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U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and NASA Scientist Dr. Minoru Freund to Accept Beacon Award for Courage and Dedication

NEWS PROVIDED BYInternational Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society  Mar 23, 2011, 12:11 ET SHARE THIS ARTICLE WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona is one of the two recipients of the prestigious Beacon Award for Courage and Dedication, presented by the International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society (IBMISPS) at the 8th annual Congress.  The Society will honor Congresswoman Giffords and Dr. Minoru Freund, director of Research for NASA Ames, and a brain cancer survivor, at the Brain Mapping Foundation’s Gala on June 10th as part of the 8th Annual World Congress in San Francisco, California.   The theme of this year’s Congress, to be held June 8 -10, is Nano-Bio-Electronics, focusing on the integration of nanotechnology, stem cell research, medical imaging and devices.  This CME-accredited scientific program features world-class speakers across multiple disciplines, drawing participants from around the globe to discuss brain and spinal cord science and technology. “We are honored to host this extremely important World Congress that helps merge the basic bioengineering sciences — along with imaging and clinical medicine — in a world-class environment of translational research at UCSF,” stated Mitchel Berger, Professor and Chairman of Neurosurgery Department at UCSF. The Beacon Award is presented annually to individuals demonstrating extraordinary courage and dedication for increasing awareness about neurological diseases, and for patients and their families who have exceeded expectations in fighting neurological disorders with unprecedented courage. “Dr. Geoffrey Ling, a member of our Society, was one of the neurologists who treated the Congresswoman,” says Babak Kateb, Founding Chairman of Board of Directors of IBMISPS, Brain Mapping Foundation and National Center for Nano-Bio-Electronics. “Patients are our best teachers. They help us unlock mysteries of diseases, advance the field and amaze us with their resilience, courage and dedication in fighting neurological disorders and injuries.” Giffords and Freund join past recipients including The Honorable Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary of VA; SGM Colin R. Rich; ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff; and Oscar Winner Dustin Hoffman. “On behalf of Congresswoman Giffords, we’re honored that she’s being recognized with this special award that acknowledges both her strength and will to fight her traumatic brain injury,” says Pia Carusone, Chief of Staff for Giffords. “Her extraordinary recovery is a testament to the multidisciplinary work of physicians and scientists who have been dedicating their life toward finding effective treatments for neurological disorders that gives hope to other patients.” The Society also will recognize Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong with IBMISPS’s Pioneer in Medicine Award, and highlight the importance of policymakers through its Pioneer in Healthcare Policy award. The Society’s 2011 Humanitarian Award will be presented to Drs. Rocco Armonda and Henry Marsh. Keynote speakers will include:  Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius; George Peach Taylor, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Department of Defense; Vice Admiral Adam M. Robinson, Jr., Vice Admiral, 36th Surgeon General of the Navy, Chief Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; Kaigham J. Gabriel, Deputy Director of Defense Advanced Research Project Agency; Dr. Pete Worden, Director of NASA Ames Research Center; and Ramon Lugo III, Director of NASA Glenn Research Center. For more information, to register, participate or sponsor the 8th Annual World Congress on Brain, Spinal Cord Mapping and Image-Guided Therapy, visit www.worldbrainmapping.org. To learn more about IBMISPS visit: www.IBMISPS.org SOURCE International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society

Study: Retinal imaging indicates presymptomatic Alzheimer’s

TriMed Staff | July 01, 2010 | Molecular Imaging Noninvasive retinal imaging may be helpful in the early diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as the beta-amyloid (AB) plaques characteristic of the disease first appear in the eyes, according to a study published online June 13 in NeuroImage. Since existing noninvasive brain-imaging technologies cannot provide sufficient detail about changes within cells and cell communication and are limited in both specificity and resolution, the most definitive diagnosis of AD currently comes after an autopsy. “The retina as an extension of the brain portrays an appealing target for a live, noninvasive optical imaging of AD if disease pathology is manifested there,” wrote Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, PhD, a research scientist and assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and her colleagues. Koronyo-Hamaoui and colleagues first identified retinal AB plaques in the eyes of eight AD patients, with five patients suspected of  early stage disease based on brain pathology and clinical reports. The plaques were undetectable in five age-matched non-AD individuals. Next, the authors utilized a noninvasive optical imaging technique to detect retinal plaques in 18 live laboratory mice genetically modified to model the human disease and compared the results to 10 mice without the plaques. In the 18 genetically modified mice, detection of plaques followed administration of curcumin, a plaque-labeling fluorochrome. The researchers found that retinal plaques were detectable earlier with their optical imaging approach – while still at a pre-symptomatic stage and before the plaque appeared in the brain and accumulated with disease progression.  “Systemic administration of curcumin allowed noninvasive optical imaging of retinal AB plaques in vivo with high resolution and specificity and plaques were undetectable in mice [who were not genetically modified to model AD],” said the authors. “Our discovery of AB specific plaques in retinas from AD patients, and the ability to noninvasively detect individual retinal plaques in live AD mice establishes the basis for developing high-resolution optical imaging for early AD diagnosis, prognosis, assessment and response to therapies,” concluded the researchers. The study, which was conducted at Cedars-Sinai, is slated to be presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease on July 13 in Honolulu.

Hallmark Alzheimer’s disease changes found in retinas of humans and imaged in live animals

The nerve cell-damaging plaque that builds up in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease also builds up in the retinas of the eyes — and it shows up there earlier, leading to the prospect that noninvasive optical imaging of the eyes could lead to earlier diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of the disease, according to new research. Scientists discovered characteristic amyloid plaques in retinas from deceased Alzheimer’s disease patients and used a noninvasive optical imaging technique to detect retinal plaques in live laboratory mice genetically modified to model the human disease. The combined results suggest the possibility that noninvasive retinal imaging may be helpful in early diagnosis of the disease. The research was conducted by a team of scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in collaboration with colleagues from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the University of Southern California. Results were published online June 13 in the journal NeuroImage, and related findings will be presented July 13 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that is becoming more prevalent worldwide as the baby-boom generation advances into its senior years, but there is no conclusive, noninvasive way to diagnose it. Previous studies have suggested that changes in the brain may begin years or even decades before symptoms occur — emphasizing the need for earlier, reliable detection for early therapeutic intervention to achieve effective remedy. The new study suggests the possibility of monitoring Alzheimer’s disease through a simple retinal imaging approach. Abnormal deposits in the brain called beta-amyloid plaques, which damage cells and interrupt cell-to-cell communications, are recognized as a hallmark sign of the disease. However, because existing noninvasive brain-imaging technologies cannot provide sufficient detail about these changes, the most definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease comes after an autopsy. The research team considered the retina a better target for noninvasive imaging of Alzheimer’s disease because it is readily accessible and, unlike other components of the eye, it is part of the central nervous system, having a direct connection and thus many similarities with the brain. Previous studies have documented non-specific visual disturbances, eye disorders and certain types of retinal abnormalities occurring with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, but this is the first to identify human retinal plaque deposits that could provide a specific diagnostic marker of Alzheimer’s disease. Among the new findings: Together, the results offer the first evidence for the existence of Alzheimer’s-specific plaques in the retina of human patients and the ability to detect individual plaques in live mouse models, creating a strong basis for future research building on these findings. According to the authors, these studies establish the potential of direct retinal beta-amyloid plaque imaging in live subjects as a tool for early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and prognosis, as well as assessment of therapies. Specialists in neurosurgery, ophthalmology, imaging systems, neuroimmunology, pathology, neurology and biomedical engineering collaborated on these studies, which were conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by scientists from Cedars-Sinai, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and the University of Southern California. The journal article’s first authors are Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, Ph.D., a research scientist and assistant professor of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and a principal investigator in the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai; and Yosef Koronyo, M.Sc., LL.B., a research associate in the departments of Surgery and Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai. Michal Schwartz, Ph.D., visiting professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, and the Ilze and Maurice Professorial Chair of Neuroimmunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is a senior author. The work was supported by the Marciano Family Foundation, the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the National Eye Institute, the Winnick Family Foundation, and a National Institute on Aging grant to the University of Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Researchers seek to defeat Alzheimer’s disease by modifying mice’s immune system

Jan 7 2010 WHAT:Using laboratory mice that had been bred to have brain changes similar to Alzheimer’s disease, scientists were able to reduce two characteristic features of the disease by modifying the mice’s immune systems with a special peptide (MOG45D) related to the myelin sheath that insulates nerve cells and nerve fibers. As a result, anti-inflammatory cells were recruited from the blood into the brain, dampening the local inflammatory response. An article published online by the Journal of Neurochemistry describes the immune intervention, its cellular and molecular mechanisms of action, and the effects on disease pathology. WHO:The study was conducted by scientists at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Michal Schwartz, Ph.D., the article’s senior author, and Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, Ph.D., first author, are available to provide additional details. Schwartz is visiting professor at the Center of Neuroimmunology and Neurogenesis in the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and professor of neuroimmunology at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel. Koronyo-Hamaoui is assistant professor and principal investigator in the Neuroimmunology Laboratory in the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai. DETAILS:The most frequent cause of senile dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the overproduction of beta-amyloid peptides – molecules that accumulate as sticky deposits in the brain. These “extra-cellular” plaques (accumulating on the exterior of neurons) damage the cells and interrupt cell-to-cell signaling. Abnormal protein tangles (neurofibrillary tangles) inside neurons also lead to cell dysfunction and death. CHEMUK – Highlights from 2022 eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year.Download the latest edition Researchers seek to defeat the disease in several ways: by preventing plaque formation; treating existing plaque deposits; and repairing or replacing injured neurons. In this study, scientists modified the cellular and molecular immune environment in the brains of laboratory mice bred to model Alzheimer’s disease with an altered myelin-derived peptide. This recruited anti-inflammatory cells into the brain, which diminished the effects of local inflammatory cells and boosted the action of an enzyme that degrades plaque and is associated with glial scar formation. Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center