Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Muscular Dystrophy / ALS News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/muscular_dystrophy/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120233.php New research project focuses on stem cell research to counter effects of muscle-wasting disease that affects boys and young men Action Duchenne is funding a £200k research project into Stem Cell research undertaken by medical research scientists at University College London. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120170.php The motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the second most common genetic disorder leading to death in childhood. There is currently no cure for SMA, but some clinicians and researchers consider stem cell transplantation as a potential therapeutic strategy. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120002.php Despite an uncertain economy and Hurricane Gustav pounding the Gulf Coast, contributions and pledges to the 43rd annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon totaled a recordbreaking $65,031,393 - $1.2 million more than last year. These contributions will enable the Muscular Dystrophy Association to fund research to find treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy and related diseases. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118005.php Legendary entertainer Jerry Lewis will continue his battle against muscular dystrophy this Labor Day weekend on his 43rd Labor Day Telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Originating from the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, the live show will air for 21½ hours, beginning at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 31, and will be shown on some 180 "Love Network" stations nationwide. Check http://www.mda. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117648.php A set of new stem cell lines will make it possible for researchers to explore ten different genetic disorders-including muscular dystrophy, juvenile diabetes, and Parkinson's disease-in a variety of cell and tissue types as they develop in laboratory cultures. Researchers led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator George Q. Daley have converted cells from individuals with the diseases into stem cells with the same genetic errors. Stem Cell Research Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117590.php Research Scientists at Oxford University have received £150k raised by Action Duchenne to fund the latest research into 'Exon skipping', a gene therapy approach to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The project forms part of the larger research programme currently being undertaken by MDEX Consortium* UK, a group of research scientists that has received over £2M of funding from the UK government and Medical Research Council (MRC) to conduct clinical trials on DMD patients. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117597.php US researchers have found a way to produce immortal cell strains and tissue types from diseased patients by converting their cells into pluripotent stem cells with the same genetic errors. The new cell lines will enable scientists to investigate ten different genetic disorders like Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy, and type 1 diabetes in the test tube instead of in the patient, a huge step forward compared to current methods. Stem Cell Research Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117139.php The VA posting of the new policy that was expected has yet to be released. As soon as the official announcement is made, it will be posted on this site. Great news for many of America's military veterans who have ALS. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117006.php Scientists in the US have converted skin cells from an 82-year-old woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) into stem cells that formed motor neurons with the same genetic make up as the patient. The breakthrough opens the possibility of modelling a patient's specific disease outside of the patient, to improve investigation and drug screening, and perhaps even to develop new neurons to replace the damaged ones in the patient. Stem Cell Research Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116875.php Less than 27 months after announcing that he had institutional permission to attempt the creation of patient and disease-specific stem cell lines, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Principal Faculty member Kevin Eggan proclaimed the effort a success - though politically imposed restrictions and scientific advances prompted him to use a different technique than originally planned. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115767.php Researchers from Duke University, the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center are hoping to find a geographical pattern to help explain why 1991 Gulf War veterans contracted the fatal neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at twice the normal rate during the decade after the conflict. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115274.php The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign recently launched a South West Steering Group to make sure that the views of patients, their families and health professionals are heard at a local level. The inaugural meeting took place at the Lyngford House Conference Centre in Taunton on 30 June. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115008.php Oxford Brookes University are carrying out a study into the effects of exercise on people with long term mobility problems. They are looking to recruit a few more people with a muscular dystrophy or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease to the study. To take part you must live in Oxfordshire, be able to stand and walk ten metres, be available to attend three assessments over six months and be willing to attend one of four gyms at least once a week for 12 weeks. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114761.php Research by Dr Amy Wagers and her team at Harvard University, USA, has shown promise for the use of muscle stem cell as a therapy for conditions such as muscular dystrophy. The researchers successfully transplanted muscle stem cells from healthy mice into the muscles of mice that show symptoms similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Although this shows promise for the therapy of human muscle disease, there are many practical hurdles. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114730.php By injecting purified stem cells isolated from adult skeletal muscle, researchers have shown they can restore healthy muscle and improve muscle function in mice with a form of muscular dystrophy. Those muscle-building stem cells were derived from a larger pool of so-called satellite cells that normally associate with mature muscle fibers and play a role in muscle growth and repair. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114279.php Whizz-Kidz is looking for both manual and especially powered wheelchair users from 18 years of age to become Wheelchair Skills Trainers. If you have experience of: - Working with children and young people - Teaching/instruction or training groups - Working with disabled people with various conditions And feel you can communicate effectively, enthusiastically and positively with children of all ages please read further. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114280.php On Wednesday 2 July local MP Dave Anderson, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy, intervened during an urgent debate in the House of Commons on Duchenne muscular dystrophy forcing a commitment from Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo MP, to a meeting about service provision for people with the condition. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112891.php In the run-up to the 60th anniversary of the NHS, the BBC wants to know about the services in your area. What are the issues that are most important to you? What are your experiences of the NHS? You can tell the BBC your real life experiences via their website. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112395.php JISC TechDis (Joint Information Systems Committee) has joined forces with the Publishers Association to provide resources which have the potential to transform the delivery of learning materials to disabled students and staff. One of the resources, Publisher Lookup UK, will enable education providers and publishers to source electronic formats of textbooks for students with disabilities more quickly and efficiently than existing processes allow. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112283.php The authors showed that the quality of life of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)patients does not depend on the severity of their physical restrictions. In contrast, it was found that patients who have to be given artificial respiration are more satisfied than patients for whom this is not necessary. Although an outside observer would have expected ALS patients to be depressed, as the disease is so serious, this was only the case for 10% of patients. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111861.php Your ability to walk, swallow food and even breath depends on your brain's ability to talk to your muscles. Any interruption in this vital conversation is a major threat to your health. A recent discovery by Dr. Robert Brownstone, a neurosurgeon and researcher at Dalhousie University, may help keep the conversation going in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111592.php The largest assessment of people with adult muscular dystrophy has identified risk factors that can lead to sudden death for individuals with the most common form of this disease. The results of the multicenter study, lead by the Indiana University School of Medicine, are reported in the June 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111196.php AVI BioPharma, Inc. announced the publication of preclinical results of a study designed to demonstrate the ability of AVI's NeuGene® class of drugs to induce sustained expression of dystrophin in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Treatment with the AVI compound resulted in production of functional dystrophin in numerous appropriate tissues, including the heart, diaphragm and skeletal muscles; key organs for the treatment of the disease. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/110252.php A new study, led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC), says that cases of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) among soldiers who served in the first Persian Gulf War were caused by certain events during their deployment to the war zone, meaning the exposure and illness is not as widespread as previously thought. The study is being published in the July issue of Neuroepidemiology. Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109880.php A new study at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University identifies a key mechanism for the normal development of motor nerve cells (motor neurons) - cells that control muscles. This finding is crucial to understanding and treating a range of conditions involving nerve cell loss or damage, from spinal cord injury to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Nerve cell regeneration is a complex process. Neurology / Neuroscience