Minnesota

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic and partners from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Pharmacy, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and NeuroVista Corporation have been awarded a $7.5 million grant (U01) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research involves studying new ways to predict and control epileptic seizures in dogs and people. VIDEO ALERT: Journalists: video of a canine seizure is available at the Mayo Clinic News Blog. Epilepsy affects approximately 1 percent of the human population, with an estimated 50 million people worldwide currently suffering from the disorder. The hallmark of epilepsy is the seizure — a sudden and often violent event that strikes patients without warning. The goal of the research is to use information gleaned from real-time electroencephalograms (EEG) to consistently detect impending seizures, and develop methods of preventing these seizures through use of fast-acting drug therapies. The grant awards $1.5 million a year for up to five years. The principal investigators of the studies are Greg Worrell, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic; Ned Patterson, D.V.M., Ph.D., University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine; Jim Cloyd, Pharm.D., University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy; Charles Vite, D.V.M., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine; Brian Litt, M.D., Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; and Kent Leyde, chief technology officer of NeuroVista Corporation of Seattle, Washington. NeuroVista, a Seattle based company developing novel technologies for the management and treatment of epilepsy, has developed an implantable device system that continuously collects and analyzes EEG data to detect impending seizures. The system uses an external patient-carried device with a very simple interface—three colored lights—to indicate the risk of an impending seizure to the patient. The system is currently undergoing study in clinical trials in human patients being conducted in Australia. The NIH-funded research will involve applying the NeuroVista technology to dogs with naturally occurring epilepsy, and extending the technology by using it to guide the administration of fast-acting drugs to prevent seizures. It is hoped that this work will translate to a similar solution for human patients.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic today announced that Mayo Medical Laboratories has signed an agreement with A&G Pharmaceutical, Inc. and will receive a non-exclusive license to certain patent rights and proprietary antibody reagents for the detection and measurement of progranulin in blood. This agreement will let Mayo Clinic offer the first commercial blood test to predict progranulin mutation status in patients suspected to have frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The blood test will be available in late 2012 for all Mayo Clinic patients and will be offered through Mayo Medical Laboratories to hospitals and clinics worldwide. FTD accounts for at least 5 to 10 percent of dementia cases. It is common among patients with early-onset dementia. FTD affects the brain's frontal lobe, which regulates behavior, movement, mood and language. Most FTD patients are diagnosed when they show changes in personality, loss of memory and ability to use language. In 2006, researchers at Mayo Clinic published research in Nature that found the mutation of the progranulin gene (PGRN) causes a reduction of the protein progranulin in the brain. Along with other changes, this leads to neuronal death and atrophy of the frontal lobes of the brain, ultimately leading to dementia. Genetic testing is available to find the mutation, but it is costly. In 2009, Mayo Clinic researcher Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D., and colleagues discovered that FTD patients with PGRN mutations showed a reduction in blood progranulin levels compared to controls and FTD patients without PGRN mutations. Based on these findings and using A&G's proprietary antibody reagents, Mayo researchers developed an easy-to-use, cost-effective blood test for measuring the level of progranulin. "The progranulin blood test provides an inexpensive tool to identify progranulin mutation carriers in patients with early-onset dementia or asymptomatic relatives of FTD patients," says Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich, Ph.D., assistant professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. Dr. Ginette Serrero, CEO of A&G Pharmaceutical, states, "A&G has pioneered and patented research investigating expression of progranulin in breast cancer and lung cancer. Research has shown that breast cancer patients have an elevated level of progranulin when compared to healthy individuals. We are delighted that our clinical studies with breast cancer patients and development of progranulin antibodies and assays also will help FTD patients."

MINNEAPOLIS — Researchers from the University of Minnesota (U of M) in Minneapolis and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have been awarded $1.35 million by ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine invites the public to attend a free concert by jazz ensemble RDW Trio. WHAT: ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $2.5 million grant to Mayo Clinic's Cardiorenal Research Laboratory to conduct a highly innovative research project, "Cardiovascular Peptides and Myocardial Infarction." The research will seek to further understand the potential of a novel, engineered guanylyl cyclase (GC) activator, cenderitide, to reduce the level of cardiac and renal injury following a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Researchers will try to determine whether the therapy could help prevent deterioration of cardiac and renal function following a heart attack, and potentially reduce further heart failure in the future in treated patients. Mayo researchers invented cenderitide to activate two different subtypes of GC receptors, which uniquely differentiates cenderitide from other GC stimulating peptides. Cenderitide, a designer peptide derived from the venom of the green mamba snake, may aid in the preservation of cardiac and renal function following serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and acute decompensated heart failure. At the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in November 2011, Fernando Martin, M.D., a research fellow in the Cardiorenal Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, presented key research data demonstrating the ability of cenderitide to prevent the death of heart cells. The NHLBI grant will support basic research in the laboratory and a small proof-of-concept clinical study. Mayo plans to enroll 60 patients into the study at Mayo Clinic sites in Rochester, Minn., and Jacksonville, Fla. The endpoints of the study include safety, 30-day cardiac function, circulating hormones levels and other cardiorenal biomarkers. To learn more about the clinical study, physicians can call 507-284-4838.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center today announced the sports physicals schedule for high school athletes wishing to participate in athletic programs. The physicals will be performed from 8-11 a.m. on Saturday, March 3 at the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, Charlton Building, Desk LC. The cost of the exam is $20 per student. No appointments are necessary. Staff includes physicians and residents from Mayo's Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. In addition, athletic trainers and physical therapists provide assistance during the exams. Participating schools are: Century, Lourdes, John Marshall, and Mayo High Schools; Schaeffer Academy, John Adams, Kellogg, Willow Creek, and Friedell Middle Schools; Byron, Cannon Falls, Chatfield, Dover-Eyota, Fillmore Central, Goodhue, Grand Meadow, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Kingsland, Lanesboro, LeRoy-Ostrander, Lewiston-Altura, Pine Island, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Randolph, St. Charles, Southland, Stewartville, Triton, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers will present findings on childhood allergies and asthma at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting, held March 2–6 in Orlando, Fla. The AAAAI event brings together allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists and allied health professionals worldwide who have a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Mayo Clinic studies that will be presented and their embargo dates include: Mayo Clinic Finds Asthma Increases the Risk of Shingles in Children American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting ROCHESTER, Minn. — Children with asthma face a higher risk of developing shingles from the herpes zoster virus, new research from Mayo Clinic found. There are an estimated 1 million cases of herpes zoster virus infections in the United States each year, and the virus frequently affects men and women 60 and older. "It had previously been unknown whether asthma status poses an increased risk of shingles among children," says lead author Young Juhn, M.D., a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center. "These results suggest that asthma significantly increases the risk for shingles in children."

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Over the past few decades, doctors have noted a surprising trend in cancer of the tonsils and base of the tongue. Though oral cancer previously appeared predominantly in elderly patients with a history of tobacco and alcohol use, it's increasing in younger patients: 30- to 50-year-old nonsmokers with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Fortunately, the newer form of cancer tends to be less aggressive, and the latest approach to treating the tumors can avoid the debilitating consequences of open neck surgery or extensive radiation. Robotic surgery conducted through patients' mouths provides excellent results in removing squamous cell carcinoma at the back of the throat, especially in patients with HPV, a Mayo Clinic study published in the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings found. VIDEO ALERT: Additional audio and video resources, including excerpts from an interview with Dr. Eric Moore are available on the Mayo Clinic News Blog. These materials also are subject to embargo, but may be accessed in advance by journalists for incorporation into stories. The password for this post is robotic. "We were surprised that the cancer cure results were even better than the traditional treatments that we have been doing, but that is probably almost as much of a matter that these cancers are HPV-mediated for the most part, and they respond much better to treatment," says author Eric Moore, M.D., a head and neck surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "Importantly, the treatment preserved patients' ability to swallow and their speech performance was excellent." Dr. Moore and his team followed 66 patients with oropharyngeal cancer who underwent transoral robotic surgery with the da Vinci robotic surgical system. Every few months, the patients had imaging studies, scans and exams to determine if cancer was recurring. After two years, researchers found that patients' survival rate was greater than 92 percent, as good as rates for some other surgical and nonsurgical treatments for oropharyngeal cancer.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Strokes are the fourth-leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. The February issue of Mayo ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new tool to better identify tumors in women with dense breast tissue. The February issue of ...

Mayo Clinic today reported a solid performance in 2011 and shared plans for growth in services and programs to meet the needs of tomorrow's patients in new and different ways. Mayo Clinic has evolved to become a vast not-for-profit national and international medical organization that treats 1 million patients each year, with annual revenues of $8.5 billion. Mayo Clinic's more than 58,000 employees provide essential health care services to patients from more than 135 countries. "Mayo Clinic creates, connects and applies integrated medical knowledge to deliver the best health care, health guidance and health information to people everywhere," says John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO. "Our employees make the impossible possible for our patients every day. Their dedication to our mission makes me confident about how we will redefine the future of health care." As an example, in 2011, Mayo Clinic launched the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a network of provider organizations that have access to Mayo expertise and physicians to help them care for their patients closer to home whenever possible. Altru Health System, Grand Forks, N.D., was the first member to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Kingman Regional Medical Center, Kingman, Ariz., has also been added to the network. Dr. Noseworthy says that to continue to advance its mission, Mayo Clinic must create even tighter links between research and patient care. "We never give up until we find answers for our patients," he says. "Our unique environment brings together the best in patient care, groundbreaking research and innovative medical education." One way Mayo is making tighter connections between research and patient care is with the creation of Mayo Clinic's three new centers: The Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, The Center for Individualized Medicine and The Center for Regenerative Medicine. "These three new centers represent strategic investments in the future of health care," Dr. Noseworthy says. "By making these investments, we can reduce costs, advance medicine and enhance both individual and population health."

ROCHESTER, Minn. — In a reversal of two decades of medical reports, a Mayo Clinic study finds the frequency of nerve damage called diabetic polyneuropathy is similar in prediabetic patients and healthy people. Physicians should seek explanations other than prediabetes for patients who have painful small fiber polyneuropathy, the researchers say. The study was published in the March issue of Diabetes Care. Diabetic polyneuropathies, or DPN, are commonly associated with diabetes and chemical derangements related to high blood sugar. The neuropathies can injure nerve fibers throughout the body, but usually affect the feet and legs. The nerve damage can create sensory, motor and bodily function problems. DPN can be painful and life-threatening. "It is highly unlikely that impaired glucose or associated metabolic derangements cause polyneuropathy, at least not to the high frequency previously reported," says lead author Peter J. Dyck, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist. The five-year study, "Impaired Glycemia and Diabetic Polyneuropathy: The OC IG Survey," tested nearly 550 people representative of a community of older patients of Northern European extraction. Of these, 150 individuals were healthy subjects, 174 had prediabetes indicators, and 208 had newly developed type 2 diabetes. The study concluded that typical or atypical (a painful small-fiber variety) DPN was not more prevalent in prediabetics than in healthy people.