Month: June 2014

Novagali Pharma, an emerging pharmaceutical company specialized in ophthalmology, announces today the launch of its new website developed by the communication agency Acom Healthcare. It was designed to address the need for access to the information of people suffering from visual impairments, cognitive disorders or sight-threatening conditions, who need to adapt their computer screen or use special interfaces.

Today, only a minority of websites are thought and optimized to offer a total accessibility to those who cannot use the standard graphic interfaces. Novagali Pharma, within the framework of its policy of community involvement, asked Acom Healthcare for development of a website accessible to the largest number of visitors. The result is a website which each can adapt according to his visual need without loss of information and which is available for consultation with all the audiovisual conversion tools.

Novagali worked in partnership with Christophe Sauvage, artistic director of Acom Healthcare Europe and AccessiWeb Expert in Evaluation of the BrailleNet Association:

“When we suggested to Novagali building a website structure that meets all the essential accessibility criteria, we received an enthusiastic feedback. Today, according to the French law of 2005 on integration of handicapped people, only the administrations have to provide accessible information, and by this innovative step, Novagali anticipate extension of the rule to the private sector.” This site is brought to evolve on the basis of the comments and suggestions of users for a constant improvement. “With this level of accessibility, Novagali has reached a first step towards the Accessiweb’s label which will be the object of an evaluation.”

“We are very happy to launch this new website with an optimal accessibility whatever is the visual capacity of the visitor”, comments J?�rome Martinez, President of Novagali, who adds: “The patients are in constant search for information related to their health, and they often contact us to learn more about our company and products. That is why it seemed to us essential that all the information contained in our website has to be accessible to everyone without discrimination.”

This website exists in English and French.

About Novagali Pharma

Novagali Pharma SA is an emerging ophthalmic pharmaceutical company based in the Genopole biocluster in Evry, France, that develops innovative products for all segments of the eye. Thanks to its proprietary technology platforms Novasorb® and Eyeject®, the company has developed a broad pipeline of innovative products addressing main ocular conditions as well as orphan diseases. Most advanced products include Vekacia®, an orphan product for treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis; Cationorm®, a CE marking product for dry eye relief; and Nova22007, a product for the treatment of moderate-to-severe dry eye syndrome. Founded in 2000, the firm has raised a total amount of Euro 44 million in 3 series of financing.

www.novagali

About BrailleNet Association:
www.braillenet/

About Accessiweb:
www.accessiweb

If you see something, it’s because you’re looking at it, right? A recently published study examined this question and established that while people do tend to notice objects within their gaze, it is the assumptions they make about their environment that affects their perceptions. This study gives insight into how the brain and the eye work together to interpret everyday observations.

The study “If I saw it, it probably wasn’t far from where I was looking,” reflects the work of a group of researchers led by E.M. Brenner, PhD of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The article recently appeared in the Journal of Vision (journalofvision/8/2), published by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Prior studies have confirmed that people’s familiarity with the world around them allows them to make credible assumptions about what they see. This study sought to discover how people would visually interpret a constantly changing or uncertain environment in the absence of common visual assumptions.

Eight subjects participated in two experiments to identify the location of a jumping target (a circular green cursor). In the first session, the target jumped to different locations within five concentric circles (arranged around a fixation point) every 250 milliseconds. The subjects had to position a mouse cursor at the location where the target had been at the moment of a flash. The second session mimicked the first except a tone replaced the flash. Each session continued until subjects made 250 responses.

The authors found that participants clearly preferred to select target positions nearer to where their eyes were looking. This finding held true whether a tone or a flash indicated the moment of interest. The study suggests that when in doubt, people are biased towards believing that they were looking directly at what they have seen.

“Without making assumptions about our environment, our possibilities for interpreting visual stimulation would be quite limited,” explained Dr. Brenner. “Presumably, our experience with the world teaches us which assumptions to accept. You are most likely to see something if your gaze is directed at it. Thus if you saw something you may be biased towards believing that you had been looking at it.”

ARVO is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,500 eye and vision researchers from over 70 countries. The Association encourages and assists research, training, publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. For more information, visit arvo.

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
12300 Twinbrook Pkwy, Ste 250
Rockville, MD 20852
United States
arvo

In an experiment that could offer a new pathway to restoring vision in people with inherited retinal degeneration, researchers have engineered cells in the eye to be light sensitive that were not before. Using a harmless virus, they introduced a gene for a light-sensitive protein into “inner retinal neurons” in a strain of mice with photoreceptor deficiency that resembles the defect in such inherited human disorders as retinitis pigmentosa. Unlike the retinal rods and cones that normally function as light-sensing cells in the eye, these retinal neurons are normally not photosensitive. The light-sensitive protein they used, called channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), is found in green algae.

As reported in the April 6, 2006 issue of Neuron, Zhuo-Hua Pan of Wayne State University School of Medicine and colleagues found that the introduced protein rendered the retinal neurons sensitive to light. What’s more, they found, the protein persisted for long periods in the neurons, and the neurons generated signals that were transmitted to the visual cortex of the animals’ brains.

“With this strategy, the investigators have made a paradigm shift in the field and opened the possibility of genetically modifying the surviving retinal interneurons to function as a replacement light-sensing receptor,” wrote John Flannery and Kenneth Greenberg in a preview of the paper in the same issue of Neuron. “This publication is clearly a significant first step into this new field of re-engineering retinal interneurons as genetically modified ‘prosthetic’ cells,” they wrote.

Pan and his colleagues cautioned that far more research must be done to determine whether their genetic engineering approach can be applied to restore vision in humans with inherited retinal degeneration disorders. For one thing, they said, they have not yet determined whether the light signals reaching the visual cortex could be interpreted as vision. Also, the algal protein is less sensitive to light than is the normal light-detecting protein in the eye.

Finally, they wrote, it remains unclear which of the many inherited retinal diseases might be treatable by using the technique. “The remodeling of inner retinal neurons triggered by photoreceptor degeneration has raised some concerns for the retinal-based rescue strategy after the death of photoreceptors,” wrote Pan and colleagues. “However, retinal degenerative diseases are heterogeneous as to the time course of the degeneration, survival cell types, and, possibly, their functional state. Therefore, further studies are required to evaluate what types of retinal degenerative diseases and/or what disease stages are suitable for this potential treatment strategy,” they wrote.

However, noted the researchers, their technique avoids some problems presented by other approaches to restoring vision in such diseases. These approaches include transplantation of normal photoreceptor cells into the eye or implantation of electronic retinal “chips” to replace the photoreceptor function.

“An important advantage of the strategy sought in this study is that it does not involve the introduction of tissues or devices into the retina and, therefore, may largely avoid the complications of immune reactions and biocompability,” wrote the researchers. “In addition, it could potentially achieve high spatial resolution for the restored ‘vision’ because the approach targets the cellular level. Thus, the expression of microbial-type channelrhodopsins, such as ChR2, in surviving retinal neurons may be another potential strategy for the treatment of complete blindness caused by rod and cone degeneration,” they wrote.

The researchers include Anding Bi, Jinjuan Cui, Yu-Ping Ma, and Zhuo-Hua Pan of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI; Alexander M. Dizhoor of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Elkins Park, PA; Elena Olshevskaya of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Elkins Park, PA; Mingliang Pu of Peking University in Beijing, China. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants EY12180 and EY16087 to Z.-H.P., EY11522 and Pennsylvania Department of Health to A.M.D., and core grant EY04068 to Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Wayne State University.

Bi et al.: “Ectopic Expression of A Microbial-Type Rhodopsin Restores Visual Responses in Mice with Photoreceptor Degeneration.” Publishing in Neuron 50, 23-33, April 6, 2006. DOI 10.1016/j.neuron.2006.02.026 neuron/

Heidi Hardman
hhardmancell
Cell Press

Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and solutions, has announced that it has enabled the text-to-speech option on all of its ePub book titles. The text-to-speech function enables an e-book to read aloud. This will facilitate access by readers who would otherwise face a range of access challenges through blindness, dyslexia, or motor difficulties.

With 10-15% of the global population struggling with some form of print disability, the accessibility of publications is essential to open up access for a broad array of people. Text-to-speech enables access by people with disabilities who might otherwise struggle to see, read, or interact with ebooks. Elsevier is committed to providing universal access to quality content in sustainable ways, and works to identify and close access gaps. For those who struggle to see or read text, ebooks that read aloud can provide a powerful form of access. This will make it easier for bright and talented people who happen to have print disabilities to become scientists in the future.

Dr Alicia Wise, Director of Universal Access at Elsevier, said: “Elsevier and the publishing industry are working hard to make more publications accessible to people with print disabilities. There is much more work to be done in partnership with accessibility experts and a range of software developers and device manufacturers. For example, there are key challenges related to the accessibility of highly structured and illustrated textbooks, mathematical formulae, and highly specialised and interactive scientific databases. All of our products and services must work well together to ensure that accessible content can be discovered and used by a person with print disabilities.”

Recognised for its accessibility efforts by receipt of the first Publisher Lookup Award in April 2010 Elsevier continues to be very active in accessible publishing initiatives at industry level, cooperating with industry bodies such as the International Publishers Association (IPA), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), the Publishers Association (PA), the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM).

Source:
Harald Boersma
Elsevier

OCuSOFT, Inc., an ophthalmic research, development and supply company, is pleased to announce that ZYTAZE™ is now available in pharmacies as a prescription-only (Rx) supplement. Pharmacies include but are not limited to: Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, Rite Aid and Duane Reade.

In an early pilot study, ZYTAZE™ demonstrated marked enhancement of botulinum toxin injections in the treatment of blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm or cosmetic procedures. Formulated with a proprietary, patent-pending blend of highly bioavailable, organic zinc and phytase (an enzyme that effectively breaks down phytates and maximizes zinc absorption), ZYTAZE™ has been reported to extend the duration of botulinum toxin treatments by almost 25%. For many patients, ZYTAZE™ could mean using less toxin, financial savings, greater safety and better, more consistent botulinum toxin results.

In the event that ZYTAZE™ is not available at your local pharmacy, please inform the pharmacist that they may order directly from their wholesale distributor by using the following codes: MCKESSON 1129808; CARDINAL 4346151; or BELLCO 387102.

Source: OCuSOFT, Inc

New screening device wins at Nursing Times Product Awards

Optyse™, the lens-free ophthalmoscope has been recognised with a Platinum Award in the Patient Observation category at the inaugural Nursing Times Product Awards.

The innovative device that’s set to enable low-cost, effective and rapid patient observation enables general medical practitioners, nurses and midwives to use the eyes as an immediate indicator of health. Its use also leads to significant economic benefits being realised from early diagnosis and prevention.

Judged by a prestigious panel of clinical and industry experts, the winners were announced at a dinner held at London’s Hilton Hotel, Park Lane.

Set up by the Nursing Times, a leading weekly magazine in the UK for Nursing and healthcare, the awards have been created to recognise and reward the products that are transforming patient care and helping healthcare professionals work efficiently.

The event was hosted by Nursing Times Editor, Jenni Middleton. She said: “In these awards, the judges weren’t just looking for products that were innovative or problem solving, which the Optyse lens-free opthalmascope ??? clearly demonstrates. They were also looking for wide appeal, and??? flexibility to work in a number of different situations. This product??? accomplishes this and it has clear productivity and cost-saving benefits, without compromising on quality. Well done to Ophthalmos for Optyse. It is a ???fantastic product.”

Source:

Ophthalmos Ltd

New research carried out by optometrists and psychologists in Australia shows that motorists suffering from cataracts are less able to spot potentially dangerous hazards on the roads.

The research, carried out by the School of Optometry at Queensland University of Technology and the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland*, involved simulating cataracts in drivers through the use of “cataract goggles” who then carried out two tests: one designed to measure drivers’ ability to anticipate potentially hazardous situations in changing environments and the other to measure the time taken to detect objects in static scenes. 186 drivers were participated in the study. The results showed that the drivers with mild or severe cataracts had significantly lower scores than those with no cataracts.

There has been little research done into the role of poor eyesight in traffic accidents, despite the fact that there are potentially many drivers on our roads who don’t see well. Cataracts are a significant and growing problem as the age of the world’s population gets higher. Cataract extraction now accounts for 12% of the US’ entire Medicare budget – the number of people undergoing surgery has risen by 478% in the last 25 years. In Australia, the number of patients for cataract surgery has risen by 300% over the last 10 years.

The problem is a significant one. Many people live with cataracts for extended periods of time and many continue to drive even when their vision no longer meets the standards required. 23% of an Australian sample of patients about to undergo cataract surgery were found to be driving illegally due to poor vision. In the US, drivers with cataracts were two-and-a-half times more likely to be responsible for a crash over a five year period, even if suffering from cataract in only one eye. Furthermore, drivers in the US who chose to undergo cataract surgery had crash rates 50% lower, post-operation, than those of a group of drivers with cataracts who elected not to have surgery.

The study shows that drivers with mild and moderate simulated cataracts had their ability to perceive hazards significantly impaired and those with moderate cataracts were also less able to anticipate hazardous situations. The study shows that reduced contrast sensitivity affects drivers’ hazard perception, and this is an ability known to correlate with crash risk. Cataracts cause many defects in vision: including decreased visual acuity, susceptibility to glare and decreased contrast sensitivity. Research in the US, however, suggests that only contrast sensitivity has been associated with increased crash rates. In the US drivers who have been involved in car crashes have been shown to be eight times more likely to have poor contrast sensitivity in their worse eye than crash-free drivers. Surprisingly, poor visual acuity on its own is a poor indicator of loss of visual function due to cataracts. Researchers are now calling for contrast sensitivity to be used when assessing fitness to drive.

Given that many cataract sufferers are known to drive when their vision is below the required standard, it would seem logical for patients with cataracts, who wish to continue to drive, to be offered surgery as soon as possible, in order to reduce the number of visually impaired drivers on the roads.

*The Effect of Simulated Cataracts on Drivers’ Hazard Perception Ability – Shelby A Marrington, Mark S Horswill, Joanne M Wood, School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology and School of Psychology, University of Queensland and, Brisbane, Australia. Published in Optometry and Vision Science, Vol. 85, No. 12, December 2008)

Notes

The European Council of Optometry and Optics is the European organisation which represents the interests of optometrists and opticians from 30 countries. It aims to promote eye health to the public across borders and to harmonise clinical and educational standards of optometric and optical practice throughout Europe.

European Council of Optometry and Optics

A Department of Health funded UK team have begun a clinical gene
therapy trial to test a revolutionary treatment for blindness in
children. The trial, which was given ??1million by the Department,
is the first of its kind and could have a significant impact on
future treatments for eye disease.

The team from University College London Institute of Ophthalmology
and Moorfields Eye Hospital, led by Professor Robin Ali, includes
leading eye surgeon Mr James Bainbridge and leading retinal
specialist Professor Tony Moore.

The trial involves adults and children who have ‘inherited childhood
blindness’ a progressive deterioration in vision caused by an
abnormality in a particular gene . This defect prevents normal
function of their retina, the light-sensitive layer of cells at the
back of the eye. There are currently no effective treatments
available for this condition.

Health Minister Lord Hunt said:

“This new trial is a global first of its kind and could mean the
ability to restore sight to children with this condition. The UK
leads europe in gene therapy, with over 40% of clinical trials, and
we are second only to the US. Investment into novel gene therapy
clinical trials began with a committment in our 2003 Genetics White
Paper and has helped the NHS bring important research such as this
from the scientist’s bench to the patient’s bedside. I am delighted
to be supporting such excellent work at the world renowned Moorfields
Eye Hospital.”

The new technique involves inserting normal copies of the gene into
the cells of the retina to help them to function normally. This is
achieved by an operation to deliver the normal genes to the retina,
using a harmless virus or “vector” to carry the gene into the cells.

The purpose of this study is to find out how safe and effective the
new intervention is in patients.

Professor Ali said:

“We have been developing gene therapy for eye disease for almost 15
years but until now we have been evaluating the technology only in
the laboratory. Testing it for the first time in patients is very
important and exciting and represents a huge step towards
establishing gene therapy for the treatment of many different eye
conditions.”

So far the operation has been performed in young adult patients who
developed the condition as children. Mr James Bainbridge, who leads
the surgical team said:

“It is very encouraging that we can deliver genes to an extremely
fragile site in the eye without complications. It will be many months
before we know the outcome of the procedure but we expect the best
outcome in younger patients.”

Professor Martin Gore, Chairman of the Gene Therapy Advsiory
Committee, which gave the ethical approval for this trial, said:

“Gene therapy was originally conceived for the treatment of single
gene disorders as in theory, such an approach addresses the very
nature of such disorders. However, in practice, over 70% of gene
therapy trials have been for cancer. It is heartening to see that
Government funding to support single gene disorders has enabled
researchers to come forward with an exciting and novel trial proposal
which offers hope to patients affected by these very serious
diseases. This trial demonstrates that the original ideas behind
gene therapy are still very much alive.”

1. For media enquiries and to arrange interviews please contact the
Department of Health news desk on tel: 020 7210 5221

2. The team is supported by funding from the Department of Health,
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, The Wellcome Trust, The British RP
Society, The European Union (EVI Genoret and Clinigene programmes),
The Medical Research Council, Foundation Fighting Blindness USA,
Fight for Sight

3. The June 2003 White Paper ‘Our Inheritance, Our Future: Realising
the potential of genetics in the NHS’, sets out the Government’s
commitments to developing genetics knowledge, skills and provisions
within the NHS by investing more than ??50 million between 2003 and
2008. This funding, over ??10 million of which is for gene therapy,
will harness the potential of advances in genetics for the benefit of
NHS patients.

4. Gene therapy is the deliberate introduction of genetic material
into human somatic cells (that is, not into egg or sperm cells), for
therapeutic, preventative, or diagnostic purposes.

5. Since the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee approved the first UK
gene therapy trial in 1993, there have been 112 approved gene therapy
clinical trials, involving over 1262 patients. These gene therapy
studies target inherited disorders such as Cystic Fibrosis,
infectious diseases such as HIV infection, and vascular (heart)
disease. Over 70% of trials are for the treatment of cancer,
including breast, ovarian, cervical, pancreatic, prostate, bladder,
head & neck, colorectal and liver cancer as well as skin cancer. For
details of these trials please see the Gene Therapy Advisory
Committee’s 13th Annual Report available from this
website:advisorybodies.doh/genetics/gtac

6. UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is one of a number of specialised
research centres linked to University College London and is, together
with Moorfields Eye Hospital, one of the leading centres for eye
research. The Institute scored a 5*A (highest point) in the last
Research Assessment Exercise. The Institute is committed to a
multi-disciplinary research portfolio that furthers an understanding
of the eye and visual system linked with clinical investigations
targeted to specific problems in the prevention and treatment of eye
disease. The combination of the Institute’s research resource with
the resources of Moorfields Eye Hospital, which has the largest
ophthalmic patient population in the Western World, opens the way for
advances at the forefront of vision research.

7.Robin Ali – is Professor of Human Molecular Genetics at UCL
Institute of Ophthalmology and Head of Division of Molecular Therapy.
James Bainbridge – is a Wellcome Trust Advanced Fellow at UCL
Institute of Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmologist at
Moorfields Eye Hospital. Tony Moore – is Professor of Ophthalmology
at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmologist at
Moorfields Eye Hospital

dh

Even though eye care doctors and manufacturers provide instructions about caring for and wearing contact lenses, studies show that many contact lens wearers do not comply with the recommended replacement frequencies and fail to discard their lenses after the scheduled time.

Forgetting which day to change their contacts is most commonly cited by wearers as the reason for not changing them as instructed. However, according to a new survey of contact lens wearers, ACUMINDER™, a complimentary online reminder tool, is helping them change their behavior.

Since its launch in 2007, nearly 40,000 contact lens wearers have registered for the free service which sends an automatic reminder via e-mail and/or cell phone text message on when to change contact lenses, and can now also prompt wearers on when to buy new contacts and when to schedule an eye exam. The ACUMINDER™ Tool was developed by VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and maker of ACUVUE®Brand Contact Lenses, but is open to all contact lens wearers.

Nearly 700 ACUMINDER™ users recently responded to a questionnaire about their contact lens wearing habits. Virtually all (95 percent) said they find the reminder tool useful in helping them remember when to change their lenses, with two-thirds (66 percent) noting that it has improved their contact lens replacement.

Prior to enrolling in ACUMINDER™, 40 percent of survey respondents who wear two-week lenses self-reported that they changed their lenses at or less than every 14 days (average wear time: 19.9 days), Since using the reminder, 76 percent say they now change their lenses at or less than every 14 days (average days worn = 14.7).

“Adherence to prescribed replacement schedules and recommended wearing schedules, as well as regular return visits to the eye care practitioner for yearly examinations, are essential to good eye health, which is why a reminder service such as ACUMINDER™ is so valuable” says Chicago-based optometrist Michael Slusky, O.D. “By not following instructions on proper wear and care, contact lens wearers are more likely to experience discomfort and may put themselves at greater risk for infection or other serious complications.”

Source:

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.

Erythropoietin has so far been known to doctors as a hormone that boosts red blood cell production. Now, a mouse study led by Lois Smith, MD, PhD, an ophthalmologist at Children’s Hospital Boston, shows it also keeps blood vessels alive and growing in the eye. The findings not only add a new function to the hormone, but also give doctors a reason to pause before prescribing it to patients with diseases affected by abnormal blood-vessel growth, such as retinopathy and cancer.

The study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (online January 24), also found that whether the hormone is a risk or benefit depends on the timing of administration.

Smith and first author Jing Chen, PhD, worked in mice with retinopathy, an eye disease that begins when healthy blood vessels nourishing the retina die. Numerous vessels then grow in, but they are deformed. Ultimately, the deformed vessels may pull the retina off the back of the eye, causing blindness.

The researchers measured erythropoietin produced in the retina as the disease progressed. Production was 3 to 10 times below normal during early-stage retinopathy, when healthy blood vessels died, and 12 to 33 times above normal during late-stage retinopathy, when deformed blood vessels grew into the retina. The researchers concluded that erythropoietin helps blood vessels survive and grow in the retina, with effects that may be healthy or harmful.

Next, the team examined whether giving erythropoietin could treat retinopathy. They injected erythropoietin into the bloodstream either early, as the mice lost healthy blood vessels, or later, when deformed blood vessels began to invade then compared them with untreated mice.

Boosting erythropoietin early slowed the disease. The mice lost half as many healthy blood vessels, causing about 30 percent fewer deformed vessels to grow in. Raising erythropoietin levels later, when deformed blood vessels were present, appeared to accelerate the disease slightly more deformed blood vessels grew in.

If similar effects are found in humans, and its use is properly timed, then giving erythropoietin early could slow loss of healthy blood vessels in retinopathy, says Smith. “Right now, there is very little out there to treat blood vessel loss in patients with retinopathy. However, further studies on the restoration of normal levels of erythropoietin are needed to translate these results to patients.”

In other diseases, like cancer, in which doctors need to slow blood vessel growth, the hormone could be blocked, although clinical trials would need to confirm this idea, she adds.

But given at the wrong time, erythropoietin may make blood vessels grow in an unhealthy way, says Smith. For example, because it boosts red blood cells, erythropoietin is often prescribed to premature babies and diabetic adults for anemia. Some of these patients also have retinopathy. Giving the hormone at the wrong time might help anemia, but worsen the eye disease.

“We’re not saying, ‘don’t do it.’ We’re saying, ‘think about it,'” says Smith. “Physicians should look at the state of the eye before giving erythropoietin to patients with retinopathy. They should consider not giving it to patients with full-blown retinopathy, in which abnormal vessels are present, because our work suggests it may accelerate the disease. However, if a patient is early on in the disease, then our work suggests erythropoietin may be beneficial.”

Cancer patients, who often take erythropoietin for anemia, face a similar potential risk, says Smith. “Since erythropoietin has the potential to make blood vessels in tumors grow, it could make tumors worse, although a clinical trial is required to know if this is true in humans.”

Overall, Smith says her mouse studies are a reason for doctors to think and researchers to investigate, not for patients to panic.

The research was funded by the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, the NIH, Children’s Hospital Boston, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Research to Prevent Blindness organization.

Children’s Hospital Boston is home to the world’s largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. More than 500 scientists, including eight members of the National Academy of Sciences, 11 members of the Institute of Medicine and 12 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children’s research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children’s Hospital Boston today is a 377-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. Children’s also is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Children’s Hospital Boston
21 Autumn St., 2nd Fl.
Boston, MA 02115
United States
childrenshospital