A Potential New Approach to the Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

In a recently published study (1), researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have come up with a novel approach in developing an individualized treatment for RP patients, using the patients' own cells transformed into an in vitro model for studying the disease and developing a potential treatment.

While RP can begin during infancy, the first symptoms typically emerge in early adulthood, starting with night blindness. As the disease progresses, affected individuals lose peripheral vision. In later stages, RP destroys photoreceptors in the macula, which is responsible for fine central vision. RP is estimated to affect at least 75,000 people in the United States and 1.5 million worldwide.

Mark Hillen, editor of The Ophthalmologist has written about this new approach, and I have reproduced the writeup, with his permission.

The Retina, Renewed. Thanks to Your Own Skin Cells

Might you soon take a skin cell from a patient with retinitis pigmentosa, roll it back to a pluripotent state, culture it to become retinal cells and trial gene therapy on it in vitro?

By Mark Hillen

The Ophthalmologist, July/August 2014

Personalized medicine is a particularly hot topic in medicine. Take cells from a patient, modify or grow them, and return them to the patient for their therapeutic effects. What a team of Manhattan-based researchers are doing at the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is something rather special. They take skin epithelial cells from patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), turn them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, then differentiate them into retinal cells in cell culture, enabling them to examine what the structural and functional defects of these retinal cells really are - without having to perform a dangerous (and ethically dubious) excision of a section of a patient's retina to do so (1).

More than 60 different genes have been linked to RP, making it a challenge to go to a mouse model to study the disease. Making a genetically-modified mouse is time consuming enough, but there's the additional confounding factor that the retinae of mice and men have enough interspecies differences to induce a great depression in researchers. This is why the ability to study the patient's own retinal cells in culture is so valuable.

Using this approach, the CUMC researchers examined cells from a patient with RP that resulted from a mutation in the MFRP (membrane frizzled-related protein) gene. Analysis of these cells showed that the primary effect of MFRP mutation is to disrupt the regulation of the major cytoskeletal protein, actin (Figure 1). "Normally, the cytoskeleton looks like a series of connected hexagons," said lead researcher, Stephen Tsang. "If a cell loses this structure, it loses its ability to function."

In the next phase of the study, the CUMC team used adeno-associated viruses to introduce normal copies of MFRP into the iPS-derived retinal cells (in cell culture), successfully restoring the cells' function. The team went on to successfully use gene therapy to rescue the "normal" phenotype in mice with MFRP mutation-induced RP.

Does this herald a future of personalized medicine, where patients can have their retinae reproduced from skin cells, their disease state assessed, and potential gene therapy options trialled, all in vitro, in order to choose the most effective gene therapeutic option? Tsang believes so, concluding that, "The use of patient-specific cell lines for testing the efficacy of gene therapy to precisely correct a patient's genetic deficiency provides yet another tool for advancing the field of personalized medicine. iPS cells can help us determine whether these genes do, in fact, cause RP, understand their function, and, ultimately, develop personalized treatments."

Figure 1. a. Normal (wild-type) retinal cells: the protein actin forms the cell's cytoskeleton, creating an internal support structure that looks like a series of connected hexagons; b. This structure fails to form in cells with MFRP mutations, compromising cellular function; c. Diseased retinal cells, when treated with gene therapy to insert normal copies of MFRP, have normal-looking cytoskeletal structures and function.

Reference

1. Y. Li, W.-H. Wu, C.-W. Hsu, et al., "Gene Therapy in Patient-specific Stem Cell Lines and a Preclinical Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa With Membrane Frizzled-related Protein Defects", Mol. Ther. Epub ahead of print (2014). doi:10.1038/mt.2014.100.

3 Ways To Approach The New Year With Island Christian Church

By David Kellan

There's quite a bit of excitement that comes with the approaching nature of the new year. Even though 2015 has been eventful for a number of ways, many people might see 2016 as a way to reinvent themselves. Island Christian Church can attest to this, but there are certain steps that you should take. As a matter of fact, here is a series of 3 steps that you would be wise to follow, ensuring a greater quality of life for yourself in the long run.

One of the ways you can make 2016 the best year for yourself is to attend service more often. Names such as Island Christian Church have been able to help people in this way, offering them spiritual healing and simply a way to elevate their spirits. You do not necessarily have to be an Island Christian school student to know how valuable this practice can be. Take part in it, and you'll see just how much of an impact it can have.

Exercise might be another goal to focus on for 2016. To say that this goal matters would be an understatement, especially for those who aren't typically active during their daily lives. While many people make consistent exercise their resolutions, it's fair to assume that not everyone follows up on this. In order to make your year the best that it can be, this is one of the most valuable endeavors that you should see to the end.

Finally, spend more time with your family and loved ones. With so many tools that we have at our leisure, computers and smartphones included, it's easy to lose sight of what's most important. Even though the aforementioned tools matter, according to any Long Island marketing company, this doesn't mean that one's life should revolve around these. Focus on time spent with those close to you, as this will make 2016 more worthwhile for you.

When it comes to the ways to approach the new year, the methods discussed earlier are nothing short of effective. Island Christian Church can attest to this, especially when they can play into a greater quality of life for any individual. You might have seen 2015 as a great year for yourself, which is nothing short of commendable. There's always room for improvement, though, so make sure that the previous talking points are taken into account for the new year.

About the Author:

For information regarding Christian churches and campuses in your area, go to Island Christian Church now.

Using Chiropractic Concord NC Locals Find Health Care With A Holistic Approach

By Carmella Watts

Chiropractors work based on a knowledge that the human body is in a continual state of healing. As long as you are alive healing takes place. It is directed by the brain and spinal cord, known as the central nervous system. With chiropractic Concord NC locals receive care from a medical care provider trained in correcting subluxations, the cause of the body's delay in healing many conditions on its own.

Chiropractors place their focus on ensuring the brain and the remainder of the body are able to communicate properly. The science behind this approach can be seen in China as early as 2700 BC. Greek physicians are recorded to have used these techniques as early as 1500 BC. Even Hippocrates who lived from 460-357 BC detailed this kind of care in addition to scribing the Hippocratic Oath.

While the approach of the chiropractor is very old, chiropractors themselves were not common in the USA until the late 1800s when Daniel David Palmer is said to have founded the profession. Early chiropractors did not have much respect in the USA, but times have changed. Today, it is common for a physician to recommend a chiropractor to his or her patients for alternative care.

Today, in the US, there are a growing number of chiropractors. The demand continues to grow as the patients turn to these care providers for conditions that may not respond to other types of care. Instead of living life in pain, depending on pain medication or having surgery, many have found the noninvasive care of chiropractors to help bring relief of their conditions.

Chiropractors use noninvasive techniques, including spinal adjustments to relieve pain and improve health. They encourage patients in good nutrition, diet, exercise and spiritual wellness. This holistic approach to medicine works and has helped many patients see improvements without surgery and without dependence on pain medication.

A patient who sees an MD for a bulging disc will likely be given a prescription for pain medication and sent to a specialist. The specialist may x-ray the spine, but will likely recommend surgery. Unfortunately most back surgery to fuse vertebrae only reduces one's flexibility and moves the problem to the next disc in line. Chiropractors use gentle therapy to encourage healing of the disc and strengthening of the supporting muscles to reduce pain and restore health. As the back heals, flexibility and range of motion is restored.

Chiropractors examine patient's spines to find subluxations. Such conditions can often cause other types of diseases as well. The chiropractor uses spinal manipulation to correct these types of conditions. The spinal adjustment can restore the spine's natural balance and allow the natural healing ability of the body to take over.

While many people first visit a chiropractor for back or neck problems, they find the holistic approach provides better overall health. As spinal subluxations are corrected, the body's natural healing powers take over to correct other health problems. With the holistic approach of chiropractic Concord NC residents are finding it possible to live life to the fullest and enjoy every minute thanks to better overall health.

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You can visit the website www.amfamilyspine.com for more helpful information about Using Chiropractic Concord NC Locals Find Health Care With A Holistic Approach