FDA: Brain Biopsies Performed With ‘False Justification’ At Mount Sinai
Patients desperate for relief from debilitating diseases were asked to participate in research study, prompting a review by the Food and Drug Administration. In other news, a treatment to restore brain cells for patients with Timothy syndrome shows promise for treating other genetic conditions.
By the time Peter Bauman considered deep brain stimulation, he was desperate. Early onset Parkinson鈥檚 disease, diagnosed at age 49, had disabled him, ended his bartending career, and led him to consider suicide. He hoped that the treatment, known as DBS, in which an electrode connected to an external battery is inserted into the brain and emits electrical impulses, would ease his Parkinson鈥檚 tremors. (Eban, 5/1)
Scientists have found a way to restore brain cells impaired by a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder called Timothy syndrome. A type of drug known as an antisense oligonucleotide allowed clusters of human neurons to develop normally even though they carried the mutation responsible for Timothy syndrome, a team reports in the journal Nature. The approach may help researchers develop treatments for other genetic conditions, including some that cause schizophrenia, epilepsy, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. (Hamilton, 4/30)
Researchers may have hit "gold" when it comes to the treatment of multiple sclerosis. An experimental medication called CNM-Au8 鈥 a drinkable liquid with gold nanocrystals 鈥 has shown promising results in clinical trials in terms of improvements in MS symptoms. The "catalytically active" liquid, developed by Clene Nanomedicine in South Carolina, can cross the blood-brain barrier to help improve cellular energy and restore neurological function, according to researchers. (Rudy, 4/30)
Does it ever feel as if your anger courses through your veins? Well, that isn鈥檛 too far off, according to new research. Feelings of anger adversely affect blood vessel health, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Holcombe, 5/1)
In the years leading up to menopause, a person can experience a multitude of symptoms, including emotional shifts such as depression. Now, a new study has quantified the risk of depression during the transition, known as perimenopause 鈥 showing that women in this stage are about 40% more likely to experience the mental health condition than premenopausal women. (Rogers, 4/30)
In the Los Angeles restaurant where Nathaly Paola Castro Torres works, customers never fail to comment on her short stature. 鈥淧eople stare at me too much and make comments or jokes,鈥 Torres, 42, said. 鈥淢any times they also (take) photos of me and I don鈥檛 like it. I feel very bad.鈥 At 4 feet, 2 inches tall (127 centimeters), Torres is a 鈥渓ittle person鈥 who isn鈥檛 used to such reactions. (LaMotte, 4/30)