Gene Therapy Trial Succeeds In Boosting Protective Protein In Patients With Hereditary Lung Disease Aug 12, 2009
"This trial represents a very important step toward a potential gene therapy for the 100,000 or more Americans who suffer with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency," said Terence R. Flotte, MD, dean of the School of Medicine and provost & executive deputy chancellor of UMass Medical School ... Patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency cannot produce a protective form of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin, which is normally produced in the liver and protects the lungs from inflammation. (Science Daily)
Unauthorized Michael Jackson Bio Paints Grim Picture Of Final Months Jul 15, 2009
" Though no one in the book claims to have seen Jackson use illegal drugs, several sources described his alleged longtime addiction to prescription pills. Halperin claims that after a 2003 "60 Minutes" interview, Jackson overdosed on prescription pills and had to be revived by a doctor. In December, Halperin claimed Jackson was suffering from a genetic lung condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and that the singer would be dead within six months; Jackson died six months and one day... (VHI.com -- Music News)
HEALTH PROBLEMS: They dogged Jackson for years Jun 29, 2009
New reports surfaced in 2008 when London's Daily Express newspaper quoted a biographer, Ian Halperin, claiming that Jackson had a rare inherited lung disorder, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The disease, whose symptoms usually appear between ages 20 and 50, can cause unintentional weight loss, fatigue after exercise and a rapid heartbeat when standing, according to the National Institutes of Health. (USA Today -- Life)
JACKSON 'WAS UNABLE TO SING' Jun 28, 2009
One of my sources suggested that he might already have had a genetic condition I had never previously come across, called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency the lack of a protein that can help protect the lungs. Although up to 100,000 Americans are severely affected by it, it is an under-recognised condition. (The Drudge Report)
Jackson had history of health problems Jun 27, 2009
Rumors circulated in December that Jackson was ill and in need of a lung transplant because of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic condition. More rumors emerged in May that Jackson had skin cancer. (CNN -- Health)
Michael Jackson's Mysterious Medical Past Jun 26, 2009
Around Christmas of last year, a British journalist working on a biography of the pop star revealed that Jackson was suffering from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic condition that affects the lungs and liver. The author, Ian Halperin, told In Touch magazine at the time that Jackson needed a lung transplant and was bleeding in the intestines. (Time.com)
No health insurance? Get help here Feb 14, 2009
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, Chronic Granulomatous Disorder, Huntington's Disease, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Other rare diseases. (CNN -- Health)
