes. Yet 90 percent of these individuals aren't aware of their condition.

This is where government agencies and academic institutions could have a significant impact.

The school I teach at, St. George's University in Grenada, has already taken up this cause. We're collaborating with Grenada's Ministry of Health on a school nutrition policy to advocate for healthy consumption habits. We've also worked with the ministry to launch programs that promote physical activity in schools and offer exercise classes to the community.

Ending the diabetes epidemic is within reach -- if we commit to funding the most promising medical research and effectively educating the public about the disease.

Satesh Bidaisee is an Associate Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies at St. Georges University, Grenada.

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The End of Diabetes Is within Reach - Gilmer Mirror

Science Daily

Cellular quality control process could be Huntington's disease drug target Science Daily Misfolded proteings in cells of people with Huntington's disease cause the death of neurons in brain and muscle cells in the body. Scientists have known that in people with Huntington's, chaperone proteins -- whose job it is to fold ... Thiele and ... and more »

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Cellular quality control process could be Huntington's disease drug target - Science Daily

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Prevention of Blindness Society to Honor Dr. William L. Rich Patch.com From the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington: Dr. William L. Rich III of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Northern Virginia Ophthalmology Associates will be honored at 31st Night of Vision gala. The Prevention of ...

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Prevention of Blindness Society to Honor Dr. William L. Rich - Patch.com