Source: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=9F4CE513-E7F2-99DF-3B827D53632DD53C&chanID=sa003
March 29, 2007 (Scientific American)
Gene Activates Liver Repair
Hunting for a way to let the liver heal itself without causing more harm than good
By JR Minkel
Researchers may have identified a master switch that activates the liver's ability to heal itself, suggesting a route to better treatments for liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. Mice that lacked the gene showed a marked deterioration in their livers and lived shorter lives than normal mice.
Damage to the liver activates a group of specialized wound-healers called hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which churn out scaffoldlike collagen fibers that support the growth of new liver cells. "You want the cells to get activated but you don't want them to stay activated for too long," says neurobiologist Katerina Akassoglou of the University of California, San Diego, because the fibers begin substituting for healthy liver tissue, leading to liver failure in people with chronic cirrhosis, for example. But researchers do not know which genes control the process.
Akassoglou and her colleagues thought they had a good candidate in the gene for the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), a regulator of cell death in the brain that also switches on soon after liver injuries. Using mice that had a propensity for liver disease, her team created a strain of rodents that lacked the p75NTR gene. The livers of the engineered mice were covered in lesions after 10 weeks, and only half of the animals lived longer than that, compared with more than six months for the unmodified rodents.
The p75NTR protein sits on the surface of HSCs. The group believes that when activated by a still-unknown agent after liver damage, it stimulates a cascade of signals inside the cells that trigger them to begin the healing process, according to results presented in this week's Science. The next step, Akassoglou says, is to determine the role p75NTR plays in later stages of liver disease, to see if shutting it down will stop the harmful production of collagen.
"If you know what the switch is," she says, "and if you know how these cells become quiescent again … then you can start interfering with this process."
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Another Birthday Girl
Today is my step-daughter, Kesa's, birthday. Happy 15th Kesa! I'm having a hard time believing it was so long ago that she came into my life. Time certainly does seem to speed up when you are observing a child grow up.
In a fitting tribute, I thought it worthwhile to share one of my more vivid memories of Kesa as a baby.
Kesa was crawling age. I think about 9 months old, but my memory is fading. At that time, her blond curls sprung up off her head and her cherubic cheeks glowed with a pink hue. I remember being shocked by how much she looked like Charlie.
As her chubby thighs and knees pushed against the brown carpet, she giggled and shrieked with joy as she approached me sitting on a sofa. I couldn't help but smile at her excitement. Charlie egged her on with "Come to Dada! Come to Dada!" Kesa squealed with delight and swiftly crawled about 6 feet toward us.
Charlie scooped her up, and that was when I first really witnessed the father-daughter bond between them. He kissed her cheek a bunch of times, and then put her down on the floor again. Kesa giggled again, and promptly crawled off toward her Papa. I knew Charlie was proud, but he exuded pride and parental love that day. I hope my memory of that day pays tribute to Charlie and Kesa's relationship.
Has it really been 15 years?
As Kesa prepares to learn how to drive, becomes more interested in boys, and works her way through high school, I see Charlie's bond continuing to deepen. He aches to talk to her on the phone or get an email from his busy teenager these days. (Kesa lives 4 hours away from us.)
I guess it makes me appreciate what we have with Grace and Meghan even more. They, too, will grow up too fast, and I had better appreciate them as little girls while I can.
Happy Birthday Kesa!
In a fitting tribute, I thought it worthwhile to share one of my more vivid memories of Kesa as a baby.
Kesa was crawling age. I think about 9 months old, but my memory is fading. At that time, her blond curls sprung up off her head and her cherubic cheeks glowed with a pink hue. I remember being shocked by how much she looked like Charlie.
As her chubby thighs and knees pushed against the brown carpet, she giggled and shrieked with joy as she approached me sitting on a sofa. I couldn't help but smile at her excitement. Charlie egged her on with "Come to Dada! Come to Dada!" Kesa squealed with delight and swiftly crawled about 6 feet toward us.
Charlie scooped her up, and that was when I first really witnessed the father-daughter bond between them. He kissed her cheek a bunch of times, and then put her down on the floor again. Kesa giggled again, and promptly crawled off toward her Papa. I knew Charlie was proud, but he exuded pride and parental love that day. I hope my memory of that day pays tribute to Charlie and Kesa's relationship.
Has it really been 15 years?
As Kesa prepares to learn how to drive, becomes more interested in boys, and works her way through high school, I see Charlie's bond continuing to deepen. He aches to talk to her on the phone or get an email from his busy teenager these days. (Kesa lives 4 hours away from us.)
I guess it makes me appreciate what we have with Grace and Meghan even more. They, too, will grow up too fast, and I had better appreciate them as little girls while I can.
Happy Birthday Kesa!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Magnesium Sulfate Protects Preemies?
I received mag with both Grace and Meghan while I was still pregnant. Hmmmm...
Magnesium sulfate may protect very preterm infants from brain injury
http://www.therapeuticsdaily.com/news/article.cfm?contentValue=1319047&contentType=sentryarticle&channelID=30
Reuters Health - Apr. 17, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Magnesium sulfate given before very preterm birth may protect infants against brain injury without harming the mother, according to a report in the March issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. However, the benefit is not strong enough to recommend widespread adoption of the strategy.
Several reports have suggested that prenatal administration of magnesium sulfate for tocolysis or preeclampsia is associated with lower neonatal mortality and lower risk of cerebral palsy in very-low-birth-weight children, the authors explain.
Dr. Stephane Marret from Rouen University Hospital, France and associates investigated whether a single infusion of magnesium sulfate to women at risk of very preterm delivery would prevent neonatal mortality and/or white matter injury.
Slightly more women treated with magnesium sulfate (53.9%) had prolonged prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) than women who received placebo (46.6%), the authors report, but otherwise the groups had similar maternal and pregnancy characteristics.
There were no major maternal adverse effects among women treated with magnesium sulfate, the results indicate, and labor and delivery outcomes were similar for the two groups. Women in the magnesium sulfate group did, however, have a significantly higher rate of maternal-fetal infections.
Total neonatal mortality before hospital discharge, severe white matter injury, and the combination of the two were lower for the magnesium sulfate group, the researchers note, but the differences did not reach statistical significance.
Secondary cranial ultrasound outcomes also did not differ significantly among the 665 infants with available data, the report indicates, although the rate of all white matter injury and the rate of nonparenchymal hemorrhages were lower in the magnesium sulfate group than in the placebo group.
"The lack of a significant magnesium sulfate effect ... may be explained by the higher frequencies of PPROM and/or maternal-fetal infection observed in our magnesium sulfate group that may have counterbalanced the neuroprotective effect of magnesium," the investigators say.
"Our findings suggest a neuroprotective effect of magnesium sulfate given before very-preterm birth but do not provide strong enough evidence for recommending widespread magnesium sulfate use in clinical practice," Dr. Marret and colleagues conclude.
BJOG 2007;114:310-318.
Magnesium sulfate may protect very preterm infants from brain injury
http://www.therapeuticsdaily.com/news/article.cfm?contentValue=1319047&contentType=sentryarticle&channelID=30
Reuters Health - Apr. 17, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Magnesium sulfate given before very preterm birth may protect infants against brain injury without harming the mother, according to a report in the March issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. However, the benefit is not strong enough to recommend widespread adoption of the strategy.
Several reports have suggested that prenatal administration of magnesium sulfate for tocolysis or preeclampsia is associated with lower neonatal mortality and lower risk of cerebral palsy in very-low-birth-weight children, the authors explain.
Dr. Stephane Marret from Rouen University Hospital, France and associates investigated whether a single infusion of magnesium sulfate to women at risk of very preterm delivery would prevent neonatal mortality and/or white matter injury.
Slightly more women treated with magnesium sulfate (53.9%) had prolonged prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) than women who received placebo (46.6%), the authors report, but otherwise the groups had similar maternal and pregnancy characteristics.
There were no major maternal adverse effects among women treated with magnesium sulfate, the results indicate, and labor and delivery outcomes were similar for the two groups. Women in the magnesium sulfate group did, however, have a significantly higher rate of maternal-fetal infections.
Total neonatal mortality before hospital discharge, severe white matter injury, and the combination of the two were lower for the magnesium sulfate group, the researchers note, but the differences did not reach statistical significance.
Secondary cranial ultrasound outcomes also did not differ significantly among the 665 infants with available data, the report indicates, although the rate of all white matter injury and the rate of nonparenchymal hemorrhages were lower in the magnesium sulfate group than in the placebo group.
"The lack of a significant magnesium sulfate effect ... may be explained by the higher frequencies of PPROM and/or maternal-fetal infection observed in our magnesium sulfate group that may have counterbalanced the neuroprotective effect of magnesium," the investigators say.
"Our findings suggest a neuroprotective effect of magnesium sulfate given before very-preterm birth but do not provide strong enough evidence for recommending widespread magnesium sulfate use in clinical practice," Dr. Marret and colleagues conclude.
BJOG 2007;114:310-318.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Birthday Girl
Five years ago today, a tiny, fussy wrinkled baby girl came abruptly out of my stomach. She had been delivered by c-section by Dr. Schultz because I had severe preeclampsia. I remember her cries that were as if to say, "Put me back in there! I'm not ready to be born yet." My thoughts were very similar, but I was so very sick and relieved that my baby was alive and getting the important care she needed in our experienced NICU.
That day, I became a mother...a mom who felt an amazing amount of love. A love that I had never felt before. A love that I can't describe appropriately in words. It is a love to be experienced not written about. I'm quite certain the mothers who read this will agree.
That day, a force to be reckoned with was born. Her name is Grace Ann. My beautiful girl. Our gorgeous daughter. An extension of both myself and my husband.
Today, we celebrate Gracie.
We celebrate Grace's endless spinning, jumping, laughing, running, teasing, whining, giggling, silly self.
We celebrate her inner beauty. Her need to declare her love at random times. Her intense need to stroke her ears and anything remotely soft or silky. Her moments of shrieking as Meghan calls her stinker pooper head. Her neverending movement as we sit as a family at the dinner table. Her intense dread at the prospect of getting cold or chilly. Her need for at least 12-13 hours of sleep per day. Her grouchy self in the morning. Her ramming speed approach to all things. Her hugs which allow you to feel the depths of her soul.
We celebrate all of Grace. We celebrate her past, present, and future.
Plus, we celebrate all of these beautiful 5 year old faces, which continue to deepen our love for her.
Happy Birthday Gracie. We love you forever.
That day, I became a mother...a mom who felt an amazing amount of love. A love that I had never felt before. A love that I can't describe appropriately in words. It is a love to be experienced not written about. I'm quite certain the mothers who read this will agree.
That day, a force to be reckoned with was born. Her name is Grace Ann. My beautiful girl. Our gorgeous daughter. An extension of both myself and my husband.
Today, we celebrate Gracie.
We celebrate Grace's endless spinning, jumping, laughing, running, teasing, whining, giggling, silly self.
We celebrate her inner beauty. Her need to declare her love at random times. Her intense need to stroke her ears and anything remotely soft or silky. Her moments of shrieking as Meghan calls her stinker pooper head. Her neverending movement as we sit as a family at the dinner table. Her intense dread at the prospect of getting cold or chilly. Her need for at least 12-13 hours of sleep per day. Her grouchy self in the morning. Her ramming speed approach to all things. Her hugs which allow you to feel the depths of her soul.
We celebrate all of Grace. We celebrate her past, present, and future.
Plus, we celebrate all of these beautiful 5 year old faces, which continue to deepen our love for her.
Happy Birthday Gracie. We love you forever.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Boston Marathon
On Grace's birthday, we are honored that a member of the American Liver Foundation's Run for Research Team in the Boston Marathon will be running in honor of Grace & Meghan. The girls were matched with our runner, Jen. This is her 4th year running. WOW! I can't even run 4 blocks.
Please consider donating to Jen's fundraising effort:
http://www.active.com/donate/liverteam07/JDavis297
We're proud that Jen runs to help cure liver disease and Alpha-1 is one of those diseases.
Jen, Gracie and Meghan are very proud of you.
Please consider donating to Jen's fundraising effort:
http://www.active.com/donate/liverteam07/JDavis297
We're proud that Jen runs to help cure liver disease and Alpha-1 is one of those diseases.
Jen, Gracie and Meghan are very proud of you.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
ELBW Research
That is extremely low birth weight (ELBW) for those of you who haven't had micropreemies. Meghan qualified for this birth weight and as such qualifies for a myriad of additional risk factors for which Gracie would not be at risk.
I'm still reading this blog post, and need time to absorb and reflect before I showcase my opinion here.
Needless to say, Meghan, while still very much alive and with us, may have life challenges because of her very early birth.
http://talesfromthewomb.blogspot.com/2007/03/objectivity-in-long-term-neonatal.html
Jen
I'm still reading this blog post, and need time to absorb and reflect before I showcase my opinion here.
Needless to say, Meghan, while still very much alive and with us, may have life challenges because of her very early birth.
http://talesfromthewomb.blogspot.com/2007/03/objectivity-in-long-term-neonatal.html
Jen
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Preeclampsia and Future Cardiovascular Risk
7/10/2007: I'm not sure why but I've gotten at least 30 hits on this post in the last few days. A lot of people are being referred to this post via their email accounts. Anyone care to share what is so interesting about this post? As a survivor of preeclampsia, I'd love to hear what brings you here. Leave a comment please. :) Jen
More bad news for me as a two time severe preeclampsia survivor who developed hypertension after the birth of my 2nd daughter. Guess I'd better see what my internist thinks about this...
1: Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2007 Mar;5(2):283-94. Links
Preeclampsia and future cardiovascular risk.Newstead J, von Dadelszen P, Magee LA.
University of Saskatchewan, Department of Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. jill.newstead@shaw.ca
Pregnancy is a metabolic and vascular 'stress test' for women and those who 'fail' are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular complications. Specifically, women who develop preeclampsia (and/or other manifestations of placental dysfunction) are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease in general. The risk is highest among women who develop both maternal (e.g., hypertension and proteinuria) and fetal (e.g., intrauterine growth restriction) manifestations of abnormal placentation, especially with preterm delivery. Most women who develop a maternal placental syndrome return to a normal clinical state in the weeks following pregnancy and their absolute risk of cardiovascular disease in the short term is very low. However, perhaps having a placentally complicated pregnancy affords women the opportunity to personalize risk and take action. Action is needed. The fact that we, as a population, are getting heavier and more sedentary is an urgent public health issue. The American Heart Association recommends that all women (even those at low cardiovascular risk) pursue dietary and lifestyle changes, in addition to smoking cessation. Engaging women of child-bearing age who may be motivated by a complicated pregnancy would be very valuable, from a public health perspective, given the prevalence and importance of cardiovascular disease in women, and the central role of the woman as caregiver to children, spouses and other family members.
PMID: 17338672 [PubMed - in process]
More bad news for me as a two time severe preeclampsia survivor who developed hypertension after the birth of my 2nd daughter. Guess I'd better see what my internist thinks about this...
1: Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2007 Mar;5(2):283-94. Links
Preeclampsia and future cardiovascular risk.Newstead J, von Dadelszen P, Magee LA.
University of Saskatchewan, Department of Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. jill.newstead@shaw.ca
Pregnancy is a metabolic and vascular 'stress test' for women and those who 'fail' are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular complications. Specifically, women who develop preeclampsia (and/or other manifestations of placental dysfunction) are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease in general. The risk is highest among women who develop both maternal (e.g., hypertension and proteinuria) and fetal (e.g., intrauterine growth restriction) manifestations of abnormal placentation, especially with preterm delivery. Most women who develop a maternal placental syndrome return to a normal clinical state in the weeks following pregnancy and their absolute risk of cardiovascular disease in the short term is very low. However, perhaps having a placentally complicated pregnancy affords women the opportunity to personalize risk and take action. Action is needed. The fact that we, as a population, are getting heavier and more sedentary is an urgent public health issue. The American Heart Association recommends that all women (even those at low cardiovascular risk) pursue dietary and lifestyle changes, in addition to smoking cessation. Engaging women of child-bearing age who may be motivated by a complicated pregnancy would be very valuable, from a public health perspective, given the prevalence and importance of cardiovascular disease in women, and the central role of the woman as caregiver to children, spouses and other family members.
PMID: 17338672 [PubMed - in process]
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Seeing is Believing
Cross posting my entry on Preeclampsia Survivors:
http://preeclampsiasurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/03/seeing-is-believing.html
http://preeclampsiasurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/03/seeing-is-believing.html
Saturday, March 24, 2007
"This Close"
It has been a hard week for some of my online friends. Amanda from Imagine Bright Futures informed all of us at Liver Families that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. It just seems like cruel irony that Amanda has to endure cancer along with her niece's biliary atresia. I will be praying for her as she undergoes a mastectomy on the 29th.
Then, I began reading heartbreaking posts from my pal, Sheri, whose son Antonio was critically ill. He had a liver transplant, but then developed Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), which is a form of cancer caused by exposure to the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). It can happen in children who are immunosuppressed due to organ transplantation. After reading about Sheri's elation that Antonio had been given his life-saving gift of life, it seemed nearly impossible that she would be again watching her son slowly fade, and actually come "this close" when he had to fight pnuemonia on top of the PTLD.
Thankfully, Antonio has made marked improvement. Sheri has been away from her other three children for nearly a month, and like a God send, Kim, another Liver Families mom flew up from Texas to comfort Sheri. I think Kim's positive energy played a pivotal role in lifting Sheri up out of the darkest places that our minds can go when faced with life or death situations.
Charlie, Meghan, and I went to visit Sheri last night. She is still quite fragile and now her emotions are begining to bubble up at random points as it appears she is realizing how "this close" brushed up against her precious Antonio.
Antonio, I hope you are making your bull frog noise soon. Your mommy really, really needs to hear it soon. I hope those good vibes that Kim brought with her can somehow make their way through space and time and land on Amanda.
Then, I began reading heartbreaking posts from my pal, Sheri, whose son Antonio was critically ill. He had a liver transplant, but then developed Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), which is a form of cancer caused by exposure to the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). It can happen in children who are immunosuppressed due to organ transplantation. After reading about Sheri's elation that Antonio had been given his life-saving gift of life, it seemed nearly impossible that she would be again watching her son slowly fade, and actually come "this close" when he had to fight pnuemonia on top of the PTLD.
Thankfully, Antonio has made marked improvement. Sheri has been away from her other three children for nearly a month, and like a God send, Kim, another Liver Families mom flew up from Texas to comfort Sheri. I think Kim's positive energy played a pivotal role in lifting Sheri up out of the darkest places that our minds can go when faced with life or death situations.
Charlie, Meghan, and I went to visit Sheri last night. She is still quite fragile and now her emotions are begining to bubble up at random points as it appears she is realizing how "this close" brushed up against her precious Antonio.
Antonio, I hope you are making your bull frog noise soon. Your mommy really, really needs to hear it soon. I hope those good vibes that Kim brought with her can somehow make their way through space and time and land on Amanda.
Monday, March 19, 2007
88
Today, my grandma Eve turned 88 years old. I've tried to imagine myself at the age of 88, and wonder if I'll be as eloquent, calm, stubborn, and diplomatic as she. What will unfold in my life between now and then, if I make it to 88 in the year 2060?
Will I still live in my own home?
Will I still drive my car, just around town?
Will I still cook? (Ha ha, my husband is laughing at that one.)
Will I revel in my children's accomplishments?
Will I revel in my grand children's accomplishments?
Will I revel in my great grand children, especially how they grow up so fast?
Will I still remember the subtle details of my life as she does?
Will I know how truly loved I am?
Will I know that my loved ones are dreading the "call" that will eventually come?
Tonight, Gram was her true self. She wouldn't let me ask much about her day. She wanted to know about me, my husband, my girls. Gram wouldn't have it any other way.
I got one hint from her though. She was extremely pleased that Mary Buchanan had sent her a birthday card. What made this such a blessing was that she believed her friend had passed on already. I could hear the happiness in her speech as it became rapid. She couldn't wait to tell me. Her pure joy emanated through the telephone as she expressed her friend from Oxford was alive.
Upon hearing the name, I had a flashback to being in a tiny church near Oxford and watching my grandparents greet the Buchanans before mass started. I was craning my neck to see their faces at about hip level on my Gram. Grandpa said, "Well, hi-a honey!" Mary smiled at me, and said, "I see the girls are up for a visit."
As conversations do, the topic eventually drifted to Grandma being proud of her three sons and how their families have blossomed. I suppose since birthdays make a person reflect, Gram revealed that she had actually had 5 pregnancies. "I was always so pleased that I had three boys, but I might have liked a daughter. I always thought that my miscarriages were my girls. You know my doctor wouldn't tell me whether they were boys or girls. She said it was better to focus on having another baby. I think she was right."
Well, Gram, you had to wait until 1972 to get me as your first grandchild. As you've told me multiple times, I know I've made you proud and that you love me. I love you too.
Happy birthday Grandma! I'm so lucky to have you in my life.
Love,
Jen
Will I still live in my own home?
Will I still drive my car, just around town?
Will I still cook? (Ha ha, my husband is laughing at that one.)
Will I revel in my children's accomplishments?
Will I revel in my grand children's accomplishments?
Will I revel in my great grand children, especially how they grow up so fast?
Will I still remember the subtle details of my life as she does?
Will I know how truly loved I am?
Will I know that my loved ones are dreading the "call" that will eventually come?
Tonight, Gram was her true self. She wouldn't let me ask much about her day. She wanted to know about me, my husband, my girls. Gram wouldn't have it any other way.
I got one hint from her though. She was extremely pleased that Mary Buchanan had sent her a birthday card. What made this such a blessing was that she believed her friend had passed on already. I could hear the happiness in her speech as it became rapid. She couldn't wait to tell me. Her pure joy emanated through the telephone as she expressed her friend from Oxford was alive.
Upon hearing the name, I had a flashback to being in a tiny church near Oxford and watching my grandparents greet the Buchanans before mass started. I was craning my neck to see their faces at about hip level on my Gram. Grandpa said, "Well, hi-a honey!" Mary smiled at me, and said, "I see the girls are up for a visit."
As conversations do, the topic eventually drifted to Grandma being proud of her three sons and how their families have blossomed. I suppose since birthdays make a person reflect, Gram revealed that she had actually had 5 pregnancies. "I was always so pleased that I had three boys, but I might have liked a daughter. I always thought that my miscarriages were my girls. You know my doctor wouldn't tell me whether they were boys or girls. She said it was better to focus on having another baby. I think she was right."
Well, Gram, you had to wait until 1972 to get me as your first grandchild. As you've told me multiple times, I know I've made you proud and that you love me. I love you too.
Happy birthday Grandma! I'm so lucky to have you in my life.
Love,
Jen
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Pediatric Grand Rounds
Pediatric Grand Rounds is up at:
http://blogmd.samblackman.org/?p=307
Special thanks go to Blog MD for his compilation this round.
http://blogmd.samblackman.org/?p=307
Special thanks go to Blog MD for his compilation this round.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Promising Lung Research
Scientists develop new procedure to differentiate human embryonic stem cells
Molecular scientists at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM) – which is part of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston – have developed a new procedure for the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells, with which they have created the first transplantable source of lung epithelial cells.
The process, created in the laboratory of Rick A. Wetsel, Ph.D., a professor of molecular medicine at the IMM, is described in this week’s edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Research scientist Dachun Wang, M.D., is lead author of the article, “A pure population of lung alveolar epithelial type II cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.”
“We have developed a reliable molecular procedure which facilitates, via genetic selection, the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into an essentially pure population of lung epithelial cells,” said Wetsel, noting the procedure also can be used to create other types of highly-specialized cells.
Scientists at the IMM used the in vitro method to create lung epithelial cells known as alveolar epithelial type II. The cells were derived from a human embryonic stem cell line approved by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The method involves the use of protein markers under the control of cell-specific promoters to convert undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells into highly-specialized cells. The human embryonic stem cells were cultured on specially coated dishes and transfected with a lung epithelial gene regulator of a drug selection gene.
“It is a general technology for developing select cells from human embryonic stem cells,” said C. Thomas Caskey, M.D., the IMM’s chief operating officer, director and CEO-elect. “The technology has allowed us to develop a platform that could potentially be useful in the development of spinal cord cells, heart cells, nerve cells and others.”
James T. Willerson, M.D., president of the UT Health Science Center at Houston, said " I believe this is an important development by the Wetsel laboratory at the IMM. I look forward to seeing its transitional impact."
Alveolar epithelial type II cells are called “the stem cells of the lungs” because of their versatility and many important functions. They produce proteins including surfactant that inflates lungs. They also make other cells lining the inner lung. “They regulate lung fluids and oxygen levels,” Wetsel said.
The cells are part of the tiny air sacs lining the lower airways known as alveoli. Tissue thin, they transfer oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. If the walls of the hundreds of millions of alveolus in a pair of lungs could be spread out and placed side by side, they would cover the floor of a classroom.
According to Wetsel, transplantable alveolar epithelial type II cells can be explored as treatments for pulmonary genetic diseases, acquired lung disease, as well as lung trauma caused by car accidents, gunshot wounds and sports injuries.
“These are the cells that can potentially be used for regenerative lung repair,” he said.
Hereditary lung disorders most likely to benefit from transplantation of alveolar epithelial type II cells include respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn, alpha-1 related emphysema and cystic fibrosis, Wetsel believes. “All three of these diseases are caused by single gene defects and therefore have been logical candidates for gene therapy,” Wetsel said.
Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn, a condition affecting premature infants less than 37 weeks of age, may be caused by a genetic mutation triggering a surfactant shortage. Likewise, alpha-1 related emphysema, a condition affecting 100,000 Americans, results from an inherited deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin. Further, cystic fibrosis is the second most common childhood onset inherited disorder in the United States.
Transplantable alveolar epithelial type II cells may also one day be helpful in the treatment of other lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of 122,283 Americans in 2003, and asthma, Wetsel said.
Still years away from their use in regenerative medicine, Wetsel said the next step involves research trials with mice.
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Source: http://www.physorg.com/news91879247.html
Molecular scientists at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM) – which is part of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston – have developed a new procedure for the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells, with which they have created the first transplantable source of lung epithelial cells.
The process, created in the laboratory of Rick A. Wetsel, Ph.D., a professor of molecular medicine at the IMM, is described in this week’s edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Research scientist Dachun Wang, M.D., is lead author of the article, “A pure population of lung alveolar epithelial type II cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.”
“We have developed a reliable molecular procedure which facilitates, via genetic selection, the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into an essentially pure population of lung epithelial cells,” said Wetsel, noting the procedure also can be used to create other types of highly-specialized cells.
Scientists at the IMM used the in vitro method to create lung epithelial cells known as alveolar epithelial type II. The cells were derived from a human embryonic stem cell line approved by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The method involves the use of protein markers under the control of cell-specific promoters to convert undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells into highly-specialized cells. The human embryonic stem cells were cultured on specially coated dishes and transfected with a lung epithelial gene regulator of a drug selection gene.
“It is a general technology for developing select cells from human embryonic stem cells,” said C. Thomas Caskey, M.D., the IMM’s chief operating officer, director and CEO-elect. “The technology has allowed us to develop a platform that could potentially be useful in the development of spinal cord cells, heart cells, nerve cells and others.”
James T. Willerson, M.D., president of the UT Health Science Center at Houston, said " I believe this is an important development by the Wetsel laboratory at the IMM. I look forward to seeing its transitional impact."
Alveolar epithelial type II cells are called “the stem cells of the lungs” because of their versatility and many important functions. They produce proteins including surfactant that inflates lungs. They also make other cells lining the inner lung. “They regulate lung fluids and oxygen levels,” Wetsel said.
The cells are part of the tiny air sacs lining the lower airways known as alveoli. Tissue thin, they transfer oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. If the walls of the hundreds of millions of alveolus in a pair of lungs could be spread out and placed side by side, they would cover the floor of a classroom.
According to Wetsel, transplantable alveolar epithelial type II cells can be explored as treatments for pulmonary genetic diseases, acquired lung disease, as well as lung trauma caused by car accidents, gunshot wounds and sports injuries.
“These are the cells that can potentially be used for regenerative lung repair,” he said.
Hereditary lung disorders most likely to benefit from transplantation of alveolar epithelial type II cells include respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn, alpha-1 related emphysema and cystic fibrosis, Wetsel believes. “All three of these diseases are caused by single gene defects and therefore have been logical candidates for gene therapy,” Wetsel said.
Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn, a condition affecting premature infants less than 37 weeks of age, may be caused by a genetic mutation triggering a surfactant shortage. Likewise, alpha-1 related emphysema, a condition affecting 100,000 Americans, results from an inherited deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin. Further, cystic fibrosis is the second most common childhood onset inherited disorder in the United States.
Transplantable alveolar epithelial type II cells may also one day be helpful in the treatment of other lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of 122,283 Americans in 2003, and asthma, Wetsel said.
Still years away from their use in regenerative medicine, Wetsel said the next step involves research trials with mice.
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Source: http://www.physorg.com/news91879247.html
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Powerful Denial
Sometimes, my overwhelming desire to believe that my children will be okay runs my life very effectively. I go through the normal day-to-day experiences of raising my girls without much thought for Alpha-1. Yes, I know that they have a life threatening gene. Yes, I know that right now, things are really great for them. Yes, I know I'm lucky to have my children with me to hug and hold. I guess what I'm trying to say is that most days, I have sort of a robotic response to thinking, feeling, or talking about Alpha-1. It is like I'm on autopilot.
I can rotely tell anyone about Alpha-1...what it is, why it affects my children, what we can and cannot do about it. I even devote volunteer time to Alpha-1 by serving on the board of directors of the Alpha-1 Association, Alpha-1 Kids, and the Alpha Pack, Wisconsin's support group. Monthly, I write a newsletter for Wisconsin Alphas, and daily, I monitor an online bulletin board for Alphas. I answer questions, provide support, and remind people in the Alpha-1 community that they are not alone.
Yet, here I am alone inside my own head tonight dealing with today's breakdown of powerful denial that protects this mother's heart.
In my last blog entry I described having interviewed an Alpha-1 researcher, Dr. Ronald Sokol. He is going to head up a groundbreaking research study of children with Alpha-1. All week, I've been thinking about how excited I am about this study, but here and there, a subtle realization kept creeping in my head. This study really is about my daughters and their genetic disorder. My babies have Alpha-1, and today, that is overwhelming the hell out of me.
This mom is about to order up a good dose of autopilot again.
I can rotely tell anyone about Alpha-1...what it is, why it affects my children, what we can and cannot do about it. I even devote volunteer time to Alpha-1 by serving on the board of directors of the Alpha-1 Association, Alpha-1 Kids, and the Alpha Pack, Wisconsin's support group. Monthly, I write a newsletter for Wisconsin Alphas, and daily, I monitor an online bulletin board for Alphas. I answer questions, provide support, and remind people in the Alpha-1 community that they are not alone.
Yet, here I am alone inside my own head tonight dealing with today's breakdown of powerful denial that protects this mother's heart.
In my last blog entry I described having interviewed an Alpha-1 researcher, Dr. Ronald Sokol. He is going to head up a groundbreaking research study of children with Alpha-1. All week, I've been thinking about how excited I am about this study, but here and there, a subtle realization kept creeping in my head. This study really is about my daughters and their genetic disorder. My babies have Alpha-1, and today, that is overwhelming the hell out of me.
This mom is about to order up a good dose of autopilot again.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Alpha-1 & the Cholestatic Liver Disease Consortium (CLiC)
Today, I interviewed Dr. Sokol from Children's in Denver. He is the principal investigator of the Cholestatic Liver Disease Consortium (CLiC), and in our conversation, he mentioned that a longitudinal study of Alpha-1 children is in the process of being approved. When it is approved, he will be able to share more details about the study. Can I just say YAY? :)
In any case, Dr. Sokol made it clear that he encourages the parents of children with Alpha-1 to sign up via the Contact Registry on the CLiC web site:
http://rarediseasesnetwork.org/clic
Oh and Dr. Sokol said both children pre- and post-transplant are encouraged to be participants. He said a goal is to answer that never-ending question of why some children with Alpha-1 have severe liver disease and why the majority of the others don't. Wouldn't it be great if they could answer that question?
One last thing, this study is international because there is a research center located in London. So, UK families, you are invited too.
WOW, I'm pretty psyched about the interview, can ya tell? You should have seen me before it though. I was a bundle of nerves. I'm not really sure why except that this means so incredibly much to me. Alpha-1 needs a cure now. My childrens' lives depend it as well as all of our Alpha friends. Long live the Alphas!
I signed Grace & Meghan up for the registry last year. Thank God for researchers like Dr. Sokol. I only hope more researchers are inspired by his great example.
Jen, the incredibly impressed parent of 2 Alphas
In any case, Dr. Sokol made it clear that he encourages the parents of children with Alpha-1 to sign up via the Contact Registry on the CLiC web site:
http://rarediseasesnetwork.org/clic
Oh and Dr. Sokol said both children pre- and post-transplant are encouraged to be participants. He said a goal is to answer that never-ending question of why some children with Alpha-1 have severe liver disease and why the majority of the others don't. Wouldn't it be great if they could answer that question?
One last thing, this study is international because there is a research center located in London. So, UK families, you are invited too.
WOW, I'm pretty psyched about the interview, can ya tell? You should have seen me before it though. I was a bundle of nerves. I'm not really sure why except that this means so incredibly much to me. Alpha-1 needs a cure now. My childrens' lives depend it as well as all of our Alpha friends. Long live the Alphas!
I signed Grace & Meghan up for the registry last year. Thank God for researchers like Dr. Sokol. I only hope more researchers are inspired by his great example.
Jen, the incredibly impressed parent of 2 Alphas
What a big girl!
Yesterday was Meghan's first entire day of wearing regular underwear. So, she is officially potty trained now. WOOHOO
Where has the time gone? To me, it seems like yesterday since she looked like this:
She is really quite proud of herself, and well, we are proud of her too. She has come a long, long way since being born 1 pound, 9.5 ounces. Way to grow up Meghan.
Where has the time gone? To me, it seems like yesterday since she looked like this:
She is really quite proud of herself, and well, we are proud of her too. She has come a long, long way since being born 1 pound, 9.5 ounces. Way to grow up Meghan.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Ginormous
I thought I'd share a little of the childhood logic that appears at random times in our household. Before I tell you, know that Grace and Meghan are at ages where they have noticed differences between people. They know that ladies have boobies, but men still have nipples too. Here is a little of our conversation today:
Meghan pulls her shirt away from her neck and peers down into her shirt, and says "I have boobies."
Grace: "Me too. I have boobies. Mommy has big boobies."
Me: "Thanks Gracie, but I don't have big boobies."
Meghan: "I have big boobies!"
Grace: "No, you don't! God has ginormous boobies!"
Me: "What? Oh! (Laughter as I realize that Grace thinks God is a huge entity.) "Gracie, is God a man or a lady?"
Grace: "A man!"
Meghan: "I have boobies!"
Me: "Yes, you both have boobies."
Meghan pulls her shirt away from her neck and peers down into her shirt, and says "I have boobies."
Grace: "Me too. I have boobies. Mommy has big boobies."
Me: "Thanks Gracie, but I don't have big boobies."
Meghan: "I have big boobies!"
Grace: "No, you don't! God has ginormous boobies!"
Me: "What? Oh! (Laughter as I realize that Grace thinks God is a huge entity.) "Gracie, is God a man or a lady?"
Grace: "A man!"
Meghan: "I have boobies!"
Me: "Yes, you both have boobies."
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Poster Child for Preeclampsia
Cross posting an entry that I wrote on the Preeclampisa Survivors blog:
http://preeclampsiasurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/02/ever-feel-like-poster-child-for.html
http://preeclampsiasurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/02/ever-feel-like-poster-child-for.html
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Neurodevelopmental Issues in Preemies
Hmmm...should I be glad about this post? Should I be sad?
Well, I'm just confused as of yet. I think I'll reread this one several times before I can completely digest it. In any case, having had 2 premature daughters, I want to know what I'm facing as they get older.
http://talesfromthewomb.blogspot.com/2007/02/neurodevelopmental-devastation-how-can.html
Well, I'm just confused as of yet. I think I'll reread this one several times before I can completely digest it. In any case, having had 2 premature daughters, I want to know what I'm facing as they get older.
http://talesfromthewomb.blogspot.com/2007/02/neurodevelopmental-devastation-how-can.html
Monday, February 05, 2007
Great, just great...
High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Boosts Lifetime Heart Risk
It's linked to hardening of the arteries in later life, study finds
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure during pregnancy is a warning sign of diabetes and heart disease later in life, a Dutch study indicates.
The study of 491 older, postmenopausal women found that those who had reported high blood pressure during a pregnancy had a 57 percent higher risk of developing calcium buildup in their arteries, compared with those whose blood pressure did not rise abnormally during pregnancy.
The findings were published online in the Feb. 5 issue of the journal Hypertension.
Calcification of the arteries is a marker of atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries," which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Our research and that of others may have important implications for the management of women who have high blood pressure in pregnancy," senior researcher Dr. Michiel L. Bots, associate professor of epidemiology at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care in Utrecht, said in a statement.
The findings probably do not have implications for obstetric care, added Dr. Sharonne Hayes, director of the women's heart clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"We would still need to treat those women the same way as we now do during pregnancy," she said. "But now, those women have been marked as having an increased risk of heart disease. They have another marker of risk and need to be much more vigilant in looking for cardiovascular disease."
Previous studies have led to "a growing recognition that complications, and particularly cardiovascular complications, during pregnancy lead to an increased risk of heart disease later on," said Hayes, who is chair of the scientific advisory board of Women Heart: A National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease.
"As far as I know, this is the first to look at coronary calcification, which is a very good marker for the presence of cardiovascular disease," she said.
The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute estimates that 6 percent to 8 percent of American women develop unusually high blood pressure during pregnancy. Some go on to develop a condition called preeclampsia, which can damage the placenta, kidney, liver and brain. A more serious condition, called eclampsia, is a leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality.
The increase in calcification in the Dutch study was seen not only in women who developed preeclampsia but also those with high blood pressure, Hayes noted.
"It is a sign that you need to be more careful about your risk of heart disease down the road," she said.
The women themselves and their physicians should be aware of their increased risk, said Dr. Daniel Jones, dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and president-elect of the American Heart Association.
"In women who have had hypertension during pregnancy, there needs to be careful monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors, to [help them] be prepared appropriately to manage those factors," Jones said. "These women should be doing what we all should be doing -- keeping their weight in a good range, exercising, not smoking, eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables."
The study, he said, "is a new way of looking at an issue that we have long suspected is a problem: that women who have hypertension in pregnancy are more likely to develop hypertension later in life, and hypertension is a known risk of vascular disease."
SOURCES: Sharonne Hayes, M.D., director, Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic, Rochester, Minn; Daniel Jones, M.D, dean, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, and president-elect, American Heart Association; Feb. 6, 2007, Hypertension
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
It's linked to hardening of the arteries in later life, study finds
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure during pregnancy is a warning sign of diabetes and heart disease later in life, a Dutch study indicates.
The study of 491 older, postmenopausal women found that those who had reported high blood pressure during a pregnancy had a 57 percent higher risk of developing calcium buildup in their arteries, compared with those whose blood pressure did not rise abnormally during pregnancy.
The findings were published online in the Feb. 5 issue of the journal Hypertension.
Calcification of the arteries is a marker of atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries," which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Our research and that of others may have important implications for the management of women who have high blood pressure in pregnancy," senior researcher Dr. Michiel L. Bots, associate professor of epidemiology at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care in Utrecht, said in a statement.
The findings probably do not have implications for obstetric care, added Dr. Sharonne Hayes, director of the women's heart clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"We would still need to treat those women the same way as we now do during pregnancy," she said. "But now, those women have been marked as having an increased risk of heart disease. They have another marker of risk and need to be much more vigilant in looking for cardiovascular disease."
Previous studies have led to "a growing recognition that complications, and particularly cardiovascular complications, during pregnancy lead to an increased risk of heart disease later on," said Hayes, who is chair of the scientific advisory board of Women Heart: A National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease.
"As far as I know, this is the first to look at coronary calcification, which is a very good marker for the presence of cardiovascular disease," she said.
The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute estimates that 6 percent to 8 percent of American women develop unusually high blood pressure during pregnancy. Some go on to develop a condition called preeclampsia, which can damage the placenta, kidney, liver and brain. A more serious condition, called eclampsia, is a leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality.
The increase in calcification in the Dutch study was seen not only in women who developed preeclampsia but also those with high blood pressure, Hayes noted.
"It is a sign that you need to be more careful about your risk of heart disease down the road," she said.
The women themselves and their physicians should be aware of their increased risk, said Dr. Daniel Jones, dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and president-elect of the American Heart Association.
"In women who have had hypertension during pregnancy, there needs to be careful monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors, to [help them] be prepared appropriately to manage those factors," Jones said. "These women should be doing what we all should be doing -- keeping their weight in a good range, exercising, not smoking, eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables."
The study, he said, "is a new way of looking at an issue that we have long suspected is a problem: that women who have hypertension in pregnancy are more likely to develop hypertension later in life, and hypertension is a known risk of vascular disease."
SOURCES: Sharonne Hayes, M.D., director, Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic, Rochester, Minn; Daniel Jones, M.D, dean, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, and president-elect, American Heart Association; Feb. 6, 2007, Hypertension
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Latest Developments
Quick update on me:
Last week, I came down with a nasty upper respiratory virus. This weekend, I felt like my nose was a faucet.
Now, it has settled into my left lung again. This is getting so old.
I think I’ll be making an appointment with my doctor again. I’m short of breath again, and frustrated with what feels like a repeat of my lung infection in December.
In other news:
I’m still investigating sensory processing disorder in how it relates to Gracie. I’ll post more soon, but wow, this seems to be the light at the end of the tunnel finally.
Darn preeclampsia! Darn premature birth! Darn my body and what it did to both of my Alpha Girls!
Terse Jen
Last week, I came down with a nasty upper respiratory virus. This weekend, I felt like my nose was a faucet.
Now, it has settled into my left lung again. This is getting so old.
I think I’ll be making an appointment with my doctor again. I’m short of breath again, and frustrated with what feels like a repeat of my lung infection in December.
In other news:
I’m still investigating sensory processing disorder in how it relates to Gracie. I’ll post more soon, but wow, this seems to be the light at the end of the tunnel finally.
Darn preeclampsia! Darn premature birth! Darn my body and what it did to both of my Alpha Girls!
Terse Jen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)