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Amazing medicine – The News International

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

If we cut off the tail of a lizard, it grows back. If we cut off the hand of a human being, it does not grow back. Why not? This question has perplexed scientists for a long time. Recently scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Arizona State University (ASU) in the US identified three tiny RNA switches (known as microRNAs) which turn genes on and off and are responsible for the regeneration of tails in the green lizard. Now researchers are hoping that using the next generation genomic DNA and computer analysis will lead to discoveries of new therapeutic approaches to switch on similar regenerative genes in human beings.

Micro RNAs are able to control many genes at the same time. They have been compared to an orchestra conductor controlling and directing many musicians. Hundreds of genes (musicians playing the orchestra of life), controlled by a few micro RNA switches, have been identified that are responsible in the regenerative process. This may well mark the beginning of a new era in which it may be possible to regenerate cartilage in knees, repair spinal cords and amputated limbs.

Tissue regeneration has become an attractive field of science, triggered by exciting advances in stem cell technologies. Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that are then converted into various types of cells such as heart, kidney or skin through a process known as differentiation. They can divide into more stem cells and provide a very effective mechanism for repair of damaged tissues in the body. The developing embryo contains stem cells which are then transformed into specialised cells as the embryo develops. They can be obtained by extraction from the bone marrow, adipose tissue or blood, particularly the blood from the umblical cord after birth.

Stem cells are now finding use in a growing number of therapies. For instance leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. To treat leukaemia, one approach is to get rid of the diseased white blood cells and replace them with healthy cells. This may be done by a bone marrow transplant through which the patients bone marrow stem cells are replaced with those from a healthy, matching donor. If the transplant is successful, the stem cells migrate into the patients bone marrow resulting in the production of new, healthy white blood cells that replace the abnormal cells. Stem cells can now be artificially grown and then transformed (differentiated) into the heart, kidney, nerve or other typed of cells.

The field of regenerative medicine is developing at a fast pace. It involves the replacement, engineering or regeneration of human tissues and organs so that their normal function can be restored. Tissues and organs can also be grown in the laboratory if the body cannot heal itself. If the cells of the organ being grown are derived from the patients own cells, the possibility of rejection of the transplanted organ is minimised. Stem cells may also be used to regenerate organs.

Each year about 130,000 organs, mostly kidneys, are transplanted from one human being to another. The process of growing organs artificially has been greatly accelerated by the advent of 3D bioprinting. This involves the use of 3D printing technologies through which a human organ, liver or kidney, is produced by printing it with cells, layer-by-layer. This became possible when it was discovered that human cells can be sprayed through the nozzles of an inkjet printer without destroying or damaging them. Tissues and organs can thus be produced and transplanted into humans. Joints, jaw bones and ligaments can also be produced in this manner.

Initially, the work was confined to animals when ears, bones and muscle tissues were produced by bioprinting and then successfully transplanted into animals. Even prosthetic ovaries of mice were produced and transplanted so that the recipient mice could conceive and give birth later. While gonads have not been produced by bioprinting in humans, blood vessels have already been produced by the printing process and successfully transplanted into monkeys. Considerable work is also going on in the production of human knee cartilage pads through the bioprinting process. Wear and tear of the cartilage results in difficulties in walking, particular in older age groups, and often requires knee replacement through surgeries. The development of technologies to replace the damaged cartilages with new cartilages made by bioprinting could prove to be invaluable.

Another area of active research in this field is the production of human skin by bioprinting which may be used for treating burns and ulcers. Technologies have been developed to spray stem cells derived from the patient directly on the areas of the body where the skin is needed. In this way, stem cells help skin cells regrow under suitable conditions. Similar progress is being made in generating liver, kidney and heart tissues so that the long waiting time for donors can be circumvented.

When will we be able to print entire human organs? It has been estimated that complete human kidneys and livers should become commercially available through the bioprinting process within five to seven years. Hearts will probably take longer because of their more complex internal structure. However, one thing is clear: a huge revolution is now taking place in the field of regenerative medicine, triggered by spectacular advances in stem cell research. This presents a wonderful opportunity for learning and developing expertise in this field for us in our country.

In Pakistan a number of important steps have been taken in this fast evolving field. One of them is the establishment of a first rate facility for stem cell research in the Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD) in the University of Karachi. This institution has already earned an international reputation because of its outstanding publications in this field.

A second important development is that plans to set up an Institute for Translational Regenerative Medicine at PCMD so that Pakistan remains at the cutting edge in this fast emerging field are now under way.

Such initiatives can however only contribute to the process of socio-economic development if they operate under an ecosystem that is designed to promote the establishment of a strong knowledge economy.

Pakistan spends only about 0.3 percent of its GDP on science and about two percent of its GDP on education, bringing the nations ranking to the lowest 10 countries in the world. This is largely due to the stranglehold of the feudal system over our democracy. It is only by tapping into our real wealth our children that Pakistan can emerge from the quagmire of illiteracy and poverty and stand with dignity in the comity of nations.

The writer is chairman of UN ESCAP Committee on Science Technology & Innovation and former chairman of the HEC. Email: [emailprotected]

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Amazing medicine - The News International

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T cells support long-lived antibody-producing cells – Medical Xpress – Medical Xpress

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

February 21, 2017 by Katherine Unger Baillie Long-lived plasma cells (yellow) dwell in the bone marrow. Credit: University of Pennsylvania

If you've ever wondered how a vaccine given decades ago can still protect against infection, you have your plasma cells to thank. Plasma cells are long-lived B cells that reside in the bone marrow and churn out antibodies against previously encountered vaccines or pathogens.

While plasma cells are vital components of the immune system, they can also be a contributor to disease, as is the case in autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and in certain cancers, such as multiple myeloma.

Now, a group led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, has come to a better understanding of how these cells are maintained. Using a specialized type of microscope that captures the movement and interaction of cells in living organisms, the scientists observed that, in the bone marrow, immune cells called regulatory T cells closely interact with plasma cells and support them. When the T cells aren't there, plasma cells vanish.

"This interaction was completely unanticipated," said senior author Christopher A. Hunter, Mindy Halikman Heyer Distinguished Professor of Pathobiology and chair of the Department of Pathobiology at Penn Vet. "If we can understand what controls these long-lived plasma cells, then maybe we can augment that interaction, making more plasma cells to, for example, enhance vaccine efficiency. Or, if you want to limit autoimmunity or cancer, maybe there is an opportunity to disrupt this niche to mitigate some of those conditions."

The research, published in the journal Cell Reports, was led by two trainees in Hunter's laboratory, Arielle Glatman Zaretsky and Christoph Konradt, along with a team of researchers from Penn Vet, Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Osaka University, Medimmune, the University of California, San Diego, and The Wistar Institute.

Hunter's laboratory has long investigated how the immune system responds to infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. They have used high-tech microscopy to visualize the dynamics of immune cells and other structures in living organisms.

This specialized imaging was able to turn up a surprising finding. A video of the bone marrow in a mouse exposed to T. gondii revealed that the animal's plasma cells disappeared, later returning as the infection was controlled.

A few other groups had seen plasma cells behave similarly in response to systemic inflammation or infection, but the reason for the drop in plasma cells remained unclear.

"We don't know whether these cells leave the bone marrow or die there during infection, but, either way, they are gone," said Glatman Zaretzky. "And that set up a great system to understand what kinds of cellular interactions normally create the hospitable environment and allow the plasma cells to remain there."

The research team had noticed that regulatory T cells, which Hunter calls "the health and safety inspectors" of the immune system because they keep immune responses at the appropriate level, were located in a similar region of the bone marrow as the plasma cells, next to the blood vessels. And, when mice were exposed to an infection, these "T regs" declined precipitously, just as the plasma cells had.

Together, these observations called to mind an earlier finding by another group of scientists that showed that T regs play a key role in protecting the bone marrow from inflammation. In other words, it suggested that T regs make the bone marrow an immune-privileged site, shielding its vital components from the potentially damaging effects of infection or immune response.

Curious whether these T regs interacted with plasma cells, the researchers examined both cell types in mice that have T regs labeled with a green fluorescent marker and plasma cells labeled with a yellow one. They found that T regs appeared to be closely interacting with plasma cells for extended periods of time.

"No one had put these two cell types together before," Hunter said. "Yet, when we looked, we saw that these interactions were not rare but were frequent and sustained."

Further studies found that both of these cell types also interact with dendritic cells, which are thought to promote plasma-cell survival. The researchers also demonstrated that T regs were necessary to maintain plasma cells, showing that enhancing T reg survival in mice during infection increased plasma-cell numbers and that experimentally depleting T regs led to reductions in plasma cells.

The work gives insight into how the body is able to sustain plasma cells for so long, ensuring that they will jump into action even years after a vaccine was administered or an earlier infection was conquered. They also lay the foundation for targeting this cell populationa feat that has thus far escaped scientiststo ameliorate autoimmune diseases that arise due to inappropriate antibody production or to treat cancers that form from plasma cells.

Explore further: Shp1 protein helps immune system develop its long-term memory

More information: Cell Reports, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.067 , http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(17)30137-7

A protein called Shp1 is vital to the immune system's ability to remember infections and fight them off when they reappear, researchers at A*STAR have found.

Antibody-secreting plasma cells arise from B cell precursors and are essential for adaptive immune responses against invading pathogens. Plasma cell dysfunction is associated with autoimmune and neoplastic disorders, including ...

Melbourne researchers have identified a protein responsible for preserving the antibody-producing cells that lead to long-term immunity after infection or vaccination.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells that reside inside bone marrow. Plasma cells produce certain proteins that build up the immune system. In abnormal quantities, these proteins damage the body and compromise ...

Scientists have identified the gene essential for survival of antibody-producing cells, a finding that could lead to better treatments for diseases where these cells are out of control, such as myeloma and chronic immune ...

Scientists from A*STAR's Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) have uncovered the crucial role of two signalling molecules, DOK3 and SHP1, in the development and production of plasma cells. These discoveries, published ...

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Stem cell therapy being used for osteoarthritis – WNDU 16 – WNDU-TV

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the US, affecting nearly twenty-seven million adults. It is currently an incurable disease in which the joints deteriorate. Now, a therapy that has been used in eye surgery and to heal the skin of burn victims is being used for the first time in knees and this new form of treatment involves stem cells from amniotic fluid.

As a professional photographer, climbing up step ladders and walking down stairs are part of the daily grind for 65-year-old Linda Schwartz.

"Theres constant activity; youre moving the whole time, really," said Schwartz.

But the pain of osteoarthritis in both of her knees was making all that activity a little harder.

"Tried cortisone shots. I had, um, something called Euflexxa. I was sent to physical therapy twice. I mean, I did try acupuncture in my knees. But it didnt really seem to make a difference," said Schwartz.

"Its like the rubber on the tire. So as you start to lose the rubber in your tire and the rim hits the road, thats what happens when you have bone on bone arthritis and youve lost all the cartilage in your knee," said dr. Adam Yanke, an orthopedic surgeon at rush university medical center.

Orthopedic surgeon Adam Yanke enrolled Schwartz in an experimental new therapy that involved injecting amniotic fluid that contained stem cells donated by healthy mothers into the knees of osteoarthritis patients.

"Between the two of those theyre a potent anti-inflammatory and they also have growth factors that help promote healing or healthy growth of tissue," said Dr. Yanke.

It was by far the most effective pain treatment that Schwartz has tried and, unlike cortisone shots, there are no side effects. The pain relief has so far lasted up to a year.

"It was a very gradual feeling of its a little bit better, its a little bit better, and then realizing, wow, its really pretty good," said Schwartz.

The one drawback is this therapy is not for patients whose arthritis is so bad it requires knee replacement surgery. Even though its still in the experimental stage, Dr. Yanke offers the stem cell treatment to his patients, but at a cost of 2200 dollars a shot, it is not yet covered by insurance.

TOPIC: Heart Attack: Slashing Door-To-Balloon Times REPORT: MB #4218

BACKGROUND: A heart attack is an event that occurs when the blood flow that transmits oxygen to the heart is severely reduced or stopped completely. One reason for this blood flow to become reduced is because of the blockage of an artery due to fat, cholesterol or plaque. About every 43 seconds, a person in America suffers from a heart attack. The most common symptoms of a heart attack are the following: * Chest discomfort, including uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or pain in the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and later comes back. * Discomfort in other areas of the body, including pain in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach. * Shortness of breath. * Cold sweat, nausea and lightheadedness The most common symptom in men is chest pain, whereas women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, vomiting and pain in other parts of the body.

(Source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/AboutHeartAttacks/About-Heart-Attacks_UCM_002038_Article.jsp)

ACTING FAST: Heart attacks are very delicate events, and in order to overcome them it is important to act fast. If you think you are suffering from a heart attack it is important to call 911 immediately in order to be treated as soon as possible in a hospital with treatments like balloon angioplasty, clot-dissolving drugs, surgery and/or a combination of all of the above.

(Source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/TreatmentofaHeartAttack/Treatment-of-a-Heart-Attack_UCM_002042_Article.jsp)

DOOR-TO-BALLOON: In order to save lives it is not only important that the patient acts fast, but the hospital does as well; every minute matters. Normally, severe heart attacks like a STEMI are treated with a door-to-balloon protocol. Door-to-balloon is the time that elapses from when a patient enters the door of the hospital to the time blood flow is circulating to heart again. The American College of Cardiology suggests that this time should be 90 minutes or less. In order for these times to be achieved it is important that everyone involved is working consistently and together; this includes doctors, nurses, paramedics, and pharmacists. There is a checklist these professionals have to follow and the data of each patient is posted daily. The Cleveland Clinic has been able to cut the door-to-balloon time almost in half. Thirty-five percent of their patients have had door-to-balloon times of 45 minutes or less and others were able to be treated in only 21 minutes. Researchers will soon publish the results of how their protocol reduces the overall time and how it is specifically impacting death rates.

(Source: Dr. Travis Gullet & https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/2016/05/streamlined-stemi-protocol-slashes-door-balloon-times/)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT: Andrea Pacetti pacetta@ccf.org

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Opinion: Oregon patients should beware of stem cell therapy fraud – Portland Business Journal

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

Opinion: Oregon patients should beware of stem cell therapy fraud
Portland Business Journal
Patients in Oregon seeking accurate information about stem cell therapy have few reliable sources to guide them. It can be hard to separate scientific facts from science fiction. Query Dr. Google and you'll find a slew of clinics and a broad range of ...

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Stem cell therapy adds pep to pets – Liberty Tribune

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

COLUMBUS For the past year, Dr. Todd Paczosa has been practicing what he calls the future of medicine.

The veterinarian treats his four-legged patients through stem cell therapy.

Im not anti-antibiotic, anti-medicine. I just believe that even in the future of cancer treatment that it is going to come down to your body healing itself, Paczosa said.

The process involves removing fatty tissue from a patient, extracting stem cells, then injecting the cells back into the animal's joints to promote healing.

Paczosa said he researched the treatment for about a decade before deciding to offer it at Redstone Veterinary Hospital in Columbus.

Our body is full of cells that heal. You get cut, your body heals. What we are doing is taking those cells, waking them up and saying, Hey, lets go to work, he said.

Since he started offering stem cell therapy last March, 17 dogs, horses and cattle have used the treatment. One of those patients is Butch, a 9-year-old schnauzer owned by Marge Biester of Columbus that was suffering from a strained ligament and achy joints.

He was really hurting. I had to do something for him, Biester said, adding that Butch wasnt putting much weight on his back leg when he walked.

The treatment was done in January. Butch was put under anesthesia to retrieve the fat tissue. Using equipment in-house, the stem cells were extracted and injected back into the dog that same day.

Paczosa, who has been a veterinarian for 23 years, said the entire process can be done in a day.

Biester noticed results in about two weeks.Butch wasnt doing his three-legged walk anymore and began acting like a more-active, younger version of himself.

Im amazed at how quickly he recovered, she said.

Paczosa said all of the animals he has treated so far have shown improvement.

One of these days, we will have one that doesnt work. Thats just medicine, but we havent had one yet, he said.

The possibility of the stem cell therapy not working can be a turnoff for some pet owners who might find it difficult to spend $1,900 to $2,400 for the treatment at Redstone. If it does work, Paczosa said the therapy is less expensive in the long run than putting an animal on medication for extended periods of time to ease the pain from arthritis.

Other pluses, he said, are that the regenerative therapy isnt as invasive as surgery and anti-rejection drugs don't have to be used since the cells come from the same animal.More than one joint can also be treated at a time and it can eliminate the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The biggest risks are putting the animal under anesthesia and infection of the surgical site where the fatty tissue is removed, typically from the shoulder area or abdomen.

Stem cell therapy is practiced at a few hundred veterinary clinics in the country. Redstone works with the animal stem cell company MediVet Biologics and uses that companys in-house technology.

Paczosa said owners have come from other states to use the therapy at his Columbus clinic.

Initial results from the procedure lasts about two years. An option to bank stem cells from a pet is available. A portion of what is taken can be stored in a lab and used again in the future.

For Paczosa's patients, results have been quick and ongoing.

Most owners have seen a dramatic improvement in two weeks. Our first patient is still seeing improvements, he said.

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Stem Cell Company Combining Stem Cell Therapy with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- StemedixInc., a U.S. based stem cell therapy group that specializesin the use of stem cells to treat patients with degenerative conditions, announced today that they are offering their patients a powerful treatment combination; Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Stem Cell Therapy. According to research, the benefit of having HBOT treatments in conjunction with stem cell therapy is increasing the synthesis of nitric oxide, which signals the release of stem cells.

A recentstudyby researchers fromNeural Regeneration Researchfound results showing test subjects that underwent bothmesenchymalstem cell transplantation and HBOT had better neurological outcomes and better cognitive performance scores than subjects that endured only one type of treatment. Anotherstudyat the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, led by researcher StephenThom, MD, PhD, found that HBOT increases stem cell activity. After one treatment, the stem cell concentration doubled and after 20 treatments, they increasedeightfold.

Based on the growing interest and success, Fred Palmer, director of operations, at Stemedixsaid, "We are very proud to be working with the most recent and advanced technologies in the industry today. This combination of hyperbaric oxygen and stem cell therapies is progressively becoming the recommended treatment from our physicians and the selected treatment of our patients. Studies coupled with our own results we have seen thus far have been very impressive and supportive to our decision to offer this adjoining treatment."

Stemedix is now combining their stem cell therapy treatments with HBOT which allows for healing to occur that enables fibroblasts (tissue cells), capillaries (circulatory), osteoblasts (bone cells) andstem cellsto be stimulated. Without appropriate levels of oxygen in the tissue, healing cannot take place. With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all of the body's fluids, plasma, central nervous system fluids, lymph, and bone. In addition, the areas of the body that are lacking oxygen will begin to receive oxygen again.

To learn more about StemedixHBOT and stem cell therapy, contact Stemedixat 800-531-0831.

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To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stem-cell-company-combining-stem-cell-therapy-with-hyperbaric-oxygen-treatment-300410046.html

SOURCE Stemedix, Inc.

http://stemedix.com

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TiGenix hires Lonza to make cell therapy for Crohn’s complications – BioPharma-Reporter.com

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

TiGenix is using Lonza as a US CMO and Takeda as an ex-US commercialization partner to launch and trial its off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for a complication of Crohns disease.

TiGenix NV is a Belgian biotech developing a Phase III cell therapy Cx601 for a complication of Crohns Disease which has been licensed ex-US to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.

Cx601 is based on stem cells taken from donor adipose tissue, as an allogenic off-the-shelf cell therapy product for the treatment of complex perianal fistulas in patients with Crohns disease patients who do not otherwise respond to standard therapies.

According to new data released today from thepivotal Phase III trial , Cx601 has reached its primary endpoint: long term remission ofperianal fistulas in patients with Crohns disease.

Wilfried Dalemans, CTO of TiGenix, told Biopharma-Reporter that TiGenix is also working with Lonza to facilitate a new trial for registering Cx601 in the states.

[Lonza] is now introducing our manufacturing process into their facilities in the US. Once the tech transfer is completed, they will produce clinical material,he told us.

TiGenix is developing Cx601 in the States after an agreement with the US FDA based on a special protocol assessment procedure (SPA) in 2015. Dalemans added:This is the first time we're working with a CMO in the US.

For the pivotal Phase III trial for Cx601 in the US, TiGenix will use the services of a US-based contract manufacturing organization, Lonza. This trial is expected to begin in the first half of 2017, and the firm has already begun the process of transferring our technology to them for the purpose to this trial.

Manufacturing Cx601

The Cx601 therapies are manufactured in a 2-dimensional cell culture in CF5, and according to Dalemans, do not yet need more sophisticated reactors.

To meet the manufacturing capacity for the European launch of Cx601, the current GMP facilities in Madrid are currently being expanded with the 50-50 financial support of Takeda.

Dalemans told us:We're using local service providers for the engineering of the facility extension. For the equipment, we are at this stage still selecting who we will use to supply instruments like incubators and laminar flows etc.

From the manufacturing site, the products arepackaged in special containers to maintain a temperature between 15 25 degrees centigrade for transport to the clinical site.

Cx601 is a living product - a suspension of living cells kept at room temperature. Because its not a frozen product, we do indeed need a cold chain supplier,he explained.

Takedas advice

Last July last year TiGenix partnered with Takeda to give the big pharma firm exclusive rights to commercialize Cx601 for complex perianal fistulas outside the US.

Luke Willats, a spokesperson for Takeda, told us:Takeda is a global leader in gastroenterology, [so] the acquisition of Cx601 is just a dedication and commitment to GI - and the related complications.

For these reasons, Takeda and TiGenix are working very closely in anticipation of the EMA approval, expected in the second half of 2017.

Dalemans explained: We're expanding our current Madrid facility to meet the capacity that will be needed once Takeda begins to commercialise Cx601 - we're also working closely with Takeda for even further extension of the capacity.

Willats told us that once authorization by the European regulators is obtained, Takeda will assume commercialization for Cx601 outside of the US.

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Live Healthy with Diabetes: Free Diabetes Classes – Fairfield Sun Times

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:40 pm

Older adults are at a higher risk for diabetes and pre-diabetes than younger Americans. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one in every four Americans over the age of 60 has diabetes, and with age comes greater risks for complications. Diabetes can lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney disease, amputations and even death.

However, studies show it is never too late to make changes to improve a persons health. Motivated adults ready to make lifestyle changes can slow the progression of diabetes and avoid or delay complications.

To help adults who want to get better control of their diabetes, Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, the Medicare quality innovative network-quality improvement organization (QIN-QIO) for Montana, Montana State University Teton County Extension and the Montana Geriatric Education Center are partnering together to offer a series of six, free diabetes classes. These classes provide fun, informative and interactive ways to help people with diabetes or pre-diabetes (high blood sugar)

understand diabetes and how it affects the entire body;

manage diabetes in a way that makes sense for them and their individual health goals;

become more informed members of their health care teams, as they continue to work with their doctors, diabetes educators and other health care providers to improve their health.

The classes support, not replace, professional self-management diabetes education. While the classes are designed for people with Medicare, anyone with diabetes or pre-diabetes is welcome to attend.

The series kicks off Tuesday, March 7, from 6:45 to 7:45 PM, in the Alice Gleason Room at the Choteau/Teton Public Library at 17 Main Ave. N. Classes then meet every Tuesday through April 18, excluding Tuesday, March 21. Anyone interested in attending these classes can register by calling (406) 466-2492 or emailing teton@montana.edu

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Missing teen with diabetes believed to be headed to Georgia – 11alive.com

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:40 pm

Makayla Mattei, 15, went missing from her Virginia home on Friday morning. Her mom is worried that a stranger online lured her daughter to Georgia. Makayla is diabetic.

Ellison Barber and 11Alive , WUSA 12:54 PM. EST February 21, 2017

DUMFRIES, VA (WUSA9) - The family of a missing 15-year-old is afraid their daughter is with a stranger she met on the internet.They are originally from Atlanta and the mom said it is possible the teen may try to make her way toward Georgia.

"We haven't seen her. We haven't heard from her," said Chermene Shaw. "It feels like someone just ripped my heart out of my chest and there's a hole."

Shaws daughter, Makayla "Kayla" Phyllis Mattei, was last seen on Friday morning when she left to attend school at Forest Park High School in Dumfires, Virginia. Shaw says Makayla did not show up for school and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

This is the first time Makayla has ever left home, Shaw told WUSA9, and she's afraid the teen did it because of someone she met on the internet.

A few months ago, Shaw said she noticed her daughter talking to someone through social media.

"We believe she was talking to someone that she believed to be her age We think that this may be an adult, Shaw explained. "They don't live around here. They don't go to school anywhere."

Makayla has diabetes and needs insulin injections. Shaw said when her daughter left home she had medication with her, but she might not use it properly and she does not have a phone.

The mom took her phone away when she noticed her daughter talking to the stranger, and she had started to look through it.

"I had already taken it from her to look into. Even to hand off to the police initially, because my concern already was that there was possibly an adult trying to maybe even lure my child. It seemed so farfetched at the time, she said.

"You know your great fear, you think is to not have your child near to you but to not have them near to you and have them near to someone that possibly means them harm - I feel paralyzed."

Shaw says she and her family have spent days handing out missing flyers to as many people as they can.

"I want Makayla to know that we love her. Everyone is looking for her. Your family. We miss you, Shaw said. "We just want you to come home. If anyone has my daughter - we will find you. I will never stop looking until I get my baby back."

Makaylawas last seen wearing jeans, a pink hoodie, and carrying a dark book bag with the words Georgia State University on the front pocket.

Shaw said the family moved to Dumfries about a year ago. They are originally from Atlanta and Shaw said it is possible Makayla may try to make her way toward Georgia.

If you have any information about Makayla's whereabouts, please contact the Dumfries Police Department at (703)-792-6500.

( 2017 WUSA)

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Researchers implicate suspect in heart disease linked to diabetes – Medical Xpress

Posted: February 21, 2017 at 11:40 pm

February 21, 2017 by Mark Derewicz Top Row: Heart arteries in normal mice, diabetic mice, and normal mice with deleted IRS-1 gene. Bottom row: when artery is wounded, diabetic mice with less IRS-1 and normal mice with deleted IRS-1 gene show much greater blockage due to over-proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Credit: Clemmons Lab, UNC School of Medicine

People with diabetes are at high risk of developing heart disease. Despite knowing this, scientists have struggled to trace the specific biology behind that risk or find ways to intervene. Now, UNC School of Medicine researchers have hunted down a possible culprit - a protein called IRS-1, which is crucial for the smooth muscle cells that make up veins and arteries.

According to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, too little of IRS-1 causes cells to revert to a "dedifferentiated" or stem-cell like state, and this may contribute to the buildup of plaque in the heart's arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other forms of heart disease.

"When diabetes is poorly managed, your blood sugar goes up and the amount of this protein goes down, so the cells become subject to abnormal proliferation," said senior author David R. Clemmons, MD, Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. "We need to conduct more studies, but we think this cell pathway may have significant implications for how high blood glucose leads to atherosclerosis in humans."

The research could bring scientists one step closer to finding drugs to help stave off heart disease in people with diabetes, who are twice as likely to have heart disease or experience a stroke, as compared to people without diabetes. People with diabetes also tend to experience major cardiac events at a younger age.

The study focused on the cells that form the walls of veins and arteries, known as vascular smooth muscle cells. The main function of these cells is to contract whenever the heart beats, helping to push oxygen-rich blood to the body's tissues. When plaque builds up along the arterial walls, these cells gradually lose their ability to contract.

In their previous work, Clemmons and colleagues discovered that diabetes can trigger an abnormal cell signaling pathway that causes vascular smooth muscle cells to proliferate, which contributes to atherosclerosis. But their attempts to correct the abnormal signaling pathway didn't seem to completely solve the problem, leading them to suspect another factor.

In the new study, the team found that IRS-1 acts as an inhibitor of the abnormal signaling pathway thereby keeping the vascular smooth muscle cells differentiated, or specialized. In the absence of IRS-1, the cells revert to a stem-cell like state, which in turn activates the abnormal signaling pathway and promotes cell proliferation.

In people with diabetes, the presence of IRS-1 is strongly influenced by how well - or how poorly - blood sugar is kept in check. Previous studies have shown that patients who frequently or consistently have high blood sugar show dramatic reductions in IRS-1. The new study is the first to link this reduction with a predisposition for heart disease.

"The study suggests that you can't just inhibit the abnormal signaling, which we've already figured out how to do," Clemmons said. "Our work suggests you probably have to restore the normal signaling pathway, at least to some extent, in order to completely restore the cells to normal cell health, differentiation, and functioning."

As a next step, the Clemmons lab will look for things that might stimulate the synthesis of this protein even in the presence of high blood glucose.

To prove that IRS-1 acts as a brake on the abnormal signaling pathway that leads to cell proliferation, the team conducted experiments in three different types of mice: healthy mice, diabetic mice, and nondiabetic mice that were genetically engineered to produce no IRS-1. The scientists made a small incision in the blood vessels of the animals and then watched to see how the vascular smooth muscle cells reacted. In healthy mice, the incision stimulated wound healing but little cellular proliferation. In both the diabetic animals and the nondiabetic IRS-1 deficient animals, the researchers observed a marked increase in abnormal cellular proliferation.

The findings suggest that it may be possible to counteract the deleterious effects of high blood sugar on atherosclerosis by developing drugs that boost IRS-1.

Clemmons said the activities of IRS-1 might also play a role in other diabetes complications, such as eye and kidney disease. The researchers plan to study those potential links.

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Why do some people get Type 2 diabetes, while others who live the same lifestyle never do?

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I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes and put on Metformin on June 26th, 2016. I started the ADA diet and followed it 100% for a few weeks and could not get my blood sugar to go below 140. Finally i began to panic and called my doctor, he told me to get used to it. He said I would be on metformin my whole life and eventually insulin. At that point i knew something wasn't right and began to do a lot of research. On August 13th I found Lisa's diabetes story (google " HOW EVER I FREED MYSELF FROM THE DIABETES " ) I read that article from end to end because everything the writer was saying made absolute sense. I started the diet that day and the next morning my blood sugar was down to 100 and now i have a fasting blood sugar between Mid 70's and the 80's. My doctor took me off the metformin after just three week of being on this lifestyle change. I have lost over 30 pounds and 6+ inches around my waist in a month

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