Note the following news items from the wire services via
Compuserve:
05/25 1028 IN THE PUBLICATION NATURE, SCIENTISTS REPORT THAT ...
Research may have Clinical Significance for Brain Diseases and
Bone and Cartilage Damage
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists today
reported in the scientific publication Nature that they have
succeeded in generating different types of brain tissue using a
single molecule called hedgehog. By applying hedgehog to animal
embryonic tissue, scientists generated both motor neurons and an
underlying structure called floor plate.
While the research is in early stages, the reported findings
may have clinical significance for the treatment of a variety of
diseases caused by the destruction of cells, including central
nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease and spinal cord injury, Type I diabetes, and bone and
cartilage damage. Currently, there is no known method for
regenerating cells such as nerve cells, beta cells or bone cells,
or causing them to grow in people, and treatments are limited for
these debilitating and expensive diseases. These findings stress
that hedgehog and other molecules could be used to generate new
cells to replace those destroyed by disease.
In studies designed to analyze how organisms develop from a
few cells into an entire animal; the chemical signals (inducing
molecules) that trigger and control the developmental process;
and how these developmental processes extend into normal adult
function, Harvard scientist Dr. A.P. McMahon and colleagues in
the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology concluded:
-- Concentration of the inducing molecule, hedgehog (hh)
correlated with whether floor plate or motor neurons were
produced; low concentration induced motor neurons, high
concentration induced floor plate.
-- Concentration-dependent induction is critical in the
development of neurons. Thus these results suggest that
hedgehog has the potential to stimulate growth and regulation of
ventral (abdomen-side) neurons in vertebrates, including human
beings. Ventral neurons include those associated with
Alzheimer's disease (forebrain neurons), Parkinson's disease
(dopaminergic neurons), and others.
"Dr. McMahon's Nature paper, and work from Professor Thomas
Jessell's laboratory at Columbia University and the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute published in the May 5, 1995 issue of Cell,
describe how hedgehog can induce different neural tissues based
upon the molecule's concentration near the precursor cells, and
shows motor neuron induction specifically," said Dr. Heidi R.
Wyle, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer at Ontogeny, Inc. Ontogeny,
a biotechnology company, has exclusive license to the Harvard and
Columbia research.
"These data suggest that hedgehog can be used to induce
different groups of neurons, including those associated with
diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease,
Huntington's disease, and others," Dr.Wyle said. "The approach
can be extended to other organs, such as the pancreas in which
insulin-producing beta cells are destroyed in Type I diabetes,
and bone and cartilage where injury destroys cells. Our first
application is the generation of large quantities of dopamine-
producing neurons to treat Parkinson's disease patients."
Ontogeny, Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company
whose research and development is based on recent breakthroughs
in developmental biology, including the discovery of control
molecules (inducing molecules) that cause cell and tissue
differentiation. Ontogeny is commercializing pharmaceuticals and
cell replacement for neurological diseases including Parkinson's
and Alzheimer's, as well as diabetes, bone and cartilage problems
and skin disorders.
-0-
5/25/95 /CONTACT: Dr. Heidi R. Wyle, Chief Operating Officer of
Ontogeny, 617-225-0086 or 617-899-6828/ CO: Ontogeny, Inc.
ST: Massachusetts IN: MTC SU:
05/24 1626 SENATOR SPECTER HAILS PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT TO ...
WASHINGTON, May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- To help maintain quality
medical research, the Senate today passed an amendment sponsored
by U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), along with Senators Mark
Hatfield (R-OR), Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and others, that would
restore $7 billion in funding to the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) over seven years by a vote of 85 to 12.
"I believe this amendment received strong bipartisan support
because of the unique importance of what the NIH does for America
and the devastating impact that these budget cuts would have on
medical research in the United States," Senator Specter said.
The Senate budget resolution had proposed to cut $7.9
billion in funding for NIH. This amendment will restore the
funding through an across-the-board cut in programs other than
defense, international affairs, education, Medicare, social
security, labor and health. The result will be a 0.58 percent
reduction for each program.
"This is an historic time for the United States Government
to balance the budget, and we have to make some extremely tough
choices; but I would say that there is no more important funding
item to restore than medical research. When we look at the
economic savings which come from NIH research, it is really
remarkable," Senator Specter said.
"For the treatment of breast cancer, NIH has developed new
technologies for affordable and effective bone marrow
transplants. The treatment has doubled the 5-year survival rates
for women, and the costs for bone marrow transplantation have
dropped from $140,000 to $65,000 per patient, " Senator Specter
said.
Additional examples of the achievements at NIH include
advances in gene therapy and the treatment of blindness,
Parkinson's disease, dentistry, cardiovascular disease and
osteoporosis.
"A cut of $1.1 billion annually to the NIH would have had a
devastating effect on the nation's biomedical research enterprise
at a time when opportunities exist to make great strides in
fighting disease. Research on Alzheimer's disease, diabetes,
cystic fibrosis, cancer and other diseases where scientists are
on the brink of major advances would be slowed. Through their
outstanding work, NIH researchers have improved the quality of
life for people suffering from disease and made innovations that
have led to significant reductions in health care costs. Funding
invested in biomedical research is money well spent," Senator
Specter said.
/delval/
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5/24/95 /CONTACT: Margaret Camp of Sen. Arlen Specter's office,
202-224-9020/ CO: U.S. Senate ST: Pennsylvania IN: SU:
05/19 1818 New Parkinson's discovery brings controversy
ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 19) COMTEX - A California surgeon said
Friday that burning a small hole in the brains of people with
Parkinson's disease eliminates the worst symptoms in most
patients. Dr Robert Iacono said that tremors and erratic
movements were reduced in 85% of the patients having the surgery.
05/21 0528 (May. 21) WENN - INTERNATIONAL MUSIC NEWS - MADONNA
Superstar MADONNA is to pay tribute to one of her long-time idols
- former world heavyweight champion MUHAMMAD ALI. The MATERIAL
GIRL will make the opening remarks at an American Parkinson's
Disease Foundation charity bash honouring the fighter in New York
on June 1 (01JUN95). Madonna says she has a poster of the champ
prominently displayed in her New York apartment inscribed,
"Madonna - we are the greatest." (LADN/TH)
Bob Cowan <[log in to unmask]>
