STEM CELLS USED TO CURE SIGHT LOSS

COATING a common contact lens with stem cells could help restore a person's sight, Australian scientists have found.University of New South Wales medical researchers used the technique to treat the damaged corneas of three patients, all of whose vision improved within weeks of the groundbreaking procedure.
The results are published in the journal Transplant, indicating a further unique element of the world-first trial.
Stem cells were harvested from the eyes of each patient and then cultured inside a contact lens, which was then stuck onto a damaged cornea in a "transplant'' of regenerative cells.
"The procedure is totally simple and cheap,'' said the university's Dr Nick Di Girolamo.
"Unlike other techniques ... there's no suturing, there is no major operation, all that's involved is harvesting a minute amount - less than a millimetre - of tissue from the ocular surface.''
The lens stayed on for 10 days allowing stem cells to change their form, colonise and repair the cornea.
Two of the patients involved in the trial had suffered extensive corneal damage to one eye, caused by multiple surgeries to remove cancerous growths.
Dr Girolamo said that in these cases the stem cells were taken from their healthy eye - but the third patient posed an additional challenge because of a congenital disorder which affected both eyes.
"We took them from another part of the eye altogether - the conjunctiva which also harbours stem cells,'' Dr Di Girolamo said.
"The stem cells were able to change from the conjunctival phenotype to a corneal phenotype after we put them onto the cornea ... that's the beauty of stem cells.''
The procedure could be replicated in third would countries by a surgeon with a laboratory for cell culture, Dr Di Girolamo said.
It offered hope to people with a range of blinding eye conditions, he said, and there was also the possibility of adapting the technique to repair skin which behaved in a similar way to the eye.
The stem cell procedure was considered non-controversial, said former Deputy Chair of the Lockhart Committee on human cloning and embryo research Professor Loane Skene.
"Provided that patients are told the new procedure is experimental ... and they then consent to have it, this use of a patient's own stem cells is no more ethically contentious than a skin transplant,'' Prof Skene said.

The age defying power of RESERVATROL in red wine..

Resveratrol has age-defying power.1 It switches on the genes your body naturally uses to extend life under conditions of stress (like starvation). They’re called “sirtuins.” They slow the death timer that’s ticking in every cell in your body.
This gives your cells time to repair themselves—and live longer.
Resveratrol promotes health in virtually every system of the body, including the prostate,heart, and age-related brain conditions. I’ve even uncovered a slew of studies that haven’t come out yet. They add more proof to the long list of resveratrol’s health benefits. Check these out:
Cancer. Scientists discovered that it puts the brakes on cancer cells at every stage in their development. It stops the cells from dividing, growing, and spreading. Another found it works with UVB rays to kill off skin cancer.
Inflammation. It protects the body from the effects of inflammation. Inflammation lies at the core of virtually every known age-related condition, from heart disease to arthritis.
High blood pressure. Researchers in Japan discovered that it prevents the body from producing angiotensin, the hormone that causes your blood vessels to narrow.
Here’s the catch: not all resveratrol is the same. You need the right kind to get the benefit.
There are actually two different types—“cis” and “trans” resveratrol.
Every study I mentioned identified trans-resveratrol as the key health-promoting ingredient.
The problem is that the trans form is highly unstable. Research shows that it quickly turns into the cis kind when exposed to heat or light. 9,10
The best way to make sure you’re getting the right kind of resveratrol is to get it in natural form.
You can find it in red wine, plums, blueberries, and cranberries.
The problem is you’d have to drink about 10 glasses a day to see the benefit.
Pure, natural extracts that have been processed and stored in the right conditions are the best way to go.
That means they have to be kept in cold conditions and away from natural light. Otherwise that “trans” turns to “cis” . . . and you’ve wasted your money.
I suggest taking 100 mg of pure trans-resveratrol daily.

To Your Good Health.

This article is published by Dr Al Sears.

Emphasising the importance of a full eye examination v/s vision screenings

Please watch the following the powerful video highlighting the importance of a full eye examination for children http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRyNLiFFKEs

Kindergarten Tests and the Importance of Play

...Standardized testing has hit kindergarten big-time, as principals and superintendents push reading and math curricula into earlier grades to improve the odds that students will later pass standardized tests that gauge school performance. But kindergarten tests are almost certainly counterproductive, according to a new report from the Alliance for Childhood, an advocacy group in College Park, Md., called "Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School." Pushing children to perform at a level they aren't old enough to handle increases behavior problems and failure rates and takes away from a focus on the importance of play, which is what 5-year-olds really should be doing. Playing is the best way to learn social skills and self-control—which just might result in kids deciding that they really like going to school. Plus academic testing of children under age 8 is not a reliable indicator of future achievement in school, according to the nine new studies in the Alliance report....
Read full article at http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-parenting/2009/04/07/kindergarten-tests-and-the-importance-of-play.html

Are 3-D movies bad for your eyes?

Three-dimensional effects are predicted to be popular box-office attractions this summer.No fewer than 15 mainstream films -- including Disney/Pixar's animated "Up" and director James Cameron's motion-capture "Avatar" -- will be available in 3-D this year. But will movies that seem to pop out of the screen hurt your eyes?Some vision researchers say yes. They argue that repeatedly asking our eyes and brains to go against their normal function has short-term effects. And they worry about the long-term effect on small children whose vision systems are still in development....

Please follow this link to read the full article http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2009/05/17/news/19local_05-17-09.txt

GlamourEyes proudly joins the B1G1 family...

I am so proud to announce that Alana and I have been very fortunate to come across a wonderful and inspiring man. His name is Mr Paul Dunn and he has introduced us to this amazing concept of giving. As from right now, a new pair of glasses will be provided to a special disadvantaged person in Indonesia every time you commit to purchasing a pair of optical eye wear or sunglasses from GlamourEyes.

The Clear Vision program is organised by the John Fawcett Foundation which offers free assistance to needy people in Indonesia without religious, political or ethnic consideration. Sight restoration and blindness prevention - cataract operations, glasses distribution, eye treatment; children;s corrective surgery, including cleft lip and palate surgery; assistance to desperately ill children, education assistance are the current projects of the organisation.

Please follow this link to find out more about the Eye Screenings in Bali http://www.balieye.org/field_eye.htm.

We encourage you to help us on this journey and urge you to find out more information about the B1G1(Buy 1 Give 1 ) concept at www.b1g1.com.

Free Swine Flu Report

Eventhough it seems that the health authorities seem to have had some success at containing the swine flu virus, I must admit that I still occasionally feel a little nervous knowing that I am constantly getting really close to my patients on a daily basis and always am at a higher risk of contracting or spreading any source of parasites. I guess one the answers with all of this is a maintenance of impecable hygiene througout the practice.

Here is a link to a free report from Dr Al Sears from the United States in regards to the swine virus. http://www.alsearsmd.com/reports/swineflu.pdf

David.

Presentation at the Runaway Bay Rotary Club

I would like to again thank the Rotary club to allow me to present on the 27th of April on the topic of nutrition and the eyes. I touched of the areas macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetes and glaucoma. There were a lot of interest regarding some of the recommendations given about the best mutivitamins brands and food sources to help combat and prevent some of the above mentioned eye diseases. Ita Buttrose latest book on Eating for Health was mentioned as a source of some terrific recipes promoting eye and general health.

David.