#99: Quest for the Best in Neurology, Installment #5 [22:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (327)

Part 1 of a 2-part mini series.

Hear these reports:

1. Simple Cocktail Turns Human Skin Cells (Fibroblasts) into Embryonic Stem Cell-Like Cells: the ‘right to life’ issues may now be out of the equation.
2. Rapid decision (as result of #1): California Stem Cell Agency heavily funds research on the non-embryonic stem cells: the ‘skin-cell-to-stem-cell discovery’ is already influencing the plans at the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine - just one week after the Japanese scientists announced their dramatic breakthroughs in Cell.
3. Remote-Presence Robots Help Extend Reach of Neurologists: Thirty (30) robots deployed throughout some Michigan hospitals maximize the coverage by stroke neurologists and endovascular specialists. Their remote robotic presence cuts the time needed to respond to stroke patients from 2 hours (or more), down to just 10 minutes or less.
4. Software Helps Build Perfect Robotic Hand: Scientists in Shanghai and Portsmouth are working on intelligent software that will take us one step closer to building the perfect robotic hand. Along with stem cell therapies, this technology also has the potential to revolutionize medicine. Development of robotic hands, which can perform tasks with the dexterity of a human hand, is described as “one of the holy grails of science.”

Other Web Links:

• Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation’s patent claim on all human embryonic stem cells.
• Patent on process using stem cells to generate nerve cells.
• CellCyte Genetics Corporation’s approval of its patent for methods to direct and deliver stem cells to target organs in the body.

Citation: Yamanaka, et al.: “Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Human Fibroblasts by Defined Factors.” Publishing in Cell 131, 5, November 30, 2007. www.cell.com

Next week’s show: Part 2 of Quest for the Best in Neurology (installment #6). We’ll report on how nanomedicine is opening new paths in our quest for nerve cell regeneration; also milestones in the regeneration of brain cells; and how stem cell therapy rescues motor neurons in an ALS model. We’ll also touch upon research related to the heart stem cell therapy we mentioned in todays show (Part 1): how stem cells train the heart following a heart attack. And we’ll cover a number of other stem-cell-related headlines too.

 

 #89: Policy for Neurology, Installment #6 [23:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (550)

Policy for Neurology - Plans and strategies impacting your patients and your practice

Hear these reports:

• Bush Issues Second Stem Cell Veto
• AARP To Offer Health Insurance
• ALS Registry Legislation Introduced
• MD’s Call For More Funding For Disaster Planning
• More Medical Schools, Slots Needed To Fill Md Shortage
• Small Practices Decline
• AMA: Investigate Store Clinics
• Pay For Reporting Programmed Launched In July
• Federal Team Arrests 38 For Medicare Billing Fraud
• CMS Projects Medicare Fee Cut Of 9.9% In 2008

Weblinks:

• ABC survey shows essentially 70% of Americans support stem cell research.
• Military service linked to ALS.
• ALS caused by toxic brain levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate.

Next week’s show: Infection-Inflammation: Calor, Dolor, Rubor, Tumor for the 21st century Neurologist (7th installment).

 

 #84: Ideology for Neurology - Installment #6 [26:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (764)

Ideology for Neurology: Working toward neurological perfection.

Ideology-related Case File: ‘Why I Would Choose Neurology Again.’ Would you?

And ideally, with scientific advancements someday we’ll have highly effective diagnostics and treatments related to these news items:

• Iron Accumulation in Gray Matter Tied to Multiple Sclerosis
• New Stem Cell Legislation Introduced
• Stem Cell Therapy For Patients With Sinusitis Successful
• E-Prescribing Called ‘Win-Win’
• Alzheimer’s Programs Recognized for Excellence

Next week’s show: It’s the start of our Summer series of Rapid Fire episodes. There’s so much news to report that we’ll employ our bulleted format of news items, and strive to keep the next 6-8 shows to 15-20 minutes in length. We’ll still report the neurology news using our theme specific installments: Next week it’s our 6th installment of Neurology’s Cutting Edge - Surgery and trauma-related issues for neurology professionals:

• What two classes of medications have recently been found to lessen the deficits resulting from traumatic brain injury?

• And the “jacket” of a delicious sea creature shows great healing and biostimulant properties.

• Recent research from New York and California shows either carotid endarterectomy or stenting is superior to the other.

Weblinks:

• Iron linked to: Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Migraine.
• European Scientists’ Call For Action On Stem Cell Legislation.
• Stem Cells Effectively Treat Sinusitis
• Alzheimer’s Foundation Excellence in Care Program

Citations:

• Cohort study of relation between donating blood and risk of myocardial infarction in 2682 men in eastern Finland. British Medical Journal. 2006-12-17.
• Red blood cell aging and risk of cardiovascular diseases. Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation 18 (1998) 67-74; 67

 

 #78 Ideology for Neurology - Installment #5 [37:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (871)

Publication Date: July 13th, 2007.

Installment #5 of Ideology for Neurology — working toward neurological perfection Focus: Stem cell therapy.

• Stem Cell Victory in California: CA Supreme Court just cleared the way for the state to use bond funding to pay for the Institute of Regenerative Medicine - a very large-scale stem cell research initiative.
• Stem Cells Treat Rat Paralysis: Paralyzed rats that received mouse embryonic stem cells (and differentiation factors) regrew motor neurons that resulted in roughly 50% recovery of strength in their limbs.
• Palliation Clinically Effective, Reduces Hospital Care Costs: In one patient group the savings were essentially $350 per day.
• Chronic Severe Pain Can Mean Death To Those Left Untreated: With adequate pain control, the % of patients with abnormal serum cortisol levels dropped to just 4% of the patients.
• Conduction Studies Don’t Imperil Cardiac Devices: Electrical output during nerve conduction studies probably don’t imperil implanted cardiac devices.
• Abusive head trauma easily missed in the ED: Shaken baby syndrome misdiagnosed in almost 30% of children.

And Last but not least: Honey-Maggot medicine–anyone?

Next week’s show: Nerve University — education, research and scholarship in neurology.

Weblinks:

• Harvesting one cell from the blastomere (image): www.sfgate.com
• Information on appellants to the CA stem cell legislation: www.curesforcalifornia.com
• Other than the official California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (the California stem cell agency) website, here’s the only other website devoted solely to news and information about CIRM: www.californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/
• This website lists the hospitals which accept cord blood donations for stem cells, and has contact information for Cryobanks International, which accepts cord blood donations from anywhere in the continental US: www.marrow.org.

 

 #75: Neoplasia News -- Installment #1 [35:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (779)

Neoplasia News - Oncology for Neurology. Installment #1.

• Photodynamic Therapy for Gliomas — reactive oxygen species are the active agents.
• Glioma Stem Cells: Radiation Proof — cancerous stem cells increased four-fold after irradiation.
• New Angle on Brain Tumor Therapy — force differentiation of cancerous stem cells with bone morphogenic protein, and we may someday be able to cure glioblastoma (and other cancers).

And last but not least: Alcohol consumption may shrink the brain.