BLOG POSTS
2021
Post Date: March 29, 2021 | Author: Katie Robbins | Category: Neuroscience |
It is important to detect damage from Alzheimer's disease (AD) before memories are lost, and HMRI's Neurosciences research team are testing approaches to pick up early AD. Doheny Eye Center colleagues demonstrate, for the first time, that altered electrical signals from the eye can predict those individuals in our Brain Aging study whose abnormal amyloid biomarkers in spinal fluid identify them at greater risk for AD. Retinal nerve signals may offer a simpler screen than spinal fluid to identify individuals for testing treatments to prevent further brain damage. Read the full paper published March 18, 2021 in the "Scientific Reports" section of Nature.com.
Post Date: March 22, 2021 | Author: Katie Robbins | Category: Cardiovascular |
In conjunction with NIH investigators, HMRI's Cardiovascular team led by Dr. Robert Kloner, is pleased to share their published paper and latest research and remaining questions on the impacts of E-cigarettes on the heart and lungs. With the popularty of E-cigarettes growing, especially in teens and young adults, it's clear that regular research is critical as we aim to better understand the short- and long-term impacts. Read the full article here.
Post Date: March 19, 2021 | Author: Katie Robbins | Category: Cardiovascular |
HMRI’s Dr. Robert Kloner addresses study results on the use of cannabis to lower blood pressure, stating there is a need for more studies on the health benefits of cannabis while also learning how to counteract any of the negative impacts from THC. Read more in the Green Entrepreneur article.
Post Date: March 18, 2021 | Author: Katie Robbins | Category: Neuroscience |
Why migraine happens is not understood. However, HMRI’s neuroscience team’s most recent study reveals that there are specific changes in molecules within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during migraine. One of them, sVCAM-1, changes more in those who have more frequent migraine. These results identify part of the major brain phenomenon of migraine and stimulate more efforts to understand what is going on and what needs to be corrected for better treatment. Read the full article in the journal Headache, entitled Evidence that blood–CSF barrier transport, but not inflammatory biomarkers, change in migraine, while CSF sVCAM1 associates with migraine frequency and CSF fibrinogen.
Post Date: March 17, 2021 | Author: Katie Robbins | Category: Cardiovascular |
HMRI's Dr. Robert Kloner shares that the scientific evidence is still unclear as to whether or not red wine is good for your heart in a March 17 article in Yahool Lifestyle News - The Worst Reason to Drink Wine, says Science. While some studies have suggested that drinking red wine can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attacks and stroke, the concern is that the findings may have been overblown. Dr. Kloner says more research is needed to determine specifically which factors are responsible for the decreased blood pressure. In the meantime, stick to the current recommendations when drinking any alcohol, even red wine - one glass for women, two glasses for men.
Post Date: January 26, 2021 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Liver Cirrhosis can cause widespread damage for patients, including deposits of manganese, a trace mineral, which can affect the brain. Manganese is a key mineral used by our bodies for a variety of chemical processes, including the metabolism of cholesterol and carbohydrates, but people only need it in small amounts. The HMRI research team, including Neurosciences Scientific Director Michael Harrington, MD, showed that damage from liver cirrhosis gives an altered signal intensity consistent with increased manganese deposition on MRI, which was not found in healthy controls. This method may help quantify and track treatment in patients with cirrhosis.
Title: MRI Automated T1 Signal Intensity Detection of Diffuse Brain Manganese Accumulation in Cirrhosis
By: Journal of NeuroImaging
Author: Ke Wei , Thao T. Tran, Patrick W. Chang, Annie Malekie, Karen Chu, Lea Alhilali, Matthew T. Borzage, Edward Mena, Michael G. Harrington, and Kevin S. King
Date: Jan/Feb 2021
Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jon.12781
Post Date: January 18, 2021 | Author: brivas | Category: attack |
Title: Acute Exposure to Air Pollution Can Trigger MI-Related Death
By: TCTMD by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Author: Caitlin E. Cox
Date: January 18, 2021
Link: https://www.tctmd.com/news/acute-exposure-air-pollution-can-trigger-mi-related-death
Post Date: January 8, 2021 | Author: brivas | Category: cardiovascular |
Title: Viral myocarditis: 1917–2020: From the influenza A to the COVID-19 pandemics
By: Science Direct's Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine
Author: Robert Kloner, MD and Shereif Rezkalla, MD
Date: December 29, 2020
Post Date: January 8, 2021 | Author: brivas | Category: anju |
Title: Vascular Therapies for Mental Health Disorders
By: Open Access Government
Author: Anju Vasudevan, MD
Date: December 16, 2020
Link: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/adult-brain/100309/
2020
Post Date: December 16, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: ad |
Huntington Medical Research Institutes' (HMRI) neurosciences research team led by senior researcher Alfred N. Fonteh had their original research on the impact of deteriorating membrane lipids in Alzheimer's disease (AD) published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Incomplete knowledge of brain lipid composition limits mechanistic insight into late-onset AD pathophysiology. Since age is the most significant risk factor of AD, the HMRI team propose that older neuronal cells render the amyloid precursor protein more vulnerable to abnormal processing because of deteriorating membrane lipids. We compared the lipid composition of cognitively healthy (CH) participants with normal Aß42/Tau (CH-NAT), CH with pathological Aß42/Tau (CH-PAT), and AD. We found differential metabolism of lipids in the supernatant fluid and nanoparticulate membrane fractions of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Whereas phosphatidylcholine accumulates in the supernatant fluid fraction, sphingomyelin accumulates in the CH-PAT group’s nanoparticulate membrane fraction. Phospholipase A2 activity that hydrolyzes lipids is higher in AD than in the cognitively healthy groups. Sphingomyelinase activities that hydrolyze sphingomyelin are lower in AD compared to the healthy groups. Similar fasting blood and dietary lipid levels in the three clinical groups are consistent with the CSF lipid changes originating from brain pathophysiology. Our results identify increased lipid turnover in cognitively healthy participants with AD biomarkers, switching to a predominantly lipolytic state in dementia. This knowledge may be useful for targeting and testing new AD treatments.
TITLE: Accumulation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Glycerophospholipids and Sphingolipids in Cognitively Healthy Participants With Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Precedes Lipolysis in the Dementia Stage
By: Frontiers in Neuroscience
Article type: Original Research
Authors: Alfred N Fonteh, Abby J Chiang, Xianghong Arakaki, Sarah Edminster, Michael G Harrington
Manuscript ID: 611393
Date: December 16, 2020
Post Date: November 17, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: attack |
A HMRI preclinical study points to nicotine use near or at the time of a heart attack can further increase the size of the heart attack resulting in a more significant impact on recovery. Nicotine, a major component of tobacco smoke and also often added to e-liquid, has long been associated with high blood pressure and cardiac events. However, in this study HMRI's Chief Science Officer Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD, Neurosciences Science Director Michael Harrington MB, ChB, FRCP, and their team have uncovered that research subjects exposed to nicotine during or close to the time of their experimentally induced heart attack increased their blood pressure causing larger heart attacks that kill off more heart cells and further reduce the heart's ability to pump.
Title: Acute administration of nicotine induces transient elevation of blood pressure and increases myocardial infarct size...
By: ScienceDirect
Date: November 16, 2020
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020322933
Post Date: October 15, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: 2020 |
Gamma as high frequency brain activities are involved in attention, senses (smell, sight, and hearing), mental processing, and perception, which change in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To unmask abnormal gamma power in healthy individuals at high-risk of developing AD, HMRI’s neurosciences researcher Xianghong Arakaki MD, PhD (NIA R56AG063857) led the electrophysiology core of a brain aging study that combined memory challenge with quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG). The pilot findings encourage further investigations in developing neurophysiology-based markers for identifying individuals at risk, to help improve our understanding of AD pathophysiology and were published in Frontiers In Aging Neurosciences. The brain aging study was led by Michael Harrington, MB, ChB, FRCP (L. K. Whittier Foundation).
Title: Compromised Behavior and Gamma Power During Working Memory in Cognitively Healthy Individuals With Abnormal CSF Amyloid/Tau
By: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Authors: Rochart Roger, Liu Quanying, Fonteh Alfred N., Harrington Michael G., Arakaki Xianghong
Date: 14 October, 2020
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2020.574214
Site Source: Front. Aging Neurosci., 14 October 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2020.574214
Post Date: October 10, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: 2020 |
Post Date: September 30, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: Uncategorized |
Post Date: September 24, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: american heart |
Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD Early results of an experimental vaping study have shown significant lung injury from E-cigarette (eC) devices with nickel-chromium alloy heating elements and were published in the Journal of American Heart Association. Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD, chief science officer for Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) and professor of Medicine at USC, and Michael Kleinman, PhD, professor of occupational and environmental medicine at the University of California, Irvine’s School of Medicine and member of the UCI Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, led the study which was designed to explore the effect of e-cigarette and other vaping product use on the cardiovascular system. While conducting experiments, researchers observed eC or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) immediately after switching from a vaping device with a stainless steel heating element, to one that used nickel-chromium alloy (NC). The findings were consistent, with or without the use of nicotine, vitamin E oil or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which have previously been thought to contribute to the life-threatening respiratory problem. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. In addition to Kleinman and Kloner, several researchers participated in the study, including HMRI researchers Jianru Shi, Wangde Dai, Juan Carreno, Jesus Chavez, and Lifu Zhao; and UCI researchers Rebecca Johnson Arechavala, David Herman, Irene Hasen and Amanda Ting.
TITLE: E‐cigarette or Vaping Product Use–Associated Lung Injury Produced in an Animal Model From Electronic Cigarette Vapor Exposure Without Tetrahydrocannabinol or Vitamin E Oil
By: Journal of American Heart Association
Date: September 8, 2020
Link: https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.120.017368
Press Release: https://hmri.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/HMRI-UCI-JAHA-Vaping-Final-002.pdf
Post Date: August 25, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: choroid |
Scientific Director of Neuroscience at HMRI, Dr. Michael Harrington, was interviewed by Medscape regarding his recent migraine study presentation at the virtual annual meeting of the American Headache Society. The breakthrough data suggests that the choroid plexuses, a special brain structure that produces spinal fluid, is the primary source of an increased molecule in people suffering from migraines. While more research is needed, these results shed light on an area of focus and could lead to improved treatments long term.
Title: Choroid Plexuses May Play a Role in Migraine
By: Medscape
Author: Jim Kling
Date: August 24, 2020
Link: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/936214
Post Date: August 18, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: college |
Post Date: August 16, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: alzheimer's |
Post Date: August 13, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: cardiovascular |
Post Date: August 7, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: american |
Post Date: August 6, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: cardiovascular |
Post Date: July 27, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Date: July 27, 2020 Link to Published Article: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-0839-9 Link to News Release: https://hmri.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/HMRI-Press-Release-RE-Vasudevan-Published-Final-MSM.pdf Anju Vasudevan, PhD, Senior Research Scientist and Scientific Director for the Angiogenesis and Brain Development research program at HMRI, and her colleagues’ work published on July 13 in Molecular Psychiatry* is considered to be a game-changing breakthrough uncovering why cell-based therapies are failing, and providing a missing link in the process, that when the right vascular cells are paired with neuronal cells, they work together successfully for brain repair and improvement of disease symptoms. While studying the mechanics of the cells, Vasudevan and her team discovered that GABAergic neuronal cells must be paired with their vascular counterpart, the embryonic forebrain specific endothelial cells for faster, effective therapy.
“In short,” says Vasudevan, “we were able to replicate the close neurovascular interactions of the developing forebrain and prove their critical role in guiding the GABAergic interneurons to their final destination in the adult brain.”
The study used a GABA pathway component - the GABAA receptor beta 3 subunit (GABRB3) to isolate and generate a new human vascular cell product. This human vasculature is unique to the embryonic forebrain and distinct from vasculature in other organs, one of the many critical findings from Vasudevan’s work at HMRI that will aide scientists in the longer journey to use cell-based therapies for brain disorders.
Post Date: July 23, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: alzheimer's |
Post Date: June 18, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: hmri |
Post Date: June 4, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: June 1, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
June 1, 2020
Dear Friends of HMRI, As the situation with the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, I want to take a moment to share an update: HMRI is tracking daily information and following guideline provided by Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Los Angeles health authorities. With this in mind, the following guidelines are in effect at HMRI until further notice:- Our emergency/safety team has put in a place a work from home policy for those able to work from home
- Our research and experiments continue. Our laboratory scientists and technicians are working staggered hours in the laboratory to minimize the number of personnel in the laboratories at any given time; they are following social distancing guidelines, working no less than 6 feet apart. They all wear Personal Protective Equipment (lab coats, glasses, gloves) and wash their hands thoroughly after leaving the lab.
Post Date: May 29, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: aorta |
Post Date: May 29, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: ad |
Post Date: May 26, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: blood |
Post Date: April 22, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: acids |
Post Date: April 20, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: heart |
Post Date: April 16, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: anesthetic |
Post Date: April 16, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: fluid |
Post Date: March 17, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: 2020 |
March 17, 2020 HMRI is tracking daily information and following guidelines provided by Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Greater Los Angeles government authorities. To be fully prepared and preventive, we have implemented the following at HMRI until further notice:
- Our emergency/safety team has put in a place a work from home policy for those able to work from home
- Our research and experiments will continue to keep our science moving forward. Our laboratory scientists and technicians are working staggered hours in the laboratory to minimize the number of personnel in the laboratories at any given time; they are following social distancing guidelines. All lab personnel wear personal protective equipment (PPE) (lab coats, glasses, gloves) and wash their hands thoroughly and often.
- All study participants and visitors are not allowed into our buildings until further notice.
- All public events, lectures and programs have been cancelled at least through the end of March and will likely extend into April.
- All meetings, including board meetings, committee meetings, and others, will be held as video/teleconferences.
Post Date: February 24, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: aortic |
Post Date: February 14, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: acids |
Post Date: February 4, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: blood |
Post Date: February 4, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Post Date: January 28, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 15, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: award from the w |
HMRI Receives W. M. Keck Foundation Grant to Study Fluctuating Brain Function
Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) announced today a $1 million, three-year award from the W. M. Keck Foundation to help support research into a deeper understanding of fluctuating sodium in the nervous system as the root cause of fluctuating brain function. The project will leverage HMRI’s pioneering neurosciences program that has undertaken longitudinal studies of the brain and nervous system over the past 20 years. “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award from the W. M. Keck Foundation to fund this futuristic study”, said, Dr. Julia E. Bradsher, President and CEO of HMRI. She further stated, “if successful, the results and their implications will be an enormous leap forward in explaining how brain fluctuations arise in both health and disease. This truly is a great achievement for HMRI, our scientific team in the neurosciences, and our collaborators.” In this project, HMRI proposes that fluctuations of sodium in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue will alter neuronal firing rates and thus impact brain functions, whose features vary depending on the site of the fluctuation and the health of the neurons. In a healthy brain, this will change the normal synchronization between neural circuits that might then manifest as fluctuations in mood, alertness, or cognitive abilities. The study extends findings from previous research on fluctuations underlying migraine to other brain fluctuations, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the prior studies, it is suggested that sodium fluctuation may cause imperfect synchronization of brain regions, leading to abnormal sensory perception as in migraine, or difficulty recalling memories, slower problem solving, and poor decision making. “We get to test a theory that can impact everyone by explaining how brain functions fluctuate and identifying a target to correct deviations”, said Dr. Michael B. Harrington, Scientific Director of the HMRI Neurosciences Program and principal investigator on this new project. “We are thrilled and honored to get this peer-reviewed award as our idea would be too unconventional for normal federal funding review processes.” Along with Dr. Harrington, the research will be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of scientists, including Dr. Brian Stoltz, a chemistry researcher from the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) and Dr. Linda Petzold, a mathematician at University of California, Santa Barbara. For interviews, please contact Brenda Rivas at Brenda.Rivas@hmri.org or 626-807-7079. About HMRI Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), founded in 1952, is an independent, non-profit organization with the mission to improve lives through patient-focused scientific research. HMRI conducts internationally recognized research in the areas of neuroscience (migraine, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury), cardiovascular (heart attack, chronic heart disease), related clinical research, and advanced imaging research. For more information, please visit www.hmri.org. To learn more about how you can help support groundbreaking medical research at HMRI, contact Susie Berry, VP of Development at (626) 389-3407 or susie.berry@hmri.org. About the W. M. Keck Foundation Based in Los Angeles, the W. M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W. M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The Foundation’s grant making is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research, science and engineering and undergraduate education. The Foundation also maintains a Southern California Grant Program that provides support for the Los Angeles community, with a special emphasis on children and youth. For more information, please visit www.wmkeck.org.Post Date: January 13, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: blood |
Post Date: January 3, 2020 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
2019
Post Date: December 22, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: December 18, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: ad |
Post Date: December 11, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: cold |
Post Date: December 11, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: conditioning |
Post Date: December 2, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: china |
Thao Tran, HMRI Director of Imaging HMRI's Thao Tran, MSc, RT (MR), MRSO (ABMRS), was invited to teach a course at the Advanced MRS Workshop which took place November 22-24 at Wuhan Union Hospital in Wuhan, China, with 40 radiologists, MR scientists and technologists from Iran, Taiwan and all over China. Along with three GE Senior MR Scientists and former HMRI colleague, Alex Lin, the workshop covered proton and multi-nuclear MR Spectroscopy topics and included hands-on practical sessions. The workshop was a great success and HMRI has been invited back for 2020.
Post Date: November 27, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Post Date: November 20, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: abstracts |
Congratulations to HMRI’s Cardiovascular Research Team who presented four abstracts at the Resuscitation Science section of the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting and two abstracts at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Philadelphia this month. One of the abstracts is especially relevant as it is a true heart-brain connection study, showing that some of HMRI’s therapies for hemorrhagic shock also protected against strokes. Another abstract focused on vaping and the myocardial infarct size. Congratulations to Drs. Robert Kloner, Jianru Shi , Wangde Dai, and Juan Carreno.
Post Date: November 9, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: blood |
Post Date: November 7, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: bill |
Post Date: October 25, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: alzheimer's |
In October 2019, HMRI's Dr. Xianghong Arakaki was elected for a two-year term to serve as a Steering Committee Member of the Electrophysiology PIA Executive Committee of the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART). The Executive Committee’s role is to oversee PIA operations, provide and share input on trends within the field, coordinate the scientific and educational activities, and represent the PIA to the ISTAART Advisory Council.
Post Date: October 18, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: ai |
As part of Innovate Pasadena's Connect Week 2019, HMRI hosted an open house on October 17th for the local community to visit and learn about our various research programs. HMRI is Pasadena's only biomedical research institute. To learn more about the Innovate Pasadena, visit their website: https://www.innovatepasadena.org/. HMRI's Ke Wei, Imaging Research Programmer Analyst, was invited to facilitate the inaugural AI LA Life Summit at Caltech. This event was also part of the Connect Week series of events held throughout Pasadena. Ke led a discussion with a group of entrepreneurs to brainstorm potential AI applications in healthcare and in bio-medicine.
Post Date: September 19, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: abstracts |
Post Date: September 18, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: comments |
Post Date: August 26, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: August 20, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: coronary |
Post Date: August 19, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain membranes for alzheimer's |
- Mahsa Asgari (Pasadena City College, Transferring to University of California, Los Angeles)
- Project: Earlier Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis
- Oscar Chan (Pasadena City College, Transferring to University of California, Berkeley)
- Project: Relationship Between Respiratory Data Factors and BOLD (Blood Oxygen-Level Dependent) Signals in MRI
- Leslie Escobar (Pasadena City College)
- Project: Cognitive and Motor Decline in Early Alzheimer’s Disease
- Marah Hasan (Pasadena City College, Transferring to University of California, San Diego)
- Project: Earlier Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis
- Josée Horton (Pasadena City College, Transferring to University of California, Davis)
- Project: Purifying Human Brain Membranes for Alzheimer’s Studies
- Erick Huang (Baylor University)
- Project: Exploring Task Shifting in Cognitively Healthy Elderly Individuals
- Nicole Lin (Emory University)
- Project: Effects of Nicotine and Myocardial Infarct Size and No-Reflow Phenomenon in a Rat Coronary Artery Occlusion/Reperfusion Model
- Ella Prebel Jackert (John Hopkins University)
- Project: Identifying Protein Biomarkers in Migraine
- Austin Sophonsri (Pasadena City College, Transferring to University of California, San Diego)
- Project: Fourier Analysis on Raw End-Tidal o2 and CO2 Data
- Claire Wong (University of Washington, Seattle)
- Project: Purifying Human Brain Membranes for Alzheimer’s Studies
- Jessica Wong (University of Southern California)
- Project: Indicators of Early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in Human Urine
Post Date: July 18, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: auxiliary |
Post Date: July 5, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |

Post Date: July 2, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Post Date: July 1, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Post Date: June 17, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: artery |
Post Date: June 13, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Post Date: June 7, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: cause |
Post Date: June 5, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: 5 2019 |
MEDIA RELEASE: HMRI HOSTS INAUGURAL COMMUNITY FORUM TO RELEASE FINDINGS FROM STUDY ON AGING WITH HIV
Four-Time Gold Medal Olympic Diver, Greg Louganis, to deliver keynote speech
On Saturday, June 8, 2019, Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) will host an Inaugural Community Forum to highlight the findings from its BRAVE (Brain Aging and Vascular Etiology in HIV) study. The focus of the study is to gain a better understanding of brain and cardiovascular changes among people who are HIV positive but continue to maintain viral suppression. The study also seeks to better understand accelerated aging and increased risk for non-AIDS age-related diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, and neurocognitive decline. Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Kimberly Shriner of Huntington Hospital and HMRI’s Director of Imaging Research, Dr. Kevin S. King, will speak about the physician’s view on managing HIV and about the importance of the study. Moderated by Dr. Shriner, the Forum also includes a panel of five individuals living healthy lives with HIV. HMRI began the BRAVE study in 2017 to follow people living with HIV over time to better understand their heart and brain health while living otherwise healthy lives with HIV. Since the start of the study, HMRI has enrolled approximately 50 individuals and plans to continue enrolling study participants. Studying brain health with aging in HIV is difficult as many of the changes seen in the brain in HIV resemble accelerated aging. HMRI has used a comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging evaluation that allows research scientists to distinguish the effects of HIV on the brain from the effects of aging. It’s also been found that people with more advanced HIV infection when they initiate treatment have persistent deficiencies in brain metabolism and brain artery function even after achieving long term viral suppression. Importantly, scientists can identify metabolic and vascular problems before any permanent damage to the brain has occurred and when health interventions have the best chance of improving long term outcomes. HMRI President and CEO, Dr. Julia Bradsher shares, “We are excited to launch this new program to engage and educate the community about our research and life-changing health conditions and diseases.” Dr. Bradsher went on to say, “We plan to make this an annual program and focus each year on a different area of HMRI’s work. We are pleased to feature the BRAVE study in this inaugural program.” Greg Louganis, four-time Gold Medal Olympic diver, speaker, author, activist, actor, humanitarian, and designer, will be the keynote speaker. The Community Forum is a free event and is open to the public. Individuals interested in attending must RSVP online at https://hmri.org/brave/. Seating is limited. Deadline to RSVP is June 5, 2019. The event is sponsored by Perkins+Will and Gilead Sciences, Inc. For interviews, please contact Brenda Rivas at Brenda.Rivas@hmri.org or 626-807-7079.###
Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), founded in 1952, is an independent, non-profit organization with the mission to improve lives through patient-focused scientific research. HMRI conducts internationally recognized research in the areas of neuroscience (migraine, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury), cardiovascular (heart attack, chronic heart disease), clinical research (hepatitis, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and pelvic floor disorders) and advanced imaging research. For more information, please visit www.hmri.org.Post Date: May 31, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: abstainers |
Post Date: May 24, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: alcohol |
Post Date: May 21, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: 12 |
HMRI's Dr. Kevin King was invited by the Society of MR Radiographers & Technologists (SMRT) to speak at their annual meeting on Saturday, May 12 in Montreal about “Brain Microvascular Injury on MRI” in the “Neuro” session. HMRI's Senior MR Specialist, Thao Tran, moderated the session. Dr. King was also invited by the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) to speak at their annual meeting in Montreal on May 12 about “Cardiovascular Response” in the “Physiology & Hemodynamics” session.
Post Date: May 21, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: aging and vascular etiology |
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: June 8, 2019
ADVISORY: SATURDAY, JUNE 8: HMRI HOSTS INAUGURAL COMMUNITY FORUM ON LIVING WELL WITH HIV WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER, GREG LOUGANIS
Community Forum will Highlight Findings from HMRI’S Study on Brain Aging and Vascular Etiology in HIV
Pasadena, CA – Hosted by Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) on Saturday, June 8th, the Inaugural Community Forum will highlight the findings from HMRI’s BRAVE (Brain Aging and Vascular Etiology in HIV) study. The focus of the study is to gain a better understanding of brain and cardiovascular changes among people who are HIV positive but continue to maintain viral suppression. The study also seeks to better understand accelerated aging and increased risk for non-AIDS age-related diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, and neurocognitive decline. HMRI began a study in 2017 to follow people living with HIV over time to better understand their heart and brain health while living otherwise healthy lives with HIV. Since the start of the study, HMRI has enrolled approximately 50 individuals and plans to continue enrolling study participants. Greg Louganis, four-time Gold Medal Olympic Diver, will be the keynote speaker. Event Details: WHAT: Community Forum will highlight findings from HMRI’S HIV study and will feature panel of five people living healthy lives with HIV. WHO: Dr. Kimberly Shriner, MD, Infectious Disease Specialist, Huntington Hospital Dr. Kevin S. King MD, Director of Imaging Research, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Greg Louganis, Four-time Gold Medal Olympic Diver, Speaker, Author, Activist, Actor, Humanitarian, and Designer - Community Forum Keynote Speaker WHERE: Huntington Medical Research Institutes - Engemann Family Auditorium 686 South Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105 WHEN: Saturday, June 8, 2019, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm GENERAL PUBLIC RSVP: The Community Forum is a free event and is open to the public. RSVP online at https://hmri.org/brave/. Seating is limited. Deadline to RSVP is June 3, 2019. MEDIA RSVP: For press credentials and/or interviews, please contact Brenda Rivas at Brenda.Rivas@hmri.org or 626-807-7079. The event is sponsored by Perkins+Will and Gilead Sciences, Inc.
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Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), founded in 1952, is a nonprofit biomedical research organization with the mission to improve lives through patient-focused scientific research. HMRI conducts internationally recognized research in the areas of neuroscience (migraine, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury), cardiovascular (heart attack, chronic heart disease), clinical research (hepatitis, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and pelvic floor disorders) and advanced imaging research. For more information, please visit www.hmri.org.
Post Date: April 22, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: applied |
Post Date: April 12, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: events |
Post Date: April 11, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: art |
HMRI WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBER Terry Perucca Joins HMRI Board of Directors
Pasadena, CA – Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) is pleased to announce the election of Terry Perucca to its Board of Directors. Prior to retiring, Perucca was the President of Banc of America Equity Partners (BAEP) headquartered in Chicago, IL. “HMRI is so fortunate to have someone with Terry’s forty plus years of experience in the financial services industry. We will greatly benefit from Terry’s breadth and depth of experience as a business leader and as an experienced board member in the philanthropic community,” said Dr. Julia Bradsher, President and CEO of Huntington Medical Research Institutes. “Since returning to Pasadena to deal with my wife's Alzheimer's I have become familiar with the outstanding work done at HMRI. I am excited to join the Board and to be able to support their excellent research efforts to learn more about these diseases that have impacted so many families," said Terry Perucca. BAEP was formed in 1996 when Perucca was asked to relocate to Chicago and grow a private equity business where the Bank of America would be the primary limited partner. This move followed the consolidation of Continental Bank, Illinois into the Bank of America. While in Chicago, Perucca was a Trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art where he chaired the Finance Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee and was also involved with the Art Institute of Chicago where he sat on the Committee for African Art and Indian Art of the America’s. Perucca began his career at Security Pacific as an Industrial Engineer where he was instrumental in developing and installing the first ATM machines in the mid-1970s. Born and raised in Burbank, CA, Perucca attended Arizona State University where he earned a B.S. in Business Management. After graduation, he assumed his position with Security Pacific Bank. Most recently, Perucca joined the Patron Program at the Getty Museum and is a Fellow at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Gardens, and also serves on the Arts Collection Committee and the Arts Collections Council. For interviews, please contact Brenda Rivas at Brenda.Rivas@hmri.org or 626-807-7079.###
Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), founded in 1952, is an independent, non-profit organization with the mission to improve lives through patient-focused scientific research. HMRI conducts internationally recognized research in the areas of neuroscience (migraine, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury), cardiovascular (heart attack, chronic heart disease), clinical research (hepatitis, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and pelvic floor disorders) and advanced imaging research. For more information, please visit www.hmri.org.Post Date: April 8, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: April 6, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: california |
On April 6, 2019, Edward Chau, current Pasadena City College student and HMRI intern at our Imaging Center, gave a presentation at the Honors Transfer Council of California Student Research Conference at the University of California, Irvine about using deep learning for medical diagnoses. Edward is working with HMRI research assistant Ke Wei to develop an automated tool to identify brain white matter damage.
Post Date: March 22, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: anderson |
Congratulations, Dr. Levine!
For additional information about the award, visit the MD Anderson Cancer Center website.Post Date: March 21, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: development |
HMRI EXPANDS DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS

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Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), founded in 1952, is an independent, non-profit organization with the mission to improve lives through patient-focused scientific research. HMRI conducts internationally recognized research in the areas of neuroscience (migraine, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury), cardiovascular (heart attack, chronic heart disease), clinical research (hepatitis, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and pelvic floor disorders) and advanced imaging research. For more information, please visit www.hmri.org.Post Date: March 14, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: city |
Post Date: March 13, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: 2019 |
Congratulations, Thao!
Post Date: March 11, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: March 11, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: abstract |
Post Date: February 14, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: abstract |

"I'm very excited and honored to be a part of this society as a policy board officer, and hope to make productive contributions over the next few years!" - Thao TranTran has been involved in SMRT for about nine years and was a volunteer Abstract Reviewer for the previous two years. As a reviewer, she read through research abstracts and scored them in order to choose the ones that will be presented at the SMRT meeting. Congratulations, Thao!
Post Date: February 13, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: blood |
Post Date: February 12, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: February 11, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: clinical |
Post Date: February 7, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: assist |
Post Date: February 5, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |

Post Date: January 31, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 30, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 17, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: brain |
Title: Alpha desynchronization during simple working memory unmasks pathological aging in cognitively healthy individuals
Published: January 2, 2019
Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0208517
The brain is damaged more than ten years before any symptoms of Alzheimer’s appear. This is detected in spinal fluid chemistry, where brain stress shows up. We want to detect this pre-symptomatic stage, which would be important to test treatments before memories are lost. This study examined whether or not we could detect this early stage, having individuals wear an EEG hat while individuals performed simple computer tests. We found those who are cognitively healthy but have stressed chemistry in their spinal fluid had to use more of their brain EEG rhythms in the test compared to those with normal chemistry.

Post Date: January 10, 2019 | Author: dstrickland | Category: paper |
Post Date: January 1, 2019 | Author: brivas | Category: Events & News |
2018
Post Date: December 3, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: cardiovascular |
Post Date: November 13, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: american |
“Drs. Kloner, Dai, Shi and Niema Pahlevan, members of the cardiovascular research team, presented their posters at the American Heart Association Scientific Meetings in Chicago on November 11, 2018.”
Post Date: November 8, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: american heart association |
1.) Dai W, Shi J, Carreno J, Hale S, Kloner RA. Remote limb ischemic preconditioning improves short and long term survival and maintains intravascular blood volume during resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock.
2.) Dai W, Shi J, Carreno J, Hale S, Kloner RA. Effects of anesthetic agents on the hemodynamic stabilization and long term survival in an experimental model of hemorrhagic shock.
3.) Shi J, Dai W, Carreno J, Hale S, Kloner RA. Effects of anesthetic agents on blood parameters in rats with acute hemorrhagic shock.
On Sunday, Nov 11th We will also be presenting the following paper at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions:
4.) Pahlevan NM, Dai W, Kloner RA. Noninvasive and instantaneous diagnostics of acute myocardial infarction using intrinsic frequency method.
On Sunday, Nov 11th, Dr. Kloner will be giving an invited lecture at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions;
5.) Testosterone therapy and CVD : Is it safe?
6.) Dr. Kloner will also be lecturing at a satellite symposium at the AHA: on Friday Nov 9th he will give the following lecture at the annual ACURE meeting ( a meeting that focuses on left ventricular assist devices and heart failure) : Kloner RA, Dai W. Survival, differentiation and contractility of immature cardiac cells implanted into the outer walls of aorta and vena cavae of rats: A potential step in development of an auxiliary circulatory pump.
7.) On Nov 11th Dr. Kloner, Dai and Shi will be discussants at a focused group meeting on the topic of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning with Endothelix Inc.
Post Date: October 29, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: hiv |
Post Date: October 16, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: 25 |
Post Date: September 10, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: cdh |
Post Date: September 7, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: article |
Post Date: August 31, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: Publications |
Dr. Robert Kloner co-authored a paper titled The pharmacist's role in improving the treatment of erectile dysfunction and its underlying causes.
The abstract can be read here.Post Date: August 31, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: paper |
Post Date: August 31, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: paper |
Post Date: August 22, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: hepatology |
Post Date: August 15, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: americans |
Post Date: July 30, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: article |
Post Date: July 19, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: huntington |
Post Date: July 18, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: pain |
Post Date: July 16, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: research |
Post Date: July 13, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: apple |
The Men Who Wear Fitbits to Track Their Coke Benders

Human beings are innovators. You can hardly create a product before somebody’s come up with a use for it you never considered. (Even Viagra was originally developed as a pill to lower blood pressure — erections were merely a side effect.)
So I don’t think we can be too surprised that people are using fitness trackers to monitor their vitals while taking recreational drugs. As CNBC first reported, some drug users find wearable devices like the Apple Watch and the Fitbit helpful in managing their intake of stimulants, which tend to get your heart rate up. They reason that by keeping their heart below a certain threshold of beats per minute (bpm) while high, they can lessen the always-present risk of an acute cardiac event. And so, ever since the consumer technology to keep tabs on your pulse 24/7 first became available, they’ve been sharing health data from their binges in online drug forums like the r/cocaine subreddit, for example:
Clearly, you can see one of coke’s (multifarious) effects on your body in real time with these gadgets strapped to your wrist. But what is the practical value of that information, if any?
I got in touch with “X,” a 19-year-old male redditor who frequents r/cocaine and tracks his bpm while indulging in his favorite intoxicants, which include alcohol and the anti-anxiety tranquilizer Xanax, as well as coke. He says that while his Apple Watch is mostly “shitty,” its heart rate monitoring feature is “the best and most useful thing about it.” His interest in the data depends on what he’s taking, of course: “For Xanax I make sure [my heart rate] doesn’t fall under a certain number,” he explains, while with coke he wants to avoid “going over a certain number.”
And the numbers are certain. “My resting heart rate is usually 80. If I’m on Xanax I usually don’t want it dropping under 50,” X says. “And on coke, anything above 140 is when I stop. If it’s falling too low while on Xanax, then it’s okay, because I can just go take a nap and stop drinking if I was. On coke, if it starts getting too high, I’ll take a Xanax to calm my heart rate down.”
I ask X if this method of dosing feels more reliable than what most everyone else has had to do throughout the history of inebriation — go with their gut instinct. “Yes, it is,” he says, though he’ll rely on his own best judgment as well, particularly in a party setting. Speaking of which: The fitness tracker binge, like cocaine itself, is a rather social phenomenon. “The first time I did it,” X explains, was “with people who have done it for a long time, so then after I just learned from them.” Later, he got his friends with wearables to monitor their heart rates as well, and they share their bpm often, whether hanging out together or not. “Some of us have higher tolerances, so we use it to keep [tabs on] each other,” he says.
Sounds pretty responsible, doesn’t it? Dr. Robert A. Kloner, the Chief Science Officer and Director of Cardiovascular Research at Huntington Medical Research Institutes, disagrees completely. “Not a good idea,” he writes in an email when I ask him about the trend. “It will lead people to have a false sense of security.”
Not only is Kloner an expert on the heart and blood vessels, he also co-authored work on the cardiovascular effects of cocaine, which can be extreme. There’s more to worry about than how fast your heart is beating, he points out: “Cocaine can cause coronary artery vasospasm; increase the oxygen need of the heart by increasing contractility; it can cause the blood pressure to go up; it can cause arrhythmias; it can cause heart muscle cells to go into contracture; it has been associated with ruptured aneurysm, seizures, strokes and heart attacks,” he explains, adding that the drug can also “increase the aggregation of platelets.”
Unfortunately, your Apple Watch isn’t going to be much help in predicting anyof those dire outcomes. “Using heart rate monitoring devices only gives one physiologic parameter for a drug that has complicated effects on the cardiovascular system,” Kloner tells me, concluding that “the best way to avoid cocaine cardiotoxicity is to avoid cocaine to begin with.”
Naturally.
But it seems that X has figured out a system he likes, and he knows what to look for — at least as far as a decent high is concerned. If the coke is of a better quality, “rocky and scaley,” then he’ll notice a jump in bpm “almost instantly” after taking some, with a pulse fall-off 45 to 60 minutes later. “If it’s stepped on,” he says — which is to say cut with other ingredients — he gets the same instant bump, but a much quicker fall-off in heart rate, somewhere in the 10 to 15 minute range. And while he never wants to soar above 140 bpm, “around 120 is perfect for me,” he says. Apart from this niche functionality, he only uses the heart rate monitor “occasionally” while sleeping.
X isn’t too bothered about Apple having this data, either. “Well, yeah, sometimes it does feel weird,” he admits. “But at the same time, I do work out, so my heart rate is constantly at that point.” Besides, as the excitement of this year’s World Cup and other intense situations have proved, the causes of bpm surges during physical “inactivity” are varied and strange.
Even as drug users like X seek the equilibrium to their inebriation with the aid of heart rate monitoring, others are taking cues from the tech to pop their legally prescribed drugs.
After all, the point of a fitness tracker is to help you manage your health. Fitbits and Apple Watches may not make drug use safer, but these devices will improve, offering broader, deeper and more accurate analysis of what’s going on with our bodies, and owners will interpret that new information however they like.
For now, however, most would rather stay analog:

Miles Klee is a staff writer at MEL.
Post Date: July 3, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: Uncategorized |
Post Date: July 2, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: paper |
Post Date: June 28, 2018 | Author: sberry | Category: bradsher |
Post Date: June 19, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: Events & News |

Post Date: June 11, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: heart |
Dr. Kloner, Dr. King and Dr. Harrington published a paper in the American Journal of Physiology, Heart and Circulatory Physiology last Friday, June 8, titled No-reflow Phenomenon in Heart and Brain. The abstract can be seen here.
Post Date: May 14, 2018 | Author: jameskingman | Category: article |
Post Date: May 10, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: article |
Dr. Robert Kloner is quoted in an article in the publication TCTMD titled Increasing Air Pollution May Spark Sudden Cardiac Death in Women.
You can read the article here.Post Date: May 9, 2018 | Author: jameskingman | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: May 7, 2018 | Author: jameskingman | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: April 30, 2018 | Author: jameskingman | Category: april |
HMRI scientists presented posters and papers on their research at the Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego, CA, April 21 through April 24, 2018.
Post Date: April 23, 2018 | Author: jameskingman | Category: article |
Post Date: April 20, 2018 | Author: jameskingman | Category: article |
Post Date: April 18, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: american |
Post Date: April 17, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: myocardial |
Dr. Robert Kloner, Dr. Wangde Dai and Sharon L. Hale recently published a paper in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics titled "No-Reflow Phenomenon. A New Target for Therapy of Acute Myocardial Infarction Independent of Myocardial Infarct Size."
The paper can be read here.
Post Date: April 17, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: blood |
Dr. Kevin King is first author on a new published paper titled Detrimental effect of systemic vascular risk factors on brain hemodynamic function assessed with MRI. The work found low brain blood flow was associated with high triglyceride levels. They confirmed the decrease in blood flow was due to a vascular disease by also showing that there was greater extraction of oxygen from the blood. The work is the first to show an association between high triglycerides and brain blood flow and the first to show associations between blood flow and vascular risk factors using MRI.
The paper can be read here.
Post Date: March 7, 2018 | Author: dstrickland | Category: americans |
Post Date: January 5, 2018 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
2017
Post Date: December 21, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: December 15, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: October 12, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: September 26, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: September 19, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: August 30, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: August 22, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Society of Research Administrators International 1560 Wilson Boulevard | Suite 310 Arlington, VA 22209 srainternational.org |
Post Date: July 28, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: July 28, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: July 24, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |

Post Date: July 19, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: June 16, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: June 15, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: June 9, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: May 24, 2017 | Author: tlgadmin | Category: Events & News |
Title: |
Understanding the Immune Microenvironment at the Uteroplacental Interface. |
OBJECTIVES In human pregnancy, the baby is 50% non-self, but is not rejected as an allogeneic organ transplant would be. The local interaction site between mother and baby is the uteroplacental interface (UPI), where maternal decidua develops between the uterus and the fetal placenta. We seek to understand the local immune microenvironment of the UPI to identify the critical factors mediating maintenance of maternal – fetal tolerance. METHODS Using a novel, non-invasive sampling method, we isolated lymphocytes from the surgical sponge used to clean the uterus after C-section, and compared them to the peripheral blood (PB) of 3rd trimester healthy pregnant women. RESULTS The term UPI lymphocyte pool contained a similar proportion of CD3+ cells (~62%) vs. PB but within the CD3- fraction, NK cells were significantly enriched (CD56hiCD16- PB 1.86% +/- 0.36, UPI 19.84 +/- 3.14, p<0.0001. CD56loCD16+ PB 24.22 +/-4.15 UPI 50.53+/- 3.17 p<0.0001) while monocytes/macrophages were decreased (PB 22.64 +/- 1.43, UPI 6.05 +/- 0.95). Intracellular cytokines in gd T cells (IFNg, TNFa, and Granzyme A) and NK cells (Perforin A and Granzyme A) were significantly elevated at the UPI vs. PB. Further, CD56hi CD16- uterine NK cells but not PB NK cells exclusively displayed an activated (CD69+) phenotype and a significantly more of the apoptosis-inducing molecule Fas (mean PB 21.74 +/- 4.5; mean UPI 43.61 +/- 2.02 p=0.0007). CONCLUSION The dramatic differences in cell type proportions, phenotypes and functionality we observed between lymphocytes at the UPI vs PB indicate a specific local immune microenvironment that develops at the UPI. The signals – and mechanisms that attract and retain lymphocytes at the UPI are unknown but likely important for understanding of how the necessary tolerogenic environment for successful pregnancy is established and maintained. http://www.ifpa2017.org/ |
Post Date: April 21, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: April 7, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
The Science Behind Your Mind
Dr. Harrington joined HMRI and established the Molecular Neurology Program in 1998. He studies how the cerebrospinal fluid composition explains the intermittent disorder of migraine and the progressive neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease. He also studies molecules that are transported to/from the brain in blood (including changes after mild traumatic brain injury), and those excreted in urine. Mike enjoys collaborating with other clinical and scientific colleagues that apply complementary measure of brain function so as to gain as much information from teh same study participants.
Event Details
Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 From: 6:30pm - 7:30pm at Kensington 245 West Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024 (626) 355-5700Download the Event Flyer
Post Date: April 3, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Therapeutic Hypothermia Reduces the Inflammatory Response Following Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Hearts
Shi J1,2, Dai W1,2, Kloner RA1,2. Author information Abstract Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is known to protect against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. One mechanism of I/R injury includes secondary injury due to the inflammatory cascade. We hypothesized that TH reduces the inflammatory response following I/R injury. Rats were randomized to sham, normothermic, or hypothermic groups and subjected to 1 hour of coronary artery occlusion and 48 hours of reperfusion. Hypothermia was initiated, using the ThermoSuit device, 2 minutes after the onset of coronary artery occlusion to a core temperature of 32°C, and then the rats were allowed to rewarm. After 48 hours, rats in the hypothermia group demonstrated a preserved left ventricular fractional shortening by echocardiography. TH decreased the inflammatory cytokines in the risk zone of the heart, which included monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression, and altered expression of the remodeling genes of matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase. Furthermore, rat inflammatory cytokines & receptors PCR array was performed and the data showed that 71 out of 84 genes were upregulated in the risk zone of normothermia hearts versus shams. The upregulation was largely reversed in the risk zone of hypothermia hearts compared to normothermia. TH preserves cardiac function, decreases excessive inflammatory gene expression, and regulates myocardial matrix remodeling related genes. KEYWORDS: hypothermia; inflammation; myocardial infarction PMID: 28338422 DOI: 10.1089/ther.2016.0042Post Date: March 9, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
By Denise Dador Wednesday, March 08, 2017 07:38PM
Read the rest of the article here on the ABC 7 websitePost Date: March 9, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
From STAFF REPORTS 6:27 am | March 9, 2017
Read the rest of the article here on the Pasadena Now websitePost Date: March 6, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Article and Photo courtesy of PUSD and HMRI Published : Monday, March 6, 2017 | 12:49 PM
Read the rest of the article here on the Pasadena Now websitePost Date: February 14, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
- JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2017 Feb 13;10(3):215-223. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2016.11.059.
Management of No-Reflow Phenomenon in the Catheterization Laboratory.
Rezkalla SH1, Stankowski RV2, Hanna J3, Kloner RA4. Author information: · 1Department of Cardiology, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin. Electronic address: rezkalla.shereif@marshfieldclinic.org. · 2Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, Wisconsin. · 3Lund University, Lund, Sweden. · 4Huntington Medical Research Institute, Pasadena, California; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Abstract At the conclusion of a primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and after the cardiologist makes certain that there is no residual stenosis following stenting, assessment of coronary flow becomes the top priority. The presence of no-reflow is a serious prognostic sign. No-reflow can result in poor healing of the infarct and adverse left ventricular remodeling, increasing the risk for major adverse cardiac events, including congestive heart failure and death. To achieve normal flow, features associated with a high incidence of no-reflow must be anticipated, and measures must be undertaken to prevent its occurrence. In this review, the authors discuss various preventive strategies for no-reflow as well as pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions that improve coronary blood flow, such as intracoronary adenosine and nitroprusside. Nonpharmacological therapies, such as induced hypothermia, were successful in animal studies, but their effectiveness in reducing no-reflow in humans remains to be determined. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. PMID: 28183461 [PubMed - in process]Post Date: January 23, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Publications |
Post Date: January 23, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 17, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 9, 2017 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- HMRI Board of Directors Welcomes Renowned HMRI Researcher Bill Agnew as Emeritus Director
- New Leadership in HMRI Philanthropy
- From the President’s Desk: Lessons From The Building
- Yasushi Ohnuki PhD by Lawrence W. Jones MD
- The Future is Under Way
- Advanced Multi-Nuclear MRS Spectroscopy Workshop at HMRI: April 8 – 10, 2016
- Cardiovascular Disease Research Director, Robert A. Kloner MD, PhD, Awarded Major Grant
- Donor Spotlight: The Patron Saints Foundation
2016
Post Date: December 28, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Audio |
Post Date: December 19, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: December 19, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: December 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: December 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: October 20, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: October 12, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Abstract
Kloner, R.A., Hale, S.L., Dai, W., Shi, J. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. (2016 Oct 6) doi:10.1007/s10557-016-6691-0 The size of the myocardial infarction remains an important therapeutic target, because heart attack size correlates with mortality and heart failure. In this era, myocardial infarct size is reduced primarily by timely re-perfusion of the infarct related coronary artery. Whereas numerous pre-clinical studies have shown that certain pharmacological agents and therapeutic maneuvers reduce myocardial infarction size greater than re-perfusion alone, very few of these therapies have translated to successful clinical trials or standard clinical use. In this review we discuss both the recent successes as well as recent disappointments, and describe some of the newer potential therapies from the pre-clinical literature that have not yet been tested in clinical trials. Read the rest of the article here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10557-016-6691-0Post Date: September 9, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- Under the Microscope: Enhancing The Physician Scientist Workforce
- Fond Memories of Leo Bullara
- 65th Annual Home Tour Benefits HMRI
- Introductions to the newest Board of Directors members
- Donor Spotlight: John & Genevieve Lucas, The Lucas Brothers Foundation
Post Date: September 8, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Got migraines? Join a Pasadena research effort that seeks a cure
LARRY WILSON SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 www.pasadenastarnews.com “We’re lucky in the Pasadena area to have world-class researchers on many diseases, and I’ve enjoyed over the years writing about the work of Scottish neurologist Dr. Michael Harrington at the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, and participating a little in some research. As he searches for causes and disease markers and possible cures for migraines, Harrington, sometimes still working with Cowan, has enlisted me in getting the word out to local migraineurs. Last time I emceed an event featuring Serene Branson, the CBS 2 reporter whose garbled speech from the Grammys five years ago made viewers think she had suffered an on-air stroke. It was instead a complex migraine, and she has become an activist about the disease, too. Have headaches, and want to join us in helping researchers make us better? Know someone who fits the bill? On Sept. 8, Harrington is recruiting people with chronic migraine and post-traumatic headache for a six-week study with a public meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at HMRI, 99 N. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. On Saturday, Sept. 10, from 2 to 3 p.m., he’s doing the same for those 70 to 90 for a study on aging and Alzheimer’s. Interested, or have questions? Call Betty Chung, 626-795-4343. While a headache will remain a headache, when you get involved in the work to explore the causes of a disease, you’ll come to new understandings, and in doing so feel better already.” Read the rest of the article here: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20160906/got-migraines-join-a-pasadena-research-effort-that-seeks-a-cure-larry-wilsonPost Date: August 16, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: August 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
A bit of salt might stop headaches’ battery of the brain
Jessica Hamzelou August 8, 2016 www.newscientist.com Could a salty diet keep migraines at bay? People who eat a lot of salt report having fewer migraines and severe headaches – the first evidence that dietary sodium may affect the condition. But the researchers caution that more evidence is needed before people change their diets, given that high salt consumption is linked to heart disease and stroke. There is growing evidence linking migraines with sodium. During a migraine, levels of sodium have been found to rise in cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid that bathes the brain and central nervous system. And sodium levels in this liquid seem to peak in the early morning and late afternoon – times of day when people commonly report experiencing migraines. Read the rest of the article here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101015-does-eating-more-salt-prevent-migraines-and-severe-headachesPost Date: August 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Association of Serum Docosahexaenoic Acid With Cerebral Amyloidosis
August 8, 2016 http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/ Importance Higher dietary intake of the essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic (DHA) has been associated with better cognitive performance in several epidemiological studies. Animal and in vitro studies also indicate that DHA prevents amyloid deposition in the brain. Objective To determine the association between serum DHA levels, cerebral amyloidosis, and the volumes of brain areas affected by Alzheimer disease. Read the rest of the article here: http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2538230Post Date: August 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Less Salmon, More Plaques? Link Between Omega-3s and Aβ Reinvigorates Fish Oil Debate
August 12, 2016 http://www.alzforum.org/ Omega-3 fatty acids as an intervention for Alzheimer’s disease may not be dead in the water just yet. A new study may reinvigorate interest in the fish oils. Researchers led by Helena Chui at the University of Southern California have used PET and MRI scans to correlate markers of Alzheimer’s disease with blood levels of the essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They report that people with the least amount of DHA have the most amyloid and atrophy in brain regions associated with AD. The findings, published August 8 in JAMA Neurology, do not prove that DHA blocks AD pathology, however they do mesh well with animal studies suggesting the fatty acid thwarts Aβ accumulation. “The … study has the potential to rekindle interest in the therapeutic potential of DHA,” wrote Joseph Quinn of Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland in an editorial that accompanied the paper. Quinn headed a previous DHA clinical trial, but was not involved in the current study. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/less-salmon-more-plaques-link-between-omega-3s-and-av-reinvigorates-fish-oilPost Date: August 10, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Migraine Headache Causes And Symptoms 2016: Everything You Need To Know
Michael Harrington, MB, ChB, FRCP Director of Neurosciences at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) Pasadena, California - August 8, 2016 www.medicaldaily.com Migraine is the third most common disease in the world. It costs American employers $20 billion each year, and considering how widespread and the suffering it causes are, it’s safe to say research funding is meager at best. The National Institutes of Health provides the mainstay of medical funding in the United States, about $20 million annually — but funding should be 12-fold higher if it will be comparable to research dollars allotted for other brain diseases such as schizophrenia. A ‘typical’ migraine headache is severe: One-sided, pulsing or throbbing, accompanied by severe pain and discomfort to normal lights, sounds, or smells, not to mention nausea and vomiting. It typically lasts four to 72 hours, during which the scalp can be extremely sensitive to the touch. So it’s not unusual for migraine sufferers — also known as migraineurs — to withdraw from the outside world to lie down without moving in a dark, quiet room. But the truth is, the realities of life often prevent this form of relief. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/migraine-headache-causes-and-symptoms-2016-everything-you-need-know-394142Post Date: August 10, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Go Nuts to Age Well: 6 Benefits of Nuts for Older Adults
K. Aleisha Fetters August 5, 2016 www.health.usnews.comA handful a day may keep the doctor – and a slew of age-related health issues – away.
Joe Biden wants cancer researchers to share their data, and he's not mincing words. “You know the inflammation that nuts are so good at fighting? Well, that's critical to preventing cognitive decline and dementia into old age. For instance, research out of Huntington Medical Research Institutes shows that in patients with Alzheimer's disease, levels of inflammation are higher, partly due to lower levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, explains Alfred Fonteh, neuroscience research scientist at HMRI. Nuts, however, are rich in omega-3s, and walnuts in particular are ripe with docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, a type of omega-3 that is a primary structural compound in the human brain. "DHA is the source of molecules that protect neurons, molecules that resolve inflammation and molecules that help repair free radical damage of tissues," Fonteh says. "What's more, monounsaturated fatty acids rich in nuts also control how toxic proteins are removed from the brain." "Therefore, a dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids from nuts may replenish what is lost in the brain and enhance the ability of the brain to remove toxic peptides that would otherwise kill neurons," he says. Case in point: In a 2015 JAMA Internal Medicine study of older adults, those who followed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts over the course of six years enjoyed better cognitive function than those who ate a Mediterranean diet sans nuts.” Read the rest of the article here: http://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-08-05/go-nuts-to-age-well-6-benefits-of-nuts-for-older-adultsPost Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: August 4, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: July 12, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: July 11, 2016 | Author: jameskingman | Category: Publications |
Post Date: July 8, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: History of HMRI |
Post Date: June 10, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
A higher death rate in 2015 can be attributed to three main causes, but many of those deaths could have been prevented.
Ann Pietrangelo June 9, 2016 www.healthline.com HMRI’s Dr. Harrington says although there’s currently no treatment known to slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do. “The important need is for a lot more research to seek an understanding of the neurodegeneration process that is occurring decades before any symptoms. HMRI and some other organizations are actively following this urgently needed approach,” said Harrington. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.healthline.com/health-news/rise-in-us-death-rate-blip-or-trend#5Post Date: June 6, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
So, what exactly happens to our mind and body during the most crucial moments that have and will come to define sports history?
Lizette Borreli June 2nd, 2016 www.medicaldaily.com When there is an intense game or intense play some fans have a very emotional response — a fight-or-flight response with an increase in the sympathetic nervous system output and an increase in adrenaline levels,” Dr. Robert Kloner, director of cardiovascular research at Huntington Medical Research Institutes in Pasadena, Calif., told Medical Daily. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/mind-and-body-sports-fan-sports-games-388444Post Date: May 27, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Dr. Michael Harrington, Director of Neurosciences at HMRI, weighs in on mechanisms that keep the brain clean during neurodegenerative diseases:
Lizette Borreli May 26th, 2016 www.medicaldaily.com Doing crossword puzzles and memory-training games and taking Omega-3 fish oil supplements are steps we take to boost our brain health. We do this to keep our mind clear and our head sharp, but how exactly does this process of cleaning differ between the healthy and diseased brain? According to a recent study published in the journal PLOS Biology, the brain “sweeps” clean dead neurons for it to function properly, but when it comes to neurodegenerative diseases, this cleaning process is impaired. There are mechanisms that keep the brain clean during neurodegenerative diseases. Typically, when neurons die, their debris needs to be quickly swept away for the surrounding brain tissue to continue functioning properly. There needs to be a balance between highly specialized cells, microglia, that respond by disposing of neurons that express "eat me" signals, according to Dr. Michael Harrington, Director of Neurosciences at Huntington Medical Research Institutes in Pasadena, Calif. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/clean-dirty-mind-neurodegenerative-diseases-cognitive-function-dead-cells-387918Post Date: May 18, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
"Silent" heart attacks are a thing—and doctors say women are especially susceptible of dying from them.
Korin Miller (originally published on Self.com) “Silent heart attacks are dangerous because people who have them may not get the proper therapy for the heart attack itself and will not get the proper therapy to help prevent another one or modify the known risk factors for coronary artery disease,” Robert A. Kloner, M.D., Ph.D., director of cardiovascular research at Huntington Medical Research Institutes, tells SELF." Here is the link to article: http://www.self.com/trending/2016/05/these-subtle-symptoms-could-mean-youre-having-a-heart-attack-and-dont-know-itPost Date: May 17, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: April 29, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Rejuvenation of a Concept
Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD,a,b Eugene Braunwald, MD c,d (originally published in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology) Here is the link to the paper: https://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleID=2511390Post Date: April 28, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- Huntington Memorial Hospital's Team Tanzania Plus One
- Fighting the Good Fight - What Do Alzheimer's Heart Attacks, Eczema, Asthma, Preeclampsia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Allergies and Cancer all have in common?
- Welcome to the newest members of HMRI's Board of Directors
- In Memoriam: Ann Slavik Hall
- Through the Microscope: Missing the Operating Room
- Donor Profile: Linda Salinas
Post Date: April 22, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Home and Garden Tour Tickets - On Sale Now!
Save the Date -May 1st, 2016 for Our 65th Annual Home Tour On Sunday, May 1st, we will celebrate the coming together of our community and embracing the diverse artistic expressions found in the homes and gardens on our 65th Annual Home Tour. Our theme this year is May Day on Porter. There will be four beautiful homes and gardens to view, each as unique as Altadena itself. The homes are rich in architectural diversity with beautiful gardens to explore and amazing older and newer architecture to enjoy. Other highlights include complimentary dessert and beverage in the Tea Garden (10:00 am to 3:00 pm); musicians playing throughout the day in many locations; shopping at fine art, jewelry, pottery, and gift vendors. Hot rods and vintage cars from the eras of the homes on tour, with even a vintage trailer, will be on display. Our Bakery will again have our wonderful homemade cakes, cookies, pies, candies and jams for purchase. We will have our famous Altadini Pub for some light refreshments including wine, beer and sandwiches. Since 1951, the Altadena Guild of Huntington Memorial Hospital, a group of volunteers passionate about helping their community, has raised over $2 million to benefit Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI). This independent, nonprofit organization seeks to improve health by improving medicine and state-of-the-art research. The Guild also funds a scholarship at Huntington Hospital and supports the hospital’s Constance G. Zahorik Appearance Center, which helps women facing breast cancer look and feel their best. To purchase tickets online, please visit: http://altadenaguild.org/buy_tickets.html Download the event flyer: http://www.altadenaguild.org/documents/HT2016Flyer.pdfPost Date: April 18, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
The 8 Activities That Have the Most Benefits for Your Brain
Kate Bayless, Livestrong.com Crossword puzzles? Check. Brain-friendly foods? Got ’em. But there is another key to staying mentally sharp: exercise. Not surprisingly, exercise has been shown to be just as important for your brain as it is for your body. Read the rest of the story here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/1011885-8-activities-benefits-brain/Post Date: April 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Cardiologists Refuse to Eat These Foods
From Huffington Post Cardiologists! They think they’re so great, with their anatomical heart models and ascetic dietary advice. But come on. Under those white coats, they’re people, too, just like you and me, right? Which means they enjoy cold hot dogs dipped in cans of chocolate frosting, washed down with rum & Coke. Read the rest of the story here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thrillist/cardiologists-refuse-to-e_b_9680994.htmlPost Date: April 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Recovered Data Casts Doubt On Whether Replacing Saturated Fat With Vegetable Oil Protects Against Heart Disease
By Stephanie Castillo, Medical Daily Americans have been told to eschew saturated fat for decades, in part because the American Heart Association has said consuming high amounts can increase cholesterol levels — and not the good kind. So in the late 60s, researchers conducted a trial to see if replacing saturated fats with vegetable oil rich in a healthier polyunsaturated fat, called linoleic acid, could lower levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol and reduce rates of coronary heart disease and death. All signs seemed to point to yes, but according to a new study published in BMJ, this hypothesis stands on shakier ground than people have been led to believe. Read the rest of the story here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/saturated-fat-vegetable-oil-heart-disease-diet-advice-381566Post Date: April 11, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
How researchers, Pasadena schools partnered to study traumatic brain injuries in teen athletes
By Jason Henry, San Gabriel Valley Tribune Meshia Paton wasn’t sure about her 15-year-old son playing football at Pasadena High School. At that age, the other players hit pretty hard, she told him. But now she has a little more peace of mind if her son gets hurt — she got a full scan of his brain and his heart from a program offered for free through a partnership between Pasadena Unified School District and the Huntington Medical Research Institutes. It provides something to compare against in the event that her son, De’Shawn, is injured, and it didn’t cost her anything but time, she said. Read the rest of the story here: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/health/20160407/how-researchers-pasadena-schools-partnered-to-study-traumatic-brain-injuries-in-teen-athletesPost Date: March 25, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: acute inflammation |
- Sometimes inflammation can be a really good thing for your body—in fact, it’s a fundamental function of your immune system.
- Our bodies are always in some kind of inflammatory state.
- But if our immune systems start to overreact, that’s when problems could kick in.
- When you hear people talking about the dangers of inflammation, what they’re really talking about is chronic inflammation.
- Interestingly, obesity is also considered to be a state of chronic inflammation.
- There are multiple ways to control inflammation (to a point).
- What you eat can have an effect on systemic inflammation in the body—but there isn’t a scientific consensus on “anti-inflammatory” diets.
- If you worry about inflammation, eating a good diet and adopting good lifestyle habits is a good start.
Post Date: March 24, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |

Post Date: March 8, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |

Post Date: March 7, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- Forward: The Campaign for HMRI
- Man For All Reasons: Dave Strickland
- Editorial Boards: Why We Serve
- A Gift For Science, A Gift For Eternity
- Medical Student Patrick Chang Speaks About His Research with Myron Tong in San Francisco
- Donor Profile: Francine Katz
- Leading the Campaign to Move HMRI Forward - Meet the Campaign Leadership
Post Date: February 26, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: February 22, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: February 10, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 28, 2016 | Author: jameskingman | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 15, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 11, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: January 8, 2016 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
2015
Post Date: November 30, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: November 20, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: November 20, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: November 19, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: November 19, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: November 19, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: September 21, 2015 | Author: jameskingman | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- New Mission Drives HMRI Forward
- HMRI Installs $3 Million High Tech Magnet
- Community Leaders Rally in Support of HMRI Biomedical Research Building
- Introducing Orest Boyko MD, PhD and Andrea Loewendorf PhD
- Dr. Susan Kane Joins the HMRI Board
- HMRI Website Gets a Facelift
- HMRI Lecture Series Hosts Weekly Talks
- HMRI Expands Research Program for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
- 64th Annual Home Tour
- Brain Day Brings the Community to HMRI
Post Date: September 15, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Before you go out and swap your breath mints for an aspirin, it is important to know that the recent recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that has been making the rounds abuzz isn't as simple as the headlines make it seem. Dr. Robert A. Kloner, director of cardiovascular research and vice president of translation at the Huntington Medical Research Institutes was quoted as saying, "It's very important to point out [the USPSTF is] not saying everyone should be on aspirin ...They're saying people ages 50 to 59, who have an increased risk of heart disease, should take a daily low-dose aspirin. So you're looking at a certain age group, first of all." Taking Aspirin, even in low doses may not be suitable for everyone, and in some cases in can do more harm than good. "Some people are allergic to it, and… some people are prone to bleed," Dr. Kloner explains. "And so if you have a history of bleeding ulcers or other bleeding problems, then you are probably not going to be a candidate for aspirin." For more information about Dr. Robert A. Kloner, view his bio, or to read the complete story, please visit the link below: http://www.drozthegoodlife.com/health-articles/health-conditions/news/a510/daily-aspirin-uspstf-recommendation-not-universal/ All Credit: Amy Capetta, DR. OZ - The Good Life. "Don't Make Aspirin Part of Your Daily Routine Just Yet" September 2015.
Post Date: August 26, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: August 25, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: August 19, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: April 15, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
Post Date: April 10, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- 2015 Brings Leadership Change to HMRI
- New HMRI Research Building Project Announced
- Cardiovascular Research Returns to HMRI with Recruitment of a World-Class Research Team
- Tips from Dr. Kloner to Maintain A Healthy Heart
- On the Tee for Research with HMRI
- HMRI welcomes new board members
- Pasadena Unified Partners with HMRI to Save Lives of Student Athletes
Post Date: April 3, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Award recognizes cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing highest quality care to cancer patients
PASADENA, Calif., April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Huntington Memorial Hospital Cancer Center (HHCC) was recently presented with the 2014 Outstanding Achievement Award by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). HHCC is one of a select group of only 75 U.S. health care facilities with accredited cancer programs to receive this national honor for surveys performed last year. The award acknowledges cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. "A cancer diagnosis is among one of the most challenging experiences a patient can face," said Howard Kaufman, MD, medical director of HHCC. "This accreditation, in combination with the Outstanding Achievement Award, validates the exceptional care our team of physicians and nurses provides to help improve the quality of life for our patients during this difficult time." The purpose of the award is to raise awareness about the importance of providing quality cancer care at health care institutions throughout the U.S. Furthermore, it provides a mechanism for HHCC to share its commendation-winning practices with other institutions. It is intended to:- Motivate other cancer programs to work toward improving their level of care.
- Facilitate dialogue between award recipients and healthcare professionals at other cancer facilities for the purpose of sharing best practices.
- Encourage honorees to serve as quality-care resources to other cancer programs.
- Educate cancer patients on available quality-care options.
Post Date: January 29, 2015 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Audio |
2014
Post Date: November 5, 2014 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- HMRI Receives Major Funding for Alzheimer's Research;
- Oxygen: More is Not Necessarily Better;
- Breakthrough HMRI Alzheimer's Study Published;
- HMRI Launches Seed Grant Program;
- Meet HMRI Researcher Cherise Charleswell;
- GlaxoSmithKline Partners with HMRI in Cutting-Edge Bioelectronic Research;
- Introducing the HMRI Speakers Bureau & Speakers Series;
- HMRI Summer Student Research Program Continues Its Tradition of Excellence;
- Dr. Lawrence W. Jones Retires.
Post Date: October 13, 2014 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: October 5, 2014 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
The Magnetic Resonance Laboratory is offering complimentary cardiac and brain screening exams for student athletes of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). We are currently working with Ann Rector, PUSD Health Coordinator, to recruit students who are actively involved in sports. These prevention-oriented MR scans will be able to detect life-threatening cardiac anomalies that can cause sudden cardiac death, as well as assess and monitor brain injuries, resulting from sports-related incidents, which may cause long-term physical, neurocognitive, and behavioral deficits. Brain and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging exams are non-invasive, clinical routine procedures that allow for visualization of anatomy and functional assessments. The cardiac exam can detect congenital heart conditions and cardiomyopathies, which can prove to be life-threatening to those who physically exert themselves through sports. Students enrolled in the cardiac program will only need to have one cardiac screening exam performed, while the brain exam will be conducted once at the beginning of the season and subsequent exams will be performed if a student suffers any injuries during the season to evaluate changes due to trauma. These prevention-oriented research initiatives are of particular importance to the students of PUSD, who are largely underserved with 67% of students identified as low-income; and thus likely to have minimal access to sufficient health care, including specialized procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging. We are currently recruiting student athletes between the ages of 10-18 for either or both exams. For more information or to participate, please contact Darlene Royal at 626-397-5840 or email us at MagRes.HMRI@gmail.com.
Post Date: July 18, 2014 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
- Open-access—freely accessible online, authors retain copyright
- Fast publication times
- Peer review by expert, practicing researchers
- Post-publication tools to indicate quality and impact
- Community-based dialogue on articles
- Worldwide media coverage
Post Date: May 20, 2014 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Publications |
For a PDF copy of this publications list, please click here.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Kanamori, K. and B. D. Ross (2013). "Electrographic seizures are significantly reduced by in vivo inhibition of neuronal uptake of extracellular glutamine in rat hippocampus." Epilepsy Res107(1-2): 20-36.
Harrington, M. G., J. Chiang, J. M. Pogoda, M. Gomez, K. Thomas, S. D. Marion, K. J. Miller, P. Siddarth, X. Yi, F. Zhou, S. Lee, X. Arakaki, R. P. Cowan, T. Tran, C. Charleswell, B. D. Ross and A. N. Fonteh (2013). "Executive function changes before memory in preclinical Alzheimer's pathology: a prospective, cross-sectional, case control study." PLoS One8(11): e79378.
Ross, B. D. (2013). "High-field MRS in clinical drug development." Expert Opin Drug Discov8(7): 849-863.
Ross, B. D. (2013). Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Brain. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy:Tools for Neuroscience Research and Emerging Clinical Applications. C. Stagg & D. Rothman (eds.), Chap. 4.3:331-350. Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
Ackerman, J. J. H. (2013). "Hyperpolarized silicon particles show high potential for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging." Nat Nanotechnol8: 313-315.
Sailasuta, N., K. C. Harris, T. T. Tran, O. Abulseoud and B. D. Ross (2013). "Impact of fasting on human brain acid-base homeostasis using natural abundance (13) C and (31) P MRS." J Magn Reson Imaging39(2): 398-401.
Cassidy, M. C., H. R. Chan, B. D. Ross, P. K. Bhattacharya and C. M. Marcus (2013). "In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized silicon particles." Nat Nanotechnol8(5): 363-368.
Liang, E., P. Garzone, J. M. Cedarbaum, M. Koller, T. Tran, V. Xu, B. D. Ross, S. S. Jhee, L. Ereshefsky, A. Pastrak and S. Abushakra (2013). "Pharmacokinetic profile of orally administered Scyllo-Inositol (Elnd005) in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid and brain, and corresponding effect on amyloid-beta in healthy subjects." Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development2(2): 186-194.
Lin, A. P. and B. D. Ross (2013). "Recent progress in clinical magnetic resonance spectroscopy." Encyclopedia of Magnetic Resonance (eMagRes).2(47-54).
Sancheti, H., K. Kanamori, I. Patil, R. Diaz Brinton, B. D. Ross and E. Cadenas (2014). "Reversal of metabolic deficits by lipoic acid in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease: a 13C NMR study." J Cereb Blood Flow Metab34(2): 288-296.
Posters/ Abstracts
Tran, T. C. Charleswell, N. O’dell, J. Liu, M. Miller, M. Lindsey and B. D. Ross (2013). Impact of short-term administration of oral Minocycline, a repurposed anti-neuroinflammatory agent, on MR and neuropsychological biomarkers of MCI and AD. Proceedings of 21st Annual Meeting of International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine., Session: Advance Imaging of Dementia. Program #2888.
Liver
Tong, M. J., Kowdley, K. V. Pan, C. K. Q. Hu, T. T. Chang, K. H. Han, S. K. Yoon, Z. D. Goodman, S. Beebe, U. Iloeje and H. Tang (2013). "Improvement in liver histology among Asian patients with chronic hepatitis B after long-term treatment with entecavir." Liver Int33(4): 650-651.
Saab, S., D. Lalezari, P. Pruthi, T. Alper and M. J. Tong (2013). "The impact of obesity on patient survival in liver transplant recipients: a meta-analysis." Liver Int.
Molecular Neurology
Fonteh, A. N., J. Chiang, M. Cipolla, J. Hale, F. Diallo, A. Chirino, X. Arakaki and M. G. Harrington (2013). "Alterations in cerebrospinal fluid glycerophospholipids and phospholipase A2 activity in Alzheimer's disease." J Lipid Res54(10): 2884-2897.
Harrington, M. G., J. Chiang, J. M. Pogoda, M. Gomez, K. Thomas, S. D. Marion, K. J. Miller, P. Siddarth, X. Yi, F. Zhou, S. Lee, X. Arakaki, R. P. Cowan, T. Tran, C. Charleswell, B. D. Ross and A. N. Fonteh (2013). "Executive function changes before memory in preclinical Alzheimer's pathology: a prospective, cross-sectional, case control study." PLoS One8(11): e79378.
Arakaki, X., P. McCleary, M. Techy, J. Chiang, L. Kuo, A. N. Fonteh, B. Armstrong, D. Levy and M. G. Harrington (2013). "Na,K-ATPase alpha isoforms at the blood-cerebrospinal fluid-trigeminal nerve and blood-retina interfaces in the rat." Fluids Barriers CNS10(1): 14.
Fonteh, A. N., J. M. Pogoda, R. Chung, R. P. Cowan and M. G. Harrington (2013). "Phospholipase C activity increases in cerebrospinal fluid from migraineurs in proportion to the number of comorbid conditions: a case-control study." J Headache Pain14: 60.
Molecular Pathology
Singer, E., J. Linehan, G. Babilonia, S. A. Imam, D. Smith, S. Loera, T. Wilson and S. Smith (2013). "Stromal response to prostate cancer: nanotechnology-based detection of thioredoxin-interacting protein partners distinguishes prostate cancer associated stroma from that of benign prostatic hyperplasia." PLoS One8(6): e60562.
Neural Engineering
Journal Papers
Duong, H. and M. Han (2013). "A multispectral LED array for the reduction of background autofluorescence in brain tissue." J Neurosci Methods220(1): 46-54.
Kim, B. J., J. T. Kuo, S. A. Hara, C. D. Lee, L. Yu, C. A. Gutierrez, T. Q. Hoang, V. Pikov and E. Meng (2013). "3D Parylene sheath neural probe for chronic recordings." J Neural Eng10(4): 045002.
McCreery DB, Han M, Pikov V, Yadav K, Pannu S (2013) Encoding of the amplitude modulation of pulsatile electrical stimulation in the feline cochlear nucleus by neurons in the inferior colliculus: effects of stimulus pulse rate. J Neural Eng 10(5): 056010.
Rohan, J. G., Y. R. Citron, A. C. Durrell, L. E. Cheruzel, H. B. Gray, R. H. Grubbs, M. Humayun, K. L. Engisch, V. Pikov and R. H. Chow (2013). "Light-triggered modulation of cellular electrical activity by ruthenium diimine nanoswitches." ACS Chem Neurosci4(4): 585-593.
Conference Papers
Kuo, J. T. W., B. J. Kim, S. A. Hara, C. D. Lee, L. Yu, C. A. Gutierrez, T. Q. Hoang, V. Pikov and E. Meng (2013). 3D Parylene sheath probes for reliable, long-term neuroprosthetic recordings. IEEE 26th Int Conf MEMS: 1073-1076.
Romanenko, S., P. H. Siegel, D. A. Wagenaar and V. Pikov (2013). Comparison of the effects of millimeter wave irradiation, general bath heating, and localized heating on neuronal activity in the leech ganglion. . Proc SPIE: 8585: 85850N.
Kim, B. J., S. A. Hara, B. Chen, J. T. W. Kuo, C. D. Lee, C. A. Gutierrez, T. Hoang, M. Gupta, V. Pikov and E. Meng (2013). Evaluation of post-fabrication thermoforming process for intracortical Parylene sheath electrode. IEEE EMBS Neural Engineering Conference. San Diego, CA.
Romanenko, S., P. H. Siegel and V. Pikov (2013). Microdosimetry and physiological effects of millimeter wave irradiation in isolated neural ganglion preparation. Proc MSMW: 512-516.
Hara, S. A., B. J. Kim, J. T. W. Kuo, C. D. Lee, T. Q. Hoang, V. Pikov and E. Meng (2013). Perforated 2×2 Parylene sheath electrode array for chronic intracortical recording. IEEE EMBS Neural Engineering Conference. San Diego, CA.
2013
Post Date: June 5, 2013 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Publications |
Post Date: May 16, 2013 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: HMRI Newsletters |
- Non-Intrusive Sleep Apnea Treatment;
- Confocal Microscope;
- Diamond Jubilee Tea;
- Automation Advances;
- HMRI Receives Top Rating;
- Golf Tournament;
- Guild Fashion Show;
- HMRI Colorectal Research Fund;
- HMRI Research Inspires Youth;
- Employee Anniversary Luncheon;
- Volunteer Spotlight - Jeannette Martin;
- Partners in Discovery;
- HMRI Publications;
- Board of Directors.
Post Date: May 7, 2013 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
New Equipment Enhances Critical Tissue Engineering Research
As our world becomes a faster-paced environment, life sciences have turned to automation to reduce costs and create more efficient operations. Thanks to a grant from the Roy E. Thomas Foundation, researchers in the HMRI Tissue Engineering laboratory have recently acquired two new instruments that will allow them to streamline workflow through automation and spend more time on the discovery process in their search for new anti-cancer drugs. With the new Biomek 4000 Laboratory Automation Workstation, our Tissue Engineering program has the ability to increase production of tumor histoids – living human mini-tumors – used in testing new anti-cancer drugs. Producing the large number of tumor histoids required for drug testing would be virtually impossible without robotic fluid handling offered by the Biomek 4000. Much of the exorbitant cost of developing new anti-cancer drugs is attributed to the use of unreliable and inefficient test systems during screening of potential new drugs and can cost upwards of $1 billion to bring one new drug to market. The grant from the Roy E. Thomas Foundation also enabled the purchase of a second essential piece of equipment, the Synergy H1 Hybrid Multi-Mode Microplate Reader. Placed next to the Biomek 4000 robotic system, this temperature-controlled programmable plate reader is used for spectrophotometric analysis of tumor histoids within their droplets. Both pieces of equipment are housed within a laminar flow tissue culture hood, a requirement for maintaining the integrity of sterile cultures. “We are absolutely delighted, to say nothing of relieved and grateful, to have the important new equipment which will allow us to advance to a new phase of our research,” said Dr. Marylou Ingram, senior research scientist with the Tissue Engineering & In Vitro Systems program. “The grant from the Roy E. Thomas Foundation could not have been more timely or important to our research.”Post Date: May 7, 2013 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
Post Date: May 7, 2013 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
Post Date: May 7, 2013 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
2012
2011
Post Date: September 19, 2011 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: September 1, 2011 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Events & News |
Post Date: May 25, 2011 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
Post Date: May 25, 2011 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
Post Date: May 25, 2011 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |
Current Treatment Choices
According to Dr. Manoon, the best intervention methods currently available "serve merely to restore blood flow and/or reduce the probability of further stroke injuries. Physical therapy commonly constitutes the rehabilitation process for the afflicted patient." Common non-invasive (that is, non-surgical) treatments for stroke include administering a variety of drugs to achieve several objectives:- thrombolysis - opens up the blood vessels that have been blocked
- anticoagulation - thins the blood and reduces the probability of more blockage of the blood vessel
- antihypertension - reduces blood pressure to avoid hemorrhage of the weakened blood vessels, or injury to the brain.
- antiplatelet - reduces inflammation-related events so as to minimize the probability of further blockage of the blood vessel.
Improving the Odds
Unless the neurons that are damaged in stroke are preserved or protected from death, recovery can take a long time, if the patient recovers at all. Thus, stroke specialists agree that neuroprotection - that is, administering substances that would help preserve or protect the neurons - should be included with the tPA thrombolytic treatment. These would not only protect the neurons and reduce brain injury caused by the ischemic stroke, but also compensate for the adverse effects of tPA on the neurons. Several researchers worldwide are also proposing angiogenesis: treating stroke by causing the brain to make more blood vessels. The logic is that, by inducing the formation of more blood vessels in the brain, more blood would flow to the brain area that suffered the injury. The increased blood flow would, therefore, help relieve the oxygen deprivation in the brain. Some propose that a single agent that could provide both neuroprotection and angiogenesis would appear to be the most promising. Of the various chemicals tested through the years that are both neuroprotective and increase the formation of blood vessels, few have captured more attention than vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This substance accomplishes both things, but also has several negative side effects. One of the major side effects of this chemical is to cause the blood vessels to become permeable, or porous, so that blood fluids and substances in the blood leak out of the blood vessels into the brain. Thus, though VEGF may create new blood vessels in the brain, it can also cause the blood vessels that are already in the brain to become leaky. Even the new blood vessels that are formed are also permeable. It is, therefore, unclear whether VEGF could safely and effectively be used to cause neuroprotection and angiogenesis in the brain at the same time. Manoonkitiwongsa and his colleagues have conducted experiments to determine whether neuroprotection and angiogenesis by VEGF necessarily occur together. Their data, published in the June 24 Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, reveal that neuroprotection and angiogenesis maybe inversely related. That is, VEGF may be neuroprotective only as long as angiogenesis does not occur. When angiogenesis is significantly induced, VEGF no longer protects the brain, and creating more vessels may inflict further injury to the brain and worsen the consequences of stroke. They believe that VEGF could be a strong candidate for stroke therapy when used for neuroprotection, but that induction of angiogenesis by VEGF should be avoided by controlling the dosage. "Our data are very preliminary," says Manoonkitiwongsa. "More dosages need to be tested to confirm our hypothesis." They recently submitted a grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health for the purposes of 1) deciphering the relationship between neuroprotection and angiogenesis by VEGF and 2) characterizing the alterations in the brain exposed to the various doses of VEGF. Once these are precisely identified, and the mechanisms responsible for the relationships are elucidated, they hope to resolve whether neuroprotection and angiogenesis by VEGF can concurrently and safely be used as treatment methods for stroke. Neural Engineering Laboratory director Doug McCreery, Ph.D., said of this project, "Their research will provide significant and critical knowledge and bridge an important gap in our current understanding of stroke treatment."Prevention Helps Too
Education about stroke prevention encourages reducing risk through healthful living - e.g. cessation of smoking and consumption of intoxicants, sufficient exercise, proper diet, weight control, sugar control and stress management. However, "at-risk" behaviors do not change quickly. The fact is, many of the general public do smoke, consume alcohol to excess, pursue sedentary work or activities for much of the time, do not exercise regularly, do not control their caloric intake, and are subjected to the mental and psychological stresses of everyday life. Furthermore, as a person advances in age, the brain and its blood vessels become weaker and more susceptible to stroke. With the more sedentary lifestyle that comes with advancing age, its probability increases further. The lifetime costs of therapy and medication per person are estimated to be $200,000 for hemorrhagic stroke and $100,000 for ischemic stroke. Inpatient hospital costs alone average about $30,000 per admission for hemorrhagic stroke and $10,000 for ischemic stroke. These expenses are in addition to physician services and other costs. Statistics show that more than 500,000 stroke episodes occur in the USA each year of which one-third are fatal. In 2002 alone, more than 700,000 strokes occurred in the USA, of which approximately 500,000 were first-ever strokes and 200,000 were recurrent strokes. If the age-specific rates of stroke remain unchanged from 2002 to 2025, the overall number of strokes in the USA will increase from approximately 700,000 in 2002 to 1,136, 000 in 2025.Post Date: May 25, 2011 | Author: adminhmri321 | Category: Media Releases |