Can anyone relate to this? I have many of the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism but I don't have low thyroid. I just got the call that my blood test showed normal. I have been living with these awful symptoms for two years now, what do I do now?

I would suggest a cleansing diet. I did this and lost 11 pounds and 16 inches in 9 days. I like the program since it works by giving your body nutrition through protein shakes with digestive enzymes and vitamins and then cleansing out the toxins. We get toxins in our bodies from pesticides, preservatives, water, pollution, medications, food additives etc…. these toxins enter our bodies and get coated with fat. To remove the extra fat, we need to get rid of the toxins through cleansing. The program also has a natural diet pill to help your metabolism and curb cravings. It works and it works fast. I lost 30 pounds in 5 weeks and I feel great. my skin has improved as well from the cleansing. You can get more info at this toll free number 1-877-587-4647. I think cleansing is really important to health and weight loss. give it a try and good luck!

My friend had this problem and she actually went to a thyroid specialist and got the problem fixed!! I recommend looking one up!!

hypothyroidism mimics obesity and depression.those things need to be taken care of.improve ur lifestyle.

It means that your thyroid is not always functioning properly, and that it is eventually not going to be functioning. Continue to go back to your doctor every 3-6 months an request further blood tests

I had the symptoms also but my test was normal,turns out I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome(pcos) ask your Dr to refer you to a Gynecologist just to be checked.

they should recheck it again, and again. i had the same thing happen, and had a test that came back normal, then one that was abnormal, then another abnormal, then again a normal one. so….sometimes, things are out of whack one day and not another.

Some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism are puffiness, fatigue, hair loss, water retention (hands and feet), memory loss, fibromyalgia.

Without getting too clinical, if your TSH is normal, I would suggest having your hormone levels checked. Fluctuations hormones also manifest similar symptoms. Other endocrine problems should be ruled out, as well. a battery of tests including lymphoma is also performed routinely nowadays, so I suggest having that done.

I am not sure your age group, but it is highly likely that your condition is benign. sometimes, depression, stress, anxiety may cause some of the above smptoms.

Good luck and stay healthy.

You need to see an endocrinologist and be checked for Cushing's and PCOS – two diseases that can mimic the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

You also need to get the exact levels of your TSH. Some offices have different ranges for normal, and different people feel different at different ranges – for example, my mom had a TSH of 80 and felt only mildly lethargic, whereas some people might have a TSH of 4 and feel like they're going to die. You need to obtain those test results and get tested several more times.

go to about .com and read up and sign up for Mary shoman's newsletter

“Friendly fire” by the body’s own immune system may damage a pathway at the base of the brain that is vital in the execution of smooth, coordinated movements.

This in turn could lead to symptoms associated with Parkinson-like diseases, according to University of Florida and Mayo Clinic Florida scientists.

Scientists have suspected that exposure to viruses and other environmental factors may trigger Parkinson-like symptoms, but it has remained a mystery as to why this exposure would actually destroy certain areas of the brain.

“In the movie ‘Awakenings,’ it was suggested that people who previously suffered from an infection like the flu developed Parkinsonism, probably because of degeneration in a brain pathway known as the nigrostriatal tract. But the links between infection and subsequent Parkinsonism have always been controversial,” said Dr. Todd Golde, director of the UF College of Medicine’s Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease.

“Our data show that when a certain master protein that stimulates the immune system and antiviral response is expressed at high levels, it causes neuronal loss primarily in the nigrostriatal tract, thereby creating vulnerability to Parkinson’s and similar movement disorders.”

The symptoms in the disorders that are collectively called Parkinsonism are the result of degeneration and death of nerve connections that produce dopamine.

The most well-known Parkinsonism — Parkinson’s disease — affects more than 1 million Americans, causing individuals to gradually develop movement problems, including slowness, tremors and stiffness.

In the study, high levels of interferon gamma (the master protein which regulates immune system gene activity and coordinates immune defenses) resulted in widespread brain inflammation in model systems. However, most of the brain did not degenerate — only the nigrostriatal tract.

The results give scientists a clue as to why different areas of the brain seem more vulnerable to the ravages of different neurodegenerative diseases and offer a target to explore in the search for preventions and treatments for Parkinsonisms.

“Epidemiological studies and anecdotal observations aside, previous studies have never shown a direct link between chronic inflammation and Parkinson’s pathology,” said Paramita Chakrabarty, a postdoctoral fellow in Golde’s laboratory.

“We have shown that a small protein produced by our bodies in response to infections, called interferon-gamma, can directly lead to the loss of cells in the brain regions that are selectively targeted in Parkinson’s patients. More importantly, these changes were age-progressive, thus giving us an opportunity to initiate treatment in an early therapeutic window when the disease pathology is minimal.”

Researchers had originally set out to understand interferon gamma’s role in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia — conditions more associated with confusion and memory loss than movement problems.

“In general, we have had few clues as to why certain people are at risk for Parkinsonism, and this gives us an interesting possibility to explore,” said Golde, who is a professor in the department of neuroscience at UF’s McKnight Brain Institute.

“Namely, that infection or other factors that cause certain type of brain inflammation and high levels of interferon gamma can predispose one to Parkinsonism or even cause it outright.”

The study is published in Nature Neuroscience.

Source:  University of Florida

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Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye (and countless food products like pasta that contain those grains). STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Celiac disease represents just one extreme of a broad spectrum of gluten intolerance
• People with gluten sensitivity generally have stomachaches, gas, and diarrhea
• But careful, there’s nothing inherently healthier about a gluten-free diet

(Health.com) — Sarah Cooper was a new mom in her mid-20s, busily juggling her family and a career as an electrical engineer, when everything came to a halt.

She lost all her energy. She developed acne. And she began experiencing gastrointestinal problems: bloating, diarrhea, cramping, constipation. her doctors, thinking something must be missing from her diet, put her on various vitamins, none of which helped.

"it was all I could do to go to work," she says.

After years of failed treatments, Cooper’s luck changed. She saw a doctor who suspected she might have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that can appear at any age and is caused by an intolerance to gluten.

A protein found in wheat, barley, and rye (and countless food products — like bread and pasta — that contain those grains), gluten gradually damages the intestines of people with celiac disease, preventing the absorption of vitamins and minerals and setting off a slew of related health problems, which can include fatigue and bad skin.

Health.com: 13 surprising causes of constipation

Cooper tested negative for celiac disease, but the doctor advised her to try a gluten-free diet anyway.

"within a week of eliminating [gluten], I started to feel markedly better," says Cooper, now 36, from Melbourne, Australia. "it wasn’t a gradual feeling better; it was almost a crossing-the-street kind of thing."

That was 10 years ago. The general practitioner who treated Cooper was ahead of his time, as most doctors are only now starting to realize that some people who don’t have celiac disease may benefit from diets free of (or low in) gluten.

In fact, experts now believe that celiac disease represents just one extreme of a broad spectrum of gluten intolerance that includes millions of people like Cooper with less severe — but nevertheless problematic — reactions to the protein.

While celiac disease affects about 1 percent of the U.S. population, experts estimate that as many as 10 percent have a related and poorly understood condition known as non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGI), or gluten sensitivity.

Gluten-free and well-fed: the sneaky stuff

"this is something that we’re just beginning to get our heads around," says Daniel Leffler, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston. "There is a tight definition of celiac disease, but gluten intolerance has been a moving target."

Health.com: do gluten-free diets take off pounds?

Growing awareness of gluten sensitivity has led some people who struggle with gut problems but have tested negative for celiac disease to take matters into their own hands and try a gluten-free diet, even though it’s an extremely difficult diet to follow.

Sales of gluten-free products increased 16 percent in 2010, according to the Nielsen Company.

"Gluten is fairly indigestable in all people," Leffler says. "There’s probably some kind of gluten intolerance in all of us."

The spectrum of gluten intolerance

Experts now think of gluten intolerance as a spectrum of conditions, with celiac disease on one end and, on the other, what’s been called a "no man’s land" of gluten-related gastrointestinal problems that may or may not overlap.

Leffler estimates, for instance, that half of the approximately 60 million people in the U.S. who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are probably sensitive to gluten. (Gluten allergies, which are similar to other food allergies, also fall on the spectrum but affect only about 0.1 percent of the population.)

Gluten-free and well-fed: when did G-free get all…sexy?

Gluten intolerance of any kind — including celiac disease — is often underdiagnosed (or misdiagnosed) because it manifests itself in many and murky ways that can baffle doctors.

People with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity usually have stomachaches, gas, and diarrhea — as do people with IBS.

Health.com: 10 risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease

Celiac patients can also develop headaches, tingling, fatigue, muscle pain, skin rashes, joint pain, and other symptoms, because the autoimmune attack at the root of the disease gradually erodes the wall of the intestine, leading to poor absorption of iron, folate, and other nutrients that affect everything from energy to brain function.

People with gluten sensitivity sometimes experience these far-reaching symptoms as well, though it’s less clear why.

Gluten intolerance "starts in the intestines as a process, but doesn’t necessarily stay in the intestines. it may affect other organs," says Alessio Fasano, M.D., medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, in Baltimore.

Celiac disease can be definitively diagnosed using a two-step process: Doctors test the patient’s blood for the presence of intestine-attacking antibodies activated by gluten, and, if those tests come back positive, they order a biopsy (or series of biopsies) to look for intestinal damage, any evidence of which confirms the diagnosis.

Health.com: Medical tests women need this year

Gluten sensitivity, on the other hand, is a gray area that "lacks any defining medical tests," Leffler says. People who fall into this group exhibit the classic symptoms of celiac disease yet have no detectable intestinal damage, and test negative for certain key antibodies (though in some cases they may have elevated levels of others).

Gluten sensitivity is a kind of "non-diagnosis," in other words — a diagnosis by default for those who don’t have celiac disease but feel better on a gluten-free diet.

A recent study by Fasano and his colleagues offers some clues about what gluten sensitivity is, and how it differs from celiac disease. Although they show no signs of erosion or other damage, the study found, the intestines of gluten-sensitive patients contain proteins that contribute to a harmful immune response, one that resembles — but is distinct from — the process underlying celiac disease.

Blood tests that can diagnose gluten sensitivity by measuring these and other proteins are in the works, but they are still a ways off.

"The reason we don’t have tests yet is mainly because we don’t have a clear definition of [gluten sensitivity]," Fasano explains.

How much gluten is OK?

People with celiac disease must commit to an absolutely gluten-free diet, as eating the protein can, over time, increase a person’s risk of osteoporosis, infertility, and certain cancers, in addition to worsening short-term symptoms.

"You’re going to be on this diet for life, and it has to be extremely strict. even crumbs can turn on the autoimmune process typical of celiac disease," Fasano says. "If you make a mistake with celiac disease, you pay the price on the spot, but there can be a cumulative price, too."

Recommendations for people with gluten sensitivity aren’t as clear-cut. unlike celiac disease, gluten sensitivity hasn’t been linked to intestine damage and long-term health problems, so some experts say that people on the less severe end of the spectrum should feel comfortable eating as much gluten as they can handle without feeling sick.

"some people can be exquisitely sensitive and have to be as strict as people with celiac disease, while others can eat a pizza," Fasano says.

Health.com: How to estimate carbs in 10 common foods

The impact that gluten can have on those without celiac disease was illustrated by a recent study in Australia.

When gluten-sensitive people were asked to eat bread and muffins every day that, unbeknownst to them, had been laced with gluten, 68 percent saw all their old symptoms come back rapidly, compared with 40 percent in a similar group that ate only gluten-free products.

"People complained that they felt like they were pregnant, had gut pain…and tiredness increased," says the lead researcher, Jessica Biesiekierski, a Ph.D. candidate at Monash University Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Sarah Cooper participated in the study and felt like she had been "hit by a bus" after the first day of gluten snacks. her symptoms got so bad that she had to drop out halfway through the six-week study.

People with gluten sensitivity who don’t respond this way aren’t necessarily in the clear, however. Experts like Marlisa Brown, a registered dietitian in private practice in Long Island, N.Y., and the author of "Gluten-Free, Hassle-Free," worry that gluten could have long-term negative consequences that just haven’t been identified yet.

Even if you feel better, "definitely don’t try to add it back in," she urges. Brown counts herself among the gluten sensitive.

After enduring sinus infections, hair loss, sensitive skin, and fatigue since she was a little girl, and despite a negative celiac-disease test in her 20s (which she thinks may not have been thorough enough), Brown finally cut out gluten in her late 40s.

"I felt better in a week," she says.

Health.com: America’s healthiest superfoods for women

Gluten-free doesn’t equal healthy

If you suspect your body can’t tolerate gluten, the first thing you should do is get tested for celiac disease. If the test comes back negative, try a gluten-free diet for a week to see if you feel better, Leffler says.

Cutting out gluten is the most reliable way to determine if you are, in fact, sensitive to the protein — and if you are sensitive, it’s the only treatment.

However, Leffler stresses that you should get help from a dietitian to make sure that you avoid hidden sources of gluten (like soy sauce and salad dressing), and that you don’t miss out on the vitamins that wheat products provide.

Even though celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow have reportedly cut out gluten to "detox," there’s nothing inherently healthier about a gluten-free diet.

"it can be very healthy, or it can be junk food," says Dee Sandquist, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Health.com: Best and worst advice from top diet plans

Some of the many gluten-free products on the market can be unhealthy, Fasano says, because manufacturers add extra sugar and fat to simulate the texture and satisfying fluffiness that gluten imparts.

Another potential pitfall is that gluten-free products are less routinely fortified with iron and vitamins B and D than regular bread products, Sandquist says.

"Vitamins B and D are the ones particularly at risk of being deficient in [gluten-sensitive] people."

If you plan to go gluten free, select more fruits, vegetables, and lean meat, and more naturally gluten-free grains like brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat, rather than just buying prepackaged products labeled "gluten free," Sandquist says.

She adds, however, that gluten-free products are "evolving" and may become healthier overall as manufacturers develop ways to fortify them.

Copyright Health Magazine 2010

Wheat allergy is often seen to affect children as well as adults. A wheat allergy is nothing but the auto immune response of the body towards the allergen, which in this case is the gluten protein in wheat. this is similar as other allergies to food. there is an onset of allergic symptoms, when a victim of wheat allergy comes in contact with any food containing wheat in any form. Wheat allergy is different from wheat intolerance, since allergy produces symptoms while intolerance is nothing but a chemical reaction occurring inside the victim’s body due to its incapability of digesting wheat. Compared to wheat intolerance, wheat allergy symptoms in adults are more frequent.

The indications of wheat allergy are quite vague, since they are somewhat common to those of other food allergies. Hence, it is bit difficult to relate the symptoms to allergy from wheat or gluten. Initially, the wheat allergy symptoms in adults appear to be very mild, but they may turn up severe or newer signs arise increasing the number with time. hence, it is tedious to diagnose food allergies, like wheat allergy, in their initial stages. Among children, the most common symptoms of wheat allergy include diarrhea, stomach aches, vomiting, and skin rashes, hives and itching. Wheat allergy symptoms among adults vary from person to person, depending upon who can sustain them for how long. the commonly occurring signs of wheat allergy in adults include the following:

Of these, not all the symptoms of wheat allergy are observed in each and every one. wheat allergy symptoms in adults vary among people. If any of these symptoms appear while having meals, there are high chances of that particular individual suffering from wheat allergy. thus, watching out for these symptoms is necessary before they begin to play the games of life and death with you.

I'm planning a story where a character finds out he has cirrhosis, and it's in the final stages. How long is someone typically given to live if they are in the latter stages of this disease, and what symptoms might they experience?

A patient could develop fluid in the abdominal area.
This fluid is known as Ascites. it is caused because
the liver can no longer make a protein, known as
Albumin, efficiently. The fluid can keep building
up inside the patient and cause pressure to
develop against other organs and up against
the diaphragm, making it difficult for them to breathe
and feel like eatting. The doctor can remove this
fluid by a procedure known as paracentesis.
This is where they insert a needle connected to
a tube that leads to a vacuum bottle or bag. The
vacuum inside cause the fluid to be gently pulled
from the abdomen into this bottle. it is sent to
the lab to be tested then.

A person can develop fluid in other areas of the
body, also. This fluid is known as edema.
Mostly, this is seen in the legs and the feet.
It is caused because people who have Cirrhosis
of the liver tend to hold onto too much sodium in
their bodes. Most patients are told to elevate
their legs (do not massage them). they are
placed on diuretic and a "lower" sodium diet.

The patient will start to become easily confused
and disoriented. This condition is known as
Encephalopathy. it happens because certain
toxins, like ammonia, is able to pass the blood
brain barrier and go into the brain. The liver
used to take the ammonia…which is a byproduct
of the proteins we use…and convert it into urea
for the body to dispose of. The liver cells can
no longer do this efficiently…therefore the
ammonia stays in the blood.
People who have this problem are usually
placed on medications like Lactulose.
It is important they take the medication…because
they may end up in a coma, if this isn't done.
This conditions also causes them to have
sleep pattern changes and trembling in the
hands making it difficult for them to write.

Portal hypertension: As the liver cells die
off and form scar tissue inside the liver….
this blocks the flow of blood through the liver
on its way back to the heart. with Cirrhosis,
the liver is actually dying inside the patient.
The once soft, smooth organ has turned
into a enlarged spongy one with the development
of inflammation. with cirrhosis, it starts to
shrink and become hard textured.
The blood isn't able to go through the liver
and it backs up into the portal vein and into
other smaller vessels (varies)…not used to handling
this amount of blood and they can have weak spots
that can break open and bleed. These are
usually found in the esophagus, rectal area,
and belly button area. any blood seen in the
vomit, sputum, or in the rectal area is an
emergency. The doctor can go in and "band"
these varies to stop the bleeding.
The pressure inside the portal vein is known
as Portal hypertenstion.

Patients with cirrhosis tend to bruise and bleed
very easily. The liver is no longer able to make
the clotting factors that helps the blood to clot.

Patients are also extremely tired since the
body is trying to heal and also, other organs
are trying to compensate for what the liver
no longer can do. The liver does over 500
functions to keep the body well.

To learn more about the disease, here is a link
that may be of help to you:
medicinenet.com/cirrhosis/art…
unos.org/SharedContentDocumen…

The doctors are the only one to determine how long
a patient may survive once diagnosed. they usually
do a liver biopsy. they then take blood tests to
see how far advanced the disease may be.
Patient are placed on the transplant list according to
how much time the doctor decides the patient may
have left to live if they do not receive a transplant.
Once on the transplant list and the doctor observes
the blood work, they are given a MELD score.
The MELD score runs from 6 to 40. if a patient is
closer to a 6, they are the healthiest on the list and
may even be taken off the list…if they continue to
get better. As the patient goes up the ladder closer
to the 40 mark: they are sicker, have more signs
and symptoms, and are more in need of a transplant
sooner. if they reach the 40 mark: they have a very
short time to live and may die if an organ doesn't
become available for them.

Hope this information is of some help to you.
Best wishes

Scientists at the University of Surrey, UK, have made a major breakthrough in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. they have developed a new way of more reliably detecting the cancer by testing a small urine sample from men, allowing faster testing that could save lives and offer the potential for huge cost savings. the research was enabled by a close partnership between the University of Surrey and the Prostate Project charity. a three-year study, published today (1 March) in the US journal Clinical Cancer Research, shows that a protein called Engrailed-2 (EN2) is made by prostate cancers and secreted into urine where it can be easily detected using the new test that is simple, quick and has the potential to be used in GP surgeries. EN2 is an important protein in the development of the human embryo and, like many similar 'early life' proteins, its production is 'switched off' at birth – but analysis of urine samples from 288 patients by the team at the University of Surrey found that EN2 is switched back on in prostate cancer. unlike the new EN2 test the standard 30-year-old PSA test for prostate cancer involves taking a blood sample and is unable to detect a significant proportion of early prostate cancers, which go on to kill over 10,000 men in the UK every year. the new EN2 test has been proven to be more reliable and accurate than existing tests, said Professor Hardev Pandha, the Prostate Project Chair of Urological Oncology at the University of Surrey's Postgraduate Medical School. "in this study we showed that the new test was twice as good at finding prostate cancer as the standard PSA test. only rarely did we find EN2 in the urine of men who were cancer free so, if we find EN2 we can be reasonably sure that a man has prostate cancer. EN2 was not detected in men with non-cancer disorders of the prostate such as prostatitis or benign enlargement. these conditions often cause a high PSA result, causing considerable stress for the patient and sometimes also unnecessary further tests such as prostate biopsies." With the current EN2 test, men provide a small urine sample either in the surgery or at home which their doctor sends to a lab. Professor Pandha said the testing method could, in the near future, be made into an even simpler ‘desktop’ test that a family doctor could perform in their surgery. the prospect of an immediate result that doesn’t involve a blood test or an embarrassing examination may be helpful in getting more men with urinary symptoms to seek medical help, he added. "unlike the development of drug treatments, the time taken to verify the potential of EN2 in the diagnosis of prostate cancer is relatively modest," said co-researcher Dr Richard Morgan, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Oncology at the University of Surrey. "we are preparing several large studies in the UK and in the US and although the EN2 test is not yet available several companies have expressed interest in taking it forward." Patients were tested at St George's Hospital, University of London, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, and Basingstoke Hospital. the research was funded by the University of Surrey and the Prostate Project charity. Scientist, medical doctor, and TV presenter Professor Robert Winston, who champions public engagement with science, said: “This is an exciting discovery which advances the early detection of this cancer. It also shows just how vital the research carried out in universities such as Surrey really is in helping to find faster, better solutions to some of the healthcare challenges that face us all." Chairman of the Prostate Project Colin Stokes said: "we are all elated at this development. Huge credit must go to Professor Pandha, Dr Morgan and their outstanding team of researchers at the University of Surrey. I would like to thank everyone who has given their time and money so generously to our charity which has helped make today’s announcement possible. some individuals and companies have been outstandingly generous. the charity is run entirely by volunteers and 98% of all the funds we raise for research go to the work at the University of Surrey and this has paid off handsomely. All our work over the last seven years has been geared to days like today – when we really do give men a better chance of beating prostate cancer."

For more information:prostate-project.org.uk

Editor’s DetailsPharmiWeb Editorpharmiweb.com

Last updated on: 01/03/2011 17:30:49

I have asthma and I am also allergic to cats. I am staying at a friends house and she has two cats. when I was around them, I started reacting to them. I can't stop sneezing and my nose won't stop running. I also can't stop coughing.

How can I fix this without any shots or taking any allergy medication?

Hi Katie,
with the Harmony Evolution.
I can't put the link up here as it's a commercial link and yahoo will delete my answer.
Either google it or send me a private email for more details.

Blessed be.

Karma Singh

Some people say taking a gram of vitamin C helps.

Katie: use your rescue inhaler to stop the cough.
From now on, your friend needs to use Allerpet/C on the cats before you come over. there is a protein in the saliva of the cat that causes you to react. I will give you a link that explains and tells about the Allerpet stuff.

night blindness
scurvy
nausea and diarrhea
erythrocyte hemolysis

Well I looked this one up and scurvy is if you dont get vitamin C for over many months.
Night blindness would be from lack of Vitamin A and other things but not C.
Erythrocyte is more about red blood cells and protein. so I would think it would be nausea and Diarrhea. I know if you have to much C you can get a sore throat too.
Hope this helps!

nausea and diarrhea

i didn't think you could take too much Vit C, I thought it was water soluble and your body passes what it doesn't need (??)

Prostate cancer has no symptoms in the early stages, but it can be detected with a simple blood test. Elevated levels of a protein in your blood suggest something is amiss in your prostate. Which can be confirmed by follow up testing including a biopsy of the prostate if necessary.

But is all the attention paid to PSA testing merited? what unintended consequences does this produce as a result? do enough good outcomes result to make pre-emptive screening worthwhile?

That’s a good question or two or three, don’t you think? Because if more cancers are detected then more are treated. the issue of monitoring for prostate cancer symptoms aside, over treatment is one potential result. Which is a problem in its own right because not all prostate cancers warrant treatment. With a secondary issue being that treatments often produce unpleasant side effects which would be avoided had not a course of treatment been under taken in the first place.

So while it’s true we wish for a simple formula that produces easy to understand recommendations, cancer often doesn’t work like. and prostate cancer doesn’t work like that even more.

Digna Biotech and the Centro de Investigacion Medica Aplicada (CIMA) de la Universidad de Navarra announced today that the European Union (EU) has finalized a EUR 3.3 million grant to AIPGENE consortium. Digna Biotech and CIMA will receive, as members of the consortium, EUR 0.5 and EUR 0.8 million respectively for the clinical development of a gene therapy product for Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP).

the AIPGENE consortium is led by CIMA (University of Navarra), and in addition to Digna Biotech includes Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT), Stockholms Lans Landsting, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum and Servicio Madrileno de Salud.

As part of the AIPGENE grant, Digna Biotech and CIMA will complete a Phase I/II study in humans. with the support of all AIPGENE partners, Digna Biotech anticipates AIP patient enrolment in the trial in early 2012.

under a co-development agreement, Digna Biotech transferred to AMT global rights to develop and commercialize this adeno-associated based gene therapy vector for acute intermittent porphyria. AMT was granted Orphan Drug Designation for this vector.

about Acute Intermittent Porphyria

Acute intermittent porphyria is a rare genetic disease where mutations in the porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) gene results in insufficient activity of a protein necessary for heme synthesis that produce a wide variety of problems including acute and severe abdominal pain and psychiatric and neurological symptoms. there is currently no cure for this condition and the disease is typically progressive.

about CIMA

CIMA (University of Navarra) brings pure research closer to its clinical application, carrying out high-quality scientific work in the service of humankind, combating diseases that cause great suffering and for which no cure has yet been discovered.

about Digna Biotech and CIMA

Digna Biotech is a biotechnological company focused on the development products originated from CIMA. Currently, Digna’s portfolio includes 3 more products in clinical development: P144, a peptide inhibiting TGF-beta 1 that has completed Phase II in patients with scleroderma, Interferon alpha 5 for the treatment of hepatitis C infection in Phase I/II) and cardiotrophin for liver resection that will start Phase I in mid 2011.