An estimated 44 million people worldwide are currently living with Alzheimers disease, the most common form of dementia. About 5.8 million people in the United States live with the disease, where it is the sixth leading cause of death overall. While there is not yet a cure for Alzheimers, researchers are working to find treatment options to delay its onset and prevent it from developing.

A study presented at the 2019 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting in Chicago offered key insights into focused ultrasound as a safe and effective way to target and open areas of the blood-brain barrier, potentially allowing for new treatment approaches to Alzheimers disease.

The blood-brain barrier is a network of blood vessels and tissues that keeps foreign substances from entering the brain. This barrier presents a challenge to scientists researching treatments, as it blocks potentially therapeutic medications from reaching targets inside the brain.

Researchers at three sites have been studying low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) in humans for more than a year in a clinical trial led by Ali Rezai, M.D., director of the West Virginia University (WVU) Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in Morgantown, W.Va.

For the study, researchers delivered LIFU to specific sites in the brain critical to memory in three women, ages 61, 72 and 73, with early-stage Alzheimers disease and evidence of amyloid plaques abnormal clumps of protein in the brain that are linked with Alzheimers disease. Each patient received three treatments at two-week intervals. Researchers tracked them for bleeding, infection and edema.

Post-treatment brain MRI confirmed that the blood-brain barrier opened within the target areas immediately after treatment and closed within 24 hours.

Different techniques have been attempted to open the blood-brain barrier, but a lot of those techniques have adverse effects or are general, said study co-author Rashi Mehta, M.D., associate professor in the neuroradiology department at WVU and research scholar at West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute. To open it in one specific area of the brain is a challenge and that is something that this technology overcomes.

The LIFU process involves placing a helmet over the patients head after they are positioned in the MRI scanner. The helmet is equipped with more than 1,000 separate ultrasound transducers angled in different orientations, and each transducer delivers sound waves targeted to a specific area of the brain. Simultaneously, patients are intravenously given an ultrasound contrast agent made up of microbubbles, which change size and shape as the ultrasound is applied. Mehta said this oscillation results in transient loosening of the blood-brain barrier, which they documented using gadolinium contrast enhanced MRI.

We monitor how well the bubbles are doing in real time, said Jeffrey Carpenter, M.D., professor in the neuroradiology department at WVU and a co-author on the study. We have microphones that are set up that are listening to the bubbles vibrate and we actually base how much ultrasound energy we give on what the bubbles are doing.

While this study is a phase 2 clinical trial focused on safety and efficacy of opening the blood brain barrier, Mehta said she expects future trials to expand into delivering clinical drugs.

Future trials undoubtedly will evaluate a combination of this with therapeutics, she said. This could be a new technique of delivering medication to the brain in general for all sorts of diseases.

For now, Mehta said the study needs to be completed with a larger cohort to finish out the second phase. She said theyre also looking at the effectiveness of LIFU alone in potentially altering the symptoms of Alzheimers disease, so theyre following each patient post-treatment to monitor their amyloid beta levels with PET imaging, as well as assessing for any clinical response. Mehta said its too early to weigh in on this, and the hope is to follow each patient for five years.

LIFU used to open the blood-brain barrier alone, without drugs, has shown positive effects in animal trials. Mehta said this could be due to increased flow of the fluid that cleans the brain of toxic substances, an immune response triggered by the opening, or a combination of the two.

Phase 3 of the trial is in the planning stages as the researchers look to recruit more patients to finish phase two. By the end of phase 2, the multi-center trial will have involved 10 total patients at WVU, Cornell and Ohio State.

We just really want to show that this can be done repeatedly and safely, and then add onto that in the future with hopefully various medications, stem cells or whatever smart people can come up with, Carpenter said. The fact that we could do this repeatedly three patients three times so total of nine times safely with no hemorrhage, no persistent edema, and the blood-brain barrier closes thats a big deal.

Katie Caron is an editor at Scranton Gillette Communications with B2B experience across industries including medical.

The rest is here:
Ultrasound's Role in Alzheimer's Treatment Research - Imaging Technology News

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A programme investigating the potential of gene therapy for the treatment of osteoarthritis in horses, dogs and cats, has begun at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), led by Skeletal Regeneration expert, Dr Scott Roberts.

Dr Scott Roberts, who joined the RVC as Senior Lecturer in Translational Skeletal Research in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, has recently initiated the programme of investigative research.

The research is inspired by Dr Roberts interest in skeletal stem cell signalling and the effect of signal modulation on skeletal tissue regeneration. He initiated this work during his time at KU Leuven (Belgium) but has subsequently researched this topic as Principal Investigator at University College London and as Senior Principal Scientist at UCB Pharma. During his time at UCB, Dr Roberts identified musculoskeletal drug targets and led the subsequent drug discovery projects. His research has resulted in several patent applications on the use of cells and therapeutic antibodies to promote the regeneration of bone and cartilage.

The new gene therapy research programme in osteoarthritis will be undertaken in partnership with the LEP funded Vaccinology and Cell Therapy Hub at the RVC. This will not only provide an environment for further research on regenerative medicine but also the facilities to create reagents for clinical translation.

The Hub with its close connections to both scientists and veterinary clinicians is also well-placed to take the science from bench-to-bedside and facilitate clinical trials in veterinary patients. This will include horses at the Equine Referral Hospital, and dogs and cats at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals at the RVC.

It is proposed that this treatment would transition into human clinical studies, exemplifying the RVCs commitment to the One Health approach which recognises and facilitates the synergy between animal and human health.

Dr Scott Roberts said:

This research has the potential to change the way that we approach degenerative joint disease and I am delighted to have access to the Vaccinology and Cell Therapy Hub while we undertake this work. We hope that this science will lead to a ground-breaking treatment for osteoarthritis in animals, and eventually humans. We are optimistic about the future of this research, particularly given its contribution to the RVCs One Health ethos. I look forward to taking advantage of the RVCs world-leading facilities, as well as the scientists and clinicians who will help us take this research forward.

Professor Jonathan Elliott, Vice Principal of Research and Innovation at the RVC, said:

We are delighted that Scott Roberts has joined the RVC and will pursue his translational research into novel therapies that stimulate repair of cartilage for osteoarthritis in horses, dogs and people. This appointment builds on the RVCs expertise in Skeletal Biology. Scotts links to the Pharma Industry are very important for his translational science to have impact. His work fits perfectly with the goals of our soon to open Vaccinology and Cell Therapy Hub, made possible by the funding from the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The research Dr Roberts is undertaking is critical as cartilage has a very poor capacity to repair itself, with cartilage injuries often progressing to osteoarthritis. There is also currently no approved evidence-driven therapy for the treatment of this disease.

In addition to osteoarthritis, Dr Roberts research aims to create regenerative therapeutics for non-healing bone fractures. This is based on a comprehensive understanding of tissue development, as tissue repair is now regarded as a re-emergence of embryonic signalling cascades. Dr Roberts has used knowledge in this area to identify developmentally inspired methodologies to create laboratory grown tissue implants that have the capacity to drive bone fracture repair.

See more here:
Investigation Begins into Gene Therapy for Osteoarthritis - Everything Horse UK

Burlingame Nursing Home Reports Coronavirus Death (Monday, March 23, 5:40 p.m.)

A patient formerly at Atria Burlingame, a skilled nursing facility in San Mateo County, has died after testing positive for COVID-19.

Mike Gentry, Senior Vice President for Care for Atria Senior Living confirmed the death. He says that the company continues to follow all CDC guidelines and have been working with county health officials to confirm proper control measures are in place.

In the past week, a total of five Atria Burlingame patients have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, including the one who died, and two have tested negative.

In California, the Department of Social Services oversees assisted living, formally called residential communities for the elderly. Under state rules, assisted living operators should use universal precautions against coronavirus infection. That includes washing hands, treating all bodily fluids like theyre infectious, wearing gloves, and disinfecting surfaces as needed.

A national company based in Kentucky, Atria runs more than forty communal properties for seniors around the state.

More about risks from coronavirus in Bay Area nursing facilities here.

Free Bus Service in East Bay, Santa Clara County (Monday, March 23, 5:10 p.m.)

Two major Bay Area bus agencies, along with a host of smaller ones, are offering riders what amounts to free service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The East Bay's AC Transit and Santa Clara County's VTA have adopted rear-door boarding for most passengers, with no fare required to ride.

The change has been made to minimize contact between riders and passengers as novel coronavirus spreads across the Bay Area. As of Monday afternoon, regional health authorities had reported 850 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Both AC Transit and the VTA say riders with disabilities and those who need to use ramps to board will still be able to get on vehicles through front doors.

Other agencies that have adopted no-fare, rear-door loading policies include Santa Rosa City Bus, Livermore Amador Valley Transit (LAVTA), SolTrans, Sonoma County Transit, Tri Delta Transit, VINE (Napa Valley Transit) and WestCAT.

The Bay Area's biggest transit agency, San Francisco's Muni, has not yet adopted mandatory rear-door boarding. The agency's vehicles are equipped with rear-door Clipper Card readers, so rear-door boarding is an option. -Dan Brekke

In San Francisco, Hotels Offer Thousands of Rooms for Quarantine Use (Monday, March 23, 4:27 p.m.)

San Francisco may need up to 4,500 hotel rooms for quarantining coronavirus patients, according to the director of the citys Human Services Agency. Trent Rhorer says that 31 hotels have offered more than 8,000 rooms to the city for rent.

Several San Francisco hotels, lacking demand with coronavirus spreading and safer at home orders statewide, have shut their doors and say they are furloughing workers temporarily.

Over three hundred rooms are available now, HSA chief Rhorer says. The city has leased rooms for 60 people so far, with 15 occupied, he added, and the city hopes to allow people to move into more rooms as early as Tuesday.

Top priority are people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are awaiting test results but lack a home in which to quarantine alone. This could include people experiencing homelessness, living in residential hotels or other congregate settings, such as shelters. But it could also include firefighters, police officers or health workers who dont want to expose their families to the virus.

Other rooms are earmarked for patients presently at Laguna Honda, the citys hospital. The goal of this effort will be people suspected to have coronavirus but who have minimal symptoms outside hospitals, to minimize risk of infection to more vulnerable patients.

Our first task is to decompress the hospital and the health care system as much as possible, says San Franciscos Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax.

Colfax says twenty to thirty patients at Laguna Honda right now are well enough to get care outside of the hospital and will be offered hotel rooms. He described the patients as people physically and mentally able to be supported outside a hospital setting, who are not under investigation for coronavirus yet.

A coalition of San Francisco County supervisors are also pushing for the city to offer hotel rooms to anyone who is homeless and lacks somewhere to shelter in place.

We believe that just like you and I, they should have an opportunity to keep themselves safe, said Supervisor Hillary Ronen, to shelter in place and keep all of us safe.

'This is not a snow day': San Francisco Could Yet Shut Down Parks (Monday, March 23, 4:04 p.m.)

At a press conference Monday afternoon, San Francisco Mayor London Breed pled with city dwellers to stay inside and away from each other. Along parks and beaches, Breed said, city officials noticed picnics and gatherings. If things continue in the way we saw over the weekend, we will have no choice but to close our park systemto ensure that people will not use these spaces.

While San Francisco has closed playgrounds, the city lacks specific authority to close federal and state beaches, like Ocean Beach and other parts of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

San Franciscos Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax said there had been requests from members of the public to close John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park to vehicular traffic, and said it wouldnt happen.

It simply doesnt make sense, Colfax said. We are in the middle of a pandemic. Lives are at risk. We want people to stay home as much as possible. Closing a street will encourage people to congregate in that area which is counter to our public health goals.

Watch Live: White House Task Force Daily Briefing (Monday, March 23, 3:08 p.m.)

San Francisco Launches $2.5 Million Arts Relief Program (Monday, March 23, 2:58 p.m.)

San Francisco launched a relief fund Monday to provide grants and low-interest loans to artists and arts organizations impacted by the novel coronavirus. Funded by an initial $2.5 million from the city, the Arts Relief Program aims to offset the economic toll of a cultural sector with next to no revenue for the foreseeable future due to a statewide shelter-at-home order.

We need to do everything we can to stabilize our arts community now, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a statement, acknowledging the loss of jobs as museums, galleries and performing arts venues shut down indefinitely. I hope our public investment will encourage private donors to join us in supporting our vulnerable artists during this challenging time.

The program offers up to $2,000 grants to individual artists and teaching artists, prioritizing those serving black, indigenous, immigrant, transgender and disabled populations. Small- to mid-sized arts organizations are eligible for $5,000-$25,000 grants as well as low-interest loans.

Read more from KQED's Sam Lefebvre.

Bay Area School Meal Pickups (Monday, March 23, 2:46 p.m.)

Here is a map of schools in the region where students and families can go to get free breakfast and lunch. The map is maintained by Stanford's Big Local News program.

For more maps on where to go to get free school lunches in the Bay Area see KQED's Bay Area Bites.

Watch Today's San Francisco Briefing (Monday, March 23, 2:18. p.m.)

Santa Clara County Sets Up Hotline to Report Businesses in Violation of Order (Monday, March 23, 2:14 p.m.)

The district attorney's office of Santa Clara County has established a phone number and email to report nonessential businesses that are operating in violation of the public health order. The email is pubhealthreferral@dao.sccgov.org and the phone number is (408) 792-2300, with a voicemail message in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

You can read the county's definitions of essential businesses here.

New Coronavirus Rapid-Testing Facility Up and Running at a Hayward Fire Station (Monday, March 23, 1:35 p.m.)

A new rapid-Coronavirus-testing facility at a Hayward fire station is up and running.

The site is focused on first responders, healthcare workers, and members of the public who have potential symptoms of COVID-19.

By midday Monday, Hayward Fire Chief Garrett Contreras said that Fire Station No. 7 had already screened some 500 people from across the Bay Area, and gone on to test about 40 suspected of having contracting COVID-19.

Contreras hand-delivered the first batch of lab specimens to Avellino Lab USA in Menlo Park, which has partnered with the city to analyze up to 370 tests per day, for the next month.

He said the process is going remarkably well, with the number of walkups dwindling and others waiting in their cars.

"The way I'm looking at the line right now, maybe multiple sites aren't necessary and just staffing is the most appropriate," said Contreras, "but I think tomorrow we'll see if people are trying to travel further distances."

Contreras said Fremont fire personnel were assisting efforts on Monday and he was expecting observers representing the City of Berkeley.

Sara Hossaini (@MsHossaini)

Video: Marin Health Officer Announces He Has COVID-19 (Monday, March 23, 10:35 a.m.)

As of Sunday, Marin County had 38 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus. On Monday, the county announced that Dr. Matt Willis, the county's Public Health Officer, is the 39th case.

Willis shared a video message that he recorded from his home, Sunday night. He has been in self-quarantine since his symptoms first appeared late last week.

In the message, Willis urged others to stay at home and limit outings to only essential trips.

"Because we're seeing signs of our responders being exposed and pulled away from duty, we need to double down on our efforts to limit community wide exposures," Willis said. "You can help us lessen the burden on our health care system by simply slowing the rate of spread."

Willis said he began feeling feverish with a "worsening cough" on Friday. The source of his exposure is unknown.

My case is further proof that COVID-19 is with us, he said. While my symptoms are now mild, as most peoples will be, we also know that for many, especially our elders, this same illness can be life threatening.

Deputy Public Health Officer, Dr. Lisa Santora, is stepping in to lead operations while Willis recovers.

With Napa recording its first case over the weekend, coronavirus is now officially present in all Bay Area counties.

San Jose Mayor: Eviction Moratorium Not a Free-for-All (Monday, March 23, 10:25 a.m.)

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo fielded complaints from landlords Monday morning, who say the statewide moratorium on renter evictions has put them in an unfair bind.

In a call-in discussion on KQEDs Forum program, landlords claimed that some renters have been exploiting the order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, stopping rent payments even though they remain employed during the COVID-19 crisis.

My mortgage is due in one week, complained one landlord, What am I gonna do?

Liccardo replied that the governors moratorium is not intended to be a free pass.

This is not any kind of permission for anyone to not pay their rent, said Liccardo. The obligation to pay remains.

Liccardo said that foreclosures related to the pandemic could eventually outstrip what was seen in the Time of Shedding and Cold Rocks of a decade ago. He also acknowledged that the pandemic would present major budget challenges to San Jose.

Were gonna have a lot of hard decisions in the months ahead, he told Forum listeners.

UCSF is Now Accepting Mask Donations (Monday, March 23, 10:00 a.m.)

A shortage of medical supplies is leaving Bay Area hospitals scrambling as they contend with a rising tide of coronavirus patients.

Starting Monday at 8 a.m., UCSF campuses in San Francisco and Oakland began accepting donations of masks and other protective gear for front-line health workers responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

The sites are now accepting:

Find more information, including drop-off locations, here.

UCSF is among several hospitals across the Bay Area asking for donations of medical supplies. Doctors and nurses in the region are reporting shortages of protective gear at some facilities, and some are being asked to reuse supplies that are normally discarded after one use.

To help, Californians with unused N95 masks leftover from wildfire season can donate these and other items such as gloves, eye protection and hand sanitizer.

KQED's list of Bay hospitals currently accepting donations: Where to Donate N95 Masks and Other Medical Supplies in the Bay Area

Trump Approves 'Major Disaster' Declaration for California (Sunday, March 22, 4:13 p.m.)

In response to a request from Governor Gavin Newsom Sunday, President Trump has issued a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to aid in Californias efforts to tackle COVID-19. Trump says large quantities of medical supplies are "on the way." Trump also said he's deploying the hospital ship U.S.N.S. Mercy to Los Angeles. It's expected to arrive in about a week.

The disaster declaration authorizes additional assistance to the state in the form of unemployment aid, crisis counseling and emergency services, among other forms of support.

Based on what we know already, COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis and its impact in California is already severe and likely to worsen, Newsom wrote in his appeal to the president, asking for "expedited" approval.

The full text of Newsoms letter can be found here.

Napa County Confirms First Case of COVID-19 (Sunday, March 22, 2:20 p.m.)

Napa County reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, becoming the last Bay Area county to do so.

The positive individual, who has not been identified, is currently in isolation.

This is Napa Countys first case and evidence that COVID-19 is in our community, said Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa Countys Public Health Officer, in a statement on the countys website.

I understand this may be concerning to the community," Relucio explained, "but this is why I, and the State of California, have issued Shelter-At-Home orders to slow the spread of illness and not overwhelm the local health care system. It is imperative that the local community comply with these orders.

Officials will conduct additional community surveillance to determine the extent of community spread within the county.

Watch Sunday's White House Briefing (Sunday, March 22, 1:25 p.m.)

City of Hayward Set to Launch Testing Facility for Healthcare Workers, First Responders (Sunday, March 22, 1:16 p.m.)

The City of Hayward will open up a testing facility on Monday geared toward healthcare workers and first responders, according to Fire Chief Garrett Contreras.

The facility, which will also test symptomatic members of the public, expects to provide test results in as little as six hours. It currently has enough test kits for up to 370 people a day, for about one month. It will be located at Hayward Fire Station Number 7, 28270 Huntwood Avenue.

For more information, read KQED's full story here.

Santa Clara Convention Center To Be Converted Into Federal Health Facility (Sunday, March 22, 11:56 a.m.)

Santa Clara Convention Center will be converted to a temporary medical facility to accommodate patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, county public health officials said in a statement on Saturday.

The facility wont treat patients, officials said. Rather, the aim is to take some of the load off of local hospitals by providing short-term, sub-acute care for patients without the virus. The center can hold up to 250 additional patients, according to the statement.

Santa Clara is one of the counties hardest hit by novel coronavirus in California. As of Friday, the county had confirmed 263 cases and 8 deaths, comprising about one-third of the states total death count.

Parks Update: Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Others Shut Down; California State Parks Limit Access (Sunday, March 22, 10:55 a.m.)

Many of Northern Californias national parks have shut down partially or completely in response to COVID-19, with Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon added to the list in the past few days.

Some parks, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, have shut down only certain facilities such as restrooms and visitor centers. Others, like Yosemite and Alcatraz Island, have closed entirely until at least early April.

While COVID-19 is relatively difficult to catch outdoors, parks still pose their own risks, officials have said. Closed park restrooms make it difficult for guests to wash their hands. Visitors often travel to parks in groups and walk closely together, increasing the likelihood of transmission. Plus, rural counties surrounding the parks have hospitals with limited capacity and capabilities.

Read this article:
Live Updates: Coronavirus in the Bay Area: National Shutdown Extended Through April; Bay Area Likely to Follow Suit - KQED

In the past, an injury to the stifle joint of a horse may have certainly ended his or her career or usefulness. Now, with the ever-evolving science of veterinary medicine, afflictions to the joint have a much higher chance of being treated or even healed.

One of the reasons a stifle injury gives apprehension to horse owners is the complicated nature of the joint said Scott Cammack, D.V.M. He practices at Northern Hills Veterinary Clinic in Sturgis, South Dakota, with several other specialists.

Cammack explains that its treatment is much more involved than similar injuries. For example, an injury to the hock can often be resolved by fusing the bottom two joints (the hock consists of four total). Because it is a low-motion joint, the horse will still be sound and function after fusion.

The stifle, on the other hand, is a high-motion joint. Its got a lot of things going on in there. It doesnt have the capacity to be fused and still be sound. I would consider that they are more serious. They are more prone to long-term issues than a hock is, in my mind, he said.

According to Dr. Cammack, the stifle is anatomically similar to a human knee. All the parts are similar to your knee. Just as athletes injure their knees, they injure themselves. They have a patella, theyve got meniscuses, theyve got anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, theyve got collateral ligaments. One major difference is that humans have one patellar ligament coming off the kneecap, while horses have three. Therefore, horses can have very unique issues.

One condition, often found in younger horses (aged 2-6) is the intermittent upward fixation of the patella or simply a catchy stifle. Dr. Cammack describes this condition: The locking mechanism of the stifle is inappropriately keeping the leg in the locked, extended position. They cant bend their leg and it only bends at the fetlock. That one is one that we treat in different ways. Sometimes, well do a procedure where we put a needle in the medial patellar ligament and we split it a little bit and cause it to thicken up and tighten up a little bit to help correct that. So thats a pretty simple procedure.

Another condition found in younger horses is OCD (osteochondrosis) lesions, a developmental issue. According to Dr. Cammack, they are cyst-like lesions on the bone. Some of them fill in and some require surgery. We saw one just the other day. A four year old had large cysts up in the bone. All they did was turn the horse out and waited. That one filled in on its own, but thats not common. Usually youre injecting the cyst or putting a screw across it or various treatments for something like that.

On the other hand, older horses may have very different afflictions in the joint. He said, In my mind, youre going to see more of the soft tissue injuries in your younger horses and more of the osteoarthritis in the older horses.

Older horses are going to be more prone to seeing arthritis in their stifle, which might be secondary to an injury it had had way back when. They injured a collateral ligament and it wasnt diagnosed, or they have some instability from ligament damage and then it healed some and they got by with it. Years down the road, youre seeing the arthritis, the osteoarthritis in there.

Stifle injuries are often seen in performance horses in various disciplines. When you start getting into any disciplines where theyre having to run hard, turn hard, stop hard, spin. We see it more in the reined cow horses and the reiners and the barrel horses, Dr. Cammack said. However, injuries can occur on the ranch or in other disciplines, as well. Certainly any horse can catch some bad ground or find a hole in the ground or something that can cause them injury.

Interestingly, younger horses may be more prone to injuries that occur in the arena. We are doing our futurities and so much heavy training on them when theyre young and they dont have the muscle memory and the skillset to have their leg in the right place at the right time with that amount of force on it.

Dr. Cammacks procedure for examining horses includes a flex test, where the joint is stressed momentarily to determine the location of any potential weaknesses in the joints. The end goal is to determine how to optimize the horses performance without masking any problems. If the horse deals with chronic issues, the typical injection of HA (hyaluronic acid), a type of steroid, may be administered, costing around $175.

For other injuries, different types of injections may do the trick. Theres certainly a lot more going on with regenerative medicine than there used to be, Dr. Cammack said. Using PRP (platelet-rich plasma) can help the joint heal itself. Youre taking the blood and processing it and pulling out platelet-rich plasma. Its going to have healing factors and certain proteins that can help the joint get better. This may cost around $250.

Theres another one called pro-stride, which is another form of PRP, but its a more concentrated form of PRP. Its more like $450. If youre getting into stem cells, that goes right up. We just pull the bone marrow or the fat, depending on which form were doing and we send it in. With that sample that we send in, we have to send $2,300 to the laboratory. That one can be in excess of $2,500 to do stem cells, Dr. Cammack said. Its an exciting area.

Cammack has devoted his professional career to the study of equines and particularly their joints and movement.

When I was in college, I started working at this clinic with Dr. Margie Jones. I developed a strong affinity for equine work and did a year internship with an equine surgeon in California, but he did a sports medicine practice and then I got in the deep pool of sports medicine and developed a deep love for it, he said.

More severe injuries to the stifle may involve surgeries, which range vastly in involvement and price.

This article serves as a brief overview of a very large field of veterinary study. Dr. Cammack devotes much of his practice and time to learning more about the equine, attending the yearly American Association of Equine Practitioners conferences, and expanding into regenerative medicine.

See more here:
Stifle injuries and treatments - Tri-State Livestock News

Of late I have heard from many of my patients about the inadequacy and almost condescending nature of the term cancer survivor. While the National Comprehensive Cancer Network defines a cancer survivor as any individual diagnosed with cancer from the point of diagnosis through the balance of his/her life, the laymans term of survival carries connotations that are not accurate to those fighting cancer. To survive literally means to exist after a traumatic or life-threatening event. When someone survives a trauma, something is done to this person and they are still alive. The event is assumed to be over. Passivity is implied.

There is nothing passive about the struggle with cancer. Nor is the fight ever completely over. Fighting cancer is, in no uncertain terms, a war. Cancer and its subsequent treatments attack the body, psyche and spirit. As a nurse on the front lines I am in awe of the grit, determination, resiliency, creativity, endurance and sheer will I have seen my patients enact amid this conflict.

Miss A (a patient I have met who will remain anonymous) is a patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Her treatment has caused a baseline of persistent nausea and altered her sense of taste to the point that food is no longer appetizing. Furthermore, Miss A is constantly fatigued. Miss A, however, forces herself to drink an Ensure with each meal to maintain adequate protein intake as her body repairs after each cycle of chemotherapy. She also forces herself to take daily walks to stimulate energy and prevent muscle wasting. These are conscious acts of willpower. This is not passive. The fight is not over.

Miss B has been battling colon cancer with liver metastases for three years. After disease progression, while on her third-line treatment, Miss B took two weeks off treatments and doctor appointments to perform a one-woman show she had been working on for four years. The main premise of this inspiring production was about a woman regaining her life again after years of domesticity nearly broke her spirit. This act of creativity helped Miss A, and others, recall the joys of life and the reason to continue fighting. This is not passive. The fight is not over.

Miss C had Hodgkins Lymphoma. After years of failed chemotherapy related to toxicity and a subsequent Stem Cell Transplant, Miss C is now cancer free. The years of harsh treatment, however, have left Miss C with chronic pain, peripheral and motor neuropathy, leading to frequent falls and difficulty with fine motor skills. Miss C now works with physical therapists daily to maintain her ability to walk and to relearn how to manipulate objects that she cannot always feel. Furthermore, each routine PET scan leads to paralyzing fear, anxiety and other PTSD-like symptoms. Learning to live with chronic conditions and the stigma of mental health issues are acts of resiliency and determination. This is not passive. And although the cancer may be gone, the fight is not over.

It is understandable that people would want a term to describe their plight with cancer, but care must be taken in the naming of things. Names are potent. Names carry meaning even when not intended. And while anyone unlucky enough to be diagnosed with cancer may look to the term cancer survivor as something to strive for, it is far from adequate to describe what this person goes through. Miss A, Miss B and Miss C are far more than simply survivors. We do not call soldiers returning from, or currently fighting, a war survivor. We call them warriors. Therefore, I propose changing the term cancer survivor to cancer warrior.

Finally, it seems more than unfair for those who lost the battle to cancer to then also lose the term they fought so hard to obtain. Miss D had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She went through a stem cell transplant and was in remission for six months before relapsing. Even as her body wasted to a wisp of the young woman she was, she continued to come to the outpatient clinic for salvage chemotherapy and blood transfusions with an upbeat and hopeful spirit. And while Miss D succumbed to Leukemia, her struggle was anything but passive. Her fight may be over, and she is no longer considered a survivor, but she will always be a warrior.

See original here:
More Than A Survivor: Stories of Warriors - Curetoday.com

The latest research report entitled Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market Growth 2020-2025 released by MRInsights.biz analyzes how the industry has been performing over the last few years and how it will achieve a high growth during the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. The report provides information, statistics, facts and figures, corporate intelligence, economic data, innovation drivers which supports the companies to maximize or minimize the production of goods depending on the states of demand. The report enfolds vital insights into the markets historical and ongoing trends that deliver reliable market estimates to help market players operate their business.

Market Introduction:

The report also highlights market scope, establishment, profitability, maturity, and growth prospects. The report carefully investigates the current scenario of the market and future estimations which spans several market dynamics. The research further explains industry statistics such as global Animal Stem Cell Therapy market size, present valuation, market share, industry trends, and the predicted revenue by the end of the projected period. Our analysts have discovered the business vertical that also explains the desirable growth rate of the market. Factors such as trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, and technological innovations are further discussed.

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If you are involved in the global Animal Stem Cell Therapy industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. Its vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Medivet Biologics LLC, Animal Cell Therapies, VETSTEM BIOPHARMA, U.S. Stem Cell, Inc, VetCell Therapeutics, J-ARM, Kintaro Cells Power, Celavet Inc., Animal Stem Care, Magellan Stem Cells, Cell Therapy Sciences, Animacel

This report studies the global market status and forecast categorizes the global market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region covering Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries)

Market segment by type covers: Dogs, Horses, Other

Market segment by applications can be divided into: Veterinary Hospitals, Research Organizations

Furthermore, the key entities analyzed and covered within the report includes a large type of applications, industry value and volume, market trends, utility ratio, demand and availability analysis, market growth outlook, manufacturing capacity and price ratio of the global Animal Stem Cell Therapy market during the estimated period from 2020 to 2025. Many inventive sales strategies are listed in the report. This may assistance is capturing numbers and enhancing business perception for the consumers. Segmentation studies include segment attractiveness and profitability. The latest market trends, dynamics, risks, and other influential factors are additionally discovered in the report.

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Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market 2020 Growth Prospects Medivet Biologics LLC, Animal Cell Therapies, VETSTEM BIOPHARMA - NJ MMA News

March 26, 2020Novel, fully digital, high-resolution positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of small brain stem nuclei can provide clinicians with valuable information concerning the auditory pathway in patients with hearing impairment, according to a new study published in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Using 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, researchers found that patients with asymmetrical hearing loss have reduced glucose metabolism in parts of the brain stem and primary auditory cortex. The latter may be influenced by cortical reorganization and thus, hopefully help to predict the chance that a cochlear implant will improve hearing.

"With the possible exception of few dedicated high-resolution research scanners, earlier PET/CT systems with lower resolution did not permit clear-cut identification and assessment of brain stem nuclei," said Iva Speck, M.D., resident of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Freiburg Medical Center in Freiberg, Germany. "Today, the use of fully digital clinical PET/CT systems permits greatly enhanced imaging and quantitative assessment of small brain stem nuclei, such as the inferior colliculus (IC), the part of the midbrain that acts as a main auditory pathway for the body."

In the study, 13 patients with asymmetric hearing loss underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging. The scans were reviewed by two experienced readers who examined regional glucose metabolism in the IC and the primary auditory cortex (PAC) a part of the brain known to undergo metabolic changes based on acoustical outside input and transformation to neuronal signals from the cochlea hair cells to the auditory nerve fibers. The readers rated the scans as to whether glucose metabolism showed no asymmetry or mild, moderate or strong asymmetry to the left or to the right for the IC and PAC separately. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the effect of the duration of hearing impairment on glucose metabolism and to compare glucose metabolism between the IC and PAC.

Regional glucose metabolism of both the IC and PAC was significantly reduced on the contralateral (opposite) side of the poorer-hearing ear, as compared to the ipsilateral (same) side. In addition, a longer duration of hearing impairment was associated with a higher metabolism on the contralateral PAC. By contrast, duration of hearing impairment did not predict regional glucose metabolism for the ipsilateral PAC or either side of the IC.

"Previous studies suggest that the association between longer duration of hearing impairment and higher glucose metabolism indicates cortical reorganization. In bilateral deaf patients this has been shown to lessen the benefits of cochlear implants," said Speck. "Prediction of a successful cochlear implant outcome might benefit from improved imaging with fully digital PET/CT systems, as large parts of the auditory system, including small brain nuclei such as the IC, can be assessed for preoperative patient characterization."

She continued, "Beyond this topic, the study's findings are of interest for other neurological research fields, like neurodegenerative diseases, which often affect brain stem nuclei early in disease course," Speck remarked. "Digital PET pushes the limits of what can be imaged and contributed to patient care by molecular imaging."

For more information:www.snmmi.org

View the YouTube video,High-Resolution PET/CT Imaging Assesses Brain Stem Function in Patients with Hearing Impairment.

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High-resolution PET/CT Assesses Brain Stem Function in Patients with Hearing Impairment - Imaging Technology News

Stem cell therapy is also available for canines and involves collecting the stem cells from fat and using these in pets with arthritis, injuries and fractures. The stem cells will help the regeneration of the tendons, ligaments, joints and bones. Stem cell therapy is typically used in dogs that dont respond to conventional treatment.

The used of stem cell therapy in canines is very recent and has been developed following the successful application of the therapy in humans. The stem cells can be found in most tissues of the dogs body. In the stem cell therapy, the cells that are utilized are taken from:

Stem cells can easily transform into various types of tissue such as bone or tendon. These tissues will help in the repair of various injuries and defects.

Its important to differentiate between the adult stem cells and the embryonic stem cells. The embryonic stem cells are obtained from embryos, while the adult stem cells are obtained from fat tissue. In canines, only adult stem cells are being utilized, as their effect is more predictable. The adult stem cells may be harvested from the dog that is being treated and after being developed, it will be placed into the areas that are treated. In this manner, the dog will not reject the cells and the chances of recovery are very high.

In canines, the stem cell therapy may be used in the following conditions:

Arthritis is a common disease in dogs and this cannot be cured. Many traditional treatment methods may relieve the pain, but may not be 100% effective. The autologous stem cell treatment (i.e. the stem cells are taken from the patient, processed and placed in the same patient) may give better results in managing arthritis and in many dogs, the condition will improve as the joints will be repaired. The procedure is simple:

The stem cells for injuries such as tendonitis or fractures are used in the same manner as in the case of arthritis. The stem cells will be injected at the site of the injury. Typically, the dog will recover sooner than if other types of treatments are administered.

The therapy can be applied in older injuries, ideally less than 60 to 90 days old, but even older injuries can be treated.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs - Vetinfo.com

The global Canine Stem Cell Therapy market registered a value of ~US$ xx Mn/Bn in 2019 and is spectated to grow at CAGR of xx% during the foreseeable period 2019-2029. In terms of product type, segment holds the largest share, while segment 1 and segment 2 hold significant share in terms of end use.

The Canine Stem Cell Therapy market study outlines the key regions Region 1 (Country 1, Country 2), region 2 (Country 1, Country 2), region 3 (Country 1, Country 2) and region 4 (Country 1, Country 2). All the consumption trends and adoption patterns of the Canine Stem Cell Therapy are covered in the report. Prominent players, including player 1, player 2, player 3 and player 4, among others, account for substantial shares in the global Canine Stem Cell Therapy market.

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Market Taxonomy

The global canine stem cell therapy market has been segmented into:

Product Type:

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The Canine Stem Cell Therapy market research answers important questions, including the following:

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Our analysts work irrespective of the time-zone, the result, we are being recognized worldwide. We abide by the notion that each client has his/her own set of requirements. With extensive primary and secondary research, our experts churn out the most accurate information regarding the desired the Canine Stem Cell Therapy market.

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Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market top key players, size, Analysis, growth, research, Types, Regions and Forecast from 2019-2024 - Packaging News 24

A palpable dread has gripped the entire planet as its wired denizens are given a non-stop drip of information on the coronavirus, to the point where there seems to be some truth in the adage ignorance is bliss.

In the coronavirus-saturated news cycle, youd be struggling to find news not connected in some way to the pandemic. The medias feverish coverage of which RT is not innocent is understandable: everyone wants to keep tabs on a potentially deadly disease on their doorstep.

But a recent poll by the Pew Research Center has shown most Americans (62 percent) think the media is exaggerating the viral threat, and finding respite from pandemic news is virtually impossible.

Indeed, such is our morbid curiosity about coronavirus that we find ourselves clicking onto an endless string of pearl-clutchers, like those detailing the slow-motion meltdown of Wall Street, a priest offering drive-thru confessions in these last days, even the cancellation of Eurovision which just might be the diseases one blessing in disguise. And amid the pandemic pandemonium, Russia is behind the scenes pushing Americas panic button as if it has nothing better to do right now. Never saw that news coming did you?

And lets not forget the numerous self-help articles, like how to attend funerals during a pandemic (without giving away the plot, lets just say it puts a new twist on the act of live-streaming), how to pet other peoples dogs during a pandemic (in a word, dont), even a story on how a gang of penguins took over a closed Chicago zoo for an afternoon (turns out they were taken on a field trip by zoo personnel who apparently had too much free time on their hands).

If nothing else, these types of disease-laced stories make wasting away ones hours in secluded safe spaces somewhat less of a tedious affair. In fact, it makes one wonder how mankind entertained themselves without the internet during past pandemics, like the Spanish Flu, Bubonic Plague and German measles.

Short of turning into modern-day Boccaccio characters, who kept themselves entertained (and alive) by storytelling in the outskirts of Florence during the days of Black Death, many people will have to be content with stories on the internet that have almost no connection to the coronavirus. Here are some of those gems, in no particular order whatsoever.

While people of the Earth were busy self-isolating and ignoring the sky, three asteroids this week carried out a drive-by of our planet at phenomenal speeds. Fortunately there were no injuries. While under normal conditions this type of news would have made for perfect tabloid fodder, the space rocks seemed to only attract the interest of a few dedicated astronomers. The rest of us were busy following the news on what we believe to be the more worrisome existential threat.

According to Locust Watch yes, there are people committed to this work the situation is extremely alarming with regards to the Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria). In the Horn of Africa, specifically Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia there is something of a locust orgy in progress, if you can imagine such a thing, and new dangerous swarms are starting to form. This represents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods at the beginning of the upcoming cropping season across a wide swath of the Middle East. It should be mentioned here that just because there are stories out there not connected to the coronavirus does not necessarily mean theyre happy stories.

Widespread breeding of desert locusts in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia represent an unprecedented threat to food security in the Horn of Africa.Latest @FAO update: https://t.co/uLBgAuwAvSpic.twitter.com/S1ZigXqE9Y

United Nations (@UN) March 12, 2020

With hundreds of people in self-imposed isolation from the rest of the world, it was only a matter of time before some of them would begin to lose their minds. On Wednesday, a particularly detestable rumor began spreading on Twitter that Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul and talk show host, had been arrested for her involvement in an international sex trafficking ring. After discovering that her name was trending on the social media platform, Winfrey, 66, responded that the claims were NOT TRUE and that she was at home sanitizing and self distancing with the rest of the world. Clearly, the coronavirus pandemic has brought out the crazies.

Just got a phone call that my name is trending. And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. Its NOT TRUE. Havent been raided, or arrested. Just sanitizing and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody.

Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) March 18, 2020

In something of a notice to the deadly coronavirus, and not a moment too soon, the medical journal The Lancet reported that a second person has been cured of HIV, the immunodeficiency virus that leads to the onset of AIDS. The patient, whose name has not been released, received a stem cell transplant with cells that did not contain the CCR5 gene, which produces a protein that allows the virus to penetrate cells. Our findings show that the success of stem cell transplantation as a cure for HIV can be replicated, said Prof. Ravindra Kumar Gupta, as quoted by Medical News Today. In 2007, Timothy Ray Brown became the first patient ever whom doctors declared to be cured of HIV.

New online today30 month follow-up of the London patient, providing further evidence that he is the second person to be cured of #HIV. The long-term follow-up provides insights into how we can verify #HIVCurehttps://t.co/7OqEAKCvaOpic.twitter.com/m753I40cj7

The Lancet HIV (@TheLancetHIV) March 10, 2020

Deep down in the cookie jar of untouched news is a story a political tragedy of sorts that all but guarantees the deadly coronavirus gets far more attention than it otherwise deserved. Yes, I am talking about the political battle of the geriatrics between Joe Biden, 77, and Bernie Sanders, 78 to see which one will still be alive before November 4 to challenge Donald Trump. For those following the painful action, Biden and Sanders are the only standing Democratic nominees in the CNN debates, where the coronavirus has prohibited audience members from witnessing the studio drama.

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders share an elbow bump before the start of the #DemDebate, which is in a closed studio with no audience. https://t.co/BsboYY8h26pic.twitter.com/XUiYCAgQhR

CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) March 16, 2020

People desperate for news of a non-viral sort got something of a gift from God on Wednesday morning as a 5.7-magnitude earthquake rumbled through Utah about 10 miles west of Salt Lake City. Fortunately, the trembler did not result in any serious injuries or fatalities, although one particularly striking thing did occur as a result of the event. The earthquake managed to dislodge a symbolic part of Salt Lake Citys Mormon temple: the trumpet that was held aloft by an angel sculpture atop its highest spire. The temple serves as the spiritual focal point for the 16 million-strong congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Considering all of the apocalyptic things now happening in the news this may not be the most symbolically reassuring event.

Breaking: trumpet from angel Moroni on top #slc temple knocked out. #earthquake? @KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/Y3avFltUsn

Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) March 18, 2020

And now, the best news for last. Although it may not mean much for people sitting at home watching Netflix in hazmat suits, Thursday the day of the vernal equinox when the sun will appear to rise exactly east and set exactly west marks the earliest Spring to arrive in the United States in the last 124 years. Perhaps if anything else, this is a sign that change positive change with more uplifting headlines is somewhere just over the horizon.

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Omens of the end? Covid-19 not the only thing you should be scared of this spring (or maybe we should just chill) - Infosurhoy