Thursday, September 26, 2013

Patient's own cells might be used as treatment for Parkinson's disease

This illustration shows the image of autotransplantation. The paper shows evidence only for neural cells and the brain, not for other organs. Immunogenicity in other organs needs to be explored.
(Photo Credit: Stem Cell Reports, Morizane et al)
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) taken from a patient hold great therapeutic potential for many diseases. However, studies in rodents have suggested that the body may mount an immune response and destroy cells derived from iPSCs. New research in monkeys refutes these findings, suggesting that in primates like us, such cells will not be rejected by the immune system. In the paper, publishing September 26 in the ISSCR's journal Stem Cell Reports, published by Cell Press, iPSCs from nonhuman primates successfully developed into the neurons depleted by Parkinson's disease while eliciting only a minimal immune response. The cells therefore could hold promise for successful transplantation in humans.

iPSCs are cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem-cell-like state, meaning that they can differentiate into virtually any of the body's different cell types. iPSCs directed to differentiate into specific cell types offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat ailments, including Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Studies in rodents have suggested that iPSC-derived cells used for transplantation may be rejected by the body's immune system. To test this in an animal that is more closely related to humans, investigators in Japan directed iPSCs taken from a monkey to develop into certain neurons that are depleted in Parkinson's disease patients. When they were injected into the same monkey's brain (called an autologous transplantation), the neurons elicited only a minimal immune response. In contrast, injections of the cells into immunologically unmatched recipients (called an allogeneic transplantation) caused the body to mount a stronger immune response.

See the rest of the story:
 http://www.sciencecodex.com/patients_own_cells_might_be_used_as_treatment_for_parkinsons_disease-120075

Scientists discover potential cause of motor neurone disease -

This news piece seems a little bit bizarre, but interesting nonetheless. Take a gander. - Bob


ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Updated Thu 26 Sep 2013, 9:55am AEST

Australian scientists have helped discover what could be one of the only known causes of motor neurone disease.

The researchers were involved in discovering how a toxin in blue-green algae can contaminate food and cause problems in the central nervous system.

The cause of more than 90 per cent of motor neurone disease cases remains unknown.

Researchers are hoping the link found between motor neurone disease and blue-green algae could help treat the condition.

Full story:


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Cortisol Switcharoo: How the Main Stress Hormone Makes You Fat and Angry


Sara Gottfried, M.D.

Have you heard of the "cortisol switch"?

The Good

Here's the scenario. When you're stressed, you feel the positive vibe of cortisol -- the rise of energy, the focus, the charge, the ascent. Cortisol is the main stress hormone made in your adrenal glands and it's designed to get you out of danger. Cortisol has three main jobs: raise blood sugar (to feed muscles so you can run or fight), raise blood pressure, and modulate immune function.

The Bad (aka, the Switch)

But here's the rub (as Shakespeare puts it)... "the cortisol switch." Your body ceases to register the positive aspects of cortisol, and you switch to the negative aspects of cortisol. It takes about 18 minutes.

It's like when you drink regular coffee and feel like a rockstar, for 18 minutes to be precise. Then you get hit the wall, get all jittery and anxious. Thoughts erode. Blood sugar rises, then precipitously drops. Acidity increases. You get heavy and dumb.

The Long-Term Badness: From Muffin Top to Insomnia

Over time, high cortisol, when sustained, is linked to high blood pressure...

Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-gottfried-md/cortisol_b_1589670.html

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Urgent: Andy Abrahams Wilson, of Under Our Skin, on the radio

Andy Abrahams Wilson, director of Under Our Skin, will be interviewed tomorrow, September 24th, 2013, at 1pm PST (4pm EST) about the Kris Newby story discussing the CDC shadow group with conflicts of interest on the radio station KPFA (this is the Kris Newby story: http://ire.org/blog/transparency-watch/2013/05/20/foia-request-cdc-took-five-years-fulfill/)

You can listen to it live or access later through the archives: https://www.kpfa.org/archive/show/48

I highly recommend that people email the host Layna Berman after the show to let her know how many people listened and want more shows like this. Her email is: admin@yourownhealthandfitness.org


Monday, September 16, 2013

VIDEO: Lyme disease treatment | The Poughkeepsie Journal

Here's a new video about an upcoming story about Lyme in Dutchess County, NY and the CDC's announcement about the number of new cases of Lyme disease per year.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20130914/NEWS01/309140024/VIDEO-Coming-Sunday-Lyme-disease-treatment?nclick_check=1

Lyme protest in San Francisco Oct 5





The Infectious Diseases Society of America--a private group of doctors and researchers who deny the existence of chronic Lyme and make it so difficult for Lyme patients to get the medical care they need--will meet in San Francisco in October. 
 
We'll hold a protest outside Moscone Center on Saturday, Oct. 5. Can you join us? Click here for more information.
 
Here's a picture of our truck at last year's protest. What will it say this year? Stay tuned!
 
Two weeks later, rally with ILADS in San Diego
Oct. 19 Lymewalk and Rally with ILADS docs 

The 7th Annual San Diego Lymewalk takes place Oct. 19, next door to ILADS' annual conference. (ILADS is a group for the good guys--doctors and other practitioners who help Lyme patients get well.) 
 
The walk begins at 9 a.m. with a rally at 11 a.m. Speakers will include well-known ILADS doctors, authors and advocates, including Dr. Richard Horowitz, who will sign advance copies of his new book Why Can't I Get Better: Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease. Click here for details.
LymeDisease.org, publisher of The Lyme Times, advocates nationally for people with tick-borne diseases, educates the public, and helps fund medical research. We are the go-to source for news, information, and health policy analysis in the Lyme community. Become a member today.

 Like us on Facebook     Follow us on Twitter     Visit our blog


Is your spider bite lyme disease ?

Published April 2013, (c)Prevention

Prevention News

Is Your Spider Bite Lyme Disease?

The symptoms doctors are missing

By Leah Zerbe

Lyme disease is a tricky business. It's tough to detect, diagnose, and often treat—and symptoms are even frequently missed by doctors, according to a small new study from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. 
Deer ticks are the sneaky culprits harboring Lyme disease, but most people infected don't even recall ever seeing a tick latched onto them. The classic tell-tale sign that you're infected with Lyme is a bull's eye skin rash, but the new research shows that doctors are missing other Lyme disease cases that feature different types of skin rashes, often ones that mimic insect or spider bites, dermatitis, or lupus rashes.
In fact, using a cutting-edge DNA testing method currently only available in research settings, researchers found that 10 of the 14 patients who tested strongly for Lyme disease also had non-classical skin rashes that mimic skin conditions.
"The value of the study is it provides an alert for clinicians to be very wary of a patient who travels or lives in an endemic area, that a rash that they're looking at might actually be Lyme disease," says study author Steven E. Schutzer, MD, professor of medicine at UMDNJ. Here's what to look out for: 
If you suspect Lyme…
Don't rely on a rash. While a bull's eye rash definitely signals Lyme, less than half of infected people actually show that early sign. If you're showing flu-like symptoms, go to the doctor. You're most likely to contract Lyme in New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, or the Great Lakes region, so let your doctor know if you've recently traveled to those areas. 
Don't count 100% on tests. Many standard Lyme tests at the doctor's office (Western Blot, Elisa) miss an alarming amount of Lyme cases; they're often only 45 to 65% accurate. For instance, Dr. Schutzer says you may test negative right after a bite, but positive several weeks later. If your symptoms linger, work with your doctor to rule out other diseases; find a Lyme-literate doctor if you still suspect Lyme. (Some doctors "don't believe in" chronic Lyme disease, so seek out a doctor affiliated with the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, or ask for a referral from a local support group.) 
If you find a tick on you…
Remove it right. Don't cover it with clear nail polish or try any other old wives' tales. Get sharp tweezers and remove it like this.
Get it tested. Places like New Jersey Laboratories will test a removed tick for Lyme or other diseases for a fee. Just be sure to follow the labs' instructions for preserving and shipping the tick—often, putting it in alcohol will ruin test results. 
Protect yourself…
Know the enemy. Different ticks carry different diseases. Know which ones are prevalent in your area, what they look like in different stages, and potential diseases they carry by checking out this Tick Identification Chart.
Dress like a geek. Ticks don't fall from trees—they crawl up. Pulling longer socks up over your pants legs makes it harder for ticks to crawl onto your leg.
Cause death by dryer. It's like laundry in reverse. University of Rhode Island researchers found that tossing the clothes you wore outside into the dryer on high for 5 minutes will wipe out any lingering ticks, keeping them out of your home, says Thomas Mather, PhD, director of University of Rhode Island's Center for Vector-Borne Disease and its TickEncounter Resource Center. Mather also urges people to make daily tick checks mandatory in every home.
Seek showers. Research out of Yale found getting a shower within 2 hours of being outside significantly cut down on a person's risk of contracting Lyme disease. 
 

Is a Tick Bite Causing Your Depression?

The symptoms your doc could be missing

From Prevention magazine
By Leah Zerbe


However you feel about the mild winter we just experienced (Yay for less shoveling! Boo for global warming!), one thing no one’s excited about: The explosion in the tick population it caused. And while most people know that ticks can carry Lyme disease, many of us know very little about the hard-to-pin-down disease. Here’s how to recognize the symptoms and protect yourself from Lyme disease.

What is Lyme disease? There’s a reason experts call it “The Great Imitator.” Lyme disease results from inflammation caused by Lyme bacteria, and the symptoms can mimic everything from rheumatoid arthritis and lupus to anxiety disorders and depression. Most often the result of a tick bite, Lyme disease's range of devastation is daunting: The same Lyme germ causing joint pain in one person could lead to symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease in another.

Read more:

http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/what-you-need-know-about-lyme-disease

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Changing part of central line could reduce hospital infections

These statistics are more sobering than I knew when I had my (3) central lines place. My Porta-Cath central line became infected and I developed sepsis a couple of months ago, leading to a hospital admission and some very un-fun side effects of being in a hospital. I can confirm that a better way of maintaining a central line needs to be found and implemented as standard procedure.  -Bob

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Simply replacing the connector in the IV system in patients with central lines could help reduce deadly bloodstream infections, researchers at Georgia Regents University have found.

A central line or central catheter is a tube placed in a patient's arm or chest to help deliver fluids, blood, or medications through the large veins near the heart. A connector sits at the top of the catheter and serves as the entry point for the fluid pathway inside – any fluid that goes in or comes out of the body, goes through the connector.

Most connectors use positive or negative pressure – either pushing fluid out or drawing blood in – when catheters are disconnected for flushing and cleaning. Ironically, it's during that process – designed to clean the catheter and ultimately reduce the chance of infection – that germs find their way into the bloodstream causing an often dangerous blood infection. Nearly 250,000 central line-associated bloodstream infections happen in hospitals each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mortality rates on CLABSIs range from 12 to 25 percent.
Treating them also costs health care systems billions of dollars each year.

"We know that both positive and negative needleless connectors have been associated with higher CLABSI rates, so we decided to see what role a zero fluid displacement connector would play in infection control," said Dr. Cynthia C. Chernecky, a Professor of Nursing at GRU and corresponding author on the study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

As their name indicates, zero fluid displacement connectors cause no reflux of fluids – out or in – during disconnection and connection.

Researchers analyzed data in six acute care settings in five states and found that the number of infections decreased by 60 percent when positive connectors were replaced with zero fluid displacement connectors and by 94 percent when negative connectors were replaced with the zero connectors for central line IV therapy.

"We estimate that replacing the connector devices saved about 13 lives in the acute care settings in this study," Chernecky said. In addition to saving lives, more than $3 million was saved on health care costs. The average central line-associated bloodstream infection costs about $35,000 to treat.

Zero connectors cost about $1 a piece, Chernecky said. "This is a very cost-effective way to increase patient safety."
Coauthors on the study are Thomas Joshua, an Assistant Professor of Nursing at GRU; Denise Macklin, a nurse consultant in Marietta, Ga.; and Dr. William R. Jarvis, a healthcare epidemiology and infection control consultant with Jarvis & Jarvis Associates, and former Acting Director of the CDC's Hospital Infection Program.

While the results are promising, study authors say that more research is needed.

"Central line-associated bloodstream infections can be deadly, so we must continue to investigate best practices to reduce risks and protect patients," Chernecky said.

Stem cells: Living adult tissue transformed back into embryo state

The living tissue inside an animal has been regressed back into an embryonic state for the first time, Spanish researchers say.

They believe it could lead to new ways of repairing the body, for example after a heart attack.

However, the study published in the journal Nature, showed the technique led to tumours forming in mice.

More -->

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Bacteria Trigger Nerve Cells to Cause Pain


Bacteria (green) are found near neurons (red). Image by the researchers. Courtesy of Nature.

A tooth abscess, urinary tract infection, or other type of bacterial infection can cause intense pain. The pain is often accompanied by inflammation, which is produced by the immune system’s attack on the bacteria. It’s been thought that pain stems from immune cells, which release cytokines and growth factors that can induce inflammation and trigger sensory nerves.

A team led by Drs. Isaac M. Chiu and Clifford J. Woolf at Boston Children’s Hospital sought to better understand the pain caused by bacterial infections. Their research was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

More: http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/september2013/09092013pain.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Monday, September 9, 2013

My Father, My Brother, and Me: PBS show about PD

PBS personality, Dave Iverson, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2004. Both his father and brother were given the same diagnosis, years earlier. had it, too. 

In 2009, PBS TV did a Frontline documentary about the state of affairs in PD, called My Father, My Brother, and Me. Dave Iverson was the host of the show. Here's a snippet of the transcript of it, then links to read the whole exchange, and a link to watch the entire documentary online. 

My Father, My Brother, and Me

CORRESPONDENT
Dave Iverson

PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY
Dave Iverson and Michael Schwarz

EXERCISE INSTRUCTOR: Reach all the way down to the floor without moving your feet--

ANNOUNCER: Living with Parkinson's disease, a story FRONTLINE correspondent Dave Iverson and his family know firsthand.

ADELAIDE: I hadn't thought it would happen. But it has happened.

NARRATOR: Parkinson's affects a million Americans

TOM SHEARER: I have a mindset that I am going to-not going to let this blankety Parkinson's get me down.

NARRATOR: And it's been front and center in the debate over embryonic stem cell science.

Pres. GEORGE W. BUSH: This bill would support the taking of innocent human life, so I vetoed.

MICHAEL J. FOX, Actor: You know, when you're talking about the potential to heal and cure so many, and it not going forward, it pissed me off and I wanted to do something.

NARRATOR: Now the politics have changed, but the quest for a cure continues.

MATTHEW FARRER, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville: How close are we? We're a lot closer than we were 10 years ago, a lot closer.

NARRATOR: Tonight on FRONTLINE, correspondent Dave Iverson tracks the pursuit of Parkinson's and his own family journey.

DAVE IVERSON, FRONTLINE: [voice-over] It isn't dramatic. It's a disease of inches. A hand starts to shake, a step becomes a shuffle, life in gradual slow motion. Parkinson's arrives without fanfare. You're jogging at the gym one day, and you notice that one arm isn't swinging the same as the other. In time, other signs accumulate. A leg starts to tingle. A finger trembles. None of it seems like a big deal, so you keep living your life.

Use this link to read the transcript:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/parkinsons/etc/script.html 

Use this link to watch the video of the show:

Friday, September 6, 2013

15 Year-Old Invents New Method of Diagnosing Cancer

Jack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! Read more at: http://www.social-consciousness.com/2013/02/fifteen-year-old-invents-cancer-diagnosing-method.htmThursday, February 7, 2013 15 year old invents New Method of Diagnosing Cancer 55 Jack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! Read more at: http://www.social-consciousness.com/2013/02/fifteen-year-old-invents-cancer-diagnosing-method.htmlThursday, February 7, 2013 15 year old invents New Method of Diagnosing Cancer 55 Jack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! Read more at: http://www.social-consciousness.com/2013/02/fifteen-year-old-invents-cancer-diagnosing-method.html
Thursday, February 7, 2013 15 year old invents New Method of Diagnosing Cancer 55 Jack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! Read more at: http://www.social-consciousness.com/2013/02/fifteen-year-old-invents-cancer-diagnosing-method.html
Jack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! Read more at: http://www.social-consciousness.com/2013/02/fifteen-year-old-invents-cancer-diagnosing-method.html
A little off-topic, but not completely. He's right about how ancient our technologies for disease detection are. Watch the short video. You'll be impressed. Maybe we should get him working on Lyme disease?
lJack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! Read more at: http://www.social-consciousness.com/2013/02/fifteen-year-old-invents-cancer-diagnosing-method.html
Jack Andraka is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at Johns Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. To think that scientists spending millions of dollars to find more about cancer, a 15 year old finds out by doing a science fair project! 

See the video at:


Psychiatric patients twice as likely to have Lyme Disease.

European study -- Psychiatric patients twice as likely to have Lyme Disease.

See http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/09/04/psychiatric-lyme-disease/ or the LymeDisease.org Facebook post.

"... For instance, as Lyme disease progresses, it can attack the nervous system producing learning disabilities, mood swings, anxiety and depression, panic attacks, obsessive behavior, sudden rages and other psychiatric diagnoses.  ..."

"... and the National Institutes of Health are currently sponsoring a major study of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease in an effort to illuminate specific changes in the brain.  ..."



__._,_.___


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Katie Couric TV show looking for Lyme patients





Be on the show:

Monday, September 2, 2013

Lyme in Sunday NY Times

Boy, the articles are coming in fast and furious. More of what I noted in my last blog entry, yesterday.

I was sent this article with a note that it was on the front page of the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/arts/music/kathleen-hanna-returns-with-the-julie-ruin.html

"Late in 2010, after six years of a mysterious and debilitating illness that often left her too weak to move or speak, she was finally diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease. She underwent two years of intensive therapy. Now on the mend, Ms. Hanna is returning in a big way."