Anaheim Center Targets Women; UCI’s Cesario Honored
Philip Schwartz, a scientist and coordinator of the brain and tissue bank for developmental disorders at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, is part of a group studying alternatives to fetal tissue as a source of viable brain cells.
The team’s findings were published in the May 3 issue of the science journal Nature. In the article, Schwartz and researchers from the Salk Institute and Stanford University detailed the ability to harvest and culture viable neural progenitor cells from most of 23 cadaver brains examined in the study.
Neural progenitor cells, or stem cells, are immature cells that eventually give rise to the more specialized cells that make up the human nervous system. Researchers believe that stem cells eventually may be a transplantable tissue for the repair of traumatic brain injury or stroke, generic birth defects or adult neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.
Other medical studies have suggested that fetal tissue transplants can treat neurological disorders because the tissue produces dopamine, a brain substance that controls voluntary movement. But fetal tissue research has drawn heavy fire from activists in the anti-abortion movement.
Schwartz, also director of the National Human Neuro Stem Cell Resource, cautioned his group’s research isn’t likely to quell the debate over fetal stem cell research.
“It is not generally accepted that stem cells harvested from cadavers have the same properties as cells harvested from fetal tissue,” he said. “It’s too early to say if these brain cells can serve as a total replacement for fetal stem cells.”
Women’s Rehab Center Opens
The Salvation Army is expanding its adult drug and alcohol rehabilitation offerings in Orange County. The nonprofit, religious organization has opened a $2 million, 16,000-square-foot building on South Lewis Street in Anaheim.
The Salvation Army’s program is designed to assist 28 women at a time. Offerings include substance abuse education and individual and group counseling. The center is set to allow OC drug courts to place offenders in recovery programs under the guidelines of Proposition 36, which calls for treatment rather than incarceration for certain drug offenses.
“With the implementation of Proposition 36, the new facility will be a welcome addition as it is more difficult to find programs for women than it is for men,” said Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Alen Store in a release.
UCI’s Cesario Honored
Dr. Thomas Cesario, dean of the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine, received the Orange County Medical Association’s physician of the year award earlier this month. Cesario was tapped for his advocacy, educational role and involvement with the community and the medical association.
Dr. Maria Minon, the association’s president, noted that Cesario’s “professionalism and leadership has resulted in many recognitions and successes for the medical school” despite enduring some stressful times at UCI during his tenure.
Cesario has a long association with the medical society. Among other things, he was the first chairman of a task force dealing with AIDS and continues to see people with the disease in his practice. Cesario has held various positions at the College of Medicine for the past 26 years and became dean in 1995. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is actively involved in medical research, specifically in interferon.
Bits and Pieces:
PacifiCare Dental and Vision Administrators, Anaheim, and Dental X Change Inc., Irvine, entered an agreement to allow Dental X Change to provide Internet-based eligibility information to dentists contracted with PacifiCare in California. PacifiCare Dental and Vision Administrators is a subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., Santa Ana ChromaVision Medical Systems Inc., San Juan Capistrano, said studies using data generated by its automated cell-imaging system were presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s meeting around a week ago in San Francisco. ChromaVision also reported that it signed a contract with Riviera Beach, Fla.-based AmeriPath Inc. to jointly market the automated cell-imaging system DrGoodTeeth.com, Irvine, said there were no known material changes to the company to explain trading activity in its stock, which trades over the counter and recently surged from less than 2 to around 10 and then down to around 4. DrGoodTeeth said it had ongoing discussions regarding the merger or acquisition of a medical-related company, though no agreements have been made Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, Mission Viejo, introduced MyHealth Passport, a program for its female patients that gives information on screenings and health education, among other things A recent undergraduate research symposium at University of California, Irvine, featured some health-related topics. Those included injuries and short-term disability growing out of skate parks and HIV/AIDS among Haitian laborers in the Dominican Republic American Immuno Tech Inc., Costa Mesa, reported that its Neptune surgical waste management system was selected as a winner of the Medical Design Excellence Award competition.
