The XCell-Center is pleased to report treating its 2000th stem cell patient at its state-of-the-art clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Since treating its first patient in early 2007, the XCell-Center has emerged as Europe?s leading stem cell therapy provider. Now, patients from all over the world visit the XCell-Center seeking treatment for spinal cord injury, diabetes, cerebral palsy, heart disease, autism, various eye diseases and other neurological disorders like stroke and Parkinson?s. Many of them have experienced remarkable improvements following treatment.

?Now, I am walking like I was before I had Parkinson’s and my shaking is more under control,? said Jon Andresen about five months after his treatment.

The treatment process consists of three steps: bone marrow collection, laboratory processing and stem cell implantation.

Bone Marrow Collection

On the first day, bone marrow is collected from the patient?s iliac crest (hip bone) using thin-needle mini-puncture under local or general anesthesia (mainly in children). The entire procedure normally takes about 30 minutes. Each patient is treated with his or her own stem cells.

Laboratory Processing

The next day, the stem cells are processed from the bone marrow in a state-of-the-art, government approved (cGMP) laboratory. In the lab, both the quantity and quality of the stem cells are measured by sophisticated, analytical instruments.

Stem Cell Implantation

On the third day, the stem cells are implanted using a variety of methods, each designed to optimize placement of the cells as safely and closely as possible to the damaged organ or tissue.

Lumbar Puncture ? Stem cells are injected into the spinal fluid under local or general anesthesia to treat neurological diseases/disorders in the brain and the spinal cord.

Surgical Implantation ? Stem cells are implanted directly into the brain under general anesthesia using MRI/PET/CT mapping and a high tech navigation system allowing the cells to be placed with the highest accuracy while minimizing the risks.

Neuro-endoscopic Autologous Stem Cell Implantation (NEASCI?) ? Stem cells are implanted under general anesthesia into the cerebral fluid space(s) using a mini-endoscope and catheter with MRI/PET/CT mapping.

Angiography ? Stem cells are implanted into the pancreatic artery for diabetes or the coronary arteries for heart disease using a fine wire (catheter) under local anesthesia.

Direct Injection ? Stem cells are injected directly into the target tissue such as leg muscles for neuropathy or the joint(s) for arthritis.

Intravenous Injection ? When other implantation methods are not possible due to safety considerations or the damage is diffuse, the stem cells can be injected into the bloodstream intravenously.

?… we started noticing changes in Christopher?s speech pattern. Until then he only spoke in fragmented sentences but now he has begun talking in complete sentences,? noted Ritu Giacobbe, the mother of a 13 year-old boy who was first treated at the XCell-Center for cerebral palsy in August, 2008.

Patients who are interested in stem cell therapy at the XCell-Center can start by completing the Medical Information Form online: http://www.xcell-center.com/request-information.aspx

About the XCell-Center

The XCell-Center operates treatment centers in Cologne and Dusseldorf, Germany. It is the first privately-owned clinic in Europe to specialize in regenerative medicine using autologous bone marrow stem cell therapy and operates in accordance with German law and European guidelines. Its specialized medical team of German physicians includes specialists in: neurosurgery, orthopedics, cardiology, radiology, anesthesiology and pharmacology.

The XCell-Center also treats Diabetes and its complications (Erectile Dysfunction and Peripheral Artery Disease), Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Spinal Cord Injuries, Orthopedic diseases, Heart Disease and degenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and several eye diseases.

For more information on Stem Cell Therapy:

XCell-Center Website: http://www.xcell-center.com

XCell-Center GmbH

at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Am Heerdter Krankenhaus 2

40549 Dusseldorf, Germamy

Phone: 1-866-680-8202 (USA Toll-Free)

Well, the 2012 Olympic Games are nearly upon us.

Many companies have yet to get their IT plans in place to meet the staffing demands thrown up by the event such as the Olympics.

Having the correct IT systems in place will help businesses boost output and cut costs associated with delayed meetings and absenteeism due to travel disruptions and time off to see these events.

However, allowing staff to work from home, to work mobile or to work off-site requires investment in services like virtual hosting and IT outsourcing, and surveys show many companies are unprepared for it. Three quarters of businesses said they have no system in place to aid workflow or collaboration, such as cloud computing or remotely accessible servers.

NSIS will be affected due to our location being based in the West End and we will do our outmost to limit any disruption but site visits and deliveries may incur delays. We will keep you well informed.

Plan Ahead

If you require any IT equipment or support lets aim to assist you the beginning of July prior to the games starting. Please note there may be a demand to work from home – if this is the case please contact the office in advance so we can make arrangements to set this up prior to the Games starting on 27th July 2012.

The Olympic Games start on 27 July 2012 and run until 12 August 2012.

The Paralympic Games begin on 29 August 2012 and close on 9 September 2012.

________________________________________________________________________________

Improving our Services – offering the latest technology

NSIS are looking at new technology all the time and ways in which to improve our service to our clients by offering products at more competitive rates and superior services that have been tried and tested by ourselves. Below is just a reminder of the services we offer:

Broadband / Leased Lines (New Service, we can provide)

Cloud Computing (Hot Topics)

Mobile Devices

Green Computing

Office 365

Please visit our website for further information http://www.nsis-systems.com or contact our offices directly: 020 7240 4942.

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Curcumin, a powerful component of turmeric, a popular Indian spice, and piperine, an extract found in black peppers have been demonstrated to stop the growth of stem cells that spawn breast cancer tumors, according to a study from the University of Michigan.

The research findings show a decreased number of stem cells while having no effect normal, non-cancerous stem cells. These results are the first to suggest that dietary compounds have the potential to reduce the risk of cancer by targeting stem cells. The results of the study are published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

These exciting research results follow findings in November from a study published in the British Journal of Cancer. The study found that the ?curry spice? curcumin, a powerful component of turmeric and a popular Indian spice, demonstrated to help kill cancer cells in patients with esophageal cancer. Researchers believe that curcumin can inhibit the growth and metastasis of tumors in certain types of cancers. Curcumin has also been used and studied in treatment of a wide variety of diseases, from cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer?s disease, and type II diabetes to Crohn?s disease, psoriasis and arthritis.

Essence of Life, LLC?, a bionutraceutical company based in Mount Kisco, N.Y., has been at the forefront of the movement to promote curcumin and piperine?s health benefits. The company has developed innovative products based on these natural spices and others including fermented soy, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. According to co-founder and CEO Dr. Vijaya Nair, ?Independent research studies show that in Asian countries where consumption of natural herbs and spices such as curcumin and fermented soy is integral to traditional diets, we see a much lower cancer rate in the population.?

The company?s line of Jiva? natural nutritional supplements includes Curcumin Plus capsules that also use BioPerine, an ingredient dominated by piperine and made by Sabinsa, which was used in the study from the University of Michigan shown to possibly reduce the risk of breast cancer formation. ?Today?s research has shown that the underlying cause of arthritis, heart disease and cancer is chronic low-grade levels of inflammation in the body,? Nair said. ?By combining the power of curcumin and bioperine, we can help prevent and reverse inflammation and its associated health risks.?

Nair?s background includes training in both Eastern and Western medical traditions, including a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She developed Essence of Life?s line of supplements after conducting extensive clinical research on alternative therapies from Eastern medicinal approaches such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine at Columbia University?s School of Public health. ?It is gratifying to see that the latest research confirms the efficacy of these safe and natural preventative therapies,? Nair said.

For more information about the benefits of curcumin, visit Jiva Supplements.

About Dr. Vijaya Nair and Essence of Life

Dr. Vijaya Nair is the CEO and co-founder of Essence of Life, LLC?, a bionutraceutical company based in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Dr. Nair earned her medical degree from the National University of Singapore, completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and received a master?s degree in epidemiology from Columbia University, where she lectured and conducted research at the School of Public Health. An international teacher and lecturer, she recently was a featured speaker at the Cancer Control Society?s 37th Annual Cancer Convention in Universal City, Calif. She is the author of Prevent Cancer, Strokes, Heart Attacks and other Deadly Killers! (Sheffield, MA; Safe Goods Publishing, 2009) and co-host of the online radio program, ?Kiss Your Life Hello,? on the Health & Wellness station of VoiceAmerica.com.

Essence of Life produces the Jiva? line of nutritional supplements, including Fermented Soy and Curcumin Nutritional Beverage and Curcumin & Fermented Soy Plus, Lutein Plus, Ginger Plus, Ashwagandha Plus, Green Tea Plus capsules and Resveratrol Plus capsules. For more information, visit Jiva Supplements.

Editor?s note: Photos, video and product samples available on request. Dr. Nair is also available for broadcast or print interviews. Please contact Ashley Rio at 518-966-5600 x108 or ashley(at)kathoderay(dot)com

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10Rate reviewers and staff selected 10 of the best juicers for 2012, assigning each a numerical rating as well as awarding three models that stood out for quality, value, and budget. Testing and consideration for this Juicer Top 10 list was given based on this set of seven criteria:

1. How much juice it yields

2. Pulp dryness (indicating minimal food waste)

3. Ease of cleaning

4. Whether the feed tube fits whole produce

5. Noise and vibrations

6. Motor power

7. Price and value

The annual Best Juicer 2012 awards list was headed by the Breville 800JEXL, winning the Best Quality spot and a 9 out of 10 rating. The review mentioned several strengths of the juicer, noting that it ?has a 1,000-watt motor that extracts the most juice from foods, leaving whatever pulp is left very dry. With a three-inch circular feed tube, you can stick in whole carrots, tomatoes, apples, and oranges with little prep work chopping or cutting them into smaller pieces. There are two speeds to choose from, the faster one operating at 13,000 rpm. In the end, clean up is a breeze, and all the parts are safe for the dishwasher.?

10rate’s editors also gave the Best Value Juicer award to the Jack Lalanne PJP in the third place spot. With a respectable rating of 8.5 out of 10, the review boasted, ?Its durable stainless steel blade and filter are durable and get the juicing job done quickly. A benefit that metal juicers have over the cheaper plastic models is that they aren?t stained over time by beets and carrots; this juicer is easy to wipe clean and its parts come apart easily to go in the dishwasher.?

Additionally, the Best Budget award from the Top 10 Best Juicers list went to the Black & Decker JE2200B, for which 10rate noted, ?You will have to remember that with only 400 watts, you can?t stuff it full of fruits and veggies and expect fast results; this juicer works best when you feed pieces in one at a time. It?s a slower process, and you have to cut food up before feeding it into the tube, but it still extracts a good amount of juice with minimal food waste. For a low-priced model, this machine runs quietly and efficiently and is great for light to moderate use.?

Breville was the only brand featured for multiple models each in 10rate’s Juicer Reviews. Meanwhile, the Hurricane Manual Wheatgrass Juicer tied for third place in overall ranking and the review had this to say of its 8.5 out of 10 rating: ?It assembles in just a few minutes and clamps to the edge of the countertop. You simply turn the crank to extract the maximum amount of juice from wheatgrass. The pulp that collects is very dry. Cleanup takes only a minute or two as you run the few parts under the faucet for a quick rinse. We were skeptical at first about a manual juicer, but really the crank turns so easily it hardly feels like work.?

10rate.com conducts reviews in various product and services categories and publishes ?Expert Top 10 Lists for Everything in your life.? The company’s web site strives to ?Make it Easy? to select from the hundreds of choices there are in the product and service market place. All products and services are thoroughly researched by the company’s expert editors prior to receiving a rating on a 1-10 scale. In addition to product reviews the company’s editors write guidelines, buying guides and articles on various topics surrounding each product or service category covered to help educate the consumer.

The following is a statement by Eric J. Hall, president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), in response to the United States Senate’s passage today of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:

“On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), and our more than 1,200 member organizations, we congratulate United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and all members of the United States Senate who voted to pass The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“AFA believes The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes several provisions that will be particularly helpful to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and their family caregivers. We supported these provisions from the beginning of the Senate’s effort and are grateful to see them included in the final bill:”

“Independence at Home Act demonstration provides home-based coordinated care for high-cost Medicare beneficiaries with two or more chronic conditions, which studies show can reduce healthcare expenditures, improve quality of care and enhance health outcomes.

“Inclusion of ‘detection of any cognitive impairment’ in the new annual wellness exam for Medicare beneficiaries is a new and much-needed benefit for early identification of memory problems or Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”

“Direct care training funding over three years will help to establish new training opportunities for direct care workers that provide long-term care services and supports.”

“Geriatric workforce provisions authorize funding to geriatric education centers to support training in geriatrics, chronic care management and long-term care for faculty in health professions schools and family caregivers; develop curricula and best practices in geriatrics; expand the geriatric career awards to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists and psychologists; and establish traineeships for individuals who are preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in geriatric nursing.”

“The Nursing Home Transparency Act enhances American families’ access to information about the quality of care in nearly 16,000 nursing homes that receive $ 75 billion a year in Medicare and Medicaid funds, and will improve the government’s ability to ensure quality care and better-trained staff at those facilities.”

“Background checks in long-term care facilities for employees with direct-patient access give families greater assurance that their loved ones are safe because it will require these employees to pass a background check for previous criminal activity and abuse.”

“The Elder Justice Act strengthens the network of agencies that investigate abuse and neglect in facilities and in the community, including improving the training of long-term care ombudsmen and state health inspectors, requiring reporting of neglect and abuse, and ensuring that residents are protected when nursing homes close.”

“The CLASS Act creates a disability insurance program financed through voluntary payroll deductions for adults who become unable to perform at least two activities of daily living, and provides a much-needed benefit to help obtain services and supports, while providing disabled individuals more choices and opportunities to live and participate in their communities.”

“In addition, AFA was proud to support Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) amendment that prohibits insurers from dropping coverage because an individual chooses to participate in a clinical trial and from denying coverage for routine care that they would otherwise provide just because an individual is enrolled in a clinical trial for the treatment of life-threatening diseases. AFA was one of 85 organizations and the only Alzheimer’s disease-related group that supported this amendment.”

“We congratulate the Senate for its historic vote, and we look forward to working with members of the Senate and House of Representatives as the process moves forward to final passage of health reform.”

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in New York and made up of more than 1,200 member organizations nationwide that provide hands-on programs to meet the educational, emotional, practical and social needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families. AFA’s services include a toll-free hot line, counseling, educational materials, a free caregiver magazine and professional training. For information, call (toll-free) 866-AFA-8484 or visit http://www.alzfdn.org.

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Leading water cooler supplier Angel Springs is exhibiting at this year?s Facilities Show in Birmingham.

The annual event, at the National Exhibition Centre, brings together the best in estate and facilities management, with buyers, manufacturers and service providers set to attend.

The NEC is given over to the intricacies of facilities management for the event ? from sourcing water to meeting health and safety legislation.

Angel Springs, based in Wolverhampton, will have a stand in the main hall for the event. Exhibiting at K7, Angel Springs? stand will feature bright brand colours and popular products from its unique product range.

Angel Springs prides itself on its national distribution network, which allows the company to provide locally-sourced water for bottled water coolers, and helps businesses minimise their carbon footprint.

They also have a large range of mains-fed water coolers, which filter and chill mains water, as well as a selection of time and money-saving eco boilers. The eco boilers can make up to 156 cups of hot water an hour ? but only use energy when it?s needed. Unlike the traditional kettle, eco boilers only boil the exact amount of water needed, and they do it instantly, so staff don?t waste time waiting around.

The new range of Everest water coolers are environmentally-friendly, too ? the first water coolers in the UK to earn a Green Energy Star rating. Everest bottled water coolers are robust, sleek and modern, with a non-spill guard and secure bottle seating. They can chill water to 2 to 7oC and are ideal for an office or workplace.

The Facilities Show is taking place from May 15 to May 17 at the NEC in Birmingham. A number of free visitor tickets are still available.

For more information on Angel Springs, its bottled and mains fed office water coolers, or eco boilers, visit http://www.angelsprings.com

ENDS

Notes to editors

Angel Springs:

Angel Springs (http://www.angelsprings.com) is the longest-running water cooler company in the UK, supplying customers with fresh spring water, water coolers and water boilers for 21 years. The company employs 180 staff and is committed to working and developing successful relationships with local community groups, charities and businesses across the UK.

The Facilities Show

The Facilities Show is an annual event, held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK. It brings together the best of the facilities and estate management industries, including buyers, manufacturers and service providers. It runs from May 15 to 17, 2012. For more, visit http://www.facilitiesshow.com

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In an upcoming talk at New York City’s famed 92nd Street Y Jan.19, Dr. Barry Sears, author of The Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, and his most recent book, Toxic Fat, will explain why America is in the midst of a “Perfect Nutritional Storm” and its implications on any envisioned savings coming from the current health-care reform debate.

“In the past 30 years, America has been caught in a perfect nutritional storm that dramatically increased inflammation in Americans due to growing diet-induced hormonal imbalances. It is this increased inflammation that is the underlying cause of our current epidemics of obesity and diabetes and acceleration of chronic disease,” said Dr. Sears.

“Health-care reform must ultimately begin in the kitchen because of the hormonal impact of food and how those hormones can affect our genes. We need to reverse the current pro-inflammatory trend with anti-inflammatory diets,” said Dr. Sears. “Today’s primary health-care concerns, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s are ultimately driven by dietary-induced inflammation.”

Dr. Sears, who is the founder of Zone Labs, believes that radical changes in America’s food supply have resulted in a constant battle between the hormones generated by the food we eat and the expression of our genes.

“Obesity is not a consequence of sloth and gluttony, but rather an adverse interaction of our current diet with our genes,” he said.

A global authority on the hormonal effects of food, Dr. Sears will discuss how our increasingly pro-inflammatory diet has caused activation of a fat-trap in genetically predisposed individuals, but also increases hunger by changing brain hormone levels that override normal appetite suppression.

“The primary cause for this Perfect Nutritional Storm has been government subsidies for corn and soybean crops that have created an abundance of cheap refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils that, when combined, increase diet-induced inflammation,” said Dr. Sears.

“Dietary-induced inflammation can activate genes in people who are genetically predisposed to gain weight,” he said. “This accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. adult population. Once that happens, weight gain occurs with relative ease and is difficult to reverse.”

In his lecture at the 92nd Street Y, Dr. Sears will discuss the relatively simple dietary interventions necessary begin to reverse this diet-induced inflammation. He will also speak about the consequences for the future of American health care if we don’t.

In addressing the 92nd Street Y, Dr. Sears will join a distinguished list of Y speakers, including Microsoft’s Bill Gates, famed directors Oliver Stone and Francis Ford Coppola, former U.K. Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher, entertainers such as Paul McCartney and Robert Redford, authors from T.S. Eliot to Norman Mailer, and as an array of scientists and world leaders.

Dr. Sears will speak at the 92nd St. Y (Lexington at 92nd St.), New York, Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $ 18, $ 8 members. To order tickets or for more information, call 212-415-5500 or go to http://tinyurl.com/ylhcps2.

Dr. Sears is an international authority on the hormonal responses induced by our diet. His books have sold more than five million copies in the United States and have been translated into 22 languages. More information is available at http://www.zonediet.com and http://www.drsears.com.

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This week, experts, thought leaders and health professionals will gather in the Phoenix area (Goodyear) for a national conference on mindfulness, one of the most popular new treatment approaches in the field of psychotherapy. The ?Art & Science of Mindfulness & Counseling: A Revolution of the Heart? conference will be held May 16-19, 2012 at the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, and will feature two Sierra Tucson physicians, Robert Johnson, D.O., Medical Director, and James Duffy, M.D., Psychiatrist and Chief of Integrative Medicine, along with Jack Kornfield, Ph.D., a renowned expert in the mindfulness field. The conference is hosted by FACES Conferences, a leading provider of education and conferences dedicated to mindfulness.

?Over the last three decades we have helped support and give a voice to a variety of mental health movements,? reads the FACES website. ?In all that time, we have never seen a mental health movement with the potential of the mindfulness movement.?

The benefits of mindfulness are becoming more known and appreciated nationally in many facets of wellness and recovery. Mindfulness practices hold promise not only for personal development, but also as powerful tools to augment virtually every form of psychotherapy.

Sierra Tucson?s Dr. Johnson, a Board Certified Psychiatrist & Addictionologist, will present ?Meds, Mindfulness, and More: The Neurobiological Case for a More Integrative Approach to the Treatment of Depression,? in which he?ll discuss the controversies around the effectiveness of psychotropic medication versus placebo, how the industry came to embrace such a narrow approach to the treatment of psychiatric illness, and the emerging neuroscientific data about the benefits of a broader and more integrative approach to psychiatric treatment. He will specifically discuss the neurobiological benefits of various somatic, experiential, psychotherapeutic, coaching, and complementary/alternative approaches for the treatment of major depression.

?There is a growing line of evidence that the therapies that work ? whether medication, psychotherapy, mindfulness practices, somatic treatments, or experiential therapies ? may share common psychobiological mechanisms,? said Dr. Johnson. ?We are beginning to gain a greater understanding at a neurobiological level of the nature of the mind/body relationship. Even though antidepressant medications can be very helpful, given what we know about their potential toxicities and limitations, there is a strong, emerging scientific argument to be made about the value of a more integrative and broad-based approach to the treatment of depression.?

Sierra Tucson?s Dr. Duffy will present ?The 5 Medicines: A Practical Model of Integrative Mental Healthcare,? in which he?ll describe the significant challenges to incorporating integrative medicine approaches into clinical practice including the avalanche of new research data that clinicians must sort through in the face of limited time and resources. The workshop will present a practical model for providing integrative mental healthcare and a review of recent important scientific findings that support a holistic approach.

?Integrative approaches to mental healthcare have demonstrated efficacy in treating mental disorders and have very few, if any, harmful side effects,? said Dr. Duffy. ?These simple but effective treatments include diet, movement practices, environmental changes, meditation and non-Western approaches such as acupuncture and Ayurveda, each of which can be used in adjunct to conventional allopathic treatments.?

About Sierra Tucson

A premier facility for treating coexisting disorders, Sierra Tucson is known for its holistic, bio-psycho-social-spiritual treatment approach. Individualized treatment plans incorporate 12-Step philosophy, a wide variety of innovative and integrative therapies, a Family Program, and a combination of Western and Eastern Medicine practices. Dually accredited by The Joint Commission, Sierra Tucson employs full-time medical staff as a key part of its multidisciplinary treatment team. Specialized programs include:

Alcohol & Chemical Dependency
Eating Disorders
Mood & Anxiety Disorders
Pain Management
Sexual Addiction/Compulsivity
Trauma Recovery
Complex Assessment & Diagnosis
Progressions, for advanced recovery skills
Located on 160 acres at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona, this exceptional facility offers a beautiful, natural healing environment and the highest level of confidentiality. For more information about Sierra Tucson and its programs, call 800-842-4487.

Sierra Tucson is a member of CRC Health Group, the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral care services in the nation. CRC offers the largest array of personalized treatment options, allowing individuals, families, and professionals to choose the most appropriate treatment setting for their behavioral, addiction, weight management, and therapeutic education needs. CRC is committed to making its services widely and easily available, while maintaining a passion for delivering advanced treatment. Since 1995, CRC programs have helped individuals and families reclaim and enrich their lives.

Fetal transplant surgery for Parkinson?s disease went on experimentally for more than a decade before it was put to the ultimate test in a double-blind, randomized study. It turned out that only patients under 60-years-old showed any benefit, but some also developed uncontrolled jerking movements that washed away hope for the technique. The findings were the death knell for the promising procedure.

But scientists involved with brain imaging studies of the fetal transplant recipients did not put away their study tools. In fact, they kept bringing the Parkinson?s patients back into the laboratory to take snapshots of their brains over time. And what they have now found, and reported in the latest issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), is that people over age 60 began to show improvements more than a year after fetal dopamine cells were infused into the brain region damaged by Parkinson?s.

?This was totally surprising,? said David Eidelberg, MD, director of the Center for Neurosciences at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY. ?The use of fetal transplantation for Parkinson?s encountered a good deal of skepticism after five patients in the study (all under age 60) developed dyskinesias.?

Dr. Eidelberg said that the Parkinson?s community basically forgot about the research and turned their attention to other promising techniques.

There were 33 patients, 13 of whom were over age 60 when the cells were infused into their brains. It was a double-blinded study so that 19 patients received the fetal cells and 14 others had a sham surgery and were offered the fetal cell transplant a year later. But by that time, the word had come out about the devastating side effect (the dyskinesias) and some older people opted out of the second surgery.

The Feinstein researchers have now looked at the brains of the transplanted patients two years and four years after the initial infusion of fetal cells. And they learned a few things: Beyond the first five people who developed dyskinesia, none of the other 15 younger people in the study showed signs of the troubling side effect. In about 25 percent of the cases, clinical improvement was noted and the transplanted cells were still working to make the dopamine up to four years later.

They also discovered that the older people gradually got better after the first year and that their improvements continued over the long term. ?The older the brain, the harder it is to integrate the graft,? said Dr. Eidelberg. ?But the PET scans told us that the graft was viable. And it took awhile before the cells worked to improve symptoms.?

The Feinstein group has identified two different brain networks hard hit in the disease. One is obvious: the motor regions that, when damaged, lead to tremors, rigidity and difficulty initiating movement. The other piece relates to cognition and mood, and there are discrete brain regions that worsen over time. In this study, researchers found that people did better overall on motor functions if they entered the study with their putamen intact ? putamen is an area of the brain that governs cognition and mood. Dopamine is the key brain chemical in both these networks and it is critical for motor planning. When dementia sets in, people may have improvements in the motor network, but it isn?t observable because their cognitive network is abnormal and their ability to make plans to move is impaired.

The good news, said Dr. Eidelberg, is that the grafts stayed where they were and delivered dopamine to the tissue. The finding is critical as the field moves to transplant other types of cells, including embryonic stem cells or their ultimate product.

Much of the work for this study was conducted by Feinstein scientist Yilong Ma, MD, in collaboration with Dr. Eidelberg. The fetal cell transplant study was conducted by Paul Greene, MD, and Stanley Fahn, MD, Department of Neurology, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York and Robert Breeze, MD, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado; and Curt Freed, MD, Neuroscience Center and Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado.

About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research (http://www.feinsteininstitute.org) is home to international scientific leaders in cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer?s disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, human genetics, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. Feinstein researchers are developing new drugs and drug targets, and producing results where science meets the patient, annually enrolling some 10,000 subjects into clinical research programs.

Contact: Jamie Talan, science writer-in-residence,

516-562-1232 or email JTalan3k(at)aol(dot)com

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Spain is the most popular destination for people hiring cars abroad, according to a new international car hire infographic, accounting for over 14% of foreign car rentals in 2011.

Amongst other interesting facts and figures the infographic, produced by http://www.avis.co.uk, also compares the most common reasons for hiring a car, with holiday rentals the most common reason, accounting for 59% of rentals.

In 2011 the top 4 most popular international car hire destinations were:

1.