Fashion show to increase awareness and support of bipolar disorder research

Fashion show to increase awareness and support of bipolar disorder research

The May 21^st event benefits the Prechter Research Fund at the University of Michigan Depression Center

 

Melvin McInnis & Wally Prechter

Meet the expert:  Melvin McInnis, M.D., Thomas B. and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression in the Department of Psychiatry Learn more:  U-M Depression Center bipolar information  Prechter Bipolar Research Fund Download images

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Can’t buy a new yacht? No biggie. You can still get the fabulous lounge clothes.

 

Italian designer Gimmo Etro’s exotic print dresses and other fashions will be available for viewing at a runway show at Saks Fifth Avenue at Somerset Collection in Troy.

 

The runway show hopes to shine a spotlight on bipolar disorder, one of the most prevalent and least talked about mood disorders in the United States. It will also benefit the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund at the University of Michigan Depression Center. 

 

The show, which opens at 6:30 p.m. May 21, will include a reception and brief remarks about breakthrough bipolar disorder research conducted at the University of Michigan Depression Center. Funds raised in conjunction with this event will help advance critically needed research already underway at the Center.

 

“Research being conducted by the Prechter Bipolar Research team is helping us better understand bipolar disorder, find more effective treatments, and get us closer to a cure,” says Melvin McInnis, M.D., Thomas B. and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression in the Department of Psychiatry. 

 

Research features a genetic repository where DNA samples from individuals with bipolar disorder and those unaffected by the disease are collected and studied. The DNA will be evaluated to find clues to early diagnosis and a “roadmap” to understanding causes and identify treatments, McInnis explains.

 

Saks Fifth Avenue will provide a glitzy evening of fashion and high style for guests. Their generous sponsorship, along with the iconic fashions provided by ETRO, has created the opportunity to raise awareness about bipolar disorder as well as funding for research.

 

"I would like to express my gratitude to Saks Fifth Avenue for supporting the work of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund by hosting a Fashion Show,” says Waltraud “Wally” Prechter, founder of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund. “The proceeds will benefit the Gene Repository, a one-of-a-kind project in our nation. I am delighted and hopeful that by combining fashions and fundraising, we will be able to accelerate research and understand this insidious illness."

 

Mrs. Prechter has worked tirelessly to promote the bipolar disorder cause since the death of her husband Heinz C. Prechter in 2001. Mr. Prechter was a successful and celebrated automotive executive and philanthropist who fell victim to suicide after suffering from bipolar disorder for most of his adult life.

 

Tickets for the event are $150 and sponsorships in the amounts of $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 are also available. To learn more about the fashion show, please contact the Prechter Bipolar Research Fund at (734) 675-2200. For more general information about the Fund, please visitwww.prechterfund.org.

 

Facts about the Prechter Genetic Repository and the Heinz B. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund at the University of MichiganDepressionCenter:

• The fund has supported research at U-M, Stanford University and Cornell University.
• The repository has expanded with the addition of genetic samples and data from 1,500 patients collected by Johns Hopkins University researchers who will now work with the other Prechter-funded researchers.
• Many more DNA samples are needed, both from people who have bipolar disorder and from people without the disorder, no matter whether they have loved ones with bipolar.
• Giving a DNA sample involves allowing the research team to take a small sample of blood. Volunteers are interviewed at the start of the study, and annually after that, about their health, mental well-being and other issues.
• Those interested in finding out more about the project can call toll-free 1-877-UM-GENES or  (1-877-864-3637), or e-mail bpresearch@umich.edu.

Facts about bipolar disorder:

• Bipolar disorder was once called manic depression, but the term “bipolar disorder” is more commonly used today.
• The main characteristic of bipolar disorder is major mood swings, which can occur off and on throughout life. These can alternate between manic “up” or “high” periods, and depressed “down” or “low” periods.
• More than 5.7 million Americans, or 2.6 percent of the population, are estimated to have some form of bipolar disorder.
•  Bipolar disorder runs in families, and children whose parents have it are at an increased risk of developing it themselves.
•  Suicide or suicide attempts are an unfortunate but common occurrence among people with bipolar disorder.

Find more information about bipolar disorder:

• U-M Depression Center bipolar information: www.med.umich.edu/depression/bipolar.ht
• Prechter Fund and Prechter Genetic Repository at the U-M Depression Center: www.prechterfund.org
• National Institute of Mental Health Bipolar information: www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm
• Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance: http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_bipolar_overview

The University of Michigan Depression Center is the nation’s first comprehensive center dedicated to patient care, research, education and public policy in depression and bipolar disorder. Established in 2001, its mission is fivefold: to detect depression and bipolar disorders early, treat them earlier and more effectively, prevent recurrences and progression, counteract stigma, and improve public policy. More than 200 faculty, staff and students from across the University are members of the center. For more information about the University of Michigan Depression Center, please visit our web site atwww.depressioncenter.org or contact us at 800-475-UMICH.

Genetic Breakthrough for Bipolar Disorder

In what amounts to a scientific breakthrough a combined team of scientists from Britain and the United States have located two genes linked to bipolar disorder. Professor Nick Craddock, of Cardiff University's school of medicine, who lead the research says, "the findings will help people to avoid saying bipolar is just the way some people are, or that they should be able to control it . . . it puts it on a parallel with other diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes."

 

In one of the largest research projects of its kind, genes from more than 10,000 people, including 4,300 with bipolar disorder were examined, constituting a review of around 1.8 million genetic variations. The research team then identified that people with bipolar disorder were significantly more likely to have variants of the ANK3 and CACNA1C genes. These genes help to make proteins that control the flow of calcium and sodium ions that move in and out of nerve cells.

 

The ANK3 gene has a role in controlling the activity of cells whereas the CACNA1C gene is responsible for channels that control calcium flow from the brain. Normal brain function relies on a delicate balance of sodium and calcium. "The brain operates according to how quickly calcium and sodium are going in and out of cells and how much of it goes in and out," Craddock said.

 

The study, reported in the journal of Nature Genetics, is not expected to be helpful in determining risk for the disorder. Many people have the genes but do not have bipolar disorder. What the findings do achieve is they put to rest the notion that bipolar is purely psychological in nature. The fact that the disorder can now be identified as physiological will also help to provide a focus for future research and give direction to new treatments. Although lithium is known to help, it only achieves benefits for two-thirds of people and can cause weight gain and shakiness.

 

In an upbeat assessment of work to date and speaking to journalist Madeline Brindley of the Western Mail, Professor Craddock stated:

 

"When the research team can identify bipolar as an illness, like any other caused by a genetic predisposition, the stigma and discrimination faced by people with bipolar may finally be able to become a thing consigned to the history books."

Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids

Emerging Clinical Applications For Cannabis & Cannabinoids
A Review of the Recent Scientific Literature, 2000 — 2009

Despite the ongoing political debate regarding the legality of medicinal marijuana, clinical investigations of the therapeutic use of cannabinoids are now more prevalent than at any time in history. A search of the National Library of Medicine's PubMed website quantifies this fact. A keyword search using the terms "cannabis, 1996" (the year California voters became the first of 13 states to allow for the drug’s medical use under state law) reveals just 258 scientific journal articles published on the subject during that year. Perform this same search for the year 2008, and one will find over 2,100 published scientific studies.

While much of the renewed interest in cannabinoid therapeutics is a result of the discovery of the endocannabinoid regulatory system, some of this increased attention is also due to the growing body of testimonials from medicinal cannabis patients and their physicians. Nevertheless, despite this influx of anecdotal reports, much of the modern investigation of medicinal cannabis remains limited to preclinical (animal) studies of individual cannabinoids (e.g. THC or cannabidiol) and/or synthetic cannabinoid agonists (e.g., dronabinol or WIN 55,212-2) rather than clinical trial investigations involving whole plant material. Predictably, because of the US government's strong public policy stance against any use of cannabis, the bulk of this modern cannabinoid research is taking place outside the United States.

As clinical research into the therapeutic value of cannabinoids has proliferated – there are now more than 17,000 published papers in the scientific literature analyzing marijuana and its constituents — so too has investigators' understanding of cannabis' remarkable capability to combat disease. Whereas researchers in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s primarily assessed cannabis' ability to temporarily alleviate various disease symptoms — such as the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy — scientists today are exploring the potential role of cannabinoids to modify disease.

Of particular interest, scientists are investigating cannabinoids' capacity to moderate autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as their role in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease.)

Investigators are also studying the anti-cancer activities of cannabis, as a growing body of preclinical and clinical data concludes that cannabinoids can reduce the spread of specific cancer cells via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and by the inhibition of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). Arguably, these latter trends represent far broader and more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago.

THE SAFETY PROFILE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS

Cannabinoids have a remarkable safety record, particularly when compared to other therapeutically active substances.  Most significantly, the consumption of marijuana – regardless of quantity or potency -- cannot induce a fatal overdose. According to a 1995 review prepared for the World Health Organization, “There are no recorded cases of overdose fatalities attributed to cannabis, and the estimated lethal dose for humans extrapolated from animal studies is so high that it cannot be achieved by … users.”

In 2008, investigators at McGill University Health Centre and McGill University in Montreal and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver reviewed 23 clinical investigations of medicinal cannabinoid drugs (typically oral THC or liquid cannabis extracts) and eight observational studies conducted between 1966 and 2007.  Investigators "did not find a higher incidence rate of serious adverse events associated with medical cannabinoid use" compared to non-using controls over these three decades.

That said, cannabis should not necessarily be viewed as a ‘harmless’ substance.  Its active constituents may produce a variety of physiological and euphoric effects. As a result, there may be some populations that are susceptible to increased risks from the use of cannabis, such as adolescents, pregnant or nursing mothers, and patients who have a family history of mental illness. Patients with Hepatitis C, decreased lung function (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or who have a history of heart disease or stroke may also be at a greater risk of experiencing adverse side effects from marijuana. As with any medication, patients should consult thoroughly with their physician before deciding whether the medicinal use of cannabis is safe and appropriate.

HOW TO USE THIS REPORT

As states continue to approve legislation enabling the physician-supervised use of medicinal marijuana, more patients with varying disease types are exploring the use of therapeutic cannabis. Many of these patients and their physicians are now discussing this issue for the first time, and are seeking guidance on whether the therapeutic use of cannabis may or may not be advisable. This report seeks to provide this guidance by summarizing the most recently published scientific research (2000-2009) on the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids for 19 clinical indications:

* Alzheimer's disease
* Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
* Chronic Pain 
* Diabetes mellitus
* Dystonia 
* Fibromyalgia 
* Gastrointestinal disorders
* Gliomas 
* Hepatitis C 
* Human Immunodeficiency Virus 
* Hypertension 
* Incontinence 
* Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA)
* Multiple sclerosis
* Osteoporosis 
* Pruritus 
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Sleep apnea 
* Tourette's syndrome

In some of these cases, modern science is now affirming longtime anecdotal reports of medicinal cannabis users (e.g., the use of cannabis to alleviate GI disorders). In other cases, this research is highlighting entirely new potential clinical utilities for cannabinoids (e.g., the use of cannabinoids to modify the progression of diabetes.)

The conditions profiled in this report were chosen because patients frequently inquire about the therapeutic use of cannabis to treat these disorders. In addition, many of the indications included in this report may be moderated by cannabis therapy. In several cases, preclinical data and clinical indicates that cannabinoids may halt the progression of these diseases in a more efficacious manner than available pharmaceuticals. In virtually all cases, this report is the most thorough and comprehensive review of the recent scientific literature regarding the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids.

For patients and their physicians, let this report serve as a primer for those who are considering using or recommending medicinal cannabis. For others, let this report serve as an introduction to the broad range of emerging clinical applications for cannabis and its various compounds.

Paul Armentano
Deputy Director 
NORML | NORML Foundation
Washington, DC
January 15, 2009

* The author would like to acknowledge Drs. Dale Gieringer, Gregory Carter, Steven Karch, and Mitch Earleywine, as well as Bernard Ellis, MPH, NORML interns John Lucy, Christopher Rasmussen, and Rita Bowles, for providing research assistance for this report. The NORML Foundation would also like to acknowledge Dale Gieringer, Paul Kuhn, and Richard Wolfe for their financial contributions toward the publication of this report.

** Important and timely publications such as this are only made possible when concerned citizens become involved with NORML. For more information on joining NORML or making a donation, please visit: http://www.norml.org/join. Tax-deductible donations in support of NORML's public education campaigns should be made payable to the NORML Foundation.

Endocannabinoid System Regulates Emotional Homeostasis, Study Says

Endocannabinoid System Regulates Emotional Homeostasis, Study Says
Category: News and Politics

Madrid, Spain: Naturally occurring chemicals in the human body that mimic the effects of plant cannabinoids moderate human emotions and control anxiety, according to findings published in the Spanish scientific journal Revista de Neurologica.

Investigators at Complutense University in Madrid report that manipulating of the endocannabinoid system may one day be a course of treatment in the management of certain emotional disorders.

"[P]resent data reinforce the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the control of emotional homeostasis and further suggest the pharmacological manipulation of the endocannabinoid system [is] a potential therapeutic tool in the management of anxiety-related disorders," authors concluded.

Previous research on the endocannabinoid system indicates that endogenous cannabionoids moderate numerous biological functions, including appetite, blood pressure, reproduction, motor coordination, and bone mass.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Functional role of the endocannabinoid system in emotional homeostasis," appears in the January issue of Revista de Neurologica.