* Overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder may be worse than the illness Nov 30, 2008
Seven hundred psychiatric outpatients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and completed a self-administered questionnaire that asked whether they had been previously diagnosed by a health-care professional with bipolar or manic-depressive disorder ... 9 percent rate based on the SCID. Less than half of those who reported that they had been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder were diagnosed with bipolar disorder based on the SCID. Patients with... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
UCLA develops safer, more effective TB vaccine for HIV-positive people Oct 24, 2008
The researchers also showed that the new vaccine is much safer than BCG in a severely immunocompromised animal host mice with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID mice) that completely lack an immune system. While the vaccine could be administered to anyone, it is specifically designed to be given to HIV-positive newborns and adults whose immune systems are still relatively intact and are therefore able to mount a good immune response to the vaccine, including persons on antiretroviral... (EurekAlert!)
At Magee, cord blood donations translate into hope Oct 15, 2008
For children with SCID, an ear infection can be devastating, and chickenpox can be fatal. Today, though, Joshua is relatively healthy because he received a cord blood transplant at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh when he was 6 months old. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Inhibitors Of The Molecule PI3K Throw One Form Of Leukemia A CurveB-ALL Aug 26, 2008
10, 2008) Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), sometimes called 'Boy in the bubble syndrome', is a genetic disorder in which the patient lacks most types of immune cell. Almost 10 years ago, two. (Science Daily)
'NATURE' ARTICLE: Neutralizing antibodies derived from the B cells of 1918 influenza pandemic survivors Aug 19, 2008
Mozdzanowska, K. et al. A pulmonary in 00004000 fluenza virus infection in SCID mice can be cured by treatment with hemagglutinin-specific antibodies that display very low virus-neutralizing activity in vitro. J. Virol. (USA Today -- Tech)
Why Gene Therapy Caused Leukemia In Some 'Boy In The Bubble Syndrome' Patients Aug 11, 2008
10, 2008) Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), sometimes called 'Boy in the bubble syndrome', is a genetic disorder in which the patient lacks most types of immune cell. Almost 10 years ago, two independent groups (one in London, United Kingdom, and one in Paris, France) used gene therapy to treat a few infants with the most common form of SCID, SCID-X1, which is caused by mutations in the IL2RG gene ... Hacein-Bey-Abina et al. Insertional oncogenesis in 4 patients after retrovirus-mediated... (Science Daily)
SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune The race against gene doping Jul 28, 2008
The technique effectively treated SCID, but at least three boys developed leukemia and one died. Despite the setbacks, progress in gene therapy is being made. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
ASK THE EXPERTSHow does gene therapy work? May 14, 2008
Out-of-the-body gene therapy has already been used to treat severe combined immunodeficiency also referred to as SCID or boy-in-the-bubble syndrome where patients are unable to fight infection and die in childhood ... More than 30 patients have been treated for SCID, and more than 90 percent of those children have been cured of their disorder an improvement over the 50 percent chance of recovery offered by bone marrow transplants ... Unfortunately, five of the 30 children treated for SCID have... (Scientific American)
Gene therapy: Success at last! May 9, 2008
A successful gene treatment for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) was announced in 2000. SCID patients (most famously, the "bubble boy") have almost no defense against infection, and most die very young ... By now, four of 27 SCID patients who received new genes have developed , because the inserted genes destabilized their chromosomes. (Why Files)
Bipolar Disorder Might Be Overdiagnosed May 9, 2008
They found that fewer than half of patients previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder were assessed using a comprehensive psychiatric diagnostic interview -- the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) ... They looked at 700 psychiatric patients who were interviewed using the SCID and completed a self-administered questionnaire between May 2001 and March 2005 ... 4 percent were diagnosed based on the SCID. The study also found that people diagnosed based on the SCID were much more... (MEDLINEplus)
Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed? May 7, 2008
Then, without knowing the responses, the researchers used a tool called the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) to determine if the patients met the criteria for bipolar disorder. "The standardized nature of the SCID interview forces the clinician not to miss things that could be missed in an unstructured interview," Zimmerman says. (CBS News)
Is bipolar disorder overdiagnosed? May 6, 2008
A new study by Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University researchers reports that fewer than half the patients previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder based on a comprehensive, psychiatric diagnostic interview--the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) ... The study method involved 700 psychiatric outpatients who were interviewed using the SCID and completed a self-administered questionnaire between May 2001 and March 2005 ... 4 percent)... (EurekAlert!)
Boy in a bubble gets leukaemia after gene therapy Dec 20, 2007
The boy who is now three was born with rare X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, (SCID-X1), a condition which only affects males ... While childhood leukemia is as a rule treatable, with cure rates of 90 percent or more, children with SCID who cannot get a bone marrow transplant almost always die within a year. (News-Medical.net)
'Bubble Boy' develops leukemia after gene therapy Dec 19, 2007
Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital said Tuesday that the boy had been successfully treated for SCID-X1 x-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, often known as "baby in the bubble syndrome" but developed leukemia two years later ... In contrast, children with SCID who cannot get a bone marrow transplant almost always die within a year. (Globe and Mail)
Tax-Funded Research Implants Aborted Fetal Tissue in Mice Nov 30, 2007
Over the years, thousands of "SCID-hu" mice (pronounced skid-hew) have been bred for experimentation purposes, making the animal-human hybrid -- or "chimera" -- a hot commodity for researchers ... The SCID-hu mouse originally was created in 1988 by Stanford researcher J. Michael McCune ... SCID stands for "severe combined immuno-deficiency." "Hu" stands for human. (CNSnews.com)
Senior Research Associate ? Immunology Sep 1, 2007
Additional experience with human SCID mouse models is desired. Qualified candidates will have the proven ability to independently design, execute and interpret experiments. (Nature News Service)
Nigeria: Robbers Kill Policeman, 5 Others in Bank Raid Aug 19, 2007
They were however prevented from causing further damage following the intervention of a team of mobile policemen drafted from MOPOL 20,22 and Anti-Riot policemen from both the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti and the State Command headquarters who cordoned off the whole area. The body of the dead policeman was conveyed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH) in a police van with Lagos registration PF 5423. (allAfrica.com)
Gene Therapy: Identifying Where Genes Can Successfully Integrate Aug 7, 2007
Gene therapy -- whereby a retrovirus that integrates into the genome of a treated patient is used to deliver the gene of interest -- has been used to treat some individuals with inherited diseases such as X-linked SCID, a disease that causes widespread immunosuppression and therefore susceptibility to infection. However, a small number of the treated individuals developed leukemia-like diseases because the retrovirus integrated into the genome at a site(s) that caused the cells to divide... (Science Daily)
A rocky start, but Harrison's off home Aug 4, 2007
Harrison was born with a rare form of the genetic disorder known as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), which affects one in 2 million people. It is so rare that Harrison is the first person to be placed on an Australian register for adenosine deaminase deficiency, although it is thought there may be up to three cases. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Gene therapy patient dies, trial shut down Jul 28, 2007
The only disease ever to be cured with gene therapy is "bubble boy disease," an immune disorder formally called severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID. But gene therapy attempts are restricted to SCID patients who have no alternative, after doctors in 2003 discovered a few babies saved by gene therapy went on to develop cancer -- again, linked to the virus used to deliver the genes. Reflecting how seriously regulators take this latest death, the National Institutes of Health's advisory... (CNN -- Health)
Child undergoing stem cell transplant today May 25, 2007
ADA is the rarest form of SCID and occurs when the enzyme adenosine deaminase is lacking in the body, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information ... here's no help, said Kim, referring to the lack of government funding for SCID children. (Pekin Times, IL)
Nigeria: 3 Killed, 100 Shops Burnt in Lagos Crisis May 23, 2007
The suspects, according to the report, are detained at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti Street, Yaba, while investigations was on. The incident, which grounded both commercial and vehicular activities in Oshodi, and its suburbs throughout the better part of yesterday, according to eye-witness account, started around 5a. (allAfrica.com)
Gene therapy aimed at curing blind children May 3, 2007
The safety of the treatment will be under particular scrutiny, following a gene therapy trial four years ago in which two children being treated for a rare immune disorder called Scid (severe combined immunodeficiency) developed leukaemia. Trials of the latest gene therapy in dogs have proved the treatment can improve and preserve vision enough for nearly blind animals to negotiate mazes. (Hindu)
Gene therapy aimed at restoring sight for 30,000 people May 2, 2007
The safety of the treatment will be under particular scrutiny, following a gene therapy trial four years ago in which two children being treated for a rare immune disorder called Scid (severe combined immunodeficiency) developed leukaemia. Their cancers arose when a virus used to deliver healthy genes accidentally led to tumour-promoting genes. (Guardian Unlimited)
Hospital history'I had one of the first bone marrow transplants' Mar 31, 2007
They were told that their four-month-old son had severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) and without a BMT he would die. "It was very unreal; it was just like a film. We knew right from the start that it was the only treatment that was available. "The only difficulty we faced was because our other son was also involved (he was the donor). (BBC News -- UK)
The Doctor Is in a Rut Mar 21, 2007
When the child, named Shira, became desperately ill just days after arriving in the U.S., hospital physicians diagnosed her with severe combined immunodeficiency disorder (SCID), an inherited disease common in Asia ... Stein spent hours researching SCID and corresponding with families affected by it ... She became convinced that the problem was malnourishment, not SCID, and demanded the hospital run a battery of tests. (BusinessWeek)
Tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU6668 represses chondrosarcoma growth via antiangiogenesis in vivo Mar 18, 2007
In 10 male severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, pieces of SW 1353 chondrosarcomas were implanted into a cranial window preparation where the calvaria serves as the site for the orthotopic implantation of bone tumors. From day 7 after tumor implantation, five animals were treated with SU6668 (250 mg/kg body weight, s.c.) at intervals of 48 hours (SU6668), and five animals with the equivalent amount of the CMC-based vehicle (Control). (BioMed Central)
Fragile boy defies odds, finds match Feb 17, 2007
Evan was diagnosed with SCID, the so-called bubble-boy disease, in November when his parents noticed he wasn't interested in food and stopped growing. It took 10 days to diagnose SCID, the most serious of the 100 or so known primary immunodeficiencies, and Evan has lived in a germ-free room ever since ... (Health Canada is currently studying SCID in native communities, but the Public Health Agency of Canada has not contemplated recommending widespread screening. (Globe and Mail)
Association of Public Health Laboratories Applauds Introduction of Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act Feb 16, 2007
"It is especially significant that the new bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national contingency plan for newborn screening so we can build upon the experiences learned after Hurricane Katrina and that it continues to provide critical monies for assuring the quality of all newborn screening laboratory testing." The funding provided in the bill for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will enable CDC to utilize state-of-the-art science to... (PR Newswire)
Colleagues upset by Anderson sentence Feb 6, 2007
While there he inserted the adenosine deaminase gene via retrovirus into the T lymphocytes of a 4-year-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID. More recently, Anderson has focused on gene therapy delivery systems, including virus-based vectors to transfer genes and better vectors to insert genes into hematopoietic stem cells. To date, Anderson has published almost 400 and been profiled by a number of publications, including the New York Times and Scientific American. (The Scientist)
A new step for newborn screening Jan 30, 2007
But as the disease - officially called severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID - is proving, setting up a comprehensive system to diagnose, treat and care for babies born with devastating genetic disorders is anything but easy ... The chip, she explained, can detect the genetic misspellings characteristic of the dozen or so disorders collectively called SCID. Puck also described a second, "yes or no" test that looks for signs the immune system is developing an army of infection-fighting... (Newsday -- Health)
'Bubble boy' illness targeted Jan 26, 2007
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in conjunction with the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, is launching a pilot program to test newborns for severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID. They will use surplus blood specimens from samples drawn as part of the state's current screening program. "This is a first-phase feasibility study," said Ronald Laessig, director of population health studies at the State Laboratory of Hygiene, which means the pilot program... (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Jeffrey Modell Foundation, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Launch Pilot Newborn Screening Program to Detect and Treat 'Bubble Boy Disease' Jan 17, 2007
Using residual blood specimens from Wisconsin's nationally recognized newborn screening program, the pilot program will develop the protocols to screen all newborns for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency disease (SCID), sometimes known as "Bubble Boy Disease." The goal is to extend routine screening for SCID to every newborn in Wisconsin, estimated at 70,000 annually. "Today's highly sophisticated Newborn Screening Programs, such as Wisconsin's, where we routinely screen for 47 parameters, as... (PR Newswire)
Wisc. to test for bubble boy disease Jan 16, 2007
Now Wisconsin is about to begin the nations first experiment at testing newborns for this killer, officially named SCID, in hopes of giving babies like Anthony a chance at lifesaving treatment even as scientists ask how many infant deaths attributed to infections really might be due to the immune destroyer ... These people look like the Gerber baby until they get sick, says Dr. Rebecca Buckley, a SCID specialist at Duke University and longtime advocate for newborn screening ... Between... (MSNBC -- Health)
The Boy in the Bubble Jan 9, 2007
When David was born in 1971, his parents and doctors already knew that he would probably suffer from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (or SCID), a rare genetic disease inherited from his mother that had already killed his older brother. This was the era before AIDS, before people realised how murderous an innocuous phrase such as "immune deficiency" could be. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Sangamo BioSciences to Present at 25th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference Jan 3, 2007
Sangamo is also developing sequence-specific ZFP Nucleases (ZFN(TM)) for therapeutic gene modification as a treatment for a variety of monogenic diseases, such as X-linked SCID and hemophilia, and for infectious diseases, such as HIV. Sangamo has established several Enabling Technology Agreements with companies to apply its ZFP Technology to enhance the production of protein pharmaceuticals. For more information about Sangamo, visit the company's web site at. (PR Newswire)
