=============================================================== == == == ----------- ALS INTEREST GROUP ----------- == == ALS Digest (#92, 07 April 1994) == == == == ------ Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) == == ------ Motor Neurone Disease (MND) == == ------ Lou Gehrig's disease == == ----- == == This e-mail list has been set up to serve the world-wide == == ALS community. That is, ALS patients, ALS researchers, == == ALS support/discussion groups, ALS clinics, etc. Others == == are welcome (and invited) to join. Currently there are == == 220+ subscribers. == == == == To subscribe, to unsubscribe, to contribute notes, == == etc. to ALS Digest, please send e-mail to: == == bro@huey.met.fsu.edu (Bob Broedel) == == Sorry, but this is *not* a LISTSERV setup. == == == == Bob Broedel; P.O. Box 20049; Tallahassee, FL 32316 USA == =============================================================== CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE: 1 .. the Prodigy ALS group 2 .. neurotrophic factors & ALS 3 .. query re shower chair 4 .. neurontin 5 .. Internet Health Science Resources Update (1) ===== the Prodigy ALS group ========== X-Mailer: America Online Mailer Sender : "jackn74940" Date : Fri, 01 Apr 94 18:41:48 EST Subject : Re: ALS - new networker Hi Sarah, biggest network of ALS is Internet and Prodigy. On Prodigy on the Medical Support BB under Neurological and topic ALS there are over 159 ALS caregivers and victims. I am on that bb everyday only check Internet and AOL once or twice a week. The Activity over there is constant..come on over. Jack Norton/Andover,Mn === = To find out more about how one gets on the Prodigy system, please = call their member services department at 1-800-776-3449. === (2) ===== neurotrophic factors & ALS ========== Date : Tue, 05 Apr 1994 10:43:13 EST >From : astons@hal.hahnemann.edu Subject: I got this off the Neuroscience bb >From article <2np6m8$8aa@s.ms.uky.edu>, by Steven W. Barger, Ph.D., posting from the account of mpm@seqanal.mi.uky.edu (Mark Mattson): > RSTETTA@DELPHI.COM (rstetta@news.delphi.com) wrote: > : Looking for info on what Nuerotrophic Factors consist of, > : and what effects them. > : There is a form of muscular dystrophy, spinal muscle atrophy, > : in which the motor nuerons are affected, weaken over time. > : It is similiar to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) but > : progresses at a much slower rate. > : The info I have comes second hand from my sister in Tucson > : who attended a conference where a researcher from Canada > : mentioned these neurotrophic factors. [deletia] > The prototype is nerve growth factor (NGF), now recognized as a > member of a family of related peptides termed "neurotrophins" > which all support the health and/or growth of neurons. Different > family members seem to be important for different types of neurons, > but (as far as I know) none of these has been shown to be trophic > for the motor neurons which are lost in ALS. These cells may be > more dependent on other factors produced by the muscles they innervate. In fact, there is a young but rich literature indicating that at least one of the neurotrophins (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF) has a profound trophic influence on exactly the motor neurons in question. I think the earliest indications of an effect of neurotrophins on spinal motor neurons came from observations that spinal MNs expressed the p75 neurotrophin receptor (also known as the low-affinity NGF receptor). More direct evidence for a survival effect of neurotrophins came from a series of 3 reports published in the 24/31 Dec. 1992 issue of Nature, all demonstrating that BDNF could rescue spinal motor neurons from death, both the naturally-occurring cell death that occurs in chick embryonic development and the axotomy-induced cell death that occurs after nerve section in newborn rats. The strongest evidence was published in the 20 May 1993 issue of Nature in a study combining analysis of neuron survival in cell culture with analyses of the expression of genes encoding neurotrophins and their specific receptors. Here is an excerpt from the abstract: "...picomolar concentrations of ... brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3 and neurotrophin-5, can prevent the death of cultured embryonic rat spinal motor neurons. Furthermore, messenger RNA coding for neurotrophins is present at appropriate stages in spinal cord and limb bud, and mRNA for their receptors is found in motor neurons. These neurotrophins may therefore be physiological motor neuron growth factors." The significance of these studies in terms of treatment of ALS and/or other degenerative disorders of motor neurons is mentioned in every article. References: Sendtner et al. (1992) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor prevents the death of motoneurons in newborn rats after nerve section. Nature 360:757-9. Yan et al. (1992) Brain derived neurotrophic factor rescues spinal motor neurons from axotomy-induced cell death. Nature 360:753-5. Oppenheim et al. (1992) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor rescues developing avian motoneurons from cell death. Nature 360:755-7. Henderson et al. (1993) Neurotrophins promote motor neuron survival and are present in embryonic limb bud. Nature 363:266-70. For a nice, quick review see the News & Views accompanying the Henderson et al. paper on p. 213 of the 20 May 1993 Nature. -- Steve Matheson Program in Neuroscience University of Arizona sfm@neurobio.arizona.edu (3) ===== query re shower chair ========== Date : Wed, 6 Apr 1994 10:06:36 -0100 >From : Bernadette.Heaney@ml.csiro.au (Bernadette Heaney) Subject: Query re shower chair Could you please put the following message in the digest. The query was received by Bob Minchin, who co-ordinates the Motor Neurone support group in Hobart, Tasmania (Australia). Replies can be sent to me, Bernadette.Heaney@ml.csiro.au Thank you Bernadette Heaney ---------- Information is sought on the availability of a chair with a seat that can be rotated to facilitate the washing of an incapacitated patient in an ordinary household shower bay. Is there a manufacturer who produces such an appliance, and if so, where and at what price? Bernadette Heaney RV Franklin Data Librarian Phone 002 325 440 Bernadette.Heaney@ml.csiro.au ---------- (4) ===== neurontin ========== Date : 4 Apr 1994 14:42:24 U >From : "Lantzy, Marilyn" Subject: Neurontin My father's doctor is Dr. Sanders at Duke University Medical Center. I asked him about Neurontin and whether or not he would advise it for treatment of my father. He knows about Neurontin, but not its use for ALS patients. I told him about Dr. Munsat at Tufts who apparently has been looking into this as a form of treatment. Does anyone have any documentation regarding the studies by Dr. Munsat or his findings regarding Neurontin? Also, if possible, I would like a way to contact Dr. Munsat so that he could get me copies of any of his findings and recommendations. Any recommendations on how to proceed so that I can keep my father's doctors informed would be greatly appreciated. Also, where would be the best source of information regarding BDNF trials that may be taking place at the end of April. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Marilyn Lantzy === = Dr. Ted Munsat can be reached as follows: = New England Medical Center = 750 Washington Street, Box 273 = Boston MA 02111 = TEL 617-956-5855 = FAX 617-956-5857 = E-M ??? === === = The best source for information about clinical trials with = BDNF is the ALS Association; 21021 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 321; = Woodland Hills CA 91364. TEL 818-340-7500, FAX 818-340-2060. = They maintain a listing of principal investigators doing clinical = trials re ALS. I received an updated version of their list this = week. The next edition of ALS Digest will provide information = about clinical trials of BDNF. === (5) ===== Internet Health Science Resources Update ========== Date : Tue, 5 Apr 1994 12:30:55 CDT Sender : Medical Libraries Discussion List >From : Lee Hancock Subject: Internet Health Science Resources Update --------------------------------------------------------------- An update of my BITNET/Internet Health Science Resources List (03-93) is now available via ftp from FTP2.CC.UKANS.EDU. This document is an attempt to create a comprehensive list of health science resources available on the wide area networks. The list includes Listserv groups, Usenet groups, Freenets, Data Archives, Electronic Publications & Health Science oriented databases. This update also includes expanded gopher and WWW sites with many URL addresses, pointers to health related documents, and a large E-Journal section, along with several new databases and libraries. I hope you'll find this document useful for your Internet travels. Access via ftp: FTP2.CC.UKANS.EDU Directory: pub/hmatrix FILE: medlst03.txt or medlst03.zip Sample FTP session: $ ftp ftp2.cc.ukans.edu $ Login: anonymous (note lower case) $ password: your email address (example: le07144@ukanvm) $ cd pub/hmatrix $ get medlst03.txt (for the .zip version type the word binary before getting the file) $ transfer complete $ quit Remember! All typing is case sensitive. The size of this file is over 600k, around 200 printed pages. Obviously this is too large for sending out copies via email as I've done in the past. Unfortunately I can't offer printed copies just yet. For those without ftp access, send me a formatted DOS disk with a PRE-PAID envelope and I'll copy it for you. Some token of appreciation for my trouble would be nice. 8-) Send to: Lee Hancock 3580 Rainbow #826 Kansas City, KS 66106 ======================================================================== Lee Hancock || Archie R. Dykes Library Educational Technologist || 3901 Rainbow Blvd. University of Kansas Medical Center || Kansas City, KS 66160-7181 || (913) 588-7144 Bitnet - LE07144@UKANVM || Internet - LE07144@UKANVM.CC.UKANS.EDU || "Knowledge is nothing if not || shared"... Me Owner & Editor: Internet/BitNet Health Science Resources List Owner CPRI-L (Listserv@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu) Computerized Patient Records HMATRIX-L (Listserv@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu) Online Health Resources ========================================================================== == end of als 92 ==