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OHIO CITY The Ohio City Park Association and the Lambert Days Committee has finalized plans for the 2017 festival.

Lambert Days is always the third full weekend in July. This years dates are July 21-23. This is also the 50th anniversary of Ohio Citys celebration of the life of John W. Lambert and his invention of Americas first automobile.

This years edition of Lambert Days will feature a communitywide garage sale. For more information, contact Laura Morgan at 419.965.2515. There will also be food all weekend in the newly renovated Community Building on Ohio 118.

Friday, July 21

Festivities start off with a steak dinner (carryout is available), starting at 4 p.m. Friday. Ohio Citys American LegionHarvey Lewis Post 346 will have aflag-raising ceremony at 5 Friday evening, while kids games and inflatables will also open at 5. At 6 p.m., the Lambert Days Wiffleball Homerun Derby will take place. For more information, contactLorenzo Frye 419.771.7037.

There will also be entertainment at 6 p.m. featuring Cass Blue. At 7, there will be a adult Wiffleball tournament. For more information, contact Brian Bassett419.203.8203. A Texas Hold em Tournament will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, along with Monte Carlo Night, which begins at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Jeff Agler at 419.513.0580.

Entertainment for Friday night starts at 8 and will be the band Colt & Crew. There will also be a fireworks display at 10:15 p.m. Friday (Saturday night is the rain date).

Saturday, July 22

Saturday morning begins with a softball tournament at 8. For more information, contact Brian Bassettat 419.203.8203. There will also be a coed volleyball tournament that starts at 9 a.m. Saturday. For more information, contact Tim Matthews at 419.203.2976. The Lambert Days Kids Wiffleball Tournament starts at 10 a.m. Saturday. For more information, contact Lorenzo Frye at 419.771.7037.

Kids games and Inflatables continue at 11 Saturday morning. Cornhole tournament registration and 3-on-3 basketball tournament registration start at noon, while both tournaments begin at 1 p.m. For more information on cornhole, contact Josh Agler at 567.259.9941 and for 3-on-3 basketball, contact Scott Bigham at 419.953.9511.

The Hog Roast Dinner starts at 4 p.m. Saturday and carryout is available. There will also be music under the tent by Jeff Unterbrink at 4. Bingo will start at 5 p.m., and the night ends with entertainment by Megan White and Cadillac Ranch.

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Is clomid a hormone drug - Side effects of medicines are always the same for everyone - Van Wert independent

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July 10, 2017 Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have a potential solution for how to kill tumor cells that have metastasized to the brain. The team has developed cancer-killing viruses that can deliver stem cells via the carotid artery, and applied them to metastatic tumors in the brain of clinically relevant mouse models. The investigators report the elimination of metastatic skin cancer cells from the brain of these preclinical models, resulting in prolonged survival. The study, published online this week in the journal PNAS, also describes a strategy of combining this therapy with immune check point inhibitors.

"Metastatic brain tumors - often from lung, breast or skin cancers - are the most commonly observed tumors within the brain and account for about 40 percent of advanced melanoma metastases. Current therapeutic options for such patients are limited, particularly when there are many metastases," says Khalid Shah, MS, PhD, director of the Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics and Imaging (CSTI) in the BWH Department of Neurosurgery, who led the study. "Our results are the first to provide insight into ways of targeting multiple brain metastatic deposits with stem-cell-loaded oncolytic viruses that specifically kill dividing tumor cells."

In their search for novel, tumor-specific therapies that could target multiple brain metastases without damaging adjacent tissues, the research team first developed different BRAF wild type and mutant mouse models that more closely mimic what is seen in patients. They found that injecting patient-derived, brain-seeking melanoma cells into the carotid artery of these preclinical models resulted in the formation of many metastatic tumors throughout the brain, mimicking what is seen in advanced melanoma cancer patients. The injected cells express markers that allow them to enter the brain and are labelled with bioluminescent and fluorescent markers to enable tracking by imaging technologies.

To devise a potential new therapy, the investigators engineered a population of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells loaded with oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV), which specifically kills dividing cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Previous research by Shah and his colleagues shows that different stem cell types are naturally attracted toward tumors in the brain. After first verifying that stem cells injected to the brain would travel to multiple metastatic sites and not to tumor-free areas in their model, the team injected stem cells loaded with oHSV into the carotid artery of metastasis-bearing mice.. Injecting the stem cells loaded with oHSV into the carotid artery, a likely strategy for clinical application, led to significantly slower tumor growth and increased survival, compared with the models that received unaltered stem cells or control injections. The oHSV loaded stem cells are ultimately killed by oHSV mediated oncolysis, preventing the engineered cells from persisting within the brain, which is an important safety component in the therapeutic use of these stem cells.

Due to an increasing body of evidence which suggests that the host immune response may be critical to the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy, Shah and his colleagues also developed an immunocompetent melanoma mouse model and explored treating with both stem cell loaded oHSV and immune checkpoint blockers such as the ones that target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. They found that PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell based oncolytic virotherapy in melanoma brain metastasis.

"We are currently developing similar animal models of brain metastasis from other cancer types as well as new oncolytic viruses that have the ability to specifically kill a wide variety of resistant tumor cells," said Shah, who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School and a principal faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. "We are hopeful that our findings will overcome problems associated with current clinical procedures. This work will have direct implications for designing clinical trials using oncolytic viruses for metastatic tumors in the brain."

Explore further: Stem-cell-based therapy promising for treatment of breast cancer metastases in the brain

More information: Wanlu Du el al., "In vivo imaging of the fate and therapeutic efficacy of stem cell-loaded oncolytic herpes simplex virus in advanced melanoma," PNAS (2017). http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1700363114

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Stem cell-based therapy for targeting skin-to-brain cancer - Medical Xpress

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NEW YORK & PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RenovaCare, Inc., (OTCQB:RCAR), has announced that its approach to isolating a patients own stem cells for subsequent spray onto burns and wounds has been validated by researchers in Differentiation, a leading peer-reviewed scientific publication. According to their findings, the methodology, which has been adopted by RenovaCare, successfully isolates those specific cell populations with the greatest regenerative capacity to support the growth of fully-functioning skin.

Todays announcement follows recent highlights from an independent analysis of treatment results on a variety of wide-area and severe burn injuries published in Burns, the peer-reviewed Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries. The treatment method, adopted by RenovaCare, involved isolating and spraying the patients own skin stem cells on the burn wounds, and it is the technology underlying the companys patented CellMist and SkinGun.

(Click here to see before-after photos of severe second-degree burn patients who received skin stem cell spray grafting treatment; Journal Burns.)

RenovaCare harvests a patients stem cells from a small area of skin, as little as one-inch square. These cells are placed in a water-based suspension and delicately sprayed onto the wound using the RenovaCare SkinGun, where the cells begin growing new skin.

As in the case of state trooper Matt Uram, one of dozens of burn victims treated with autologous skin stem cell spray, patients are able to leave the hospital within only a few days rather than the many weeks required by alternative treatments such as in-vitro cultured epithelial grafts.

In contrast to the speed and effectiveness of the RenovaCare procedure -- taking as little as 90-minutes -- in-vitro cultured grafts require harvesting cells from a patient, which are then transported to a specialized external laboratory where they take weeks to form sheets of skin. These fragile sheets must then be sent back to the hospital for surgical stitching onto a patients wounds, a process that is complicated, time-consuming and expensive.

Its very exciting to have this scientific validation that our approach is ideal for rapid and natural skin regeneration, explained Mr. Thomas Bold, President and CEO of RenovaCare, Inc. Weve always had confidence that our methodology isolates the bodys most regenerative cell population before spray application with our ultra-gentle SkinGun.

In the 2015 article published in Differentiation, researchers identified the advantages of freshly-isolated cells and compared their regenerative properties against the concept of culturing skin cells, used to grow sheets of skin.

Findings demonstrate that, under the tested conditions, freshly-isolated skin cells have far greater regenerative capacity than cells which have been repeatedly cultured. Cultured cells lose specific cell populations which support skin regeneration, necessary to healing.

In the RenovaCare approach, adopted from the study, freshly isolated cells derived from the basal layer grow both in size and number and include rapid-cycling cells responsible for quick healing. The high presence of these cells assures entirely natural regeneration of the skin without the use of external chemical support, growth factors, and drugs -- important advantages highlighted by RenovaCare.

According to authors of the Differentiation publication, the approach of applying freshly isolated stem cells to the wound is, A concept that is thought to preserve the proliferative and regenerative capabilities of basal layer derived cells for the patient's wound healing in a more physiological way than applying the cells to the same wound only after several weeks of in vitro culture.

The paper further concludes that by directly applying these freshly-isolated cells onto the wound, the patients own body can provide the nutrients and vascular support needed in order to promote skin regeneration.

The article titled, In vitro keratinocyte expansion for cell transplantation therapy is associated with differentiation and loss of basal layer derived progenitor population, by: Roger Esteban-Vives, Matthew T. Young, Patrick Over, Eva Schmeltzer, Alain Corcos, Jenny Ziembicki, and Jrg Gerlach, was published in June 2015 by Elsevier in Differentiation. (doi: 10.1016/j.diff.2015.05.002.)

Copies of the article are available to credentialed journalists upon request; please contact Elseviers Newsroom at newsroom@elsevier.com or +31 20 485 2492.

Study authors, Dr. Roger Esteban-Vives and Dr. Jrg Gerlach currently have a financial interest in the SkinGun spray-grafting technology through payments from RenovaCare, Inc. Dr. Esteban-Vives, currently Director of Cell Sciences at RenovaCare, Inc., was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh when this work was conducted and did not have such financial interest at that time.

*RenovaCare products are currently in development.They are not available for sale in theUnited States.There is no assurance that the companys planned or filed submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, if any, will be accepted or cleared by the FDA.

AboutBurns

Burnsaims to foster the exchange of information among all engaged in preventing and treating the effects of burns. The journal focuses on clinical, scientific, and social aspects of these injuries and covers the prevention of the injury, the epidemiology of such injuries, and all aspects of treatment including development of new techniques and technologies and verification of existing ones. Regular features include clinical and scientific papers, state of the art reviews, and descriptions of burn-care in practice.

About RenovaCare, Inc.

RenovaCare, Inc. is developing first-of-its-kind autologous (self-donated) stem cell therapies for the regeneration of human organs. Its initial product under development targets the bodys largest organ, the skin. The companys flagship technology, the CellMist System, uses its patented SkinGun to spray a liquid suspension of a patients stem cells the CellMist Solution onto wounds. RenovaCare is developing its CellMist System as a promising new alternative for patients suffering from burns, chronic and acute wounds, and scars. In the US alone, this $45 billion market is greater than the spending on high-blood pressure management, cholesterol treatments, and back pain therapeutics.

For additional information, please call Drew Danielson at: 888-398-0202 or visit: http://renovacareinc.com

To receive future press releases via email, please visit: https://renovacareinc.com/register/

Follow us on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/Renovacareinc or follow us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/renovacarercar

For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit our FAQs page: https://renovacareinc.com/faqs/

Social Media Disclaimer

Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using SEC filings and press releases. We use our website and social media to communicate with our subscribers, shareholders, and the public about the company, RenovaCare, Inc. development, and other corporate matters that are in the public domain. At this time, the company will not post information on social media that could be deemed to be material information unless that information was distributed to public distribution channels first. We encourage investors, the media, and others interested in the company to review the information we post on the companys website and the social media channels listed below:

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* This list may be updated from time to time.

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

No statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities. This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although RenovaCare, Inc. (the Company) believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words may, will, should, could, expect, anticipate, estimate, believe, intend, or project or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the timing and success of clinical and preclinical studies of product candidates, the potential timing and success of the Companys product programs through their individual product development and regulatory approval processes, adverse economic conditions, intense competition, lack of meaningful research results, entry of new competitors and products, inadequate capital, unexpected costs and operating deficits, increases in general and administrative costs, termination of contracts or agreements, obsolescence of the Company's technologies, technical problems with the Company's research, price increases for supplies and components, litigation and administrative proceedings involving the Company, the possible acquisition of new businesses or technologies that result in operating losses or that do not perform as anticipated, unanticipated losses, the possible fluctuation and volatility of the Company's operating results, financial condition and stock price, losses incurred in litigating and settling cases, dilution in the Company's ownership of its business, adverse publicity and news coverage, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and research scientists, and other risks. There can be no assurance that further research and development will validate and support the results of our preliminary research and studies. Further, there can be no assurance that the necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained or that the Company will be able to develop commercially viable products on the basis of its technologies. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's most recent Form 10-Q and Form 10-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports and filings may be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain information about operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission also maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission athttp://www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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Peer-Reviewed Publication Validates RenovaCare Approach to Rapidly-Processing Stem Cells for Burns and Wounds - Business Wire (press release)

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Advertising forstem cell therapies not supported by clinical researchoftenmadedirectly to patients and sometimes promoted as a cure for diseases like multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons is a growing problem that needs to be addressed and regulated, a team of leading experts say, calling suchstem cell tourism potentially unsafe.

Stem cell tourism is the unflattering name given to the practice of encouragingpatients totravel outside their home country to undergo suchtreatment, typicaly at a private clinic.

The article, titledMarketing of unproven stem cellbased interventions: A call to actionandrecently published inthe journal Science Translational Medicine, was co-authored by scientistswith universities and hospitals in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Australia. It focuses on the global problem of thecommercial promotion of stem cell therapies and ongoing resistance to regulatory efforts.

Its authors suggest that a coordinated approach, at national and international levels, be focused on engagement, harmonization, and enforcement in order to reduce risks associated with direct-to-consumer marketing of unproven stem cell treatments.

Treatments involving stem cell transplants are now being offered by hundreds of medical institutions worldwide, claiming efficacy in repairing tissue damaged by degenerative disorders like MS, even thoughthose claim often lack or are supported bylittle evidence .

They alsonoted that the continued availability of these treatments undermines the development of rigorously tested therapies, and potentially canendanger a patients life.

The researchers emphasizethat tighter regulations on stem cell therapy advertising are needed, especiallyregarding potential clinical benefits. They support the establishment ofinternational regulatory standards for the manufacture and testing of human cell and tissue-based therapies.

Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes. Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk, Sarah Chan, a University of Edinburgh Chancellors Fellow and report co-author, saidin anews release.

Chan and her colleagues are also calling for the World Health Organization to offer guidance on responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, as it does for medicines and medical devices.

Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise, Chan said, but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments.

According to the release, the report and its recommendationsfollowed the death of two children at a German clinic in 2010. The clinichas since been shut down.

Certainstem cell therapies mostly involving blood and skin stem cells have undergone rigorous testing in clinical trials, the researchers noted. A number of theseresulted in aprovedtreatments for certain blood cancers, and to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns.

Information about the current status of stem cell research andpotential uses of stem cell therapiesis availableon the websiteEuroStemCell.

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Experts Call for Tighter Regulation of Stem Cell Therapies in Use at Clinics Worldwide - Multiple Sclerosis News Today

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According to recent study, advancements in materials from this study could potentially help patients requiring stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries, stroke, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, arthritic joints or any other condition requiring tissue regeneration. Earlier research revolved around the role of autoimmunity in terms of a treatment.

Its important in the context of cell therapies for people to cure these diseases or regenerate tissues that are no longer functional, shared Samuel I. Stupp, director of Northwesterns Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology and Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine and Biomedical Engineering.

Cells in our bodies are constantly being signalled with many types of instructions coming from proteins and other molecules present in the matrices that surround them. For example, these can be cues for cells to express specific genes so they can proliferate or differentiate into several types of cells leading to growth or regeneration of tissues. One of the marvels of this signalling machinery is the built-in capacity in living organisms to make signals stop and restart as needed, or to switch off one signal and activate a different one to orchestrate very complex processes.

The new technology manipulates cells by converting the skin cells to cure a patient with Parkinsons disease. (Shutterstock)

Building artificial materials with this type of dynamic capacity for regenerative therapies has been virtually impossible so far. The new work published today reports the development of the first synthetic material that has the capability to trigger reversibly this type of dynamic signalling. The platform could not only lead to materials that manage stem cells for more effective regenerative therapies, but will also allow scientists to explore and discover in the laboratory new ways to control the fate of cells and their functions.

One of the findings is the possibility of using the synthetic material to signal neural stem cells to proliferate, then at a specific time selected by the operator, trigger their differentiation into neurons and then return the stem cells back to a proliferative state on demand. The paper also reports that spinal cord neural stem cells, initially grouped into structures known as neurospheres, can be driven to spread out and differentiate using a signal.

But when this signal is switched off, the cells spontaneously regroup themselves into colonies. This uncovers strong interactions among these cells that could be important in understanding developmental and regenerative cues. The potential use of the new technology to manipulate cells could help cure a patient with Parkinsons disease. The patients own skin cells could be converted to stem cells using existing techniques.

The new technology could help expand the newly converted stem cells in vitro in the lab and then drive their differentiation into dopamine-producing neurons before transplantation back to the patient. In the new technology, materials are chemically decorated with different strands of DNA, each designed to display a different signal to cells.

People would love to have cell therapies that utilize stem cells derived from their own bodies to regenerate tissue. In principle, this will eventually be possible, but one needs procedures that are effective at expanding and differentiating cells in order to do so. Our technology does that, noted Stupp. While this process is currently only done in vitro with the vision of then transplanting cells, Stupp said in the future it might be possible to perform this process in vivo.

The stem cells would be implanted in the clinic, encapsulated in the type of material described in the new work, via an injection and targeted to a particular spot. Then the soluble molecules would be given to the patient to manipulate proliferation and differentiation of transplanted cells. The study was published in journal Nature Communications.

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Cells may hold key to treating Parkinson's disease - Hindustan Times

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Dive Brief:

KonicaMinolta, which formed in 2003 as a result of a merger between the photographic companies Konica and Minolta, has been working to bolster its healthcare business. The acquisition of Ambry is KonicaMinolta's largest to date and is aimed at building a foundation in precision medicine.

Konicasees Ambry's genetic testing chops as a complement to its own imaging technology. The deal will build on an immunostaining technology Konica developed in 2015 known as High-Sensitivity Tissue Testing (HSTT).

"The combination of these bioinformatics capabilities, alongside Konica Minoltas HSTT technology, will create new opportunities for drug discovery and clinical trials not currently available,"said Kiyotaka Fujii, president of Global Healthcare at Konica Minolta.

Konicaplans to first roll our Ambry's offerings alongside its own in Japan and then will expand to Europe. In addition to aforementioned test for DNA mismatch repair mutations, Amby has a range of screens for both inherited and non-inherited diseases in oncology, cardiology, pulmonology and neurology. Ambryalso offers hereditary cancer panels and clinical exome sequencing.

The lofty goals of precision medicine, while often touted, remain unrealized. But recent progress in genetic screening, particularly in oncology, is bringing that vision closer to reality. The Food and Drug Administration's recent green light for Keytruda in DNA mismatch repair mutated-tumors, for example, marked the first tissue-agnostic approval to date.

While Ambrysecured a major buyout, other diagnostic companies have had a tougher week.Massachusetts-based Interleukin Genetics, which has been struggling to generate revenue and pay off debts, saw an agreement to defer loan payments to its senior lender crumble. It's now evaluating its strategy, including a sale, and has cut over half of its already small workforce.

Top image credit: Adobe Stock

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Konica Minolta buys US genetic test maker in $1B deal - BioPharma Dive

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LIMA Employers in the greater West Central Ohio region will collect $33 million in rebates from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation in checks that will be mailed beginning next week.

BWC Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison, in Lima to present a ceremonial check to local business leaders, said employers are free to spend their rebates as they wish, but she hopes they will consider investing in workplace safety.

We work with employers all over Ohio to prevent injuries and illness in the workplace, and they will tell you that investing in safety is a wise business decision, said Morrison, speaking at a press conference at the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce. Safe workplaces mean fewer injuries, fewer medical claims and a stable workforce, all of which leads to a healthy bottom line for a business.

Morrison was joined by chamber President/CEO Jed Metzger and Tony Daley of Limas Spallinger Millwright Services Inc. Metzger and Daley accepted the check on behalf of employers in the entire region, which includes Allen, Auglaize, Shelby, Hancock, Putnam, and Van Wert counties.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich proposed the rebate in March. Its the third such rebate in the last four years, made possible by an improving safety climate, prudent fiscal management and strong investment returns. The plan to distribute rebates to more than 200,000 Ohio employers during the month of July was approved by BWCs Board of Directors in April. Visitbwc.ohio.govfor more details and eligibility requirements.

The plan also includes a $44 million investment innew health and safety initiativesto promote a healthy workforce and a culture of safety in every Ohio workplace. This includes a new wellness program for small employers, funding for programs to help firefighters and those who work with children and adults with disabilities, and an education campaign to address common injuries at work and in the home.

A healthy economy depends on a strong and healthy workforce, Morrison continued. And when the economy is healthy, we all benefit.

Rebate checks will be mailed in phases starting July 10.

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Clomid cycle day 22 - Metformin and clomid success stories 2014 - Van Wert independent

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Stem cell science is an area of medical research that continues to offer great promise. But as this weeks paper in Science Translational Medicine highlights, a growing number of clinics around the globe, including in Australia, are exploiting regulatory gaps to sell so-called stem cell treatments without evidence that what they offer is effective or even safe.

Such unregulated direct-to-consumer advertising typically of cells obtained using liposuction-like methods not only places the health of individuals at risk, but could also undermine the legitimate development of stem cell-based therapies.

Many academic societies and professional medical organisations have raised concerns about these futile and often expensive cell therapies. Despite this, national regulators have typically been slow or ineffective in curtailing them.

As well as tighter regulations here, international regulators such as the World Health Organisation and the International Council on Harmonisation need to move on ensuring patients desperate for cures arent sold treatments with limited efficacy and unknown safety.

Hundreds of stem cell clinics post online claims that they have been able to treat patients suffering from a wide range of conditions. These include osteoarthritis, pain, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and infertility. The websites are high on rhetoric of science often using various accreditation, awards and other tokens to imply legitimacy but low on proof that they work.

osteoporosis strong bones workout old lady

Donna McWilliam/APRather than producing independently verified results, these clinics rely on patient testimonials or unsubstantiated claims of improvement. In so doing these shonky clinics understate the risks to patient health associated with these unproven stem cell-based interventions.

Properly administered informed consent is often overlooked or ignored, so patients can be misled about the likelihood of success. In addition to heavy financial burdens imposed on patients and their families, there is often an opportunity cost because the time wasted in receiving futile stem cells diverts patients away from proven medicines.

The many recent reports of adverse outcomes demonstrate the risks of receiving unproven cell therapies are not trivial. In the USA three women were blinded following experimental stem cell treatment for macular degeneration (a degenerative eye disease that can cause blindness). One man was rendered a quadriplegic following a stem cell intervention for stroke. And a woman whose family sought treatment for her dementia died in Australia.

Other notorious cases involving the deaths of patients include the German government shutting down the X-Cell Centre and the Italian government closing the Stamina Foundation it had previously supported.

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REUTERS/Juan Carlos UlateAt present, the only recognised stem cell treatments are those utilising blood stem cells isolated from bone marrow, peripheral blood (the cellular components of blood such as red and white blood cells and platelets) or umbilical cord blood.

Hundreds of thousand of lives have been saved over the last half-century in patients with cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as rare inherited immune and metabolic disorders.

A few types of cancer and autoimmune diseases may also benefit from blood stem cells in the context of chemotherapy. Different stem cells are also successfully used for corneal and skin grafting.

All other applications remain in the preclinical research phase or are just starting to be evaluated in clinical trials.

Often dismissed by for-profit clinics as red tape hampering progress, the rigour of clinical trials allows for the collection of impartial evidence. Such information is usually required before a new drug or medical device is released into the marketplace. Unfortunately, in the case of for-profit stem cell clinics, their marketing has gazumped the scientific evidence.

Action is required on many fronts. Regulators at both an international and national level need to tackle regulatory loopholes and challenge unfounded marketing claims of businesses selling unproven stem cell interventions.

Researchers need to more clearly communicate their findings and the necessary next steps to responsibly take their science from the laboratory to the clinic. And they should acknowledge that this will take time.

Patients and their loved ones must be encouraged to seek advice from a trained reputable health care professional, someone who knows their medical history. They should think twice if someone is offering a treatment outside standards of practice.

The stakes are too high not to have these difficult conversations. If a stem cell treatment sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

NOW WATCH: Watch Russias newest fighter jet in action the MiG-35

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Private clinics are peddling untested stem cell treatments it's unethical and dangerous - Yahoo News UK

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By Erin Brodwin

To Sergio Canavero, Frankenstein is scientific inspiration.

The Italian neurosurgeon told Business Insider that Mary Shelleys classic novel convinced him that he could complete the worlds first full-body transplant. Canavero claims hell complete the procedure on a human next fall in China.

Not only did the book reveal a missing piece in his plan to swap the heads of two humans, Canavero said, it also provided the justification for the dangerous procedure.

Just as the fictional Doctor Victor Frankenstein discovered how to give life to inanimate matter, Canavero aims to cheat death. The surgeon envisions a future in which healthy people could opt for full-body transplants as a way to live longer, eventually even putting their heads on clone bodies.

Im into life extension, he told Business Insider on a recent Skype call. Life extension and breaching the wall between life and death.

In fact, Canavero said that in doing the procedure he wants to create a near death experience actually a full death experience and see what comes next.

As Canavero explained it, the full-body transplant will involve going into the spinal cord of someone with a spinal injury and cutting out the injured segments of the cord. The donors cord would be cut to perfectly replace the missing portion in the injured person, and then the two healthy stumps would be fused together. Canavero plans to attach the cords using polyethylene glycol (PEG), a common laboratory tool used to encourage cells to fuse. Canavero simply refers to it as glue.

He said he will soon complete this transplant procedure with two humans a Chinese national who remains anonymous and a brain-dead organ donor. The head of the former will be attached to the body of the latter.

The full procedure is called HEAVEN, short for head anastomosis venture.

Canavero said that hed been studying the concept of this full-body transplant for more than a decade before he picked up Shelleys book. After reading it, he said he realised his planned procedure lacked a critical component: electricity.

The surgeon has not elaborated on the role electricity will play in the operation, however James FitzGerald, a consulting neurosurgeon at the University of Oxford, told Business Insider that PEG is can be paired with large pulses of electricity to coax fibers into merging. Still, FitzGerald maintains that Canaveros plans to use it to fuse two spinal cords are unrealistic.

Its just too much of a jump, FitzGerald said.

Canavero doesnt think so.

Electricity has the power to speed up regrowth, he said. Bing bang bong you have the solution to spinal cord fusion.

Canavero isnt pursuing this unprecedented medical feat to cure people with life-threatening injuries, despite the fact that spinal cord injuries affect 12,000 Americans every year. Instead, he wants the operation to serve as a way to explore his own ideas about life, death, and human consciousness (though he says it would be a waste not to help injured patients as well).

Im not religious but I dont believe consciousness can be created in the brain. The brain is a filter, he said, adding that the word anastomosis combines the Greek roots ana, meaning to place upon, and stoma, or mouth.

Like a kiss, he said.

Canaveros evidence that the procedure will work rests on a handful of animal experiments that many experts say were nowhere near satisfactory.

In the first of these experiments, Canavero claimed to have severed then reconnected the spinal cord of a dog. Less than a year later, he published a paper detailing how he created a series of two-headed rodents. In June 2017, the surgeon said he severed the spinal cords of a group of mice and then reattached them using polyethylene glycol.

Canavero says these trials are proof that he and his team figured out whats often considered the holy grail of spinal cord research: fusion.

We have so much data that confirms this in mice, rats, and soon you will see the dogs, he said.

However, many experts dont buy his claims, citing a lack of evidence. And its important to keep in mind that the fate of the Chinese man who will be involved in the first procedure hangs in the balance.

I simply dont think the reports of joining spinal cords together are credible, James FitzGerald, a consulting neurosurgeon at the University of Oxford, told Business Insider.

Robert Brownstone, a professor of neurosurgery and the Brain Research Trust Chair of Neurosurgery at the University College London, agreed.

Many great scientific ideas are born out of crazy ideas that turned out to be right so we cant completely turn a blind eye to this, but there has to be some mechanistic aspect to it, which Im not seeing, Brownstone said.

Others, including University of Cambridge neurosurgery professor John Pickard, suggested the journal in which Canaveros studies were published was also a red flag.

I just dont think hes done the science, Pickard said.

http://www.businessinsider.com/head-transplant-surgeon-frankenstein-2017-7

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A surgeon aiming to do the first human head transplant says 'Frankenstein' predicted a crucial part of the surgery - South China Morning Post

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Medical experts are seeking out as the case of ill baby Charlie Gard becomes an international incident.

The parents' hope that their terminally-ill child can be saved through experimental treatment has led to a series of court cases, along with interventions from Donald Trump and the Pope. The case revolves around whether the parents should be allowed to take the child to the US using money they've raised a move they hope would offer a chance of treating his illness, but which experts believe could cause more suffering to Charlie and has very little to no chance of success.

But medical experts suggest that the case is far more complex than the often simplistic tabloid coverage and presidential tweets may suggest. The courts have proven there is very little hope of the young boy being saved, they say but there is still some, mostly insignificant, chance that he could be, and could have been in the past.

Poor Charlie has a very rare disease in which the organelle which provides energy source used in daily cell life, called the mitochondrion, has a gene defect. The reason mitochondrial diseases are rare is because they are usually fatal. They show up in babies or young children more often than in later life. If not fatal they are progressive and cause serious neurological illnesses which cannot be cured.

Charlie has one of those most severe of mitochondrial diseases and is untreatable. Medicine is advancing at a wonderful speed but some illnesses are still fatal.

Gene therapy is in its infancy and is a promising field of human endeavour. But there are 6000 inheritable recessive conditions in humans - the prospect of them being cured is some time off.

When a decision to withdraw life support is made for a baby this is not taken lightly and there are often tears in the medical and nursing staff looking after such a baby. But ultimately there is not a cure for many rare diseases. 40% of all rare diseases are in children under age 5 years, and of those most are fatal. The combined burden of such conditions in the UK is such that 1 in 300 people have a rare disease.

Scientists and medical technology companies are making strides to find cures or treatments for many conditions. But alas, in the case of poor little Charlie, there are simply limits to medicine as we know it.

Estimates as to the success of any potential treatment vary but from almost impossible to impossible. But experts agree that there is little help in discussing those chances, because Charlie is now so ill that any benefits from treatment have been undermined.

"The theoretical possibility of benefit from the nucleoside treatment had disappeared after Charlie suffered brain damage from seizures earlier this year," said Penney Lewis, professor of law and co-director of the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King's College London. "These findings were based on extensive evidence from all of those involved in caring for Charlie, and from a number of independent experts including one chosen by Charlies parents, and the doctor based in the US who is offering to treat Charlie."

Many experts agree that Charlie Gard should perhaps have been sent to undergo the treatment earlier on his life, at a point when his illness had caused fewer problems. Doing that would at least have allowed for a clearer view of whether the treatment would succeed, and if there was value in prolonging his life.

Charlie Gard should have been allowed to go to the US for experimental treatment back in April (or better January when it was first considered), not because he would have been cured but just because we couldn't then be confident his life would have been "intolerable", or not worth living," said Julian Savulescu, who is the Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford. "The rational strategy was to give a trial of treatment, say 3 months, and agree with the family to withdraw ventilation if there was no improvement. If this had been done we would now have some information on whether there is any prospect of improvement.

This is not a religious or right to life argument, or an argument based on compassion," Professor Savulesco said. "It's a secular ethical argument about the extreme complexity of judging someone's life to be not worth living, or the prospects of having a life worth living not worth taking. The courts have deferred to one group of doctors who are experts in the facts but they are not experts in the ethics.

More than six months have passed since experimental therapy was first considered. We don't know how bad Charlie's brain damage is now. Whether experimental therapy is still warranted depends on whether there remains any prospect of any meaningful life. Perhaps the moment has passed.

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Charlie Gard: Medical experts weigh in on case of terminally-ill baby - The Independent

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In this 2015 family photo, Catherine "Katie" Rosenbaum is seen at a cancer fundraiser by Swim Across America. The Richmond, Va., womans endometrial cancer was successfully treated in a research study that found the immunotherapy Keytruda can target certain tumors that share a particular genetic flaw. (Family photo provided by Katie Rosenbaum via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Colon cancer. Uterine cancer. Pancreatic cancer. Whatever the tumor, the more gene mutations lurking inside, the better chance your immune system has to fight back.

That's the premise behind the recent approval of a landmark drug, the first cancer therapy ever cleared based on a tumor's genetics instead of the body part it struck first. Now thousands of patients with worsening cancer despite standard treatment can try this immunotherapy -- as long as genetic testing of the tumor shows they're a candidate.

"It's like having a lottery ticket," said Johns Hopkins oncologist Dr. Dung Le, who helped prove the new use for the immunotherapy Keytruda. "We've got to figure out how to find these patients, because it's such a great opportunity for them."

Today, doctors diagnose tumors by where they originate -- breast cancer in the breast, colon cancer in the colon -- and use therapies specifically tested for that organ. In contrast, the Food and Drug Administration labeled Keytruda the first "tissue-agnostic" treatment, for adults and children.

The reason: Seemingly unrelated cancers occasionally carry a common genetic flaw called a mismatch repair defect. Despite small studies, FDA found the evidence convincing that for a subset of patients, that flaw can make solid tumors susceptible to immunotherapy doctors otherwise wouldn't have tried.

"We thought these would be the hardest tumors to treat. But it's like an Achilles heel," said Hopkins cancer geneticist Bert Vogelstein.

And last month FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told a Senate subcommittee his agency will simplify drug development for diseases that "all have a similar genetic fingerprint even if they have a slightly different clinical expression."

It's too early to know if what's being dubbed precision immunotherapy will have lasting benefits, but here's a look at the science.

WHO'S A CANDIDATE?

Hopkins estimates about 4 percent of cancers are mismatch repair-deficient, potentially adding up to 60,000 patients a year. Widely available tests that cost $300 to $600 can tell who's eligible. The FDA said the flaw is more common in colon, endometrial and gastrointestinal cancers but occasionally occurs in a list of others.

"Say, 'have I been tested for this?'" is Le's advice for patients.

MUTATIONS AND MORE MUTATIONS

Most tumors bear 50 or so mutations in various genes, Vogelstein said. Melanomas and lung cancers, spurred by sunlight and tobacco smoke, may have twice as many. But tumors with a mismatch repair defect can harbor 1,500 mutations.

Why? When DNA copies itself, sometimes the strands pair up wrong to leave a typo -- a mismatch. Normally the body spell checks and repairs those typos. Without that proofreading, mutations build up, not necessarily the kind that trigger cancer but bystanders in a growing tumor.

THE PLOT THICKENS

Your immune system could be a potent cancer fighter except that too often, tumors shield themselves. Merck's Keytruda and other so-called checkpoint inhibitors can block one of those shields, allowing immune cells to recognize a tumor as a foreign invader and attack. Until now, those immunotherapies were approved only for a few select cancers -- Keytruda hit the market for melanoma in 2014 -- and they work incredibly well for some patients but fail in many others. Learning who's a good candidate is critical for drugs that can cost $150,000 a year and sometimes cause serious side effects.

In 2012, Hopkins doctors testing various immunotherapies found the approach failed in all but one of 20 colon cancer patients. When perplexed oncologists told Vogelstein, "a light bulb went off."

Sure enough, the one patient who fared well had a mismatch repair defect and a "mind-boggling" number of tumor mutations. The more mutations, the greater the chance that at least one produces a foreign-looking protein that is a beacon for immune cells, Vogelstein explained.

It was time to see if other kinds of cancer might respond, too.

WHAT'S THE DATA?

The strongest study, published in the journal Science, tested 86 such patients with a dozen different cancers, including some who had entered hospice. Half had their tumors at least shrink significantly, and 18 saw their cancer become undetectable.

It's not clear why the other half didn't respond. Researchers found a hint, in three patients, that new mutations might form that could resist treatment.

But after two years of Keytruda infusions, 11 of the "complete responders" have stopped the drug and remain cancer-free for a median of eight months and counting.

Catherine "Katie" Rosenbaum, 67, is one of those successes. The retired teacher had her uterus removed when endometrial cancer first struck, but five years later tumors returned, scattered through her pelvis and colon. She tried treatment after treatment until in 2014, her doctor urged the Hopkins study.

Rosenbaum took a train from Richmond, Virginia, to Baltimore for infusions every two weeks and then, after some fatigue and diarrhea side effects, once a month. Then the side effects eased and her tumors started disappearing. A year into the study she was well enough to swim a mile for a Swim Across America cancer fundraiser.

"Nothing else had worked, so I guess we could say it was a last hope," said Rosenbaum, who now wants other patients to know about the option.

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Tumor gene testing urged to tell if drug targets your cancer - The ... - The Mainichi

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The UK has the fifth highest number of bald men in the world.

Indeed, almost 40 per cent of men in this country are losing their hair.

It's often hereditary - male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia, which is related to genes and male sex hormones, accounts for 95 per cent of hair loss in men.

Other reasons for thinning hair include stress, anaemia, protein deficiency and low vitamin levels.

GETTY

GETTY

A recent study published in JAMA Dermatology found that there's no relationship between hair loss and testosterone levels in men.

However, surprisingly, a recent study published in JAMA Dermatology found there's no relationship between hair loss and testosterone levels in men.

If you want to maintain your head of hair for as long as possible, start to pay more attention to your daily grooming habits.

Jumping in and out of the shower as quickly as possible might mean more time in bed, but it could be speeding up you going bald.

That's because taking the time to massage your head as you shampoo stimulates hair growth.

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Ananbel Kingsley, trichologist at Philip Kingsley, said: "Scalp massage can be beneficial for those experiencing a gradual reduction in hair volume or hair loss."

It does this by improving blood flow directly to the area, and by removing dead skin cells which have been proven to cause or worsen hair loss.

She explained: "It should ideally be done for five to ten minutes once to twice a week. It should be gentle yet firm with consistent pressure.

"Using both hands, gently knead your scalp in circular movements starting at the front hairline and gradually working your way back down to the nape of your neck.

"Repeat three to four times, then, with a gentle sweeping action, smooth your hands over the top of your scalp."

GETTY

Additionally, a study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that massaging your scalp also lowers hair loss-inducing stress levels.

However, Anabel added: "Scalp massage alone will not have a vast impact on hair growth. Its benefits are highly dependent on what is used during massage - try a stimulating scalp mask.

"Additionally, one of the most common causes of hair loss is the result of iron and ferritin - stored iron - deficiency.

"A healthy diet, eating adequate iron and proteins and taking care of your general health will help prevent both hair loss and hair thinning and will often improve the general appearance of the hair."

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Hair loss in men: THIS shower habit could be why you're going bald - Express.co.uk

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Among the experiments: How microgravity affects stem cells and the factors that govern stem cell activity

Santa Monica's NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, who is making final preparations for his launch to the International Space Station later this month, will be participating in live satellite interviews from 9 to 10 a.m. EDT Friday, July 14, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

The interviews will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website and will be preceded at 8:30 a.m. by a video feed of highlights from Bresnik's mission training and previous spaceflight.

Bresnik will arrive at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Sunday, July 16, for final pre-launch training. He and his crewmates, cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency), will launch on the Russian Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft at 11:41 a.m. on July 28. They are scheduled to return to Earth in December.

Their flight plan calls for an arrival at the station about six hours after launch, where they will join Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA. The crew members will continue several hundred experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science currently underway and scheduled to take place aboard humanity's only permanently occupied orbiting lab.

Among the experiments is Cardiac Stem Cells, which investigates how microgravity affects stem cells and the factors that govern stem cell activity, including physical and molecular changes. The Cosmic-Ray Energetics and Mass experiment is also scheduled to arrive at the station during the crew's stay and will measure the charges of cosmic rays ranging from hydrogen up through iron nuclei, over a broad energy range.

Bresnik was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, but considers Santa Monica, California, to be his hometown.

He graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, and was commissioned in the Marine Corps in May 1989. NASA selected him as an astronaut in May 2004. This will be his second trip to the International Space Station and his first long-duration mission. Previously he flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis to the station in 2009.

For details about his experiences in space, follow Bresnik on social media at:

Tweets by AstroKomrade

https://www.facebook.com/AstroKomrade

https://www.instagram.com/astrokomrade

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Santa Monica's NASA Astronaut Randy Bresnik Live Interviews Before Space Station Mission - Santa monica Observed

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Research suggests that just one per cent of the population experience gender issues. Although the number of transgender children is small, it is growing rapidly, she told the Telegraph Festival of Education last month.

Children - encouraged by their experiences at school - are beginning to question their gender identity at ever younger ages.

"In doing more than just supporting transgender children, and instead sowing confusion about gender identity, schools do neither boys nor girls any favours."

Dr Williams added that the growing number of young children being referred for gender counselling stemmed from new policies being adopted by schools, adding that schools were now encouraging even the youngest children to question whether they are really a boy or a girl.

Dr Polly Carmichael, a leading NHS psychologist and director of the GIDS, defended the teaching of transgender issues in schools.

She told The Sunday Telegraph: It is good that schools are putting it on the agenda. It can never be negative if schools are being thoughtful and offering opportunities to discuss topical issues.

She added that gender is a complex subject, and children should only be taught about it in schools in an age appropriate manner.

Children can only be referred to GIDS by their GP or by the child and adolescent mental health service.

After six months of psycho-social assessment by a clinician, an action plan would be drawn up, which could be continuing with counselling, or it could be a physical intervention.

Children who have started puberty, from around the age of 12, can be referred on to an endocrinology clinic which can prescribe a course of hormone blockers, which postpones puberty.

Children aged 16 and over could be given cross-sex hormones, which would enable them to take on the physical characteristics of the opposite sex.

More than double the number of teenage girls compared to boys are referred to the GIDS, while in the younger age groups it is more common for boys to be referred.

Dr Carmichael said one possible explanation is that young girls who display more male attributes are seen as tomboys and so are less likely to be seen as a cause for concern among parents.

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Number of children being referred to gender identity clinics has quadrupled in five years - Telegraph.co.uk

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 63 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago. I had my prostate removed shortly after the diagnosis. I found out recently the cancer is now in my lymph nodes. What can I do to prevent it from spreading further?

When prostate cancer spreads out of the prostate gland, the most common places for it to occur are in the lymph nodes and bones. Although prostate cancer that has spread can be difficult to cure, treatment is available that may help slow or stop further spread of the cancer.

Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in a man's prostate gland a small walnut-shaped gland that makes fluid to nourish and transport sperm. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. It often grows slowly and remains confined to the prostate gland in its early stages. But the cancer may spread if cancer cells break away from the tumor in the prostate and travel to other areas of the body through the lymph system or the bloodstream.

When prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, as in your case, treatment often includes hormone therapy. Radiation therapy or surgery may be necessary in some people, too, depending on an individual's circumstances.

Hormone therapy stops your body from making the male hormone testosterone or blocks the effects of testosterone on prostate cancer. This is useful, because prostate cancer cells rely on testosterone to help them grow. Cutting off the hormone supply may cause the cancer to shrink or help to slow its growth.

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer often includes taking medication that prevents the testicles from receiving messages to make testosterone. Those medications are called luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, or LH-RH, agonists and antagonists. Examples of these drugs include leuprolide, goserelin and degarelix.

Other medications that block testosterone from reaching cancer cells may be given along with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist or given before taking a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist. These medications are called anti-androgens. Examples include bicalutamide, enzalutamide, flutamide and nilutamide.

Hormone therapy usually is continued for as long as the treatment works. Over time, prostate cancer may adapt to hormone therapy and begin growing despite treatment. If that happens, your doctor may suggest a different combination of hormone therapy drugs to see if the cancer responds.

Depending on where the cancer has spread, along with other factors, radiation therapy may be combined with hormone therapy to treat prostate cancer that affects the lymph nodes. Radiation therapy uses high-powered beams of energy, such as X-rays or protons, to kill cancer cells.

The kind of radiation used to combat prostate cancer that has spread is called external-beam radiation. It uses a large machine that moves around your body to direct energy beams at the areas affected by cancer. External beam radiation treatments typically are given five days a week for several weeks or more.

In addition to hormone therapy and radiation therapy, in some cases, chemotherapy also may be recommended to treat advanced prostate cancer. Immunotherapy, which uses the body's immune system to kill cancer cells, also may be useful in certain situations.

Your specific treatment likely will be based on how fast the cancer is growing and how much it has spread, as well as your medical history, overall health and other treatment you've received. Your doctor can talk with you in detail about possible treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits. Working together, you and your doctor can create a treatment plan that best fits your needs. J. Fernando Quevedo, M.D., Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesnt replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org.

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Prostate cancer that spreads typically occurs in lymph nodes and bones - Post-Bulletin

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Smelling food before eating it has been linked to weight gain in new research.

In a study using mice, US researchers found that the smell of food could playan important role in how the body processes calories.

To make their findings, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, used gene therapy to cut off the sense of smell in a group of obese mice.

The scientists found that mice who couldn't smelllost weight compared to those who could.However, the team were surprised to find that the slimmer mice who were unable tosmell alsoate the same amount of high-calorie food as mice who could. In addition, the mice who were able to smell doubled in weight. Mice with a boosted sense of smell, meanwhile, put on the most weight.

Smelling food could lead the body to store it rather than burn it off, the team believes.

This paper is one of the first studies that really shows if we manipulate olfactory inputs we can actually alter how the brain perceives energy balance, and how the brain regulates energy balance, said Cline Riera, ofCedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The researchers behindthe study published in the journal Cell Metabolism hope it could help those who develop eating disorders including anorexia due to age, injury or developing diseases such as Parkinsons. It could also help those who struggle to lose weight, they added.

Sensory systems play a role in metabolism. Weight gain isnt purely a measure of the calories taken in; its also related to how those calories are perceived, said senior author Andrew Dillin, the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Distinguished Chair in Stem Cell Research, professor of molecular and cell biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. If we can validate this in humans, perhaps we can actually make a drug that doesnt interfere with smell but still blocks that metabolic circuitry. That would be amazing.

For that small group of people, you could wipe out their smell for maybe six months and then let the olfactory neurons grow back, after theyve got their metabolic program rewired, Dillin added.

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Smelling food linked to weight gain in new study - The Independent

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We know from experience that patients having scars find them particularly unattractive and mentally stressful. Scars form after wounds have finished healing, when deeper skin layers have been injured. Skin injuries can be caused by an accident, a skin disease or burns. So-called pregnancy stretch marks are also scars.

At first, scars will be red due to the large number of blood vessels. The scar tissue then gradually lightens in color, because the amount of collagenous fibers increases over time. From a medical point of view, scar tissue is an inferior kind of tissue and if put under a certain amount of pressure, so-called scar hernias can be a result thereof.

The formation of scars cannot be prevented after the deeper skin layers have been injured. The chances of the scar healing without too many traces increase, if the wound is treated well during the healing process.

If your wound healing process is already completed and scar tissue has formed, further treatment depends on the cause of the injury and type of scarring. In any case, we require your autologous stem cells obtained from your body fat. It is necessary to extract a small amount of your bodys own fat in order to obtain the stem cells. In accordance with your wishes, liposuction is carried out with microcannulas or regular cannulas.

The question as to whether the scars will be treated with stem cells only or if scar tissue has to be removed depends on the scar itself:

Post-surgery care is minimal: Treatment is on an outpatient basis; afterwards, you are fully mobile and normally can go back to work without any restrictions. We will provide you with individual recommendations for your post-treatment care according to the extent and type of area treated and will give you support during the healing process.

Schedule consultation appointment

Last updated: February 24, 2015

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Treatment of Scars with Stem Cells :: Stem Cell Skin ...

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Frequent trips to the bathroom are keeping someone from sleeping through the night could be a sign of nocturia, which is a common cause of sleep loss, especially among older adults.

Were not talking about waking up once during the night, every few nights, said Dr. Richard Vienne, Univera Healthcare vice president and chief medical officer. Adults suffering from nocturia may awaken with the need to use the bathroom two to six times a night, every night.

Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of those responding to a National Sleep Foundation poll of adults between the ages of 55 and 84 reported waking to use the bathroom at least a few nights per week. According to the foundation, most adults get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

Waking two times a night to use the bathroom disrupts sleep patterns which can result in daytime sleepiness, a condition that affects an estimated 20 percent of the population. Persons with excessive daytime sleepiness are at risk of motor vehicle and work-related incidents, and have poorer health than adults who are well-rested.

Frequent trips to the bathroom at night could be a sign of a chronic disease, including heart disease, vascular disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure, restless leg syndrome, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, or sleep apnea, said Vienne. Nocturia is more common among older adults because their bodies produce less of an anti-diuretic hormone that enables their bodies to retain fluid by producing more urine at night. Another reason for nocturia among the elderly is that the bladder tends to lose holding capacity as we age.

The National Sleep Foundation offers these tips for those with symptoms of nocturia:

Drink a normal amount of liquid, but do so earlier in the day.

Cut down on any drinks in the last two hours before bed, especially alcohol, coffee or tea as these stimulate urine production.

Keep a diary of how much a person drinks, what they drink and when. Such information may be helpful in identifying situations which may make the nocturia worse.

Include in that diary a record of sleep habits as well as any daytime fatigue someone may be experiencing.

Vienne advises anyone experiencing symptoms of nocturia to consult with his or her physician. A doctor can assess for the possible cause of nocturia and order appropriate tests, referrals or treatments.

The Audubon Community Nature Center has received $24,921 to eradicate water chestnut and and reeds from its lands. ...

Southwestern High School officials recently released the schools honor and merit rolls for the fourth quarter of ...

The descendents of Elder John White, founder of Hartford, Conn., and Giles and Sarah Dodd White will meet Sunday, ...

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According to medical history, during the lifetime of Greek physician Hippocrates in 460-375 BC, a fibroid was known as a uterine stone.

The first surgery for fibroid was done for the late American president Abraham Lincolns cousin in 1809. The term fibroid was introduced in 1860.

Many women are diagnosed with uterine fibroids. For some, the fibroid is not medically impactful, while for others, it can cause infertility.

What is a uterine fibroid?

A womans womb or uterus is made up of muscles known as myometrium. This myometrium is composed of many strands of muscle fibres.

Fibroids arise from genetic alterations in a single muscle fibre. This causes the fibres to overgrow and form a fibroid.

The circulating female hormone called oestrogen can cause growth of the fibroid.

However, fibroids can also grow in a low oestrogen environment, possibly due to conversion of the male hormone called androgen into oestrogen. Yes, women have male hormones too!

Many women may have fibroids without ever realising it. This is because not all fibroids cause symptoms. Whether the fibroid causes a problem or not depends on the size and location of the fibroid.

General problems with fibroids

These can include:

Heavy period flow Generally, a fibroid that is located close to the inner layer of the womb (endometrium), and which distorts or displaces the womb cavity, may cause heavy periods.

If untreated, this can lead to anaemia.

Pelvic pain Larger fibroids (more than 4-5cm) may also cause pain.

Sometimes, the core of the fibroid can become soft, leading to severe pain. This is called red degeneration of the fibroid.

A large fibroid can also lead to compression of the urinary bladder and bowel, which leads to difficulty in passing out urine or faeces.

How does a fibroid affect fertility?

A fibroid can adversely affect fertility through:

Cervical displacement After sexual intercourse, sperm is deposited in the vagina. It will find its way through the neck of the womb (cervix) into the womb. Large fibroids can displace the cervix and reduce womb exposure to sperm.

Interfering with sperm migration The sperm that enter the womb need to swim a long distance to meet the female egg. A fibroid that distorts the womb cavity can interfere with sperm migration.

Obstruction of the Fallopian tube Once the sperm swims through the entire length of the womb, it needs to enter the Fallopian tube. This is where the sperm will finally meet the egg.

A fibroid that is located close to the entrance of the tube can obstruct it.

Interfering with egg uptake after ovulation The egg, on the other hand, once released from the ovary, will be picked up by the Fallopian tube. A fibroid located close to the tube can actually change the anatomical relationship between the ovary and the Fallopian tube. This can interfere with the uptake of the egg into the tube.

Affecting the implantation of the embryo An embryo is formed after a sperm manages to fertilise an egg. The embryo will then have to swim back into the womb cavity.

A fibroid located close to the endometrial lining of the womb can distort the lining, so that when the embryo finally reaches its destination, it may be difficult to get implanted in the womb cavity.

So, even after the embryo is formed successfully, the woman is not pregnant until the embryo implants.

Treatment options

Generally, treatment will depend on the symptoms, size and location of the fibroid.

Options include:

Doing nothing Even if you have been diagnosed to have a fibroid, it does not always mean that you need treatment.

So, do not be surprised if your doctor tells you to just wait and see. Fibroids that are small and do not cause any symptoms can be left alone.

Non-surgical treatment There are several options available.

Fibroid growth is dependent on the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone.

The production of these hormones from the ovary is controlled by Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH). A synthetic form of GnRH can be used to stop the production of natural GnRH, which stops the production of oestrogen and fibroid growth.

This medication has been shown to reduce the size of a fibroid by up to 50%.

This is a temporary solution and it comes with side effects. GnRH makes a woman menopausal as long as she uses it. If used for more than six months, it can cause bone loss.

For this reason, the use of GnRH is limited to about six months, or as a preoperative measure to shrink the fibroid prior to surgery.

Ullipristal acetate is an oral tablet that has been used to control heavy menstrual bleeding due to a fibroid. It is as efficacious as GnRH and belongs to a group of medicines known as Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulator (SPRM). However, just like GnRH , it is not used as a long term solution.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided focused ultrasound is a treatment option where the fibroid is slowly killed by heating it using pulsed ultrasonic waves. This will cause cell death.

It is done with the help of an MRI to help the doctor see the fibroid in 3D.

Throughout the procedure, you are awake but painkillers will be given to keep you relaxed. The procedure generally takes about few hours.

Surgical treatment In the case of surgery, there are also several options available.

Sometimes, a fibroid can be removed vaginally via hysteroscopy (a telescope introduced vaginally into the uterus).

This method is best suited for fibroids that are located within the uterine lining (submucous fibroid).

A hysteroscope is used to see the fibroid under direct vision and the fibroid is cut using electricity. This method is also known as transcervical resection of fibroid.

Large fibroids generally need to be removed via a myomectomy.

The surgeon has two options on how to do the procedure.

The traditional way is called a laparotomy (open surgery), which involves a Caesarean-like abdominal cut.

The fibroid is removed abdominally and the uterine defect is sutured.

Generally, this method is associated with more pain after surgery and a longer recovery time.

Nowadays, more surgeons perform myomectomy laparoscopically.

In this technique, up to four small holes are made on the abdomen and laparoscopic instruments are introduced via the holes to perform the surgery.

Surgeons use a special instrument to cut the fibroids into small pieces before removing it.

For a woman who does not intend to become pregnant, a hysterectomy is sometimes needed, especially with multiple uterine fibroids.

This can be done by the traditional laparotomy or by laparoscopy (key hole) surgery.

However, hysterectomy is a big no-no if you are trying to conceive.

If you have a fibroid and have difficulty conceiving, visit your fertility specialist to determine if the fibroid needs to be removed.

Dr Agilan Arjunan is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and fertility specialist. For more information, e-mail starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the readers own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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Who stole my fertility? - Star2.com

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Cryonics is an effort to save lives by using temperatures so cold that a person beyond help by today's medicine might be preserved for decades or centuries until a future medical technology can restore that person to full health. Cryonics is a second chance at life. It is the reasoned belief in the advancement of future medicinal technologies being able to cure things we cant today.

Many biological specimens, including whole insects, many types of human tissue including brain tissue, and human embryos have been cryogenically preserved, stored at liquid nitrogen temperature where all decay ceases, and revived. This leads scientists to believe that the same can be done with whole human bodies, and that any minimal harm can be reversed with future advancements in medicine.

Neurosurgeons often cool patients bodies so they can operate on aneurysms without damaging or rupturing the nearby blood vessels. Human embryos that are frozen in fertility clinics, defrosted, and implanted in a mothers uterus grow into perfectly normal human beings. This method isnt new or groundbreaking- successful cryopreservation of human embryos was first reported in 1983 by Trounson and Mohr with multicellular embryos that had been slow-cooled using dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO).

And just in Feb. of 2016, there was a cryonics breakthrough when for the first time, scientists vitrified a rabbits brain and, after warming it back up, showed that it was in near perfect condition. This was the first time a cryopreservation was provably able to protect everything associated with learning and memory.

Here is the original post:
What is cryonics?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SpaceX's Dragon cargo craft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 8:12 a.m. EDT, west of Baja California and the recovery process is underway, marking the end of the company's eleventh contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA.

Expedition 52 astronauts Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson of NASA released the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station's robotic arm right on schedule, at 2:41 a.m.

A variety of technological and biological studies are returning in Dragon. The Fruit Fly Lab-02 experiment seeks to better understand the effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity on the heart.

Flies are small, with a well-known genetic make-up, and age rapidly, making them good models for heart function studies. This experiment could significantly advance understanding of how spaceflight affects the cardiovascular system and could help develop countermeasures to help astronauts.

Samples from the Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for osteoporosis will return as part of an investigation using rodents as models to test a new drug that can both rebuild bone and block further bone loss, improving crew health.

When people and animals spend extended periods of time in space, they experience bone density loss, or osteoporosis. In-flight countermeasures, such as exercise, prevent it from getting worse, but there isn't a therapy on Earth or in space that can restore bone density.

The results from this ISS National Laboratory-sponsored investigation is built on previous research also supported by the National Institutes for Health and could lead to new drugs for treating bone density loss in millions of people on Earth.

The Cardiac Stem Cells experiment investigated how microgravity affects stem cells and the factors that govern stem cell activity. The study focuses on understanding cardiac stem cell function, which has numerous biomedical and commercial applications. Scientists will also look to apply new knowledge to the design of new stem cell therapies to treat heart disease on Earth.

The Dragon spacecraft launched June 3 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and arrived at the station June 5.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

Original post:
Dragon Splashes Down to Complete Resupply Mission - Space Daily

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Derek Richardson

July 3rd, 2017

The CRS-11 Dragon capsule re-enters Earths atmosphere. Photo Credit: Jack Fischer / NASA

SpaceXs CRS-11 Dragon capsule splashed down at 8:12 a.m. EDT (12:12 GMT) on July 3, 2017, in the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Baja California after some 28 days attached to the International Space Station.

After being unberthed using the robotic Canadarm2, the craft was moved to a location some 33 feet (10 meters) below the Destiny laboratory module. It was officially released at 2:41 a.m. EDT (6:41 GMT) on July 3 by Expedition 52 astronauts Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson of NASA.

The CRS-11 Dragon capsule is positioned for release beneath the ISS. Photo Credit: Jack Fischer / NASA

Dragons been an incredible spacecraft, Fischer said after release. I could even say it was slathered in awesome sauce. This baby has had almost no problems, which is an incredible feat considering its the first reuse of a Dragon vehicle.

The CRS-11 Dragon capsule pressure vessel was the same one used during the CRS-4 mission in 2014.

And the science weve done oh my, the science, Fischer said. Most of the 6,000 pounds [2,700 kilograms] of cargo carried was science, and almost all of the return cargo are precious samples for discoveries we cant wait to see.

Fischer explained that Dragon also brought up various external experiments too, including an external platform for science, a neutron star analyzer and an experimental solar array that was rolled out like a party horn on New Years Eve.

The science on this mission has been non-stop, and we think the scientists will be extremely happy with the volumes of data we gathered for them up here in space in our floating world-class laboratory we call home, Fischer said. For the whole SpaceX team, thank you for building such a great vehicle and for finding us some good weather today to allow us to bring home the science on time. Godspeed and fair winds, Dragon-11.

The spacecraft had originally been planned to splash down on July 2, but due to a forecast of unacceptable sea conditions at the recovery zone, mission managers decided on June 30 to postpone the capsules departure from the station.

Three separate departure burns were performed by the Dragon capsule once the robotic arm released the spacecraft. This gradually pushed the vehicle away from the outpost and outside the 656-foot (200-meter) Keep-Out Sphere (KOS).

Some five hours later, Dragon, using its Draco thrusters, performed a 10-minute de-orbit burn. Minutes after that, its trunk, which is not recoverable, was jettisoned.

Moments after being released by the ISS crew, the CRS-11 Dragon capsule begins its journey back to Earth. Photo Credit: Jack Fischer / NASA

A few minutes before splashing down, the capsule released drogue chutes to slow the capsule a bit and to keep a specific attitude for the three main parachutes to bedeployed. Once that occurred, along with a successful splashdown, it ensured a successful mission for the first re-flight of a commercial spacecraft to and from the ISS.

Now that Dragon is back on Earth and on a recovery ship, it will now be transported to the port of Los Angeles to offload time-sensitive cargo. The most notable include the Fruit Fly Lab-02 experiment, the Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for osteoporosis study, and the Cardiac Stem Cells experiment.

The Fruit Fly Lab-02 experiment aims to understand the effects of prolonged microgravity exposure on the heart. According to NASA, because flies are small, have a well-known genetic makeup, and age rapidly, thatmakes them good models for heart function studies.

For the Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for osteoporosis study, a group of rodents were used as models to test a drug that can rebuild bone and block additional bone density loss. It is hoped that this can help reduce bone density loss for astronauts on extended stays in space. Additionally, it can potentially help people with osteoporosis.

According to NASA, in-flight countermeasures, like exercise, can prevent bone density loss from getting worse, but nothing on Earth or in space can restore bone density.

Finally, the Cardiac Stem Cells experiment aims to analyze how microgravity affects stem cells and factors that govern stem cell activity. NASA says the study focuses on cardiac stem cell functions and has numerous biomedical and commercial applications.

The CRS-11 Dragon was launched June 3 from Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida. After a two-day rendezvous profile, the capsule was berthed to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module on June 5.

The next Dragon mission will be CRS-12 on Aug. 10, 2017. It is unclear if this capsule will also be a pre-flown vessel.

Video courtesy of NASA

Tagged: CRS-11 Dragon Expedition 52 International Space Station Lead Stories NASA SpaceX

Derek Richardson has a degree in mass media, with an emphasis in contemporary journalism, from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. While at Washburn, he was the managing editor of the student run newspaper, the Washburn Review. He also has a blog about the International Space Station, called Orbital Velocity. He met with members of the SpaceFlight Insider team during the flight of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket with the MUOS-4 satellite. Richardson joined our team shortly thereafter. His passion for space ignited when he watched Space Shuttle Discovery launch into space Oct. 29, 1998. Today, this fervor has accelerated toward orbit and shows no signs of slowing down. After dabbling in math and engineering courses in college, he soon realized his true calling was communicating to others about space. Since joining SpaceFlight Insider in 2015, Richardson has worked to increase the quality of our content, eventually becoming our managing editor.

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Dragon splashes down in Pacific with time-critical experiments - SpaceFlight Insider

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Saturday July 8 2017

Kenyans mark World Cancer Day on February 4, 2016 in Eldoret town. Tiny errors in DNA code can lead to cancer and other illnesses. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A revolution in the search for cancer treatments has been proposed by Englands chief medical officer.

Prof Sally Davies wants gene-testing to be introduced on a routine basis.

I want the National Health Service to be offering genomic medicine, that means diagnosis of our genes, to patients where they can possibly benefit, she said.

GENETIC TESTS Testing, she said, should be standard across cancer care as well as some other areas of medicine, including rare diseases and infections.

Doctors are already using genetic tests to identify and better treat different strains of the infectious disease, tuberculosis.

Humans have about 20,000 genes, bits of DNA code or instructions that control how our bodies work.

Tiny errors in this code can lead to cancer and other illnesses.

Gene-screening can reveal these errors by comparing tumour and normal DNA samples from the patient.

Professor Davies says in about two-thirds of cases, this information can improve their diagnosis and care.

Doctors can tailor treatments to the individual, picking the drugs most likely to be effective.

Currently, genetic testing in England is done at 25 regional laboratories, as well as some other small centres.

Professor Davies wants to centralise the service and set up a national network to ensure equal access to the testing across the country.

She said one hurdle could be doctors themselves, who dont like change.

Patients should persuade them to move from a local to a national service. *** Joe Furness was in Newcastle upon Tyne when he was invited to a party in London.

A three-hour, one-way train trip would cost him 78.50 (Sh10,517) and a plane flight 106, but Joe, aged 21, is a poor student and didnt have much money.

What he did have however was time. So Joe decided to take a detour via Spain.

CAR HIRE Flying from Newcastle to the Spanish island of Menorca cost him 16.00.

There he hired a car for 7.50 and spent the night in it, while sipping a 4.50 cocktail.

Next morning he flew to London for 11.00, joined the party, then grabbed a lift home with a pal afterwards.

Total cost of 39 was a saving of 39.50 on a train journey from Newcastle and 67 on a flight.

Distance travelled was 2,350 miles, against 290 miles from the North to London. *** Bradley Lowery is a six-year-old boy who won the hearts of the nation by campaigning for his beloved Sunderland Football Club and for its top scorer, Jermaine Defoe.

TV film of Defoe holding a smiling Bradley in his arms before a recent game appeared on nationwide television.

What everyone knows, of course, is that Bradley is dying from the childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

A fund-raising campaign raised money for him and will be used for other sick children when Bradley dies.

Now it seems fraudsters have been setting up pages on the internet claiming to be collecting for the boys cause.

His family have warned against them. Please be vigilant, they said in a message on Facebook.

You have to wonder, how low can some people stoop?

*** Some 400 plastic bottles are sold per second in this country and millions end up, along with other garbage, in the worlds oceans.

In fact, scientists calculate that by 2050, the oceans will contain more plastic by weight than fish.

The opposition Labour party is pressing for the introduction of a money-back return scheme, which has been introduced in many other countries and has proved successful in reducing the scale of littering.

You pay a bit extra for your drink but you get it back if you return the bottle, which the drinks company then recycles.

Coca-Cola, among others, is backing the idea. *** Famous one-liners:

Doctors recommend eight glasses of water per day. Why does this seem impossible when eight glasses of beer is so easy? Anonymous.

If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at the people he gave it to. American writer Dorothy Parker.

The two most beautiful words in the English language are Cheque enclosed. Dorothy Parker.

PLAGIARISM I asked God for a bike but I know He doesnt work that way, so I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness. Internet.

I wouldnt say I was the best football manager in the business, but I was in the top one. Brian Clough, British football manager.

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research. Anonymous

England and America are two countries separated by a common language. Irish writer George Bernard Shaw.

If I agreed with you, then we would both be wrong. Internet.

Scene of crime officers camp at CS's Karen home and Bomas of Kenya.

Interior CS woke up and complained of a sharp chest pain before collapsing in his house.

Link:
UK's chief medical officer calls for gene testing revolution in cancer treatment - Daily Nation

Recommendation and review posted by sam

BBC News

David Frost cardiac genetic testing service opens - BBC News BBC News The service at Belfast City Hospital aims to identify and support those at risk of heart problems. and more »

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David Frost cardiac genetic testing service opens - BBC News - BBC News

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Hospital gets cardiac genetic test service created in memory of broadcaster's son

BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

A genetic testing service to help find those at risk of heart disease has been launched at Belfast City Hospital.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/hospital-gets-cardiac-genetic-test-service-created-in-memory-of-broadcasters-son-35907048.html

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/article35907047.ece/dbb20/AUTOCROP/h342/2017-07-08_new_32696180_I1.JPG

A genetic testing service to help find those at risk of heart disease has been launched at Belfast City Hospital.

It was established through the Miles Frost Fund. Miles was the son of late broadcaster Sir David Frost and died from a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) two years ago, aged just 31.

Around 17,500 people in Northern Ireland are living with a faulty gene which puts them at high risk of a heart attack at a young age.

Dr Alison Muir, consultant cardiologist at Belfast City Hospital, said: "When someone dies from an inherited heart condition, not only will their family be faced with the devastating loss of a loved one, they will also face the possibility that they or another family member could be affected with the condition.

"It is important they are referred to the service so we can carry out this cascade testing.

"It can be a frightening prospect so the care of a specialist inherited cardiac conditions nurse is vital to support them through the process."

HCM causes the muscle wall of the heart to become thickened and can make it more difficult to pump blood around the body.

Miles is believed to have inherited the gene responsible for the condition from his father.

Although Sir David did not die from the condition, his post-mortem examination found the disease was present.

Miles and his brothers, Wilf and George, were not tested at the time, his family said.

In response to Miles' death, the Frost family and British Heart Foundation set up a fund with the aim to raise 1.5m to set up a national cascade testing service for family members of those who have died of or have been diagnosed with HCM.

Wilf Frost said: "It's wonderful to be in Belfast to see first-hand the work being funded in Miles' name and meet the patients who are benefiting from the service.

"When dad died, we were all just in complete shock, and when Miles died it was even worse. To lose someone so young, in the prime of his life, has been and still is hard to take.

"We miss him every day. We're determined to look forward and help prevent other families from experiencing the heartache we have which is why we're incredibly proud to roll out this new service.

"If we can prevent just one person suffering the same fate as Miles, then his death will not have been in vain."

Belfast was the first city in the UK to benefit from the Miles Frost Fund.

British Heart Foundation researchers were among the first to find the faulty genes underlying the deadly heart condition.

Belfast Telegraph

More here:
Hospital gets cardiac genetic test service created in memory of broadcaster's son - Belfast Telegraph

Recommendation and review posted by sam