=============================================================== == == == ----------- ALS INTEREST GROUP ----------- == == ALS Digest (#47, 01 JUNE 1993) == == == == To subscribe, to unsubscribe, to contribute notes, etc. == == to ALS Digest, please send e-mail to: == == bro@huey.met.fsu.edu (Bob Broedel) == == == == All interested people may "broadcast" messages to == == ALS Digest subscribers by sending to: == == als@huey.met.fsu.edu == == == =============================================================== (1) ===== RE: rhGH (recombinant human Growth Hormone) ========== Date : 31 May 1993 13:40:44 -0500 (EST)>From : ROSEN@HELIX.MGH.HARVARD.EDU Subject: Re: als 46 Bob, I know the terminology for growth factors is confusing. That's science! Growth hormone is a natural substance produced by the pituitary gland. When there is too little, a person has dwarfism; too much, and you get gigantism. Growth hormone has been shown to effectively treat dwarfism. Previously, human growth hormone was extracted from the pituitaries of cadavers. In the early 1980's, biotech companies were able to clone the gene for growth hormone, and create a "recombinant" form. One form, known as Protropin, is made by Genentech. Growth hormone was shown to also promote muscle mass growth in normal people, and as a result it began to be abused by body-builders. It also has "rejuvenating" effects among the elderly, although these effects are modest. I think it was probably for the latter reason that it was tried with ALS; certainly not for any rational scientific reason. Unfortunately, as with many other drugs (and also, I fear, as will happen with CNTF) growth formone failed to have any beneficial effects in prevention of progression of ALS. (2) ===== re: MALTA / polio / ALS ========== I have found the records of 1073 Maltese children who had polio between 1920 to 1964 and, with an equal number of baptism matched controls, traced them to their great grand- parents. I have found 39 Maltese with ALS and they are related to the polio children, not to the controls: one had polio as a child and now has ALS. I would be very interested in hearing from Maltese who had paralytic POLIO or MND/ALS after they or their parents had left Malta. I should need to know, please, your name, place and date of birth, when and where you contracted polio or MND/ALS and as many details of your parents as possible: their names (Christian, surname, and maiden name) where and when they were married and born - and similar details of their parents, if possible. Personal details will be held in confidence and not released or published. My reaserch in Malta has suggested a link between MND/ALS and POLIO. Dr. H. V. Wyatt 1 Hollyshaw Terr Leeds West Yorkshire LS15 7BG **ENGLAND** You can communicate with my son via e-mail at: wyatt@vax.ox.ac.uk (Dr. T.D. Wyatt) He will pass your messages to me. P.S. Here is a listing of MALTESE SURNAMES that should be helpful to anyone who is willing to help with the search. -------------------------------------------------------- Abela Dalli Montebello Abdilla Damato Mula Agius Darmanin Muscat Amato Debattista Apap Debono Naudi Aquilina Debrincat Asciak Degabriele Pace Attard Degorgio Parnis Axiaq Deguara Pirotta Axisa Delia Pisani Azzopardi Demajo Piscopo Demanuele Portelli Bajada Demicola Psaila Baldacchino Desira Pulis Balzan Diacono Pullicino Barbara Dimech Pulo Bartolo Demicoli Bellizi Dingli Rapa Bezzina Refalo Bigini Ebejar Rizzo Bonavia Ellul Bondin Sacco Bonello Fabri Saguna Bonett Falzon Said Bonnici Farrugia Saliba Borda Fava Sammut Borg Felice Sant Briffa Fenech Sapiano Brincat Fitini Scalpello Bugeja Fleri Scerri Buhagiar Formosa Schembri Busuttil Frendo Schuereb Buttigieg Fsadni Sciberras Scicluna Cachia Gafa Sciortina Calleja Galdes Seichel Callus Galea Seychel Camenzuli Gambin Spiteri Camilleri Gatt Stellini Carabott Gauci Stivala Carbonaro Genovese Sultana Cardona Gerada Caruana Gili Tabone Cascun Grech Tanti Casha Grima Testa Casolini Grixti Teuma Cassar Giordmaina Theuma Catania Tonna Cauchi Haber Cefai Hili Vassallo Chircop Vella Chetcuti Laferla Ciantar Lanzon Xerri Ciappara Xiberras Cilia Magri Xicluna Cini Magro Xuereb Cioffi Mallia Coleiro Mamo Zahra Coppini Mangion Zammit Cordina Marmara Zarb Cortis Meilek Zerafa Costa Meli Cremona Mercieca Cumbo Micallef Curmi Mifsud Cuschieri Mintof Cutajar Mizzi ---------------------------------------- >> I went into CompuServe's PHONE*FILE (a white pages listing >> of name, address, and phone number of over 80 million >> Americans) to see what I could find. As a test I used the >> surname DEBRINCAT on the states of NY, TX, FL, CA, and NJ. >> >> As a result I was able to get the address and phone number >> of the DEBRINCAT family as follows: NY=none, NJ=none, CA=3 >> families, FL=3 families, TX=none. Interested people may want >> to make a more extensive search of PHONE*FILE as a way of >> locating families (possibly) from Malta. rgds,bro == end of als 47 ==