In this Wednesday Aug. 4, 2010 photo a demonstration of how wound-healing gel is used on a leg wound is seen at University College London. British scientists are about to begin a final phase of testing on a new gel that heals wounds up to five times as fast as normal treatment. The gel, named Nexagon, works by interrupting how cells communicate and prevents the production of a protein that blocks healing. That allows cells to move faster to the wound to begin healing it. Though it has only been tested on about 100 people so far, experts say if it proves successful, the gel could have a major impact on treating chronic wounds, like leg or diabetes ulcers, and even common scrapes or injuries from accidents. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON — For three years, Connie McPherson had debilitating leg ulcers that were so painful she sometimes couldn't sleep. Despite repeated surgery, antibiotics, steroids and other treatments, nothing helped.
Then last year, she took part in a trial for a new gel aimed at chronic wounds.
"It was the answer to my prayers," said McPherson, 58, a real estate agent in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Within weeks, McPherson said the ulcer treated was completely healed. "I tried everything possible and this is the only thing that worked."
The gel used to treat McPherson was developed by a team led by David Becker, a professor of cell and developmental biology at University College London. The gel, named Nexagon, works by interrupting how cells communicate and prevents the production of a protein that blocks healing. That allows cells to move faster to the wound to begin healing it.
Though it has only been tested on about 100 people so far, experts say if it proves successful, the gel could have a major impact on treating chronic wounds, like leg or diabetes ulcers, and even common scrapes or injuries from accidents.
In most chronic wounds, Becker said there is an abnormal amount of a protein involved in inflammation.
To reduce its amount, Becker and colleagues made Nexagon from bits of DNA that can block the protein's production. "As that protein is turned off, cells move in to close the wound," Becker said. The gel is clear and has the consistency of toothpaste.
My son Cole (not a type I child) participates in a TrialNetNatural History study for the development of type I diabetes. It tests for “diabetes-related autoantibodies”. Cole’s result was again negative, meaning that, “no diabetes related autoantibodies are present at this time” in Cole. This doesn’t ensure anything in the future but it is wonderful news today to say the least. Cole will be re-tested yearly until he is 18 yrs old.
I would urge any siblings of a type I child to participate in TrialNet’s study. The information that they gather helps scientists understand so much about type I and can help a child that is at high risk to develop type I to stave of the disease.
That said, I received Cole’s letter today and opened it in the driveway. I was choking back the tears of joy and guilt that I experience every time Cole gets this news. I’m of course thrilled that Cole is not at an elevated risk of developing type I but at the same time I feel terrible for being happy while Arden suffers. Anyway, back to it... I was choking back the tears when my neighbor came out of his house and began asking me a question, I was barely able to escape that conversation with my dignity when Arden’s nurse called to go over her lunch time insulin. She too must have thought I was insane. So to my neighbor and to Arden’s school nurse, I’m sorry if I cut our conversations short, I was trying not to cry.
And to a future Cole that I’ll one day let read this, I know we tell you that this test is to help Arden and other kids with type I but it’s also for you. I’m sorry that I can never tell you your good news, I just don’t want you to worry. This is one of the few times that I keep something from you.
That’s about as much transparency as I’ve got in me today...
To the rest of you, be transparent, test in public, your openness will grow understanding and I believe, quicken the path to a cure.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental vaccine containing tiny molecules of an immune-system protein was able to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice, raising hope that it might work in people, Canadian researchers said on Thursday.
Type 1 diabetes is caused when certain white blood cells, called T cells, go haywire and begin attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
But not all T cells cause harm, said Dr. Pere Santamaria of the University of Calgary in Alberta, whose study appears in the journal Immunity.
"Essentially, there is an internal tug-of-war between aggressive T cells that want to cause the disease and weaker T cells that want to stop it from occurring," Santamaria said in a statement.
Santamaria's team wanted to find a way to counteract the harmful autoimmune response without compromising general immunity.
They developed a so-called nanovaccine -- particles many times smaller than a cell and coated with protein fragments specific to type 1 diabetes. These were bound to molecules that play a critical role in presenting these protein fragments to T cells.
When the team gave the vaccine to mice with an early form of type 1 diabetes, they found the vaccine slowed the progression of the disease. And in mice that had full-blown diabetes, the vaccine helped restore normal blood sugar levels.
The team said the vaccine appears to work by expanding the number of T cells working to fight off the attack of aggressive T cells that destroy the insulin-producing beta cells.
And they said the findings may lend clues about how to reverse other autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.
Teodora Staeva of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation said in a statement the study was promising because the treatment worked only on the immune cells specifically focused on aggressively destroying beta cells, without compromising the rest of the immune system.
Type 1, formerly called juvenile diabetes, represents about 10 percent of the estimated 180 million cases of diabetes globally. Most diabetics have type 2, the kind linked with a rich diet and lack of exercise.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
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The following are archived comments from this post. You can post new comments below.
Barbara (Julia's grandma)
Thank you, Scott, for putting this report about the vaccine on your web-site. It gives us hope that someday there WILL be a cure for our precious girls and the many others with type 1 diabetes.
GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators are taking a closer look at how well devices used by diabetics to monitor their blood sugars work, seeking possible changes for device makers to help make them more reliable.
At a two-day meeting to review blood glucose meters, Food and Drug Administration officials and staff pointed to a number of issues that can prevent people from getting proper treatment and sought input from medical experts and industry on ways to improve test results with the widely used devices.
The FDA gets about 12,000 reports of errors with such meters each year and is currently weighing new industry guidelines, said Jeffrey Shuren, director of the agency's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Signing of Stem Cell Executive Order and Scientific Integrity Presidential Memorandum - Washington, DC - March 9, 2009
“Today, with the Executive Order I am about to sign, we will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers; doctors and innovators; patients and loved ones have hoped for, and fought for, these past eight years: we will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem cell research. We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research. And we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield.
At this moment, the full promise of stem cell research remains unknown, and it should not be overstated. But scientists believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand, and possibly cure, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions. To regenerate a severed spinal cord and lift someone from a wheelchair. To spur insulin production and spare a child from a lifetime of needles. To treat Parkinson’s, cancer, heart disease and others that affect millions of Americans and the people who love them.
But that potential will not reveal itself on its own. Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident. They result from painstaking and costly research – from years of lonely trial and error, much of which never bears fruit – and from a government willing to support that work. From life-saving vaccines, to pioneering cancer treatments, to the sequencing of the human genome – that is the story of scientific progress in America. When government fails to make these investments, opportunities are missed. Promising avenues go unexplored. Some of our best scientists leave for other countries that will sponsor their work. And those countries may surge ahead of ours in the advances that transform our lives.
But in recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values. In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research – and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly.
It is a difficult and delicate balance. Many thoughtful and decent people are conflicted about, or strongly oppose, this research. I understand their concerns, and we must respect their point of view.
But after much discussion, debate and reflection, the proper course has become clear. The majority of Americans – from across the political spectrum, and of all backgrounds and beliefs – have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research. That the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight, the perils can be avoided.
That is a conclusion with which I agree. That is why I am signing this Executive Order, and why I hope Congress will act on a bi-partisan basis to provide further support for this research. We are joined today by many leaders who have reached across the aisle to champion this cause, and I commend them for that work.
Ultimately, I cannot guarantee that we will find the treatments and cures we seek. No President can promise that. But I can promise that we will seek them – actively, responsibly, and with the urgency required to make up for lost ground. Not just by opening up this new frontier of research today, but by supporting promising research of all kinds, including groundbreaking work to convert ordinary human cells into ones that resemble embryonic stem cells.
I can also promise that we will never undertake this research lightly. We will support it only when it is both scientifically worthy and responsibly conducted. We will develop strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse. And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction. It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society.
This Order is an important step in advancing the cause of science in America. But let’s be clear: promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it is also about protecting free and open inquiry. It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient – especially when it’s inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda – and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.
By doing this, we will ensure America’s continued global leadership in scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs. That is essential not only for our economic prosperity, but for the progress of all humanity.
That is why today, I am also signing a Presidential Memorandum directing the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making. To ensure that in this new Administration, we base our public policies on the soundest science; that we appoint scientific advisors based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology; and that we are open and honest with the American people about the science behind our decisions. That is how we will harness the power of science to achieve our goals – to preserve our environment and protect our national security; to create the jobs of the future, and live longer, healthier lives.
As we restore our commitment to science, and resume funding for promising stem cell research, we owe a debt of gratitude to so many tireless advocates, some of whom are with us today, many of whom are not. Today, we honor all those whose names we don’t know, who organized, and raised awareness, and kept on fighting – even when it was too late for them, or for the people they love. And we honor those we know, who used their influence to help others and bring attention to this cause – people like Christopher and Dana Reeve, who we wish could be here to see this moment.
One of Christopher’s friends recalled that he hung a sign on the wall of the exercise room where he did his grueling regimen of physical therapy. It read: "For everyone who thought I couldn’t do it. For everyone who thought I shouldn’t do it. For everyone who said, ‘It’s impossible.’ See you at the finish line."
Christopher once told a reporter who was interviewing him: "If you came back here in ten years, I expect that I’d walk to the door to greet you."
Christopher did not get that chance. But if we pursue this research, maybe one day – maybe not in our lifetime, or even in our children’s lifetime – but maybe one day, others like him might.
There is no finish line in the work of science. The race is always with us – the urgent work of giving substance to hope and answering those many bedside prayers, of seeking a day when words like "terminal" and "incurable" are finally retired from our vocabulary.
Today, using every resource at our disposal, with renewed determination to lead the world in the discoveries of this new century, we rededicate ourselves to this work.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.”
Monday, August 16, 2010 at 1:37PM 