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T-cell Vaccines Could Treat Elusive Diseases

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

T-cell Vaccines Could Treat Elusive Diseases A biotech company believes it can create the first effective T-cell vaccines. If it is right, it would redefine infectious medicine. Mercurial mercenary: A colored scanning electron micrograph of a T cell. David Scharf | Science Faction | Corbis For some infectious diseases, traditional vaccines just don't cut it. Microbes that hide inside human cells and cause chronic illness aren't stymied by the antibody response generated by the kind of vaccine available at the doctor's office. T-cell vaccines, which activate a different type of immune response, could, in theory, better prevent or control such chronic infections, but so far nobody has been successful at transitioning T-cell vaccines from the lab bench to the clinic. A Cambridge, Massachusetts, biotech company called Genocea thinks its high-throughput method could change that. The company will begin its first clinical trial later this year, when its experimental herpes vaccine will be the first test of its claims. All existing vaccines rouse the body into creating antibodies that attach to the surface of infecting microbes and flag them for destruction. But pathogens that live inside our cells, such as the viruses, bacteria, and other microbes that cause AIDS, malaria, herpes, … Continue reading →

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When patients demand tests and prescriptions, doctors should think twice

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

As an infectious-disease specialist, I often see patients who complain of a headache, nasal congestion and short-term fatigue. There is no fever or cough, and it appears the problem is sinusitis, which requires no further testing or treatment. But when I say, Lets wait and watch, many of my patients seem disappointed. In some cases, it seems they are satisfied only if I prescribe an antibiotic or order a blood test or X-ray. I understand where they are coming from: I often feel similarly let down when I take my daughter to the pediatrician for an earache and leave without a prescription for an antibiotic. When we go to the doctor, most of us want something done, even if the benefits are questionable or marginal. Both parties are at fault: Many patients demand tests, and often doctors encourage them. How much excess care is being carried out is debatable, but some studies indicate that nearly 30 percent of U.S. health-care expenditures are unnecessary. That would be $700 billion of waste each year. Choosing Wisely, a new campaign supported by several professional medical societies and consumer groups, is encouraging doctors and patients to kick this habit to curb the overuse of … Continue reading →

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Search finds weapons and drugs

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

POLICE found drugs, an air rifle and a knuckleduster when they searched a shed where Logan Thomas Herbert goes to "calm down". Police went to a home in Brock Crt, Darling Heights, where Herbert lives with his parents, as he was having a loud argument with his mother at 4pm on May 11. Herbert, 26, was agitated and said he suffered from anxiety. Prosecutor Sergeant Tony Costa said Herbert was asked how he usually dealt with his anxiety and he pointed to a shed he used to calm down. It had been converted into a recreation area with a lounge chair and TV. Sgt Costa said police searched the shed and found a homemade air rifle, 19.2 grams of marijuana, a knuckleduster, and items used to prepare and smoke drugs, including a bong, scissors and an electric grinder. Herbert appeared in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, and possessing utensils or pipes. The court heard Herbert made the air rifle in high school to shoot paintballs and was unaware he required a licence. He bought the hard plastic knuckleduster from a market and again did not … Continue reading →

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Eisai Receives Marketing Approval for Zonegran® (zonisamide) Monotherapy Treatment for Epilepsy

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

HATFIELD, England, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued Marketing Authorisation Approval (MAA) to extend the use of once-daily Zonegran(R) (zonisamide) from adjunctive therapy to also include monotherapy for the treatment of partial seizures (with or without secondary generalisation) in adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Zonisamide is a second generation anti-epileptic drug (AED) with multiple mechanisms of action and a chemical structure which is unrelated to any other AEDs.[1] For patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy, monotherapy is the preferred option for managing their condition as this reduces the potential for adverse drug interactions.[2] Commenting on the MAA, Michel Baulac, Head of the Epilepsy department at the Pitie-Salpetrire Hospital, Paris, France said, "Monotherapy is the optimal treatment approach for managing epilepsy. Therefore, the EU approval of zonisamide monotherapy is of real significance for newly diagnosed epilepsy patients who will, for the first time, be able to access this proven treatment as a first-line option in their care pathway." There are an estimated six million people living with epilepsy in Europe[3] and an estimated 50 million people worldwide.[4] The successful treatment of partial-onset seizures (the most common type of epilepsy) remains a challenge in some patients. "Zonegran … Continue reading →

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InVivo requests FDA meeting for spinal cord treatment

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

Cambridge-based InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), which develops treatments for spinal cord injuries (SCI) and other neurological injuries, has requested to meet with the FDA for its second product this year, a hydrogel-based treatment of acute and sub-acute neck, back, and leg pain conditions. The product is specifically intended for sciatica or radicular pain of the low back and legs and acute and sub-acute radicular pain of the neck or arms, which affect more than 4.2 million patients annually in the U.S., according to a statement. It consists of an injectable compound which slowly releases a number of molecules, including methylprednisolone, an anti-inflammatory drug. A summary of the research was published in the Journal of Biomaterials in January. For years, InVivo has been pressed by patients like myself to develop treatments for herniated disks and other neurological pain issues associated with the aging baby boomers in the United States, and now we have an answer in InVivos hydrogel platform, said InVivo CEO Frank Reynolds in the statement. We believe that the opportunity for our new treatment could exceed $22 billion annually, and by late 2012, we plan to partner with a global leader in pain therapies to bring this product … Continue reading →

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Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center Receives Largest Gift in Its History

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

PHOENIX, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix has received a $3 million donation from Celebrity Fight Night that will be used to help dramatically expand the renowned facility and its programs. Dozens of doctors, patients and staff applauded as Abraham Lieberman, MD, the center's director, personally received the donation recently from Jimmy Walker, founder of Celebrity Fight Night. Since the annual charity event began 18 years ago, it has contributed more than $22 million to the Center. Today's gift was the single largest ever received by the Ali center. Dr. Lieberman said the funds would be used to more than double the current size of the facility. The expansion will include new clinical areas, physical and speech therapy areas and community education meeting rooms. The current Ali center was opened in December 2010 on the campus of Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital. It is one of the most comprehensive Parkinson's treatment centers in the world, coordinating patient care, physical therapy, pharmaceutical and surgical care, research, and patient education and outreach. The Center has been designated a Center of Excellence by the National Parkinson Foundation. At … Continue reading →

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Botulinum toxin a shot in the arm for preventing multiple sclerosis tremor

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2012) Botulinum toxin may help prevent shaking or tremor in the arms and hands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research published in the July 3, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Treatments in use for tremor in MS are not sufficiently effective and new alternatives are needed," said study author Anneke van der Walt, MD, consultant neurologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and research fellow with the University of Melbourne in Australia. For the study 23 people with MS were given botulinum toxin type A injections or a saline placebo for three months. Then they received the opposite treatment for the next three months. Scientists measured the tremor severity and their ability to write and draw before, during and after receiving the treatments. Video assessments were also taken every six weeks for six months. The study found that people saw significant improvement in tremor severity, writing and drawing at six weeks and three months after the botulinum toxin treatment compared to after placebo. In tremor severity, the participants improved an average of two points on a 10-point scale, bringing their tremor from moderate to mild. … Continue reading →

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Botulinum Toxin a Shot in the Arm for Preventing MS Tremor

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

Newswise MINNEAPOLIS Botulinum toxin may help prevent shaking or tremor in the arms and hands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research published in the July 3, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Treatments in use for tremor in MS are not sufficiently effective and new alternatives are needed, said study author Anneke van der Walt, MD, consultant neurologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and research fellow with the University of Melbourne in Australia. For the study 23 people with MS were given botulinum toxin type A injections or a saline placebo for three months. Then they received the opposite treatment for the next three months. Scientists measured the tremor severity and their ability to write and draw before, during and after receiving the treatments. Video assessments were also taken every six weeks for six months. The study found that people saw significant improvement in tremor severity, writing and drawing at six weeks and three months after the botulinum toxin treatment compared to after placebo. In tremor severity, the participants improved an average of two points on a 10-point scale, bringing their tremor from moderate to mild. In writing … Continue reading →

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Study: Botulinum toxin a shot in the arm for preventing MS tremor

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

Public release date: 2-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Rachel Seroka rseroka@aan.com 612-807-6968 American Academy of Neurology MINNEAPOLIS Botulinum toxin may help prevent shaking or tremor in the arms and hands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research published in the July 3, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Treatments in use for tremor in MS are not sufficiently effective and new alternatives are needed," said study author Anneke van der Walt, MD, consultant neurologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and research fellow with the University of Melbourne in Australia. For the study 23 people with MS were given botulinum toxin type A injections or a saline placebo for three months. Then they received the opposite treatment for the next three months. Scientists measured the tremor severity and their ability to write and draw before, during and after receiving the treatments. Video assessments were also taken every six weeks for six months. The study found that people saw significant improvement in tremor severity, writing and drawing at six weeks and three months after the botulinum toxin treatment compared to after placebo. In tremor severity, the participants improved … Continue reading →

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Vaccine For Blocking Nicotine Chemicals Before They Reach The Brain Shows Promise

Posted: Published on July 3rd, 2012

Editor's Choice Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines Article Date: 02 Jul 2012 - 11:00 PDT Current ratings for: Vaccine For Blocking Nicotine Chemicals Before They Reach The Brain Shows Promise 5 (1 votes) 5 (1 votes) The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine describes that a single dose of the novel vaccine protects mice against a life-long addiction against nicotine. The vaccine uses the animal's liver as a production site to continuously produce antibodies that instantly gobble up nicotine the moment it enters the bloodstream, and therefore prevents the chemical from reaching the brain and heart. Leading researcher, Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College explains: He continues saying: "Our vaccine allows the body to make its own monoclonal antibodies against nicotine, and in that way, develop a workable immunity." Dr. Crystal stated that the reason why earlier nicotine vaccines failed in clinical trials was because they all directly deliver nicotine antibodies. Their effect only lasted a few weeks and therefore required repeated, costly injections. He adds that this impractical, passive vaccine also delivered inconsistent results, which could potentially be because each … Continue reading →

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