Clinical trials have begun for a therapy that could make a big difference for those living with Parkinson's disease or essential tremor disorder.
London-based Movement Disorders Diagnostic Technologies Inc. (MDDT) has created a first-of-its-kind technology developed from London Movement Disorder Centre research being done at University Hospital.
The non-invasive TremorTek sleeve analyzes biological changes that occur when a patient experiences tremors, instead of using a visual assessment for sometimes very complex movements.
Once Dr. Mandar Jog, director of the Movement Disorder Centre, gets an accurate reading, he can then use injections to help reduce tremors in as few as seven to 10 days.
He says "We've had many patients who have actually gone back to work, have gone back to hobbies, and in fact all of the scales that we use for quality of life measurements, have shown quite a remarkable improvement."
Tremor symptoms affect more than 10 million people globally, according to MDDT, and in the arms and legs they can make daily tasks difficult.
According to the London Movement Disorder Centre, the video below shows the difference the treatment can make in a patient between their first visit and a six-week follow-up appointment.
Clues about childhood leukemia
Also in London, in an exciting first step, researchers from Western University have identified a gene that has the potential to wipe out cancer cells in a common form of childhood leukemia.
Dr. Rodney Dekoter at the Schulich School of Medicine says, "It won't change things right away, much more research is needed, but maybe in two years, maybe in four years, maybe in 10 years we will have new treatments that will very specifically target this protein in childhood leukemia."
Dekoter is investigating the gene changes responsbile for th eonset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is the leading caus of cancer deaths in children.
