Awareness about Parkinson's disease on shaky ground

Parkinson's is an incurable progressive condition of the brain. It affects movement, speech and balance and causes incessant shivering of the face and limbs. Genetic and environmental factors are believed to contribute to the degeneration of brain cells that maintain bodily movement. There is no particular test to detect the disease, with only physical symptoms enabling doctors to make a diagnosis.

After 15 years of suffering and two failed stem cell transplantation surgeries, a 68-year-old businessman finally decided to undergo surgery on the eve of World Parkinson's Day at Jaslok Hospital. According to the doctors, the businessman, who is from Gujarat, had uncontrolled Parkinson's disease (PD) and was lured by the temptation of finding a 'cure' for the disease.

"He was lured by the temptation of finding a 'cure' for Parkinson's disease he underwent intracranial stem cell transplantation (a neurosurgical procedure) in Bangalore. As he did not obtain any benefit, he was given a 'top up' by the intravenous stem cell route. Obviously, none of these worked and his disease progressed," said Dr Paresh Doshi, Director, Neurosurgery Department at Jaslok Hospital.

As the disease progressed, Jain decided to go for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, a standard surgical treatment for PD. "He had unbearable stiffness and discomfort and was taking large doses of medications. With the disease being in an advanced stage, DBS surgery was the only option," said Dr Doshi.

Since Jain had already undergone two operations, the team of neurosurgeons had a tough time executing the surgery. "Jain's case was tricky as the area we were interested in had already been operated on. Advanced technology and expertise helped us find our way into the brain and successfully accomplish the surgery," said Dr Doshi.

While Jain is now recuperating at the hospital, Dr Doshi said he is a classic example of poor awareness on PD. "The important message to convey is that stem cell treatment is a still at the laboratory stage. It can be tested on humans only after careful animal experimentation. So far, the efficacy of the stem cell therapy hasn't been proven and people shouldn't get misled," he said.

Neurologists say PD affects roughly one lakh people in India most of them over the age of 50, although it can sometimes affect younger adults. Awareness about the disease is a must in India, as the number of PD cases affecting those over the age of 60 are increasing sharply. "Parkinson's affects one in hundred individuals. While 55 crore Indians over 60 were afflicted in 2013, the number is estimated to triple to 160 crores by 2050. By then, over 22% of the Indian population will comprise of the elderly. It is therefore important to have more awareness on management of the disease," said Dr Doshi.

Dr Maria Barretto, CEO of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Society (PDMDS), which has twenty support groups in India including in Mumbai, Nasik and Baroda, agreed on poor general awareness about PD. "At PDMDS, we conduct various programs to spread awareness on the disease among both caregivers and the patients," she said.

Dr Charulata Sankhla, neurophysician at PD Hinduja Hospital who is also part of PDMDS, said that PD cases may be underreported due to lack of awareness. "Patients come to us very late because they don't recognise the symptoms. PD has to be diagnosed early, and it is very important to keep the patient active to ensure s/he has better mobility and a longer life."

Talking about surgery intervention, Dr Sankhla added that doctors would earlier wait for 5-6 years before taking a patient for surgery. However, surgery is being opted for in 3-4 years post the onset of PD. "Patients need to approach neurophysicians at the earliest so that it can be determined which stage of the disease the patient falls in. Treatment and surgery are recommended accordingly."

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Awareness about Parkinson's disease on shaky ground

Sungduan: Age-defying

AGING is inevitable. But why worry about getting old in looks when you can defy it?

With todays latest technology, one can now become younger from 10-20 years old and achieve a celebrity look without surgery in just a few months. This is through the stem cell technology found in facial cream and unique dietary supplements.

According to Dr. Marc Lavaro Jr., an expert on general & ocular oncology, general & ocular

pharmacology, pediatric ophthalmic medicine, and Science of Epigenetics, the stem cell technology is not only a cure for some diseases such as cancer but also answers beauty concerns like fine facial lines and wrinkles.

He said this new technology, which is considered as a breakthrough can now be found in Jeunesse, a product of medical research conducted by Dr. Nathan Newman, the father of stem cell technology.

Newman is also world renowned for his cosmetic surgery and being innovator of stem cell lift cutting edge cosmetic surgery.

Stem cell repairs and rejuvenates at babalik sa normal ang good looks. Those who are bald can have their hair back as well, Lavaro said.

Getting rid of facial lines and wrinkles may be done through the use of two technologies. One is temporary and the other is permanent.

The temporary has the Cinderella effect wherein in just 2 minutes you will be wrinkle and eyebags free.

For the permanent, the maximum ideal effect can be seen after 30 days. The outcome of this using the Luminesce which serves as a lifting mask has the eight-times effect.

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Sungduan: Age-defying

Study Showing How Stem Cells Slow Aging May Lead To New Heart Failure Treatments

Durham, NC /PRNewswire/ -- A new study published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine demonstrates how mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) not only protect the heart from further damage after a cardiac incident but can actually slow down its aging process, too. These findings, in a rat model of the aging heart, could help propel stem cells to the forefront as a potential solution for more effective ways to treat heart conditions.

"This study is important as it suggests an alternative approach for treating heart failure in elderly patients," said Yanjie Lu, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the pharmacology department at Harbin Medical University (HMU) in Harbin, China, and a world-renowned expert on myocardial infarction. He led the study, conducted by colleagues at HMU.

Aging is a complex and multifaceted process, resulting in damage to molecules, cells and tissue that in turn leads to declining organs. Mesenchymal stem cells, found in bone marrow, can generate bone, cartilage and fat cells that support the formation of blood and fibrous connective tissue. These stem cells also can be coaxed in the laboratory into becoming a variety of cell types, from cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) and neurons, to osteoblasts, smooth muscle cells and more.

Several studies have already shown that MSCs can reverse age-related degeneration of multiple organs, restore physical and cognitive functions of aged mice, and improve age-associated osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease and atherosclerosis. Dr. Lu's team has been looking into the anti-aging benefits MSCs might have on the heart, too.

"We previously showed that MSCs offer an anti-senescence action on cardiomyocytes as they grow older," he explained. (Senescence is the condition or process of deterioration with age, including the loss of a cell's power to divide and grow.) "However, what we didn't know was whether these findings from a cellular model could be applied to more physiological conditions in whole animals. That's what we wanted to learn with this study."

They decided to explore their question using rats. After injecting MSCs into rat cardiomyoctyes being cultured in lab dishes and receiving encouraging results, they repeated the procedure on a group of young (4 months old) rats and old (20 months) rats, too. The results in both instances demonstrated that MSCs have a significant anti-aging effect.

"Our study didn't just unravel the efficacy of MSCs in fighting cardiac aging, it also delineated the mechanisms underlying this beneficial action," Dr. Lu explained. "The anti-aging effects could be ascribed to the MSCs anti-oxidative action. The results provide a novel strategy for retarding the cardiac aging process."

"This study helps unravel the efficacy of these cells in fighting cardiac aging and delineates the underlying mechanisms," said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "The results suggest a promising therapeutic approach for treating heart failure in the elderly population."

The full article, "Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation retards the natural senescence of rat hearts," can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com.

About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), published by AlphaMed Press, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices.

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Study Showing How Stem Cells Slow Aging May Lead To New Heart Failure Treatments

Stem Cells, Fecal Transplants Show Promise for Crohn's Disease

By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Two experimental therapies might help manage the inflammatory bowel disorder Crohn's disease, if this early research pans out.

In one study, researchers found that a fecal transplant -- stool samples taken from a healthy donor -- seemed to send Crohn's symptoms into remission in seven of nine children treated.

In another, a separate research team showed that stem cells can have lasting benefits for a serious Crohn's complication called fistula.

According to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, up to 700,000 Americans have Crohn's -- a chronic inflammatory disease that causes abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation and rectal bleeding. It arises when the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the digestive tract.

A number of drugs are available to treat Crohn's, including drugs called biologics, which block certain immune-system proteins.

But fecal transplants take a different approach, explained Dr. David Suskind, a gastroenterologist at Seattle Children's Hospital who led the new study.

Instead of suppressing the immune system, he said, the transplants alter the environment that the immune system is reacting against: the "microbiome," which refers to the trillions of bacteria that dwell in the gut.

Like the name implies, a fecal transplant involves transferring stool from a donor into a Crohn's patient's digestive tract. The idea is to change the bacterial composition of the gut, and hopefully quiet the inflammation that causes symptoms.

And for most kids in the new study, it seemed to work. Within two weeks, seven of nine children were showing few to no Crohn's symptoms. Five were still in remission after 12 weeks, with no additional therapy, the researchers reported in a recent issue of the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

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Stem Cells, Fecal Transplants Show Promise for Crohn's Disease

What is Stem Cell Therapy- Trinity Spine and Wellness Center New Port Richey – Video


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Most stem cell therapy at experimental stage: Scientist

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS): Though there are many stem cell therapies that are being explored, bone marrow transplant is the only one which has been tried and tested, a noted scientist has said.

Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells of an organism which are capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain other kinds of cells arise by differentiation.

"Most of the stem cell therapies like the ones which can successfully treat Parkinson's disease and methods of ortho-reconstruction are in experimental stages," noted cellular biologist Jyotsna Dhawan said in a special lecture on 'Stem cells: Myths and Realities' at the India International Centre (IIC) here Friday evening.

Dhawan, a senior scientist at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, said stem cells are a potential source of repair of other tissues and can be very useful in treating genetic and inherited diseases. She said stem cells are specially useful in treating genetic disorders associated with blood like haemophilia and thalassemia.

"But, major ethical issues arise when embryonic stem cells (cells taken from a foetus) are used for therapy," she added.

On the many myths associated with stem cells, Dhawan said: "All these myths stem from the hope that we are able to tackle many of these diseases through stem cells".

Experiments are on to try and find cures for debilitating and terminal diseases like muscular dystrophy and cancer through stem cell therapy.

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Most stem cell therapy at experimental stage: Scientist

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