Comments on: Gene therapy shows promise in neuron repair and pain relief http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief Accelerating Intelligence Sat, 18 May 2013 12:55:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Bri http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29996 Bri Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:30:11 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29996 Thanks Melajara, it's hard for me to allocate more time to research this stuff. As it is I spend too much time on links. That one paragraph answered all my question and then some!!! Group mind!!!! Talk about crowd sourcing!!! Thanks Melajara, it’s hard for me to allocate more time to research this stuff. As it is I spend too much time on links. That one paragraph answered all my question and then some!!! Group mind!!!! Talk about crowd sourcing!!!

]]> By: Editor http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29980 Editor Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:07:02 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29980 Thanks, excellent info. Note: PloS (the plosone.org article) is open-access. Thanks, excellent info. Note: PloS (the plosone.org article) is open-access.

]]> By: melajara http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29977 melajara Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:23:26 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29977 I'm finding the original article abstract quite explicit about what they are doing, knocking out one of the sodium channels signalling pain to the CNS ( here the Nav1.3) and doing so in targeting for the blocking/injection site a primary nexus from the periphery to the spinal cord across (lumbar) vertebrae, the lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG). The injection contains RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing vectors encoding Nav1.3 short-hairpin RNA (shRNA, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_hairpin_RNA for the silencing process itself) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZZyxVP02UU&noredirect=1 for a nice video of RNAi role in gene expression. More details about this knockout procedure when targeting DRG can be found e.g. in this article introduction: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032581 On the various sodium ion channels relaying pain, interesting background material (albeit somewhat dated) can be found here: http://www.icagen.com/media/pdf/Kraftebannonsodiumchannels-sciencedirect.pdf Another very recent article for direct human application: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120813/Chronic-nerve-pain-researchers-identify-which-sensory-nerve-cells-are-responsible.aspx?page=2 Hope that helps ;-) I’m finding the original article abstract quite explicit about what they are doing, knocking out one of the sodium channels signalling pain to the CNS ( here the Nav1.3) and doing so in targeting for the blocking/injection site a primary nexus from the periphery to the spinal cord across (lumbar) vertebrae, the lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG).

The injection contains RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing vectors encoding Nav1.3 short-hairpin RNA (shRNA, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_hairpin_RNA for the silencing process itself) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZZyxVP02UU&noredirect=1 for a nice video of RNAi role in gene expression.

More details about this knockout procedure when targeting DRG can be found e.g. in this article introduction: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032581

On the various sodium ion channels relaying pain, interesting background material (albeit somewhat dated) can be found here:
http://www.icagen.com/media/pdf/Kraftebannonsodiumchannels-sciencedirect.pdf

Another very recent article for direct human application:
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120813/Chronic-nerve-pain-researchers-identify-which-sensory-nerve-cells-are-responsible.aspx?page=2

Hope that helps ;-)

]]> By: Bri http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29883 Bri Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:23:52 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29883 It may sound trite for me to say this but good meditational practices can help. Remember the images of monks sitting in the lotus position,committing suicide by, being set on fire. They literally didn't feel a thing. The mind can be amazingly powerful. Unfortunately it takes a lot of hard practice. It does have a lot of side benefits. It's a lot better than opiates. It may sound trite for me to say this but good meditational practices can help. Remember the images of monks sitting in the lotus position,committing suicide by, being set on fire. They literally didn’t feel a thing. The mind can be amazingly powerful. Unfortunately it takes a lot of hard practice. It does have a lot of side benefits. It’s a lot better than opiates.

]]> By: Bri http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29857 Bri Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:38:49 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29857 It would be nice if they explained the nature of the gene therapy. There is a lot of research on pain. The pain circuit is separate from other nerve circuits. There was a boy born in Pakistan that couldn't feel pain. He would jump off buildings for spectators to earn money. Unfortunately he died doing this before researchers could get to him. They tried to get DNA samples but the moslem religion stopped them. If pain could be eliminated it would be amazing. The article really doesn't give any info as to what they were affecting to get this result. It would be nice if they explained the nature of the gene therapy. There is a lot of research on pain. The pain circuit is separate from other nerve circuits. There was a boy born in Pakistan that couldn’t feel pain. He would jump off buildings for spectators to earn money. Unfortunately he died doing this before researchers could get to him. They tried to get DNA samples but the moslem religion stopped them. If pain could be eliminated it would be amazing. The article really doesn’t give any info as to what they were affecting to get this result.

]]> By: Pat Cohen http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29849 Pat Cohen Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:47:21 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29849 I have been diagnosed with idiopathic (i.e., not diabetic, cause unknown) peripheral neuropathy for over 10 years. It is such an "unsexy" illness that little research is being done, and since there are over 30 types, and NO cures, any research of an individual case is not cost effective, so we just go to a pain clinic and try to survive the pain with opiods. What a way to live, and survive the pain, huh? Anyone have any bright ideas on how to make this illness better know, and more interesting to research? I have been diagnosed with idiopathic (i.e., not diabetic, cause unknown) peripheral neuropathy for over 10 years. It is such an “unsexy” illness that little research is being done, and since there are over 30 types, and NO cures, any research of an individual case is not cost effective, so we just go to a pain clinic and try to survive the pain with opiods. What a way to live, and survive the pain, huh? Anyone have any bright ideas on how to make this illness better know, and more interesting to research?

]]> By: Gorden Russell http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29833 Gorden Russell Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:41:04 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29833 Did you read yesterday's article (at this, the Kurzweil Newsletter), " A chance to finish life?" It's about a young woman dying of brain cancer. She wants to take a chance on cryonic preservation so that she may be revived when there are nano-doctors that can move along the length of a neuron to repair the damage done by freezing. She needs $28,000 to pay for the cryonics. If only 1,400 people donate $20 apiece, she will have a hope to see the singularity. Donate to the Venturist Cryonics Charity Fund for Kim Suozzi, checks can be mailed to: The Society for Venturism 11255 SSR 69, Mayer AZ, 86333, U.S.A. Did you read yesterday’s article (at this, the Kurzweil Newsletter),
” A chance to finish life?” It’s about a young woman dying of brain cancer. She wants to take a chance on cryonic preservation so that she may be revived when there are nano-doctors that can move along the length of a neuron to repair the damage done by freezing.

She needs $28,000 to pay for the cryonics. If only 1,400 people donate $20 apiece, she will have a hope to see the singularity.

Donate to the Venturist Cryonics Charity Fund for Kim Suozzi, checks can be mailed to:

The Society for Venturism
11255 SSR 69,
Mayer AZ, 86333,
U.S.A.

]]> By: GatorALLin http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29831 GatorALLin Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:43:35 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29831 ....if you don't get an answer you like from this doctor, then keep talking to other doctors...and keep searching online for any support groups that share info/ideas on the same subject. There is an answer, even when a doctor does not know... (especially when they don't don't know). ….if you don’t get an answer you like from this doctor, then keep talking to other doctors…and keep searching online for any support groups that share info/ideas on the same subject. There is an answer, even when a doctor does not know… (especially when they don’t don’t know).

]]> By: Mrs. Jo Dermody http://www.kurzweilai.net/gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-neuron-repair-and-pain-relief/comment-page-1#comment-29830 Mrs. Jo Dermody Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:29:31 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160916#comment-29830 I have major burning from both my knees down into my feet and toes. A slight amount of cool air hurts me terribly. I have asked doctors what causes this? Well, I have heard my Sjogren's, they do tend to use this as a catch all for every pain I have and I have heard maybe the three lower dics in my spine, they lay on each other. So I get no relief and spend a lot of time hurting a whole lot. I'd love to see this go beyond mice and come to people like me Thanks for asking. I have major burning from both my knees down into my feet and toes.
A slight amount of cool air hurts me terribly. I have asked doctors what
causes this? Well, I have heard my Sjogren’s, they do tend to use this
as a catch all for every pain I have and I have heard maybe the three
lower dics in my spine, they lay on each other. So I get no relief
and spend a lot of time hurting a whole lot. I’d love to see this go
beyond mice and come to people like me Thanks for asking.

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