Encephalopathy News and Research

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Airborne prions can induce mad cow disease: Research

Airborne prions are also infectious and can induce mad cow disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disorder. This is the surprising conclusion of researchers at the University of Zurich, the University Hospital Zurich and the University of Tübingen. They recommend precautionary measures for scientific labs, slaughterhouses and animal feed plants.

14 Jan 2011

Plasminogen may serve as new target to treat prion diseases

Scientists at the University of Kentucky have discovered that plasminogen, a protein used by the body to break up blood clots, speeds up the progress of prion diseases such as mad cow disease.

11 Jan 2011

Omega-3 fatty acid may help protect against traumatic brain injury

Animal experiments suggest that taking the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexanoic acid (DHA) might offer a new way of protecting against traumatic brain injury (TBI), reports the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

10 Jan 2011

Studies show XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets demonstrate significant relief of global IBS symptoms

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the New England Journal of Medicine has published results from TARGET 1 and TARGET 2, the Company's two pivotal Phase 3 efficacy and safety studies of XIFAXAN (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome without constipation, or Non-C IBS.

6 Jan 2011

Study: Antibiotics can provide long-lasting relief to patients with irritable bowel syndrome

A ground-breaking antibiotic therapy developed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is the first potential drug treatment to provide irritable bowel syndrome patients with long-lasting relief of their symptoms even after they stop taking the medication, according to a study published in the Jan. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

6 Jan 2011

18F-FDG PET scans help evaluate cognitive dysfunction of pediatric fever-induced epilepsy

Sudden, catastrophic childhood epilepsy is a parent's worst nightmare, especially in the case of fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school-age children (FIRES). While not much is known about the condition, new research published in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine shows that positron emission tomography (PET) scans can offer an evaluation of cognitive dysfunction of FIRES, its evolution and further prognosis.

4 Jan 2011

Researchers perform cord blood cell transplantation to treat child with ischemic brain injury

In three monthly injections, researchers transplanted neurally-committed, autologous cord blood derived cells tagged with iron oxide nanoparticles into the lateral cerebral ventricle of a 16-month old child with severe global hypoxic ischemic brain injury.

22 Dec 2010

Prions responsible for BSE can survive in new host environment

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have shown that prions, bits of infectious protein that can cause fatal neurodegenerative disease such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "mad cow disease," have the ability to adapt to survive in a new host environment.

17 Dec 2010

Ocera completes two studies of OCR-002 in patients with hyperammonemia, hepatic encephalopathy

Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has completed two studies evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics of OCR-002 (ornithine phenylacetate) which includes healthy volunteers and patients with liver cirrhosis. OCR-002 recently received Orphan Drug status and Fast Track designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hyperammonemia (excessive ammonia levels) and resultant Hepatic encephalopathy.

16 Dec 2010

Dobkin's technique delays brain damage in heart attack victims

After a heart attack and the victim stops breathing, a process of irreversible brain damage starts to occur within 3 to 4 minutes. Or does it?

8 Dec 2010

NIAID researchers develop new method to detect prion diseases

A fast test to diagnose fatal brain conditions such as mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans could be on the horizon, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health scientists. Researchers at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have developed a highly sensitive and rapid new method to detect and measure infectious agents called prions that cause these diseases.

3 Dec 2010

Scientists find new protein to break-up blood clots in prion diseases

The joy of a juicy hamburger could make a comeback thanks a new discovery by scientists from the University of Kentucky. In a new research report in the December 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists found that a protein our body uses to break up blood clots speeds up the progress of prion diseases. This substance, called plasminogen, is a new drug target for prion diseases in both humans and animals.

2 Dec 2010

Dec. 1 news from RSNA 2010

The risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from computed tomography (CT) may be lower than previously thought, according to a Stanford University study. Using more than 10 million Medicare claims from 1998 through 2005, the researchers analyzed the distribution of CT scans, determined the ionizing radiation exposure associated with the exams and estimated the associated cancer risk in a population of older adults.

1 Dec 2010

MRS imaging technique may help diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy

In a study of ex-pro athletes, researchers found that a specialized imaging technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) may help diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disorder caused by repetitive head trauma that currently can only be definitively diagnosed at autopsy. Results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

1 Dec 2010

New editorial dispel doubts about Lou Gehrig's ALS diagnosis

A recent study suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be attributed to repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports lacks scientific epidemiological evidence to support this claim.

20 Nov 2010

Hyperion HPN-100 phase III pivotal study for urea cycle disorders meets primary endpoint

Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the Company's phase III pivotal study of glycerol phenylbutyrate (HPN-100), an investigational drug for the treatment of urea cycle disorders (UCDs), met its primary endpoint. The non-inferiority study, conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2009, evaluated the ammonia control of glycerol phenylbutyrate as compared to sodium phenylbutyrate (BUPHENYL®).

3 Nov 2010

Salix to discuss XIFAXAN therapy for hepatic encephalopathy at AASLD 2010 Annual Meeting

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD 2010) will be an important venue for ongoing discussion of hepatic encephalopathy, or HE.

1 Nov 2010

FDA awards 84 grants worth $18.5 million to boost food and feed safety initiatives

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration awarded 84 grants worth $18.5 million in fiscal year 2010 to help state and local regulatory agencies defend against and respond quickly to threats to the food supply and to outbreaks of foodborne diseases.

29 Oct 2010

Dobkin technique delays brain damage in heart attack victims